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The Age
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
Tom Decent
Tom Decent is a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald. New cycle, old questions: Australia's big 'reset' in the Caribbean Australia's three-Test tour of the West Indies shapes as a defining reset, with key selection calls ahead of a new WTC cycle and home Ashes. 2 hours ago Tom Decent Latest
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'Star of Sandpapergate, compound dislocation of WTC mace': How foreign media reacted to South Africa's 'greatest moment'
South Africa ended their 27-year wait for an ICC trophy as the long-standing drought came to an end at Lord's on Saturday. The Temba Bavuma-led side beat Australia by five wickets to claim the World Test Championship mace for the first time in history — their first men's senior ICC trophy since 1998. The Proteas made light work of the remaining 69 runs they needed on the fourth morning in London, with Kyle Verreynne hitting the winning run. Player of the Match Aiden Markram, who scored a match-defining 136, fell late in the innings with just six runs left to win. South Africa faced just two hiccups on the penultimate day — when Australia dismissed injured captain Temba Bavuma (66) in the third over, followed shortly by the dismissal of Tristan Stubbs (8). But even as Australia sniffed a shot at a miraculous comeback, Markram stood firm with his composed knock to deny the former champions. The Sydney Morning Herald recalled the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal involving Australia and South Africa in Cape Town. Its headline read: "Star of Sandpapergate gives Australia a batting lesson." The article made Markram the protagonist — the man who had scored a brilliant 84 in that 2018 Test, which South Africa won emphatically thanks to a nine-wicket haul from Morne Morkel. "One man with much fonder memories of that encounter is Aiden Markram, then early in his Test career. Markram was actually in the middle when the sandpaper incident unfolded in Cape Town. His security at the crease, amounting to 480 runs at 60 for the series, had helped drive Australia to ugly extremes..." Mike Atherton, writing in The Times (UK), focused on the quiet but resolute leadership of the Proteas captain. His piece, titled "Quiet man Temba Bavuma leading South Africa to their greatest moment", praised Bavuma's understated presence and ability to rise above adversity: "When Temba Bavuma announced his team the day before the game, you had to lean in eagerly to catch his words, so quietly did he speak. Yet this whispering, unassuming, diminutive cricketer retains a glorious chance to do what other giants of the South African game have not done..." The Roar in Australia offered a comprehensive review of the final — from Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket haul on return from suspension to Australia's top-order failures. Their witty headline read: "Well played to South Africa. Their new C-word is champions", a clever jab at the long-standing 'chokers' label attached to the Proteas. The piece also referred to Steve Smith's injury while attempting a catch from Bavuma: "Disappointingly for Bavuma, Smith was in sufficient agony and whisked off the field so quickly that the South African captain didn't even get an opportunity to drop a sly, 'You've just compound dislocated the World Test Championship mace' at him." The Times of India ran a headline titled "Curse lifted as South Africa can afford to forget the history of near misses", drawing a parallel between Bavuma and rugby icon Siya Kolisi: "Remember, Bavuma probably wasn't everyone's No. 1 choice as South Africa captain — just as Siya Kolisi wasn't when the Springboks, once the pride of white South Africa during Apartheid, won the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Kolisi didn't stop there. He went on to win back-to-back titles in 2023..." The Indian Express, meanwhile, paid tribute to Markram's hundred in its article titled "A ton worth the tonne for Aiden Markram and South Africa". It captured the gravitas of his innings with elegant prose: "Under grim skies, Aiden Markram celebrated a hundred that would define his career. He waited patiently for the moment... This was the day he had dreamt all his life. To score one of the most significant knocks for his country. The fulfilment of a promise. The pinnacle of a schizophrenic career."
NDTV
7 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"If 28 Wickets Fell In India...": Pitch Critics Questioned Over Silence On Pacers' WTC Show
The ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final between South Africa and Australia is evenly poised after a total of 28 wickets fell on the first two days of the match at Lord's, London. Kagiso Rabada bagged a five-for in the first innings as South Africa bowled out Australia for 212. The bowlers' dominance continued on Day 2, with Australia captain Pat Cummins going one better, bagging 6/28 to help the holders take a 74-run lead as South Africa were rolled over for 138 in their response. However, Rabada ran riot once again, alongside Lungi Ngidi, restricting Australia to 134/8 at the close of play on Thursday. Former India batter Aakash Chopra, however, pointed out that everyone would've criticised the pitch had 28 wickets fallen in two days during a match in India. "A big question I had about this Lord's Test match was that if these 28 wickets had fallen in India in two days' play, wouldn't the western media have created an uproar, as to what sort of pitch they play, the ball is turning and bouncing, batting has become very difficult, and how such pitches can be allowed, that India is doctoring pitches and killing Test cricket," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel. Chopra called out the Western media for its hypocrisy, wondering why there hasn't been any criticism of the Lord's pitch. "You would have seen these headlines from The Telegraph to The Sydney Morning Herald, and you would have felt what you have done. However, when it happens in England, it's called a sporting pitch, that the batters' defensive technique has gotten spoiled as the ball is not moving that much. If the batters' defensive technique has gotten spoiled, it's valid in India as well," he added. Considering their past record at the venue, Australia are slight favourites to win the title. However, Chopra was against the notion that South Africa can't win this match. "Where is the match standing? The lead is more than 200 runs. Australia have never lost a match while defending more than 200 runs in the last innings at Lord's. However, just because it hasn't happened before today, it doesn't mean it cannot happen now," Chopra questioned.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'If 28 wickets had fallen in India...': Western media's WTC final double standards lambasted in explosive rant
Former India opener Aakash Chopra lashed out at the western media for their double standards after 28 wickets fell on the first two days of the World Test Championship final at Lord's, London. On a pitch, having assistance for the pacers, both Australia and South Africa took advantage of it to run riot with the ball. Asked to bat first on Day 1, Australia were bundled out for 212 courtesy a five-wicket haul by Kagiso Rabada. Meanwhile, Australia replied strongly by bowling out South Africa for a mere 138 as Pat Cummins claimed a six-fer to take business into his own hands. Chopra was left unimpressed by the silence from the Western media over Lord's bowler-friendly pitch — a stark contrast, he pointed out, to the uproar that would surely erupt if a similar surface were dished up in India. "A big question I had about this Lord's Test match was that if these 28 wickets had fallen in India in two days' play, wouldn't the western media have created an uproar, as to what sort of pitch they play, the ball is turning and bouncing, batting has become very difficult, and how such pitches can be allowed, that India is doctoring pitches and killing Test cricket," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. Pitches in India have frequently come under fire for allegedly offering an unfair advantage to the home team, fueling ongoing controversy about the balance between bat and ball. A dramatic example came during the 2021 Ahmedabad Test, when England fell to a heavy defeat within just two days as India's spinners ran riot, exploiting the turning surface to their advantage. The match, which saw 17 wickets tumble on the second day alone, drew significant criticism from former players, commentators, and even the England camp — with reports suggesting team management was considering filing a formal complaint over the condition of the pitch. Chopra took aim at major Western media outlets, arguing that when a bowler-friendly surface is prepared in England, it's hailed as a 'sporting pitch'—but when the track starts turning from Day 1 in India, it's immediately met with criticism. "You would have seen these headlines from The Telegraph to The Sydney Morning Herald, and you would have felt what you have done. However, when it happens in England, it's called a sporting pitch, where the batters' defensive technique has got spoilt as the ball is not moving that much. If the batters' defensive technique has been spoiled, it's valid in India as well," he added.
The Age
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘We've never seen a Malaysian restaurant like this before': Ho Jiak arrives in Melbourne
It's been more than a decade since Malaysian-born Junda Khoo swapped a career in finance for a career in food, the self-taught chef going on to take Sydney's dining scene by storm with the slow-burn success of Ho Jiak, which has four iterations across the Harbour City. In 2023, Khoo was a Chef of the Year finalist in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards, while his Town Hall restaurant earned its first hat, which it's since retained. Previous SlideNext Slide Naturally, anticipation has been high since Khoo announced that he was bringing his thrilling brand of Malaysian cooking to Melbourne, with a three-level, three-in-one venue on Rainbow Alley in the CBD that he says has ballooned into a $7-million project. The first two venues opened in late May: fast-casual Da Bao, serving home-style Malaysian dishes on street level, and beer hall Ho Liao, doing Malaysian classics with a twist on the top floor. But the jewel in the crown opens today on the level between them. Called Ho Jiak – Junda's Playground, Khoo says it's his most boundary-pushing restaurant yet. 'We've never seen a Malaysian restaurant like this before in Australia,' says the chef, who's relocated to Melbourne for six months to spearhead the launch of the venues.
