Sports
Ngidi Expresses Relief After Taking Smith’s Key Wicket in WTC Final
After a slow start in the ICC World Test Championship Final, South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi burst into action during the second innings at Lord’s, putting his team in a strong position against Australia by the conclusion of Day 2.
The 29-year-old, who struggled on Day 1, made a significant impact on Day 2 with three essential wickets, including the key dismissal of Steve Smith for 13—a moment Ngidi views as one of the highlights of his career.
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“Given the significance of the match, that wicket was probably the best I could have gotten,” Ngidi shared with ICC Digital.
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“Having faced challenges in the first innings, securing that wicket was monumental for me. The relief I felt is hard to describe.”
Ngidi’s dismissal of Smith marked the beginning of an impressive spell. He followed it up by getting rid of the dangerous Beau Webster, causing Australia to falter and finish Day 2 at 144/8 with a mere 218-run lead.
In the first innings, Ngidi’s performance was overshadowed by his teammates Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, who collectively took eight out of ten wickets. Ngidi ended up with modest figures of 0/45 from eight overs and acknowledged the pressure he had placed on himself.
“I probably tried to accomplish too much too soon, which led to leaking runs and putting myself under pressure,” he explained.
“Watching my teammates excel in the first innings, I wanted to maintain that momentum.” A timely conversation with the coach helped him to refocus.
“In Test cricket, you have two opportunities as a bowler. The coach advised me to focus on my game and not dwell on past performances—‘This is your moment. Make it count when you have the ball.’”
This shift in perspective proved beneficial as Ngidi rediscovered his rhythm and executed his plans effectively.
“The first innings didn’t go as expected, but once I found my rhythm from the other end, I knew I was hitting the right spots and that the wicket still had some assistance. I felt confident that would lead to a dismissal,” he reflected.
“I executed my plans well, which made me very happy.”
Ngidi’s inspired spell reignited belief within the Proteas, even after conceding a first-innings lead of 74 runs.
“We’re excited about our position,” he said.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.
This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.
Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.
During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.
With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.
In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.
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Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.
This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.
On the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa at Barsapara Stadium, South Africa made a strong start, reaching 247 for 6 at stumps.The venue, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, hosted its very first Test match in history — making the day special for Guwahati and cricket in Assam.
South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first.Their openers, Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35), gave a solid start with a partnership of 82 runs.Later, Tristan Stubbs added 49 before getting out, while Bavuma made 41.
India fought back well thanks to a strong performance by spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He picked up 3 wickets and gave away only 48 runs in 17 overs.Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with an important wicket, dismissing Bavuma. In the final over before stumps, Mohammed Siraj struck, getting Tony de Zorzi out.At the end of play, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25, and Kyle Verreynne was 1 not out.
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The light became a concern late in the day. As visibility dropped, play was stopped, and light issues forced the umpires to call it a day early.Overall, India ended Day 1 with a degree of satisfaction. The bowling attack showed discipline, especially through their spinners, and they managed to check the South African momentum.
India A began their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 campaign with a huge total against the UAE in Doha. Captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. Vaibhav Suryavanshi then produced a stunning innings. He scored 144 runs from just 42 balls. His knock included 11 fours and 15 sixes.
Suryavanshi reached his fifty in 17 balls. He completed his century in only 32 balls. He added 163 runs for the second wicket with Naman Dhir, who made 34. Jitesh Sharma also played a quick innings and scored a fast fifty.
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India A finished at 297 for 4 in 20 overs. The team now holds a strong position in the match.
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