Travis Head in Brisbane, Australia. (Getty Images)

Travis Head has never been one to obsess over cricket’s conventions, and on Sunday in Brisbane, Australia’s free-flowing left-hander summed up his approach with a line that instantly captured the mood of a team ready to challenge long-held Test traditions.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Pink ball, white ball, red ball – I won’t use the next word… who really cares?” Head said with a grin. It was classic Head — carefree, blunt, and perfectly timed as Australia weigh up how far they are willing to push the boundaries in day-night Ashes cricket.The 31-year-old’s remark arrives as Australia seriously consider loosening, if not abandoning, the rigidity of traditional batting orders ahead of the second Test at the Gabba. Head, whose fearless 83-ball 123 in Perth reignited debate about his optimal position, is at the centre of this rethink.

Captain Pat Cummins earlier called batting orders “overrated”, and coach Andrew McDonald revealed that the decision to send Head out as a makeshift opener in the Perth run chase was the result of years of internal tactical debate about flexibility. Head fully agrees.“I think you could use this order and these players in a range of different ways… whatever way that is needed to win games of cricket,” he said. “We’ve seen it with the pink ball — double nightwatchmen, different ways to use players. The traditionalists will say that’s how it’s got to be, but this is where the game’s going.”Head believes the team has spent years preparing for this mindset shift. “We’ve thrown out scenarios over the last few years — how do you get there, what personnel you need, the personalities in the line-up. I feel like I can play any role, so I’m open to opening. All options are on the table.”

Head spent Sunday night reacquainting himself with the pink ball under lights as uncertainty lingers over Usman Khawaja‘s back spasms. The Gabba, where Head has produced both brilliance and baffling collapses, could again define his role.Whether he opens or slots back into the middle order, one thing is clear: Travis Head is fully committed to a future where Australian batting strategy is as fluid, adaptable and irreverent as the attitude he summed up with one unforgettable line.

South Africa’s Marco Jansen, left, speaks with India’s Virat Kohli in Ranchi. (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen offered a candid and striking assessment of what it feels like to bowl to Virat Kohli, admitting that world-class batters of the Indian superstar’s calibre become “almost impossible to stop” once they settle in. Kohli’s masterful 135 in the first ODI in Ranchi not only powered India to a 17-run win and a 1-0 series lead, but also reaffirmed the challenge bowlers face against him — a challenge Jansen says leaves little room for error.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Reflecting on the knock, Jansen said the only genuine opportunity a bowler has comes right at the start of a batter’s innings.“When you bowl to world-class players, it’s quite difficult to get them out. I always try to get a batter in his first 10 or 15 balls. That’s when they’re still getting used to the wicket,” Jansen explained.

But with Kohli, he said, the equation changes rapidly.“Once they’re in, and they get on a roll, it’s very difficult to stop them. Everyone here knows how to play — that’s why you go to plan B or C.”Kohli’s 52nd ODI century on Sunday was classic Virat — tempo control, smart risk-taking, and an extended stay that he has made a hallmark of his greatness. For Jansen, the difficulty lies in the completeness of Kohli’s batting.

Jansen first bowled to Kohli as a 17-year-old net bowler during India’s 2017–18 South Africa tour, and the impact remains vivid.“It’s nice to watch him play. Growing up watching him on TV to actually bowling to him now… it’s annoying but it’s fun at the same time,” he said. “He drives well, he pulls well, cuts well, plays with his pads well. I don’t think much has changed — he’s just batting longer and longer.”On his own form, Jansen said a strong top order is giving him the freedom to express himself with the bat lower down. “I’m just watching the ball and playing it as it comes. At the moment it’s working for me.”Despite trailing 0-1, Jansen insisted South Africa were “not disheartened”, saying the team believed they were “doing the right things” and only needed to stack good spells consistently. He added that injury updates would be clearer before the second ODI in Raipur, with Aiden Markram continuing to lead in Temba Bavuma‘s absence.India and South Africa now shift focus to Raipur, where the high-stakes second ODI awaits.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

RANCHI: Studies have shown that couples often tend to resemble each other in a long-standing relationship. And 102 innings together, spanning over 15 years scoring 5619 runs with 20 century stands and 17 half-century partnerships, is indeed long enough.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!So, when an animated Rohit Sharma applauded Virat Kohli’s record-extending 52nd ODI ton here on Sunday with a few choice expletives which would be a delight for lip-readers, it looked like some of his longtime partner’s characteristics had rubbed off on him after all these years. Characteristically, the Mumbai man is famous for his cool and relaxed attitude on and off the field, while King Kohli is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve. On Sunday, it was as if Rohit was completing Kohli’s sentences.

If you paused to regard the emotion Rohit laid bare in those few seconds, it becomes evident that the Hitman is making a statement for both the veterans of the format. That Ro-Ko is clearly here to stay on their own despite all the murmurs of their ODI retirement plans. While Kohli notched up his 83rd international ton at JSCA International Stadium, Rohit scored a 51-ball 57 with five boundaries and three maximums.In the process, the former India captain went atop the list of batters with most number sixes in ODIs — 352. The duo is now third on the list of highest overall partnership runs by a pair in ODIs, behind only Sourav Ganguly-Sachin Tendulkar (8227 runs) and Mahela Jayawardene-Kumar Sangakkara (5992). Ro-Ko surpassed another Sri Lankan pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara on Sunday. With the 50-over World Cup in South Africa in two year’s time, the two of the all-time greats once again showed why they are still invaluable in the ODI set-up along with other seniors in the side.

While stand-in skipper KL Rahul scored a 56-ball 60 at No. 6, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja proved his worth down the order with 32 off 20 balls. However, the players looking to break into the XI or trying to cement their place failed to utilise the opportunities coming their way due to the unavailability of regulars like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer in the lineup.Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (18) flattered to deceive after a brisk start; Ruturaj (8) failed at No. 4 while allrounder Washington Sundar, who came at No. 5 ahead of Rahul, returned after scoring only 13. Though the Maharashtra opener had to bat in the middle order leaving his regular slot, it was Gaikwad’s fourth consecutive sub-10 score in ODIs.

The onus was on the senior pros to give their bowling unit a big total to defend. Rohit has publicly talked about his desire to play the 2027 World Cup after the final heartbreak at home in 2023. Shedding 10 kilos ahead of the Australia tour in Oct and looking fitter than ever, Rohit’s intention is quite clear.Kohli, with 49 runs of his 135 coming by running between the wickets on Sunday – and 42 of those being singles – is as fit as ever and conducted a fine class on how to build an ODI innings. Despite all the noise and chatter swirling around, the ODI batting greats of India are still carrying responsibility with aplomb.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India captain KL Rahul couldn’t hide his admiration — or his nerves — after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma produced commanding innings to script India’s tense 17-run win over South Africa in the opening ODI in Ranchi on Sunday. Kohli’s majestic 135 off 120 balls, his 52nd ODI century, and Rohit’s composed 57 laid the foundation for India’s 349/8, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Rahul, speaking after the match, marvelled at how effortless the senior duo made batting look. “Watching Rohit and Kohli play like that is always fun. They’ve made oppositions look silly and show why they are who they are,” he said. “I’ve seen this for a long time, but it’s a lot more fun to see them around in the dressing room.”

But despite the strong batting display, the final overs left the skipper on edge.“I’d be lying if I said there were no butterflies in my stomach. We’re playing ODI cricket after a while and there’s some expectation,” Rahul admitted. “But we kept taking wickets and the bowlers stuck to their plans. They pushed us and kept coming hard.”Rahul, who is adapting to a new role in the middle order, said batting at No. 6 was helping him evolve. “Batting at No. 6 is okay… that’s the role I’ve been given in the last 2–3 series. It’s helping personal development.”

He also reserved praise for Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav, who held their nerves under pressure. “Harshit’s done really well… tall, bowls fast, and has great potential. Kuldeep is doing this job — key for us to take wickets.”Kuldeep, who finished with four wickets, revealed he relied on variation to outfox the Proteas batters.“We wanted to attack despite it being tough to bowl… I was mixing scrambled seam and seam-up, trying to bowl back of a length. It was very challenging — the ball was getting wet,” Kuldeep said. “You can’t rely only on stock balls. You have to keep batters guessing.”South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram praised his team’s fight but admitted the top-order collapse hurt them. “Proud of the chase… but the top order falling was defining. Small pieces to do better,” he said.India now head into the second ODI with momentum.

Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar

Former Indian legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar praised Virat Kohli after he scored his 52nd ODI century, breaking Sachin Tendulkar‘s record. The milestone was achieved during the first ODI between India and South Africa at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.

Kohli’s innings helped stabilise India’s score and established him as a batting great. By surpassing Tendulkar’s 51 centuries in Tests, he became the player with the most centuries in a single format of international cricket.“Those who’ve played with Virat Kohli and against him, they all agree that he’s the greatest of ODIs. Ricky Ponting also rated him as the GOAT. It’s very tough to get appreciation from Australians. When you pass Sachin, you know where this man stands,” he told JioStar during the mid-innings break.ODI remains the only international format Kohli plays after retiring from Tests and T20Is. He aims to participate in the 2027 World Cup before ending his career.Despite facing criticism from experts suggesting retirement, Kohli maintained his strong form. He scored 135 runs off 120 balls in this match.During the match, a fan ran onto the field to touch Kohli’s feet before security personnel removed him from the ground.Both Kohli and 38-year-old Rohit made their return to ODI cricket after stepping away from T20 and Test formats.Their experience strengthened the Indian team, which was led by KL Rahul due to Shubman Gill’s injury, following a 2-0 Test series loss to South Africa.After losing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal early for 18, Kohli joined Rohit at the crease to loud cheers from the 38,000 spectators.The duo stabilized the innings before Jansen dismissed Rohit lbw. Rohit’s 51-ball innings featured five fours and three sixes.Despite losing additional wickets, Kohli maintained his composure through the middle overs when scoring slowed.After reaching his first century since February, Kohli accelerated dramatically, scoring 21 runs off Prenelan Subrayen in the 39th over with two fours and two sixes.Nandre Burger eventually dismissed Kohli, caught by Ryan Rickelton, after he had hit 11 fours and seven sixes

Lankan cricket team’s tour of Pakistan faced uncertainty following a bomb blast in Islamabad

The Sri Lankan cricket team’s tour of Pakistan faced uncertainty following a bomb blast in Islamabad. Several players expressed concerns about their safety and considered returning home due to security risks.The situation was resolved with the involvement of Pakistan’s military forces. Social media was flooded with images showing the extensive security measures implemented to protect the Sri Lankan cricket team.Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka addressed the security situation after the conclusion of the tri-series involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.“We enjoyed this tournament as a group. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to go out much,” he said after the tri-series final on Saturday, referring to restrictions put on the team following a bomb blast.Shanaka expressed gratitude towards the Pakistan Cricket Board for ensuring their safety during the tour.“Credit to the security forces; they supported us in every situation. It’s not easy to handle all this, to organise everything. I must thank PCB for ensuring our safety,” he added.The Sri Lankan team struggled to perform well against Pakistan in the tri-series final. Shanaka acknowledged their batting challenges, particularly against spin bowling.“We must realise when to take chances against spin – especially left-handers getting out to off-spinners and right-handers to left-arm spin. Those were avoidable,” he said.Despite the security concerns and performance issues, Shanaka maintained a positive outlook for future cricket engagements with Pakistan.“We take this as learning. Hopefully, we’ll correct these issues,” he said.The Sri Lankan captain expressed his willingness to return to Pakistan for future cricket series, adding, “I’m very confident about that… Hopefully, in the future, I’ll get the chance to come to Pakistan again and play good cricket.”

Virat Kohli of India (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has addressed recent media speculation regarding Virat Kohli‘s potential return to Test cricket. The rumours suggested that the cricket board was planning to approach Kohli about reversing his Test retirement decision. These speculations gained momentum following India’s recent struggles in Test cricket. The national team has faced setbacks, including two home series losses in the past two years, which has impacted India’s traditionally strong home record.

“What’s being said about Virat Kohli is just a rumour. There has been no conversation with Kohli about this. Do not give weight to rumours. Nothing of that sort has happened,” Devajit Saikia told AajTak.Former cricketer Kevin Pietersen shared his thoughts on social media regarding the situation.“I don’t always believe what I read in the media or on social media. But, if it’s half true that both Virat and Rohit are considering playing Test cricket again, then it needs to be taken very very seriously. The survival of Test cricket is a hot topic of conversation and if the biggest stars in the game are wanting to play it again, they must play!” Kevin Pietersen wrote on X.Virat Kohli scored his 52nd ODI century while Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana delivered impressive bowling performances to secure India’s narrow 17-run victory over South Africa in the opening match of the three-match series.India have taken a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second match scheduled for Wednesday in Raipur.Kohli’s masterful innings of 135 runs off 120 balls, including 11 fours and 7 sixes, helped India post a substantial total of 349 for 8. South Africa fell short, managing 332 runs in their chase.Kuldeep Yadav claimed 4 wickets for 68 runs, while Harshit Rana took 3 wickets for 65 runs, effectively containing South Africa’s batting response.Matthew Breetzke scored 72 runs and Marco Jansen contributed 70 runs, helping South Africa recover from a difficult position of 11 for three wickets.Kohli’s century featured a crucial 136-run partnership with Rohit Sharma, who scored 57 runs from 51 balls.Rohit Sharma achieved a milestone by hitting his 352nd ODI six, surpassing former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s record of 351 sixes.KL Rahul provided late momentum with a quick 60 runs from 56 balls.The final scorecard showed India posting 349 runs for 8 wickets in 50 overs, with notable bowling performances from Ottneil Baartman (2/60) and Nandre Burger (2/65). South Africa were dismissed for 332 runs in 49.2 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav (4/68) and Harshit Rana (3/65) leading India’s bowling attack.

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI century, Kuldeep Yadav’s four wickets and Harshit Rana’s three-wicket burst secured India a 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI on Sunday.India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second game will be played in Raipur on Wednesday.Kohli produced a brilliant hundred that set up India’s total of 349 for eight on a flat JSCA pitch. His 135 off 120 balls helped India control the innings after an early wicket, and his partnership of 136 with Rohit Sharma (57 off 51) gave the hosts a solid base. Kohli reached his hundred with a boundary off Marco Jansen, prompting a pitch invasion by a spectator. With this hundred, Kohli went past Sachin Tendulkar’s 51 Test hundreds to become the batter with the most hundreds in a single format, now holding 52 ODI centuries.Rohit crossed a personal mark as well, hitting his 352nd six in ODIs, moving past Shahid Afridi’s tally of 351. KL Rahul added 60 off 56 balls later in the innings.South Africa’s chase began on the back foot as Harshit Rana (3/54) dismissed Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock in the space of three deliveries. Arshdeep Singh (2/64) removed Aiden Markram for 7, leaving South Africa at 11 for 3 in the fifth over.Tony de Zorzi (39 off 35) and Matthew Breetzke (72) added 66 runs for the fourth wicket before Kuldeep Yadav trapped de Zorzi lbw to make it 77 for 4. Dew was present through the evening, affecting India’s grip on the ball and allowing South Africa to score more freely.Dewald Brevis (37 off 28) hit three sixes, but Rana removed him to make it 130 for 5. Breetzke and Marco Jansen then added 97 runs to keep the chase alive. Jansen made 70 and Breetzke reached 72, but Kuldeep’s double strike in the 34th over — removing both batters within three deliveries — shifted the game again.India maintained pressure in the final overs. South Africa needed 18 runs in the last over with one wicket left. Prasidh Krishna dismissed Corbin Bosch (67) with his second delivery to end the match with South Africa on 332 in 49.2 overs.The Rohit-Kohli stand also offered India confidence about their senior players’ roles going forward.

Sunil Gavaskar (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Former Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has criticised South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad’s ‘grovel’ comment during the second Test match between India and South Africa.South Africa won the Test series 2-0 against India. During the second Test in Guwahati, despite having a substantial first-innings lead of 288 runs, South Africa chose to bat again instead of enforcing the follow-on.

When questioned about this decision at the press conference, Conrad stated: “We wanted them (India) to really grovel.”On the JioHotstar show ‘Cricket Live’, Gavaskar addressed Conrad’s controversial remark.“You could say it was an ill-advised use of the word. We need to look back at South Africa’s re-entry into international cricket. It was the Indian Cricket Board that proposed South Africa’s readmission after more than 20 years of isolation, and their first international match on return was played in India,” he said.“When you consider the current landscape of South African cricket, especially the SA20, five out of the six franchises are Indian-owned. These owners are significantly supporting South African players–not just the international stars who are well taken care of, but the fringe players as well–giving them opportunities to build strong careers.”Gavaskar emphasised the historically positive relationship between Indian and South African cricket. He suggested that while an apology wasn’t necessary, Conrad should acknowledge his comment. “Indian and South African cricket have shared a positive, collaborative relationship for decades. Across all the years and encounters between the two teams, the cricket has always been competitive and tough, but never hostile. I have witnessed nearly every India-South Africa contest, and it has always been hard, fair cricket. Nothing beyond that. So yes, it may have been an ill-advised remark–wrong time, wrong place,” he added.“I hope that in his next media interaction, he addresses it. I don’t think an apology is necessary; I personally don’t believe in apologies. But acknowledging it and making up for it would be accepted by everyone. These things happen. In the heat of the moment, you can get carried away and say something that goes a bit over the top. Given the strong connection between Indian and South African cricket over the last 30 years, I think he can simply clarify that he got a bit carried away.“