South Africa has pushed Australia down to third position on the World Test Championship (WTC) table in the current 2023-25 cycle. SA now sit on the second spot after beating Sri Lanka in the first Test by 233 runs on Saturday (Nov 30).

South Africa now have 59.26 per cent points with one Test left in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and two more against Pakistan at home in December next month. SA, if they manage to win all their matches, have a pretty solid chance of making it to their maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final scheduled in June next year.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-pakistan-ready-for-hybrid-model-under-conditions-report-780496">Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan ready for hybrid model under conditions - Report</a>

South Africa's win, coupled with Australia's loss in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test against India, have made it harder for the Baggy Green to play their second consecutive WTC final.
<img alt="WTC 2023-25 Standings (Source: ICC)" data-align="center" data-caption="WTC 2023-25 Standings (Source: ICC)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="99fdf223-1169-49a5-aa9f-688fd92f62ee" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ICC_0.JPG" />
Australia, however, still has a chance to make it up in their remaining four BGT Tests at home and two away Tests against Sri Lanka.

The loss, meanwhile, dealt a cruel blow to Sri Lanka's chances of making it to the WTC final. New Zealand's loss against England in the ongoing first Test between the two sides, however, will get them back to fourth place from the current fifth place.

New Zealand, on the other hand, also received a setback for their chances after failing to perform at their own home against England despite coming off a 3-0 win against India in an away Test series.

India, meanwhile, stays on top, thanks to their emphatic 295-run win over Australia in Perth and four more Tests to go.

India's next match starts December 6 in Adelaide while South Africa and Sri Lanka will play the second Test from December 5.

In the first Test, Marco Jansen took 11 wickets in the match for SA and helped SL bowl out for a paltry 42 in the first innings from which the visitors could never really recover.

South Africa has pushed Australia down to third position on the World Test Championship (WTC) table in the current 2023-25 cycle. SA now sit on the second spot after beating Sri Lanka in the first Test by 233 runs on Saturday (Nov 30).

South Africa has pushed Australia down to third position on the World Test Championship (WTC) table in the current 2023-25 cycle. SA now sit on the second spot after beating Sri Lanka in the first Test by 233 runs on Saturday (Nov 30). South Africa now have 59.26 per cent points with one Test left in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and two more against Pakistan at home in December next month. SA, if they manage to win all their matches, have a pretty solid chance of making it to their maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final scheduled in June next year. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan ready for hybrid model under conditions - Report South Africa's win, coupled with Australia's loss in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test against India, have made it harder for the Baggy Green to play their second consecutive WTC final. Australia, however, still has a chance to make it up in their remaining four BGT Tests at home and two away Tests against Sri Lanka. The loss, meanwhile, dealt a cruel blow to Sri Lanka's chances of making it to the WTC final. New Zealand's loss against England in the ongoing first Test between the two sides, however, will get them back to fourth place from the current fifth place. New Zealand, on the other hand, also received a setback for their chances after failing to perform at their own home against England despite coming off a 3-0 win against India in an away Test series. India, meanwhile, stays on top, thanks to their emphatic 295-run win over Australia in Perth and four more Tests to go. India's next match starts December 6 in Adelaide while South Africa and Sri Lanka will play the second Test from December 5. In the first Test, Marco Jansen took 11 wickets in the match for SA and helped SL bowl out for a paltry 42 in the first innings from which the visitors could never really recover.

South Africa push Australia down to third position on WTC table after huge win in first Test vs SL

Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, on Saturday (Nov 30), became the latest entrant in the 9000-run club in Test cricket. The NZ batter reached the milestone during the day of the ongoing first Test against England. He is the first Kiwi batter to reach the figure ahead of now-retired Ross Taylor being a distant second with 7,683 Test runs.

Williamson is the fourth and last to reach the milestone among the Fab Four club which also includes Virat Kohli (India), Steve Smith (Australia), and Joe Root (England).

Williamson reached the mark in his 103rd Test – second fastest to Aussie Smith among Fab Four who had reached the same mark in 99 Tests. Kohli and Root had reached the same milestone in the 116th and 107th Tests, respectively.&nbsp;

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Williamson is also the joint-third fastest to reach the 9000-run mark in Tests along with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Pakistan's Younis Khan.

The Kiwi is also joint-second on the list of most Test hundreds among active batters. Williamson has 32 Test tons to his name, same as Smith, which is two more than Kohli (30) but three shorter than Root (35).

As for the Test, New Zealand are in a precarious position as they lead only by four runs with four wickets in hand by the end of play on Day 3.

Batting first New Zealand scored 348 in the first innings with Williamson's 93 being the top score. In reply, England score&nbsp;499 with Harry Brook hitting 171, Ollie Pope scoring 77 and skipper Ben Stokes contributing a crucial 80 down the order.

Come&nbsp;second innings, New Zealand failed to impress again and lost six wickets, three each to Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes, before finishing the day at 155/6.

Williamson again top-scored for New Zealand with 61 – finishing the match with 154 runs in total.

Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, on Saturday (Nov 30), became the latest entrant in the 9000-run club in Test cricket. The NZ batter reached the milestone during the day of the ongoing first Test against England.

Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, on Saturday (Nov 30), became the latest entrant in the 9000-run club in Test cricket. The NZ batter reached the milestone during the day of the ongoing first Test against England. He is the first Kiwi batter to reach the figure ahead of now-retired Ross Taylor being a distant second with 7,683 Test runs. Williamson is the fourth and last to reach the milestone among the Fab Four club which also includes Virat Kohli (India), Steve Smith (Australia), and Joe Root (England). Williamson reached the mark in his 103rd Test – second fastest to Aussie Smith among Fab Four who had reached the same mark in 99 Tests. Kohli and Root had reached the same milestone in the 116th and 107th Tests, respectively. Also Read: India pacer Mohammed Shami injured again? pacer offers update in social media post Williamson is also the joint-third fastest to reach the 9000-run mark in Tests along with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Pakistan's Younis Khan. The Kiwi is also joint-second on the list of most Test hundreds among active batters. Williamson has 32 Test tons to his name, same as Smith, which is two more than Kohli (30) but three shorter than Root (35). As for the Test, New Zealand are in a precarious position as they lead only by four runs with four wickets in hand by the end of play on Day 3. Batting first New Zealand scored 348 in the first innings with Williamson's 93 being the top score. In reply, England score 499 with Harry Brook hitting 171, Ollie Pope scoring 77 and skipper Ben Stokes contributing a crucial 80 down the order. Come second innings, New Zealand failed to impress again and lost six wickets, three each to Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes, before finishing the day at 155/6. Williamson again top-scored for New Zealand with 61 – finishing the match with 154 runs in total.

Kane Williamson first NZ batter to score 9000 Test runs; goes past Joe Root & Virat Kohli to reach milestone

Former India coach Rahul Dravid has praised Jasprit Bumrah for bowling a sensational day 1 spell in Perth during the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test which India went on to win by 295 runs.

Bumrah was leading the side in Rohit Sharma's absence and decided to bat first on a spicy green wicket. India batters faltered against some great Aussie bowling and were bowled out for 150 in the first innings within first two sessions of the day.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-25-australia-coach-backs-struggling-marnus-labuschagne-for-adelaide-test-but-numbers-go-against-him-779361">Australia coach backs struggling Marnus Labuschagne for Adelaide Test but numbers go against him</a>

"Jasprit Bumrah was absolutely phenomenal that evening. When you talk about a spell that can crack open a series or crack open a Test match, that was it. It was incredible what he did. You win the toss, you bat first, you're out for 150, you know, that's going to be a very critical part, that session, that session after tea," said Dravid while talking to Star on the sidelines of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction.

Bumrah had led from front and took four wickets in the final session as India reduced Australia to 67/7 by the end of play on the first day itself. India went on take a 46-run lead in the first inning with Bumrah taking 5/30.

"It was great performance to come back the way they've done after losing the series against New Zealand. It was always pressure on in this first game, but I think just the way they responded and just to have Australia seven down and then to be able to pile on the runs as we've done over the next two days, I think it's been a perfect Test match. I don't think it would have gone better," added Dravid.

The teams now head to Adelaide for the second Test of the series, which is going to be a day-night match and starts December 6.

Former India coach Rahul Dravid has praised Jasprit Bumrah for bowling a sensational day 1 spell in Perth during the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test which India went on to win by 295 runs.

Former India coach Rahul Dravid has praised Jasprit Bumrah for bowling a sensational day 1 spell in Perth during the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test which India went on to win by 295 runs. Bumrah was leading the side in Rohit Sharma's absence and decided to bat first on a spicy green wicket. India batters faltered against some great Aussie bowling and were bowled out for 150 in the first innings within first two sessions of the day. Also Read: Australia coach backs struggling Marnus Labuschagne for Adelaide Test but numbers go against him "Jasprit Bumrah was absolutely phenomenal that evening. When you talk about a spell that can crack open a series or crack open a Test match, that was it. It was incredible what he did. You win the toss, you bat first, you're out for 150, you know, that's going to be a very critical part, that session, that session after tea," said Dravid while talking to Star on the sidelines of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. Bumrah had led from front and took four wickets in the final session as India reduced Australia to 67/7 by the end of play on the first day itself. India went on take a 46-run lead in the first inning with Bumrah taking 5/30. "It was great performance to come back the way they've done after losing the series against New Zealand. It was always pressure on in this first game, but I think just the way they responded and just to have Australia seven down and then to be able to pile on the runs as we've done over the next two days, I think it's been a perfect Test match. I don't think it would have gone better," added Dravid. The teams now head to Adelaide for the second Test of the series, which is going to be a day-night match and starts December 6.

BGT 2024-25: 'To have Australia seven down...,' Ex-India coach Dravid on Bumrah's sensational Perth spell

Australia head coach Andre McDonald has backed struggling Marnus Labuschagne to come good after failing miserably in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth. Labuschagne managed just five runs across two innings, getting out Leg-Before Wicket (LBW) both the times.

“When we’ve seen him at his best, he’s shown great intent at the crease. That’s an ongoing discussion and that ebbs and flows in players’ careers. At the moment he’s in one of those patches and no doubt he’ll be getting critiqued externally,” McDonald said as quoted by local media outlet Sydney Morning Herald.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-24-rift-in-australian-team-i-dont-know-says-cummins-after-hazlewood-throws-shades-at-batters-779190">Rift in Australian team? 'I don't know...,' says Cummins after Hazlewood throws shades at batters</a>

“Internally we’re really confident that, at his best, he’s the player that we need. We’re really confident he can turn that around,” he added.

The numbers, however, suggest otherwise that Labuschagne will be out of dump anytime soon. In the 12 innings of six Tests he has played in 2024, the batter has managed just 245 runs with 212 runs coming in three innings with scores of 60, 62 not out and 90.

He last scored a hundred in July 2023 against England in away Ashes in Manchester and has crossed fifty only four times in 18 times have batted since then.

His first innings stay in Perth was excruciating where he took 51 balls to score just two runs before getting out on the 52nd one. &nbsp;

In the second innings, Australia skipper Pat Cummins came to bat ahead of him to protect the batter against a venom spewing Indian pace attack during dying moments of day 3 of the Test.

Cummins, however, was sent back quickly and Labuschagne eventually had to come to bat and was like a deer in front of headlights. His stay lasted just six balls before being trapped LBW second time inside three days.

Australia would surely be hoping for him to bounce back but it looks unlikely as the series moves to Adelaide for the second Test which starts December 6.

Australia head coach Andre McDonald has backed struggling Marnus Labuschagne to come good after failing miserably in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth.

Australia head coach Andre McDonald has backed struggling Marnus Labuschagne to come good after failing miserably in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth. Labuschagne managed just five runs across two innings, getting out Leg-Before Wicket (LBW) both the times. “When we’ve seen him at his best, he’s shown great intent at the crease. That’s an ongoing discussion and that ebbs and flows in players’ careers. At the moment he’s in one of those patches and no doubt he’ll be getting critiqued externally,” McDonald said as quoted by local media outlet Sydney Morning Herald. Also Read: Rift in Australian team? 'I don't know...,' says Cummins after Hazlewood throws shades at batters “Internally we’re really confident that, at his best, he’s the player that we need. We’re really confident he can turn that around,” he added. The numbers, however, suggest otherwise that Labuschagne will be out of dump anytime soon. In the 12 innings of six Tests he has played in 2024, the batter has managed just 245 runs with 212 runs coming in three innings with scores of 60, 62 not out and 90. He last scored a hundred in July 2023 against England in away Ashes in Manchester and has crossed fifty only four times in 18 times have batted since then. His first innings stay in Perth was excruciating where he took 51 balls to score just two runs before getting out on the 52nd one. In the second innings, Australia skipper Pat Cummins came to bat ahead of him to protect the batter against a venom spewing Indian pace attack during dying moments of day 3 of the Test. Cummins, however, was sent back quickly and Labuschagne eventually had to come to bat and was like a deer in front of headlights. His stay lasted just six balls before being trapped LBW second time inside three days. Australia would surely be hoping for him to bounce back but it looks unlikely as the series moves to Adelaide for the second Test which starts December 6.

BGT 2024-25: Australia coach backs struggling Marnus Labuschagne for Adelaide Test but numbers go against him

Australia bowler Mitchell Starc warned India's debutant pacer Harshit Rana against bowling short and fast bowling on Day 2 of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth, Australia. The incident happened in Australia's first innings on Saturday (Nov 23) during the morning session.

Rana, who was impressive with his line and length, bowled a short ball to Starc which rose up a bit and Starc awkwardly defended that.

After that Starc told Rana: "I bowl faster than you. I've got a long memory," as an apparent warning to the newbie that he may face the same treatment from Starc.

Have a look at the video below:

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Rana, however, just laughed at it and went on about his business. Later in the session, Rana eventually got the wicket of Starc as he finished with 3/48 in his maiden Test innings.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-202425-indias-yashasvi-jaiswal-goes-past-brendon-mccullum-on-this-list-during-perth-test-778654">India's Yashasvi Jaiswal goes past Brendon McCullum on THIS list during Perth Test</a>

As for the match, India are firmly on top after the first two days of cricket. The Indian bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah, did a wonderful job of restricting Australia to 104 after posting 150 in their first innings.

Bumrah took 5/30, his ninth away Test five-for, his 11th overall, surpassing several former greats, including Sir Andy Roberts, Allan Donald, Zaheer Khan and Denis Lillee.

The visitors ended the day with 218 runs ahead in the second innings including the first 46-run first innings lead without losing a single wicket.

Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stitched together an unbeaten 172 runs for the first wicket – the second-highest for India in Tests in Australia. Jaiswal was not out 90 by the end of the day's play while Rahul was unbeaten on 62.

The pitch, which saw 17 wickets falling on the first day, eased out considerably on Saturday (Nov 23) and only three wickets fell on the day that too in the first session.

Australia bowler Mitchell Starc warned India's debutant pacer Harshit Rana against bowling short and fast bowling on Day 2 of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth, Australia.

Australia bowler Mitchell Starc warned India's debutant pacer Harshit Rana against bowling short and fast bowling on Day 2 of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth, Australia. The incident happened in Australia's first innings on Saturday (Nov 23) during the morning session. Rana, who was impressive with his line and length, bowled a short ball to Starc which rose up a bit and Starc awkwardly defended that. After that Starc told Rana: "I bowl faster than you. I've got a long memory," as an apparent warning to the newbie that he may face the same treatment from Starc. Have a look at the video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) × Rana, however, just laughed at it and went on about his business. Later in the session, Rana eventually got the wicket of Starc as he finished with 3/48 in his maiden Test innings. Also Read: India's Yashasvi Jaiswal goes past Brendon McCullum on THIS list during Perth Test As for the match, India are firmly on top after the first two days of cricket. The Indian bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah, did a wonderful job of restricting Australia to 104 after posting 150 in their first innings. Bumrah took 5/30, his ninth away Test five-for, his 11th overall, surpassing several former greats, including Sir Andy Roberts, Allan Donald, Zaheer Khan and Denis Lillee. The visitors ended the day with 218 runs ahead in the second innings including the first 46-run first innings lead without losing a single wicket. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stitched together an unbeaten 172 runs for the first wicket – the second-highest for India in Tests in Australia. Jaiswal was not out 90 by the end of the day's play while Rahul was unbeaten on 62. The pitch, which saw 17 wickets falling on the first day, eased out considerably on Saturday (Nov 23) and only three wickets fell on the day that too in the first session.

BGT 2024-25, Perth Test: WATCH | Aussie Mitchell Starc WARNS India's Harshit Rana for bowling short-ball

India are firmly on top at the Optus Stadium in Perth after the first two days of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test. The visitors ended the day with 218&nbsp;runs ahead in the second innings including the first 46-run first innings lead without losing a single wicket.

Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stitched together an unbeaten 172 runs for the first wicket – the second-highest for India in Tests in Australia. Jaiswal was not out 90&nbsp;by the end of the day's play while Rahul was unbeaten on 62. Jaiswal (34 sixes)&nbsp;hit two sixes in his innings to go past&nbsp;former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum's record of 33 sixes in 2014.

The pitch, which saw 17 wickets falling on the first day, eased out considerably on Saturday (Nov 23) and only three wickets fell on the day that too in the first session.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-record-alert-jasprit-bumrah-goes-past-great-andy-roberts-james-anderson-for-most-away-test-five-fors-778578">Record Alert: Jasprit Bumrah goes past great Andy Roberts, James Anderson for most away Test five-fors</a>

Earlier, Australia resumed their innings from the overnight score of 67/7 and it was not long before stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah sent back Alex Carey with his first ball of the day to complete his 11th Test five-for. Australian lower order added 24 runs more before being bundled out for 104 in the first innings in reply to India's 150.

Debutant Harshit Rana took three wickets including the last two Aussie wickets to finish at 3/48 in his maiden Test innings. India's third pacer Mohammed Siraj also picked up 2/20 while Bumrah finished with 5/30.&nbsp;

This was Bumrah's ninth away Test five-for, his 11th overall, surpassing several former greats, including Sir Andy Roberts, Allan Donald, Zaheer Khan and Denis Lillee.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc top scorer with 26 off 112 balls with Carey's 21 being the second best.

India are firmly on top at the Optus Stadium in Perth after the first two days of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test. The visitors ended the day with 218 runs ahead in the second innings including the first 46-run first innings lead without losing a single wicket.

India are firmly on top at the Optus Stadium in Perth after the first two days of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test. The visitors ended the day with 218 runs ahead in the second innings including the first 46-run first innings lead without losing a single wicket. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stitched together an unbeaten 172 runs for the first wicket – the second-highest for India in Tests in Australia. Jaiswal was not out 90 by the end of the day's play while Rahul was unbeaten on 62. Jaiswal (34 sixes) hit two sixes in his innings to go past former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum's record of 33 sixes in 2014. The pitch, which saw 17 wickets falling on the first day, eased out considerably on Saturday (Nov 23) and only three wickets fell on the day that too in the first session. Also Read: Record Alert: Jasprit Bumrah goes past great Andy Roberts, James Anderson for most away Test five-fors Earlier, Australia resumed their innings from the overnight score of 67/7 and it was not long before stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah sent back Alex Carey with his first ball of the day to complete his 11th Test five-for. Australian lower order added 24 runs more before being bundled out for 104 in the first innings in reply to India's 150. Debutant Harshit Rana took three wickets including the last two Aussie wickets to finish at 3/48 in his maiden Test innings. India's third pacer Mohammed Siraj also picked up 2/20 while Bumrah finished with 5/30. This was Bumrah's ninth away Test five-for, his 11th overall, surpassing several former greats, including Sir Andy Roberts, Allan Donald, Zaheer Khan and Denis Lillee. For Australia, Mitchell Starc top scorer with 26 off 112 balls with Carey's 21 being the second best.

BGT 2024/25, Perth Test Day 2: India ground Australia into dirt with record opening partnership

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal entered the record books on Saturday (Nov 23) – the second day of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth, Australia. Jaiswal, who was out for a duck in the first inning, scored an unbeaten fifty in India's second innings and hit two sixes in his 193-ball stay. He now has hit the most Test sixes in a calendar year, overtaking former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum's record of 33 sixes in 2014.

The left-hand batter has been a breakthrough player for India ever since making his red-ball debut in 2023. He has scored 1209 Test runs in 2024 already with potentially three more Tests available for him to further extend his tally apart from the ongoing innings.

His runs in 2024 are only behind England great Joe Root who has 1,338 runs in 14 Tests he has played in 2024. While Root has scored those runs at an average of a touch above 58, Jaiswal averages 57 and a half. Root, however, has scored five hundreds and four fifties while India batter has managed two hundreds and eight fifties.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-record-alert-jasprit-bumrah-goes-past-great-andy-roberts-james-anderson-for-most-away-test-five-fors-778578">Jasprit Bumrah goes past great Andy Roberts, James Anderson for most away Test five-fors</a>

Jaiswal, along with India's other opener KL Rahul, has added an unbeaten 172 runs for the first wicket in India's second innings – the second-highest opening partnership for India in Tests in Australia.

The visitors ended the day with 218 runs ahead in the second innings including the first 46-run first innings lead without losing a single wicket. Jaiswal was not out 90 by the end of the day's play while Rahul was unbeaten on 62.

The pitch, which saw 17 wickets falling on the first day, eased out considerably on Saturday (Nov 23) and only three wickets fell on the day that too in the first session.

Earlier, Australia resumed their innings from the overnight score of 67/7 and were bowled out for 104 with stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah taking 5/30.

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal entered the record books on Saturday (Nov 23) – the second day of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth, Australia. Jaiswal, who was out for a duck in the first inning, scored an unbeaten fifty in India's second innings and hit two sixes in his 193-ball stay.

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal entered the record books on Saturday (Nov 23) – the second day of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth, Australia. Jaiswal, who was out for a duck in the first inning, scored an unbeaten fifty in India's second innings and hit two sixes in his 193-ball stay. He now has hit the most Test sixes in a calendar year, overtaking former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum's record of 33 sixes in 2014. The left-hand batter has been a breakthrough player for India ever since making his red-ball debut in 2023. He has scored 1209 Test runs in 2024 already with potentially three more Tests available for him to further extend his tally apart from the ongoing innings. His runs in 2024 are only behind England great Joe Root who has 1,338 runs in 14 Tests he has played in 2024. While Root has scored those runs at an average of a touch above 58, Jaiswal averages 57 and a half. Root, however, has scored five hundreds and four fifties while India batter has managed two hundreds and eight fifties. Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah goes past great Andy Roberts, James Anderson for most away Test five-fors Jaiswal, along with India's other opener KL Rahul, has added an unbeaten 172 runs for the first wicket in India's second innings – the second-highest opening partnership for India in Tests in Australia. The visitors ended the day with 218 runs ahead in the second innings including the first 46-run first innings lead without losing a single wicket. Jaiswal was not out 90 by the end of the day's play while Rahul was unbeaten on 62. The pitch, which saw 17 wickets falling on the first day, eased out considerably on Saturday (Nov 23) and only three wickets fell on the day that too in the first session. Earlier, Australia resumed their innings from the overnight score of 67/7 and were bowled out for 104 with stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah taking 5/30.

BGT 2024/25: India's Yashasvi Jaiswal goes past Brendon McCullum on THIS list during Perth Test

Australia have always been a 'in your face' kind of team with an aggressive style of play and sledging as well. The crowd, especially in Sydney, isn't forgiving as well, which makes it even harder&nbsp;for the visiting teams. Their rivalry against India is well documented, and with India also now a team that gives back as much as it gets, many sour incidents have taken place between two teams.

As India get ready for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), which starts on November 22 in Perth, here below are the top controversies over the years from the India vs. Australia Tests:

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-25-five-key-india-players-who-can-shape-outcome-of-series-777751">Five key India players who can shape the outcome of series in BGT 2024-25</a>

Harbhajan-Symonds in Monkeygate

The 2008 Sydney Test would always be remembered for the drama involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds. During the match, Symonds accused Harbhajan of calling him 'monkey - a racial slur given Symonds heritage,' but the Indian spinner denied saying so. Harbhajan was banned for three Tests.&nbsp;The punishment was reduced after India threatened to pull out of the tour, but the incident left tensions between the two sides, which lasted for long.

Virat Kohli flipping Sydney crowd

A young Virat Kohli was nothing short of a dragon breathing ffire,and the batter held nothing back against the oopposition, or in this instance - against the crowd. After hearing abuse from the Sydney crowd on the tour of 2012 - Kohli decided to give it back and showed his middle finger to the crowd - an act that was criticised a lot and played very much by the Aussie media as well - leaving the two sides with palpable tension.

Steve Smith's Brainfade

Steve Smith scored three hundreds on Australia tour of India in 2017, but he'll be best remembered for the 'brainfade' moment on the tour.&nbsp;On a Bengaluru pitch in the second Test, which was keeping low, Smith was given LBW by the on-filed umpire, and he looked up to the dressing room, seeking help on taking the review. Indian skipper Kohli was furious, and the umpire sent the batter off immediately. Smith later admitted to the mistake, but the damage was done.

Shouldergate

Australia's 2017 tour of India saw another controversy when Glenn Maxwell mocked Virat Kohli's shoulder injury during the third Test in Ranchi. Kohli clutched his shoulder while fielding in Australia's first iinnings, after stopping a ball at the boundary. The injury was serious enough to keep the Indian skipper out for a part of the match.&nbsp;

Maxwell, who had scored the hundred in fthe firstinnings for the visitors, mocked Kohli by clutching to his shoulder after stopping a ball, Kohli, however, gave it back by doing the same in Australia's second innings after David Warner's dismissal.

Mohammed Siraj faces racism

India pacer Mohammed Siraj faced racial slurs from the hostile Sydney crowd on the tour of 2020-21. India skipper Ajinkya Rahane refused to leave the ground until the six guilty fans were ejected from the stands for calling Siraj 'brown monkey.' The incident once again added bitterness to an already tense rivalry.

Australia have always been a 'in your face' kind of team with an aggressive style of play and sledging as well. The crowd, especially in Sydney, isn't forgiving as well, which makes it even harder for the visiting teams.

Australia have always been a 'in your face' kind of team with an aggressive style of play and sledging as well. The crowd, especially in Sydney, isn't forgiving as well, which makes it even harder for the visiting teams. Their rivalry against India is well documented, and with India also now a team that gives back as much as it gets, many sour incidents have taken place between two teams. As India get ready for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), which starts on November 22 in Perth, here below are the top controversies over the years from the India vs. Australia Tests: Also Read: Five key India players who can shape the outcome of series in BGT 2024-25 Harbhajan-Symonds in Monkeygate The 2008 Sydney Test would always be remembered for the drama involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds. During the match, Symonds accused Harbhajan of calling him 'monkey - a racial slur given Symonds heritage,' but the Indian spinner denied saying so. Harbhajan was banned for three Tests. The punishment was reduced after India threatened to pull out of the tour, but the incident left tensions between the two sides, which lasted for long. Virat Kohli flipping Sydney crowd A young Virat Kohli was nothing short of a dragon breathing ffire,and the batter held nothing back against the oopposition, or in this instance - against the crowd. After hearing abuse from the Sydney crowd on the tour of 2012 - Kohli decided to give it back and showed his middle finger to the crowd - an act that was criticised a lot and played very much by the Aussie media as well - leaving the two sides with palpable tension. Steve Smith's Brainfade Steve Smith scored three hundreds on Australia tour of India in 2017, but he'll be best remembered for the 'brainfade' moment on the tour. On a Bengaluru pitch in the second Test, which was keeping low, Smith was given LBW by the on-filed umpire, and he looked up to the dressing room, seeking help on taking the review. Indian skipper Kohli was furious, and the umpire sent the batter off immediately. Smith later admitted to the mistake, but the damage was done. Shouldergate Australia's 2017 tour of India saw another controversy when Glenn Maxwell mocked Virat Kohli's shoulder injury during the third Test in Ranchi. Kohli clutched his shoulder while fielding in Australia's first iinnings, after stopping a ball at the boundary. The injury was serious enough to keep the Indian skipper out for a part of the match. Maxwell, who had scored the hundred in fthe firstinnings for the visitors, mocked Kohli by clutching to his shoulder after stopping a ball, Kohli, however, gave it back by doing the same in Australia's second innings after David Warner's dismissal. Mohammed Siraj faces racism India pacer Mohammed Siraj faced racial slurs from the hostile Sydney crowd on the tour of 2020-21. India skipper Ajinkya Rahane refused to leave the ground until the six guilty fans were ejected from the stands for calling Siraj 'brown monkey.' The incident once again added bitterness to an already tense rivalry.

BGT 2024-25: From Monkeygate to Siraj facing racism - Top controversies from India vs Australia Tests

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has earmarked all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as one of the players 'to keep an eye on' in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts Friday (Nov 22). India are thin on experience in pace department this time and Morkel thinks Reddy could bridge the gap.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-25-at-our-best-when-marnus-labuschagne-reveals-aussie-strategy-against-india-pacers-777685">'At our best when...,' Marnus Labuschagne reveals Aussie strategy against India pacers</a>

"[Reddy] is one of the young guys that we've mentioned, he's got that sort of batting, all-round ability. He'll be a guy that can sort of hold that one end up first. He hits the bat a little bit harder than you think. So on these sort of conditions where there might be a little bit of seam movement up front, especially the first couple of days. He'll be a very accurate wicket-to-wicket style of bowler. It's a lovely opportunity for him to hold that allrounder spot," said Morkel while talking to reporters ahead of the series opener.

"Any team in the world always wanted the allrounder to take that load off your fast bowlers, just to give them an extra bit of breathing time. So how we use him, how Jasprit is going to use him, with maybe the spinner, to give himself, whoever's going to be the other quicks, time to catch their breath a little bit is going to be important. He's a guy that is a player you can keep your eye on in this series," he added.

India's pace attack is a bit inexperienced this time with only Jasprit Bumrah being an experienced campaigner. Apart from Bumrah, India have Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana in the pace department.&nbsp;

Mohammed Shami, one of India's premium pacers, has not been included in the squad owing to match fitness.

After Perth, India play the day-night second Test in Adelaide from December 6-10. The third Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18 before the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26-30. The last and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has earmarked all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as one of the players 'to keep an eye on' in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts Friday (Nov 22).

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has earmarked all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as one of the players 'to keep an eye on' in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts Friday (Nov 22). India are thin on experience in pace department this time and Morkel thinks Reddy could bridge the gap. Also Read: 'At our best when...,' Marnus Labuschagne reveals Aussie strategy against India pacers "[Reddy] is one of the young guys that we've mentioned, he's got that sort of batting, all-round ability. He'll be a guy that can sort of hold that one end up first. He hits the bat a little bit harder than you think. So on these sort of conditions where there might be a little bit of seam movement up front, especially the first couple of days. He'll be a very accurate wicket-to-wicket style of bowler. It's a lovely opportunity for him to hold that allrounder spot," said Morkel while talking to reporters ahead of the series opener. "Any team in the world always wanted the allrounder to take that load off your fast bowlers, just to give them an extra bit of breathing time. So how we use him, how Jasprit is going to use him, with maybe the spinner, to give himself, whoever's going to be the other quicks, time to catch their breath a little bit is going to be important. He's a guy that is a player you can keep your eye on in this series," he added. India's pace attack is a bit inexperienced this time with only Jasprit Bumrah being an experienced campaigner. Apart from Bumrah, India have Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana in the pace department. Mohammed Shami, one of India's premium pacers, has not been included in the squad owing to match fitness. After Perth, India play the day-night second Test in Adelaide from December 6-10. The third Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18 before the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26-30. The last and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.

BGT 2024-25: Bowling coach Morne Morkel hoping for Nitish Reddy to take 'load off' India pacers

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden thinks that India's recent Test series loss at home against New Zealand gave them advantage of preparation. The comments come as India and Australia gear up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) which begins in less than a week's time.

India lost the three-Test home series against New Zealand 0-3—their first-ever series whitewash at home. The loss raised questions about India's preparation for the BGT, but Hayden put them aside.

“It (series whitewash against New Zealand) is probably the kick up the a*se that India need,” said Hayden to Australian news outlet Sydney Morning Herald.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-202425-glenn-mcgrath-urges-australian-bowlers-to-go-hard-at-emotional-and-down-virat-kohli-776853">Glenn McGrath urges Australian bowlers to go hard at ‘emotional and down’ Virat Kohli</a>

“Even though India copped a drubbing in that series … and were lightweight in terms of their own performance … the fact that they’ve played long format cricket is an advantage from a preparation point of view,” he added.

It is to be noted that India haven't lost a Test series against Australia since 2014. The two sides have played four Test series since then, two in India and two in Australia, and India have managed to win all four of them.

India, however, have a lot to ponder ahead of the first Test, which begins in Perth on November 22, as they will&nbsp;be without regular skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.

Rohit is away after the recent birth of his second child and will be available from the second Test while Gill was injured during practice and is not expected to play in Perth. In Rohit's absence, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side.

After Perth, India play the day-night second Test in Adelaide from December 6-10. The third Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18 before the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26-30. The last and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.&nbsp;

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden thinks that India's recent Test series loss at home against New Zealand gave them advantage of preparation. The comments come as India and Australia gear up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) which begins in less than a week's time.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden thinks that India's recent Test series loss at home against New Zealand gave them advantage of preparation. The comments come as India and Australia gear up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) which begins in less than a week's time. India lost the three-Test home series against New Zealand 0-3—their first-ever series whitewash at home. The loss raised questions about India's preparation for the BGT, but Hayden put them aside. “It (series whitewash against New Zealand) is probably the kick up the a*se that India need,” said Hayden to Australian news outlet Sydney Morning Herald. Also Read: Glenn McGrath urges Australian bowlers to go hard at ‘emotional and down’ Virat Kohli “Even though India copped a drubbing in that series … and were lightweight in terms of their own performance … the fact that they’ve played long format cricket is an advantage from a preparation point of view,” he added. It is to be noted that India haven't lost a Test series against Australia since 2014. The two sides have played four Test series since then, two in India and two in Australia, and India have managed to win all four of them. India, however, have a lot to ponder ahead of the first Test, which begins in Perth on November 22, as they will be without regular skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Rohit is away after the recent birth of his second child and will be available from the second Test while Gill was injured during practice and is not expected to play in Perth. In Rohit's absence, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side. After Perth, India play the day-night second Test in Adelaide from December 6-10. The third Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18 before the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26-30. The last and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.

BGT 2024-25: Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden calls India's whitewash vs NZ 'advantage' | Here's Why

Former Australia skipper Tim Paine thinks that Gautam Gambhir isn't a good fit as a coach for the Indian cricket team. The comments come as both sides get ready for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which gets underway in less than a week's time. Paine also cited Ravi Shastri's example to support his argument. It was under Shastri that India won their last two Test series in Australia.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-202425-glenn-mcgrath-urges-australian-bowlers-to-go-hard-at-emotional-and-down-virat-kohli-776853">Glenn McGrath urges Australian bowlers to go hard at ‘emotional and down’ Virat Kohli</a>

“Their last two series wins out here they had Ravi Shastri who was fantastic. He created a great environment, the players were energised, they played with passion, he sold them the dream and motivated them in a really light-hearted enjoyable way," Paine said while talking on SEN Radio.

“They (India) have gone to a new coach now that is really prickly, really competitive -- and that not to say that's not a good thing and a good way to coach -- but my concern is that it's not a great fit for the Indian cricket team.

“If your coach is the first one to crack in a press conference after being asked a simple question, it could be a really long summer for Gautam Gambhir if India don't get off to a good start on Perth,” he added.

Gambhir, after 0-3 whitewash at home in a Test series against New Zealand, is slightly under pressure as the Australia tour begins.

India's tour of Australia begins on November 22 in Perth before the day-night second Test in Adelaide from December 6-10. The third Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18 before the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26-30. The last and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.&nbsp;

Former Australia skipper Tim Paine thinks that Gautam Gambhir isn't a good fit as a coach for the Indian cricket team. The comments come as both sides get ready for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which gets underway in less than a week's time.

Former Australia skipper Tim Paine thinks that Gautam Gambhir isn't a good fit as a coach for the Indian cricket team. The comments come as both sides get ready for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which gets underway in less than a week's time. Paine also cited Ravi Shastri's example to support his argument. It was under Shastri that India won their last two Test series in Australia. Also Read: Glenn McGrath urges Australian bowlers to go hard at ‘emotional and down’ Virat Kohli “Their last two series wins out here they had Ravi Shastri who was fantastic. He created a great environment, the players were energised, they played with passion, he sold them the dream and motivated them in a really light-hearted enjoyable way," Paine said while talking on SEN Radio. “They (India) have gone to a new coach now that is really prickly, really competitive -- and that not to say that's not a good thing and a good way to coach -- but my concern is that it's not a great fit for the Indian cricket team. “If your coach is the first one to crack in a press conference after being asked a simple question, it could be a really long summer for Gautam Gambhir if India don't get off to a good start on Perth,” he added. Gambhir, after 0-3 whitewash at home in a Test series against New Zealand, is slightly under pressure as the Australia tour begins. India's tour of Australia begins on November 22 in Perth before the day-night second Test in Adelaide from December 6-10. The third Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 14-18 before the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 26-30. The last and final Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3-7.

BGT 2024-25: 'He sold them...,' Former Australia skipper Tim Paine on Gambhir vs Shastri as India coach

Team India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, said he is playing all red-ball domestic competitions back home to stay in line for a Test comeback. Having made just one appearance in the whites for India (during the home Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year), Surya admits thinking about returning to the Test side. Although his T20 stature has grown with time, a Test call-up has remained elusive, which he wishes to work on.&nbsp;

The right-handed batter played a game for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy this season and featured for India B in the Duleep Trophy, though without tasting success in both.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bgt-ian-chappell-explains-how-over-aggressive-approach-could-cost-india-down-under-774407">BGT: Ian Chappell explains how over-aggressive approach could cost India Down Under</a>

“When the time comes, I will make a Test comeback. I am playing all the domestic tournaments, be it red-ball or white-ball. I don't miss any game. If that [Test comeback] has to happen, it will happen,” Suryakumar said ahead of the Durban T20I.

Meanwhile, a close ally of India ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar, backed the batting veteran to come good in the upcoming Test series Down Under. 
&nbsp; 
Currently on national duty in South Africa for the four-match T20Is beginning on November 8 in Durban, SKY, as fans call him, revealed taking a leaf out of ‘leader’ Rohit Sharma’s book.

"I know how he [Rohit] treats the players, what he wants from them. So that route I have also taken because he's been very successful recently," he said.

"When I am on the ground, I keep noticing how his body language is, how calm he is under pressure situations, how he talks to the bowlers, how he treats everyone on the field and off the field."

"Most importantly, from a leader, you expect how much time he is spending with you to have that comfort. I try to replicate that. When I am not on the ground, I try and spend time with my teammates, have a meal with them, travel together,” Suryakumar continued.&nbsp;

<h2>SKY – a different captain</h2>

SKY is perhaps India’s best batter in this format and among the top three in the world. His attacking form of play has helped him stay ahead of his contemporaries; however, Surya’s captaincy style is completely contrasting to his idea of batting in T20Is.

"You have to understand what's happening around, what's going on in their [the players'] minds, and it is very important to give them that comfort," he said. "Everyone has different skill set, and they also want to come out and express themselves. So that freedom is very important when they get onto the field, and that is what I try and give."

"Whatever is running in their mind, I listen to them carefully. Off the field, I try and spend a lot of time with them to understand their strengths, who can deliver for me in pressure and current situations, and that's how I am on the field."

"See, this format is such that if you keep playing, you keep learning, and it's so fast on the field. By the time you blink your eye, the game is over. So that freedom and clarity is very important when you play this format on the field."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Team India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, said he is playing all red-ball domestic competitions back home to stay in line for a Test comeback. Having made just one appearance in the whites for India (during the home Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year), Surya admits thinking about returning to the Test side.

Team India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, said he is playing all red-ball domestic competitions back home to stay in line for a Test comeback. Having made just one appearance in the whites for India (during the home Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year), Surya admits thinking about returning to the Test side. Although his T20 stature has grown with time, a Test call-up has remained elusive, which he wishes to work on. The right-handed batter played a game for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy this season and featured for India B in the Duleep Trophy, though without tasting success in both. ALSO READ: BGT: Ian Chappell explains how over-aggressive approach could cost India Down Under “When the time comes, I will make a Test comeback. I am playing all the domestic tournaments, be it red-ball or white-ball. I don't miss any game. If that [Test comeback] has to happen, it will happen,” Suryakumar said ahead of the Durban T20I. Meanwhile, a close ally of India ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar, backed the batting veteran to come good in the upcoming Test series Down Under. Currently on national duty in South Africa for the four-match T20Is beginning on November 8 in Durban, SKY, as fans call him, revealed taking a leaf out of ‘leader’ Rohit Sharma’s book. "I know how he [Rohit] treats the players, what he wants from them. So that route I have also taken because he's been very successful recently," he said. "When I am on the ground, I keep noticing how his body language is, how calm he is under pressure situations, how he talks to the bowlers, how he treats everyone on the field and off the field." "Most importantly, from a leader, you expect how much time he is spending with you to have that comfort. I try to replicate that. When I am not on the ground, I try and spend time with my teammates, have a meal with them, travel together,” Suryakumar continued. SKY – a different captain SKY is perhaps India’s best batter in this format and among the top three in the world. His attacking form of play has helped him stay ahead of his contemporaries; however, Surya’s captaincy style is completely contrasting to his idea of batting in T20Is. "You have to understand what's happening around, what's going on in their [the players'] minds, and it is very important to give them that comfort," he said. "Everyone has different skill set, and they also want to come out and express themselves. So that freedom is very important when they get onto the field, and that is what I try and give." "Whatever is running in their mind, I listen to them carefully. Off the field, I try and spend a lot of time with them to understand their strengths, who can deliver for me in pressure and current situations, and that's how I am on the field." "See, this format is such that if you keep playing, you keep learning, and it's so fast on the field. By the time you blink your eye, the game is over. So that freedom and clarity is very important when you play this format on the field." (With inputs from agencies)

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav hooked on Test comeback; reveals how ‘leader’ Rohit inspires him

India skipper Rohit Sharma thinks Rishabh Pant was given out controversially in the second innings of the third Test against New Zealand on Sunday (Nov 3). India were 40 runs short of the target when Pant was given out as the seventh wicket and team went on to lose the match by 25 runs.

Pant was given bat-pad on Ajaz Patel's bowling. Initially, the on-field umpire gave it not out but New Zealand decided to review it and the third umpire overturned the decision.

"About that dismissal, I honestly, I don't know," Rohit opined after the match. "If we say something, it is not accepted well. But if there is not conclusive evidence, it has to stand with the umpire's on-field decision. That is what I have been told. So I don't know how that decision was overturned, since the umpire didn't give him out."

"The bat was clearly close to the pad. So, again, I don't know if it is the right thing for me to talk about. It is something for the umpires to think about. Have the same rules for every team, not keep changing their mind," he added.

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India were rocked early in the chase of 147 but Rishabh Pant played another masterful innings of 64 runs in addition to his 60 runs in the first innings to get India on the cusp of win.

Pant's dismissal put the Kiwis on top and Ajaz Patel combined with Glenn Phillips to make sure India don't stage another comeback.

Patel finished the match with 11 wickets - his second 10-wicket haul in Mumbai in as many trips - as India were bundled out for 121 in their second innings.

The Kiwis only put cherry on top of their maiden Test series win against India by winning the third Test where India were bowled out for 121 in pursuit of a 147-run target.

India skipper Rohit Sharma thinks Rishabh Pant was given out controversially in the second innings of the third Test against New Zealand on Sunday (Nov 3). India were 40 runs short of the target when Pant was given out as the seventh wicket and team went on to lose the match by 25 runs.

India skipper Rohit Sharma thinks Rishabh Pant was given out controversially in the second innings of the third Test against New Zealand on Sunday (Nov 3). India were 40 runs short of the target when Pant was given out as the seventh wicket and team went on to lose the match by 25 runs. Pant was given bat-pad on Ajaz Patel's bowling. Initially, the on-field umpire gave it not out but New Zealand decided to review it and the third umpire overturned the decision. "About that dismissal, I honestly, I don't know," Rohit opined after the match. "If we say something, it is not accepted well. But if there is not conclusive evidence, it has to stand with the umpire's on-field decision. That is what I have been told. So I don't know how that decision was overturned, since the umpire didn't give him out." "The bat was clearly close to the pad. So, again, I don't know if it is the right thing for me to talk about. It is something for the umpires to think about. Have the same rules for every team, not keep changing their mind," he added. Also Read: India in danger of missing WTC Final after New Zealand whitewash. Here's how they can still make it India were rocked early in the chase of 147 but Rishabh Pant played another masterful innings of 64 runs in addition to his 60 runs in the first innings to get India on the cusp of win. Pant's dismissal put the Kiwis on top and Ajaz Patel combined with Glenn Phillips to make sure India don't stage another comeback. Patel finished the match with 11 wickets - his second 10-wicket haul in Mumbai in as many trips - as India were bundled out for 121 in their second innings. The Kiwis only put cherry on top of their maiden Test series win against India by winning the third Test where India were bowled out for 121 in pursuit of a 147-run target.

'Umpire didn't give him out...,' India skipper Rohit Sharma on Rishabh Pant being given out in third NZ Test

India's shocking whitewash in the three-Test home series against New Zealand has left them in danger to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final for 2023/25 cycle. India now only have an away tour of five Tests against Australia and they need to win it at least 4-0 to make it to the WTC Final without help from other teams.

India currently are second spot on the WTC table with 90 points from eight wins, five losses and one draw in 14 games they have played in this cycle. They have a total of 98 points and a percentage of 58.33% - second to Australia's 62.50%.

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By beating Australia 4-0 India would be assured of a top two finish with a maximum win percentage of 65.79%, which is slightly better than New Zealand's maximum attainable win percentage of 64.29% even if the Kiwis beat&nbsp;England 3-0 in three-Test series at home.

There are a few more scenarios of how India can still manage to be in top two even if they don't beat Australia 4-0.

If India lose to Australia 2-3, New Zealand draw England 1-1, South Africa draw 1-1 in both their remaining series and Australia draw 0-0 against Sri Lanka in away tour, India will finish with 53.51% which would suffice for second place behind Australia's 58.77% and ahead of New Zealand (52.38%), South Africa (52.78%) and Sri Lanka (51.28%).

India found themselves in this position due to some poor batting which led them to lose the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai on Sunday (Nov 3) by meagre 25 runs.

The Kiwis only put cherry on top of their maiden Test series win against India by winning the third Test where India were bowled out for 121 in pursuit of a 147-run target.

India's shocking whitewash in the three-Test home series against New Zealand has left them in danger to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final for 2023/25 cycle.

India's shocking whitewash in the three-Test home series against New Zealand has left them in danger to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final for 2023/25 cycle. India now only have an away tour of five Tests against Australia and they need to win it at least 4-0 to make it to the WTC Final without help from other teams. India currently are second spot on the WTC table with 90 points from eight wins, five losses and one draw in 14 games they have played in this cycle. They have a total of 98 points and a percentage of 58.33% - second to Australia's 62.50%. Also Read: 'Just being able to...,' New Zealand skipper Tom Latham reveals key reason behind India whitewash in Tests By beating Australia 4-0 India would be assured of a top two finish with a maximum win percentage of 65.79%, which is slightly better than New Zealand's maximum attainable win percentage of 64.29% even if the Kiwis beat England 3-0 in three-Test series at home. There are a few more scenarios of how India can still manage to be in top two even if they don't beat Australia 4-0. If India lose to Australia 2-3, New Zealand draw England 1-1, South Africa draw 1-1 in both their remaining series and Australia draw 0-0 against Sri Lanka in away tour, India will finish with 53.51% which would suffice for second place behind Australia's 58.77% and ahead of New Zealand (52.38%), South Africa (52.78%) and Sri Lanka (51.28%). India found themselves in this position due to some poor batting which led them to lose the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai on Sunday (Nov 3) by meagre 25 runs. The Kiwis only put cherry on top of their maiden Test series win against India by winning the third Test where India were bowled out for 121 in pursuit of a 147-run target.

India in danger of missing WTC Final after New Zealand whitewash. Here's how they can still make it

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham says that adapting to each ground was the key to whitewashing India 3-0. The Kiwis won the third Test in Mumbai inside three days by 25 runs, putting the cherry on top of their maiden Test series win against India.

"We spoke about it after each Test match. We were trying to back it up, and I guess to finally do it here in Mumbai, on a completely different surface, one that would challenge us certainly with bat and ball - yeah, we're pretty happy," Latham said at the post-match presentation after the third Test. "I think just being able to adapt to each ground (gives the most satisfaction."

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"We wanted to come over here and try to fire a few shots... and I certainly think we've done that," the Kiwi skipper added. "We've been a little bit more aggressive with the bat, tried to be a little bit more proactive, and again, with the ball, we've tried to keep things simple, understand how India play a little bit, and just try to do our best. The guys have chipped in at different times, which has been the most important thing, and really happy to be standing here in this position."

India were rocked early in the chase of 147 but Rishabh Pant played another masterful innings of 64 runs in addition to his 60 runs in the first innings to get India on the cusp of win.

Pant's dismissal about 40 runs short of the target as the seventh wicket put the Kiwis on top and Ajaz Patel combined with Glenn Phillips to make sure India don't stage another comeback.

Patel finished the match with 11 wickets - his second 10-wicket haul in Mumbai in as many trips - as India were bundled out for 121 in their second innings.

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham says that adapting to each ground was the key to whitewashing India 3-0. The Kiwis won the third Test in Mumbai inside three days by 25 runs, putting the cherry on top of their maiden Test series win against India.

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham says that adapting to each ground was the key to whitewashing India 3-0. The Kiwis won the third Test in Mumbai inside three days by 25 runs, putting the cherry on top of their maiden Test series win against India. "We spoke about it after each Test match. We were trying to back it up, and I guess to finally do it here in Mumbai, on a completely different surface, one that would challenge us certainly with bat and ball - yeah, we're pretty happy," Latham said at the post-match presentation after the third Test. "I think just being able to adapt to each ground (gives the most satisfaction." Also Read: ‘I wasn’t at my best as captain and with bat’ – Rohit Sharma takes responsibility for series whitewash to NZ "We wanted to come over here and try to fire a few shots... and I certainly think we've done that," the Kiwi skipper added. "We've been a little bit more aggressive with the bat, tried to be a little bit more proactive, and again, with the ball, we've tried to keep things simple, understand how India play a little bit, and just try to do our best. The guys have chipped in at different times, which has been the most important thing, and really happy to be standing here in this position." India were rocked early in the chase of 147 but Rishabh Pant played another masterful innings of 64 runs in addition to his 60 runs in the first innings to get India on the cusp of win. Pant's dismissal about 40 runs short of the target as the seventh wicket put the Kiwis on top and Ajaz Patel combined with Glenn Phillips to make sure India don't stage another comeback. Patel finished the match with 11 wickets - his second 10-wicket haul in Mumbai in as many trips - as India were bundled out for 121 in their second innings.

'Just being able to...,' New Zealand skipper Tom Latham reveals key reason behind India whitewash in Tests

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has called&nbsp;the decision to send Sarfaraz Khan to bat at number 8 in the first innings of third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai a poor call. It happened on Day 2 of the Test on Saturday (Nov 2) with India trying to keep a left-right combination on the crease.

"A guy in form, has 3 fifties in his first 3 Tests, gets 150 in the Bangalore Test, a good player of spin, pushed back in the order to keep left &amp; right combination?? Makes no sense. Sarfaraz now walking in at no 8! Poor call by India," Manjrekar posted on social media platform X.

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Sarfaraz, however, couldn't do much at number 8 and got out for a four-ball duck as India posted 263 in response to New Zealand's first innings total of 235 and took a crucial 28-run lead.

Earlier, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant started from India's overnight score of 86/4 and added 96 runs for the fifth wicket before Pant fell on a personal score of 60.

Gill played a mature innings of 90 runs while Washington Sundar scored a handy 38 down the order as India crossed 200 for the first time in the first innings of this three-Test series.

In New Zealand's second innings, Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin took a total of seven wickets between them as the hosts were 171/9 at the close of play on Saturday with a lead of 143 runs in the second innings.

India would hope to get the remaining wicket quickly on Day 3 and will aim at chasing less than 150 to keep New Zealand from whitewashing them at home.

New Zealand already won the first two Tests and have already won the series – their first in India.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has called the decision to send Sarfaraz Khan to bat at number 8 in the first innings of third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai a poor call.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has called the decision to send Sarfaraz Khan to bat at number 8 in the first innings of third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai a poor call. It happened on Day 2 of the Test on Saturday (Nov 2) with India trying to keep a left-right combination on the crease. "A guy in form, has 3 fifties in his first 3 Tests, gets 150 in the Bangalore Test, a good player of spin, pushed back in the order to keep left & right combination?? Makes no sense. Sarfaraz now walking in at no 8! Poor call by India," Manjrekar posted on social media platform X. Also Read: 'Factors like money or...,' KKR CEO reveals reason behind not retaining Shreyas Iyer Sarfaraz, however, couldn't do much at number 8 and got out for a four-ball duck as India posted 263 in response to New Zealand's first innings total of 235 and took a crucial 28-run lead. Earlier, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant started from India's overnight score of 86/4 and added 96 runs for the fifth wicket before Pant fell on a personal score of 60. Gill played a mature innings of 90 runs while Washington Sundar scored a handy 38 down the order as India crossed 200 for the first time in the first innings of this three-Test series. In New Zealand's second innings, Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin took a total of seven wickets between them as the hosts were 171/9 at the close of play on Saturday with a lead of 143 runs in the second innings. India would hope to get the remaining wicket quickly on Day 3 and will aim at chasing less than 150 to keep New Zealand from whitewashing them at home. New Zealand already won the first two Tests and have already won the series – their first in India.

IND vs NZ, 3rd Test: 'Pushed back in order to keep...,' Ex-India player on sending Sarfaraz at number 8

Harshit Rana is all set to join India squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand. The final match of the series is set to be played from November 1 in Mumbai's Wankhede stadium and Rana will join the squad on Wednesday (Oct 30).

The development was reported by news agency PTI on Tuesday (Oct 29) by citing a Board on Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source. "Harshit will join the team tomorrow," a BCCI source told&nbsp;PTI.

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Rana is currently with the Delhi Ranji Trophy (domestic first-class tournament) team where he took a five-wicket haul and scored a fifty in the third match of the season as well.

Rana has been on the rise ever since his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders where he played under the mentorship of now India head coach Gautam Gambhir.

The BCCI has also selected Rana as one of the five pace bowlers for the upcoming five-Test tour of Australia which starts next month in Perth.

Rana's coach and former India selector Sarandeep Singh also thinks that the pacer is ready for the Test cricket grind.

"He is ready to play Test cricket. He is a positive guy, he knows what he is doing. He is ready for the highest level," Sarandeep, a former BCCI selector, told PTI.

"He bowled his heart out for Delhi, he is always looking for wickets and is handy all rounder. He is like a horse, can bowl long spells. I hope he does really well in Australia," he added.

With Rana linking up with the team, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to sit out the game in Mumbai given the upcoming Australia tour and India already 0-2 down in the three-match series.

Harshit Rana is all set to join India squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand. The final match of the series is set to be played from November 1 in Mumbai's Wankhede stadium and Rana will join the squad on Wednesday (Oct 30).

Harshit Rana is all set to join India squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand. The final match of the series is set to be played from November 1 in Mumbai's Wankhede stadium and Rana will join the squad on Wednesday (Oct 30). The development was reported by news agency PTI on Tuesday (Oct 29) by citing a Board on Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source. "Harshit will join the team tomorrow," a BCCI source told PTI. Also Read: 'Didn't really understand why...,' Glenn Maxwell reveals incident when Virat Kohli blocked him on social media Rana is currently with the Delhi Ranji Trophy (domestic first-class tournament) team where he took a five-wicket haul and scored a fifty in the third match of the season as well. Rana has been on the rise ever since his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for Kolkata Knight Riders where he played under the mentorship of now India head coach Gautam Gambhir. The BCCI has also selected Rana as one of the five pace bowlers for the upcoming five-Test tour of Australia which starts next month in Perth. Rana's coach and former India selector Sarandeep Singh also thinks that the pacer is ready for the Test cricket grind. "He is ready to play Test cricket. He is a positive guy, he knows what he is doing. He is ready for the highest level," Sarandeep, a former BCCI selector, told PTI. "He bowled his heart out for Delhi, he is always looking for wickets and is handy all rounder. He is like a horse, can bowl long spells. I hope he does really well in Australia," he added. With Rana linking up with the team, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to sit out the game in Mumbai given the upcoming Australia tour and India already 0-2 down in the three-match series.

Australia-bound uncapped pacer Harshit Rana set to join India squad for third Test vs NZ

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali tore into the Indian cricket team batters following their struggle in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand. India batters suffered multiple collapses, including one being all out for 46 in the first Test in Bengaluru.

In the second Test, India failed to chase 359 on a spinning track in Pune and lost the Test. This was their first ever home Test series loss against New Zealand at home and Ali was not kind to the performances.

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"I had said chasing 350-plus will be too difficult. There had to be a ton from one of the top three batters. India's batting got exposed. In the first match, the Kiwi pacers took 17 wickets. In the second Test, spinners took 19 wickets. India players were neither able to play pacers well nor spinners. On a track that had pace and bounce (Bengaluru), India lost and on a spinning track, India lost as well," Basit said on his YouTube channel.

"The match India won against Bangladesh in two days and New Zealand's 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka, the team might have thought they would beat the Kiwis easily. This means, that Indian management and Indian players were overconfident. New Zealand did their homework. They had nothing to lose. No one would have thought that the Kiwis might be able to defeat India. Even New Zealand themselves wouldn't have thought of something like this. But they did their homework," he added.

India would want their best batter to hit form as soon as possible, as their two losses against New Zealand have left them in crunch to make it to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) Final.

India have six Tests remaining in the cycle now and must win at least four of them to guarantee a place in the WTC Final. After the third and final Test against New Zealand, they travel to Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts November 22.

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali tore into the Indian cricket team batters following their struggle in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand. India batters suffered multiple collapses, including one being all out for 46 in the first Test in Bengaluru.

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali tore into the Indian cricket team batters following their struggle in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand. India batters suffered multiple collapses, including one being all out for 46 in the first Test in Bengaluru. In the second Test, India failed to chase 359 on a spinning track in Pune and lost the Test. This was their first ever home Test series loss against New Zealand at home and Ali was not kind to the performances. Also Read: 'Proud of myself,' says pacer Harshit Rana after being named in India's squad for Australia Tests "I had said chasing 350-plus will be too difficult. There had to be a ton from one of the top three batters. India's batting got exposed. In the first match, the Kiwi pacers took 17 wickets. In the second Test, spinners took 19 wickets. India players were neither able to play pacers well nor spinners. On a track that had pace and bounce (Bengaluru), India lost and on a spinning track, India lost as well," Basit said on his YouTube channel. "The match India won against Bangladesh in two days and New Zealand's 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka, the team might have thought they would beat the Kiwis easily. This means, that Indian management and Indian players were overconfident. New Zealand did their homework. They had nothing to lose. No one would have thought that the Kiwis might be able to defeat India. Even New Zealand themselves wouldn't have thought of something like this. But they did their homework," he added. India would want their best batter to hit form as soon as possible, as their two losses against New Zealand have left them in crunch to make it to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) Final. India have six Tests remaining in the cycle now and must win at least four of them to guarantee a place in the WTC Final. After the third and final Test against New Zealand, they travel to Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts November 22.

'Got exposed,' Former Pakistan player tears into India batters following series loss vs New Zealand

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says Virat Kohli's form is a cause of concern for the&nbsp;team as his contribution is more important than skipper Rohit Sharma. The comments come after Kohli's dismal performance in the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand where he even got out on a full toss.

"It's always going to be a concern if Virat Kohli doesn't score runs or scores less runs because he is a mighty player and you make your entire game plan around Virat Kohli. This team requires his form and contribution even more because Rohit (Sharma) is at the top and Kohli is in the middle, the rest around them are all kids," Chopra said on while talking to his YouTube channel.

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The former India batter also explained that Kohli being in the middle is the calming influence as he takes the game forward by batting long periods of time.

"All kids play big shots, they play in their own way, my way or the highway. In such a scenario, Virat Kohli not only scoring big runs but also batting two to two-and-a-half sessions will be the calming influence. He will drive the game and things can revolve around him. He will want to be the pivot and it will be a problem if he doesn't become that," Chopra said.

India would want their best batter to hit form as soon as possible as their two losses against New Zealand have left them in crunch to make it to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) Final.

India have six Tests remaining in the cycle now and must win at least four of them to guarantee a place in the WTC Final. After the third and final Test against New Zealand, they travel to Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts November 22.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says Virat Kohli's form is a cause of concern for the team as his contribution is more important than skipper Rohit Sharma. The comments come after Kohli's dismal performance in the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand where he even got out on a full toss.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says Virat Kohli's form is a cause of concern for the team as his contribution is more important than skipper Rohit Sharma. The comments come after Kohli's dismal performance in the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand where he even got out on a full toss. "It's always going to be a concern if Virat Kohli doesn't score runs or scores less runs because he is a mighty player and you make your entire game plan around Virat Kohli. This team requires his form and contribution even more because Rohit (Sharma) is at the top and Kohli is in the middle, the rest around them are all kids," Chopra said on while talking to his YouTube channel. Also Read: 'They'll lack a...,' Australia head coach on Mohammed Shami missing from India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad The former India batter also explained that Kohli being in the middle is the calming influence as he takes the game forward by batting long periods of time. "All kids play big shots, they play in their own way, my way or the highway. In such a scenario, Virat Kohli not only scoring big runs but also batting two to two-and-a-half sessions will be the calming influence. He will drive the game and things can revolve around him. He will want to be the pivot and it will be a problem if he doesn't become that," Chopra said. India would want their best batter to hit form as soon as possible as their two losses against New Zealand have left them in crunch to make it to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) Final. India have six Tests remaining in the cycle now and must win at least four of them to guarantee a place in the WTC Final. After the third and final Test against New Zealand, they travel to Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts November 22.

'A problem if he doesn't...,' Former India batter Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's form ahead of BGT

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday.

The hosts sealed a nine-wicket win in the third Test in Rawalpindi with Noman taking 6-42 and Sajid 4-69 in the second innings as England were bowled out for just 112.

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The irrepressible pair shared 39 wickets in the last two Tests to spur Pakistan's revival from an innings defeat in the first match. &nbsp;

"You've got to hold your hands up to say that those two in particular were obviously too good for our batting line-up in those last two games," Stokes said.

Noman and Sajid both came into the side following Pakistan's heavy defeat in the first Test in Multan, their inclusion proving pivotal in the hosts' 2-1 series triumph.

"Credit to Noman and Sajid, the way in which they bowled in the second Test match and in this game, you know it was very good and challenging," said Stokes.

Stokes said the series defeat was all the more disappointing with England having whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 away two years ago.

"Losing games for England hurts so it's disappointing," said Stokes, who missed the first Test in Multan with injury and failed to find form with the bat on his return.

The talismanic Stokes has been central to England's attacking philosophy, which saw records tumble in the victory in the first Multan Test.

But he said consistency had been an issue since.

"We need to do things for longer," said Stokes, whose team next tours New Zealand for a three-Test series in late November.

"As I said, we did good things in very small amounts of times at certain points throughout the second game and this game.

"But when you don't sustain that, you know you're always going to start falling away."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday.

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday. The hosts sealed a nine-wicket win in the third Test in Rawalpindi with Noman taking 6-42 and Sajid 4-69 in the second innings as England were bowled out for just 112. Also Read: Ronaldo fan cycles 13,000 km from China to Saudi to meet him The irrepressible pair shared 39 wickets in the last two Tests to spur Pakistan's revival from an innings defeat in the first match. "You've got to hold your hands up to say that those two in particular were obviously too good for our batting line-up in those last two games," Stokes said. Noman and Sajid both came into the side following Pakistan's heavy defeat in the first Test in Multan, their inclusion proving pivotal in the hosts' 2-1 series triumph. "Credit to Noman and Sajid, the way in which they bowled in the second Test match and in this game, you know it was very good and challenging," said Stokes. Stokes said the series defeat was all the more disappointing with England having whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 away two years ago. "Losing games for England hurts so it's disappointing," said Stokes, who missed the first Test in Multan with injury and failed to find form with the bat on his return. The talismanic Stokes has been central to England's attacking philosophy, which saw records tumble in the victory in the first Multan Test. But he said consistency had been an issue since. "We need to do things for longer," said Stokes, whose team next tours New Zealand for a three-Test series in late November. "As I said, we did good things in very small amounts of times at certain points throughout the second game and this game. "But when you don't sustain that, you know you're always going to start falling away." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

'Noman and Sajid too good for us,' admits England skipper Ben Stokes post Test series defeat vs Pakistan

India skipper Rohit Sharma has conceded that his side could not cope with the relentless pressure put by New Zealand bowlers after&nbsp;India lost the second Test on Saturday (Oct 26). With the loss, New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series, clinching their maiden Test series win in India.

Rohit acknowledged that batters failed to put up runs on the board despite the bowlers taking all 20 wickets in the match.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-nz-2nd-test-yashasvi-jaiswal-breaks-this-record-amid-poor-show-by-other-batters-770902">IND vs NZ, 2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks THIS record amid poor show by other batters</a>

"Disappointing. It is not what we expected. NZ played better cricket than us. We failed to respond to challenges and we sit here that result. I don't think we batted well enough to get runs on the board," said the skipper.&nbsp;

"You have to take 20 wickets, but the batters have to put runs on the board as well. We did not put enough runs, then conceded a 100-run lead. It was a fightback from us, but it was always going to be challenging. We thought we could chase but the continuous challenges we could not cope. When they started off, they were 200 for 3 and for us to come back and bowl them 259 was great. It was a not a pitch where a lot was happening, but we did not bat well enough. NZ played better," he added.

Chasing 359 runs, India were 81/1 at lunch on day 3 but lost six wickets in the second session and it was just a matter of when after that. India were eventually bowled out for 245 runs in the second innings, losing the match by 113 runs.

The third and final match of the series will be played from Friday (Nov 1) in Mumbai and Rohit said 'we want to show up at Wankhede and win that Test.'

India skipper Rohit Sharma has conceded that his side could not cope with the relentless pressure put by New Zealand bowlers after India lost the second Test on Saturday (Oct 26).

India skipper Rohit Sharma has conceded that his side could not cope with the relentless pressure put by New Zealand bowlers after India lost the second Test on Saturday (Oct 26). With the loss, New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series, clinching their maiden Test series win in India. Rohit acknowledged that batters failed to put up runs on the board despite the bowlers taking all 20 wickets in the match. Also Read: IND vs NZ, 2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks THIS record amid poor show by other batters "Disappointing. It is not what we expected. NZ played better cricket than us. We failed to respond to challenges and we sit here that result. I don't think we batted well enough to get runs on the board," said the skipper. "You have to take 20 wickets, but the batters have to put runs on the board as well. We did not put enough runs, then conceded a 100-run lead. It was a fightback from us, but it was always going to be challenging. We thought we could chase but the continuous challenges we could not cope. When they started off, they were 200 for 3 and for us to come back and bowl them 259 was great. It was a not a pitch where a lot was happening, but we did not bat well enough. NZ played better," he added. Chasing 359 runs, India were 81/1 at lunch on day 3 but lost six wickets in the second session and it was just a matter of when after that. India were eventually bowled out for 245 runs in the second innings, losing the match by 113 runs. The third and final match of the series will be played from Friday (Nov 1) in Mumbai and Rohit said 'we want to show up at Wankhede and win that Test.'

'Not a pitch where...,' India skipper Rohit blames batters for Test series loss vs New Zealand

New Zealand beat India by 113&nbsp;runs in the second Test in Pune on Saturday (Oct 26) to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series. This is New Zealand's first-ever Test victory against India in India with one match still left to play.

Chasing 359, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma soon on a team score of 34 runs. Yashasvi Jasiwal (77) and Shubman Gill (23) then took India to lunch on day 3 without any further loss of wickets and 81 on the board. The duo added 62 runs for the second wicket before Mitchell Santner took out Gill post-lunch.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-nz-2nd-test-yashasvi-jaiswal-breaks-this-record-amid-poor-show-by-other-batters-770902">IND vs NZ, 2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks THIS record amid poor show by other batters</a>

India lost five more wickets in the second session with three of them taken by Santner apart from a run out while Glenn Phillips took one as well. India headed to tea on third day at 178/7 with Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin on the crease.

The spin duo added 39 runs for the eighth wicket before Santner took out Ashwin for his 13th wicket of the match.

Jadeja delayed the inevitable for a bit with his innings of 42&nbsp;runs but India were eventually bowled out for 245&nbsp;runs.

Earlier, New Zealand resumed their second innings from the overnight score of 195/5 and were dismissed in the first session itself for a total of 255.

India's first innings failure in Pune came back to haunt them as they chased more than 350 on a spinning and bouncing pitch. India had scored 156 runs in the first innings in reply to New Zealand's 259 – conceding a hefty 103-run lead which proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Indian batters failed to play Santner well and the spinner ended up taking the second best match-wicket haul by a foreign spinner in India. He took a five-wicket haul in both innings – the second foreign bowler only apart from Steve O'Keefe in 2017 for Australia.

New Zealand had also beaten India in the first Test in Bengaluru despite first day being washed out due to rain for their first Test victory in the country since 1988.

The third and final Test of the series will be played in Mumbai from Friday (Nov 1).

New Zealand beat India by 113 runs in the second Test in Pune on Saturday (Oct 26) to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series. This is New Zealand's first-ever Test victory against India in India with one match still left to play.

New Zealand beat India by 113 runs in the second Test in Pune on Saturday (Oct 26) to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series. This is New Zealand's first-ever Test victory against India in India with one match still left to play. Chasing 359, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma soon on a team score of 34 runs. Yashasvi Jasiwal (77) and Shubman Gill (23) then took India to lunch on day 3 without any further loss of wickets and 81 on the board. The duo added 62 runs for the second wicket before Mitchell Santner took out Gill post-lunch. Also Read: IND vs NZ, 2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks THIS record amid poor show by other batters India lost five more wickets in the second session with three of them taken by Santner apart from a run out while Glenn Phillips took one as well. India headed to tea on third day at 178/7 with Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin on the crease. The spin duo added 39 runs for the eighth wicket before Santner took out Ashwin for his 13th wicket of the match. Jadeja delayed the inevitable for a bit with his innings of 42 runs but India were eventually bowled out for 245 runs. Earlier, New Zealand resumed their second innings from the overnight score of 195/5 and were dismissed in the first session itself for a total of 255. India's first innings failure in Pune came back to haunt them as they chased more than 350 on a spinning and bouncing pitch. India had scored 156 runs in the first innings in reply to New Zealand's 259 – conceding a hefty 103-run lead which proved to be the difference between the two sides. Indian batters failed to play Santner well and the spinner ended up taking the second best match-wicket haul by a foreign spinner in India. He took a five-wicket haul in both innings – the second foreign bowler only apart from Steve O'Keefe in 2017 for Australia. New Zealand had also beaten India in the first Test in Bengaluru despite first day being washed out due to rain for their first Test victory in the country since 1988. The third and final Test of the series will be played in Mumbai from Friday (Nov 1).

IND vs NZ, 2nd Test: Mitchell Santner spins Kiwis to maiden Test series victory in India

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has been the only shining spot during the ongoing horrible home Test series against New Zealand. The 22-year-old left-hand batter has broken multiple records and equaled some in Test cricket after scoring 30 runs in the first innings and 77 in the 2nd innings of the Pune Test.

With his first innings 30 runs, Jaiswal became the youngest India batter to score 1000 Test runs at home in a calendar year, overtaking Dilip Vengsarkar who was aged 23 in 1979 when he reached 1000 Test runs at home.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/to-fool-them-pakistan-spinner-sajid-khan-on-urdu-helping-him-score-runs-in-rawalpindi-test-vs-england-770888">'To fool them...,' Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan on Urdu helping him score runs in Rawalpindi Test vs England</a>

The Southpaw also joined an exclusive club of four other batters across the world who had scored 1000 Test runs in a calendar year before turning 23.

Before Jaiswal, West Indies great Gary Sobers (1,193 runs in 1958), South Africans Graeme Smith (1,198 runs in 2003) &amp; AB de Villiers (1,008 runs in 2005) and former England skipper Alastair Cook (1,013 runs in 2006) had achieved this feat.

Jaiswal also scored his 1000 home Test runs faster than any other Indian batter - taking just 1,315 ball to reach the milestone. Before him, Virender Sehwag held the record for scoring fastest first 1000 runs in home Test in 1,436 balls.

India, however, had a bad day as a unit and were bowled out for just 156 runs in their first innings in reply of New Zealand's 259.

In the second innings, the Kiwis posted 255 and set India a huge target of 359 runs in the fourth innings on a turning and bouncing Pune pitch.

Chasing the target, India lost skipper skipper Rohit Sharma cheaply again before Shubman Gill (23) and Jaiswal, who score 77, added 62 runs for the second wicket.

The Kiwis, however, struck after lunch and took six wickets of Gill, Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar and Rishabh Pant bringing India down to seven wickets for just 178 runs in total at tea on day 3 (Oct 26).

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has been the only shining spot during the ongoing horrible home Test series against New Zealand. The 22-year-old left-hand batter has broken multiple records and equaled some in Test cricket after scoring 30 runs in the first innings and 77 in the 2nd innings of the Pune Test.

India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has been the only shining spot during the ongoing horrible home Test series against New Zealand. The 22-year-old left-hand batter has broken multiple records and equaled some in Test cricket after scoring 30 runs in the first innings and 77 in the 2nd innings of the Pune Test. With his first innings 30 runs, Jaiswal became the youngest India batter to score 1000 Test runs at home in a calendar year, overtaking Dilip Vengsarkar who was aged 23 in 1979 when he reached 1000 Test runs at home. Also Read: 'To fool them...,' Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan on Urdu helping him score runs in Rawalpindi Test vs England The Southpaw also joined an exclusive club of four other batters across the world who had scored 1000 Test runs in a calendar year before turning 23. Before Jaiswal, West Indies great Gary Sobers (1,193 runs in 1958), South Africans Graeme Smith (1,198 runs in 2003) & AB de Villiers (1,008 runs in 2005) and former England skipper Alastair Cook (1,013 runs in 2006) had achieved this feat. Jaiswal also scored his 1000 home Test runs faster than any other Indian batter - taking just 1,315 ball to reach the milestone. Before him, Virender Sehwag held the record for scoring fastest first 1000 runs in home Test in 1,436 balls. India, however, had a bad day as a unit and were bowled out for just 156 runs in their first innings in reply of New Zealand's 259. In the second innings, the Kiwis posted 255 and set India a huge target of 359 runs in the fourth innings on a turning and bouncing Pune pitch. Chasing the target, India lost skipper skipper Rohit Sharma cheaply again before Shubman Gill (23) and Jaiswal, who score 77, added 62 runs for the second wicket. The Kiwis, however, struck after lunch and took six wickets of Gill, Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar and Rishabh Pant bringing India down to seven wickets for just 178 runs in total at tea on day 3 (Oct 26).

IND vs NZ, 2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks THIS record amid poor show by other batters

Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan says that misguiding England's Urdu-speaking spinners helped him score 48 in the third Test against England in Rawalpindi. Sajid scored 48 not out in the first innings with the bat and added very important 72 runs for the ninth wicket with Saud Shakeel.

Thanks to the partnership, Pakistan took a crucial 77-run lead in reply to England's 267 in first innings on day 2 (Oct 25) of the Test which eventually helped them win the Test and the series.

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"We were only doing that [speaking loudly in Urdu] to deceive the bowlers. Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single. When we did that, they brought the field up and the bowlers flighted it. Saud told me once they do, no half measures: just go for the big shot as hard as you can," Sajid said after the day's play on Friday (Oct 25).

England spinner Rehan Ahmed, however, didn't buy any of the Sajid's claims and said: "He didn't fool me at all, he just said it for the media. I didn't even hear him. He said something like he's going to run down this ball and I knew he was going to try and scoop me, and it didn't really work. I think he batted well, and he hit some big blows, but he didn't really fool me or Bash."

Pakistan finished the day 2 with England at 24/3 before bowling them out on 112 on Saturday (Oct 26), leaving hosts with a target of 36 runs.

Pakistan chased down the target in just 3.1 overs with skipper Shad Masood scoring 23 not out off just 6 balls to finish things quickly. &nbsp;With the win, Pakistan bagged the three-Test series 2-1 despite losing the first Test &nbsp;in Multan.

Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan says that misguiding England's Urdu-speaking spinners helped him score 48 in the third Test against England in Rawalpindi. Sajid scored 48 not out in the first innings with the bat and added very important 72 runs for the ninth wicket with Saud Shakeel.

Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan says that misguiding England's Urdu-speaking spinners helped him score 48 in the third Test against England in Rawalpindi. Sajid scored 48 not out in the first innings with the bat and added very important 72 runs for the ninth wicket with Saud Shakeel. Thanks to the partnership, Pakistan took a crucial 77-run lead in reply to England's 267 in first innings on day 2 (Oct 25) of the Test which eventually helped them win the Test and the series. Also Read: ‘We love Davey but he’s retired’ - Pat Cummins shuns David Warner’s comeback proposal for India Tests "We were only doing that [speaking loudly in Urdu] to deceive the bowlers. Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single. When we did that, they brought the field up and the bowlers flighted it. Saud told me once they do, no half measures: just go for the big shot as hard as you can," Sajid said after the day's play on Friday (Oct 25). England spinner Rehan Ahmed, however, didn't buy any of the Sajid's claims and said: "He didn't fool me at all, he just said it for the media. I didn't even hear him. He said something like he's going to run down this ball and I knew he was going to try and scoop me, and it didn't really work. I think he batted well, and he hit some big blows, but he didn't really fool me or Bash." Pakistan finished the day 2 with England at 24/3 before bowling them out on 112 on Saturday (Oct 26), leaving hosts with a target of 36 runs. Pakistan chased down the target in just 3.1 overs with skipper Shad Masood scoring 23 not out off just 6 balls to finish things quickly. With the win, Pakistan bagged the three-Test series 2-1 despite losing the first Test in Multan.

'To fool them...,' Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan on Urdu helping him score runs in Rawalpindi Test vs England

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the dates for the 2025-26 Ashes edition, which will be held Down Under. The series will kick off at Perth's Optus Stadium on Nov 21. The five-match Test series will then move to the Gabba, Brisbane, which will host the day-night Test before the Christmas Test will be held at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. The Boxing Day Test will be hosted by the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne before Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) hosts the New Year's Test.

<h2>Ashes 2025-26 schedule</h2>

Perth Test (West Test): Perth Stadium | Nov 21-25 
Brisbane Test (Day/Night Test): Gabba | Dec 4-8 
Adelaide Test (Christmas Test): Adelaide Oval | Dec 17-21 
Melbourne Test (Boxing Day Test): MCG | Dec 26-30 
Sydney Test (New Year’s Test): SCG | Jan 4-8

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-nz-1st-test-rohit-sharma-drops-huge-update-on-md-shami-admits-pacer-uncertain-for-australia-tour-767589">Rohit Sharma drops HUGE update on Mohammed Shami, admits pacer uncertain for Australia tour</a>

Notably, there are some big changes in the Ashes schedule. Brisbane, which has traditionally hosted the Ashes opener since 1982-83, will instead host the second Test under lights. Thus, The Gabba won't open the Ashes series Down Under for the first time in over four decades. Adelaide, on the other hand, hosted the day-night Test in the last two&nbsp;Ashes series in Australia but will now hold the pre-Christmas Test as a day game. It has been done as a result of a new agreement between CA and the South Australian government, positioning the Test as a marquee holiday event due to its strong tourism appeal.

England have not won the Ashes in Australia since the 2010/11 edition. Moreover, Australia have the urn since the 2017/18 series.

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the dates for the 2025-26 Ashes edition, which will be held Down Under. The series will kick off at Perth's Optus Stadium on Nov 21.

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the dates for the 2025-26 Ashes edition, which will be held Down Under. The series will kick off at Perth's Optus Stadium on Nov 21. The five-match Test series will then move to the Gabba, Brisbane, which will host the day-night Test before the Christmas Test will be held at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. The Boxing Day Test will be hosted by the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne before Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) hosts the New Year's Test. Ashes 2025-26 schedule Perth Test (West Test): Perth Stadium | Nov 21-25 Brisbane Test (Day/Night Test): Gabba | Dec 4-8 Adelaide Test (Christmas Test): Adelaide Oval | Dec 17-21 Melbourne Test (Boxing Day Test): MCG | Dec 26-30 Sydney Test (New Year’s Test): SCG | Jan 4-8 Also read: Rohit Sharma drops HUGE update on Mohammed Shami, admits pacer uncertain for Australia tour Notably, there are some big changes in the Ashes schedule. Brisbane, which has traditionally hosted the Ashes opener since 1982-83, will instead host the second Test under lights. Thus, The Gabba won't open the Ashes series Down Under for the first time in over four decades. Adelaide, on the other hand, hosted the day-night Test in the last two Ashes series in Australia but will now hold the pre-Christmas Test as a day game. It has been done as a result of a new agreement between CA and the South Australian government, positioning the Test as a marquee holiday event due to its strong tourism appeal. England have not won the Ashes in Australia since the 2010/11 edition. Moreover, Australia have the urn since the 2017/18 series.

Cricket Australia announces Ashes 2025-26 fixtures, Gabba to host day-night Test match

England medium-pacer Chris Woakes says that they are ready for result-oriented pitches in the next two Tests against Pakistan. This comes after England forced their way to a win on 'dead' Multan pitch in the first Test despite conceding 550+ runs in the first innings.

"There was talk about green surfaces," Chris Woakes said after the first Test.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/icc-must-be-thinking-shoaib-akhtar-on-pakistans-status-as-test-team-after-humiliating-loss-vs-england-766832">'ICC must be thinking...,' Shoaib Akhtar on Pakistan's status as Test team after humiliating loss vs England</a>

"I suppose it did have a tinge of green on day one, but it just got better and better. The ball is firmly in their court. When it's a home series and it's only three matches, and you lose the first, you'd like to think that the next two are going to be result wickets, whether that be green or turners. We'll see," he added.

Pakistan have been heavily criticised for failing to capitalise despite being in a strong position but skipper Shan Masood said that the onus lay on bowlers.

"We take discussion of the pitch too seriously," he said. "You play a pitch for your squad and your strategy, but you can't control every aspect of the pitch… What England showed us is you can find a way: they took 20 wickets on this pitch, so you can't say it's impossible to take 20 wickets on this pitch."

After posting 556 in their first innings, Pakistan conceded 823 runs in the first innings – the fourth most in an inning in Test cricket history.

In the second innings, Pakistan batters failed to cope with the pressure and were bowled out for a paltry 220 runs thus losing the game by an innings and 47 runs.

The loss against England comes on the back of a 0-2 series whitewash against Bangladesh, also at home. The last time Pakistan won a Test at home was in the year 2021 and has been in decline ever since.&nbsp;

The second Test of the series is scheduled to start from October 15, also in Multan.

England medium-pacer Chris Woakes says that they are ready for result-oriented pitches in the next two Tests against Pakistan. This comes after England forced their way to a win on 'dead' Multan pitch in the first Test despite conceding 550+ runs in the first innings.

England medium-pacer Chris Woakes says that they are ready for result-oriented pitches in the next two Tests against Pakistan. This comes after England forced their way to a win on 'dead' Multan pitch in the first Test despite conceding 550+ runs in the first innings. "There was talk about green surfaces," Chris Woakes said after the first Test. Also Read: 'ICC must be thinking...,' Shoaib Akhtar on Pakistan's status as Test team after humiliating loss vs England "I suppose it did have a tinge of green on day one, but it just got better and better. The ball is firmly in their court. When it's a home series and it's only three matches, and you lose the first, you'd like to think that the next two are going to be result wickets, whether that be green or turners. We'll see," he added. Pakistan have been heavily criticised for failing to capitalise despite being in a strong position but skipper Shan Masood said that the onus lay on bowlers. "We take discussion of the pitch too seriously," he said. "You play a pitch for your squad and your strategy, but you can't control every aspect of the pitch… What England showed us is you can find a way: they took 20 wickets on this pitch, so you can't say it's impossible to take 20 wickets on this pitch." After posting 556 in their first innings, Pakistan conceded 823 runs in the first innings – the fourth most in an inning in Test cricket history. In the second innings, Pakistan batters failed to cope with the pressure and were bowled out for a paltry 220 runs thus losing the game by an innings and 47 runs. The loss against England comes on the back of a 0-2 series whitewash against Bangladesh, also at home. The last time Pakistan won a Test at home was in the year 2021 and has been in decline ever since. The second Test of the series is scheduled to start from October 15, also in Multan.

'We'll see,' says England pacer Chris Woakes on result pitches for next two Tests vs Pak after Multan mauling

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says that the International Cricket Council (ICC) must be thinking about continuing the Test status of Pak Test team. The comments come after Shan Masood-led team's humiliating innings loss against England in first Test in Multan despite scoring 550+ runs in the first innings.

"Fans are saying that Pakistan should withdraw from WTC. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking 'should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive'. It's just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess," said Akhtar during a discussion on local news channel PTV Sports.

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The pacer also hit&nbsp;out on the steady decline of Pakistan cricket over a decade and said: "You will reap what you sow. Over the decades, I have seen the decline. The situation is disappointing. Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope. This shows that we aren't good enough. England scored 800+ and Bangladesh also beat you."

The loss against England comes on the back of 0-2 series whitewash against Bangladesh, also at home. The last time Pakistan won a Test at home was in year 2021 and has been in decline ever since. Akhtar blamed weak management and captain for the current situation of the Pak cricket.

"If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism. If the captain is selfish, there will be groupism. Same is the case if the coaches are afraid of the captain. The captain calls the shot when it comes to selection. This has been the culture since my playing days," the pacer said.

As for the first Test, England declared after scoring more than 800 runs in their first innings after Pakistan were folded for 556. The visitors then went on to win the game by an innings and 47 runs as the home side failed to cope up with the pressure.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says that the International Cricket Council (ICC) must be thinking about continuing the Test status of Pak Test team. The comments come after Shan Masood-led team's humiliating innings loss against England in first Test in Multan despite scoring 550+ runs in the first innings.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says that the International Cricket Council (ICC) must be thinking about continuing the Test status of Pak Test team. The comments come after Shan Masood-led team's humiliating innings loss against England in first Test in Multan despite scoring 550+ runs in the first innings. "Fans are saying that Pakistan should withdraw from WTC. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking 'should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive'. It's just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess," said Akhtar during a discussion on local news channel PTV Sports. Also Read: Pat Cummins unbothered by new IPL rule on overseas players, says ‘never pulled out after the auction’ The pacer also hit out on the steady decline of Pakistan cricket over a decade and said: "You will reap what you sow. Over the decades, I have seen the decline. The situation is disappointing. Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope. This shows that we aren't good enough. England scored 800+ and Bangladesh also beat you." The loss against England comes on the back of 0-2 series whitewash against Bangladesh, also at home. The last time Pakistan won a Test at home was in year 2021 and has been in decline ever since. Akhtar blamed weak management and captain for the current situation of the Pak cricket. "If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism. If the captain is selfish, there will be groupism. Same is the case if the coaches are afraid of the captain. The captain calls the shot when it comes to selection. This has been the culture since my playing days," the pacer said. As for the first Test, England declared after scoring more than 800 runs in their first innings after Pakistan were folded for 556. The visitors then went on to win the game by an innings and 47 runs as the home side failed to cope up with the pressure.

'ICC must be thinking...,' Shoaib Akhtar on Pakistan's status as Test team after humiliating loss vs England

England batter Joe Root continued to break records during&nbsp;his marathon knock versus Pakistan on Day 4 of the Multan Test on Thursday (Oct 10). At lunch on the penultimate day, England reached 658/3, with a lead of 102 in reply to Pakistan's 556, courtesy of an unbroken 409-run fourth-wicket stand between double centurions Joe Root (259*) and Harry Brook (218*). Root, thus, continued to break records as he became the first-ever Englishman to reach 20,000 international runs. Moreover, he is also&nbsp;the first-ever visiting player with a Test double century in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Most International Runs For England

Joe Root - 20076*

Alastair Cook - 15,737

Kevin Pietersen - 13,779

Ian Bell - 13,331

Graham Gooch - 13,190

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/pak-vs-eng-1st-test-joe-root-continues-merry-run-becomes-englands-highest-run-scorer-in-purest-format-765888">Pak vs Eng: Joe Root continues merry run, becomes England's highest run-scorer in Test cricket</a>

Root also became the batter with&nbsp;second joint-most double hundreds away from home (5). He is tied with South Africa's Graeme Smith whereas the list is led by stalwarts such as Sir Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara, etc.

Most double hundreds away from home

5 - Don Bradman

5 - Wally Hammond

5 - Brian Lara

5 - Kumar Sangakkara

5 - Younis Khan

4 - Graeme Smith

4 - Joe Root*

The former English captain also has second joint-most Test double hundreds in most countries.

Test double hundreds in most countries

6 - Kumar Sangakkara

6 - Younis Khan

5 - Brian Lara

5 - Joe Root*

Given the Multan pitch is offering no support to the bowlers, England look set to take a daunting lead and would aim for Pakistan to crumble under pressure in the second innings. At the moment, Root is on the verge of scoring a triple ton and can also break Lara's record of the highest-ever score by a batter in whites (400 not out). Brook, on the other hand, will also look to surpass the 300-run mark post lunch.

England batter Joe Root continued to break records during his marathon knock versus Pakistan on Day 4 of the Multan Test on Thursday (Oct 10). At lunch on the penultimate day, England reached 658/3, with a lead of 102 in reply to Pakistan's 556, courtesy of an unbroken 409-run fourth-wicket stand between double centurions Joe Root (259*) and Harry Brook (218*).

England batter Joe Root continued to break records during his marathon knock versus Pakistan on Day 4 of the Multan Test on Thursday (Oct 10). At lunch on the penultimate day, England reached 658/3, with a lead of 102 in reply to Pakistan's 556, courtesy of an unbroken 409-run fourth-wicket stand between double centurions Joe Root (259*) and Harry Brook (218*). Root, thus, continued to break records as he became the first-ever Englishman to reach 20,000 international runs. Moreover, he is also the first-ever visiting player with a Test double century in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Most International Runs For England Joe Root - 20076* Alastair Cook - 15,737 Kevin Pietersen - 13,779 Ian Bell - 13,331 Graham Gooch - 13,190 Also read | Pak vs Eng: Joe Root continues merry run, becomes England's highest run-scorer in Test cricket Root also became the batter with second joint-most double hundreds away from home (5). He is tied with South Africa's Graeme Smith whereas the list is led by stalwarts such as Sir Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara, etc. Most double hundreds away from home 5 - Don Bradman 5 - Wally Hammond 5 - Brian Lara 5 - Kumar Sangakkara 5 - Younis Khan 4 - Graeme Smith 4 - Joe Root* The former English captain also has second joint-most Test double hundreds in most countries. Test double hundreds in most countries 6 - Kumar Sangakkara 6 - Younis Khan 5 - Brian Lara 5 - Joe Root* Given the Multan pitch is offering no support to the bowlers, England look set to take a daunting lead and would aim for Pakistan to crumble under pressure in the second innings. At the moment, Root is on the verge of scoring a triple ton and can also break Lara's record of the highest-ever score by a batter in whites (400 not out). Brook, on the other hand, will also look to surpass the 300-run mark post lunch.

Pak vs Eng, 1st Test: Double centurion Joe Root becomes first Englishman to score 20k int'l runs

The first Test between Pakistan and England, in Multan, has been a run-fest so far. Shan Masood-led hosts opted to bat first on Day 1, on Monday (Oct 7),&nbsp;and rode on skipper's 152, Abdullah Shafique's 102 and Agha Salman's 104 to post 556. In reply, England ended Day 3, on Wednesday (Oct 9) at 492 for 3. So far, two English batters (Joe Root and Harry Brook) have also scored centuries as runs continue to pile up in Multan. Thus, former England captain Kevin Pietersen thrashed the nature of the surface and feels it is a 'bowler's graveyard'. In addition, it is destroying Test cricket if it doesn't favour the bowlers in the remaining days.

“Still a bowler’s graveyard! If this wicket doesn’t crumble and produce a result, it’s helping DESTROY Test cricket,” Pietersen wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

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Still a bowlers graveyard! If this wicket doesn’t crumble and produce a result, it’s helping DESTROY Test cricket.
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Over the years, the pitches used for Test matches in Pakistan have been slammed from all corners for not producing an even contest. The ongoing Multan Test will surely add to this noise if the surface continues to be a cakewalk for batters.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/pak-vs-eng-i-dont-see-ben-stokes-backs-joe-root-to-break-sachin-tendulkars-record-for-most-test-runs-765939">Pak vs Eng: I don't see...: Ben Stokes backs Joe Root to break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most Test runs</a>

Talking about Day 3, England batters dominated proceedings, resorting to their aggressive approach, and went to stumps at 492/3, coming close to Pakistan's 556 courtesy of Root's 176* and Harry Brook's unbeaten&nbsp;141. The two have stitched an unbeaten 243 runs for the fourth-wicket as bowlers continue to suffer in Multan.

Meanwhile, Root continued his merry run by becoming the highest run-getter for England in Tests and slamming his 35th ton on Wednesday. He looks destined for a daddy hundred, being just 24 away from a double ton.&nbsp;

The first Test between Pakistan and England, in Multan, has been a run-fest so far. Shan Masood-led hosts opted to bat first on Day 1, on Monday (Oct 7), and rode on skipper's 152, Abdullah Shafique's 102 and Agha Salman's 104 to post 556.

The first Test between Pakistan and England, in Multan, has been a run-fest so far. Shan Masood-led hosts opted to bat first on Day 1, on Monday (Oct 7), and rode on skipper's 152, Abdullah Shafique's 102 and Agha Salman's 104 to post 556. In reply, England ended Day 3, on Wednesday (Oct 9) at 492 for 3. So far, two English batters (Joe Root and Harry Brook) have also scored centuries as runs continue to pile up in Multan. Thus, former England captain Kevin Pietersen thrashed the nature of the surface and feels it is a 'bowler's graveyard'. In addition, it is destroying Test cricket if it doesn't favour the bowlers in the remaining days. “Still a bowler’s graveyard! If this wicket doesn’t crumble and produce a result, it’s helping DESTROY Test cricket,” Pietersen wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Still a bowlers graveyard! If this wicket doesn’t crumble and produce a result, it’s helping DESTROY Test cricket. — Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) October 9, 2024 × Over the years, the pitches used for Test matches in Pakistan have been slammed from all corners for not producing an even contest. The ongoing Multan Test will surely add to this noise if the surface continues to be a cakewalk for batters. Also Read | Pak vs Eng: I don't see...: Ben Stokes backs Joe Root to break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most Test runs Talking about Day 3, England batters dominated proceedings, resorting to their aggressive approach, and went to stumps at 492/3, coming close to Pakistan's 556 courtesy of Root's 176* and Harry Brook's unbeaten 141. The two have stitched an unbeaten 243 runs for the fourth-wicket as bowlers continue to suffer in Multan. Meanwhile, Root continued his merry run by becoming the highest run-getter for England in Tests and slamming his 35th ton on Wednesday. He looks destined for a daddy hundred, being just 24 away from a double ton.

Pak vs Eng: 'It’s helping DESTROY Test cricket,' Pietersen SLAMS Multan pitch as runs pile up in series opener

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has backed India youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal to come good in the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar series in Australia. The statement comes after Jaiswal played a crucial role in India's 2-0 win against Bangladesh during the recently won two-Test series.

Lara says that Jaiswal would have to make some adjustments mentally but once done, the batter will play good cricket in every condition.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/have-similar-fast-bowlers-in-nets-says-bangladesh-skipper-najmul-shanto-about-india-pacer-mayank-yadav-765644">'Have similar fast bowlers in nets,' says Bangladesh skipper Najmul Shanto about India pacer Mayank Yadav</a>

"Obviously, the pitches in Australia are slightly different. But if you take your mentality, and if you take that sort of strength that you have, you're going to play good cricket in any conditions," said the former West Indies skipper on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai on Tuesday (Oct 8) as reported by cricket news website ESPNCricinfo. "I expect to see him do well."

Lara further explained his point and said: "The adjustment is the ability to back your talent in whatever conditions. I say this with a pinch of salt, because conditions in India have changed.

"With the IPL, you've got international players coming - and you're feeding your players a different level of competition, which is great. So I don't think there's much that he (Jaiswal) has to do technically. I just think mentally [he has to adjust]: travelling away from home, [and] playing against Australia; Australia, on their shores, are a different beast."

Jaiswal made his Test debut in 2023 on the tour of West Indies and has since scored 1,217 runs in 20 innings of 11 Tests at an average of 64 with three tons and seven fifties along with the highest score of 214 not out.

Jaiswal scored twin fifties in second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur and took his tally of Test fifties this year to eight - the most by an Indian batter in a calendar year.

India are scheduled to play New Zealand next in the three-Test home series which starts October 16.

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has backed India youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal to come good in the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar series in Australia. The statement comes after Jaiswal played a crucial role in India's 2-0 win against Bangladesh during the recently won two-Test series.

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has backed India youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal to come good in the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar series in Australia. The statement comes after Jaiswal played a crucial role in India's 2-0 win against Bangladesh during the recently won two-Test series. Lara says that Jaiswal would have to make some adjustments mentally but once done, the batter will play good cricket in every condition. Also Read: 'Have similar fast bowlers in nets,' says Bangladesh skipper Najmul Shanto about India pacer Mayank Yadav "Obviously, the pitches in Australia are slightly different. But if you take your mentality, and if you take that sort of strength that you have, you're going to play good cricket in any conditions," said the former West Indies skipper on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai on Tuesday (Oct 8) as reported by cricket news website ESPNCricinfo. "I expect to see him do well." Lara further explained his point and said: "The adjustment is the ability to back your talent in whatever conditions. I say this with a pinch of salt, because conditions in India have changed. "With the IPL, you've got international players coming - and you're feeding your players a different level of competition, which is great. So I don't think there's much that he (Jaiswal) has to do technically. I just think mentally [he has to adjust]: travelling away from home, [and] playing against Australia; Australia, on their shores, are a different beast." Jaiswal made his Test debut in 2023 on the tour of West Indies and has since scored 1,217 runs in 20 innings of 11 Tests at an average of 64 with three tons and seven fifties along with the highest score of 214 not out. Jaiswal scored twin fifties in second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur and took his tally of Test fifties this year to eight - the most by an Indian batter in a calendar year. India are scheduled to play New Zealand next in the three-Test home series which starts October 16.

Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara backs India youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal to come good in Australia Tests

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has revealed that Pak Test team coach Jason Gillespie has denied a flat pitch request by batters for the upcoming three-Test home series against England. This after Pakistan recently lost a two-Test home series 0-2 against Bangladesh. &nbsp;

"I will give you an inside story. Jason Gillespie has handed a shut-up call to Pakistan batters. He wants the pitch to remain the same that has been prepared by the groundsman," Basit said on his YouTube channel.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/should-travis-head-open-against-india-in-tests-ian-chappell-says-no-explains-why-764969">Should Travis Head open against India in Tests? Ian Chappell says NO, explains why</a>

"Pakistan batters wanted to cut off the grass to make it a flat pitch. The pitch curator and Gillespie want to play on the same pitch. I would be really happy if the match took place on a grassy surface and our bowlers took wickets," he added.

The first of the three Tests between Pakistan and England starts Monday (Oct. 7) in Multan. England are favourites to win after their 3-0 win on the last tour in 2022 and the home team's recent lack of form.

Ben Stokes ruled out of Multan Test

England skipper Ben Stokes has officially been ruled out of the upcoming first Test against Pakistan in Multan. Stokes is still recovering from a hamstring injury which he had suffered in the Hundred tournament.

"I tried my hardest to try and get myself fit for this first game but we've taken the call to miss this one. I've not quite managed to get game-ready," Stokes said, as reported by cricket news website ESPNCricinfo.&nbsp;

Stokes had also not played the three-Test home series against Sri Lanka, which England won 2-1 under Ollie Pope's captaincy. With the all-rounder out of the picture at least for the first game of the series, Pope will be leading England in fourth successive Test.

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has revealed that Pak Test team coach Jason Gillespie has denied a flat pitch request by batters for the upcoming three-Test home series against England.

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has revealed that Pak Test team coach Jason Gillespie has denied a flat pitch request by batters for the upcoming three-Test home series against England. This after Pakistan recently lost a two-Test home series 0-2 against Bangladesh. "I will give you an inside story. Jason Gillespie has handed a shut-up call to Pakistan batters. He wants the pitch to remain the same that has been prepared by the groundsman," Basit said on his YouTube channel. Also Read: Should Travis Head open against India in Tests? Ian Chappell says NO, explains why "Pakistan batters wanted to cut off the grass to make it a flat pitch. The pitch curator and Gillespie want to play on the same pitch. I would be really happy if the match took place on a grassy surface and our bowlers took wickets," he added. The first of the three Tests between Pakistan and England starts Monday (Oct. 7) in Multan. England are favourites to win after their 3-0 win on the last tour in 2022 and the home team's recent lack of form. Ben Stokes ruled out of Multan Test England skipper Ben Stokes has officially been ruled out of the upcoming first Test against Pakistan in Multan. Stokes is still recovering from a hamstring injury which he had suffered in the Hundred tournament. "I tried my hardest to try and get myself fit for this first game but we've taken the call to miss this one. I've not quite managed to get game-ready," Stokes said, as reported by cricket news website ESPNCricinfo. Stokes had also not played the three-Test home series against Sri Lanka, which England won 2-1 under Ollie Pope's captaincy. With the all-rounder out of the picture at least for the first game of the series, Pope will be leading England in fourth successive Test.

Coach Jason Gillespie told batters to 'shut up' on seeking flat pitch for England Tests, reveals ex-Pak player

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