KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran failed to leave a mark yet again as India A were reduced to 73/5 at the end of day two’s play in the second four-day game against Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Previously, Australia A managed to take a 62-run lead, thanks to opener Marcus Harris making 74 in their total of 223. For India A, fast-bowler Prasidh Krishna took a four-fer while pacer Mukesh Kumar picked three wickets.

In their second innings, India A were in trouble yet again as they went from 31/1 to 56/5. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel will have to stage a rescue act for India A, who lead by 11 runs at the end of day two. Jurel is unbeaten on 19 while Nitish Kumar Reddy is nine not out.

Before the commencement of the T20I series against South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said he’s taken the leadership style used by Rohit Sharma in his T20I captaincy career, particularly in terms of handling young players.

"I know how he (Rohit) treats the players, what he wants from them. So that route I have also taken because he's been very successful recently. When I am on the ground, I keep noticing how his body language is, how calm he is under pressure situations, how he talks to the bowlers, how he treats everyone on the field and off the field," said Suryakumar in the pre-series press conference.

"Most importantly, from a leader you expect how much time he is spending with you to have that comfort. I try to replicate that. When I am not on the ground, I try and spend time with my teammates, have a meal with them, travel together."

"These are th

India cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy feels that Danni Wyatt, who was traded to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from UP Warriorz, will be a strong contender for the opening spot to pair with captain Smriti Mandhana at the top in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025. RCB retained their core players like Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil and Asha Sobhana apart from captain Smriti, who led them to the title in the 2024 season.

The champion side released Disha Kasat, Indrani Roy, Nadine de Klerk, Heather Knight, Shubha Satheesh, Shraddha Pokharkar and Simran Dil Bahadur ahead of next month's auction.

"It's taken two years for the first trade in the WPL, and RCB has made it happen. RCB have been struggling to find a partner for Smriti Mandhana, and now, with Danni Wyatt, I think she’s a strong contender for that opening spot. Smriti likes stability with her partner at the top, so with Danni, she’ll likely give herself more time to play longer innings. We saw Sophie Devine playing in the middle order for New Zealand, and I think RCB will want to keep her there, where she can provide that power surge for the squad," Veda Krishnamurthy told JioCinema.

New Zealand cricket fans eagerly await a high-intensity series as England prepare to tour the country for three Test matches starting on November 28 in Christchurch. England’s aggressive Test approach, popularly known as ‘Bazball,’ will face scrutiny against the Black Caps, who come into the series with renewed confidence after a 3-0 whitewash of India. Despite England’s recent series loss in Pakistan, New Zealand skipper Tom Latham expects the visitors to stick to their trademark attacking style.

After England’s recent 2-1 defeat in Pakistan, cricket analysts and former captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan questioned whether England’s strategy could endure in diverse conditions, but Latham remains certain that England will not back down.

Captain Harmnapreet Kaur is the only Indian player in the 50-player shortlist for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) Team of the Decade, released on Thursday.

The greatest players from across the 10-year history of the WBBL will be honoured this season, with the Big Bash to name an official Team of the Decade.

The right-handed Indian batter has played 62 matches for Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL so far. She struck 1440 runs at an average of 37.89 including seven half-centuries.

England is set to honour legendary batter Graham Thorpe by naming a new trophy for the Test series with New Zealand. It will be named after Thorpe and New Zealand batter Martin Crowe, a tribute to two of the most iconic batter from their respective nations.

The trophy will be awarded to the winner of the Test series between England and New Zealand, a contest that dates back to the two nations’ first Test encounter in 1930. This initiative, expected to take effect in the upcoming series starting on November 28, aims to honour Crowe and Thorpe’s legacies, reported.

Crowe, often considered New Zealand’s finest batter represented his country in 77 Tests from 1982 to 1995, amassed an average of 45.36, including 17 centuries and 18 half-centuries. He was also celebrated as a thoughtful writer and commentator after his playing days, becoming one of cricket’s great thinkers. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 53, following a three-year battle with lymphoma.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expressed his criticism to the penalty calls 1-0 defeat away to Inter Milan in the Champions League and insisted on the dominance his side showed against one of the best teams in Europe.

Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty and an organised defensive display gave Inter a hard-fought victory over Arsenal, their first Champions League defeat of the season.

Merino was unfortunate to be penalised for a handball inside the area when the ball bounced up to him, and Calhanoglu converted from 12 yards. It was Merino’s final involvement of the evening, as he was replaced at the interval by Gabriel Jesus.

FC Bayern’s win over Benfica in the league phase of the Champions League was overshadowed by sad news as a fan passed away at the Allianz Arena.

A tragedy unfolded in the stands on Wednesday evening when a fan in the crowd required medical assistance and died on the way to the hospital.

The Bavarian club mourned the death of a fan and said, "The club received the sad news that the fan had passed away en route to the hospital. FC Bayern is in mourning alongside their relatives.

In a gesture of sympathy, the Bayern fans in the south stand refrained from their usual loud support during the match. "Out of respect, the Sudkurve refrained from their usual vocal support of the team, and the club also reduced its coverage of the match," the club said.

Australia batting sensation Jake Fraser-McGurk credits his move from Victoria to South Australia in 2023, for his success in cricket and is now eyeing a top-order spot in the white-ball lineup for the team.

With the second ODI against Pakistan on Friday, Fraser-McGurk is eager to capitalise on the momentum he's built over the past year and prove his readiness for a permanent role in the squad.

The 22-year-old first broke into Australia’s domestic circuit at 17 with Victoria but felt his future was uncertain until former South Australia coach Jason Gillespie, now Pakistan’s head coach, offered him a lifeline.

After moving to South Australia he quickly made a name for himself with a record-breaking 29-ball century in the One-Day Cup and a maiden Sheffield Shield hundred against his former Victorian teammates at the Adelaide Oval.

West Indies batter Keacy Carty became the first player from the island of Sint Maarten to score an international century as the Caribbean side secured an emphatic eight-wicket victory over England at Kensington Oval to clinch the ODI series 2-1.

Carty's maiden international century 128 not out off 114 balls, marked by 15 fours and two sixes, steered the West Indies to successfully chased down England's total of 263/8 with seven overs remaining.

Carty’s innings was his 50th international appearance for the West Indies, and he took full advantage of the opportunity to make his first triple-figure score against a challenging English attack.

Supporting Carty’s outstanding knock was opener Brandon King, who scored a well-crafted 102. King’s steady innings set the foundation for the West Indies' chase, as he and Carty put on an impressive 209-run partnership for the second wicket, putting the home team in a commanding position.