Fast bowler Mohammed Shami announced retirement from Test cricket

Virat Kohli impressed former Indian coach Ravi Shastri with his performance during the match against New Zealand in Auckland. Shastri called Kohli the greatest player in the history of baseball cricket, noting that Kohli retains the same sharpness, class, and physical condition in his game.

Furthermore, Shastri stated that Kohli is still capable of delivering outstanding results in Tests, and his decision to decline them disappointed even Shastri himself.

In the first ODI against New Zealand, Kohli played a powerful innings, scoring 74 runs off 51 balls, including 13 fours and one six. India needed 186 runs, and although Rohit Sharma retired early, the partnership between Shubman Gill and Kohli brought in 113 runs for the second wicket, strengthening India's position.

The pitch at Eden Park offered good bounce and movement for New Zealand's fast bowlers, creating difficulties for the Indian batsmen. However, it seemed to Kohli that the character of the field was different. He managed to understand the conditions, test the bowlers, and attack in his own style.

Ravi Shastri was particularly impressed by this aspect of Kohli's game. In an interview with Sony Sports, he noted that playing with such ease and confidence under these conditions is not easy. Shastri said: 'I believe that in these circumstances, Kohli played one of the best innings of his career. Playing with such ease and confidence on this type of pitch, without making a single mistake, is not easy. Among the brilliant innings he has played over the last seven, eight or ten years, this is one of them. He took the game to a completely new level. For everyone else, it was a different pitch, and great players do exactly that.'

After this, Shastri named Kohli the greatest player in baseball cricket.

The specialty of Kohli's innings was not only the 74 runs but also how he constantly kept New Zealand's bowlers under pressure. Initially, the extra bounce from Kyle Jamieson also troubled him. Kohli did not rush and took time to understand the situation, scoring 29 runs off 27 balls. When the game resumed after the rain, his style changed: he reached a half-century in just 35 balls. After this, his reaction to short balls from Blair Tickner was spectacular. Tickner bowled three consecutive short balls in one over, and Kohli sent all three to the boundary.

Shastri also pointed out another characteristic of Kohli's game. In his opinion, Kohli puts pressure on bowlers not only through fours and sixes but also through his quick running between wickets. He said: 'He targets the first or second ball in the over, and then changes his shot, taking a single. He is such a good runner between the wickets that it puts constant pressure on the bowler. The bowler does not get full six or five chances to play. He hits two fours, changes his shot, and watches the other batsman.'

This, according to Shastri, is the biggest strength of Kohli's game. He knows how to stabilize the innings when necessary and, when given the opportunity, change the pace and attack the bowlers. He did the same in Auckland.

Virat Kohli shocked the cricket world by announcing his withdrawal from Test cricket during IPL 2025. Prior to this, his performance in the Australian tour had not met expectations. Nevertheless, Shastri believes that Kohli's physical condition and level of play allow him to continue demonstrating his mastery in Tests.

Shastri stated: 'Ask any of the leading international players in the world, they will say they want Kohli to play Tests. There is no doubt that he will still perform well. His fitness level is so high that everything seems easy. He doesn't need to exert extra effort for this. It is a result of his muscle memory and dedication. It is something special.'

Former All-rounder Scott Styris of New Zealand also expressed disappointment over Kohli's decision to step away from Test cricket. He noted that despite playing in only one international format, Kohli remains among the best batsmen in the world.

Styris said that spectators remained at the stadium in Auckland even during the rain because they knew it might be the last chance to see Kohli batting at Eden Park. He added that spectators would come to ODI matches in New Zealand hoping to see this great player.

In 2026, Kohli's bat brings many runs. After the 74-run innings against New Zealand in the first ODI, he scored 626 runs in 10 ODIs this calendar year. His average stands at 69.55, and his strike rate is 120.61. Four more matches in the series against New Zealand remain, followed by a match against Sri Lanka at the end of the year.

South African bowler Simon Harmer delivered an unforgettable performance in the match in Cape Town. The 37-year-old helped South Africa defeat Australia by 176 runs, taking a total of 10 wickets. With this victory, the South African team secured the series 2-1.

After the game, when asked to share his thoughts on his youth, Simon Harmer became emotional, and his eyes filled with tears. Reflecting on his journey, he stated that he would not want to change anything about his career. He noted that his life experiences shaped the person he is today.

Previously, Simon Harmer left the South African national team after a tour of India in 2015. After that, he played for Sussex in England and was away from international cricket for a long time. During this period, he improved his skills and established himself as a successful spinner in county cricket. In 2022, he returned to the South African team and got the opportunity to prove his worth again in Test cricket.

On the final day of the decisive Test, Australia needed 288 runs to win, while South Africa needed to take 10 wickets. Kagiso Rabada provided a strong start for the team, taking two wickets in the early overs. Following this, Simon Harmer did not give the Australian batsmen a chance to settle. In his second innings, he delivered a career-best performance, taking 6 wickets for 16 runs, restricting Australia to 111 runs. His overall figures in the match were 10/120, and he was named player of the match.

Simon Harmer explained that his goal in Cape Town was to consistently bowl to the right areas. On a pitch that turned the ball well, he troubled the Australian batsmen by varying pace, trajectory, and angle of delivery.

After losing the first Test by 214 runs, South Africa made an impressive comeback. The team won the second Test of the series by 31 runs, and the victory in Cape Town allowed them to conclude the Test series 2-1 and rank first in the ICC world rankings.

The Indian team under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir is supposed to play aggressively, dominate opponents, and leave no chance for the rival. However, the team management's decision in the fourth T20 match in Auckland called this philosophy into question. Former player Vaibha Suryawanshi, who created history with Abhishek Sharma by scoring 118 runs in the powerplay in the previous match, was excluded from the starting lineup.

Captain Shreyas Iyer stated the need to remain 'ruthless,' but facing a mountain of 260 runs, the Indian team's game turned chaotic: two wickets fell in the very first over, undermining hopes of victory. The question arises: what kind of aggressive strategy excludes the most explosive player?

When the fielding team New Zealand set a target of 260 runs, the Indian batsmen found themselves in a difficult position. The hosts secured a convincing victory by 87 runs, and India could not get close to the target score. The team, which hoped for a 4-0 win, was forced to accept a bitter defeat.

Gautam Gambhir prefers aggressive cricket, and his team is not afraid to pursue big goals. Batsmen are given the freedom to play openly, and players are expected to take wickets from bowlers. Nevertheless, there is a fine line between aggression and blind experimentation, which the team management may have forgotten to observe in Auckland.

India already had an undisputed advantage of 3-0 in the series. The fourth match provided an opportunity to solidify the success and take the lead at 4-0. However, Gambhir and his colleagues made a decision that caused the most surprise.

In the previous match, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibha Suryawanshi demonstrated excellent performance against the New Zealand bowlers, scoring 118 runs in 6 overs during the powerplay. This was the highest score in the powerplay for any team in T20 international matches. This figure was not just a record; it testified to the strength of the batsman combination that took the opponent out of the game in the first overs. Vaibha and Abhishek understood each other's game and attacked the bowlers.

However, in the next match, this pair was separated: Vaibha was excluded, and Ishan Kishan came in his place. The question is not about Ishan's ability, as he is also capable of winning a match. The question is why Vaibha had to be excluded? Does the record of the previous match hold so little value for the team management? Should a player have to prove their worth in every match, yet historical performance is insufficient to maintain a spot in the team?

Gambhir should ask himself: what was the basis for breaking up the batting pair that set the record?

During the toss, captain Shreyas Iyer stated: 'We don't want to leave any chances. We have already won the series, but I think our half of the job is done. It is important to remain ruthless.' The captain's words sounded impressive, but ruthless play is not achieved through statements alone; it requires clarity in decisions. If the team's goal is not to give the opponent any chances, then why was the opening pair that destroyed the opponent in the previous match broken up?

Iyer is the captain, and the responsibility for team selection decisions lies jointly with the coach and the captain. Therefore, the captain cannot avoid questions about this change. Did he support the decision to exclude Vaibha? Did he not feel that the pair that scored 118 runs should have been retained?

The captain's task is not only to choose between bowling or batting after the toss. He is also responsible for the team's on-field strategy and for trusting the players. When you talk about ruthless play, you must show the same clarity regarding your successful players.

New Zealand, batting first, scored 259 runs in 20 overs, losing 7 wickets. Glenn Phillips scored 107 runs off 49 balls, and Michael Bresshaw complicated matters for the Indian bowlers, scoring 65 runs off 25 balls.

India faced a target of 260 runs. It was a serious challenge, but not insurmountable. Based on how the Indian batsmen behaved when chasing big targets in previous matches, it was expected that the team would start aggressively again. However, Sanju Samson was dismissed after scoring 4 runs in the second ball. Ishan Kishan also returned to the dressing room without scoring a single run on the fifth ball. Abhishek Sharma (27) was dismissed in the fifth over.

The team that habitually scored 118 runs in the powerplay lost three major wickets already in the fifth over. Here arises the biggest question regarding Gambhir's strategy: if the team relied on aggressive play, why was the batsman who best executed this strategy excluded?

India's defeat was not only caused by the decision to exclude Vaibha. The Indian bowlers also failed to cope...