Sat Jan 04 00:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Cricket Roundup: Dominant Domestic Wins, Australia’s Captaincy Shakeup
**Sydney, Australia/Various Locations –** A day of contrasting fortunes in the cricket world saw several resounding domestic victories juxtaposed against a significant development in the Australia-India series.
In the Ranji Trophy, several teams secured comfortable wins. Tamil Nadu achieved a comprehensive 10-wicket victory with over 240 balls to spare, while Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Bengal, and Maharashtra also secured wins with substantial balls remaining. Rajasthan pulled off a nail-biting one-wicket victory on the very last ball, and Thunder won a similarly close contest. One match was abandoned due to weather.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Australia-India series saw a notable shift. India captain Rohit Sharma controversially dropped himself from the team, a decision lauded by some as strategically sound despite the emotional reaction. Cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar commented that the secrecy surrounding the decision somewhat diminished the perceived selflessness of Rohit’s action. The Australian team currently trails by 119 runs, while Afghanistan trails by 40 runs in their respective matches.
First Piper 