Sports
WTC Final: Smith Undergoes X-Ray at Local Hospital Due to Dislocated Finger
Australia faced a significant setback when star batsman Steve Smith was taken for an X-ray following a compound dislocation of his right little finger during Day Three of the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s on Friday.
Smith, positioned close to the action at wide first slip while wearing a helmet, suffered the injury in the 20th over. South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma, batting on two, edged a delivery from left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc into the slip cordon. Smith didn’t have enough time to react and missed the catch.
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Without delay, Smith exited the field, with teenage opener Sam Konstas stepping in as a substitute fielder. However, after a few overs, Konstas also required medical assistance and was subsequently replaced by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.
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Smith did not return after the tea break, with Cricket Australia (CA) confirming he had suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger. “He was assessed by the Australian team medical staff at the ground and then taken to the hospital for an X-ray and additional treatment,” added CA.
This injury leaves Smith’s participation in the upcoming Test tour of the West Indies, scheduled to start in ten days, in serious doubt. The only silver lining for Australia, the defending World Test Champions, is that they have completed their batting duties, with Smith scoring 66 and 13 in the match.
South Africa is chasing a challenging target of 282 after Australia posted 207 in their second innings, bolstered by Mitchell Starc’s resilient 58 and a crucial 59-run last-wicket partnership with Josh Hazlewood.
Aiden Markram remained steady on 49 off 66 balls as South Africa reached 94/2 after 24 overs in their second innings, needing an additional 188 runs for victory.
Meanwhile, South Africa will be keen to assess the condition of skipper Temba Bavuma, who experienced significant pain after tweaking his hamstring just before tea. Bavuma was able to walk off with a score of 11 not out, but his ability to continue his innings will be evaluated during the break.
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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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