About a month before the start of the 2023 World Cup, former Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble raised a pertinent issue that hit Rohit Sharma and his team later in the middle of the tournament — the lack of all-rounders in 50-over format. More specifically, he pointed out that there were hardly any batsmen who today give the option to be also used as bowlers.

“One problem that needed to be addressed, from the last World Cup to this ODI World Cup, was that we needed more all-rounders — (an issue) which has never been addressed. You don’t have batters who can come and give you those options. Yeah, bowlers giving you some batting is secondary. But, I think, batters giving you bowling options certainly increases the depth,” Kumble said in September.

Then, the former India skipper accelerated, and landed a telling blow. “You cannot create them overnight. But we had four years, so you had to develop those players; instructions had to be given. Players should have been identified and said ‘okay, you are the guys who are going to give me options. Now, for example, Yashasvi Jaiswal, I know, bowls a bit of leg-break. But I have hardly seen him bowl in any match in the last one year. Shreyas Iyer also gives a bit of bowling. But I don’t know if with his back problem, whether he will come in (to) bowl,” he told Cricinfo.

In the four years between the last two World Cups, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid held the post of India head coach, for two years each. During this period, the chairmen of the selection committee were M.S.K Prasad, Sunil Joshi, Shiv Sundar Das (interim), Chetan Sharma, and Ajit Agarkar. 

Kumble didn’t take names, but he was either referring to the head coaches or the selection committees, or both.

Whoever Kumble had in mind, his fear became reality in the fourth of the nine league matches that India played, against Bangladesh in Pune. Hardik Pandya injured his ankle while trying to stop Litton Das’s straight drive off his bowling, and was ruled out of the rest of the tournament. He hasn’t returned to action until India’s ongoing Test series in South Africa.

While Kumble talked in the 50-over context, all-rounders are as much required in Test matches to provide balance. This was underlined further after India’s abysmal capitulation to South Africa in the first Test in Centurion on Thursday.

The two all-rounders that India picked — spinner R. Ashwin and pacer Shardul Thakur — contributed a cumulative 34 runs and two wickets. But, let us not confuse ourselves — India’s innings and 32-run defeat was a combination of several factors, and not just limited to the all-rounders’ issue discussed here.

The central issue, therefore, is the lack of all-rounders who provide the crucial balance to a playing XI, more so in the Test and 50-over formats. T20s are not so much affected as the absence of an all-rounder is not felt as acutely. Quite extraordinarily, India, despite its vast population and overflowing talent pool, continues to feel the pinch of quality all-rounders who could be automatic starters in the national Test and ODI XIs, even when rotation of players is implemented. Alas, India have not found another Kapil Dev since his retirement in 1994 — almost 30 years!

The lack of good all-rounders hurt India the most when the team plays Test matches overseas, particularly in England, Australia, and South Africa, where the pace and bounce in the pitches pose a huge challenge to our batsmen. A good all-rounder provides options to the captain and depth in batting and bowling.  

A glorious past

India have had some great all-rounders, Lala Amarnath being among the top ones. In his chequered and controversial 24-Test career, he scored 878 runs and captured 45 wickets. Vinoo Mankad scored 2,109 runs and bagged 162 wickets in 44 Test matches. Adjudged the ‘Indian Cricketer of the Century’ by Wisden, Kapil Dev remains on top with 5,248 runs and 434 wickets in 131 Tests, and 3,783 runs and 253 wickets in 225 ODIs. Besides Kapil, the other all-rounders who contributed significantly to the team in the last 30-40 years have been Madan Lal, Manoj Prabhakar, Ravi Shastri, and Mohinder Amarnath.

The team that won the 1983 World Cup was probably the best ‘balanced’ Indian ODI team ever. It was packed with several quality all-rounders who provided many options to captain Kapil Dev while picking his XI. Even the Sunil Gavaskar-captained team that won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia was packed with all-rounders — seven in the 14-member squad. Five of these all-rounders — Ravi Shastri, Roger Binny, Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath, and Kapil Dev — were in the 1983 team.

There were eight all-rounders in the World Cup-winning team in England and seven of them captured wickets. The unlucky one was Sandeep Patil who couldn’t get a wicket in nine overs he bowled in eight matches. Remember, effectively there were eight all-rounders in the 13 who played the matches as the 14th member (Sunil Valson) didn’t play any game. The presence of these multi-skilled men – mostly pace bowling all-rounders — was India’s biggest advantage in the seaming English conditions.

It is not that the Indian cupboard of all-rounders got barren at the end of the 1983 World Cup, or the 1985 World Championship of Cricket. Kapil continued to play until 1994, when Prabhakar took over the baton from him. Between 1983 and 2023, the likes of Amarnath, Binny, Shastri, Madan Lal, Irfan Pathan, and even Ajay Jadeja, performed the all-rounders’ role, most of them with distinction. Some others came and went with a whimper.

Present problem

But the bitter truth is that India have, for some strange reason, not found a durable and quality all-rounder in the Kapil Dev mould since his retirement in early 1994. Shastri and Prabhakar, who often opened both the batting and bowling successfully, were the regulars in both Test and 50-over formats. 

And again, since their retirements – Shastri exited in 1992 and Prabhakar four years later – India have struggled to get an all-rounder of their quality, someone who could provide the crucial ‘balance’ to the XI, perform consistently, and last long. 

All-rounders are required more so in Test matches and the 50-over format, where they could perform the decisive role, like they did so successfully during the 1983 World Cup.

Forty years since that World Cup triumph, India is desperately looking for quality all-rounders of the same calibre, especially for the longer formats. Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur are there, but India need a few more options when they are either not available, for being out of form, or for personal reasons, or are injured.

It’s quite extraordinary that in a country of over a billion people, Jadeja is the lone player who is an automatic starter in the India XI in all three formats and in almost all pitches, barring maybe in extremely seaming conditions like in England. After Pandya’s injury sent him crashing out of the rest of the World Cup, Jadeja was the all-rounder who was left as an automatic starter, though Ashwin and Thakur were in the group. And Jadeja, whose electric fielding and brilliant catching is a huge bonus, didn’t disappoint.

Thakur, a bowling all-rounder, was picked for only three matches and Ashwin, a spinning all-rounder, for a solitary game in the World Cup, where conditions (and the opposition) suited them. Axar Patel, a left-arm spin all-rounder like Jadeja, was ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury sustained before it began. India, however, reached the final with an all-win record in the league phase, before losing to Australia.

Bowling or batting all-rounders?

Kumble, who was no bunny with the bat, said India needed batsmen who could provide bowling options.

Former all-rounders Manoj Prabhakar and Madan Lal beg to differ. Both insist all-rounders are essentially bowlers first. “All-rounders are always classified as bowling all-rounders not batting all-rounders, because you help your team win while batting at No.6 or No.7, besides bowling. Your first job is to get wickets and then to get runs, like Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Imran Khan, Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson used to do,” Madan Lal told The Print.

“They were all wicket takers. They were of proven quality. India needs bowling all-rounders, not the other way round. Hardik Pandya can win a T20 game for you, whether he scores 30 runs or 40, and he gives you the breakthroughs too. But he doesn’t play Test cricket,” he points out.

Prabhakar, a swing bowling all-rounder who bowled a deadly slower one, has this to say: “All-rounders should be medium pacer all-rounder, or bowling all-rounders, and not batting all-rounders. Jacques Kallis was a pure, world class batting all-rounder. Kapil Dev and Imran Khan were the real all-rounders, who were bowlers first. Players who are loosely categorised as all-rounders are actually just rolling their arms over; they are not dependable. They can’t win matches; you can only utilise their expertise. If, for example, someone says Axar Patel is an all-rounder, I don’t agree.”

Madan Lal, himself a pace bowling all-rounder, emphasises that quality all-rounders were produced when players went through the grind in multi-day matches in domestic tournaments, where both temperament and skill are tested to the hilt. “You have to bat for a longer period, maybe for five-six hours in Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy matches to score a 50 or a 100. That is the only way to develop all-rounders, because in the T20 format you go there and hit — but might end up hitting and missing. In the 50-over format also, you have to develop a habit of staying at the wicket. That habit is missing these days,” he rues.

When a bowling all-rounder goes through the grind in domestic multi-day matches and bats in critical situations, maybe at No.7 or No.8, and is required to win games, that is when quality comes up. “In the same manner, you can adjust your game in the 50-over format. In T20, if you have an idea you can also bat well. It’s about multi-day matches, because these days hardly anyone can bat for three or four hours to score a hundred or thereabouts,” Madan Lal explains.

Crucial role of captains

Captains play a major role in the making or the unmaking of an all-rounder, avers Prabhakar. He goes on to acknowledge the encouragement he received from his first captain Gavaskar. “All-rounders are made; they don’t come ready-made. And it is the captain who transforms players into all-rounders. Had Gavaskar not supported me, I would never have become an all-rounder. He supported me to open the innings. Captains like him are needed to turn a medium pacer with batting potential into an all-rounder,” he outlines.

This is not happening today. And one major reason is that an all-rounder plays under different captains in Tests and ODIs/T20s, so a valid question arises: Who will take him under his wings?

Prabhakar played 39 Tests. And in 30 of the 58 innings, he opened the batting, scoring 958 runs out of his 1,600 runs in that role. “Many of today’s medium pacers only know how to bowl. And many of them don’t have the guts to stand up to good bowlers. They are scared of getting hit by the ball, thus ruining their careers. I hardly see lion-hearted all-rounders these days,” he says, without mincing words.

T20/financial factor

The absence of quality all-rounders can also be related to excess T20 cricket where the mind-set of players is completely different from those who play the two longer formats. With so much T20 cricket being played, the temperament of cricketers has also undergone a sea change.

“It is definitely a temperament issue. You require good temperament to bat for longer periods and you develop that only by playing in the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy, or whatever long version games are there. You have to apply yourself for hours in different conditions, looking at the overall picture of the game,” Madan Lal says.

The mind-set has changed also because in T20 good money could be made in a short time compared to the longer version. There are several instances of cricketers appearing in select longer domestic matches just to qualify to play in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), as required by the rules.

“T20 cricket has ruined everything. Today, pacers just want to bowl at 150 kmph; they don’t know how to take wickets. A majority of Purple Cap winners in the IPL have been swing bowlers,” Prabhakar says. Purple Cap is awarded to a season’s highest wicket taker, and 13 of the 16 winners have been pace/swing bowlers.

It is also a fact that T20 leagues bring quick bucks for players, therefore attracting modern-day youngsters. Evidently, quick financial rewards are closely linked to many players turning their backs to multi-day cricket that produce quality all-rounders.

“No good players want to play multi-day matches. They are content playing T20 and limited overs matches. And those who are running the game are responsible for this scenario. I fear India going the Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka way in five years,” Prabhakar cautions.

Madan Lal says when he coaches, he observes how youngsters are keen to play the T20 format. “Financial rewards are a must, and you can see this in the way the players are being sold in IPL auctions. Nobody wants to play domestic cricket. They just turn up for the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, that’s it. They think Ranji Trophy (four- and five-day matches) is boring,” he stresses. “That’s why a lot of teams are suffering; the young kid who is watching the auction is thinking how I can also earn big bucks.”

Having drawn the Test Series with South Africa, India will now face Afghanisthan in 3 T20i and then the Tour of England to India will begin.

Today I have prepared a unique article that will take you on a journey through the most exciting and unforgettable moments in the history of CS:GO majors.

Majors are the main tournaments in the world of CS:GO, where the best teams from all over the world gather to compete and fight for the prestigious title of champion. For many years, these events have given us genuine emotions, exciting turns of events, and incredible showcases of players’ skills.

In my special review, I have selected ten of the most striking moments that left an indelible mark in the history of CS:GO majors. Outstanding episodes await you, where virtuosic aiming, tactical skill, and unexpected decisions turn the course of matches.

I will tell you the details of each moment so that you can fully appreciate their significance and greatness.

Ready to get acquainted with the legendary situations that left their mark on the history of CS:GO? Then fasten your seatbelts because our exciting journey through the most impressive moments of the majors is about to begin!

#1 – Stewie2k holds the B point at ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018

And the first to open our top is the American Jack Stewie2K Yip, who at that time played for the Cloud9 team. Cloud9 and FaZe Clan met in the finals of ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018. The fight was unreal. And here comes the third map of Inferno. The score is 15:14 in favor of FaZe Clan, and they are in the last seconds reaching to B plant!

In these moments, Stewie2K was in complete harmony with the game environment, as if dancing a deadly dance with enemies. An impressive combination of quick reaction, flawless aiming, and coolness allowed him to gain the upper hand by destroying 4 enemies!

Remember that after that, Cloud9 won with a score of 22:19 and took the major.

#2 – Magisk pistol ace against Team Liquid

And our next top moment belongs to the Danish player Emil Magisk Reif.

At that time, Magisk was still playing for the Astralis team. It was the semi-final of FACEIT Major: London 2018, where Astralis and Team Liquid met. At that time, Astralis were already at the peak of their era,  and this was confirmed by Magisk, who scored an ace in the first pistol round of the second map (Mirage).

After that, Astralis calmly took this match and won the final against NAVI.

#3 – coldzera jumps and destroys everyone at MLG Major Championship: Columbus 2016

The third place in our top is occupied by the Brazilian Marcelo coldzera David, who, in the semi-finals of the MLG Major Championship: Columbus 2016, playing for the Luminosity Gaming team, destroyed the morale of the opponents from Team Liquid in the semi-final match.

The Luminosity Gaming team fails miserably on the second map of Mirage. It is already losing with a score of 15:9 when coldzera suddenly appears, who simply jumps on a car under point B and kills 4 opponents.

The sight is simply unimaginable. By the way, Luminosity Gaming won this match after that. But unfortunately, they lost later in the final.

#4 – s1mple in flight on Cache during ESL One: Cologne 2016

2016 was long ago, and that year’s last major was ESL One: Cologne 2016. In the semi-finals, Team Liquid’s sniper Oleksandr s1mple Kostyliev was left in a 1v2 situation on the Cache map to defend against Fnatic players. He simply jumps and destroys two opponents with an AWP no-scope!

Thanks to his outstanding game, the Counter-Strike developers and community recognized this moment as unique and created in-game graffiti depicting s1mple and his two no-scopes. This graffiti became a recognition of his achievement and an integral part of the culture of the game, which can still be seen on the Cache map.

But after that, the s1mple’s team lost to Sk Gaming 0:2 in the final.

#5 – electroNic in the 1v4 clutch at PGL Major Kraków 2017 against Fnatic

In 2017, Denis electroNic Sharypov still played with FlipSid3 Tactics, and in the first match at PGL Major Krakow 2017, the team faced a formidable opponent, Fnatic on Mirage.

And so electroNic remained in the clutch of a 1v4 situation, which he took away with only UMP-45!

Remember that the FlipSid3 Tactics team made it to the playoffs but was eliminated after the first match.

#6 – electroNic makes an ACE against BIG at FACEIT Major: London 2018

In 2018, 2 main teams, represented by NAVI and Astralis, are fighting for their era. And already in the first round of the Natus Vincere championship playoff stage, they meet with BIG and simply slice them into a salad.

The rifler of the team, Denys electroNic Sharipov, made a beautiful ace against BIG, using only an AK-47.

However, the team of “born to win” made it to the tournament finals with ease, but at that time, Astralis destroyed them in the finals.

#7 – pashaBiceps won a legendary 1v4 clutch against Immortals at PGL Major Krakow 2017

And here we come to a genuinely legendary clutch from the “Polish duck” Yaroslav pashaBiceps Yarzabkowski, who, in the semifinals of PGL Major Krakow 2017, playing for the Virtus.pro team, took an incredible 1v4 clutch against the Immortals.

But even such an incredible moment from pashaBiceps did not save the team from losing the tournament after this match.

#8 – NiKo saves FaZe Clan with the 1v3 clutch at ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018 vs. mousesports

Nikola Niko Kovac, playing for the FaZe Clan team in 2018, made it to the tournament’s quarterfinals, where they met against the mousesports team. On the first map at 15:14, mousesports were on the verge of victory. The only thing left for them to do was to secure the lower plant on Nuke.

But the greatest Bosnian rifler did not allow them to do this. The guys won this and the next match, but unfortunately or fortunately, they lost the tournament’s final to the Cloud9 team.

#9 – ZywOo won the 1v4 clatch vs. G2 at BLAST.tv Major Paris 2023

The last CS:GO major is ended, but you must remember the most memorable moment of the tournament. Namely, how Mathieu ZywOo Erbo took an impossible 1v4 clutch against G2 with unreal shooting and opponents’ prediction.

The action occurred in the Legends Stage’s first round on the Nuke map. By the way, Team Vitality passed with a score of 3:0, and then won the major.

#10 – olofmeister at ESL One Cologne 2014

One of the most memorable moments in Counter-Strike history was olofmeister’s highlight for Fnatic against Team Dignitas in the ESL One Cologne 2014 semifinals. On the second map, the game was tied at 14-14, and it was at this moment that olofmeister came and entered history with this defuse under the effect of a Molotov cocktail.

After that, the developers immortalized the moment with the graffiti on the Overpass map!

Today, in 2023, we can remember these epic moments with nostalgia, realizing that the last CS:GO major – BLAST.tv Major Paris 2023 has already passed, and the game is fading away. But CS2 is already looming on the horizon, the continuation of the legendary game, which will continue to delight us with its exciting competitions and unforgettable moments.

S1mple and many other players left an indelible mark in the history of CS:GO, and their contribution to the development of competitive esports will undoubtedly be remembered. While the game gives way to new horizons, it will remain in the hearts of fans and memories of legendary moments!

Test cricket, as you can judge by the name, is the most testing format of the game. We often see upsets being pulled off in the shorter formats of the game, but it seldom happens in Test cricket because the longevity of the game ensures that the higher skilled side eventually comes out on top.In recent years though, there has been a valid concern regarding the future of Test cricket due to the rise in popularity of T20 cricket in particular. At a time like this, Test cricket desperately needs some enthralling contests in order for younger audiences to retain interested in Test cricket. There have been plenty of great Test matches in Test cricket’s 145-year old history, and a few more of such Tests in the years to come would do the game no harm whatsoever.

We bring to you some of the best Test matches over the past years.

Thrilling finishes galore! Who said Test matches are boring?

5. England vs New Zealand

New Zealand toured England in June 2021 for a two-match Test series prior to the WTC finals. The match which features on this list is the first match of the series at the Lord’s. Kiwi skipper Williamson won the toss and decided to bat first.

The Kiwis scored a total of 378 in the first innings in which 200 runs were scored only by their opener Devon Conway and his name was embossed on the wall of fame at the historical venue. England got all out for 275 runs with Rory Burns being their highest run-getter with 132 runs and Tim Southee took a six-wicket haul in the first innings.The New Zealand team posed a target of 273 for England on the fifth day and they failed to take more than three wickets in the second innings. England couldn’t hit the target required in the remaining overs and hence the match was drawn in the end. The Player of the match was awarded to debutant Devon Conway for his brilliant 200 runs.

4. Bangladesh vs West Indies

This match is a tale of a debutant who hit a double hundred and won the match for West Indies. It was the first match of the series and Bangladesh elected to bat first. Mehidy Hasan, the bowling all-rounder of Bangladesh hit his maiden century along with Shakib Al Hasan’s 68 guided the team to a score of 430.West Indies, in the first innings managed to put, only a score of 259 with Kraigg Brathwaite being their highest with 76. In the third innings, Mominul Haque of Bangladesh played his part by hitting a ton and declared on the fourth day with 395 runs to be chased. The West Indian top-order batters failed to stay longer in the crease. Nkrumah Bonner came at number four and steadied the ship with surviving 245 deliveries and hitting 86.Kyle Mayers was on a good touch in his first innings as he got 40 runs and he went on to create history in the fourth innings by scoring a double hundred in his debut. Though the other end was unstable, Mayers kept one end firm and he unbelievably won the match for West Indies and it was the fifth-highest run chases ever in the Test history.

3. England vs Australia

The Oval Test match between England and Australia way back in 1882 is arguably the most significant Test match ever as it gave birth to the furious Ashes rivalry between the two countries.

Australia, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, made just 63 in their first innings. England, in their reply, couldn’t fare much better as they were, in turn, bowled out for 101, thereby giving them a lead of 38 runs over Australia.Given England’s considerable lead in the circumstances, they would have expected to beat the Australians comfortably, especially after they needed just 85 runs for victory due to Australia being bundled out for 122 in their 2nd innings. But they inexplicably collapsed, once again, for 77 and gave the Australians a narrow 7-run win.A British newspaper, The Sporting Times, wrote a satirical obituary after the match, stating that English cricket had died and their body will be cremated and the ashes will be taken to Australia. This led to England captain Ivo Bligh vowing to regain the Ashes prior to their tour of Australia that year and led to the start of the Ashes Test matches between England and Australia.

2. West Indies vs Pakistan

This is one of the most thrilling matches of the year 2021 as this went till the end without being able to decide the winner. It was the first match of the series of West Indies against Pakistan. West Indies won the toss and bowled first. Pakistan was all out for 217 runs (Fawad Alam 56, Jayden Seals- 3/70 and Jason Holder 3/26).West Indies faced an early setback after their opener and number three batter got out for a duck. The skipper Kraigg Brathwaite hit 97 runs and got out. Jason Holder added 58 runs and the team finished with 253 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi took a four-wicket haul in that inning. Pakistan again displayed similar batting and gave a low target of 168 (Babar Azam 55 and Jayden Seals 5/55).It was an easy task for West Indies to chase down this lost score as there were still two days remaining. But Pakistani bowlers bowled exceptionally well and dismissed the batters in quick intervals. After Jermaine Blackwood got out for 55, the match tended to slide on any side. Kemar Roach held his position at the crease and hit 30 runs and the match was won with just a wicket remaining. It was unpredictable till the last delivery was bowled.

1. Australia vs India

This is the most memorable match for Indian fans and on contrary, it was a forgettable one for the Aussies. It was not only the series decider match, but it was the ticket to the WTC finale for the Indians. This match was played at “Fortress Gabba” as Aussies say, as they have not lost even a single match here since its inception. The toss was in favour of the hosts and they batter first.Marnus Labuschagne’s 108 and Tim Paine’s 50 aided the team to score 369. India managed to score 336 runs and fell short by 33 runs. The highest scorers of India were number seven and eight batters, Washington Sundar (62) and Shardul Thakur (67). Josh Hazelwood picked a fifer in the inning. In the second innings, Australia got all out for 294. India had to chase 328 runs to seal their series victory and their position in the WTC final.The Indian batting lineup proved its capabilities. Shubman Gill was the highest in the innings with 91 runs. Pujara batted 211 deliveries and hit 56 crucial runs for the team. Rishabh Pant at five anchored the innings though the wickets were falling in the other end. He scored 89* runs off 138 deliveries and won the Player of the Match and created history by breaching the “Fortress Gabba”.

India will play 3rd Test of the ongoing Border -Gavaskar Trophy against Australia from 1st March in Indore.

Team India kept their ICC World Test Championships hopes alive with an emphatic 188-run win over Bangladesh in the opening Test in Chattogram. KL Rahul-led side had several heroes in the game that was wrapped up early on day five of the match.

India Take 2-0 Lead over Bangladesh
Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin’s unbeaten 71-run partnership prevented India from blanking them and won the match by a slender 3-wicket margin and claimed the series 2-0. Chasing a target of 145, India lost seven wickets in the process as Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran through their top order with a fifer. However, Ashwin and Iyer revived the team from a precarious situation and took their team home and gave them crucial WTC points.

Cheteshwar Pujara (90, 102*), Shubman Gill (20, 110) and Kuldeep Yadav (5/40 & 3/73) starred for the visitors in the emphatic win. India were playing a Test match after a gap of five months and did well in all the departments to secure a comfortable victory.

England created history in Pakistan
England defeated Pakistan by 26 runs in the second Test in Multan and with that win, they claimed the Test series 2-0 in the latter’s backyard on Monday (December 12). This was Pakistan’s third consecutive Test loss. It was the first instance since 1959 when Pakistan lost three consecutive Tests at home.

With this Test series defeat, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championships 2022-23 Final have been thwarted.

Pakistan WTC Final chances

India stay in WTC Final race
South Africa’s Test series defeat against England by a 2-1 margin, in September, bolstered the Indian Cricket Team’s chances of qualifying for the WTC Final. The Dean Elgar-led side’s WTC points percentage (PCT) dropped from 75 to 60 with two back-to-back defeats in England.

Earlier in July, Team India lost to England by 7 wickets in the rescheduled fifth Test in Edgbaston. Adding insult to injury, they were also docked two WTC points for slow over-rate in England.

Let us take a look at India’s chances of WTC Qualification after the India-Bangladesh Test series.

Team India WTC Rankings

Team India have jumped to the second spot in the ICC Test Championships 2021-23 Points Table after clean sweeping the Test against Bangladesh. With 8 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws,India’s win percentage has improved from 55.77 to 58.93.

India now have 99 points, including a penalty of 5 points.

Top 3 teams in WTC Standings

Number one ranked side in the ICC Test Rankings, Australia are seated at the top in the WTC team standings with 75 percentage points. The Pat Cummins-led side has 108 points with 8 wins and 3 draws and one defeat in 4 Test series. If Australia beat South Africa in the upcoming Test series, they’ll all but qualify for the WTC final.

India:

India are second in the team standings in WTC and the upcoming Test series against Australia at home will decide their fate.

South Africa:

South Africa – who defeated India in the three-Test series 2-1 earlier this year – were looking favourites but the series defeat in England has dented their chance. They’ve also lost the first Test against Australia in the latter’s backyard.

With 6 wins and 5 losses, they have slipped to the third spot with 54.55 percentage points. They’ll have to win the remaining games in Australia but that alone won’t guarantee them a spot in the final. They’ll have to hope that Australia beat India in the four-match series in the latter’s home in February-March.

Coach Rahul Dravid’s team has ended the year 2022 on a positive note with a 2-0 win in Bangladesh and will be looking to take the confidence to the Australia series at home.For Team India to qualify for the World Test Championships 2021-23 Final, they will now have to win the series against Australia. Pakistan’s loss at the hands of England at their home has bolstered India’s chances of qualification for the WTC final.

Only Australia are higher in the rankings than India.The runners-up of the WTC 2019-21, are scheduled to host Australia for 4 Tests.

India’s Qualification Scenarios:

# If Australia beat South Africa by a 3-0 win, then India will just need to win by any margin against Australia.

# If South Africa win any of the remaining matches against Australia and win by 2-0 Vs West Indies, thenIndia need to win by 3-1, 3-0 or even 2-0 Vs Australia.

Team India WTC Schedule (Tentative)

Feb 2023: India Vs Australia 1st Test Feb 09 – Feb 13 – Nagpur

Feb 2023: India Vs Australia 2nd Test – Feb 17 – Feb 21 – New Delhi

March 2023: India Vs Australia 3rd Test – March 1 – March 5 – Dharamsala

March 2023: India Vs Australia 4th Test – March 09 – March 13 – Ahmedabad

Remaining WTC Fixtures for 2022-23
AUS vs SA:

Dec 17-21: Australia vs South Africa 1st Test in Australia

Dec 26-30: Australia vs South Africa 2nd Test in Australia

Jan 4-8, 2023: Australia vs South Africa 3rd Test in Australia

Dec 26-30, 2022: Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st Test in Karachi

Jan 3-7, 2023: Pakistan vs New Zealand 2nd Test in Karachi

New Zealand will play against Pakistan in Karachi but both teams are out of contention. So, only India-Australia 2023 Test series holds relevance now.

So, only Australia, India and South Africa are in contention for the WTC Final.

India vs Pakistan in WTC Final hopes end

Pakistan were a rung above India in the WTC standings with 52.38 percentage points before the series against England. The Babar Azam-led side had 44 points from the three bilateral Test series they played. They had won 3 Tests, lost 2 and drawn 2. But two consecutive series defeats have all but ended their possibility of the WTC Final.

They have 56 points in 11 games (4 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws) while Sri Lanka – who are placed third currently in 10 Tests – have more points (64) than Pakistan.

Here, we’ll have a look at six incidents when a catch drop cost the result of the match for the team or sometimes the batter amazed everyone.

There is a very famous and old saying or a cliché in cricket that ‘catches win the matches.’ It is as true as it may sound to you. There have been various instances in cricket when a few cricketers dropped the catches at a very crucial juncture in very important and major international clashes.These drops gave life to the batter and he converted the rest part of the match into history. From Kiran More and Herschelle Gibbs in 1990 and 1999 respectively to Arshdeep Singh in the recently-concluded super-4 match between India and Pakistan during the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, these drops have cost a lot for the team.When you will have a thorough look at these instances, then it can be seen how these small mistakes shifted the momentum in the favor of the opposite. So, here we’ll have a look at six incidents when a catch drop cost the result of the match for the team or sometimes the batter amazed everyone with his performance after the survival.

1: Brendon McCullum got a chance from Virat Kohli (2014) :Eight years back, India and New Zealand were playing against each other in the second Test of the series. Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli was fielding at silly midfield. He got a chance to catch Brendon McCullum, the 33-year-old tried to go for it with one hand and eventually happened to drop the catch. At the moment when Kohli dropped McCullum’s chance, the New Zealander was playing at the only score of 9.Later on, the former Kiwi skipper went on to capitalize on this survival very well and scored his century with a six against Ishant Sharma. Then onwards, McCullum took the charge and stitched a partnership of 300 runs with BJ Watling. Eventually, the right-hander ended up scoring the historic triple-century against India.

2: Kiran More gave life to Graham Gooch (1990):India was touring England in 1990 for the Test and ODI series. India’s touring prowess was not well-known in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Both teams were playing the first Test at Lord’s. Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and asked the English team to bat first. English skipper Graham Gooch and batter Mike Atherton opened the innings for England.Gooch was playing on 36 when he edged the ball towards the wicketkeeper Kiran More. But eventually, More dropped the catch and it gave life to the dangerous English batter a survival. Later on, Graham Gooch smashed a swashbuckling triple century against India. He played a match-defining knock of 333 runs that eventually helped England to win the match by a mammoth margin of 247 runs.

3: Shane Warne drops Kevin Pietersen (Ashes – 2005):Australia and England were playing against each other in the Ashes – 2005. Kevin Pietersen was batting for England. He was at the score of only 15 runs when he was dropped by star Australian spinner Shane Warne. It cost a lot for the Aussies as Pietersen went on to smash a knock of 158 runs for England.It eventually helped the English team to win the Ashes after a wait of 18 years. When Warne dropped Pietersen, Australia was only 95 runs behind England, and the rest is recorded in the history books today.

4: Thisara Perera drops Rohit Sharma (2014):It was the very match between India and Sri Lanka in which the current skipper Rohit Sharma registered his name in the history books in the golden letters. Both teams were playing against each other during an ODI series eight years back in 2014. Rohit Sharma came to open the inning for India.He was at only four runs when a chance was created for Thisara Perera to take the catch of Rohit. But Perera couldn’t judge it well and dropped the catch and how much it cost Sri Lanka is known to the entire world after the historic individual inning of 264 runs by Rohit Sharma in that very match.

5: Arshdeep Singh becomes a villain by dropping Asif Ali:India and Pakistan were recently facing off each other in the super-4 match of the Asia Cup 2022. The Indian side posted a total of 181 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the 20 overs. The match happened to be a nail-biting thriller when the Pakistani team was chasing the target. Ravi Bishnoi was bowling the 18th over of the innings to Asif Ali. The Pakistani right-hander lofted the ball in the air and it went towards Arshdeep Singh in the form of an easy catch. But he dropped it that eventually shifted the momentum in the favor of Pakistan.The men in green won the match by five wickets against India and cleared off their account for the defeat in the last clash during the group stage match.

6: The moment when Herschelle Gibbs dropped the World Cup:Australia and South Africa were playing against each other in the 1999 World Cup. It was a very crucial match for both teams. South African skipper Hansie Cronje won the toss and decided to bat first against Australia. Herschelle Gibbs smashed an amazing century and scored 101 runs off 134 balls with 10 boundaries and a six to his name. South Africa managed to post a total of 271 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 50 overs.While chasing the target, Australian skipper Steve Waugh was on strike and playing on a very low individual score. At that very moment, the centurion for South Africa, Herschelle Gibbs ended up as the villain for the fans of his country by dropping the catch of Steve Waugh. Later on, the Aussie skipper scored a match-defining century to win the match for Australia.

India will now be facing Srilanka in a do-or-die match on 6th September.

India vs SA, 2nd Test: On a rain-marred Day 4, Dean Elgar led the charge with an unbeaten 96 to take Proteas to a famous 7-wicket win as the three-match series is now levelled.

The second and penultimate Test between India and South Africa, at The Wanderers, Johannesburg, ended on Thursday (January 6) with Dean Elgar-led hosts beating KL Rahul’s India by 7 wickets. After rain interruption and wet outfield led to a considerably delayed to the fourth day’s proceedings, Elgar’s unbeaten 96 led the charge for his side single-handedly as the home side cruised to an emphatic win to level the series.

At stumps on Day 3, Proteas needed 122 more (in pursuit of 240) whereas India were in search of 8 more wickets to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series. However, Elgar’s captain’s knock propelled his side to the third-most successful run-chase at the venue (highest successful run-chase for the hosts at The Wanderers). 

While many thought that the Indian bowlers would cherish bowling in overcast conditions, on Day 4, on a difficult batting track, they got only one wicket in the form of Rassie van der Dussen (40) before Elgar-Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten 68-run stand took the Proteas past the finish line.

With this, the series is interestingly poised at 1-1 with the third and final Test at Newlands, Cape Town on January 11. India will hope to see the return of regular captain Virat Kohli, who missed the second Test due to upper back spasm. The Asian side still remain in contention to win their maiden Test series on South African soil.

Opting to bat first in the J’burg Test, India had made 202 on the opening day whereas Shardul Thakur’s seven-fer restricted the hosts for 229 in reply. Despite trailing by 27 runs, India made a competitive 266 in their second essay for SA to chase 240. However, Elgar showed the way as the other batters rallied around the skipper, showed more determination and will-power to beat India and keep the series alive. 

While many thought the overcast conditions would favour the bowlers, SA captain Dean Elgar produced a gutsy and unbeaten 96-run knock to lead his troops from the front and take his side to a series-levelling seven-wicket win in J’burg. This became India’s first-ever loss at the venue in the purest format. While Rahul & Co. did compete very well and remained in the contest despite being all-out for 202 in the first innings, the visitors missed their regular captain Virat Kohli’s presence throughout the Test.

Will Virat Kohli regain fitness for India vs SA 3rd Test? 

Now the biggest question ahead of 3rd and the decider test is the fitness of Test Captain Virat Kohli. Although the Indian team didn’t miss him as a batsman but missed a lot as a Captain. Indian team needs Virat as a captain to win test matches oversees.

Sharing an update on Kohli — who missed the second Test due to upper back spasm — head coach Rahul Dravid said in a virtual press conference, “Virat Kohli should be fine from all accounts, he should be fine. He has had the opportunity to run around a little bit, he has had the opportunity to test it a little bit. Hopefully with a couple of net sessions in Cape Town, he should be good to go. Everything I am hearing and just having a chat with him, he should be good to go in four days time.”

For the unversed, the third and final Test will commence on January 11 at Newlands, Cape Town. Ahead of the series finale, the Indian camp is positive of Kohli’s full recovery as the 33-year-old missed his first-ever Test since 2017 due to injury concerns.

CS:GO player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev was voted as the best Esport athlete of 2021 at The Game Awards 2021, but why is he this year’s best?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev was voted the best Esport athlete of 2021 at The Game Awards 2021. The best Esport Athlete category saw five top Esports athletes, including professional Valorant player Tyson “Tenz” Ngo and pro Call of Duty player Chris “Simp” Lehr, try to gain the most votes. Votes were cast by fans and the winner of the was judged to have the best performance and conduct for year, independent of their games and genres. The award was announced in what was one of gaming’s most-watched shows of the year.

S1mple, 24, currently plays for the Ukrainian CS:GO team Natus Vincere(NAVI), who recently won the PGL Major Stockholm at the start of November, claiming half of the $1million prize pool and most recently The Blast Premier which ended couple of days back. S1mple began playing CS:GO professionally in 2014, where his raw talent was already catching the eyes of established professional players. Seven years later, s1mple is now regarded by most in the CS:GO scene as being the greatest to ever play Global Offensive.

S1mple’s performances the last two years have made him the best in the CS:GO scene, but his achievements in 2021 made him one of The Game Awards predicted most likely winners. With s1mple leading the way, NAVI won a staggering seven events in 2021, four of them Online and three on LAN. Across these tournaments, s1mple was voted the most valuable player six times, including MVPs in the prestigious IEM Cologne tournament and the Stockholm major, bringing his career MVP total to 18. Three of NAVI’s 2021 wins also saw them claim the Intel Grand Slam Season 3 prize, awarded to a team that wins four S-Tier events organized by ESL or DreamHack Masters during a window of 10 consecutive events, earning the players another $1million.

S1mple’s Unbelievable CSGO Stats Show That He Is The Best

There are a lot of very good teams and players in professional CSGO currently, but s1mple is the at the top, and likely the biggest reason NAVI is such a juggernaut. Over 2021, s1mple has the highest HLTV.org 2.0 rating of any player at 1.35. With 183 maps played, and nearly 5,000 individual rounds, s1mple has a kill-to-death difference of +1365. These are some of the best stats ever posted in Global Offensive’s history, and when put into the context that s1mple is constantly playing against the best teams in the world in CS:GO’s major in-person events, this consistent showcase of skill is noteworthy.

S1mple could easily have won Best Esports Athlete due to stats alone, but his conduct over the last two years has seen him become a true ambassador of CS:GO and an inspiration to many. In the early days of his career, s1mple was regarded by many professionals as a toxic personality. In 2015, he was removed from the team Hellraisers after making inflammatory comments towards Germans, and was banned from ESL tournaments for a time due to having a game ban in CS:GO. Now in 2021, S1mple is the spiritual leader of the seemingly unstoppable NAVI team. He routinely appears for stage interviews and shows great leadership and sportsmanship qualities at event.

S1mple’s performances in 2021 made him an easy choice to be voted Best Esports Athlete, and if he continues his form he could be in for a repeat. CS:GO experienced a decline in players during 2019, and the professional scene suffered too due to coronavirus. With the PGL Major being a success and breaking viewership records, CS:GO could continue its resurgence into 2022, and if s1mple continues to dominate events, he could end up topping the votes at The Game Awards once again.

A team of five sat in the conference room of a Marriott hotel, getting ready to face the South Koreans. Around 30,000 tuned in, expecting them to become the first Indians to clinch the regional championship. But after a nail-biting match, the team, ‘Global Esports’, lost their chance to represent the Asia Pacific at the official tournament for the esport Valorant.

Esports is no longer a niche subculture: it’s going mainstream, and Indian gamers are keen to make their mark globally.

They are fighting to be taken seriously, and want to avoid being stereotyped as geeks and gamblers whose parents think they waste time playing computer games. But an old-fashioned societal outlook and a regulatory black hole are holding them back.

Indians eSports athletes are going International

India already has an esports champion. Tirth Mehta won a bronze medal for playing the esport Hearthstone at the 2018 Asian Games, where future Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra won gold, and Hima Das set a national record. Esports organisations like Global Esports (GE) — whose player ‘SkRossi’ has been referred to as “the Virat Kohli of Valorant” — plan on building an ecosystem that produces more global winners.

Esports athletes are representing India abroad at big events like the Fortnite championship at the Australian Open, which took place while Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic played next door on the centre court. The Olympics also held the Olympics Virtual Series this year, signalling that esports could become an official event.

“When I saw the Indian flag being hoisted after I won bronze, I realised that this was an important moment for esports in India,” Mehta, 26, told ThePrint. “Since then, the whole perception of me being an esports athlete has changed.”Although he did not win any prize money because Hearthstone was only a demonstration event at the Games, (the first prize at an international competition is around $70,000) he did change people’s minds about him skipping social events.

Building India’s gaming ecosystem

It may look like they’re just playing games all day to earn a living, but the players say that gaming in India is like running a risky startup.

“As players, we’re hungry to prove ourselves and gain recognition internationally. We’re only going to get that if we work really hard — we work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said 24-year-old Bhavin ‘HellrangeR’ Kotwani, captain of GE’s Valorant team.Over a 100 million Indians took to gaming in 2020, while the growing esports ecosystem attracted $1 billion in investments in the last six months, and is expected to bring in $3.9 billion by 2025. In November, the World Esports Cup is set to take place with a prize pool of Rs 75 lakh.

Sexist stereotypes and prejudiced parents

Indian players, however, feel there’s a long way to go. Players in other countries have training grounds, coaches, and therapists. They also find that the “gamer” stereotype needs to change.

“We’re not anti-social people who spend all our time staring at a screen,” said 32-year-old Akshay ‘KappA’ Sinkar, a member of GE’s team who’s been gaming for 15 years. “We have fun, we party, we have girlfriends. But we also train hard.”

The gaming world is also rife with sexism. Women are often relegated to being content creators and live streamers because they’re not taken seriously as gamers, which exposes them to trolling and abuse. Saloni ‘Meow16k’ Pawar says trolls on her live streams ask her to ‘go back to the kitchen and make sandwiches’. Female gamers also have to worry about their safety online. Meow16k, who started out gaming under her brother’s ID because she felt it was safer, was wary when a viewer reached out to give her a gaming PC. She received his gift after some vetting.“Some people think that women will never be able to play as well as men. If a man compliments us, he is called a ‘simp’ and teased, which might make him think twice about coming back to watch our content,” she said. She and other female gamers in India discuss how to address sexism and bullying — recently, they decided to have strong moderators on live streams to call out sexism immediately.

Apprehensive parents are also an issue. GE, which manages players, has regular conversations with their parents about finances and career options.

Abhirup ‘Lightningfast’ Choudhury, who, at 20, is the youngest member of the GE’s Valorant team, asked his parents to give him a year to prove himself. “I would say the last year has been a success for me,” he told ThePrint. “I joined one of the best teams in India.”

His teammate, 25-year-old Jayanth ‘SkillZ’ Ramesh, dropped out of his mechanical engineering course in his third year. “Engineering was something my parents wanted me to do,” he said. “I tried, but it wasn’t me.” When he represented India and won at a CS:GO tournament in China, he told his mother that he’d be an average engineer, but he was already a good gamer.Besides getting to do what they love for a living, the gamers also want to create a sustainable industry. “My goals aren’t limited to being a player. I also want to educate people about esports and how to play professionally in India,” said Ganesh ‘SkRossi’ Gangadhar, who is 24.

Confused regulations on esports

There is no legal definition for esports in India, which has also led to struggles with separating gaming from gambling. Bodies like the Esports Players Welfare Association (EPWA) and Esports Federation of India (ESFI) have, therefore, stepped in to support players and make them aware of their rights but need at least some reassurance from the government.

In February, then-Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju acknowledged esports as an emerging platform but didn’t recognise any regulatory bodies or indicate plans for central legislation. A lack of national-level regulation means that each state has to define gambling for itself. Karnataka became the latest state to ban online games that “risk money,” even in games of skill.

“We’re on the side of sports, but not on the side of gambling,” said Dr K.C. Narayana Gowda, Karnataka’s Minister for Youth Empowerment and Sports. “Now the matter is in court. We’ll see how the courts define gambling, and then decide how to move forward.”

Lokesh Suji, director of the regulatory body ESFI, said the confusion between gaming and gambling is a major setback, creating a perceptual challenge for the industry.

“All of gaming exists as an exception to gambling right now, defined in different ways in different state legislations and hence leading to this confused state,” said Shivani Jha, lawyer and director of EPWA. “The way the act is drafted right now puts games like chess and FIFA under the ambit of gambling.”

Gaming fans seem to invariably find a way back to the industry. GE is founded by filmmaker Israney and Sinha, a medical doctor by profession. They wanted to create the world they wished they had when they were younger.

“The gamer inside us hasn’t died,” said Israney. “This space is growing every single day, which is what makes us excited to help shape it.”

These were the words used by Dale Steyn while retiring from the game he loves the most.

Dale Steyn announced his retirement on 31st August ending 20 years of his glorious career. Early on in his career he would decimate the batsman by his speed, line and swing. Up until his retirement from Test cricket in August 2019, for nearly 15 years Steyn was arguably one of South Africa’s and the world’s greatest Test bowlers since his debut in 2004 and frequently dominated the top spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Bowling Rankings. He is the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in Tests, having surpassed Shaun Pollock in December 2018; Steyn has 439 scalps to his name in 93 matches, at a remarkable average of 22.95 with 26 five-wicket hauls.

Of his many great spells, here are some of his truly special ones.

1)7/51 v India, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, 6-9 February 2010

Steyn claimed his career-best figures in Nagpur with a devastating spell of reverse-swing bowling, defying alien conditions as South Africa completed victory by an innings and six runs in the series opener. India, previously unbeaten under MS Dhoni’s leadership, were skittled for 233 on a surface good enough for South Africa to rack up 558/6 in the first innings. His scalps included Murali Vijay and Sachin Tendulkar, and the Proteas claimed a lead big enough to enforce the follow on. Dhoni was unbeaten no longer.

2)6/8 v Pakistan, Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, 1-4 February 2013

When Pakistan bowled out South Africa for 253 in the first innings, they might have felt in the contest, capable of nearing parity or perhaps even eeking out a lead. They certainly wouldn’t have imagined being back in the field 30 overs later, having been skittled for 49, their lowest-ever Test score. Had Graeme Smith felt so inclined, he could have even enforced the follow-on.If Pakistan were at sixes and sevens, Steyn was at sixes and eights, claiming mind-boggling figures of 8.1-6-8-6. Six Pakistan players were caught behind, two at first slip, one more in the cordon, and one pinned lbw, defenceless in the face of a pace-bowling masterclass.

3)5/87, 5/67, 76 v Australia, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 26-30 December 2008

One of the greatest all-round performances in Test history came from a man who would only make one more half-century in his entire Test career. First up, Steyn’s five-for limited Australia to 394 in the first innings, but it still seemed plenty when South Africa slipped to 251/8 in reply.Enter Steyn, who made 76 in a 180-run stand with JP Duminy – whose 166 was one of the all-time great Test innings – to give the Proteas an unlikely 65-run lead. Steyn was soon back in the action once more, dismissing four of Australia’s top six on his way to 10 wickets in the match. South Africa chased 183 comfortably, and, having completed the second-highest chase in Test history in the first game of the series, a maiden series win in Australia was secured.

4)5/23 v India, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, 3-7 April 2008

India had racked up 627 in a drawn first Test, and the surface looked full of runs again – as proved when AB de Villiers notched a double hundred and South Africa neared 500 in the second innings. But the first belonged to Steyn, who claimed Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid in an inspired opening spell before returning to lop off the tail, the hosts all out for 76. It remains India’s second-lowest Test total at home.

5) 5/56 v England, The Oval, London, 19-23 July 2012

The Proteas staked their claim on the overseas tour with an innings and 12-run win in the first Test at The Oval. Having put up yet another dominant performance with the bat and gaining a 252-run lead, the visitors had the upper-hand. With Steyn leading the fearsome bowling attack, England’s formidable batting unit didn’t stand a chance. He accounted for the likes of Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann as the hosts were bowled out for 240. Steyn eventually ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the series, with 15 wickets to his name.

Thank you very much Dale Steyn for giving some of the greatest Test spells. Wishing you a happy Retirement life