Sports
India win Test series as Australia force draw in Ahmedabad
[ad_1]
PUNIT PARANJPE/ AFP
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne helped Australia draw the fourth and final test against India on Monday, as the home side retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 2-1 series victory in Ahmedabad.
India took a 91-run first innings lead on Sunday to put themselves in an unbeatable position heading into the final day of the only test in the series that lasted the full five days.
Australia declared on 175-2, batting resolutely to frustrate India, who have held the trophy since 2016-17 and registered their 16th consecutive home series victory.
Head made 90 and forged a 139-run stand with Labuschagne, who made 63 not out, before players from both sides shook hands at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India also confirmed their place in the World Test Championship final against Australia in June following Sri Lanka’s two-wicket loss to New Zealand in Christchurch earlier in the day.
“It was fantastic right from the word go,” India captain Rohit Sharma said of the series at the presentation ceremony.
“You saw how exciting it was. In all the test matches that we played, there was something in it for every one.
“After playing good cricket for 40-45 days, we stand here with the result, which we are quite happy with.”
India’s hopes of a third victory in the series hinged on a batting collapse but the wicket in Ahmedabad did not deteriorate as much as their spinners would have liked.
Australia had sent out Matt Kuhnemann to open the innings with Head on Sunday after Usman Khawaja hurt his knee while fielding.
Kuhnemann, who faced 35 balls for his six runs, was unlucky to be given lbw to a Ravichandran Ashwin delivery which, replays confirmed, would have missed the stumps.
Axar Patel denied Head a century by hitting the top of his off stump with a ball from the rough but Australia had reached safety by then.
India let batters Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara to roll their arms just for fun on a track where only 22 wickets fell in five days.
“That was a pretty flat wicket that one,” said Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith.
“It was a really well fought series. I think we started to play a lot better as the series went on.”
Smith led Australia in the last two tests after regular captain Pat Cummins flew home to be with his mother who passed away last week.
Virat Kohli was adjudged player-of-the-match for his painstaking 186, his first test hundred since November 2019.
Indian spinners Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed a combined 47 wickets, shared the player-of-the-series award.
[ad_2]
Source link
Sports
DP World ILT20 Season 4 shatters records with 397 million viewers and 2.5 billion video views
Travellers arriving at Dubai International Airport are being greeted with a unique souvenir, a special stamp on their passports celebrating the Dubai World Cup 2026.
The initiative, launched by the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), marks the 30th edition (Pearl Jubilee) of one of the world’s most prestigious horse racing events.
A grand sporting celebration
The iconic Dubai World Cup will take place on Saturday, March 28 at Meydan Racecourse, drawing global attention from racing fans and elite stables.
This year’s event promises high-stakes action:
- 100 horses from top international stables
- Nine races across the evening
- Total prize pool of $30.5 million
Spotlight on the main race
The highlight of the night is the $12 million Dubai World Cup race, sponsored by Emirates Airline.
Run over 2,000 metres on dirt, the Group 1 race will feature some of the world’s top thoroughbreds, including:
- “Hit Show” – last year’s winner
- “Forever Young” – UAE Derby and Saudi Cup champion
- “Imperial Emperor”
- “Meidan” – Super Saturday winner
A memorable arrival experience
The commemorative passport stamp adds a celebratory touch for visitors landing in Dubai, tying their arrival to one of the city’s biggest sporting spectacles.
With excitement building ahead of race day, Dubai is once again showcasing its ability to blend world-class sport with unique visitor experiences.
News
Football superstar Erling Haaland invests in Norway Chess to launch global ‘Total Chess’ Championship Tour
DP World ILT20 Season 4 shatters records with 397 million viewers and 2.5 billion video views
Dh1,000 fine and 4 black points: Dubai Police issue warning on sudden swerving
