The Aussie Challenge Podcast with Ayaz Memon

Ajinkya Rahane and his Team India have pulled off a major turnaround after the humbling in the series-opener, to win the Boxing Day Test by 8 wickets. The series is now level at 1-1.

Ayaz Memon and I discuss the impressive victory that saw India put up a dominating show in all facets of the game, specially in the aftermath of the 36 all out in the last match.

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Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test ended with India on the cusp of a historic win, with Australia leading by just 2 runs with 4 wickets in hand.

The home team’s score read 133/6 with Pat Cummins and Cameron Green at the crease and on this episode of The Aussie Challenge podcast, Ayaz Memon and I discuss the successful day India had at the MCG.

Ajinkya Rahane’s team started the day on 277/5 with Rahane and Jadeja at the crease. After his century yesterday, Rahane got out on 112 in the first hour of play. Jadeja completed his half century after that but there was also a flurry of wickets with the last 5 players falling for 32 runs. India were all out on 326, with a lead of 131 runs.

Australia’s batting saw a big collapse with the team reduced to 99/6 at one point. Cameron Green and Pat Cummins refused to let the match end on the third day, batting out the last 18 overs, adding 34 runs. Australia at Stumps had a 2 run lead with 4 wickets in hand.

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Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test was all about one man - Ajinkya Rahane, India’s captain. After some impressive bowling choices and field placements on Day 1, Rahane scored India’s first century of the series at the MCG on Sunday. The series’ first century in fact.

Ayaz Memon and I discuss his innings and also India’s performance, in this episode of The Aussie Challenge Podcast.

India started the day at 36/1 with Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara at the crease. Gill was the first to go, out to Cummins just 5 runs short of his half century. Pujara fell 2 overs later, also to Cummins, on 17.

Gill’s departure though brought in Ajinkya Rahane who played a complete captain’s knock — first adding 52 runs with Hanuma Vihari to stabilise the innings, then a quick-fire 57 with Rishabh Pant and then finally, completed the day with a successful third session with Ravindra Jadeja where no wickets were lost and 88 runs were scored.

Rahane also scored his 12th test century as India were 277/5 at Stumps on Day 2, leading Australia by 82 runs.

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On this episode of The Aussie Challenge podcast, Ayaz Memon and I discuss Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia.

Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat first at the MCG but it was India’s bowlers who made the day their own, bowling out the Aussies on 195. India were 36/1 at Stumps.

Australia are playing an unchanged XI while India made four changes, handing out two debut caps— to Shubman Gill and Mohammad Siraj. Jadeja and Pant also are playing the match with Virat and Shami back home and Wriddhiman Saha and Prithvi Shaw losing their spots.

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On Episode 9 of The Aussie Challenge Podcast with Ayaz Memon, we discuss India’s massive collapse on Day 3 of the Adelaide Test. After bowling out India out for 36, Australia have won the series opener by 8 wickets.

India started the day on 9/1, leading Australia by 62 runs with Mayank Agarwal and Jasprit Bumrah at the crease. Night-watchman Bumrah fell in the second over of the day but his wicket was followed by the big one – Cheteshwar Pujara out 4 overs later, also to Pat Cummins, and there started India’s massive collapse.

Josh Hazlewood first got Mayank and then Ajinkya Rahane both in the 13th over before Virat Kohli fell to Cummins in the 14th. India’s best partnership of the day followed - a 7 run-stand between Wriddhiman Saha and Hanuma Vihari - before Saha fell on 4 to Hazlewood, who then packed off R Ashwin and Vihari to complete his five-wicket haul.

India lost the match by 8 wickets as Australia took a 1-0 lead in the four-match Test series. Tune in to the podcast for more!

Hosts: Mendra Dorjey & Ayaz Memon

Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha

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On Episode 8 of The Aussie Challenge Podcast, Ayaz Memon and I discuss Day 2 of the Adelaide Test between India and Australia.

15 wickets fell on the day with Australia bowled out on 191 and India’s second innings score at 9/1 at Stumps. Indian opener Prithvi Shaw was the one wicket to fall before the end of the day as India hold a 62-run lead over the home team going into Sunday. 

Tune in!

Hosts: Mendra Dorjey & Ayaz Memon

Producer: Himmat Shaligram

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On Episode 7 of The Aussie Challenge podcast, Ayaz Memon discusses Day 1 of the India vs Australia Test series-opener in Adelaide on Thursday.

India lost 6 wickets on the day with captain Virat Kohli scoring a half-century to help the team post 233/6 by Stumps.

The skipper, however, got out on 74 following a mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane and was found short of his crease.

Earlier in the day, Virat won the toss and elected to bat first with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal coming out to open. Shaw failed to make the most of his opportunity as he got out on the second ball of the day, castled by Mitchell Starc. Mayank Agarwal then had Cheteshwar Pujara with him and they faced 108 balls together, making 32 runs before Cummins broke their stand- Mayank out on 17.

Next up was Virat Kohli and then began India’s big fightback as he and Pujara faced 191 balls together, helping India cross the 100 run mark. Pujara though fell to Nathan Lyon having made 43 off the 160 balls he faced.

After Virat’s run out, India lost 3 wickets within 19 runs with Rahane getting out on 42 and Vihari on 16.

Saha and Ashwin though ensured India saw out the day without losing anymore wickets as India ended Day 1 on 233/6. 

Tune in!

Hosts: Mendra Dorjey & Ayaz Memon

Producer: Himmat Shaligram

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On Episode 6 of The Aussie Challenge Podcast with Ayaz Memon, we discuss Australia’s 12 run victory over India in the third T20I in Sydney on Tuesday.

India elected to bowl first after winning the toss in the final match of the series. Australia had their skipper Aaron Finch return for the game after he sat out of the previous fixture due to an injury. He, however, got out on a duck in the second over itself while Matthew Wade continued his solid run, adding 65 runs with Steve Smith and then 90 with Glenn Maxwell, before eventually getting out on 80.

Maxwell made 54 off 36 as Australia posted 186/5.

Washington Sundar was the pick of the bowlers for India with his 2/34 as Natarajan and Thakur picked a wicket each.

India lost KL Rahul to the second ball of the chase but Shikhar Dhawan and Virat added 74 for the second wicket. Dhawan fell in the 9th over with India’s score reading 74/2. The Captain went onto make 85 and also added 44 runs with Hardik Pandya before both fell on the first deliveries of the 18th and 19th overs.

27 were needed off the last 6 balls and while Sundar and Thakur did hit some big shots, India fell short by 12 runs.

Hosts: Mendra Dorjey & Ayaz Memon

Producer: Fabeha Syed

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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On Episode 5 of The Aussie Challenge Podcast with Ayaz Memon, we discuss India’s 6 wicket victory over Australia that helped them win the T20I series, with one match to spare.

Lots of personnel changes in the game with Australian skipper Aaron Finch out due to an injury. The team played Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Sams, and Andrew Tye with Josh Hazlewood sitting out and Mitchell Starc returning home for personal reasons. India played Yuzvendra Chahal, Shardul Thakur, and Shreyas Iyer in place of Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, and Manish Pandey.

Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bowl first and stand-in Aussie captain Matthew Wade came out to open and made a half-century to help the team get to 75/2 in 7.6 overs. He was run out on 58 after which Steve Smith added 46 as the team posted 194/5. Unlike the last game, there wasn't much Chahal magic as he went for 51 runs while T Natarajan continued his dream run- finishing as India’s top bowler with 2 wickets for just 20 runs.

India’s openers made 56 runs and Shikhar Dhawan then made 39 with Virat Kohli before getting out on 52. Sanju Samson made 15 off 10 and Virat made 40 but by the time the skipper got out, India needed 46 runs from 23 balls.

Hardik Pandya however saved the day for India once again, smashing 42 off 22 balls as Iyer too chipped in with his 12 runs off 5 balls and India won the match with 2 balls to spare.

Hosts: Mendra Dorjey & Ayaz Memon

Producer: Fabeha Syed

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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On Episode 4 of The Aussie Challenge Podcast With Ayaz Memon, we discuss India’s 11 run victory over Australia in the T20I series opener at Canberra.

Australia elected to bowl first at the same venue the two teams played the 3rd ODI two days back. KL Rahul opened with Shikhar Dhawan and the vice-captain made 51 while other batters struggled a little- Dhawan got out on 1, Virat on 9, Sanju Samson on 23 and Hardik too managed just 16 on the day.

India were 114/6 in 16.5 overs when Jadeja came into bat and his 23-ball 44 helped get the team post 161/7.

In reply, Australia had 56 on the board before they lost their first wicket with Aaron Finch getting out to Yuzvendra Chahal in the 8th over. Chahal, in fact, was not part of the Indian playing XI at the toss but came in as a concussion substitute for Jadeja and bowled all four overs. Jadeja had been hit on the head while batting though earlier he had called the physio on the field for some help with what looked like a hamstring problem as well.

Chahal went onto take not just Finch’s wicket but also got out Steve Smith and Matthew Wade. Finch’s 35 was the highest score among the Aussies as they managed 150/7 in their 20 overs and lost the series-opener by 11 runs

Hosts: Mendra Dorjey & Ayaz Memon

Producer: Fabeha Syed

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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