3RD Test: Sibley Slips Out As Malan Moves In The Team

Going into the third test, the England Team seems to be in tatters. Their skin was saved in the first test match at Trent Bridge only by an untimely intervention of the rain gods. However, in the second test, spurred by the heroics of Shami and Bumrah, with the bat, and sledging by the English men, Indians turned the screws on their counterparts during the fourth innings. The English, at the receiving end of a brutal onslaught of quick bowling by the new-age Indian quickies, got egg-faced as they were all out for a mere 120 runs. Coming from behind in the match, India snatched the win with an impressive 151 runs margin. Obviously, heads are supposed to roll after such a poor performance.

Dom Is Shown The Door

Dom Sibley's performance was questioned by experts as he averaged only 14 in this current series so far. In fact, the slow-scoring opener has been struggling since the start of this year and averages under 20 (in 2021 so far) with just a single half-century in his last 15 innings. Hence, ideally, it should be no surprise if Dom has been shown the door. Let's take a glance at his replacement now.

Malan Makes His Comeback

Dawid Malan is making a comeback in the team after three years. Interestingly, his last test match appearance was against the same opponent- Team India at Edgbaston, in 2018, where the England Team triumphed.

Malan has already made his mark in T20 matches, where he reigns supreme as the best batsman in the world.

 

A New Combination At The Top

The only issue that we can foresee with this change is that Malan is not an opener; however, he is replacing one. Hence, the England Team has to come up with different permutations and combinations to adapt accordingly. A possible solution is that they may now open with Haseeb Hameed along with Rory Burns at the third Test that starts on Wednesday at Headingley, Leeds. 

Irrespective of the team that England brings to the field, experts opine that they have to play out of their skins to stem this Indian juggernaut. All eyes are set towards Leeds to see whether they can come out of the shocking defeat or succumb to pressure again.

Domestic T20 leagues: Plus Points

Domestic T20 leagues certainly improve the quality of cricketers overall. It brings a large talent pool into the limelight. It becomes hard for the national selectors to ignore the talented players, highlighted by their top-notch performances in these T20 leagues. The media also become more vocal in their recommendations and promotions. Previously, selectors only have the option to choose players from tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, etc. The cricket administrators and the selection committee are generally not professionals. They can be biased. Normally, selectors try to push the players from their respective zones. However, domestic T20 leagues bring a professional touch to the selection process. Most of the teams have professional coaches and selectors to select the best players that they could afford. The selection is on the basis of merit and talent. Thus, it results in fair team selection.

Levels the field

Domestic T20 leagues bring money and recognition to the players. It lets players from underprivileged backgrounds compete on a level field with their affluent counterparts. A simple fact-check in the difference of pay scales between national team players and state team players would make that evident. Remember, that there can be only eleven players plus the bench strength playing in the national team at a time. Due to their lucrative contracts, now a lot of players can truly turn and remain professional; money from their contracts negate their financial concerns. They can afford to invest more in themselves in terms of coaching, exercising gear, gym memberships, food, etc. Akin to that, they have more time (as they do not have to be engaged in any other occupation) to improve themselves physically and be more in tune with the game.

Positive effects of T20 leagues can be easily noticed on the Indian cricket team’s performance. A lot of players get selected consistently for the national team courtesy of their performance in these leagues. The national team’s performance has also improved immensely. Thus, one can deduce that domestic T20 leagues augment not only the finances and cricketers’ lives but also the team rankings; overall, they are a boon for Indian cricket.

Australian Cricket Team – The Epitome of Aggression, Audacity, and Achievement

Irrespective of the team you support, one cannot deny that the Australians bring to the table their brand of aggressive cricket, which makes them one of the most followed and simultaneously despised teams on the planet. No wonder, they are the top-dogs when it comes to ‘Test-Cricket,’ the original version. Their passion and aggression seep through to their followers, and one can note that test-cricket is still a rage among the cricketing fans of Australia. One of the oldest teams to pick up the game, they have carved a niche for their fiery brand of cricket. If you believe in the saying that – “Imitation is the best form of flattery,” then in a way every other team idolizes them as with time, the top teams and players are increasing their aggressive quotient. And, that may be a crucial factor in making the games more competitive and exciting.

 

History

The first match they played was in the year 1877 against their arch-rivals – England, and to their credit they secured the win by 45 runs. Charles Bannerman scribed his name in the record books during this match with the first Test Century ever. During the ‘Golden Age’ of Australian cricket between the year 1890 to 1900, they decimated both the English and the South Africans by winning eight out of ten tours. Victor Trumper established himself as one of Australia’s first sporting legends and batting maestro prior to Don Bradman on these tours.

Bradman, rightly considered as the best batsman to walk on earth showed his pedigree during his first tour of England in 1930. Towering above everyone he made 974 runs in the series, which included a triple century, two double centuries, and a century. Banking on Bradman, the peg of the “Unstoppables,” the Aussies won nine out of ten tests that they played next after this series. Douglas Jardine, the ruthless English captain during the 1932-1933 series introduced the “Bodyline” bowling style spearheaded by Harold Larwood to stop Bradman on his tracks to secure an average greater than one hundred. 

 

Resurgence

Led by consecutive aggressive captains – Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting, the ‘Kangaroos’ leaped ahead once again in the 1990s and kept it rolling even in the early 2000s. They became the first team to achieve a hat-trick of ‘World-Cups.’ Even in tests, they won against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, rubbed salt to the English wounds by white-washing them 5-0 in 2006-2007.  After this massive victory, their key players called it a day, nearly achieving everything possible for champions.

Australia, currently led by Tim Paine and coached by Justin Langer (one of the heroes of Australia’s resurgent dominance), they are trying to steer the ship in the right direction. Like all other teams, they don the classic ‘white’ during the test, and in sync with their military mettle, they wore the ‘Baggy Green’ as caps. Love them or hate them, you simply cannot ignore them, they would always be on your face with their barge of slangs and bumpers.