Sports
Hockey Rankings: India women achieve best-ever sixth place; men slip one spot to fourth

The Indian women’s hockey team has moved up one place in the FIH Rankings to sixth — the best-ever placing the team has achieved in the history of the rankings.
The team, which had jumped two places at the start of May following its superb performance against the top-ranked Netherlands at the Kalinga Stadium, climbed to sixth as Spain dropped one place after losing both their FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22 matches to Argentina. They have also lost one match each to Belgium and England this month.
With 2029.396 points, the Indian women’s hockey team is now placed sixth behind the Netherlands (3049.495), Argentina (2674.837), Australia (2440.750), England (2204.590), and Germany (2201.085). Spain are seventh with a rating of 2016.149.
The Indian women’s hockey team currently sits at the third position in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22 table with 22 points from 8 games. India will be facing Belgium in a double-header in away games on June 11 and 12.
Speaking on the achievement, the Indian women’s hockey team chief coach Janneke Schopman said, “As a team, we aim to improve and grow and become a consistent contender in Women’s Hockey. The rise in the FIH World Rankings is a nice indicator that we are on the right path.”
“At the same time with the FIH Women’s Hockey Pro League and FIH Women’s World Cup coming up, things can change quickly and therefore we have to keep focusing on our own performance,” Schopman was quoted as saying by Hockey India in a release on Tuesday.
The Indian women’s team captain Savita, also expressed delight at the achievement. “This is the outcome of all the hard work our team has done over the past few months. We have worked together as a team against strong competition and achieved good results, and we are proud that we are growing and learning together as a unit.”
Savita added, “We hope to continue our growth as we prepare for tougher challenges in away games against Belgium and The Netherlands. We are confident we will be able to get good results as well and continue to improve.”
However, there was some setback for Indian hockey as the men’s team slipped one place to fourth after the Netherlands overtook them thanks to some good performance this month.
Netherlands (2465.707) regained the third spot, as they swap places with India (2366.990). Germany (2308.156) continue to hold the fifth place but England (2171.354) moved to sixth ahead of Argentina (2147.179) thanks to their recent wins against France and South Africa in the Pro League.
Australia retained the top spot in men’s rankings with 2842.258 points with World and Olympic champions Belgium snapping at their heels with 2764.735 points.
National News
1st Test: Jadeja, Kuldeep, Siraj strike as India eye innings win, reduce WI to 66/5

Ahmedabad, Oct 4: Ravindra Jadeja continued his dream run in the longer format with figures of 3-30, while Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj struck with a scalp each as India tightened their march towards an innings win over the West Indies in the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.
At lunch on day three, India have left the West Indies reeling at 66/5 in 27 overs, with the visitors’ still trailing by 220 runs and the prospect of an innings defeat looming large. Jadeja has a chance to pick a five-for after hitting an unbeaten 104, as India declared their first innings at 448/5 in 128 overs before day three got underway.
After not opting to give Nitish Kumar Reddy a hit with the bat and instead pushing for a swift finish, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj set the tone with a probing new-ball spell. Siraj also produced a snorter to beat Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s edge before dismissing him with a short ball.
The wicket was also made possible due to Nitish’s athleticism at square leg – diving full stretch to pouch a stunning catch airborne – something which can become a viral Instagram reel in what was an exceptional session of catching for India.
Jadeja then took over to remove John Campbell with a ball that drifted in and took the outside edge via extra bounce to forward short leg. He followed it up with a clever change in flight to trap Brandon King, who had earlier driven him for four but was lured into a mistimed poke to slip.
Kuldeep chipped in with the dismissal of Roston Chase – beating him with a legbreak that didn’t turn before crashing into off-stump. Jadeja had his third wicket of the session when Shai Hope was undone by extra bounce on a backfoot cut and Yashasvi Jaiswal held on to a sharp chance at backward point.
Amidst the procession, young Alick Athanaze stood tall by showcasing his skill against spin with decisive footwork and calculated strokeplay. His reverse sweeps and cover drives led him to be unbeaten on 27, while Justin Greaves showed some resistance at the other end to be not out on 10. It would be interesting to see for how long West Indies can fight it out in the face of a relentless Indian bowling line-up.
Brief Scores: West Indies 162 and 66/5 in 27 overs (Alick Athanaze 27 not out, John Campbell 14; Ravindra Jadeja 3-30, Kuldeep Yadav 1-15) lead India 448/5 dec in 128 overs (Dhruv Jurel 125, Ravindra Jadeja 104 not out; Roston Chase 2-90, Jayden Seales 1-53) by 220 runs.
National News
1st Test: Jurel, Jadeja’s fifties swell India’s lead to 164 runs at tea against West Indies

Ahmedabad, Oct 3: Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja struck unbeaten fifties to help India extend their lead to 164 runs at tea on day two of the first Test against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.
At tea, India reached 326/4 in 96 overs, with Jurel and Jadeja unbeaten on 68 and 50, respectively, with their unbroken 108-run stand steering the hosts into a commanding position.
The session began with a brief window of hope for the West Indies as Jomel Warrican removed centurion KL Rahul for exactly 100 in the very first over after lunch. Rahul’s dismissal – of being caught at cover attempting a loose drive – was reminiscent of his lapse in the Hyderabad Test against England in 2024, a moment that had turned the tide in that match.
But this time, India didn’t let the momentum slip, thanks to Jurel, who peppered the square of the off-side region with boundaries. Jadeja, meanwhile, launched four sixes off Warrican by using his feet to neutralise the left-arm spinner’s threat.
Jurel, getting a chance to play due to Rishabh Pant being injured, showcased a blend of composure and class while handling both reverse swing and spin with maturity. His defence was tested by Jayden Seales, who found movement with the older ball, but he held firm, and grew in confidence after surviving an lbw appeal.
West Indies’ decision to delay the second new ball raised eyebrows, as persisting with the old ball allowed India to dictate terms.
Warrican offered variations and challenged the batters with changes in pace and trajectory. But Jadeja’s footwork and aggression kept him at bay. Jurel, fresh off a 140 against Australia A, looked every bit a solid batter in his strokeplay and defence, as 108 runs came off the second session for the loss of Rahul.
With six wickets in hand and two set batters at the crease on a pitch showing signs of crumbling, India will look to accelerate post-tea. West Indies, who have still held back from taking the new ball, need a breakthrough soon to prevent the game from going out of their reach.
Brief Scores: West Indies 162 in 44.1 overs (Justin Greaves 32; Mohammed Siraj 4-40) lead India 326/4 in 96 overs (KL Rahul 100, Dhruv Jurel 68 not out; Roston Chase 2-63, Jayden Seales 1-46) by 164 runs
National News
IND vs WI, 1st Test: Mohammed Siraj Overtakes Mitchell Starc For Major Record In WTC 2025-27

Mohammed Siraj continued his sensational red-ball form by delivering a fiery spell on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and in the process, broke Mitchell Starc’s record for the most Test wickets in 2025 among World Test Championship (WTC) teams.Siraj’s four-wicket haul on Thursday took his tally to 31 Test wickets this calendar year, overtaking Starc’s 29.
The Hyderabad pacer struck early and hard, removing Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze, and Brandon King before lunch. He returned later in the session to dismiss Roston Chase, leaving the West Indies struggling at 105/6. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav also chipped in with a wicket each, adding to India’s dominance.
Siraj is also leading the way in the 2025–2027 WTC cycle, now with 27 wickets to his name more than any other bowler. Impressively, he’s the only bowler in this cycle to have taken two four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls, showcasing his consistency and impact.
This remarkable run comes after a successful tour of England earlier this year, where he topped the wicket charts with 23 wickets in the series. Despite being controversially dropped from India’s Asia Cup squad, Siraj has responded in the best way possible by letting the ball do the talking.
Mohammed Siraj emerged as the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah snared three as Team India bowled the West Indies out for 162 on Day 1 in Ahmedabad. West Indies’ innings lasted 44.1 overs as only six of their batters made it to double figures as Justin Greaves top-scored with 32.
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