Former Team India opener Sunil Gavaskar has slammed England’s batting after their poor performances against Australia in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 series. Gavaskar also pointed out the irony in England’s struggles, reminding them that they had criticized India during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.

Australia and England are contesting the fifth and final Test of the Ashes at the Sydney Cricket Ground. England showed improved batting form on the opening day, reaching 211/3 by stumps. However, Australia retained the Ashes after winning the first three Tests, while England managed to claim the fourth match.

English Players Mocked Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – Sunil Gavaskar

In his column for Mid-Day, Sunil Gavaskar recalled that England players mocked Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for batting on to reach their centuries. Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that England are now facing similar batting problems in Australia.

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“All those English players who mocked Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar when they opted to bat on and get to their centuries and not accept the offer to go off the field will have realised that Test match centuries don’t come every day. Those who derided and mocked them then for batting on are finding in Australia that their bats have only edges or holes in the middle,” Gavaskar wrote.

“Both the Indian batters had battled their way to their individual 80s and frustrated the bowlers and with another Test to go, were doing the tactical thing in keeping the fielders in the sun for some more time and were perfectly entitled to do so. Cricket is a great leveller and anybody who shows arrogance as different from confidence gets to learn that very quickly,” he added.

England Have a Chance of Ending the Tour On a High – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar took a brutal dig at Harry Brook, who is often labelled a “generational talent.” Gavaskar noted that Brook arrived in the Ashes 2025-26 with big expectations but has failed to deliver consistently, managing only modest returns across the first four Tests.

“England have a chance of ending the tour on a high and beginning the new year with a win and keep their chances of qualifying for the WTC final next year. For that to happen, it is important that the ‘generational talent’ in their team come of age and live up to the expectations.”

“However, as we have seen so far, success has been elusive, and hopefully the ‘generational talent’ will deliver in this generation and not the next,” wrote Gavaskar (via the aforementioned source).

Joe Root and Harry Brook Lead England’s Fightback in Final Ashes Test

England’s batting struggles have been evident through most of the Ashes, with the team crossing 300 only twice in eight innings and being bowled out under 200 on three occasions. However, signs of improvement finally appeared in the fifth and final Test in Sydney.

After winning the toss at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 4, England slipped to 57/3 on day one. Joe Root and Harry Brook then rescued the side with a strong counter-attack. The pair added an unbroken 154-run partnership, taking England to 211/3 before bad light and rain ended play early.

Root finished the day unbeaten on 72, while Brook remained not out on 78, showing control and intent despite pressure from Australia’s fast bowlers. Their stand gave England the upper hand on a rain-hit opening day.

Also read: Steve Smith makes a stunning retirement revelation after Usman Khawaja’s exit in Ashes 2025-26

Mohammed Shami (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has come out in support of seasoned fast bowler Mohammed Shami following his omission from the ODI squad, despite the pacer’s impressive performances in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.Shami’s international future has once again come under the spotlight after the 35-year-old was left out of India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, announced on Saturday.

The snub marks another setback for Shami, who has not represented India since being part of the Champions Trophy-winning squad in 2025. Despite returning to competitive cricket after recovering from injury, he has missed selection for the Test series against England, West Indies and South Africa, as well as the recent ODI series against Australia.“The biggest talking point is Mohammed Shami. What is his future? He’s not someone who came yesterday, played a few matches and left. He has taken 450-500 international wickets, which is a huge number. If you have taken more than 400 wickets and then you get dropped, and questions are raised about your fitness, that happens with everyone. As long as you play cricket, you have to keep proving yourself,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.Irfan also questioned the concerns surrounding Shami’s fitness, pointing to the workload the pacer has already handled since his return to action.“Shami has already bowled 200 overs. After bowling 200 overs, if fitness is the question, it has already been demonstrated. What more improvement is needed? Only the selection committee knows what they are thinking. If I were him, I would go and play the IPL and create havoc. I would take the new ball and perform at such a level.“Domestic cricket performances are discussed, but when the IPL comes, and you show your old rhythm and fitness, then no one can ignore you. The whole world watches the IPL. If you perform there, you make your place in the squad again. I believe his doors should not be closed,” he added.India will host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series starting January 11, followed by a five-match T20I series.

MUMBAI: Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena will take on Uddhav and Raj Thackeray’s parties on 87 seats in the BMC polls. The recent electoral record favours Sena (UBT). In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, of the 13 constituencies that saw a Sena vs Sena battle, UBT won seven, while Shinde’s party won six. In Mumbai, UBT won three of the four seats it contested, while Sena won one of three.“The Lok Sabha and assembly elections indicated which Sena holds greater clout in Mumbai. But the BMC polls are far more intense and will decisively establish which is the real Sena,” said a political observer. “With the Thackeray cousins fighting together this time, it is also a referendum on the Thackeray brand. Whether the Marathi voter responds to the renewed ‘Marathi Manoos’ narrative will be crucial. This is, in many ways, the final battle between the two Senas. It will shape Mumbai’s political future and also the political trajectories of the Thackerays.”

During the LS and assembly polls, several UBT leaders from Mumbai who defected to Shinde, including MLAs Yamini Jadhav and Sada Sarvankar, and MP Rahul Shewale, lost in direct Sena vs Sena contests. Over 40 former UBT corporators have since joined Shinde. “How they perform against the combined strength of the Thackerays will be closely watched,” the observer said. “The outcome will largely depend on the Marathi vote. A poor showing by Shinde could also hurt BJP by disrupting Marathi vote transfer and weaken Mahayuti.”Key Shinde vs Thackeray face-offs are expected in Sewri, Worli, Dadar-Mahim, Wadala, Bhandup, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar (West), Magathane, Dindoshi, Dahisar, Bandra (East) and Kalina.

A US-led takeover or restructuring of Venezuela’s oil sector could bring a major financial and strategic gain for India, potentially helping recover nearly $1 billion in long-pending payments and restarting crude production from oilfields operated by Indian firms, according to analysts and industry sources.India was once among the largest buyers of Venezuelan heavy crude, importing over 4,00,000 barrels per day at its peak. These flows came to a halt in 2020 after sweeping US sanctions made purchases risky and logistically unviable, forcing Indian refiners to exit the market.

ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), India’s flagship overseas oil arm, jointly operates the San Cristobal oilfield in eastern Venezuela. However, output from the field has fallen sharply as US restrictions blocked access to key equipment, technology and oilfield services, leaving sizeable reserves stranded despite being commercially viable, as per news agency PTI.Venezuela has also failed to clear dividend payments owed to OVL. According to industry sources cited by PTI, Caracas has not paid $536 million linked to OVL’s 40 per cent stake in San Cristobal up to 2014. A similar amount is due for later years, but settlement has been frozen as Venezuela has not permitted audits for that period.Analysts believe sanctions could ease following a dramatic US military operation that removed President Nicolas Maduro and placed Venezuela’s vast oil resources under American oversight. US President Donald Trump has already said American oil companies would enter Venezuela to repair degraded infrastructure and restart production.Once restrictions are lifted, OVL could quickly move drilling rigs and equipment from ONGC’s fields in Gujarat to San Cristobal, officials familiar with the matter were quoted as saying by PTI. Production at the onshore field has dropped to just 5,000–10,000 barrels per day, but with additional wells and modern equipment, it can produce between 80,000 and 1,00,000 barrels per day, they said.US control would also allow Venezuelan crude exports to resume, opening a pathway for OVL to recover close to $1 billion in unpaid dues from future revenues, according to analysts cited by PTI. OVL had earlier sought a specific US sanctions waiver, similar to the one granted to Chevron, to operate and export oil.Indian firms could also expand their presence in Venezuela. OVL holds an 11 per cent stake in the Carabobo-1 heavy oil block, while Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India own 3.5 per cent each. Venezuela’s state-owned PDVSA is the majority partner in both projects and may undergo restructuring under US oversight, analysts said.India is expected to re-emerge as a key buyer if Venezuelan supplies return. “If sanctions are eased… trade flows can resume rapidly,” said Kpler analyst Nikhil Dubey, noting that Indian refineries are technically well suited to process Venezuelan heavy crude, as quoted by PTI.Before sanctions, Venezuela exported 707 million barrels of crude annually, with India and China together accounting for 35 per cent. Exports have since halved. A US-backed overhaul could lift production within a year, analysts said, giving India a strategic alternative to Middle Eastern oil and strengthening its bargaining power in global energy markets.

Sydney Sixers will take on the Brisbane Heat in the twenty-fourth match of the Big Bash League. This article contains information regarding the SYS vs BRH Head-to-Head records in this particular competition.

SYS vs BRH Head-to-Head Records- BBL 2025-26, Match 24:

Stats	Matches	SYS won	BRH won	Draw	Tied	NR
Overall	25	15	7	0	0	3
At International Sports Stadium	1	0	1	0	0	0
In the last 5 matches	5	2	3	0	0	0

SYS vs BRH Head-to-Head Records- Key Statistics

Sydney Sixers and the Brisbane Heat have played 25 games as far as the Big Bash League is concerned, with the former having the upper hand.

The Sixers have got the better of the Heat on 15 occasions, while the Heat have managed to come out on the right side of the result in seven games, with the remaining three games ending without a result.

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When it comes to the result of the last five SYS vs BRH games, it paints a more competitive picture, which sees the Brisbane Heat having a slight lead.

The former BBL Champions have got rid of the Sixers in three games, while the Sixers have won two matches against the Heat in the same time frame.

The two teams will go head-to-head for the 26th time in this competition, which will also be the second instance of them being involved in a fixture at the International Sports Stadium.

The International Sports Stadium in Coffs Harbour has hosted one game between the Sydney Sixers and the Brisbane Heat.

It was the Brisbane Heat that came out on top in that result after a three-run win on the DLS method, and would look to double it up in the upcoming match.

While the Sydney Sixers would want to get off the mark against the Brisbane Heat at this venue, and will put their best foot forward in a bid to achieve that particular goal by replicating the same performance they delivered in the last match.