Team India all-rounder Washington Sundar backed Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel over poor strokes that led to their dismissals on Day 3 of the Guwahati Test against South Africa. Sundar said that Pant has tasted success with the same approach in the past and added that the management backs him completely. India had another poor day in the office on Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, November 24. Resuming their second innings at 9-0, the hosts were all-out for 201 in 83. 5 overs. Pant was dismissed for seven as he skipped down the track to Marco Jansen, but only managed to nick the ball to the keeper, while Jurel (0) mistimed a pull. The Indian captain came in for heavy criticism from fans and experts following his ugly dismissal. Sundar, however, threw his weight behind the batters. Speaking at a press conference after the end of Day 3 in Guwahati, he said: “On another day, both the balls would have gone into the stands and all of us would have appreciated and clapped. That’s how it is. Sometimes, you’ve just got to back their plans and their skill sets as well, given the fact that they have shown lot of evidences in the past as well. Obviously, the execution didn’t go the way we wanted.” Asked for an assessment of India’s batting failure on Day 3 of the Test against South Africa, Sundar replied that it is up to the individuals to take a call on how to play. The all-rounder elaborated: “There’s quite a few ways you can play the game and I think it’s up to the individuals as to what their plans are, especially on this wicket. We just back our plans and at times it doesn’t go the way we wanted to.” India got off to a decent start on Day 3 of the Guwahati Test and were 95-1 at one stage. However, they kept losing wickets to concede a huge first-innings lead. “It wasn’t a snake pit” Washington Sundar on Guwahati wicket for 2nd IND vs SA 2025 Test While India’s bowlers struggled to make an impact against South Africa in the first innings, the Proteas were a lot more effective. Left-arm pacer Jansen made the ball talk, claiming 6-48 from 19. 5 overs. Sundar admitted that the pitch remained a good one to bat on Day 3 as well. The 26-year-old said: “It wasn’t a snake pit or whatever you may call it. I mean, it’s a very good wicket. It’s a true wicket. Not many days you’ll get to bat on such tracks, especially in India. If you spend time there, runs are for the taking. You can’t really contain runs for a very long period of time.” Sundar, who batted at No. 3 in the previous Test, came in at No. 8 on Monday. He contributed a defiant 48 off 92 balls, while Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 58. At stumps on Day 2, South Africa were 26-0 in their second innings, having taken all overall lead of 314 runs.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-washington-sundar-backs-pant-jurel-ugly-dismissals-guwahati-test-ind-vs-sa-2025
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“Last I saw India win a toss was when dinosaurs used to exist” – Fans react to India & Shubman Gill’s torrid luck at toss amid 1st IND vs SA 2025 Test
Team India skipper Shubman Gill continued his unfortunate streak with the coin toss on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata on November 14.
Since taking over as India’s Test captain ahead of the England tour, the 26-year-old has been on the winning side of the coin toss only once in eight outings—the most recent being the second Test against the West Indies in Delhi. Despite this, Gill has largely enjoyed success on the field, with India winning four of the previous matches under his leadership.
The coin toss, however, has not been kind to him, even in the 50-over format. India lost all three tosses during Gill’s first series as ODI captain in the recent Australian tour.
Incidentally, this was the first time India lost a toss at home against South Africa in a Test match since 2010, at the same venue—Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The latest toss loss also marks India’s eighth defeat in their last nine outings across formats, dating back to the recent Australian tour.
Fans on X had much to say about Shubman Gill and India’s misfortune at the toss. Some notable reactions included:
– “The last time I saw India win a toss was when dinosaurs used to exist. Gill kab toss jeetega bhai,” one fan tweeted.
– Another expressed, “When India is playing, why even have a toss in the first place? Losing toss has become a norm now.”
– A hopeful fan quipped, “Only toss that I’m going to win is hopefully in the WTC finals.”
When asked about his torrid luck at the coin flip, Shubman Gill jokingly responded, “I think the only toss that I’m going to win is hopefully in the WTC finals.”
With the toss traditionally playing a crucial role in India, South Africa (Proteas) had no hesitation in batting first on what looked like a good surface.
This ongoing series marks South Africa’s first Test series in India since 2019. The Proteas are the current World Test Championship (WTC) champions, while Team India failed to qualify for the final of the 2025 edition for the first time in the tournament’s history.
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“What an unbelievable story arc” – Fans erupt as Shafali Verma plays stunning 87-run knock in IND vs SA Women’s World Cup 2025 final
Team India opener Shafali Verma played a wonderful knock in the Women’s World Cup 2025 final against South Africa on Sunday, November 2. South Africa won the toss and chose to field first at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
Shafali helped India get off to a brilliant start with an impressive performance at the crease. The 21-year-old missed out on a well-deserved century, losing her wicket after scoring 87 runs off 78 balls at an impressive strike rate of 111.54. The swashbuckling batter struck two sixes and seven fours during her stay, becoming the youngest player to hit a half-century in an ODI World Cup final.
Interestingly, Shafali was initially omitted from India’s World Cup 2025 squad. However, she was drafted into the side ahead of the semifinal as an injury replacement for Pratika Rawal. The youngster made the most of her opportunity, delivering an exceptional performance in the all-important final and earning praise from all quarters for her batting exploits.
Opening alongside Smriti Mandhana, Shafali stitched together a fantastic 104-run partnership from 106 deliveries. After Mandhana departed following a 45-run knock off 58 balls, Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues added 62 runs from as many balls for the second wicket, further solidifying India’s innings.
Shafali Verma’s impactful knock came to an end in the 28th over when Ayabonga Khaka provided South Africa with a massive breakthrough by dismissing the well-set opener. On the fifth ball of the over, Shafali attempted to play a big shot over mid-off but failed to get enough distance and was caught by Sune Luus.
The crowd at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy gave Shafali a standing ovation for her brilliant batting display. It is worth noting that she had some luck on her side during the final, receiving a big reprieve in the 21st over when Anneke Bosch dropped her catch at deep midwicket.
At the time of writing, India are 195/3 after 34 overs, with Harmanpreet Kaur (12* off 17) and Deepti Sharma (15* off 15) at the crease, looking to build on the solid foundation set by their openers.
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Smriti Mandhana departs in tame fashion after 104-run opening partnership in IND vs SA Women’s World Cup 2025 final [Watch]
Team India’s opening batter Smriti Mandhana narrowly missed out on a half-century after getting dismissed by Chloe Tryon in the Women’s World Cup 2025 Final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2.
The left-handed opener was trying to play a cut shot when she nicked one, handing the opposition their first breakthrough following a brilliant 104-run partnership. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma had provided India with a flying start after opposition skipper Laura Wolvaardt chose to bowl first.
While Mandhana played a more measured role, gradually switching gears, the returning Shafali Verma was explosive, capitalizing on the first powerplay with aggressive strokeplay.
Mandhana looked in solid touch against the spinners as they tried to tighten the middle overs. Despite India’s recent struggles against spin, especially left-arm spin, the duo coped well with the bowling of Nonkululeko Mlaba and Sune Luus.
Left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon was introduced into the attack in the 18th over. Mandhana took on Tryon immediately, smashing a boundary off just the second delivery. However, right after the 100-run stand was reached, Mandhana attempted the cut shot again, only to edge the ball to wicket-keeper Sinalo Jafta, who held on to the catch and ended the partnership.
Smriti Mandhana walked back after scoring 45 runs off 58 balls, including eight fours, at a strike rate of 77.59.
### Impressive World Cup Campaign for Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana concluded the Women’s World Cup 2025 with an outstanding run tally of 434 runs. After a slow start to the tournament, she found her rhythm and ended up as the highest run-scorer for India in a single edition of the competition.
This impressive total surpassed Mithali Raj’s 409 runs scored during the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England.
At the time of writing, India are well-placed at 137/1 in the 24th over. Shafali Verma received a second chance after Anneke Bosch dropped a routine catch at deep mid-wicket, keeping India’s innings on track in the final.
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“Please improve your batting or else it is over for you” – Twitter reacts to Arshdeep Singh’s omission in AUS vs IND 2025 1st T20I
Team India speedster Arshdeep Singh has once again found himself on the bench, as he has not been named in the playing XI for the first T20I against Australia at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday, October 29.
The left-arm bowler was also not part of the first-choice playing XI during the 2025 Asia Cup, where the Men in Blue preferred extra spin and batting depth. Despite being India’s leading wicket-taker in the T20I format, Arshdeep has played only sporadically since the five-match home series against England earlier this year.
In 2025, Arshdeep has featured in just five matches, picking up six wickets at an average of 29.17 and an economy rate of 8.90. He was last seen during the three-match ODI series against Australia, playing in the first two matches. However, the pacer struggled with cramps during the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval and was subsequently sidelined for the third ODI in Sydney.
Fans have expressed their displeasure on social media over the team management’s ongoing trend of keeping Arshdeep Singh on the bench, especially given that the pace and bounce-friendly conditions in Australia suit his style of bowling.
Notably, Arshdeep Singh has an impressive record on Australian soil, having picked 10 wickets in six T20I matches. He was among India’s first-choice bowlers during Jasprit Bumrah’s absence in the 2022 T20 World Cup, which was also held in Australia. During that tournament, he emerged as one of the team’s key performers, picking 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 15.60 and an economy rate of 7.80.
While Arshdeep has progressed steadily since then, it appears that team management currently does not have him included in their plans from a combination perspective.
In the first T20I of the series, Team India have been put into bat first by Australia captain Mitchell Marsh. At the time of writing, openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are ready to face the opening over.
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