India name unchanged squad for last two Tests vs England

Root apologises to Moeen Ali for calling the pre-decided team move as his ‘choice’

England skipper Joe Root has apologised to all-rounder Moeen Ali for terming a team decision as his individual choice. If reports in English media are to be believed, Ali, 33, was to return back home after the first leg of the India Test series, but Root in the post-match press conference said that the 33-year-old chose to go home. “Moeen has chosen to go home. It’s obviously been a very tricky tour for him. As we mentioned at the start (of the winter), if players feel like they need to get out of the bubble, then that’s been an option. It is really important that we stand by that,” Root had said in the post-match press conference after the 317 run defeat of his team in Chennai. The comment spurred controversy in the media immediately afterwards and a section of pundit defended Root stating that there was no malice in his comments, but he could have chosen better words. English tabloid Mirror have reported that Root apologised to Ali in the team hotel. Ali was diagnosed with Covid-19 as soon as he landed in Sri Lanka and could not take part in the two Tests that England played in the island nation. In the first Chennai Test, Dom Bess was preferred to Ali and thus the spin-bowling all-rounder could play only one Test in entire England’s South Asia tour.

Key England players to miss New Zealand Test series due to IPL

Top England players like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes might not be available for England’s Test series vs New Zealand in June this year. In case their Indian Premier League sides make to the Playoffs, they might skip the Test series in favour of playing in the IPL. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) though has informed the IPL franchises that if the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decide to name any of the prominent IPL players, part of the IPL sides in the Playoffs, but might not be making it to the first XI, should be released as early as possible. "In the event of ECB Selectors wishing to select a player for the 1st Test v New Zealand whose franchise has made it through to the knockout stages of the Tournament, but who is not featuring in the starting XI, the relevant franchise is requested to release such player early so that they can participate in the Test Match," the IPL email to franchises read, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.com The other players whose availability is under the cloud are the players of South Africa who would be playing their limited over series against Pakistan from April 2-16.

Virat Kohli may face one-match ban: Report

India skipper Virat Kohli might face one-match ban after a heated argument with the on-field umpire during the second Test against England in Chennai. Kohli had a spat with the umpire after English captain Joe Root was adjudged not out due to the 'umpire's call'. The ball tracker showed that the delivery from Axar Patel would have gone on to hit the stumps but the impact was where the umpire’s call played the role. The ICC Code of Conduct mandates issuance of "one to four demerit points" to a player for "dissenting at an umpire's decision". Now it would depend upon the demerit points whether Kohli is found guilty of Level 1 or 2. A player charged with four demerit points is penalised with a ban of one game. The Indian captain did draw some criticism for his reaction. "It was odd that the India team and their captain took the full 15 seconds to work out whether to review or not. They weren’t actually sure what they were reviewing for," DailyMail quoted Nasir Hussain as saying. Vaughan, on the other hand, said: “You can’t have this, I’m sorry. Kohli is such a powerhouse, you can’t have him intimidating the umpire. It’s a stinker of a decision but you can’t be doing that as a captain.” India levelled the four-match series in Chennai after winning the second Test by 317 runs. After riding on some brilliant batting from R Ashwin and Virat, India handed the visitors a target of 482 runs and later bundled them out for 164. Debutant Axar Patel scalped a fifer in the second innings while Ashwin bagged three wickets. The two teams will now move to Ahmedabad for the remaining two Tests. The Third Test will be a Day-Night affair.

Faf du Plessis bids adieu to Test cricket

South Africa batsman Far du Plessis has bid adieu to Test cricket. "My heart is clear and the time is right to walk into a new chapter," du Plessis wrote, as he shared his statement. "It has been a year of refinement in the fire for us all. Uncertain were the times, but they brought clarity for me in many respects. My heart is clear and the time is right to walk Into a new chapter. It has been an honour to play for my country in all the formats of the game, but the time has come for me to retire from Test cricket," du Plessis wrote in his retirement statement. "If someone had told me 15 years ago, that I would play 69 Test matches for South Africa and captain the side, I wouldn't have believed them. I stand in a place of utmost gratitude for a test coreer full of blessings bestowed on me. Every high and low has shaped me into the man I am proud to stand as today. In all things, those instances worked towards the good of who I believe I am today." "The next two years are ICC T20 World cup years. Because of this, my focus is shifting to this format and I want to play as much of it as possible around the world so that I can be the best player I can possibly be. I strongly believe that I have a lot to offer to the Proteas in this format. This does not mean that ODI cricket is no longer in the plans, I'm just making T20 cricket the priority in the short-term," wrote du Plessis. "I will be in conversation with CSA over the next couple of months on what the future might look like for me over the next year to find a solution that works for both of us.” "For now, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who had an influence on my Test career. I would like to single out my wife and family in particular - I would not have been able to do without their support during the unforgettable journey that Test cricket has taken me on, To my coaches, teammates and support staff over the years, I would you like to give a note of thanks and of course, to Cricket South Africa for the opportunity to be able to represent and lead my country in the pinnacle of the game we all love. It has been an incredible journey, with many stories that I look forward to one day sharing."