The big story: Smith has no objection to his players sledging India
Ahead of the first Test against India, Australian captain Steve Smith on Tuesday called on his players to go ahead with the verbal volleys and on-field aggression.
“I think each of our individuals play the way they play and if they want to get into a battle verbally then, if that gets the best out of them, go for it,” he told reporters in Mumbai.
“It’s all about us making sure that as individuals we’re in the right mindset to go out and succeed and if guys want to get in those kind of battles then go for it.
“But in the end it’s about us playing on skill and making sure that our skills are in the best place for us to succeed in these conditions,” added the 27-year-old.
India and Australia have played out many feisty encounters in the past, including the 2008 series Down Under which was almost called off following the infamous “Monkeygate” incident.
Other top stories
Cricket
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India have retained the squad that played the one-off Test against Bangladesh at Hyderabad for the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia.
- Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is the “Don Bradman of bowling at the moment”, said former Australian captain Steve Waugh, reported the Times of India.
- A top official of the Pakistan Super League confirmed that players Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were sent home from the league only after the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit caught them red-handed, having made commitments to the spot-fixers, PTI reported.
- Pakistan Super League chairman Najam Sethi confirmed to Geo News channel that foreign players had refused to travel to Lahore for the final after the terrorist attack, PTI reported.
- Five Afghan players are vying for a place in the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League. A total of 351 players will go under the hammer in the auction to be held on February 20.
- India women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj has moved up a spot to second place in the latest ICC ODI Rankings for Women released on Tuesday, PTI reported.
- India under-19 were left on a shaky foundation as England under-19 declared on 501/5 on day two of the first Youth Test against India in Nagpur on Wednesday.
- Australian cricketer Adam Voges has decided to retire from international cricket, reported Espncricinfo.
- Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar will be adopting another village – Maharashtra’s Donja – under the Sansar Adarsh Gram Yojna. Tendulkar has sanctioned over Rs. 4 crore for developing Donja. The 43-year-old had previously adopted the village of Puttamraju Kandriga in Andhra Pradesh.
- New Zealand Cricket has moved the One-Day International between the Kiwis and South Africa from Napier to Hamilton. The McLean Park came under the scanner during the recently concluded Chappell-Hadlee series for its lack of drainage facilities.
Football
- Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus broke a metatarsal in Monday’s 2-0 Premier League win at Bournemouth. The striker is likely to miss the rest of the season.
- Chennai City and bottom-placed Churchill Brothers played out a 1-1 draw in a feisty I-League encounter at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
- Eastern Sporting Union were crowned champions of the inaugural Indian Women’s League following a convincing 3-0 win over Rising Student’s Club in the final at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Chess
- Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika ended the stubborn resistance of Bangladesh’s Shamima Akter Liza in the tiebreak games on Tuesday in Tehran to enter the round of 32 of the World Chess Championship.
Tennis
- Indian tennis player Sania Mirza may not appear before authorities of the Commission of Service Tax on 16 February, who had issued summons to her in connection with an investigation against alleged non-payment of Service Tax, PTI reported.
Cycling
- Tainted cycling legend Lance Armstrong lost his bid to stop a $100 million lawsuit. Armstrong will be on trail for his use of performance enhancing drugs.