Police with long-armed rifles, a rarity at sporting events in Australia, will patrol the final Ashes cricket test in Sydney starting Sunday as part of heightened security measures following the Bondi Beach terror attack in the city. Uniformed and mounted police, along with public order and riot squad officers, will watch over the sold-out match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It comes three weeks after two gunmen killed 15 people and injured many more at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi. The increased visibility of the rifles is intended to reassure the public, and there is no threat to the community, New South Wales state Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said Saturday. "Many people may not be used to seeing police carrying rifles at sporting events, but our objective here is to help the public feel safe, and police will be out in force," he said. The difference will be in the visibility of long arms and a stronger presence. Police will otherwise be targeting anti-social and unsafe behaviour as usual. The measures are similar to those for the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which began Dec. 26, where specialist police officers were armed with semiautomatic rifles and patrolled around the busy stadium, a nearby park and railway station. Seven people remain hospitalized following the Dec. 14 attack at Bondi. Six remain in stable condition, while one is in a critical but stable condition. Naveed Akram, 24, one of the two accused gunmen, is facing 59 charges over the attack that includes 15 counts of murder. Akram was shot by police at the scene and spent days in a coma before being charged. His father Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police at the scene. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
03 January,2026 05:06 PM IST | Sydney | APIn the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Vidarbha, representing Baroda, Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya smashed nearly half a dozen maximums, out of which five he smashed in a single over. Facing 92 deliveries, Hardik accumulated 133 runs, which was laced with eight boundaries and 11 maximums. Coming to bat at number seven in his first match of the competition, Hardik went all guns blazing and registered his first List A ton in his 119th match. Riding on his century, Baroda also reached the score of 293 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 50 overs. In the 39th over, the 32-year-old cricketer garnered a total of 34 runs in Vidarbha's spinner Parth Rekhade's over. He smashed five maximums and a four. The first five balls of the left-arm spinner went flying over the ropes, while the final ball was hit for a boundary. 6⃣,6⃣,6⃣,6⃣,6⃣,4⃣ 🔥A maiden List A 💯 brought up in some style 🔥Hardik Pandya was on 66 off 62 balls against Vidarbha...and then he went berserk in the 39th over to complete his 100, smashing five sixes and a four 💪Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/MFFOqaBuhP#VijayHazareTrophy… pic.twitter.com/pQwvwnI7lb — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 3, 2026 Hardik Pandya's knock included a total of just 31 singles as he scored most of his runs with the help of maximums and boundaries. Later, Team India will play a three-match ODI series followed by five T20Is against the "Black Caps" from January 11 to 31. Later, both teams will engage in the T20 World Cup 2026. The "Men in Blue" have been placed in Group A of the global showpiece along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States of America. On the other hand, New Zealand is placed in Group D, which consists of the likes of teams such as Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. India will open their campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, whereas the Kiwis will play their first fixture against Afghanistan on February 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The high-octane clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. (With PTI Inputs)
03 January,2026 03:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India batsman Shreyas Iyer is set to play his first competitive cricket match since sustaining a spleen injury in October. He will represent Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh, but his availability for the New Zealand series will be decided considering his fitness. Earlier, the right-handed batsman sustained an injury during the ODI match against Australia in Sydney, following which he was hospitalised for a spleen laceration with internal bleeding. The BCCI had informed about Iyer's release in early November, and the right-handed batter has been on a comeback trail since. According to a source in the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Iyer is set to play for Mumbai, and his feature in the New Zealand series will be decided considering his fitness levels. "Shreyas successfully completed the first 50-over RTP (return to play) match on January 2, 2026. He will be playing the Vijay Hazare match on January 6th as part of his second RTP match before final fitness clearance," the official told PTI on Saturday. Iyer will now feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who played his first match against Goa on December 31. India will play a three-match ODI series followed by five T20Is against the "Black Caps" from January 11 to 31. Later, both teams will engage in the T20 World Cup 2026. The "Men in Blue" have been placed in Group A of the global showpiece along with teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States of America. On the other hand, New Zealand is placed in Group D, which consists of the likes of teams such as Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. India will open their campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, whereas the Kiwis will play their first fixture against Afghanistan on February 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The high-octane clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. (With PTI Inputs)
03 January,2026 02:59 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan has submitted its provisional 15-member squad to the International Cricket Council (ICC), but has yet to make the list public, a source said. The source also said that January 1 was the deadline given by the ICC for the participating teams to submit their provisional squads, and the PCB completed the process within the given timeframe. So far, not all teams have submitted their provisional squads. The teams can later make changes to their 15-member squads until January 31 without seeking approval from the ICC. Any changes after that date would require special clearance from the ICC's technical committee. According to the source, Pakistan's squad consists of the likes of star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, star batsman Babar Azam and all-rounder Shadab Khan, who has been out of international action since May last year, as he was struggling with a shoulder injury. He returned to action in the Big Bash League (BBL) and has been included in Pakistan's squad for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to start from January 7. The selectors have largely picked players who are part of the Sri Lanka tour, with the final World Cup squad likely to be firmed up after the series, the source said. Fast bowler Haris Rauf has not been included even in the provisional squad, while Shaheen's final selection will depend on his recovery from the knee injury sustained during the Big Bash League last week. Other players named in the provisional squad include mystery spinners Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed, all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz, along with Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Usman Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Salman Ali Agha. In the T20 World Cup 2025, Pakistan has been placed in Group A along with teams such as India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States of America. The "Green Shirts" will open their global tournament's campaign by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 7 Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. The much-anticipated clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. (With PTI Inputs)
03 January,2026 02:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh player Mustafizur Rahman from its squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, considering the growing bilateral tensions between the two nations. The Kolkata-based franchise acquired the services of Rahman for Rs 9.20 crore during the intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the auction last month. "The BCCI has asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from its squad. They can ask for replacement, if needed. And upon request, BCCI will allow a replacement player," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI. When asked about the reason why the Indian cricket board has asked KKR to take action, Saikia replied, "Because of recent developments all across". The pressure had been mounting on the BCCI over Rahman's participation after the recent killing of a Hindu man in the country and India's expression of concern for the safety of minorities. KKR co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan also found himself among the criticism from some politicians of the BJP ruling party, who questioned the inclusion of the Bangladeshi pacer in the current scenario. So far, Mustafizur Rahman has featured in eight IPL editions since 2016. He missed out on the 2019 and 2020 editions of the cash-rich league. Over the years, he represented teams such as Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The upcoming IPL 2026 was going to be his first season with Kolkata. India and Bangladesh cricket boards had postponed a white-ball bilateral series last year. The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Friday said the series will be played there in September this year. However, the BCCI is non-committal on the schedule and is unlikely to agree to it given the volatile political situation in Bangladesh. The relationship between the two countries hit a rough note after the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests. She was sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal this year for her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation in which several students were killed. (With PTI Inputs)
03 January,2026 01:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia's stand-in captain Steve Smith dismissed the retirement speculations ahead of the fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Over the years, Smith has been regarded as one of the best batsmen of red-ball cricket. Speaking about the retirement speculations, Smith said that he is taking it day by day and series by series. The cricketer also said that he is enjoying his game at the moment. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing at the end of this week. I've said it for a while. I'm taking it day by day, series by series. We'll see where things land. I feel like I'm doing all right at the moment. I'm enjoying it. I'm contributing and having fun. There's no real end date for me, I suppose. I'm still playing. I'm enjoying it," he said during the pre-match press conference. Further, he also said that as a veteran player, his role is to help the new players in the team and teach them the game of Test cricket. "I think we've got a really good team. I think the team we've had over the last three or four years, obviously making two World Test Championship finals, different people have stood up at different times. It's never been one or two people just getting the job done. It's been shared across and guys have done great jobs throughout and I think that's what's made us a really good team. So it's been good to be a part of and, yeah, as an older player now, hopefully I can help some of the players coming through and help teach them the game of test cricket. I guess that's my role now," said the 36-year-old cricketer. Additionally, after the conclusion of the fifth Test match, Australia's traditional opening batsman, Usman Khawaja, will retire from international cricket. ENG vs AUS 5th Test: Venue and date of the match The fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series is scheduled to be played from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia will look to seal the series 4-1, whereas the "Three Lions" will play for pride and try to end the series on a positive note. (With ANI Inputs)
03 January,2026 12:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia's stand-in captain Steve Smith said that the team is yet to decide on their final playing XI for the fifth Test match of the ongoing Ashes series. The Aussies will enter the clash, having reclaimed the title, as they have a lead by 3-1. On the other hand, the Ben Stokes-led England announced their 12-man squad, in which they have named Shoaib Bashir for the SCG Test. Smith said that Australia will announce its final playing XI only after getting a proper assessment of the Sydney pitch. Speaking about it, he said, "Nah, haven't had a chance to look at the wicket this morning, so all options are on the table currently. Yeah, obviously hasn't had a great deal of sunlight, so yeah, need to check it out, see what it looks like. It still looked pretty green yesterday, so yeah, we need another look at it". "Could play a couple of all-rounders. Could play a spinner. Could play no spinner. We'll figure it out once we see the surface and see which way we want to go about it," he added. Further speaking, Australia's stand-in captain also said that the management will look at how they can match up the players. "No-one's locked in yet. As I said before, we haven't picked a team. There's 13 or 14 guys on the table and we want to see that we can see how we match up against that," Smith said. He then said that the loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was disappointing, and is also hopeful of yielding good results in the upcoming clash. "It was disappointing last week to go down. We were outplayed at the back end of that game. So yeah, hopefully we can turn it around here, win this series 4-1, and now more importantly, I suppose, just win a Test in the Test Championship cycle," said the 36-year-old cricketer. ENG vs AUS 5th Test: Venue and date of the match The fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Ashes series is scheduled to be played from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia will look to seal the series 4-1, whereas the "Three Lions" will play for pride and try to end the series on a positive note. (With ANI Inputs)
03 January,2026 11:47 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA few years ago, Vikhroli-based batting all-rounder Karan Sonavale, 31, was aspiring to play for Mumbai. Presently, he is gearing up for the biggest stage — representing Oman at the upcoming T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starting on February 7. Sonavale was part of the Mumbai U-19 and U-23 probables in 2013 and 2017 respectively. “I performed well for Parel Sporting SC, MIG CC and ICICI Bank, but missed out on the Mumbai cap somehow. In 2017 and 2018, I represented Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University in an inter-university cricket tournament. Thereafter, I decided to try other options, and in 2020 I contacted former Oman cricketer Vaibhav Wategaonkar, who helped me join the Al Turky team in Oman. It was a tough call as I had to stay away from my family; even the number of matches I got was quite less, but those three-four years were challenging. Slowly, I started aiming to be a part of the Oman national team and eventually made it. Though I’m not playing for India, I’m excited to play in the T20 World Cup and want to give my best,” Sonavale told mid-day from Muscat on Thursday. Sonavale has represented Oman in three ODIs and four T20Is, but was unlucky to miss out on the recent Asia Cup. A hamstring injury kept him away from the continental event which was won by the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team that beat Pakistan in the final at Dubai on September 28. When asked how challenging it will be when Oman face prominent teams like Australia and Sri Lanka or even Ireland and Zimbabwe for the matter, he replied: “It’s challenging, but I’m not thinking about who are the big players in the opposing team. I’m just concentrating on my process. My mindset is clear. I want to play every ball on merit.” No. 3 batter Sonavale revealed that Oman’s head coach and former SL captain Duleep Mendis and his deputy and ex-Mumbai ’keeper-batter Sulakshan Kulkarni have advised him to focus on playing big knocks. “Mendis sir told me to convert good starts into big runs. Sulakshan sir also said that I should not be satisfied with just 30s and 40s,” said Sonavale, who credited his Mumbai-based coaches Pankaj Sharma and Ajay Kadam for giving him the confidence to grow internationally.
03 January,2026 10:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureKartikeya Sharma was the standout performer for Rizvi Springfield High School (Khar), thanks to his splendid century against Little Stars English High School (Worli) on Day Two of the Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school Round-Two league-stage Giles Shield match at the Western Railway ground (Cross Maidan) on Friday. The rain-affected two-day match ultimately ended in a draw — Day One was completely washed out — after Rizvi declared at a commanding 237-3 (46 overs), riding on the back of Kartikeya’s 105 off 139 balls. He received solid support from Sujal Khot (58 off 63) and Siddhant Desai (53 off 41). For Little Stars, Karan Kamble (1-79) and Shivam Yadav (1-94) picked up a wicket each. In reply to Rizvi’s total, the Worli outfit ended the match at 102 for 4 in 31 overs, with Shivam top-scoring with 38, while Akshat Joshi scored 26. For Rizvi Springfield, Abdulla Khatri struck twice (2-33), while Afridi Ansari 1-13, and Avanish Sawant (1-17) also picked a wicket each. On Thursday, MSSA secretary Nadeem Memon had announced that each team would receive one point due to the fixtures being truncated.
03 January,2026 10:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamThe New Year got off to a tearful start for India women’s team batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who announced the passing of her beloved pet dog Theo on Friday. “Our goodest boy Theo is no more with us,” Jemimah wrote to her 3.8 million Instagram followers. The 25-year-old also posted a slew of stories highlighting some special moments she shared with her pet canine. In one of them, Rodrigues is seen playing hockey with Theo, calling him “my strongest opponent so far” as the dog cutely chases the ball while she dribbles it. In another video, Theo is seen having fun walking along with Rodrigues and her friends. The India batter called it her “favourite video.” Rodrigues ended her post on an emotional note: “Thank you Theo for coming into our lives and making it even better. We love you and I know you’re doing so much masti [fun] in heaven. You are already missed here.”
03 January,2026 09:56 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentSeamer Matthew Potts and spinner Shoaib Bashir were included in a 12-man England squad for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia. Potts is the only unused fast bowler from their original 16-man squad and gets his chance after Gus Atkinson limped off with a hamstring issue in Melbourne. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 January,2026 09:51 AM IST | Sydney | AFPADVERTISEMENT
