Cricket

The Ashes 2021-22

Australia’s Usman Khawaja could not have asked for a better comeback than this. The Aussie batsman, playing his first Test in the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), since his last Test match in the 2019 Ashes, scripted a glorious turnaround after he notched his ninth Test century. His superb ton helped Australia in taking full control of the fourth Test against England and the selectors will surely be having a headache in choosing the best combination for the next Test match against England scheduled to start on January 14.&nbsp;&nbsp;Head tested positiveKhawaja found his place in the squad after middle-order batsman Travis Head was ruled out as he was tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. Khawaja came back to the squad after two years. In his last Test appearance, the southpaw scored 31 runs (including both the innings) and England went on to defeat the Aussies in that fixture.&nbsp;&nbsp;Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting feels that Head’s return to the team for the Hobart Test is imminent and that will happen only by removing Khawaja from the squad.&nbsp;“It just happens, it’s a huge call to make. But you’ve got to go back to what your first picked team was, because at the start of the series it was the strongest XI that Australia could put out. What it does do is just reaffirm in Usman’s own mind that he’s good enough for international level still and gives selectors the ammunition they need for future teams they’re picking,” Ponting was quoted while talking to cricket.com.au.&nbsp;'A bit misunderstood…'Ponting feels that the 35-year-old left-handed batsman has been a bit misunderstood both as a player and as a person.&nbsp;“He’s been a bit misunderstood as a player and as a person throughout his career. That’s probably been something that a lot of people have held against him. But if you watch the way that he’s played today and look back at some of the other times in his career when things have been really difficult, more often than not he’s found a way to get the job done for himself and for his team,” explained Ponting.

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Former Australia skipper rejects Usman Khawaja; chooses Travis Head for the final Ashes Test

Jonny Bairstow in a gutsy knock, has gone on to score England's first century this Ashes series. This knock has led a late resurgence from visitors on Day 3 of the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Bairstow’s counter attacking ton meant England finished the day on 258/7.&nbsp;Bairstow walked in to bat when England were reeling at 36/4. The right-handed batter struck eight boundaries and three massive sixes in his unbeaten 103 of just 140 deliveries. Bairstow brought up his seventh Test ton with a four off Pat Cummins in the final over of the day to leave the tourists trailing by 158 runs in the first innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ben Stokes and Bairstow fought valiantly, with Stokes struggling with a side injury he picked up while bowling. On a quest to stabilise the innings, the duo added 128 runs for the fifth wicket. Stokes eventually fell LBW to Nathan Lyon, but Bairstow charged his way to a hundred after taking a nasty blow on the thumb.&nbsp;Cummins then got his first wicket of the match to dismiss Jos Buttler for a duck and his second after a DRS detected a touch of Mark Wood's bat on the ball before it was caught by Lyon.&nbsp;The duo of Bairstow and Wood together put on 72 runs to ensure England avoided the follow-on, with Wood smashing three sixes on his way to 39.&nbsp;Nonetheless, England enjoyed two of their best sessions on this tour and as Day 3 ended at the SCG, with the hosts now having to bat for a second time, the projected poor weather now offers England a hope of avoiding a fourth consecutive Test defeat in the series.&nbsp;Earlier in the day Mitchell Starc removed Haseeb Hameed to start the collapse. The last three wickets before lunch fell without a single run being added.&nbsp;Bairstow will resume on Day 4 with Jack Leach, who was four not out, looking to cut deeper into Australia's lead.

Bairstow’s counter attacking 100 bolsters faltering England in 4th Test

England star all-rounder Ben Stokes had a lucky escape when a Cameroon Green ball hit his stumps but he survived as the bails did not come off. This prompted Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar to discuss introduction of a possible new law.&nbsp;The whole drama took place in the 31st over the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney when ball from Green that nipped back in sharply to hit the stumps, but did not dislodge the bails. There was an immediate appeal for a LBW. Umpire gave it out, but Stokes opted for a review which showed that the ball was nowhere near the pads and instead hit the side of the stumps. The decision was overturned and Stokes survived.&nbsp;Moments after the incident, Sachin took to Twitter to share the video of it and wrote, "Should a law be introduced called ‘hitting the stumps' after the ball has hit them but not dislodged the bails? What do you think guys? Let's be fair to bowlers," tweeted Tendulkar tagging Warne.&nbsp;Tendulkar even called for Warne's opinion on the same.&nbsp;"Interesting point &amp; one to debate my friend. I will take this to the world cricket committee for discussion &amp; come back to you. Never seen anything like that today - Greene's delivery was 142kph and hit the stump hard," Warne replied.&nbsp;Stokes was later dismissed for 66 by Nathan Lyon. Later on, Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood added an important 72-run partnership to resurrect the English innings. Wood scored 39 off 41 while Bairstow remained unbeaten on 103, alongside Jack Leach.&nbsp;Chasing Australia’s 416/8 in the first innings, the three lions are 258/7 at the end off Day three. Bairstow and England would want to get as close as possible to Australia's score to give themselves a chance to avoid yet another defeat on this tour.

Tendulkar-Warne engage in a fun Twitter banter post Stokes’s lucky escape during 4th Ashes Test

England’s crisis in the ongoing Ashes Test series has some rare positive aspects as the English bowling attack reduced the Australian batting contingent to 86/4 on Day 4 of the fourth Ashes Test.&nbsp;&nbsp;And one man who has been in the center of all the attention on Day 4 is the substitute wicketkeeper Ollie Pope, who took three catches. The so-called 'Super Sub' is making a good case for himself after England’s regular wicketkeeper Jos Butler injured his left index finger. Pope in a new rolePope is not a regular keeper and standing with the gloves is indeed a rare sight for him. The 24-year-old has been in and out of the squad and was dropped after the Pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Though he has been offering his services as a substitute. He has only feature as a wicketkeeper in first-class cricket on six occasions and the last of those came in 2019 against New Zealand in Hamilton. Pope is not even a regular keeper for his county side Surrey but has done well to grab three catches in the morning against Australia. Marcus Harris, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, all of these three batsmen’s catches were taken by the 24-year-old keeper. The English team management though will be concerned for Butler after the regular wicketkeeper looked relatively uncomfortable in batting on Day 3 of the Sydney Test. He along with Bairstow have been examined by the medical officials as they now face a long wait to see whether both the star England players are available for the rest of the contest or not.&nbsp;Billings the replacement The England Cricket Board (ECB) seemed prompt enough to draft Sam Billings in the squad as a potential replacement. Billings is currently playing in Australia in the Big Bash League (BBL) for the team Sydney Thunders. At the time of writing, Australia are 149/4 in the second innings and lead by 271 runs with Usman Khawaja (35) and Cameron Green (26) in the middle. Australia would aim to win the Sydney Test and try to whitewash their rivals knowing they are two batters short when the visitors will come out to bat in the second innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bairstow, scorer of England's only century in the Ashes will be optimistic for the second innings. Australia currently lead the five-match Ashes Test series 3-0.

Substitute keeper takes three catches; England hope for fightback in the fourth Ashes Test

Usman Khawaja is simply enjoying the Australian summer because of multiple reasons as he fully utilised his latest call-up to the national side with back-to-back hundreds in the fourth Ashes Test, played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).&nbsp;After scoring 137 in the first innings, he has now followed that with 101 in second innings to put Australia in a comfortable position to win the fourth Test. While doing It the Queenslander has achieved multiple records with his return to the international circuit after two long years.&nbsp;Third batsman to score two centuries in both inningsAfter securing another hundred in the second innings of the Sydney Test, Khawaja became just the third batsman to notch two centuries at the SCG. Previously, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting and former Aussie batter Doug Walters achieved this rare feat.&nbsp;&nbsp;The ninth batsmanKhawaja became the ninth batsman to score two hundreds in an Ashes Test.&nbsp;The southpaw joins a pretty unique company of players to become the ninth player to score two hundreds in the same Ashes Test. He joins players like Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Arthur Morris and current teammate Steve Smith.&nbsp;First time in seven years a cricketer coming down to bat at number five has been able to score multiple tons in the same match.&nbsp;The 35-year-old batter, has become only the 10th batsman to score multiple hundreds in a Test match batting at number five. It is also the first time in seven years that a batter has gone on to do that batting at this position. Ajinkya Rahane of India was the last batter to do so in 2015.&nbsp;Khawaja’s is accompanied by Allan Border, Andy Flower, Inzamam-Ul-Haq and others in the elite list. It is also the third time this feat is achieved in Ashes. Denis Crompton of England in 1947 and Steve Waugh in 1997 for Australia scored multiple hundreds in the same Ashes match.&nbsp;Indian batsmen with more centuriesOnly Indian batters have scored more hundreds in World Test Championship (WTC).&nbsp;Khawaja’s ton is Australia's 19th triple-figure mark in WTC, ever since its inception. Only India have scored more hundreds (20 centuries) during the WTC era. And looking at the current pace, the Aussies are well in the race to beat the Indians. England and Pakistan also have 17 hundreds to their name.&nbsp;The Pakistan-born batter was only drafted into the team in place of Travis Head after he had symptoms of Covid-19. It is his third hundred against England at Sydney in just two matches, having previously scored one in January 2018.&nbsp;He is also the second-highest scorer in the Sheffield Shield with 460 runs and only trails leader Tim Ward by seven runs. He also has two hundreds and two fifties under his belt in the domestic circuit.

Australian batsman dazzles in Sydney sunshine to score back-to-back hundreds against England

Australia have gained the control once again in the fourth Ashes Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) thanks to another ton from returning Usman Khawaja. His unbeaten 101 in the second innings has given a tough task to England on Day 5 as they chase a solid total of 388.&nbsp;&nbsp;At Stumps on Day 4, the English openers had no hesitation in front of the new ball after ending the day's play at 30/0, with Zak Crawley (22) and Haseeb Hameed (8) batting.&nbsp;Australia wrap the tail earlyAfter ending Day 3 at 258/6, England's tail was no match to the devastating pace attack of Australia as the English batters could only add 36 more to the total before ending their first innings on 294. Overnight centurion, Jonny Bairstow added 10 more runs to his total before Australia's Scott Boland got the better of him on 113.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jos Butler went without troubling the scorers as he injured his index finger and didn't take the field in the second innings. Ollie Pope played as a wicketkeeper in place of Buttler. Mark Wood (39) showed little resistance before they were wrapped up below 300.&nbsp;&nbsp;Boland once again was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets; he was nicely supported by skipper Pat Cummins (2 wickets) and off-spinner Nathan Lyon (2 wickets).&nbsp;Khawaja does it againKhawaja has been enjoying his return to the International fold brilliantly as he scored yet another ton. The Pakistan-born batter followed his 137-run knock in the first innings with 101 unbeaten in the second innings. This was his third hundred against England at the SCG in just two matches. He, alongside Cameron Green (74) put together a 179-run stand for the fifth wicket to take the Aussies in a commanding position. With less than an hour remaining, captain Cummins declared at 265/6, setting a target of 388 for the visitors.&nbsp;England make slow startWith new ball in hand, Aussie pacer Mitchell Starc was poised to strike early, but the English batters were determined not to throw their wickets away. In 11 overs of play, both Crawley and Hameed batted sensibly to lead England unhurt at the end of the day's play. With still need 358 more runs to win, a result surely can not be ruled out in the penultimate Test.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, with injuries to Butler and Bairstow, a draw could be the best possible outcome for Joe Root's men as they try to avoid a whitewash in the Ashes Test series.

England feel the heat in fourth Test as Khawaja’s ton establishes upper hand for Australia on Day 4

Usman Khawaja has made a dream comeback to Test cricket, scoring centuries in both innings of the ongoing fourth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He is also only the ninth player to score centuries in both innings of an Ashes Test. The last to achieve the feat was Steve Smith, in 2019, when scored twin 140-plus scores in Birmingham. Khawaja reached the three-figure mark for the second time in the fourth Test on Day four on Saturday as Australia set England a target of 388 to win.&nbsp;Khawaja, who last played a Test during the 2019 Ashes tour of England, made a huge impact on his return, scoring 137 in the first innings as Australia posted 416/8. He is also only the third batter after Doug Walters (vs West Indies in 1968/69) and Ricky Ponting (vs South Africa in 2005/06) to score twin tons at SCG.&nbsp;&nbsp;"No, not really. I don't think it's sunk in yet," Khawaja said in the presser.&nbsp;"I've always wanted to score a century in both innings in first-class cricket and never done it. I wasn't really sure if I was gonna do it. It didn't really matter to me, now that I've played so long. I'm like it's not the end of the world. Not a big deal, but it's just a nice tick off and has put the team in a situation where hopefully we can try to win. Look, it all worked out pretty well. it doesn't always happen in life and cricket. It's special," he added.&nbsp;He also shared a stand of 179 with Cameron Green to prop up Australia's innings after they had found themselves in a spot of bother at 86 for 4. This is the &nbsp;second-highest fifth-wicket stand in the Ashes after the fall of the first four wickets for less than 100 runs. Matthew Elliott and Ponting added 268 after Australia were four wickets down for 50 runs at Headingley in 1997. &nbsp;Khawaja praised the all-rounder and said that he tried to help him through the early phase of his innings.&nbsp;"It was awesome, he batted beautifully. Greeny scores so many runs against Queensland, I hate playing against him in Shield cricket. I was just talking to him as much as I could, just about what we're trying to do out there. He was talking about spin and I was telling him what options I thought he should take. Just try to give him reassurance especially at the start. You could tell he's a little bit nervous at the start - and just trying to give him reassurance of what he needs to do," the 35-year-old said.

'I've always wanted to score a century in both innings,' Khawaja after Sydney show

England put up a courageous effort on the final day of the forth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and managed to clinch a draw in order to avoid a humiliating whitewash in the five-match Ashes Test series.&nbsp;&nbsp;A victory would have made things sweeter and perhaps a bit more pleasant for Joe Root’s men but considering the context of the game, a draw is nothing less than a victory for the English side. A resilient batting display produced by the English tail-enders helped their side in finishing the penultimate Test match on 270, while they were asked to chas a formidable total of 388 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Anderson against SmithUltimately it all came down to England pacer James Anderson and his partner Stuart Broad batting at the other end. The last over of the day saw Aussie spinner Steve Smith produce all his weapons from his arsenal but in the end Anderson managed to stay not out.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jonny Bairstow and all-rounder Ben Stokes played a crucial part in clinching the draw. Stokes scored 60 off 123 deliveries and Bairstow was dismissed after scoring 41 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Root mentioned their fearless batting efforts after the match. He also talked about the injury concern of Jos Buttler who suffered a finger injury.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Jos Buttler is going home after this game, it’s quite a bad injury. Real disappointment and shame to not have him at Hobart. The way he stood up for the team shows his character,” England skipper said after the match. &nbsp;“Bairstow and Stokes were outstanding. Number of guys have had difficult injuries.”&nbsp;'Difficult tour'Root conceded that the ongoing Ashes Test series has been a difficult tour for the English team but he was proud of his team’s determination and character.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It was really important (to play this sort of a gem). Has been a difficult tour. Tough at times but one thing I am proud of is the determination and character of the team and find way to get a draw out of this game. I said after the last game try and put some pride in the badge and give something for the blokes back home to take,” he added.&nbsp;

'It's quite a bad injury,' Joe Root confirms England batsman's injury status

A lot of confusion seemed to have taken place after England wicketkeeper Sam Billings made his Test debut against the Australia cricket team in the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Ashes series, in Hobart.&nbsp; The 30-year-old cricketer became the 699th England cricketer to play in the longest format of the game but the cap he was presented had mentioned 700 on it. The actual reason was found out a little later.&nbsp;&nbsp;The real reasonIt was understood that an honourary 696th cap was presented to Alan Jones, in June, 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;The reason behind this gesture was that, one unofficial Test match had taken place in June 1960 and Jones had played for England in that Test match. That match had taken place at Lord’s and Jones represented the English team while facing the Rest of the World team.&nbsp;&nbsp;And that is the reason why Billings received a cap written 700 on it.&nbsp;Five changes in English teamThe visitors made five changes to their side for Tasmania’s first-ever Ashes Test match. Billings succeeded in making his Test debut as English wicketkeeper Jos Buttler had suffered a finger injury in the last Test and as a result of that he was ruled out from the fifth Ashes Test. Billings was on his way to take part in the Big Bash League (BBL) for his side Sydney Thunder but in a surprising turn of events now he will play in his first-ever Test match at the age of 30.&nbsp;Another batter Jonny Bairstow was also out of the squad because of an injury concern and Ollie Pope was brought into the squad in his place. Opener Haseeb Hameed was dropped and Rory Burns was brought into the squad. Star England pacer James Anderson and spinner Jack Leach also did not feature in the final Test. Pacers Ollie Robinson and Craig Overton were selected for the match.&nbsp;After winning the toss England skipper Joe Root chose to bowl first. Aussie opening batsman David Warner was the first one to depart after the left-handed batter was out for a duck. Aussie batsmen Marnus Labuschagne (44 off 53) and Travis Head (101 off 113 balls) averted the initial danger as Australia were batting at 241 for 6 (at the time of reporting).&nbsp;

Why was Sam Billings given 700th Test cap despite becoming England's 699th Test cricketer?

It was a hilarious yet tragic moment for Marnus Labuschagne as he was dismissed in a bizarre fashion on Day 1 of the Hobart Test. The incident was described as one of the weirdest dismissals by Cricket Australia (CA) in a tweet shared on its official Twitter handle. Although it was funny, Labuschagne looked disappointed as he returned back to the pavilion after an awkward shot in the last Ashes 2021-22 Test.&nbsp;"One of the weirdest dismissals we've ever seen!” Cricket Australia wrote on its official Twitter handle of cricket.com.au.&nbsp;The incident took place in the 23rd over when Labuschagne slipped on the first bowl of Stuart Broad's ninth over. It was thought that his spikes slipped resulting in him falling flat trying to play an in-swinging delivery, but replays showed that he lost his balance while shuffling across the crease trying to play a flick shot which proved to be the Achilles heel for the in-form batter. He departed after a well-made 44 helping his side recover from three early wickets.&nbsp;The incident was described by former England captain Michael Vaughan as one of the funniest dismissals he has ever seen in Test Cricket, while he was commentating for the Australian broadcasters.&nbsp;Counter-attacking play by returning HeadAfter missing the fourth Test in Sydney due to Covid-19, Travis Head did not take long to make his presence felt. Head launched a counter-attack alongside Labucshagne helping the side recover from 12/3. While the team was struggling at 83/4 after Labuschagne's wicket, he along with Cameron Green made sure Australia continued the counter-attack. A 121-run stand for the fifth wicket between Head and Green saw the hosts go past the 200-run mark.&nbsp;Head scored his second ton of the Ashes before being dismissed by Chris Woakes on 101 off 113 deliveries including 12 boundaries. Green also followed him back to the pavillion after a 74-run knock. Green lost his wicket to Mark Wood. The day's play was cut short by rain with Australia's score reading 241/6. Australia currently lead the Ashes series 3-0 after the thrilling Sydney draw.&nbsp;

Weirdest dismissal ever? Labuschagne falls flat on his face trying to play Broad's in-swinger

England cricket team’s performance in the ongoing five-match Ashes Test series has been nothing less than miserable. The Joe Root-led side lost the first three Test matches against Australia and managed to draw the last Test (fourth) match. Since then, the English cricketers had understandably faced a lot of criticism. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also seemed to plan for a restriction of the England players' participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and many former cricketers were heard supporting this proposal.&nbsp;&nbsp;No compromiseSkipper Root feels that there should be no compromising when it comes down to playing for the nation in the longest format of the game.&nbsp;“I have not made a decision on that just yet. It is something I will have to keep wrestling with. Time is ticking but I have a lot to weigh up,” Root spoke to the reporters in the pre-match press conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;“But I will never compromise or do anything that will detract from playing Test cricket for England. It is so important to make sure that is the priority for me and other players as well,” he added.&nbsp;Playing in IPL?Regarding his participation in the IPL, Root expressed that if there is “no negative impact” then he will put himself “in that position to play” and put himself “in the auction.”&nbsp;“The thing I will weigh up is will it have a negative impact on me playing Test cricket for this team. If I don’t then I will put myself in that position to play and put myself in the auction,” the 31-year-old English skipper explained.&nbsp;&nbsp;Supporting the coachApart from Root himself, England cricket team coach Chris Silverwood had to face plenty of backlash because of his team’s poor show in the Ashes. Multiple voices have been heard urging to remove Silverwood from his position.&nbsp;&nbsp;But Root seemed firm in saying that he would want him to continue his job.&nbsp;“Yes, I would," he told the media.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I think the performances we put in during the first three games, I feel we’ve let him and the coaches down to a degree.&nbsp;“I think he’s very calm, he has the respect of the guys in the group and he’s got a desperation to see everyone do well. It was a difficult week for the group of players with him not being around and it must have been very difficult for him.”

'I have not made a decision on that,' England skipper discusses his chances of featuring in IPL

The Australia are all set to travel to Pakistan after 24 long years. The Aussies had travelled to Pakistan, last time back in 1988.&nbsp;The Pat Cummins-led side will play three Test matches, three ODIs and one T20I match against Pakistan. The Test is series is scheduled to start on March 7, in Karachi.&nbsp;&nbsp;Plenty of talks have been going on recently, regarding the security issues in Pakistan. Last year the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had cancelled their Pakistan tour due to mental and physical wellbeing. This decision was announced just three days after New Zealand had also decided not to travel to Pakistan to play cricket. New Zealand took the decision showing security threats.&nbsp;Happy with PCBAhead of the series, skipper Cummins was although happy with the preparations that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had taken.&nbsp;“Still a bit to work through … but at this stage it’s all looking really positive. The amount of work the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has put into it is fantastic. It’s shaping up as, I think just about everyone – if not all – will go,” said Pat Cummins as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.&nbsp;Previously, multiple players had decided not to take part in a particular series citing mental and physical health. Many players also decided to retire from international cricket in order to spend more time with their family members.&nbsp;&nbsp;Absolutely fine to decide whatever they wishThe Aussie skipper is in no mood to force anyone to play cricket and travel to particular nation. Cummins feels “it is absolutely fine” if some players choose not to travel.&nbsp;“If some players need to make a choice, it’s absolutely fine that they won’t be there. Still got a bit of water to go under the bridge, a bit more info to gather and get around to everyone,” explained Cummins.&nbsp;The Australian team are currently involved in the ongoing Ashes Test series and are leading by a superb margin of 3-0. The fifth and final Test match of the series will start from January 14.&nbsp;&nbsp;Full schedule:&nbsp;First Test – 3rd March to 7th March&nbsp;Second Test – 12th March to 16th March&nbsp;Third Test – 21st March to 25th March&nbsp;First ODI – 29th March&nbsp;Second ODI – 31st March&nbsp;Third ODI – 2nd April&nbsp;Only T20I – 5th April

Australia Test skipper happy with PCB's preparation; but will not force anyone to travel

Since Australia's emphatic 4-0 Ashes series win, a celebration video of Pat Cummins and co. has been making rounds on social media. In the video, Cummins stops his teammates from doing the usual champagne celebration to include Usman Khawaja in the group photo with the trophy. Cummins gesture has been appreciated across the world and a day after Ashes series win, Khawaja has thanked his team for including him.&nbsp;&nbsp;When the Australian team was about to have a champagne celebration on the podium, Khawaja moved away but was called back to the stage. The Pakistan-born Australian cricketer took to Instagram and posted the video with caption reading, “If this video doesn't show you that the boys have my back, I don't know what will. They stopped their normal champagne celebrations so I could re-join. Inclusivity in the game and our values as a sport are so important. I feel like we are trending in the right direction.”&nbsp;Australia defeated England by 146 runs to win the Ashes 4-0 at Hobart. Khawaja returned to the Australian Test side after being axed from the team in 2019. Batting at number five, Khawaja scored centuries in both innings of the Sydney Test. However, he was not impressive in the Hobart Test while opening the batting in place of Marcus Harris as Head returned to the middle order after recovering from Covid-19.&nbsp;As a captain, this was Cummins’s first Test series. He was brilliant with the ball and was the highest wicket-taker for Australia with 21 wickets from four Test against his name. The no.1 Test bowler missed out on the second Test after he was a close contact of Covid-affect person.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the final Test of the Ashes 2021-22, Australia scored 303 runs courtesy of a magnificent century by Head and Cameron Green's 74 run knock. In reply, England were bowled out for 188 runs as Cummins registered a four-wicket haul. The Aussies were then dismissed for a low total of 155 runs with Alex Carey scoring the most runs - 49 off 88 balls. Mark Wood was exceptional with the ball for England as he picked six wickets in Australia's second innings. Broad picked up three wickets as well for the second time in the match. Chasing a challenging target of 271, England were bundled out for 124 in the last session of Day 3 of the fifth Test despite a solid opening stand.&nbsp;

Khawaja hails Cummins & teammates for stopping their normal champagne celebrations to including him

It has not been a memorable Ashes Test series for Joe Root and his men after the English team had to concede defeat in the first three Test matches of the series. Since then, skipper Root and coach Chris Silverwood had to face a lot of criticism and backlash.&nbsp;Now, Ashley Giles has apologised for England's humiliating Ashes defeat but warned against mass sackings as a solution, saying that "systemic change" is needed.&nbsp;Speaking to reporters in Sydney ahead of the fourth Test, Giles, the managing director of England men's cricket, said, "everything will be on the table" following an England Cricket Board (ECB) investigation into the ongoing Ashes campaign after Australia sealed a 3-0 lead.&nbsp;"We can only apologise""Being here now in this position, I absolutely feel the responsibility of losing this Ashes series," Giles said. "Absolutely, we all do, and we can only apologise.&nbsp;"I know there will be a lot of emotion, a lot of anger about how we've lost it but we know it's not an easy place to come. We can't kid ourselves. Look, in 34 years we've come here and won once. We'll review the tour and there will be a full review, everything will be on the table. We'll have to send a report through Tom [Harrison, ECB chief executive] to the board."&nbsp;Rain interrupts the playRain made for a frustrating first day of the fourth Ashes Test with 21 completed overs possible up to the tea interval at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).&nbsp;Australia was 56-1 at the break, with Marcus Harris unbeaten on 14 and Marnus Labuschagne yet to score after skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first on the SCG pitch.&nbsp;Harris and David Warner put on 50 for the first wicket before Stuart Broad got the breakthrough for England in the 21st over, teasing Warner onto the front foot and finding the edge which carried through to Zak Crawley standing at second slip.&nbsp;Both the teams made one change from the third Test at Melbourne.&nbsp;For Australia, Usman Khawaja replaced Travis Head, who was absent after testing positive for the coronavirus. Broad returned for England in place of injured Ollie Robinson.

Ashley Giles apologises for England's humiliating defeat in the Ashes

The Day 1 of the fourth Ashes Test was halted by rain as only 46.5 overs were bowled. At stumps on Day 1, it was 126/3 for the Aussies as they got off to a pragmatic start in the challenging conditions of Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Pat Cummins’ team coming into the match with a 3-0 lead are determined to register a whitewash on England, but rain cut-short Day 1's play. After winning the toss for the third time in the ongoing Ashes, Australia skipper Cummins decided to bat first in front of 48,000 fans gathered in the New South Wales (NSW) capital. Both teams made one alternation from the Boxing Day encounter as Travis Head made way for Usman Khawaja after the Southern Australia player was tested positive for Covid-19. England also drafted in veteran speedster Stuart Broad in place of Ollie Robinson. The overcast conditions meant that both of Australia's openers got off to a slow start before drizzles played their part. The play was halted for just 20 minutes into the match after the rain stopped play with 4.3 overs bowled. The first session was curtailed significantly as only 12.3 overs were bowled. At lunch, Australia were 30/0 with David Warner and Marcus Harris batting on 15 and 11 respectively. &nbsp;It was not long after the restart that Warner was shown the exit door as Stuart Broad forced the left-handed batter to edge one to Zak Crawley. Warner departed with a well-made 30 as he and Harris put together an opening stand of 51 runs in 21 overs. Harris and Marnus Labuschagne then steadied the ship keeping the English attack at bay. However, England's record wicket-taker in Test cricket, James Anderson provided the much-needed breakthrough in the 40th over as he forced Harris to give an easy catch to Joe Root, with the batter departing for 38 off 109 deliveries. It didn't take long for England to make a mini-revival as they sent Labuschagne back in the pavilion in the very next over as Mark Wood got the better of the Aussies batter. Both Harris and Labuschagne put together a second-wicket stand of 60 runs. With 46.5 overs bowled, the rain once again became the villain of first day's play. After lots of thinking and no positive signs, the officials called for Stumps on Day 1 with Steve Smith and Khawaja in the middle, batting on 6 and 4 respectively. It now remains to be seen, will rain play spoilsport in Australia's ambition of doing a whitewash on the visitors.

Rain plays spoilsport with just 46.5 overs on Day 1 of the Sydney Test

The star English all-rounder Ben Stokes once again showed how tough he is when despite injury he decided to stay on the field during the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney on Thursday. His fellow teammate Stuart Broad applauded the bravado shown by the 30-year old all-rounder by saying he has never come across a toughest cricketer like the big Ben.&nbsp;On Day 2, Stokes suffered a side strain, managing to bowl just five balls in his fifth over of the day before walking off the field. While he returned to the field later, he refrained from bowling. He fielded at the slips, where his movement was restricted, while it gives him and England a fresh setback, having recently recovered from his finger injury.&nbsp;Stuart Broad said: “He's one of the toughest blokes I've ever met, the toughest cricketer I've ever met, so for him to go off and not to bowl, it's obviously sore.”&nbsp;James Anderson, Mark Wood and Stuart Broad shared the burdens, while Stokes' chances of bowling in the second innings look relatively slim. Following the end of the day's play, Broad termed him as one of the most robust and most formidable players in the side. He revealed that he has been heavily icing since the strain.&nbsp;"Hopefully we give him a lot of rest [on Friday] because 12-24 hours in cricket is quite a long time. It gives the body a lot of time to heal.&nbsp;"He stayed on the field so he could bat in his usual position and he'll be out there if it's not torn to shreds. We as England fans and team-mates hope it's not as bad as him not bowling again on this trip," Broad added.&nbsp;Stokes has taken four wickets in the series so far at an average of 71.50 apiece, while he is averaging 16.83 with the bat, having scored 101 runs with a top score of 34. Meanwhile, Kangaroos declared at 416-8 late in the final session on day two at the SCG, in an innings headlined by Khawaja's 137, where he batted for almost seven hours and hit 13 boundaries.

Toughest cricketer I've ever met: Broad after Stokes chose to stay on field after injury

England have had a disappointing Ashes 2021-22 so far with three consecutive defeats. The comprehensive defeats have raised questions over the selection blunders made by the visitors. Veteran fast bowler Stuart Broad was made to sit out of first Test in Brisbane and third Test in Melbourne. After the snub in two Tests, Broad has expressed his disappointment as he feels he would have utilised conditions better on the two venues.&nbsp;&nbsp;“As a wobble-seam bowler, I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia,” Broad wrote in the Daily Mail. “Only playing once has made this a very disappointing trip, one that has not met my personal expectations.&nbsp;“The biggest frustration is losing the Ashes, being 3-0 down and feeling like I've not really done anything. Not being able, as an experienced player, to influence a series while it's live is tough.&nbsp;“I would argue that I won't get a better chance to take wickets than at Brisbane and Melbourne.”&nbsp;The 35-year-old got his only chance to play on the tour in the Adelaide Test. Playing in his 150th Test, he took one wicket in each innings on a pitch that was least bowling-friendly out of the three.&nbsp;&nbsp;With fourth Test to be played in Sydney, Broad hopes that he gets a chance to play. With England delivering one dismal performance after another in the ongoing Ashes, Broad feels that the tour has taken a toll on their mental health.&nbsp;&nbsp;“This tour has taken its toll on all of us. Without sounding like [I'm] making excuses, we may be at the end of our mental tether with Covid. We are the only team that has played solid international cricket throughout the pandemic,” he further wrote.&nbsp;Despite the two snubs, Broad is still positive about his future in red-ball cricket and does not wish to take an emotional decision and retire. While the series has already been lost, England will look to register their first Test win on Australia soil since 2011. Coincidentally, their last Test win in Australia came at the Sydney Cricket Ground as well.&nbsp;

Only playing once has made this a very disappointing trip: Stuart Broad

Australia are flying high in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 as they have opted to make only one change to their winning combination from the third Test. Usman Khawaja will come in for Travis Head whereas pacer Scott Boland will keep his place after a 'Man of the Match' performance in the Boxing Day encounter. The Aussies who lead the Ashes 3-0 will try to culminate further misery on the English side as the teams prepare for the fourth Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Boland, drafted into the team for the third Test after Josh Hazlewood's injury, was instrumental as the Aussies ran out winners by an innings and 14 runs. The debutant Boland picked up six wickets in the second innings to showcase his brilliance. Head, meanwhile tested positive for Covid-19 and will remain unavailable for the contest. Khawaja, a natural replacement will make his comeback for the national side for the first time since August 2019. Captain Pat Cummins also confirmed that Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson will also miss out as they are yet to be fit. This also means spinner Mitchell Swepson will have to wait for another turn to make his Test debut. England on the other hand have drafted back Stuart Broad for the SCG Test. Ollie Robinson, their leading wicket-taker will miss the encounter with a shoulder injury. Broad was dropped for the third Test after a poor showing in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Broad has 526 wickets in 150 Tests matches and will be poised to salvage some pride for England. Playing XI for SCG Test Australia XI: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland England XI: Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson

Boland to continue after record six-fer, Khawaja finally gets a chance for 4th Ashes Test

Australian Test great Glenn McGrath could miss the pink Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in honour of his late wife Jane after testing positive for Covid-19.&nbsp;McGrath was slated to attend launch function at the SCG on January 3 (Monday) to announce the latest plans of the pink Test. But the former Aussie World Cup-winning pacer will now have to isolate after returning a positive PCR result.&nbsp;It is expected that if McGrath can recover and return a negative Test he will attend the third day of the game on January 7 (Friday).&nbsp;“Glenn has had a PCR test which unfortunately returned a positive result. We wish Glenn and his family good health,” McGrath Foundation CEO Holly Masters said.&nbsp;“We are hopeful Glenn will remain well and return a negative result in time to attend Day 3 of the Pink Test, now known as Jane McGrath Day on 7 January.&nbsp;“We are grateful to our partners at Cricket Australia and the SCG, as well as the England Cricket team and the broadcasters for their ongoing support for the Pink Test and look forward to still making this the ‘pinkest’ Ashes,” Masters added.&nbsp;Training session disruptedThe news of McGrath’s Covid positive test comes amid reports of England training session being disrupted due to a lack of net bowlers.&nbsp;Both the Australia and England camps are currently having regular Covid-19 tests to avoid the Ashes Test series being postponed due to outbreaks within both the teams.&nbsp;Australian batter Travis Head was previously, forced to remain in Melbourne after he returned a positive sample two days ago. England coach Chris Silverwood will also miss the fourth Test after he was considered a close contact when a family member tested positive.&nbsp;Change in squadAustralia were forced to make at least one change for the upcoming fourth Ashes Test in Sydney.&nbsp;&nbsp;Considering the precautionary measurements, Cricket Australia (CA) had to call three players- Mitchell Marsh, Nic Maddinson and Josh Inglis, into the squad as cover.&nbsp;Australia captain Pat Cummins had earlier missed the second Test in Adelaide after being a close contact of a confirmed Covid-19 case.&nbsp;Head became the first player to miss a Test in the Ashes series due to testing positive as Covid-19 closes in on the series.

Glenn McGrath tests positive for Covid-19; set to miss the pink Test at SCG

The fifth Test of the Ashes series had not been a pretty smooth one for the Australia cricket team. The visitors lost their first four wickets within a total of 83 runs. But first a partnership of 71 runs off 74 balls between Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head and then another solid partnership of 121 off 160 deliveries between Head and Cameron Green helped the Aussies in avoiding an early threat.&nbsp;Head (101 off 113 balls) went on to score a century eventually but Green (74 off 109 balls) missed his century after he was dismissed by English pacer Mark Wood.&nbsp;Attempted pull shotGreen would indeed be unhappy with the way he got out. A pull shot attempted by the 22-year-old all-rounder went straight to Rory Burns standing at deep midwicket.&nbsp;Australia were eventually bowled out for 3030 in the first innings.&nbsp;Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has now come out and praised Green. Ponting talked about the century Green could have scored and said that the Aussie all-rounder seems to be “learning pretty quickly.”&nbsp;"He just had England exactly where he wanted them today," Ponting was quoted while talking to cricket.com.au.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Flat (pitch), a bowler down, a 50-over old ball, lights on and the ball skidding on beautifully, no quality spinner. It was all there waiting for him today, but it's not going to be far away.&nbsp;"If he takes that same mental approach into every innings going forward, regardless of if he's got runs in the game before or not (he'll perform well).&nbsp;"That's what he'll learn. It takes a lot of people a long time to learn that but he seems to be learning pretty quickly," Ponting added.&nbsp;Using the heightA lot has been said about Green’s tall figure and how the 199cm tall all-rounder can use it as an advantage. Ponting also suggested how Green can use his height and improve his playing style.&nbsp;“The art of batting is minimising the margin of error for bowlers on length.&nbsp;"And especially if you're that tall, you've got a better opportunity to do that.&nbsp;"It just looked like he was there to get on with it a bit more and back himself a bit more and if he continues to learn and understand what that means, then he'll get better game after a game."

'He seems to be learning pretty quickly,' Ricky Ponting praises this Australia all-rounder

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