New Delhi [India]January 27 (ANI): It was a day for an underdog who went full force against a dream opponent in Melbourne and eventually prevailed, while in neighboring Brisbane, South Australia, a visiting cricket team showed backbone after a humiliation in the opening Test at the end However, on the day of the match he was unable to take full advantage of the situation.
In Melbourne, home to the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, Noval Djokovic, the world No. 1 tennis superstar and holder of 24 Grand Slam titles, was eliminated in the semifinals after losing to the up-and-coming 22nd -year-old had lost. old Italian Jannik Sinner.
While Djokovic has more Grand Slams to his name than Sinner has celebrated birthdays to date, that hardly mattered on this day as the Italian showed his best tennis to defeat the champion.
In the biggest upset of the tournament, the defending champions were outplayed in four sets in a match that pitted experience and talent against raw talent and the fearlessness of youth.
At the end of the fascinating fight, which lasted three hours and 21 minutes, Sinner prevailed against the experienced and battle-hardened Serb. The final score was 1-6, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 3-6 in favor of the 22-year-old Italian.
The result, despite long odds, made Sinner the first player to beat Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
By throwing caution to the wind and giving it his all against the 24-time Grand Slam winner, Sinner made Djokovic work hard for every point, and when the first set went to the Italian, there were rumors in the stands that it was too a surprise could come cards.
And so it happened after four sets when the wiry Italian lifted his first Grand Slam trophy at the first major of the year.
While Djokovic struggled against the Italians, cricket giants Australia, which dominates all formats and has the most World Cup titles to its credit, struggled to put bat to ball in the face of fiery attacks from the West Indian quicks on the second day of the ongoing second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday.
However, at the end of the day's play the game was level as the hosts managed to reduce the deficit and decide boldly while being within touching distance of the Caribbean standings with the last remaining pair.
Earlier, when play resumed on the second day, debutant Kevin Sinclair, accompanied by wicketkeeper Joshua DeSilva, put up a brave fight and scored a fine half-century. Their energetic efforts in the middle helped the visitors complete their first innings with a respectable score of 311.
After a late cameo with the bat, speedster Alzarri Joseph accompanied by bowling spearhead Kemar Roach took the Kangaroos to a tight corner of the fort – The Gabba.
The Windies' fast balls left the Aussies sniffing the ball and sent half the team back to the stables without many runs on the scoreboard.
For Australia, captain Pat Cummins (64*), Usman Khawaja (75) and Alex Carey (64) helped the hosts save their disgrace after being reduced to 24/4 at one point.
After falling just a few runs short of the West Indies' target, thanks largely to a rearguard revival, the Australians bravely declared a score of 289/9.
However, the visitors did well not to collapse in the face of new-ball strikes from the Aussie Quicks as they finished the day's play at 13/1 and extended their lead to 35 runs.
As the Caribbean visitors ended the day's play in Brisbane with a slight lead, England fell further behind in Hyderabad as hosts India took the lead on the second day of the opening Test with three wickets still in hand.
On a surface that supported spin, the Indians delivered a batting masterclass led by great hands from Yashasvi Jaiswal (80), KL Rahul (86), Ravindra Jadeja (81*) and Axar Patel (35*).
Even as the ball hit the surface and spun violently, 22-year-old Jaiswal frustrated England's front-forwards as they received a 'bazball' from the Indians.
Jaiswal's robust style of play and KL Rahul's patience provided the ideal platform for the late heroics of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar.
The left-handed batsman utilized his batting repertoire and delivered a series of shots to pile on the pressure on the visitors. The star all-rounder broke into his trademark sword celebration after scoring a deserved 20th Test half-century and was within sight of a ton at the end of the second day's play.
He will be looking to reach the three-figure mark and further extend India's commanding lead of 175 runs. (ANI)
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