It's been 10 years since Kalyan-based teenaged wicketkeeper-batter Pranav Dhanawade scored a world record unbeaten 1009 in an U-16 Bhandari Trophy inter-school match at the Wayale Nagar ground in Kalyan on January 5, 2016. However, when mid-day called him on Monday to recall his achievement, Dhanawade, now 25, admitted that he had forgotten the special anniversary of his biggest achievement. Dhanawade’s 327-ball innings, which was laced with 129 fours and 59 sixes, helped KC Gandhi English School (Kalyan) outclass Arya Gurukul (Kalyan) by an innings and 1382 runs. ‘An unbelievable day’ When asked to recall the day that gave him instant fame, Dhanawade said: “That day was unbelievable. I remember everyone, including my parents, friends and relatives were congratulating me. It was like a festival; everyone was coming to my home to celebrate. Initially, I didn’t understand the significance of what I had done. My dad [Prashant, an auto rickshaw driver] was continuously getting calls from friends and journalists who wanted to interview me. I hardly slept that night because of all the celebration and media frenzy. I was a bit irritated, but later, as I realised what I had done, I felt proud,” Dhanawade told mid-day on Monday. Sidcup Sports Club skipper Pranav Dhanawade in Kent, UK, recently. PIC/Dhanawade’s personal collection With the applause came criticism too as some felt Dhanawade had excelled against a young, inexperienced opposition. “I got to know about the criticism later from my dad when he told me that someone had written about it in a newspaper. It was unexpected, but I did not take it negatively. I did not react to it either because I knew that I had achieved something that not many can aspire to do. Yes, the opposing team had some young players in the U-14 age group, but you can’t score 1000 runs even in gully cricket,” added Dhanawade in the midst of a gym session on the eve of his Times Shield Division ‘B’ match for Dharamsi Morarji Chemical Co against Mumbai Police ‘B’ team. “I’m determined to play first-class cricket, and I’m working hard for it,” added Dhanawade, who scored 700-plus runs while leading Sidcup Sports Club in Kent (United Kingdom) recently. Coach Mobin’s advice Meanwhile, Dhanawade’s coach Mobin Shaikh has advised him to concentrate on one format. “I think Pranav is a more focused cricketer now and gives equal importance to fitness and cricketing skills. He’s just 25, so age is on his side. I feel he should concentrate only on white-ball cricket, especially the T20 format. He will do well,” Mobin told mid-day.
06 January,2026 08:57 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureAn imperious Joe Root hit a magnificent 160 to drive England to 384 in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Monday before Travis Head let rip to haul Australia back into the contest with a rapid-fire unbeaten 91. Root’s superb innings, his 41st ton to match Ricky Ponting, was only ended courtesy of a brilliant caught-and-bowled by Michael Neser, who finished with 4-60. Australia were left to negotiate the final session of Day Two, which they did for the loss of Jake Weatherald (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (48). By stumps, the hosts had raced to 166-2 with nightwatchman Neser on one alongside Head. Travis Head in full flow against England on Monday Earlier, England resumed at 211-3, but lost Harry Brook (84), Stokes (0) and Jamie Smith (46) before lunch. The day belonged to Root, who started on 72 and reached an almost chanceless century off 146 balls to reaffirm his status as an all-time great. Root said he would love to return for another Ashes tour of Australia. Root will be 39 when England next tour Australia and pundits believed this was likely his final farewell, with a salute to all corners of the ground when he walked off reinforcing the impression. But Root suggested that may not be the case. “I think you might be looking into it a little bit too much,” he said when asked if it was a final goodbye to Australia. “I just felt like we’ve had some amazing support throughout this series, and we’ve not been able to achieve what we set out to as a group. “But at no point has that [support] ever wavered, and that’s never wavered whenever I’ve come out here on tour, it’s been exceptional. And it’s a way of saying thank you, really.” Asked directly if he would be back in four years, Root replied: “Who knows? We’ll see. I’d love to, but we’ll see how things unfold in time.” 2No. of centuries by Joe Root Down Under, he is the only Englishman to score a ton in the ongoing Ashes 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
06 January,2026 08:56 AM IST | Sydney | AFPHalf-centuries from Akshat Joshi and Shivam Yadav helped Little Star English High School (Worli) post a competitive total against Anjuman-I-Islam Allana English School (Fort) in the boys’ U-14 Dream Sports Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school Giles Shield Round Three league match at Cross Maidan on Monday. The two-day match, delayed by damp conditions, began at 10.50 am instead of the scheduled 9.45 am start. Batting first, Little Star were bowled out for 196 in 66.2 overs on Day One. Akshat top-scored with a composed 53 off 85 balls, while Shivam struck 51 off 87 deliveries. Chandrakishan Bind chipped in with 30 off 71 balls. Anjuman-I-Islam’s bowlers maintained discipline throughout. Anuj Singh led the attack with 4 for 50 from 16.2 overs, while Mohammad Shaikh impressed with figures of 4 for 24 from 14 overs. Aditya Pandey (1 for 26) and Mohit Chaudhary (1 for 19) bowled tight spells to restrict the scoring. Anuj Singh (4-50) and Mohammad Shaikh (4-24) claimed four wickets each for Anjuman-I-Islam. With only seven minutes of play left, stumps were called at 4.08 pm.
06 January,2026 08:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus Vedanayagam41No. of Test centuries for Joe Root, putting him alongside Ricky Ponting and behind only Jacques Kallis (45) and Sachin Tendulkar (51) 17No. of 150-plus scores for Root in Tests — the most by an England player and the fifth-highest overall 24No. of Test tons by Root since 2021, way ahead of Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Shubman Gill and Harry Brook, who have all scored 10 each 60No. of international tons for Root (41 in Tests and 19 in ODIs). He is only the sixth player to reach this milestone FiveConsecutive number of times Root has converted his 50-plus scores into centuries — the first such instance in his career 1985No. of runs required by Root (13,937) to go past Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test record of 15,921 FourJoe Root is the fourth Englishman to score multiple centuries in a single away Ashes tour in Australia
06 January,2026 08:39 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentFrustrated Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg vowed on Monday to take up “archaic” bad light rules with the sport’s governing body after a third of the opening day at the fifth Ashes Test was lost. Play was halted 15 minutes before the scheduled tea break on Sunday due to fading light, gentle rain and lightning protocols. There was no more action, with stumps called an hour before schedule at 5 pm. “There’s a lot of things that I get frustrated with in cricket but bad light’s one of them,” Greenberg told SEN radio. ICC rules dictate that play cannot resume if the on-field umpires agree the light conditions are “dangerous or unreasonable”. 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
06 January,2026 08:35 AM IST | Sydney | AFPAustralia’s seam bowling all-rounder Michael Neser said the plan behind executing Joe Root’s dismissal was ‘one of those rare occasions where it actually came off’. Neser finished with four wickets, including taking out Root, who made 160. “I haven’t bowled a bouncer to him in ages, and I think I might surprise him if I try to bowl a bouncer there. And it’s one of those rare occasions where it actually worked. The chances don’t come very often, so you’ve got to try to take everything. I’ve always prided myself on catching,” Neser told reporters at the end of the day’s play. At the same time, Neser acknowledged that Root is not an easy batter to bowl to. “He’s a tricky one to bowl to, especially when he’s in that touch. Your margin of error is very small.” 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
06 January,2026 08:33 AM IST | Sydney | IANSBollywood actor Soha Ali Khan visited the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday to pay a heartfelt tribute to her late father and former India cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi on his 84th birth anniversary. Pataudi, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 70, shared a special connection with the ground, and Soha Instagrammed a video of herself visiting the empty stadium to honour her father’s cricketing journey. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) In the video, Soha, 47, is seen walking around the iconic stadium, with background footage of the famous 1974 Test match against the West Indies — widely regarded as one of India’s most memorable victories — in which Pataudi led India across the line despite having to retire hurt after fracturing his cheekbone. Soha wrote an emotional note: “On your birthday, Abba, I wanted to stand where the game remembers you. Eden Gardens may be empty today, but it is never silent for you. A ground you loved to play on.”
06 January,2026 08:21 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIndia superstar Virat Kohli will not feature in Delhi’s fixture against Railways in the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Tuesday, head coach Sarandeep Singh told PTI. Kohli, who made 131 and 77 on his return to the premier domestic one-day competition, will soon rejoin the national team for the ODI series against New Zealand beginning on January 11. 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
06 January,2026 08:17 AM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesIn the fifth Test match of the Ashes series against Australia, England's batting maestro Joe Root scored an unbeaten 160 runs off 242 deliveries. His knock also included 15 boundaries. Reflecting on his knock at the post-match presser, Root said that the pitch seemed to be trickier, but the aim was to maximise the innings. "It felt like yesterday was much batting, and it was much trickier today. It was about making sure to maximise that first innings, look at the surface and see how it plays out with time. It was pleasing and got it right to a degree today," said Root. The right-handed batsman then said he looked at the opportunities and was also looking to replicate the feeling of the victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. "When you have played as long as I have, you are going to experience a lot of different things, and one thing I look at is opportunities. I do not know how many opportunities I am going to get to come here. It was great to win at MCG, and it was another opportunity today to help us get into a position of strength and try replicating that feeling once again (of what the team experienced in Melbourne) for the group," he said. Root is also hopeful that the series will be helpful for the youngsters who have travelled to Australia for the first time for the Ashes. "Hopefully, it benefits the team going forward when they come next time here. There are a lot of players playing for the first time in Australia, and when they have these positive memories, it will help them win. The baggage that the previous generation faced might not be there for them. There is so much to play for in the next three days," said the 35-year-old cricketer. With his century, Root slammed his 41st Test 100, going level with Australian legend Ricky Ponting for the joint-most third centuries in Test cricket. He has been England's top run-getter and overall second-highest run-getter, with 394 runs in five Tests and nine matches at an average of 49.25, with two centuries. (With ANI Inputs)
05 January,2026 07:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia's ODI and Test skipper Shubman Gill was seen practising ahead of Punjab's Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Goa at the KL Saini Stadium on Tuesday. Earlier, the right-handed batsman missed out on the match against Sikkim due to food poisoning. He is expected to feature in the match against Goa before joining India's ODI squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Over the past few months, Gill has been struggling with injuries. He sustained a neck injury during the first Test match against South Africa, following which he was ruled out for the remainder of the series. In his absence, Rishabh Pant led the team in the second Test match. Later, Gill picked up a toe injury during the T20I series against South Africa. The 26-year-old has also been sidelined from India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. However, he has recovered from food poisoning. A photo posted by the Punjab Cricket Association (PCB) on Instagram shows the team having a net session before Wednesday's VHT clash against Goa. Gill's absence didn't significantly affect Punjab. The team delivered a clinical performance to dismantle Sikkim, winning the match by 10 wickets. Having elected to field first, Punjab's bowling attack, spearheaded by lethal Arshdeep Singh, completely overwhelmed the Sikkim lineup. Arshdeep was the destructor-in-chief, claiming five wickets for 34 runs to bundle out Sikkim for just 75 runs in 22.2 overs. His spell ensured that no Sikkim batter could settle, with only three players reaching double figures. Punjab's chase was a mere formality as they raced to the target in just 6.2 overs. Prabhsimran Singh led the charge with a blistering, unbeaten half-century, smashing an unbeaten 53 runs off only 26 deliveries. The "Men in Blue" will lock horns against New Zealand for the three-match ODI series. The first match is scheduled to be played on January 11 at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Kotambi. The second game will be played on January 14 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, followed by the third game on January 18 at the Holkar Stadium in Madhya Pradesh. Later, Team India will engage in the T20 World Cup 2026. They will begin their campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (With ANI Inputs)
05 January,2026 06:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSkipper Sikandar Raza feels that the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 is the perfect opportunity for Zimbabwe to regain its presence on the cricketing map. Zimbabwe has been placed in Group B along with Australia, Ireland, Oman, and Sri Lanka. "The World Cup is really crucial in every cricketer's life. I always think for Zimbabwe to gain more respect in world cricket, World Cups play a huge part," said Raza. He added that the Zimbabwe team will focus on displaying a good brand of cricket and make their countrymen proud. "So, we have the mindset to go there and try and do really well so that we can come back with our heads held high, and so that our people back home can have their heads high as well. Results are not in our hands and we don't worry about it too much. As long as we're playing a good brand of cricket and doing exactly what the game asks us to do, we'll have the result," stated Raza. Zimbabwe will play their group stage matches in Sri Lanka, where the pitches are expected to provide help to the spinners. Raza is confident that his team has the likes of spinners who can make the most out of the opportunities. "If the wickets turned out to be that (spin-friendly), then I think we have enough harmony in ourselves to have more hours of spin if we need," said the 39-year-old cricketer. Zimbabwe will open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Oman on February 9. The match is scheduled to be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. Despite being the most recognisable face of Zimbabwe cricket, Raza wanted to remain a silent catalyst of change in his country's cricketing fortunes. "To be honest with you, when cricket is done, I try to stay away from the limelight, from people. I just try to stay indoors. I don't like to hear or speak about myself, but if the conversations are happening, I feel very blessed. But having said that, hopefully, my actions will inspire (people) rather than hearing about what people think of me. All I'm looking at is trying to keep doing the things I'm doing to the best of my ability and, hopefully, my performances can inspire the other Sikandars in Zimbabwe and all over the world," he added. (With PTI Inputs)
05 January,2026 04:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
