<p>India went down to Temba Bavuma-led South Africa by four wickets to lose the second T20I after conceding the series opener, on June 09. On Sunday evening (June 12), the Rishabh Pant-led hosts locked horns with the Proteas for the second encounter, of the five-match series, with an aim to level the scoreline 1-1.</p>

<p>However, Pant &amp; Co. were no match to the visiting side who continued their winning run versus India across formats in the calendar year. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Ishan Kishan's 34, Shreyas Iyer's 40&nbsp;and Dinesh Karthik's unbeaten 30 to post 148-6. In reply, SA was 29-3 before Heinrich Klaasen's 46-ball 81 propelled them to a four-wicket win, with 10 balls to spare.</p>

<p>After the clash, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer opined on Pant's captaincy. Jaffer took note of Pant's IPL captaincy, where he leads the Delhi Capitals (DC), and stated that the 24-year-old panics easily when the situation gets intense in the middle.</p>

<p>In an&nbsp;<em>ESPNCricinfo</em>&nbsp;show, the ex-Indian opener and Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting coach was asked whether Pant changes his plans and strategies too easily. To this, he agreed and pointed out, "Yes, we saw something similar in the IPL as well. I feel the more he captains, the better he'll get. But, yes, at this stage, I think when the match gets tight, he panics a bit."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-sa-black-marketers-have-field-day-as-ticket-sale-scandal-occurs-in-cuttack-t20i-reports-487723"><strong>India vs SA: Black marketers have field day as ticket sale scandal occurs in Cuttack T20I - Reports</strong></a></p>

<p>Pant was criticised for not using Yuzvendra Chahal's full quota of overs in the series opener loss, in New Delhi, India, and in the second T20I, he was lashed out for over-relying on Chahal. Even in IPL 2022, the young wicketkeeper&nbsp;made several errors in judgments as a skipper, including poor usage of DRS and rotation of bowlers (along with dropping some crucial catches), as DC didn't qualify for the playoffs.</p>

<p>At the post-match presentation, Pant said, "We were 10-15 runs short. Bhuvi and the fast bowlers bowled well in the first 7-8 overs. But after that we weren't up to the mark. In the second half we needed wickets, but we couldn't get those wickets. They (Klaasen and Bavuma) actually batted really well. We could have bowled better, hope we improve in the next game. We need to win all the remaining three games now."</p>


India went down to Temba Bavuma-led South Africa by four wickets to lose the second T20I after conceding the series opener, on June 09. On Sunday evening (June 12), the Rishabh Pant-led hosts locked horns with the Proteas for the second encounter, of the five-match series, with an aim to level the scoreline 1-1.

India went down to Temba Bavuma-led South Africa by four wickets to lose the second T20I after conceding the series opener, on June 09. On Sunday evening (June 12), the Rishabh Pant-led hosts locked horns with the Proteas for the second encounter, of the five-match series, with an aim to level the scoreline 1-1. However, Pant & Co. were no match to the visiting side who continued their winning run versus India across formats in the calendar year. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Ishan Kishan's 34, Shreyas Iyer's 40 and Dinesh Karthik's unbeaten 30 to post 148-6. In reply, SA was 29-3 before Heinrich Klaasen's 46-ball 81 propelled them to a four-wicket win, with 10 balls to spare. After the clash, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer opined on Pant's captaincy. Jaffer took note of Pant's IPL captaincy, where he leads the Delhi Capitals (DC), and stated that the 24-year-old panics easily when the situation gets intense in the middle. In an ESPNCricinfo show, the ex-Indian opener and Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting coach was asked whether Pant changes his plans and strategies too easily. To this, he agreed and pointed out, "Yes, we saw something similar in the IPL as well. I feel the more he captains, the better he'll get. But, yes, at this stage, I think when the match gets tight, he panics a bit." ALSO READ | India vs SA: Black marketers have field day as ticket sale scandal occurs in Cuttack T20I - Reports Pant was criticised for not using Yuzvendra Chahal's full quota of overs in the series opener loss, in New Delhi, India, and in the second T20I, he was lashed out for over-relying on Chahal. Even in IPL 2022, the young wicketkeeper made several errors in judgments as a skipper, including poor usage of DRS and rotation of bowlers (along with dropping some crucial catches), as DC didn't qualify for the playoffs. At the post-match presentation, Pant said, "We were 10-15 runs short. Bhuvi and the fast bowlers bowled well in the first 7-8 overs. But after that we weren't up to the mark. In the second half we needed wickets, but we couldn't get those wickets. They (Klaasen and Bavuma) actually batted really well. We could have bowled better, hope we improve in the next game. We need to win all the remaining three games now."

'When match gets tight...' - Ex-Indian opener on Rishabh Pant's captaincy after India go 2-0 down vs SA

<p>Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to make his comeback to the Indian team after a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season with his new team Gujarat Titans (GT). IPL 2022 was a memorable season for Hardik and the Titans as he led the debutants to their maiden IPL title in their first-ever campaign in the league. Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals comprehensively in the final to win the elusive trophy.</p>

<p>Hardik led from the front both as a player and a captain and played an instrumental role in his side's memorable triumph. He was the highest run-getter for the Titans last season with 487 runs in 15 matches at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.26. Hardik also stepped up with the ball when required and picked up 8 wickets for his team in IPL 2022.</p>

<p>Ahead of his comeback for Team India after a long spell on the sidelines, Hardik spoke about his love for cricket growing up and revealed who was his favourite cricketer. While he liked the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Virat Kohli among others, Hardik said his favourite was former India batter Wasim Jaffer.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sachin-should-watch-out-michael-vaughan-makes-bold-claim-as-joe-root-breaches-10000-run-mark-in-tests-485960">'Sachin should watch out': Vaughan makes bold claim as Joe Root breaches 10,000-run mark in Tests</a></p>

<p>Known for his elegant batting, Jaffer played 31 Test matches for India and amassed 1944 runs at an average of 34.10, including 5 centuries and 11 fifties. He was a mainstay in the Indian top-order for a few years under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. Hardik revealed he always placed Jaffer above the other legends and also tried to copy his technique.</p>

<p>"Like everyone, I had favourite cricketers. I liked Jacques Kallis, Virat, Sachin sir. There are so many greats that you can't pick. My favourite cricketer was actually Wasim Jaffer. I used to love watching him bat. Someone I always placed him above other legends. Somehow, I used to copy his batting, but I was never able to get his class," Hardik said speaking on the <em>SG Podcast.</em></p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-told-me-i-will-be-in-world-cup-squad-after-3-matches-hardik-panda-recalls-his-team-india-debut-485703">Dhoni told me I will be in World Cup squad after 3 matches: Hardik Pandya recalls his Team India debut</a></p>

<p>Hardik also revealed he grew up playing cricket with his brother Krunal Pandya and the duo always strived to help each other improve but never had any rivalry in between them. Hardik and Krunal also played cricket at different age levels. They joined Mumbai Indians in the IPL where they got much-deserved opportunities and recognition for their splendid performances.</p>

<p>"Krunal and I were completely different cricketers. He was a left-handed batter who could bowl while I used to bowl leg spin and bat right-handed. He used to bat at 4-5 and I used to bat at No. 3. We never had a rivalry because our roles were always different. I used to play Under-16, he played Under-19. But we were there for each other so make sure we improve in all departments," said Hardik.</p>


Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to make his comeback to the Indian team after a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season with his new team Gujarat Titans (GT).

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to make his comeback to the Indian team after a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season with his new team Gujarat Titans (GT). IPL 2022 was a memorable season for Hardik and the Titans as he led the debutants to their maiden IPL title in their first-ever campaign in the league. Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals comprehensively in the final to win the elusive trophy. Hardik led from the front both as a player and a captain and played an instrumental role in his side's memorable triumph. He was the highest run-getter for the Titans last season with 487 runs in 15 matches at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.26. Hardik also stepped up with the ball when required and picked up 8 wickets for his team in IPL 2022. Ahead of his comeback for Team India after a long spell on the sidelines, Hardik spoke about his love for cricket growing up and revealed who was his favourite cricketer. While he liked the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Virat Kohli among others, Hardik said his favourite was former India batter Wasim Jaffer. Also Read: 'Sachin should watch out': Vaughan makes bold claim as Joe Root breaches 10,000-run mark in Tests Known for his elegant batting, Jaffer played 31 Test matches for India and amassed 1944 runs at an average of 34.10, including 5 centuries and 11 fifties. He was a mainstay in the Indian top-order for a few years under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. Hardik revealed he always placed Jaffer above the other legends and also tried to copy his technique. "Like everyone, I had favourite cricketers. I liked Jacques Kallis, Virat, Sachin sir. There are so many greats that you can't pick. My favourite cricketer was actually Wasim Jaffer. I used to love watching him bat. Someone I always placed him above other legends. Somehow, I used to copy his batting, but I was never able to get his class," Hardik said speaking on the SG Podcast. Also Read: Dhoni told me I will be in World Cup squad after 3 matches: Hardik Pandya recalls his Team India debut Hardik also revealed he grew up playing cricket with his brother Krunal Pandya and the duo always strived to help each other improve but never had any rivalry in between them. Hardik and Krunal also played cricket at different age levels. They joined Mumbai Indians in the IPL where they got much-deserved opportunities and recognition for their splendid performances. "Krunal and I were completely different cricketers. He was a left-handed batter who could bowl while I used to bowl leg spin and bat right-handed. He used to bat at 4-5 and I used to bat at No. 3. We never had a rivalry because our roles were always different. I used to play Under-16, he played Under-19. But we were there for each other so make sure we improve in all departments," said Hardik.

Not Sachin or Dhoni! Hardik Pandya names his favourite cricketer, says always placed him above other legends

<p>Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Ruturaj Gaikwad can have an ‘outside chance’ of featuring in the squad for the T20 World Cup. Jaffer was not impressed with his performances in the ongoing IPL 2022 and said that the youngster is a ‘really big talent’.</p>

<p>In a recent interaction, Jaffer picked four options for the opening spot ahead of the T20 World Cup and he picked KL Rahul and skipper Rohit Sharma as automatic picks. Apart from Gaikwad, Jaffer also thought that Prithvi Shaw will be an addition for the India squad ahead of the mega tournament.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-faf-du-plessis-wanindu-hasaranga-set-up-rcbs-massive-victory-over-srh-477410">IPL 2022: Faf Du Plessis, Wanindu Hasaranga set up RCB's massive win over SRH</a></p>

<p>“If we are to talk about the openers then I feel the batters who are definite for this position are KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. I think these will surely be there in the World Cup. Apart from that, I feel Prithvi Shaw should be in the World Cup T20 squad and there could be an outside chance for Ruturaj Gaikwad even though his IPL form has not been up to the mark but, I feel we need to persist with Ruturaj Gaikwad because he is a really big talent," he told Crictracker.</p>

<p>Apart from these two options, veteran Shikhar Dhawan and Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan have also made a strong case for themselves for the T20 World Cup inclusion.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-ishan-kishan-or-dinesh-karthik-virender-sehwag-names-surprise-wicketkeeper-pick-for-t20-world-cup-477423" hreflang="en">Not Ishan Kishan or Dinesh Karthik! Virender Sehwag names surprise wicketkeeper pick for T20 World Cup</a></p>

<p>In IPL 2022, Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul is leading the charts when it comes to Indian openers with 451 runs with Punjab Kings’ Dhawan following closely with 381 runs.</p>


Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Ruturaj Gaikwad can have an ‘outside chance’ of featuring in the squad for the T20 World Cup. Jaffer was not impressed with his performances in the ongoing IPL 2022 and said that the youngster is a ‘really big talent’.

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Ruturaj Gaikwad can have an ‘outside chance’ of featuring in the squad for the T20 World Cup. Jaffer was not impressed with his performances in the ongoing IPL 2022 and said that the youngster is a ‘really big talent’. In a recent interaction, Jaffer picked four options for the opening spot ahead of the T20 World Cup and he picked KL Rahul and skipper Rohit Sharma as automatic picks. Apart from Gaikwad, Jaffer also thought that Prithvi Shaw will be an addition for the India squad ahead of the mega tournament. Also read | IPL 2022: Faf Du Plessis, Wanindu Hasaranga set up RCB's massive win over SRH “If we are to talk about the openers then I feel the batters who are definite for this position are KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. I think these will surely be there in the World Cup. Apart from that, I feel Prithvi Shaw should be in the World Cup T20 squad and there could be an outside chance for Ruturaj Gaikwad even though his IPL form has not been up to the mark but, I feel we need to persist with Ruturaj Gaikwad because he is a really big talent," he told Crictracker. Apart from these two options, veteran Shikhar Dhawan and Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan have also made a strong case for themselves for the T20 World Cup inclusion. Also read | Not Ishan Kishan or Dinesh Karthik! Virender Sehwag names surprise wicketkeeper pick for T20 World Cup In IPL 2022, Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul is leading the charts when it comes to Indian openers with 451 runs with Punjab Kings’ Dhawan following closely with 381 runs.

'There could be an outside chance': Former India cricketer picks four openers for T20 World Cup

<p>Virat Kohli has had a poor run in IPL 2022 so far. In seven outings for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the 33-year-old Kohli&nbsp;has managed only 119 runs at 19.83 and a strike rate of 123.95 with a high score of 48. On Tuesday evening (April 19), Kohli returned with a golden duck in RCB's face-off versus KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where the former won by 18 runs.</p>

<p>Seeing Kohli's poor run of form, India's former opening batter and internet sensation Wasim Jaffer shared a hilarious post. Here's what he shared depicting the former RCB skipper's barren run as the post&nbsp;went viral in no time:</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-hardik-pandya-or-kl-rahul-michael-vaughan-names-ipl-captain-who-has-impressed-with-his-calmness-472444"><strong>Not Hardik Pandya or KL Rahul! Michael Vaughan names IPL captain who has impressed with his calmness</strong></a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Virat Kohli's luck these days: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSGvRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSGvRCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/DZWKoP5u8n">pic.twitter.com/DZWKoP5u8n</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1516424474572525577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Jaffer has been a huge hit on social media platforms. From time to time, he has&nbsp;impressed with his hilarious posts ranging from various topics in cricket and often shows his witty side even while interacting with fans or trolls.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-virat-kohli-bags-golden-duck-against-lsg-as-dushmantha-chameera-picks-2-wickets-in-2-balls-472209"><strong>WATCH: Virat Kohli bags Golden Duck against LSG as Dushmantha Chameera picks 2 wickets in 2 balls</strong></a></p>

<p>Talking about Kohli, he&nbsp;has now gone 100 matches across all formats without a century - 17 Tests, 21 ODIs, 25 T20Is and 37 IPL games. Speaking on his poor form, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested Kohli to opt for a long break. "I&nbsp;am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it's him. Whether it's 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it's after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don't want to lose that with a fried brain. He is not the only one. There might be 1 or 2 in world cricket going through the same. You need to address the problem upfront," Shastri told on Star Sports.</p>


Virat Kohli has had a poor run in IPL 2022 so far. In seven outings for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the 33-year-old Kohli has managed only 119 runs at 19.

Virat Kohli has had a poor run in IPL 2022 so far. In seven outings for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the 33-year-old Kohli has managed only 119 runs at 19.83 and a strike rate of 123.95 with a high score of 48. On Tuesday evening (April 19), Kohli returned with a golden duck in RCB's face-off versus KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where the former won by 18 runs. Seeing Kohli's poor run of form, India's former opening batter and internet sensation Wasim Jaffer shared a hilarious post. Here's what he shared depicting the former RCB skipper's barren run as the post went viral in no time: ALSO READ | Not Hardik Pandya or KL Rahul! Michael Vaughan names IPL captain who has impressed with his calmness Virat Kohli's luck these days: #LSGvRCB #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/DZWKoP5u8n — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) April 19, 2022 × Jaffer has been a huge hit on social media platforms. From time to time, he has impressed with his hilarious posts ranging from various topics in cricket and often shows his witty side even while interacting with fans or trolls. ALSO READ | WATCH: Virat Kohli bags Golden Duck against LSG as Dushmantha Chameera picks 2 wickets in 2 balls Talking about Kohli, he has now gone 100 matches across all formats without a century - 17 Tests, 21 ODIs, 25 T20Is and 37 IPL games. Speaking on his poor form, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested Kohli to opt for a long break. "I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it's him. Whether it's 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it's after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don't want to lose that with a fried brain. He is not the only one. There might be 1 or 2 in world cricket going through the same. You need to address the problem upfront," Shastri told on Star Sports.

IPL 2022: Wasim Jaffer wins the internet with hilarious post depicting Virat Kohli's poor form

<p>Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer picked an underrated XI with Australia’s Mark Taylor as the skipper and included Shikhar Dhawan as the only Indian player in the side.</p>

<p>While speaking on the show ‘Not Just Cricket’, Jaffer picked Taylor and Dhawan as the opening batters for his side with both cricketers boasting of a good record in both Tests and limited overs cricket. Taylor also boasts of a win percentage over 50 as the skipper of the Australia national team.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/umran-malik-picks-up-3-wickets-in-20th-over-against-pbks-becomes-4th-bowler-to-achieve-rare-ipl-feat-471684" hreflang="en">Umran Malik becomes 4th bowler to achieve rare IPL feat against PBKS</a></p>

<p>In the middle order, Jaffer picked Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan who has scored over 10,000 runs in ODIs, Pakistan legend Younis Khan who was a stalwart in Test cricket and West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul who was a top performer for his side for a number of years.</p>

<p>When asked about the reason behind his selections, Jaffer pointed out that he believes Chanderpaul was overshadowed by Brian Lara while Younis did not get his due because of the presence of a massively talented player like Inzamam-ul-Haq in the Pakistan team at the same time.</p>

<p>When it comes to the lower middle order, Jaffer picked ‘Mr Cricket’ Michael Hussey, England all-rounder Paul Collingwood and former Pakistan international Abdul Razzaq. Jaffer said that Hussey was quite underrated even after scoring huge amount of runs across formats and he went on to hail Razzaq as one of the best all-rounders in the world when it comes to white ball cricket.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-ceo-opens-up-about-deepak-chahars-potential-replacements-after-pacer-gets-ruled-out-of-ipl-2022-471663" hreflang="en">IPL 2022: CSK CEO opens up about replacement options for Deepak Chahar</a></p>

<p>When it came to the bowlers, he included the Sri Lanka duo of Chaminda Vaas and Rangana Herath who, according to him, were extremely underrated despite having brilliant records in Test cricket.</p>

<p>The final member of the side was Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris with the former New Zealand international Ross Taylor, who retired from international cricket this year, being the 12th man.</p>

<p>Wasim Jaffer’s underrated XI of all-time: Shikhar Dhawan, Mark Taylor, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Younis Khan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Michael Hussey, Paul Collingwood, Abdul Razzaq, Rangana Herath, Chaminda Vaas, Ryan Harris, Ross Taylor (12th man)</p>


Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer picked an underrated XI with Australia’s Mark Taylor as the skipper and included Shikhar Dhawan as the only Indian player in the side.

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer picked an underrated XI with Australia’s Mark Taylor as the skipper and included Shikhar Dhawan as the only Indian player in the side. While speaking on the show ‘Not Just Cricket’, Jaffer picked Taylor and Dhawan as the opening batters for his side with both cricketers boasting of a good record in both Tests and limited overs cricket. Taylor also boasts of a win percentage over 50 as the skipper of the Australia national team. Also read | Umran Malik becomes 4th bowler to achieve rare IPL feat against PBKS In the middle order, Jaffer picked Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan who has scored over 10,000 runs in ODIs, Pakistan legend Younis Khan who was a stalwart in Test cricket and West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul who was a top performer for his side for a number of years. When asked about the reason behind his selections, Jaffer pointed out that he believes Chanderpaul was overshadowed by Brian Lara while Younis did not get his due because of the presence of a massively talented player like Inzamam-ul-Haq in the Pakistan team at the same time. When it comes to the lower middle order, Jaffer picked ‘Mr Cricket’ Michael Hussey, England all-rounder Paul Collingwood and former Pakistan international Abdul Razzaq. Jaffer said that Hussey was quite underrated even after scoring huge amount of runs across formats and he went on to hail Razzaq as one of the best all-rounders in the world when it comes to white ball cricket. Also read | IPL 2022: CSK CEO opens up about replacement options for Deepak Chahar When it came to the bowlers, he included the Sri Lanka duo of Chaminda Vaas and Rangana Herath who, according to him, were extremely underrated despite having brilliant records in Test cricket. The final member of the side was Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris with the former New Zealand international Ross Taylor, who retired from international cricket this year, being the 12th man. Wasim Jaffer’s underrated XI of all-time: Shikhar Dhawan, Mark Taylor, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Younis Khan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Michael Hussey, Paul Collingwood, Abdul Razzaq, Rangana Herath, Chaminda Vaas, Ryan Harris, Ross Taylor (12th man)

Wasim Jaffer picks underrated XI of all time, includes one Indian cricketer in the team

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Former Indian cricketer team opener Wasim Jaffer was all praise for Prithvi Shaw after the youngster slammed a quickfire fifty during the Indian Premier League (2022) encounter between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai on Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Prithvi dominated proceedings from the first over as he scored 61 off just 34 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries and two sixes.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Jaffer took to Twitter to laud the right-hander for his excellent batting performance.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“Like a typical Mumbaikar @PrithviShaw knows how to create room even when there isn't enough space to free arms. And that's exactly what he did this innings, creating room and smashing even fourth stump line through the off side. Top innings #LSGvDC #IPL2022,” Jaffer tweeted.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Like a typical Mumbaikar <a href="https://twitter.com/PrithviShaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrithviShaw</a> knows how to create room even when there isn't enough space to free arms. And that's exactly what he did this innings, creating room and smashing even fourth stump line through the off side 😄 Top innings 👌🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSGvDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSGvDC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1512078582142566421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Shaw looked in brilliant touch as he scored freely against Avesh Khan and Krishnappa Gowtham towards the beginning of the innings. He took full advantage of the powerplay field restrictions and rushed to his half century in just 30 balls in the seventh over of the encounter.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Earlier, LSG skipper KL Rahul won the toss and opted to field with Krishnappa Gowtham replacing Manish Pandey in the side. For Delhi Capitals, there were three changes as David Warner, Andrich Nortje and Sarfaraz Khan were all handed their debut matches for the 2022 season.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pcb-chairman-ramiz-raja-pins-hopes-of-bilateral-series-between-india-pakistan-in-2024-25-469165">PCB chief hopeful of India-Pakistan bilateral series in 2024-25</a></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The Delhi Capitals innings suffered a sudden roadblock after losing Prithvi, Warner and Rovman Powell in quick succession but sensible knocks from captain Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz meant that they were able to post a total of 149/3 in 20 overs.<o:p></o:p></p>


Former Indian cricketer team opener Wasim Jaffer was all praise for Prithvi Shaw after the youngster slammed a quickfire fifty during the Indian Premier League (2022) encounter between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai on Thursday.

Former Indian cricketer team opener Wasim Jaffer was all praise for Prithvi Shaw after the youngster slammed a quickfire fifty during the Indian Premier League (2022) encounter between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai on Thursday. Prithvi dominated proceedings from the first over as he scored 61 off just 34 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries and two sixes. Jaffer took to Twitter to laud the right-hander for his excellent batting performance. “Like a typical Mumbaikar @PrithviShaw knows how to create room even when there isn't enough space to free arms. And that's exactly what he did this innings, creating room and smashing even fourth stump line through the off side. Top innings #LSGvDC #IPL2022,” Jaffer tweeted. Like a typical Mumbaikar @PrithviShaw knows how to create room even when there isn't enough space to free arms. And that's exactly what he did this innings, creating room and smashing even fourth stump line through the off side 😄 Top innings 👌🏻 #LSGvDC #IPL2022 — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) April 7, 2022 × Shaw looked in brilliant touch as he scored freely against Avesh Khan and Krishnappa Gowtham towards the beginning of the innings. He took full advantage of the powerplay field restrictions and rushed to his half century in just 30 balls in the seventh over of the encounter. Earlier, LSG skipper KL Rahul won the toss and opted to field with Krishnappa Gowtham replacing Manish Pandey in the side. For Delhi Capitals, there were three changes as David Warner, Andrich Nortje and Sarfaraz Khan were all handed their debut matches for the 2022 season. Also read | PCB chief hopeful of India-Pakistan bilateral series in 2024-25 The Delhi Capitals innings suffered a sudden roadblock after losing Prithvi, Warner and Rovman Powell in quick succession but sensible knocks from captain Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz meant that they were able to post a total of 149/3 in 20 overs.

IPL 2022: Former India opener lauds Prithvi Shaw after quickfire fifty against Lukcnow Super Giants

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer said that Shubman Gill can become a regular in all three formats after he scored 84 off just 46 deliveries to guide Gujarat Lions to a comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals on Saturday. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">“He played him really well. Anything that was pitched up, he went straight and chose the right option. Very happy to see him do well, I think he has got it in him to play all three formats,” said Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p></span><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-not-finished-mohammad-kaif-makes-big-prediction-about-ms-dhonis-ipl-future-467983" hreflang="en">'He is not finished': Md Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future</a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">The youngster looked completely at ease against the Delhi Capitals bowling attack and he even neutralized the threat of Kuldeep Yadav who took three wickets in the previous match.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Jaffer said that Gill needs to improve his power game and a good IPL season can bring him back into contention for wicket ball cricket.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p></span><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/alyssa-healys-stunning-ton-helps-australia-thrash-new-zealand-to-lift-record-7th-womens-world-cup-trophy-467890" hreflang="en">Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy</a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"He just needs to develop his power game a little bit. I think this IPL has a lot more importance for him because he is not currently in the radar for white ball cricket. 500-600 runs in this IPL will bring him into contention.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“He played according to the wicket. Once it settled down a little bit, it started coming on to his bat nicely. I think he likes pace on the ball. There wasn't much spin, he was hitting it through the line and he is a class batter anyway. He is not somebody who is scared of hitting the ball in the air. We have seen that in Test cricket as well, he has taken on the bowlers. It is just about the power game in the death overs which he needs to develop. He is a very fine player,” said Jaffer.<o:p></o:p></p>


Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer said that Shubman Gill can become a regular in all three formats after he scored 84 off just 46 deliveries to guide Gujarat Lions to a comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer said that Shubman Gill can become a regular in all three formats after he scored 84 off just 46 deliveries to guide Gujarat Lions to a comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals on Saturday. “He played him really well. Anything that was pitched up, he went straight and chose the right option. Very happy to see him do well, I think he has got it in him to play all three formats,” said Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo. Also read | 'He is not finished': Md Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future The youngster looked completely at ease against the Delhi Capitals bowling attack and he even neutralized the threat of Kuldeep Yadav who took three wickets in the previous match. Jaffer said that Gill needs to improve his power game and a good IPL season can bring him back into contention for wicket ball cricket. Also read | Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy "He just needs to develop his power game a little bit. I think this IPL has a lot more importance for him because he is not currently in the radar for white ball cricket. 500-600 runs in this IPL will bring him into contention. “He played according to the wicket. Once it settled down a little bit, it started coming on to his bat nicely. I think he likes pace on the ball. There wasn't much spin, he was hitting it through the line and he is a class batter anyway. He is not somebody who is scared of hitting the ball in the air. We have seen that in Test cricket as well, he has taken on the bowlers. It is just about the power game in the death overs which he needs to develop. He is a very fine player,” said Jaffer.

IPL 2022: Wasim Jaffer backs Gujarat Titans youngster as potential all-format player for India

<p>Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After a terrific start to the 15th season, beating the defending champions and five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KKR fought hard versus Faf du Plessis-led RCB before falling short to lose a low-scoring thriller by three wickets.</p>

<p>Being asked to bat first, at the&nbsp;Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, KKR franchise were bundled out for 128 in 18.5 overs as the big guns such as Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, captain Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell, Sam Billings, etc. couldn't make the most of their chances in the middle. With the ball in hand, KKR kept RCB on the toes -- courtesy Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee -- before Sunil Narine curtailed the run-flow.</p>

<p>While many praised Shreyas Iyer for his leadership and bowling changes, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels he missed a trick by not making Nitish Rana bowl in the middle overs.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ms-dhoni-on-cusp-of-joining-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-and-shikhar-dhawan-in-t20-elite-list-467192"><strong>IPL 2022: MS Dhoni on cusp of joining Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in T20 elite list</strong></a></p>

<p>"I was surprised that Shreyas Iyer did not bowl Nitish Rana when there were two left-handers there and Chakravarthy was clearly struggling against them. One or two overs from Rana would have meant that Russell wouldn't have had to bowl. He could have bowled Venkatesh Iyer earlier if Russell was struggling. Things could have been a little bit different if he had saved Chakravathy's over there and used it for right-handers.</p>

<p>"Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee made a match out of it by getting RCB 17/3 in the powerplay. KKR would have had a better chance if Chakravarthy had bowled better," the former cricketer-turned-expert Jaffer said on&nbsp;<em>ESPNCricinfo</em>.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dinesh-karthik-is-as-close-as-it-gets-to-ms-dhoni-faf-du-plessis-lauds-rcbs-finisher-after-kkr-win-467160">Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win</a></strong></p>

<p>After this loss, KKR will now face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 2 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The two-time winners will now like to move past the missed opportunities versus RCB and return to winning ways versus the Punjab franchise.</p>


Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After a terrific start to the 15th season, beating the defending champions and five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KKR fought hard versus Faf du Plessis-led RCB before falling short to lose a low-scoring thriller by three wickets.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30). After a terrific start to the 15th season, beating the defending champions and five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KKR fought hard versus Faf du Plessis-led RCB before falling short to lose a low-scoring thriller by three wickets. Being asked to bat first, at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, KKR franchise were bundled out for 128 in 18.5 overs as the big guns such as Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, captain Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell, Sam Billings, etc. couldn't make the most of their chances in the middle. With the ball in hand, KKR kept RCB on the toes -- courtesy Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee -- before Sunil Narine curtailed the run-flow. While many praised Shreyas Iyer for his leadership and bowling changes, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels he missed a trick by not making Nitish Rana bowl in the middle overs. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: MS Dhoni on cusp of joining Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in T20 elite list "I was surprised that Shreyas Iyer did not bowl Nitish Rana when there were two left-handers there and Chakravarthy was clearly struggling against them. One or two overs from Rana would have meant that Russell wouldn't have had to bowl. He could have bowled Venkatesh Iyer earlier if Russell was struggling. Things could have been a little bit different if he had saved Chakravathy's over there and used it for right-handers. "Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee made a match out of it by getting RCB 17/3 in the powerplay. KKR would have had a better chance if Chakravarthy had bowled better," the former cricketer-turned-expert Jaffer said on ESPNCricinfo. ALSO READ | Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win After this loss, KKR will now face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 2 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The two-time winners will now like to move past the missed opportunities versus RCB and return to winning ways versus the Punjab franchise.

'I was surprised that Shreyas Iyer did not...': Wasim Jaffer on KKR captain's decision-making vs RCB

<p class="MsoNormal">It was a brilliant start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season for India pacer Mohammed Shami as he was the pick for the bowlers for Gujarat Titans during their encounter against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The fast bowler finished with impressive figures of 3/25 in 4 overs and claimed the wickets of Manish Pandey, Quinton de Kock and the skipper KL Rahul.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-catch-of-the-tournament-shubman-gill-plucks-a-stunner-against-gujarat-titans-watch-466447">Shubman Gill pulls off 'catch of the tournament' against Gujarat Lions - WATCH</a></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">It was a perfect start for Shami as he was able to induce a nick off KL Rahul in the very first ball of the match and Matthew Wade easily completed the catch behind the stumps. There was some doubt in the umpire’s mind but the replays made it clear that the ball made contact with the inside edge.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Shami followed it up with a vicious in-swinger in his second over as Quinton de Kock was completely outdone by the movement and the ball crashed in to his leg stump. The fast bowler continued to get a lot of assistance from the pitch and his final victim was Pandey who was beaten by his pace.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The impressive show from Shami earned him a lot of praise on Twitter and former India cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Wasim Jaffer also joined the public in lauding him for his performance.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">LSG batters trying to negotiate Shami's swing: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSGvGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSGvGT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/cQTliX0Fed">pic.twitter.com/cQTliX0Fed</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1508451322109980683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">LSG batters trying to negotiate Shami's swing: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LSGvGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LSGvGT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/cQTliX0Fed">pic.twitter.com/cQTliX0Fed</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1508451322109980683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Opting to field, Gujarat Titans produced a tidy bowling performance as Lucknow Super Giants scored 158/5 in 20 overs. Lucknow lost some early wickets but fifties from Deepak Hooda and youngster Ayush Badani meant that they were able to post a competitive total on their tournament debut.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>


It was a brilliant start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season for India pacer Mohammed Shami as he was the pick for the bowlers for Gujarat Titans during their encounter against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.

It was a brilliant start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season for India pacer Mohammed Shami as he was the pick for the bowlers for Gujarat Titans during their encounter against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. The fast bowler finished with impressive figures of 3/25 in 4 overs and claimed the wickets of Manish Pandey, Quinton de Kock and the skipper KL Rahul. Also read | Shubman Gill pulls off 'catch of the tournament' against Gujarat Lions - WATCH It was a perfect start for Shami as he was able to induce a nick off KL Rahul in the very first ball of the match and Matthew Wade easily completed the catch behind the stumps. There was some doubt in the umpire’s mind but the replays made it clear that the ball made contact with the inside edge. Shami followed it up with a vicious in-swinger in his second over as Quinton de Kock was completely outdone by the movement and the ball crashed in to his leg stump. The fast bowler continued to get a lot of assistance from the pitch and his final victim was Pandey who was beaten by his pace. The impressive show from Shami earned him a lot of praise on Twitter and former India cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Wasim Jaffer also joined the public in lauding him for his performance. LSG batters trying to negotiate Shami's swing: #LSGvGT #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/cQTliX0Fed — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 28, 2022 × LSG batters trying to negotiate Shami's swing: #LSGvGT #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/cQTliX0Fed — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 28, 2022 × Opting to field, Gujarat Titans produced a tidy bowling performance as Lucknow Super Giants scored 158/5 in 20 overs. Lucknow lost some early wickets but fifties from Deepak Hooda and youngster Ayush Badani meant that they were able to post a competitive total on their tournament debut.

IPL 2022: Mohammad Kaif, Wasim Jaffer praise Mohammed Shami for brilliant bowling performance

<p>On Sunday (March 27), there was a lot of cricketing action in store. From ICC Women's World Cup, IPL and England-West Indies third and final Test, in the Caribbean island, there were plenty of things in store for the ardent cricket fans worldwide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about the England-Windies third Test, at the National Cricket Stadium, St George's, Grenada, Joe Root-led visitors setup a 28-run target for the hosts after they were leading by only ten runs with two wickets in hand at stumps on Day Three. As a result, the Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies finished the proceedings in a jiffy on Day Four and went on to claim the&nbsp;Botham-Richards Trophy 1-0 courtesy their ten-wicket win in the series decider.</p>

<p>Post the Test series, Wasim Jaffer and Michael Vaughan were involved in another hilarious banter between each other on Twitter. Jaffer started the banter, emphasising&nbsp;England batter's disastrous run whereas the former English captain also poked fun at the ex-Indian opener.</p>

<p><strong>Here's their whole conversation:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">England 120 all out! What happened <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MichaelVaughan</a> was this Extras guy unavailable due to IPL or what? 😜 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/lSetnPSif5">pic.twitter.com/lSetnPSif5</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1508118215683022851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wasim .. At the moment we are focusing on the Womens World Cup semis .. !!! 😜😜 <a href="https://t.co/ubwxORXKBU">https://t.co/ubwxORXKBU</a></p>
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1508162109049389068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With just 1 win in last 17 Tests, not surprised you have given up on the men's team Michael 😜 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/xXNO71RmeR">https://t.co/xXNO71RmeR</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1508378853235847176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Coming to England's poor run in Tests, including the 4-0 hammering in 2021/22 Ashes edition, Root said at the post-match presentation, "I think we have learnt a lot as a group, the most important thing is to keep that attitude. We need to keep approaching things like we have done, that's the key. I think I made it clear that I am passionate about this team, that has not changed. We are so lucky to get the support that we do."</p>


On Sunday (March 27), there was a lot of cricketing action in store. From ICC Women's World Cup, IPL and England-West Indies third and final Test, in the Caribbean island, there were plenty of things in store for the ardent cricket fans worldwide.

On Sunday (March 27), there was a lot of cricketing action in store. From ICC Women's World Cup, IPL and England-West Indies third and final Test, in the Caribbean island, there were plenty of things in store for the ardent cricket fans worldwide. Talking about the England-Windies third Test, at the National Cricket Stadium, St George's, Grenada, Joe Root-led visitors setup a 28-run target for the hosts after they were leading by only ten runs with two wickets in hand at stumps on Day Three. As a result, the Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies finished the proceedings in a jiffy on Day Four and went on to claim the Botham-Richards Trophy 1-0 courtesy their ten-wicket win in the series decider. Post the Test series, Wasim Jaffer and Michael Vaughan were involved in another hilarious banter between each other on Twitter. Jaffer started the banter, emphasising England batter's disastrous run whereas the former English captain also poked fun at the ex-Indian opener. Here's their whole conversation: England 120 all out! What happened @MichaelVaughan was this Extras guy unavailable due to IPL or what? 😜 #WIvENG #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/lSetnPSif5 — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 27, 2022 × Wasim .. At the moment we are focusing on the Womens World Cup semis .. !!! 😜😜 https://t.co/ubwxORXKBU — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 27, 2022 × With just 1 win in last 17 Tests, not surprised you have given up on the men's team Michael 😜 #WIvENG #IPL2022 https://t.co/xXNO71RmeR — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 28, 2022 × ALSO READ | Coming to England's poor run in Tests, including the 4-0 hammering in 2021/22 Ashes edition, Root said at the post-match presentation, "I think we have learnt a lot as a group, the most important thing is to keep that attitude. We need to keep approaching things like we have done, that's the key. I think I made it clear that I am passionate about this team, that has not changed. We are so lucky to get the support that we do."

Wasim Jaffer, Michael Vaughan engage in hilarious banter after England lose Test series vs West Indies

<p>Rohit Sharma-led Team India had a dream run in the Sri Lanka T20Is. After whitewashing West Indies in the white-ball series at home, Rohit &amp; Co. hosted the Dasun Shanaka-led Islanders in the three-match series and ended up further extending their unbeaten run in the format (12).&nbsp;</p>

<p>There were a lot of positives for Team India as they are preparing well for the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later this year. While Shreyas Iyer made the most of his opportunities -- in the absence of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant -- Avesh Khan, Md Siraj, Ishan Kishan, Ravi Bishnoi also did well. Sanju Samson, on the other hand, didn't deliver as per expectations. While the Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper made a stunning 25-ball 39 in the second and penultimate encounter, he fell for a 12-ball 18 in the final T20I on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thus, disappointed by Samson's mediocre series versus the Islanders, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo, "He obviously hasn't grabbed his opportunities. Yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday)'s game was a good, good opportunity for him to stake his claim as a third wicketkeeping option or as a batter."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shreyas-iyer-joins-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-kl-rahul-in-elite-list-after-dream-run-in-sri-lanka-t20is-457333"><strong>Shreyas Iyer joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul in elite list after dream run in Sri Lanka T20Is</strong></a></p>

<p>After the T20I series win, skipper Rohit told the broadcasters, "t's a pattern of everything that comes together. We played very well. Lot of positives came out from the series. Want to understand what kind of bench strength we have. Good to give opportunities to those guys. Important to tell guys not to worry about your positions in the team. Want to fill whatever gaps we have. Keeping that in mind we want to move forward. Going to be a big challenge but always nice to have guys in form (whom to pick). Once we reach Mohali we'll start thinking about the Tests."</p>

<p>The focus now shifts to the two-match Test series, starting on March 04. Samson, meanwhile, will gear up for the forthcoming IPL 2022 edition's commencement, from March 26.</p>


Rohit Sharma-led Team India had a dream run in the Sri Lanka T20Is. After whitewashing West Indies in the white-ball series at home, Rohit & Co. hosted the Dasun Shanaka-led Islanders in the three-match series and ended up further extending their unbeaten run in the format (12).

Rohit Sharma-led Team India had a dream run in the Sri Lanka T20Is. After whitewashing West Indies in the white-ball series at home, Rohit & Co. hosted the Dasun Shanaka-led Islanders in the three-match series and ended up further extending their unbeaten run in the format (12). There were a lot of positives for Team India as they are preparing well for the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later this year. While Shreyas Iyer made the most of his opportunities -- in the absence of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant -- Avesh Khan, Md Siraj, Ishan Kishan, Ravi Bishnoi also did well. Sanju Samson, on the other hand, didn't deliver as per expectations. While the Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper made a stunning 25-ball 39 in the second and penultimate encounter, he fell for a 12-ball 18 in the final T20I on Sunday. Thus, disappointed by Samson's mediocre series versus the Islanders, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo, "He obviously hasn't grabbed his opportunities. Yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday)'s game was a good, good opportunity for him to stake his claim as a third wicketkeeping option or as a batter." ALSO READ | Shreyas Iyer joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul in elite list after dream run in Sri Lanka T20Is After the T20I series win, skipper Rohit told the broadcasters, "t's a pattern of everything that comes together. We played very well. Lot of positives came out from the series. Want to understand what kind of bench strength we have. Good to give opportunities to those guys. Important to tell guys not to worry about your positions in the team. Want to fill whatever gaps we have. Keeping that in mind we want to move forward. Going to be a big challenge but always nice to have guys in form (whom to pick). Once we reach Mohali we'll start thinking about the Tests." The focus now shifts to the two-match Test series, starting on March 04. Samson, meanwhile, will gear up for the forthcoming IPL 2022 edition's commencement, from March 26.

'I really feel sad' - Wasim Jaffer disappointed with Sanju Samson's run in Sri Lanka T20Is

<p>India defeated West Indies by 17 runs in the third and final T20I on Sunday (February 21) to complete a 3-0 whitewash in the three-match series. Young all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was one of the heroes of India's victory as he contributed well with both the bat and the ball.</p>

<p>Iyer slammed a crucial knock of 35 runs off 19 balls to help India post a strong total of 184 runs on the board before taking two wickets with the ball to help the hosts defend the total. In the absence of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Iyer along with the likes of Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur has impressed with his exploits in limited-overs cricket.</p>

<p>Pandya had opted to make himself unavailable for selection post India's exit from T20 World Cup 2021 to focus on his bowling and overall fitness. The all-rounder has since missed India's series against New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies. He will also be not part of the upcoming T20I and Test series against Sri Lanka at home.</p>

<p>In Pandya's absence, Iyer, Chahar and Sharul have all strengthened their case for cementing their spots in India's T20I squad. Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer believes Iyer is now ahead of Pandya as far as a spot in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad is concerned.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-creates-new-captaincy-record-as-india-complete-3-0-whitewash-aganst-west-indies-in-t20is-454965">Rohit creates new captaincy record as India complete 3-0 whitewash aganst West Indies in T20Is</a></p>

<p>Expressing concerns over Pandya's return to bowling full-time for the Indian team, Jaffer said he feels Iyer is currently ahead of the star all-rounder while adding that the upcoming IPL 2022 will play a key role in his return to the Indian team.</p>

<p>"At this point of time, I feel he's a little bit ahead because you don't know Hardik Pandya whether he's bowling now or how fit he is. Obviously how the IPL goes for Hardik Pandya will play a very key role but at this point of time, Venkatesh Iyer is ahead of Hardik Pandya," Jaffer told <em>ESPNCricinfo</em>.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-to-investigate-journalists-threat-messages-to-wriddhiman-saha-will-take-action-against-guilty-report-454987">BCCI to investigate journalist's threat messages to Saha, will take action against guilty - Report</a></p>

<p>Iyer has so far played six T20Is for India and has scored 128 runs while picking up three wickets. After a stuttering start, the young all-rounder has started to find his feet in international cricket and is expected to give Pandya a tough competition for the all-rounder's spot in the squad.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


India defeated West Indies by 17 runs in the third and final T20I on Sunday (February 21) to complete a 3-0 whitewash in the three-match series. Young all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was one of the heroes of India's victory as he contributed well with both the bat and the ball.

India defeated West Indies by 17 runs in the third and final T20I on Sunday (February 21) to complete a 3-0 whitewash in the three-match series. Young all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was one of the heroes of India's victory as he contributed well with both the bat and the ball. Iyer slammed a crucial knock of 35 runs off 19 balls to help India post a strong total of 184 runs on the board before taking two wickets with the ball to help the hosts defend the total. In the absence of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Iyer along with the likes of Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur has impressed with his exploits in limited-overs cricket. Pandya had opted to make himself unavailable for selection post India's exit from T20 World Cup 2021 to focus on his bowling and overall fitness. The all-rounder has since missed India's series against New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies. He will also be not part of the upcoming T20I and Test series against Sri Lanka at home. In Pandya's absence, Iyer, Chahar and Sharul have all strengthened their case for cementing their spots in India's T20I squad. Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer believes Iyer is now ahead of Pandya as far as a spot in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad is concerned. Also Read: Rohit creates new captaincy record as India complete 3-0 whitewash aganst West Indies in T20Is Expressing concerns over Pandya's return to bowling full-time for the Indian team, Jaffer said he feels Iyer is currently ahead of the star all-rounder while adding that the upcoming IPL 2022 will play a key role in his return to the Indian team. "At this point of time, I feel he's a little bit ahead because you don't know Hardik Pandya whether he's bowling now or how fit he is. Obviously how the IPL goes for Hardik Pandya will play a very key role but at this point of time, Venkatesh Iyer is ahead of Hardik Pandya," Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo. Also Read: BCCI to investigate journalist's threat messages to Saha, will take action against guilty - Report Iyer has so far played six T20Is for India and has scored 128 runs while picking up three wickets. After a stuttering start, the young all-rounder has started to find his feet in international cricket and is expected to give Pandya a tough competition for the all-rounder's spot in the squad.

Venkatesh Iyer is ahead of Hardik Pandya in race for a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad: Wasim jaffer

<p>Former Indian opener-turned-social media sensation Wasim Jaffer has lauded Virat Kohli after the latter dropped a bomb recently by stepping down as the Test captain. Kohli took to his official Twitter handle to share the news with one and all, a day after India's 2-1 series loss to Dean Elgar-led South Africa.</p>

<p>Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und">🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/huBL6zZ7fZ">pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1482340422987169794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-might-be-feeling-suffocated-former-indian-wicketkeeper-reacts-to-virat-kohli-quitting-as-test-captain-445423"><strong>He might be feeling suffocated: Former Indian wicketkeeper reacts to Virat Kohli quitting as Test captain</strong></a></p>

<p>Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer opened up on Kohli's decision, hailed him for being an exceptional leader in whites and said, "The way he has led India in all three formats has been commendable. Even though we keep saying that he hasn't won a ICC trophy, other than that he has a great record as a leader, whether it's at home where he hasn't lost any series as a captain, he lost only two Test matches. Away from home he has got tremendous success.</p>

<p>“As a white-ball captain, he won T20 trophies in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. Beating Australia in Australia was the icing on the cake for him as a leader. I think no sub-continent team has gone to Australia and beaten Australia. It was probably the highest point as a captain,” Jaffer added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/one-match-makes-virat-kohli-turned-down-bccis-offer-to-play-farewell-test-as-captain-report-445316"><strong>'One match makes...': Virat Kohli turned down BCCI's offer to play farewell Test as captain - Report</strong></a></p>

<p>Jaffer further went onto mention the one quality brought forward by Kohli during his tenure as the Test captain, from 2014-2021. "The kind of culture he has brought to the Indian team and the fast-bowling firepower that India has become under him is tremendous, something which India never had.</p>

<p>"Now we've got such a high quality bowling attack and I think India has definitely got one of the best bowling attacks going around whether it's seaming conditions or spinning conditions," the 43-year old further said.</p>

<p>Kohli took over from MS Dhoni as the Test captain when the national side occupied the seventh position in ICC Test Rankings. At the time of his resignation, India are the No. 1 side and ended at the top spot for five consecutive years during annual updates of ICC rankings. Under Kohli, India won 40 Tests in 68 matches, winning three games in England, two series on the trot in Australia (one under Ajinkya Rahane), two Tests in South Africa.</p>

<p>Jaffer also suggested that Hitman Rohit should now take over from Kohli whereas named three candidates who can be groomed under him. "Rohit Sharma I feel will be the obvious choice right now for him to lead in all three formats but selectors in a year or two years time look for replacement. Or look for somebody to groom and the obvious name that comes to mind is Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul. And I would also take the name of Shreyas Iyer because I think these three guys have the potential to be Indian captain for the future,” he said.</p>


Former Indian opener-turned-social media sensation Wasim Jaffer has lauded Virat Kohli after the latter dropped a bomb recently by stepping down as the Test captain.

Former Indian opener-turned-social media sensation Wasim Jaffer has lauded Virat Kohli after the latter dropped a bomb recently by stepping down as the Test captain. Kohli took to his official Twitter handle to share the news with one and all, a day after India's 2-1 series loss to Dean Elgar-led South Africa. Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now." 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022 × ALSO READ | He might be feeling suffocated: Former Indian wicketkeeper reacts to Virat Kohli quitting as Test captain Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer opened up on Kohli's decision, hailed him for being an exceptional leader in whites and said, "The way he has led India in all three formats has been commendable. Even though we keep saying that he hasn't won a ICC trophy, other than that he has a great record as a leader, whether it's at home where he hasn't lost any series as a captain, he lost only two Test matches. Away from home he has got tremendous success. “As a white-ball captain, he won T20 trophies in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. Beating Australia in Australia was the icing on the cake for him as a leader. I think no sub-continent team has gone to Australia and beaten Australia. It was probably the highest point as a captain,” Jaffer added. ALSO READ | 'One match makes...': Virat Kohli turned down BCCI's offer to play farewell Test as captain - Report Jaffer further went onto mention the one quality brought forward by Kohli during his tenure as the Test captain, from 2014-2021. "The kind of culture he has brought to the Indian team and the fast-bowling firepower that India has become under him is tremendous, something which India never had. "Now we've got such a high quality bowling attack and I think India has definitely got one of the best bowling attacks going around whether it's seaming conditions or spinning conditions," the 43-year old further said. Kohli took over from MS Dhoni as the Test captain when the national side occupied the seventh position in ICC Test Rankings. At the time of his resignation, India are the No. 1 side and ended at the top spot for five consecutive years during annual updates of ICC rankings. Under Kohli, India won 40 Tests in 68 matches, winning three games in England, two series on the trot in Australia (one under Ajinkya Rahane), two Tests in South Africa. Jaffer also suggested that Hitman Rohit should now take over from Kohli whereas named three candidates who can be groomed under him. "Rohit Sharma I feel will be the obvious choice right now for him to lead in all three formats but selectors in a year or two years time look for replacement. Or look for somebody to groom and the obvious name that comes to mind is Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul. And I would also take the name of Shreyas Iyer because I think these three guys have the potential to be Indian captain for the future,” he said.

Jaffer mentions quality Kohli developed 'which India never had', suggests ideal candidates as his successor

<p>India lost the series-deciding third and final Test against South Africa by seven wickets in Cape Town on Friday (January 14) as the visitors lost the three-match series 2-1. Virat Kohli &amp; Co. had come close to pulling off a historic maiden Test series win on South African soil when they won the first Test in Centurion comfortably by 113 runs.</p>

<p>However, South Africa bounced back strongly and went on to script a remarkable turnaround as they won the next two games in a row to clinch the series. India were thus denied a chance to win their maiden Test series in the Rainbow nation despite being in a closing distance of glory.</p>

<p>Post India's 2-1 defeat in the recently-concluded Test series, former England captain Michael Vaughan resumed his off the field rivalry with former India batsman Wasim Jaffer. The two former cricketers never shy away from poking fun at each other at the expense of their respective national side's losses.</p>

<p>Vaughan tried to troll Jaffer by 'checking on him' after India's defeat, however, the former India batter, who is famous for his witty tweets, had a brilliant response. “Evening @WasimJaffer14 !! Just checking you are ok,” Vaughan tweeted for Jaffer.</p>

<p>“Haha all good Michael, don't forget we are still leading you 2-1," Jaffer responded as he reminded the former England captain of India's 2-1 lead in the five-match series against England.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Haha all good Michael, don't forget we are still leading you 2-1 <a href="https://t.co/vjPxot43mF">https://t.co/vjPxot43mF</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1481993396218888193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Talking about the third and final Test, India's batsmen&nbsp;disappointed in the second innings as the visitors were skittled out for a low-key total of 198 runs despite an unbeaten century from wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant. India managed to put on a target of just 212 runs for the hosts in their second innings.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wonder-if-that-happened-3-4-times-warne-gilchrist-react-to-virat-kohlis-stump-mic-outburst-in-3rd-test-444929">'Wonder if that happened 3-4 times': Warne, Gilchrist react to Virat Kohli's stump-mic outburst in 3rd Test</a></p>

<p>South African batters were up for the challenge in the second innings and produced a solid display to win the game convincingly after chasing down the target of 212 runs with seven wickets to spare. Keegan Petersen was the hero for the Proteas with a fabulous knock of 82 runs off 113 balls while the likes of Rassie Van der Dussen (42), Temba Bavuma (32) and Dean Elgar (30) also made crucial contributions.</p>

<p>India and South Africa will now shift their focus on the three-match ODI series to be played between the two sides starting January 19.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


India lost the series-deciding third and final Test against South Africa by seven wickets in Cape Town on Friday (January 14) as the visitors lost the three-match series 2-1.

India lost the series-deciding third and final Test against South Africa by seven wickets in Cape Town on Friday (January 14) as the visitors lost the three-match series 2-1. Virat Kohli & Co. had come close to pulling off a historic maiden Test series win on South African soil when they won the first Test in Centurion comfortably by 113 runs. However, South Africa bounced back strongly and went on to script a remarkable turnaround as they won the next two games in a row to clinch the series. India were thus denied a chance to win their maiden Test series in the Rainbow nation despite being in a closing distance of glory. Post India's 2-1 defeat in the recently-concluded Test series, former England captain Michael Vaughan resumed his off the field rivalry with former India batsman Wasim Jaffer. The two former cricketers never shy away from poking fun at each other at the expense of their respective national side's losses. Vaughan tried to troll Jaffer by 'checking on him' after India's defeat, however, the former India batter, who is famous for his witty tweets, had a brilliant response. “Evening @WasimJaffer14 !! Just checking you are ok,” Vaughan tweeted for Jaffer. “Haha all good Michael, don't forget we are still leading you 2-1," Jaffer responded as he reminded the former England captain of India's 2-1 lead in the five-match series against England. Haha all good Michael, don't forget we are still leading you 2-1 https://t.co/vjPxot43mF — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) January 14, 2022 × Talking about the third and final Test, India's batsmen disappointed in the second innings as the visitors were skittled out for a low-key total of 198 runs despite an unbeaten century from wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant. India managed to put on a target of just 212 runs for the hosts in their second innings. Also Read: 'Wonder if that happened 3-4 times': Warne, Gilchrist react to Virat Kohli's stump-mic outburst in 3rd Test South African batters were up for the challenge in the second innings and produced a solid display to win the game convincingly after chasing down the target of 212 runs with seven wickets to spare. Keegan Petersen was the hero for the Proteas with a fabulous knock of 82 runs off 113 balls while the likes of Rassie Van der Dussen (42), Temba Bavuma (32) and Dean Elgar (30) also made crucial contributions. India and South Africa will now shift their focus on the three-match ODI series to be played between the two sides starting January 19.

'Don't forget..': Wasim Jaffer responds as Michael Vaughan 'checks on him' after India's 2-1 defeat vs SA

<p>Virat Kohli-led India have locked horns with South Africa in the third and final Test at Newlands, Cape Town on Tuesday (January 11). With the series interestingly poised at 1-1, there's all to play for both sides in the deciding encounter. For the unversed, Kohli &amp; Co. are on the cusp of winning their maiden Test series on South African soil if they end with a scoreline of 2-1.</p>

<p>While India won the toss and opted to bat first, the onus fell on KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. The two openers have been in form and were involved in a century-stand on Day 1 of the series opener, in Centurion, but failed to score big in the first innings.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="India vs SA, 3rd Test: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal move past Virender Sehwag-Gautam Gambhir to attain unique feat among Indian openershttps://www.wionews.com/sports/never-thought-that-would-happen-sanjay-manjrekar-explains-reason-behind-virat-kohlis-rough-patch-443789">'Never thought that would happen': Sanjay Manjrekar explains reason behind Virat Kohli's rough patch</a></strong></p>

<p>Rahul (12) and Mayank (15) made their way back with lowly returns. However, the two became the first Indian opening duo to register 200+ runs in Tests in South Africa.</p>

<p>Rahul and Mayank surpassed Virender Sehwag-Gautam Gambhir to top the list of Indian opening pairs who have got the most runs in the rainbow nation. Sehwag and Gambhir previously held the numero uno position, having accumulated 184 runs to their name. Meanwhile, Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik are placed on the third spot (153 runs).</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/way-they-batted-in-jburg-is-priceless-virat-kohli-backs-under-fire-duo-cheteshwar-pujara-ajinkya-rahane-443723"><strong>Way they batted in J'burg is priceless: Virat Kohli backs under-fire duo Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane</strong></a></p>

<p>Both Rahul and Mayank would have been gutted to miss out on scoring big after getting a start. The duo were involved in a 31-run opening stand before Duanne Olivier removed Rahul whereas Kagiso Rabada accounted for Mayank's scalp.</p>

<p>At the coin toss, Kohli told the broadcasters, "Runs on this venue have always worked out well. I am fit and fine. I come in for Vihari. Siraj misses out because of a niggle and Umesh comes in for him. Umesh has been very potent with the ball recently, very handy in the field and with the bat as well. It was a tough decision to choose between the two (Ishant and Umesh). We are expected to win every Test even when we play overseas and that fourth innings chase from South Africa was a special one from them. It is a beautiful stadium and we are very excited."</p>

<p>At lunch on Day 1 of the Cape Town Test, India are 75-2 in 28 overs.</p>


Virat Kohli-led India have locked horns with South Africa in the third and final Test at Newlands, Cape Town on Tuesday (January 11). With the series interestingly poised at 1-1, there's all to play for both sides in the deciding encounter.

Virat Kohli-led India have locked horns with South Africa in the third and final Test at Newlands, Cape Town on Tuesday (January 11). With the series interestingly poised at 1-1, there's all to play for both sides in the deciding encounter. For the unversed, Kohli & Co. are on the cusp of winning their maiden Test series on South African soil if they end with a scoreline of 2-1. While India won the toss and opted to bat first, the onus fell on KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. The two openers have been in form and were involved in a century-stand on Day 1 of the series opener, in Centurion, but failed to score big in the first innings. ALSO READ | 'Never thought that would happen': Sanjay Manjrekar explains reason behind Virat Kohli's rough patch Rahul (12) and Mayank (15) made their way back with lowly returns. However, the two became the first Indian opening duo to register 200+ runs in Tests in South Africa. Rahul and Mayank surpassed Virender Sehwag-Gautam Gambhir to top the list of Indian opening pairs who have got the most runs in the rainbow nation. Sehwag and Gambhir previously held the numero uno position, having accumulated 184 runs to their name. Meanwhile, Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik are placed on the third spot (153 runs). ALSO READ | Way they batted in J'burg is priceless: Virat Kohli backs under-fire duo Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane Both Rahul and Mayank would have been gutted to miss out on scoring big after getting a start. The duo were involved in a 31-run opening stand before Duanne Olivier removed Rahul whereas Kagiso Rabada accounted for Mayank's scalp. At the coin toss, Kohli told the broadcasters, "Runs on this venue have always worked out well. I am fit and fine. I come in for Vihari. Siraj misses out because of a niggle and Umesh comes in for him. Umesh has been very potent with the ball recently, very handy in the field and with the bat as well. It was a tough decision to choose between the two (Ishant and Umesh). We are expected to win every Test even when we play overseas and that fourth innings chase from South Africa was a special one from them. It is a beautiful stadium and we are very excited." At lunch on Day 1 of the Cape Town Test, India are 75-2 in 28 overs.

India vs SA, 3rd Test: Rahul, Mayank move past Sehwag-Gambhir to attain unique feat among Indian openers

<p>Senior pacer Ishant Sharma has been a regular in Test cricket for India over the years. He has been one of the country's pace spearheads ever since coming into the limelight and continues to remain a vital cog in the fast bowling setup. However, he has struggled with his form and fitness recently which has seen Ishant in and out of India's playing XI.</p>

<p>Ishant is yet to feature in the playing XI for India in the ongoing three-match Test series against South Africa. The senior pacer is no more a certain starter in the playing XI and is unlikely to make the cut in the series-deciding third Test which gets underway from January 11 in Cape Town.</p>

<p>Mohammed Siraj is likely to miss the series-decider after picking up an injury in the second Test with Ishant one of the strongest contenders to take his place in the XI. However, with the likes of Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur above him in the pecking order, Ishant might fail to make the cut.</p>

<p>Former India batter Wasim Jaffer believes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Siraj are currently India's top three seamers in Tests and Ishant has likely played his final game for the country. Jaffer believes the senior pacer might not play another Test for India in the future.</p>

<p>“I think so [he has played his last Test for India]. If Bumrah, Shami and Siraj are fit, they are the first three seamers. Then you have Shardul and Umesh. Shardul is an all-rounder now so that makes him choose ahead [of other bowlers]. So, definitely, for Ishant, it will be difficult," said Jaffer.</p>

<p>“Obviously, when you are on long tours, the top seamers will be rested or the line-up will be rotated and probably then a place for Ishant will open up. In that case, he will play a few games," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-eyes-twin-milestones-as-he-gears-up-for-comeback-in-3rd-test-against-south-africa-in-cape-town-443518">Virat Kohli eyes twin milestones as he gears up for comeback in 3rd Test against South Africa in Cape Town</a></p>

<p>Jaffer believed Ishant, who is in the final lap of his Test career, must be thinking about taking a call on retirement after the ongoing Test series against South Africa. Ishant had picked up 14 wickets in eight Test matches for India in the year 2021.</p>

<p>“But I feel for somebody like Ishant Sharma, who has played over 100 Tests and taken over 300 wickets, I don’t think that is right. So, somewhere I feel he will take a call after the South Africa series. I am sure, he must be thinking about this too," said Jaffer.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Senior pacer Ishant Sharma has been a regular in Test cricket for India over the years. He has been one of the country's pace spearheads ever since coming into the limelight and continues to remain a vital cog in the fast bowling setup.

Senior pacer Ishant Sharma has been a regular in Test cricket for India over the years. He has been one of the country's pace spearheads ever since coming into the limelight and continues to remain a vital cog in the fast bowling setup. However, he has struggled with his form and fitness recently which has seen Ishant in and out of India's playing XI. Ishant is yet to feature in the playing XI for India in the ongoing three-match Test series against South Africa. The senior pacer is no more a certain starter in the playing XI and is unlikely to make the cut in the series-deciding third Test which gets underway from January 11 in Cape Town. Mohammed Siraj is likely to miss the series-decider after picking up an injury in the second Test with Ishant one of the strongest contenders to take his place in the XI. However, with the likes of Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur above him in the pecking order, Ishant might fail to make the cut. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer believes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Siraj are currently India's top three seamers in Tests and Ishant has likely played his final game for the country. Jaffer believes the senior pacer might not play another Test for India in the future. “I think so [he has played his last Test for India]. If Bumrah, Shami and Siraj are fit, they are the first three seamers. Then you have Shardul and Umesh. Shardul is an all-rounder now so that makes him choose ahead [of other bowlers]. So, definitely, for Ishant, it will be difficult," said Jaffer. “Obviously, when you are on long tours, the top seamers will be rested or the line-up will be rotated and probably then a place for Ishant will open up. In that case, he will play a few games," he added. Also Read: Virat Kohli eyes twin milestones as he gears up for comeback in 3rd Test against South Africa in Cape Town Jaffer believed Ishant, who is in the final lap of his Test career, must be thinking about taking a call on retirement after the ongoing Test series against South Africa. Ishant had picked up 14 wickets in eight Test matches for India in the year 2021. “But I feel for somebody like Ishant Sharma, who has played over 100 Tests and taken over 300 wickets, I don’t think that is right. So, somewhere I feel he will take a call after the South Africa series. I am sure, he must be thinking about this too," said Jaffer.

'I think he has played his last Test': Wasim Jaffer makes bold claim on Indian pacer's future

<p>KL Rahul made his captaincy debut for India in Tests&nbsp;as he led the visitors in the second Test against South Africa at The Wanderers in Johannesburg. Rahul was asked to lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, who had to sit out of the Test match due to a back spasm.</p>

<p>Rahul failed to inspire India to a victory but the visitors put on a strong fight in the game against the Proteas before going down by seven wickets. While many welcomed the decision to appoint Rahul as captain in Kohli's absence, former India batsman Wasim Jaffer believes Rahul should not have been handed the captaincy.</p>

<p>Jaffer said he was surprised by the Indian team management's decision to go with Rahul as the captain of the side despite someone like Ajinkya Rahane being there in the squad. Rahane's form of late has been questionable but he has a tremendous record as the captain of the Test side and is yet to lose a game as captain in the longest format.</p>

<p>“I am surprised by the team management. When you have someone as good as Ajinkya Rahane available who has not lost any Test as a captain and won you a Test series in Australia, do you need to give the Test captaincy to KL Rahul?” Jaffer was quoted as saying by<em> Insidesport</em>.</p>

<p>“I have nothing against KL Rahul. He is young and has captained the Punjab Kings. People are thinking about him as a future captain. But I think Rahane should have led the side in Kohli’s absence,” he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-are-allowed-to-fail-david-warner-backs-virat-kohli-to-bounce-back-amid-criticism-over-poor-form-443096">'You are allowed to fail': David Warner backs Virat Kohli to bounce back amid criticism over poor form</a></p>

<p>Jaffer reckoned India missed Kohli on the field as the captain brings in a lot of aggressiveness and positive intent with him. India failed to defend the total of 239 runs during South Africa's second innings as Proteas skipper Dean Elgar played a gritty knock of unbeaten 96 to take them home in the run-chase.</p>

<p>“India definitely missed Virat Kohli, the captain, because he brings so much aggression to the field. When you have such a player on the field, you know you will be held accountable if you make a mistake. So, they missed that energy,” Jaffer said.</p>

<p>India and South Africa will now lock horns in the series-deciding third Test which gets underway from January 11 in Newlands Cape Town.</p>


KL Rahul made his captaincy debut for India in Tests as he led the visitors in the second Test against South Africa at The Wanderers in Johannesburg. Rahul was asked to lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, who had to sit out of the Test match due to a back spasm.

KL Rahul made his captaincy debut for India in Tests as he led the visitors in the second Test against South Africa at The Wanderers in Johannesburg. Rahul was asked to lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, who had to sit out of the Test match due to a back spasm. Rahul failed to inspire India to a victory but the visitors put on a strong fight in the game against the Proteas before going down by seven wickets. While many welcomed the decision to appoint Rahul as captain in Kohli's absence, former India batsman Wasim Jaffer believes Rahul should not have been handed the captaincy. Jaffer said he was surprised by the Indian team management's decision to go with Rahul as the captain of the side despite someone like Ajinkya Rahane being there in the squad. Rahane's form of late has been questionable but he has a tremendous record as the captain of the Test side and is yet to lose a game as captain in the longest format. “I am surprised by the team management. When you have someone as good as Ajinkya Rahane available who has not lost any Test as a captain and won you a Test series in Australia, do you need to give the Test captaincy to KL Rahul?” Jaffer was quoted as saying by Insidesport. “I have nothing against KL Rahul. He is young and has captained the Punjab Kings. People are thinking about him as a future captain. But I think Rahane should have led the side in Kohli’s absence,” he added. Also Read: 'You are allowed to fail': David Warner backs Virat Kohli to bounce back amid criticism over poor form Jaffer reckoned India missed Kohli on the field as the captain brings in a lot of aggressiveness and positive intent with him. India failed to defend the total of 239 runs during South Africa's second innings as Proteas skipper Dean Elgar played a gritty knock of unbeaten 96 to take them home in the run-chase. “India definitely missed Virat Kohli, the captain, because he brings so much aggression to the field. When you have such a player on the field, you know you will be held accountable if you make a mistake. So, they missed that energy,” Jaffer said. India and South Africa will now lock horns in the series-deciding third Test which gets underway from January 11 in Newlands Cape Town.

Not KL Rahul! Wasim Jaffer names player who should have led India against SA in Virat Kohli's absence

<p>Joe Root-led England cricket team have conceded the urn to Australia after losing the third Ashes Test, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), by a whopping margin of an innings and 14 runs on Tuesday (December 28). After losing the first two Tests, by 9 wickets and 275 runs respectively, England slumped further as they were thrashed in the Boxing Day Test to lose the contest in the third day's morning session.</p>

<p>After losing the toss, Root-led England succumbed to 185 all-out in the first essay as Aussie skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's three-fers dented the visitors' innings. In reply, England rode on James Anderson's 4-fer as Aussies folded for 267, however, the visiting side were all-out for a paltry 68 in the second essay to lose by an innings and 14 runs on Day 3 of the MCG Test.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="wionews.com/sports/wasim-jaffer-brutally-trolls-michael-vaughan-for-92-all-out-india-tweet-as-australia-hammer-england-in-ashes-440589"><strong>Wasim Jaffer brutally trolls Michael Vaughan for '92 all out India' tweet as Australia hammer England in Ashes</strong></a></p>

<p>After the MCG encounter folded inside three days, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolled England's ex-skipper Michael Vaughan, who had slammed Team India after they had folded for 92 in a Hamilton ODI versus New Zealand in early 2019. To this, Vaughan has also responded to Jaffer's hilarious post after his national side were dismissed in a flash in their second innings of the third Ashes Test. Here's his reply:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Very good Wasim <a href="https://t.co/OemxRrG2IF">https://t.co/OemxRrG2IF</a></p>
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1475701052208922625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-blew-us-away-joe-root-absolutely-gutted-as-aussies-dismantle-england-in-3rd-ashes-test-440583">'Australia blew us away': Joe Root absolutely gutted as Aussies dismantle England in 3rd Ashes Test</a></strong></p>

<p>After the humiliation at the MCG, Root told the broadcasters at the post-match presentation, "It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of an environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday. Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour."</p>

<p>The fourth and penultimate Ashes Test will commence on January 5 at Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.</p>


Joe Root-led England cricket team have conceded the urn to Australia after losing the third Ashes Test, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), by a whopping margin of an innings and 14 runs on Tuesday (December 28).

Joe Root-led England cricket team have conceded the urn to Australia after losing the third Ashes Test, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), by a whopping margin of an innings and 14 runs on Tuesday (December 28). After losing the first two Tests, by 9 wickets and 275 runs respectively, England slumped further as they were thrashed in the Boxing Day Test to lose the contest in the third day's morning session. After losing the toss, Root-led England succumbed to 185 all-out in the first essay as Aussie skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's three-fers dented the visitors' innings. In reply, England rode on James Anderson's 4-fer as Aussies folded for 267, however, the visiting side were all-out for a paltry 68 in the second essay to lose by an innings and 14 runs on Day 3 of the MCG Test. ALSO READ | Wasim Jaffer brutally trolls Michael Vaughan for '92 all out India' tweet as Australia hammer England in Ashes After the MCG encounter folded inside three days, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolled England's ex-skipper Michael Vaughan, who had slammed Team India after they had folded for 92 in a Hamilton ODI versus New Zealand in early 2019. To this, Vaughan has also responded to Jaffer's hilarious post after his national side were dismissed in a flash in their second innings of the third Ashes Test. Here's his reply: Very good Wasim https://t.co/OemxRrG2IF — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 28, 2021 × ALSO READ | 'Australia blew us away': Joe Root absolutely gutted as Aussies dismantle England in 3rd Ashes Test After the humiliation at the MCG, Root told the broadcasters at the post-match presentation, "It is what it is. We have come to dealing with this sort of an environment for a while now. Credit to Australia, they blew us away last night, and they have outplayed us in this Test match, in fact the series so far. We have a lot of hard work to do now and come back strong in the last two games. Covid threat wasn't ideal. The way we went about our cricket, especially our bowling was excellent yesterday. Credit to the boys for managing it and giving ourselves a chance in this game. We just have got to do things for longer. There have been pockets, but that's just not enough. We know where we need to work and we have to stay very strong and make sure we look at the next two games as a real opportunity to take something away from this tour." The fourth and penultimate Ashes Test will commence on January 5 at Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG.

Vaughan reacts after Wasim Jaffer hilariously trolls Englishman amid Joe Root & Co.'s Ashes horrors

<p>Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer is famously known as the 'meme king' on Twitter for his hilarious tweets and memes on the latest happenings in cricket. Jaffer often manages to tickle the funny bones of cricket fans with his witty and funny takes on the game.</p>

<p>Jaffer also doesn't shy away from enjoying some fun banter with others and has enjoyed a great rivalry with former England captain Michael Vaughan on social media. While the two came up against each other on a few occasions while playing for their respective countries, Vaughan and Jaffer have kept the rivalry alive off the field.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, Jaffer took a dig at Vaughan and trolled him brutally for one of his old tweets mocking the Indian cricket team after Australia crushed England by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22. Australia bundled out England for a paltry 68 runs in their second innings to wrap up a thumping win inside just three days.</p>

<p>Jaffer didn't miss out on the opportunity to take a dig at Vaughan after England's loss as he took to Twitter to share a video of himself checking out an old tweet from Vaughan which read - "92 all out India ... Can’t believe any team would get bowled out for under a 100 these days !!!!!!".</p>

<p>Vaughan had tweeted this back in 2019 after India had been bundled out for 89 runs in an ODI against New Zealand.</p>

<p><strong>Check out Wasim Jaffer's tweet:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">England 68 all out <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MichaelVaughan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> <a href="https://t.co/lctSBLOsZK">pic.twitter.com/lctSBLOsZK</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1475697988353728512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-blew-us-away-joe-root-absolutely-gutted-as-aussies-dismantle-england-in-3rd-ashes-test-440583">'Australia blew us away': Joe Root absolutely gutted as Aussies dismantle England in 3rd Ashes Test</a></p>

<p>It was yet another disappointing show from the England batters as the visitors suffered another terrible collapse in their second innings. Skipper Joe Root top-scored with 28 off 59 balls while only two batters managed to get into double figures.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Debutant pacer Scott Boland impressed for Australia as he picked up a six-wicket haul during England's second innings to run through the visitors' batting line-up and power the hosts to a convincing win. Australia have clinched Ashes 2021-22 and retained the urn with three back-to-back wins in the five-match series.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer is famously known as the 'meme king' on Twitter for his hilarious tweets and memes on the latest happenings in cricket. Jaffer often manages to tickle the funny bones of cricket fans with his witty and funny takes on the game.

Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer is famously known as the 'meme king' on Twitter for his hilarious tweets and memes on the latest happenings in cricket. Jaffer often manages to tickle the funny bones of cricket fans with his witty and funny takes on the game. Jaffer also doesn't shy away from enjoying some fun banter with others and has enjoyed a great rivalry with former England captain Michael Vaughan on social media. While the two came up against each other on a few occasions while playing for their respective countries, Vaughan and Jaffer have kept the rivalry alive off the field. On Tuesday, Jaffer took a dig at Vaughan and trolled him brutally for one of his old tweets mocking the Indian cricket team after Australia crushed England by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22. Australia bundled out England for a paltry 68 runs in their second innings to wrap up a thumping win inside just three days. Jaffer didn't miss out on the opportunity to take a dig at Vaughan after England's loss as he took to Twitter to share a video of himself checking out an old tweet from Vaughan which read - "92 all out India ... Can’t believe any team would get bowled out for under a 100 these days !!!!!!". Vaughan had tweeted this back in 2019 after India had been bundled out for 89 runs in an ODI against New Zealand. Check out Wasim Jaffer's tweet: England 68 all out @MichaelVaughan #Ashes pic.twitter.com/lctSBLOsZK — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 28, 2021 × Also Read: 'Australia blew us away': Joe Root absolutely gutted as Aussies dismantle England in 3rd Ashes Test It was yet another disappointing show from the England batters as the visitors suffered another terrible collapse in their second innings. Skipper Joe Root top-scored with 28 off 59 balls while only two batters managed to get into double figures. Debutant pacer Scott Boland impressed for Australia as he picked up a six-wicket haul during England's second innings to run through the visitors' batting line-up and power the hosts to a convincing win. Australia have clinched Ashes 2021-22 and retained the urn with three back-to-back wins in the five-match series.

Wasim Jaffer brutally trolls Michael Vaughan for '92 all out India' tweet as Australia hammer England in Ashes

<p>Indian opener KL Rahul looked in sublime touch with the bat on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test between India and South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Rahul helped India get off to a terrific start in the Boxing Day Test with a magnificent unbeaten century on the opening day. He slammed 122 not out to help India post 272/3 on the board at stumps on Day 3.</p>

<p>India were off to a good start after winning the toss and opting to bat first in the Boxing Day clash. Openers Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (60) combined to put on a 117-run stand for the first wicket before Cheteshwar Pujara departed cheaply. However, Rahul continued to go strong at one end and combined with skipper Virat Kohli to add 82 runs for the third wicket.</p>

<p>He then posted another crucial partnership of unbeaten 73 runs with Ajinkya Rahane (40) to put India in a strong position at stumps on Day 1. With his magnificent ton, Rahul joined former India batsman Wasim Jaffer in an elite list. Rahul became only the second Indian opener to score a Test century in South Africa after Jaffer.</p>

<p><strong>List of Indian openers to score Test centuries in South Africa</strong></p>

<p>Wasim Jaffer- Cape Town (2007)&nbsp;</p>

<p>KL Rahul- Centurion (2021)&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was Rahul's 7th Test ton in his career so far as he also aced the unique record of scoring a Test hundred in every country that he has played in so far. He has scored centuries in England, South Africa,&nbsp;India, Australia, West Indies, and Sri Lanka so far in his career.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kl-rahul-slams-ton-to-give-india-strong-start-in-boxing-day-test-against-south-africa-in-centurion-440192">KL Rahul slams ton to give India strong start in Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion</a></p>

<p>Owing to his heroics, India are in a solid position in the Boxing Day Test and will be looking to breach the 400-run mark on Day 2. While Rahul looked composed throughout his knock, Rahane, who has been under fire for his recent struggles, also displayed remarkable grit and resilience in his 40 not out of 81 deliveries and will be hoping to notch up a big score.</p>


Indian opener KL Rahul looked in sublime touch with the bat on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test between India and South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Indian opener KL Rahul looked in sublime touch with the bat on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test between India and South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Rahul helped India get off to a terrific start in the Boxing Day Test with a magnificent unbeaten century on the opening day. He slammed 122 not out to help India post 272/3 on the board at stumps on Day 3. India were off to a good start after winning the toss and opting to bat first in the Boxing Day clash. Openers Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (60) combined to put on a 117-run stand for the first wicket before Cheteshwar Pujara departed cheaply. However, Rahul continued to go strong at one end and combined with skipper Virat Kohli to add 82 runs for the third wicket. He then posted another crucial partnership of unbeaten 73 runs with Ajinkya Rahane (40) to put India in a strong position at stumps on Day 1. With his magnificent ton, Rahul joined former India batsman Wasim Jaffer in an elite list. Rahul became only the second Indian opener to score a Test century in South Africa after Jaffer. List of Indian openers to score Test centuries in South Africa Wasim Jaffer- Cape Town (2007) KL Rahul- Centurion (2021) It was Rahul's 7th Test ton in his career so far as he also aced the unique record of scoring a Test hundred in every country that he has played in so far. He has scored centuries in England, South Africa, India, Australia, West Indies, and Sri Lanka so far in his career. Also Read: KL Rahul slams ton to give India strong start in Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion Owing to his heroics, India are in a solid position in the Boxing Day Test and will be looking to breach the 400-run mark on Day 2. While Rahul looked composed throughout his knock, Rahane, who has been under fire for his recent struggles, also displayed remarkable grit and resilience in his 40 not out of 81 deliveries and will be hoping to notch up a big score.

KL Rahul joins Wasim Jaffer in elite list with brilliant century in Boxing Day Test against South Africa

<p>India will lock horns with South Africa in the first Test of the upcoming three-match Test series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26. The Boxing Day game is all set to be a blockbuster encounter with India heading into the game on a confident note after beating New Zealand 1-0 in the recently-concluded two-match Test series at home.</p>

<p>Ahead of the start of the first Test, India have some major selection headaches with the likes of Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer competing for a spot in the middle-order, while Ajinkya Rahane's place in the playing XI remains in a doubt. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has picked his predicted playing XI for India ahead of the first Test.</p>

<p>While Rahane's struggles have been well documented in the last few Test series, Iyer is in contention for a spot in the middle-order after his magnificent debut against New Zealand where he slammed a hundred and a fifty in the two innings of his first Test. Vihari, who scored three half-centuries for India A against South Africa A, is also a strong contender to make the cut.</p>

<p>However, Jaffer believed the team should go with Rahane in the first Test owing to his experience and the leadership qualities he brings in. Jaffer picked Iyer over Vihari considering his recent exploits in the debut series against New Zealand at home.</p>

<p>"KL and Mayank will open. Pujara at number three [and] Virat Kohli at four. I'll play Ajinkya at number five. There's a lot of debate regarding his form and between him Shreyas Iyer and Vihari. For the first Test, I'll definitely prefer Ajinkya because he has the experience, the skill.</p>

<p>"Yes, his recent form is debatable but he has scored runs in South Africa and knows the conditions well. And he brings a lot more to the table than just batting - [like leadership] when he was the captain [or] as a slip fielder,"&nbsp;Jaffer told <em>ESPNCricinfo</em>.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dont-see-india-winning-this-former-opener-makes-bold-prediction-ahead-of-south-africa-test-series-439826">'Don't see India winning this': Former opener makes bold prediction ahead of South Africa Test series</a></p>

<p>Jaffer also picked India's bowling attack for the first Test against South Africa. He named three pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the attack while naming R Ashwin as the only spinner in the playing XI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I'll prefer Shreyas Iyer for number six because of his recent form and how he batted against New Zealand. I'll prefer him over Vihari. Vihari had a good series with India 'A', he made pretty good runs in similar conditions, but that was India 'A' series and not Tests. So I'll prefer somebody who scored runs in Tests. Number seven would be Rishabh Pant, number eight would be Ashwin and nine ten eleven would be Bumrah, Shami and Mohammed Siraj," he added.</p>

<p>India have never won a Test series in South Africa and have so far managed only three victories in Test matches in the country. However, this time around, Virat Kohli &amp; Co. are a stronger unit compared to the hosts and have a great chance of scripting history by winning their maiden Test series against the Proteas in their own backyard.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


India will lock horns with South Africa in the first Test of the upcoming three-match Test series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26. The Boxing Day game is all set to be a blockbuster encounter with India heading into the game on a confident note after beating New Zealand 1-0 in the recently-concluded two-match Test series at home.

India will lock horns with South Africa in the first Test of the upcoming three-match Test series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26. The Boxing Day game is all set to be a blockbuster encounter with India heading into the game on a confident note after beating New Zealand 1-0 in the recently-concluded two-match Test series at home. Ahead of the start of the first Test, India have some major selection headaches with the likes of Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer competing for a spot in the middle-order, while Ajinkya Rahane's place in the playing XI remains in a doubt. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has picked his predicted playing XI for India ahead of the first Test. While Rahane's struggles have been well documented in the last few Test series, Iyer is in contention for a spot in the middle-order after his magnificent debut against New Zealand where he slammed a hundred and a fifty in the two innings of his first Test. Vihari, who scored three half-centuries for India A against South Africa A, is also a strong contender to make the cut. However, Jaffer believed the team should go with Rahane in the first Test owing to his experience and the leadership qualities he brings in. Jaffer picked Iyer over Vihari considering his recent exploits in the debut series against New Zealand at home. "KL and Mayank will open. Pujara at number three [and] Virat Kohli at four. I'll play Ajinkya at number five. There's a lot of debate regarding his form and between him Shreyas Iyer and Vihari. For the first Test, I'll definitely prefer Ajinkya because he has the experience, the skill. "Yes, his recent form is debatable but he has scored runs in South Africa and knows the conditions well. And he brings a lot more to the table than just batting - [like leadership] when he was the captain [or] as a slip fielder," Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo. Also Read: 'Don't see India winning this': Former opener makes bold prediction ahead of South Africa Test series Jaffer also picked India's bowling attack for the first Test against South Africa. He named three pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the attack while naming R Ashwin as the only spinner in the playing XI. "I'll prefer Shreyas Iyer for number six because of his recent form and how he batted against New Zealand. I'll prefer him over Vihari. Vihari had a good series with India 'A', he made pretty good runs in similar conditions, but that was India 'A' series and not Tests. So I'll prefer somebody who scored runs in Tests. Number seven would be Rishabh Pant, number eight would be Ashwin and nine ten eleven would be Bumrah, Shami and Mohammed Siraj," he added. India have never won a Test series in South Africa and have so far managed only three victories in Test matches in the country. However, this time around, Virat Kohli & Co. are a stronger unit compared to the hosts and have a great chance of scripting history by winning their maiden Test series against the Proteas in their own backyard.

Shreyas Iyer or Hanuma Vihari? Wasim Jaffer names India's predicted XI for 1st Test against South Africa

<p>On Wednesday (December 8), India lost one of its selfless servants Chief Defence of Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat in a tragic incident. Rawat succumbed to injuries when a Mi-17V5 chopper -- comprising him and his wife Madhulika Rawat -- crashed in Coonoor in the state of Tamil Nadu. The chopper, carrying Gen Rawat and his entourage, crashed in foggy conditions that led to the death of 13 people on board, claimed the IAF and other officials. Only one person survived the crash and is undergoing treated in a hospital.</p>

<p>Sharing the sad news with one and all, IAF said in a tweet, "With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident." As soon as the news spread like wildfire, Indian sports personalities such as Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Wasim Jaffer, Rani Rampal, Sharath Kamal and many others paid tributes and expressed their condolences on social media platform Twitter. <strong>Here's how many stars reacted:</strong></p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bipin-rawat-his-wife-among-13-killed-in-helicopter-crash-435156"><strong>Bipin Rawat, his wife among 13 killed in helicopter crash</strong></a></p>

<p>Kohli wrote, "Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of CDS Bipin Rawat ji and other officials in a tragic helicopter crash. My deepest condolences to the friends &amp; family members."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of CDS Bipin Rawat ji and other officials in a tragic helicopter crash. My deepest condolences to the friends &amp; family members.</p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1468574791317688323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">An irreparable loss to the nation. Saddened by the tragic demise of Gen. Bipin Rawat, CDS, Mrs. Rawat and 11 others on board the helicopter. Condolences to the families of the bereaved. Om Shanti. 🙏🏽</p>
— Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharathkamal1/status/1468573854628933640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Sehwag wrote on Twitter, "Extremely pained to hear about the passing away of Shri #BipinRawat , his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 army personnel in the tragic helicopter crash. Gratitude for his wonderful service to the nation. Om Shanti."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Extremely pained to hear about the passing away of Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BipinRawat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BipinRawat</a> , his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 army personnel in the tragic helicopter crash. Gratitude for his wonderful service to the nation. Om Shanti 🙏🏼🌸 <a href="https://t.co/XoCK64Q9wg">pic.twitter.com/XoCK64Q9wg</a></p>
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1468568148827725824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is so tragic. Heart goes out to the family of Gen Bipin Rawat and Mrs. Madhulika Rawat. My deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident. May God give them strength to cope with this loss 🙏🏻 <a href="https://t.co/TMSUEpMlSk">https://t.co/TMSUEpMlSk</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1468569803623264256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, his wife Mrs. Madhulika Rawat and 11 other personnel of our armed forces. My deepest condolences to their families and well-wishers 🙏🏻</p>
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) <a href="https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1468562606289932290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deeply shocked by the tragic news about the helicopter crash near Conoor. My deepest condolences on the demise of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat sir and all other persons who have lost life in this incident. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPBipinRawat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPBipinRawat</a> 🙏🙏 <a href="https://t.co/YoKN87mbp3">pic.twitter.com/YoKN87mbp3</a></p>
— Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) <a href="https://twitter.com/imranirampal/status/1468567326245015558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/gen-bipin-rawat-biography-indias-first-chief-of-defence-staff-led-a-life-dedicated-to-the-nation-435166"><strong>Gen Bipin Rawat biography: India's first Chief of Defence Staff led a life dedicated to the nation</strong></a></p>

<p>For the unversed, the 63-year-old Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington as he had to address the faculty and student officers of the staff course before the fatal accident led to his death. PM Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Rawat and tweeted saying, "Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti."</p>


On Wednesday (December 8), India lost one of its selfless servants Chief Defence of Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat in a tragic incident. Rawat succumbed to injuries when a Mi-17V5 chopper -- comprising him and his wife Madhulika Rawat -- crashed in Coonoor in the state of Tamil Nadu.

On Wednesday (December 8), India lost one of its selfless servants Chief Defence of Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat in a tragic incident. Rawat succumbed to injuries when a Mi-17V5 chopper -- comprising him and his wife Madhulika Rawat -- crashed in Coonoor in the state of Tamil Nadu. The chopper, carrying Gen Rawat and his entourage, crashed in foggy conditions that led to the death of 13 people on board, claimed the IAF and other officials. Only one person survived the crash and is undergoing treated in a hospital. Sharing the sad news with one and all, IAF said in a tweet, "With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident." As soon as the news spread like wildfire, Indian sports personalities such as Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Wasim Jaffer, Rani Rampal, Sharath Kamal and many others paid tributes and expressed their condolences on social media platform Twitter. Here's how many stars reacted: ALSO READ | Bipin Rawat, his wife among 13 killed in helicopter crash Kohli wrote, "Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of CDS Bipin Rawat ji and other officials in a tragic helicopter crash. My deepest condolences to the friends & family members." Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of CDS Bipin Rawat ji and other officials in a tragic helicopter crash. My deepest condolences to the friends & family members. — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) December 8, 2021 × An irreparable loss to the nation. Saddened by the tragic demise of Gen. Bipin Rawat, CDS, Mrs. Rawat and 11 others on board the helicopter. Condolences to the families of the bereaved. Om Shanti. 🙏🏽 — Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) December 8, 2021 × Sehwag wrote on Twitter, "Extremely pained to hear about the passing away of Shri #BipinRawat , his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 army personnel in the tragic helicopter crash. Gratitude for his wonderful service to the nation. Om Shanti." Extremely pained to hear about the passing away of Shri #BipinRawat , his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 army personnel in the tragic helicopter crash. Gratitude for his wonderful service to the nation. Om Shanti 🙏🏼🌸 pic.twitter.com/XoCK64Q9wg — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 8, 2021 × This is so tragic. Heart goes out to the family of Gen Bipin Rawat and Mrs. Madhulika Rawat. My deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident. May God give them strength to cope with this loss 🙏🏻 https://t.co/TMSUEpMlSk — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 8, 2021 × Deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, his wife Mrs. Madhulika Rawat and 11 other personnel of our armed forces. My deepest condolences to their families and well-wishers 🙏🏻 — Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) December 8, 2021 × Deeply shocked by the tragic news about the helicopter crash near Conoor. My deepest condolences on the demise of CDS Gen Bipin Rawat sir and all other persons who have lost life in this incident. #RIPBipinRawat 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/YoKN87mbp3 — Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) December 8, 2021 × ALSO READ | Gen Bipin Rawat biography: India's first Chief of Defence Staff led a life dedicated to the nation For the unversed, the 63-year-old Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington as he had to address the faculty and student officers of the staff course before the fatal accident led to his death. PM Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Rawat and tweeted saying, "Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti."

Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh lead tributes as CDS General Bipin Rawat passes away in helicopter crash

<p>Team India won the toss and elected to bat first versus New Zealand in the second and final Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Friday (December 3). With this, India have the toss on all five occasions in the home series versus the Black Caps, including the three T20Is and Test series opener.</p>

<p>The home series versus New Zealand has been a unique one for India, with three different captains. While Rohit led the national side in T20Is after becoming the full-time captain in the shortest format, Rahane led the charge in the Test series opener with Kohli being rested. While Kohli returned, and Rahane missed the final Test due to injury, the 33-year-old maintained India's clean record&nbsp;in terms of winning the coin toss in the entire series versus the Kiwis.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-rahane-jadeja-and-ishant-sharma-heres-why-team-india-are-without-famed-trio-in-2nd-test-vs-nz-433727"><strong>No Rahane, Jadeja and Ishant Sharma: Here's why Team India are without famed trio in 2nd Test vs NZ</strong></a></p>

<p>For the unversed, Kohli doesn't have a great record when it comes to winning the toss. In 2021, the India batter has lost 17 tosses and won only 6 (including the Mumbai Test). While he has now won three tosses in a row, including India's last two games in the T20 World Cup, his record with the coin toss isn't one to cherish. Hence, former Indian opener-turned-meme-specialist Wasim Jaffer left netizens laughing out loud with a hilarious post:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXAoy_MAC5H/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXAoy_MAC5H/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXAoy_MAC5H/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXAoy_MAC5H/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Wasim Jaffer (@wasimjaffer14)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nz-2nd-test-live-streaming-when-and-where-to-watch-india-vs-new-zealand-match-live-online-433587"><strong>IND vs NZ, 2nd Test live streaming: When and where to watch India vs New Zealand match live online?</strong></a></p>

<p>For the unversed, even Kohli was pleasantly surprised after winning the toss. At the toss, he opined on Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja's absence and told, "We're batting first. Looks like a hard wicket and not a lot of grass. With the sun out, it should be the best time to bat. Rahane had a hammie niggle on Day 5, Jadeja has a swollen right forearm, and Ishant has an injury too. We just have to do the basics right like in Kanpur. NZ must be given credit for batting out the overs on Day 5. We can be in positions to capitalize at home if we play well."</p>

<p>With no Rahane, Jadeja and Ishant in the playing XI, India's line-up for the deciding Test is as follows:</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"><b>India</b>&nbsp;<strong>playing XI</strong>: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'">On the other hand, New Zealand are without their regular captain Kane Williamson for the series decider. Hence, Tom Latham is leading the visitors.&nbsp;</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"><strong>NZ playing XI:&nbsp;</strong>Tom Latham(c), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell(w), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, William Somerville, Ajaz Patel</p>


Team India won the toss and elected to bat first versus New Zealand in the second and final Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Friday (December 3). With this, India have the toss on all five occasions in the home series versus the Black Caps, including the three T20Is and Test series opener.

Team India won the toss and elected to bat first versus New Zealand in the second and final Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Friday (December 3). With this, India have the toss on all five occasions in the home series versus the Black Caps, including the three T20Is and Test series opener. The home series versus New Zealand has been a unique one for India, with three different captains. While Rohit led the national side in T20Is after becoming the full-time captain in the shortest format, Rahane led the charge in the Test series opener with Kohli being rested. While Kohli returned, and Rahane missed the final Test due to injury, the 33-year-old maintained India's clean record in terms of winning the coin toss in the entire series versus the Kiwis. ALSO READ | No Rahane, Jadeja and Ishant Sharma: Here's why Team India are without famed trio in 2nd Test vs NZ For the unversed, Kohli doesn't have a great record when it comes to winning the toss. In 2021, the India batter has lost 17 tosses and won only 6 (including the Mumbai Test). While he has now won three tosses in a row, including India's last two games in the T20 World Cup, his record with the coin toss isn't one to cherish. Hence, former Indian opener-turned-meme-specialist Wasim Jaffer left netizens laughing out loud with a hilarious post: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wasim Jaffer (@wasimjaffer14) × ALSO READ | IND vs NZ, 2nd Test live streaming: When and where to watch India vs New Zealand match live online? For the unversed, even Kohli was pleasantly surprised after winning the toss. At the toss, he opined on Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja's absence and told, "We're batting first. Looks like a hard wicket and not a lot of grass. With the sun out, it should be the best time to bat. Rahane had a hammie niggle on Day 5, Jadeja has a swollen right forearm, and Ishant has an injury too. We just have to do the basics right like in Kanpur. NZ must be given credit for batting out the overs on Day 5. We can be in positions to capitalize at home if we play well." With no Rahane, Jadeja and Ishant in the playing XI, India's line-up for the deciding Test is as follows: India playing XI: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj On the other hand, New Zealand are without their regular captain Kane Williamson for the series decider. Hence, Tom Latham is leading the visitors. NZ playing XI: Tom Latham(c), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell(w), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, William Somerville, Ajaz Patel

ROFL! Wasim Jaffer shares hilarious post as Virat Kohli manages to win the toss in final Test vs NZ

<p>Team India will lock horns with Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in the second and final Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on December 3 (Friday). After the riveting Kanpur Test, which ended in a draw, the two sides have all to play for with the series on the line.</p>

<p>While Williamson-led Black Caps will be confident after their spirited fight in the first Test, India will be boosted by regular captain Virat Kohli's return into the playing XI. However, his return will see one of the main batters warm the bench. Though vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane averages a mere 19.57 in 12 games this year, Cheteshwar Pujara has also not scored a ton since early 2019. The pressure is on both the senior pros but former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels Kohli is likely to make it to the XI at the expense of Mayank Agarwal.</p>

<p>Mayank, who has a high score of 243, returned with 13 and 17 in the Kanpur Test. Hence, his position is also under threat.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nz-2nd-test-will-mumbai-rains-dent-proceedings-and-play-spoilsport-to-series-finale-433455"><strong>Ind vs NZ, 2nd Test: Will Mumbai rains dent proceedings and play spoilsport to series finale?</strong></a></p>

<p>Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo, "The way Pujara batted in England, it was good to see that he was playing at a quicker pace. He is used to Indian conditions, he has to adopt a positive approach once he gets set onto the crease.</p>

<p>On Rahane, Jaffer insisted that he looked in good touch in the first essay of the Kanpur Test but needs to capitalise on his starts. "In the Kanpur Test, he would've lamented his shot in the first innings. He looked positive but he squandered the opportunity. But I want him to play with the same approach that he showed in the first innings," Jaffer added.</p>

<p>With no Mayank in his XI, Jaffer also named KS Bharat as an opener along with Shubman Gill. It will be interesting to see if Wriddhiman Saha gets dropped after his gutsy 61 not out in the second innings of the first Test. Moreover, he has been declared fit by Captain Kohli ahead of the series finale. In addition, his XI included Mohammed Siraj, replacing Ishant Sharma.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-nz-2nd-test-virat-kohli-to-replace-mayank-agarwal-predicting-hosts-playing-xi-for-series-finale-433546"><strong>India vs NZ, 2nd Test: Virat Kohli to replace Mayank Agarwal? Predicting hosts' playing XI for series finale</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>Jaffer's XI for 2nd Test: </strong>KS Bharat, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav</p>

<p>Kohli-led India will like to win the Test and clinch the series before their all-important South Africa tour, where they play three Tests and ODIs each along with four T20Is.</p>


Team India will lock horns with Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in the second and final Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on December 3 (Friday). After the riveting Kanpur Test, which ended in a draw, the two sides have all to play for with the series on the line.

Team India will lock horns with Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in the second and final Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on December 3 (Friday). After the riveting Kanpur Test, which ended in a draw, the two sides have all to play for with the series on the line. While Williamson-led Black Caps will be confident after their spirited fight in the first Test, India will be boosted by regular captain Virat Kohli's return into the playing XI. However, his return will see one of the main batters warm the bench. Though vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane averages a mere 19.57 in 12 games this year, Cheteshwar Pujara has also not scored a ton since early 2019. The pressure is on both the senior pros but former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer feels Kohli is likely to make it to the XI at the expense of Mayank Agarwal. Mayank, who has a high score of 243, returned with 13 and 17 in the Kanpur Test. Hence, his position is also under threat. ALSO READ | Ind vs NZ, 2nd Test: Will Mumbai rains dent proceedings and play spoilsport to series finale? Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo, "The way Pujara batted in England, it was good to see that he was playing at a quicker pace. He is used to Indian conditions, he has to adopt a positive approach once he gets set onto the crease. On Rahane, Jaffer insisted that he looked in good touch in the first essay of the Kanpur Test but needs to capitalise on his starts. "In the Kanpur Test, he would've lamented his shot in the first innings. He looked positive but he squandered the opportunity. But I want him to play with the same approach that he showed in the first innings," Jaffer added. With no Mayank in his XI, Jaffer also named KS Bharat as an opener along with Shubman Gill. It will be interesting to see if Wriddhiman Saha gets dropped after his gutsy 61 not out in the second innings of the first Test. Moreover, he has been declared fit by Captain Kohli ahead of the series finale. In addition, his XI included Mohammed Siraj, replacing Ishant Sharma. ALSO READ | India vs NZ, 2nd Test: Virat Kohli to replace Mayank Agarwal? Predicting hosts' playing XI for series finale Jaffer's XI for 2nd Test: KS Bharat, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav Kohli-led India will like to win the Test and clinch the series before their all-important South Africa tour, where they play three Tests and ODIs each along with four T20Is.

Mumbai Test: Wasim Jaffer predicts Kohli & Co.'s XI, drops India's double centurion for NZ series finale

<p>India and New Zealand were involved in a thrilling first Test at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur. Electing to bat first, Ajinkya Rahane-led India posted 345 all-out whereas New Zealand were bundled out for 296 in their first essay. In their second innings, India declared at 234-7, giving the Kiwis a stiff 284-run target. Riding on Tom Latham's 52 and Rachin Ravindra's 18 not out, off 91 balls, the visitors ensured a draw in the last half hour of Day Five.</p>

<p>Ahead of the second and final Test, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India have some selection issues to address. With regular captain Virat Kohli set to return for the series finale, on December 3, the Rahul Dravid-led think tank will have to drop a batter from the top or the middle-order. In this regard, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has suggested an 'out-of-the-box' name who can accompany Shubman Gill at the order, if Mayank Agarwal is dropped.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nz-1st-test-rachin-ravindra-tom-latham-stand-tall-as-visitors-earn-a-draw-vs-rahane-co-432755"><strong>IND vs NZ, 1st Test: Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham stand tall as visitors earn a draw vs Rahane &amp; Co.</strong></a></p>

<p>“It’s a toss-up between Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane. I would think on those two. That’s the toss-up that Virat Kohli has to make. Whether he wants to go with Mayank Agarwal and give him another go or whether [he thinks] Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t got enough runs in the last 10-12 Test matches after that Melbourne Test so he goes out. It’s a tough call, definitely a tough call. It depends on whom the sword falls on,” said Wasim Jaffer in a chat with ESPNCricinfo.</p>

<p>“I think I will open with Saha if at all Mayank Agarwal goes out because then everybody bats out of their position. Pujara will open and then&nbsp;Ajinkya Rahane&nbsp;will bat at some other position… If Saha opens then everyone bats at the same position. And you can do that in Indian conditions with Saha. Is it a long-term call? Definitely not because India will go to South Africa. So, they’ll have to reconsider their top-six for Mumbai,” concluded the meme-specialist.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-should-make-way-for-kohli-ex-all-rounder-names-senior-batter-who-should-be-dropped-for-2nd-test-432739"><strong>He should make way for Kohli: Ex all-rounder names senior batter who should be dropped for 2nd Test</strong></a></p>

<p>Given that spinners have been the go-to-bowlers, India is likely to retain R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. On the other hand, they are most likely to again go ahead with two pacers, hence, the axe will fall on one of the batters. Given that Mayank returned with scores of 13 and 17 in the series opener, the right-hander might lose his spot whereas Saha can be an interesting choice as a makeshift opener.</p>


India and New Zealand were involved in a thrilling first Test at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur. Electing to bat first, Ajinkya Rahane-led India posted 345 all-out whereas New Zealand were bundled out for 296 in their first essay.

India and New Zealand were involved in a thrilling first Test at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur. Electing to bat first, Ajinkya Rahane-led India posted 345 all-out whereas New Zealand were bundled out for 296 in their first essay. In their second innings, India declared at 234-7, giving the Kiwis a stiff 284-run target. Riding on Tom Latham's 52 and Rachin Ravindra's 18 not out, off 91 balls, the visitors ensured a draw in the last half hour of Day Five. Ahead of the second and final Test, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India have some selection issues to address. With regular captain Virat Kohli set to return for the series finale, on December 3, the Rahul Dravid-led think tank will have to drop a batter from the top or the middle-order. In this regard, former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has suggested an 'out-of-the-box' name who can accompany Shubman Gill at the order, if Mayank Agarwal is dropped. ALSO READ | IND vs NZ, 1st Test: Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham stand tall as visitors earn a draw vs Rahane & Co. “It’s a toss-up between Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane. I would think on those two. That’s the toss-up that Virat Kohli has to make. Whether he wants to go with Mayank Agarwal and give him another go or whether [he thinks] Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t got enough runs in the last 10-12 Test matches after that Melbourne Test so he goes out. It’s a tough call, definitely a tough call. It depends on whom the sword falls on,” said Wasim Jaffer in a chat with ESPNCricinfo. “I think I will open with Saha if at all Mayank Agarwal goes out because then everybody bats out of their position. Pujara will open and then Ajinkya Rahane will bat at some other position… If Saha opens then everyone bats at the same position. And you can do that in Indian conditions with Saha. Is it a long-term call? Definitely not because India will go to South Africa. So, they’ll have to reconsider their top-six for Mumbai,” concluded the meme-specialist. ALSO READ | He should make way for Kohli: Ex all-rounder names senior batter who should be dropped for 2nd Test Given that spinners have been the go-to-bowlers, India is likely to retain R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. On the other hand, they are most likely to again go ahead with two pacers, hence, the axe will fall on one of the batters. Given that Mayank returned with scores of 13 and 17 in the series opener, the right-hander might lose his spot whereas Saha can be an interesting choice as a makeshift opener.

IND vs NZ: Wasim Jaffer shares an 'out-of-the-box' suggestion on who could open with Shubman Gill in 2nd Test

<p>Axar Patel wreaked havoc on New Zealand batting line-up on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and the Kiwis in Kanpur on Saturday. Axar picked up a five-wicket haul as India bundled out the Kiwis for 296 runs in their first innings to gain a crucial lead of 49 runs ahead of their second innings.</p>

<p>It was a brilliant spell from Axar, who spun a web around the New Zealand batting line-up and continuously troubled the Kiwi batters. Axar finished with brilliant figures of 5/62 in his 4 overs and was the pick of the bowlers for Team India in the series-opener at Kanpur.</p>

<p>Former India cricketer Wasi Jaffer, who is known for his witty tweets and hilarious memes on Twitter, took a dig at Axar and pointed out his 'only mistake' in the Test match after his sensational spell. Jaffer, who is known for entertaining cricket fans on Twitter with his funny side, posted a picture of the match ball which was gifted to Axar after his five-wicket haul and said the only mistake the left-arm spinner made was putting the wrong date on the ball.</p>

<p>&nbsp;"The only mistake Axar Patel made today was putting wrong date on the match ball. 27th November hai bapu @akshar2026 #INDvNZ," Jaffer wrote in a tweet.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The only mistake Axar Patel made today was putting wrong date on the match ball. 27th November hai bapu <a href="https://twitter.com/akshar2026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@akshar2026</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/fJKGPHqIry">pic.twitter.com/fJKGPHqIry</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1464565464353308672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Axar was quick to respond to Jaffer's tweet and clarified that it was not him but his Indian teammate Suryakumar Yadav, who had put the wrong date on the match ball. Suryakumar also joined the banter on Twitter and reacted hilariously to Jaffer's idea of punishment for his mistake. The banter between the trio became the talk of town among cricket fans on Twitter.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ohh then what's the punishment for <a href="https://twitter.com/surya_14kumar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@surya_14kumar</a> ? Stand in front of The Wall? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/uofZNxUBRz">https://t.co/uofZNxUBRz</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1464602290245963778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I do it everyday</p>
— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/surya_14kumar/status/1464614865775984641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pujara-equals-unwanted-record-rahane-fails-again-as-india-struggle-in-kanpur-test-against-new-zealand-432481">Pujara equals unwanted record, Rahane fails again as India struggle in Kanpur Test against NZ</a></p>

<p>Resuming their innings from 129/0, New Zealand were blown away by Indian spinners on Day 3 of the Kanpur Test on Saturday as Axar and R Ashwin combined to pick up eight wickets between them. While Axar picked up a five-wicket haul, Ashwin finished with excellent figures of 3/82. New Zealand could only manage 296 runs in reply to India's first innings total of 345 runs and conceded a lead of 49 runs.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pujara-equals-unwanted-record-rahane-fails-again-as-india-struggle-in-kanpur-test-against-new-zealand-432481">Pujara equals unwanted record, Rahane fails again as India struggle in Kanpur Test against NZ</a></p>

<p>However, India failed to capitalise on the lead as they slumped under pressure on Day 4 of the ongoing Test match. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane (4), Chesteshwar Pujara (22) and Ravindra Jadeja (0) failed to deliver as India were left reeling at 51/5 on the penultimate day of the Kanpur Test.</p>


Axar Patel wreaked havoc on New Zealand batting line-up on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and the Kiwis in Kanpur on Saturday. Axar picked up a five-wicket haul as India bundled out the Kiwis for 296 runs in their first innings to gain a crucial lead of 49 runs ahead of their second innings.

Axar Patel wreaked havoc on New Zealand batting line-up on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and the Kiwis in Kanpur on Saturday. Axar picked up a five-wicket haul as India bundled out the Kiwis for 296 runs in their first innings to gain a crucial lead of 49 runs ahead of their second innings. It was a brilliant spell from Axar, who spun a web around the New Zealand batting line-up and continuously troubled the Kiwi batters. Axar finished with brilliant figures of 5/62 in his 4 overs and was the pick of the bowlers for Team India in the series-opener at Kanpur. Former India cricketer Wasi Jaffer, who is known for his witty tweets and hilarious memes on Twitter, took a dig at Axar and pointed out his 'only mistake' in the Test match after his sensational spell. Jaffer, who is known for entertaining cricket fans on Twitter with his funny side, posted a picture of the match ball which was gifted to Axar after his five-wicket haul and said the only mistake the left-arm spinner made was putting the wrong date on the ball. "The only mistake Axar Patel made today was putting wrong date on the match ball. 27th November hai bapu @akshar2026 #INDvNZ," Jaffer wrote in a tweet. The only mistake Axar Patel made today was putting wrong date on the match ball. 27th November hai bapu @akshar2026 #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/fJKGPHqIry — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 27, 2021 × Axar was quick to respond to Jaffer's tweet and clarified that it was not him but his Indian teammate Suryakumar Yadav, who had put the wrong date on the match ball. Suryakumar also joined the banter on Twitter and reacted hilariously to Jaffer's idea of punishment for his mistake. The banter between the trio became the talk of town among cricket fans on Twitter. Ohh then what's the punishment for @surya_14kumar ? Stand in front of The Wall? #INDvNZ https://t.co/uofZNxUBRz — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 27, 2021 × I do it everyday — Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) November 27, 2021 × Also Read: Pujara equals unwanted record, Rahane fails again as India struggle in Kanpur Test against NZ Resuming their innings from 129/0, New Zealand were blown away by Indian spinners on Day 3 of the Kanpur Test on Saturday as Axar and R Ashwin combined to pick up eight wickets between them. While Axar picked up a five-wicket haul, Ashwin finished with excellent figures of 3/82. New Zealand could only manage 296 runs in reply to India's first innings total of 345 runs and conceded a lead of 49 runs. Also Read: Pujara equals unwanted record, Rahane fails again as India struggle in Kanpur Test against NZ However, India failed to capitalise on the lead as they slumped under pressure on Day 4 of the ongoing Test match. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane (4), Chesteshwar Pujara (22) and Ravindra Jadeja (0) failed to deliver as India were left reeling at 51/5 on the penultimate day of the Kanpur Test.

Wasim Jaffer takes a dig at Axar Patel over his 'only mistake' in 1st Test, Suryakumar Yadav responds

<p>After a gruelling T20 season, with IPL 2021's final leg followed by T20 World Cup in the UAE, Test cricket has now returned for the cricket lovers worldwide. While Sri Lanka-West Indies are involved in a Test series in the island nation, Team India have also kicked off their Test season with the first Test versus New Zealand underway in Kanpur on Thursday (November 25).</p>

<p>As soon as the Indian team started their two-match Test series opener versus the Kane Williamson-led Black Caps, former Indian opener-turned-meme specialist Wasim Jaffer won the internet with an epic post.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/viral-team-india-coach-rahul-dravid-resorts-to-off-spin-in-nets-ahead-of-1st-test-vs-nz-watch-431663"><strong>VIRAL: Team India coach Rahul Dravid resorts to off-spin in nets ahead of 1st Test vs NZ - WATCH</strong></a></p>

<p>Jaffer captioned the post, "Watching Test cricket after few months of T20 cricket feels the same as eating maa ke haath ka khana (eating home-cooked food by mother) after few months away from home."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWr25eAtIXA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWr25eAtIXA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWr25eAtIXA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWr25eAtIXA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Wasim Jaffer (@wasimjaffer14)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dont-think-axar-and-jadeja-are-in-the-same-league-says-former-pakistan-cricketer-431755">'Don't think Axar and Jadeja are in the same league,' says former Pakistan cricketer</a></strong></p>

<p>Test cricket has returned after a few months' halt. The IPL 14's final leg, in the UAE, was followed by the seventh edition of the T20 WC, from mid-September to November. Now, the longest format has come back into the fore with plenty of Test matches lined-up in the coming weeks. While India-New Zealand are involved in a Test series in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are also engaged in a two-match Test series versus West Indies and Pakistan, respectively, in their own backyards. On the other hand, the Ashes 2021 is set to commence in Australia from December 8.</p>

<p>Talking about the India-NZ first Test, stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat first. At lunch, India are well-placed at 82&nbsp;for 1 with opener Shubman Gill unbeaten on 52. The hosts will look to post a big score and challenge the Kiwi line-up in Green Park, Kanpur.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


After a gruelling T20 season, with IPL 2021's final leg followed by T20 World Cup in the UAE, Test cricket has now returned for the cricket lovers worldwide. While Sri Lanka-West Indies are involved in a Test series in the island nation, Team India have also kicked off their Test season with the first Test versus New Zealand underway in Kanpur on Thursday (November 25).

After a gruelling T20 season, with IPL 2021's final leg followed by T20 World Cup in the UAE, Test cricket has now returned for the cricket lovers worldwide. While Sri Lanka-West Indies are involved in a Test series in the island nation, Team India have also kicked off their Test season with the first Test versus New Zealand underway in Kanpur on Thursday (November 25). As soon as the Indian team started their two-match Test series opener versus the Kane Williamson-led Black Caps, former Indian opener-turned-meme specialist Wasim Jaffer won the internet with an epic post. ALSO READ | VIRAL: Team India coach Rahul Dravid resorts to off-spin in nets ahead of 1st Test vs NZ - WATCH Jaffer captioned the post, "Watching Test cricket after few months of T20 cricket feels the same as eating maa ke haath ka khana (eating home-cooked food by mother) after few months away from home." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wasim Jaffer (@wasimjaffer14) × ALSO READ | 'Don't think Axar and Jadeja are in the same league,' says former Pakistan cricketer Test cricket has returned after a few months' halt. The IPL 14's final leg, in the UAE, was followed by the seventh edition of the T20 WC, from mid-September to November. Now, the longest format has come back into the fore with plenty of Test matches lined-up in the coming weeks. While India-New Zealand are involved in a Test series in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are also engaged in a two-match Test series versus West Indies and Pakistan, respectively, in their own backyards. On the other hand, the Ashes 2021 is set to commence in Australia from December 8. Talking about the India-NZ first Test, stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat first. At lunch, India are well-placed at 82 for 1 with opener Shubman Gill unbeaten on 52. The hosts will look to post a big score and challenge the Kiwi line-up in Green Park, Kanpur.

Ind vs NZ: Wasim Jaffer wins the internet with epic post as Test cricket returns after IPL 2021, T20 WC

<p>Australia defeated New Zealand by eight wickets in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition's finale on Sunday evening (November 14) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Both sides locked horns with each other to win their first-ever T20 WC title but Aaron Finch-led Australia were too good for the Kiwis as they demolished Kane Williamson's Black Caps by eight wickets, with more than an&nbsp;over to spare.</p>

<p>Opting to bowl first, Australia restricted New Zealand to a competitive 172-4 in 20 overs. The Kiwis were led by their skipper Williamson, who slammed a splendid 48-ball 85 studded with 10 fours and three sixes. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood stood tall with the ball to return with 3 for 16. In reply, opener David Warner's 53 and Mitchell Marsh's 77 not out propelled the Aussies to an eight-wicket win 7 balls to spare.</p>

<p>After the encounter, former Indian opener-turned-meme specialist Wasim Jaffer once again left his followers laughing out loud with a hilarious meme.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/matthew-wade-marcus-stoinis-drink-from-shoe-as-aussies-celebrate-t20-world-cup-triumph-watch-429500"><strong>Matthew Wade, Marcus Stoinis drink from shoe as Aussies celebrate T20 World Cup triumph - WATCH</strong></a></p>

<p>Jaffer shared a hilarious meme, taking cue from Indian web series Sacred Games' dialogue, meaning 'If you want to do something, do it big else don't' (relating it with Australia's triumph after recent failures in bilateral series). Here's his viral tweet:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Australia who lost their last five bilateral series but won the WC: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvNZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCupFinal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCupFinal</a> <a href="https://t.co/apjwsQPPyT">pic.twitter.com/apjwsQPPyT</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1459935452744409093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-india-to-australia-a-look-at-t20-wc-winners-post-seventh-edition-in-uae-429475"><strong>From India to Australia: A look at T20 WC winners post seventh edition in UAE</strong></a></p>

<p>Australia were far from favourites in the T20 WC 2021 edition, entering the tournament on the back of five bilateral series defeats in the format (versus West Indies, Bangladesh etc). Nonetheless, they managed to win their maiden title by losing just a solitary game (versus England) and defeated the likes of West Indies, Bangladesh, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand.</p>

<p>Some of their T20 WC heroes were Warner, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Captain Finch said at the post-match presentation, "This is huge. To be the first Australian team to be able to do it. So proud. We knew our backs were against the wall. We had some great individual performances, some great team performances. Can't believe people wrote him off saying he was done (Warner). That's when he plays his best cricket. Was almost like poking the bear. The player of the tournament for me (Zampa). Mitch Marsh - what a way to start his innings today. Wade coming into this game with an injury cloud but got a job done. Stoinis did the business."</p>


Australia defeated New Zealand by eight wickets in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition's finale on Sunday evening (November 14) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

Australia defeated New Zealand by eight wickets in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition's finale on Sunday evening (November 14) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Both sides locked horns with each other to win their first-ever T20 WC title but Aaron Finch-led Australia were too good for the Kiwis as they demolished Kane Williamson's Black Caps by eight wickets, with more than an over to spare. Opting to bowl first, Australia restricted New Zealand to a competitive 172-4 in 20 overs. The Kiwis were led by their skipper Williamson, who slammed a splendid 48-ball 85 studded with 10 fours and three sixes. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood stood tall with the ball to return with 3 for 16. In reply, opener David Warner's 53 and Mitchell Marsh's 77 not out propelled the Aussies to an eight-wicket win 7 balls to spare. After the encounter, former Indian opener-turned-meme specialist Wasim Jaffer once again left his followers laughing out loud with a hilarious meme. ALSO READ | Matthew Wade, Marcus Stoinis drink from shoe as Aussies celebrate T20 World Cup triumph - WATCH Jaffer shared a hilarious meme, taking cue from Indian web series Sacred Games' dialogue, meaning 'If you want to do something, do it big else don't' (relating it with Australia's triumph after recent failures in bilateral series). Here's his viral tweet: Australia who lost their last five bilateral series but won the WC: #AUSvNZ #T20WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/apjwsQPPyT — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 14, 2021 × ALSO READ | From India to Australia: A look at T20 WC winners post seventh edition in UAE Australia were far from favourites in the T20 WC 2021 edition, entering the tournament on the back of five bilateral series defeats in the format (versus West Indies, Bangladesh etc). Nonetheless, they managed to win their maiden title by losing just a solitary game (versus England) and defeated the likes of West Indies, Bangladesh, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand. Some of their T20 WC heroes were Warner, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa. Captain Finch said at the post-match presentation, "This is huge. To be the first Australian team to be able to do it. So proud. We knew our backs were against the wall. We had some great individual performances, some great team performances. Can't believe people wrote him off saying he was done (Warner). That's when he plays his best cricket. Was almost like poking the bear. The player of the tournament for me (Zampa). Mitch Marsh - what a way to start his innings today. Wade coming into this game with an injury cloud but got a job done. Stoinis did the business."

Wasim Jaffer hit it out of the park with another hilarious meme as Australia beat NZ to win T20 WC title

<p>Wasim Jaffer is an internet sensation. The former Indian opener showed his funny side on social media platforms post IPL 2020 and has been a huge hit ever since. After Australia stunned tournament-favourites Pakistan in the second semi-final to book a place in the T20 World Cup 2021 finale, Jaffer once again broke the internet with a hilarious meme on Australian cricket.</p>

<p>As Matthew Wade (41 not out) and Marcus Stoinis (unbeaten 40) took Australia past the finish line, after the Men in Yellow were tottering at 96-5 in pursuit of Pakistan's 176, Jaffer was quick to react and shared a hilarious tweet. Here's what he shared:</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-star-bismah-maroof-comes-in-support-of-hasan-ali-asks-him-to-stay-strong-amid-heavy-criticism-428739"><strong>Pakistan star Bismah Maroof comes in support of Hasan Ali, asks him to 'stay strong' amid heavy criticism</strong></a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Australia reaching another WC final <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvPAK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/OhtpSBBd4i">pic.twitter.com/OhtpSBBd4i</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1458854785537351683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shoaib-akhtar-shares-video-of-young-kid-in-tears-after-pakistans-t20-wc-exit-watch-428726"><strong>Shoaib Akhtar shares video of young kid in tears after Pakistan's T20 WC exit - Watch</strong></a></p>

<p>Australia have been a dominant force in world cricket. Talking about the men's cricket team, they have now reached their ninth finale in World Cup history (including both ODIs and T20Is). Thus, depicting their dominance, Jaffer shared an apt tweet,&nbsp;which translates to 'Tradition. Prestige. Discipline'.</p>

<p>Post Australia's famous win at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, Captain Finch said at the post-match presentation, "Never thought it was in the bag. It was a great game of cricket. The way Wade held his nerve at the end was amazing. That partnership with Stoinis was crucial. I got my feet in a tangle and opening batsmen do get a few good balls now and then in T20 cricket. We were sloppy today in the field, a couple of tough ones. We need the support of all 17 players to get across the line. We have played some really good cricket in the back end. Teams chasing have been successful. There is no dew, the lights take effect. I was hoping I'd lose the toss, bat first and put up a good score on the board."</p>

<p>Finch &amp; Co. will now take on the New Zealand cricket team in the T20 WC finale, to be held on Sunday evening (November 14) at the same venue.</p>


Wasim Jaffer is an internet sensation. The former Indian opener showed his funny side on social media platforms post IPL 2020 and has been a huge hit ever since.

Wasim Jaffer is an internet sensation. The former Indian opener showed his funny side on social media platforms post IPL 2020 and has been a huge hit ever since. After Australia stunned tournament-favourites Pakistan in the second semi-final to book a place in the T20 World Cup 2021 finale, Jaffer once again broke the internet with a hilarious meme on Australian cricket. As Matthew Wade (41 not out) and Marcus Stoinis (unbeaten 40) took Australia past the finish line, after the Men in Yellow were tottering at 96-5 in pursuit of Pakistan's 176, Jaffer was quick to react and shared a hilarious tweet. Here's what he shared: ALSO READ | Pakistan star Bismah Maroof comes in support of Hasan Ali, asks him to 'stay strong' amid heavy criticism Australia reaching another WC final #AUSvPAK #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/OhtpSBBd4i — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 11, 2021 × ALSO READ | Shoaib Akhtar shares video of young kid in tears after Pakistan's T20 WC exit - Watch Australia have been a dominant force in world cricket. Talking about the men's cricket team, they have now reached their ninth finale in World Cup history (including both ODIs and T20Is). Thus, depicting their dominance, Jaffer shared an apt tweet, which translates to 'Tradition. Prestige. Discipline'. Post Australia's famous win at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, Captain Finch said at the post-match presentation, "Never thought it was in the bag. It was a great game of cricket. The way Wade held his nerve at the end was amazing. That partnership with Stoinis was crucial. I got my feet in a tangle and opening batsmen do get a few good balls now and then in T20 cricket. We were sloppy today in the field, a couple of tough ones. We need the support of all 17 players to get across the line. We have played some really good cricket in the back end. Teams chasing have been successful. There is no dew, the lights take effect. I was hoping I'd lose the toss, bat first and put up a good score on the board." Finch & Co. will now take on the New Zealand cricket team in the T20 WC finale, to be held on Sunday evening (November 14) at the same venue.

Wasim Jaffer breaks the internet with hilarious meme as Australia enter T20 WC 2021 final

<p>Team India, on Sunday (November 8), bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE. After losing their opening two encounters, Virat Kohli-led India bounced back in style to win two matches in a row and had to hope for New Zealand to lose to Afghanistan in order to stay alive in the semi-finals race. Had New Zealand lost to the Mohammad Nabi-led Afghan side, India would have had to beat Namibia convincingly to topple Afghanistan in NRR and enter the semis.</p>

<p>However, all hopes of Team India ended with New Zealand beating Afghanistan by eight wickets and entering the semis by claiming the remaining fourth spot. With this, India's match against Namibia has turned into a dead rubber. As soon as the news broke out that India are virtually out of the race from the semi-finals, Cricket Pakistan's official Twitter handle tried to troll the Indian cricket fans.</p>

<p>Wasim Jaffer, India's former opener-turned-internet sensation, gave a savage response to the Pakistan website's tweet. Here's how it all happened:</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-nz-pak-or-aus-faf-du-plessis-predicts-winner-of-t20-world-cup-427740"><strong>ENG, NZ, Pak or AUS? Faf du Plessis predicts winner of T20 World Cup</strong></a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Had a heavy lunch between 12-1, still feeling full 😉 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvsAfg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvsAfg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/wJ58RUSnh0">https://t.co/wJ58RUSnh0</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1457302875151896578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>As Cricket Pakistan's tweet tried to troll the Indian fans, Jaffer had the last laugh by reminding them of India's superior head-to-head record versus Babar Azam-led Pakistan in ICC events (12-1). Despite India losing their first-ever game versus Pakistan in an ICC event during the ongoing T20 WC, they still have a significant lead over their arch-rivals in marquee tournaments. Thus, Jaffer hilariously reminded one and all of the same.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-wc-semi-finals-schedule-england-face-new-zealand-australia-to-lock-horns-with-pakistan-427709"><strong>T20 WC, semi-finals schedule: England face New Zealand, Australia to lock horns with Pakistan</strong></a></p>

<p>Post India's exit in the T20 WC, the national side will now have a new head coach in Rahul Dravid, who will take over from the New Zealand home series as Ravi Shastri's tenure will come to an end post the end of Men in Blue's campaign in the showpiece event, in the UAE.</p>


Team India, on Sunday (November 8), bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE. After losing their opening two encounters, Virat Kohli-led India bounced back in style to win two matches in a row and had to hope for New Zealand to lose to Afghanistan in order to stay alive in the semi-finals race.

Team India, on Sunday (November 8), bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, being held in the UAE. After losing their opening two encounters, Virat Kohli-led India bounced back in style to win two matches in a row and had to hope for New Zealand to lose to Afghanistan in order to stay alive in the semi-finals race. Had New Zealand lost to the Mohammad Nabi-led Afghan side, India would have had to beat Namibia convincingly to topple Afghanistan in NRR and enter the semis. However, all hopes of Team India ended with New Zealand beating Afghanistan by eight wickets and entering the semis by claiming the remaining fourth spot. With this, India's match against Namibia has turned into a dead rubber. As soon as the news broke out that India are virtually out of the race from the semi-finals, Cricket Pakistan's official Twitter handle tried to troll the Indian cricket fans. Wasim Jaffer, India's former opener-turned-internet sensation, gave a savage response to the Pakistan website's tweet. Here's how it all happened: ALSO READ | ENG, NZ, Pak or AUS? Faf du Plessis predicts winner of T20 World Cup Had a heavy lunch between 12-1, still feeling full 😉 #NZvsAfg #T20WorldCup https://t.co/wJ58RUSnh0 — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 7, 2021 × As Cricket Pakistan's tweet tried to troll the Indian fans, Jaffer had the last laugh by reminding them of India's superior head-to-head record versus Babar Azam-led Pakistan in ICC events (12-1). Despite India losing their first-ever game versus Pakistan in an ICC event during the ongoing T20 WC, they still have a significant lead over their arch-rivals in marquee tournaments. Thus, Jaffer hilariously reminded one and all of the same. ALSO READ | T20 WC, semi-finals schedule: England face New Zealand, Australia to lock horns with Pakistan Post India's exit in the T20 WC, the national side will now have a new head coach in Rahul Dravid, who will take over from the New Zealand home series as Ravi Shastri's tenure will come to an end post the end of Men in Blue's campaign in the showpiece event, in the UAE.

Mic-drop moment! Jaffer gives savage reply after Pak website trolls Indian fans for T20 WC debacle

<p>The race for the top four is heating up in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 as we head towards the business end of the tournament. England and Pakistan are the only two teams so far who have qualified for the semi-finals with four wins in four matches respectively. However, the race for the final spots are wide open in both groups at present.</p>

<p>In Group 1, Australia and South Africa are in contention to finish second and qualify for the semis. Australia will take on West Indies on Saturday (November 06) and will hope to beat them to make it to the next round. However, South Africa too have as many points as Australia (6) after 4 games and they will secure a berth in the semi-finals if Australia lose against West Indies and they manage to beat England in their final Super 12 game on Saturday.</p>

<p>South Africa can still qualify even if Australia win if they manage to earn a big victory against England to leave the Aaron Finch-led side behind on net run rate. Thus, Australia will hope for a favour from England and want the table-toppers to beat South Africa so they can progress into the knockout stages.</p>

<p>In Group 2, New Zealand, India and Afghanistan are three teams in contention for the second spot on the points table. If New Zealand win their last Super 12 game against Afghanistan they will finish second and qualify for the semi-finals. However, if they lose, it will keep both India and Afghanistan in the fray for a top-four finish.</p>

<p>Former India batter Wasim Jaffer, who his known for his witty and funny tweets on Twitter, came up with a hilarious post to describe the semi-final qualification scenario in the T20 World Cup 2021. Jaffer shared a meme inspired from a scene of an iconic Bollywood movie - 'Dhamal' to leave the fans in splits.</p>

<p>Jaffer's former India teammate Harbhajan Singh was also left in splits as he reacted to the meme shared by him.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Current situation : India and AUS not only need to win but need AFG and ENG to win too for certain/easier passage. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/6K6x0q7ogs">pic.twitter.com/6K6x0q7ogs</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1456841418824060938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/jIeZ2sqty4">https://t.co/jIeZ2sqty4</a></p>
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh/status/1456856752146640898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dont-want-controversies-but-questions-will-be-raised-if-new-zealand-lose-against-afghanistan-shoaib-akhtar-427143">Don't want controversies but questions will be raised if New Zealand lose against Afghanistan:&nbsp;Akhtar</a></p>

<p>A clear picture of the semi-final qualification scenario in Group 1 will be out on Saturday as both Australia and South Africa will be in action against West Indies and England respectively. On the other hand, the Group 1 scenario will be clear after the end of the first match on Sunday (October 07) when Afghanistan will take on New Zealand.</p>


The race for the top four is heating up in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 as we head towards the business end of the tournament. England and Pakistan are the only two teams so far who have qualified for the semi-finals with four wins in four matches respectively.

The race for the top four is heating up in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 as we head towards the business end of the tournament. England and Pakistan are the only two teams so far who have qualified for the semi-finals with four wins in four matches respectively. However, the race for the final spots are wide open in both groups at present. In Group 1, Australia and South Africa are in contention to finish second and qualify for the semis. Australia will take on West Indies on Saturday (November 06) and will hope to beat them to make it to the next round. However, South Africa too have as many points as Australia (6) after 4 games and they will secure a berth in the semi-finals if Australia lose against West Indies and they manage to beat England in their final Super 12 game on Saturday. South Africa can still qualify even if Australia win if they manage to earn a big victory against England to leave the Aaron Finch-led side behind on net run rate. Thus, Australia will hope for a favour from England and want the table-toppers to beat South Africa so they can progress into the knockout stages. In Group 2, New Zealand, India and Afghanistan are three teams in contention for the second spot on the points table. If New Zealand win their last Super 12 game against Afghanistan they will finish second and qualify for the semi-finals. However, if they lose, it will keep both India and Afghanistan in the fray for a top-four finish. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer, who his known for his witty and funny tweets on Twitter, came up with a hilarious post to describe the semi-final qualification scenario in the T20 World Cup 2021. Jaffer shared a meme inspired from a scene of an iconic Bollywood movie - 'Dhamal' to leave the fans in splits. Jaffer's former India teammate Harbhajan Singh was also left in splits as he reacted to the meme shared by him. Current situation : India and AUS not only need to win but need AFG and ENG to win too for certain/easier passage. #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/6K6x0q7ogs — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 6, 2021 × https://t.co/jIeZ2sqty4 — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) November 6, 2021 × Also Read: Don't want controversies but questions will be raised if New Zealand lose against Afghanistan: Akhtar A clear picture of the semi-final qualification scenario in Group 1 will be out on Saturday as both Australia and South Africa will be in action against West Indies and England respectively. On the other hand, the Group 1 scenario will be clear after the end of the first match on Sunday (October 07) when Afghanistan will take on New Zealand.

Wasim Jaffer shares hilarious meme on T20 WC semi-final qualification scenario, leaves Harbhajan in splits

wasim-jaffer

Wasim Jaffer, News on Wasim Jaffer, stories on Wasim Jaffer, articles on Wasim Jaffer, Wasim Jaffer stories at Wion, Wasim Jaffer news, Wasim Jaffer latest news

wasim jaffer