Sports Live Updates, 8 August: Shillong Face NorthEast United In Durand Cup; New Zealand Dominate Zimbabwe In 2nd Test

With the aftertaste of India's epic triumph at the Oval still lingering, the Ashes Tests seem to be a long way away. But pace legend Glenn McGrath is out with his much-awaited prediction three months in advance: a 5-0 sweep for Australia.

"It's very rare for me to make a prediction, isn't it? And I can't make a different one - 5-0," McGrath declared on 'BBC Radio'. "I'm very confident with our team. When you've got Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon firing in their home conditions, it's going to be pretty tough."

Day 1 of the 4th Sub-Junior Boys and Girls National Boxing Championships kicked off with an action-packed session at Galgotias University, Greater Noida, on August 7. Over 80 bouts were contested as India’s youngest boxing talents stepped into the ring full of energy and determination.

In the girls' section, boxers like Hitaish Nahar (HP), Garima (HAR), and Naomi Kom (Manipur) impressed with dominant wins. Clean sweeps by Maanyata Chettri (SIK) and Lavanya Patil (Goa) caught the eye, while walkovers helped Vaidehi Chaudhari (GUJ) and Ekampreet Kaur (SSCB) advance.

Among the boys, strong performances came from the likes of Aryan Shekhawat (RAJ), Rehan Ansari (BIH), and Anmol Sharma (HP), who won their bouts with control and confidence.

The championship continues till August 13, with young boxers from every corner of India vying for pride, medals, and a place on the national radar.

The Indian Men’s Hockey Team departed for Australia in the early hours of Friday from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, as they gear up for a crucial four-match series against the hosts. The series, set to take place at the Perth Hockey Stadium from 15th to 21st August, will serve as vital preparation for the upcoming Hero Asia Cup 2025, scheduled in Rajgir, Bihar later this month.

New Zealand Cricket is to farewell its long-serving high-performance coach, Bob Carter. The man who joined NZC as the assistant BLACKCAPS coach in 2004 is poised to depart the organisation’s high-performance centre in Lincoln some 21 years later, having been heavily involved in the evolution of both the national men’s and women’s games.

“I feel like I’ve lived the dream,” he said, reflecting on the teams and players he’d worked with over the past twenty years. I’ve very much enjoyed offering support and contributing and, if that’s helped players or teams go on and achieve success, then that’s terrific – I’m delighted. But I think what’s worked best at NZC has been the combinations, the teamwork, and the cooperation."

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada as urged his teammates to move on from their recent success in the ICC World Test Championship Final and concentrate on winning more major trophies.

“It was kind of like a relief,” Rabada said in relation to winning the World Test Championship Final over Australia.

“But the show moves on, and moving toward the T20 World Cup, I guess the approach will be a bit different. Now there’s no fear of anything.”

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has expressed his desire to part ways with the franchise, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo. Samson reportedly informed the Royals management of his intentions soon after the conclusion of IPL 2025.

Read the full story here.

Harry Kane scored against his former club Tottenham Hotspur as Bayern Munich cruised to a 4-0 win in a pre-season friendly at the Allianz Arena. The England captain opened the scoring with a composed finish after controlling a superb long pass from Michael Olise.

However, Kane later missed a penalty in the 15th minute, slipping as he struck the ball and sending it over the bar. Bayern dominated the match and added three more goals in the final 30 minutes to seal a commanding victory.

Australia captain Alyssa Healy marked her return to competitive cricket with a brisk 27 off 18 balls for Australia A in a 13-run win over India A in Mackay, her first proper outing since the Test against England in February. Recovering from a knee injury ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, Healy admitted she was pleased to be back in the middle.

“I’ve done a lot of hitting in the nets, and haven’t really had any time out in the middle for a long period of time, so it was nice to just get back out there,” she said. Reflecting on her knock, she added, “(I got) off to a good start ... another disappointing dismissal, but that’s OK. Hopefully the decision making will start kicking back in at some point.”

West Indies have suffered a blow with news that pacer Matthew Forde is injured and will miss the side's upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan.

Forde dislocated his left shoulder while attempting a catch during a training session on Wednesday and the fast bowler will be replaced by uncapped all-rounder Johann Layne in the West Indies squad.

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced a 15-player squad for the men’s U19 series against India, featuring three 50-over matches and two four-day matches in Brisbane and Mackay from 21 September to 10 October. Two indian origin budding cricketers from Victoria and NSW, Aryan Sharma and Yash Deshmukh respectively have been named in Australia U19 men’s squad.

Welcome to the live coverage of Sports News for today. We will bring all the information about various events and live matches from different sports. Stay tuned for more updates on Friday, 8 August 2025.