New Delhi, Sep 24 (Basketball News) Basketball player Satnam Singh Bhamara, who became the first Indian to be drafted into an NBA team before being banned or doping, has decided to try his hand at wrestling by sealing a deal with a professional league in the USA.

The 25-year-old Singh, who created history when he was picked in the NBA draft by Dallas Mavericks in 2015, will begin his training to be a pro wrestler at the Atlanta-based Nightmare Factory, to compete in the All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Singh follows in the footsteps of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, who squared off alongside Jade Cargill in a mixed tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet on "AEW: Dynamite" in March.

"While we've recently secured some of the hottest free agents on the planet, I’m also deeply committed to cultivating our own homegrown stars and the next generation of extraordinary professional wrestlers," Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW, said in a media release.

"In addition to Satnam's commanding 7'3" stature, I was impressed with his high level of athleticism and charisma. He's an exciting addition to our roster, and I'm looking forward to our fans getting to know Satnam's personality and watching his development." Singh is currently serving a two-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) disciplinary panel for failing a dope test in 2019.

His suspension is due to end on November 19.

Also Read : Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets: The battle between two superteams

News Source : PTI

Mackay (Australia), Sep 23 (Cricket News) In-form Australia opener Rachael Haynes was on Thursday rendered doubtful for the second women's ODI against India after she took a blow on her right elbow during a training session.

The match is scheduled for Friday.

Haynes, who had hit an unbeaten 93 in the home team's convincing nine-wicket thrashing of India in the series-opener, was taken for scans.

According to cricket.com.au, Haynes "doubled over in pain, then removed her gloves and walked out of the nets and to the team changerooms to ice the injury, before leaving the ground a short time later." "Rach suffered a knock to her right elbow while batting today and has been taken to get scans," Australia team physio Kate Beerworth said.

The 34-year-old has been in good form as she made 65 in the only practice game ahead of the series.

If Haynes is ruled out of the next match, the hosts may ask Beth Mooney to open alongside Alyssa Healy, who is also enjoying a good run of form.

The Australian women's cricket team is going through an incredible run, having won 25 straight games and it will be a tough task for the struggling Indians to snap it.

Also Read : Shafali needs to work on her back foot to put Australia on backfoot: Khadeer

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel says the team will look to build on its "happy memories" from the previous season, when it reached its maiden final, and go a step further in the second leg of IPL-14.

The IPL, which was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The Capitals, who are currently perched on top of the points table, had reached their maiden final last season when the tournament was held entirely in the UAE. The Shreyas Iyer-led side had lost to Mumbai Indians in the summit clash.

"When it was announced that the second half of the tournament will be held in the UAE, I thought about our performance the last time we were here," Axar was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We have happy memories from that tournament as we reached our first-ever IPL final. We are looking to repeat our performance and hopefully, just go one step further in the final this season," said the all-rounder, who had picked up nine wickets in 15 matches last season.

Axar, who was part of the Indian squad for the recently-concluded Test series in England, spoke about the massive difference in weather conditions between UK and UAE.

"It's been a drastic change for us as far as the weather is concerned. It was quite cold in England and now we are getting used to the heat here.

"When we stood on our balconies during quarantine, we got an idea about the heat, but we got to know the full extent of the weather conditions when we started practising in the nets.

"We are looking to get used to the conditions in the next 2-3 days," he said.

When asked about his personal goals for the remainder of the IPL season, Axar said, "My personal goals are always aligned with the team goals.

"I always think about what the team needs and then set my personal goals accordingly. I always carry out my preparations according to the team's requirements. And personally, I just look to get better with every match in every season." Delhi Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22. 

Also read : Match readiness will be an issue for some of IPL players: RR all-rounder Chris Morris

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) One of the most notable omissions from India's T20 World Cup squad, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Thursday asserted that he will be his wily, old wicket-taking self in the upcoming second half of this year's IPL.

During a training session for his team Royal Challengers Bangalore, a cheerful Chahal offered to bat, but only if the swashbuckling Glenn Maxwell was the bowler.

Reflecting on his first training session with the team, Chahal said, "Obviously, the feeling was good, it was okay and I'm happy with the way I bowled today.

"I'm very pumped up, especially, you know, we're good on the points table and we have a very good chance to stay at the top of the table and when you bowl well after a long time you always feel good. Today, I can say that the old Yuzi is back." The IPL-14, which was suspended midway into the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, will resume in the UAE on Sunday and Chahal will be one of the many players trying to reclaim his place in the national team.

Chahal was far from his best in the first leg of the IPL in India. Despite his team playing in spin-friendly surfaces such as the one in Chennai, the leg-spinner struggled for rhythm and could only pick four wickets in seven matches at an economy of 8.26.

During the training session, South African legend AB de Villiers was seen welcoming both Chahal and Maxwell back into the team before the net session commenced.

Head coach Mike Hesson laid out the plans for the session and said, "In terms of practice today, we all know what the role is. We've all had those meetings for what we're training for. So when we go in the nets, we're really specific about what we're trying to get out of it." When the league was suspended, RCB were placed third in the points table with five wins from seven matches.

After the net session, de Villiers was joined by Maxwell to compete in a game where both players attempted to hit the stumps from 22 yards, but with a tennis ball and a racket.

The versatile de Villiers said that he played the sport quite a lot in his younger days and Maxwell responded that he was not surprised at all.

Also Read : IPL in UAE will level playing field for T20 World Cup: Maxwell

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali is confident that their team can beat arch-rivals India in the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup replicating their convincing win in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Oval.

Pakistan since then have played India twice in 50 over games and has been thrashed at the Asia Cup in Dubai in 2018 and the ODI World Cup in Manchester in 2019.

Before every global event, there is always a lot of hullabaloo from the Pakistan corner but till date, they haven't beaten India ever in 50 or T20 over World Cup games.

In fact, they have also failed to beat India in practice games.

"When we won the Champions Trophy (in 2017), it was a very good time for us and we will try to beat them again in the T20 World Cup. We will give our best. Playing against India is always a pressure game because of the expectations of fans from both countries," Hasan told a virtual media conference on Wednesday.

He pointed out that the Pakistan and India match are the most-watched ones at the global events.

"Even those people who don't normally watch cricket follow the India vs Pakistan matches, so the pressure on the players is high but we will give it our best." Hasan also feels that spinners would dominate in the dry conditions in UAE but it didn't mean that pacers couldn't do well in those conditions.

"We know how to bowl in those conditions but yes you can see all teams have picked many spinners in their squads." Disappointed at Misbah and Waqar's resignations, says Hasan ===================================== Hasan also admitted that he was disappointed at the way Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis had resigned as head coach and bowling coach before the World Cup "Honestly speaking, I was disappointed because the World Cup was coming and such a change happened and they left," he said.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Rameez Raja announced "But it is not our domain as a player and this is something for the Pakistan Cricket Board and others to handle. Our job is to perform and try to win matches for Pakistan." Hasan said that Waqar was a role model for him and he would miss his guidance but as a professional one has to move on.

"I wish them the best. I will miss Waqar’s guidance as I took up bowling after watching him bowl on screen." Hasan also spoke on the appointment of Vernon Philander as the bowling consultant with the Pakistan team for the World Cup.

"We all know that Philander is a great bowler and he has performed at the top level. We are looking forward to working with him but it is too early to say how much benefit we can get from him as this will only be clear once he joins the squad." New Zealand will give us tough time, he assesses ================================ Hasan stated that Pakistan would not underestimate the New Zealand squad in the home series in ODIs or T20 Internationals as any national team had to be respected.

"I think their team has enough potential to give us a tough time and the thing is they have to come to Pakistan after playing a tough series in Bangladesh in dry conditions and they will not be easy to beat," he added.

Pakistan and New Zealand play their first ODI at the Rawalpindi stadium on September 17 while the five-match T20 series will be held in Lahore from the 25th.

New Zealand is playing on Pakistan soil after 18 years. Hasan said that presently he was not thinking about the World Cup.

"Right now, the focus is on the home series against New Zealand because my team needs me to deliver for them all the time." Hasan also spelt out his ambition to become a proper all-rounder and said he was focussing on improving his batting day by day in the nets.

"I want to be a good all-rounder in all three formats. The presence of someone like Abdul Razzaq who has joined us recently has already been a big help to me. He is teaching me how to do power hitting while keeping a balance at the crease. He has been a quality all-rounder for Pakistan." 

Also Read : Pakistan to tour Bangladesh after 5 years for a Test and T20 series in November

News source : PTI

Colombo, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Head coach Mark Boucher hopes South Africa's T20 World Cup bound players can pick up "bits of information" about the UAE conditions during the Indian Premier League which he feels will stand the team in good stead during the marquee ICC event.

The 44-year-old emphasised that the players need to manage themselves during the league so that they can peak at the right time as a unit for South Africa.

"We've spoken to the guys going to the IPL. They need to stay quite disciplined and realise we want to peak at the right time as a unit," Boucher was quoted as saying by 'ESPNCricinfo'.

"They'll be picking up bits of information about playing in those conditions that will really get them ready for a big tournament and if they manage themselves well and get some good time in the nets and get used to facilities it will stand us in good stead." The IPL, which was suspended midway in May due to multiple cases of COVID-19 in its bio bubble, is scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 19 to October 15.

The T20 World Cup is slated to begin on October 17 in Oman and UAE.

Boucher's comments come in the wake of South Africa's 3-0 T20 series win over Sri Lanka. The Proteas had earlier notched series victories against West Indies and Ireland.

"This team realised that we are definitely not the finished product, so there's a lot of things we speak about," Boucher said.

"We had a good chat about the lessons we've learnt and where we want to go as a team. We tied the record for the most T20 wins by a South African team. That was one of the records that we were playing for.

"We understand that going into a World Cup each game is as important as the others and this becomes a habit. This is just part of the growth of the team," Boucher added.

Also Read : You can never get used to this Indian bowling attack: Dawid Malan

News Source : PTI

(Football news) The Uefa Champions league is back and the group stage kicks off today. Thirty two of the best teams will fight it out in eight groups of four as it is going to be the most highly anticipated edition of the competition with new faces in new teams fighting to be the world's best team.

The first matchday kicks off with two giants of the game as Liverpool locking horns with AC Milan on Wednesday. The two European giants share quite an intense rivalry but over the years fans haven’t witnessed it, AC Milan since then have slowly but steadily declined but the recent resurgence has made it possible to renew this unique continental rivalry. Fans will be hoping that a repeat of the most famous final in 2005 takes place as both share 13 Champions League titles between them. Liverpool will be without Harvey Elliot after he suffered a horrific injury at Leeds, Roberto Firmino and Neco Williams will also be out. Milan will be without Zlatan as he has a problem with his Achilles tendon which could mean that Giroud will lead the line for the Rossoneri. Both the teams will be eying a victory as they are in the group of death along with Atletico Madrid and Porto in Group B.

Inter take on Madrid at the San Siro in a mouth watering Group D fixture. After winning three champions league in a row, Real have gone three years without even being close to challenge for it and now Carlo Ancelloti has been assigned to bring back the glory days. With Madrid's main players going away, a new era of youngsters has begun and Ancelloti’s task becomes much more difficult. Inter on the other hand have made into successive Champions League after a long time and will be hoping to make the round of 16 this season. Real will be without Gareth Bale and Ferland Mendy as both will be on the sideline for a lengthy period whereas Inter have only Alessandro Bastoni out.

Manchester City take on RB Leipzig in what could be a very tricky first fixtures for Cityzens. Pep Guardiola will be hoping that this season they go one better and win the Champions League for the first time in the clubs history, last season they were the favourites to win the final but a tactical error from Pep cost them the coveted Champions League title. RB Leipzig have always been the giant killers as last year they knocked out United from the group stage, Pep’s first task will be to get out of the group as they will also take on the mighty PSG later on. City will be getting a massive boost as they will welcome back their star players Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, Leipzig will also have a full strength squad in what could be a high scoring encounter.

Also read:Barcelona to re-live Bayern Munich nightmare? Cristiano Ronaldo's return and more as UEFA Champions League 2021/22 kicks off

PSG take on Club Brugge in what could be the first time the football fans all over the world will see Messi, Mbappe and Neymar (MNM) play together. PSG this season are the favourites to win the Champions League as their squad is arguably the best in the world and also the added advantage of buying Messi means that a winning mentality will be instilled in the club, something that was lacking over the years. Mauricio Pochettino will be under a lot of pressure as everyone will be expecting them to go all the way for the first in the clubs history, PSG will be without Sergio Ramos who is still recovering from the injury he suffered last season. It is going to be an uphill task for the Belgian side to get anything from the fixture but the first full start for Messi will bring out a lot of attention to this game.

The other fixtures to keep an eye on Wednesday are:

Besiktas vs Dortmund

Sheriff vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Atletico Madrid vs Porto

Sporting vs Ajax

(Basketball news) As the new NBA season draws closer and the majority of the free agents found respective homes, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets emerged as the strongest teams without a shadow of a doubt. Even though last year's NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks and finalist Phoenix Suns remain relatively unchanged from last season, both teams don’t possess the historical talent that the Lakers and Nets have.

The Lakers last season got eliminated in the 1st round of the playoff series by the Phoenix Suns but this season Rob Pelinka (General Manager) made sure that the same thing isn't repeated. At the end of last season, Lakers managed to pull off a blockbuster trade where they managed to get 9 times NBA all star and 2016-17 MVP Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. With Lebron James and Anthony Davis already in the team, adding Westbrook makes them the team to beat in the Western Conference. With the Lakers adding former NBA all stars Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo in free agency their roster looks more dangerous than before.

The Brooklyn Nets last season pulled off the trade of the decade by getting James Harden from Houston Rockets, adding to a roster which already contained Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Last season, according to all experts, the Nets should have the NBA Championship but were beaten by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference final, although injuries hampered the squad which eventually led to their downfall last season. This season Steve Nash (Coach of Nets) will be hoping that his stars remain fit as they have already added former all stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Milsap to an already staked roster.

With both teams' ambition of winning a NBA championship last year not being fulfilled, the teams will be even more hungry to reach the NBA final this season. The Los Angeles Lakers have got back the championship core which won the NBA 2 years ago but the key advantage that the Lakers have over the Nets is the championship experience they have in their roster. On the other hand, the Nets have arguably the best trio in American sports history as on any given day James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Iriving can beat any team just based on their talent. As the fans eagerly wait for the start of the new season the NBA finals looks destined to be between these two teams unless and until injuries hamper them both. This is a site that not only the basketball fans want to watch but the sports fans in general will also tune in.

Also read: Virtual development program launched by NBA Academy for top female prospects from outside the US

The Los Angeles Roster:

Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Marc Gasol, Trevor Ariza, Rajon Rondo,Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, DeAndre Jordan, Russell Westbrook, Kent Bazemore, Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Brooklyn Nets Roster:

Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Nic Claxton , Bruce Brown, Cam Thomas, James Johnson, DeAndre Bembry, Jevon Carter, Day’Ron Sharpe.

Dubai, Aug 31 (Cricket news) Table toppers Delhi Capitals will start the IPL from scratch, treating the upcoming second phase in the UAE as a fresh tournament in different conditions, said assistant coach Pravin Amre.

The second leg of the T20 league, which was suspended in May due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in India and multiple infections in the IPL bio-bubble, is scheduled to resume in the UAE from September 19.

The Capitals are currently perched on top of the points table with 12 points from eight matches.

"We have to look at the remainder of the season as a fresh one. There has been a long break after the first half and we will be playing in different conditions and wickets," Amre was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We are looking to start from scratch and not show any complacency after a brilliant performance in the first half of the tournament.

"We will look to play with the same intensity that we showed in our first match of the IPL 2021," he added.

The Capitals have hit the ground running in their pre-season camp overlooked by assistant coaches Amre and Ajay Ratra at the ICC Academy here.

Amre expressed that the team is looking to get used to the conditions and the wickets in the UAE.

Also read: IPL 2022: BCCI expects Rs 5000 crore windfall as base price for new teams kept at Rs 2000 crore

"It's going to be humid when the season resumes and it is important for the players to get used to the wickets and conditions here in the UAE. Credit to the DC management for sending us here early, so that we have enough time to prepare well with the conditions on offer." Star batsman Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the first half of the season due to a shoulder injury, reached Dubai a week earlier than the rest of the team to work on his game with Amre.

Amre said that Iyer has regained his full fitness and is hitting the ball very well in the nets.

"It's always hard for any cricketer to come back after an injury. Our entire team, especially Delhi Capitals' strength and conditioning Coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam, Assistant Physio Dhananjay Kaushik and Physio Patrick Farhart worked hard when Shreyas was undergoing rehabilitation." "Even the National Cricket Academy played an important role during Shreyas' recovery period. Getting his shoulder strength back was important for him and he has been hitting the ball as long as anybody in the nets." The Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 here. 

News source: PTI

DUBLIN – (Cricket news) Assistant Coach and National Bowling Lead Stuart Barnes will step down from his role after the upcoming Zimbabwe series for personal reasons, with former Irish international Ryan Eagleson appointed to the interim national bowling coach for the upcoming T20 World Cup in October as confirmed by Cricket Ireland.

After being involved for the first time as a bowling coach with Ireland in August 2020 during the England v Ireland ODI series, he was subsequently appointed in November 2020 on an initial three-year contract. He migrated from England to Ireland in time to join the men’s squad for the Ireland v Afghanistan series in Abu Dhabi in January.

46 year old Ryan Eagleson played 65 times for Ireland between 1995-2004 claiming 70 wickets at an average of 33.66. He has been part of national and provincial performance pathway coaching set-ups since 2006, including stints as Ireland Wolves Assistant Coach, Men’s Under-19s head coach and Shapoorji Pallonji Cricket Ireland Academy performance coach.

Also read: These days I bowl less in nets and save it for matches: Anderson

Graham Ford, Ireland Men’s head coach, said: “Our sincere thanks to Stuart for his dedication and contribution to Irish cricket, and we will be sorry to see him step down after the Zimbabwe series. We fully understand that the pandemic and personal circumstances have made it extremely difficult for his family, and wish Stuart and his family well for the future.”

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said about the Ryan Eagleson appointment: “We have appointed Ryan Eagleson as bowling coach for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, and he will join the squad as soon as his commitments at the Under-19s World Cup Qualifier have been completed. Ryan needs no introduction to Irish cricket fans and his credentials stand for themselves.
“This interim appointment will now allow us to review our options around the senior coaching group, and we shall seek to appoint a full-time successor to Stuart after the T20 World Cup.”

THE FIXTURES

The schedule for the Zimbabwe tour of Ireland is: T20I series

27 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men - 1st T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)
29 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2nd T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)
1 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3rd T20I (Bready, start 3pm)
2 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 4th T20I (Bready, start 3pm)
4 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 5th T20I (Bready, start 3pm) 

Wolves match:

6 September: Ireland Wolves v Zimbabwe XI – ODM (Belmont, start 10.30am)

World Cup Super League series:

8 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 1st ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)
10 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2nd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)
13 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3rd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)
 

Leeds, Aug 26 (Cricket news) Ageless English pacer James Anderson says the secret to his longevity in Test cricket lies in cutting down on his time at the nets to save it for the matches.

Anderson's masterclass was full on display in an awe-inspiring spell of 8-5-6-3 with the new ball as England bowled India out for 78 after Virat Kohli opted to bat in the first Test here on Wednesday.

"As I get older, I feel like I have to work that little bit harder in the gym. I feel like I bowl less in the nets, and try to save it for when it matters in the middle," the 39-year-old said after the first day's play.

"The biggest test in Test cricket is mentally getting yourself up for bowling big spells and playing in big games. It's about keeping yourself switch on through games and switch off when you are not bowling -- that's something I've always had." Just a week ago during the Lord's Test, Anderson, having grabbed a five-for in the first innings, was over-bowled in the second as the Indian tail frustrated the hosts with its remarkable resilience and invaluable runs.

"Walking off the pitch during the second Test at Lord's, pretty much everything hurt, but that gives so much satisfaction knowing that I have put a shift in for the team." Asked about his problematic right shoulder, he said: "It still hurts. You just find a way of putting up with it. it's just part and parcel of the job." Anderson said that after all the talk during the Lord's Test, the aim here was to "shut the noise" and focus on the job.

India took a 1-0 lead at Lord's riding on the tail-enders' brave display with the bat followed by their excellent bowling.

"We have made a conscious effort of trying to just focus on us, on what we do well and try and ignore everything else, the outside noise or wherever there might be going on, and make sure there's a real focus on what we do well," Anderson said.

He did admit that they had a chat in the dressing room.

"Yeah, I think there was a bit of chat about that. We were just making a point of trying to focus on what we do well.

"I think that you know the first three or four days at Lord's, we probably played brilliantly and maybe until day three, and then after that, just at times it did affect a little bit.

"We're individuals, at the end of it. We have made a conscious effort to try and focus only on us, what we do well: try and ignore everything else, the outside noise, or whatever that might be, going on." At Headingley, Anderson took off by dismissing KL Rahul with the fifth ball and then deceived Cheteshwar Pujara with an incoming delivery that swung away, but the biggest breakthrough came when he won his mini battle with Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

"I think so (it was special). We have had some great battles over the years. He is someone you want to keep quiet. Especially, in a five-match series, if he gets going he can be very disruptive," Anderson said of Kohli after dismissing him for the seventh time in Tests.

"I think the way we have bowled to him throughout the series has been very good. We just got to keep doing that and keep him quiet as often as we can." In reply, England openers Haseeb Hameed (60) and Rory Burn (52) remained unbeaten as the scorecard read 120 for no loss with a lead of 42 runs after day one.

Also read: Team India fall straight back down to planet earth after disappointing and lackluster day 1 at Headingley

Rating England's show as one of the best, Anderson drew parallel with their famous Boxing Day Test in 2010 when they had skittled out Australia for 98 before Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook put on a 157-run opening stand.

"It doesn't get much better than that. These days don't come around very often, so you just have to be happy when they do.

"The only difference with Melbourne is that I was keen to bowl there and I wasn't today for some reason. I was trying to tempt Joe into batting.

"But losing the toss, being asked to bowl and then putting in a performance like that, it doesn't get much better. We've talked about trying to bowl as a unit, as a group, and we just absolutely nailed it. With both ball and bat we've displayed exactly what we wanted to do." Showering praise on their opening duo, he said: "It was outstanding batting and exactly what we have been asking for." "When you bowl someone out for less than 100 you're never quite sure whether you've bowled well or if the wicket is not as good as you think it might be. So to see the way they both went about their business, just felt so calm in the dressing room.

"The way they were so measured, they were solid in defence, left well and put away the bad ball when they got one. I just thought it was brilliant Test match batting." Anderson was particularly happy for his former Lancashire teammate Hameed who shrugged off his Lord's disappointment with a half century. 

News source: PTI

DUBLIN ( Cricket news) Big-hitting North West Warriors batter William McClintock was delighted to join the Ireland Men’s T20 international squad last month, but he knows that he has to work hard to cement his place in the squad by performing well in the Zimbabwe series.

McClintock, 24, has had an amazing season for the rejuvenated North West Warriors as he was primarily used as a late middle-order power hitter, he was the T20 competitions third highest run-scorer (161 runs at 40.25, including hitting 9 sixes along the way) and scoring 106 runs at 53.00, including a memorable match-winning 72* from 46 balls against the Northern Warriors in an innings that saw 5 sixes and 6 fours struck in a devastating innings.

Although he earned his first senior international squad call-up in July for the South Africa T20I series, McClintock is yet to make his full debut.

In 2016 he was part of the Ireland Under-19s side that played in Bangladesh at the ICC Under-19s World Cup. In the six matches he hit 174 runs at 34.80, with two half-centuries including a 58 against India Under-19s. The Irish Under-19s team that day also features three current senior squad-mates – Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Josh Little.

Speaking from the team hotel, McClintock said: “While it would be absolutely amazing to make my international debut anywhere, if it was to be in the North West it would be pretty special. But to be honest, I just want to concentrate on training hard at the moment and giving myself the best chance and be 100% ready if I do happen to get selected.”

“The recent training camp at Millfield School over in Somerset was a great opportunity for me to get to hit a lot of balls in the nets and on grass wickets. The facilities there were top-class, and I made sure to put in a lot of hours batting and concentrating on range-hitting and working on my positioning when striking the ball. The week also gave me plenty of opportunity to work on fielding and fitness - and for me that’s something I’m eager to keep working on and keep improving on.”

Being a key figure in North West cricket in Ireland, what does he put recent successes in club and inter-provincial competitions down to?

“Last year’s All-Ireland T20 Cup run with Donemana was fantastic, and from a North West perspective it’s great to see Brigade winning it this year. I think the current successes in North West cricket is just really down to T20 cricket being more suited to how we want to play our cricket. As for the North West Warriors, we’ve had a brilliant year and Gary Wilson and William Porterfield have a huge part to play in that. For me personally, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now if they weren’t involved - hopefully North West cricket can keep going from strength-to-strength.”

Also read: 5 year old Amy Hunter called up as replacement for T20 World Cup European Qualifier

THE FIXTURES

The schedule for the Zimbabwe tour of Ireland is:

T20I series:

27 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men - 1^st T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)

29 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2^nd T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)

1 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3^rd T20I (Bready, start 3pm)

2 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 4^th T20I (Bready, start 3pm)

4 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 5^th T20I (Bready, start 3pm)

Wolves match:

6 September: Ireland Wolves v Zimbabwe XI – ODM (Belmont, start 10.30am)

World Cup Super League series:

8 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 1^st ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)

10 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2^nd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)

13 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3^rd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)

 THE IRELAND SQUADS

Ireland’s T20I squad:

Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, William McClintock, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Ireland’s ODI squad:

Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Graham Kennedy, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, William Porterfield, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Ireland Wolves squad:

William Porterfield (Captain), Murray Commins, Stephen Doheny, Matt Ford, Mike Frost, Graham Hume, Graham Kennedy, Jeremy Lawlor, Josh Manley, Neil Rock, Lorcan Tucker (plus two players to be added).

London, Aug 20 (Cricket news): Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that he was asked to be ready for the second Test against England due to the prevailing heat wave in London but the steady showers on match day put a spanner on his hopes of making it to the playing XI.

India persisted with their four pacer strategy which worked well as 19 wickets were picked up in 151-run victory.

"What was the weather forecast for the match? Heatwave. The funny thing was, before the match, they were telling me, Heat wave, neenga readya irunga (meaning there’s a Heat wave. You please be ready mate. You might play)." "When we came to have breakfast, it was pouring...," he said on his YouTube show 'KuttyStory' with Indian fielding coach R Sridhar, adding "weather is not in our hands." He was apparently referring to his not being picked keeping the weather conditions in mind.

Also read: Was Team India's victory at Lord's better than the one at the Gabba?

Sridhar, in response to a question, said the team had a "great bowling attack" and "to keep the world's best spinner out of the XI is not easy." Discussing the 151-run win at Lord's which gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series, the two agreed that openers - Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul played a key role.

"Rahul came out and played like a dream," Ashwin said of his getting into the team following an injury to state-mate Mayank Agarwal in the nets.

Meanwhile, Sridhar said, "Rahul was the 4th opener going into the series, but his preparation has been extraordinary. I have been feeding him a lot of throwdowns.

"He has found some way to score runs in England as an opener, even back in 2018 where he scored a 100 in Oval," he added.

On his part, Ashwin lavished praise on Rohit Sharma and said "Also, a word on Rohit’s defence this series. Rohit has played the cover drives, pulls, etc. All those are glorious. When Rohit bats, we all know he oozes class. But coming to his defence, it feels as though the bat is falling from his hand..." Sridhar said Rohit practised a lot and had the drive to succeed in England.

"Hands in the pocket! The hands don't come out. The hands are held so close to the body, whether it is leaving the ball or playing the ball. He had practised that a lot! "He practised it so much that he started getting a pain in the wrist. In ODIs, his back-lift is slightly bigger and his hands are away from the body, but he had that drive to succeed in England and to be known as a versatile opener. Technical adjustments, hands close to the body, cocking of the wrists. He’s done it all.

"He’s willing to go through the pain barrier, but it’s paying too. What batting man! Two openers like that. I have not seen such a good opening partnership in a long time. Rohit Sharma practised it a lot. made technical adjustments. I have not seen such an opening partnership, at least in my time," Sridhar added.

Ashwin chipped in by saying, "England generally is not a place where opening is easy. In 2014, M Vijay put up a masterclass. He would leave the ball that passed very close to the stumps..." Ashwin and Sridhar also hailed the role played by Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah with the bat in the second innings with a spirited partnership and their role along with Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma in fashioning the memorable victory. 

News source: PTI

Bhavnagar, Aug 19 (Cricket news) His entire life flashed before his eyes when he geared up to bowl on his international debut, says young pacer Chetan Sakariya, reflecting on his journey in India colours during the recent limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka.

The 23-year-old had a meteoric rise in the past six months as he first impressed in the IPL after being picked up by Rajasthan Royals and then went on to represent India, claiming three wickets in the two T20Is and one ODI against Sri Lanka.

"When I was preparing to bowl that first ball, I had a couple of minutes to go through marking my run-up, warming up etc, and in that moment, I could see a flashback of everything that had unfolded in my life – the good, the bad, the sacrifices, the support, the criticism - everything.

"So, it was emotional but gave me a lot of motivation to do well and that was the thought in my mind," the left-arm pacer from Saurashtra, who had lost his father to COVID-19 in May, said in a release issued by his IPL franchise RR.

Sakariya came into the limelight when he was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL auction for Rs 1.2 crores and he impressed with seven wickets in as many matches in the first phase of IPL.

"...to make it to the Indian team, it has been a dream come true. When I first heard of it, there were a lot of thoughts in my head, but I was unable to believe it," he said.

"I pinched myself because I was wondering if it was even true. I didn't think of it in a way that I would get to play or not, just being a part of that dressing room was a huge moment for me." Talking about his first interaction with Rahul Dravid, who was the coach of the Indian team in Sri Lanka, Sakariya said: "...I was shocked and startled at first because I couldn't believe that it was really him...he asked me about my family background, playing experience, etc.

"He also asked about cricket in Saurashtra and how we've been doing well in the last five years, and complimented me for my bowling and said he had followed my journey during the IPL, and that he liked how I bowled with the new and the old ball.

"So, it felt amazing that a legend like him knew who I was and was following my performances." Sakariya said training with experienced India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar during the tour also helped him a lot.

Also read: Ranjane, Wagh, Kerkar join Goa for upcoming domestic season

"I met Bhuvi bhai during the nets, and saw him bowling consistently at one spot, so I asked him what the secret behind it was, and he told me that the secret was to feel the action, and make sure that the focus is on each step during the run-up. So that was special, and I've tried doing that as well," he said.

The remainder of the IPL is scheduled to begin in the UAE from September 19 and Sakariya said he has spent some time in Chennai under the guidance of RR's strength and conditioning coach AT Rajamani Prabhu to be in good shape.

"I had about two weeks where I wanted to focus on explosive training because T20 is a format where you need to produce that explosive energy any time in the game.

"So, I was working a lot on that under humid conditions, which certainly helped me retain my fitness levels during the off-season," he said.

With the Royals currently occupying the fifth spot in the table, Sakariya reckons his team has a good chance of making it to the playoffs.

"I think whichever matches we won were extraordinary matches, like we were able to achieve the unachievable targets. And whichever matches we lost, were close matches except the RCB one.

"Therefore, I just want to focus on doing well for my team because I know that if I'm able to contribute, we will be able to win and hopefully make it to the playoffs." 

News source: PTI

Melbourne, Aug 18 (Cricket news) Star Australian batsman Steve Smith, who had been sidelined due to an elbow injury, is expected to make a return during the IPL, while limited overs team skipper Aaron Finch is on track to recover in time for the T20 World Cup.

Smith had given the tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh a miss due to a left elbow injury, which had been troubling him since last year.

However, he has been recovering well with the 32-year-old batting in the nets for an hour at a time at New South Wales' training and is set to be available for the resumption of the IPL, according to cricket.com.au.

The IPL, which had been suspended in May due to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, has since been rescheduled to complete the remaining games between September 19 and October 15 in the UAE, finishing just two days before the T20 World Cup which has also been relocated to the region from India.

"It seems to be going really well. I know that he's (Smith) been building up his batting time over the last couple of weeks – I know that would have been difficult to have a time limit on his net times," Finch told cricket.com.au on Wednesday.

"From all reports he's been really strict with that, making sure he doesn't overdo his elbow so it hinders his rehab," he added.

Also read: Ricky Ponting backs Australian players to play in rescheduled IPL in UAE, says will be ideal preparation for T20 World Cup in October

Smith was acquired by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2.2 crore in the auction earlier this year.

"He's going really well. The last time I spoke to him he wasn't having any pain batting so that was a real positive. He's going to be such an important part of our campaign," Finch said.

The white-ball skipper, who recently had a surgery on his left knee, is confident of being fit before the World Cup.

"I'm confident of that (being fit for the World Cup)," said Finch.

"It will be come down to pretty minimal match practice which I think being older and being around for quite a while plays into my hands a bit, having (previously recovered from) some injuries where you don't have a lot of lead time into a series.

"I think that will help me. The surgery went as well as it could have and I'm walking around with no pain, which is the most important thing at this stage," he added.

Smith and Finch's return to the T20 squad ahead of the World Cup will be a big boost for the Australian side, which has lost five successive T20I series while winning just six of the 21 matches in the past year.

They lost two back-to-back series against West Indies and Bangladesh, which were intended to provide useful preparation ahead of the World Cup, with a similar 4-1 margin.

News source: PTI 

London, Aug 16 (Cricket news) Batting coach Vikran Rathour has defended the faltering Indian willow-wielders, saying lean patches are part and parcel of the game and it's a matter of time before runs start flowing from their bats again.

Rathour said the Indian batsmen are putting in the hard yards at nets in their bid to iron out flaws and return among runs in the ongoing tour of England.

"Not really. Not really," Rathour said at the virtual post-day press conference after the fourth day's play in the second Test on Sunday, when specifically asked if continuous non-performance of the batters abroad puts him under pressure.

"But of course, we are working hard, it is an unique kind of situation where we are working hard with the players. As long as they are tying their best, working hard or practicing well, results will come. These phases will come," said Rathour.

In their second innings, India were in a spot of bother at 181 for 6, when stumps were drawn on day four, leading by 154 runs.

"When you are playing cricket, you will have lean phases as a batsman, so you need to get through them, you need to keep working hard and keep getting your processes right, and as a support staff we are helping them to do that,' Rathour said.

"As for added pressure on us, not really, but we do feel concerned if someone is really working hard and he fails. You feel bad, you feel that you know that hard-work is not really paying off.

"But as far as we are concerned with the batters, all of them have absolute faith in them. They will come good and as I said they are having their processes right, they are working really hard in the practice and giving their best. So soon runs will follow," he said.

Talking about individual players, Rathour advised Rohit Sharma to be a "little more selective" with his shots after the opener fell to a pull shot for the second time in the Test series against England.

"There will be analysis, of course every-time they get out, we will be having a talk, what happened and what they were thinking while batting or while they played that shot," he said.

"As far Rohit is concerned, I think he has made it clear that that is the shot which fetches him runs, that is the shot where he gets runs with, so he is going to play those shots and we are backing him to play those shots, only thing he needs to do is to be a little-more selective, with what to play and when to play…" According to Rathour, skipper Virat Kohli, who was dismissed on 20, was undone by a lapse in concentration.

"Kohli, I don’t think there was any issue, it was just a lapse in concentration today, where his bat went to the ball, which he shouldn't have played and nothing more, I don't think anything old (is) coming back," the batting coach said.

Also read: Anything over 220 won't be easy won't be easy to chase says Moeen

Rathour said that the team needs to set a target close to the 200-run mark.

"You are right, this will be a typical fifth day wicket of a Test match, where the ball will go up and down and is also turning, like we saw. So, again like I said earlier, if we can take the target near 200 runs, then it won't be easy for England," he said.

"Like (Ravindra) Jadeja bowled in the first innings, he was accurate, if he gets turn from there, he can create problems for the batsmen, and our pace attack is bowling well.

"If the ball stays up and down, like we are seeing, when the ball is hard, then, if we can add 30-40 runs more and take 1-2 early England wickets, then there will be pressure on them," he added.

News source: PTI

England (Cricket news): The Ireland Men’s senior squad  completed a training camp today as a part of preparations for the series  against Zimbabwe which starts on 27th of August at Millfield School in Somerset. Uncapped left-arm spinning all-rounder Graham Kennedy has been talking about the week and his last month being part of the senior men’s team.

Kennedy, 21, was called up into the Ireland Men’s squad for the South Africa series, but while he did not feature in any of the matches, he believes the series was a great learning experience and has motivated him even further to push for his international debut.

Speaking from Millfield School, he said: “I’ve definitely enjoyed being around the squad, it’s a really good opportunity for me to see how everyone goes about their training and try and learn as much as I can - especially from the spinners, so that I can take my game forward.”


“It hasn’t been too surprising about the professionalism of the players just from knowing most of the guys from Inter-Pros and having played with and against a lot of them quite regularly, but it has been great that everyone has been so willing and open to give me tips on my bowling and batting. The last month, particularly this last week, has also been great in getting to work with some of the best coaches in Ireland, which is definitely a big bonus.”

“As for Millfield School, the facilities have been top class; we've been training out in the main square and playing on some great wickets. Having the option of using the indoor nets for anything extra that you need and getting everything in check has also been welcome.”

“It’s been a very worthwhile training camp, everyone has been working hard and getting a lot of specifics done to get themselves ready for the Zimbabwe series and the World Cup. It’s been great training as a squad again and getting to push ourselves to perform at our best.”

Also read: Ricky Ponting backs Australian players to play in rescheduled IPL in UAE, says will be ideal preparation for T20 World Cup in October

The training squad at Millfield this week has players like:

Andrew Balbirnie, Kevin O’Brien, Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh, Barry McCarthy, Curtis Campher, Josh Little, Neil Rock, William Porterfield, William McClintock, Graham Hume, Ben White, Andy McBrine, Shane Getkate, Craig Young, Graham Kennedy, Mark Adair, Tom Mayes.

SOMERSET, England – The Ireland Men’s senior squad have been preparing for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe with a training camp at Millfield School in Somerset, and first-team wicket keeper Lorcan Tucker has been enjoying the facilities and a break from playing after the South Africa series to take stock of his game.

Tucker, 24, has featured 42 times for Ireland since his debut in 2016 – becoming Ireland’s first-choice keeper in 2020. He struck his highest score for Ireland in January this year – 83 against Afghanistan in a World Cup Super League match in Abu Dhabi – and has 39 dismissals behind the stumps to date.

Speaking from Millfield School, he said:

“We've been delighted with the facilities so far at Millfield and Mark Garraway (Millfield’s Director of Cricket) has been very good to us. There's not much the school can't offer us with centre wickets, nets, and indoor facilities available all week which is excellent.”

“Saying that, we were washed out for most of yesterday, but we were lucky enough to have the indoor facilities ready to hand when we needed it. Today, the weather was better, so everyone was able to get through their full allotment of batting, bowling and fielding skills. With such a breadth of space and resources, we can indulge a little and spend a bit more time on those crucial ‘1 percenters’.”

Also read: Cricket Ireland announce squad for WT20I World Cup European Qualifier

In what has been a busy period for Ireland Men’s cricketers, how has Tucker enjoyed the short break between international commitments?

“For myself, it was nice to have a rest after the South Africa series to try and reset, especially with the busy schedule up to and including the World Cup. I think there's always time to reflect on your own game and see where you can improve. This week in Millfield is a good chance for me to try and implement some of those new skills and ideas I’ve had over the last few weeks, and hopefully, it'll lead to improved performances down the line.”

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said:

“As part of our squad’s preparations for the important Zimbabwe series later this month, we were keen to lock in a solid week’s training camp at a venue with high-quality facilities and residential options close by. I’d like to thank Mark Garraway and Millfield School for hosting the squad and supporting what has been a great week so far on the centre wicket, nets and indoor facilities.”

“The opportunity to spend time together in the lead up to the Zimbabwe matches will hopefully put the squad in good stead, particularly allowing an opportunity for team bonding, especially for the newer members of the squad. The last 18 months have been so unusual for all concerned, that we believe opportunities like this training camp will be beneficial not only in a physical sense, but mentally as well. The bubble life, for all of its necessary outcomes, does hinder that normal sense of collegiality in a team sport like ours, and I know the guys have appreciated the opportunity greatly.”

The training squad at Millfield this week includes

Andrew Balbirnie, Kevin O’Brien, Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh, Barry McCarthy, Curtis Campher, Josh Little, Neil Rock, William Porterfield, William McClintock, Graham Hume, Ben White, Andy McBrine, Shane Getkate, Craig Young, Graham Kennedy, Mark Adair, Tom Mayes.

London, Aug 11 (Cricket news) Virat Kohli might have to seriously consider playing his best tweaker Ravichandran Ashwin instead of the injured Shardul Thakur but the Indian captain didn't specify whether the seasoned off-spinner would get the nod ahead of a pacer in the second Test against England.

While India were in a better position to win the first Test before the heavens opened up on the final day, the first innings score of 278 was still below par as none among Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane scored runs.

Not to forget that all three haven't scored heavily in the past two years and save Rahane, who got a hundred in Melbourne, the other two batting mainstays haven't been able to convert a lot of their half-centuries into three-figure marks.

Also read:Stuart Broad to miss the entire test series against India with right calf injury

"I don't think that's an area of concern. Our basic focus is not to think individually where people are but collectively how much strength they bring into the team is our focus. What's your best and strongest batting unit that you can take on the park," the skipper said.

As far as team combination is concerned, Shardul being ruled out with a "left hamstring injury" does tilt the lower-order batting balance, although the Mumbai seamer didn't trouble the scorers in the only innings that he played.

Ashwin, who was dropped from the playing XI in the drawn opening game in Nottingham because of Ravindra Jadeja's superior skills with the willow, is back in the mix as Thakur seems to have done his hamstring some damage during the training session at the Lord's on Monday.

It's still not clear whether he picked up the injury during the first Test or not.

With Thakur all but ruled out of the upcoming match starting Thursday, Kohli might have to revisit his 4-1 bowling combination which can't be cast in stone considering the lean nature of his team's lower-order batting.

"For us, it's about finding that perfect balance but if someone like Shardul is not available, then we definitely need to think how to pick up 20 wickets and not try to plug in another guy, who can give us some runs with the bat. I think we are very comfortable how first Test went," Kohli gave an open-ended answer.

London has been recording a maximum temperature of 24 degrees with average temperature around 14 degrees.

It would be interesting to see if England retain a green top like they did in 2018 when Indian batting collapsed twice in two days and all-rounder Chris Woakes walked away with the honours.

In case, the pitch is on the drier side, there will possibly be no harm in playing both Ashwin and Jadeja, who can trouble this brittle England batting line-up with their different variations.

The poor quality of the new generation of England Test players was exposed again as skipper Joe Root had to come to his team's rescue for the umpteenth time with a fifty in the first innings and a match-saving 21st Test hundred in the second essay.

There is every possibility that Rory Burns could be replaced by Haseeb Hameed, who scored a hundred opening the innings for the Combined Counties against Indians in the tour game last month.

For Kohli, if four pacers are non-negotiable, then one among Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav will be straightaway replacing Thakur but the choice might not be that easy.

"Most likely it will be a template going ahead [4-1 combination], but we've always been adaptable as well, to the conditions and pace of the wicket," Kohli had said after the first Test.

But adaptability is the rider that the Indian skipper used during that post-match conference and hence Ashwin, who is currently on the verge of surpassing Harbhajan Singh's (417 wickets) tally, comes into the picture.

If the skipper believes that his batting needs to be suitably beefed up, then Ashwin is the right choice in case weather permitting, there is something available on the fourth or fifth day Lord's pitch.

England are likely to miss their senior pacer Stuart Broad as he had injured his right calf muscle during a training session which possibly rules him out of the game.

England added Lancashire seam bowler Saqib Mahmood in the squad as cover with ECB informing that spinner Dom Bess will be leaving the squad and returning to Yorkshire.

In case the pitch offers some assistance, Moeen Ali, who has been inducted might again like to torment the Indians like he did in 2014 and '18 series or else there is world's fastest bowler Mark Wood, whose average speed is 90 clicks per hour.

For India, KL Rahul would like to consolidate his position at the top of the order even though Mayank Agarwal being back in the nets is a welcome sign for India.

While batting order might not be tinkered with but Agarwal's fitness could also make Rahul an option in the middle-order, where he personally prefers batting.

While both Pujara and Rahane are not in the best of form of late, they will only be replaced in the likely event of a last-minute injury. Squads: India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav.

England: Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood.

Match Starts at 3:30 pm.

News source: PTI

(Basketball news) Word has gotten around that the NBA free agency is over, but the reality is far from it. Just because a player is unsigned does not mean he can’t change the fortunes of the club that eventually offers him a contract, and there are always diamonds in the rubble that just need to be unearthed.

Here are our top five picks of free agents in the NBA

1. Langston Galloway

Galloway has been a victim of circumstance and despite there not being a big demand for players on rotation, he would be a solid signing for any team in need of backcourt help. Last season, Galloway played mostly off the ball, shooting 43.8 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s but was stuck behind Chris Paul, Devin Booker and the emerging Cameron Payne. He’s a player that could emerge as a ‘deal’ for any team.

2. Lauri Markkanen

As a restricted free agent, Markkanen finds himself in an unfortunate position where the Bulls can match any offer he receives or negotiate a sign and trade. There have been reports that the New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets are interested in Markkanen, who lacks a player of his stature in their teams. Under normal circumstances, a 24 year old of his calibre would be signed in an instant, but Markkanen had not made 3s at an above average rate until shooting 40 percent last season. Teams who would be willing to gamble based on his flashes of brilliance for the Chicago Bulls are the ideal candidate for Lauri Markkanen.

3. Josh Hart

Just like Lauri Markkanen, Josh Hart is a restricted free agent but his quality is much more evident. The 6 feet 5 player is an excellent rebounder and can hold his own guarding bigger players. Being a restricted free agent has complicated Hart’s circumstances as teams love versatile wings but would need to meet New Orleans’ asking price for a sign and trade deal or need cap space to sign him to an offer sheet.

4. Avery Bradley

Thirty one year old Avery Bradley became a free agent after the Rockets rejected his $5.9 million player option. He is expected to be a candidate for Lakers' roster spots after being a part of the team in 2019-2020 and because they need a point-of-attack defensive player and Bradley certainly fits that profile with a decent shoot percentage and smart cutting.

5. Wesley Matthews

Despite having a less than impressive last season where Wesley Matthews had a shoot percentage of 37.5 on catch-and-shoot 3s, the 34 year old remains a solid option for Los Angeles as a switchable defender. It would also be a complete love story if Matthews signs for the Jazz who signed him as an undrafted rookie 12 years ago.

Also read: Virtual development program launched by NBA Academy for top female prospects from outside the US

London, Aug 11 (Cricket News) Captain Virat Kohli might have to seriously consider playing his best spinner Ravichandran Ashwin while expecting a far better show from the seasoned batting line-up when India meet England in the second Test at the Lord's starting Thursday.

While India were in a better position to win the first Test before heavens opened up on the final day, the first innings score of 278 was still below par as none among Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane (horrible mix-up) scored runs.

Not to forget that all three haven't scored heavily in the past two years and save Rahane, who got a hundred in Melbourne, the other two batting mainstays haven't been able to convert a lot of their half-centuries into three-figure mark.

As far as team combination is concerned, Shardul Thakur's hamstring injury does again tilt the lower-order batting balance although the Mumbai seamer didn't trouble the scorers in the only innings that he played.

Ashwin, who was dropped from the playing XI in the drawn opening game in Nottingham because of Ravindra Jadeja's superior skills with the willow, is back in the mix as Thakur seems to have done his hamstring some damage during the training session at the Lord's on Monday.

It's still not clear whether he picked up the injury during the first Test or not.

With Thakur being all but ruled out of the upcoming match, Kohli might have to revisit his 4-1 bowling combination which can't be cast in stone considering the lean nature of his team's lower-order batting.

London has been recording a maximum temperature of 24 degrees with average temperature around 14 degrees.

It would be interesting to see if England retain a green top like they did in 2018 when Indian batting collapsed twice in two days and all-rounder Chris Woakes walked away with the honours.

In case, the pitch is on the drier side, there could possibly be no harm in playing both Ashwin and Jadeja, who can trouble this brittle England batting line-up with their different variations.

The poor quality of new generation of England Test players was exposed again as skipper Joe Root had to come to his team's rescue for the umpteenth time with a fifty in the first innings and possibly a match-saving 21st Test hundred in the second essay.

There is every possibility that Rory Burns could be replaced by Haseeb Hameed, who scored a hundred opening the innings for the Combined Counties against Indians in the tour game last month.

For Kohli, if four pacers are non-negotiable, then one among Ishant Sharma or Umesh Yadav will be straightaway replacing Thakur but the choice might not be that easy.

"Most likely it will be a template going ahead [4-1 combination], but we've always been adaptable as well, to the conditions and pace of the wicket," Kohli had said after the first Test.

But adaptability is the rider that Indian skipper used during that post-match conference and hence Ashwin, who is currently on the verge of surpassing Harbhajan Singh's (417 wickets) tally, comes into the picture.

If the skipper believes that his batting needs to be suitably beefed up, then Ashwin is the right choice in case weather permitting, there is something available on the fourth or fifth day Lord's pitch.

England are likely to miss their senior pacer Stuart Broad as he had injured his right calf muscle during a training session which possibly rules him out of the game.

In case the pitch offers some assistance, Moeen Ali, who has been inducted might again like to torment the Indians like he did in 2014 and '18 series or else there is world's fastest bowler Mark Wood, whose average speed is 90 clicks per hour.

For India, KL Rahul would like to consolidate his position at the top of the order even though Mayank Agarwal being back in the nets is a welcome sign for India.

While batting order might not be tinkered with but Agarwal's fitness could also make Rahul an option in the middle-order, where he personally prefers batting.

Also read: The progression of Indian cricket from having no fast bowlers to having the best seam attack in the world

While both Pujara and Rahane are not in the best of form of late, they will only be replaced in the likely event of a last-minute injury.

Squads: India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav.

England: Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Moeen Ali, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Mark Wood.

Match Starts at 3:30 pm.

News source: PTI

Nottingham, Aug 5 (Cricket news) India pacer Mohammed Shami, who wreaked havoc with his fiery spell on day one of the first Test against England here, said it doesn't matter to him where he is playing as he backs his skills irrespective of the conditions.

India dismissed England for 183 on day one of the match with Jasprit Bumrah claiming four, and Shami scalping three wickets.

"I don't know why I wasn't getting (wickets) in England (laughs). But it doesn't matter if it's England, Australia or wherever, I believe in my skill and back myself," Shami said at the end of the day's play.

"Even when I'm bowling in the nets, I try to assess the conditions and make plans accordingly and try to execute them while playing the match," he added.

England skipper Joe Root's decision to bat first backfired badly as India pacers led by Bumrah (4/46) put up an impressive show.

According to Shami, Test cricket is all about patience and doing the basics right.

Also read: England reach 61 for 2 against India at lunch

"Test matches are all about patience. Forget what has happened in the past, we have to think about the present situation, we don't have to think much.

"In my opinion, Test matches are very simple - the more you focus on the basics, the more you'll have the chances to succeed. If you overthink, you will tend to leak runs and it's an unnecessary add-on (of pressure)," said Shami.

"I think you should focus on the basics and play according to the situation. We work without thinking too much and that's what makes us more successful," he added.

The visitors ended the first day at 21/0, still adrift by 162 runs.

News source: PTI

Cricket news: After a disappointing loss to New Zealand in the World Test Championship final, team India gear up for a five match test series in England. The five tests will be played at Trent Bridge, Lords, Headingley, The Oval and Old Trafford respectively. The entire series will be played in front of a full capacity crowd. The series will inaugurate the 2nd World Test Championship cycle.

Pre math:

Since the last time India toured England, Virat Kohli’s men have lost only one out of eight test series which was away to New Zealand. India since then created history by winning the Border Gavaskar trophy away against Australia followed by a thumping series win against England at home. The blues in the process booked a place in the World Test Championship final ahead of Australia and England  but came short in the final against New Zealand.

England on the other hand have had problems with the red ball team. After winning the away series against Srilanka, Joe Root’s team were outclassed by India in a series which was massively overshadowed by heated debates about the quality of pitches. The loss meant that England missed out on a chance to play the World Test Championship final in their backyard. To make matters worse England lost a home series against New Zealand for the first time since 1999. Former England captain Nasser Hussain heavily criticized the technique English batsman and the intent of the team as a whole.

Squads:

England(first two tests)

Joe Root (c), Craig Overton, Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson.

Ben Stokes was initially named in the squad but was replaced by Craig Overton after the all-rounder took an indefinite break from all forms of cricket to focus on his mental wellbeing and continue his recovery from a finger injury.

Other notable absentees include Jofra Archer is likely to miss the entire summer of cricket due to an elbow injury he has been dealing with since the start of 2020. All-rounder Chris Woakes will also miss the series because of a heel injury. Ben Foakes and Olly Stone are two other players sidelined due to injuries.

England has rarely played their strongest XI in a test match for the past year or so while their white-ball team continued to be at full strength. Captain Joe Root said that he hopes to play his strongest possible side against India and put an end to the rest and rotation policy. 

Also read:  Everything that you need to know about the upcoming India vs England Test Series 2021

India:

Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara,  Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav

Shubhman Gill and Washington Sundar were in the squad but had to withdraw due to injuries. Pacers Prasidh Krishna and Arzan Nagwaswalla are standby players. Another standby player Avesh Khan was sent back after suffering an injury in a warm-up match.

In cricket news Opening batsman Mayank Agarwal was hit on the helmet by Mohammed Siraj while batting in the nets. Agarwal is ruled out of the first test due to a concussion.

India have been forced into changes due to injuries, especially in Australia. The injuries have made way for some youngsters to make their mark. Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel have taken the opportunity to put in excellent performances whenever called up.

Whether India will repeat what they did in the World Test Championship final by playing both Jadeja and Ashwin is the biggest question mark as far as team selection goes. As for England, the opening pair is something that remains unclear.

Schedule:

1st Test: 4-8 August 2021, Trent Bridge, Nottingham

2nd Test: 12-16 August 2021, Lord’s, London

3rd Test: 25-29 August 2021, Emerald Headingley, Leeds

4th Test: 2-6 September 2021, Kia Oval, London

5th Test: 10-14 September, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

Prediction:

India’s last series win in England came in 2007 under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy. Since then India have never come close to winning in England. After winning a back to back away series against Australia, a win in England looks very achievable. The pacers at Virat Kohli’s disposal are some of the best India has ever had. With Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja as spin bowling all-rounders, the Indian bowling attack is incredibly well balanced. 

England will be keen to bounce back and start the World Test Championship in the best possible way.  While Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are prominent absentees their replacements aren’t too bad. Ollie Robinson in particular has shown good potential in his recent test debut against New Zealand.

England without question enters the series as favourites majorly due to the home condition. The major battle throughout the series is going to be between India’s middle-order trio of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane and England’s pacers. This battle will undoubtedly have a large impact on the end result. 

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has made a bold prediction by saying that the visitors will comfortably win the series because of England being a very depleted side as seen against New Zealand in June. While Alistair Cook believes that England has what it takes to get the better of India.

Nottingham, Aug 2 (Cricket news) India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane expectedly didn't divulge the playing combination but did drop a hint that Shardu Thakur's impressive lower-order batting could be used during the five-Test series against England, starting August 4.

Asked, who among bowlers is the best bet with the willow and may be fill-up for Hardik Pandya's absence, Rahane named fellow Mumbaikar Thakur, who recently scored a half-century and took 7 wickets against Australia in his second Test in Brisbane.

"Everyone is different. Hardik what he did in 2018 was different for us. Shardul can bat. You have seen Shardul bat in Australia and he did well in domestic cricket as well," Rahane said about Thakur, who has seven first-class half-centuries but at a modest average of 16.58.

"(Jasprit) Bumrah , (Mohd) Shami, (Mohd) Siraj, Umesh (Yadav) and Ishant (Sharma) are putting in the effort in the nets. Whatever 20-30 runs we score in end, matters a lot.

"It's good that they are wanting to bat for at least 10-12 minutes in the nets. See result comes later and what is important is process and working hard and contribute as a member of the team. We are hoping for some contributions from our tail-enders." Batsman should back his own methods ============================= Without taking Cheteshwar Pujara's name, Rahane was posed a question on "intent", a word that has cropped up time and again because of the Saurashtra batsman's defensive batting.

However, Rahane made it clear that approach is "to each his own" as long as communication from team management is clear.

"Obviously, we sat together and discussed about our batting plans but in England, it is challenging conditions for a batsman. Everyone has different plans and everyone needs to back his own methods," Rahane, whose own form at times has been questioned, said.

"Communication is key for batting unit but individually I feel everyone should back their own methods because conditions change quickly over here in 15-20 minutes sometimes. It's about getting used to conditions quickly. As a batting unit, we are ready." He also dismissed suggestions about whether Pujara could be promoted to opening the batting instead of his usual No 3 position.

"Pujara is our No 3 batsman. Who will open the innings, we are still finalising our combination. Pujara has been really solid for us at No. 3 and as for opening pair, the captain, coach and management will decide." Expecting England to give us green tops Rahane said that their team is fully aware that England could unleash a green top surface for the Indian players, who need to counter the seamer-friendly conditions.

Also read: India have fast bowlers who can take over from Shami, Bumrah: Brett Lee

"We expect England to give us such kind of wickets and its their home conditions and we are not going to think too much about it.

"Winning each and every moment in Test cricket is really important. We are not really worried what kind of wickets are given to us." Indian team respects Ben Stokes' decision .The Indian vice-captain acknowledged that bubble fatigue is a reality and his team completely respects opposition star Ben Stokes' decision to take a break from the game and work on his "mental well being." "Bubble (life) is really challenging. You have got to understand a player's mindset as well. When you play at highest level, you have to always give your hundred percent and your mental health matters a lot.

"We (Indian team) respect his decision and I am sure his England teammates also respect his decision. It's all about understanding players' mindset as to what he is going through. It is tough and challenging to be in bubble continuously and perform," Rahane stated.

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Jul 28 (Cricket news) The India-New Zealand final in Southampton last month was the most watched across all series that were part of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC), with a total global audience of 177 million, the ICC said on Wednesday.

The live viewership of the Test played between June 18 and 23 had touched 130.6 million across 89 territories.

India contributed most of the audience with Star Sports and national broadcaster Doordarshan accounting for a whopping 94.6 per cent consumption of the intensely contested match that saw New Zealand complete an eight-wicket win on the reserve day.

In addition to the English-language world feed, Star had produced local language feeds in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

ICC Chief Commercial Officer Anurag Dahiya said, "The viewership data for broadcast and digital coverage of the ICC World Test Championship Final presents a really heartening picture, showing strong consumption across territories and languages as well as formats.

"The ICC always strives to give the best possible viewership experience and will continue to invest in resources that enhance the viewing pleasure and engagement of our fans," he was quoted as saying in an ICC release.

The viewership was also impressive in New Zealand, considering its small population and the inconvenient time of broadcast, with over 200,000 people staying up all night or waking up very early in the mornings to watch their team win the battle of attrition and lift the coveted Test Mace on Sky Sport.

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports recorded the highest-rated match in the 2019-2021 WTC cycle for a match not involving hosts England and the Reserve Day was also the most watched day of a non-England Test match since 2015.

The launch of ICC's OTT platform ICC.tv resulted in an additional 665,100 live views from over 145 territories outside of the key broadcast markets, totaling 14 million viewing minutes.

Also read: England tour: India has centre wicket training; Pant bats in the nets

ICC digital platforms witnessed total views of over 500 million across all video content watched during the match window. Facebook provided most of the consumption across ICC digital assets with 423 million views and 368 million minutes consumed on the ICC Page.

The Reserve Day saw the most views ever recorded across the ICC Facebook page on a single day, with 65.7 million individual views across the 24-hour period, surpassing the 64.3 million enjoyed during the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

Instagram added a further 70 million individual views across the final. Further contributions from the ICC website and mobile app, as well ICC's channels on Twitter and YouTube, took the total video views to 515 million.

News source: PTI 

Durham, Jul 27 (Cricket news) Ahead of the gruelling five Test match series against England, the Indian Test team led by skipper Virat Kohli, had a centre wicket training at the Durhan Cricket Club here on Tuesday.

Aggressive wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, who had joined the Test team after recovering from Covid-19, also batted in the nets.

"TeamIndia back at it and having a centre wicket training at Durham Cricket Club ahead of the five-match Test series against England," the BCCI said in a tweet.

The BCCI also posted pictures of Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, flamboyant batsman KL Rahul, his Karnataka teammate and opener Mayank Agarwal and skipper Kohli batting in the nets.

Also read: 2nd India-Sri Lanka T20 postponed as Krunal Pandya tests positive for COVID-19

Similarly vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and experienced opener Rohit Sharma too batted in the nets, as per the pictures tweeted by the Board.

Earlier, the team played a three-day warm-up game against County XI here as a part of their preparation for the Test series. The game ended in a draw.

The first Test starts at Trent Bridge, Nottingham from August 4.

News source: PTI

Karachi, Jul 26 (Cricket News) Pakistan's energetic pace bowler Hasan Ali wants to become a top all-format all-rounder like his illustrious predecessors Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood.

"“I want to see myself as an all-rounder in all three formats and I am putting in extra yards in the nets. I am inspired by Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood and want to contribute in crucial times for my team," Hasan said in an interview.

He said that he is trying to improve his power-hitting qualities.

"I usually get to bat in death overs in T20Is and the only option I have at that point is to hit the ball hard. I am working to improve my power-hitting in the practice sessions and learning how to score more and more runs against Yorkers, bouncers and slower deliveries." Hasan since his comeback to the Pakistan team early this year after a spate of injuries has impressed greatly with the ball but at times his hard-hitting in white ball games has also helped Pakistan.

Hasan, who is gearing up for the four-match T20 series and two Test matches in the West Indies, took five for 51 in the second ODI against England at Lord's before bowling an impressive spell, in which he gave only 28 runs, in the last T20I.

Hasan said that T20 cricket is all about variations and a good bowler should have command on bowling different variations.

Also read: India’s Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary fail to qualify for medal round in 10m Pistol Mixed Event

"I have been practising different deliveries in the nets and am very keen to do better in the upcoming series against the West Indies. I believe in giving everything for the team once I step on the field – whether it is by taking a wicket or hitting the ball out of the park." But he also revealed his love for batting as well.

"I want to be a batsman who contributes consistently to the team." Injuries kept Hasan out of international cricket for nearly 18 months after the World Cup 2019 but since returning to the Pakistan team he has already snared five wicket in an innings five times.

Hasan earned his recall to the national team after he made headlines when he scored a sparkling 106 not out off just 61 balls, smashing seven sixes and 10 fours, to help Central Punjab tie the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21 against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

News source: PTI 

Colombo, Jul 20 (Cricket news) India pacer Deepak Chahar, who was an unexpected hero with the bat in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, on Tuesday said coach Rahul Dravid's belief in his batting inspired him to produce a match-winning knock for his team. Chahar came ahead of the more accomplished Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the batting order after India lost their six wickets for 160 runs while chasing 276. In the end, they both forged an unbeaten 84-run stand to script a three-wicket win for India.

"No better way to win the match for the country. Rahul sir told me to play all the balls. I've played a few innings with India A (when Dravid was coach) and I think he has belief in me.

"He told me he thinks I'm good enough to be a No. 7 (but he batted at 8). He has belief in me. Hopefully in the coming matches I don't have to bat. When we came under 50 that's when I believed we can win. Before that it was ball by ball. I took some risks after," said Chahar at the post match presentation.

Prior to this game, his highest scored in international cricket was 12.

"It was hot out there, we did well there. Got two wickets. We managed to stop them at 270 (275 actually). It was a decent score on this wicket.

"Only one thing that was going on in my mind: this is the kind of innings I've been dreaming of. No better way to win the match for the country," he said talking about his mindset in the middle.

India had romped to victory in the first ODI but it took a lot more effort on Tuesday.

Skipper Shikhar Dhawan said it was a good lesson the youngsters in the team.

"We were confident of chasing it, but we didn't start well. It was a good lesson for them. These sort of matches we're going to learn a lot as a team and they'll learn how to handle games like these.

Also read: Cricketers Avesh, Washington turn up for 'home team' after County XI lose players due to COVID-19 isolation

"Everyone showed character. The odds were low but we knew that he's (Chahar) batting well in the nets. His presence of mind, his calculation - in the last four overs they didn't take on the legspinner (Hasaranga) because at the time he was lethal.

"I felt that the way Sri Lanka planned their innings, batting and bowling - they brought the spinner on early - and the way they fielded was good to watch and learn. They worked very hard but glad that we're on the winning side," said Dhawan.

Sri Lanka lost the game from a winning position and skipper Dasun Shanaka was understandably gutted.

"I am really proud of how the boys played. They fought hard to get a win. Really tough game, credit to the Indian players, especially Deepak who took the game away from us.

"I think we started really well today. The middle period we lost wickets. I think the thing we shouldn't do in the next game is give them easy wickets. We should bat well until the last powerplay," he said.

Also read: PTI

Durham, Jul 20 (Cricket news) Skipper Virat Kohli and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane have opted out of the three day first-class warm-up fixture against County Select XI along with senior-off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Rohit Sharma is leading the side in Kohli and Rahane's absence as the game began today.

Mayank Agarwal, who is likely to open with Rohit Sharma in the first Test at Nottingham will be watched keenly along with Mohammed Siraj, who could preferred over Ishant Sharma in the playing XI.

First team regulars like Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami have also been rested from the game, which is one of India's rare first-class game in last 10 years.

Also read: SL win toss against India, opt to bat in 2nd ODI

It is understood that Kohli, Rahane, Shami, Jadeja will be sweating it out at the nets alongside Ashwin, who has already bowled a whopping 58 overs and taken seven wickets in a County game for Surrey last week.

Regular keeper Rishabh Pant and senior reserve glovesman Wriddhiman Saha are currently isolating in London after the COVID scare but are expected to join the team before the intra-squad game scheduled at the Riverside ground during the last week of this month.

It is tentatively scheduled between July 26-28.

While Kohli, Rahane, Shami are also coming from a three-week break, playing a first-class match means that all the seniors will have to remain on field for a stipulated period of time.

The match also provides an opportunity to Hanuma Vihari to score a few runs and keep Rahane under pressure since he hasn't been scoring runs very consistently.

The five-Test series will be an acid test for both Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane.

India: Rohit Sharma(C), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

News source: PTI 

Manchester, Jul 19 (Cricket news) India's white ball specialist Shreyas Iyer's much-anticipated comeback to competitive cricket has been delayed as he is yet to recover completely from a shoulder surgery, forcing him to withdraw from Lancashire's Royal London Cup campaign.

Iyer had sustained a left shoulder dislocation earlier this year during an ODI match against England in Pune and had to go under the knife in the UK.

Also read: Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer named for Mumbai's fitness camp; Arjun Tendulkar also in

Iyer started hitting the nets recently but it is understood that he is far from being ready for the July 22-August 18 tournament.

"Following discussions between the Club and the BCCI, as well as the players’ representatives, it was agreed that Iyer would remain in India ahead of his return to cricket in due course," the Lancashire County said in a statement.

"I am gutted to not be able to play for Lancashire this summer, a Club that has such history and ambition. I hope to play at Emirates Old Trafford for Lancashire at some point in the future," Iyer said.

Lancashire's director of Cricket, Paul Allott said: "We are obviously very disappointed, as we were thoroughly looking forward to welcoming Shreyas to Emirates Old Trafford." "Ultimately Shreyas' long-term fitness is of paramount importance and Lancashire Cricket fully respects the decision.

"We wish Shreyas all the best with the remainder of his recovery, and from the conversations which I have had with the player, believe that this is an arrangement he would be keen to revisit again in the future," former England pacer Allott said.

News source:  PTI 

Colombo, Jul 19 (Cricket news) Before going out to bat in his debut ODI against Sri Lanka, young Ishan Kishan had announced in the dressing room that he would hit the first ball for a six, irrespective of the bowler and where the ball would be pitched.

And he did what he had promised by hitting a six off Dhananjaya De Silva, the home team's off-spinner.

Also read: India in England: Cricketer Pant still in isolation as all eyes on 'opener' Mayank against County Select XI

Kishan, who celebrated his 23rd birthday with a smashing 42-ball-59 told teammate Yuzvendra Chahal on bcci.tv that he had a fair idea that the surface was not providing enough assistance to the slow bowlers.

"I kept (wickets) for 50 overs and understood that the track didn't have much help for the spinners. So I was determined that wherever the bowler pitches, I would hit him for a six. I had told that to everyone in the dressing room before going out to bat," Kishan said.

When asked why he was looking to hit every ball out of sight during the initial phase, the Jharkhand keeper-batter said that it was the confidence that he had gained while batting in the nets in the run-up to the series.

"Practice is very important and I was in good touch during the net sessions. The pitch on which we practised, was also of similar nature. So since I was connecting well, I didn't have to do anything different. Just execute it in match situation. No change in game-plan. If I have a ball in my radar, I will hit it," Kishan said.

He also said that getting the India cap from skipper Shikhar Dhawan indeed was a special moment.

"There can't be a prouder moment than receiving your India cap. I was cherishing it and all my friends in the team also wanted that I get the cap.

"It was a special feeling when my teammates shook hands. Also you know your family is also watching and it's a big occasion for them," Kishan said.

News source: PTI 

Northampton, Jul 8 (Cricket news) India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur would be aiming to overcome her prolonged form slump and provide a much-needed boost to the struggling batting line-up in the opening T20 International against formidable hosts England here on Friday.

England lead the multi-format series 6-4 after a drawn Test and a 2-1 score-line in ODIs. Barring Mithali Raj's remarkable consistency in ODIs, the Indian batting was a disappointment and it is something that the team would want to correct in the three T20s.

India's top two performers in ODIs -- Mithali and Jhulan Goswami -- will be seeing the action from the sidelines.

Harmanpreet, who has not scored a fifty in the shortest format since November 2018, will have to lead from the front.

Both the openers -- Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana -- are in good touch but the team is expecting more consistency from them, especially from the vice-captain.

The standout performer of the tour -- Sneh Rana -- is set to play her first T20 since February 2016.

Richa Ghosh, another 17-year-old in the team alongside Shafali, is also likely to feature in the playing eleven having done well in the home series against South Africa. The Indian batters were guilty of consuming too many dot balls in ODIs but it is something they can't afford to do in the shortest format.

"Since the ODIs, the focus in the nets has been on strike rotation, variations of pace bowlers and playing situations. The bowling and fielding showed big improvement but the batters need to step up. Hopefully, they will," a BCCI official told PTI.

India are yet to see the pitch as they have been training in Leicester but irrespective of the conditions, they will need to post at least 150 to challenge a team like England.

Besides Deepti Sharma and Rana, India have a third all-rounder option in pacer Simaran Dil Bahadur, who made her debut against South Africa.

England, on the other hand, have brought back opener Danni Wyatt for the T20s following her good run in domestic cricket.

She is set to open alongside Tammy Beaumont in the absence of Lauren Winfield-Hill.

Medium pacer Kate Cross, who took a five-wicket haul during the ODIs, is not part of the T20 squad.

"We've played some good cricket across both the Test and the ODIs and we've named a strong squad for the T20I series. It's 6-4 in the multi-format series and it's a series we're pushing hard to win.

"We probably weren't quite at our best in the third ODI so I'd like us to hit the ground running in the first T20I and be ruthless," said England head coach Lisa Keightley.

Teams (from): India: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain) Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Indrani Roy, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav, Simaran Dil Bahadur.

England: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt.

Match starts 11 PM (IST).

Also read: Cricketer Kohli retains 5th spot, Rahul climbs to 6th in ICC T20I rankings

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Jul 7 (Cricket news) The breakdown in communication between national selectors, led by chairman Chetan Sharma, and the team management comprising skipper Virat Kohli over Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran's contentious selection, is not the first such instance.

And it is certainly not going to be the last in Indian cricket which is replete with incidents when alpha male captains have locked horns with the wise men of "authoritarian reputation".

It's not a bad time to revisit a few selection conundrums that had gained legendary status over the years.

In the late 1960s till early 70s, Bengal had a wicketkeeper of Parsi origin named Rusi Jeejebhoy, a handsome man born and brought up in Kolkata. He played 46 first-class games and ended with a "horrifying" batting average of 10.46.

Even if one considers that batting wasn't a primary skill for keepers back then, Farokh Engineer was in a different league.

There was a slot for the third wicketkeeper for the historic 1971 tour of West Indies and there was a Duleep Trophy match where East was led by stylish Bihar batsman Ramesh Saxena and Daljit Singh (famous for being BCCI chief curator in later years) was supposed to keep. They were playing a Duleep Trophy game at the Brabourne Stadium sometime in 1970.

"The chairman of selection committee, late Vijay Merchant (an icon of Parsee community) just before the toss summoned Ramesh bhai, a nice gentleman.

"He instructed Ramesh bhai to play Daljeet as a batsman and pick Rusi as a keeper. If someone of Mr Merchant's stature would request, what could have Ramesh bhai done," an old-timer who was part of that match told PTI.

Jeejeebhoy's inclusion forced a former India and Mumbai great (his son was also a Test cricketer), known for his sharp sense of humour, to joke: "I only knew about Batliboi (Engineering company), now I am hearing about Jeejeebhoy!" Jeejeebhoy kept wickets and was selected for his first and last tour of West Indies and when he retired, his highest score was a mere 39 in 46 games. New skipper Ait Wadekar couldn't have argued with a living legend like Merchant.

Sambaran Banerjee, the only Bengal captain to win Ranji Trophy post independence, is an amazing raconteur. With an elephant's memory, he can just rattle off incidents both from his playing days and during his times as a national selector.

Banerjee recollected how he was literally told that he was going to England (1977-78) in 1979 along with Surinder Khanna, but it was Tamil Nadu's Bharat Reddy (career average of under 18), who eventually got the nod. Coincidentally, then India skipper S Venkataraghavan also hailed from Tamil Nadu.

"We knew Kiri (Syed Kirmani) would be dropped. A day before the team selection, few players came up and said, 'Sambaran we know you are in the squad, we need a treat.

"I must have spent around 400 bucks (quite a sum in those days) to take a few boys out for dinner and next day, the list had Reddy's name. I think he scored 30 odd runs in 4 Tests (38)," one could gauge the hurt in Banerjee's voice as he spoke.

Banerjee claims that while South Zone selector M L Jaisimha and North's Vijay Mehra was in his support, Dattu Phadkar, the East Zone selector, kept quiet and Venkataraghavan apparently got his choice of keeper.

In 1986, Manoj Prabhakar was in the Indian team and before the Leeds Test match, skipper Kapil Dev felt that he wasn't measuring up in the nets (years later it happened with Karun Nair in 2018).

"Jimmy Amarnath was entrusted with the duty to call up Madan Lal, who by then was semi-retired from Tests and playing club cricket in England and ask him to join the team. Prabhakar, till date, hasn't forgotten the snub from Kapil, who could convince selectors that Lal was better than Prabhakar." But Banerjee's greatest achievement was winning the battle of wits to get Sourav Ganguly in the Indian team for tour of England in 1996. Captain Mohammed Azharuddin was dead against Ganguly's inclusion, and so was then coach Sandeep Patil.

"I got support from Vishy (chairman of selectors Gundappa Viswanath) and Rungta (Central Zone) to get Sourav in as bowling all-rounder. Azhar was seething in rage but the simple 3-2 vote prevailed.

"I remember when Ganguly's name was announced by Vishy at Taj Palace, Delhi, some journalists started hooting but Vishy being the gentleman explained why he got the nod." During the 1997 Sahara Cup, one of the most hilarious selections happened. The then skipper Sachin Tendulkar and the team management wanted Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Jai Prakash (JP) Yadav in the team and convenor of selection committee, late Jyoti Bajpai of UP, conveniently sent his state's Jyoti Prakash (JP) Yadav to Toronto. Jyoti Prakash never got to play a match.

The historic 2001 Australia series was equally dramatic as skipper Ganguly went against the selection committee comprising Madan Lal and Ashok Malhotra, who wanted Sarandeep Singh in the team. Ganguly's choice was a young Harbhajan Singh. The rest is history.

In 2003-04, reporters sitting on the Chinnaswamy turf witnessed skipper Ganguly and then chairman of selectors Syed Kirmani having a long debate over who would be second keeper -- Karnataka's (Kirmani's state) Thilak Naidu or Bengal (Ganguly's state) Deep Dasgupta. The powerful skipper prevailed.

In 2011, Mahendra Singh Dhoni summoned his friend, Rudra Pratap Singh, then holidaying in Miami, to the Test team. RP's first ball went to the keeper on three drops. He never played Test cricket again.

Clearly, Indian cricket has not seen the last of the Abhimanyu Easwaran episode.

Also read: WT20Is: Cricketers Wyatt, Villiers back in England women's T20 squad against India

News source: PTI

Colombo, Jul 6 (Cricket news) Hardik Pandya bowling during an intra-squad game is a "good sign", feels dashing India batsman Suryakumar Yadav, who believes that the bowler and the team management would take a call on his workload during the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka from July 13.

Pandya's bowling has been an issue since he underwent a back surgery in 2019 and since then has bowled sporadically, which has led to his non-selection in Test format.

Yadav also said that not only in intra-squad game but the colourful Baroda all-rounder is also bowling in the nets.

"He (Hardik) did bowl in the England series. During the IPL, he did not bowl. He bowled in the intra-squad game and he bowled in the nets. So, it is his and the team management's call on how they want to go about it, but yes, he is bowling. That's a very good sign," Yadav said during an online media interaction.

He also didn't pay much heed to World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga's comments about India sending a second string team as Virat Kohli and the first team stars are in England for the Test series.

"We are not thinking about that, we are just here to have some fun, enjoy this series and take a lot of positives from here," Yadav said.

Talking about positives, this is the first time that Yadav would be working with Rahul Dravid.

"...it is a great opportunity for everyone, having a tour amid this situation, it is a great challenge and responsibility for each and everyone to come out here and express themselves.

"And the great thing is having Rahul (Dravid) sir around, I have heard a lot about him. I think this is my first tour with him but I have heard a lot from many players that he is very calm and composed when it comes to this role," added the 30-year-old.

The high of a successful debut series behind him, Yadav said he would be looking to "start from the scratch".

Yadav made his India debut in the T20 format during the home series against England, in which he scored a half century and was generally impressive.

"Pressure will be there, because if there is no pressure, there is no fun, so as I said, it will be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it," said the aggressive right-handed Mumbai batsman.

Asked if a successful debut series would help him cope better with the pressure, Yadav said, "I think, that (debut series against England) was a completely different challenge and every-time you come, I mean for a batter, every-time you go in or play a different game, you start from scratch." "So, this (tour) also I have to start from zero and that was a different series and this is a different series, but the challenge remains the same, I have to go out in the park and perform the same way, what I did," Yadav added in a virtual press-conference.

The Mumbai player also said that his job with the national side is the same as it is for his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

"I think I have been doing the same thing what I did for my franchise back in the IPL. When I made my debut, the same happened, I did not do anything different, it was all the same.

Also read: Cricketer Rashid Khan to captain Afghanistan in T20Is

"I have been enjoying that role really well in whatever position they send me to bat, I will be the same. I just go out and express the same way on how I do in every game and I really enjoy it," he added.

Yadav also bushed aside suggestions that adapting to the conditions would be a challenge here.

"...we have played in these conditions, we play in Mumbai, Chennai, where heat is heavy, humidity is high, and most importantly we have come here 15-20 days early to get acclimatised to these conditions, it will be fine," he said.

According to Yadav, the team atmosphere is very relaxed.

News source: PTI 

Tennis has always been associated as a rich man’s sport. Memberships at exclusive tennis clubs were always restricted to the rich and influential, unlike football, it’s a sport that requires proper coaching which is an added expense. Adding to that is the cost of equipment such as racquets, balls, strings, shoes, shock absorbers and it all amounts to a sport that has rarely been accessible to those who could not afford it.

However, with the introduction of touchtennis, that perception has drastically changed. Not only has the sport never been more affordable, it can be played on any flat surface with no added expenses with the company of your friends and family. In an exclusive interview with SPOGO, we learn more about this unique initiative with the founder of touchtennis himself, Mr. Rashid Ahmad who spoke about coming up with the idea, the difference between touchtennis and traditional tennis, overcoming challenges, making people active and future goals!

Q 1) How did you come up with the idea of touchtennis, what sort of reception has it received and how quickly has the sport grown?

In all fairness, Tennis as a sport has been around for so many years and all I did was use the space I had available to play with my daughter and then with my friends. We started with a silly idea, some friends and I and before we knew it, it grew into something a lot bigger than what we thought it was ever going to be.

Q 2) What is the difference between touchtennis and the traditional format of tennis?

The main difference is that we use a compact court which is a quarter of the size of a tennis court. Other than that we use a foam ball, a 21-inch racket and a compact net so the court is much more condensed and allows us to play the compact version of the game. The scoring is very similar, 15-30-40. The main differences are that you only get one serve, and that if the ball clips the net and goes in, it is considered in play as there are no lets. The other fun rule is that you are allowed to throw your racket to make a shot. You can do that and can continue to play on.



Q 3) What are some of the challenges that you have faced as the founder of touchtennis? How is the sport being promoted around the world?

As far as the sport is concerned, it's never something we’ve actively tried to promote. We create content and we share it on the internet on various platforms, but we don’t actively market the sport to anybody. That has made it very simple for us. We just have fun playing and that is all we ever meant to do. We were never really out to globally dominate some sport. We just wanted to have fun, some friends and I. Now, we have ended up having barbeques all around the world. We somehow ended up in India and we have a license there and in other countries like South Korea, Italy, France, Spain, the UK, America, Saudi Arabia and all these countries.

Q 4) How important of a role does touchtennis play in making people live active, healthier lives because its more accessible than the traditional format of tennis?

As you saw during the lockdown, nobody was able to play tennis at all. It was impossible to go to a tennis club and play, the only alternative was to play in your garden. Touchtennis really exploded in the last couple of years because everyone was able to play the sport in their garden, either with our equipment or buying cheaper equipment from somewhere else. It does make tennis more affordable, friendly and welcoming than other adaptations out there that have very expensive equipment. Some of the paddles you can buy are 150 pounds whereas with touchtennis, you can buy the entire court including the nets, racquets and balls for 150 pounds.

Q 5) What is your goal and ambition for touchtennis in the future? How do you plan to achieve it?

Without giving too much away, the plan has always been rather loosely put together. We have never really had a concrete plan, Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has got a plan until they get punched in the face” and the same goes for touchtennis, we don’t ever want to get punched in the face, we just want to have fun! As the sport grows, my dream is to have kids from the streets win major tournaments and earn life changing amounts of money. That’s the dream and I’m looking at this as the route out of poverty for so many people and to change our perceptions of one another. My other dream is to have a touchtennis court across the India and Pakistan border, so that people can play on it and realize there are really no differences apart from what politicians tell us. If we can do that and have some fun along the way, what a great way to live!

Sports technology has crossed leaps and bounds as you may have read in the cricket news since the last few years, giving a significant competitive advantage to its adopters. It gives new data and insights about player performance, monitor training sessions, compare progress and much more to break previously established limits and add a whole new dimension to the world of sports.

In an exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mr. Arminder Thind, Founder of StanceBeam speaks about the role of AI and its benefits, StanceBeam striker, raising the standards of sport through technology, implementing feedback from end users and his vision for the future of innovations in sport.

Q 1) As a founder of StanceBeam, what led you to foresee the future of sports being driven by technology? What is your aim and vision for this company?

Working in the sports-tech space for over 6 years and being sports players ourselves, we experience few key challenges - lack of curriculum based and data driven coaching leading to untapped player potential. Limited availability of trained coaches so their time is spread very thin for players and the problem aggravates more for non urban players. We continue to hear stories of players travelling hundreds of kilometers to get access to coaches and training facilities or even worse, a lot of talent never get a chance to show talent and excel in sports. Our VISION is to empower players globally to play sports, stay fit and achieve their true potential by breaking the barrier of physical places to train and the right coaches to train with.

Q 2) How is Artificial Intelligence changing the face of sports? What are its benefits for the sporting industry?

As of today, we have multiple start-ups like StanceBeam working on ground breaking ideas in sport-tech space, from fan engagement to player performance improvement and injury prevention. StanceBeam is specifically leveraging AI in conjunction with IoT devices to gather data to attempt to optimize training and performance of the players. With so much innovation happening in this space, there are very healthy signs of adoption of sports-tech at consumer level, though it’s currently at an early adoption stage.

Q 3) What sort of data does StanceBeam striker provide that will turn a regular bat into a smart tech device? How will it benefit the players and coaches?

The StanceBeam Striker is the most accurate Cricket Bat sensor and is designed to fit on top of any Cricket bat which turns it into a Smart Bat. StanceBeam app seamlessly connects with StanceBeam Striker to provide you real-time feedback and give players a view of their game never seen before. Smart Video Capture capability of the StanceBeam app allows automatically to record 4 seconds of video per bat swing, Tag it with the players every shot and overlay swing metrics. The Stancebeam measures a unique set of metrics in real-time – with each swing of a cricket bat – including Power Analysis, Shot Efficiency, Max Bat Speed, Speed at Impact, Bat Angles, and Directions. StanceBeam app also produces a summary session, highlights and insights for each session and players can compare their progress over time, share stats/videos with their coaches for further feedback and improvements. To build a better player - we need to build a better coach. Providing key information traditionally only available to elite coaches in a controlled lab situation can now be used anywhere and be tracked in real time, or remotely - working around the modern cricketing world - where players will be away from the home base for months at a time. StanceBeam App allows coaches to manage multiple players within the app. Coaches can also create a big impact on players' improvements by giving data driven feedback using Mobile Video Analysis, Audio and Text Notes, Session Rating, and assign Video drills.

Q 4) How is StanceBeam bringing its technological innovations in the hands of aspiring cricketers? Do you believe it will significantly raise the standard of sports in our country?

The StanceBeam device made in India is available in multiple countries including India as well as e-commerce channels like Amazon. Kookaburra, a leading Cricket Brand, is our distribution partner for key global markets. Being a new category product and cricket being such a traditional sport, changing players and coaches' mindset about a data driven approach for better performance is not easy. So we have been working with progressive coaches, academies and associations across India to enable access to our technological innovation to the cricket players. We are glad that now we have a good number of players and coaches across the globe who have used our technology and seen a positive impact on their training regime and overall performance – 1 million plus cricket shots have been recorded on StanceBeam so far and counting. We have kids in India training with coaches in Australia on our platform. We’re breaking the access barrier, especially for players from small towns. Throughout COVID-19 pandemic, we have many players who were able to stay in touch with coaches and continue their training regime.

Q 5) How is StanceBeam incorporating feedback from players and coaches to constantly make improvements to its services for a more useful and better experience to end users?

At the heart of what we have done is focus on the player - building an experience that can help them with their game - both in the nets and on the pitch. By focusing on what’s important - seamless integration, meaningful data and feedback with technology that isn’t intrusive - we are delivering what will help refine the next generation of players. Through our research and development, design and implementation, software and hardware - we have been focused on creating the most accurate and interactive experience for our customers - allowing for no compromise in terms of accuracy, interactivity and uniqueness to create an experience not only relevant for cricket - but in answering the demands of our customer. What we have developed could only have come from seamless customer integration and feedback. Other than 10,000 plus players and 500 coaches on the platform which continue to inspire us to do more for them, we are fortunate to have Shikhar Dhawan as mentor and regular user of StanceBeam and share his feedback to make it more useful for players. Since everyone in the StanceBeam team are passionate sports players and fans, we spend considerable time with coaches and working in academies so we stay on ground to understand our customers’ requirements/feedback and solve their real problems.

Q 6) What do you envision in the future use of AI in sports? What sort of technological innovations can we expect and how do you think it will revolutionize the sports industry?

AI which is humanised and has a real human perspective will be a game changer. It will allow actionable insights on player performance and injury risks and let coaches/players make more informed decisions. Just as an example, StanceBeam generates an abundance of data via Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, video and audio during player session captures. However, the data by itself does not provide any value unless we can turn data into actionable, contextualized information. Artificial Intelligence provides us the tools and framework to perform real time data analysis and actionable insights with complete automation. AI will enable players more quality training time and manage load to reduce injury risks.

Southampton, Jun 15 Senior batsman Ross Taylor on Tuesday said India has set the bar really high and considering their bench strength, it will be an extremely tough battle for his team during the World Test Championship final beginning June 18.

"You go through the Indian line-up, all world-class players all through and whatever side they do decide to go with, they will leave out some world-class players as well. We know whatever XI we face will be very tough," Taylor said during a virtual press conference.

"India has been a world no.1 side and they have kept the bar really high for a long period of time, everyone in the world had to catch up to and I don't see any difference, yes we had a couple of Tests here but playing India in home, away or neutral venue will be a tough opposition." Taylor said India have a "balanced side and their depth has been amazing." "India has been a fantastic side for a long period of time, not only the batters but also the bowlers. They won against Australia during a home summer, it was great to watch...," he said.

"They had a lot of success over here as well. I am sure in their warm-up games and bowling at the nets, they would have enjoyed the swing and bounce that the duke ball has.

"... I am sure their warm-up game would have been a lot like playing a Test match." While India didn't get any game time, New Zealand geared up for the WTC final with a rare Test win in England during a two-match series. Taylor termed it as an "ideal preparation".

"It is an ideal preparation having two tests against England in these conditions, we are very lucky to manage to get these two matches and obviously the guys got some match preparation in these conditions, can't think of anything better," he said.

"Playing England in these conditions was a great Test, we learned a lot but as with everything in cricket, whatever you do first, you gotta do well and the team that puts the best foot forward will go a long away to sitting out in what hopefully is a great series." "...the whole New Zealand side is excited and it is going great occasion to be playing against India who has been world no 1 for 5-6 years. They going to be really hard opposition to play against but at the same time we are looking forward to that." Asked if New Zealand will be invited for longer Test series after their achievement of reaching the WTC final, Taylor said: "As players, we love playing Test cricket and we would love to play three-match series but if it was a difference between playing a white ball series and playing just two-test series, we definitely take two-test series, it is better than nothing.

"It is a moving base world cricket at the moment with COVID and quarantines and bubbles and things like that, so being realistic, with a 3 or 4 match series, I never played one of them.

"I can't see it happening in future but hopefully we can play more three-match series to test ourselves." News source PTI 

Southampton, Jun 15 If India goes on to win the inaugural World Test Championship title, it could prove to be the watershed moment for the revival of the longest format just like the 2007 World T20 triumph did for the popularity of the shortest format, feels Cheteshwar Pujara.

One of the shining products of traditional format, Pujara made no bones in admitting that playing the WTC final against New Zealand is a "big deal" for him even though he would try to treat it as another game of cricket.

"Yes of course, I think Test cricket needs to survive and with this WTC Final, it will definitely help," Pujara said during the virtual media conference on Tuesday when asked about the epic World T20 victory of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men in South Africa back in 2007.

"If we win, more young players in India will want to play Test cricket. And overall, even across the world, Test cricket needs to survive and this is a very good way to do it, having this WTC," said India's dependable No 3.

On a personal note, it's the hardwork of two years that has borne fruit and the team is within the distance of an ultimate triumph.

"Personally, it means a lot as I play just one format (Tests). This is the first time we are playing this WTC Final. As a team, we have worked hard over a period of time. You have to win so many series away and at home. To be at top, it does require a lot of hardwork. It's like a World Cup final in any other format.

"This is the first time in Test format, but it's very similar to playing a World Cup final in ODI or T20. As a team we are looking forward to the final," he said.

Pujara, just like his colleague Ravichandran Ashwin, agreed that New Zealand will have an advantage going into the final with two Test series against England providing them the right preparation.

"Well, it is (advantage New Zealand). But this is something which we can't control. It's been challenging times all over the world because of the pandemic. You can't have all the luxuries of having extra time for preparation.

"The game is still going on, that's the most important part. For all of us, we are playing the final which is very important. Even if preparation time is less, just maybe it's little bit of a disadvantage for us but if you are ready for the challenge, even in not favourable circumstances, you still want to do well," Pujara, who has 6000 plus runs in Tests, said. Pujara said during the intra-squad simulation match, most of the bowlers aimed at upping their workload after nearly three weeks of quarantine. The batsmen also had centre wicket match situation as well as net training during each of the days.

"It's getting back into the rhythm for both batters and bowlers. We have been in quarantine but we started our training and practice. So when we were out there in the middle we wanted to make the most out of it. We also had some practice wickets available even during the practice games.

"When you are in the middle, you want to make sure that the things which you've been working on in the nets should come along. Even for the bowlers, to get used to the workload, have 14-15 overs in the entire game which is very important preparing for the final." The batsmen were focussing on leaving the swinging deliveries early and intent on playing shots which they initially missed out.

"For batters, it's about spending some time in the middle, having that discipline of leaving the balls, playing the shots which you normally play at the nets. So, getting used to the actual game, basically having that match scenario is very important for the team." A team player to the core, Pujara lauded the pace quartet comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav, who now have Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur for company. Thakur though is not part of final 15.

"The reason we've reached the final is because of our bowling. They have been able to take 20 wickets and they have won so many Tests for us over a period of time.

"Our pacers are ready for this challenge," Pujara said. News source PTI

Bristol, Jun 15 A favourable record in England and "positive mindset" despite inadequate preparation time will spur the Indian women's cricket team when it takes on the seasoned hosts in its first Test engagement in nearly seven years here from Wednesday.

After multiple quarantines in India and UK, the Mithali Raj-led squad got little over a week to prepare for its first red ball game since November 2014.

Mithali was among the seven current players, who were a part of that victorious eleven against South Africa in Mysuru.

While experienced players like the skipper, her deputy Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Jhulan Goswami have not played red ball cricket at all in recent times, it will be an even tougher test for the younger lot who don't get to play first-class matches in domestic cricket.

Unlike the men's squad, which played intra-squad games in Southampton ahead of the WTC final, the women prepared only in the nets which might hurt them in the four-day game.

"The players are in good shape and have been training well but there is no substitute to match practice. Whether it is a one day game or a four-day game, you bat or bowl for the same time in the nets," a BCCI source told PTI.

"Since it is a four day game, only time will tell if they are ready to stand in the field for longer periods or bowl multiple long spells. If you play a practice match, there is pressure. That same pressure is not there in the nets," he added.

Harmanpreet has already conceded they got limited time to get ready for the one-off Test but said India go into the game "mentally prepared", having got some valuable advice from men's team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.

There is a good chance that 17-year-old batting sensation Shafali Verma opens in the game alongside Mandhana.

She goes into the game with no baggage and could well make a big impact at the top of the order.

The experienced trio of Mithali, Harmanpreet and Punam Raut will be expected to do the job in what will be challenging conditions for them also.

There could be some respite in store for the batters with England choosing Kookaburra over Dukes ball, which does more, for the game as the home team builds up to the Ashes Test against Australia later in the year.

It also remains to be seen if veteran pacers Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey would be able to bowl long spells, having not done so for a long time.

The spinners, who had a forgettable time at home in the limited overs series against South Africa, would be be itching to make amends.

The visitors can surely take heart from their past record in England where they have not lost in eight games, having won two out of them.

England's star all-rounder and newly-appointed vice captain Nat Sciver is among the six squad members who played in their last Test match against India back in August 2014.

The tourists had won that game in Wormsley by six wickets.

England remain the favourites to win the upcoming contest but Sciver expects India to play fearlessly.

"They're an ever-growing side. There's always a new, young talent on the team who isn't afraid to go out there and show what they've got. They seem to be more fearless than I've seen before," Sciver said.

"Couple that with a lot of experience in their team - with Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami - they can be a very difficult side to beat. Hopefully in England, in our conditions, we can hone our skills and make sure that we're doing the right things.

"Last time we played India, we weren't very good in that Test match and we didn't play to our potential so hopefully we can do better this time," she added.

Squads: India: Mithali Raj (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Punam Raut, Priya Punia, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Indrani Roy, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav.

England: Heather Knight (captain), Emily Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vice-captain), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield-Hill. News source PTI 

Bristol, Jun 14 Indian women's team vice-captain Harmanpreet Kuar on Monday said the squad is mentally prepared to take on mighty hosts England in its first Test in seven years, especially after "picking the brains" of red-ball specialist Ajinkya Rahane.

India and England will play a one-off Test here from Wednesday, which will start the visitors' full-fledged tour of the UK, where they will also feature in ODI and T20 series.

"I have not played much of red-ball cricket, I have played just two Tests. This time we got a chance to speak to Ajinkya Rahane, we picked his brains on how to bat in the longer format, mentally we are prepared," Harmanpreet said during a virtual press conference.

The swashbuckler has made a name for herself in white-ball cricket and is now looking to stamp her class in the traditional format.

She added, "Even in the nets, we try to be in the right frame of mind. When you are happy, you play good cricket. We try to play to our strengths.

"We had an easy and friendly talk with Rahane, he is very experienced, we had a chance to talk to him and we did exactly that." Elaborating on the interaction with Virat Kohli's deputy in the men's Test team, she said, "Rahane has so much experience, he shared them with us, offered us tips on how to bat, what kind approach should we have to batting because it's long format, how to break your inning in parts..." Asked about teen batting sensation Shafali Verma's chance of making her Test debut, Harmanpreet said the team management doesn't prefer tinkering with her game.

"Shafali is someone we always want to play, she is someone who can dominate the opposition.

"We never tried to tinker with Shafali's game as she is a natural player, it's not a great idea to talk too much about technique and game planning with her.

All of us are trying to create a very nice situation for her so that she doesn't feel the pressure and enjoys her cricket. She was looking great in the nets, and I hope, if she gets a chance to play, she will do better." She said it will be imperative that the players adapt quickly to the conditions in the UK as they din not get enough practice with the red ball.

"I know we did not get much time to prepare, we did not get enough time to practice but, as players, we need to adapt. Wickets here are different, today and tomorrow, we need to do the needful to prepare ourselves.

"Well, it is totally different scenario when you play red-ball cricket, it is important to get used to the conditions. We did not get domestic games with the red ball, but, in the coming seasons and years, we will get more red-ball games, which is a very good sign," she added.

"We need to feel good and happy instead of thinking too much about our batting. We have to play to our strengths, continue to play the way we have been playing so far." One of her two Test matches was the memorable triumph in England in 2014. Asked about playing a Test match after such a long time, Harmanpreet said, "As a batter, there is only one approach: watch the ball and react.

"I know I have played more T20Is and ODIs, don't have enough experience of Test cricket. But I know the game is about patience and spending as much time as possible at the crease.

"For me as well as others, the approach will be same: watch the ball and react. " "Wickets will aid swing and for that we practised in the nets. We have two more days to prepare ourselves in the best possible manner for the match.

When asked about veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami's role in the squad, Harmanpreet said, "She is someone who will always take the lead, she will always give us breakthroughs whenever we needed them.

Not only her, all the bowlers are very important in Test matches and you need someone who can come and bowl, take wickets. I think she will be fantastic in this match too." She is also looking forward towards playing Test cricket with the Kookaburra ball.

"Kookaburra did not feel much different, the wight of the ball and both sides are the same. I think there is not much difference between red ball and white ball when it comes to kookaburra." Harmanpreet was also asked about recognising the role played by her predecessors in developing the women's game in India.

"When you represent a team it's good to know the history. Unfortunately, we don't know much about the past when there was not much media coverage. So it was a great feeling to know about them, their struggles, how it all started.

"Our respect for them has increased manifold because if they had given up that time, we would not have been sitting in this position today. We are very thankful to them," Harmanpreet signed off. News source PTI

Birmingham, Jun 12 Initially not expecting to feature in the ongoing second Test against England, New Zealand pacer Trent Boult is hopeful that achieving game fitness rather than bowling in the nets will put him in "good stead" in the upcoming World Test Championship final against India.

Boult, who missed out on the first Test against England as he opted to spend time with his family after the suspension of the IPL in May, was also set to sit out the second match as well.

However, the pace spearhead was out of quarantine sooner than expected as UK relaxed its quarantine rules.

"Initially I wasn't expecting to play this game but everything fell into line, and I gave myself that chance to get out there and I think I'll definitely be better off for that head out," Boult was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

"It's one thing loading and getting through numbers in the nets but to simulate that kind of game fitness and having to come back three, four or five times in a day … there's no real other way to do that. So I'm hoping it puts me in good stead (for the WTC final)." The inaugural WTC final between Indian and New Zealand is scheduled to be held in Southampton from June 18-22.

"The toes are a bit sore but that's what happens when you ram into the shoes for 30 overs. I'm excited about what lies ahead next week in Southampton but equally excited with the opportunity here over the next couple of days," Boult said.

The first Test between the Blackcaps and hosts England ended in a draw and New Zealand made six changes for the second match which began on Thursday.

"What worked really well was the travel went well and I managed to get out of isolation in the UK quicker than was expected.

"As you can imagine, I was very excited with the prospect of playing the second Test. I felt like I gave myself the best chance with preparing with that week back at home and then getting straight into it here.

"Hopefully, we can get the job done and win a very important series." New Zealand have plenty of bowling options ahead of the marquee Test next week with pacers Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry performing well in ongoing series but Boult feels some "hard calls" are on the cards.

"Healthy competition," Boult said about their pace-bowling options for the WTC final.

"The boys are very excited about the prospect, but they've put in a lot of hard yards not just over the last couple of weeks but over a couple of years of a Test Championship cycle.

"Some hard calls will have to be made but the big picture is the collective goal of lifting the world title," he added. New source PTI 

Chennai, Jun 11 Ravisrinivas Sai Kishore's transition has been gradual -- from being the chief architect of Tamil Nadu's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy victory, followed by an IPL contract with Chennai Super Kings and now a chance to be a reserve bowler for India's tour of Sri Lanka.

The wiry framed left arm orthodox spinner's rise through the ranks has been possible because of his hunger to learn and soak in as much knowledge as possible like he did during his month long stint at the CSK before IPL was suspended due to COVID-19.

"...Being with CSK has been a big plus, my game has got better. If I have to say correctly, when you practise with the best of the best, you will automatically get better," Sai Kishore told PTI after his maiden national call-up albeit as a net bowler.

"The exposure has been great and just by practising with the (CSK) team, I have improved by leaps and bounds. The atmosphere is very important, the management takes good care and that keeps us motivated," said 24-year-old Sai Kishore, who has so far scalped 126 victims for Tamil Nadu across three formats with an impressive economy rate of under six runs in T20s.

He feels that his overall game awareness has got better having spent considerable time at the CSK nets.

Asked about being under the wings of the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni at CSK, the TN spinner said being with him itself is a great learning.

"Nothing specific....being with skipper (MS Dhoni) itself is a great learning. He says many things as matter of fact but they are gems for us. After coming under his wings at CSK, I have begun to make better use of my abilities. My (game) plans are better. It is a big thing to watch MSD and the others prepare and how they go about it," Sai Kishore said.

Being a part of any India set-up is a matter of pride and it's no different for Sai Kishore.

"I am very happy to have been picked as net bowler for the tour. I am very much excited and look forward to it. Also, it is a recognition of the hard work and performances in domestic cricket," he said.

He realises that call-up is just a first step and the real hard work starts now.

"Once I got the call, I think I need to work harder now and the responsibility is greater. Being part of the national squad is a great honour and I can only gain knowledge by being around. I have to be ready when I get the opportunity," he added. New source PTI 

Southampton, Jun 10 India carried out their first group practice session at a ground adjacent to Ageas Bowl here on Thursday, five days after being allowed staggered training in the run-up to the World Test Championship final against New Zealand.

The WTC final is scheduled to be held from Jun 18 to 22.

It was the first time the players mixed with their teammates on the ground after being allowed to run in the gymnasium and the main playing field at different time slots on completion of the third day of their hard quarantine in the UK.

"We have had our first group training session and the intensity was high Fire. #TeamIndia's preparations are on in full swing for the #WTC21 Final," the BCCI wrote in a twitter post along with a short video of the training session.

The players had a full net session, where the likes of skipper Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant batted for a considerable amount of time and faced throw-downs as well.

The bowlers too had an intense session with all the main players -- Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravichandran Ashwin -- participating in the practice session.

The nets were followed by a fielding session under fielding coach R Sridhar, which mostly focussed on catching in the slip cordon.

Earlier, the players were allowed to come out of their Hilton Hotel rooms, a Hampshire Bowl property, on the third day, following which they started their individual training.

The players were also provided basic equipments in their rooms for exercise purposes. New source PTI 

UTRECHT, Netherlands – After yesterday's dramatic one-run defeat against the Netherlands, Ireland Men’s skipper Andrew Balbirnie had his men back in the nets today to refine their tactics and approach for the second game of the series tomorrow.

The Irish team will be keen to atone for the defeat, particularly as they had many phases of the game in which they were seemingly in control, and felt the game was definitely one that got away.

Speaking from the team hotel, Balbirnie in a press release by Cricket Ireland said: “It was slightly disappointing that they got to 195, considering we had them at 53-5 - but at the halfway mark we were confident of being able to chase that down. We knew it would be a tricky wicket, but we just didn’t apply ourselves as we should have. Paul [Stirling] played another brilliant knock, but we just couldn’t get anyone to support him.”

“We’ve gone away and discussed our approach to batting on such a tricky wicket, probably the thing we most talked about was how to rotate strike a bit better, and avoiding clusters. We talked a lot about the need to put in some big partnerships.”

About his team's fitness and availability ahead of the second game: “Everyone is fit and ready to go. George [Dockrell] was a concern after an incident in yesterday’s game, but his wrist is fine and he is all good. We are all looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.”

With the new World Cup Super League underway, each match carries ten points – with pundits suggesting the likely threshold for qualifying in the 2023 Cricket World Cup will be around hundred points from the twenty four games to be played by each side. Hence, every match becomes crucial and both teams are keen to maximise their points from this series.

Jonty Rhodes once said, “I got more bruises, grass burns and cuts in practice than in match play." Widely regarded as one of the best fielders to ever play the game, the former South African cricketer epitomized why fielding is such a valuable and underappreciated aspect of cricket. The qualities of what makes a good fielder is developed meticulously, and coaches play a big part in honing the skill. One such coach, Mr. Biju George has proven himself time and again at the highest level. A NIS and BCCI (level 3) certified coach, Biju George has coached the India Under 19 team, Kuwait national team, Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad and India Women’s fielding coach.

In an exclusive interview with SPOGO, we chat with Biju George who has worked with the Sports Authority of India as a cricket coach and is attached to LNCPE Thiruvananthapuram about all things cricket, fielding, grassroot development and more!

Q 1) We have always heard catches win matches, but the quality of fielding we see in IPL is far from what is desired, barring a few. Do you think team owners should keep this aspect in mind before picking a player in the auction?

Ans: When a player is picked for an auction, every aspect of the cricketer is taken into consideration. Before the Indian Premier League season starts, there will be a minimum of 15-20 days of camps where fielding is stressed upon and given much importance. With the recent lockdowns, there has been a significant drop in fielding standards and my belief is that when you are cooped up in the house and the maximum distance that you cover is the length of your room, unless you have access to a terrace or an open ground, your range of movement will be limited. When you go back to the ground and try to catch a ball which is moving at you from 75 yards, it’s a little difficult. The process takes time but it can easily be addressed.

Q 2) In a time and age when the focus is on quick runs, hard hitting shots and roles are quite defined, do you think fielding training takes a backseat? Do you find it challenging to train star batsmen and bowlers?

Ans: It is absolutely not challenging to train star batsmen and bowlers. Last season I was working with the Sunrisers Hyderabad as a fielding coach and there was so much stress on fielding. In a daily session, while the batsmen are in the nets, the others would be undergoing a fielding routine and there were days dedicated exclusively for fielding. 

Q 3) How can aspiring cricketers in India be conditioned from an early age at the grassroot level to develop into world class fielders?

Ans: There are a couple of factors that influence the development of fielders. It depends on the quality of grounds that you practice on. If you’re practicing on grounds that are very abrasive and rough, you cannot practice sliding techniques or diving techniques due to fear of injury. If a player is practicing on lush grounds with proper techniques, anybody can become a very good fielder.



Q 4) According to you, who are the fittest fielders in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team? Can you share your most memorable catch or fielding effort?

Ans: Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson are one of the fittest and best fielders in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team. During the training sessions, everybody goes out and does their best so you can't pick a single catch from a particular session. If you talk about a match, Manish Pandey had taken a stunner after dropping a catch against Mumbai Indians at Sharjah Stadium. He had to run in from long off and dive flat towards his left. It was a low catch and the ball was travelling away so it was a stunner.

Q 5) India has appointed Mr. Ramesh Powar as the new coach replacing Mr. WV Raman. How different are the coaching styles of the two?

Ans: I have worked with Tushar Arothe sir, Ramesh Pawar sir and WV Raman sir and each of them have their own coaching style and their coaching philosophy are completely different and everybody is very good in their own rights. Ramesh Pawar can be more into planning and getting the small details right. WV Raman was someone who used to motivate the players, instilling in them a belief that they can compete with the best in the world.  Each of them are different and each of them can bring their own brilliance to the table.

Q 6) Indian Women are set to play against England on June 16th, how optimistic are you of the side’s chances?

Ans: I'm very optimistic, especially in a day's match. We have got girls like Poonam Raut who can bat the whole day long, Mithali Raj, Jemimah Rodriguez, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur along with others. We have a super side and our bowling is also spot on so I'm very confident of their chances.

Q 7) What’s your goals and aspirations for the future? What would you like to say to the young and aspiring crickets?

Ans: I strongly believe that nothing is impossible. Keep yourself fit, keep developing yourself as a player. As a coach it’s important to increase your knowledge, as a player it’s important to increase your versatility. Everyday or every season, try to analyze yourself and try to find out your strengths and weaknesses. Make your strength into super strength and make sure you try to eradicate your weakness and today or tomorrow you'll definitely achieve your dreams.

Ahmedabad, Apr 29 In the IPL nets, Virat Kohli is literally using every trick in the bag to prepare for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand but is not getting much help from current teammate and Black Caps pacer Kyle Jamieson.

RCB all-rounder Dan Christian has revealed that Jamieson, who is playing his first IPL after being bought for Rs 15 crore, is carrying a couple of Dukes balls, which will be used in the WTC final in Southampton from June 18 between India and New Zealand.

However, when his RCB skipper Kohli asked Jamieson to bowl with the Dukes to him in the nets, the New Zealander did not fall for that trick.

"Pretty cagey from Virat actually, right in the first week we were here. The three of us were sitting down after the nets and these two were talking about Test cricket.

"Virat said: 'So Jamie (Kyle Jamieson) have you bowled much with the Dukes ball?' and they are talking about that stuff.

"Jamie says: 'Yeah, I have a couple of them here, I will have a bowl leading in before I go over there' and Virat says 'Oh, if you want to have a bowl against me in the nets, I am more than happy to face'.

"Jamie was like, 'No chance I am going to ball at you!' He would have looked at his release point and everything that he does with the Dukes ball! (chuckles)," Christian said on The Grade Cricketer's YouTube channel.

Jamieson had troubled the Indian batsmen, including Kohli, when they toured New Zealand early last year and it was the main reason why the lanky pacer attracted a huge bid at the IPL auction.

When it comes to off the field activities in the RCB camp, Christian said Kohli is not as involved as other stars like AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell.

"You don't see Virat a lot off the field, you see a little bit. He will, maybe, come to half of the things but he has his family here too from the start so we might see more of him now.

"So AB (de Villiers) is the happiest, most humble... never got a bad word to say about anybody, will be there from start to finish. Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) is there from start to finish as well," said Christian.

RCB, who are aiming to win their maiden IPL title, have started well this season. News Source : PTI

Chennai, Apr 24 Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav isn't too worried about the team's misfiring middle-order and said it is just a matter of one game and it will make a strong comeback. MI's middle-order, comprising hard-hitting batsmen like Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, his brother Krunal, has not been able to perform to its potential in the Chennai leg of the T20 tournament. While skipper Rohit Sharma (63) top-scored, the middle-order once again failed to deliver on Friday night as Mumbai slumped to 131 for six, a score easily chased down by Punjab Kings with nine wickets to spare. Suryakumar, however, said performance of the middle-order was "not really" a cause of concern for the team. "...they have been working really hard in the nets, every-day, every practice session, it is just a matter of one game, I feel, that we will be coming back into the games," he said in a virtual press conference. "Every one is trying to take that responsibility in every game, it is just that it is not working, it happens in this sport, but I am sure they will come back really stronger." Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have played five matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, winning two and losing three games. "Conditions are little-different here, but we are trying to play ourselves on such wickets in the practice," said Suryakumar, who made a 27-ball 33 against Punjab. "We have faced this situation before and come back really stronger, so I feel we will come back really stronger, we fire in one game and then there is no looking back." Mumbai is scheduled to play their next four matches in Delhi, beginning with the clash against Rajasthan Royals on April 29."One phase is completely over, it is time for the next phase and I am sure 100 per cent, that we will start the next phase really strong and come back into the tournament really hard," Suryakumar said. Punjab Kings leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who returned with figures of two for 21, said the Chepauk track was supporting the spinners and he looked to bowl wicket to wicket. "... as the ball pitched outside was easy to be hit, so my plan was to ball as many balls stump to stump," said Bishnoi. The 20-year-old said skipper KL Rahul has asked him to work on a few things. "The one two things (which I needed to work on) was that I should be bowling more consistently, and he backed me that if you work more on your bowling, it would be good. He said you will get the opportunity, wait, and I did that," he said. "If you deliver in difficult situations, when you get to bat or ball, then it is good for you and the management's faith increases." Punjab takes on Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday. News source: PTI

Mumbai, Apr 19 Back in form with a scintillating half-century, Punjab Kings' Mayank Agarwal says he wasn't too stressed about not firing in the first couple of IPL matches and tried to stick to the things that worked for him in the last edition. Mayank, who had amassed 424 runs in the last season in the UAE, had scored 14 and 0 against Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings to make a dismal start to the ongoing season. However, the 30-year-old from Bangalore found his touch on Sunday as he smashed a sizzling 36-ball 69 to help Punjab post 195 for four against Delhi Capitals. "I wasn't thinking too much, I planned to do and keep the mindset that worked for me last year. I thought last match I had a good ball, I didn't want to stress too much about it and wanted to look forward and so stuck to what worked for me," he said during a virtual press-conference. "I was batting well in the nets, I was getting into good positions, it was about holding shape and I don't want to live in the previous games and I am happy how I batted." The total, however, didn't prove enough as last year's runners-up Delhi Capitals romped home in 18.2 overs, riding on opener Shikhar Dhawan's 49-ball 92. "I thought it was a good total. It wasn't as easy in the first innings and I thought dew played a factor coming in the second innings," Mayank said. "I thought Delhi Capitals batted exceedingly well, also there was a dew factor. Credited to Delhi bowlers how they executed after the 12 overs, they went into death bowling and executed it beautifully." Asked how can dew be countered to make it an even contest, Mayank said: "I don't think we can do much about it as players. It boils down to execution under pressure and practicing that. Those are the things which are under our control." Punjab will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Wednesday. News source: PTI

Mumbai, Apr 17 Entrusted with the task of finishing off matches, Punjab Kings batsman M Shahrukh Khan says he has the ability to adapt and skills to bat anywhere and see the team through tough situations. Khan made 47 off 36 balls and helped Punjab cross 100 in their IPL match against Chennai Super Kings here on Friday. "My role is playing down the order as a finisher but you don't expect to go out and blast in every game because there will be situations where the team bundles out and you need to take responsibility and see the team through," he said at the post-match press conference. "I'm branded as a complete finisher. I am a good batsman, I was batting up the order for Tamil Nadu for a couple of years. So, I've been batting at the top order. I've the skill in me to bat and see the team through in tough situations. "I think I've really developed my game as a finisher in the last couple of years but still, my core game is still with me- See the ball and play normal cricketing shots," he added. The 25-year-old right-hander said it was a good learning curve to play in the presence of top players. "The way they are having conversations with people around the team... Nicholas Pooran, Chris Gayle, David Malan and obviously KL Rahul. The likes of so many big players when they see you in the nets, they say certain things here and there. "It's really going to improve your batting and obviously new to IPL. A long way to go! Will take a lot of things from them, advice and put out there and use it." The Tamil Nadu cricketer said coaches Wasim Jaffer and Andy Flower were helping improve his game and take it to the next level. "New to the IPL, different scenario compared to the domestic games but here I'm getting to learn a lot of things. I'm trying to improve my game one per cent every session, having a good time with Wasim Jaffer and Andy Flower. Really having a lot of conversations with them." Khan said the wicket at the Wankhede Stadium was a bit slower on Friday. Punjab lost the match by six wickets having managed only 106 for eight after reeling at 27 for five. "I think it was a bit slower. Not like the usual Wankhede, what I've seen through the years. Really stopped a lot, didn't expect to play in such a manner. But you know when the dew factor comes in it skids on to the bat really well. "Yeah, half of the team inside the dressing but still it was you know. Still wanted to hang around for some time and you know assess the pitch a bit more so that slog overs would be a bit easier for me. "I think if I played that 5 balls in the end in the 20th over, we could've scored 20 runs more which would have been a tight game I guess," the Punjab Kings batter said. News source: PTI

Chennai, Apr 14 (PTI) Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar said he had the belief that "only a spinner can be a game changer" but it was skipper Rohit Sharma's confidence that brought the best out of him as he spun Mumbai Indians to a 10-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders here. Chasing a target of 153, KKR produced a 72-run opening stand in 8.5 overs and needed another 72 from the last 10 overs but the 21-year-old Chahar pulled off quite a coup, taking four wickets en route to his game-changing 4 for 27 in the IPL match on Tuesday night. "... he (Rohit) told me "bowl with confidence... you're bowling well, sometimes even I'm not able to understand (your variations in the nets). They (KKR batters) would also feel the same way. Just keep your focus, bowl in good length and try to get spin'," Chahar said in the virtual press-conference. "I knew if there was someone who could be the gamechanger in such a match, it was the spinners. I always had the confidence." Chahar, who has played three T20Is for India, said he didn't feel much pressure as he is used to bowling to the likes of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard at the nets. "I'm used to bowling to the top Indian players in the nets, and when you do that, the pressure is less in a match scenario like this. So there was nothing much going in my mind," he said. "This is my fourth year with MI, I've been bowling to the likes of Pollard, Hardik, considered among the world's best hitters. So I don't feel much pressure." After Chahar dismissed KKR top-scorer Nitish Rana for his fourth wicket, Krunal Pandya removed Shakib-Al-Hasan. "We both played well. He (Krunal) also had a good spell, restricting the run flow. We got some help from the wicket," he said. With the small target, KKR were still in the chase despite the collapse but Chahar said they never gave up. "It was a close match. We always had the belief that (Jasprit) Bumrah and (Trent) Boult would turn the match in the death overs," he signed off. Mumbai Indians will next play Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai.

Mumbai, Apr 12 (PTI) Delhi Capitals' pacer Avesh Khan said he fulfilled a long-cherished dream when he got former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's prized wicket in their IPL opener against Chennai Super Kings. The 24-year-old from Indore dismissed Dhoni and South Africa's Faf du Plessis for his two wickets during Delhi Capitals' seven-wicket win over CSK here on Saturday. "Three years ago, I had a chance to take Mahi bhai's wicket, but somebody had dropped the catch. But now my dream of taking Mahi bhai's wicket is fulfilled, so I am very happy about it," Avesh said in a release issued by the franchise. "Since he has not played competitive matches for some time, we had planned to put pressure on him and because of that pressure I could take his wicket." His figures of 2 for 23 helped Delhi restrict CSK to 188 for seven. Delhi chased down the target in 18.4 overs for a winning start to their campaign. "I was quite happy with my performance in our first match, and I am even more happy because the team has won. I put the team in a good position with the wickets of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) and Faf du Plessis," he said. "I was happy with the way I carried out the role given to me by the team management. After winning the first match, everyone's confidence goes up. Now, we have to maintain the momentum." Avesh said du Plessis' wicket helped him get into a good rhythm. "Rishabh backed me and gave me the second over of the match and I took a wicket in that over itself," he said. "A wicket in the initial part of a fast bowler's spell is really good for his rhythm. Du Plessis is a good batsman and if he continued to play, then he would've made things difficult for us." Avesh said he worked a lot on his fitness and had hired the services of a dietician ahead of the tournament. "I have reduced my weight by 5 kg. I have hired a personal dietician and I plan my diet according to the dietician's directions. My diet plan changes on a day-to-day basis, depending on my gym and training sessions and rest days," he said. "I had to sacrifice some of my favourite dishes for 20-25 days, but that has helped me to stay on track for achieving some of my personal goals." Talking about the team's bowling attack in general, Avesh said: "I think we have the best fast bowling line-up in the tournament. Kagiso Rabada won the Purple Cap last season, Anrich Nortje bowled the fastest ball in IPL history last season. "Ishant Sharma is an experienced bowler and Umesh Yadav has been bowling well in the nets as well. There's good competition among the fast bowlers in our team." Delhi Capitals will next play Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai on April 15.

Chennai, Apr 12 (PTI) Hardik Pandya did not bowl in Mumbai Indians' lung-opener on Friday due to a shoulder concern but the India all-rounder will soon contribute in team's cause with ball in his hand, team's Director of Cricket Operations Zaheer Khan said on Monday. Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions, lost their opening game to Royal Challengers Bangalore by two wickets. "Hardik, as a whole package is always of great value, everyone knows that. It was a workload related thing in the previous game," Zaheer said at the pre-match conference ahead of their game against Kolkata Knight Riders. "He bowled in the whole England series, in the last ODI he bowled about nine overs and that is why in consultation with the physio, we had to take that approach. "There was a little bit of a shoulder concern but I don't think it is worrisome. You will see him bowl very soon. We are very confident that he will be chipping in with the ball in his hand as well," added Zaheer, a former left-arm pacer himself. Zaheer also said that West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard was the team's sixth bowling option. "Pollard is our sixth bowling option. In that department we are not very concerned. You have to just adapt and adjust. "This year's format is a different format. So, from that point of view, we need to have that adaptability and flexibility around the squad as well, with different places, not playing in your home ground, which is what we accept and planning accordingly with regard to the season ahead," he added. According to Zaheer, South African opener Quinton De Kock is available for the game on Tuesday. "Quinton is out of his quarantine. He did a practice session yesterday with the team. He is looking forward to the season. He will be available for tomorrow's game," said Zaheer. Zaheer also heaped praise on wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan and said he has flourished since the last season’s game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he played a splendid knock. "Ishan Kishan is looking assured now. When you are growing as a cricketer, when you are trying to make that impact at the highest level, you know you have that tipping point and with Ishan last year was that tipping point when he played that knock against RCB," explained Zaheer. "He (Kishan) just flourished from there and he is in the same zone and going about doing his business, making sure he is continuing with those processes and spending enough time in the nets and trying to better himself," he said. Mumbai Indians' hard-hitting Australian batsman Chris Lynn made a quick-fire 49 in the lung-opener. Now that Quinton will be available, it's still not clear if Lynn will keep his place. "It is a good headache to have as a management, like I was earlier saying we are lucky and fortunate to have such a squad where people are waiting to grab those opportunities, and pushing each other, so that’s the exciting part." Zaheer also described pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as their trump card and said he was someone, who could turn the game at any stage. Asked whether Bumrah should have bowled earlier in the last game against RCB, Zaheer quipped, "You can't set a pattern to use a trump card, you have to use trump card in an aggressive manner, when you are really need it." "And that was the discussion and that is generally the process around Jasprit. He is someone who can turn the game at any stage and we use him accordingly," he signed off.

Chennai, Apr 12 (PTI) Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Trevor Bayliss said New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson was left out of their opening IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders as he needs more time to be match fit. Batting at number four, Williamson had scored 317 runs in 11 innings for SRH last season, while Bairstow was equally impressive with 345 runs after opening the innings in the previous edition in the UAE. "We just felt that Kane needed a little bit of extra time to get match fit and a little bit more time in the nets," Bayliss said in the post-match press conference after SRH lost to KKR by 10 runs on Sunday night. "He would have played in place of Jonny Bairstow obviously if that had occurred. But we aren't too perturbed about that, Jonny has been in form recently in white-ball cricket here in India. Kane will obviously come into calculations as the tournament unfolds." Bairstow made 55 batting at number four but Wriddhiman Saha, who opened the innings, was dismissed cheaply for seven runs on Sunday night. Saha had made an instant impact as an opener last year when SRH rested Bairstow to accommodate Jason Holder in the playing XI and find the right balance after a mid-tournament slump. It worked as the Sunrisers reached the play-offs where they lost to Delhi Capitals in the Qualifier 2. "At the moment what we wanted to do is reward the guys who finished the tournament last year," Bayliss said. "We got off to a slow start last tournament but came back well to reach the finals (playoffs). Someone like Saha opening and batting so well in that tournament we felt we should reward the guys who finished it so well for us last year." However, Bayliss made it clear that Bairstow, who plays at no 4 in T20Is but opens in ODIs for England, remains one of the options for the opening slot. "Depending on fitness and form, we know Jonny can open the batting and keep as well. It gives us options but yes he has done well for England at number 4 recently," said the 58-year-old from Australia. SRH had promoted Vijay Shankar ahead of Abdul Samad with the team requiring 57 off last 24 balls. However, the move didn't work as Shankar could score only 11 off 7 balls, while Samad smashed Pat Cummins for a couple of maximums. SRH eventually fell short by 10 runs. "Vijay, in our practice matches that we had a few days ago, was our best player," Bayliss said. "He struck the ball beautifully and made 95 in one of the games, hit a lot of the balls long way over the fence. It's always difficult in those situations whenever you go in you have to go pretty much from the first ball you face. "Samad in a short space of time last IPL and this one has shown that he has a lot of talent and is a clean striker of the ball. I think as he gets more experience, he will get more opportunities." Sunrisers Hyderabad will next face Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on Wednesday.

After a power packed schedule of back to back events, UFC Fight Night Vettori versus Holland is back with a bang! UFC Fight Night better known as Vegas 23 is a classic clash between a solid middleweight (185 lbs) contender in the Italian Dream Marvin Vettori and a rising star – Kevin Holland.

This event will be the first one with the new apparel sponsors of the UFC – Venum. After a hyped announcement last July, Venum came on board after UFC’s 6 year partnership with Reebok came to an end.

What a smashing card to begin their partnership.

‘The Italian Dream’ Vettori was originally scheduled to face Brash Brit Darren Till in the middleweight division to decide who climbs up the ranks and gets a step closer to the Gold. However, a broken collar bone forced Till out of this one. There are very few contenders that would step in on short notice to face a 27-year-old, 4 fight win streak monster in Vettori and the UFC was finding it tough to keep this main event intact. Until the Trailblazer, Kevin Holland made the call and said he’s ready to buckle up on a 9-day notice.

Kevin Holland who just went 5 gruelling rounds with Derek Brunson on 20/March/2021 has tied for the shortest turnaround between two consecutive main events.

Let's have a look at the main card below:



If you thought the main event was hyped, how about the opener – Mike Perry taking on Daniel Rodriguez.
We cannot rule out the new mother Nina Ansaroff taking on the bulldozer Mackenzie Dern!

Let's speak on the opener in the welterweight (170 lbs) division where the eccentric Mike Perry took on 10th Planets’ very own Daniel Rodriguez.

Perry is known to be dynamic and eccentric, but is an entertaining fighter. A true treat for the fans to watch. Over the last couple of years, he has changed many camps, got into street fights, walked into the octagon all alone with no professional cornerman etc. But it seems for this fight, Perry will have the backing of former title challenger Colby Covington from MMA Masters.

A talented Perry needs stability in his game as he has all the tools to crack into the top 10 of the welterweight division.

Standing in front of Perry is a solid contender in Daniel Rodriguez. 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu’s Rodriguez is camping with Donald Cowboy Cerrone for this fight at the BMF Ranch. It's an interesting choice as Cerrone and Perry don’t particularly like each other and the friction is evident. They have trained together that makes this match up so interesting. Both Perry and Rodriguez are coming off a loss and this result could decide who could be cut from the roster.

Crystal Ball Prediction: Mike Perry gets his hand raised.

The second fight I would like to speak on is the women's strawweight (115 lbs) fight between Nina Ansaroff and Mackenzie Dern.
Both extremely gritty and tough fighters.

This will be Nina’s comeback fight post the birth of her daughter. Nina will be as motivated as her partner Amanda Nunes and may ride the wave of confidence into this fight.

She however, will be clashing against a smiling assassin in Mackenzie Dern. Dern has faced defeat just once in her 11 fight pro career and is currently camping with Jason Parillo. Parillo is a master in strategy and has taken Michael Bisping and Cris Cyborg to championship level. The combination of a great striking coach and strategist in Parillo with the black belt of Dern could be a tough challenge for Nina to cross through.

But this fight is surely something you cannot miss.

Crystal Ball Prediction: Mackenzie Dern gets her hand raised.

Hope you enjoyed my exclusive piece on SPOGO News. For more such exciting content stay tuned to my show The Ultimate Guide to UFC that will come live on the Sony Sports India facebook page and do tune in right here on Spogo News for my post fight analysis.
Feel free to make predictions and tag, hashtag Spogo News on Instagram and Twitter and get a chance to win exciting prizes.
Also do catch my podcast – The Fighting G.O.A.T that releases every Wednesday only on the IVM Podcasts Network.

About the author



Somesh Kamra is a professional mixed martial artist specializing in Muay Thai. He has designed many effective training programs for Superhuman Gym and the Police Academy. His knowledge of hand to hand combat is unbeaten and has been a success story for many students. Somesh Kamra is educated from the University of Gold's Gym in the field of physical fitness that includes strength training, plyometrics & cardiovascular training for muscular conditioning. He works closely with the UFC for India and serves as the panelist for the TV Show – The Ultimate Guide to UFC and Pit Stop on Sony Sports Network.

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New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) India's leading Test stars will be busy with their IPL engagements but the BCCI is ready to help them out by providing Dukes balls in case they want to sneak in a few red ball net sessions during the course of the T20 tournament. This probably will be done keeping in mind that India's next big assignment just after the IPL is the marquee World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton from June 18-22, followed by the big-ticket five-Test series against England. However, this is purely an option which all the BCCI's contracted Test players can avail, keeping the gruelling IPL schedule in mind. "In case any of the Test players feel that they are able to devote time for some red ball sessions, the BCCI will provide them with a set of Red Dukes and they can train. For any help, national team coaches are always a phone call away," a senior BCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity. The logic behind such an option is the lack of time between IPL final and the World Test Championship which is around 20 days. "You won't get full 20 days for training. If IPL ends on May 29 and the team travels on May 30 or 31st, as of now there will be close to a week of hard quarantine in the UK. Effectively you are left with 10 days of nets and no matches. So it's only fair that if some of them can pull in a few sessions without hampering the franchises' schedule, it would be great," the official said. New Zealand will go into the WTC final well prepared with two Test matches against England early June but India dive straight into the crucial tie from the T20 format. It is believed that some of the red ball specialists like Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane, who aren't exactly sure-shot regular first XI picks for their respective franchises, can utilise the time away from games in preparing for the big battle ahead. "Similarly, a Mohammed Shami, who is a very vital cog in the scheme of things could time to time, bowl with the red Dukes to get a feel," he said. BCCI's team of trainers and physios will also keep a tab on the premier players' workload management by touching base with their franchise counterparts like every year. In fact, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who hasn't played a lot of red ball cricket of late after the conclusion of England series, had said that he will be preparing for England Tests while playing IPL. "Of course, red-ball cricket is on my radar. I will prepare keeping red ball in mind. Although what kind of team will be selected for Test matches is an entirely different scenario," Bhuvneshwar said at the conclusion of the ODI series. "My workload management and training during IPL will be keeping red ball in mind because I know there's a lot of Tests ahead and my priority still is Test cricket. So from my end, I will do everything to get ready for the Test series," he stated.

Chennai, Apr 8 (PTI) Mumbai Indians' swashbuckling all-rounder Kieron Pollard hit the nets and trained for the first time ahead of the team's lung-opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL starting here on Friday. The 33-year-old West Indian, the most capped player for the five-time defending champions, completed his quarantine before starting training. A video of the right-handed batsman, playing a variety of shots, was uploaded by the defending champions on their official Twitter handle on Thursday. Pollard, who has been with Mumbai Indians for a considerable amount of time, is their second highest run-scorer (3,023 runs) after Rohit Sharma (5,230 runs) and has grabbed 60 wickets. He has also smashed 198 sixes and is the second highest for his franchise after Rohit, who has 213 sixes to his name.

Mumbai, Apr 5 (PTI) Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has revealed that Prithvi Shaw refused to bat in the nets when he hit a bad patch in the last IPL and hoped that the highly-rated Indian youngster has changed his training habits "for the better" ahead of the upcoming edition. The former Australian skipper has been working with the 21-year-old for the past two seasons in the Delhi Capitals camp. He recalled how Shaw simply refused to pad up for nets when after scoring two fifties last season, he was hit by a slump. "...he had an interesting theory on his batting last year - when he's not scoring runs, he won't bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time," Ponting told 'cricket.com.au' as his side geared for the event starting April 9 in Chennai. "He had four or five games where he made under 10 and I'm telling him, 'We have to go to the nets and work out (what's wrong)', and he looked me in the eye and said, 'No, I'm not batting today'. I couldn't really work that out. "He might have changed. I know he's done a lot of work over the last few months, that theory that he had might have changed, and hopefully, it has, because if we can get the best out of him, he could be a superstar player". Ponting joined the DC squad on March 29 and just completed his week-long quarantine required to enter the IPL bio-bubble. Ponting said he did not hold back from giving a piece of his mind to the youngster last year but he "stuck to his word" and did not practice towards the business end of the tournament. "I was going pretty hard at him. I was basically telling him, 'Mate you've got to get in the nets. Whatever you think you're working on, is not working for you'," he remembered telling him. "It's my job as a coach to challenge someone's preparation if they're not getting results. "So I challenged him and he stuck to his word and he didn't practice much at all towards the back-end of the tournament, and didn't get many runs towards the back-end of the tournament either." However, Ponting is confident that Shaw will make it big internationally. "Maybe (his training habits) have changed for the better, because (his success) won't just be for the Delhi Capitals, I'm sure you'll see him play a lot of cricket for India as well in the coming years," said Ponting. Ponting said there are visible similarities between Shaw and the great Sachin Tendulkar, right down to their diminutive frames. "He's diminutive … in the (Sachin) Tendulkar sort of mould but hits the ball incredibly powerfully off front and back foot, and plays spin really well," he said. Shaw heads to the IPL on the back of a sensational Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign with champions Mumbai. Leading the side to victory, he scored four centuries and ended the tournament as the top scorer. "If we can get him to take that form that he's just shown into the IPL, it just makes the balance on our Delhi Capital side so good. "If (the penny) does drop – I'm not sure I've seen many more talented players than him in my whole time of playing the game," Ponting said.

Kolkata, Apr 4 (PTI) "Strike-rate is kind of overrated," asserted India's emerging star Shubman Gill, for whom a batsman's biggest strength is adapting to different situations without having a fixed batting style. He was one of the architects of India's historic Test series triumph Down but Gill has played just three ODIs and is yet to make his T20I debut. The youngster is may still not be in team's white-ball scheme of things due to his slow strike-rate but it is not a cause of concern for him. "I think strike-rate is kind of overrated," the Kolkata Knight Riders star batsman told PTI in an interview ahead of the upcoming IPL. "It's all about how you adapt to a certain situation. If the team demands you to play with a strike rate of 200 you should be able to do it. If the team demands you to play at a strike rate of 100, you should be able to do it. It's just about adapting to the match situation," he said confidently. "There shouldn't be a certain pattern to your game where you are only able to play one kind of game and not being able to adapt to different situations," he added. After his spectacular Test debut Down Under, Gill endured a lean patch in the home series against England, hitting just one-half century from seven innings. Gill also has not played any white ball game since his ODI appearance against Australia in December last year but lack of game time is not something that is keeping him worried. "I don't think it will affect anything because we have almost 10-12 days before our first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (April 11) so there's plenty of time for me to prepare," he said. Last year he was seen donning the opener's role for KKR but Gill is ready to play any role that his captain Eoin Morgan demands. "I'll be pretty comfortable and up for it whether the team requires me to bat in the middle-order or higher up. I'm up for anything," he said. Asked to pick his favourite format, Gill said, "Honestly, All the three formats have their own excitement and have their own experiences." "In Test matches there's a different type of rush and excitement. In ODIs, there's a different kind of rush and when you're playing T20s, it's different. All three are different but all three are really exciting." Gill will have an ever-lasting memory of the Test series Down Under where he scored 259 runs in three matches. He made his debut in the Boxing Day Melbourne Test following India's debacle in the first pink ball Day/Night Test where they got all out for a record low of 36. "It was not a great feeling when you see the best batting lineup in the world getting bundled out for less than 40 runs. "Seeing our batsmen getting out for such low scores, I think, it kind of motivated me more to do well whenever I got a chance. I was really determined to do well." "Before the Adelaide Test only I knew that I'll be playing the second match in Melbourne, because that's when Virat bhai was leaving so Ravi Sir told me that I'll be playing from second Test onwards," he recalled. The Indian opener hit a counter-attacking 91 in the second innings, something that set up their epic chase of 328 at the Gabba. "I really wanted to get 100 on that day I thought I deserved it. But once I got to the 90s, I knew that I was getting a bit nervous. I thought I would ask for drinks to calm down my nerves but I got out in the same over," he recalled being dismissed by Nathan Lyon. "If I have to rate my innings it was nine out of 10. If I would have got a 100 obviously I would have been able to express myself more," he said. Gill makes the batting look easy with his sheer class and composure but he's guilty of not converting his starts. "When I look back, I don't think I would have done anything differently. I don't have any regrets. "I don't think there is any concern in not being able to convert those starts. If I see my innings, there are very few innings in which I've thrown my wicket away. "In most of the innings, where I have not been able to convert my starts, there have been good balls," he pointed out. Gill is often seen bowling off-spin at nets for KKR. "In U-16 and U-19, I used to bowl a lot but I was warned for suspect action in U-19 then I kind of stopped bowling." "Let's see, you never know I might pick it up and be determined to bowl. I think I should be able to do a pretty good job," he concluded.

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) Harbhajan Singh is still playing because he "wants to" and he "will", asserts the veteran off-spinner, as combative at 40 as he was in his heydays and least bothered by the people questioning his willingness to carry on. One of India's greatest spinners is back in IPL this year with the Kolkata Knight Riders after skipping the last season for CSK in the UAE and wants to now "enjoy every moment of whatever cricket is left" in him. "Lot of people think 'Bhai yeh kyun khel raha hain?' Arrey bhai yeh unki soch hai, meri naahi. Meri soch hai ki main abhi khel sakta hoon, toh main khelunga (People think 'why is he playing' but that's your opinion. From where I see myself, I want to play and I will play)," Harbhajan told PTI in an interview. "I have got nothing to prove to anyone. My intention is to play well, enjoy my stint out there in the middle and playing cricket still gives me that satisfaction. "I have set a standard for myself and if I don't meet that, I don't need anyone else but I will blame myself. I need to ask myself, did I put in the optimum effort that was required," he said just before moving into the team bubble. The owner of 700-plus international wickets is pragmatic about how he approaches the game in his 23rd professional season, having made his Test debut in 1998. "Yes, I am not a 20 year-old anymore and won't be training like I did then. But yes, as a 40 year-old, I know I am fit and will certainly do what is required to succeed at this level. "The expectation is still going to be there and responsibilities that were there when I was playing for India remains," said one of the most successful bowlers in IPL history with 150 scalps. While this is his first experience in a bio-bubble, Harbhajan didn't hide his apprehensions as to why he didn't go to the UAE last year? "Last year, when IPL happened, COVID-19 in India was at its peak. I was concerned about my family and also about hard quarantine in India after coming back. But this year, it's happening in India and also we have now got used to new normal. "Vaccines have come. Also it's my family which pushed. My wife (Geeta) told me that I should go and play," said Harbhajan, who is set to become father for the second time in July. But he accepted that not having played a lot of cricket in the interim did make a difference when it came to the dynamics of auction. "These questions are asked because I haven't played a lot of cricket of late so teams are a bit defensive at auction and they don't want to bid for me. "But let me remind all that when I did well for CSK in 2019 IPL, I hadn't played any domestic cricket. I came to the camp, prepared and went into the match. At my level and experience, I know what needs to be done. "I don't need to play domestic cricket for Punjab and stop a young talent from flourishing. That boy needs that chance more than me," he said. Kolkata Knight Riders' spin department doesn't inspire the highest of confidence with Kuldeep Yadav having a prolonged bad patch and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy's fitness ethics being questioned time and again. During the nets, would you wait for Kuldeep to come to you for advice or you would volunteer yourself if you find something that needs course correction? "Why will I wait for Kuldeep to come to me? I have never had such egos in my life. If I see anything that needs to be told, I will go up to him and perhaps give him a suggestion as to what he could do better. That's what seniors are for." "If I see something that needs to be told to him and it will help his bowling, I will myself go up and tell him that. That's what seniors do." The team's principal owner Shah Rukh Khan had called Harbhajan just after the auction to welcome him to the KKR family and expects to see him with the IPL Trophy. "We have a good team. T20 is all about three players in a team, could be any three, clicking on that particular day. You see Mumbai Indians are a side which has all its bases covered but they are still beatable. It could be a Rahul Tripathi or a Nitish Rana can win it for us." He is at a stage of his career where he needs to do a self assessment after every season. "Every season, I introspect if I have it in me to play or not. If I feel I am done, I will say, 'thank you, very much'. If I feel I am doing alright, you will see me next year," he said, signing off with a hearty laugh.

Pune, Mar 25 (PTI) KL Rahul isn't surprised by India's newest pace sensation Prasidh Krishna's smash-hit international debut as he always felt that it was about time that he would join the ranks of big names from Karnataka, who have already donned national colours. Prasidh, who had made a name for himself with his performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kolkata Knight Riders, took four wickets on his ODI debut against England. "Look, quite honestly, I am not surprised with what he (Prasidh) did yesterday (Tuesday). I was always very confident that the next player that is going to come out of Karnataka, is going to be Prasidh," said the pacer's state team captain. "We weren't of the same batch, but I have watched him play a lot of junior cricket and in the nets, he is somebody, who will catch your eye," Rahul said at the virtual press conference, ahead of the second ODI against England. The best part according to Rahul is Prasidh's abiity to bowl quick. "(He is a) tall guy (who) bowls quick, gets a lot of bounce from the wicket, and something having played with him in the last couple of seasons for Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare, I realised that he is a brave boy." Rahul is also impressed by his game sense. "He has a great sense of the game, it's not just his skill but how he understands and reads the game. He is a very keen learner and he is, like I said, very brave and comes in with a lot of aggression," Rahul said. Rahul is confident that Prasidh will be a great asset for Indian cricket if he keeps on working hard. "We saw in the last game, he was trying to have a word or two with the batsmen and he enjoys being in a contest and that's is something I love, about him," Rahul said. "....and I am so happy to see that he is carrying on the same thing and he wasn't overwhelmed by the place he is in, playing his first game for the country, I am sure there will be lot of nerves "but the way he came back after the first three overs, got those crucial wickets, so these are the qualities that a player and as a team, a lot of us are impressed with, what he has done." For Rahul, the manner in which each newcomer has performed in this series can be attributed to consistent show in the domestic cricket for years. "I think a huge part is the IPL and the confidence that these boys come in with. And whoever has coming into the team, is not because they have performed in one season of the IPL or one season of first-class cricket but it has been 2-3 years of consistent performances and at whatever level they play, or wherever they play," said Rahul, who captains the Punjab Kings, in the T20 league. But obviusly having played all the top English players in IPL did help their performance, Rahul admitted. "Obviously, you would have heard Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), Ishan (Kishan) and Krunal (Pandya), in their interviews saying that they have played against most of these guys in the IPL at some point and they know how they go about their games and IPL performances have obviously given them a lot of confidence and they have carried that confidence into playing for their country," he noted. Rahul also said that the team management also gives confidence to the youngsters "And it is something also the team, the management and the environment here in the Indian team, what we try to do is to give the confidence to youngsters coming in and I feel weird calling them youngsters, because we have seen them for so many years, we have seen them perform and when they come in, we want all the players to continue to do what they are doing," he signed off.

Ahmedabad, Mar 15 (PTI) Young batsman Ishan Kishan says having faced the best pacers from across the world during the IPL had given him the confidence to play fearlessly against England on his India debut. Kishan's blistering 56-run knock at the top laid the platform for India's comfortable and successful chase in the second Twenty20 on Sunday night. The 22-year-old left-hander acknowledged the contribution, the IPL stint has made in his growth as a batsman. "It obviously helped (to face the likes of Mumbai Indians teammates Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah) in the nets. They are very pacy bowlers and to hit shots against them gives confidence," Kishan said at the post-match virtual press conference. "In IPL you get to face quality bowlers from across the world and you start getting used to these bowlers. And I think that really helped me." Kishan also said that the team management had backed him to play his natural game without feeling the pressure. "Before the match I was told to go and open the innings and play freely the way I play in IPL. I was told not to take extra pressure. But it being my first game I was little nervous while going at the ground." "But when you wear the jersey of your country that pressure simply goes away and you try to give your best." The debutant was in awe of Virat Kohli during their 94-run stand and hopes to pick the brain of India skipper during the five-match series. Chase master Kohli (73 not out off 49 balls) took charge after Kishan's dismissal to power India to victory with 13 balls to spare. "It was proud feeling for me because I had just seen him (Kohli) on TV, his attitude on the ground, but to see it from the other end is totally different. I think it is something which I can change in myself, his energy, his appearance on the ground , there is a lot to learn from him. "The way he talks in the ground it takes pressure from you. I just want to make sure that I learn a lot from him in this series," Kishan said. "

Ahmedabad, Mar 10 (PTI) England wicket-keeper batsman Sam Billings feels the upcoming IPL will be good preparation for the T20 World Cup later this year but conceded that he will get limited game time due to the "phenomenal" competition in the Delhi Capitals' squad. The 29-year-old was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore at the mini-auction last month. "You look at the squad that Delhi have, and especially the overseas options: you could go with any combination and it would be a successful one," Billings told 'ESPNCricinfo'. "The competition for places is phenomenal: they obviously got to the final last year, so game time might be limited, but it comes back to the point of preparing for a World Cup and giving myself the best chance in these conditions to prepare for that," he added. Delhi, who finished runners up in the previous edition, are spoilt for choice in the overseas players department. Last year, their go-to combination was South African pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and big-hitting West Indian Shimron Hetmyer. This year they have added former Australian skipper Steve Smith, England's Tom Curran and Billings into the squad. Billings, who was part of the Delhi franchise in 2016 and 2017 as well, recalled the first time he got a glimpse of the flamboyant Indian wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant. "With Pant, I played with him for 2 years when I was in Delhi. I turned to Rahul Dravid and asked 'who is this kid?' "He was smacking Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Morris, Rabada everywhere in the open net. "I was just thinking 'this is unbelievable!' and that year he lit up. It's been great to see him evolve as a cricketer and to be in the same team as him again would be great," Billings said. The right-handed batsman from Kent is eager to team up with India spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, who snared 32 and 27 wickets respectively in the recently-concluded Test series against England. "Facing those two spinners in the nets is one of the great things about the IPL, and other franchise competitions. "(If) you face these guys day in, day out in testing conditions, you're going to get better - it's impossible not to. That's a huge plus point...I'll be writing a few notes about a few different cricketers that I see about," he added. This year's IPL begins with a match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on April 9 with the final scheduled to be played on May 30 in Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad, Mar 2 (PTI) India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane on Tuesday said there is no need to take criticism of the spin-friendly pitches in the country "seriously" as not a word is spoken about the "damp" tracks elsewhere and England can expect another turner in the fourth Test. There has been a lot of talk about the spinning tracks in the second Test at Chepauk and the pink ball game at Motera which ended inside two days. The fourth and final Test starts on March 4. "I think the wicket will be similar to the second Test match in Chennai, spinning track. Yes, pink ball made the difference and it came much quicker off the wicket compared to red ball and we had to make adjustments," Rahane said during a virtual media conference here. "Wicket will be a lot similar to last two test matches," he added. Rahane, for the first time in many years, shed his reticence when asked to respond to the criticism from former England players that the pitches have not been ideal. Some have even urged the ICC to act against India for preparing a turner. "See, let people speak what they want to. The wickets, when we tour abroad, no one speaks about how seaming they are. They always speak about the technique of the Indian batsmen, I don't feel we need to take seriously what people say," Rahane was sharp in his response. "...You see, when we tour abroad, the first day wicket is damp. When wicket becomes grassy and behaves up and down, then the pitch becomes dangerous but we haven't complained about it or we have never spoken about it." On spinning tracks, it's imperative to play the line, Rahane said. "When you play on spinning tracks, you have to play the line...If ball is spinning too much, you don't have to think too much." Despite the humiliation that Indian inflicted on England in the third Test, Rahane was respectful of England's chances on another turner. "Pitch looks similar but I don't know how it's going to play. We have to wait and see," he said. "We respect the England team. They are a very good team. We played good cricket in last two Tests and England played really well in the first game. "We are not taking them lightly, and both teams will go out there and look to give their best to win the Test match," he said. He also hinted that veteran pacer Umesh Yadav might get a look in. "Umesh is ready to go. Looking good and had a good session at the nets. We are really happy that he is back," Rahane said.

Ahmedabad, Mar 1 (PTI) Big guns Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane went full throttle at the nets as the Indian cricket on Monday trained in earnest for the upcoming fourth and final Test against England. The fourth Test starts here on Thursday. Captain Kohli, his deputy Rahane and senior opener Rohit were seen batting at the nets in a video posted by the BCCI on Twitter. The three senior players drove, pulled and flicked against the fast bowlers and spinners at the Narendra Modi Stadium here. Head coach Ravi Shastri was seen interacting with Rohit and Kohli before the two star batsmen sat together for a discussion. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who bagged 11 wickets in India's thumping win in the pink ball third Test at the same venue, was seen rolling his arms over at the nets against some of the world's best batsmen. They were also seen fielding with Rahane, standing next to Rohit in the second slip position, taking a one-handed diving catch to his right. The Kohli-led Indian team lost the first Test in Chennai by 227 runs, but bounced back with a 317-run hammering of the visitors in the second Test. In the previous match, India shot out England for 112 and 81 to wrap up the Test inside two days on a challenging Motera track. The Indian team had a full-fledged practice session here on Sunday as well. Leading 2-1 in the series, India will be without top pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the final Test as he has been released from the squad.

As per a press release by Cricket Ireland, Ruhan Pretorius, the Northern Knights all-rounder has been named in the Ireland Wolves squad against Bangladesh, with the squad leaving for the tour today on Wednesday. Pretorius will join the squad as a replacement for George Dockrell. His inclusion completes the 16-man squad. It has also been confirmed that Harry Tector will lead the Wolves in all formats on the tour. Pretorius recently joined Woodvale Cricket Club for the 2021 season following four years with North Down. He has also represented the Northern Knights, scoring 96 against North West Warriors in 2019 on his debut. Speaking from home on the evening before flying to Bangladesh, 29-year old Pretorius said: “When I received the call from Andrew White it was really exciting – it’s an opportunity I’ve wanted for some time and one I’ve worked towards. The call up is a step in the right direction and I am looking forward to working with the coaches, and hopefully putting in performances that showcase all the hard work I’ve been putting into my game in Ireland.” “Over the four years I’ve been in Ireland I’ve put in a lot of hard work with my batting, and this last year I’ve really concentrated hard on my bowling with Ryan Eagleson. But I must give a lot of credit to [Northern Knights coach] Simon Johnston who is a mentor for me.” “Growing up in South Africa I always watched cricket, and always knew I wanted to be a cricketer. Believe it or not, I actually used to be a leg-spinner when I was young, but about the age of 13 or 14 I was bowling fast in the nets, and the coaches liked what they saw and encouraged me to bowl fast from then. In terms of cricketing inspirations, I think the likes of Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff were the best all-rounders and I admired greatly – particularly Kallis, who really became the best in the world at the time.” “I grew up in a place where there were many sports to choose from. Apart from cricket I played rugby until I was 18, and was also in athletics – but by the time I got to the age of 17 I knew I needed to concentrate more on my cricket.” The year 2020 was quite eventful for him on both personal and professional fronts and the all rounder says that he feels he is in good shape heading into the tour: “Last season started slowly for me – I felt I was in good touch until Covid hit and we went a month or so without training. When we eventually got the season underway I got started but didn’t go on. But as the season went on I felt better, and ended up top run-scorer in NCU, and made a half-century for the Knights. It was a really disrupted season though at inter-provincial level and we didn’t have the best of season’s as a team, but I’ve been working hard since – doing a fitness programme over winter and indoor training with the Knights.” “I also got engaged to my fiancée in July, and have been going walking a lot – so I feel in good shape going into this tour. I haven’t played in Asia yet, I’m looking forward to experiencing those conditions.“ he added. Chair of National Men’s Selectors, Andrew White said: “The selectors are pleased that Ruhan will be given this opportunity on the Wolves tour." “Ruhan has been an extremely consistent performer since arriving in Ireland, and offers us both a top-order batting option, as well as adding to our seam bowling ranks.”

According to a Press release by Ireland Cricket, the Ireland Wolves are all set to leave for its Bangladesh tour and their leg-spinner Ben White is looking upon his selection as validation for all the hard work over the recent years. The scheduled tour will commence from 17 February to 19 March 2021 and will have Wolves playing an eight-match various format series against Bangladesh A. Speaking from home, the 22-year old said: “I was over the moon to get the call from the Chair of Selectors and am very grateful to be given the opportunity to represent my country again after being fortunate enough to play Under-19s a few years ago.” “I feel like I had a pretty good season in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. We were obviously very lucky to be able to get out and play any cricket at all under the circumstances, but I feel the hard work put in before and throughout the season really paid off, and it’s really nice to be back enjoying the game again.” White said, “I’ve played cricket ever since I can remember - it started when my Dad insisted on bringing me down to the Phoenix Park to try it out, as he would’ve played it a lot when he was younger back in New Zealand and I really just took too it like a fish to water. I’ve played my whole career in Phoenix CC, who have been so great in my development and I can’t thank them enough!” “Growing up I played every sport under the sun - cricket, rugby, football, GAA, hurling to name a few. But cricket was my number one focus.” “I used to bowl seam, as everyone seems to when they start out - and I actually opened the bowling for Leinster Under-11s way back under the great guidance of Brían O’Rourke, but I stopped at Under-13s when Mike Halliday saw me messing around in the nets bowling leggings in a game of stumpy and demanded I give up the seam and start bowling them from then on. So I guess I have Mike Halliday to thank for spotting them and Matt Lunson for working on them with me.” Sharing his experience in playing cricket in the subcontinent, he said, “I’ve been to Bangladesh before - in 2016 for the U19 World Cup, and have also been fortunate enough to go to Sri Lanka (2014) and Malaysia (2015).” “I’m expecting it to be very hot and humid, and hopefully it should be very spin friendly. I feel I’m bowling quite well at the moment and feel pretty confident in my ability, so I’m just really looking forward to getting over there to play some hard cricket as is possible under the current circumstances of COVID. We are so lucky to get the chance to go to a country like Bangladesh and something we love, so I’m just relishing the opportunity.” Talking about living in a bio-bubble for a month and his plans to spend his time, he said “I’ll be bringing a book or two with me, as well as the Xbox to keep myself occupied. I’m just really looking forward to being able to learn from the likes of Graham Ford and Stuart Barnes as it’s such a great opportunity for myself to better myself as a cricketer.”

Mumbai, Feb 14 (PTI) Arjun Tendulkar, son of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, smashed a 31-ball unbeaten 77 and picked up three wickets for 41 runs as MIG Cricket Club handed Islam Gymkhana a 194-run defeat in a second round Group A match of the 73rd Police Invitation Shield cricket tournament here on Sunday. The tournament is being organised under the auspices of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and is the first cricket competition in the city since the Coronavirus-forced lockdown. The 21-year-old left-handed Arjun hit five fours and eight sixes during his blistering knock. He picked off-spinner Hashir Dafedar for special treatment, hitting the bowler for five sixes in one over. Besides Arjuns superb efforts, the knocks of opener Kevin D Almeida (96) and No. 4 batsman Pragnesh Kandillewar (112) also played a significant role in MIGs massive victory. Electing to bat, MIG scored a mammoth 385 for 7 in 45 overs and then Islam Gymkhana found the target too stiff as they were bundled out for a paltry 191 on 41.5 overs. Ankush Jaiswal (3/31) and Shreyas Gurav (3/34), along with Arjun, shared the wickets. Arjun recently made his senior Mumbai debut when he played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has also been included in the list of players for the IPL auction, set to take place in Chennai on February 18. Earlier, Arjun has bowled to Indian national team players in the nets and also represented India U-19 during a tour of Sri Lanka.

Chennai, Feb 8 (PTI) Turning one's arm for nearly 73 overs on a bowler's graveyard is no mean feat but then Ravichandran Ashwin's eternal love affair with his craft has given him immense joy even when he had to push his physical limits in adverse conditions. Ashwin ended with nine wickets in the ongoing first Test, including 6 for 61-- his 28th five-for -- in England's second innings. The premier India spinner said that bowling 40 overs in a day is a joyous exercise for him. "I see quite a few interesting observations on what people think might happen or not but as a cricketer that's the last thing that you have on your mind," Ashwin said when asked how his back is holding up after such a gruelling effort, having missed the last Test in Australia due to back spasms. "For me, part and parcel of my cricket days was bowling 40 to 45 overs a day and go back in the nets again. When it comes to bowling, the joy that I have even when some parts of my body are not responding properly, I can still keep going but that's how much I love my art. "I would think I would like to keep bowling as long as I think," said the man who now has 385 Test wickets. Just like Ishant Sharma, Ashwin also conceded that the track was really flat and England winning the toss became crucial. "Look, personally when I saw the wicket, I believed it will be a good one to bat but I thought it might go a little more than what (happened) on the first day. "It was really flat and it was like a crucial toss for us, I would say," said Ashwin, who knows the Chepauk track like no other having grown up playing the game at this venue from the age-group level. "....but I still thought we fought back really well through the course of the day yesterday and even today we fought back really well. If we can have a good fifth day, we will be quite happy to win this Test match," he said. His 3/146 in the first innings wouldn't reveal how much pressure he put on the opposition and especially skipper Joe Root, who didn't play as many sweep shots as he did off Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Nadeem. "Before you carry on with that question, in the first innings, the number of sweeps he played off me was very very minimal. He was very careful in how he was going to sweep, because we had plans in place and we had lines in place. "When good players play, you can make your plan, sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn't," said Ashwin. In fact, Ashwin felt that Root wasn't exactly in control of his sweep shot in the second innings when he got out after scoring a qucikfire 40. "He (Root) was not at the same comfort level I thought, he was getting beaten in flight. It does make a difference, when you play on a day one pitch and day four pitch, there is a massive difference," he said. However, he rejected the theory that Jofra Archer and James Anderson's deliveries could also keep low just like Jasprit Bumrah, who got a number of lbws because of low bounce of the track. "There are a few things we need to understand when it comes to Jassi's bowling. The arm path is very different to that of what (James) Anderson and (Jofra) Archer have and these two (Bumrah and Ishant) are exponents of sub-continent conditions. "They have been playing first class cricket in India, so I think it is facet of the game, sometimes it goes unnoticed or unobserved from the outside." Washington Sundar has now hit his second successive half century in Tests and his senior state and national teammate termed him a "special batsman". "Washy is a fantastic batsman and a lot of people go by the T20 format where he plays at No 7. All of them don't recognise his special talent as he is quite a special batsman." Ashwin also wasn't surprised that England team didn't enforce follow-on and allowed its bowlers to take a break. "They had two options. Either they could have asked us to follow on or the only reason I can see is they wanted to give some rest to their bowlers, which is part of the game sometimes not very well understood from the outside as fresh bowlers can sometimes do the trick rather than tired bowlers," he said.

It was a misty morning on the 26th of November that I left for the Wankhede stadium with my dad and brother for the final day of the fourth test match between India and England of the 2012 series. All excited to watch the cricketers we hero worshipped all through our lives, The Great Wall of India – Rahul Dravid, The Very Very Special Laxman and of course the God of massively followed religion in India called Cricket – Sachin Tendulkar, play in front of our eyes; eliminating the mediation of the idiot box..LIVE! India were on the verge of losing the test match as it had only 3 wickets remaining with only Gautam Gambhir trying to battle out the lead with the tail enders. Nevertheless, the sheer attraction of watching these legends play in their final days in Indian jerseys pulled us to the stadium. We got inside the stadium at around 8:30 in the morning, an hour before the start of the day’s play. The young volunteers of the stadiums politely guided us to our seats in the Gharware Stand, the perfect location closest to the Indian dressing room that was giving us a breath taking, picturesque view of the gigantic cricket ground. So we sat glued to our seats soaking in the early morning soothing sun, the cozy breeze that blew past the majestic Arabian sea before caressing our faces and of course, not to forget, the splendid “Wankhede Vibe.” The cheers of the all pumped up Barmy Army ( English supporters) outdoing the cheers of the Indian Fans, giant flags of both the nations waving in their full grandeur and the goose bumps of watching our superstars from both the teams walk out from their respective dressing rooms for the practice session. English batsmen Nick Compton and the very handsome captain Cook were knocking deliveries off the young Mumbai players in the nets. Their spin tank in Monty Panesar and Greame Swann gearing up to take the remaining three scalps with minimal target for England to chase and finally win their first test of the series. The Indian camp was at much ease as there wasn’t much it could do in this game, the loss was inevitable and the fact that it was only the 2nd game of a four match series with India already leading with a score of 1-0 made them a little less bothered about the results of this game. But amidst all this ease and non seriousness we saw a little man sweating it out in the Indian nets. It was none other than our very own little master, the legend, the maestro, the ultimate God of Cricket- Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. It was nothing less than dream come true to watch the little master bat live in front of our eyes, didn’t really mattered if it was only in the nets. Our eyes sparkled as he hit his glorious straight drive which was indeed the definition of perfection for his millions of fans, or should I say,“devotees” like us. There was no dimming for the glimmer in our eyes through the course of his batting that day. The day’s play was about to start and the groundsmen were preparing to clear the ground and wind up the nets. But the great man kept signalling a request, similar to that of a kid asking them to let him play some more almost after every ball. His child like enthusiasm even after having spent 22 years in the thirty yard circle and reaching at the pinnacle of the glory smashing every possible/impossible record was an inspiration to draw. Maybe it was this passion for the game that made him stand out from the rest. Yes there are many greats, legends and geniuses who have graced this game but there is only one god and that’s him. It was only his disciple, devotion and absolute humility towards the game that made him perspire and work hard in the nets even when he wasn’t batting anymore in the game and a few more days to come and despite having created history with unparalleled statistics under his belt gave me the lesson of my life- to always remain a student in life, as there is always room for more, more learning, more exploring, more improvement and thus more success! No matter at what level you are in your life..sky is the limit! Written by Karina Michwal, Sports Enthusiast. The opinions and views expressed in the blog are strictly personal opinion of the author.

The Brooklyn Nets in the absence of their key players Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant managed to upset the NBA Table toppers Philadelphia 76ers with 122-109 on Thursday. The Nets played in their good ol' retro blue tie dye jerseys from the 90-91 season and dominated most of the second half with a double digit lead, ensuring their second consecutive win without Durant. LeVert added 22 points out of which 10 were assisted and 7 were rebounds while Jarret Allen added 15 points and 11 boards for the Nets. Irving was ruled out on Thursday citing personal reasons. The Nets then announced that Irving won't be traveling with the team to Memphis later that night. Durant missed out on the second consecutive game due to the NBA's strict health and safety protocols. However, Coach Steve Nash said that if Durant continues to test negative for the coronavirus, he would be able to return by Sunday. The 76ers were in high spirits with their clinical 141-136 victory over Washington on Wednesday but couldn't carry on their form as they ran into trouble with 20-8. However, they managed to come back with a lead early in the second quarter. Nevertheless, the Nets quickly bounced back and went up by 16 before taking a 65-51 lead in the half-time and were in a commanding position thereafter.

Melbourne, Jan 2 (PTI) Once in a while, everyone is allowed a bit of slump in form and Steve Smith is no exception, feels David Warner, who can relate to his former skipper's woes against India having endured a similarly wretched run during the 2019 Ashes. Smith has been in horrible form in the ongoing series with R Ashwin removing him twice and Jasprit Bumrah once. But Warner believes that it's more about India bowling well then anything lacking in Smith's approach as he has left no stone unturned in terms of preparation. "Steve Smith has been recently knocked off by Kane Williamson as best batter in the world (ICC ranking) but if you look at his numbers, he still averages over 60. Everyone is allowed to have a bit of lack of form and I saw that myself when I was in England (Ashes 2019)," Warner said in a virtual news conference on Saturday. He believes that if faced with a good ball, any batsman can get out. "On a day, if you have your name on that delivery, it is what it is and you can't do anything about it." "As you can see that it's not due to lack of preparation as the guy (Smith) doesn't get out of nets. He works off his backside all the time." For Warner, the 84 Test experience that he possesses has taught him one thing -- the intent and aggression should always be pre-meditated if one wants to unsettle the opposition. "My 84 Test matches have always been about pre-meditated attacks and it doesn't change for me but it's about how the team looks at it. When I talk about intent, I mean by putting pressure back on the bowlers not just by swinging the bat. "There are other ways of showing intent which could lead them into bowling those odd full-pitched balls and short of length balls which you can pull or cut. That's what I talk about when I talk about putting pressure on bowlers. "It's about going out there and playing your shots," said the man, who has 7244 runs and 24 hundreds in 84 games. What Warner has observed is that both Indian and Australian batsmen, for the better part, have allowed rival bowlers to gain the upper-hand.