LATEST SPORTS NEWS

India’s top 5 performers from Australia tour

After a memorable victory at Gabba, India’s head coach Ravi Shastri on Tuesday delivered a motivational speech in the dressing room after registering victory against Australia by 2-1.

Published

6 years ago

January 21, 2021

After a memorable victory at Gabba, India’s head coach Ravi Shastri on Tuesday delivered a motivational speech in the dressing room after registering victory against Australia by 2-1. Shastri praised the team spirit that the India showed to come back from the Adelaide debacle and win the series to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

During his speech, Shastri praised Shubman Gill for his fluent 91 and Cheteshwar Pujara for his 211 off 56 in India’s second innings as the ultimate warrior and also called Rishabh Pant an outstanding. Shastri also praised debutants Washington Sundar and T. Natarajan, as well as Shardul Thakur, saying that Thakur and Sundar’s 123-run partnership in India’s first essay which was broke Australia’s back.

In the absence of Virat Kohli, team India outclassed Tim Paine’s Australia in the fourth test at Brisbane after 32 years. Interestingly, the Australia had last tasted a defeat at the Gabba in 1988 when the Viv Richards-starrer West Indies thrashed Australia by nine wickets. As Team India capped off a historic win, let’s take a look at the top performers from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Shubhman Gill

The rising young talent Shubman Gill successfully played the role of stand-in opener making his Test debut against Australia. At the age of 21, Gill became the youngest visiting batsman on Australian soil and finished the series as the fourth-highest Indian scorer with 259 runs in the three Tests, including two half-centuries at an average of 51.80.

Mohammad Siraj

Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj had revealed the news about his national selection to his late father. At a time when Siraj was keen on making his debut for India in Australia, he lost his father back home but the pacer has decided to stay in Australia during these testing times and the rest became history. The Indian pacer not only made his debut but finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series for India also led the pace attack from the front and ended up with a maiden five-wicket haul in the Gabba test.

Cheteshwar Pujara

Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara has become the new wall for team India in the modern era Just like Rahul Dravid. In the fourth test, Pujara’s wicket was became a jackpot for the potent bowling unit of the mighty Aussies. Pujara’s batting vigils opened various avenues for his colleagues to counterattack the Australian bowlers. Pujara copped several blows to the body for his 211 off 56 in India’s second innings as the ultimate warrior. With scoring 271 runs, Pujara was the 2nd highest scorer in the series.

Rishabh Pant

Wicket keeper batsman Rishabh Pant turned out to be one of the most consistent performers for team India in this series. For Pant, this series unlocked a new level of his batting where he remained keen on playing fearless not careless cricket. Earlier, Pant was constantly facing criticism for careless cricketing technique.

In an important clash, Rahane, scoring a match-winning knock of 97 guided Rahane’s men to a stunning win at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In the series decider, Pant scored an unbeaten 89 to make sure India finish ahead of the hosts and breach their fortress with great panache.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Leading team India’s spin bowling attack, Ravichandran Ashwin bagged 12 wickets despite not playing the series decider at Gabba. As a middle-order batsman, Ashwin played the innings of his life in the whites for India at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The partnership of Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari during third test laid the foundation of India’s series win.

Also Read: Success Story of Choreographer & Fitness Trainer Rajesh Kumar

Despite of these rising stars, the debutants Washington Sundar, T. Natarajan and Shardul Thakur were among those who performed beyond the selector’s expectations in the series. Thakur has been really impressive and had finished his spell with figures of 3/94 and then played an outstanding knock of 67 runs which make the fourth test alive. The duo of Sundar and Thakur added 123 runs for the seventh-wicket stand after 186/6. Their impactful partnership in the middle-order helped India post 336 in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 369.

Up Next

Hardik Pandya pays emotional tribute to his late father with video montage

Don't Miss

Rishabh Pant pulls off great Test win for India, India beats Australia in Australia for second consecutive time, even with Smith and Warner

Cricket news

India beat Pakistan by 19 runs to win Asian Games cricket gold

India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final to retain the gold medal in the competition.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 3, 2026

APNLive Desk

India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday to retain the gold medal.

India posted 211 for six after being sent in to bat, before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six in their 20 overs. The victory gave India their second successive Asian Games gold medal in men’s cricket.

India post 211 in final

India’s batting was led by Abhishek Sharma, who scored 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma contributed 51 off 22 balls.

The two batters provided the momentum as India reached 211 for six from their 20 overs.

India captain Shreyas Iyer had won the toss and elected to bat first in the final.

Pakistan fall 19 runs short

Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Hasan Nawaz, who made 96 from 51 balls. Saim Ayub added 29 from 22 balls, but Pakistan finished on 192 for six after 20 overs.

India’s Axar Patel and Washington Sundar each took two wickets as Pakistan fell short of the target.

The result secured the gold medal for India, while Pakistan finished with silver. Sri Lanka won the bronze medal after defeating Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match.

India retain Asian Games cricket title

The victory marked India’s second consecutive men’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games. India had also won the men’s cricket gold at the Hangzhou edition.

India’s victory over Pakistan also completed a gold-medal double for the country in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games, after the women’s team won the women’s cricket final earlier in the competition.

India News

MK Stalin attacks Vijay government over hindi signboard in Tamil Nadu

MK Stalin criticised the Tamil Nadu government over Hindi lettering on a State Highway signboard and warned the Vijay-led administration against interfering with the state’s two-language policy.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 2, 2026

APNLive Desk

The use of Hindi on a highway signboard in Tamil Nadu has triggered a political row, with DMK chief MK Stalin criticising the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government over the issue.

The controversy centres on a State Highway signboard that displayed place names in Tamil, English and Hindi. The board was installed on the Alwarthirunagari-Valliyoor State Highway 93 route through Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district.

Stalin objected to the inclusion of Hindi, saying Tamil Nadu has long opposed what he described as attempts to impose Hindi and warning the state government against altering its established two-language policy.

He questioned whether the use of Hindi on the signboard represented the kind of change promised by the TVK government. Stalin also urged the administration not to interfere with Tamil Nadu’s language policy.

Hindi removed from signboard

Following the controversy, the Hindi lettering was removed from the signboard. The state government also suspended two officials from the Highways Department over the matter and initiated departmental action against them.

According to officials, the Assistant Divisional Engineer and Assistant Engineer associated with the project had failed to inform higher authorities about the inclusion of Hindi on the board.

The Tamil Nadu government has said that the use of Hindi on the State Highways Department signboard was against the state’s two-language policy and warned that strict action would be taken against officials violating the policy.

Stalin targets Vijay government

Stalin also stepped up his criticism of the TVK administration, describing it as a “Reels government” and alleging that it was responding to social media trends involving influencers from northern states.

His comments came amid a wider political debate in Tamil Nadu over the state’s established Tamil-English two-language policy and the use of Hindi in government-related signage.

The latest controversy has therefore brought the language policy issue back into focus, with the DMK questioning the TVK government’s handling of the Hindi signboard and the state administration taking action against the officials concerned.

MK Stalin has criticised the Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government over Hindi appearing on a State Highway signboard. The Hindi lettering was later removed, while two Highways Department officials were suspended and departmental action was initiated.

Cricket news

Jasprit Bumrah becomes first Indian to play T20Is in 13 countries

Jasprit Bumrah became the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries after featuring against Sri Lanka in Japan.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 1, 2026

APNLive Desk

Jasprit Bumrah added another milestone to his international career on Thursday after taking the field for India against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket semifinal in Japan.

Bumrah’s appearance at Nishin made him the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries, according to the report. He moved ahead of former India captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have each played T20Is in 12 countries.

Bumrah’s 13-country T20I record

Before playing in Japan, Bumrah had represented India in T20Is in 12 other countries — India, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the United States, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

His appearance in Japan took the tally to 13. Kohli, Rohit and Bhuvneshwar had played in all of those countries except Japan, leaving Bumrah alone at the top of the list.

Kohli and Rohit cannot add to their totals as both have retired from T20I cricket, according to the source.

Bumrah shines against Sri Lanka

Bumrah also made an immediate impact in his first T20I appearance in Japan. He claimed two wickets in his opening over against Sri Lanka and finished with figures of 2/7 in two overs.

India went on to dismiss Sri Lanka for 45 in 9.5 overs and won the semifinal by 124 runs to book a place in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final.

The result set up an India-Pakistan gold-medal clash, scheduled for October 3.

Jasprit Bumrah has become the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries. His appearance against Sri Lanka in Japan took him past Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have played T20Is in 12 countries each.