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“Pathetic!” – Fans react to DRS errors by 3rd umpire Adrian Holdstock in WI vs AUS Test

Charbel Coorey
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“Pathetic!” – Fans react to DRS errors by 3rd umpire Adrian Holdstock in WI vs AUS Test

The first Test between West Indies and Australia is not short of controversy, with third umpire Adrian Holdstock criticised for a number of poor decisions. After West Indies were incorrectly denied a catch behind on day one, the hosts bore the brunt even more on day two, including captain Roston Chase being given out when he clearly inside edged the ball onto pad.

“I disagree with the decision, I disagree with the technology there” said Ian Bishop on commentary. “I thought he hit that, but somehow it’s gone against Roston Chase.”

Bishop went on to say that the clear deviation made it obvious that Chase hit the ball. “If you’ve watched the game long enough, you know when there’s a clear deviation,” he said.

Key Adrian Holdstock decisions as Australia finish day two with lead of 82

The disappointment didn’t end there for West Indies. Alex Carey pulled off a great take off Shai Hope in the 58th over, but replays showed the ball grazed the turf as Carey was completing the catch. Holdstock, however, decided the catch was clean.

In the 25th over of Australia’s second innings, there was a huge LBW shout against Cameron Green. The ball appeared to hit the front pad first, supported by UltraEdge. However, Holdstock decided inside edge only and West Indies lost their review.

While all those decisions went against West Indies, there was one that arguably went in their favour in the 21st over of their innings. There appeared to be a spike on UltraEdge as the ball passed Roston Chase’s front pad off a Josh Hazlewood delivery, before Holdstock concluded it missed the front pad and only an inside edge took place.

Daren Sammy left fuming at the end of play

West Indies coach Daren Sammy did not hold back in his assessment of Adrian Holdstock. Speaking to the media after day two, Sammy even referenced Holdstock’s performances in the recent limited-overs series against England.

“We are just trying to find some sort of understanding as to what the process is,” Sammy said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “We only hope for consistency. That’s all we could ask for. When there is doubt in something, just be consistent across the board.

“I have noticed, especially with this particular umpire, it’s something that for me started in England. It’s frustrating. I just ask for consistency in the decision-making.”

When asked if he was referring to Adrian Holdstock, Sammy replied, “Yeah, look, you don’t want to get yourself in a situation where you’re wondering about certain umpires. Is there something against this team? But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question. I know he’s here for the series. You don’t want to go in a Test match having that doubt.

“So I want to have that conversation as to the process… so we could be all clear. Because, at the end of the day, you don’t want to be going into a Test match not trusting the umpires. And that’s not what our team is about. So we’re just looking for some clarity as to the decisions.”

Fans vent their frustration on social media

“We need specialist third umpires,” said well-known and respected analyst Jarrod Kimber. “We have needed specialist third umpires for quite some time. And I’m sick and tired of saying it, and we keep seeing umpires make mistakes.

“What’s happening to the West Indies in this Test against Australia… not only did they just have bad luck in the first innings with their bowling, now they’ve just got umpires making horrendous mistake after horrendous mistake.

“I don’t want to blame an individual umpire because I’ve been saying for ages the issue here is we don’t have specialist third umpires.”

Many other fans took to social media to share their views on what was a controversial day’s play. Here are some of the reactions on X (formerly Twitter).

Australia’s top order struggled once again as they lost four wickets cheaply in the second innings. They finished day two on 92/4, leading by just 82 as the West Indies seek to achieve their second-straight Test win over the Australians.

Adrian Holdstock himself will be looking for a much improved performance on day three as the spotlight is on him as much it is the players.

Future of Test Cricket Fan Survey: Have your say on the traditional format of the game

Charbel Coorey
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Future of Test Cricket Fan Survey: Have your say on the traditional format of the game

See below for our Future of Test Cricket fan survey, which should take you only a minute or two to complete. Thank you in advance for your time!

Ian Healy forced to eat words about Shamar Joseph

Charbel Coorey
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Ian Healy forced to eat words about Shamar Joseph

Ian Healy has been forced to eat his words about Shamar Joseph immediately after the the fast bowler ripped through Australia’s batting lineup on the first day of the three-match Test series.

Before the opening match, Healy took aim at Joseph after the pacer said to “look out” in a statement aimed at Sam Konstas.

“OK Shamar, well you’ve delivered crap all year,’ Healy said on SEN earlier this week. “So he better improve, that’s what I’m saying. He’s got real trouble. You’re not Curtly Ambrose, champ.

“He’s picked on the 19-year-old (Konstas) again. Shamar’s had a terrible year since he beat us at the Gabba early last year.”

Shamar Joseph rips through Australia after Ian Healy took aim

Joseph was unstoppable on day one, moving the ball both ways at pace to dismantle Australia’s vulnerable batting lineup. The fast bowler dismissed Konstas LBW for three, before having both Cameron Green and Usman Khawaja dropped soon after.

Joseph didn’t have to wait much longer to have the struggling Green caught at slip. He then dismissed Usman Khawaja (47) and Beau Webster (11) in quick succession in the second session to have four of the first five Australian wickets to his name.

Joseph’s performance sent Australia another reminder of his talent after dominating down under back in January 2024. He took 13 wickets at 17.30 in that series, including 7/68 at the Gabba in one of Test cricket’s most memorable spells.

Australia were eventually bowled out for just 180, raising further questions about their strategy to pick who they think are the country’s top six batters no matter where they line up in the order. Khawaja and Travis Head combined for 91 runs before Pat Cummins’ late flurry saw Australia move from 143/8 to 170/9. Jayden Seales finished with 5/60 as he and Joseph (4/46) took nine wickets between them.

Australia responded well with the ball, taking four wickets late to leave West Indies in trouble at 57/4. However, as seen in Australia’s batting struggles in the recent World Test Championship (WTC) Final, West Indies can still cause plenty of damage in the third innings to leave themselves with a manageable chase in the fourth innings.

Australia predicted XI for 1st Test against West Indies in Barbados

Charbel Coorey
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Australia predicted XI for 1st Test against West Indies in Barbados

Australia are back in action soon after their defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, with the first of three Tests against West Indies kicking off on June 25. The Australians made a big decision in dropping Marnus Labuschagne following the loss. Also, they will be without Steve Smith for at least the opening match due to a nasty finger injury he picked up in the final.

So, two of Australia’s batting linchpins between the 2019-2022 period are out of this clash. Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis are confirmed starters, but where Inglis bats is the big topic of conversation.

A look at Australia's possible/predicted 11 for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa at Lord's.
Australia predicted XI for 1st Test against West Indies in Barbados: Sam Konstas will play.

Australia predicted XI vs West Indies: Where will Josh Inglis bat?

Australia XI (possible): 1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Sam Konstas, 3. Cameron Green, 4. Josh Inglis, 5. Travis Head, 6. Beau Webster, 7. Alex Carey (wk), 8. Pat Cummins (c), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood

Cameron Green was all at sea in the WTC Final, although he copped two excellent deliveries by Kagiso Rabada. However, Australia will persist with him at number three.

“We see (Green at three) as a long-term option,” captain Pat Cummins said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.

“He’s hitting the ball really well; he’s moving really well. He had a Test match where it didn’t go to plan, and he only faced (five) balls.

“The message is not to look into that too much. We’re really happy with where his game is placed and I dare say he’ll get a decent run at number three.”

A report by abc.net.au on the 24th of June state that Inglis batting at three was a possibility, but Australia have opted to put him at four.

“I think it’s just because I have done it, I feel comfortable going into different positions,” Inglis said to the media at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

“I’ve batted at the top in white-ball cricket and in the middle, so I’ve become accustomed to moving around a fair bit, and [it’s] something I pride myself on.”

With a new look team, Australia will be banking on their experienced batters, as well as their first-choice bowling attack, to make a strong start to the new WTC cycle. Pat Cummins’ team are undoubtedly favourites to win in the Caribbean, but they will be wary of any complacency given what Shamar Joseph did down under back in early 2024.

Australia tour of West Indies 2025 Test series schedule:

  • 1st Test, Kensington Oval Barbados, June 25-29 2025.
  • 2nd Test, National Cricket Stadium Grenada, July 3-7 2025.
  • 3rd Test (D/N), Sabina Park Jamaica, July 12-16 2025.

Adam Voges interview – There are opportunities for change in the Australia Test XI

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan
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Adam Voges interview – There are opportunities for change in the Australia Test XI

While Steve Smith is widely regarded as the “Modern-day Bradman,” there was another cricketer who came close to Don Bradman’s batting average. He is none other than the Western Australian legend Adam Voges. In fact, Voges still holds the second-highest batting average in the history of Test cricket for a player with more than 25 Tests (61.88). With a batting average of over 45 in all three formats of the game, Voges goes down as one of the biggest “What Ifs” of cricket as he was good enough to play more internationals.

Nevertheless, the 45-year-old is still one of the most influential figures of WA cricket. After winning two titles for the Perth Scorchers as their captain, Voges then went on to become their head coach, and still holds that position as we speak. The recently-concluded Big Bash League 15 Draft saw the five-time BBL champions choose Finn Allen as their first BBL pre-signing.

During an exclusive interview with Arvind Kalyana Krishnan for CricBlog during the BBL 15 Draft in Melbourne, Adam Voges expressed his excitement over getting the Kiwi batter. He spoke about how Allen has been in superb form in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025. The opener is currently the leading run-getter of the tournament with 294 runs in just four games. This includes a sensational knock of 151 (51) against Washington Freedom in the season opener, which included 19 sixes.

Further on, Voges also drew light on the World Test Championship 2025 Final. He predicted there will be some changes in the Australian batting unit. After their loss to South Africa in London, a lot of cricket pundits and fans criticised Australia for backing a few aging players, and feel the need for a transition. The Pat Cummins-led side are currently in the Caribbean, and thus, there’s a lot of pressure on the Aussie batters to come good.

Adam Voges interview – Finn Allen at his best is one of the top players in the world

Below is the entire audio and text versions of the conversation between Arvind Kalyana Krishnan and Adam Voges:

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: So you managed to get Finn Allen back, and with the form he is in, how excited are you to have him?

Adam Voges: Yeah, very excited to have Finn. We’ve seen what he’s been doing in America in the MLC and he’s at his destructive best, I think he’s one of the best players in the world. So yeah, to have Finn come back to the Scorchers for another year we’re very excited.

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Yeah, and you’ve played international cricket yourself and have a very good record even now. So as we saw Australia lost the WTC Final and since a lot of people feel that there needs to be a transition. What is your opinion on the current team?

Adam Voges: Yeah, I think the Australian team will be disappointed about the result in the World Test Championship Final and I guess at the end of this block, I think there maybe some opportunities for change and the batting didn’t quite perform in London and with the West Indies series, I think Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis who were on that tour but didn’t play the final will come into consideration. I think the bowling attack is still very solid and those guys are going great but we may see some changes to the batting lineup.

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Now that we have the future generation coming up, who do you think can be the future fab 4 or the future face of our sport?

Adam Voges: (Smiles) Ooh of world cricket? That’s a great question! That’s a question without notice (laughs). You want three or four? Well there’s a lot of exciting young talent in the world. I don’t like naming just individual players. It’s a dangerous game to do that but naah I won’t do that for you (smiles again).

The Shoaib Bashir debate: Is the offspinner good enough currently to be in England’s Test XI?

Charbel Coorey
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The Shoaib Bashir debate: Is the offspinner good enough currently to be in England’s Test XI?

As the first Test between England and India heads towards a gripping finale, one of the key talking points has been the output of Shoaib Bashir. The offspinner struggled for both control and wicket-taking threat in both innings, despite the Headingley surface being a good one for batting.

Bashir took combined figures of 3/190 off 49 overs, with his three scalps all caught in the deep. India were largely able to sit and wait for deliveries they could put away for runs, pointing to Bashir’s inexperience and required improvement in terms of landing the ball in the right areas more often.

Bashir’s performance led to debates on social media. On one hand, the offspinner is just 21 years of age and the youngest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets. The contrary argument is he needs more time in First Class cricket to hone in on his skills, including variations of pace and completing his action better to ensure greater consistency.

Fans debate on whether Shoaib Bashir should be England’s number one Test spinner at this stage

Concerns around Shoaib Bashir’s current status as England’s #1 spinner

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their views on Bashir. Some of the views are harsh as the potential is there, especially when he can get the ball to dip using his height. However, there is work to be done in terms of contributing more for the bowling attack, whether he is required to contain or attack.

Support for Shoaib Bashir

One fan wrote that Bashir shouldn’t be judged just on this match, given India play spin well.

“People Bashing Bash because India are playing spin well on a pitch helping the spinner with next to nothing, is a wild kneejerk. Indians tend to play spin well folks,” wrote Tony Steele on X.

England’s fast bowlers dismantled India’s lower order for the second time in the match to set up a fascinating final day. When KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were going strong, India had a 400+ lead in their sight. Instead, they finished with 370, and England will start day five on 21/0 needing a further 350 to win.

Headingley Leeds weather forecast for 4th day of ENG vs IND Test

Charbel Coorey
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Headingley Leeds weather forecast for 4th day of ENG vs IND Test

The Headingley Test between England and India is beautifully poised, and thankfully the weather forecast looks excellent for the 4th day. India finished day three on 90/2, leading by 96 after England responded strongly with 465 in their first innings.

Rain led to an earlier finish on the third evening. However, AccuWeather forecasts for no rain with some intermittent clouds for the fourth day’s play. It will be a cool one for spectators and fans with breezy conditions and a top of just 18 degrees.

A look at the Headingley Leeds weather forecast for the 4th day of England vs India Test, which is beautifully poised.
Headingley Leeds weather for the 4th Day of the ENG vs IND Test.

Headingley weather for 4th day: What impact will cool weather have on the pitch

The Headingley track showed signs of uneven bounce on day three with a couple of deliveries rearing up off a full length. The deliveries took off and flew way above Rishabh Pant’s head and to the boundary in a flash.

Despite that, plus some turn for Ravindra Jadeja, the pitch was largely still a good one for batting. The cool conditions on Monday could see the surface still hold up pretty well, coupled with how Headingley has favoured chasing teams over the past 10-15 years.

A look at the Headingley Leeds weather forecast for the 4th day of England vs India Test, which is beautifully poised.
Headingley Leeds weather for the 4th Day of the ENG vs IND Test: Hourly forecast looks good.

However, the mostly dry conditions, plus practice pitches along the outfield, could see reverse swing come into play. This is what England will be banking on even from the first session of play to restrict India, with Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue generating good movement in the air throughout this Test.

India will want KL Rahul and Shubman Gill to get off to a good start. England will be seeking regular wickets. Remember, India’s middle-lower order collapsed in the first innings.

300+ has been chased down four times in Tests at Headingley, most recently by England in the memorable Ashes Test of 2019. If the cool conditions helps keep the pitch intact, Ben Stokes’ team will back themselves to chase a score in that region against an Indian side that continues to rely heavily on Jasprit Bumrah.

Rahul will resume day four on 47*. First innings centurion Shubman Gill is unbeaten on six.

“We forced Jimmy to retire for this?” – England fans criticise bowling in 1st Test against India at Headingley

Charbel Coorey
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“We forced Jimmy to retire for this?” – England fans criticise bowling in 1st Test against India at Headingley

England fans have criticised their team’s bowling in the first innings of the series opener against India at Headingley. After opting to bowl – a decision based on recent history rather than looking at the pitch at hand – England struggled for control and penetration as India piled on the runs.

It speaks volumes that Ben Stokes has been, by far, England’s best and most threatening bowler. Chris Woakes lacked control and Brydon Carse also mixed the good with the bad, while questions intensify regarding Josh Tongue’s readiness for Test cricket at this stage.

The first session on day two was easily England’s best to date. After India plundered 359/3 on the first day, Stokes’ team picked up four wickets before lunch on Saturday. Shubman Gill’s wicket came against the run of play off spinner Shoaib Bashir, while Karun Nair was caught magnificently by Ollie Pope at cover. Tongue had his best moment against Rishabh Pant, causing confusion with a sharp inswinger from around the wicket, before Shardul Thakur threw his wicket away to Stokes in the final over before lunch.

However, despite the fightback which saw India reduced to 454/7, England fans are critical of the makeup of the attack as three Indian players made centuries. While the Headingley track is a belter for batting, the lack of consistency and control – the kind James Anderson provided in spades – was telling. In fact, Anderson has been mentioned across X by fans who believe that England should have a better succession plan in place.

England fans critical of bowling effort in 1st Test against India at Leeds

England’s decision to bowl first came for criticism, as did the bowling performance. “It would be awkward if they had to recall Anderson in the Anderson-Tendulkar cup,” one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“I still can’t fathom how you’re building for the future dropping Jimmy Anderson and replacing him with 37 year old Chris Woakes,” wrote another fan.

Here are some of the reactions to the England bowling performance.

India begin the second session looking to reach 500 after a terrific start. England will no doubt look to attack with the bat, and it will be fascinating to see what Jasprit Bumrah can get out of the Headingley surface.

Pakistan players will bring a lot of interest to the BBL – Brisbane Heat Coach Johan Botha

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan
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Pakistan players will bring a lot of interest to the BBL – Brisbane Heat Coach Johan Botha

Shaheen Afridi has grabbed the cricketing headlines in Australia as Brisbane Heat acquired his services during the KFC Big Bash League 15 Draft. Brisbane Heat were quick to get the pacer as he was their first pick on Thursday in Melbourne. Also, several other star cricketers from Pakistan were picked by various teams during the BBL 15 overseas player draft.

The likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf will be seen playing against each other during the Australian summer. Thus, the BBL 2025/26 tournament will garner plenty of interest from Pakistan.

Brisbane Heat coach Johan Botha is very pleased to have the star pacer in his side. The former South African captain has been a part of various T20 leagues including the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and has an impressive CV as a T20 player. He has coached several franchises across the globe too.

During an exclusive interview with Arvind Kalyana Krishnan for CricBlog during the BBL 15 Draft, Johan Botha expressed his excitement about getting Shaheen. Also, the former Proteas all-rounder drew light on the prospect of all the Pakistani players playing against one another, and the amount of fan following they have. Botha stated that it was a big tick for the BBL in terms of popularising the tournament.

Further on, the 43-year-old spoke about South Africa winning the World Test Championship. As a former South African cricketer and skipper himself, Botha felt that the “Rainbow Nation” winning their second ICC tournament was massive for the cricketing world.

He also spoke about how some of the Proteas players still rate Test cricket very highly and want to continue playing the longest format of the game. The Temba Bavuma-led side had beaten Australia at Lord’s during the WTC 2025 Final with Aiden Markram hitting a scintillating century in the fourth innings to deny the Pat Cunmins-led side their second WTC title.

Pakistan players a big tick for the BBL – Johan Botha

Below is the entire exclusive interview between Arvind Kalyana Krishnan and Johan Botha, both in video and text format.

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Now that Afridi is with Brisbane, how excited are you in terms of popularity? The amount of fans he can get to your team?

Johan Botha: We’ve very excited. You know, I think the whole BBL now! With Babar going to Sydney, Shadab is back, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan…..I think that’s a big tick for the Big Bash. I think it’ll bring a lot of interest, and especially when you have those guys play against each other, I think that you will get crowds in through the gates and that’s ultimately what it is. It’s entertainment and we’re look into those match-ups. You know I’ve been at PSL quite a lot and it’s exciting to see the best players going against each other.

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: South Africa won the WTC, so how impactful is that for world cricket?

Johan Botha: It’s massive. You know, following that over the last few days obviously. A huge win for South Africa. Their rugby has done so well for a long time and it’s nice to finally see the cricket guys get over the line and it’s huge for cricket. Even those guys in the team speaking about important Test cricket still is. You know when I was there and playing, you always felt that guys want to play One-day cricket to playing franchise cricket, but it’s great to hear that top players still speak so highly of Test cricket and yeah, it’s exciting and hopefully that you know those young guys can come through and play Test cricket for South Africa.

Marnus Labuschagne dropped from Australia XI for 1st Test vs West Indies

Charbel Coorey
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Marnus Labuschagne dropped from Australia XI for 1st Test vs West Indies

Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the Australia team for the first Test against West Indies in Barbados. Labuschagne’s lean run of form in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle left him needing a huge performance in the final against South Africa, which unfortunately did not come.

Sam Konstas takes his place at the top of the order, marking the 19-year-old’s first Test outside Australia.

Marnus Labuschagne dropped, Steve Smith out of the first Test vs West Indies due to injury

George Bailey, Chair of Selectors, said the management will continue to work with Labuschagne to ensure he gets back to his best. Australia’s number three managed 974 runs at just 27.82 since the WTC 2023 Final.

“Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team. He understands his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects,” Bailey said, as quoted by sen.com.au.

“We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively.”

ALSO READ: Tim Paine launches passionate defence of Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne

In other news, Steve Smith will miss the first Test due to injury. He suffered a nasty compound dislocation to the little finger in his right hand attempting to take a catch close in at slip during the WTC Final. However, he remains a chance of returning in the second Test.

“Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we’ll give him another week’s rest and assess his functionality after that,” Bailey said.

Josh Inglis will replace Smith in the XI. Inglis has been impressive for Australia, including in Sri Lanka earlier this year where he struck a century on debut.

“We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus,” Bailey said. “We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers.”

The three-match series between West Indies and Australia begins on June 25 in Barbados. Australia will confirm who bats where closer to the match.

Australia possible XI for first Test vs West Indies: 1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Sam Konstas, 3. Cameron Green, 4. Josh Inglis, 5. Travis Head, 6. Beau Webster, 7. Alex Carey (wk), 8. Pat Cummins (c), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood

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