Guptill retires from international cricket

New Zealand cricketer Martin Guptill has announced his retirement from international cricket, concluding an impressive 14-year career. The 38-year-old opener amassed 7,346 runs in 198 ODIs, ranking third among New Zealand's all-time ODI run-scorers. He also holds the record as the nation's leading T20I run-scorer, with 3,531 runs from 122 matches. Guptill's last appearance for New Zealand was in October 2022. He plans to continue participating in T20 leagues worldwide.

International games

Sri Lanka struggled again, being bowled out for 142 after a shaky start of 22/4, not much of an improvement from 23/4 start in the previous game. Kamindu fought valiantly, scoring 66 runs off 64 balls, but a lack of support and two expensive run-outs hampered their pursuit.

ICC Gives Sydney Pitch 'Satisfactory' Rating For BGT Test, Others Labeled 'Very Good’

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch used in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India as 'satisfactory'.

This rating is part of the ICC's pitch assessment system, which categorizes venues as 'very good,' 'satisfactory,' 'unsatisfactory,' or 'unfit.'

The SCG pitch was criticized during the match for its bowler-friendly conditions, with Australian opener Usman Khawaja describing it as a "stinker" and former captain Michael Clarke labelling it the "worst pitch I've ever seen in Sydney."

Despite these critiques, the ICC's 'satisfactory' rating indicates that the pitch met the minimum standards required for Test cricket.

In contrast, other venues used during the series, including Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, the Gabba, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, received 'very good' ratings from the ICC.

Cricket Australia has expressed satisfaction with the overall quality of pitches during the series.

The SCG pitch's performance has sparked discussions about the balance between bat and ball in Test cricket, with some advocating for more lively surfaces to produce result-oriented matches, while others call for pitches that offer a fair contest between batting and bowling.

The ICC's pitch rating system aims to ensure that venues provide conditions conducive to fair and competitive cricket, maintaining the integrity and appeal of the game. What type of pitch do you prefer?

Domestic cricket + T20 leagues

Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes, 27th Match

 The rain had the last laugh. The game was called off. The teams will split the points.

Latest ICC Test Rankings: Kohli Hits 12-Year Low as Boland Shines Bright

In the freshly updated ICC Test rankings, cricket fans witnessed some significant changes, highlighting both ups and downs. Among the key developments, India's Virat Kohli experienced his lowest Test ranking since 2012, while Australia's Scott Boland soared to career-best heights following his exceptional performances.

Kohli's Unfortunate Decline

Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli has had a difficult run of form during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and it didn’t get any better in a forgettable outing at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Scoring just 17 and 6 in the final Test against Australia, Kohli's performance added to his struggles in the series, where he was dismissed by Scott Boland four times.

As a consequence, Kohli has now dropped to 27th in the ICC Test batting rankings, marking his lowest position since December 2012, a time when he was relatively new to the Test cricket scene and was ranked 36th. This is the first time in over a decade that Kohli has found himself outside the top 25 Test batters globally.

Scott Boland's Meteoric Rise

Boland, who dismissed Kohli twice in Sydney and four times in the series, climbed 29 places to joint-9th among bowlers—a career-high. His impressive rating of 222 points is the highest he has achieved, marking a significant rise from his previous peak of 36th in June 2023.

Bavuma and Jansen Shine for South Africa

In Cape Town, Temba Bavuma, South Africa's captain, delivered with a superb knock of 106 in the first innings against Pakistan. This helped secure a 10-wicket victory for the Proteas and extended Bavuma's remarkable captaincy record to eight wins in nine matches, a historic 74-year high for South African cricket.

Bavuma’s performance saw him regain 6th place in the batting rankings, a career-high rating of 769 points, matching the peak he previously hit in December 2024.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Marco Jansen continued to impress, moving up to 2nd in the ICC all-rounder rankings. His contributions in the Cape Town Test—62 not out with the bat and bowling figures of 1-36 and 2-101—helped push his rating to a career-best 294 points.

Other Key Ranking Updates

Pakistan captain Babar Azam made strides in the batting rankings, climbing five spots to 12th.

India’s Rishabh Pant moved up three places to 9th, reaffirming his importance in the Indian Test lineup.

England’s Joe Root remains the top-ranked batter with 895 points, followed by teammate Harry Brook (876) and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (867).

On the bowling front, India’s Jasprit Bumrah holds the top spot with a stellar 908 points, maintaining his dominance ahead of Australia’s Pat Cummins and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.

Latest ICC Rankings Snapshot

Top 5 Batters:

Joe Root (England) - 895 points

Harry Brook (England) - 876 points

Kane Williamson (New Zealand) - 867 points

Yashasvi Jaiswal (India) - 847 points

Travis Head (Australia) - 772 points

Top 5 Bowlers:

Jasprit Bumrah (India) - 908 points

Pat Cummins (Australia) - 841 points

Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) - 837 points

Josh Hazlewood (Australia) - 835 points

Marco Jansen (South Africa) - 785 points

Top 5 All-Rounders:

Ravindra Jadeja (India) - 400 points

Marco Jansen (South Africa) - 294 points

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Bangladesh) - 284 points

Pat Cummins (Australia) - 282 points

Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) - 263 points

Interesting fact/OTD/Fan post

2018

An innings victory in Sydney gave Australia a 4-0 win in the Ashes. Shaun and Mitchell Marsh became the third pair of Australian brothers to score hundreds in the same Test innings, and along with Usman Khawaja, who made 171, battered the England bowlers to the tune of 649 runs.

Coming tomorrow

What else is happening

• Champions Trophy: KL Rahul, Shami, Jadeja set for Champions Trophy snub; Yashasvi Jaiswal to get green signal, Sanju Samson doubtful.

• Vijay Hazare Trophy: Nitish Kumar Reddy to play in Ranji Trophy; 3 members of India Test squad confirm availability for Vijay Hazare QFs.

• Afghanistan Team: Afghanistan sign up Younis Khan as mentor for Champions Trophy.

Question for you

Should Rohit Sharma retire from Test Cricket?

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