by Tanish Prabhu
Harmanpreet Kaur shines as India sweep T20I series against Zimbabwe
India’s women’s cricket team completed a dominant 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe after securing a 92-run victory in the third and final Twenty20 International in Raipur on October 20. Harmanpreet Kaur starred with an unbeaten 91 from 41 deliveries, while opener Shafali Verma contributed 69 from 37 balls as India posted an imposing 7-216 after batting first.
The opening encounter had provided a more competitive contest, with Deepti Sharma scoring 49 to help India recover from an early batting collapse. The second match, however, highlighted the gulf between the sides, as India chased down Zimbabwe’s total of 102-8 in just 8.5 overs. Harmanpreet’s performance in the final match was a particular highlight, demonstrating the ex-captain’s ability to shift gears and dominate an opposition attack. Verma’s continued runscoring also provided India with an important attacking option at the top of the order. For Zimbabwe, Mayers’ half-century offered encouragement despite another difficult outing for the team. Their inability to consistently contain India’s batters and establish partnerships during the chase ultimately proved decisive.
India will take confidence from the clean sweep as they continue their international campaign, while Zimbabwe will look to address their batting inconsistencies and improve their competitiveness against stronger opposition. With contributions across the batting and bowling departments, India finished the series in emphatic fashion, reinforcing their standing as one of the leading sides in women’s international cricket.
Boland stars with New Ball on rain-affected first day at St George’s Park:
There wasn’t much action on day one in Gqeberha, but when the play got underway for a short period, Scott Boland got his rhythm going in his first spell.
The pitch had flavor like no other, with big green patches on the wicket visible to the naked eye, and it clearly meant that it would offer more for pacers than spinners. In an interview with Mark Howard pre game, Steve Smith was asked about the pitch and his thoughts.
‘’I don’t think I’ve seen that before, it’s got some grass,’’ revealing that he was ‘’ taken aback by surprise,’’ when he had a chat with the groundman about his reason to have a completely green pitch.
That meant Nathan Lyon got put on the sidelines for Scott Boland, who was named as the fourth pace bowler in the side. Nathan Lyon before the 2023 Ashes played in every game he got selected in, until he was injured in the middle of the Ashes series and didn’t play on till later that summer. To think, he would get dropped is bewildering to anybody who has watched cricket for a long time, considering how dangerous he is with the ball in all conditions. He was left out in the pink ball test against the West Indies last year, the pink ball test in Brisbane last summer before getting injured again and now in this test match against South Africa. Despite the reason behind having an all-pace attack, what would this mean for Lyon’s future, as turns 39 in the next month? Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood struggled to get any swing on the wicket, but it didn’t take long for Victorian hero Scott Boland to grab two wickets in two balls to give Australia the start they needed before going off the ground due to heavy rain. Time and time again, Scott Boland steps up to do the job, and he has been doing so since his debut in 2021 on Boxing Day at the MCG. At 37, he has the best bowling stats in 20 tests, nearing 100 wickets, but it is unfortunate to be a backup bowler for most of the time when someone like Josh Hazlewood is fit and healthy to play.
NBA 2026/27 begins on Wednesday:
It has been a massive pre-season for a lot of the teams, who look good ahead of the 2026/27 NBA season. The Golden State Warriors started poorly, but their last three wins have been phenomenal ahead of their big game on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Warriors captain Steph Curry at 38 years of age looks in prime form, with 20 points in the recent game against the Trailblazers.
During the off-season, 41-year-old Lebron James became a free agent after eight years and countless memories with the Los Angeles Lakers. The four-time NBA champion moved to Philadelphia 76ers to spend more time as a player coach and turn them into one of the best teams in the competition. The next two years at the 76ers will be something fans will tune into, but it doesn’t look like he has run out of juice and has got all the power at his age than most do at 41. But for Australian star Ben Simmons, another injury puts him on the sidelines ahead of the season. Simmons has had a history of injuries, with a recent one being an achillies injury. Now at 30, it’s time to decide whether playing after recovery is the best decision or is there a plan B. The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship last year and would look to go back-to-back. Last year, Jalen Brunson put on an epic final’s performance against the San Antoino Spurs with 45 points, leading his team to glory in a 4-1 victory. They will raise their championship banner on Wednesday at Maddison Square Garden pregame before going up against Lebron James and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Davidovich Fokina claims maiden Masters 1000 title after stunning Shanghai comeback
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina produced a remarkable comeback to defeat fellow Spaniard Rafael Jódar and claim his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday. The 27-year-old recovered from a set and a break down to win 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in two hours and 27 minutes, securing the biggest title of his career at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. Jódar made a blistering start to the all-Spanish final, dominating the opening set 6-1 before moving ahead 3-2 in the second set with a break advantage. However, Davidovich Fokina refused to surrender, drawing on his court speed and aggressive baseline play to work his way back into the contest.
The world No. 26 lifted his level at the crucial moments, forcing a second-set tiebreak before edging ahead 7-5 to level the match and shift the momentum in his favour. Davidovich Fokina carried that confidence into the deciding set, breaking Jódar’s serve twice to secure a 6-4 victory and complete an impressive turnaround. The triumph marked a significant milestone for the Spaniard, who had lost his first five ATP Tour finals, including the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters final. His Shanghai success represents his third tour-level title of 2026, following victories in Mallorca and Chengdu.
His journey to the trophy was equally dramatic. Davidovich Fokina saved a match point against Frances Tiafoe in the third round before recovering a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals. The title also capped a remarkable return to form after a two-month absence due to a back injury earlier in the season.
For Jódar, the defeat ended an impressive breakthrough run. The 20-year-old reached his first Master’s 1000 final after defeating former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the semi-finals. Despite falling short of the title, Jódar demonstrated his growing potential against some of the world’s leading players, underlining his emergence as one of Spanish tennis’s most promising young talents.
The final was a significant occasion for Spanish tennis, bringing together two generations of players competing for one of the sport’s most prestigious titles outside the Grand Slams.
Davidovich Fokina’s victory is expected to lift him to a career-high world ranking of No. 13, rewarding a fortnight of resilience and consistent performances in China. After years of coming close without securing a major championship, the Spaniard finally broke through at Masters 1000 level. His Shanghai triumph could prove a defining moment in a career that has long promised more than it had delivered.
