BK Blog

       Ravindra Jadeja ascended to the top of the current ICC Test rankings for all-rounders on Wednesday. With 386 points, the 32-year-old is in the first place, followed by former West Indies captain Jason Holder and England's Ben Stokes in second and third place, respectively.      While Holder lost 28 rating points and fell out of first place, Jadeja reclaimed the top spot for the first time since August 2017, two points ahead of the Windies player. Ravindra Jadeja      Meanwhile, in the longer format of the game, R Ashwin is ranked second among bowlers.      Both cricketers are part of India's playing XI in the ongoing World Test Championship final in Southampton, which is likely to end in a draw based on the current situation.      Meanwhile, India captain Virat Kohli is ranked fourth among batsmen, with Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma also in the top ten. With 747 points, the wicketkeeper-batsman is now...

     Sunil Gavaskar, former India captain and great batsman, says India has given themselves a chance to win the World Test Championship final against New Zealand on Reserve Day, but the change in circumstances in Southampton may have made the task much more difficult.      Sunil Gavaskar, speaking to India Today from the Ageas Bowl, predicted an interesting end to the WTC final, which has already progressed to the Reserve Day on Wednesday. India must lift the ante after a cautious start on the sixth day, according to the renowned batter, if they are to register a challenging second innings total. Sunil Gavaskar's views on the reserve day      On Day 5, India was 64 for 2 at Stumps, with a 32-run lead over New Zealand. India's explosive opener Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 30 runs near the end of the day's play. Tim Southee was in charge of obtaining the veteran batter, as well as dispatching young opener Shubman Gill early in the second inn...

       The World Test Championship final in Southampton was delayed by two full days due to weather. Despite the availability of a reserve day on Wednesday, June 23, the historic final between India and New Zealand is expected to end in a tie.      After heavy rain in Southampton on Monday, Day 4 activity was called off without a ball being bowled. The players and fans were made to wait for the game to resume, but it never did since the officials at the Ageas Bowl were unable to consider restarting play due to the continuing drizzle and a wet outfield.      Notably, the much-anticipated final's first day was also rained out. At the Ageas Bowl, just 141.1 overs of cricket could be played over four days. New Zealand leads the tournament with a score of 101 for 2 after bowling out India for 217 on Day 3.      Even as cricket fans and players are unhappy by the paucity of action in the "Ultimate Test," the ICC is facing critic...

     I ndia has selected two spinners for the World Test Championship final in Southampton, which is expected to be rainy. With periodic showers expected throughout the match, batting veteran Sachin Tendulkar speaks to The Indian Express about the techniques and skills required to deal with the constantly shifting overhead circumstances.      In England, I've seen that overhead circumstances must be respected. The pitch condition in India or the subcontinent is always changing. The pitch begins to deteriorate as the game progresses, and the ball begins to turn. When there is cloud cover in England, the surroundings shift and something begins to happen off the surface. Sachin Tendulkar views on spinners in Southampton      It's perfectly acceptable if the surface requires it. Both spinners (Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja) can bat and have previously formed good partnerships. Playing two spinners isn't out of the question. Having ...

     A fter winning the toss in the pivotal final of the ICC World Test Championship versus New Zealand, what should India do? Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain, and current BCCI chief have the answer. Even if the weather is cloudy, he believes India should bat first because it has worked well for the squad on international visits. Sourav Ganguly suggest India to bat first      As India prepares to face Kane Williamson's New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl, Ganguly is optimistic that Kohli and his team will bring the Test Mace back to India. At the same time, he acknowledged that, given the Black Caps' skill and depth, it will be a difficult challenge.      “If you look into the record books and study India's best foreign results (except 2021 Australia), we have always won matches when we bat first,” Ganguly stated in an interview with India Today. It's a choice between facing the pressure first under difficult conditions or waiting until t...