Joe Root Just One Step Away From Matching Sachin Tendulkar Big World Record

England's vibrant batter Joe Root took a step closer to matching Sachin Tendulkar's elusive record for 1000-plus Test runs in most calendar years. After Pakistan slammed a mammoth 556-run total on the back of centuries from Salman Ali Agha (104*), Abdullah Shafique (102) and skipper Shan Masood (151). Root stepped up to steady visitors ship after England lost stand-in skipper Ollie Pope to Naseem Shah early in the first innings. He approached each delivery that came his way with caution to ensure that England didn't lose further wickets after losing Pope.

While exercising caution, Root heavily relied on rotating the strike, found the boundary rope twice and walked back unbeaten with a score of 32(54).

Root, who has been tipped to go past Sachin's tally in red-ball cricket, returned to the dressing room after crossing 1,000 Test runs in 2024. This was the fifth calendar year when the 33-year-old managed to cross the 1,000-run mark in Test cricket.

He just needs to put up another calendar year where he hits the 1,000 Test runs mark to go level with 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar.

Sachin currently sits at the summit with a whopping tally of six calendar years in which he garnered 1000-plus Test runs.

With a tally of five, Root is now level with cricket icons Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Alastair Cook for scoring 1000-plus Test runs in most calendar years.

Zak Crawley, on the other hand, played the role of aggressor with his run-a-ball 64*. His rollicking performance, which saw him smack 11 fours, forced Pakistan bowlers to toil hard in their hunt for a wicket.

The duo forged an unbeaten 92-run stand of 112 deliveries as England pushed to chase down Pakistan's challenging total. England ended the day with a score of 96/1, trailing Pakistan by 460 runs.

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"Instilled Fear": Pak Star Wants This Ind Pacer To Play vs Aus. Not Bumrah

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali lauded young Indian pace sensation Mayank Yadav on his international debut and expressed hope that he travels to Australia for the five-Test match Border-Gavaskar Series starting from November 22 in Perth. The new-look India boosted by debuts of tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy secured a dominant seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first of the three T20Is at Gwalior on Sunday, with Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Hardik Pandya delivering best performances.

Mayank first made waves during this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), taking seven wickets in four games in an injury-affected season with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). During these matches, Mayank hit the 140-150 kmph speed consistently, getting big wickets of the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Glenn Maxwell. The bowler managed to create excitement around him, leading fans to anticipate his spells and return from injury.

The 22-year-old finally made his much-awaited debut in Indian colours in Gwalior. In four overs, he took one wicket for 21 runs at an economy rate of 5.20. Mayank did set the speed guns on fire with some of his deliveries. In his full four-over spell, Mayank did not hit 150 kph mark, but hit the 140 kmph mark consistently in 17 out of the 24 balls he bowled. His average pace of 138.7 kph was due to some slower balls, as per Wisden.

Speaking on his Youtube Channel, Basit said, "It was a dream debut for Mayank Yadav. He started off with a maiden and even clocked 149.9 kmph. He has come from an injury, which is why his speeds have not been 157 or 158. Just imagine if he had been given the new ball instead of Hardik Pandya. He instilled fear. If you guys saw the match, batters did not play him on the front foot. I hope that he remains fit and goes to Australia."

Coming to the match, India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (27 runs from 25 balls, 1 four and 1 six) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (35* runs from 32 balls, 3 fours) were the top scorers for the visitors, injecting a small bit of life in an otherwise struggling innings. Bangladesh was bundled out for 127 runs in 19.5 overs.

Arshdeep Singh (3/14) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Varun Chakravarthy bagged three wickets for 31 runs on his return to the side after 2021. Pace sensation Mayank Yadav, Washington Sundar and Hardik got a scalp each.

During the chase of 128 runs, Abhishek Sharma (16 in seven balls) was run out due to a miscommunication. However, Sanju Samson (29 in 19 balls with six fours) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (29 in 14 balls, with two fours and three sixes) stitched a 40-wicket stand for the second wicket. Then, it was Hardik who sealed the win for India, putting up a 52-run stand for the fourth wicket with debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (16* in 15 balls, with a six).

Bangladesh failed to rise with the ball in the second inning and could only pick up two wickets. Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy were the only wicket-takers for the visitors.

Arshdeep was named the 'Player of the Match' for his fine spell which also included the key wicket of Litton Das. India is up 1-0 in the three-match series.

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Tendulkar Snubbed By Ponting In 'Most Naturally Talented Batter' Pick

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is widely respected for his cricket wisdom, and does not shy away from giving his opinions. But the newly-appointed Punjab Kings coach has now given another crispy take. Despite having played with and against India legend Sachin Tendulkar, Ponting did not name him as either the most naturally talented cricketer or even the most naturally talented batter that he has seen. Instead, Ponting went for two other greats of his generation for the two categories.

"I'll say Jacques Kallis is the most talented player that I've ever seen, because of his all-round game. I'm not just talking about a talented batsman; I'm talking about a talented cricketer," said Ponting, in a panel discussion with Sky Sports.

Former South African all-rounder Kallis is widely regarded as one of, if not, the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket. Ponting listed Kallis' tremendous statistical dominance as a reason.

Ricky Ponting on Jacques Kallis - class recognises class pic.twitter.com/Pl05hllgGr

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 4, 2024

"Jacques Kallis made 44-45 Test hundreds, probably 300 wickets, maybe more than that, and he'd have an unbelievable catching record as well in Test cricket, so I think he's one of the most underrated players ever that's played the game," Ponting said.

"I mean, I know he's rated; obviously he should be, but not many people talk about him as being one of the all-time greats, and in my eyes, he certainly is," Ponting added.

Over the course of his career, Kallis piled up more than 25,000 international runs and 500 international wickets across all formats. Kallis retired as the third-highest Test run-scorer of all time, and eighth on the list of ODI run-scorers. Tendulkar tops both lists.

On the other hand, Ponting named West Indies great Brian Lara as the most naturally talented batter he has ever seen.

"The most naturally talented batsman, I'd say, would be Brian Lara," Ponting added.

Ponting and Tendulkar played alongside each other during the fag end of their careers, as both won the IPL title with Mumbai Indians in 2013.

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Watch: Harmanpreet Suffers Neck Injury, Leaves Field In Tears vs Pakistan

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur's T20 World Cup campaign suffered a significant setback as she sustained an injury during the match against Pakistan in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The injury occurred while Harmanpreet was batting, forcing her to leave the field in tears. She was retired hurt for 29 off 24 deliveries. She kept her nerves and played a captain's knock to help India make a comeback in the game. At a time when the team was losing wickets, Kaur and Deepti Sharma did not go for boundaries and kept rotating the strike to avoid any dismissal.

Harmanpreet has been in excellent form and was close to securing a win for India when the injury struck. The severity of her injury is yet to be confirmed, raising concerns that it might end her participation in the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup.

Coming to the match, a stupendous knock by opener Shafali Verma and captain Harmanpreet Kaur helped India clinch a massive six-wicket win over Pakistan in the most anticipated match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024.

Hope Harmanpreet Kaur is okay, Team India needs you #INDvPAK #INDvsPAK #T20WomensWorldCup #INDIAWIN #HarmanpreetKaur pic.twitter.com/RiAODLqo6i

— ANUJ THAKKUR (@anuj2488) October 6, 2024

India openers Shafali Verma (32 runs from 35 balls, 3 fours) and Smriti Mandhana (7 runs from 16 balls) had an 18-run partnership.

Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal brought the first breakthrough in the second inning when she removed Mandhana in the fifth over.

Jemimah Rodrigues (23 runs from 28 balls) replaced the India vice-captain and made a crucial 43-run partnership.Omaima Sohail gave Pakistan a chance to breathe when she removed Verma in the 12th over. After losing the prolific opener, the Women in Blue struggled with Fatima Sana bagging two wickets in a single over to dismiss Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh for a golden duck.

In the 18th over, India crossed the 100-run mark after Kaur smashed a four through the extra cover. In the 19th over, when India came closer to winning the crucial match, skipper Harmanpreet suffered a neck injury which forced her to walk off the field.

S Sajana came in place of Kaur and slammed the ball to the left of mid-off for a four to end the match and win the game by six wickets.

Fatima Sana led the Pakistan bowling attack after she picked up two wickets in her four-over spell. She gave away 23 runs. Sadia Iqbal and Omaima Sohail bagged one wicket each in their respective spells.

Recapping the first inning of the match, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat against India in the most anticipated match of the T20 World Cup 2024.

India's Arundhati Reddy was the top wicket-taker as she scalped 3/19 in four overs. Shreyanka Patil picked up two wickets.

Renuka Singh, Deepti Sharma, and Asha Sobhana, all scalped one wicket each.

After electing to bat first, Pakistan could not find a rhythm and lost wickets regularly in the first inning. Renuka Singh dismissed Gull Feroza for a duck in the very first over. The Women in Green was 1/1 in the first over.

Deepti Sharma did not allow Pakistan batters to settle down as she cleaned up Sidra Amin for 8, leaving Pakistan on 29/2 after the powerplay.

Omaima Sohail was dismissed by Arundhati Reddy for 3, and after that, Muneeba Ali was stumped by Richa Ghosh off Shreyanka Patil for 17, who was looking solid in the middle. Pak was left at 41/4 in 9.3 overs. They reached their 50 in 11.4 overs.After this, Arundhati Reddy scalped her second wicket, dismissing Aliya Riaz for 4. Pakistan Captain Fatima Sana showed some intent as she scored 13 off 8 balls but was dismissed by Asha Sobhana. Pak was 70/6 in 14 overs.

Tuba Hassan was gone for a three-ball duck off Shreyanka Patil. Pak was 71/7 in 14.5 overs. India was penalised for a slow over-rate. The extra fielder had to come inside the ring.

Experienced Nida Dar was the top scorer with 28 off 34 deliveries, but was bowled by Arundhati Reddy. Pak was 99/8 in 19.4 overs. Pakistan reached their 100 in the 19.5 overs, thanks to Syeda Aroob Shah (14)* and Nashra Sandhu (6)*, which took them to 105 for 8 in 20 overs.

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Long-Lost Part Of Earth Believed To Be 120-Million-Year-Old Found In Borneo

In a groundbreaking discovery, experts have identified ancient remnants of a long-lost tectonic plate, dubbed Pontus, dating back an astonishing 120 million years. This finding sheds new light on Earth's history and underscores the ongoing quest for knowledge about our planet. According to Indy100.com, researchers Suzanna van de Lagemaat and Douwe van Hinsbergen from Utrecht University made the breakthrough by analysing geological data from the Asia-Pacific region. Their prediction has now been confirmed, revealing the existence of Pontus, a previously unknown part of Earth's crust in Borneo. 

Geologist Suzanna van de Lagemaat said, "We thought we were dealing with relics of a lost plate that we already knew about. But our magnetic lab research on those rocks indicated that our finds were originally from much farther north, and had to be remnants of a different, previously unknown plate."

She continued, ''But our magnetic lab research on those rocks indicated that our finds were originally from much farther north, and had to be remnants of a different, previously unknown plate.''

Press release!@Suzannavdl's PhD research yielded a nice surprise: the reconstruction of the Pontus Plate that we predicted 11 years ago based on tomography. And now it rolled out of her reconstruction 🤠.https://t.co/rNUOM8oazK@UUGeo @UUEarthSciences pic.twitter.com/3hXVeSx334

— Douwe van Hinsbergen (@vanHinsbergen) October 9, 2023

Researchers reconstructed the ancient Pontus plate, estimating it covered an area roughly one-quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. Formed during the supercontinent Pangaea, Pontus lay beneath the vast ocean separating Eurasia and Australia 160 million years ago. As Pangaea broke apart, the Pontus plate was gradually subducted or swallowed by neighbouring plates. This geological process carried countries like the Philippines and Borneo to their present-day locations.

Notably, van de Lagemaat focussed her research on the intricate Junction Region, where tectonic plates converge between Japan, Borneo, the Philippines, New Guinea, and New Zealand. Her groundbreaking research enabled the creation of a stunning visual reconstruction.

This 3D clip revealed 160 million years of tectonic plate movements, from the dinosaur era to the present day. 

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Diljit's London Show Was Joined By Badshah. Keeping Calm Is Not An Option

Singer Diljit Dosanjh is pulling out all the stops to make his Dil-Luminati Tour unforgettable. After collaborating with Ed Sheeran in Birmingham, he teamed up with rapper Badshah during his London show on Friday. Badshah made a surprise appearance. Several pictures and videos of their reunion have been doing the rounds on social media. In one clip, the duo performs their hit track Naina from the movie Crew.

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A post shared by Haroon Rashid (@iharoonrashid)

After wrapping up his international tour, Diljit Dosanjh will kick off the Indian leg of his tour this October, starting at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on October 26. Following Delhi, the tour will head to Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Indore, Chandigarh and Guwahati.

In a note shared by his team, Diljit expressed his excitement about bringing the tour to India and said, "Bringing the Dil-Luminati Tour to India is a dream come true. After an incredible journey abroad, performing in my homeland feels like coming full circle. The love and energy I've felt from fans worldwide have been extraordinary, but there's something uniquely special about performing here, where it all began. India, get ready, because Punjabi ghar aa gaye oye! We're going to make history together-I promise you a night you'll never forget!"

On the acting front, Diljit recently announced his role in Border 2, alongside Sunny Deol, Ahan Shetty and Varun Dhawan. The sequel will be set against the backdrop of the Battle of Longewala, with filming expected to begin in November.

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IND Star, Who Last Played Tests In 2020, Gets "Most Talented Player" Praise

Former Indian cricketer and selector Jatin Paranjape lauded skipper Rohit Sharma for his attacking brand of cricket during the home Test series against Bangladesh, particularly the Kanpur Test. The 52-year-old, who has represented Mumbai at domestic level, said that the second Test of the series will be seen as an "inflection point" in Indian team's rich Test cricket history. India recently completed their 2-0 series win against Bangladesh at home. In the Kanpur Test, Team India missed two days of action due to rain and wet outfield after Bangladesh ended the first day at 107/3 in the first innings.

When Bangladesh started day four with the same score, the match looked heading towards a draw with two days left and only the first innings being played. But Bangladesh was first skittled out for 233 and then India got some quickfire runs, posting 285/9 and taking two Bangladesh wickets at the end of day four. On the next day, India bundled out Bangladesh for 146 and were leading by 94 runs. They got a target of 95 runs and chased it down easily.

Speaking to ANI at the sidelines of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) season two Delhi trials, the head of selection in the competition said, "Since Rohit has become the captain, the intent and DNA of the team have become attack-orientated. The captain himself is leading from the front. Since the 2023 World Cup, we have seen our players go out and attack the bowlers from the start. Rohit has done it himself. We saw that in the T20 World Cup and the Kanpur Test as well. They have decided that their DNA is to attack, their natural instinct has become attacking, and they would not abandon it. I think this is just a trailer of what we will see in Australia (during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy) later this year."

"You will look at it (the Kanpur Test) as an inflection point of the Indian team in Test cricket. We were always an attacking side. If you see our batting, right from Rohit to Ashwin, everyone has attack that comes first to them. They will play as per their natural instinct. It depends how the Border Gavaskar Trophy goes. But I think in such situations in the future, they will play such a way, irrespective of the opposition," he added.

"Yes. You will look at it as an inflection point of the Indian team in Test cricket. We were always an attacking side. If you see our batting, right from Rohit to Ashwin, everyone has an attack which comes first to them. They will play as per their natural instinct. BGT depends how it goes. But I think in such situations in the future, they will play such way, irrespective of the opposition."

Speaking about the Mumbai cricket scene, Paranjape said that Prithvi Shaw is the most talented batter in India.

Shaw, who last played for India in July 2021, has played five Tests, six T20Is, and an ODI so far in his carrer. Though he had a lot of hype around him because of him being the youngest Test centurion on debut for India and the winning captain 2018 ICC U19 World Cup, Shaw lost his place in the side to the likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad due to injuries, poor run of form, technical weaknesses, etc.

"I feel Prithvi Shaw is the most talented player in India. He will also be looking forward to the FC season with a lot of expectations, because it is going to be a big one for him. Shaw, Sarfaraz (Khan), Jaiswal and Iyer are Mumbai players whose DNA is to attack. That is how they will continue playing," he added.

Notably, Paranjape himself played for Mumbai, scoring 3,964 runs in 62 first-class matches at an average of 46.09, with 13 centuries and 15 fifties in 95 innings. His best score was 218.

Even though Sarfaraz became the first Mumbai player to smash a double ton in Irani Cup, Paranjape feels that Rohit will continue with the ongoing combination during the upcoming three-match home Test series against New Zealand from October 16 and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia from November 22 onwards.

"Rohit's captaincy hallmark is he keeps formation consistent," he added.

Sarfaraz made his much-anticipated international debut this year during Tests against England after years of fine performances on the domestic circuit. He scored 200 runs in his first three Tests with three fifties. He was not a part of playing eleven during Bangladesh Tests despite being a part of the squad.

On spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who won the 'Player of the Series' award against Bangladesh, Paranjape said that his best years are ahead of him.

"Nothing short of fantastic (his performances against Bangladesh). He is a legend. He writes his name into the list of legends of Indian cricket. I think his best five years are ahead of us. He is really fit," he concluded.

He was given the 'Player of the Series' award for scoring 114 runs, including a counter-attacking century in the first Test at his home in Chennai and taking 11 wickets.

The Indian all-rounder broke a lot of records and unlocked a lot of milestones in the series, both with the bat and the ball. He levelled with Sri Lankan great Mutthiah Muralitharan to become player with joint-most 'Player of the Series' records, with a total of 11.

In the Chennai Test, Ashwin scored a counter-attacking 113 in the first innings and took a six-wicket haul in the final innings to help his team win the game.

This was the fourth instance of Ashwin securing a century and five-wicket haul in a Test. Only England legend Ian Botham is ahead of Ashwin in this aspect, having managed to do this feat five times.

Also, this was Ashwin's 37th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Now, he has tied with legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne for joint second-most fifers in the longest format of the game. The only one ahead of Ashwin is Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who has 67 five-wicket hauls.

Ashwin also went past 750 international wickets, becoming the 12th player in the world and second Indian to do so.

The veteran is considered as one of the finest Test all-rounders of the generation, with 3,423 runs in 102 Tests and 123 innings at an average of 26.74, with six centuries and 14 fifties. His best score is 124. He has also taken 527 wickets at an average of 23.65, with 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-fers. His best bowling figures in an innings are 7/59.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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