AUS v IND: The Travis Head-Ache Continues For India

Travis Head continued to torture the Indian Cricket Team as he struck a brilliant century on Day 2 of the second test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Adelaide. One who always comes good at the right moment, Head’s knock was yet another reminder of his dominance against India, having already made his mark in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Final. Travis Head’s Second Test Century Against India This is Travis Head’s eighth career test match century and second against India in test match cricket. Having played a dogged 89 in the first test in Perth where Australia lost heavily, Head faced India’s pace attack yet again and sent Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj packing. Head’s first test match hundred against India came in the WTC Final in 2023 when he was sublime to post an innings of 163 as Australia took control. Travis Head’s Masterclass At The Adelaide Oval Travis Head became the first South Australian cricketer to achieve three centuries at the legendary Adelaide Oval. Head’s consistently managed to find openings with relative ease and ensured continued momentum for his side in an important 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Marnus Labuschagne, who made 64. His controlled batting kept the game in play for the hosts and hence he was a vital participant in Australia’s innings. Travis Head A Constant Hurdle For India Travis Head has been the thorn in the side of India across formats. Be it test match cricket or ODIs, Head at the crease often sends out trouble signals for India. If Indian bowlers fail to get him out early, Travis Head can snatch the game from them as he did once again in this series. Travis Head And Marnus Labuschagne Steady The Ship Australia started Day 2 at 86/1, appearing very stable until Jasprit Bumrah made a quick breakthrough with the wicket of Nathan McSweeney. He followed that up with another important wicket, Steven Smith, back to the pavilion for just 2 runs. Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the Australian ship by combining for a 65-run partnership before Labuschagne was dismissed for a well-made 64 by Nitish Kumar Reddy, providing India with much-needed breakthrough. At the time of writing, Australia were at 280 for 5 in 76.3 overs, with Travis Head on 119* off 128. Head’s presence at the crease remains crucial as Australia aim to extend their lead in this crucial second test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Will Travis Head continue to wound India or will the Indian bowlers stop the bleeding? The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
SA vs IND: Sanju Samson Becomes The 1st Indian To Do This

While no one ever doubted his ability to score, concerns were only about him grabbing the opportunity. And boy, did Sanju Samson do it in style. Sanju Samson smashed his second T20I hundred in as many games, putting the South African attack to sword at Kingsmead with some extraordinary hitting. Samson Delivers It Back-To-Back Sanju Samson continued his scorching form as he completed two consecutive T20I centuries, taking India to a commanding position in the on-going series against South Africa at Kingsmead. The wicketkeeper-batter who had made an explosive 111 off 47 balls against Bangladesh in his previous outing, produced another masterclass in aggressive batting when he amassed a scintillating 100 off just 47 balls to lead India to set a daunting target. Samson Gives A Fiery Start To The Innings Samson’s scorching knock off 47 balls came as an onslaught from the very start. He raced to 35 runs from just 20 balls in the Powerplay, displaying excellent timing and power. Even after the field spread out, Samson’s intent remained clear as he launched into Nqaba Peter, smashing back-to-back sixes in the eighth over. The South African bowlers had little answer as Samson continued accelerating, cruising past the 50-run mark before setting his eye on three figures. Samson Breaks New Records Blistering hundred by Samson sets new records for Indian cricket. He became the first Indian to hit back-to-back T20I centuries and also registered the highest T20I score for India against South Africa. His performance included a devastating display of power hitting, smashing 10 sixes and 7 fours, at an astonishing strike rate of 214.00. Samson’s Shift From Middle-Order To Opening A transformation has been real for Samson after being seen largely as a middle-order batter. The 29-year-old batsman was patchy for some time and then was given the responsibility of opening the batting for India in T20 Internationals where he has produced rich dividends in matches played thus far. The adaptability with which he has performed in the top order has been worth gold, while even the fact that he managed consecutive centuries speaks to how crucial he is becoming for India’s T20I team. It is, in fact, one of his best plays that has sealed his place as one of the most thrilling T20 talents in India. He has raised himself to greater heights simply because of his fearlessness and now refuses to take on the bowlers around the globe; thus, making his remarkable strides in the shortest format of the game worth noticing by the cricketing world. Samson Sets Benchmark Other than being the first Indian to score successive T20I hundreds, Samson also set a new benchmark for Indian players against South Africa with his hundred standing as the highest ever hundred scored by an Indian in T20Is against the Proteas. He also registered the second-fastest T20I hundred against South Africa, thereby making it crystal clear that he is capable of delivering in high-pressure situations. What’s In Store For Samson Sanju Samson is the bright star India is looking for, for them to extend their dominance in T20I cricket. His splendid form is the glimpse of what he may become, however more importantly, a pronouncement of things to come in Indian T20 cricket, with Samson now firmly established as one of the leaders to watch out for in cricket. With the series on, all eyes would be glued to Sanju Samson as he looks to possibly continue that kind of form in this series and carry India further up the T20I leaderboard. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
IND vs NZ: Sarfaraz Khan’s Story From Maidans Of Mumbai To Maiden Test 100

Batting almost 10 hours at Mumbai’s Cross Maidan, Sarfaraz Khan first drew national attention as a 12-year-old schoolboy in 2009. This young lad re-wrote history at this fabled ground in the city of legendary batters. Playing in the big-time Harris Shield tournament, held in reverence as the Holy Grail of school cricket in Mumbai, Sarfaraz set a new record that catapulted him to instant stardom. Sarfaraz Khan’s Record-Breaking Feat Dressed in cricket whites – loose-fitting white shirt and track pants – the Kurla boy from the lower-middle class of eastern Mumbai made headlines with an astonishing 439 runs. This came for Rizvi Springfield in the Under-16 category, where Sarfaraz smashed 56 fours and 12 sixes. His score shattered the 46-year-old record of 427 not out, previously held by Ramesh Nagdev. In the process, Sarfaraz also broke the fabled score of 346 runs that none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar had bagged way back in 1988. Dubbed the “Next Tendulkar” Sarfaraz’s phenomenal performance made local newspapers and national media speculate whether he would turn out to be the “next Tendulkar”. Yet, gradually, despite bright starts, the prodigy remained nowhere in public view. For years, Sarfaraz strained every sinew on the maidans of Mumbai, making his mark in first-class cricket while awaiting a call from the national selectors. As each season rolled into the next, there seemed to be no lead at all. All around him, peers such as Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, and Yashasvi Jaiswal stepped up on to the big stage, and Sarfaraz quietly waited in the wings. Sarfaraz Khan’s Test Debut After more than a decade of perseverance and unrelenting effort, Sarfaraz Khan finally reaped his rewards. Almost 14 years after his historic schoolboy innings, he got his Test cap for India. He made his test debut against England in Rajkot, Gujarat. The boy who was ready to wait for his moment was now part of the national test team, long in the making. A Maiden Test Century Here is a performance that showed his tenacity and mental strength, as Sarfaraz Khan, reached his maiden test match century. At the 56.3rd over of the game against New Zealand, as the ball came from Tim Southee, Sarfaraz responded by sending it to the boundary for four. That shot sealed his maiden test match hundred, a moment that undeniably made his father, Naushad Khan, the proudest man on earth. A Moment Worth The Wait What made Sarfaraz Khan’s century special was the context. The Indian Cricket Team needed someone from their middle order to stand up and Sarfaraz had to play out the innings from a difficult situation. His temperament under pressure was simply brilliant and clarity of mind at crunch time was fully in evidence. For all who watched it was clockwork as the ball sailed past the infield boundary, with Sarfaraz running in celebration, raising both his arms in the air and holding up his bat for everyone to see. He took off his helmet, acknowledged the dressing room, the crowd and even the skies, just delighting in every moment of his triumph. His shots and composure really told us that this is a man of great character who had waited patiently and fought hard for his place at the top level. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
IND vs BAN: Shubman Gill’s Fifth Test Ton Justifies His ‘Prince’ Tag

Shubman Gill arrived on the scene like a cricketing superhero during the 1st test match at Chennai scoring a scintillating 119* off 176 deliveries. When it really mattered, Shubman Gill rose to the occasion. With India looking pretty comfortable, Shubman Gill felt it was high time to take it up a notch and show everyone why he is one of the promising young batsmen in international cricket today and gave his fifth test-match hundred off just 161 balls. Not a moment out of place in his innings; he was cautious and aggressive at the same time, like a tightrope walker with decades of experience. Gill And Pant To The Rescue It was with Rishabh Pant that the pair transformed the pitch to their own playground, treating spectators to some kind of spread of flair and finesse which would make even the most stoic cricket fan crack a smile. Gill Dealing In Boundaries For all that Bangladesh’s spinners could do, Shubman Gill seemed to have a magic wand; he found boundaries when they appeared as elusive as a needle in a haystack. Every one of those fours and sixes was a psychological blow to the opposition. A Century Worth Celebrating This was not just any century; after a string of dazzling performances, he proved that Shubman Gill is no one-hit wonder. He showed he could conquer test cricket while waving the bat like a ballet dancer, reminding all of greats who came before. The future looks bright for Gill When the crowds erupted in cheers, the Chennai crowd knew that Shubman Gill was running up scores not only but, with every stroke, writing a script for the future of Indian cricket and one that promises excitement, flair, and a whole lot of fun. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
IND vs BAN: Rishabh Pant Belts A Breezy Century On Test Comeback

Rishabh Pant has just performed a comeback for the ages! After a long 634 days away from test match cricket-talk about a long vacation-he strode back onto the field against Bangladesh and scored his sixth test match century. It’s like Rishabh Pant never left! Pant At Par With MS Dhoni With this dazzling performance, Pant tied the record with MS Dhoni for most test match centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. If there was a comeback award, Rishabh Pant would be a hands-down winner. Pressure? What Pressure? After a lackluster 39 runs in the first innings, the stage was quite laid out for Pant to shine in the second. India wobbly at 67/3, he stepped out like he owned the place. Channeling his inner superhero, Rishabh Pant soaked in the pressure like a sponge before unleashing a batting display that saw Bangladesh’s bowlers spinning circles in a dizzy daze. Talking about luck? Bangladesh’s captain dropped him on 72—ouch! But Pant took it as a sign to keep the runs rolling. Batting Bonanza Sharing the limelight with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant brought his century shortly after lunch on day three, treating the crowd to his trademark single-handed six. It was like watching a magician perform tricks. Pant’s batting was a dazzling mix of calculated caution and audacious aggression as he nearly became impossible to keep pace with for the visitors. By the time Rishabh Pant departed at 109, he had practically batted Bangladesh out of the match, setting a daunting target of over 450 runs. A Century with Heart Well, this was no ordinary century. It was Rishabh Pant’s first across formats since surviving a life-threatening accident nearly two years ago. Rishabh Pant’s return to test match cricket does not just read as a personal victory, however it reminds us all that comebacks come at an extraordinary price. Rishabh Pant is back and here to stay–let’s see what more magic he has up his sleeve! The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye