F1: Isack Hadjar joins RB for the 2025 season

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) Former Australia cricketer Greg Chappell, who had served as India head coach, believes Jasprit Bumrah is a combination of the best of legendary pacers Dennis Lillee and Andy Roberts. He added that Bumrah is currently the one standing between Australia and grabbing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“I have always said that Dennis Lillee and Andy Roberts were the most complete fast bowlers that I faced. How does Bumrah, with his unorthodox action and masterful control, measure against these two and the other titans of modern fast bowling?

“Bumrah, though less overtly combative, channels Lillee’s ability to unsettle batsmen. His deadly yorkers and disconcerting bounce – especially with his unorthodox release point and trajectory – echo Lillee’s capacity to dictate terms. Bumrah’s quiet intensity and precision make him a nightmare, much like Lillee’s unrelenting aggression.

“Bumrah shares Roberts’ cerebral approach. Both bowlers use subtle variations to outfox batsmen, relying on strategy rather than brute force. Bumrah’s spell in the 2018 Boxing Day Test against Australia – culminating in 6-33 – was a modern echo of Roberts’ game-changing bursts. Bumrah mirrors this versatility,” wrote Chappell in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday.

Since making his Test debut for India against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018, Bumrah has been a revelation for India, picking up 185 wickets in 42 matches so far. Bumrah is the current leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series with 12 scalps from two matches, including taking eight wickets in the side’s 295-run win in Perth.

“With 151 wickets at an average of 21.03 in just 30 Tests, his ability to excel in diverse conditions recalls Marshall’s dominance. Bumrah’s reverse swing on abrasive surfaces and his ability to seam and swing the ball under cloudy skies have been pivotal, evoking the same uncertainty that batsmen faced against Marshall. As Ian Botham famously remarked of Marshall, ‘He gave you no respite’. Today, batsmen echo similar sentiments about Bumrah.

“As he has had back surgery already, it is not certain he will have a long career, but if he does, his name will be mentioned in the same breath as the champions above. What sets Bumrah apart is his combination of skills: Marshall’s adaptability, Lillee’s aggression, Hadlee’s control, Roberts’ strategy, Wasim and Waqar’s reverse swing, McGrath’s precision, Steyn’s explosiveness, and Rabada’s modern versatility. As Nasser Hussain aptly observed, ‘He’s the complete bowler’.

“While the legends of yesteryear established the foundations, Bumrah is carving his own legacy – one that promises to inspire future generations of pacemen. Fast bowling, cricket’s most compelling spectacle, thrives through these icons.

“Bumrah, with his unorthodox brilliance, stands tall among them, embodying the heavy artillery that Ian Chappell so eloquently described. Make no mistake, Bumrah stands between Australia and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” concluded Chappell.

–IANS

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Liverpool, Dec 14 (IANS) Skipper Virgil van Dijk feels nothing less than full focus and commitment will be enough for Liverpool to beat Fulham. The Reds host Marco Silva’s team at Anfield on Saturday looking to consolidate their position as Premier League leaders.

Arne Slot’s side dropped points in their last top-flight outing, a 3-3 draw at Newcastle United, and Van Dijk has no doubt that this afternoon’s opponents will also provide a stern test.

“After a couple of games away from home, plus the cancellation of last weekend’s Merseyside derby, we are looking forward to returning to Anfield this weekend. We know how important this time of year is. It is a really intense period, where each and every game requires maximum focus and maximum attention.

“Fulham will be no different. They are a team that can cause anybody problems, as we saw last weekend when they played really well against Arsenal. They have good players, a good coach and they always play with a lot of confidence and belief.

“We know that from last season. We played against them four times and every single one of those games was close. We know we will have to work extremely hard today if we are to pick up the three points,” Van Dijk wrote in LFC’s matchday notes.

Earlier this week, Van Dijk was included in the 2024 FIFPRO Men’s World11 – the fourth occasion he has been voted into the team by his peers.

The Liverpool and Netherlands skipper took the time to acknowledge the honour. “It was an honour for me to be named in the FIFPRO Men’s World11 earlier this week, alongside some of the game’s finest players. To be recognised by your peers is always special, and I am extremely proud to have received such a nomination for the fourth time in my career.

“However, I always say that individual recognition comes only when you are part of a successful team, and so I would like to pay tribute to my teammates, my coaches and to both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot, who have helped me to perform at a strong level over the past 12 months. Long may that continue!,” he added.

–IANS

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Hobart, Dec 22 (IANS) Australia pacer Jhye Richardson is excited over his return to the Test side for the final two games against India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Australia have added Richardson as an extra pace option in the squad after a calf injury ruled Josh Hazlewood out of the series. Richardson admitted he was somewhat surprised by his call-up to Australia’s squad for the Boxing Day Test but feels “really good” about the prospect of an international comeback against India.

Richardson, who featured for the Perth Scorchers on Saturday in Hobart, will skip Monday night’s match against Melbourne Renegades to prepare for a potential Test return. The 28-year-old pacer and teenage opener Sam Konstas were the two fresh faces named in Australia’s 15-player squad for the remainder of the series.

“Even a week ago, I was like, ‘I’m not really thinking about that just yet’,” Richardson said on Fox Cricket during the Scorchers’ clash with the Hurricanes on Saturday.

“I just wanted to stay on the park and play Big Bash cricket and make sure that the body was OK and keep ramping up (the workloads) and following the processes that we’ve got in place. But here we are, and if there’s an opportunity, then it’s obviously really exciting.”

In the Scorchers’ recent loss to the Hobart Hurricanes, Richardson went wicketless, a contrast to his standout performance in their BBL season opener, where he claimed 3-19 against the Melbourne Stars, earning Player of the Match honours.

The speedster’s surprise at his selection stemmed from his gradual return to long-form cricket this domestic season. Despite limited opportunities, Richardson has consistently demonstrated his exceptional skill as one of Australia’s top bowlers when fit.

Only a week earlier, Richardson had told reporters it was “unrealistic” to consider an international return, with his focus primarily on achieving consistent match fitness. He has played just one four-day game this season but made an immediate impact, taking two wickets in his first over during Western Australia’s pink-ball Shield match against South Australia in Adelaide last month.

Richardson’s confidence also grew after successfully returning to bowl following a dislocated shoulder sustained while celebrating one of those wickets.

Although he has played two T20 matches for the Scorchers since that first-class appearance, Richardson said shifting to Test cricket wouldn’t be difficult, as much of his summer training has focused on conditioning for the longer format.

“I’d probably argue that I’ve had less white-ball practice leading into this Big Bash. Having played a couple of second XI games and a Shield game, we’ve really been prioritising trying to build (my bowling) loads to get my body right for four-day cricket,” Richardson said.

“So I’ll probably find it easier to go back to red-ball cricket just from a preparation point of view.”

The pacer’s return has been carefully managed after a series of injuries, including a side strain midway through last season’s Big Bash and hamstring surgery nine months earlier. This summer, he has played four of WA’s five One-Day Cup matches, two second XI games, and one Shield match before sitting out their most recent Shield game, which WA lost to NSW.

–IANS

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