Sports World, December 28, 2023: Mumbai City Beat Chennaiyin FC 3-0 In ISL; AUS-W Win By 6 Wickets Against IND-W; South Africa Defeat India In 1st Test - As It Happened

The Indian national men's cricket team slumped to a humiliating defeat by an innings and 32 runs in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion. The India women's cricket team too suffered a six-wicket loss to Australia in the first ODI in Mumbai. In football, Mumbai City FC beat Chennaiyin FC 3-0 in the Indian Super League. Australia, meanwhile, took a 241-run lead at the close of Day 3 against Pakistan. Catch the highlights of all the action on Thursday, December 28, 2023, here. (Sports News | December 27 Highlights)

11:59PM: And That's A Wrap

That's it from us today. We will be back tomorrow with the live updates from the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne, in addition to all the other sporting action that unfolds through the day. Goodnight.

10:30 PM: ISL Update

Mumbai City have beaten Chennaiyin FC 3-0 at home in the Indian Super League 2023-24 season, courtesy goals from Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap Singh and Gurkirat Singh. 

9:45 PM: Delhi Ranji Team: Yash Dhull Named Captain, Ayush Badoni His Deputy

According to PTI, Young Yash Dhull has once again being named captain with Ayush Badoni as his deputy as Delhi on Thursday announced a 26-member squad for the opening two fixtures of the Ranji Trophy cricket tournament beginning on January 5. The 21-year-old Dhull, who had captained India to the U19 World Cup title in 2022 in the West Indies, was the skipper of the Delhi team in the last edition as well.

9:00 PM: India Women Lose By 6 Wickets Against Australia In 1st ODI

After setting a target of 283 runs with the help of Jemimah Rodrigues (82 off 77 balls) and Pooja Vastrakar's crucial innings. Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry set the tone for the target and stitched 148 runs for the second wicket. Tahlia Mcgrath also made a fifty and Beth Mooney played a valuable cameo at the end. India are trailing in the three-match ODI bilateral series with 0-1 as Australia won by 6 wickets and 21 balls remaining. Read more in Match Report.

Brief Score: AUS W - 285/4 (46.3)
Phoebe Litchfield - 78 (89),  Ellyse Perry - 75 (72)  |  Renuka Thakur: (7-1-30-1)

IND - 282/8 (50)
Jemimah Rodrigues - 82 (77),  Pooja Vastrakar - 62 (46)  |  Georgia Wareham: (9-0-55-2)

8:30 PM: India Lose 1st Test Against South Africa By An Innings And 32 Runs

India's Virat Kohli was the last man to be dismissed as South Africa take lead in the Test series with a big win in the first match. And with that loss, India's dream to win a Test series in South Africa also remained incomplete. Virat Kohli made a fighting 76 but that was not enough. No other batter spent much time on the crease. Read more in Match Report.

Brief Score: IND - 245 & 131,  RSA - 408
Virat Kohli - 76 (82),  Shubman Gill - 26 (37)  |  Nandre Burger: (10-3-33-4)
Dean Elgar - 185 (287),  Marco Jansen - 84 (107)  |  Jasprit Bumrah: (26.4-5-69-4)

7:50 PM: Former Indian Football Player Prabir Majumdar Died

Former Indian defender Prabir Majumdar died on Thursday after suffering from a brief illness. He was 77 and is survived by his wife and a son. A stylish wing-back of the 1960s and 1970s, Majumdar was a member of the Indian team in the 1974 Asian Games. He also featured for the national side during the 1974 Asian Games held in Tehran, where the team failed to create an impact and finished at the bottom of the group table. 

6:40 PM: IND - 62/3 (16) - Tea Break

India were struggling at 62 for three in their second innings at tea after dismissing South Africa for 408 on day 3 of the opening Test in Centurion on Thursday. India, who had scored 245 in their first innings, still trail by 101 runs. On Thursday, South Africa added 152 runs to their overnight score of 256 for 5 to take their overall lead to 163 runs, as reports from PTI.

Target set for Australia

Australia women need 283 runs in 300 balls

Brief Score: IND W - 282/8 (50)
Jemimah Rodrigues - 82 (77),  Pooja Vastrakar - 62 (46)  |  Georgia Wareham: (9-0-55-2)

5:00 PM: IND W - 282/8 (50 Overs)

Pooja Vastrakar played a quick 62-run inning after Jemimah Rodrigues' inning provided India women the tone for setting a defendable total. India women set a 283-run target for Australian women to win the first ODI. Vastrakar played with a strike rate of 134 and hit seven fours and two sixes. 

4:30 PM: IND W - 234/7 ( 30-45 Overs Highlights)

Amanjot Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues started well and added valuable runs before Kaur fell after 20 runs. Megan Schutt bowled Sneh Rana for just one run but Pooja Vastrakar gave good support to Rodrigues and added crucial runs. Jemimah completed her fifty and took the Indian inning to a big finish.

3:42 PM: Odisha FC To Face ASEAN Zone Champions In AFC Cup

According to PTI, the Indian Super League side Odisha FC has been pitted against a yet-to-be-determined ASEAN Zone champions in the Inter Zone semi-final of the ongoing AFC Cup during a draw ceremony here on Thursday. Odisha FC had emerged victorious in the AFC Cup South Zone, having beaten Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh in their final Group D encounter earlier this month.

3:40 PM: I Will Challenge WFI Suspension In Court: Sanjay Singh

According to PTI, Newly-elected WFI president Sanjay Singh on Thursday said that the sports ministry did not follow "proper procedure" while suspending the wrestling national body and will challenge the government's decision in a court. The sports ministry on Sunday suspended the WFI, three days after its elections were held, for flouting its constitution while taking certain decisions, including the announcement of U-15 and U-20 National Championships.

3:30 PM: IND W - 147/5 (18-29 Overs Highlights)

Deepti Sharma and Yastika Bhatia took the inning forward and put India in a comfortable condition when Alana King removed Sharma. Yastika added 49 crucial runs and gave her wicket to Georgia Wareham. Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur are at the crease and taking the Indian innings forward.

2:47 PM: IND W - 87/3 (11-17 Overs Highlights)

After early wickets of Richa Ghosh and Shafali Varma, Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia took the India innings forward and kept taking singles and doubles until Kaur holed out to Darcie Brown off Ashleigh Gardener's delivery. She made just 9 runs off 17 balls. Yastika Bhatia is guiding Indian innings at the moment with her impressive innings and Jemimah Rodrigues is supporting her well.

2:15 PM: IND W - 49/2 (0-10 Overs Highlights)

Yastika Bhatia and Shafali Varma opened the innings for India and Shafali was removed by Darcie Brown early. Richa Ghosh replaced her at the crease but Annabel Sutherland also dismissed her in the eighth over. Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia are at the crease and India have added 49 runs in the first powerplay.

1:40 PM: Shafali Varma Falls!

Shafali Verma leaves a space between the pad and bat, which the bowler manages to pass through. She must leave. Nips in off the deck, the batter tries to defend and misses the delivery line, resulting in a dismissal.

IND W - 13/1 (3)

1:35 PM: India Women Start Batting

Darcie Brown opened England's bowling attack and started with a no-ball to India's Yastika Bhatia who is opening the Indian innings with Shafali Varma. She again overstepped on the fourth delivery and despite two no-balls from the over, India gathered just seven runs from the first over. Good start for Indian women.

IND W - 7/0 (1)

1:20 PM: AUS Vs PAK, 2nd Test, Day 3 - Stumps

Australia finished on 187 for 6 wickets in the second inning after the end of the third day's play. Pakistan started from yesterday's play and Australia finished their first inning for 264 runs. The bowlers totally dominated the day until Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith stitched a 153-run partnership and put Australia back in the game after early blows from Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza.

Brief Score: AUS - 318 & 187/6 (62.3)
Mitch Marsh - 96 (130),  Steve Smith - 50 (176)  |  Mir Hamza: (16-6-27-3)

1:10 PM: IND-W Vs AUS-W, 1st ODI - Toss Update

India Women won the toss, opted to bat first

Teams:

Australia Women (Playing XI): Phoebe Litchfield, Alyssa Healy(w/c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

India Women (Playing XI): Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia(w), Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Saika Ishaque

1:08 PM: Head To Head Record

India women and Australia women have played each other 50 times in ODI cricket and Australia have a greater edge as they have won 40 games and India have won just 10 matches.

Total Matches played - 50
India won - 10
Australia won - 40

1:00 PM: Cricket Update 

We are minutes away from the toss in India women's cricket team's Wankhede ODI bout versus Australia, with the match set to commence at 1:30. At the same time, the India men's cricket team will resume their attempts to bowl South Africa out at Centurion!

12:00 PM: WFI Prez Snubs IOA Committee 

The latest twist in the controversial Wrestling Federation of India Presidential Elections saga comes with newly-elected chief Sanjay Singh rejecting the Indian Olympic Association-appointed ad-hoc committee, tasked with supervising the WFI. Singh has further threatened legal action is suspension over his federation is not lifted. 

Read more here. 

11:00 AM: Still To Come 

A double delight awaits Indian cricket fans on Thursday noon, with both the Indian men's and women's national cricket teams in action. India men's team will resume play against South Africa in the first of their two tests while India women's team will battle Australia in the first of three ODIs at the Wankhede in Mumbai. 

10:00 AM: Australia Vs Pakistan 

Australia have resumed batting on Day 3 of their Boxing Day Test against Pakistan and, after early struggles, are on their way to setting a big total for the visitors to chase. While the Aussie batters fell like dominoes early on at the MCG, the limelight was hogged by third umpire Richard Illingworth, whose inadvertent adventure after being stuck in the lift and delaying play amused fans, commentators, and cricketers alike. 

Watch what happened here. 

9:00 AM: Premier League Late-Night Round-Up 

Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace - Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea arrested their decline with three crucial points against fellow Londoners Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea led early through Mykhailo Mudryk's third Premier League goal of the season but went into the interval level on score with Crystal Palace after summer target Michael Olise had equalised on the stroke of half-time. The Blues persisted, however, and found the winner late on through Noni Madueke, who scored from the spot after winning the penalty off Eberechi Eze. 

Everton 1-3 Manchester City - Newly-crowned world club champions, Manchester City, returned to Premier League action with a gritty 3-1 win at Goodison Park against Everton. The Toffees capped a sensational first-half display by taking the lead through Jack Harrison on the stroke of the half-hour, but City retaliated on the other side of the interval, scoring thrice through Phil Foden, Julian Alzarez, and Bernardo Silva. Consequently, the reigning champions went within five points of league leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. 

Brentford 1-4 Wolves - Wolves continued their fine form of late by thrashing Brentford 4-1 away from home. Gary O'Neil's team led through Mario Lemina in the 13th minute, the Gabonese midfielder scoring his second in as many games, and doubled their lead a minute later, courtesy of the in-form Hwang Hee-chan. Brentford pulled one pack in the 16th minute through Yoane Wissa before Hwang scored his second two minutes before the 30-minute mark to cap a frantic first half-hour. Summer signing from Strasbourg, Jeanricner Bellegarde, sealed the points for Wolves in the 79th minute.