Anshul Gupta

It was a really mixed year for the Indian women as they failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup semis and also faltered in the Asia Cup final. There were a few series wins at home and also a Test victory but selection issues and lack of accountability continued to be major talking points in 2024.

West Indies were not just good enough with the bat, especially in the whole series as they were folded for 140, 102 and 109 in the three matches. It has been a coming-of-age tour for Jaker Ali as the middle-order batter scored two Test fifties, an unbeaten 62 in ODIs and now a match-winning 72*.

Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official broke silence on Prithvi Shaw's snub from the squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Shaw had even expressed his displeasure after being dropped while mentioning his statistics in List-A career. The Vijay Hazare Trophy begins on Saturday, December 21.

New South Wales' Sam Konstas is set to be the youngest Test opener for Australia in 70 years as Australia showed a bit of ruthlessness as they announced their squad for the remaining two Tests against India in Melbourne and Sydney. One of the pacers has returned to the Test side after three years.

South Africa with a depleted bowling unit but most of the first-choice batting side just weren't good enough against Pakistan as the visitors ended up winning the second ODI and hence, took a 2-0 unassailable series victory after posting a massive score of 329 runs on the board.

Rohit Sharma paid tribute to former India all-rounder R Ashwin, who announced his retirement from international cricket following the third Test against Australia at Gabba, Brisbane. The Gabba Test ended in a draw as rain washed out most of the play over five days.

The third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane ended in a draw and the series is nicely poised 1-1 going into the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests. The draw saw a couple of changes in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, not in the spots but the points percentage.

Jasprit Bumrah continued to trouble the Australians in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy as his tally reached 21 wickets for the series and achieved a historic record by an Indian bowler in overseas Tests. Australia declared 89/7 in their second innings as India were set a target of 275 runs.

West Indies levelled the series with a scintillating 9-wicket victory in the second T20I as the Indian women's team's batting fell short. However, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana continued her smashing run of form smashing her second consecutive half-century and broke the world record.

Santner has previously led New Zealand in 24 T20Is and four ODIs and will take over the white-ball team full-time. Santner recently has had his second coming in Test cricket with two Player of the Match performances against India and England and will be looking to continue his good form.

Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah stitched an unbeaten stand of 39 runs to help India avoid a follow-on in the ongoing third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. Akash Deep surprisingly came in at No 11 and justified the management's decision to demote him as the duo frustrated Australia at the end of Day 4.

The tables turned on the fourth day of the third Test between India and Australia as the visitors not only avoided the follow-on but also managed to tire out Australians, who were one bowler short. Now draw seems the most likely result with just 57.5 overs of play being possible on Tuesday.

Josh Hazlewood had missed the Adelaide Test due to a side strain and was racing against time to get fit for the Gabba clash. Did Australia rush Hazlewood? Well, that question will haunt Australia as the tall pacer left the field after bowling just one over on Day 4 complaining of calf soreness.

New Zealand provided Tim Southee with a winning farewell in his final Test match as he ended up with 391 wickets and 98 sixes with the bat. England rode on Jacob Bethell and Joe Root's fifties to show some fight in the fourth innings but 658 was always going to be an out-of-reach target.

KL Rahul was on his way to playing one of the hundreds of a lifetime by an Indian batter in Australia but it wasn't to be as Steve Smith redeemed himself by plucking a blinder to dismiss the most solid-looking player for the visitors in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Day 4 of the Gabba Test.

57.5 overs of play was possible on the fourth day of the Gabba Test as India showed some fight and resolve to counter Australia as the match is highly likely to end in a draw. India still are 193 runs behind and Australia have lost Josh Hazlewood for the rest of the match.