COVID setback stuns Stars; dynamic duo doubtful for tournament opener
Can Melbourne Stars cope up with the absence of Glenn Maxwell?
Australia One Day Cup | Cameron Bancroft century lifts Western Australia to win over Queensland
BBL10| Match Report: Cool and calm Jimmy Peirson takes Heat to the Knockout
Brisbane Heat wicket-keeper batsman and vice-captain Jimmy Peirson showed an exemplary sense of calm and composure as he scored an unbeaten 47 off 44 balls to take his team past the Adelaide Strikers by six wickets in a low scoring thriller at the Gabba. He was awarded Man of the Match for his match-winning performance. A chase as short as 131 got way more interesting than was expected of it as Heat lose two quick and important wickets of skipper Chris Lynn and Marnus Labuschagne, giving Strikers a chance to bring themselves into the context. Soon after, Sam Heazlett, who took Max Bryant’s place in the side was also dismissed cheaply to force Heat in a shell. Wes Agar, Michael Neser and Peter Siddle took the three wickets. It was then that Pierson joined Joe Denly and the duo constructed a rebuild fo the home team. The two of them put together 69 runs in 59 balls and took Heat to 92 in the 14th over before a rash shot from Denly saw him getting dismissed for 40. On the very next ball, Joe Burns was provided with life as he was dropped in the slips off Danny Briggs. But that was the last chance that the Heat gave strikers as they rushed away with the win soon after. Earlier in the evening, Strikers, contrary to belief, chose to field first after winning the toss. The decision didn’t turn out to be a great one as their openers couldn’t get on with the game and a slow wicket played its role in it as well, as most of the balls kept low. This meant that Strikers could get to only 45 runs in the eighth over. From there onwards, the wickets kept falling and Labuschagne was the destroyer in chief, picking up three wickets for 13 runs in his three overs, as Strikers could reach up to only 114 at the loss of seven wickets while in their 19th over. Hadn’t it been for Jon Wells’ three fours in the last over, reaching to 130 would also have been difficult for the Strikers at the end. With this win, Heat have now made it to the Knockout game of the Finals where they will face Sydney Thunder on 31st January at the Manuka Oval.
BBL10 | Preview: Heat up against party spoilers Renegades to save their campaign
Brisbane Heat after being humiliated by the Adelaide Strikers in their most important game of the season would now be up against a Melbourne Renegades side that defeated Stars in their last game to make sure that everyone notices their potential. It would be a tough game for the Heat as the Renegades team has nothing to lose, but the Blue Brigades are still in with a chance if they are able to win both of their remaining games and certain results of other teams, go their way. Heat bank on world-class batting lineup Chris Lynn the skipper Darren Lehmann the coach of the Heat would bank on their strong batting lineup to deliver at the time of crisis which they were unable to do in the last game. The likes of Joe Burns, Joe Denly, and Marnus Labuschagne alongside the captain Lynn are more than enough to send jitters down any bowling lineup. There however needs to be a change as to how things should go as too many similar kinds of batsmen are batting in the same team. Any one of the three among Marnus, Denly, and Burns would have to attack from the word as the team can’t afford to go into a shell as and when Lynn goes out. All-rounders like Lewis Gregory, Jack Wildermuth, and James Bazley also need to show character and stand for the team with both the bat and the ball to get a win and try to keep the campaign going. Renegades would like the young guns to keep going While all the experience guns of Renegades be it, Shaun Marsh, Riley Russow, or even skipper Aaron Finch hasn’t really been able to get going in this tournament, youngsters like Mackenzie Harvey, Peter Hatzoglou, Jack Prestwidge along with Jake Fraser-McGurk have really shown the world what they are made up of. It is these guys only who would be up against an experienced Heat lineup and try and execute their skills. They become even more dangerous because they don’t come with any baggage to prove to anyone and hence express themselves freely. Renegades vs Heat: Match Details Match Number- 49 Date and Time- Jan 22, 2021, 10:35:00 am IST, 04:05pm Local, 05.05 am GMT Venue- Dockland, Melbourne Broadcast- Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network Pitch Report In the two games that have so far been played at the docklands, it has been seen that the pitch is good for a batsman who gets his eye in and not for someone who starts hitting from the first ball without getting hang of the line and length and the pace of the wicket. It has so far produced two very good encounters so far and the same thing is expected from it going forward. Weather and Bat Flip The weather of Melbourne for tomorrow is going to be a bit cloudy and with the pitch so far assisting swing it would be a good wicket to bowl on early on and then it is going to get better with time. Hence the team winning the toss would look to field first. Renegades Strongest XI Aaron Finch (c), Shaun Marsh, Sam Harper (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Beau Webster, Imad Wasim, Jack Prestwidge, Josh Lalor, Zak Evans, Peter Hatzoglou Heat Strongest XI Joe Burns, Chris Lynn (c), Joe Denly, Marnus Labuschagne, Lewis Gregory, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Jack Wildermuth, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mitchell Swepson, James Bazley
BBL10 | Match Report: Joe Burns take Heat to victory as Renegades run out of luck
It was once again a matter of luck combined with a lack of application from the Melbourne Renegades as they were beaten by a struggling Brisbane Heat at Manuka Oval Canberra in a BBL10 encounter. Experienced Joe Burns guided the Heat to the victory by scoring a 15 ball 31. With this win, the Heat have now reached fifth place in a tightly contested points table where only one point separates four teams in the middle of the table. Burns to the rescue The Heat were going well as two experienced campaigners in Chris Lynn and Joe Denly had built a 59 runs partnership timing the chase of 150 to perfection. But as soon as skipper Lynn fell to Kane Richardson, there was chaos in the Heat camp and within a span of 12 runs and 14 balls, four Brisbane batsmen had been sent back to the pavilion. Denly, Lynn, James Bazely, and Lewis Gregory, all match winners were back in the hut and the Heat still needed 33 from 23 balls with two new men in Burns and wicket-keeper batsman Jimmy Pierson at the crease. Instead of backing down to the terrific spin bowling from the Renegades, the Australian Test opener decided to take the attack to the opposition and hit Peter Hatzoglou for 12 runs in the 17th over bringing down the equation to 22 from 18. He then hit Noor Ahmed the Afghan left-arm chinaman for another 12 runs, reducing the target to 10 from 12. Eventually, he hit Kane Richardson for a four to the third man to seal the deal on the fifth ball of the 19th over. It was Burns’ 31 off 15 in which he hit four boundaries and a six that got Heat over the line in what was a tight match, albeit the scorecard unable to suggest so. Luck quotient: Lynn had plenty, 'Gades kept searching for it Luck seems to have deserted Renegades in this year's BBL as Lynn, who scored 50 off 40 balls was dropped twice, once at 22 and another time (though the ball did not reach the fielder, it was a catch nonetheless) in his 40s. If this was not enough, even after getting caught, he remained alive as the ball was declared a no-ball, not a front foot no-ball but a back foot one as Jack Prestwidge’s back foot just cut the white line of the crease. Although they tried a lot to make a match out of it, then young Hatzoglou Bowled short of length to Burns just when the pressure was mounting on the Heat in the death overs. Similar was the case at the time of the Bash Boost point. The heat needed 13 from the last over to win the Boost point, Noor Ahmed who had dropped Lynn in the last over was given the opportunity to defend it and he got swanked for a six via a damaging slog sweep by Denly, before straying down the leg to give three leg byes to fine leg and losing the Boost and a single point that the Renegades might have got. Webster gets Renegades' bowlers a total to defend Renegades, much like their previous encounters were once again found to be lacking in the batting department as after being sent to bat first by the Heat, they lost their top scorer Shaun Marsh on the very first delivery that he faced. Youngsters Mackenzie Harvey and Sam Harper tried to build a partnership, but that couldn’t last long either. Skipper Aaron Finch, who was pushed into the middle order continued his miserable run in the tournament as he went down for 13 off 13 balls. The ‘Glades were struggling at 59-4 when Beau Webster joined Jake Fraser-McGurk at the crease in the 9th over. The two then stitched together a slow but needful 58 runs from 51 balls. But just as they were thinking to accelerate Fraser-McGurk was picked by Mark Steketee in the 17th over. Prestwidge followed him as well, as not a single run was added for the next five deliveries. At that moment, Webster was joined by Imad Wasim who fed him strike at regular intervals. Utilizing the opportunity, Webster smoked 28 runs in just 12 balls to get to his much deserved fifty and also pushed the total to 149. He hit three fours and two sixes in his 40 balls 50 not out. What's next? Renegades will now travel to the MCG to play the all-important Melbourne Derby on 17th January while Heat will face the Scorchers in a fight for the Playoffs at the Docklands on 19th January.
BBL10 Match Preview: Heat look to continue momentum against rhythm-searching Stars
Two teams that have found momentum late in the 10th edition of the BBL are Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers. While one of it continued by beating the table-toppers Sydney Sixers in their last game, the Chris Lynn led side too would be looking to take it forward when they faced Glenn Maxwell led Melbourne Stars at the Carrara Oval. Stars though on the other hand have found a little bit of a rhythm winning against Hurricanes, having lost three games in a row. Few things went right for them in that game which included the form of their star campaigners Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa along with Hilton Cartwright and the two blinders from the Specimen Andre Fletcher. The Joe Factor In their last game, it was Joe Burns, who joined the Heat team after getting released from the Australian Test squad due to poor form. The opener struggled in the game against the Sixers, however, he kind of found his ‘hands’ against the Thunder and the Heat unit would hope that the form continues. Along with him is the overseas signing Joe Denly who has been terrific in the two games that he has played so far, scoring a fifty in the last game. The two Joes would give enough confidence to skipper Lynn along with late order hitters in Lewis Gregory and Jimmy Pierson. With Mark Steketee and Mujeeb in the kind of form that they are, it shouldn’t really be a matter for the Heat to give the toughest of the fights to the Stars. Stoinis could be the shining 'Star' Stars are looking to find momentum and one win in the kitty would have done a tremendous amount of good for the team, especially in the way that victory came about. The usual suspects Glenn Maxwell and Nicholas Pooran did not fire and it was Stoinis and Cartwright that came to the rescue. Similarly in the bowling, even after being without Nathan Coulter-Nile, an unknown gun in Sam Rainbird delivered. It is these performances that would lift the spirits of the team. Among them, Stoinis finding form and hitting a brilliant 97 not out has been the biggest plays and the Stars team would like him to continue with this form and also contribute with a few overs in bowling to take the team balance a notch above. Heat vs Stars: Match Details Match Number- 32 Date and Time: 07th January 2021, 08.20 pm local, 03.50 pm IST, 10.20 am GMT Venue: Carrara Oval, Brisbane Broadcast: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV Pitch Report The pitch at Carrara Oval has been generally good in this BBL season offering good pace and bounce. Good pace and bounce in Australia are actually batting friendly. However, that doesn't mean flat deck either as bowlers, if they try, can get purchase off the surface if they hit the right lengths. It is expected to behave the same in this game as well. Weather and Bat Flip The weather has been really put off in matches at the Carrara oval with rain intervals halting games. For this match, the forecast is that rain would disturb the proceedings this time as well. With 55% chances of rain in the night and 78% cloud cover, captains could do nothing but win the toss and field first. Heat Strongest XI Chris Lynn, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Joe Denly, Jack Wildermuth, Jimmy Peirson (c & wk), Lewis Gregory, James Bazley, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Stars Strongest XI Marcus Stoinis, Nick Larkin, Hilton Cartwright, Nicholas Pooran, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell (c), Seb Gotch (wk), Adam Zampa, Liam Hatcher, Sam Rainbird, Billy Stanlake
BBL 10 Match Report: Burns and Denly lead Heat to victory over Thunder
Despite a late wobble, Brisbane Heat were able to complete a rather clinical chase to gain an important victory over Sydney Thunder in their Big Bash League (BBL) match at Gabba on Monday. Joe Burns, recently dropped from the Test team for poor performances in the two Tests this summer against India, found his groove again and scored a brilliant 52 off 38 balls to spearhead the chase. He was ably assisted by Englishman Joe Denly who also scored a half-century, 50 off 36 balls, and crafted a pivotal 90-run partnership that sealed the game for the home team. In the end, the target of 175 was chased down by the Heat in 19.1 overs, for the loss of five wickets. Sydney Thunder won the toss and chose to bat first. They suffered a loss very early on as Usman Khawaja was dismissed on the second ball of the match by Xavier Bartlett. However, Thunder fought back strongly with Alex Hales and Callum Ferguson going after the bowlers. The 50 for the Sydney-based side came up in 6.2 overs as the Hales-Ferguson partnership started finding the boundaries regularly. Heat turned to their main spin weapon, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, and he brought results. Even though he went for runs in his first over, Mujeeb struck in his second over, getting Hales out four short of his half-century. The Afghan struck again three overs later to get the other set batsman Callum Ferguson out as well. At 93/3 in 11.4 overs, the match was in the balance. But it tilted towards the bowling side as Mark Steketee got the wicket of Ollie Davis soon after to leave the team at a precarious 96/4. Sam Billings played a couple of impressive shots before getting out himself for 22. Then, Daniel Sams played another great cameo, despite suffering a hard blow to his head when a bouncer struck his helmet. Sams’ 37 from 18 balls lifted Thunder from 108/5 in 13.4 overs to 147/6 in 17.3. After Sams’ dismissal, Ben Cutting took over and played a cameo of 24 from 15 balls. The Sydney side ended up with 174/8. For Heat, Mujeeb and Steketee picked up two wickets each. Heat then unleashed a major weapon in their arsenal – the super sub Chris Lynn. He and Max Bryant got their team a blazing start. Lynn threw all caution to wind and launched into various big hits. Bryant also got going with a few boundaries. The introduction of spin brought respite to Thunder. First, Chris Green ended the knock of Bryant and then, young leggie Tanveer Sangha got the prized scalp of Lynn. However, there was no backing away by Heat and in the same over that Sangha got the wicket of Lynn, his first, he also conceded 11 runs. The spinners were then held back as the pacers were brought back. The two Joes – Burns and Denly – then formed the key partnership that completely took the game away from Thunder. The only time the team wearing blue looked wavering in their chase was when Sangha picked up two wickets in two balls – first Denly and then Lewis Gregory. Another wicket quickly after, of Burns, did create some tension. But with the required run rate well under control, all it needed were a couple of boundaries to end the pressure and take the team home. With six needed off seven balls, a lofted boundary over midwicket took Heat on the brink of victory. A brace of the first ball of the last over brought curtains down on the match.
Heat look to regain momentum on home soil against high-flying Sixers
Brisbane Heat would be looking to get back to winning ways after falling short by a solitary run against the Hobart Hurricanes in their year ending clash. In the new year though, they would like to move on, make use of the home conditions and crush probably the best team in the league-Sydney Sixers. On the other hand, Sixers, with four wins in a row would look to maximize on their form and the form of their star players like Josh Philippe and Daniel Hughes. Now that Holder is not available, the two other all-rounders in Carlos Brathwaite and Dan Christian would have to pull up their socks and fill in for him. Denly and Burns to turn the tides for Heat The Brisbane team has looked a depleted side much due to the pullouts from the likes of Tom Banton. Also Chris Lynn the captain has not been able to play in the last two games and won’t be available for this one either. Morne Morkel has so far been missing the action, even after being a local player now. It is due to these problems that the inclusion of experienced guys like Joe Burns, who has been released from the Aussie Test squad, and Joe Denly, who is finally fit and raring to strike hard would give Heat some confidence ahead of the game. Along with this, they would be looking to get a fine balance among their foreign stars who can all bowl, especially Mujeeb Ur Rehaman and Lewis Gregory to get the team early and timely strikes. Mujeeb showed what he is capable of with the five for in the last game, while Gregory was at the top of his game in the match prior to that. Sixers won't mind another one Having won two fiercely close games against two Melbourne sides, the Sydney Sixers won’t mind winning another close one against the Heat. They have been buoyed by the comeback of Jackson Bird and the overseas replacement of Holder, T20 Blast’s highest wicket-taker Jake Ball. The England star will be looking to make an impact right with the word go. While these factors form part of an important consideration, what is even more noticeable is the fact that the Sixers have always found an unlikely hero in every game. They wouldn’t mind one in this game either and Bir or Ball could be that hero as well. Heat vs Sixers: Match Details Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane Date and Time: January 2, 02:45 PM IST, 07:15 PM Local, 09:15 AM GMT Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV Pitch Report The pitch at Brisbane has been a bit on the slower side, helping spinners with grip and turn, and also those who are ready to get slowness off the surface with their cutters. This phenomenon is more seen in the second innings, although Gabba is considered to be one of the fastest squares in Australia. No team in the three matches played here so far, have been able to get past 150 in the first innings, and the chasing team, Heat all the three times have struggled to get to that total, losing twice with close margins ( by two runs vs Strikers and by one run vs Hurricanes) and winning one with a great seventh-wicket partnership. Hence expecting a high score game would be too much for tomorrow Weather and Bat Flip The weather in Brisbane would remain a bit chilly with partly cloudy skies and a 40% chance of rain. Even in the last BBL game at the Carrara in Brisbane, it had to be decided through Duckworth Lewis, hence teams winning the flip would look to field first. Heat Probable XI Joe Bruns, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jimmy Peirson(w/c), James Bazley, Simon Milenko, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Sixers Probable XI Josh Philippe(w), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Daniel Hughes(c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshuis, Ben Manenti, Steve OKeefe, Jake Ball
Australia recall Warner, Pucovski after injury for SCG Test; Burns gets axed
Facing stern criticism after a heavy loss in the Boxing Day Test against the touring Indian side, Australia have welcomed the return of David Warner and uncapped Will Pucovski into the updated squad for the third Test slated to take place in Sydney. Also, running horribly out of form opener Joe Burns has been dropped from the squad after three bad innings when he looked really out of sorts against the impressive Indian bowling attack. David Warner had suffered a groin injury in the second ODI against India and walked off the field and was ruled out the T20 series and two Test that followed while Pucovski was hit on the head in the warm-up game by India’s net bowler Karthik Tyagi and he was ruled out on concussion ground. National selector Trevor Hohns has said that Pucovski has recovered from the concussion and its subsequent symptoms. Pucovski is likely to debut at the SCG and will open the innings for Australia along with David Warner as the left-hander too, has been shaping up nicely after returning to the national team fold. There were few concerns on his mobility on the field but Australia desperately need him in pursuit of earning the Border Gavaskar Trophy back from India. "David has made strong progress in his recovery from injury and will be given every chance to play in Sydney with another seven days until the match. Sean has fully recovered from a calf strain and is also available for selection,” Hohns said on Warner’s availability for the third Test. "Will is in the final stages of the graduated return to play protocols and has been symptom-free for some time. He will be fit to play in Sydney subject to completing the return to play protocols and an independent assessment,” Hohns added on Pucovski’s concussion and his recovery from the symptoms after suffering his ninth concussion in life. The Border Gavaskar series is levelled at 1-1 and both sides will look to see the remaining part of the series a two-match series with India too, getting the good news of Rohit Sharma’s return. But, they would be fretting over the injury concerns of Umesh Yadav who walked off the field in the midway of an over in the second innings of Australia at the MCG on the third day.
David Warner won't play in Boxing Day Test against India
Despite all the hope and hype to the contrary, Australia's ace opening batsman David Warner won't be able to play in the upcoming Boxing Day Test match against India as he hasn't fully recovered from the groin injury he suffered during an ODI against India last month. The state of Warner's injury may have been a redundant issue anyway as the protocols in place for preventing the spread of COVID would have prevented the left-handed batsman from joining the Aussie squad in the bio-bubble anyway. In Warner's absence, Australia have declared an unchanged squad for the second Test and the team management and selectors have been rid, for the time being, the trouble of having to pick who will be the unlucky player to miss out from the playing XI after their comprehensive win over India in the first Test at Adelaide. In the absence of Warner, the Australians opted for the opening pair of Joe Burns and Matthew Wade. While both the batsmen failed in the first innings, they were able to put up a very impressive 70-run partnership in the second innings which smoothed the path for the team's victory in the match. Burns, who brought up his fifty by hook shot for six, off the last ball of the match, was certain to open. That left a difficult choice for the home team. In order to accomodate Warner, they would have had to drop either Wade or Cameron Green. Both would have been considered unfortunate if the axe fell of them. Along with Warner, seamer Sean Abbott has also not been cleared to join his team in the bio-bubble. His absence though, would not be felt since Australia's first-choice and very successful bowling attack is in top form and does not need any tinkering.
Joe Burns reveals how one shot turned his form around against India
Sunil Gavaskar always advocates rules in favour of batsmen and in his defence he always argues that it takes just one delivery, good or bad for a bowler to undo all the hard work put in by batsmen. A batsman can be dismissed by some of the worst balls, while some of their best shots can be caught in unbelievable fashion to send them back to the pavilion. The reverse can also be true. A batsman can also get back in his best rhythm in a span of one ball or one shot where he gets the feel-good factor about finding the middle of the bat. Although Mr. Gavaskar has not said this yet, for the Australian opener Joe Burns, the reverse was true and he was happy at the receiving end of it in the first test against Adelaide. Burns has not a great time in the middle with bat and his place in the playing XI was up for debate before both David Warner and Will Pucovski were ruled out of the first test His start with the bat in the Adelaide test was not any good either as after battling the initial spells of Jaspirt Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, he was caught in front of the stumps, only just by a Bumrah’s yorker and the trouble was deepening for Burns. In the second innings as well, he was greeted with short balls by a deflated Indian bowling attack and one hit his arm near the elbow region. His life at the crease was getting worse as he was made to bat almost with only one arm, but the breakthrough moment arrived for the beleaguered opener until that point when one of the short delivery off Umesh Yadav could not rise much and he found the middle of the bat to despatch it to the boundary. Burns saw both the comical and philosophical side of the game when he felt like coming back into a rhythm once again, which he felt was just one shot away. "It's funny how in this game it's often one shot that can give you everything you've been searching for. Probably the first pull shot I hit off Umesh Yadav, think I was on 4 and it came out of the middle and felt amazing. I think all summer I've been confident, I've been batting well, just without rhythm. To find some rhythm in the middle, often it can be one shot away. I just kept working hard, been in this situation many times before, you know how quickly it can turn," Burns said. Burns has had a horror run of form leading up to the first test with an aggregate of 62 runs from nine innings for Queensland and Australia A. He said that although he would have loved the prospect of facing the Indian team and the bowling attack on the back of the good form, he is experienced enough to decipher that past performance only plays a little role in shaping one’s technique and class which are permanent and players don’t lose those values overnight. "And to take on a fantastic opposition in such a big series, it's easy to get yourself locked in before that first ball. I'd love to be coming off four-five first-class hundreds but at the end of the day it doesn't matter what's happened before, your skills stay the same and your job stays the same and your ambitions stay the same. You just have to do it. Fortunately for me I've got 10 years of experience to draw on if the preceding five or six weeks weren't great,” Burns added. Burns has been cleared to play in the Boxing Day test after the scans have ruled out any serious injury due to the blow he took and it would be a deja vu moment for him. He had made his debut in Test cricket at the same ground and against the same opposition--India in 2014 and like his debut Test match, coming in with a lot to prove about his quality as a batsman. For Burns, the return to test cricket felt almost like a test debut only after a prolonged period of lockdown and quarantine and he would be hoping to make amends with the bat in the next test and dismiss all the talks around his place in the starting Xi. "You reflect on the year that's been, the big lay-off from playing with the pandemic going on, then we were playing Shield games at some club grounds so it was nice to get out in a Test match at a Test venue, more than anything to get back around this group. I said to one of the boys on the first day coming in, it certainly felt like being home again, so much confidence in this team and it flows through to all the players,” Burns reflected on the year that was tough for the world as well as for sportspersons. Burns’ place in the playing Xi for the Adelaide test was confirmed only after the injury to Will Pucoski as both Warner and Pucovski were injured. But, the coach Justin Langer always backed Joe Burns to come good and he had put all his weight behind Burns’ who was clearly short of runs as well as confidence. "I've been privately and publicly backing Joe the whole time, he's a very good player, you don't lose your talent overnight. He also understands though runs are the greatest currency of value to any player. We'll make our decision on who's going to open in the next day or so," Langer had said of Joe Burns. Now, as Burns has shown signs of coming back into good form after hitting a half-century in the second innings of the Adelaide test, he is all praise for his coach for backing him to the hilt when all were seeking his exclusion. He emphasized that Langer had only advised him to be mentally focussed and backed him to play his shots in perfect batting rhythm while in training. “Obviously JL has been right in my corner over the last few weeks. The message from him was just about finding rhythm, more than anything in the preparation he really wanted me to play my shots in training and be strong-minded. I guess that shone through in that innings and by the end it felt amazing. Always a special feeling when you aren't making runs and you have someone in your corner. The challenges of international cricket keep coming and for the rest of the series it will be very tough, my job and my goal is to get big matchwinning hundreds in those games. "There's always noise in this game, it's why you love playing for Australia. Think JL said there's always theatre around the team. Those conversations I had with Justin were fantastic. He has been through it all before, he knows what it's like to open the batting for his country. It's very relatable. The message was, you miss out in a few games, it doesn't change your ability, confidence, mindset, preparation,” Burns said. After his debut six years back, Joe Burns has had a discontinuous international career through the various streak of poor form and other batsmen coming through ranks. There is no dearth of opening batsmen in Australia with the likes of Will Pucovski and Marcus Harris already knocking the selection door down. It won’t be long before Burns will be asked to make way for others, like in the past, if he does not make full use of the backings he has got from the leadership group of the Australian team including captain Tim Paine, and coach Justin Langer.
AUS vs IND: Joe Burns cleared to play Boxing day Test, Will pucovski ruled out
Young Will Pucovski who was hit by a bouncer in the tour game against India is yet to recover from the subsequent concussion and as a result, has been ruled out of the second test between Australia and India starting December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Absence of Pucovski would come as a relief to Joe Burns who himself was struck on his elbow by Jaspit Bumrah in Adelaide, but bounced back strongly in the second innings, hitting a fifty. Burns has been cleared of any severe injury and is set to open at the MCG while Pucovski is going through symptoms of concussions. “Pucovski had lingering headaches, as he has endured in the past after head knocks, had yet to return to the nets and was doubtful to be declared fit for selection for Saturday's match,”, The Age reported citing an unnamed source close to Pucovski. Joe Burns has been cleared of serious damage to his arm, while concussed young gun Will Pucovski has been ruled out of a Boxing Day Test debut. There were fears Burns, who was sent for scans, could join Australia’s extensive injury list. But the Queenslander has been cleared of a broken arm and is set to open at the MCG,” The West Australian reported. With Burns clearly in for the next test, it remains to be seen if David Warner can reclaim fitness before the Boxing Day test or the makeshift opening pair of him and Matthew Wade will continue in Adelaide as well. Warne was flown to Melbourne on a private jet as covid-19 cluster started emerging in Sydney, but there is a lack of clarity on the level of his fitness and availability for the next test.
AUS vs IND: Ricky Ponting rings alarm bells, says tough for India to avoid 4-0
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has predicted a very hard time for the Indian team going forward in the four-match Test series after the hosts squandered all the advantage in the first test and lost the game after being dismissed on their historically lowest score. He has said that a clean sweep is looming large on the Indian team which has many holes to plug in a very short period of time, while the Australians will keep coming at them with their best. Ponting, who is also on the commentary panel of Channel 7 for the Australia-India series, said that the home side was able to open the old wounds in the Indian team and that they would need special performances from players to turn things around. He pointed out that the next test scheduled to start on December 26 in Melbourne holds the key for India’s resurgence in the series, as one more loss would really dent the confidence in the tourists’ camps and the Australians would not let them off the hook after that point. He "Now there are some serious wounds opened up. There could be a good chance (of a sweep). Let's hope we do get a result in Melbourne and if we do, I think India's going to find it really hard to bounce back and win a game,” Ponting told cricket.com.au. It’s not easy for teams, especially with so many inexperienced players like India have at the moment, to recover quickly from such a humiliation they got at the hands of Australia, but Ponting believes that how they will cope up to the debacle and come back at the MCG would tell a lot about their mental fortitude. He outlined the absence of Virat Kohli as another crucial factor that would halt the progress towards recovery from such a bad performance with the bat. “We'll learn a lot about them, won't we? With Kohli not being there as well there's almost no-one to pick them back up after a loss like that,” Ponting added in his post-match remarks to cricket.com.au. Ricky Ponting called for bringing more cushioning into the batting order of the tourists and batted for the return of Rishabh Pant who was excellent with the bat, in the last series down under. He also raised the point on Prithvi Shaw’s place in the playing XI at the top of the order, but said that the leadership group of the Indian team which would now be led by Ajinkya Rahane will have to work hard on lifting the spirits of the players, and just changing the playing XI would not solve that puzzle immediately as the Ausyralians who have exposed chink their armour would not be giving up on exploiting it against at the MCG and other tests that will follow in the next year. "They've got to make a couple of changes. Rishabh Pant has to be in that middle order. With Kohli not being there they've got to strengthen their batting, he's got to come in. "They'll look at Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order I'm sure but there's one thing to make selection changes there's another to lift the spirits back up again and make sure they're mentally right for the next challenge because the Australians are not going to go away now,” Ponting added. Australia, too, will have some selection headaches, but those will be due to the return of their first-choice player in David Warner and Ponting said that the hosts will have a lot less to be worried about while the tourists have a lot of aspects to ponder before the second test begins on December 26. Emerging talent Will Pucovski is likely to be fit for the second test, but Ponting believes he will have to wait as Joe Burns has earned another chance to secure his place by hitting a fifty in the winning cause in the second innings of the first test. With the return of Warner, Matthew Wade, who was shifted to open in Adelaide will return to the middle order, but that will be a tricky call for the home side as Cameron Green has looked sharp with the ball and has done nothing wrong to lose out his spot in the next test. If David's fit he comes straight back in … they've got a decision to make then on (Cameron) Green and (Matthew) Wade. That's the only obvious thing there. If both Pucovski and Warner are fit I think Will will have to wait again. On the back of Burns getting fifty they've got to keep going with him, that's the right call and that's fair enough,” Ponting added. India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane will have a lot to ponder as both Kohli and Shami will head back home. Shami’s injury may well prove to be an excruciating one for the men in blue as they are already without Ishant Sharma in Australia and now all their bowling resources and responsibilities lie on the shoulders of Jasprit Bumrah.