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ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is going to commence on 23^rd October. The Matches will be played at Sharjah, Abu Dhabi & Dubai which will make the tournament mouth-watering irrespective of the heat because the change of conditions can throw a lot of surprises. There are 2 groups made in which 8 teams have been placed with 4 in each group (* 4 more teams will be inducted after the Qualifying Stage gets over). The Groups are listed as follows:

Group 1	Group 2
England	India
Australia	Pakistan
South Africa	New Zealand
West Indies	Afghanistan

• Group 1

Group 1 is evenly poised as there is not only cut-throat competition but every team’s match is on the edge of knife as there are no looseners. Group 1 is as follows:

#England

Year	Performance
2016	Runners Up
2014	Group Stage
2012	Group Stage
2010	Champions

The Last 4 T20 World Cup indicates that England are making good in roads in T20 World Cricket especially in 2010.

• England have got everything to be the Champions as they are ticking each & every box whether it is batting, bowling, fielding & Captaincy as Eoin Morgan may be facing criticism of his batting but his presence in the batting line up is still threatening.

• Their conundrum is facing spin which every team will exploit & for that they should just keep in their heed that they should cut the opponent in half in the power-play overs.

• England have got an umbrella man in the form of Dawid Malan the unorthodox batsman & currently the No.1 T20 Batsman whose presence will boost team chances according to the conditions of UAE.

• The barrier for England is that they have got problems in the pace department regarding the death overs & for that they should use Tymal Mills the cunning left arm fast bowler who can create difficult angles for batters to hit.

• The spin duo of Moeen Ali & Adil Rashid need to bowl in tandem as long as possible because bowling in partnerships perturbs the batters.

#Australia

Year	Performance
2016	Group Stage
2014	Group Stage
2012	Semi Finalists
2010	Runners Up

The Last 4 T20 World Cups have been topsy-turvy as they have shown glimpses of becoming Champions but succumbed to pressure in 2010 T20 World Cup

• Australia have got back all their star players into the mix as the likes of Smith, Warner, Finch, Maxwell, Cummins, Hazlewood & Starc which will possess a sort of fear factor in opponent’s minds.

• Australia should assign someone like Maxwell, Stoinis or Mitchel Marsh to finish the games as Smith, Warner & Finch won’t every-time deliver the knock-out punch.

• Spin Department of Australia is somewhat underrated with Zampa & Agar who need to make sure that they are not increasing the work of the fast bowlers as spinners need to slow down the run rate.

• Australia have developed a very bad habit of falling like a pack of cards which will worsen their campaign & for that they need to play smartly that too pragmatically.

• Skipper Aaron Finch needs to be shrewd as making witty decisions will determine the fate of Australia.

#South Africa

Year	Performance
2016	Group Stage
2014	Semi Finalists
2012	Group Stage
2010	Group Stage

The Last 4 T20 World Cups are conveying a message that South Africa is living up to their chokers tag.

• South Africa have been bolstered not by the absence of Senior Players like Faf & Tahir but by the performance of in form players like Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock & the newly appointed skipper Temba Bavuma.
• South Africa have now developed a tendency to play like a team as they are not dependent on a single player which is rare.

• Surprisingly this time South Africa have found a new weapon which is spin as they have Shamsi, Keshav & Fortuin which have thwarted batters.

• Temba Bavuma & the Coach Mark Boucher needs to apply the theory of horses for courses as the use of Rabada, Ngidi & Nortje will decide their fate.

• David Miller needs to bat more responsibility as he is the only experienced middle order batter who has seen the highs &lows of South Africa in T20 World Cup.

#West Indies

Year	Performance
2016	Winners
2014	Semi Finalists
2012	Winners
2010	Group Stage

The Last 4 T20 World Cups have been instrumental as West Indies is the only team in the history to win 2 Championships.

• West Indies have brought back the veterans Rampaul, Gayle, DJ Bravo & a lot of players who were the part of the 2012 & 2014 T20 World Cup Triumph.

• The missing middle order jigsaw of Marlon Samules has been seeing missing but West Indies have found a like to like replacement in the form of Roston Chase who astonishingly is going to make his debut in International Twenty 20 Cricket.

• West Indies have a lot of bashers present in the form of Pollard, Russell, Bravo and their main trait is that they can wrap up the game in 1 over.

• West Indies nemesis is spin as going bang-bang against spinners won’t be the solution as the opponent teams will ruin their match and the only way, they can overcome is that they should wait for chances/mistakes from spinners.

• There is a large scale of youth & experience which is great but at the same time there has to be some clarity as it is said too many cooks destroy the food.

• England & South Africa will most probably qualify for ICC T20 World Cup Semi Finals.

• England is on a roll as they have got players for every situation which will keep them in good stead

• South Africa is going to be the party spoilers as Proteas have found a way to dismantle the opponent through simple yet winning tricks

• Australia is hoping to get hands on title on the 11^th hour which doesn’t happen overnight

• West Indies is hoping for a 3^rd Title but it seems unlikely as the pressure of defending champions will be on their mind.

• Group 2

Group 2 is literally a fight-out between India, Pakistan & New Zealand. Group 2 is as follows

#India

Year	Performance
2016	Semi Finalists
2014	Runners up
2012	Group Stage
2010	Group Stage

In the last 4 T20 World Cups India has failed to cross the final hurdle as every time an unexpected match winner comes and ruins the hopes of a billion people.

• India has to make it clear this time that they have to clinch the title as the drought of 14 years without T20 World Cup doesn’t justify by any means & for that they need their team members to remain calm in a nightmare situation which this time may happen as the former Legendary Captain MS Dhoni is back as a Mentor.

• The spin department of India has shown that they can be ruthless as the spin duo of Jadeja & Ashwin is back and the inclusion of the novice yet crafty spinners Varun Chakravarthy & Rahul Chahar will make the opponents wary of the dice which India will throw.

• Virat Kohli & team management (Ravi Shastri, *Rohit Sharma [vice-Captain] & MS Dhoni) need to be clear that they are not chopping & changing their playing 11 like whole sale as believing in the team members is optimum as Championships are won by the team not by one or two individuals.

• The pace department of India is fast & furious with deceptive variations as the likes of Bhuvneshwar, Shami, Bumrah & Shardul would be eager to roar while these pacers should keep their heads up even if they get beating as they should emphasize on process.

• Virat Kohli has announced that he is going to quit T20I Captaincy after T20 World Cup which somewhat is a catalyst as he will give it all to make this World Cup Count & for that to happen, he should lead from the front not as a batter but as a captain who stands behind his team-mates.

#Pakistan

Year	Performance
2016	Group Stage
2014	Group Stage
2012	Semi Finalists
2010	Semi Finalists

The Last 4 T20 World Cups states that Pakistan is an unpredictable & mercurial team who can upset anyone & vice versa.

• Pakistan have got their Veteran, Legendary & Senior Players back in the form of Malik & Hafeez who can play with the minds of opposition & they know how to win Titles.

• Pakistan have got a dashing & sensible wicket-keeper batter in the form of Rizwan who is taking the responsibilities & reducing the pressure on other players & he needs to continue the role of enforcer as at the other end Babar Azam can play till the end of the innings.

• Pakistan has played a lot of Cricket in UAE in the last decade which may work in their favor & for that too happen they should not panic as their first match is against their arch-rivals India who have an upper hand throughout the history of ICC T20 World Cup with 5-0.

• Pakistan’s spinners Shadab & Imad are somewhat lethal too as they bowl in tandem & it looks like Malik & Hafeez would roll up their arm too which will create a web around batters.

• The Pace Battery of Pakistan should look to do the bulk of work-load particularly in the death overs even if the conditions are suiting spinners as opponent teams players are smart enough for any error.

#New Zealand

Year	Performance
2016	Semi Finalists
2014	Semi Finalists
2012	Group Stage
2010	Group Stage

New Zealand is somewhat the dark-horses & consistent team in the last 4 T20 World Cups.

• New Zealand is banking on their pace bowling as they have got Southee, Boult, Ferguson & Jamieson who are sturdy enough to create havoc through express pace & they should make sure that they don’t get disheartened

• Skipper Kane Williamson has a humongous task ahead of him as in the middle order the selectors have dropped/refused the veteran Ross Taylor who is used to construct the innings which is not a good decision.

• New Zealand need to play wait & hunt game as taking risks won’t be an ideal way as the batting line up is fragile with the likes of Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway & Glenn Philips who don’t have ample International Experience

• The likes of Mitchell Santner, Todd Astle & Ish Sodhi are astute with their spin as New Zealand can dethrone the opponent & for that to happen New Zealand should not hesitate to play 3 spinners given the conditions.

• New Zealand would hope that James Neesham play according to his credentials as his inclusion in the team is an ominous sign as he can take the game away with both bat & ball.

#Afghanistan

Year	Performance
2016	Group Stage
2014,2012,2010*	Did not Qualify

Afghanistan is a team which is a tyro in terms of experience but in 2016 they had defeated West Indies in the Group Stage match.

• Afghanistan should keep one thing in mind that spin is not going to be the alone weapon as their batters need to put a show & score runs in excess of 150-160.

• Afghanistan have brought back the likes of Asghar Afghan & Mohammad Shahzad who are capable of playing cameos as well as architecting the innings.

• The spin troika of Rashid, Mujeeb & Nabi is threatening not only with their cunning variations but with their ability to wrap up the over in a span of 2-3 minutes due to which the batter doesn’t even know when the over was started.

• The pace department looks a bit weak link as their pacers the likes of Hamid Hassan, Karim Janat & Naveen-ul-Haq haven’t played enough cricket with their team in the recent times.

• Afghanistan would hope that their blistering batter Zazai would be able to rip the opponent as his batting technique is quite destructive.

• India & Pakistan will most probably advance to the Semi Finals where Pakistan & New Zealand can get tied on points & ultimately NRR (Net Run Rate) will come into question.

• New Zealand’s batting is not that much eye-boggling and every time bowlers won’t make the match out of it

• Afghanistan won’t qualify as India, Pakistan & New Zealand would be fighting it out & they should try to make things tricky for these 3 teams.

• Expected Augury/Result

• Pakistan or England will win the T20 World Cup because these two teams have got distinctive traits to win the World Cup as earlier in 2009 Pakistan had won T20 World Cup whereas in 2010 England had won.

• The reason behind Pakistan is favorites is due to their mercurial nature which can spring a surprise on any given day whereas England have a team & players who can change circumstances & play according to the circumstances.

• India will play with two teams (Qualifiers T20 World Cup) before Semi Final Clash which will not hold them in a good position as at that time experimentation would be going & then all of a sudden high voltage clash won’t be good.

• South Africa’s Road is a lot of steeps which can drain them with Semi Finals & as usual they may choke.

The hiatus of a very long 5 years is due to end as ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is about to start on 17^th of October. This time 12 nations are going to compete for the elusive Trophy as earlier there were 10. Out of the 12 Nations there are 4 spots are to be filled. 2 groups have been made which are as follows:

Group A	Group B
Netherlands	PNG (Papua New Guinea)
Sri Lanka	Scotland
Ireland	Bangladesh
Namibia	Oman

From Group A & Group B only 4 teams with 2 teams per group can advance to the main marquee tournament. The team which wins all the 3 matches will definitely qualify to the Super 12 whereas 2 matches with good NRR (Net Run Rate) can book a berth.

• Group A

Group A is going to be extremely intense as there is a bit of shocker as the former T20 World Cup Champions (2014) Sri Lanka are going to play Qualifiers. The majority of Group A matches are going to be played at Abu Dhabi; while the decisive day’s fixture (22 October) of Qualifiers is going to be played at Sharjah which can raise a lot of eyebrows for the teams.

• Netherlands

Netherlands come in this T20 World Cup as one of the most experienced Nation amongst the members as this is their 4^th appearance. Netherlands have had good memories in T20 World Cup as they have beaten England in 2009 & in 2014. The problem for Netherlands is that their core team hasn’t played enough Cricket Together. There is wealth of experience in the dug out in the form of Ryan Ten Doeschate & Roelof van der Merwe. The experienced players responsibility is not just only to score runs & take wickets but to guide the team members. The team of Netherlands is threatening as in 2014 T20 World Cup they had given the Proteas a scare of life as South Africa snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as they had won the game by 6 runs only. Netherlands is going to play 2 day matches out of 3 at the Abu Dhabi where the temperature is in the mid-30s while there is going to be a lot of humidity. Netherlands had won the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in 2019 which is a dangerous sign for the other sides.

• Sri Lanka

For Sri Lanka this is about their respect & integrity in World Cricket; because if they fail to pass this hurdle it would be the darkest hour in the history of Sri Lankan Cricket. Sri Lanka is going through a massive revamp. The main concern for Sri Lanka is their batting as recently Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunaratne & Niroshan Dickwella were suspended for 1 year for their bio-bubble protocol breach in England. All these three batters were the senior players while Angelo Mathews has chosen not to play citing low annual fee. There is immense amount of responsibility on the shoulders of Coach Mickey Arthur & the captain Dasun Shanaka. The likes of Avishka Fernando, Dhananjay de Silva & Dinesh Chandimal need to do the bulk of scoring (*Kusal Perera subjected to fitness). Sri Lanka’s bowlers have an undisputed strength of spin bowling which can dismantle any team on their day; but for that to happen they need support of batters. There is a slight ray of hope for Sri Lanka as earlier in July Sri Lanka had won T20I Series against India by 2-1. In that Series India were jolted by Covid-19 but at the same defeating any India Side is not a cake walk. In all these circumstances Sri Lanka would require more than a miracle. Sri Lanka have a major advantage in the group as they will play all their 3 matches in the night; particularly on the final day of fixture where they will know the scenario of qualifying.

• Ireland

Ireland is the most consistent team as this is their 6^th appearance in the ICC T20 World Cup. Ireland’s team is full power packed which can tick all the boxes on the game day as there is a good mixture of youth & experience. Ireland’s weapon is their batting as they have got the dangerous line up with Paul Stirling & Kevin O Brien who can take the game away within a blink of eye. The major concern for Ireland is that they are too much reliant on Paul Stirling which makes easier for opposition. Ireland would hope & believe that they would outclass Netherlands as earlier in 2014 Netherlands had given them a heart-attack by chasing down 190 in 13.5 overs. Ireland is also going to play 2 day matches but not at Abu Dhabi only. Ireland have got everything to go all the way; but at the end of the day, it all comes done to the execution.

•   Namibia

For Namibia this is a state of merriment as they have made it to the ICC T20 World Cup for the first time & they have returned back to ICC Tournaments after a long drought of 18 years as earlier they had participated in ICC 2003 Cricket World Cup. Namibia is placed in the toughest group as they can’t afford any slips. It is said that this is Namibia’s golden generation as they have got puissant batters & impeccable bowlers. Namibia is also going to play 2-day games similar to Ireland. The task is cut out for Namibia as they have to be ruthless to assert dominance which may sound odd & too much but that is their only option.

The Top 2 teams will go into the Super 12 Group which may be:

• Netherlands are red hot favorites to advance as they are used to create upsets.
• Ireland has a habit to play like a team which will take them forward.

Sri Lanka have a lot to do in terms of their batting line up & selection and it looks unlikely that everything be in place at the time.

Namibia is a juvenile team in respect to their experience which no doubt will enhance as this tournament is a stepping stone & they will get used to the format & to the electric atmosphere.

• Group B

Group B is not that much competitive but there is a sigh of relief for Bangladesh & Scotland as they are going to face the minnows: PNG (Papua New Guinea) & Oman. All the matches of Group B are going to be played at Oman which undoubtedly makes the matches more exciting as all the teams would get acclimatized to the conditions.

• PNG

PNG won’t be able to believe that their arduous hard work has paid off as this is their maiden ICC Tournament in which they are participating. PNG have been trying to qualify for the T20 World Cup since last 3 editions but they ended up on the loosing side but in 2019 they finished as Runners-up which earned them a spot in the Tournament. PNG has had success against Ireland & Netherlands in the past which can be scary for the other teams. PNG are fortunate enough to play all their 3 matches at day as they would aim to be party-spoilers & somehow make a name for themselves.

• Scotland

This is Scotland’s 4^th Appearance at the T20 World Cup as they are quite consistent. The main trait of Scotland is their batting prowess. Scotland need to be wary of the spin threat as Bangladesh & the rest of the teams would exploit their lapse in concentration. Scotland hasn’t defeated a strong opponent in T20 World Cup which would be in their mind. Scotland are due to play 2 Night Matches but not back -to- back. Scotland should fancy their chances as beating PNG & Oman shouldn’t be a tough task.

• Bangladesh

Bangladesh would regret the fact that they are going to play Qualifiers as they have a prestigious history of defeating big teams. Bangladesh will unarguably bank on their spin hub who have recently given sleepless nights to Cricket Australia (CA) & New Zealand Cricket (NZC). There lies a huge void in Bangladesh’s which is their batting as their batters can’t put a competitive total of 150-160 runs which is a must regardless of the pitch. The likes of Shakib, Rahim & Mahmudullah need to switch gears quickly as the rest of the batting line up hasn’t performed according to the potential. Bangladesh is going to play back-to-back night matches. Bangladesh needs to make sure that they don’t take Scotland lightly as Scotland too will be eager to start their campaign on a winning note.  Even if Bangladesh somehow gets defeated then it shouldn’t bother them as they have got the experience to outfox Oman & PNG.

• Oman

This is Oman’s consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup. Oman couldn’t have asked for a better time to participate in the T20 World Cup as they are playing in their home conditions which not only suits them but they will have a lucid idea about how to succeed. Oman have also tasted success against the likes of Ireland & Netherlands which is an ominous sign as they can be uninvited hosts/ghosts for the team. Oman is going to play back-to-back matches at the night. Oman can inflict a lot of damage by defeating Scotland or Bangladesh and if they do, they can knock over either of these two teams.

The Top 2 teams will go into the Super 12 Group which may be:

• Bangladesh has a tendency to find match winners on the given day.
• Scotland’s team spirit will hold them in good stead to qualify.

PNG should keep in mind one thing that they have come a long way ahead & they should not get disheartened as they have made a name for themselves.

Oman has a golden chance to qualify but the lack of International Cricket experience will undo them & they should take this as a learning curve.

Vivo IPL 2021 is evenly poised as 5 teams [Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Rajasthan Royals (RR) & Mumbai Indians (MI)] are competing for the remaining two spots in the play-offs as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) & Delhi Capitals (DC) are qualified and would be hoping to be in the top 2 positions in the points table as both are well placed at 18 points.

RCB just need to make sure that they don’t lose their remaining 3 matches which they are due to play against PBKS, Sun Risers Hyderabad (SRH) & DC because there is an outside chance that they would get eliminated.

MI, RR, PBKS & KKR are all stuck at 10 points as they have only 2 remaining matches; only KKR has had a superior net run rate (NRR) of + 0.302 among the 4 teams whereas there is cut – throat competition among PBKS: – 0.236, RR: -0.337 & MI: -0.453. It’s a do or die situation for all these 4 franchises.

• MI’s possible chance to make play-offs

MI’s next match is against RR which is scheduled on 5^th of October at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the pitch of Sharjah has been slow & tacky. RR have a slight good NRR which is an issue for MI as they not just need a victory but they need a thumping victory in excess of 30 – 50 runs or win the match with 2-3 overs remaining in the tank. For that to happen one of the batsmen of MI may be Rohit or Suryakumar needs to play till the end of the innings. It is extremely important in T20’s that one batsman should take a responsibility of being a supporting batter. If MI or RR lose that match then one team gets eliminated. If MI win against RR, then they have a solid chance of making it to the play-offs as their next match is against the SRH on the 8^th of October at the Abu Dhabi which is the final day of league phase matches who are having a forgettable season. MI have a knack of making it to the play-offs against all odds which is their peculiarity. It’s absolutely clear MI need resounding victories and to start with that they need to play like Mumbai Indians way.

• RR’s chance to make play-offs

RR are coming back on a sensational victory against the CSK. RR’s next match is against MI at Sharjah on 5^th of October. RR vs MI match is going to be pivotal as stated earlier. RR too need dominating victories as their NRR is better than MI but still not up-to the mark. If RR somehow defeat MI then their next match is too at Sharjah against KKR.  For both KKR & RR that would be the last match of the season; if RR win against KKR then they would have a golden chance to make it to play-offs & would be the party-spoilers as RR has not made it to the play-offs since 2018. If RR lose one match out of 2 then their journey would be ended. The specialty of RR is that any-one can become match-winner as RR is not a one-man team.

• PBKS’s possible road to make play-offs

PBKS are making good progress. PBKS’s next match is against RCB on 3^rd October at Sharjah. It’s a win-win situation for PBKS too. The problem for PBKS has been their middle order as the bulk of scoring runs has been done by their top-order especially by the skipper K.L. Rahul. There is some oddity for PBKS as their remaining matches are in day-time which could well be a decisive point as there is a lot of humidity. They are going to play RCB at Sharjah on the 3^rd of October & CSK at Dubai on the 7^th of October. PBKS are due to play two of the strongest teams which no doubt has been the heavy-weights of IPL this season & they also don’t have the services of the self-proclaimed Universe Boss “Chris Gayle” who has opted out of IPL in midway citing bubble fatigue. It would require a humongous effort to defeat these teams. If PBKS just win two matches narrowly then it would be all come down to NRR which is scary for the team. PBKS haven’t made it to the play-offs since 2014 which is a long way back.

• KKR’s possible road to make play-offs

KKR got a heart-breaking loss against PBKS which just have opened the gates of confusion for the team.  KKR are going to face SRH on 3^rd of October at the Dubai. This match for KKR is a gift as SRH are off-color in this season and they should capitalize as much as possible. KKR are firing all the cylinders and they should not get complacent as SRH would hope that they will be the uninvited ghosts. If KKR pass the hurdle of SRH then their last league fixture is against RR on 7^th of October; that clash could be the end of RR or KKR. KKR have been hunting in packs which is a dangerous sign as the opponent team can’t take any one lightly.

The Likely 4 teams to advance for Play-Offs are:

• CSK
• DC
• RCB
•  MI

MI have an uphill task but they are somewhat the dark horses who have come from bottom to top which has been seen in the season of 2014 IPL. The reason behind MI will qualify is that they would have their task cut-out as they are going to play the match on the last day of the league phase. In 2014 IPL MI did the same thing by outclassing RR as in that match MI had chased down a mammoth target of 190 runs in 14.4 runs; but there is a twist as this time MI is going to face SRH in Dubai and not in Mumbai.

• The Likely Winner of IPL will be CSK or MI

MI hardly fails to make the most of an opportunity whereas CSK would be trying to get their hands on the trophy for the 4^th time. CSK will get two opportunity to make it to the finals whereas MI will try to make it a hattrick of titles. If MI & CSK clash in finals then the inevitable will happen.

India Vanquished England in the 4^th Test Match as India won the Test Match by 157 runs. India now have taken 2-1 lead in the Test Series with the final Test match to be played at Old Trafford. India won at the Oval after 50 years as in 1971 India had defeated England under the captaincy of the late Ajit Wadekar.

England had won the toss & elected to bowl first as there were overcast conditions. England once again made the most of the conditions and put India in a state of jeopardy at 127-7; but then came Shardul Thakur who went into a beast mode and scored a quick-fire half century of 57 runs in just 36 balls. It was looking as if he was playing IPL. Shami & Ishant had niggles as a result Shardul Thakur & Umesh Yadav replaced them. India managed to score 191 runs in the 1^st inning. India surprisingly made Ravindra Jadeja bat at no.5 position. Virat Kohli once again got a start but failed to convert into a big one as he got duped into the off- stump channel by Ollie Robinson.

Chris Woakes played his 1^st Test Match of the English Summer and took 4 wickets & made a statement that he is still a good red ball bowler.

In the 1^st inning England were dented as they lost 3 crucial wickets of: Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed & the run machine of England “Joe Root” at the end of day’s play. The flurry of wickets just gave India a ray of hope that they have an outside chance as Jasprit Bumrah & Umesh Yadav were seen bowling thunder-bolts.

In the 2^nd Day Umesh Yadav struck two wickets and put England in a spot of bother as they were reduced to 62-5. Jonny Bairstow took the gloves as Jos Buttler took a paternity leave. Ollie Pope replaced Buttler and he along with Bairstow didn’t allow India’s bowlers to settle down. Ollie Pope made the most of the opportunity as he stitched partnerships with Bairstow & Moeen. Bairstow & Moeen provided vital contributions by scoring 30 odd runs each. Ollie Pope may have played an innings of his life as he took the team out of trouble as he scored 81 runs and at his dismissal England were having a lead of 59 runs.

Chris Woakes showcased his batting prowess as he scored a knock of 50 runs. England had taken a lead of 99 runs. There was a collective effort from all the bowlers where Virat Kohli used all the tricks in the book to trouble the batsmen.

India had an hour to play before the end of 2^nd day’s play. India went unscathed while the deficit was cut by 56 runs. India required a mammoth effort on the 3^rd Day as James Anderson & Co have the habit of spoiling the party. Rohit got a life on 31 runs by Rory Burns who didn’t hold on to the catch. Rohit Sharma made England & Root pay as he scored his maiden overseas hundred and was absolutely playing frustrating the bowlers. He scored 127 runs and at his dismissal India had a lead of 137 runs. It can now be said that Cheteshwar Pujara has brushed aside his strike rate issues as he was seen rotating the strike quite frequently. He played a fluent knock of 61 runs. At the end of 3^rd day’s play India were 270-3 with a lead of 169 runs and it looked like India would inflict a lot of damage.

On 4^th Day there were high hopes from Virat to end his jinx of century but this time he was foxed by Moeen Ali and was dismissed on 44 runs. At the dismissal of Virat’s wicket India had a lead of 211 runs. Ajinkya Rahane was under a lot of spotlights as he has not scored a significant knock for the team since this Test Series. In the 2^nd Innings he was dismissed for a golden duck; this could may be the end of road for Rahane. England sensed that they are in the game. Shardul Thakur & Rishabh Pant deepened the agony for England as both of them scored half centuries and after their dismissal the lead was 313 runs. In the end the so-called tail- enders of India irked England. India had set a target of an improbable 368 runs. Chris Woakes once again was the top performer with ball as he took 3 wickets. Before the end of day 4 England were unperturbed as they scored 77 runs and required 291 runs to win the Test Match. The pitch was placid as there was no help for the fast bowlers. England needed a momentous effort to win as the highest total to be chased at the Oval was 289 runs.

On 5^th Day Burns & Hameed were cautious. India’s bowlers used reverse swing and that paid off as Shardul Thakur bowled a peach of a delivery to send back Rory Burns who played a knock of 50 runs. Virat used Jadeja from one end and Jadeja was seen hitting the rough patches. Just before the lunch there was a run out of Dawid Malan where Haseeb Hameed tried to squeeze a single from nowhere. The equation of a victory for England looked a bit bleak. Jadeja took a big scalp of Haseeb Hameed as he was well settled and played a dodged knock of 63 runs. The wicket of Haseeb saw a tragic collapse as England lost 3 wickets for 6 runs where the wrecker in chief for India was Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah was bowling immaculate yorker which bamboozled Bairstow. Bumrah was playing mind games as he was not at all conceding runs. His 3^rd spell of 6 overs gave away only 6 runs and he took 2 wickets of Pope & Bairstow. The captaincy of Virat was spot on as he was in ultra-attacking mode. India’s bowlers all hunted in a pack as there was no respite. The pitch was a belter where the bowlers had to toil a lot. Umesh Yadav & Shardul Thakur wrapped up the match and India won the Test Match. Shardul Thakur proved to be a X factor for India as in the 1^st inning he took the wicket of the well-set Ollie Pope & in the 2^nd inning he took the wicket of the big fish Joe Root. His contribution in the Test Match as a bowler was like a catalyst. Jasprit Bumrah became the fastest Indian pacer to take 100 wickets in 24 Test Matches beating the record of Kapil Dev who had achieved the feat in 25 Test Matches.

The task is cut out for England, they have to win the next Test Match to avoid a Series Defeat. If they want to win the next Test Match then the likes of Bairstow need to score match winning knocks. England have added Jos Buttler & Jack Leach for the 5^th Test Match; this indicates that England may play two spinners for Manchester. If England wants to Draw the Test Series, then Root should not use defensive tactics; he should not wait for things to happen instead of that make things happen.

There was a lot of buzz about the non-selection of Ravichandran Ashwin as he hasn’t played a single test match in this series as Virat is seen going for 4 pacers & Jadeja the spinner. In the post-match presentation when Virat was asked about the 2^nd spinner he said that the team is not concerned about the noise on the outset. The concern for India is regarding the form of Ajinkya Rahane and if India decides to drop/rest him then Suryakumar Yadav/ Hanuma Vihari would play or may be that would another surprise. If India wants to win the next Test Match, then they should blunt the new ball the same way they did in the 2^nd innings while the bowling line up of India may see return of Ishant & Shami so there are a lot of happy headaches for India; if India wins the Test Series, then they would win after 14 years as earlier in 2007 India had won under the leadership of the “Wall” Rahul Dravid.

England are in a precarious position currently as there have been a lot of collapses. India would hope that they don’t get too overjoyed by this victory as it is often said: “It’s never over until it’s over.”

India clinched a thriller by winning the 2^nd Test Match by a huge margin of 151 runs. India now have taken a 1-0 lead in the 5 Test Match Series. This was India’s 3^rd   Victory at Lord’s as earlier in 1986 under the leadership of Kapil Dev India had won by 5 wickets whereas in 2014 under MS Dhoni India had won by 95 runs.

England had elected to bowl first as there were cloudy conditions. Rohit Sharma & K.L. Rahul showed immense grit & determination as they scored the 1^st 100 opening partnership for India in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand & Australia) Countries after 2010. K.L. Rahul displayed a proper Test Match Inning as he played a knock of 129 runs. Rohit Sharma was undone by a peach of a delivery from the sensation of swing bowling James Anderson as Rohit scored 83 runs. India was looking set for a total of in excess 400 runs but England restricted India to 364 runs. Virat Kohli failed to capitalize on his start as he hasn’t scored a century in Test Cricket since November 2019. James Anderson took his 31^st 5 wicket haul and test by test he is getting younger & better as Joe Root is giving him long spells.

England’s top order’s woes were seen where the batsmen were making same mistakes. Haseeb Hameed who made his debut against India in 2016 had a forgettable comeback as he was dismissed for a duck on the very first ball by the speedster Mohammed Siraj. Joe Root & Rory Burns tried to steady the ship but Rory lost his concentration and gave India a chance to make a comeback. Burns scored 49 runs & would rue the fact that he was well set as he had faced 136 runs. Joe Root then played a marathon innings as he scored a gigantic knock of 180 runs. He was well accompanied by Jonny Bairstow who scored 57 runs; while he would be somewhat relieved that he has contributed to team’s score as he has been on the radar since the last couple of years. England got bundled out for 391 runs as they got a slender lead of 27 runs. Jasprit Bumrah had bowled 13 no balls in the first innings which is a worrying sign for India as he is one of India’s lethal fast bowlers. Siraj bowled impeccable lines & length’s which forced the batsmen to make a mistake as he took 4 wickets. The experienced campaigner Ishant Sharma took 3 wickets who is currently playing his 4^th Test Series in England guided the bowling line up.

India started their innings with a careful approach as it was necessary to see off the new ball. All of a sudden India lost Rohit, Rahul & Kohli when their lead was just 28 runs. Then Cheteshwar Pujara & Ajinkya Rahane went into ultra-defensive mode as most of the times they were blocking & leaving the ball. Pujara showed his class as he faced 206 balls & scored 45 runs as he took the pressure off from Rahane. Rahane departed by scoring 61 runs just when the lead was looking threatening. India were looking in a spot of bother where their lead was 188 runs but then from no where Mohammed Shami & Jasprit Bumrah stitched a partnership of 89 runs. Shami scored 56 runs whereas Bumrah frustrated England by scoring 34 runs. Joe Root made a blunder by keeping fielders at boundaries for these two batsmen which is not acceptable at this level. Mark Wood was the pick of the bowlers as he took 3 wickets and was breaking partnerships. England’s bowlers didn’t try to execute Yorker on a consistent basis as the best way to dismiss a tail-ender is to thrash his stumps. England had a target of an improbable 271 runs to chase in a span of 60 overs or to salvage a draw by playing out 60 overs.

India’s fast bowlers Bumrah & Shami dismissed both the openers for duck in their 1^st over as England was seen rattled. Root once again carried the burden of taking the team out of trouble. Half of England’s team was dismissed under 23 overs whereas this time Root was dismissed early. The onus was on Jos Buttler & Moeen Ali to eke out a draw. India’s bowlers were hunting in a pack as there was no sight of relief.  With 2 wickets left and 9 overs remaining it was a nervy situation as Buttler was still there who was looking unperturbed. Siraj came in to bowl the 52^nd over & then Buttler saw a wide delivery and throwed his hands to it and nicked the ball to the wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant which opened the gate of victory and then Siraj wasted no more time as he castled James Anderson’s stumps and India won the Test Match. The entire bowling line up of India now is proving to be a force to reckon with. Siraj took 4 wickets in the 2^nd innings and a total of 8 wickets in the Test Match. The captaincy of Virat Kohli was spot on as he was in an attacking mode which didn’t allow the batsmen to rotate the strike.

This loss would hurt England a lot as on Day 5 they were in a state of commanding position. Their top order needs to be revamped and that has been done as ECB (England Cricket Board) have axed Dominic Sibley & Zak Crawley and in their place Dawid Malan has been named. Malan last played a Test Match against India in 2018. Mark Wood’s availability is uncertain as a result the uncapped Saqib Mahmood has been named. England have been jolted with these blows as earlier before the start of 2^nd Test Match Stuart Broad got injured. If England wants to win this Test Series, then it would require a hurricane effort as currently India is in ascendancy.

India would be happy that their bowlers created a miracle out of no where as bowling out a team out of 60 overs doesn’t happen too often. The only area they would be concerned that Pujara, Kohli & Rahane are not scoring the bulk of the runs. India needs to use Siraj carefully and not make the same mistake which they made with Bumrah by playing him in all matches.

There was a lot of sledging done by England & India which says a lot about the rivalry but at the same time the major focus needs to be on the field. Earlier in 2014 there was a spat between Jadeja & Anderson which was carried all the way till the end of the series and now there is between Bumrah & Anderson.

In 2014 England had lost the Test Match at Lord’s which was the 2^nd Test Match of the Series and then went on to win the Test Series by 3-1 under the leadership of the Sir Alastair Cook; Root would hope & believe that his team can turn the tide by taking a leaf out of that Series. India should not give any chance to England because the shift of momentum can prove a decisive point.

Australian Cricket is known for dominating the opposition across the formats but ever since the outbreak of Covid-19 they have failed miserably. In 2020 Australia became the No.1 T20I ranked side for the first time and it looked like Australia is going in the right direction Australia then lost 5 Consecutive T20I Series.

•  England defeated Australia by 2-1 in England 2020
• India defeated Australia by 2-1 in Australia 2020
• New Zealand defeated Australia by 3-2 in New Zealand 2021
• West Indies defeated Australia by 4-1 in West Indies 2021
• Bangladesh defeated Australia by 4-1 in Bangladesh 2021

In all these T20I Series Australia have found a way to gift the match to the opponent. As the T20 World Cup is knocking the door Australia is in tatters as they don’t know their playing 11 nor do they have their spots finalized. Their recent defeats against West Indies & Bangladesh augurs that they are failing to pick the spinners & their shot selection is nowhere great.

There is uncertainty regarding Steven Smith’s participation in T20 World Cup as he is nursing an elbow injury as a player of his class is required in tacky conditions of UAE. If Smith doesn’t play then Mitchell Marsh would cement his place. Mitchell Marsh was the alone batsman in the batting department in the tours of West Indies & Bangladesh who accumulated runs. Australia has problems of finding the finisher as they have tried “n” players and recently against West Indies & Bangladesh they tried the veteran Daniel Christian who didn’t perform according to his reputation & credentials.

The pace department of Australia is red hot but how they manage would be critical as playing Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood & Patrick Cummins would affect their work-load. The spin department is quite good with the spin duo of Ashton Agar & Adam Zampa. Australia’s bowlers most of the time have been good and they have been led down by batsmen which is unacceptable as the morale of bowlers takes a huge drop.

Australia is going to face England, South Africa, West Indies & two teams which will qualify from the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. If Australia wants to make it to the knock out stages & win the World Cup then they have to pull of a heist as all these 3 teams are a force to reckon with. Every-time Warner & Finch won’t win the games & the same applies with Starc, Cummins & Hazlewood. It can be said that if Australia win the T20 World Cup it would be an upset.