by Tanish Prabhu
Rabada, Harmer destroy Australia as SA seal the series 2-1 in Cape Town:
A test series that will go down as one of the best, if not the greatest test series played in the history of the game, and this test match proved it. Up until the final day in Cape Town, it looked like the result was going to go either way.
South Africa were a hundred runs behind on day three before taking a 40-run lead, and it looked difficult to bat on as the pitch turned and drifted. It was the crucial 154 run partnership between centurions Ryan Rickleton and Wiann Mulder that won this test match for South Africa and Australia looked dejected with the bat on day five. Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer did the damage with the ball, and the Australian batters were unable to find any answers in their run chase of 288. At lunch they were 7/60. Half an hour before tea, they stumbled to 111 as their nightmares in Cape Town continued.
Former Australian opener David Warner called this loss ‘’UnAustralian,’’ sighting his anger towards his former teammates.
It is the worst series loss and the most embarrassing defeat for a team like Australia. The decision to bowl first on a flat wicket was the beginning, and the shot selections in the final innings cost them the game. A dejected Marnus Labuschagne may have played his last test match for Australia after another low score in a crucial run chase. He has been given more opportunities than most players around the world, not scoring a hundred since 2023. His time is up, with Australia having to find a new number three batsmen that can score runs. That could very well be Josh Inglis or Nathan McSweeney. It is a big summer ahead for Australia when they take on New Zealand in a four-test series starting in Perth. Selection changes need to be made to get back to winning ways. South Africa are now second in the World Test Championship table, New Zealand first, while Australia have been demoted to third.
New Zealand fightback with two wins, India clinch the series 3-2:
India sealed the series 3-0 after Abhishek Sharma scored a 35 ball hundred to chase down 199 in 14 overs, and it looked like the game was going to finish a lot earlier than that. Alongside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the two openers went after the New Zealand bowlers to all parts of the ground and there was no stopping them. The final two games were won by New Zealand, who easily defended 260 and chased down 191 in the final game.
Indian veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar played four out of the five games in this series and his return to the team initially brought hope for the team in the shortest format, with his experience and his stats in the IPL. But his return didn’t go his way, conceding way too many runs in the four games he played, and this raises the question as to whether he will play in the future prior to the 2028 T20 World Cup. If Bhuveshwar Kumar struggled upon his return, what happens to Mohammed Shami if he is in the discussions for ODI games?
India and New Zealand now play a five match one day series starting on Wednesday.
Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest F1 World Champion:
Max Verstappen may have won the Mexico GP this morning, but 20-year-old Kimi Antoenlli has now become the youngest driver to win a World Drivers Championship and the first Italian in 73 years to win it. A very well deserved and well-earned milestone for him.
Kimi Antonelli has etched his name into Formula One history, becoming the youngest-ever world champion after securing the 2026 Drivers’ Championship at the Mexican Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Italian finished third at the Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City on Sunday, doing enough to secure his maiden championship with four races remaining in the season. He became the first Italian driver to win it in 73 years.
The celebrations were emotional for the young Italian, who was visibly overwhelmed after crossing the finish line and completing a championship campaign few expected him to achieve so quickly. With four races still remaining, Antonelli now has the opportunity to build on his historic achievement and further establish himself among Formula One’s leading drivers. At just 20 years old, the future of the sport has already delivered its newest champion.
Alexander Zverev is ranked World No 1 as Alcaraz beats Di Minuar in Vienna Open Final:
It is now official that Alexander Zverev is now the number 1 tennis player in the world after a fantastic year on court. The German won two Grand Slam titles and got into three finals in what has been a weird year of tennis.
The interesting part of all is that he got knocked out of the Vienna Open Semi Final to Alex Di Minuar, who had to play Carlos Alcaraz. If Di Minuar had beaten Alcaraz, things would turn out differently in 2027 and still might if he plays his cards right. The Spaniard beat him in two sets easily in the final.
With a string of injuries and moments where opportunities were given to him, Alexander Zverev finally got his moment in the sun and hopefully the consistency continues after all the hard work he has put into his body and the game on court. The 29-year-old German has been in playing for over a decade amongst the big three of the previous generation and is now part of the big three of this generation. A generation of talented individuals with several Grand Slam wins, it is just the beginning for Zverev.
