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2022-07-05 19:57

We will review why batters are failing in 3rd innings of Test matches: Dravid

Birmingham, Jul 5 (Cricket News) India head coach Rahul Dravid on Tuesday said the repeated failures of his batters in the 'third' innings of a Test match is a matter of concern and they will sit with the national selectors to address the issue.

The Indian team, under Dravid's tutelage, has lost its last three overseas Test matches -- two in South Africa and one in Birmingham. It failed to defend a whopping 378-run target in the just-concluded game against England.

India scored 266 in their second innings in Johannesburg, 198 in Cape Town and 245 in Birmingham, which has been effectively third innings of a Test match.

In all these three games, India failed to defend targets like 240, 212 and now 378.

Asked how he plans to analyse, the Indian coach gave a glimpse of his humorous side.

"There is so much of cricket that we aren't having any time to reflect. In two days, we will be talking to you about something entirely different," Dravid said, referring to the T20 International series starting in less than 48 hours.

"...But we will certainly try and reflect on this performance. Every match is a lesson for us and you tend to learn something. We have to reflect why we aren't able to bat well in the third innings of a Test match and why we aren't able to take 10 wickets in the fourth innings," he said on a serious note.

India play their last six games of the current World Test Championship cycle in the sub-continent and Dravid plans to sit with Chetan Sharma (chairman of selectors currently in England) to analyse the shortcomings.

"Now the next six Test matches are in sub-continent (2 in Bangladesh and 4 in India), and our focus will be on those remaining games but obviously, coaches and selectors would sit down and analyse this defeat.

"That review happens after every game and so when we next travel to SENA land, we are well equipped to deal with it," he said.

Variety of reasons for losing sustained intensity --------------------------------------------------- The current team has been losing steam during the third and fourth innings of a match and it could be because of a variety of factors, including bowlers' fitness over a passage of time.

"It is something that we need to look at and work on. We have been very good in last few years being able to take those wickets but yeah we haven't been able to do it over last few months,' he admitted frankly," said Dravid.

He then listed out the factors roughly.

"Could be a variety of factors -- may be we need to maintain that intensity and may be we need to maintain that level of fitness, maintain that level of performance right through a Test match." The batting is a cause of concern, he said time and again.

"Also in all these Test matches, the batting has also not been up to the scratch in the third innings as well. So both in SA and here, we have started well but haven't been able to finish well. Certainly, we need to get better at that and improve," he added.

The conditions didn't warrant a second spinner ---------------------------------------------------- Ravichandran Ashwin's absence has been debated but Dravid defended the team's strategy.

"It's not easy to leave someone like Ash out in a Test match but when we looked at the wicket on first day, it had a pretty even covering of grass, and we felt that there was enough in it for the fast bowlers," Dravid explained the team's position.

"Also, if you see, wicket hasn't spun much either for Jack Leach or Ravi Jadeja, who bowled through the match. Weather also played a part as for first three days, there wasn't long phases of sunshine. Probably, it didn't spin as much as we expected it to." Dravid said that everything looks different in hindsight but reality is a bit different.

"It actually would have looked nice to have second spinner but it didn't turn enough to justify inclusion," he added.

Don't know about 'BazBall' but England have been exceptional ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dravid smiled when asked about 'Bazball', the popular lingo about Brendon McCullum's positive influence on England's Test batting over the past month.

"I don't know what it is. The cricket they played for four Tests, chasing like this in fourth innings doesn't happen often in this country but the brand of cricket you play depends on players and their form. You can play positive (cricket) when you have form players," Dravid said.

No excuses that this is one-off Test -------------------------------------- When the series was halted at 2-1 last year due to COVID outbreak in the Indian camp, Dravid was still the head of NCA and by the time it ended, he was the head coach.

Did a one-off Test become an impediment and preparations were hampered.

"Look, I don't want to make excuses. I wasn't a part of the team back then (in 2021). India was on a roll back then and England was probably in a slightly different situation when the series was on.

"They had now come here on back of three consecutive wins against NZ and we have had a long gap in between Test cricket and that's why Test cricket is hard. So no excuses, you got to put in performances through five days and they did that and we didn't so they deserve to win the Test match," he concluded.

Also Read : We let the game slip away after dominating three days, says Bumrah

News Source : PTi

2022-07-05 18:52

We let the game slip away after dominating three days, says Bumrah

Birmingham, Jul 5 (Cricket News) India stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah on Tuesday blamed his side's defeat to England in the rescheduled fifth Test here to the batting failure in the second innings, saying they let the match slip away from their hands after dominating major part of it.

England rode on Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow's majestic centuries to thump India by seven wickets and register their highest-ever successful run chase in Test cricket.

England overhauled the 378-run target in the morning session of the fifth and final day with Root and Bairstow remaining unbeaten on 142 and 114 respectively.

"That's the beauty of Test cricket, even if you have three good days. We fell short with the bat yesterday and that is where we let the opposition in to let the match slip away from us," Bumrah said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Ifs and buts can always be there. If you go back, if there was no rain in the first match, we could have won the series. But England played really well." England's win meant that the five-match Test series, which spilled over to this year due to COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp last year, ended in 2-2 draw.

"We have drawn the series and both teams played very good cricket and it was a fair result," Bumrah said.

Bumrah lauded Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja for their tons in India's first innings.

"Pant takes his chances. He and Jaddu got us back into the game with their counter-attack. We were ahead in the game. He takes his chances, backs himself and very happy for him," he said.

Bumrah said he thoroughly enjoyed the captaincy responsibility and it was a pleasure to lead the national team.

"The captaincy is not what I decide. I like responsibility. It was a good challenge, a new challenge. It was an honour to lead the team and a great experience." England skipper Ben Stokes said his team was trying to rewrite the way Test cricket is being played in the country with its new-found attacking brand of the game.

"When the lads play like this, it makes my job easier. When you have clarity like we have in the dressing room, it makes chasing totals like this easier. 378 would have been scary five weeks ago, but now it's all good.

"We are trying to rewrite how Test cricket is played in England. All our plans from the last four-five weeks is what we want to take ahead. Bowling on the top of off isn't important, it is all about taking ten wicket," he said.

"We want to give some new life to Test cricket. Inspiring the next generation is what we want to do. We want to bring in new fans and want to leave a mark on Test cricket," he added.

Stokes was all praise of his batters for pulling off the historic run chase for England.

"Jonny and Root will get all the credit, but the precedent was set up by the way the openers played against Bumrah and Shami with the new ball." Man-of-the-match Jonny Bairstow, who smashed centuries in both the innings, said he was never afraid of failure and just wanted to put the pressure back on the opposition.

"It is great fun at the moment. I am stripping it back to the basics. The last few years have been tough on me but the last few months have been fantastic.

"Day five was over in 90 minutes. I just have an enjoyment factor now. I am not afraid of failing and just want to put the pressure on the opposition. We are going to lose games with the approach we have, but it is a positive fun brand of cricket to play," he said.

He said England were always in control of the chase.

"India have some world class bowlers and you just have to soak the pressure. They try to intimidate, they have some fantastic players and it was about trying to shift the pressure on them.

"There was a period when it started reversing as well. And this morning was a different morning. Root and me are just two lads from Yorkshire. We have grown up playing together and spent a lot of time together from the Yorkshire academy days to the Test team now. Special to play with him," Bairstow said.

England's man-of-the-series Joe Root said they were always confident of chasing down the target set by India.

"It's as simple as that. The environment has been great and the guys are having fun in the last four weeks. There is absolute clarity that we were chasing it down and there was total belief," he said.

Asked about his own form, Root said: "It's something you are constantly searching for and something you rarely find. You want to keep it as fun as possible. Watching Jonny bat is great, I just wanted to give him strike.

"We have been riding a brilliant wave of confidence after brilliant performances against NZ. The start the two openers got us off to was superb and they put the pressure back on."

Also Read : Root, Bairstow script England's sensational win against India in 5th Test

News Source : PTI

2022-07-05 15:57

Women's ODI rankings: Mandhana jumps to 8th; Deepti, Shafali also gain

Dubai, Jul 5 (Cricket News) India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana moved up a rung to eighth position in the batter's chart in the latest ICC women’s ODI rankings released here on Tuesday.

Mandhana, who hit an 83-ball unbeaten 94 in India's 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second ODI on Monday, is the lone Indian in the top 10 of the batting chart which is headed by Australian Alyssa Healey followed by England's Natalie Sciver.

All-rounder Deepti Sharma and opener Shafali Verma have made significant improvements to their positions after helping India take an unassailable 2-0 lead against Sri Lanka in the three-match ICC Women's Championship (IWC) series being played in Pallekele.

Deepti, who grabbed three for 25 and scored an unbeaten 22, has moved up two places to the 29th position among batters and three slots to 16th among bowlers.

In the rankings for all-rounders, she has gained 20 rating points to reach within one point of Australia's Ashleigh Gardner, who is sixth on the list.

Verma, who is leading the run aggregate in the series with 106 runs including an unbeaten 71 in the second match, is up 12 places to a career-best 36th among batters. She is currently ranked fifth in the T20 list.

Other Indians to move up the batters' list are Pooja Vastrakar (up three places to 61st), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (up four places to 93rd) and Meghna Singh (up seven places to 100th).

They have all also moved up the bowlers' list -- Gayakwad from 12th to 11th, Meghna from 58th to 47th and Vastrakar from 57th to 50th.

Pacer Renuka Singh is also a major gainer, her seven wickets has lifted her 38 places to 65th position.

For Sri Lanka, Nilakshi de Silva has gained 13 ranks to reach 57th position among batters after accumulating 75 runs in the two matches while Hasini Perera (up 16 places to 83rd) and Anushka Sanjeewani (up nine places to 89th) are the others to progress in that list.

Among bowlers, former captain Inoka Ranaweera has progressed five places to 21st after her four wickets in two matches and Oshadi Ranasinghe has gone from 64th to 59th position.

The two wins have taken India to joint-second position with Pakistan in the IWC points table.

A win in the last match against Sri Lanka will see them catch up with South Africa at the top of the table with six points.

Sri Lanka are on two points, earned in their previous series against Pakistan.

Also Read : Indian women get 10-wicket win to seal ODI series against Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

2022-07-05 12:51

England inches away from victory after turning things around on Day 4

(Cricket news) At the beginning of Day 4 India were in a commanding position as they were 125/3 with a lead of 257. Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara were at the crease but England bowlers came through with some quality. Pujara tried to cut Stuart Broad's wide short ball but it went straight to the hands of the fielder. Shreyas Iyer came in and started playing his shots like he usually does but then England reverted back to their short ball theory which is Iyer's weakness. The batter fell straight into the trap as he was dismissed by Matthew Potts.

England kept India quite for a very long time and the runs stopped flowing. Pant had already smashed Jack Leach all over the park in the first innings but the bowler got his revenge. Pant was trying to take him on again but couldn't do so. He was dismissed after trying to play a reverse sweep which was caught at first slip. Jadeja was also dismissed on 23 after being cleaned up by Ben Stokes. Unfortunately for India this time their tail didn't wag and they were bowled out for 245 before tea. England started really well in the 2nd innings. Alex Lees and Zak Crawley stitched a 107 run partnership as both batters were looking solid. Lees reached a fine half century of just 44 balls.

Just before tea Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack and managed to clean up Crawley. The English opener left the ball which came back into him and dislodged his stumps. Bumrah once again provided a breakthrough in the very first ball after tea as he managed to produce an edge off Ollie Pope. Moments later Lees was run-out which put India right back in the contest. The visitors picked up 3 wickets in no time and put the pressure back on England. The two in form batters Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root soaked in all that pressure with minimum effort. The pair batted the rest of the day and added a partnership of 150 runs. Root is unbeaten on 76 while Bairstow is 72 not out. The latter was given a lifeline as Hanuma Vihari dropped him off Siraj's bowl.

Both Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj failed to bowl tight lines which made things easy for Root and Bairstow. Jadeja did keep things tight from one end as he bowled from over the wicket into the rough. England are coasting towards what will be a record breaking victory. India will need to produce something extraordinary to win the match as a draw is pretty much out of the equation. There will be a lot of pressure on Jasprit Bumrah who is captaining for the very first time. Even Bumrah the strike bowler will be under the pump as he is expected to get the breakthrough.

Also read: Harmanpreet to return in Melbourne Renegades colours in WBBL

2022-07-05 12:42

India failed to negotiate short ball, had ordinary day with bat: Rathour

Birmingham, Jul 5 (Cricket News) India couldn't negotiate the short ball and had an "ordinary" day with the bat, allowing England to fightback and put themselves firmly in the driver's seat in the rescheduled fifth Test, said batting coach Vikram Rathour.

Leading by 132 runs, India's batting came a cropper in the second innings on day 4 as they folded for 245 to set England a target of 378.

The hosts then produced a solid batting display and are currently just 119 runs away from recording their highest-ever run chase with Joe Root (76 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (72 not out) still at the crease and skipper Ben Stokes yet to come.

"I'll agree that we had a pretty ordinary day as far as batting is concerned. We were ahead, we were in a position where we could have batted them out of the game. Unfortunately, it didn't happen," Rathour said during the press-conference.

"A lot of them got starts but couldn't convert them. We were expecting one of them to play a big knock and have a big partnership but unfortunately it didn't happen like that." India paid the price for their poor shot selection as they struggled against the short-pitched deliveries with Shreyas Iyer falling to a bouncer yet again. Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah too followed suit in a similar fashion.

"Yes, they used a short-ball plan against us in the field," Rathour said.

"We had to show a little better, not intent, but strategy. We could've handled it slightly differently. People tried to play shots but didn't really convert or execute them well enough. They got out to that.

"We will have to rethink how we handle that next time in a similar situation, against similar bowlers who keep similar fields. We will need to have a better strategy against them." India were in a similar situation in the third and final Test in South Africa in January where the visitors had managed to grab a small first innings lead, only to blow it away as they fell prey to the short ball and lost the match by seven wickets and the series 1-2.

Asked if he expected England to use the short ball against them like South Africa did in January, Rathour said: "Of course, at this level you expect people to bowl short against us, and especially against the Indian team, people have been using short ball for quite some time.

"People have their own ways of handling that. As a batter you have your own way to deal with that. We don't really say you have to do this or do that. As a batter you need to decide, according to your game, what suits you in that situation and in those conditions. Unfortunately, today we couldn't really execute whatever plans we had." Rathour was, however, still hopeful of a turnaround and said a few early wickets can bring India back in the game.

"Two wickets in the morning early and again the game will open up. We know that, we understand the game, it is a big target still. It's still more than 100 runs. We take two wickets early and the game can still open up," he said.

"The kind of bowling Shami and Bumrah are doing, it's not beyond them that they get one wicket, then one, two, three can fall. And that can bring us back in the game."

Also Read : Dadra & Nagar Haveli win U-17 women's national football championship

News Source : PTI

2022-07-05 10:31

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur expresses relief after openers fire

Pallekele, Jul 4 (Cricket News) Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was relieved that Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma finally came good with a record-breaking opening partnership to set up India's series-clinching 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second ODI here on Monday.

After an extended run of mediocre scores during the tour so far, Mandhana (94) and Verma (71) shared a massive 174-run stand, the highest target successfully chased without losing a wicket in women's ODIs.

"We have been talking about long partnerships and thankfully we got it today. I am happy with the way we batted, it was outstanding to watch," Harmanpreet said during the post-match presentation.

The Indian skipper also lauded the performances of the bowlers including the likes of Renuka Singh, Meghna Singh, and Deepti Sharma, who with their tight bowling, ensured the hosts are bundled out for a paltry 173.

"I am very happy that the bowlers are giving breakthroughs whenever need," she added.

Renuka, 26, registered a career-best four for 28 on a pitch that favoured the Indian bowlers from the word go. She rattled the Sri Lankan top-order with three quick dismissals.

"I've been working on my strength, practicing my hard lengths and variations. We read the wicket well, that's why we bowled first. The weather was to our advantage as well," said Renuka, who was adjudged the Player of the Match.

"Our management asked us to keep things very simple and stick to our strengths." While the Indian bowlers hunted in pairs, medium pacer Meghna Singh, who also picked up two crucial wickets, including that of Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu, said the idea was to build a strong "bowling partnership." "The idea definitely was to build a strong bowling partnership and with someone like Renuka, who is extremely a smart player and puts her talent and skills to best use, everything fell in place today," Meghna said.

The young Indian side, under the leadership of Harmanpreet, is also without veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami.

"The current team members share their own experiences and that's why, despite the absence of someone like Jhulan Goswami, who has done so much for the team, we are able to perform brilliantly in the bowling department," Meghna said.

Also Read : England Lions name squad for matches against South Africa

News Source : PTI

2022-07-04 17:10

Ireland announce Squad for Women's T20I Tri-Series

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland has today announced a 14-player squad for Ireland Women’s T20 International series against Australia and Pakistan to be played at Bready Cricket Club from 16-24 July 2022, while a new national selection panel has been established for the senior women’s squad. Ireland Women will see the return of a number of high-profile players, after the recent six-match series against South Africa which saw eight players from the senior performance squad missing due to injuries or exams. Laura Delany and Orla Prendergast are both making a welcome return from injuries, while Ava Canning and Amy Hunter missed the previous series due to exam commitments.

Meanwhile, selector Cathy Murphy will be stepping down from her role effective immediately – advising her professional commitments are making it increasingly difficult to juggle a career with the growing demands of the role. A new national selection panel has been announced with Carrie Archer remaining as the Chair of National Women’s Selectors. Carrie will be joined by the three Arachas Super Series head coaches – Glenn Querl, James Cameron-Dow and Paul Davidge, with head coach Ed Joyce completing the new five-member panel.

Ireland Women’s T20I squad for Tri-Series:

Laura Delany (capt), Ava Canning, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell.

Carrie Archer, Chair of National Women’s Selectors, said: “We were pleased to see numerous strong performances during the recent South Africa series and, combined with the return of several players to the player pool after exams or injury, it has certainly made for several tough decisions on selection. However, these selection challenges only serve to underscore the positive fact that we are on the right track in the development of an increased talent pool to choose from in Ireland.

“Indeed, several players who missed out on this squad can consider themselves unfortunate, but certainly not out of contention for further opportunities, particularly in the lead up to T20 World Cup Qualifier in September. We have a lot to play for and a lot of players to see, especially with so many Super Series games ahead, as well as further internationals ahead of the tournament.”

On the new selector panel, she said: “We are pleased to welcome the three new members of the reconstituted national selectors panel with a busy period ahead for the women’s squad. We bid a fond farewell to Cathy Murphy as she steps down as a selector. Cathy has been an incredibly diligent and dedicated voluntary selector for several years and has been a key part of the selection team that has helped to identify talent and grow the talent pool across Ireland. Cathy has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role and her input and unique insights have been highly valued by the panel. Her contributions will be sorely missed. She will step away with pride at being part of the move to a new era for women’s cricket in Ireland.”

Women’s summer tri-series

16 July 2022: Australia Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
17 July 2022: Ireland Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
19 July 2022: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
21 July 2022: Ireland Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
23 July 2022: Pakistan Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
24 July 2022: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)

TICKETS AND LIVESTREAM

Tickets are available to buy online at www.cricketireland.ie/tickets. Adults are £5, Under-16s free.

All matches will be livestreamed on www.livestream.com/CricketIrelandLive

Also read: Eden Hazard to play in a new position at Real Madrid next season

2022-07-04 14:33

India eye China scalp in women's Hockey World Cup WC

Amstelveen (Netherlands), Jul 4 (Hockey News) Their defensive prowess on display in the 1-1 draw against Olympic bronze medallist England, India would look to plug holes in the attacking department and register their first win of the women's hockey World Cup in their second game against China here on Tuesday.

The Indians produced a superlative defensive performance, spearheaded by skipper and goalkeeper Savita Punia, in the drawn game against England in their opening Pool B match on Sunday.

The likes of vice-captain Deep Grace Ekka, Nikki Pradhan, Gurjit Kaur and Udita dished out an excellent performance, denying England a single penalty corner in the entire 60 minutes.

Their only blemish was the ninth minute goal they conceded when Isabella Petter neatly deflected in a pass from outside the 'D'.

Barring that, it was a near perfect effort from the Indian backline against England, who fielded almost the same set of players from the Great Britain side that featured in Tokyo Olympics.

Savita, as usual, was brilliant at the goal, making a couple of fine saves with her quick reflexes.

However, India were found wanting in the penalty corner conversion as they could score just once from the seven PCs they got, with Vandana Katariya getting the equaliser from a rebound in the 28th minute.

India also created a lot of chances against England but the forwardline failed to utilise most of them, barring the equaliser.

In the 56th minute, Sharmila Devi wasted a golden opportunity as he failed to get her stick on to a fine pass from a team-mate.

The Indians would look to address their attacking woes and beat world number 13 China, who held New Zealand to a 2-2 draw in the other Pool B match on Sunday. Chief coach Janneke Schopman would be eyeing a more clinical performance from the forwardline, consisting of the likes of Vandana, Lalremsiami and Shamila.

Going by form and rankings, world number eight India will definitely start as favourites against China but complacency is something the Savita-led side would look to avoid.

It was India who came out on top in the last two meetings between the two sides.

India had thrashed China 7-1 in their first outing in the FIH Pro League tie before winning the second match of the double-header 2-1 in Muscat, Oman.

In the other Pool B match on Tuesday, England will face New Zealand.

Also Read : India still in control after Day 3 despite Bairstow's incredible ton

News Source : PTI

2022-07-04 12:36

India still in control after Day 3 despite Bairstow's incredible ton

(Cricket news) England started day 3 on 84/5 with Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow at the crease. The pair started to open up and play aggressively from the beginning of the day. Bairstow had been really cautious on Day 2 but really opened up after settling down. Ben Stokes was dropped on 18 by Shardul Thakur off Mohammed Shami's bowling. Stokes' luck wasn't up as he was dropped once again by skipper Jasprit Bumrah off Thakur's bowling. Both were rather regulation catches and that too of Stokes who is mighty dangerous. Thankfully for India, Stokes hit the very next ball towards Bumrah once again and the Indian captain dived to his left to take a blinder. Stokes had to walk back after scoring 25 off 36.

Nothing was slowing down Bairstow's onslaught as he continued to counter attack as he reached his century in just 109 balls. The batter scored just 16 runs off his first 65 balls and then scored 84 off 54. This was his 3rd hundred in consecutive Test matches and his 5th in 2022. He was soon dismissed by Mohammed Shami who produced an edge which went to Virat Kohli at first slip. Sam Billings played a nice little cameo of 36 off 56 before being dismissed by Siraj. India cleaned up the tail fairly early as England were 284 runs behind.

Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara opened the batting with a lead of 132 runs. James Anderson struck in the very first over as he got rid of Gill who edged the ball to Zak Crawley at second slip just like the first innings. Pujara and Hanuma Vihari steadied the ship with some solid batting. The pair didn't take any risks even though the run rate was very low, they managed to stay at the wicket. Vihari got out on 11 after he chased Stuart Broad's ball and only managed to edge it to Bairstow at 3rd slip. Broad kept bowling fuller to try and tempt Vihari to drive which ultimately brought the breakthrough.

Virat Kohli came into bat and instantly started playing his strokes including two glorious trademark cover drives. Kohli's bad luck continued as he was dismissed by an unplayable ball from Stokes. The hall bounced way more than it should have which caught Kohli by surprise. The ball took an edge and was on its way down after hitting Billings's glove but Joe Root was there to pick up the pieces. Kohli could only manage 20 off 40 as his struggles continued. Pant came into bat and started to put the bad balls away. Pujara reaches a solid half century to mark his return after a short time out of the squad.

England went with altered tactics towards the end of the day. They got Anderson to bang it in short from around the wicket to Pujara. On the other end was Joe Root who was constantly bowling wide to Pant to try and tempt the keeper. The pair managed to keep their calm as India finished the day on 125 for 3 with a lead of 257 runs. India are in a very commanding position with two days to go. They will be hoping to bat till tea tomorrow before trying to bowl out England once again. England will be hoping that they can make inroads by cleaning up India for less 350 before trying to pull off another stellar run chase.

Also read: ECB names squad for England Men’s white ball matches against India

2022-07-04 10:44

Bowlers need to have patience when things are not going their way, says Siraj

Birmingham, Jul 4 (Cricket News) India pacer Mohammed Siraj says it is imperative for a bowler to have patience when a batter goes hammer and tongs, like Jonny Bairstow did during England's first innings on the third day of the ongoing rescheduled fifth Test here.

Bairstow (106 off 140 balls) blazed his way to a century on Sunday, his third in successive Tests this summer, to help England post 284 in their first innings in reply to India's 416.

Attack was the best defence for Bairstow in the later part of his innings as he hit 14 boundaries and two sixes during his entertaining knock.

But, Siraj (4/66), leading wicket-taker in the match so far for the visitors, said the Indian bowlers were unruffled by Bairstow's onslaught.

"As bowlers, we had to just keep patience. Bairstow is in form and he has been continuously playing attacking batting since the New Zealand series. So we were aware his confidence was high," Siraj said after the third day's play on Sunday.

"Our plan was simple, stick to our basics. We just kept believing in our ability, no matter what he did, it was a matter of one ball - be it an inswinger or seaming in off the pitch.

"In England, it is common to beat a batter multiple times, you just need to be patient and concentrate on your process," he added.

Siraj said the Indian bowlers did their homework and had a fair bit of idea about English batters' weak points.

"When we saw the New Zealand series, we realised that our every bowler is 140-plus and they (New Zealand bowlers) didn't have that," Siraj said.

"We had that ability and we also had played against England last year. So that was our plus point, as were aware of their weak points and that is why we got the success.

India were 125 for three in their second innings, taking an overall lead of 257 so far.

And Siraj feels it would be difficult for English batters to chase down anything above 350 in the second innings at Edgbaston.

"In the first innings, the pitch was helpful to begin with, but after that it became flatter subsequently. So our only plan was to hit consistently in one area. If we took it easy, then we would end up leaking runs," he said.

"The ball also kept low. So it will be beneficial for us in the second innings." At stumps on day three, Cheteshwar Pujara was batting on 50 in the company of Rishabh Pant (30 batting).

"He (Pujara) is a warrior. In Australia, he did it and here also, he is doing the job. Whenever the team requires, he always stands up. When the tough situation arises, he is always there to do the job.

"Exactly, bowling to him is difficult, he does not attack much and just keeps on leaving balls so that can get irritating in the nets," Siraj said. Talking about stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, the pacer from Hyderabad said: "As a player and as a captain, he has been the same. He is always supportive and is always there to help me out.

"Whenever I do wrong, he tries to make me understand what to bowl in certain situations."

Also Read : All-round Harshal stars in India's 10-run victory over Northamptonshire

News Source : PTI

2022-07-04 09:20

Pacers put India on top before Pujara fifty extends lead to 257

Birmingham, Jul 3 (Cricket News) India's famed pace bowling unit for the umpteenth time put its team in pole position, bowling out England for 284 before the hosts just about managed to put a foot in the door by getting the top-order cheaply in an engrossing third day's play in the fifth Test.

At stumps, India were 125 for 3 in their second innings with Cheteshwar Pujara (50 batting, 139 balls) displaying his gutsy avatar with a half-century, battling it out in the company of the flamboyant Rishabh Pant (30 batting, 46 balls). The overall lead stood at 257 runs.

However, the dismissals of Shubman Gill (4), Hanuma Vihari (11) and Virat Kohli (20) would make the visitors uncomfortable going into the final day.

Kohli, as usual, got the best delivery of the entire third day's play when rival skipper Ben Stokes got one to rear up off length and no batter would have survived such a delivery with less than split second of reaction time.

Kohli, who was standing a good two feet outside the batting crease, was literally putting his best foot forward to defend from 17 yards while tackling the probing questions that James Anderson kept on asking but, as luck would have it, that delivery outside the off-stump had his name written on it.

Pujara played his usual waiting game with the clips off his toes and the occasional square cuts when provided width. Pant, on the other hand, mixed caution with aggression and if he stays for an hour on the fourth morning, he will completely turn the tables.

While India in recent years, after taking a 100-run plus lead, have never lost a Test match, the current England side under Brendon McCullum's 'Bazball' (relentless attack) philosophy has made a mockery of near 300-run chases.

India would like to score at least 275 in their second essay and set England a target of at least 400 plus in order to close the match.

The third day is considered a moving day in Test cricket and things indeed proceeded at a breakneck pace as England scored runs at 4.61 runs per over, courtesy Jonny Bairstow's (106 off 140 balls) counter-attacking third hundred in as many games.

Bairstow was swift yet brutal in his assault which got him 14 boundaries and two sixes.

But, in line with India's overseas script in the last couple of years, the troika of skipper Jaspreet Bumrah (3/68 in 19 overs), Mohammed Shami (2/78 in 22 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (4/66 in 11.3 overs) kept up the pressure to ensure a sizeable lead of 132 runs.

Shardul Thakur (1/48) was taken to the cleaners by Bairstow but his happy knack of picking up crucial wickets saw him get rid of Stokes (25) just when the partnership of 66 was looking dangerous.

Kohli sledges, Bairstow hammers ------------------------------------- The morning session belonged to Bairstow (106 off 140 balls), who smashed the Indian attack after being extensively sledged by Kohli.

Kohli had something to say to Bairstow about his 'play and miss' game and the England batter wasn't someone to take the stuff lying down.

Post that altercation, Bairstow started chancing his arms and played a lot of lofted shots over mid-off and clipped a few towards the mid-wicket boundary.

"Don't poke the Bear that is Johnny Bairstow again please," noted commentator Ian Bishop tweeted while Virender Sehwag joked that Kohli has forced Bairstow to transform from "Pujara to Pant".

Bairstow, who seemed to be struggling during the final hour on the second day, did play and miss in the first 20 minutes in the morning.

But once Bumrah continued with attacking field, he had a lot of options in front of the wicket.

While Thakur got the prized scalp of Stokes, Bairstow handed him some harsh punishment with a ramp shot followed by a square drive.

There was also a regal pick-up pull for a maximum off Siraj's bowling.

There were two more sixes off Thakur's bowling as the morning session belonged to England before India made a comeback in the next one. Bumrah creates pressure, Siraj reaps reward ----------------------------------------------- Once Bairstow smashed Shardul Thakur (1/48 in 7 overs) through cover point to complete his 11th Test century off 119 balls and third in as many games, he suddenly went into a shell.

Skipper Jasprit Bumrah (3/68 in 19 overs), who has had a dream game as an individual performer, bowled a probing spell, beating the bat time and again.

In the next 20 balls, Bairstow managed only six runs after his mayhem that saw him get 14 boundaries and two sixes.

Bottled up by Bumrah, Bairstow had no option but to try an expansive drive when a fuller delivery was pitched on the fourth stump line from Shami. The resultant thick edge was smartly taken by a leaping Kohli, who made amends for his needless engagement with the batter.

Once the Bairstow-Sam Billings (36) stand of 92 runs ended, Siraj bowled fast and quick to get the remaining three wickets for addition of another 43 runs.

Also Read : India dismiss England for 284 on Day 3 of rescheduled fifth Test

News Source : PTI

2022-07-03 15:43

Openers in focus as India look to seal series against Sri Lanka in 2nd ODI

Pallekele, Jul 3 (Cricket News) The Indian women's cricket team would look for some stability from its top-order as the visitors aim to seal the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in the second game here on Monday.

After clinching the preceding T20 series 2-1, India have taken a 1-0 lead in the ODI series by winning the low-scoring first match by four wickets.

"Our approach will be the same as before, we have to win the series 3-0 and dominate all the matches. Whatever plans and preparations we have we made we need to execute," all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar said at the pre-match press conference.

Despite the comfortable win, the Indian think tank would be a little concerned about the opening pair of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and young Shafali Verma.

Both the batters have got a few runs but have not been able to translate them into big scores.

The duo has failed to build a decent partnership on the tour so far, denying the team from electrifying starts which it is known for.

And both Mandhana and Verma would be gunning for a big score with just two matches remaining on tour.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, on the other hand, seems to be relishing her role, scoring runs and providing breakthroughs with her part-time off-spin.

The Indian bowlers, especially the slower ones, are simply enjoying the low and slow Sri Lankan tracks and have played a crucial role in the team's victories on the tour.

Right-arm medium pacer Renuka Singh excelled with figures of 3 for 29, however, it was Deepti Sharma's off-breaks that broke Sri Lanka's backbone and restricted the hosts to 171 all out in the first ODI.

While the Indian bowlers have excelled on the tour, the batters have been plagued by inconsistencies.

Verma, once again, squandered a promising start as the top order crumbled while chasing a modest total in the opening ODI.

The middle order comprising the likes of Harmanpreet, Harleen Deol, Deepti, who showed her all-round capabilities and Pooja Vastrakar bailed India out in the opener.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, would hope skipper Chamari Athapaththu can inspire the side with the bat after a relative poor show so far.

The likes of opener Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshi de Silva have batted well but need to stitch partnerships.

On the bowling front, left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera has shone bright but will need more support from her colleagues.

Sri Lanka lost the ODI series against Pakistan last month and would look to avoid a second consecutive series loss in the format.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Meghana, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Simran Bahadur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunaratne, Ama Kanchana, Hansima Karunaratne, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Oshadi Ranasinghe Inoka Ranaweera, Sathya Sandeepani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Malsha Shehani,Tharika Sewwandi.

Match starts 10am IST.

Also Read : India's fight back gives us confidence we can do something similar, says Anderson

News Source : PTI

2022-07-03 13:30

India's fight back gives us confidence we can do something similar, says Anderson

Birmingham, Jul 3 (Cricket News) England will be drawing confidence from India's strong comeback from a similar situation, according to veteran seamer James Anderson, who insists the hosts will continue to play aggressively in the rescheduled fifth Test here.

England are in all sorts of trouble with half of the team back in the pavilion at the end of the second day.The hosts ended at 84 for five, still trailing India by 332 runs.

The situation is akin to where then India team found itself on the opening day at 98 for five.

"We're in a similar situation to them, and that gives us confidence we can do something similar," Anderson said after the second day's play.

Rishabh Pant (146) and Ravindra Jadeja (104) had , however, changed the complexion of the game as the duo shared 222 runs for the sixth wicket to take India to 416 in their first innings.

"We've all got a job to do down the order, we've got to put on some big partnerships and put some pressure back on India.

"I've got a fair feeling our best line of defence will be attack," Anderson said.

In the second Test against New Zealand last month, skipper Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow had bailed England out of a similar situation.

"The way we've got ourselves out of sticky situations in the last few weeks has been by trying to put pressure back on the opposition, and I don't see this being any different," Anderson said.

"We want to score, we want to move the game forward, and that's what we'll try and do." With the ball, Anderson picked a fifer, ending the first innings with figures of 5 for 60 but conceded that Pant's brilliant innings swayed the momentum in India's favour.

"I actually thought we bowled well yesterday morning and into the afternoon and then Pant played an amazing innings.

"He's extremely talented, he's got all the shots and he's not afraid to play them, so he's a difficult guy to bowl at." To add to the assault, skipper Jaspirt Bumrah bludgeoned a hapless Stuart Broad for 29 runs to create a world record for maximum runs off a single over in Test cricket.

Broad ended up giving away 35 runs in that over after adding the extras.

"On another day one of those top edges goes straight to hand, and if that happens no one talks about the over. The way it went was pretty unlucky I thought," Anderson said.

"Sometimes it can be easier to bowl to top-order batsmen, I remember a few balls I bowled to Mohammed Siraj today where he tried to hit two out of the ground and then played a perfect back-foot defensive to the next one," Anderson said. "So, it can be tricky to get into a rhythm against them. You've just got to back yourself that your best ball will get them out eventually."

Also Read : Century in England is always special, serves as confidence booster: Jadeja

News Source : PTI

2022-07-03 13:24

Century in England is always special, serves as confidence booster: Jadeja

Birmingham, Jul 3 (Cricket News) Senior India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja feels scoring a hundred in tough English conditions will not only enhance his reputation as a batter but will also serve as a big confidence booster going forward in his career.

Jadeja hit 104 off 194 deliveries and together with Rishabh Pant (146 off 111 balls) shared 222 runs for the sixth wicket to rescue India from 98 for five in their first innings in the rescheduled fifth and final Test against England here.

"I am very happy that I scored a hundred outside India and that too in England. It is a big thing as a player.

"For me, I take this hundred as a confidence booster to score a hundred in England in swinging conditions," Jadeja said after the third's day play at Edgbaston after scoring his first overseas century.

Jadeja, who has come of age in terms of his batting in the last few years, said the key to success for a batter in England is the sheer ability to judge the ball.

"In England you need to play close to your body because if you try to play cover drives and square drives there are chances that you may get out caught behind or in the slips.

"So my focus was to leave balls which are outside off stump. I thought of hitting the ball if it was pitched close to me. Luckily the balls I picked were in my areas. You need to know your off stump and leave the ball which is pitched outside off stump,' he said about his knock, only the second Test century of his career." Jadeja said a disciplined approach is also a vital factor in succeeding on swing-friendly English conditions as a batter.

"In these conditions the ball swings so you need to bring in discipline in your batting. You have to play picking the balls which are on fourth and fifth stumps. In 40, 50 or 70 you can get out to a good ball.

"I was just thinking that if I get a good ball I can do nothing but at least I should try not to play a bad shot and not go in search of boundaries. If the ball is in my range and my areas I will hit that," he said.

The fiery all-rounder from Saurashtra doesn't believe in tags, saying he is a team man first before everything.

"I won't like to give myself any tag. Whatever the team needs I try to perform accordingly. As an all-rounder sometimes situations comes when you need to score runs and either save or win the match for the team.

"In bowling you are expected to give breakthroughs. I consider myself a team player. Whatever teams needs I try to do." Jadeja said he enjoys batting with the dashing Pant as it makes life easy for him.

"There is to some extent less pressure while batting with Rishabh because he doesn't mercy any bowler. Standing at the non-striker end I was feeling happy because the England weren't focussing too much on me.

"They were looking to get Rishabh's wicket. But as a batter you need focus and concentrate on England because you can get a good delivery anytime," he said.

"So me and Rishabh were talking on building a long partnership because we had to put a lot of hardwork to take the team to a good position from 98 for 5." Jadeja is coming off a nightmarish IPL campaign. He struggled under the pressure of leading a side and relinquished the Chennai Super Kings captaincy midway to focus on his game.

"I had nothing in mind about IPL. Whatever has happened there is past but when you are paying for India, the entire focus is on performing for the Indian team. If I perform well for India there is no bigger satisfaction for me." He also took a dig at England pacer James Anderson while reacting to the latter's comment that the Indian all-rounder thinks like a proper batter now.

"I always try to give myself time and build partnerships. Whoever is the set batsman at the other end I try to give him company. Good that Jimmy Anderson has realised my potential after 2014. I am happy," he said.

Also Read : England 84-5 at stumps on day 2 in rescheduled fifth Test against India

News Source : PTI

2022-07-02 11:57

Pant and Jadeja rescue India with stellar partnership on Day 1

(Cricket news) Day 1 of the final deciding Test match between India and England ended with India on 338/7. India are definitely on top after Day 1 especially considering the fact that Ben Stokes won the toss and put India into bat first. India once again went with the same bowling combination without Ravichandran Ashwin. Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill opened the batting while Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari played in the middle order.

There was movement of the pitch for the seamers but very little movement or no movement in the air. The wicket didn't have much bounce or carry in the first session at least. Shubman Gill started the innings really well as he played a couple of gorgeous strokes. The opener was looking really good before he played a nothing shot off James Anderson which picked up the edge on its way to Zak Crawley at 2nd slip. Gill could've easily left the ball on both line and length but he had a poke at it which was a shame because he was looking so good on 17.
Pujara on the other hand played his natural game and looked very solid. He played a beautiful straight drive which showed that he had regained his bat swing and footwork since his last Test match. He was given out caught behind but the decision was overturned after DRS. His stay didn't last long after as he was dismissed with a beauty from Anderson. The delivery bounced much more than expected and took the edge flying into Crawley's hands as he was dismissed for 13.

India's new number 3 Hanuma Vihari really struggled in the beginning. Vihari was given a lifeline as Crawley dropped an easy catch at first slip off Matt Potts. He was playing and missing quite a bit before finally falling to Matt Potts' ball while on 20 off 53. The ball was an outswinger off the hand but due to the pitch's natural variation it nipped in off the surface to catch Vihari plum on the pads as he didn't even bother to review. Virat Kohli's nightmare form and incredible bad luck continued as he could only manage 11 runs. He tried to leave a wide delivery from Potts but the ball hit the bat and found its way to the stumps. Rishabh Pant came in to bat ahead of Shreyas Iyer presumably to keep the right hand, left hand combination. Iyer started well by playing his shots and scoring a few good boundaries but then struggled as soon as the English bowlers started to bowl short. He was on 15 off 10 balls when he nicked Anderson's ball down the leg side towards Sam Billings who took an excellent catch down.

India were in deep trouble at 98/5 and it looked like England would have the advantage after the first innings but Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant had other plans. The pair stitched together a crucial partnership of 222 runs to give India the advantage. Pant scored 146 off just 111 balls hitting 19 fours and four sixes. He scored runs all over the ground with a range of shots including his trademark one handed six which went 101 metres long. Jack Leech who picked up 10 wickets in the last Test against New Zealand was hit for 71 runs in 9 overs. Pant was finally dismissed by Joe Root's wide flighted delivery which was caught at first slip by Crawley.

Jadeja's innings was completely opposite as he was very patient and didn't take any risks. He played a wonderful hand in supporting Pant as he finished the day unbeaten on 83 off 163 balls. His innings was an incredible paced innings which consisted of 10 fours. The improvement in Jadeja's red ball batting has been immense in the last couple of years and has been one of the main reasons for India's success. Shardul Thakur didn't trouble the scorers as he could only manage to score 1 run before being dismissed by Ben Stokes. India will start day 2 with Jadeja and Mohammed Shami at the crease.

England's bowling started off great but then went a little haywire. Anderson was brilliant as usual as he picked up 3 crucial wickets. Potts started really well by picking up 2 wickets but was later very expensive. Broad was decent on the day but went wicketless. Jack Leech had a very tough day as he was hammered by Pant all over the place. He tried a lot of things but nothing was working. Joe Root stepped up after Leech's hammering and got rid of Pant. Ben Stokes had a very tough day with the ball despite picking up a wicket. The skipper bowled way too short and wide majority of the time including a few wild balls and a lot of no balls. England will have to bowl 7 overs before the new ball is available but they will like to get things wrapped up before that. A certain Ravindra Jadeja will be standing in the way of that.

Also read: Bold and brutal calls in India's T20I squad for the England series

2022-07-02 11:25

Phenomenal Pant plots India's fight back with game-changing ton on day 1

Birmingham, Jul 1 (Cricket News) Rishabh Pant played a knock for the ages to turn the tables on England and take India to an imposing 338 for seven on a rain-hit day one of the rescheduled fifth Test here on Friday.

At 98 for five, India were staring down the barrel but Pant (146 off 111 balls) scripted a remarkable turnaround in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (83 batting off 163) as the duo shared a match changing 222-run stand off 239 balls. Pant, who rendered the England bowlers helpless, hammered 20 boundaries and four sixes, in his awe-inspiring effort.

The rain in the morning meant only 73 overs could be bowled on the opening day. Having faced criticism for his struggles in white-ball cricket recently, Pant continued his love affair with the red-ball format by smashing his fifth century overall and fourth in overseas conditions.

The conditions and match situation was against him but he once again thrived on it to leave the opposition frustrated. As only he could, he danced down the track against the great James Anderson, reverse scooped him but also played conventional strokes, including the straight drives and back foot punches, enroute to the fastest hundred (89 balls) by an Indian wicketkeeper.

In the nervous 90s, he fell on the ground while going aerial over Jack Leach but that still fetched him a four before reaching three figures in the following over.

Stokes fancied Leach's chances against Pant but the ploy failed miserably as the southpaw collected boundaries off the left-arm spinner at will. Leach ended up with day's figures of 0/71 in nine overs. Pant went ballistic in what happened to be Leach's last over of the day, clobbering him two sixes and as many fours.

With a couple of hundreds in England, one each in Australia and South Africa, Pant has already walked into the list of the finest wicketkeeper-batters to have come out of India.

The 24-year-old's epic innings came to an end towards close of play with part-timer Joe Root providing the much needed breakthrough. Jadeja, who enjoyed Pant's audacious stroke from the other end, also played a major role in India's remarkable recovery and produced some delightful drives on the way.

After overs were lost in the first two sessions due to rain, the evening session was played in bright sunshine. Pant and Jadeja's counter-attacking partnership had helped India recover to 174 for five at tea after the visitors lost half their side shortly after lunch.

Rain delayed the start of the second session by an hour and England were all over India soon after play resumed.

While Anderson did the damage in the morning, Matthew Potts got the prized wicket of an out of form Virat Kohli (11) and a shaky Hanuma Vihari (20) post lunch to put England on top.

Vihari was the first to go after Potts trapped him in front of the stumps with a full ball that darted back sharply. In his following over, Potts sent back Kohli, who dragged one on to his stumps in his half-hearted attempt to leave the ball.

Shreyas Iyer (15 off 11 balls), playing his first Test outside India, started on an aggressive note by collecting three fours off Potts. However, Anderson and the support staff had done their homework on Iyer, who has had issues against the short ball.

The 39-year-old pacer angled one around the rib cage area that induced a faint edge on way to Sam Billings, who took a brilliant one handed catch diving full-stretched to his left.

India looked down and out at that stage and fresh lease of life was infused in the innings by the two southpaws, Pant and Jadeja.

Pant made his intent loud and clear by advancing and smashing Anderson down the ground. Jadeja too played his strokes with the highlight being the straight drive and cover drive off Broad.

Earlier, England's most decorated pacer Anderson produced probing spells in the rain-hit morning session to reduce India to 53 for two. Rain forced the lunch break 20 minutes before time.

Anderson had openers Shubman Gill (17 off 24) and Cheteshwar Pujara (13 off 46) caught by Zak Crawley at second slip to give England the advantage after Stokes opted to 'chase' at Edgbaston.

India could have been three down had Crawley held on to a tough chance presented by Vihari off Matthew Potts.

Also Read : Harmanpreet stays calm, it helps in her decision-making: Deepti Sharma

News Source : PTI

2022-07-01 18:06

1st WODI: Bowlers do star turn as Indian women prevail over Sri Lanka by 4 wickets

Pallekele, Jul 1 (Cricket News) The experienced Deepti Sharma shone with the bat after her exploits with the ball, coming to the Indian women's team's rescue in a tricky chase for a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI here on Friday.

In the company of Pooja Vastrakar (21 not out), Deepti (22 not out) guided the team home in 38 overs after being set an easy target of 172, in Harmanpreet Kaur's first match as full-time ODI captain.

Cruising at 123 for three, India nearly made heavy weather of what seemed a comfortable run-chase after Harmanpreet departed for a well-made 44, slipping to 138 for six.

But Deepti and Vastrakar ensured India emerged winners.

India bowled out Sri Lanka for 171 in 48.2 overs, and then chased down the target with 12 overs to spare.

The three-match series is part of the ICC ODI Championship.

Harmanpreet took over the reins in the 50-over format after the recent retirement of long-time skipper Mithali Raj.

Thanks to the Indian bowlers' excellent show in the series opener, Sri Lanka's decision to bat first on winning the toss did not yield the desired result.

Seasoned off-spinner Deepti and medium pacer Renuka Singh (3/29) were the wreckers-in-chiefs, finishing with impressive figures of 3/25 and 3/29 respectively.

Renuka gave the team's first breakthrough when she removed Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu with a peach of a delivery that landed in the channel outside off, forcing the batter to fish at it, and Yastika Bhatia did the rest behind the stumps.

It was a huge wicket for India, and straightaway put the hosts on the backfoot.

Deepti enjoyed early success when she dismissed Hansima Karunaratne for an eleven-ball duck. Seeking to break the shackles, the batter went down the track to a delivery that was tossed up, but the lack of elevation meant the ball did not travel beyond mid off.

A partnership ensued but not for long, with Deepti getting the better of opener Hasini Perera by hitting her pads while the batter attempted to play the sweep shot. Hasini made 37 off 54 balls.

Sri Lanka were in for more shock as 63/3 soon became 65/4, this time skipper Harmanpreet, enjoying success with the ball by dismissing Kavisha Dilhari for a nought.

As wickets tumbled at one end, Nilakshi de Silva held fort at the other until she was trapped in front of the wicket for a 63-ball 43.

The Indians also got off to a poor start, losing Smriti Mandhana (4) as early as the second over.

Wicketkeeper Bhatia (1), too, did not last long, leaving India at 17 for two in the fourth over.

Skipper Harmanpreet then played the role of an anchor allowing Shafali Verma to blaze her way to 35 off 40 deliveries.

Harleen Deol chipped in with 34 0ff 40 balls, before the duo of Deepti and Pooja Vastrakar took the visitors home.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka women: 171 all out in 48.2 overs (Nilakshi de Silva 43, Hasini Perera 37, Deepti Sharma 3/25, Renuka Singh 3/29) India Women: 176/6 in 38 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 44, Shafali Verma 35, Harleen Deol 34, Deepti Sharma 22 not out, Pooja Vastrakar 21 not out; Inoka Ranaweera 4/39).

Also Read : India lose openers to reach 53/2 as rain stops play before lunch

News Source : PTI

2022-07-01 16:43

England name Jos Buttler Men's White-Ball Captain

(Cricket news) Lancashire player Jos Buttler has been appointed captain of the England Men's white-ball teams by the England & Wales Cricket Board. He succeeds Eoin Morgan, who retired from international cricket earlier this week. The ECB Interim Chair, Martin Darlow, and Interim Chief Executive Officer, Clare Connor, approved the appointment on Wednesday evening following the recommendation by the Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Rob Key.

Buttler has been part of England's white-ball teams for over a decade. He played his first T2OI game in 2011 and made his ODI debut a year later. The wicketkeeper/batter has been an integral part of the set-up, having been vice-captain since 2015 and has led the team 14 times previously (Nine ODIs & five T20Is). He has represented England 151 times in ODIs scoring 4120 runs at an average of 41.20, including 10 hundreds.

In T20 internationals, he has won 88 caps scoring 2140 runs with an average of 34.51. He is one of three England cricketers (Dawid Malan and Heather Knight) to have scored hundreds in all three formats of the game.

England Men's White-Ball Captain, Jos Buttler, said: "I would like to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to Eoin Morgan for his outstanding leadership over the past seven years. It has been the most memorable period for everyone involved. He has been an inspirational leader, and it has been fantastic to play under him. There are lots of things that I have learnt from him that I'll take into this role.

"It is a great honour to take over from Eoin, and the place he has left English white-ball cricket in is exciting, and I'm inspired for the challenges ahead. There is excellent strength-in-depth in the white-ball squads, and I'm looking forward to leading the teams out for the series that are coming up against India starting next week and later in July against South Africa. It is the greatest honour to captain your country, and when I have had the chance to step in the past, I have loved doing it. I can't wait to take this team forward."

Clare Connor, Interim ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: "Jos is a fantastic role model who inspires through his performances on the pitch. He has been instrumental in setting new standards in men's white-ball cricket, and is the perfect leader to build on the incredible legacy which Eoin has built for our men's white-ball teams. I'm excited to see where Jos and Matthew Mott take things from here, particularly as we build towards the ICC Men's T20 World Cup."

Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said: "Jos Buttler was the perfect choice to succeed Eoin Morgan as our white-ball captain, and I had no hesitation in offering him the role. Jos has been part of our white-ball set-up for over a decade and was integral in the transformation of the way the team has played its attacking brand of cricket over the past seven years.

"He is well respected in the dressing room by all of his teammates and will relish leading his country. He is in the form of his life and is showcasing his talent against the best players and teams in the world. I believe the extra responsibility will take his game to a new level and inspire those around him. I'm looking forward to seeing him take us forward. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity."

The England Men's selection panel will announce the squads for the Vitality IT20s and Royal London ODIs against India on Friday lunchtime.

Also read: Bold and brutal calls in India's T20I squad for the England series

2022-07-01 14:51

Bold and brutal calls in India's T20I squad for the England series

(Cricket news) BCCI has announced two separate 17 member squads to take on England in 3 T20Is after the Test match is concluded. The squad for the 1st T20I is the same squad that defeated Ireland 2-0 with the addition of Captain Rohit Sharma. The Indian skipper has been ruled out of the Test match due to Covid which allows him to play the 1st T20I. The reason that there are two squads is because there is only one day's rest between the last day of the Test and the 1st T20I.

India's squad for 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

India’s squad for 2nd and 3rd T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik.

From the 2nd T20I Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah will join the squad after having completed the Test match. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Venkatesh Iyer and Arshdeep Singh are the five players who will make way for the Test players. Ruturaj Gaikwad has not been consistent in the chances that he has got so far in his international career. This is a tough time for him as he has also been dropped from the ODI squad. The opener is still pretty young and has a lot of time left to cement his place in the squad.

Arshdeep Singh's exclusion was pretty understandable as he is yet to get a game and all the other seamers have performed well and someone has to make way for Jasprit Bumrah. However Arshdeep has something to cherish as he has been called up for the ODI squad for the first time. Sanju Samson played a brilliant innings in the last T20I against Ireland but that is still not enough to secure his place in the side. Rahul Tripathi is another player who was always going to be dropped once the big boys return. He will have to wait longer to get his opportunity in Indian colours.

Venkatesh Iyer is the one player whose exclusion seems very harsh. In the opportunities that he has got with India Venkatesh has rarely disappointed. He did have a poor IPL campaign but his performances in blue have been really good. Hardik Pandya's return has pushed Iyer down the pecking order but he could still be in the squad as a backup for Pandya. His ability to bat anywhere is also an added bonus. Mohammed Siraj who has been a part of the T20I set-up is not a part of the squad. Mohammed Shami is back in the ODI squad but not in the T20I squad for unknown reasons. Shami is one of the best bowlers in India but he hasn't played since the T20 World Cup. Shami definitely doesn't deserve to be dropped from T20Is as his performances in the IPL have been really good.

Also read: Important calls in India's ODI squad for England series

2022-07-01 12:40

Important calls in India's ODI squad for England series

(Cricket news) India have announced their 17 man squad that will take on England in 3 ODIs. The matches will be played at the Oval, Lord's and Old Trafford respectively. India whitewashed West Indies in their last ODI series and they come into this series in good form. England convincingly whitewashed Netherlands and are on fire in the whiteball format. There has been a change as long term whiteball captain Eoin Morgan has retired with Jos Buttler set to lead the side for the first time in the ODI format for the India series. The series will be an important step in the preparation for the World Cup next year.

India's ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

India have chosen a full strength squad as expected. Apart from a few players who are injured this should pretty much be the squad for the World Cup even though there is a long time left for it. KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar and Kuldeep Yadav who were part of the last squad miss out because of injuries. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan have been dropped. Gaikwad didn't get to play a single game but is presumably dropped for inconsistent performances in the T20I format.

Deepak Hooda being dropped is likely to do with the return of Hardik Pandya and the conditions. Playing a batting all-rounder who bowls spin doesn't really make sense in English conditions especially when Ravindra Jadeja is in the side. The reason to drop Ravi Bishnoi will also be the same as Yuzvendra Chahal is the established wrist spinner. It is surprising that the selectors have chosen not to keep a direct replacement for Chahal in the squad. Avesh Khan is clearly dropped because of the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami even though he didn't get a single game to prove himself.

Arshdeep Singh gets his maiden ODI call-up which is a little unexpected because he has been dropped from the T20I squad. His selection might have to do with the fact that he is the only left arm seamer available. Ishan Kishan was a late COVID-19 replacement in the ODI series against West Indies but his impressive T20I form has earned him a place in the ODI format which was always going to happen eventually. Hardik Pandya's return to the squad was imminent as he has shown good quality since his return to cricket.

Pandya's importance to the ODI squad is immense and his presence is something India has been missing. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja were injured during the West Indies series but they have been called back immediately as expected. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are back in the ODI squad. Bumrah was a part of the South Africa series and was later rested for the West Indies series. Shami on the other hand hasn't played an ODI game since 2020 against Australia.

Also read: Doubts over Rohit Sharma's availability as India take on England

2022-07-01 08:29

Bumrah drawing inspiration from Dhoni ahead of captaincy debut

Birmingham, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Accidental India captain Jasprit Bumrah feels leading the Indian team is the biggest achievement of his career and he would go into the rescheduled fifth Test remembering the wise words of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had no captaincy experience but went on to achieve phenomenal success as leader.

Bumrah only got to know that he will be captaining the Indian team on Thursday morning after Rohit Sharma returned another positive test for COVID-19, ruling him out of the game.

Taking on an in-form England side will be a big challenge but Bumrah is up for it.

"The taste of success feels good when there is pressure. I am always up for responsibilities and I love to be in tough challenges. As a cricketer, you always want to test yourself in deep waters. I have spoken to many cricketers. Everybody improves and keep getting better," he said on the eve of the game.

"I remember speaking to MS (Dhoni), and he told me that he never captained any side before he led India for the first time. Now, he is remembered as one of the most successful captains of all time.

"So, I am focusing on how I can help the team and not focusing on what I have done before or how the cricketing conventions or the rules have been set." It is rare for a fast bowler to lead the Indian team and Bumrah said it was a massive honour and responsibility. The pacer has experienced meteoric rise in international cricket, including the five-day version in which he is only four seasons old, having made his Test debut in January 2018.

"Representing India in Tests was always a dream for me and this opportunity to lead the side is the biggest achievement of my career. I'm very happy that I've been given this opportunity. I have had immense faith in myself.

"In every scenario, I have trusted my instincts that have taken me to this level in cricket and I will keep doing that, going forward. Nothing changes for me, especially my role. That's what I am going to do as the captain of the side," Bumrah said.

"I only came to know that I would be leading the side after Rohit Sharma tested COVID positive once again on Thursday. I first broke the news to my family when I came to know that I would be leading the side." Bumrah said the visitors are up for the challenge.

"We are completely focused on the game and we are fully prepared, given we already played a practice match against Leicestershire, where the wicket was a bit different from this one," said the 28-year-old. He has already had long conversations with former captain Virat Kohli and Rohit on the job at hand.

"Their roles have been very important. Virat's inputs will be crucial when I am bowling or when I am making (some) changes. Virat's suggestions are going to be invaluable and always important for us," said Bumrah.

The team has decided on the openers for the game in Rohit's absence but Bumrah was not ready to reveal that a day before the match.

"I had a look at the wicket and had discussions with our coach (Rahul Dravid) and have a fair idea on how this wicket might behave. We have decided on the openers against England as well but won't reveal anything now.

"Rohit is a very important player and we will miss him in this game. It's unfortunate that someone like Rohit is missing out," he said.

Also Read : Unfinished Business: Bumrah's India ready to face England 2.0

News Source : PTI

2022-06-30 19:14

Unfinished Business: Bumrah's India ready to face England 2.0

Birmingham, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Never before has he navigated the choppy waters of leadership but Jasprit Bumrah will certainly like to showcase his captaincy acumen while leading a slightly under-prepared India against a vastly improved England in the rescheduled fifth Test, starting here on Friday.

India were leading the five-match series 2-1 when multiple COVID-19 cases in their camp led to the postponement of the final game which was a part of the World Test Championship.

Nine months have passed since and a lot of water has flown through the Thames with the then captain Virat Kohli relinquishing Test captaincy. His successor, Rohit Sharma, is missing out on this game after testing positive for COVID-19.

Worse, Rohit's designated deputy KL Rahul is also out after having undergone a surgery for sports hernia.

In this backdrop of musical chair of Indian captaincy, the gauntlet has been thrown at Bumrah, arguably one of the finest fast bowlers in the history of Indian cricket and now set to be the 36th man to lead the national Test team.

He has been acknowledged widely as the undisputed leader of the fast bowling group but come Friday, the challenge against Ben Stokes' side will be very different when he walks out for the toss at the Edgbaston.

Fast bowlers in Indian context have never been considered worthy of leadership contention and Kapil Dev, the world class all-rounder, was more of a fast medium bowler in his prime and later a medium-fast as time progressed.

Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, two fine exponents of fast bowling, were never even considered for vice-captaincy during their heydays. And hence,it took 35 years for India to have another pacer captain.

But leadership is an instinctive thing -- some are blessed with that sixth sense and intuition, some are born gamblers and some become better as they grow on the job.

While this arrangement is a stop-gap one, Indian cricket establishment might have an idea of what can be expected of Bumrah when the time comes for the next change in baton.

New England, new template ------------------------------- The 3-0 demolition of New Zealand with three tricky chases completed in style has shown that England, under new coach Brendon McCullum, have de-constructed their style-sheet as far as Test matches are concerned.

Their batters are plundering opposition attack while there are lesser number of five-wicket hauls from the pacers if one goes by the statistics of the New Zealand series. It was Jack Leach, who had two five-wicket hauls and neither James Anderson nor Stuart Broad got their names on the various 'Honours' Board'.

The pitches have become a tad flatter, which is helping the batters and thus Bumrah, along with Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj will have an onerous task of tackling a batting line-up bubbling with confidence.

Joe Root, after relinquishing captaincy, has found the touch that had deserted him and Jonny Bairstow, with the confidence of IPL, has scored nearly 400 runs at a strike-rate of 120 plus, unheard of in Test matches.

"England have done well as they won a couple of Test matches from positions where they could have potentially lost the games," Indian coach Rahul Dravid told the mediapersons on Wednesday.

"We will like to focus on what our strengths are rather than thinking about opposition's strength," the head coach said, reminding one and all that India are still third in World Test Championship table (58.33 percentage points) behind Australia (75 percentage points) and South Africa (71.43% pts).

Team combination a worry for India --------------------------------------- India will have to bat well and in absence of regular opening pair of Rohit and Rahul, who were fantastic during the four Tests played last year.

Coach Rahul Dravid expects a match-winning performance if not a hundred from Virat Kohli, who looked good in the practice game but the Test match will be a different beast altogether.

The practice game against Leicestershire was more of an extended net session and Indian teams, since Mahendra Singh Dhoni took over as captain, has hardly played official first-class games as a pre-cursor to the Test matches.

James Anderson might be a month short of his 40th birthday but those magical wrists can still make the ball dart around and it will be a different experience for Shubman Gill or Shreyas Iyer.

Cheteshwar Pujara has scored a bagful of county runs but that psychological disadvantage of facing the very first ball of an innings, if he is asked to open, could clutter his mind.

Hanuma Vihari is a solid player but would need support from the other end, considering he has a defensive game.

It remains to be seen who will be India's bowling all-rounder. Will it be Ravichandran Ashwin, who isn't an automatic choice in overseas conditions or Shardul Thakur, who hasn't done his chances any harm with some big-hearted efforts in SENA countries.

Edgbaston hasn't exactly been a happy hunting ground for India where they have lost most of their Test matches but as it often happens with new beginnings, a new captain can always try to buck the trend.

Teams India squad: Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk, vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, Kona Srikar Bharat (wk), Mayank Agarwal, Umesh Yadav England XI: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Sam Billings (wicketkeeper), Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson.

Match Starts: 3 pm IST.

Also Read : Want to set example where players can see me and get motivated to get fit: Harmanpreet

News Source : PTI

2022-06-30 17:53

Want to set example where players can see me and get motivated to get fit: Harmanpreet

Pallekele, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Harmanpreet Kaur, who begins her reign as a full-time skipper of the Indian women's team with the ODI series against Sri Lanka, is seeking drastic improvement in fitness and fielding from her teammates. Kaur, who was already leading the Indian T20 side, was handed the ODI captaincy after veteran Mithali Raj retired from international cricket earlier this month.

The three-match series beginning here on Friday is her first assignment as ODI captain.

"I have set some goals for us. Fitness is very important for a player. Skills wise we have coaches but I want to set an example where the players can see me and get motivated to become fit," Kaur said on eve of the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

"Fitness and fielding are two things I want my team to improve. If these two aspects are covered then you are the best side," Harmanpreet, who is among the fitter players in the Indian team, said.

Having led India in T20s for a while, the 33-year-old said she is enjoying her captaincy stint and feels no additional pressure now that she has become a full-time skipper.

"When I'm leading, I feel I am more involved in the game. It always gives me a lot of confidence. Captaincy is something that comes naturally to me when I'm on the field.

"After leading for a few years, things become easier. Right now, I don't feel the extra pressure, if I enjoy as captain the rest can also enjoy. I am enjoying more now as I feel I'm free to do want I want to do." "When you give players freedom, you can improve more. That is my motive, to give the players freedom so they can express themselves." 'Hope we can have a sports psychologist travelling with us again' ======================================== The Indian team is without the services of team psychologist Mugdha Bavare, who had travelled with the side for the series against New Zealand and the World Cup earlier this year.

It was the first time the Indian women's team had a sports psychologist on tour.

"Mughda ma'am has done a lot for us. During the World Cup she helped me a lot, we need people like her in the team, sadly she is not travelling with us this time.

"In future we hope someone like her can always travel with us. We do have skill coaches but having someone you can talk to and share your thoughts, that is something you need in your life to clear those blocks." The team had benefitted immensely from the presence of a sports psychologist on the tour, said the skipper.

"Skill is not going anywhere but when you feel mentally free then you can improve your game and give 100 per cent.

"In the future also we will talk to our staff if we can bring her back and I hope she can travel with us." Kaur bats for more Test cricket for women ========================== ICC chairman Greg Barclay had recently stated raised doubts over the place of the Test format's future in women's cricket.

Asked about it, Kaur said players always want to play Test cricket.

"In my career, I have only played 2-3 Tests. If we get more games then only we can decide if it has a future or not. As a player, we want to play Test cricket because we have grown up watching that format.

"You can't compare all the formats together, but Test cricket is a different format and has its own level of excitement."

Also Read : Cherish my role in Indian test side, ready to create more impact: Shardul

News Source : PTI

2022-06-30 16:46

India women's ideal playing XI for ODIs against Sri Lanka

(Cricket news) The Indian women's team are about to start their new era under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur. This will be the first series the women in blue will play since Mithali Raj's retirement. They will take on Sri Lanka in 3 ODIs at Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium. India have already won the T20I series 2-1 and now will be looking to start the new era with a series win. The squad has 3 changes in total from the World Cup squad. Apart from Mithali Raj who has retired, Jhulan Goswami is not a part of the squad for unknown reasons. Sneh Rana is another absentee who has been rested for the tour according to head coach Ramesh Powar.

Here's India's ideal playing XI for the ODIs against Sri Lanka

Openers: Smriti Mandhana & Shafali Verma

The opening combination is very crucial for India and majority of the time it gives them a good start. If one of these two plays a big knock then India will be in a good position. The left and right hand combination of the two is a very big asset for the team. Yastika Bhatia and S Meghna who are likely to play in the middle order can also open the batting if needed.

Middle order: Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur & S. Meghna

Harmanpreet Kaur was the player of the T20I series and is in red hot form. Now with the added responsibility of being the captain there will be more pressure but it wouldn't be a surprise if that gets the best out of her. In ODIs Yastika Bhatia has been performing consistently and she should continue to bat at number 3. She can also don the gloves if necessary which is a good asset. The void left by Mithali Raj is impossible to fill but someone will have to take her place. S Meghna played well in the New Zealand series before the World Cup and she was backed in the T20I series as well. She is the strongest candidate to complete the middle order while Harleen Deol is also an option.

Wicket keeper: Richa Ghosh

Richa Ghosh didn't play in the last two T20Is but in ODIs it is very important that she plays. She is a naturally aggressive batter who can go big from ball one and the fact that she is left handed is an additional bonus. Yastika Bhatia can don the gloves while Taniya Bhatia is the more experienced option but it would be unfair to ax Richa Ghosh who has shown incredible potential in her international career at such a young age.

All-rounders: Deepti Sharma & Pooja Vastrakar

In absence of Sneh Rana these two are the only all-rounder options for India. Both Sharma and Vastrakar have been incredible in the past year. Their contribution with both bat and ball will be very crucial. There is a chance Deepti Sharma is used up the order if the situation demands.

Seamers: Meghna Singh & Renuka Singh

Harmanpreet Kaur's handy off spin means that India can play 3 pacers instead of 3 spinners. Meghna Singh didn't play a single T20I but in ODIs she has been very good. The team has trusted Renuka Singh in the shortest format and she is likely to take Jhulan Goswami's place in the side. Simran Bahadur is also another option.

Spinner: Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Gayakwad has been India's ace spinner for a long time now. She didn't play the last two T20Is but in ODIs she is undroppable. Wrist spinner Poonam Yadav is another option but Gayakwad is definitely ahead in the pecking order. Her ability to take wickets while being economical makes her a very important part of the team.

Bench: Taniya Bhatia, Simran Bahadur, Poonam Yadav & Harleen Deol

Also read: Doubts over Rohit Sharma's availability as India take on England

2022-06-30 16:19

Cherish my role in Indian test side, ready to create more impact: Shardul

Birmingham, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Ahead of the fifth and final Test between India and England beginning at Edbagston on Friday, Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur said he cherishes his role in the Indian Test side and expressed optimism that he can create more impact if he delivers consistently when the main bowlers of the team are on a break.

“Our pace bowling attack at the moment, everyone is doing well including (Mohammed) Shami, (Jasprit) Bumrah, Umesh (Yadav) whenever he gets a game. Ishant (Sharma) was there and usually they start with the new ball and a lot of times it happens that they take two-three wickets in the first spell and I get opportunity to bowl later,” Thakur, a right-arm pacer told BCCI.tv.

Thakur, who often dons the role of the fourth pacer, said that he loves to deliver in crunch situations and considers it a perfect time to make a mark.

"Opportunity is created when there is partnership and the main bowlers have to be given rest and the third and fourth bowlers are used more in the spell. In that moment, there is an opportunity for me to take a wicket and do something for the team.

“I think it is my job to bowl in those situations and I like it because if I deliver with a good performance it creates an impact in the game,” added the Palghar-based pacer, who played a pivotal role in the team's 157-run win over England in the fourth test at Oval.

Thakur is part of the Indian squad that will play in the rescheduled fifth Test beginning here on Friday. The 30-year-old remarked that England happens to be one of his favourite places to bowl.

“I think England is a bowler's paradise, they say because the ball swings a lot and at times you end up taking a lot of wickets in one spell itself. So I think England is one of my favourite places to play cricket and to bowl as well. (In) England there is lot of lateral movement and off the pitch moment, it is up to you how to you want to make use of that,” he added.

Thakur played a key role in the fourth Test at the Oval, slamming two crucial half-centuries and also took crucial wickets in both the innings. In the first innings he slammed a 36-ball 57, which helped India to score 191. In the second innings, Shardul bettered his score with the bat, scoring a 72-ball 60.

Recalling his performance, Shardul said, “It was an important innings. Like I said before England could have got a big lead, but that got cut down and because of that we could stage a comeback in the third and the fourth innings." “When you play such an innings, it motivates the teammates that we have got a good opportunity to make a comeback into the game. The good performance of the teammates, it will reflect when you are bowling, it will also reflect in your fielding,” he stated.

Also Read : Indian women aiming for improved show against Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

2022-06-30 15:11

Doubts over Rohit Sharma's availability as India take on England

(Cricket news) Last year India and England went head to head for 4 Tests. India were leading the series 2-1 after an impressive performance. The 5th and final Test at Old Trafford was indefinitely postponed after a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp. The two teams now gear up for the deciding Test match at Edgbaston. A lot of things have changed since the last time as both teams will have different coaches and captains. There are certain other changes in both the teams but it should be a cracking Test match in any case.

India's possible playing XI:

Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Bench: Mayank Agarwal, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat

Rohit Sharma has been tested positive for Covid and even though he isn't ruled out, it is unlikely that he will be available. Cheteshwar Pujara is likely to open the batting even though Mayank Agarwal has been called up to the squad purely due to his recent county performances and also because Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari both deserve to be in the side. Leaving out Ravichandran Ashwin is going to be very difficult but doing that worked in the first 4 matches. The combination of 4 seamers and Ravindra Jadeja works perfectly in English conditions. The rest of the team pretty much picks itself. Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead the side in the absence of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma which will make him the first fast bowler to captain India in 35 years.

England's possible playing XI:

Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Johnny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Matthew Potts, Jack Leech, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Bench: Sam Billings, Harry Brook, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton

James Anderson and Ben Foakes missed the last Test but both are available for the match. England's middle order of Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Johnny Bairstow are in excellent form and will be extremely crucial for them. The playing XI pretty much picks itself as the team did really well against New Zealand. The opening combination is still a concern but England have decided to stick with it. Jos Buttler's incredible white ball performances have still not earned him a call back into the Test.

Light rain and showers are predicted in the first two days while the rest three days are expected to be sunny. The seamers will definitely get good purchase off the pitch especially in the first two days. There will be some turn on the pitch towards the end due to sunny weather but not much. The toss will be very crucial and both teams will definitely like to bowl first. England are favourites going into the match after their performance against New Zealand and the fact that India are missing both their first choice openers. The visitors however cannot be ruled out because there is too much talent in their squad.

Also read: How catastrophic will Rohit Sharma's potential absence be for India?

2022-06-30 14:38

Indian women aiming for improved show against Sri Lanka

Pallekele, Jun 30 (Cricket News) Starting a new era in 50-over cricket without the peerless Mithali Raj, the newly-appointed skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, will seek an improved performance across departments from his players as Indian women eye a winnimg start against hosts Sri Lanka in a three-match series, starting Friday.

India will be without their two pillars -- Mithali, who retired from cricket earlier this month, and Jhulan Goswami, who is nursing a side strain.

The absence of international cricket's most prolific duo is just one of several concerns for captain Kaur ahead of the ODI series opener.

The Indians made a positive start to the tour of island nation by winning the T20I series 2-1 but their performance was far from perfect and while the format will change, the regulars in the side would be keen to put up a dominant display against the lowly-ranked (ninth) Sri Lanka.

The batters struggled on the slow track at Dambulla, unable to breach the 140-run mark in all three T20Is and the likes of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma would hope for a better and consistent show in the 50-over format.

The last time India played a 50 over match was during the World Cup in March, when the failed to qualify for the semi-finals. The Indian batting unit has failed to fire as a group back then and would be eager to rectify its weaknesses.

Kaur herself has been in good touch. After finishing as the highest run-getter for her side in the T20 series, it will auger well for India if the skipper can continue her top form as alongside all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar.

Young wicketkeeper Richa Gosh, who shone in the in the series against New Zealand earlier this year, will be on the look-out for a good show even though team management used Yastika Bhatia as a stop-gap keeper in one of the T20I games.

With the seasoned Jhulan not in the side, the young and relatively inexperienced fast bowling unit comprising Vastrakar, Simran Bahadur, Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh will be tested by the Lankan batting line-up headlined by Chamari Athapaththu.

The spinners have been largely on the mark but struggled in the third game. Poonam Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad will have their task cut out in the longer format. Kaur and Harleen Doel, with her leg breaks, too can pitch in with some useful overs.

The tourists will also have to work on their fielding. They have been sloppy throughout the the T20 series, missing a slew of run outs and also dropping catches.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be keen to keep the winning momentum going after picking a conciliatory victory in the last T20I.

The hosts performed as a cohesive unit with all department firing. But the batter need to lift their game.

On the bowling front, the spin duo of Inoka Ranaweera and Oshadi Ranasinghe have been the stand-out players, doing most of the heavy lifting.

Sri Lanka lost the ODI series against Pakistan earlier this month and would be hoping to avoid a second consecutive series loss in the format.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Meghana, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Simran Bahadur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunaratne, Ama Kanchana, Hansima Karunaratne, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Oshadi Ranasinghe Inoka Ranaweera, Sathya Sandeepani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Malsha Shehani,Tharika Sewwandi.

Match starts 10am IST.

Also Read : India's ideal playing XI for 5th Test against England

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2022-06-30 12:41

India's ideal playing XI for 5th Test against England

(Cricket news) India were leading 2-1 in the Test series against England last year but the 5th and final Test was postponed due to Covid crisis in the Indian camp. India now gear up for that final Test but Covid and injury issues are still not leaving them. Vice captain KL Rahul was ruled out of the match due to injury and then captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid. Rahul Dravid in a press conference said that Rohit Sharma can still be available for the game but the chances of that happening are however unlikely. Mayank Agarwal was a late addition to the squad and is a candidate to open the batting.

India's possible playing XI-

Openers: Shubman Gill & Cheteshwar Pujara

Shubman Gill was originally selected as the third opener and his place in the side was almost certain once KL Rahul was ruled out. Despite Mayank Agarwal being in the squad, it would make perfect sense for Cheteshwar Pujara to open the batting. Pujara has experience of playing in England and he should be comfortable in the position. Pujara’s inclusion will allow India to play both Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer. Mayank Agarwal had really struggled to make runs and his exclusion from the side in the first place is an indication that he will not play. If Rohit Sharma does somehow recover in time then he will open with Gill while Pujara will most likely move to number 3. Pujara's recent county performances means that he is almost undroppable, at least from this match.

Middle order: Hanuma Vihari, Virat Kohli & Shreyas Iyer

Virat Kohli is going through a tough phase but Dravid has clearly stated that he will be backed. Kohli played well in the practice match which is a good indication. Vihari and Iyer should complete the middle order. Iyer has done well in India since his debut but is yet to play in overseas conditions so this will be a good Test for him. Vihari has previously said that he is most comfortable at number 3 and that is where he will play if Pujara opens. If Rohit Sharma is fit or India chooses to open with Agarwal then one of the two will have to sit out and it will most likely be Iyer.

Wicket keeper: Rishabh Pant

KS Bharat played exceptionally well in the practice match but Rishabh Pant wasn't too bad himself. Pant is undroppable from the Test side and will be for a long time. His contribution to the team will be very crucial. There is a high chance that he will play at number 5 to get a left and right hand combination unless Ravindra Jadeja is promoted. Pant was decent in the first 4 matches but he will like to show a better performance in this match.

All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja & Shardul Thakur

Ravindra Jadeja is also undroppable from the red ball team in any conditions. His ability with the bat and ball is very important for the combination that India plays. Leaving Ravichandran Ashwin out will be a very difficult decision but playing him over Jadeja will mean that India will lose some crucial runs. India has a world class fast bowling attack and they have the option of playing 4 fast bowlers which is very useful in English conditions. India did play both Ashwin and Jadeja in the WTC final which didn't work out well for them. Playing more than one spinner is always risky in English conditions even if that spinner is Ashwin who is arguably the best in the world. Shardul Thakur is the perfect 4 seamer as he has the knack of picking up wickets at crucial times. His ability with the is also a great asset to the side which gives India much needed batting depth.

Seamers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah & Mohammed Siraj

Bumrah and Shami are two of the best seamers in the world and their selection is a no brainer. Bumrah is also likely to captain the side in Rohit Sharma's absence. Mohammed Siraj's performance in the first 4 matches last year will definitely make him the designated 3rd seamer in the side. Umesh Yadav is the other option but Siraj is ahead of him in the pecking order. Prasidh Krishna who is on his first Test tour is the other option.

Bench: Mayank Agarwal, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat

Also read: How catastrophic will Rohit Sharma's potential absence be for India?

2022-06-30 07:12

I want match-winning contributions from Virat even if it's not three figure mark: Dravid

Birmingham, Jun 29 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli has set an altogether different bench-mark with his 70 international hundreds but Rahul Dravid, from a coach's perspective, wants his best batter to make "match-winning contributions" even if it is not a three-figure one like it has happened over the years.

Kohli has not scored an international hundred since November 2019 but Dravid dismissed notions that the owner of 27 Test hundreds is "lacking in motivation".

"As players, you go through these phases and I don't think you need motivation to be very honest with you and I think in Virat's case it is nothing to do with lack of motivation or desire," Dravid said ahead of India's rescheduled fifth Test against England starting here on Friday.

"It's not always focussing on those three figures like even a 70-odd (79) in a difficult situation in Cape Town (vs SA) was a good innings. Didn't convert into a three-figure, but it was a good score.

"Obviously, the standards that he has set, people only see hundreds as a success but for me, from a coaches' perspective, we want contributions from him -- match-winning contributions, whether it is a 50 or a 60," the coach explained.

For Dravid, Kohli, who is nearing 34, isn't on the wrong side of 30 as many would like to believe.

"In my opinion, he is on right side of 30 and he is an incredibly fit guy. He is one of the most hardworking guys that I have come across and his desire and hunger and whole attitude of looking after himself,' he said.

"And his preparation, even the way he batted at Leicester, batting in those conditions and scoring the 50s and 60s, keen on playing against our bowlers, batting against Bumrah and all these guys. He is ticking all right boxes and doing everything he needs to do to come out of it," Dravid said in a reassuring tone.

Six captains in 7 months not something I envisaged -------------------------------------------------------- Since Dravid first took the team to Sri Lanka, he had Shikhar Dhawan as captain and then also had Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and now in all likelihood Jasprit Bumrah as a captain.

So six captains across three formats in a space of seven months since he took over isn't an ideal situation.

"It is what it is. When I took this job, even I couldn't have predicted that we will have so many captains in six or seven months but that can happen in times we are living in, COVID-19, unfortunate injuries to people, what happened to Rahul (groin injury) and now to Rohit in last 3 weeks," Dravid said emphatically.

"Sometimes, we have had to balance out the workload and just have to react to that, its not something I wanted when I started off, not something you envisage when you start off but when they arise, you react and deal with them.

"...in spite of number of captains we have had, we have played pretty good cricket, over last six to eight months. We have got our contingency plans in place and communications are clear and within the group everyone knows what we are going to do if some situation arises,' he said.

Hints that Pujara could open ------------------------------ Dravid didn't want to give it away but said that if situation arises, number three can be asked to open which means that Cheteshwar Pujara might be seen opening the batting with Shubman Gill.

"Any such decision is taken in consultation with the player. As a player not every situation is as expected and it can happen at times that number three will have to open," he said.

Also Read : Rohit ruled out of fifth Test after testing Covid positive again, Bumrah to lead India

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2022-06-29 18:45

Rohit ruled out of fifth Test after testing Covid positive again, Bumrah to lead India

New Delhi, Jun 29 (Cricket News) Jasprit Bumrah is set to become first fast bowler in 35 years to lead Indian Test team in the rescheduled 'fifth Test' against England as regular captain Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the game after testing positive for COVID-19 for the second time on Wednesday.

The last pacer-captain that India had was the great Kapil Dev, who was removed from captaincy in 1987. Since then India has never had a speed merchant leading the team in traditional cricket.

"Rohit is out of this Test match, starting July 1, as his RT-PCR test has come positive again. He is still in isolation. Jasprit Bumrah, who is one of the vice-captains in absence of KL Rahul, will lead the team," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Bumrah will be the 36th cricketer to lead India in the longest-format since the country first played in 1932. The Gujarat pacer, who has 123 wickets in 29 Tests, has grown into world's best fast bowlers.

The Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma had already said that he is being groomed as a future leader.

Fast bowlers have not been traditionally given the job in India unlike in Pakistan where their greatest skipper was Imran Khan. Legends like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis also led national side.

In West Indies, Courtney Walsh led the side for a considerable amount of time and world number one Pat Cummins now leading Australia in longest format.

Cheteshwar Pujara or Hanuma Vihari to open with Shubman Gill --------------------------------------------------------------------- With the experienced Rohit out of the playing eleven, seasoned Cheteshwar Pujara has a good chance of opening the batting with young Shubman Gill.

The soure said that Mayank Agarwal has just been brought as "cover" and is not in the scheme of things as far featuring in the playing eleven is concerned.

"Mayank is here just as cover. It is likely to be Pujara-Gill combination that is going to open the batting. There is an outside chance for Hanuma Vihari to open as he has done the job in a stop-gap arrangement in Australia during the 2018 series. But chances of Pujara opening are way more," he said.

It is understood that the specialist batters in the set-up will be Pujara, Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Vihari and Rishabh Pant.

The only other debatable matter is whether to play a fourth fast bowling all-rounder in Shardul Thakur or a second spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin alongside Ravindra Jadeja.

Along with Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami select themselves automatically.

Squad for Ireland series will play first T20I vs England ------------------------------------------------------------- With the first Test scheduled to finish on July 5 and the first T20I scheduled for July 7 in Southampton, the selection committee has decided that the star players will be given a three-day recovery period before they are picked from the second game.

India are scheduled to clash with England three T20Is and as many ODIs.

"The squad that played T20I series in Ireland will remain in the first T20I and then from second T20I, all the stars (Rohit, if fit, Kohli, Bumrah, Pant, Jadeja) will make a comeback," the source added.

"Once, they are well rested, all of them will be a part of the regular white ball side but most of the players in Ireland will remain till the end of T20I series."

Also Read : Babar Azam surpasses Kohli as world no 1 T20 batter for longest period

News Source : PTI

2022-06-29 18:15

Neeraj Chopra primed to win medal in Stockholm Diamond League

Stockholm, Jun 29 (Sports News) Buoyed by a strong start to the season, Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is primed to clinch his maiden Diamond League medal in his first appearance in four years in the prestigious one-day meet here on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Chopra was second in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku with a big national record throw of 89.30m before winning his event at Kuortane Games with a creditable 86.60m effort under treacherous conditions.

Both the events in Finland had strong fields, though the Turku line-up had more stars than at Kuortane, where Chopra slipped after an awkward release of his spear in his third attempt under slippery conditions due to rains. Luckily, he was up on his feet immediately and won the event without any injury.

This will be Chopra's first competition in a Diamond League meet after his fourth-place finish in Zurich in August 2018 with an effort of 85.73m. He has taken part in seven Diamond League meets -- three in 2017 and four in 2018 -- but is yet to win a medal. He had two fourth-place finishes, the other one being in Doha in May 2018, where he had thrown 87.43m.

The prestigious one-day meet at the Swedish capital will be Chopra's biggest event ahead of the World Championships in Eugene, USA, next month. He will also be facing the toughest field of the season so far with all the three Tokyo Olympics medallists in fray.

Germany's Johannes Vetter, who has the maximum number of 90-plus throws among the active throwers, continues to be in the sidelines. He is not fully fit and also did not take part in the German nationals.

After winning gold at Kuortane where he was earlier based, Chopra has shifted to Uppsala, less than 100km from Stockholm, and will be not be taking part in any event after the Diamond League and before the July 15-24 World Championships. The Indian superstar has beaten reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada twice this month. Peters has seen a dip in form after winning the Doha Diamond League meet with a season-leading throw of 93.07m.

After that, he had thrown 86.60m at Paavo Nurmi Games for a third place and 84.75m in Kuortane Games for another third position.

Peters' fitness could also be a concern as he did not complete all his throws in an event at Orimattila in Finland last week, recording a best throw of 71.94m.

Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic and compatriot Tokyo Games bronze winner Vitezslav Vesely will also be in action. This will be the first time all the Tokyo Olympics medal winners will be in action together this season.

Vadlejch, who was sixth at Paavo Nurmi Games with a best throw of 83.91m, returns after skipping the Kuortane Games.

The same is the case for Germany's Julian Weber, who returns after finishing fifth at Paavo Nurmi Games with 84.02m.

Finland's Oliver Helander, who surprisingly won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games with a big throw of 89.83m, will also be seen in action after skipping the Kuortane Games.

Another Indian, Murali Sreeshankar was to compete in the meet in long jump, an event which is not included in the Diamond League programme. It is listed as an additional event. But he will not be able to make it to the Swedish capital as his passport is held up at the US Embassy in New Delhi for visa processing for next month's World Championships.

He was to compete with Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Tentoglou Miltiadis of Greece and World Indoor Championships silver winner Thobias Montler.

Also Read : Businessman Punit Balan and rapper Badshah buy 6th Ultimate Kho Kho team

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2022-06-29 16:27

Babar Azam surpasses Kohli as world no 1 T20 batter for longest period

Dubai, Jun 29 (Cricket News) Pakistan captain Babar Azam has surpassed India's Virat Kohli in becoming the world No.1 T20I batter for the longest period of time after he maintained his top spot in the latest ICC T20 batting rankings.

Kohli was the No.1 ranked T20I batter for a total of 1,013 days during his reign last decade, but Babar has now surpassed this number following his long-standing stay at the top.

Among others, Ishan Kishan slipped two places but Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson made huge gains at the ICC T20I Player Rankings following their sensational innings at the second and final T20I against Ireland.

Left-handed batter Kishan slumped to number 7 after scoring 26 and 3 in the two T20s against Ireland but Hooda, who smashed 47 in the first game and a maiden century in the second match to power India to a series-clinching four-run win, galloped 414 places to 104th.

Samson was also rewarded for his knock of 77 as he reached the 144th spot in the batting chart.

Ireland's Harry Tector gained a massive 55 places to reach 66th position among batters with scores of 39 and 64 not out in the rankings, which was updated after the two-match India-Ireland series.

In the bowlers' list, pacer Harshal Patel moved from 37th to 33rd position while Ireland's Mark Adair climbed to 43rd from 45th.

In Test ranking, Joe Root hung on to his narrow lead as the top-ranked batter but there was some big movement behind him following the completion of England's home series against New Zealand.

New Zealand batting pair of Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell have attained career-best positions as has England spinner Jack Leach, after superb performances in the third match of their ICC World Test Championship series in Leeds.

Mitchell and Blundell, who were involved in century partnerships in all three Tests of the series, are both in the top 20 now.

Mitchell's scores of 109 and 56 saw him advance four places to 12th position while Blundell's knocks of 55 and 88 not out have lifted him 11 slots to 20th position.

England batter Jonny Bairstow advanced 20 places to 21st after scoring 162 and 71 not out in the series, while Oliver Pope is up three places to 49th after his 82 in the second innings of the Test, which England won by seven wickets to complete a 3-0 series victory.

New Zealand workhorse Neil Wagner dropped a spot to 10th on the latest rankings for bowlers, with England duo of Stuart Broad (up one spot to 13th) and Jack Leach (up 13 places to 25th) are among the notable movers.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan dropped a spot to third on the all-rounder rankings following a disappointing second Test against the West Indies, with India veteran Ravi Ashwin taking his place. West Indies' left-hander Kyle Mayers jumped three places to eighth on the all-rounder rankings following his Player of the Match performance against Bangladesh.

The recent rise of Australia's Josh Hazlewood as a dominant white-ball bowler continued as the in-form seamer moved up two places to equal fifth on the latest ODI rankings.

Hazlewood is already No.1 on the T20I rankings and his move up the ODI list comes on the back of a strong spell of 2/22 in the final 50-over match of the series against Sri Lanka.

Chris Woakes' absence during England's recent ODI series against the Netherlands saw the tall seamer drop two spots to fourth on the latest rankings, with New Zealand quick Matt Henry (second) and Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi (third) both rising a place behind the top-ranked Trent Boult.

There is also a small re-shuffle inside the top 10 on the ODI batter rankings, with Australia skipper Aaron Finch dropping two spots to 12th as Root and Shai Hope move up to joint 10th. Australia's Alex Carey was up three places to 23rd after his knock of 45 not out and England's Jos Buttler is up four places to 25th after his unbeaten 86.

Also Read : Hooda's maiden century helps India beat Ireland by 4 runs to pocket series 2-0

News Source : PTI

2022-06-29 12:58

If you don't have any option, then why don't you go there like a warrior: Deepak Hooda

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 29 (Cricket News) The big-hitting Deepak Hooda believes himself to be "a warrior" when faced with the task of tackling the new ball in conditions favourable to bowlers.

Because, according to him, there is no other option but to just face the challenges head on when batting at the top of the order.

Riding his powerful striking abilities, Hooda hogged the limelight with a 57-ball 104 in India's second T20 International against Ireland here on Tuesday.

Batting at number three, Hooda became only the fourth Indian batter to score a century in the shortest format.

"I've never opened in an international game, but being a top-order batsman, you have to cope up to the challenges and you don't have any option.

"And if you don't have any option, then why don't you go there like a warrior. That's how I think, and things turned in my way. I'm happy about that," said Hooda after the match.

With young talents bursting at the seams, the 27-year-old all-rounder admitted that it is not easy to get into, and retain, one's place in the Indian team.

"To be honest, yes it is difficult to find a spot in the Indian team and then staying there. But at the same time when you're playing in India colours, that time you never think about yourself, you think about the team.

"That's what I think about on the ground 'How can I contribute to the team in that situation'. I don't think more than that, try to keep things simple. Yes, it's a matter of pride for me that I'm playing for India, no matter if I'm scoring or not," said Hooda.

Walking in following the dismissal of opener Ishan Kishan in the third over, Hooda smashed nine boundaries and six sixes to score his maiden T20I century.

"To be honest, the Irish team played really well against us and we enjoyed playing against them.

"Between the first and second game, I think there was a difference in the pitch. In the first game, the conditions were overcast and the wicket was damp. But today the wicket was very good for batting, as is clear by the way both teams batted. So I felt the wicket was a big factor." Hooda also revealed that a mindset change recently has helped him perform better.

"Being a cricketer, what I've learnt lately is that you should not think too far ahead. How many ever series, look at it one game at a time. If my work ethic is good, I'm going to be in a good space of mind and I'm going to score, that's my thinking.

"Try to keep it simple, live in the present, play the situation well, and then automatically the outcome will come. Now or later, it will come," Hooda said.

Hooda also praised Hardik Pandya, who led the team in the two-match series.

"Obviously, Haridk is leading very well. He led a new franchise in the IPL and they won the title. I'm really happy for him and the way he's taking responsibility. I'm really proud of him, he's doing very well." During the course of the India innings, Hooda was associated in a record-breaking second-wicket partnership of 176 runs with Sanju Samson, who scored a career-best 77 on his return to the team.

It is the highest partnership by an India pair for any wicket in the format, surpassing the previous best of 165 by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in 2017 against Sri Lanka in Indore.

"To be honest, I was coming from a good IPL and wanted to follow the same performance. Happy with my intent. I like playing in that manner (aggressive) and these days I am batting up the order so getting some time.

"Sanju is my childhood friend, always good to bat with him. Thank you to fans, the way they came and supported us," Hooda said.

Also Read : Hooda's maiden century helps India beat Ireland by 4 runs to pocket series 2-0

News Source : PTI

2022-06-29 09:43

Hooda's maiden century helps India beat Ireland by 4 runs to pocket series 2-0

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 28 (Cricket News) Deepak Hooda hit a master-class maiden century as India survived a mighty scare before defeating Ireland by four runs in a nail-bitting high-scoring second T20 International to sweep the two-match series here on Tuesday.

Hooda scored 104 off 57 balls to become only the fourth Indian to hit a T20 International ton, while Sanju Samson contributed 77 off 42 balls to power India to a mammoth 225 for seven after opting to bat.

Ireland took the chase to the last over with skipper Andy Balbirnie (60 off 37), Paul Stirling (40 off 18), Harry Tector (39 off 28) and George Dockrell (34 not out off 16) shinning bright but they eventually fell short as rookie India pacer Umran Malik defended 17 runs in the final over.

Opting to bat, Hooda showed he belonged to the big stage with his scintillating stroke play, both off the front and backfoot.

While Hooda was elegant and at ease on the frontfoot, he was equally good on the backfoot, dispatching the ball over the midwicket boundary for a few sixes.

Hooda decorated his knock with nine fours and six hits over the fence.

He was ably supported by Sanju Samson, who, opening the batting in place of injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, played second fiddle but grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Both Hooda and Samson's strokeplay down the ground were a treat for the eyes.

Ireland made a rollicking start to their chase, with Stirling and Balbirnie sharing 72 runs for the opening wicket off just 34 balls. Stirling went hammer and tongs from the world go.

Stirling took Bhuvneshwar Kumar to task, hitting the bowler for a six and three boundaries to pick up 18 runs from the opening over. Stirling then clobbered skipper Hardik Pandya for a six. The opening duo continued their attacking display to notch up Ireland's 50 for no loss in just four overs.

Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi broke the dangerous-looking 72-run opening stand in the sixth over, cleaning up Stirling.

In his next over, Bishnoi had Balbirnie stumped by Ishan Kishan but it turned out to be a massive no ball.

Balbirnie utilised the chance and clobbered all the Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground to keep Ireland at par with the asking rate.

He was particularly severe on young pace sensation Malik, dispatching the pacer's short deliveries over the fence as Ireland brought up their 100 in nine overs for the loss of two wickets. Balbirnie notched up his sixth T20 International 50 off 34 balls and continued his onslaught for some time before being caught by Bishnoi off Harshal Patel.

But Tector, Dockrell and Mark Adair (23 not out off 12 balls) kept Ireland in the hunt till the last ball from which the hosts needed a six to win the match and draw the series. Adair, however, could manage just one run as Malik lived up to his captain's call.

Earlier, India did not have the best of starts as they lost Ishan Kishan (3) early. The left-handed opener once again wasted an opportunity, nicking a Mark Adair delivery to Lorcan Tucker behind the stumps in the third over. Hooda and Samson joined hands and the duo batted effortlessly, albeit handing two difficult chances, to share 176 runs off just 85 balls to lay the foundation for India's huge total. It was a one-way traffic after Kishan's dimissal as Hooda and Samson toyed with the Irish bowlers and did not let them settle down.

Except for a difficult chance which Paul Stirling dropped at extra off in the eight over, Hooda played a perfect knock.

Samson too was handed a life in the ninth over when leg-spinner Gareth Delany dropped a difficult caught-and-bowled chance. Samson too played some delightful strokes, particularly off the backfoot during his hallf-century knock. He, however, was cleaned up by Adair in the 17th over.

Hooda brought up his maiden T20I century off 55 balls with a single to join the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Suresh Raina in the elite club of only four Indian centurions in the format.

Once Hooda departed at the team score of 212, Surya Kumar Yadav (15) and skipper Hardik Pandya (13 not out) tried to accelerate the scoring but failed as India lost three wickets for the addition of just 14 runs in the last two overs.

Also Read : Hooda's masterclass, Samson's fifty power India to 225/7 against Ireland

News Source : PTI

2022-06-29 09:23

Hooda's masterclass, Samson's fifty power India to 225/7 against Ireland

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 28 (Cricket News) Deepak Hooda produced a master-class knock, becoming only the fourth Indian to hit a T20 International century, as the visiting side posted a mammoth 225 for 7 against Ireland in the second and final match here on Tuesday.

During his maiden T20I ton (104 off 57 balls), Hooda showed he belonged to the big stage with his scintillating stroke play, both off the front and backfoot.

While Hooda was elegant and at ease on the frontfoot, he was equally good on the backfoot, dispatching the ball over the midwicket boundary for a few sixes.

Hooda decorated his knock with nine fours and six hits over the fence.

He was ably supported by Sanju Samson, who, opening the batting in place of injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, played second fiddle but grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Samson made 77 off 42 balls with the help of nine boundaries and four sixes.

Both Hooda and Samson's strokeplay down the ground were a treat for the eyes.

But India did not have the best of starts as they lost Ishan Kishan (3) early. The left-handed opener once again wasted an opportunity, nicking a Mark Adair delivery to Lorcan Tucker behind the stumps in the third over. Hooda and Samson joined hands and the duo batted effortlessly, albeit handing two difficult chances, to share 176 runs off just 85 balls to lay the foundation for India's huge total. It was a one-way traffic after Kishan's dimissal as Hooda and Samson toyed with the Irish bowlers and did not let them settle down.

Except for a difficult chance which Paul Stirling dropped at extra off in the eight over, Hooda played a perfect knock.

Samson too was handed a life in the ninth over when leg-spinner Gareth Delany dropped a difficult caught-and-bowled chance. Samson too played some delightful strokes, particularly off the backfoot during his hallf-century knock. He, however, was cleaned up by Adair in the 17th over.

Hooda brought up his maiden T20I century off 55 balls with a single to join the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Suresh Raina in the elite club of only four Indian centurions in the format.

Once Hooda departed at the team score of 212, Surya Kumar Yadav (15) and skipper Hardik Pandya (13 not out) tried to accelerate the scoring but failed as India lost three wickets for the addition of just 14 runs in the last two overs.

Also Read : Would like to see Siraj, Thakur as third and fourth pacers for England Test: Agarkar

News Source : PTI

2022-06-28 19:33

Would like to see Siraj, Thakur as third and fourth pacers for England Test: Agarkar

Mumbai, Jun 28 (Cricket News) Former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar said he would prefer Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur as the team’s third and the fourth pacers respectively when India take on England in the rescheduled fifth and final Test beginning in Edgbaston on Friday.

With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami a certainty in the playing XI, India has other pace options in Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav to choose form.

“Siraj had a really good series last year when India played those four Tests (against England) and he is one of most improved bowlers around at the moment. So I don’t see any reason why Siraj would miss out,” Agarkar said during an interaction, organised by Sony Sports, the official broadcaster of the rescheduled test match.

Agarkar felt that Shardul’s ability with the bat could give him an edge in earning a place in the final eleven.

“Shardul offers a bit more with the bat at number eight and if there is likely help for the seamers, then he becomes even more effective. There is some swing and seam on offer," Agarkar said.

“So, I would think that's the way they go. Otherwise, the tail becomes too long, if at eight, you look at someone like Umesh (Yadav) or even Prasidh Krisna is part of the squad. But I think, Shardul will probably make (the cut) if they go with four seamers,” added the 44-year-old, who represented India in 26 Tests.

Agarkar also backed Siraj in saying that while the latter did have a forgettable performance in the IPL, that, however, would not affect his chances of being a part of the Indian side.

“I don't think Siraj necessarily bowled badly and I don't think you need to equate IPL to test cricket in England. So, you just see his form in test cricket in the last 12 months. Even when India played New Zealand at home, he (Siraj) was really good.

“And he can do the tough work for you. When the ball is little bit older can bowl long spells and bowl quick. I would be very surprised if he (Siraj) is not the third seamer,” reasoned Agarkar. The fifth and final Test is from last year's incomplete series against England which got rescheduled due to outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian camp.

Agarkar also praised the veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara hit four centuries, including two double centuries for Sussex in Division Two County Championships to make a comeback in the Indian team. He reckoned that Pujara's current form would be an advantage for India in the final test.

Pujara, who was left out of India's home Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, amassed 720 runs in just 5 matches with an outstanding average of 120 for Sussex.

“It is a good thing for the Indian team that he (Pujara) was there and playing in those conditions. Also, he has the experience, 90-odd tests. No doubt it has come at the right time, also because it is one-off test and not many other Indian batters are playing in these conditions, so certainly it (Pujara played county) will be an advantage,” said Agarkar.

Also Read : Kapp and Cross star to keep game in balance on day one at Taunton

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2022-06-28 13:47

England will come out with same mindset against India: Ben Stokes

Leeds, Jun 28 (Cricket News) Relentless in their 3-0 sweep of New Zealand, England captain Ben Stokes said there will be no let-up in intensity against India in the upcoming rescheduled fifth Test.

Under the leadership of Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum, England recorded a phenomenal 3-0 win in the Test series against reigning WTC champions New Zealand, capping it off with a seven-wicket victory in the third and final match at Headingley.

The one-off Test against India, a part of last year's five-match series, which was abandoned due to a COVID-19 outbreak, will begin at Edgbaston on Friday.

"Trust me when I say this. We'll be coming out with exactly the same (aggressive) mindset, even though it's a different opposition," Stokes said on Monday.

"Obviously, it's going to be a completely different... different opposition, with their attack and players as well.

"We'll be concentrating on what we've done well over these last three games and look to continue that against India on Friday." The visitors are leading the five-match series 2-1 but will face a revitalised England, which comprise only four members -- Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Bairstow and James Anderson -- from last year's fourth Test against the Indians.

Stokes himself was not available for the series last year as he had taken a break to focus on his mental health.

England endured a tough time in the last few months, winning just once in 17 Tests before the New Zealand series.

Praising his teammates for turning things around, Stokes said: "To walk away with a 3-0 series win over the best team in the world is a pretty special start." "I've got to show a huge amount of testament to the team over these three games. They've been absolutely phenomenal." Stokes took over the captaincy after Root relinquished the position following England's 0-1 series defeat to the West Indies in April.

"When I took over this job, it was more than results for me. It was about changing the mindset of the lads towards Test cricket, about having fun, and enjoying the fact that you're out there representing your country, and the results look after itself.

"But to say that we've done it so quickly is just unbelievable. I can only do so much, so I've got to show a huge amount of credit to Brendon, in the way that he's come in and influenced this group."

Also Read : India aim series sweep against Ireland amidst doubts over rain

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2022-06-28 10:28

Eoin Morgan set to announce international retirement on Tuesday

London, Jun 27 (Cricket News) England's World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan is set to announce his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday after a career spanning 16 years during which he amassed over 10,000 runs across ODIs and T20Is.

According to a report in Sky Sports, the 35-year-old Dublin-born Morgan wanted to lead England at this year's T20 World Cup in Australia but he had a change of heart after struggling with his form and fitness in the last 18 months.

Morgan captained England in the first two ODI games against the Netherlands this month but failed to open his account on both the occasion. He subsequently missed the third game due to a groin niggle.

Vice-captain Jos Buttler is likely to replace him as England skipper and the upcoming white-ball series against India could be his first assignment.

Morgan made his debut for Ireland in 2006 but then after three years he switched his alliance to England in 2009.

The elegant left-handed batter, who played in the middle-order, has so far scored 7,701 runs from 248 ODIs, after making his debut against Scotland.

He also featured in 115 T20 matches, amassing 2,458 runs, after making his debut in the format for England against the Netherlands in 2009.

The soft-spoken Morgan also featured in 16 Tests but managed to score only 700 runs and played his last Test in 2012 against Pakistan.

However, Morgan's legacy will be defined by his seven and a half year rein as England's limited over captain during which the team rose to the number one position in the world rankings in both ODI and T20 cricket.

He had taken over the reins of ODI captaincy from Sir Alastair Cook before the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia-New Zealand and played a key part in revolutionizing the team's cricket after their shock group stage exit in the quadrennial event.

Morgan along with then coach Trevor Bayliss breathed a fresh air into the English side, which encouraged the players to play a fearless brand of cricket, which eventually led them to win the World Cup in 2019 in their own back-yard.

His other achievements include leading his side to the final of the T20 2016 World Cup the semi-finals of the 2021 edition of the tournament.

Also Read : England slight favourites against India, feels Graeme Swann

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2022-06-28 08:42

England slight favourites against India, feels Graeme Swann

Mumbai, Jun 27 (Cricket News) England will be playing India on the back of the three-Test series against New Zealand and former off-spinner Graeme Swann believes it would make the hosts slight favourites going into the rescheduled fifth Test starting in Birmingham on Friday.

England on Monday completed a 3-0 series whitewash against New Zealand after wining the third and final Test by seven wickets.

"England are in a very good position and I would say they are slight favourites because of that series (against New Zealand)," Swann said in a virtual interaction, facilitated by Sony Sports, official broadcasters of India-England series.

"And the fact that India just had one (warm-up) game in England, so they are coming in cold (for) the Test match, which is a bit of disadvantage. They (England) have got the three Test matches under their belt, so that makes them pre-game favourites." Swann hailed the aggressive brand of cricket played by England under new captain Ben Stokes and new head coach Brandon McCullum and said this was a "bad time" to face England.

"It is a real bad time to play England because they just played these three games against New Zealand.

"You are going to face an England team where Joe Root is back to his absolute best, where Olive Pope is playing his best-ever for England. Ben Stokes has amalgamated the team and got playing in an ultra-positive and rock and roll fashion.

"There are chinks in the armour - the opening batting slot is still very weak. But nearly all the other spots had excellent (returns). Even the spinner Jack Leach, who is under a lot of pressure, has got 10 wickets in a match," explained Swann.

The fifth Test is from last year's incomplete series against England which got rescheduled due to outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian camp.

Swann picks Root, Stokes as key players for England -------------------------------------------------------- The 43-year-old, who has taken 255 wickets in 60 Tests, picked Root and Stokes as key players for England.

"It is quite simple for England, it will be Joe Root and Ben Stokes, if they continue their form, their sort of ethos, England will do well. Stokes is leading from the front and he is a natural leader. Joe Root is thriving and batting at his absolute best," he said.

Talking about India, he said: "I think Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli (key players). If Kohli plays with the same freedom that Joe Root is playing now, we are all in for a treat.

"Virat is a wonderful player and if Jasprit get his line and length with that Dukes ball, he is unplayable," he added.

Pujara's county experience will benefit him: Swann ------------------------------------------------------ Cheteshwar Pujara hit four centuries, including two double centuries for Sussex in Division Two County Championships to force his way back in the Indian team and Swann felt that it would hold him in good stead in the one-off Test.

"He (Pujara) was phenomenal for Sussex, so that is massive bonus for India. Having a player who is in England at the start of the season, when the ball swings around, scoring so heavily, that gives him leg up the ladder, when he goes into the Test match," he said.

Pujara, who was left out of India's home Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, amassed 720 runs in just 5 matches with an outstanding average of 120 for Sussex.

Also Read : Didn't want to risk playing Gaikwad as he had a calf niggle: Pandya

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2022-06-27 15:21

Didn't want to risk playing Gaikwad as he had a calf niggle: Pandya

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 27 (Cricket News) India skipper Hardik Pandya revealed that he didn't want to risk sending out Ruturaj Gaikwad to open the innings in the first T20 against Ireland as he picked up a calf niggle in the first half of the game.

India chased down a 109-run target with relative ease in the rain-curtailed T20 against hosts Ireland on Sunday night.

But at the halfway stage instead of regular opener Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda walked out to open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan.

"Rutu had a niggle in his calf," Pandya said at the post-match press conference.

"We had the choice of taking a risk and sending him in (to open), but I was not okay with it. A player's well-being is more important, and (I thought)we'll be able to manage what happens in the match." Hooda, who was playing his fourth T20I for India, ended up top-scoring for the visitors as he remained unbeaten on 47 off 29.

"It was quite simple after that, there wasn't much of a decision to make; whatever our (batting-order) numbers were, we all went up one spot, and it wasn't a big headache. We wanted to make sure we weren't taking any chances with Rutu." 'Important to give such a talent some time' =========================== Pace sensation Umran Malik was handed a much-anticipated debut after spending time on the bench in the home series against South Africa earlier this month.

However, the 22-year-old just bowled one over in which he gave away 14 runs, including a four and six.

"Umran was kept back after I had a chat with him, he's more comfortable with the older ball and they batted fantastically. So, hope he gets an opportunity.

"When you play for India for the first time, and the journey he has taken, it's important to give such a bowler and such a talent time.

Malik was named in the Indian squad after a breakthrough IPL season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"Whether it was a good day or a bad day is irrelevant. For him, just to play for India is itself a very big thing, and that is something which I'm very happy for, (irrespective) of how the result went, good or bad, it's okay.

"It's part and parcel of the game, but at the same point of time, from here he'll only get better, the more matches he plays, and it's a big thing for him to play for India, for anyone to play for India.

"I want to let him enjoy this moment because it doesn't come every time. A debut happens only once," Pandya added.

Ultimate goal is to get better for World Cup ============================ With the T20 World Cup slated to be played in Australia later this year, Pandya said the idea is to give all players in contention of making the squad some game time.

"Our ultimate goal is to get better for the World Cup. This is good step we have taken that intentionally the players are showing the kind of attitude and the character that will help us during crunch games at the World Cup.

"You get experience by playing and that is a conscious effort by the management to get the players they are considering in the squad or scheme of things and give them the best opportunity to get some games under their belt rather than coming into the World Cup and play their first game.

"We want people to settle in and by the time the World Cup comes we will have a tighter squad," Pandya added.

Hardik gifts bat to Harry Tector ==================== Young Harry Tector showcased his batting prowess, playing a brilliant counter-attacking 64 not out, lifting the hosts to a respectable total.

The Indian skipper, who was left in "awe" of the youngster, gifted him his bat and hoped the 22-year-old can get an IPL contract soon.

"He played some fantastic shots and obviously he's just 22 and I have given him a bat and maybe he can score some more sixes and get an IPL contract.

"I wish him luck and, you know, just look after him. Well, give him the right guidance. It's not always about cricket. It's about understanding your own lifestyle and understanding what is at stake." Tector displayed a lot of composure as he smashed six fours and three maximums in his 33-ball innings.

"If you can manage that, I'm sure he's going to be around not just in the IPL, but in all the leagues in the world." "Some of the shots Harry played had me in awe. Look forward to him developing and taking Irish cricket forward."

Also Read : How catastrophic will Rohit Sharma's potential absence be for India?

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2022-06-27 14:24

Rohit Sharma can be relieved as captain from T20s: Sehwag

New Delhi, Jun 27 (Cricket News) Former India opener Virender Sehwag feels current skipper Rohit Sharma could be relieved from captaincy duties from T20s so that the 35-year-old can manage his workload better.

Rohit has not been able to feature in all of India's matches since taking over as captain due to injuries and workload management. “If the Indian team management has someone else in mind as captain in the T20 format, then I think, Rohit (Sharma) could be relieved and the following can be taken into consideration going forward,” Sehwag told PTI in an interview.

“One, that would allow Rohit to manage his workload and mental fatigue, given his age.

"Two, once someone new is appointed as captain in T20s, it would also allow Rohit to take breaks and rejuvenate himself to lead India in both Tests and ODIs,” he said in an interaction arranged by Sony Sports, the official broadcaster of the India-England series.

However, Sehwag maintained that if the team management sticks with its current policy of having one captain to lead India across the three formats, then Sharma is still an ideal choice.

“If the Indian think-tank still wants to pursue with the same policy, which is, to let one man leading India in all the three formats, then I still believe, Rohit Sharma is the best man for it.” While a lot of permutation and combination have been at play currently ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year, the former Indian swashbuckling opener asserted his top three choices among the batters for the tournament would be Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul.

Star batter Virat Kohli is India's designated number three batter at the moment.

“India has options aplenty when it comes to hard hitters in T20s. However, I would personally vouch for Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul as the top three batters for the World Cup in Australia,” Sehwag said.

“The right-hand and left-hand combination of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, or for that matter, Ishan and KL Rahul could be quite interesting for the World T20,” he added.

Sehwag, who was known to take many fearsome pacers to the cleaners in his heyday, was all praise for young pacer Umran Malik, and believes, that the 22-year-old should feature in the World Cup alongside the likes of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah as one of India’s bowling mainstays.

“If there is one pacer who has thoroughly impressed me, of late, it is none other than Umran Malik. He should definitely be part of India’s plans as one of the key bowlers alongside the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami,” Sehwag stated.

“This IPL has given us many promising young bowlers, but Umran’s skills and talent will definitely earn him a place in the Indian across all three formats in the long run,” he remarked.

Also Read : Mayank Agarwal to join Indian Test squad in England as cover for Rohit Sharma

News Source : PTI

2022-06-26 16:28

MP create history with maiden Ranji triumph, beat Mumbai by six wickets

Bengaluru, Jun 26 (Cricket News) Madhya Pradesh, not considered among cricketing elites during the past decade, on Sunday humbled domestic powerhouse Mumbai by six wickets in a one-sided Ranji Trophy final under coach Chandrakant Pandit, who exorcised the ghosts of losing one at this very ground 23 summers ago.

On the final day, Mumbai could only manage 269 in their second innings, leaving MP with a paltry target of 108, and they did it in style as Pandit won a record sixth national title as a coach.

Sarfaraz Khan (45), who finished the season with 18 short of 1000 runs and young Suved Parkar (51) tried their bit, but with the need to attack at every opportunity, MP's Kumar Kartikeya (4/98) and the other bowlers knew that wickets would come their way.

While chasing, there were some hiccups, but with just over 100 to get, it was a stroll in the park for the MP team.

As they completed the victory, Pandit was flooded with memories (not happy ones), which he hasn't been able to erase for over two decades and despite winning five trophies as a coach.

It was here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the summer of 1999 when MP, despite a first-innings lead of 75, failed to win the game as Pandit, a proud captain, finished his playing career in tears.

Before the final, he spoke to PTI about divine intervention and circle of life and during the five days, sat in one corner with a white towel on his lap.

He has again proved to be an 'Alchemist', after guiding Vidarbha to four trophies (successive Ranji and Irani Cup), with a team that didn't have superstars.

The Yash Dubeys, Himanshu Mantris, Subham Sharmas, Gourav Yadavs or Saransh Jains aren't players who would give you the feeling that they are India prospects, the classy Rajat Patidar being an exception. But they gave enough indication that they aren't ready to concede even a micro millimetre without a good scrap.

They gave the Mumbai men a lesson in perfect execution of tactic with dollops of 'Khadoos' cricket, which many thought was a patent of the 41-time champions.

MP's win once again proved that the Ranji Trophy is often won by sides which don't have too many superstars or India prospects with ambition or wherewithal to play top-flight cricket.

It happened with Rajasthan when they had Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Akash Chopra during their triumph while Vidarbha had Wasim Jaffer and Ganesh Sathish guiding a bunch of youngsters.

In MP, there was no Avesh Khan or Venkatesh Iyer and had only an emerging potential star in Patidar, yet they followed Pandit's 'Gurukul' style of 'My Way or HighWay' coaching philosophy to emerge triumphant.

Since 2010, the Ranji Trophy, barring Karnataka's dominance for a few seasons and Mumbai winning it once, it has been won by teams like Rajasthan (twice), Vidarbha (twice), Saurashtra (once) and Madhya Pradesh, who would never be in contention in the past.

This shows that cricket has moved from the Shivaji Park, Azad Maidan or Cross Maidan in Mumbai, from the National Stadium in Delhi or the state-of-the-art camps in Bengaluru or Kolkata, to the hinterlands.

Bhopal's Yash Dubey, who had problems with his eye-sight during teenage years or Sultanpur's Kumar Kartikeya, who hadn't gone back home for nine years or Hoshangabad's Gourav Yadav, who would beat Prithvi Shaw's bat many times just for fun are men, who haven't had it easy.

When the Ranji Trophy started, the Madhya Pradesh cricket team wasn't even formed and it was back then known as Holkar, a princely state from the British era, which produced the country's finest cricketers – the charismatic Mushtaq Ali -- or the first ever captain of the Indian cricket team -- the great CK Nayudu.

Holkar was a formidable team till the 1950s before it was rechristened as Madhya Bharat and subsequently Madhya Pradesh.

MP, over the years, have produced some fine cricketers – spinners Narendra Hirwani and Rajesh Chauhan -- who had brief but eventful international careers.

Amay Khurasiya, who had finished his cricket some years before the IPL, where he would have been a rocking success.

And then there was the peerless Devendra Bundela, who was one of those unlucky middle-order batters, who played in the 1990s and 2000s when Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were in their pomp.

But as a Ranji team, it never looked menacing save the occasional final they played 23 summers back under Pandit's captaincy.

However, this was a team that had enough self-belief and was ready to punch above its weight. They did it with aplomb through five days.

The Ranji Trophy deserves to be in the MPCA cabinet for the next one year.

Also Read : India women eye series sweep against Sri Lanka (Final women's T20 International)

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2022-06-26 13:37

India women eye series sweep against Sri Lanka (Final women's T20 International)

Dambulla, Jun 26, (Cricket News) The series already in their pocket, a confident India will look to complete a whitewash when they take on hosts Sri Lanka in the third and final women's T20 International here on Monday.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led outfit had thrashed the home team by 34 runs in the opening T20 and then followed it up with a dominating five-wicket win in the second game to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

More importantly, the wins will be a morale booster for India ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham starting next month, where women's T20 cricket is set to make its debut.

India seem to have found the winning momentum, but they won't be entirely pleased with their performance in the series so far.

While the bowlers have done a stellar job in the two games, India's batting has left a lot to be desired.

Additionally, the Indians have been sloppy on the field.

The bowling unit has been on the mark for India. The spinners have been sensational, making full use of the slow nature of the pitch. They had comfortably defended 138 in the opening game.

Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu (43) and opener Vishmi Gunaratne (45) presented the Indian bowling unit with a challenge as the duo put up a 87-run stand in the second game.

But the Indian bowlers made a strong comeback as they gave just 14 runs in the last 3.1 overs while claiming six wickets to restrict Sri Lanka to a below-par 125.

But the visitors were made to work hard for what should have been a comfortable chase.

Shafali Verma (17), Sabbhineni Meghana (17) and Yastika Bhatia (13) were unable to convert their starts.

The team's top scorer in the previous game Jemimah Rodrigues (3) also perished cheaply and will aim for consistency.

After stuttering in the first game, prolific opener Smriti Mandhana roared back to form, her 39 off 34 balls helped the tourists win the match and the series.

Mandhana was complemented by Harmanpreet (31 not out), who is now India's leading T20I run scorer. The all-rounder played a captain's knock guiding her side over the line while also pitching in with the ball.

Sri Lanka will be desperately hoping to avoid a second consecutive whitewash, having gone down to Pakistan 0-3 in a T20 series recently.

The hosts will seek to perform as a cohesive unit and grab a consolation win, which will lift their spirits heading into the three-match ODI series, starting Friday.

For that they need more contributions with the bat while their bowlers will also need to support the spin duo of Inoka Ranaweera and Oshadi Ranasinghe, who have done most of the the task with the ball for the side till now.

Teams (from): India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Simran Bahadur, Yastika Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sabbhineni Meghana, Meghna Singh, Poonam Yadav, Renuka Singh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (C), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunaratne, Ama Kanchana, Hansima Karunaratne, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Harshitha Madavi, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Sathya Sandeepani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Malsha Shehani, Tharika Sewwandi.

Match starts at 2:00PM.

Also Read : Rohit Sharma tests positive for COVID-19: Board of Control for Cricket in India

News Source : PTI

2022-06-26 11:12

Umran Malik should be in T20 World Cup team, feels Vengsarkar

Mumbai, Jun 25 (Cricket News) Impressed by his raw pace, former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar feels rookie pacer Umran Malik should board the flight to Australia for this year's T20 World Cup.

"I hope so because he (Umran) is a very exciting talent. He did well in the IPL and he deserves a chance as he looked the best bowler in the format. I hope he is in the plane and I am sure he will do well if given an opportunity," Vengsarkar told reporters here on Saturday. The T20 World Cup is set to be played in Australia in October-November later this year.

"He (Umran) is young and raring to go. You must give an opportunity to someone who is in form. He is young, keen to play and hungry for success," added the former national chairman of selectors.

Umran had picked up 22 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL this year but it is his ability to bowl consistently at 95 miles per hour that has caught the imagination of all.

He was subsequently rewarded for his consistency by earning his maiden national call-up for the T20 series against South Africa but did not get a game.

He has also been selected for the T20 series against Ireland, commencing on Sunday and it remains to be seen whether he gets to make his India debut.

Vengsarkar's 1983 World Cup-winning teammate and former India all-rounder Roger Binny also felt that Umran should be given a chance straightaway in all three formats.

"There is definitely going to be a bigger bunch of fast bowlers coming through now. And he (Umran) should be given a chance straightaway because he has proved that he is quick and if you saw him bowl some of the yorkers in the IPL that was brute force. So you cannot keep a youngster out for that long," Binny said.

"Well, I am not surprised that somebody, who is coming to the scene (and bowling over 150 kmph), because we have a lot of people (bowling) around the 140-142 area for the last six-seven years and especially in the IPL. I am not surprised (by the sheer pace of Umran)." The duo was speaking on the sidelines of the book-launch of 'The 1983 World Cup Opus', in association with Paymentz.

Vengsarkar backs Virat Kohli to come good in England Test ************************************************ Vengsarkar, who selected Virat Kohli for the first time in the national team, backed the former skipper, who has been enduring a prolonged lean patch, to come good against England.

"I am sure because he (Kohli) is a world class player. He's done well and is so fit. He is just not scoring in T20s but I think he'll come back strong, especially in the Test in England. He and Rohit Sharma, I expect big runs in England," said Vengsarkar.

Vengsarkar also hailed Hardik Pandya for his strong comeback.

"The way he (Hardik) came back from injury is great. He must have worked very hard on his fitness. He did very well in the IPL and as a captain he did well. (He is a) very fine all-rounder." "He led from the front. He guided the team in his first major tournament as captain (of Gujarat Titans). An all-rounder plays an important role in any team," he said.

Hardik led the Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title and played a key role by amassing 487 runs and picking up eight wickets. He then carried on his form into the T20 series against South Africa.

Also Read : Kohli hits 67; Iyer, Jadeja also score fifties in warm-up game

News Source : PTI

2022-06-26 08:10

Kohli hits 67; Iyer, Jadeja also score fifties in warm-up game

Leicester, Jun 25 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli showed his class, hitting an impressive 67 off 98 balls while Shreyas Iyer (62) and Ravindra Jadeja (56 not out) also got ample batting practice as India finished their second innings on 364 for 7 against Leicestershire on day three of their four-day warm-up match here on Saturday.

Kohli, who has been enduring a prolonged lean patch, decorated his innings with five boundaries and two sixes.

He was ably supported by Iyer, who scored his runs off 89 balls with the help of 11 boundaries, and Jadeja who struck 10 fours during his unbeaten knock.

But Chesteshwar Pujara could only manage 22 of 53 balls with the help of three fours. Pujara batted for both sides. He was out for a duck in Leicestershire's first innings on Friday.

Jadeja was also out for a duck off Navdeep Saini early in the Indian second innings but came back later to bat again as it is just a practice match. At stumps, Mohammed Siraj (1 not out) was giving Jadeja company.

Pacer Navdeep Saini (3/55), one among the four Indian players to turn out for Leicestershire, shone bright with three wickets for the county side.

Another Indian player Kamlesh Nagarkoti (2/48) also chipped in with two wickets, while R Sai Kishore (1/55) and Will Davis (1/400) accounted for a wicket each. The visiting Indians still lead Leicestershire by 366 runs at stumps with a day's play remaining in the match.

Earlier, Saini, who picked up Shubman Gill's wicket on the second day, dismissed well-set Srikar Bharat (43 off 98) and Jadeja (0) in a span of three deliveries to reduce India to 118 for 4.

But it was Hanuma Vihari (20) who was the first to depart, after adding just 11 runs to his overnight score, off the bowling of Will Davis.

Seventeen runs later, Saini struck twin blows in an over in the form of Bharat and Jadeja.

Nagakoti the accounted for Iyer and Shardul Thakur (28 off 38) in a span of seven overs. But before being dismissed, Shardul shared 39 runs in the company of Kohli, who came out to bat at an unusual No. 7 position.

Pujara didn't help his cause as he was stumped by Sam Bates off Sai Kishore.

Kohli was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah (1/30), while Iyer was the last batter to be dismissed by Nagarkoti.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav are yet to bat.

Also Read : Hardik Pandya relishes captaincy, says it brings out best in him

News Source : PTI

2022-06-26 07:27

Hardik Pandya relishes captaincy, says it brings out best in him

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 25 (Cricket News) He struck gold in his debut season as captain in the IPL, and Hardik Pandya admits that responsibility brings out the best in him on a cricket field.

Hardik, who led the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in the side's and his debut season earlier this year, has been named as captain of the Indian team for the two-match T20 International series against Ireland, starting here on Sunday.

And the dashing all-rounder said he believes in taking ownership on the field. "Earlier also, I liked taking up responsibility and now also it is the same but it is a bit more responsibility now. I always believed that I did better when I took responsibility," Hardik said during a virtual press conference on the eve of the first T20I.

"If I can take ownership of my own things and take my own decisions, they tend to be strong. Cricket is such a game, staying strong during situations is very important.

"Always responsibility was given to me and I took it and that's why I became better. While captaining I will see how I can give the same responsibility to every player and give them the ability to fight with situations," he added.

Playing under two talismanic skippers in Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli has taught Hardik a lot about leadership qualities, but he said every captain has their own style.

"Obviously I have taken a lot of things from them (Dhoni and Kohli) but at the same time I also want to be myself, obviously my understanding of the game is different but I have taken a lot of good vibes from them.

"I am not instinctive but I see more situation than go on my gut. At what point of time, what decision the team requires, I focus on that rather than going on my gut. Gut always goes 50-50," he said.

"I have got an opportunity to lead India. It's in itself a big thing. I don't play the sport to show anyone anything, if I am good enough. I was always the same." India has bench strength now ************************ India is fielding its reserve players in the series against Ireland and Hardik said the bench strength India possesses now is a good sign for the game in the country. "If such a situation arises that we have to send two teams, we are very lucky that we have the bench strength where we can allow the players to go and express and a lot of people will get opportunities.

"There are so much talent in India that people don't get opportunities. Playing for India is always a dream and for them to achieve that dream will be really fantastic," he said.

"The way talent has come up and the character the players have shown and the way we played, it indicates India's bench strength. There are plenty of options right now in Indian team. Four people are still fighting for places in the team. They are knocking the doors, so it can be better than that." Won't take Ireland lightly ********************* Despite fielding a second string side against Ireland, Hardik said they would approach the short series the same way they play in a big tournament.

"It's a challenge mentally, it is easier to say that we are playing against Ireland but playing for India is the biggest pride. If we want to win the World Cup, every match from here is important for us to reach the World Cup final. The first thing I said to all is that it doesn't matter whom we are playing, we need to focus on our own things," he stressed.

"We keep the same intensity we generally keep even if we are playing the World Cup or a big series. Again it comes down to mental strength, how better you can get because it's not easy in two matches getting yourself on but at the same time we are playing for India and we have to be on our A game which we will.

"The discussion between me and the coach is simple -- approach the game as you do in any other game for India." Hardik also said that the team management might give opportunities to some young players, but not at the cost of a strong playing XI.

"We want to give opportunities but at the same time we want to play with our best XI. So there will be a couple of caps given but at the same time it is about making sure that when we go on the field we have the best XI."

Also Read : Harmanpreet leads India to series sealing win over Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

2022-06-26 07:21

Patidar hits ton as MP lay one hand on coveted Ranji Trophy

Bengaluru, Jun 25 (Cricket News) Rajat Patidar stamped his class with an authoritative century to put Madhya Pradesh on the cusp of their historic Ranji Trophy triumph against 41-time champions Mumbai on a rain-hit fourth day of the summit clash here on Saturday.

Havens opened up minutes before the tea break, and Madhya Pradesh finished their first innings at 536 soon after resumption with a game-changing lead of 162 runs, courtesy Patidar’s superb 122, that had as many as 20 boundaries.

Four hundreds have been scored by batters from either side but none oozed more class and competence than Patidar’s, who was in a league of his own when it came to regal drives on both sides of the wicket.

At stumps, Mumbai erased some of the deficit, reaching 113 for 2 with Prithvi Shaw (44 off 51 balls) and Hardik Tamore (25 off 32 balls), promoted up the order, showing some positive intent but throwing away their wickets in desperation for quick runs.

Shaw was dismissed with a classic plan of bowling wide outside the off-stump and he finally chased one from Gourav Yadav straight into cover’s hands.

With 95 overs left on the final day, there is very little chance of Mumbai winning this match unless they score around 320-plus runs in 50 overs (including Saturday's overs) and set a target of 150-odd for MP with at least 45 to 50 overs to get the 10 wickets.

The wicket isn’t showing any signs of crumbling and hence a chance of an MP collapse in the fourth innings doesn’t look imminent at the moment. Especially, knowing that they have a first innings lead, MP will like to down the shutters from hereon as ends will prove the means.

Day belonged to Patidar =============== When the fourth day started, MP needed seven more runs to get the first innings lead but what was more important was for Patidar to play at least one session and he did that with minimum fuss which could now prove to be decisive in the context of the game.

Patidar smashed seven more boundaries following his 13 on the third day and by the time he was out for 122 off 219 balls, Madhya Pradesh’s lead had gone over 100 runs and the sullen faces of the Mumbai players said it all.

A poker-faced Chandrakant Pandit, who had throughout the four days, sat in one corner of the dressing room, can now afford a wide grin as even a miracle can’t turn things around for his “home state”.

Madhya Pradesh’s innings lasted for exactly 14 hours and two minutes and by the end of it all, they had out-batted Mumbai, a similar kind of torture that the domestic powerhouse is used to inflicting on their opponents over the years.

Patidar first hit an on-drive off Mohit Avasthi for a boundary and then punched him through the cover-point for a couple to give MP the all-important lead.

When a player finds his bearing at a higher level, he tends to dominate at a level which is notch below. The IPL might have been a white ball competition but the kind of confidence that Patidar gained from his century against Lucknow Super Giants on May 25 IPL Eliminator came in handy. He put that to best use exactly one month later on June 25 when he got his eighth and most important hundred of his first-class career.

The cornerstone of MP’s success this season has been their batting and No. 2, 3 and 4 scoring runs consistently.

While Patidar has so far scored 628 runs and is second behind Sarfaraz Khan (937) in the run-getter’s list, Yash Dubey (613) and Shubham Sharma (578) have also earned their stripes with match-winning performances.

If Dubey and Sharma provided solidity, Patidar added flamboyance with his adventurous stroke-play but at the same time was judicious enough to know when he needed to defend.

Mulani, the tireless operator ================== Shams Mulani was disappointing for the better part of the third day when he had bowled 40 overs with a just a wicket to show for his efforts. His final figures on the day 63.2-11-173-5 might not make a pretty reading but the rotund left-arm spinner gave it his all as Shaw used him unchanged from one end till lunch.

He was better on the fourth morning as he bowled a touch slower through the air and gave the ball more flight as it dipped on some of the lower-middle order batters.

He got an able ally in Avasthi (32-7-93-2) while Tushar Deshpande (36-10-116-3) was sharp in couple of of his spells.

The delivery to clean up Patidar was an off-cutter delivered from wide of crease.

The man whose performance stood like a sore thumb was Dhawal Kulkarni (24-4-53-0), who mostly bowled innocuous deliveries on the ‘fifth’ and ‘sixth’ off-stump channel.

Also Read : Harmanpreet leads India to series sealing win over Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

2022-06-25 15:37

Ireland Men’s principal jersey sponsor revealed to be Exchange22

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland has today revealed Exchange22 as the Principal Sponsor for the Ireland Men’s cricket team for 2022. EXCHANGE22 is an Indian-based, first of its kind sports fantasy App – a virtual sports stock exchange. Founded in 2019, the app’s unique concept is one in which players' shares are traded virtually. The shares can be bought/sold/held as per the wish of the user. On their platform, the user can trade in single or multiple shares and receive returns easily.

The partnership, brokered by Cricket Ireland’s main sponsor ITW Consulting, was unveiled along with the new Ireland Men’s T20I playing kit. The Exchange22 logo will feature on the front of the Ireland Men’s T20I playing shirt, while another new sponsor – ABD Sterling Reserve – will feature on the leading arm and the back of the T20 shirt. Sterling Reserve is an Indian-based packaged drinking water brand, produced by ABD. ABD, a multi-product company, is in the business of packaged drinking water with Sterling Reserve. A premium brand, Sterling Reserve consistently delivers the finest quality to consumers.

In further sponsor news, Mr Akhil Sarin, Head of Acquisition from Stake.com , the “Presenting Ground Sponsor”, will be presenting the winner’s trophy. Bodhishatta Karfa, Director & Co-Founder of EXCHANGE22, said “The whole team at EXCHANGE22 feels highly honoured to be the jersey sponsor for Ireland Men during a busy 2022. This is our second association with the squad, having supported the team at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021.

“Irish cricket is certainly a sport on the rise, and similarly EXCHANGE22 is also breaking through barriers and delivering on our ‘field of play’. Also, our sincere gratitude to team ITW for putting their efforts into making this collaboration successful. We believe in uplifting the spirit of the game and look forward to many more collaborations of this kind in the near future. We wish the Irish team the best of luck for the rest of 2022 and hope to see some awesome cricket moments from them.”

Shekhar Ramamurthy, Executive Deputy Chairman, ABD said "We at ABD and Sterling Reserve are very happy to be associated with Cricket Ireland for the India matches and all their games with New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan leading to the ICCT20 World Cup. Sterling Reserve, from ABD, is about making moments ‘Come Alive’. We believe that Team Ireland has the capability to do that against the best”.

Akhil Sarin, Head of Acquisition for Stake.com, said “As the presenting ground sponsor for the Ireland v India T20I series, 2022, we are looking forward to the cricketing action featuring an exciting Irish team and one of the top sides in the world - India. We look forward to a highly competitive series between two exciting teams – it is set to be a great spectacle for global cricket fans.”

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said “A sincere thanks to the teams at EXCHANGE22 and ITW Consulting for bringing this partnership together. We’ve already shown through a previous collaboration that the value of partnerships like this one goes far beyond just the immediate support for the team – it supports the grassroots and performance structures that are the foundations of the sport in Ireland. We also welcome Sterling Reserve – together we provide a solid foundation for our players to perform on what has become a truly global stage.”

Also read: 39 years since India's trend setting Cricket World Cup win at Lords

2022-06-25 15:05

Focus on Gaikwad, Samson as India take on star-struck Ireland

Malahide (Ireland), Jun 25 (Cricket News) India's fringe players including a struggling Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson will get another chance to prove themselves before the return of the seniors when Hardik Pandya marks his much-anticipated International captaincy debut against a star-struck Ireland in a two-match T20 series, beginning here on Sunday.

With Rishabh Pant joining the the Test side in England, Pandya was appointed the stand-in skipper after his heroics in leading Gujarat Titans to IPL 2022 triumph in their debut season.

Pant stood in as skipper in their last T20I series at home against South Africa after KL Rahul pulled out due to a groin injury.

India have been forced to hand the captaincy duties to too many players due to injuries, scheduling issues and workload management over the past 24 months.

Hardik joins that list for the one-off Ireland series and expectations will be high from him after his exploits with the Gujarat Titans.

NCA chief VVS Laxman, who will be filling in for India head coach Rahul Dravid in the short-series with the latter overseeing the Test team's preparations in England, is expected to follow the template set by his former teammate.

The two games will give the think tank more clarity on identifying the core group of players for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year and the team for the three games against a strong England next month.

In the home series against South Africa, Dravid displayed his stable approach and retained the side in all five games despite losing first two games. The Pant-led side bounced back to level 2-2 before the fifth match was washed out.

With Pant and Shreyas Iyer joining the Test squad in the UK, the series opens a window for the likes of Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda.

It could well be a make or break situation for Samson who has not been able establish himself in the T20 set up despite getting many opportunities.

Returning from a wrist injury, Suryakumar Yadav will walk back into the playing eleven and he is likely to bat at number three or four.

Ishan Kishan made a strong case for the reserve opener's slot with his consistent run against South Africa and he will be looking to build on that success.

The pressure will be on his opening partner Gaikwad, who looked in discomfort against high-quality fast bowling in the previous series.

India's pace sensation Umran Malik and yorker-specialist Arshdeep Singh, who patiently warmed the bench against South Africa, could get their big break with the conditions expected to favour the fast bowlers.

With the due respect, Ireland are not expected to push India to the limit like South Africa did, giving the visitors more freedom to experiment.

For Irish players, the series against the mighty India presents them an opportunity to attract global attention.

Uncapped Stephen Doheny and Conor Olphert have earned maiden call-ups in the squad led by Andrew Balbirnie, who feels India remain a very strong outfit despite the absence of senior players including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.

"Nowadays, any Indian team you play is going to be a good team. It kind of shows the depth of Indian cricket that they can put out two teams. We couldn't do that - there's no way we could put out a Test team and a T20 team at the same time, we just don't have the numbers for that, " Balbirnie said ahead of the series opener.

Squads India: Hardik Pandya (captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Match starts 9 PM IST.

Also Read : India's ideal playing XI for the two T20Is against Ireland

News Source : PTI

2022-06-25 12:37

India's ideal playing XI for the two T20Is against Ireland

(Cricket news) The Indian team is gearing up to play 2 T20Is against Ireland. Both the games will be played at the Village in Dublin. The men in blue will be without a few of its big players and also without its coaching staff led by Rahul Dravid as the red team is in England preparing for the Headingley Test. Hardik Pandya will captain the side for the first time ever while NCA head VVS Laxman will act as head coach.

India's ideal playing XI-

Openers: Ishan Kishan & Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad are pretty much India's 2nd choice opening pair when KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma aren't available. Their opening combination was very good against South Africa and the management is more than likely to back the pair once again as they compliment each other really well. Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi are the other two options.

Middle order: Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda & Dinesh Karthik

Suryakumar Yadav returns after his injury absence and should get into the team straight away. This will be a very important tournament for the batter as he will have to start firing right away to earn his place back in the team. Dinesh Karthik is in red hot form and he needs to continue doing the same. Karthik's position in the batting order will most likely depend on the situation. Deepak Hooda spent the whole South Africa series on the bench. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Hooda is next in line for a place in the middle order. There have been rumours of Sanju Samson being guaranteed to be in the playing XI but Hooda definitely deserves a chance. Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi are the other options.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya & Axar Patel

Skipper Hardik Pandya will look to lead from the front with both bat and ball. It will be interesting to see if Pandya pushes himself up the order or continues batting at no. 5. Axar Patel being the only spin bowling all-rounder has to play. He was good in patches in the IPL and against South Africa. Patel will be hoping to have a better series against Ireland which will guarantee his long term place in the side even after Ravindra Jadeja returns.

Seamers: Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar & Avesh Khan

India continued backing these trio of seamers against South Africa and there is no reason to change that now. Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh will be eager to get their debut caps but these 3 are likely to feature in both matches. The trio had a good 3rd and 4th game against South Africa and the team will need a similar performance. Conditions will be much better for seam bowling and they need to take full advantage of it.

Spinner: Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal will once again be an important part of the side. His wrist spin will be very effective in Irish conditions. Ravi Bishnoi is another option but Chahal is first choice. He is a proper wicket taking option and it will be interesting to see how Pandya uses him.

Bench: Sanju Samson, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh & Umran Malik

Also read: Answers India will be searching for in the warm up Test

2022-06-24 18:20

Yash, Shubham tons deflate Mumbai, MP close in on maiden Ranji title

Bengaluru, Jun 24 (Cricket News) Unheralded Yash Dubey and Shubham Sharma made the biggest stage of Indian domestic cricket their own with well-crafted centuries, that pulled the rug from under heavyweights Mumbai's feet as Madhya Pradesh took a giant leap towards their maiden Ranji Trophy title, here on Friday.

Mumbai's first innings score of 374 looked reasonably good on the second day but Dubey (133, 336 balls) and Sharma (116, 215 balls) added 222 runs for the second wicket to take MP to a solid 368 for 3 at the end of day three.

Madhya Pradesh now need only seven more runs to take a decisive first innings lead and unless they suffer a collapse in the fourth innings, the title is theirs for taking.

MP had lost to Karnataka when the last time they competed in a Ranji Trophy final in the 1998-99 season.

The duo took the sting out of Mumbai attack with some 'khadoos' (stubborn) batting straight out of Chandrakant Pandit's coaching play book as 245 runs were scored through the whole day but more effectively, they ran Mumbai attack ragged with their solid game plan.

Rajat Patidar, one of the heroes of RCB's campaign in the IPL, then used his new-found confidence to score an unbeaten 67 with 13 boundaries.

MP would certainly want to stretch their innings as much as possible so that Mumbai have no chance to make a comeback in the game.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium track didn’t show signs of wear and tear and the bright sunshine only helped the MP batters to settle down easily against a Mumbai attack which was at one level ordinary.

The biggest disappointment was their left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (1/117 in 40 overs), who bowled too many loose deliveries.

Veteran Dhawal Kulkarni (21-3-51-0) and the seasoned Tushar Deshpande (24-8-73-1) were also below-par as they consistently gave drivable length the batters in the morning session.

Instead of conjuring up maiden overs and building the pressure slowly, within first half an hour, they allowed Dubey and Sharma to easily hit multiple cover drives to get their eye in.

Kulkarni, the only man in this set-up with experience of winning a Ranji Trophy, bowled too many deliveries outside the off-stump which were left alone.

The only time he looked menacing was when Dubey had taken his eyes off a short ball and was knocked down.

When Mulani came in, Sharma lofted him over long-off for a six, leaving his skipper Prithvi Shaw frustrated.

Mulani bowled too many length balls and at times full-tosses to make life of the batters much easier.

While Dubey hit 14 boundaries and Sharma had 15 hits and a maximum to his credit, what stood out during their partnership was their running between the wickets.

That Dubey (613 runs) and Sharma (578 runs) have been standout performers for MP this season was evident in their on-field communication, where they would tap the ball towards mid-on or mid-off to steal those quick singles.

People remember boundaries but Dubey and Sharma ran 76 singles between them in their double-hundred plus partnership.

Save Arman Jaffer missing a regulation catch of Sharma at short point, Mumbai hardly created any chances although Mohit Avasthi (20-5-53-1) could be credited for bowling one channel.

Some of their appeals were outrageous and once Shaw was seen gesturing to umpire Virender Sharma as to why he couldn't hear a nick when replays showed that clearly there wasn't one.

Dubey in fact after scoring his hundred did repeat the ‘Sidhu Moosewala’ celebration (thigh thump and index finger pointed towards sky) but it was more about driving home a point for Sarfaraz Khan, who was sledging the duo. By the time, Sharma was caught behind off Avasthi and Dubey gave Mulani something to cheer after another 72-run third wicket stand, some of the Mumbai players were on their hunches.

Patidar was smashing them for fun and the writing is clearly on the Wall.

Mumbaikar Pandit's Madhya Pradesh is walking away with this one unless there is a miracle in last two days.

Also Read : Gareth Delany excited to take on 'Best team in the world' India

News Source : PTI

2022-06-24 16:31

Gareth Delany excited to take on 'Best team in the world' India

(Cricket news) Ireland’s Men are set to take on India in the two-match LevelUp11 India Tour of Ireland T20 Series 2022 at Malahide, starting on Sunday afternoon. With crowds in Ireland starved of attending top-class cricket due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fans have snapped up the tickets well in advance as the games have sold-out.

Facing India at home is quite a daunting prospect at the best of times. For many of the Irish players involved it will be a career highlight, none more so than for Gareth Delany. The 25 year-old is looking forward to the games but knows how difficult the task will be against the world’s best T20I side:

“It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity to go against the world’s best as we start off our international summer of fixtures. It’ll be a very stiff challenge against some of the best players in this format but it’s very exciting all the same. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put in two strong performances.”

Given its population size, top-class cricket talent is always plentiful in India, and they arrive with a hugely talented squad, all looking to make a name for themselves during these two matches. Delany picks out a few who he’s especially hoping to face over the next few days:

“It’d be really cool to bowl to Suryakumar Yadav. He’s an incredibly talented batter who can play 360 degrees and mix it up between power and finesse. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also one of the world’s best new ball bowlers in T20 and has a very low economy rate for T20 cricket, so it would be a good challenge to go against someone of his calibre.”

Ireland has looked to reset its T20 game after the departure from the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, something Delany says was difficult to take at the time:

“Not qualifying for the Super 12 stage was an incredibly disappointing experience for us as a squad. We’ve a lot of young guys in our squad at the moment so that experience will stand to us and the fixtures that we have this summer will hopefully benefit us going forward.”

Despite that setback he’s confident that the team will bounce back with improved performances:

“If we can play to our best, then I’d be pretty confident that we’ll show progress, but it’ll be a very difficult and pressurising few games. We’ve identified areas that we can improve on from that last T20 World Cup to hopefully go one step further later this year in Australia.”

As Ireland build up to the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year, with further T20 fixtures against New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan to come in the next couple of months, Delany and his team-mates will be hoping to put their best feet forward and show head coach Heinrich Malan what they’re capable of:

“We’ve a packed summer schedule against some of the best T20 sides in the world so it’ll be a good chance to find out where we are as a team and identify areas we need to work on to be as best prepared for that first game in Australia as possible.”

Ireland squad: Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

India squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

The fixtures are:

Sunday 26 June: Ireland v India, 1st T20I (Malahide, start 4.30pm).
Tuesday 28 June: Ireland v India, 2nd T20I (Malahide, start 4.30pm).

Also read: Jemimah and Deepti lead India to win in 1st T20I against Sri Lanka

2022-06-24 14:29

Srikar Bharat impresses, top-order fails in warm-up match against Leicestershire

Leicester, Jun 23 (Cricket News) Wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat impressed with an unbeaten 70, even as India's top-order failed to get batting practice on the first day of their warm-up match against Leicestershire here on Thursday.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, India's top guns failed to fire as the visitors slipped to 81 for five, before reaching 246 for eight at the close of play.

Bharat shone during his 158-minute stay in the middle before rain brought an early end to the day's proceedings at Grace Road.

In all, the 28-year-old batter from Andhra hit eight fours and a six while facing 111 balls. At stumps, Mohammed Shami was giving Bharat company on 18.

Skipper Rohit Sharma (25) and Shubman Gill (21) got out after getting starts. The opening duo, which is set to begin India's innings in the one-off 'fifth Test', added 35 runs for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed by fast-medium bowler Will Davis.

India's first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who was representing the English county side alongside Cheteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, held on to the catch of Gill, who found the fence four times while lasting 38 minutes.

For the addition of another 15 runs, India lost the wicket of Rohit, who hit three fours during his 64-minute stay in the middle. Rohit's departure paved the way for Virat Kohli's arrival, and the former India captain looked to take the onus upon himself to prop up India.

In between, Hanuma Vihari (3) came on to bat at number three but departed cheaply off the bowling of Roman Walker.

Shreyas Iyer failed to open his account and walked back to the dressing room after facing 11 balls, having nicked Prasidh to the waiting hands of Pant.

Interestingly Prasidh, who got the ball to swing prodigiously, got some tips from Kohli right before Iyer's dismissal.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja too failed to make an impact as he was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Roman Walker, who finished the day with impressive figures of 5/24.

With five of their batters back in the hut, Kohli and wicketkeeper Bharat got together and added 57 runs to steady the ship.

However, Kohli, having struck four boundaries and a six, fell to Walker. The 21-year-old seamer then dismissed Shardul Thakur (6) to complete his five-wicket-haul and reduce India to 148 for seven.

Fast bolwer Umesh Yadav chipped in with 23 off 32 balls, hitting four boundaries in the process.

The Test match, rescheduled after it was abandoned owing to a COVID-19 outbreak last year, starts on July 1.

Also Read : India eye improved top-order show in 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

2022-06-24 13:47

India eye improved top-order show in 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka

Dambulla, Jun 24 (Cricket News) Eyeing a series-clinching victory, the Indian women's cricket team would expect a better showing from its top-order when it takes on Sri Lanka in the second T20 International, here on Saturday.

The Indians made a positive start to the limited-overs tour of the Island nation with a 34-run win in the series-opener on Thursday.

The team would not only aim to secure the three-match series but also address the grey areas and continue the winning momentum ahead of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where women's cricket will make its debut in the T20 format.

The Birmingham Games will be held from July 28 to August 8. In the series opener, the Indians managed a modest 138 for six after opting to bat before the bowlers, led by left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, chocked the Lankan batters. But India's batting show left a lot to be desired in the first game.

The likes of Shafali Verma, who made a run-a-ball 31, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (22) and Richa Ghosh (11) all got starts but could not convert them into substantial knocks.

Having failed in the previous game, Harmanpreet will be hoping to eclipse the legendary Mithali Raj in the shortest format. She needs just 24 runs to become the highest run-getter from India in this format. Mithali, who recently retired from all forms of cricket, had scored 2364 run from 89 games. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and Sabbhineni Meghana endured an off day in office and the visitors would need the duo to click if India are to put on a big total. It was left to Jemimah Rodrigues, who made her comeback to the side after a while, and Deepti Sharma to provide the late burst and take India to the winning total Even though Rodrigues and Deepti did the rescue act, the Indian think tank would want the top-order to do better job.

The Indian bowlers, on the other hand, were right on the money with the spin troika of Radha (2/22), Deepti (1/9) and part-timer Shafali (1/10) shinning bright on the low and slow wicket.

With the same venue hosting all the three T20s, spinners of both teams will play vital roles.

Sri Lanka too would be hoping for a better effort from their batters.

Middle-order batter Kavisha Dilhari (47 not out) remained stranded as she failed to get support from the other hand. The likes of skipper Chamari Athapaththu, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Madavi and Nilakshi de Silva will have to take more responsibility in the batting unit.

On the bowling front, spin duo of Inoka Ranaweera (3/30) and Oshadi Ranasinghe (2/22) would look for support from their opening bowlers to keep Indian batters quiet.

Teams (from): India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Simran Bahadur, Yastika Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sabbhineni Meghana, Meghna Singh, Poonam Yadav, Renuka Singh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (C), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunaratne, Ama Kanchana, Hansima Karunaratne, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Harshitha Madavi, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Sathya Sandeepani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Malsha Shehani, Tharika Sewwandi.

Match starts at 2:00PM.

Also Read : Jemimah and Deepti lead India to win in 1st T20I against Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

2022-06-23 19:02

Sarfaraz's defiant century propels Mumbai to 374, MP finish day 2 at 123/1

Bengaluru, Jun 23 (Cricket News) Sarfaraz Khan completed his transformation from Mumbai cricket's resident 'enfant terrible' to 'Man Friday' with a superb hundred that kept his side ahead against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy final, here on Thursday.

Courtesy Sarfaraz's fourth hundred of the season – 134 off 243 balls -- the 41-time champions managed a fighting 374 in their first innings after beginning the day at 248 for five.

But Madhya Pradesh won't be too unhappy as they finished the second day at 123 for one with Yash Dubey (44 batting) and Shubham Sharma (41 batting) adding 76 runs for the unbroken second wicket.

The day belonged to none other than Sarfaraz, who has now scored an astounding 937 runs in Ranji Trophy in just six games and could make it 1000 for the season if Mumbai bat again in this match.

His innings had 13 boundaries and two huge sixes --- one over square leg off left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya and one down the ground off off-spinner Saransh Jain.

But what stood out was how he managed the innings after Shams Mulani was trapped leg before by Gourav Yadav (4/106) in the opening over of the second day.

His batting with the tail showed his new-found maturity, which is proving to be a boon for Mumbai cricket. He chose loose deliveries for boundary, forcing MP captain Aditya Shrivastava to open the field.

The manner in which Sarfaraz has turned a corner since the 2019-20 season (928 runs back then) is phenomenal as he had disciplinary issues early in his career, which also forced him to leave Mumbai for a season.

With father Naushad Khan, who also doubles up as his coach, making him play 400 balls (nearly 67 overs including nets and knocking) a day at practice, Sarfaraz 2.0 is a battle-hardened man, the ‘khadoos street fighter’ that any captain would want to go to a war with.

Once he reached his fifty, he touched the lion's crest on his jersey, gesturing 'Don't worry, I am going nowhere'.

His batting isn't as pleasing to the eye as Prithvi Shaw's but highly effective. His batting is assuring. He knows how to score those runs on a track that is largely two-paced and in overcast conditions with the ball doing a fair bit.

When MP skipper spread the field to stop boundaries, he still found his way to play the controlled square cut off seamer Anubhav Agarwal, which bisected the two fielders stationed at deep extra cover and deep point to the fence.

Having entered '90s, he played a typical T20 scoop over keeper's head while being partially blindsided and completely off-balance.

It was a sight worth capturing.

At 97, MP skipper Shrivastava put all his fielders at the boundary line with two standing at long-on and long-off.

The ploy wasn't good enough to stop Sarfaraz as he thumped one over bowler’s head which went to the boundary.

The celebration was a war cry and a thigh thump. There were tears of relief that he shed having accomplished what he had set out to do.

The Indian Test team’s middle-order is still jam-packed but the manner in which Sarfaraz is batting, to put it in head coach Rahul Dravid’s words, he is not just knocking but banging the selection door down.

Sarfaraz was involved in four small, but very effective, partnerships which could prove to be decisive if the match turns out to be an affair of one innings.

He added 40 for seventh wicket with Tanush Kotian (15), 26 for the eighth wicket with Dhawal Kulkarni (1), 39 for the ninth with Tushar Deshpande (6) and another 21 priceless runs for the final wicket with Mohit Avasthi (7).

By the time, he became Mumbai's last batter to be dismissed, he had ensured that the total is good enough for his bowlers to defend.

But there are ominous signs as MP batters have looked solid so far and Mumbai's bowling line-up hasn't made much of an impact, save Tushar Deshpande's delivery that straightened to find Himanshu Mantri's (31) pads.

Also Read : 1st T20: Clinical India choke Sri Lanka, take 1-0 lead

News Source : PTI

2022-06-23 18:52

1st T20: Clinical India choke Sri Lanka, take 1-0 lead

Dambulla, Jun 23 (Cricket News) The Indian bowlers choked the Sri Lankan women's team after Jemimah Rodrigues's vital knock on return to secure a convincing 34-run victory in the first T20 International here on Thursday.

Defending a modest 139, left-arm spinner Radha Yadav (2/22) made her presence felt right after the powerplay by dismissing the dangerous-looking Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu (16) and Harsihtha Madavi (10) in three balls.

Reduced to 27 for three inside seven overs, Sri Lanka never managed to get going in the run chase, which was further derailed by some tight bowling by seamer Deepti Pooja Vastrakar in the middle overs en route to a tidy spell of 4-1-13-1.

Deepti Sharma gave India a flying start, dismissing opener Vishmi Gunaratne (0) in the second over. The senior off-spinner was at her miserly best in the powerplay and returned with figures of 3-1-9-1 to stymie the Sri Lanka's progress early on.

Deepti also took a stunning catch running in from deep square leg to give Radha her second wicket of the day.

Kavisha Dilhari waged a lone battle for the hosts with a fighting 49-ball 47 (6x4), but the Indians' top-class bowling and fielding ensured their team emerged easy winners for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The hosts needed 78 runs in the last five overs and Kavisha got going with a flurry of boundaries against Harmanpreet Kaur and Radha.

But it proved insufficient as the Indians choked the home team's run rate while denying the Islanders any six in their innings.

Shafali Varma compounded Sri Lanka's misery by dismissing Ama Kanchana (11) in the death overs to leave them tottering at 104 for five.

The second match of the series is slated for Saturday.

Opting to bat, India lost opener Smriti Mandhana (1) in the third over of the game, the 25-year-old becoming the victim of veteran spinner Oshadi Ranasinghe while looking to free her arms. She hit a tossed-up delivery straight to Chamari Aththapatu at mid-on.

Sabbhineni Meghana was out for a golden duck, sent back to the dressing room by old warhorse Ranasinghe.

Losing two wickets early and under pressure in the hot and humid Dambulla, it was left to the duo of Harmanpreet and Shefali Verma to take control of the situation.

A well-settled Verma was the next to go, dismissed by Aththapatu on 31 while trying to go for a maximum.

Smart bowling by the Lankans ensured that they soon got their biggest breakthrough when Harmanpreet (22) was trapped in front of the wicket by spinner Inoka Ranaweera in the 11th over.

Ranaweera picked two more wickets to send back wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh (11) and Pooja Vastrakar (14) to reduce the visitors to 106 for six in 17 overs and leave Jemimah with the task of giving the Indian total a semblance of respectability.

Coming in at five, Rodrigues, who made her comeback to the side after a while, did not succumb to the pressure and scored some crucial runs, hitting three fours and a six, with Deepti Sharma playing the second fiddle with a 17 off 8 balls.

Also Read : 1st T20: Jemimah Rodriguez's 36 lifts India to 138/6 vs Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

2022-06-23 12:32

Answers India will be searching for in the warm up Test

(Cricket news) In preparation for the Test match against England, India will be playing a 4 day warm-up match against Leicestershire. India will not have time to get into the series because there is only one match. India have a 2-1 lead in the series but they will not want to settle for a tied series. This changed England's side under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes is already looking much better than the side India faced last year. This warm-up match is very important for India as they will want to answer a couple of questions.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav.

Leicestershire CCC squad: Sam Evans (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sam Bates (wk), Nat Bowley, Will Davis, Joey Evison, Louis Kimber, Abi Sakande, Roman Walker, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna.

Four Indian players namely Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna will be playing for the Leicestershire team. Ravichandran Ashwin who will not participate in the match after his arrival in England was delayed due to a positive Covid Test. India have a couple of things to figure out which is where the practice match will be a massive help. Only two of Pujara, Vihari and Iyer will play in the match. If any of the batter plays well in this match then he almost guarantees his place in the playing XI.

In the first 4 Test matches India went with a combination of 4 seamers and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin's absence means that India can't try any other combination. When he took over as Test captain Rohit Sharma was asked about Ashwin's exclusion from the XI in England to which he said “Really, can’t tell you anything about his overseas place - why doesn’t he find it or why is he in the eleven. I honestly, have no idea because I wasn’t a part of the selection at that point so I can’t tell you what happened and why was he left out and why didn’t he play and those kinds of stuff”. Sharma as a captain may want a world class spinner like Ashwin in the team regardless of the conditions.

In the South Africa series Ashwin was in the XI for all 3 games due to Jadeja's absence but he didn't have a good series with bat or ball. Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be the 3 fast bowlers. If India do go for 4 seamers, Shardul Thakur is the obvious candidate. Thakur was exceptional in the 3 matches he played in England last year and also the 3 he played in South Africa. Umesh Yadav and Prasidh Krishna have a chance to try and give the team management a headache if they pull off something extraordinary.

The main goal for India will be to get acclimatized to the English conditions. All the players apart from Pant and Iyer have had a good period of rest after the IPL and each one of them should be ready to go. This will be Rohit Sharma's first overseas Test as a captain. The way India played in the 4 matches of this series, they definitely deserve to win this but this England side looks much more settled and driven than the last one. Ben Stokes who missed the last series will also be back and this time will captain the side.

Also read: Indian women gear up for opening T20I against Sri Lanka

2022-06-23 10:35

We have not made any offer to Wriddhiman Saha, say GCA and BCA

Bengaluru, Jun 22 (Cricket News) Wriddhiman Saha, who wants to move out of Bengal to ply his trade as a professional, hasn't received any significant offer from any of the top states, contrary to what he had claimed.

Gujarat and Baroda, which were being linked with Saha's likely inter-state transfer, have denied making any offers to the 40-Test veteran.

Saha had claimed that he had offers "from quite a few state associations but I have not given my go-ahead to either of them." "I can confirm that Gujarat Cricket Association has made no such offer to Wriddhiman Saha. We have a young keeper named Het Patel, who is doing very well for us. Why in the world would we try to spoil his career," senior GCA official Anil Patel told PTI.

When Baroda CA secretary Ajit Lele, who is currently in the United States, was contacted, he said that he doesn't have any knowledge of their association approaching Saha.

"I am not in India for the past one month but as far as BCA is concerned we have already roped in Ambati Rayudu as professional. To the best of my knowledge, we haven't sounded out Saha," Lele said.

Recently, PTI had reported that Saha was reached out by domestic minnows Tripura, one of the whipping boys from Eastern region, but there are reports that his demand as professional fees over and above his match fee isn't something that could be considered.

Tripura CA secretary Kishor Das couldn't be reached for a comment.

It must be mentioned that Saha has sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from his home association CAB after association joint secretary Debabrata Das had publicly criticized his commitment for Bengal Cricket and alleged that he fakes injuries to skip Ranji Trophy matches.

An angry Saha wanted an unconditional apology from Das but that did not happen.

In fact, Das is currently Indian team's administrative manager in England, which is testimony that CAB is firmly behind its administrator after Saha decided to walk away from the state team duties.

Regular digs at BCCI president and national selection ================================= Since India coach Rahul Dravid told him clearly that at 37, he is too old to be the reserve keeper for national team, an irate Saha has on different forums openly commented that he was dropped despite assurances from BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.

"We fully understand Saha's disappointment after being dropped from the Indian team. But time and again, he is slyly bringing BCCI president in every media interaction and also talking about selection matters which is breaking clause of centrally contracted player," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Also Read : We have several top order batters, everyone will have their chances: Harmanpreet

News Source : PTI

2022-06-23 09:07

Indian women's hockey team outclasses USA 4-0 to finish 3rd in debut season of FIH Pro League

Rotterdam, Jun 22 (Hockey News) The Indian women's hockey team produced a dominating performance to outclass USA 4-0 in the second-leg match to finish a creditable third in its debut season at the FIH Pro League here on Wednesday.

The Indians had earlier defeated USA 4-2 in the first match of the double header on Tuesday.

Vandana Katariya (39th, 54th) scored a brace, while Sonika (54th) and Sangita Kumari (58th) sounded the board once for India.

Argentina have already won the title with Netherlands finishing second.

USA started the match on a bright note and secured the first chance of the match a as early as in the second minute, but Elizabeth Yeager's high shot was easily saved by India skipper and goalkeeper Savita. The Indians too had their chances soon after but Sharmila Devi wasted a golden opportunity as she failed to beat USA goalkeeper from close range.

As usual, Salima Tete was a live wire from the right flank, creating chances for her side with her defence-splitting runs.

The Americans secured their second penalty corner in the 11th minute but wasted the chance.

USA once again started positively after the quarter break but the Indians drew in confidence as the match progressed.

India secured their first penalty corner in the 23rd minute but failed to execute the set piece.

The Indians kept on attacking thereafter and earned two more penalty corners but the end result was the same as both the teams failed to break the deadlock at half time.

Three minutes into the third quarter, India secured a penalty corner but Navneet Kaur's trap shot after initial fumble from the stopper was saved easily by USA goalkeeper Kelsey Bing. But it was Janneke Schopman's girls who broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Vandana got a faint touch to deflect in Gurjit Kaur's flick from India's fifth penalty corner.

The Indians had numerous chances in the last two quarters. Navneet missed a sitter as her slap shot in front of an open goal went over the post.

The Americans secured a penalty corner in the 43rd minute but India defended well.

India then scored three goals in a span of four minutes to seal the match.

First, Vandana scored an open goal from a build up from the right flank and then seconds later, Sonika found the USA net from a goalmouth melee from another attack from the right.

India skipper Savita soon made a double save to deny the Americans from a penalty corner.

Young Sangita too registered her name in the scoresheet with a fabulous field goal in the 57th minute.

The last chance of the match fell before USA in the form of another penalty corner but they wasted it.

The win will boost India's confidence ahead of the Women's World Cup to be co-hosted by the Netherlands and Spain from July 1 to 17.

Also Read : We have several top order batters, everyone will have their chances: Harmanpreet

News Source : PTI

2022-06-22 18:27

Disciplined Madhya Pradesh keep Mumbai at 248/5 on Day 1

New Delhi, Jun 22 (Cricket News) An unheralded bunch of Madhya Pradesh bowlers stuck to its plans as a star-studded Mumbai side toiled its way to 248 for five on the first day of the Ranji Trophy final here.

Despite an opening stand of 87 between Prithvi Shaw (47, 79 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (78, 163 balls), Mumbai failed to drive home the advantage on a pitch that wasn't conducive for strokeplay.

A 400-plus first-innings total will now depend on the season's highest run-getter Sarfaraz Khan (40 batting, 125 balls), who is looking good for another big knock with the dependable Shams Mulani (12 batting, 43 balls) giving him company.

While left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya was the tireless operator from one end, having sent down 31 overs for figures of 1 for 91, seamer Gaurav Yadav (23-5-68-0) was distinctly unlucky and the wickets column don't reflect the relentless pressure that he put on Mumbai batters, especially skipper Shaw.

In fact, it was the pressure applied by Yadav which helped nippy seamer Anubhav Agarwal (19-3-56-2) and tall off-spinner Saransh Jain (17-2-31-2) to share the bulk of the spoils, with some intelligent execution of plans.

Mumbai did enjoy the advantage during the first hour after Shaw opted to bat and, along with Jaiswal, took on the MP attack.

The strategy to start with Kartikeya's slow left-arm orthodox seemed to have backfired when Jaiswal took him on and lofted him over long-on for a six.

Shaw followed suit and hit Kartikeya over long-off for a six as they added 87 for the first wicket.

But while Jaiswal, with his drives and upper cuts, looked to continue from where he left in the semi-final, Shaw, despite his seven fours (at least three of them behind square) looked edgy.

Both the seamers, Anubhav and Gaurav, got some movement in the air with a nice cloud cover helping their cause. They also hit the perfect length with movement off the pitch in both directions, into and away from the batter.

Both look run of the mill medium pacers but are deceptively quicker than they actually look.

In fact, the best over of the first day was the 12th of the Mumbai innings when Gaurav first cut Shaw into half with a massive in-cutter and then bowled the outgoing deliveries, beating the bat as many as five times in six balls.

By the end of the over, he was in his hunches.

Jaiswal, at the other end, scored his first 30 runs in 52 balls, but then, gauging the two-paced nature of the pitch, started playing more cautiously. His next 48 runs came in another 111 deliveries.

The first breakthrough came minutes before lunch break when Anubhav, who was bowling closer to the stumps, decided to move slightly wide and fired in a couple of deliveries with the angle.

While Shaw managed to defend one, the second delivery saw him play across the line and the stumps rattled.

Arman Jaffer (26 off 56 balls) looked solid till he tried a forward-defensive jab off Kartikeya, without factoring in the extra bounce, and the ball took an inside edge off his bat and Yash Dubey, at short mid-wicket, completed a diving catch.

The pitch in the second session slowed down considerably and Suved Parkar (18) paid the price when a delivery from Saransh stopped on him and the leading edge off closed bat face just lobbed up for the easiest of catches for rival captain Aditya Shrivastava.

The dismissal that was most well-planned was that of Jaiswal, who was closing in on a fourth hundred of the season.

Anubhav, who had started operating wide of the crease, started cramping the left-hander for room. As he was finding it difficult to get the boundaries, Jaiswal, without much room, tried the square cut but failed to keep it down and Dubey at gully took a sharp low catch.

Hardik Tamore (24) was living dangerously till Saransh got some drift and the delivery straightened after pitching, taking the outside edge into Rajat Patidar's hands in the first slip.

Also Read : India women eye fresh start against Sri Lanka in 1st T20I

News Source : PTI

2022-06-22 17:23

India women eye fresh start against Sri Lanka in 1st T20I

Dambulla, Jun 22 (Cricket News) The Indian women's cricket team will be eyeing a fresh start under new all-format skipper Harmanpreet Kaur against Sri Lanka in the first T20 International of the three-match series, starting here on Thursday.

With the T20s all set to feature in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and also at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup eight months away, India will look to begin their campaign on a high.

This will be the first international assignment for the Indian women since the disappointment at the 2022 Women's World Cup.

Notably, the Indian team, for the first time, will be without the legendary Mithali Raj, who hung up her boots earlier this month after an illustrious 23-year-old career.

On the personal front, skipper Harmanpreet will be eyeing a milestone.

The 33-year-old batter, who has amassed 2319 runs from 121 matches, needs another 46 runs to eclipse Mithali in the shortest format.

The spotlight will also be on vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet and coach Ramesh Powar, who recorded a seven-match winning streak in the last T20 World Cup before India were knocked out in the semifinals by South Africa.

Hosts Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will start the series on the back foot as they were recently whitewashed 0-3 by Pakistan in a T20 series.

However, the Indians will have to remain vigilant against the likes of Sri Lankan veterans Oshadi Ranasinghe and Chamari Athapaththu.

The Indians last played a one-off game against New Zealand in the shortest format in February this year, which they lost by 18 runs.

Going into the series, the likes of Mandhana, Shefali Verma, Deepti Sharma and pacer Pooja Vastrakar will inject enough confidence owing to their current form.

Going by current form and world rankings, India will definitely start as favourites against the Island nation and the hosts will need to raise their game by leaps and bounds to upset the Indians.

India skipper Harmanpreet said fielding is one area they are giving more emphasis on in the series against Sri Lanka.

"As a team, there are quite a few areas we are currently working on to improve keeping in mind this particular series against Sri Lanka. While our core strength lies in our batting, we are giving extra efforts to improve our fielding skills," she said.

"All our top batters and bowlers are fit for this series and we all expect to give our very best in this series," said Harmanpreet in the pre-match press conference.

The three-game T20 series will be followed by as many ODIs, scheduled to be played at Pallekele on July 1, 4 and 7.

Teams (from): India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Simran Bahadur, Yastika Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sabbhineni Meghana, Meghna Singh, Poonam Yadav, Renuka Singh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav. Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (C), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunaratne, Ama Kanchana, Hansima Karunaratne, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Harshitha Madavi, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Sathya Sandeepani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Malsha Shehani, Tharika Sewwandi.

Match starts at 2:00PM.

Also Read : India player Rumeli Dhar announces retirement from all forms of cricket

News Source : PTI

2022-06-22 16:38

Indian women gear up for opening T20I against Sri Lanka

(Cricket news) After their disappointing performance at the World Cup in New Zealand, the Indian women's team now prepare for a whiteball tour of Sri Lanka. The tour will kick off with 3 T20Is at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The Indian team will now be under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur who is the new all format captain after Mithali Raj's retirement. India will use this series as a preparation for the Commonwealth Games where they will be playing T20Is.

India's possible playing XI:

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav

Bench: S Meghna, Simran Bahadur, Renuka Singh, Radha Yadav

Considering the conditions in Sri Lanka, playing 2 seamers and 3 spinners will make perfect sense. Harmanpreet Kaur will definitely be keen to bowl a couple of overs herself. The opening partnership between Verma and Mandhana will be very crucial. It is an important tournament for Jemimah Rodrigues who returns to the squad after being dropped from the World Cup.

Harmanpreet Kaur needs only 46 runs to overtake Mithali Raj as the highest run scorer for India in T20Is. Smriti Mandhana on the other hand is just 29 runs away from becoming the 5th Indian batter (men or women) to score 2000 runs in T20Is. Harmanpreet Kaur in a press conference said "I think things will be easy because when two different captains were there, sometimes things were not easy because we both had different ideas. Now, it’s easy for me to tell them what I am expecting from them and things will be much easier for me and my teammates as well.”

When MS Dhoni gave his white ball captaincy to Virat Kohli, the former captain said that in India split captaincy doesn't work for long term. What Harmanpreet said perfectly sums it up. Indian fans will be hoping that things change and this Indian side can bring an ICC trophy home. The next chance they get will be in 2023 when South Africa will host the T20 World Cup. As of 22nd June 2022, nobody has picked up the rights to telecast the series in India. If anyone has then there has been no promotion of it which is very surprising considering the fact that women's cricket is watched and followed widely by people in India.

Sri Lanka Squad: Chamari Athapaththu(c), Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeevani, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweeram, Achini Kulasuriya, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Malsha Shehani, Ama Kanchana, Udeshika Prabodhani, Rashmi de Silva, Hansima Karunaratne, Kaushani Nuthyangana, Sathya Sandeepani, Tharika Sewwandi.

Also read: Takeaways from the epic tied between India and South Africa

2022-06-22 09:09

In cricket and life, graph always moves up and down: Shaw

Bengaluru, Jun 21 (Cricket News) Only three half-centuries in five Ranji Trophy games doesn't match the lofty standards that he has set for himself but a pragmatic Mumbai captain Prithvi Shaw also knows that cricket is mirror image of life where the change in graph is the only constant thing.

Leading domestic powerhouse Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final against a gutsy Madhya Pradesh team is Shaw's current assignment and he doesn't want his tunnel vision to waver thinking about not being in England or not even finding his name in the Ireland-bound T20I team.

"I have scored a couple (three) of fifties but that's not enough for me for sure and no one even congratulated me after scoring a fifty and you feel bad as well (jokingly)," the Mumbai skipper replied to a query from PTI on the eve of the big final.

"It happens sometimes but I am glad that my team is doing well. As a captain, I have to think of all 21 players I have got here and not just about me," he added.

And then the flamboyant stroke-maker turned a tad philosophical.

"In cricket and in life, the graph always goes up and down and it's never going to always go up. So it's a just a matter of time that I middle those balls and get those big runs again. But right now, I want to ensure that my team is doing fine and is enjoying its game," the skipper said.

So doesn't national comeback bother him at all? "It's nowhere near my mind you know – comeback to the Indian team. Getting the Cup is my main motive and not thinking anything other than winning this one," the skipper made his priorities clear.

"The preparation what we have done for the Ranji Trophy and not focusing on what's happening on the outside. It's about winning the Ranji Trophy and getting those happy moments back." Youngster's message to youngsters ====================== At the age of 22, Shaw has played 33 first-class games but when someone asked him about his message for "youngsters" in the team, everyone had to suppress their grin.

But his answer showed what his coach Amol Muzumdar had earlier said during the day – "Prithvi enjoys and has a knack for captaincy".

"First thing I would say, is that I am proud of them and how far they have come and just want to say, go there and enjoy. I tell the youngsters in the side that it's the same kind of things that you have done at U-25 or U-19s, just the degree of difficulty becomes more," he said.

"For me, the result doesn't matter but the effort they put in does. I just tell them, do what you have been doing all these years," he said.

Awesome trio from the same school ====================== Shaw and the two pillars of this Mumbai team, Arman Jaffer and this season's top-scorer Sarfaraz Khan have one thing in common -- they have all been students of the same school Rizvi Springfields, known for its formidable cricket team that dominates Harris and Giles Shield (iconic Mumbai school tournaments) events.

"Myself, Sarfaraz and Arman went to the same school (Rizvi Springfield) at the age of 9-10. We came up together and all three of us are doing pretty good so far for Mumbai cricket," one could sense his pride.

While it is Prithvi's second Ranji Trophy final (he played one in 2017 vs Gujarat), Arman and Sarfaraz will be playing their first summit clash.

"It's about how we look at this game and it's going to be a different pressure for a lot of people," he said.

"And we have got a young side and not many of them have played these kind of finals and are not experienced that much.

"But they are ready for it and what they are doing since the league games is what I am watching. We have got a skillful, talented side and what they have achieved till now, they just have to carry on for one more game." After five years, I can make "eye-contact" with Chandu sir ================================== When Shaw first came into the Mumbai side, Chandrakant Pandit was the coach and as he captains the 41-time champions in a Ranji final, the shrewd tactician will be at the other end.

"I think after five years, I could make an eye contact with Chandu sir," he laughed cheekily.

"It wasn't like this in 2016 or 17. Everyone knows Chandu sir is a tough man and it is good to meet sir after a long time.

"I think he has done well for MP as they have reached the finals after so many years. We just spoke for a couple of minutes and may be we are both getting into the zone of finals and didn't want to talk much." At his corner will be domestic legend Amol Muzumdar and Shaw termed his guidance as a "privilege".

"Everyone knows Amol sir has played a lot of domestic cricket and scored a lot of runs and he has all the experience and we are very lucky to have him," he said.

"Its good to have Amol sir in the dressing room, sharing all his experiences. It's a privilege. On and off the field he is very calm and we all enjoy his company, and what he has done for Mumbai cricket is exceptional and I hope he is really happy about how we players have responded."

Also Read : AP win first U-19 T20 national cricket championship for deaf

News Source : PTI

2022-06-21 16:45

England Women announce squad for LV= Insurance Test

(Cricket news) The Test match forms the first part of the multi-format series, with four points available for the game and two points available for each white-ball game. The squad features five potential Test debutants, with Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Davidson-Richards, Freya Davies and Emma Lamb all potentially in line for their first appearance.

England Women squad

Heather Knight (Western Storm, cap)
Emily Arlott (Central Sparks)
Tammy Beaumont (Lightning)
Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers)
Kate Cross (Thunder)
Alice Davidson-Richards (South East Stars)
Freya Davies (South East Stars)
Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers)
Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars)
Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder)
Amy Jones (Central Sparks)
Emma Lamb (Thunder)
Nat Sciver (Northern Diamonds, vice captain)

Head Coach Lisa Keightley said: "There are a number of new faces in the squad which brings a real level of energy and enthusiasm. We're at the beginning of a new ICC Women's Championship cycle, which starts for us with the India ODIs, and it's natural that we're looking forward with one eye on who may be a key player for us come 2025.

"Similarly with Katherine Brunt retired from Test cricket and Anya Shrubsole from all forms of the international game, a number of bowling spots have opened up which is hugely exciting for those players. I'm sure they'll all be very keen to grab their opportunity.

"We have to balance having the appropriate back-up for the senior squad while also giving playing opportunities. We need our players to play as much cricket as possible, which is why we have a deliberately small Test squad while the England Women's A team are in action against South Africa.

"It really is a massive summer, with the Commonwealth Games just around the corner, and we can't wait to get started with the red ball in Taunton."

An England Women's A squad has also been named for the three-day fixture against South Africa, which starts Tuesday June 21 at Arundel.

England Women A

Georgia Elwiss (Southern Vipers, cap), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Danni Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (Central Sparks), Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers), Eve Jones (Central Sparks), Ella McCaughan (Southern Vipers), Kalea Moore (South East Stars), Tara Norris (Southern Vipers), Grace Potts (Central Sparks), Grace Scrivens (Sunrisers), Alexa Stonehouse (South East Stars), Mady Villiers (Sunrisers), Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Diamonds), Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers)

England Women v South Africa Women fixtures

LV= Insurance Test Match

Monday June 27-Thursday June 30: England v South Africa (Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 11am)

Royal London Series

Monday July 11: England v South Africa (The County Ground, Northampton, 2pm)

Friday July 15: England v South Africa (Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol 2pm)

Monday July 18: England v South Africa (The Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester, 2pm)

Vitality IT20 Series

Thursday July 21: England v South Africa (The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, 7pm)

Saturday July 23: England v South Africa (New Road, Worcester, 2.30pm)

Monday July 25: England v South Africa (The Incora County Ground, Derby, 6.30pm) T

Also read: India women's ideal playing XI for the T20Is against Sri Lanka

2022-06-21 14:49

Ranji Trophy Final: Mumbai's might meets MP's desire

Bengaluru, Jun 21 (Cricket News) There's a common adage in sport. "You never win a silver. You always lose a gold." Mumbai cricket has followed this old concrete jungle saying to the 'T' as its team now chases an unprecedented 42nd Ranji Trophy title. It now finds a bunch of bravehearts from Madhya Pradesh standing in its way with tricks of trade learnt from a Mumbaikar.

MP head coach Chandrakant Pandit won't let his team settle for anything less than a championship but Amol Muzumdar's men have dominated the proceedings since the start of the business end of the season.

On paper, the Mumbai team is overwhelming favourite in the final match starting on Wednesday with the best Gen-Next talent in its repertoire.

Sarfaraz Khan, after a few indifferent seasons, has raised his game to an altogether different level with 800-plus runs in just five games.

Yashasvi Jaiswal is one youngster who is as passionate about his red ball performance as he is about donning the garish pink jersey of Rajasthan Royals. Three hundreds in four innings of quarterfinal and semi-final showed his voracious appetite for runs.

Prithvi Shaw isn't the typical Mumbai khadoos (stubborn) batter but more of Virender Sehwag mould with penchant for butchering any attack.

Arman Jaffer is a chip of old block and it will be good for him if he could achieve even 50 per cent of what his illustrious uncle Wasim did.

Add to it the likes of Suved Parkar or Hardik Tamore, who knew the opportunity of wearing the Lion's crest on the white flannels come at a premium.

Mumbai have always had formidable batting line-ups that can scare the opposition team but this time the two under-rated performers have been left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (37 wickets and 292 runs) and off-spinner Tanush Kotian (18 wickets and 236 runs).

Mulani or Kotian are by farthest stretch of imagination not India prospects or even India 'A' contenders but they are a rare breed of domestic performers who know how to win crunch games as they did against Goa in a do-or-die situation.

However, MP is one of the most improved teams in recent times and under Pandit inculcated the discipline that's needed to reach the summit clash in a tournament like Ranji Trophy.

Missing Venkatesh Iyer in batting and pace spearhead Avesh Khan in bowling didn't do them any good but unheralded Kumar Kartikeya, with his stamina to bowl for hours, has done the job for his team.

The Himanshu Mantris and Akshat Raghuvanshis have all executed their assigned roles to perfection.

In this team, there is only one player who is true blue talent and that's Rajat Patidar.

For Mumbai, it will be imperative to ensure that Patidar doesn't walk away with the game in one session with his wide array of strokes.

MP, with its two spinners in Kartikeya and Saransh Jain, will like to play the waiting game, something that Pandit as a coach has injected in his wards across the states.

It would be a game of chess played on 22 yards but enticing enough for all those who get to watch it.

Also Read : Ashwin has not travelled to England after testing positive for COVID-19: BCCI source

News Source : PTI

2022-06-21 12:25

India women's ideal playing XI for the T20Is against Sri Lanka

(Cricket news) After the disappointment of the World Cup in New Zealand, Indian women now go on a tour of Sri Lanka. For the first time ever, Harmanpreet Kaur will be the all format captain of the side. Kaur in her press conference said that things will be easier now because earlier she and Mithali Raj had different ideas which made things a little difficult. Now that Mithali Raj has hung up her boots that problem shouldn't exist. Harmanpreet's statement makes perfect sense, MS Dhoni has also said in the past that split captaincy doesn't work in a country like India.

Here's India's ideal playing XI for the T20Is against Sri Lanka

Openers: Smriti Mandhana & Shafali Verma

The pair have been opening for India in all formats for a while now. Verma has had a little bit of a dry patch over the past year or so but the spark is still there. S. Meghna, Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues are the other options to open but Mandhana and Verma compliment each other really well. India need explosive starts in this format as there is enough depth in their batting. Verma is usually the one to start attacking but Mandhana isn't conservative herself.

Middle order: Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues & Harmanpreet Kaur (c)

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will definitely play and will be extremely crucial. Her off-spin bowling will also come in handy. The order in which the middle order come out to bat will be interesting to see. Bhatia and Rodrigues are both anchors while Kaur is a power hitter. S. Meghna is another option who is an aggressive run scorer herself. Bhatia being a left hander will be very crucial to get that left and right hand combination going.

Wicket keeper: Richa Ghosh

The young starlet has established herself as the first choice keeper for India in white ball. Her aggressive nature makes her a perfect candidate to play at number 6 or even number 7 if needed. There is no direct replacement for Ghosh but Yastika Bhatia can don the gloves if needed.

All-rounders: Deepti Sharma & Pooja Vastrakar

Deepti Sharma has established herself as one of the most important players in the team. She didn't have a good World Cup campaign but now is the time to bounce back. Vastrakar on the other hand was one of India's best players at the World Cup. Her ability with both bat and ball are going to be very crucial for India in the coming years. Sneh Rana who is the other all-rounder in the mix has been rested for the series.

Seamer: Meghna Singh

Meghna Singh has given a few good performances for India in the past. She still has a lot to improve and her death bowling is one of those things. Simran Bahadur and Renuka Singh are the other seam bowling options. In Sri Lankan conditions, going with 2 seamers and 3 spinners would be the best option.

Spinners: Rajeshwari Gayakwad & Poonam Yadav

These two are the two most experienced spinners in the side. The absence of Sneh Rana gives them an opportunity to show what their ability is. Gayakwad has been the lead spinner of this side for the past two years and she will be one of the first names on the team sheet. Yadav on the other hand is struggling to get some consistency and this is her opportunity. Radha Yadav is the alternative unless Ramesh Powar and Harmanpreet Kaur decide to go with a 3rd seamer.

Bench: S Meghna, Simran Bahadur, Renuka Singh & Radha Yadav

Also read: Takeaways from the epic tied between India and South Africa

2022-06-20 14:57

Karthik opens up lot of options going into World T20: Dravid

Bengaluru, Jun 20 (Cricket News) Dinesh Karthik as an "enforcer" opens up a lot of options going into the T20 World Cup, says India head coach Rahul Dravid, who wants to identify a core group of 18-20 players by the end of England series.

For Dravid, to be a part of the World T20 set-up, it won't be enough to just the "knock the door". Anyone who wants to stake a claim in that squad of 15 will need to "bang it down".

"It was really nice to see Karthik come off and do what he has been picked to do. That was good and it opens up a lot more options for us, going forward," Dravid said after the five-match series against South Africa ended in a 2-2 draw.

The last game was abandoned due to rain.

"He was picked for what he has been doing exceptionally well for the last two or three years (in IPL) and kind of indicated in the sense that it almost came together in the game at Rajkot," Dravid spoke about the Tamil Nadu dasher's 27-ball-55 that was crucial in India restoring parity in the series.

For Dravid, Karthik and Hardik Pandya are the two “enforcers” in the death overs.

"We needed that big performance in last five overs to make a par score and he and Hardik batted beautifully. Both of them are enforcers for us at the end," Dravid spelt out what role the team management has in mind for Karthik.

The coach had no hesitation in admitting that Karthik has made a good case for himself going into the T20 World Cup.

"I was telling guys that you have to start banging the door down and not just knocking the door down and innings like that (Rajkot fifty) means he is knocking very hard." Want to get hang of core as quickly as possible ============================= Dravid doesn't want to put a time line but by the end of the England T20Is, he wants to have a fair idea about the 18 to 20-odd players he would be looking at ahead of World Cup in Australia.

India and England will clash in six white-ball games (July 7-17) after one-off Test.

"As you come closer and closer to the event, you want to firm up your final squad or if not, obviously you want to have some contingencies in the kind of world we live in today. Obviously you want to take only 15 to the WC but (need to identify) top 18 to 20 players," he replied to a query on where he stands on his core team.

"Obviously, there could be odd changes due to injury and things that are beyond your control but we are going to start looking to firm up that squad as quickly as possible.

"Whether that will happen in next series (Ireland) or series after that (England) is hard to tell but we are certainly looking to do that as quickly as possible," he revealed.

Coach defends under-fire Gaikwad and Iyer =========================== If there were two people who have ideally blown away their chances to be a part of World T20 core squad, they are Ruturaj Gaikwad (96 runs in 5 games) and Shreyas Iyer (94 runs in 5 games). Gaikwad is looking completely out of place in international cricket and Iyer's struggle against quality pace bowling is now well-documented.

The head coach however chose to be a bit more empathetic towards the duo even though one will not play against Ireland (Iyer is in Test team) and other unlikely to get any more starts.

"We are not going to make knee-jerk reactions on people just like that. I don’t like judging people after one series or one game," Dravid said.

"Shreyas on a couple of tricky wickets showed a lot of intent, played really positively for us. Ruturaj in one innings showed what he has got. We are not disappointed with anyone," Dravid once again showed the dogged defence of his playing days.

Attacking brand of cricket. ================= "As a group, we wanted to play a certain brand of cricket and we were trying to play a slightly more positive and attacking brand of cricket right from beginning and we knew when you try and do that, it is not always going to come off. But we are certainly clear about the kind of cricket we want to play," he said.

Even Big Bash stats needs to be looked at before World T20 ===================================== Dravid is known to rely a lot on data analysis and he would love to gather information on playing conditions and oppositions before the tournament-proper.

"Lot of our boys have played in Australia and we certainly will be having conversations with them on what kind of tactics and strategies work," he said.

"In terms of data and analysis, we will look at all games being played in Australia and obviously they are international games, there is Big Bash and I mean we will do all our research and background things that happens in terms of analysis.

"And of course, we don't have a series against them (Australia in Australia), so we can't change that. I guess we have to make do with two weeks we have in the lead up to the World Cup and make best use of it." This will be a different England Test side ========================= Rahul Dravid loved playing Test cricket in England and loves coaching a Test team. He reckons that the one-off 'fifth Test' against the hosts will be a different proposition from last year when the team under Virat Kohli led 2-1 before Covid-19 cases in India camp forced the cancellation of the final game.

"England are playing well at the moment and it is going to be a bit different from last year when England were probably a little bit on backfoot. They have played some good games and we have a pretty good side as well," Dravid said, referring to Ben Stokes' side's series win against New Zealand.

"Loved playing Test cricket, love watching it and love coaching in Test cricket and so you know, looking forward to it," he concluded.

Also Read : Bhuvneshwar was special through the series: Mark Boucher

News Source : PTI

2022-06-20 14:57

20th June marks the date of the Test debuts of 3 Indian legends

(Cricket news) 20th June might be the most significant date in Indian Test cricket history. Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly all made their Test debuts on this day and all three went on to achieve incredible things for Indian cricket, especially in the longest format of the game. Dravid and Ganguly made their debuts at Lords on 20th June 1996 in the 2nd Test match against England. Kohli made his debut on 20th June 2011 in the 1st Test against West Indies at Kingston.

Sourav Ganguly couldn't have asked for a better debut. The then Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and put England into bat first. Ganguly acted as the 5th bowler and picked up two very important wickets. In the second innings, he came into bat at number 3 and scored an incredible 131 off 301 balls hitting 20 fours. In the 3rd innings, Ganguly was once again given the ball and he picked up another wicket. The match ended up being a draw as India didn't get a chance to bat in the 2nd innings.

Sourav Ganguly went on to captain the sides for a number of years where he got some memorable wins. He is widely credited for revolutionising the Indian team and the players he developed went on to become legends of Indian cricket. He also scored 16 hundreds and India never lost any match when Ganguly got a ton. Dravid also had a very good debut as he scored 95 off 267 balls hitting 6 boundaries, going on to become one of the greatest red ball batters of all time. He scored 13288 at an average of 52.3 getting 36 centuries and also captaining India for a brief time where he was successful.

Virat Kohli's debut wasn't too successful for him as 4(10) and 15(54) in the match. India won the match against West Indies and coincidentally the man of the match was Rahul Dravid. Kohli went on to become one of the best players in Test cricket history. He also became an extremely successful captain who is often credited for keeping Test cricket alive. At the beginning of his career, Kohli wasn't seen as a proper Test player but he has changed that by scoring 8043 at an average of 49.96 including 27 centuries.

All 3 of these legends have played over a hundred Test matches. They have all captained the Indian team in legendary Test series. Ganguly led the Indian team that tied the series in Australia. Dravid led India to a Test series win in England after 21 years. Virat Kohli led India to a Test series win in Australia for the first time ever in 2018. 20th June holds a lot of significance in Indian cricket history and cricket history in general. Dravid is now carrying his legacy as the coach of the Indian team while Sourav Ganguly is the president of the BCCI. Virat Kohli is still going strong playing all three formats consistently.

Also read: 'Bandon me dum tha' reminisces India's historic win over Australia

2022-06-20 14:22

Bhuvneshwar was special through the series: Mark Boucher

Bengaluru, Jun 20 (Cricket News) South Africa head coach Mark Boucher termed India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s performance in the series as “special” while ruing the absence of Aiden Markram, who he feels could have made a lot of difference for the Proteas over the course of the five T20Is.

Bhuvneshwar, who now only plays white-ball cricket, got six wickets in four completed games and gave away only 85 runs in 14 overs at an economy rate which was just a shade above six runs per over.

"Bhuvi was special in this whole series as we came up against some quality bowling. He put us under pressure in Powerplays and barring one game (Delhi), where we got off to a good start, they have dominated us with both ball and bat in Powerplays," Boucher said after the series ended in 2-2 despite Proteas going 2-0 up at the onset.

However, losing Markram due to COVID-19 at the start of the series had a huge impact, felt the former glovesman.

"It was tough losing Aiden Markram even before we started the first game. We wanted to play six batters with Aiden being our sixth option and we couldn’t do that,” Boucher added.

The long IPL did make the players tired and that also had an effect on the final outcome, he said.

"We didn’t play our best cricket and it was quite tough on our IPL players to stay throughout the whole IPL and then come to India back-to-back as well," he explained.

"Guys are little bit tired as well. So they will all enjoy the break and (having learnt a) lot of lessons in World Cup year. And see, if we can plug a few gaps going into Australia albeit in different conditions." While stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were rested for the series, Boucher lauded the depth of the Indian cricket system created by the IPL.

“I know there weren’t a lot of top (India) players over here but the depth that Indian cricket has at the moment largely due to the IPL, they can take lot of confidence as well." "You just cant walk up in India and expect to win a series as well. So, we played a couple of good games and two bad games and there are a couple of reasons for that, but you can’t get too much into it," he added.

However in Australian conditions, South Africa will have a different gameplan.

"Plans will change in Australia and we are aware of that. We tried a few options in these conditions and saw if they worked or not.

"And I think, we asked a few questions and we got some good answers." Boucher made no bones about the fact that South Africa need to improve upon their Powerplay batting.

"We struggled to get going in few of the games and we speak about it after every game and may be see how we can change our mindset and intent, specially after third game, when we went after with the intent we needed," he said.

"And our bowling at certain stages was very good and at certain stages, we looked rusty and sort of understand that couple of guys coming into the series after IPL and may be a bit tired," he signed off.

Also Read : Takeaways from the epic tied between India and South Africa

News Source : PTI

2022-06-20 12:40

Takeaways from the epic tied between India and South Africa

(Cricket news) The 5 match T20I series between India and England had a sort of anti-climax ending. The series was poised at 2-2 with the decider meant to be at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. The match was unfortunately called off due to rain after just 3.3 overs. The series ended as a tie with both the teams sharing the trophy. This means that India have now failed to win a series against South Africa in all three formats. The series in general has seen good performances from both the teams and a tie seems to be the fair outcome.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was named the player for the series for picking up 6 wickets in the 4 matches. Kumar has always been the silent performer for India in all formats throughout the years. These days he only plays T20Is and he showed his true worth once again. Harshal Patel was the highest wicket taker of the series with 7 wickets as he continued his excellent form with the blues. Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Avesh Khan had a couple of bad games at the start but then bounced back well. Hardik Pandya who was the 6th bowling option was rather disappointing with the ball but his ability with the bat made up for it.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan had a decent series with the bat. Kishan was the highest run scorer of the series with 206 runs. The biggest positive for India were Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya. Both the players looked to have settled into the finishers role in the side. The Ireland series is going to be very important for the pair who are expected to be an important part of the Indian team for the upcoming world cup. Rishabh Pant's form in T20Is remains a concern as he is well short of runs despite batting at number 4 throughout the series. Shreyas Iyer dominated the spinners but really struggled against pace which isn't a good sign because the World Cup is in Australia where the conditions will be pace friendly.

The team management stuck with the same playing XI throughout the series even after losing the first two matches. Avesh Khan was the one who benefited the most. After going wicketless for 3 matches he was still trusted and he delivered by picking up 4 wickets in the 4th Test. Rishabh Pant's captaincy was being questioned after the first two games but he got a hang of it for the next two. India will now play 2 T20Is against Ireland under the leadership of Hardik Pandya with VVS Laxman set to be the coach. Rahul Dravid along with Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer will join the rest of the Test team in England.

Also read: How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

2022-06-20 09:18

Rishabh is very big and integral part of our plan in next few months: Dravid

Bengaluru, Jun 19 (Cricket News) India head coach Rahul Dravid on Sunday made it clear that the under-fire Rishabh Pant is a "big" and "integral" part of the set-up heading into the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Pant, who led the side in the five-match series against South Africa that ended in a 2-2 draw after the last game was called off due to rain, managed only 58 runs in the five innings that led to some questions being raised about his place in the shortest format.

However, Dravid was very clear that Pant is going nowhere.

"Personally, he would have liked to score a few more runs but it is not concerning him. Certainly, he is a very big part of our plans going ahead in next few months," Dravid said during the post-match press conference.

He was categorical that he won't judge someone based on one series -- whether it is batting form or captaincy.

"I just don't want to be critical. In the middle overs, you need people to play slightly attacking brand of cricket, to take the game on a little more. Sometimes it's very hard to judge it based on two or three games," the head coach said.

In fact, Dravid was impressed wit Pant's strike-rate of 158 plus during the IPL where he managed an underwhelming 340 runs for the Delhi Capitals.

"I think he had a pretty good IPL in terms of strike-rate even though it might not have looked good on averages. In IPL, he looked to move up a little bit (in terms of averages) and probably three years ago he was on those numbers. We are hoping that we can get those numbers from him at the international level." Pant's is a high risk game that comes with a price and the coach is ready to pay the price looking at the bigger picture.

"In the process (of playing an attacking game), he might go wrong in a few games but he remains an integral part of our batting line-up with the power he has and the fact that he is a left-hander is important to us in the middle overs, he played some good knocks," he said.

About his captaincy, Dravid felt that Pant did well considering that he led the side back in the series from 0-2 down.

"To bring a team back from 0-2 down and to level it at 2-2 and give us a chance to win was good. Captaincy is not about wins and losses only. He (Pant) is a young captain, growing as leader. It is too early to judge him and you don't want to do that after one series," Dravid was clear in his thought-process.

"It was nice to see he has got opportunities to lead, keep and bat. He had a lot of load on him but gaining from that experience and credit to him for ensuring that we went from 0-2 down to 2-2," the coach was all praise for the stand-in skipper.

Also Read : Fifth T20I called off due to rain, series shared

News Source : PTI

2022-06-20 09:02

Pant hails fighting spirit of team, takes lot of positives from series

Bengaluru, Jun 19 (Cricket News) India captain Rishabh Pant hailed the fighting spirit of the side after the hosts came back from two games down to take the five-match series against South Africa into the decider, which was washed out here on Sunday.

The wicketkeeper-batter said there are a lot of positives to take from the series that ended 2-2.

"It might get a little bit frustrating, but there are a lot of positives, especially the way the whole team showed character after the series was 2-0. We are trying to find different ways of winning matches, we are trying to play in a new way.

"Mistakes will happen, but we are going in the right way. I think this is the first time I've lost this many tosses at the same time, but it's not in my control, so I'm not thinking about it too much," Pant said after the fifth and final mach was called off due to rain.

On his personal form, Pant said: "From a personal point of view I would like to contribute more to making my team win. I can only think about giving my 100 per cent as a player and captain." India and South Africa shared honours after the last game was called off with only 3.3 overs of play possible.

After being put into bat, a steady downpour delayed the game by 50 minutes. It started raining just when the game was about to start.

The curtailed match did start at 7:50PM but was called off after only 16 minutes of play in which India managed 28 runs for the loss of two wickets.

South Africa skipper Keshav Maharaj, who stood in for injured regular captain Temba Bavuma, said it was disappointing to draw the curtains on such an exciting tour in this fashion.

"Very disappointed we didn't get a full game for the end of an exciting tour. We tried a few combinations. Still a work in progress for Australia. You may still see changes. I am sure the future series against India will be interesting like this one.

"We carried our confidence from past tours and at the same time we didn't want to take anything for granted," he said.

Player of the series Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished with six wickets for 85 runs with a best of 4/13, said it's always a proud moment to win the honour in a T20 series.

"When you get Man of the Series, it's always a proud moment, and as a bowler in T20, it's even better. I'm always focused on getting back stronger, whether it's my bowling or my fitness.

"I'm playing for years now, my role has always been the same. Bowl two in the powerplay, bowl two at the end. These things are always the same, but as a senior I always think about helping the youngsters.

"I've been lucky that the captain has given me the full hand and said do what you want. In that regard I've been blessed," he said.

Also Read : Fifth T20I called off due to rain, series shared

News Source : PTI

2022-06-18 19:44

Sri Lanka tour great opportunity to build team: Harmanpreet

Bengaluru, Jun 18 (Cricket News) The likes of Mithali Raj -- who retired recently -- and Jhulan Goswami are not there in the team but India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday reckoned that the upcoming limited overs tour to Sri Lanka is a great opportunity to “build a team”.

“We are working hard on our team, we have great combinations. And for us, it is a good tour to start, because first-time we are going to play without our seniors and a great opportunity for all of us to build a team,” Harmanpreet said at the virtual pre-departure press conference.

"For me, it is a great opportunity where you can build a good team because Sri Lanka, I don’t think it is going to be an easy tour for us." Mithali Raj has retired from all forms of the game, while experienced pacer Jhulan Goswani is not travelling to the island nation.

Harmanpreet has been appointed as the ODI skipper, besides his role as T20I captain.

She stressed on giving opportunities to young players.

“In the fielding department also, we will give opportunities to young players who can bowl 10 overs and look for breakthroughs. We are trying to do little-little things, where we (have) worked in this (NCA) camp and we are having a vision, so we will look for that (in terms of implementation),” she said.

“If we talk about our bowling unit, this is the time they are getting responsibility and this tour will be an ideal platform for them to perform where they can take charge and bowl full quota.

“For us it is important whatever we are planning, we should go and deliver, that is what as a unit we are looking forward (to),” she added.

India will be playing three ODIs and as many T20Is during their tour to the Island nation, beginning on June 23.

"No one can fill Mithali's place" =================== "Well, as we all know, she (Mithali) has done great for women’s cricket and I don’t think anyone can fill this place. If you talk about Mithali Di, I don’t think there is anyone who can take her place and we will always miss her in our dressing rooms and the things she has done so far,” quipped Harmanpreet.

ODIs: Would look to score over 300 runs per match ================================ So, does Harman wants the team to play any specific brand of cricket in ODIs? “I think we did set some during the World Cup, where we were looking for 300 runs, but were able to score 280, 270. But this time, we will look to score more than 300 runs.

"Now we do have some players who are playing good cricket. I think, if we set bigger targets for us, we can look for something bigger for us and as a batting unit that is what we are going to do,” she added.

Harman stressed that the team would look to zero-in on first combination in T20s.

“In T20, we will look to (at) our first combination and try to give them as many games as possible. In the ODIs, we have time to prepare for the next World Cup, where we will see if we can give a chance to each and every player,” she added.

As a batter, Harmanpreet will look to score as many runs as possible.

“I want to score maximum runs for my team. Batting is something that’s very important. Leading a team will be the second part because as a batter, if I can do well, it will be easy for me,” she said.

Also Read : Mumbai march into Ranji Trophy final, to meet Madhya Pradesh

News Source : PTI

2022-06-18 16:14

South Africa wrap up ODI series with convincing win at Clontarf

(Cricket news) South Africa went on to 189-run win over Ireland in the final ODI of The HBV Studios International Women’s Cricket Series as they bowled out the hosts for 89. Shabnim Ismail continued her great form in the series as she took four wickets inside the first seven overs of the Ireland innings to derail a chase of 279 after Laura Wolvaardt (89) and Sune Luus (93) had starred with the bat.

Luus, the South African captain won the toss and chose to bat first, but it was Ireland who began brightly as they restricted the visitors to 16 runs inside the first five overs before the first wicket arrived in the sixth over when Andrie Steyn was run out after an excellent direct hit from Sophie MacMahon. That brought in-form Lara Goodall to the crease, but the left-hander got out for 18 looking while looking to play a big shot; she advanced down the ground to Rachel Delaney but failed to connect and Mary Waldron did the rest behind the stumps.

At 57-2 in the 14th over, South Africa weren’t in trouble, but also weren't in the most comfortable spot. Wolvaardt and Luus then went on to rebuild the innings; as Wolvaardt advanced to her half-century off 79 balls, while Luus brought up the same landmark from 70 balls. Together they stitched a partnership worth 177, which was subsequently the fifth-highest for South Africa in women’s ODIs. Jane Maguire provided a much-needed wicket in the 45th over, with Wolvaardt departing 11 runs short of what would have been her fourth ODI century. Chloe Tryon came in to hit some quick runs and managed 17 off 12 before finishing the innings at 279

Ireland’s chase got off to the worst start as Ismail who had taken six wickets across the previous two ODIs, got both Gaby Lewis and Rachel Delany caught behind for ducks in her opening over. Ismail’s scintillating new-ball spell then got Leah Paul out in the fifth over, and Shauna Kavanagh was bowled for 10-ball duck in the seventh over to leave Ireland struggling on 8-4. Raisibe Ntozakhe accounted for MacMahon to leave Ireland 13-5. From there on Ireland were rescued by Mary Waldron and Kelly, with the pair putting on a gritty 57 runs for the sixth wicket. But Luus continued her excellent all-round day by having Waldron adjudged lbw for 32. Wickets continued to tumble as Ireland fell from 70-5 to 89 all out, with Ismail fittingly taking the final wicket to finish with figures of 5-8 from 8.5 overs which included four maidens.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Women v South Africa Women, 3rd ODI, Clontarf, 17 June 2022

South Africa 278-5 (50 overs; S Luus 93, L Wolvaardt 89; A Kelly 2-40)

Ireland 89 (32.5 overs; M Waldron 32, A Kelly 29; S Ismail 5-8)

South Africa won by 189 runs

Also read: England seamer Katherine Brunt retires from Test Cricket

2022-06-18 15:04

India and South Africa gear up for epic series decider in Bengaluru

(Cricket news) After losing the first two T20Is against South Africa, India managed to pull out a comeback to bring the series back on level terms at 2-2. Now the two teams gear up for the series decider at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. The momentum is with India and South Africa may be missing a few crucial players with injuries. It will be a very good test for the young Indian side for future tournaments where they will have to deal with the pressure situations.

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi.

India have persisted with the exact same line-up for the 4 matches and it is expected to stay the same way for the 5th one unless there are any injuries. Focus will be on Rishabh Pant who has been really short of runs lately. The Indian side is looking well balanced in this series so far. Shreyas Iyer is also yet to perform to his full potential in this series and he will be under a little bit of pressure. Hardik Pandya has been good with the willow but his bowling has room for improvement.

South Africa possible playing XI:

Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje.

Bench:, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markaram, Temba Bavuma, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada,

Temba Bavuma was retired hurt in the last match and is expected to be out of contention which means that Maharaj will lead the side. If Parnell and Rabada are fit then they should be back in the side but it is unlikely. Quinton de Kock will have to take more responsibility at the top of the order as he hasn't been firing lately. Maharaj and Shamsi haven't shown their true potential but at the same time the pitches haven't assisted them.

The Chinnaswamy stadium is traditionally a high scoring ground. Unlike all the other pitches in this series, this one is likely to be flat and wouldn't change much throughout the game. Up until now the series has been an entertaining one as it is 2-2 before the deciding 5 T20I. What it hasn't had yet is a thrilling match with a last over finish. Fans will be hoping to see that in Bengaluru among other things.

Also read: How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

2022-06-18 12:59

Search for Perfect Climax: Pacers and middle-order make India favourites in series decider

Bengaluru, Jun 18 (Cricket News) A lot of grey areas are yet to be addressed but a young Indian team, with an admirable collective temperament, will start as favourites in the series-deciding fifth T20 International against South Africa here on Sunday.

In a space of eight days, this Indian team has played four games. It fielded an identical XI, which is in sync with Rahul Dravid's "school of continuity", seen the nadir in the first two games, only to break its own record of highest margin of victories over the Proteas -- by 47 runs in the third game and by 82 runs in the fourth.

With Dinesh Karthik doing exactly what is expected of him and Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan also hitting the straps, the Indian fans would want to see Yuzvendra Chahal perform a trick or two at his IPL home ground in a match that matters the most.

Therefore, when the teams step out on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium turf, the side that looked jaded and overcooked in the first two games will start as overwhelming favourites as the South Africans have already lost the plot.

If Temba Bavuma is unable to recover, they will miss a leader more than the batter. And suddenly in the last two games, the batting has looked iffy on tracks that have variable bounce, which has made this Indian attack look way more lethal.

Call it strangely pleasant, but it remains a fact that in this series a lot of things haven't exactly gone as per plan but yet India have managed to level the series after being 0-2 down.

A young captain who, perhaps, would have liked a few days in his hometown in Rourkee had there not been a pressure from one of the stakeholders to have at least a few stars in the absence of safe 'box-office' bets like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or Jasprit Bumrah.

Neither has Pant's captaincy been exceptional nor has his similar pattern of dismissals inspired confidence but India have somehow managed to pull through.

If they finally win the series the young man would be in that leadership mix alongside Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul when the next transition in Indian cricket happens after the 2023 ODI World Cup.

If coach Dravid wanted to check out whether there is a possibility to tinker with the existing top three, the troika of Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer haven't exactly fitted into the jigsaw puzzle.

Gaikwad, with his current technique, would be nine out of 10 times found wanting against quality attack on better pitches, with sporadic performances here and there. In top flight cricket, he won't get those couple of uncapped domestic bowlers whom he can bully. On the contrary, he could get bullied by express pace.

Ishan Kishan has a limited range of strokes and one shouldn't go by the volume of runs scored in this series as the extra bounce and pace on Australian wickets will be a difficult proposition.

Shreyas Iyer got a full series but he should be the first one to admit that he has blown it with both hands and when India next play against Ireland at Malahide, his place will go to Suryakumar Yadav, considered a way better T20 proponent.

There is something about big ICC event years and Karthik revving up his performances.

He is already going to don the big gloves in Ireland and the manner in which he is proving to be an asset at the back-end, no one should be raising eye-brows if he becomes the designated keeper-batter by the time India play Pakistan at MCG the in the last week of October.

Among the bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is once again swinging the new ball and Avesh Khan, having developed a well-disguised bouncer along with an ability to bowl more fuller and hit the hard lengths, is also a contender among the five pacers that India might carry Down Under.

The spinners in this series, despite an improved effort, have been below-par. Axar Patel has blown hot and cold, but more important, looked uni-dimensional while Chahal, in his bid to be quicker through the air, has proved to be profligate.

The series hasn't been one of India's best but somehow, just like top teams do, the 'Men In Blue' have found their way out to win matches under pressure. That augurs well as Pant and his men aim to wrap up the series at the 'Garden City'.

Teams (from): India: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Match starts at 7pm IST.

Also Read : Pant falling into outside off-stump trap, not a good sign: Gavaskar

News Source : PTI

2022-06-18 12:51

Chess helped me become what I am, it's time for me to give back: Viswanathan Anand

New Delhi, Jun 18 (Chess News) It's time to give back to the sport, says the legendary Viswanathan Anand, who is seeking to enter global chess administration with an aim to make it professionally more enticing for the youth.

Anand, whose moves on the board still leave opponents grasping at straws, wants to fully commit himself as "someone" who can work towards the betterment of the sport.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, the five-time world champion charted out his future plans, days after the All India Chess Federation (AICF) unanimously decided to endorse his candidature for the deputy president's post in the forthcoming FIDE election.

"Compared to three or four years back, I have cut down on my time as a active chess player. I have long aspired to come into the chess administration and this opportunity as the deputy president will be a huge learning curve for me," Anand remarked.

"The game of chess helped me become what I am today. It's time for me to give back. The idea is to encourage more youth to take up the sport seriously and make it a profession. I will communicate my ideas and vision once I am elected to the new panel," he added.

While Anand will be part of incumbent Arkady Dvorkovich's panel, among other candidates is the seasoned administrator and former deputy president of the international chess federation, Bachar Kouatly.

However, Anand believes the Dvorkovich administration will have a clear advantage over the others because of the work done by them to make the sport immensely popular, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The current administration has done some outstanding work to give the game a facelift especially when every sport was sidelined because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, I readily agreed to be a part this panel when I was nominated for the position," Anand said, speaking about his decision to take part in the elections.

The year was 1987 when India got its first grandmaster in Anand. As many as 35 years down the line, India has 74 of them, with the latest being the 19-year-old Rahul Srivatshav Peddi from Hyderabad.

"I always had a firm belief that we deserve to have many grandmasters in Chess. During the first time ten years of my career, there were only Pravin Thipsey, Dibyendu Barua, and I. But the current figures make me immensely happy because of the fact that we have progressed so much in chess by leaps and bounds," Anand said.

It is unbeknownst to many that there is a serious cost factor involved when it comes to making a child an age-group world champions or a Grandmaster. Unlike other sports like cricket, football, badminton, or even hockey, where talented athletes are offered scholarships, chess doesn't seem to have many.

Anand, however, mentions that once he gets into administration, his prime focus would be to help those athletes who are talented enough to make the country proud.

"The (Viswanathan) Anand academy already nurtures many talented youngsters through the fellowship programmes who can make big in the coming years. Besides, the FIDE has many ongoing projects for such talented athletes, especially in a country like India, where there is no dearth of talent.

"If and when I involve myself as an administrator, my main focus would to guide the top talent who can make India immensely proud." Following his spectacular show at the recently-concluded Norway Chess event, where he beat his arch-rival and current world champion Magnus Carlsen, the 52-year-old Anand is back in the top 10 of the world chess rankings after a long hiatus of 32 months.

During the discussion, Anand also brushed aside retirement plans said that even if he makes a foray as an active administrator, he will not bid adieu to the sport as a player anytime soon.

"I will go on as long as I can. I have informed my team as well that I want to continue playing even if I win the FIDE elections. The goal is to not stop playing chess anytime soon," Anand signed off with his trademark smile.

Also Read : Immensely proud that we now have Chess Olympiad Torch Relay: Anand

News Source : PTI

2022-06-18 12:35

Pandya and Karthik fire as India level series with comfortable win

(Cricket news) India defeated South Africa by a mammoth 82 runs to complete an impeccable comeback to level the series at 2-2. After losing the first two matches of the series, India continued to persist with the same playing XI and trusted the same players while South Africa were forced into 3 changes. Quinton de Kock was fit again as he replaced Reeza Hendricks while Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell were out with injuries. Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi came into the side. Temba Bavuma for the 4 time in this series won the toss and put India into bat first.

India got off to a very slow start as they only managed 56 runs after 10 overs and lost 3 wickets. South Africa bowled really well at the start on the pitch that had uneven bounce. India were struggling at 81/4 at one stage when Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik stepped up. The pair stitched together a 65 run partnership which ended up being the difference between the two sides. Pandya was dismissed after scoring 46 off 31 while Karthik got 55 off 27. This was Karthik's maiden T20I fifty and it also earned him the player of the match award. The partnership between Pandya and Karthik was very smartly played as the pair didn't take too many risks at the beginning but then started firing towards the end. The pitch was difficult to bat on due to the confusing nature of its bounce. India ended the innings on 169/6 which looked defendable. Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj picked up a wicket each while Lungi Ngidi got two scalps.

Chasing 170, South Africa never looked comfortable. Temba Bavuma injured his arm while diving to complete a run and had to retire hurt which was the first blow. The Indian bowlers were consistently hitting the right length and letting the pitch bring the variation. Bavuma and Jansen were hit on the helmet by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh Khan respectively. Harshal Patel and Axar Patel got a wicket each while Yuzvendra Chahal got two scalps. Avesh Khan, who had not picked up a single wicket in the first 3 matches was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 4 wickets and bowled really well, giving away just 18 runs.

The men in blue got two very comfortable wins with a huge margin to set up an ultimate series decider in Bangalore. The plan of sticking with the same playing XI is working for India. The two players who made an international comeback i.e Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik have both been excellent and have taken a massive step into booking their berth to Australia for the World Cup.

Also read: How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

2022-06-18 11:06

There was pressure but credit to Rahul sir for giving chances to everybody: Avesh

Rajkot, Jun 18 (Cricket News) India pacer Avesh Khan felt the pressure after going wicket-less in the first three games but said head coach Rahul Dravid’s faith in him pushed him to come up with a match-winning performance in the fourth T20I.

Avesh relied on the hard lengths to end up with career-best figures of four for 18 in his young international career.

Despite losses in the first two games, India did not change the playing eleven.

"The team hasn't changed over four games, so credit to Rahul (Dravid) sir. He gives chances to everybody and intends to give them a long enough run," Avesh said at the media interaction on Friday night.

"He doesn't drop a player after one or two bad performances because you cannot judge a player on the basis of one or two games. Everyone is getting enough matches to prove themselves.

"Yes, there was pressure on me. I had zero wickets in three games but Rahul sir and the team management gave me another opportunity today and I ended up picking four wickets. It's also my papa's birthday, so it's a gift for him too." The 25-year-old decided on his game plan to bowl on what was a tricky pitch after a chat with opener Ishan Kishan.

"Whenever we are batting first, I always end up asking the batters how the wicket played, whether it was two-paced or not.

"I spoke to Ishan (Kishan) today and he said that hard length balls aren't easy to play; some are bouncing, some are stopping and the others are keeping low. Then I planned to attack the stumps and bowl the hard lengths consistently. It's in my hands to bowl well, not pick wickets.

"The slower ball wasn't very effective on today's wicket, so I tried to bowl hard lengths with the occasional bouncer to change things up." India did well to reach 169 for six after a poor start, thanks to Dinesh Karthik’s career-best 55 off 27 balls.

"Today's wicket wasn't easy for batters, it was two-paced although DK bhai, Hardik and Rishabh all played well. 170 was a very good total on this wicket and all we wanted to ensure was pick a couple of wickets in the powerplay," Avesh added.

Only six games old in international cricket, the fast bowler from Indore is way down in the pecking order and is getting his chances since the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami are not part of the series.

Asked about his chances to make the T20 World Cup squad, he said: "Selection is not in my control. I just want to give my 100 percent every game I get to play for India. I don't want to have any regrets over the effort I put in my performances."

Also Read : Dinesh Karthik, Avesh Khan engineer India's series levelling win

News Source : PTI

2022-06-18 10:48

Dinesh Karthik, Avesh Khan engineer India's series levelling win

Rajkot, Jun 17 (Cricket News) Dinesh Karthik played a knock to remember before Avesh Khan gave his dad a "perfect birthday present" with a fiery spell as India steam-rolled South Africa by 82 runs here on Friday to level the five-match series 2-2. Karthik (55 off 27) scored his maiden fifty close to 16 years after his T20 debut and alongside vice-captain Hardik Pandya (46 off 31 ) took India to a fighting 169 for six.

For the second game in a row, South African batters faltered and collapsed to 87 for nine in 16.5 overs with skipper Temba Bavuma retired hurt. Avesh (4/18) led India's brilliant display with the ball and recorded his career-best figures in the process. It was an away team's lowest total in T20 Internationals in India.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh were impressive with the new ball as South Africa slipped to 35 for two in the powerplay. After a hit on the shoulder, Temba Bavuma (8) injured his left elbow with a dive on the run and had to leave the field. He didn't even come out for the post-match presentation ceremony.

Quinton de Kock (14), who missed the last two games due to a wrist injury, was run out after getting a 'yes and no' from Dwaine Pretorious at the the other end. The pitch remained tricky to bat on even in the second innings with the odd ball gripping and rising sharply from good length, making strokeplay difficult.

South Africa could never get into the chase with wickets falling regularly. The series decider will be played in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Earlier, the Indians were struggling at 81 for four before a 65-run stand between Hardik and Karthik brought the home team back into the game. India were able to amass 73 runs in the last five overs.

Having won their fourth toss in as many games, South Africa put the Indians on the back-foot in the powerplay despite the absence of their lead bowler Kagiso Rabada due to an injury.

The other pacer, who missed due to an injury was Wayne Parnell while star opener Quinton de Kock made a welcome return at the expense of Reeza Hendricks.

The first ball after the powerplay made matters worse for India as the hosts struggled to 40 for three in 6.1 overs.

Ishan Kishan, who played some fine strokes en route to his 27 off 26, was dismissed on the very ball of Anrich Nortje’s opening spell.

The southpaw tried to guide a short ball to third man but got himself in an awkward position to top edge it to de Kock.

India's top three has not looked comfortable against high quality pace in the series and it was evident here once again.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had found form in the previous game, was the first one to depart after the extra bounce from Lungi Ngidi induced the outside edge.

Iyer, who has been troubled by the short ball in this series, missed a good length ball from Marco Jansen that pitched on middle and seamed back a little.

The Proteas had to take a DRS review for a LBW to send Iyer back in the hut, giving Jansen his first wicket on his T20 debut.

Post the powerplay, skipper Rishabh Pant and Hardik, gave the innings a move on with a 41-run stand.

Indian batters have targeted South Africa's weak link, the spinners, throughout the series and that trend continued on Friday.

Hardik hammered Tabraiz Shamsi for successive sixes while a struggling Rishabh Pant was trying to find his range at the other end.

However, the India skipper once again went for the big one against a wide ball and that led to his downfall. On this occasion, Maharaj purposely bowled wide and Pant took the bait only to edge it back to short third man.

It was the fourth time in the series Pant perished to a ball wide of off stump.

The momentum changing stand came via Hardik and Karthik who swept his way to a memorable knock.

Having made his T20 debut back in December 2006 when India played their maiden game in the shortest format, the man of comebacks finally completed his first half century.

Standing deep in the crease, Karthik relied on the sweeps -- conventional towards square-leg, slogs over cow corner and reverse over '45' both against spinners and pacers, to get the bulk of his boundaries.

The most attractive stroke of his innings was the slog sweep off pacer Dwaine Pretorius that sailed over deep square leg.

Also Read : Ranji SF: Jaiswal, Jaffer hundreds derail UP; Mumbai lead by 662 runs

News Source : PTI

2022-06-17 19:45

Ranji SF: Jaiswal, Jaffer hundreds derail UP; Mumbai lead by 662 runs

Bengaluru, Jun 17 (Cricket News) A dominant Mumbai rode on impressive hundreds from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Armaan Jaffer to put Uttar Pradesh on the back-foot by taking their overall lead past the 600-mark on the fourth day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final here on Friday.

It was a run-feast on day four as the two batted with authority and it is almost certain now that the 41-time Ranji Trophy winners would sail into the summit clash.

The Amol Mazumdar coached side, in their second essay, was poised at 449 for four when stumps were drawn and had an overall lead of staggering 662 runs.

Jaiswal (181), who has hit his maiden hundred in the quarter-final, slammed back-to-back centuries in the current one, as he and Jaffer (127), bulldozed a list-less Uttar Pradesh attack.

Mumbai, which already had a lead of 346 runs, began on their overnight score of 133 for one.

And it was sheer dominance by their young batting duo of Jaiswal and Jaffer, who would surely have made his uncle Wasim proud, by his stellar performance.

The two young Mumbai batters, who started the day when they were in their 30s, pummelled the UP attack into submission with a variety of strokes on display in their 286-run stand for the second wicket.

It was raining boundaries at the Just Cricket Academy as Jaiswal hammered 23 fours and one maximum in his 372-ball innings, while Jaffer smashed 15 fours and two sixes in his 259-ball knock.

Uttar Pradesh had to wait long for getting the first-wicket of the day and pacer Shivam Mavi (1/36) dismissed Jaffer in the 107th over of the innings, to break the mammoth stand.

But that did not deter Jaiswal, who kept playing shots at will and spared no bowler. Jaiswal missed a richly deserved double-hundred as he was caught by Aryan Juval off Price Yadav (2/69).

UP did get two wickets in quick succession, that of Suved Parkar (22) and Jaiswal, but till then the damage was done.

The wide gulf between the two sides was on display. UP used as many as nine bowlers, but managed to get only three wickets in the day.

Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar (1/105) had the most expensive figures as he was taken to task by Jaffer and Jaiswal.

At stumps, Sarfaraz Khan (23 not out) and Shams Mulani (10 not out) were holding fort.

The only interest left on the fifth and final day is to see if Mumbai win outright or go through on the basis of first-innings lead.

Brief Scores: Mumbai 393 and 449/4 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 181, Armaan Jaffer 127; Shivam Mavi 1/36) versus UP 180 all out.

Also Read : SA win toss for 4th time, once again opts to field against India

News Source : PTI

2022-06-17 16:30

'Bandon me dum tha' reminisces India's historic win over Australia

(Cricket news) It has been over two years since India won the Border Gavaskar trophy against Australia. India's victory in the Test series is still fresh in the minds of everyone who witnessed the series, especially Indian fans. Voot have released a 4-part docu series which will take the fans on a trip down memory lane. The series not only highlights what people already know but also gives a rare insight on some incidents which went under the radar.

Popular actor Jimmy Shergill is the narrator while Neeraj Pandey is popular for directing the movie MS Dhoni: the untold story is the director. Journalists Peter Lalor and coach Paddy Upton voiced their opinions on what transpired throughout the series. The pair tried to break down why certain things happened and how it affected the end result. Upton who has spent time as the Mental Conditioning and Strategic Leadership Coach of the Indian National cricket team said things about the Indian mentality of performing best when backed against the wall. He also compared the behavior of this Indian side to the history of India in war where they don't attack first but when attacked they always reply with full power.

Journalist Bharat Sudarshan offered his insights on what he saw and observed throughout the series. He narrated one particular incident where he saw Rishabh Pant practicing with pain while talking to himself. Tim Paine and Pat Cummins talked about their mindset in certain situations. Paine talked about how he was irritated and angered that Indian players broke the quarantine rules. He also said that he was frustrated by Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari's antics in the Sydney Test match where they used the same chest pads and wasted time. The then Australian captain also said that the frustration was the reason for his behavior.

Cummins talked about his bowling performances throughout the series. He also said that bowling bouncers to other bowlers is a part and parcel of the game. Ajinkya Rahane talked how running out Virat Kohli haunted him for the rest of the game. He also talked about certain key decisions he made through the series and also the atmosphere in the dressing room. Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted his battle with Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazelwood. He also talked about his mindset in the last two Tests and how he endured several body blows.

Ravichandran Ashwin was witty and funny in describing several incidents. He talked about his game plan against Steve Smith and also his innings at the SCG. He gave an insight into his injury struggles and how he thought that the series was his last chance to prove himself. Hanuma Vihari also talked about the innings at SCG and his injury struggles. Mohammed Siraj touched upon his father's death just before the series, the racism he faced and his performance with the ball. Rishabh Pant talked about his disappointment after being dropped in the first Test. He later explained his mindset while playing with pain and the reason he played attacking cricket.

Washington Sundar talked about his role as a net bowler to eventually being given his Test cap at the Gabba. Every Indian player interviewed praised Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy and also talked about the impact of Virat Kohli's departure. The series will take the fans on a trip down the memory lane and certain moments are bound to give one goosebumps.

Also read: How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

2022-06-17 15:27

After mega media rights deal, Ness Wadia wants longer IPL of two halves

Rajkot, Jun 17 (Cricket News) Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia feels that IPL should now be held in two separate halves with a significant increase in number of matches after the BCCI made a 'killing' at the media rights auction with a USD 6.2 billion deal.

BCCI spreading the media rights into four bundles helped the richest cricketing board amass Rs 48390 crore from the e-auction, nearly three times more than the previous cycle.

Over the next five years, there is a possibility that the IPL could have as many as 94 games and BCCI secretary Jay Shah has already said that the tournament will have a dedicated two and a half months in the next ICC's FTP calendar.

Speaking to PTI, Wadia congratulated Shah and Co for delivering on an innovative media rights strategy but hoped the IPL gets what is long overdue: "more home games and a bigger season".

"IPL has taken cricket to the global level. The IPL has provided the spark cricket needed and made it a global sport. It will get even bigger.

"Having said that, seven matches at home, it is way too less. It should be a minimum of 14. I really see a much longer season which is long overdue.

"If you can't have a long season of four months why not look at two seasons, one in India and one in a different country every year. Indians are everywhere around the world. There is huge potential for having many more games," said Wadia.

Until last season, when there were eights franchisees, teams played 14 games on an home and away basis. With 10 teams this year, the format was tweaked but a team continued to play 14 games.

Asked why the home games need to be doubled, he said: "It is a logical reason. How much are seven matches at home? Too few in my opinion. There has to be a bigger window. In per match value, the IPL is bigger than EPL now and look at the number of games each team plays there (38)." IPL getting a longer window and other T20 leagues mushrooming around the world also puts more stress on bilateral cricket.

A few experts have already predicted that cricket is going the football way with leagues set to dominate the cricket calendar.

"I would say it is already happening. There is no doubt that will eventually happen.The IPL has revived, grown and globalised cricket. And believe me it is the tip of the iceberg.

"The tournament is around for 15 years and the window should have become bigger many years ago. It is long overdue. And it will happen. For how long can you keep genie in the bottle." Asked about the viewer fatigue factor with the IPL getting longer: "At some point, we will have to factor in that also. That is where the creativity comes and we can see how leagues are run around the world. We are long away from fatigue at the moment. We will cross the bridge when we get there."

Also Read : India look to level series and complete comeback against South Africa

News Source : PTI

2022-06-17 14:36

How much will KL Rahul's absence in the England Test affect India?

(Cricket news) According to various reports KL Rahul has been ruled out of the Edgbaston Test against England. Rahul got injured in training before the T20I series against South Africa and was subsequently ruled out of it. He has now failed to recover in time for the Test and is now on his way to Germany to complete his recovery. Rahul's absence is a massive blow to the team and the batter himself. There has been no official announcement from BCCI and hence it is unclear whether a replacement will be sent to England.

The news is absolutely devastating for KL Rahul, whose Test career had been miraculously recovered. Rahul had a stint as India's first choice Test opener but was dropped after a run of bad performances. He was later brought back into the side as a middle order batter in the 2020/21 border gavaskar trophy. When India had all the middle order batters injured, Rahul was supposed to step in but he too got injured in the nets. When he returned to the Test side for the England tour, a bit of luck went his way. Shubman Gill who was the first choice opener back then got injured. He was supposed to be replaced by Mayank Agarwal but the opener suffered concussion after being hit on the helmet in the nets.

Rahul who was preparing as a middle order batter was asked to open the batting once again. Along with Rohit Sharma he formed an excellent opening pair that performed exceedingly well. Rahul scored a match-winning century at Lords which earned him a player of the match award. Rahul then went on to score a century in South Africa and also captained the side in Virat Kohli's absence. Now with this injury he might have given a chance to Shubman Gill to try and reclaim his spot. Mayank Agarwal is not a part of the team due to his inconsistencies but he will be a candidate to replace Rahul as India have only two openers in the squad now.

As for the Indian team, they had a very strong opening combination in Rahul and Rohit, one which had success in English conditions. Shubman Gill had an incredible start to his Test career in Australia but since then has dipped in form. Now he has an incredible opportunity to try and regain his spot as Rohit Sharma's opening partner even though his future may be in the middle order. There will also be extra pressure on Rohit Sharma to sort of take control whenever he opens the batting with Gill.

Also read: India look to level series and complete comeback against South Africa

2022-06-16 19:29

Hockey 5s can be game-changer, but won't let it take over 11-a-side: FIH

New Delhi, Jun 16 (Hockey News) Amidst apprehension that Hockey 5s will slowly replace the 11-a-side format and make the latter obsolete, the world body (FIH) has assured that it won't let the shortest version take precedence over the traditional style, saying the new version is a "brilliant tale of evolution".

The Indian hockey fraternity also appears excited to see the new 'avtar' of the game, which, it feels, would attract the youth towards the sport.

Following India's success in Lausanne, where the team won a Hockey5s event earlier this month, the murmurs began over the future of traditional format.

But FIH CEO Thierry Weil made it clear that Hockey 5s is just an addition to the traditional format to make the game more popular.

"Hockey 5s is definitely a welcome addition to the traditional version of the game. All we need right now is a much-needed boost that the game of hockey deserves and Hockey 5s is there to provide it," Weil told PTI in an exclusive interview.

"We are extremely hopeful that the steady emergence of Hockey5s will immensely benefit hockey in the years to come. That said, we will never let Hockey 5s take precedence over the traditional version of the game. We will never let that happen.

"Rather, Hockey 5s will be a gateway to the age-old format. The shortest format, once implemented regularly, will bring in a massive change to the game of hockey. We have understood that and that is reason, we are eagerly promoting Hockey 5s," the FIH CEO insisted.

Weil believes both the formats can co-exist, which will definitely be a boon for the game.

"The birth of Hockey 5s is a brilliant tale of evolution that hockey as a sport has witnessed over the last few years. This can be a game-changer in the coming days.

If one closely tracks the evolution of hockey, it is difficult to find any radical change. The Synthetic Revolution happened at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and it is now mandatory to use artificial turf in almost all major international tournaments.

"The FIH has already planned to host the inaugural edition of the Hockey 5s World Cup in Oman in January 2024. The overall aim of this new version is to make hockey more popular than before," said Weil.

Hockey 5s, the sport's shortest version which made its senior debut very recently in Lausanne, is all about fast-paced and short matches, lesser number of players involved, and most importantly, the overall vibe, which many believe will largely attract a newer pool of audience -- the youth.

Hockey 5s requires the teams to field five players including the goalkeeper. A match has two halves of 10 minutes each and each team can make four substitutions. Interestingly, there is no semicircular area or 'D' around the goal. This is significant, as in this particular format, a player can score from anywhere in the field. However, in the traditional version of the game, it is mandatory to go inside the 'D' area and score a goal.

Among other features, there are no penalty corners in Hockey 5s. In case of a foul, a one-on-one shootout takes place between the attacker and opposition goalkeeper.

Weil said change is the need of the hour for the survival of any sports and hockey is no exception.

"We want every country, including India, to recognise the Hockey 5s as it is done for the greater good for the game to let it survive in the long run.

"We understand the concerns raised by many players, fans, but, given many other sports in the world that have already undergone massive changes, I don't find any reason why the same should not happen in case of hockey as well," he said.

Is hockey going the T20 cricket's way? ******************************* Former India captain Dilip Tirkey doesn't mind if hockey follows the path of cricket, saying the introduction of Hockey 5s is a significant step towards taking the game to the masses.

"Even if hockey follows the T20 model of cricket, what's harm in that? I have personally liked the shortest version and the overall vibe it brings. What's more interesting is the pace of the game which will definitely make it more engrossing.

"Hockey5s, therefore, is a significant step in making the game more popular in the coming days," Tirkey said.

Another former India skipper and member of the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal-winning side, Zafar Iqbal too is an advocate of Hockey 5s.

"Talking from an India's perspective, Hockey 5s is not something alien to our country. In fact, India has already hosted quite a few national-level Hockey 5 tournaments in the past and it has already gained quite popularity.

"Given the fact that the format attracts youth, Hockey5 is a brilliant thing for the future. The format has every ingredient to make the game immensely popular in the coming days," said Iqbal.

Hockey 5s was first introduced in the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics and since then the format is a regular feature in the Games.

While India didn't send its team for the 2014 Games, the country won silver medal in both boys and girls' events at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.

Also Read : FIH Pro League: Hendrickx strikes twice as Belgium beat India 3-2

News Source : PTI

2022-06-16 18:23

Anrich Nortje in relentless pursuit of the 'missing ingredient'

Rajkot, Jun 16 (Cricket News) South African speedster Anrich Nortje says he remains a work in progress and is constantly trying to find the 'missing ingredient' in his bowling after coming back from a long injury lay-off.

Nortje was out of action for six months after the T20 World Cup last year. He had bowled exceptionally well in the 2020-2021 IPL season before being sidelined due to a stress fracture.

Alongside Kagiso Rabada, Nortje formed arguably the most potent fast bowling pairing in the IPL.

Delhi Capitals chose to retain him ahead of Rabada but when he made a comeback to this year’s IPL, Nortje was not the same bowler.

“I am still not there. I am still working on it, still trying to find one or two things. Body wise I am still not 100 percent, slowly building it up. I would probably rate myself from where I was at the end of IPL last year and start of T20 World Cup. Still trying to get there,” said Nortje here on Thursday.

Nortje was putting in the hard yards ahead of the fourth T20 International against India. He bowled at the centre wicket for a while alongside Dwaine Pretorius and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.

So, what exactly is missing from his bowling? “If I knew exactly what it was, I would have done it (laughs). It is going to be a minor adjustment. I generally keep it simple. I am working on something at this stage and we will see how it goes.

“It is not like it is completely out of shape. It is about small margins for me and I would like to get back to where I was,” said the 28-year-old.

Nortje said injury has taught him a valuable lesson.

“It was hard (the comeback phase) because some of the stuff is limited. Some of the bowling is limited. You can’t go out and bowl 8 to 9 overs every day. It has been a good challenge and will help in the future if there are any niggles or injuries going forward,” he said.

Like India’s Umran Malik, who is yet to get a game in the series, Nortje built his reputation by bowling in excess of 150kmph regularly. He also held the fastest delivery record in the IPL for a while but this season Lockie Ferguson raised the bar with a 157.3 kmph scorcher.

When asked about the ‘pace’ war, Nortje said he is not in the race with Malik or any other fast bowler.

“Malik is a good bowler and a very fast bowler. He has shown that on the field. If he goes faster, good for him, if I go, faster good for me. It is not about bowling fast, it is about winning games,” said Nortje.

Will Quinton de Kock be back? --------------------------------- Star opener Quinton de Kock has not played since the series opener in Delhi due to a wrist injury and South Africa rely heavily on him. He was present at the nets on Thursday, raising hopes of his return but Nortje did not reveal much.

“I am not sure but he is practising. Good to see he is practising. Probably we will find out tonight or tomorrow morning,” Nortje added.

He is also relieved that international teams are finally doing away with bio-bubbles after two years.

“It is a relief to be honest not that we have gone out of the hotel much. It doesn’t feel that we are in grade one where we are told every single minute of the day,” he said.

South Africa lost the third game after two big wins. Nortje said his team will be treating the fourth T20I as a ‘final’.

Also Read : Squad announced for Ireland Men's T20Is against India at Malahide

News Source : PTI

2022-06-16 15:37

Squad announced for Ireland Men's T20Is against India at Malahide

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland announced a 14-player squad for Ireland Men’s T20 International series against India which is to be played at Malahide on 26 and 28 June 2022. The first match is sold out, while the second match has only a limited number of tickets available but is expected to be jam packed as well. The squad named for the two-match T20I series against India includes call-ups for top-order batter Stephen Doheny and pace bowler Conor Olphert. Both players were recently handed fresh new contracts by Cricket Ireland.

Doheny, 23, plays his club cricket with Merrion and is the current leading run-scorer in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy competition with 158 runs at an average of 52.67, with a highest score of 74*. Doheny has all scored valuable runs at the top of the order in the 50-over inter-provincial competition, with 146 runs at 36.50 with a highest score of 97.

Olphert, 25, plays for Bready at club level, and while he made his List A debut in 2020, the current season has been his most eye-catching. The pace bowler, renowned for his pace and bounce, was taken as a net bowler on Ireland Men’s tour to the UAE in early 2021. He has claimed 6 wickets at 19.17 in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy so far and has also bagged 6 wickets in the 50-over competition.

Ireland Men’s T20I squad for India series

Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Andrew White, Chair of National Men’s Selectors, said: “There aren’t many better challenges for a new national coach to have than to start your tenure against the world’s number one-ranked T20I side, India. Heinrich [Malan] has been working hard since his arrival in Ireland, criss-crossing the island, getting to know the players and familiarize himself with the growing depth of talent we have here – and it’s this growing depth of talent that has made a challenging selection process for the first fixtures of the men’s home season.

“The T20I squad features a familiar core to the squad, but it’s pleasing to see a number of new faces earn their call-ups in Stephen Doheny and Conor Olphert. Both Warriors’ players have impressed at inter-provincial level this season with consistent performances, while Doheny has also come off the back of a good tour of Namibia with the Ireland Wolves. Olphert has bowled quickly, particularly on good wickets at Comber last month, and his selection gives as an opportunity to look at him as a tactical option given what lies ahead for the rest of the year.

“As always, there are numerous players who could probably consider themselves unlucky not to make these squads but runs and wickets are the currency we look for and the selectors believe we have picked squads that recognise and reward consistent form and performance on the field.”

IRELAND MEN’S HOME FIXTURE SCHEDULE FOR 2022

Ireland Men v India Men T20I series

Sunday 26 June: Ireland v India, 1st T20I (Malahide)
Tuesday 28 June: Ireland v India, 2nd T20I (Malahide)

Ireland Men v New Zealand Men series

Sunday 10 July: Ireland v New Zealand, 1st ODI (Malahide)
Tuesday 12 July: Ireland v New Zealand, 2nd ODI (Malahide)
Friday 15 July: Ireland v New Zealand, 3rd ODI (Malahide)
Monday 18 July: Ireland v New Zealand, 1st T20I (Stormont)
Wednesday 20 July: Ireland v New Zealand, 2nd T20I (Stormont)
Friday 22 July: Ireland v New Zealand, 3rd T20I (Stormont)

Ireland Men v South Africa Men T20I series

Wednesday 3 August: Ireland v South Africa, 1st T20I (Bristol)
Friday 5 August: Ireland v South Africa, 2nd T20I (Bristol)

Ireland Men v Afghanistan T20I series

Tuesday 9 August: Ireland v Afghanistan, 1st T20I (Stormont)
Thursday 11 August: Ireland v Afghanistan, 2nd T20I (Stormont)
Friday 12 August: Ireland v Afghanistan, 3rd T20I (Stormont)
Monday 15 August: Ireland v Afghanistan, 4th T20I (Stormont)
Wednesday 17 August: Ireland v Afghanistan, 5th T20I (Stormont)

Also read: Takeaways from India's squad for T20I series against Ireland

2022-06-16 12:33

Takeaways from India's squad for T20I series against Ireland

(Cricket news) The BCCI have announced a 17-member squad for the two-match T20I series against Ireland. The matches will be played on 26th and 28th of June at The village in Malahide. The Indian red ball team will already be practicing in England when this series commences. The squad doesn't have any surprises as such despite the decision to leave out one or two players has been questioned.

Squad: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Hardik Pandya has been named the captain of the side while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be his deputy. Pandya has made an incredible comeback and a lot of it has to do with his impeccable success with Gujarat Titans in the IPL. The only players not retained from the last T20I squad which is currently playing the series against South Africa are the ones in the Test squad. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer will be joining the England tour and hence won't be in the T20I squad.

The two new additions are Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi. Samson is India's go to replacement for Rishabh Pant and his inclusion was inevitable. Samson will be looking to put in a better performance if given a chance. He might not get a game since Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik are wicket-keeping option in the team. Venkatesh Iyer and Deepak Hooda are ahead in the pecking order and are waiting for their opportunity on the bench. Suryakumar Yadav is back after recovering from his injury and he should slot straight into the Playing XI at number 3. This series is very important for the batter to show his quality and earn his place in the Playing XI once again.

Even though there isn't an official statement, VVS Laxman is likely to coach the side. National Cricket Academy coaches Sitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule and Munish Bali will be part of his support staff. This series is very important for all the players who get the opportunity to play to try and either break into the squad or cement their place in it.

Also read: England seal series after incredible day 5 run chase vs New Zealand

2022-06-16 09:03

Ranji SF: Hardik Tamore hits hundred as Mumbai post 393 against UP

Bengaluru, Jun 15 (Cricket News) Wicket-keeper batter Hardik Tamore hogged the limelight with a stroke-filled 115 to propel Mumbai to 393 in their first innings on the second day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttar Pradesh, here on Wednesday.

In reply, Uttar Pradesh were reeling at 25 for two at stumps, having lost opener Samarth Singh (0) and Priyam Garg (5) early.

While the first day belonged to young Mumbai opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had hammered his second first-class hundred, it was Tamore show on Wednesday at the Just Academy ground.

Tamore, who was roped as replacement for injured Aditya Tare, reposed the faith of the team management, and along with all-rounder Shams Mulani (50) frustrated the UP attack after play commenced late due to wet outfield.

But the UP bowlers, particularly left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar (3/107) made a remarkable comeback as Mumbai lost their last four wickets for 47 runs.

Earlier, Tamore and Mulani duo took their time to settle down and only punished the loose deliveries.

Mulani, resuming at his overnight score of 10, played the perfect second fiddle to Tamore, who notched up his second first-class hundred.

Right-handed Tamore, who resumed on unbeaten 51, anchored the innings after the domestic giants began from their overnight score of 260 for five. He and Mulani forged a crucial 113-run stand for the sixth wicket before Karan Sharma bagged his third wicket to dismiss the latter.

Tamore, in his 233-ball knock, hammered as many as 12 boundaries and one maximum, while Mulani struck five boundaries in his 50-ball knock before being caught by Madhav Kaushik.

Once Mulani fell, Tamore was devoid of partners as Tanush Kotian (22), Dhawal Kulkarni (0), Tushar Deshpande (1) failed to provide him support.

Tamore was the last man to be dismissed after he fell to Kumar.

For UP, Karan Sharma (4/46) snared four wickets while Kumar grabbed three.

Sharma accounted for the wickets of Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan (40) and Deshpande (1).

Sharma and Kumar shared seven wickets between them as UP bowled out the 41-time Ranji champions on the third session of the day.

UP did not have a good start as the pace duo of Kulkarni and Deshpande picked up a wicket each.

Opener Madhav Kaushik (11 not out) and Sharma (10 not out) were holding fort for UP at stumps.

Also Read : I might have normalised girls playing cricket on the streets: Mithali Raj on her legacy

News Source : PTI

2022-06-16 09:00

I might have normalised girls playing cricket on the streets: Mithali Raj on her legacy

New Delhi, Jun 15 (Cricket News) The feeling of being called a "former India captain" is yet to sink in as Mithali Raj hasn't exactly gone through an entire gamut of emotions after calling time on her 23-year illustrious career last week.

Mithali knew her time had come after the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand but since she doesn't like to take big decisions in a jiffy, the 39-year-old waited for couple of months before announcing her retirement.

In an exclusive interview to PTI, inarguably Indian women's cricket's biggest icon spoke on a range of issues covering her legacy, experiences of playing in pre and post BCCI era, team's "inconsistent run" in the last five years, "differences in the dressing room" during the 2022 World Cup, and the 'Gen-Next' of India players.

Excerpts: Q: It has been a week since you announced your retirement. Has it sunk in yet? A: Honestly, the first time the thought of my retirement came into mind when Rahul Dravid retired (in 2012). I saw his press conference, he was quite emotional and I thought then how it will be when I retire. Will I feel that emotion? And there were few other retirements that happened after that and I hoped that I wouldn't be that emotional. I was very clear in my mind that the World Cup was going to be my last. But I am not someone who takes decisions while I am going through a lot of emotions (which she did in the World Cup).

Then I went to the domestic T20 event and realised that I did not have the same passion and thought it was my time (to retire). I am a goal oriented person. World Cup was my goal. After that I did not not see myself for next four years so I thought this is the right time to retire. Sometime you feel the impact of things after a while. So it still hasn’t sunk in.

Q: Millions of girls look up to you for what you did on the field. What according to you has been your biggest legacy? A: I have been asked about my legacy a lot but never came up with a good answer. I think I probably would have normalised girls playing cricket on the street and enrolling into academies. It was not very common when I started playing. They used to say 'we don't take girls in our academies, you take them elsewhere'.

Now there is no academy which can call itself an all exclusive boys academy which doesn't allow girls to play. That gives me a lot of satisfaction. The academy I went to, which I was told was a boys academy, the same place enrols so many girls.

Q: From travelling in unreserved trains to travelling around the world in business class, you saw it all in the pre and post BCCI era in women's cricket. How do you look back at both the worlds? A: Both had its own charm. I also had a lot fun in the pre BCCI era. It had a very different feel to it though resources were hardly there but there were other aspects of the sport we really enjoyed.

"We were in obscurity, nobody knew about us but I still had so much fun in that period. When the BCCI took women's cricket under its wings, professionalism came into the game. BCCI brought stability , security and growth into our game.

Q: It seems even in adversity, you found ways to have fun back then? A: "Well, we were all living in dormitories. If we were playing a tournament in a school and they used to be in the summers, sometimes we would occupy the class room and stay there.

"You always found ways to enjoy sport even though the circumstances were not great. There was nothing like rich and poor kids, all of us were in the same bus. There was so much of sharing among each other because there were no cell-phones, no social media, we only had our teammates to bank on.

Now we are in five-star hotels and as soon the match is over, everyone goes back to their rooms or they are on the phone. If I have to strike a conversation, most of the girls, I find them using their phones. The minute the game gets over, they are all on the phone (laughs).

I am not saying it is a bad thing, it is just times have changed. It was more carefree back then.

Q: Is there scope for bringing more professionalism to the sport? A: With every series being televised, with women's IPL coming up, it will get only better. The franchisees will have its own set up and that the players will benefit from playing in a professional league , rubbing shoulders with international stars.

Q: Would it be fair to say that the Indian team's graph has gone downwards after reaching the high in 2017? A: . Every good team, once it finishes the World Cup, they start to rebuild for the next edition, find players for specific roles and give them exposure and all that. A year's loss due to the pandemic did not help. But still I would not give that as an excuse for our performance in the World Cup.

But you must realise when we induct certain new players in the team sometimes the transition is smooth and sometimes it takes a while. It is not easy for teams to step out of long quarantines and give their best.

From South Africa series last year our spin department has been at times indifferent. That has really dented us. Because we rely heavily on them.

Q: There were reports coming out of New Zealand during the World Cup that all was not well in the dressing room? A: When you play a team sport, there will be differences and disagreements. It is very natural. They all want to do good but everyone has a different opinion.

But as captain, even if things are difficult I cannot lose my cool, my vision for the team has to be clear. In allowing my emotions to guide, I would not end up focussing on things I want the team to work on.

Even though people I think I am quiet, passive, I am not aggressive but composure has helped me to focus on things that our important and maintain a sense of calm in the team to help players focus on what is important.

Q: Looking ahead, who in your opinion are the players who will end up serving India for long? A: Kiran Navgire is one to watch out for. She did well in the domestic T20s and Women's Challenge. In the Indian team, you have Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh and Shafali Verma. S Meghana has done well in the few chances she has got.

If you want your bench to be stronger, you need to give the young players a chance to grow.

Q: Would you be open to playing in Women's IPL next year? A: It is still too early to decide. We will see.

Q: Any plans to get into cricket administration or start a business of your own? A: I have certain things in my mind. There are certain offers but like always I will choose something that I find fulfilling and connected to the sport.

Also Read : KL Rahul to miss England series, Pandya in line for captaincy during Ireland T20Is

News Source : PTI

2022-06-15 19:20

KL Rahul to miss England series, Pandya in line for captaincy during Ireland T20Is

New Delhi, Jun 15 (Cricket News) Senior opener KL Rahul is all set to miss the 'fifth' Test against England in Birmingham next month as he is unlikely to recover from a groin injury that forced him out of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa.

In another development, Hardik Pandya is likely to captain the white-ball squad in England as Rishabh Pant, who is currently leading the T20 side, will join the Indian Test squad in UK only after the South Africa series.

"Rahul has not recovered from his groin injury. The Test squad members are assembling in Mumbai today and will fly out midnight. Rahul is not travelling with the team. He will take some more time to recover although he might appear in a fitness test during weekend. Chances of recovery aren't looking bright," a BCCI official privy to development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

All the players, except Pant, are leaving for England early Thursday for the July 1-5 contest, notable being skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

It is understood that since there is only one Test match, which is a spill-over from the 2021 series, the selectors are still not thinking about KL Rahul's replacement as of now.

"You have Shubman Gill, who has opened in most of his Test matches. Else, Cheteshwar Pujara can also open the batting, in case there is any fitness issues for any of the two openers. It was a 17-member squad and 16 will be going. So that's not a problem," the source added.

Hardik in line for captaincy in Ireland --------------------------------------- It has been decided that Pant will not be playing the two T20 Internationals against Ireland and hence Hardik, who is his deputy for the South Africa series, is expected to lead the side.

"While there is Dinesh Karthik, who is the senior-most player in the squad along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, it was Hardik, who was Pant's designated deputy and hence favourite to lead," the official added.

In Pant's absence, India have two keepers in Ishan Kishan and Karthik in the squad.

There won't be too many changes to the squad that is currently playing against South Africa and hence chances of Mohsin Khan or Rahul Tripathi look dim.

Also Read : England seal series after incredible day 5 run chase vs New Zealand

News Source : PTI

2022-06-15 16:52

England seal series after incredible day 5 run chase vs New Zealand

(Cricket news) England defeated New Zealand 5 wickets in the 2nd Test. The Stokes-McCullum era has begun with a series win against World Test Championship holders New Zealand. England won the first match at Lords by 5 wickets inside 4 days to take the lead. At Trent Bridge, New Zealand were without the injured Kane Williamson and Colin de Grandhomme. Ben Stokes won the toss and put the Kiwis into bat.

New Zealand put on a mammoth total of 553 in the first innings. Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell continued their incredible form by scoring hundreds. Mitchell got his 2nd consecutive century as he scored 190 off 318 balls hitting 23 fours and 4 sixes. After missing on a ton at Lords, Blundell came back strong as he got 106 off 198 balls hitting 14 fours in the process. Will Young, Devon Conway and Michael Bracewell all scored 40s but couldn't build on it. James Anderson was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 3 wickets. Stuart Broad, Jack Leach and Ben Stokes picked up 2 wickets each while Matthew Potts chipped in with a wicket.

England in reply were bowled out for 539 runs. Alex Lees got the home team off to a good start as he scored 67 runs. Ollie Pope who was recently promoted to number 3 got his 2nd Test ton as he smashed 145 off 238 balls. Pope hit 13 boundaries and 3 maximums in his innings. Joe Root continued his excellent form as he got 176 off just 211 balls including 26 fours and a six. Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes played good cameos towards the end to cut the Kiwis' lead to just 14 runs. Disaster struck for the Black Caps when Kyle Jamieson had to go off in the middle of 17th over with a lower back problem. Trent Boult was relentless with his bowling as he picked up 5/103. Matt Henry got a scalp while Bracewell picked up 3 wickets.

With a lead of 14 runs, New Zealand lost skipper Tom Latham in the very first over. Half centuries from Devon Conway, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell took England to a total of 284 runs. Anderson and Broad got two scalps each while Leach chipped in with the crucial wicket of Conway. Stuart Broad was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 3/70 in his 20 overs. The target of 299 in 72 overs was definitely chase-able but England could've tried to get a draw since they were already leading the series 1-0. England came out with a clear intent to try and win the match which they managed to do inside 50 overs.

Alex Lees started well as he scored 44 off 81 balls. The man of the moment was Jonny Bairstow who went into T20I mode and scored 136 of 92 balls hitting 14 boundaries and 7 maximus. Ben Stokes provides good support with 75 off 70 balls. England needed 160 runs to win in the final session and they did it in 16 overs to complete one of the best chases in Test match history. Trent Boult's incredible 3/94 went in vain as the Kiwis looked helpless towards the end. The Stokes-McCullum era is off to a positive start with a series win. They have a chance to complete a whitewash at Headingley in a week's time.

Also read: Bowlers and openers shine as India keep series alive with 48-run win

2022-06-15 15:43

ICC Rankings: Ishan Kishan jumps 68th places t0 7th in T20 batters list

Dubai, Jun 15 (Cricket News) India opener Ishan Kishan climbed up 68 places to grab the seventh spot among batters, while the bowling duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal also made gains in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.

Kishan,who has been one of India's consistent performers in the ongoing T20I home series against South Africa, aggregating 164 runs in three matches including two half-centuries, has made a massive jump to enter the top 10 among T20 batters.

The 23-year-old is the lone Indian batter in the top 10 with KL Rahul occupying the 14 spot.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer have dropped a place each to 16th and 17th spots respectively, while Virat Kohli has slid two places to 21st.

Among bowlers, Bhuvneshwar is up seven places to 11th while leg-spinner Chahal has climbed up four places to 26th.

Australia's Josh Hazlewood has regained his number one spot among T20 bowlers, while Maheesh Theekshana of Sri Lanka is up 16 places to eighth in the list.

In the Test rankings, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has moved a spot to third, behind compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin, who remains static on number two.

Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin, however, continue to occupy the top two spots in the all rounders' list.

Rohit and Kohli retained their seventh and 10 spots respectively among batters while England's Joe Root is back at the top after smashing a second successive century in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against New Zealand.

Root, who had reached within striking distance of Marnus Labuschagne after the first Test, has wrested back the top spot from the Australia batter, whom he now leads by five rating points.

Root is on 897 points after his knock of 176 in the first innings of the Nottingham Test, 20 less than his highest of 917 points.

Root first grabbed the number one position in August 2015 and was last at the top in December 2021 before Labuschagne leapfrogged him. He has been No.1 in Tests for 163 days so far.

Steve Smith (1,506 days), Kohli (469 days) and Kane Williamson (245 days) are the others to have had substantial vigils at the top in recent years.

Root's compatriots, player-of-the-match Jonny Bairstow and captain Ben Stokes have also had major gains.

Bairstow's 92-ball 136 that led England's last day chase for an eventual five-wicket win, has moved up 13 places to 39th position while Stokes' 75 not out has taken him from 27th to 22nd position.

Ollie Pope (up 22 places to 53rd) and Alex Lees (up 26 places to 86th) have also moved up the rankings for batters while seam bowler Matthew Potts has advanced 18 places to 59th after picking up three wickets in the match.

For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell's scores of 190 and 62 not out have lifted him 33 places to a career-best 17th position while Tom Blundell's first innings century has helped him move up four places to 31st position.

Devon Conway's innings of 46 and 52 saw him inch up one slot to 23rd. Fast bowler Trent Boult is up four places to ninth.

Also Read : Bowlers and openers shine as India keep series alive with 48-run win

News Source : PTI

2022-06-15 12:37

Bowlers and openers shine as India keep series alive with 48-run win

(Cricket news) India defeated South Africa in the 3rd T20I by 48 runs to keep the series alive at 2-1 with 2 matches to go. It turned out to be a good performance by India which resulted in a comfortable victory. Proteas batters for the first time in the series fell flat and didn't look comfortable. Both the teams went unchanged which was surprising considering it was a do or die game for India after two underwhelming performances.

Temba Bavuma won his 3rd consecutive toss and once again put India into bat first. Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad gave India a terrific start as they 97 run opening partnership in under 10 overs. Gaikwad scored his maiden international fifty as he got 57 off just 35 balls. He hit 5 fours off Anrich Nortje's 5th over which set the tone for the innings. Ishan Kishan continued his incredible run of form as he scored 54 off 35 balls. The innings included 5 fours and 2 sixes which brought up his 2nd fifty of the series. After the 10th over, South Africa started picking up wickets and slowed down the run rate quite a bit. Hardik Pandya scored 31 off 21 balls at the death to take India's total to 179. The Proteas did get hammered in the first half but recovered really well in the second half. Dwaine Pretorius was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 2/29 in his 4 overs.

Defending 180, India started really well with the new ball. Axar Patel was brought in very early on in the 4th over itself and the plot worked as he got rid of Bavuma. India controlled the tempo very well as the required run rate kept on shooting up. The men in blue managed to pick up wickets at regular intervals. None of the Proteas batters really got going. Harshal Patel picked up 4 wickets in 3.1 overs and gave away only 25 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Axar Patel got a wicket while Yuzvendra Chahal bagged the player of the match award. Chahal finished with figures of 3/20 as he picked up the wickets of Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie Van der Dussen and Dwaine Pretorius. South Africa were bowled out for 131 runs as India won by 48 runs.

The win will be a massive confidence booster for India who now have a chance to level the series in Rajkot. South Africa can still seal the series with a win in the next match. The fact that India has stuck with the same line-up for the 3 games makes it clear that there will be no changes in the next match unless the conditions are completely different.

Also read: Ranji Trophy SF: Mumbai have slight upper hand against Uttar Pradesh

2022-06-15 11:14

Life is not on edge, IPL performance has increased expectations: Gaikwad

Visakhapatnam, Jun 15 (Cricket News) He hasn't been able to translate his IPL form into national colours but India opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is not too worried as for him it is all about "staying consistent mentally" and "trusting the process".

The 25-year-old from Maharashtra has amassed 1207 runs in 36 IPL matches so far but managed just 120 in six T20Is, including the maiden fifty that he scored in the third T20 against South Africa here on Tuesday.

Asked if life is on the edge for him, Gaikwad said: "Not really on the edge, it is just part and parcel of the sport.

"Last year I had a really good year so people come with a lot of expectations when you have a great year even in IPL and domestic." His form was patchy in the IPL this year as well before he turned things around, scoring 368 runs, including three fifties in 14 matches for Chennai Super Kings.

"In the IPL, the wicket was slightly bowler-friendly. There was no flat wicket, it was two-paced, the ball was turning, and there was some swing.

"So 3-4 games in IPL, I got out to good balls where in some dismissals, some good shots went to the fielder's hand, it is part of T20 cricket.

"You will have off days and really bad days. It is a matter of staying consistent mentally, trusting your process." In the first two games, Gaikwad scored 23 and 1 to once again raise questions on his ability as an opener. However, he delivered when it mattered most, slamming a 35-ball 57 studded with seven fours and two maximums.

"Coming into the series as well, the first two wickets I felt were on the tacky side. It was stopping a bit batting first in the last two games but here the wicket was good, ball was coming into the bat, so I played my game.

"I changed nothing, my thought process, everything was the same." In the second T20I, India had scored 148 for six with batters going for their shots despite losing wickets.

Shreyas Iyer had said that the team will look to keep attacking even if it loses wickets.

Gaikwad said: "Going after the bowlers was not about being reckless or playing rash shots. I think we as a batting unit have some strength, certain shots we play as individuals. It is about backing ourselves and putting pressure on the bowlers.

"Just making sure that you are showing the intent, no matter if you are playing first ball or second ball, or you are set, even if you are batting at 30-40, if it is there in your area, in your strength, just have to go for it, that is what the thinking is about." There was hardly any time between the second and the third game and Gaikwad said the team just looked to stick to what worked for it and be slightly more conscious about its bowling.

"The conversation was about staying positive. We played really well in both the games. There were just some crunch moments where they played really well and overtook us. So it was just that they batted really well, but today they had a batting collapse.

"Coming here, we just wanted to stick to what we did in the last two games and look to improve as a group. Bowling-wise, we were slightly more aware of the game, there was more awareness and that worked well for us." India will face South Africa in the 4th T20 on Friday.

Also Read : Spinners play important role in Indian conditions, there was pressure on them to perform: Pant

News Source : PTi

2022-06-15 11:11

It would be a bit foolish to change our batting approach after just one loss: Bavuma

Visakhapatnam, Jun 15 (Cricket News) South Africa's batting crumbled under pressure in the third T20I against India but skipper Temba Bavuma said it would be "foolish" to change their approach after just one loss in the five-match series.

Chasing 180 to win, South Africa had a slow start as they could manage only 15 runs in the first three overs but Bavuma said it "has always been our tactic as a team." "First two overs we always have a look and then we try to get some momentum going into the innings and set it up for our big power players," he said during the post-match press conference after his team suffered a crushing 48-run loss to India.

"That is a strategy that has worked for us and I would be a bit foolish to change our approach after just one loss," he added.

The Proteas had dominated the spinners in the first two matches but the duo of Yuzvendra Chahal (3/20) and Axar Patel (1/28) produced a scintillating show to stifle the visitors after being introduced early in the innings by skipper Rishabh Pant on Tuesday.

"I think their spinners put us under pressure and we were not able to absorb and put back the pressure as we did in the first two games. The conditions suited their spinners. Kudos to their spinners for exploiting the conditions to their favour," he said.

"They bowled quite well, their captain got their spinners early into the game which I think made a big difference versus us. Our spinners came later on and that is a trick we missed out there on the field.

"With the batting, we were not able to get any partnership going, or any momentum going. In the first two games, we batted really well but today it was an off day for the batters." The Indian side is missing big players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul but Bavuma said it doesn't make the hosts a weak team.

"I don't think it is a weak team, these are guys who performed exceedingly well in their domestic competition and IPL. These are quality players. For us, we knew we had to play well and that is what we have done in the first two games.

"Today they were much better, that is something we have to expect. I don't think you were expecting that we will just come here and win the series 5-0 because all the big names are not there. This is a good Indian team in my opinion." South Africa's openers have struggled and the skipper, who bats at the top, said losing Quinton de Kock to injury has affected the team.

"Look, Quinton is a big player at the top of the order but unfortunately we don't have him at our disposal, he is injured. We have Reeza (Hendricks) as a backup option and we have full faith in backing him. This is the squad we have built over the last two years.

"Obviously when a team loses, there are many areas that we can point out. Like I said at the start of the innings, we are looking to get stability but with Quinton not available, we are not able to get that stability.

Talking about his own performance he said; "I am a guy who partners up with Quinton at the top. I think the guys understand my role within the team." "Players play around me. They need someone to keep tight at the other end. That is not going to change, I feel it has been successful for us and we will get going with it."

Also Read : IPL to have a two-and-a-half month window in ICC's next FTP cycle: Jay Shah

News Source : PTI

2022-06-15 11:05

Spinners play important role in Indian conditions, there was pressure on them to perform: Pant

Visakhapatnam, Jun 14 (Cricket News) Delighted that his team was finally able to execute its plan to perfection, India skipper Rishabh Pant emphasised on the importance of spinners performing well in the middle overs, especially in Indian conditions.

The Indian spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel bowled beautifully to help the hosts register a 48-run win over South Africa in the third T20I and stay alive in the five-match series.

"The execution was spot-on from the bowlers and the batters. We were 15 runs short, but we weren't thinking about that. Bowlers did a fantastic job for us," Pant said at the post-match presentation.

It was a much improved performance from Chahal (3/20) and Patel (1/28), who went for 75 and 59 in six and five overs respectively in the previous two games.

"In India, spinners play a big role. They contain the batsmen in the middle overs. So there is pressure on them to perform, but in such matches when it comes off, this is what happens." However, the skipper was not happy with the middle order batting collapse that saw India fall a few runs short of the expected total.

"I don't think it's a good thing for us (middle order not performing), but after a good start it's difficult for new batsmen to go straight away. We will try to improve in the next match," Pant said.

Chahal, who was awarded the Player of the Match for his sensational spell, said he bowled to "his strengths." "I was bowling too many and quick sliders in the last game. I spoke to Paras (Mhambrey) sir and coaches about it. So I tried to bowl quick leg-breaks, but with a different seam position today.

"I want to turn and dip the ball, I couldn't do it the last time so they were able to hit through the line. I tried to get some turn and change the line of the ball. "When you get middle-order batsmen out in the middle overs, the pressure is on them. Batsmen try a lot of sweeps and reverse sweeps these days so we have to be prepared for that too, as bowlers." South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma felt "as a collective, it wasn't our best effort." "They were the better. With the ball, they put us under pressure. The fielding really didn't back us up. With the batting, we didn't really pitch up. The partnerships weren't there, there was no momentum." He rued the missed chances on the field including two dropped catches.

"There have been a lot of improvements in the fielding department, this game game weren't up to the mark, in the first two games we were quite strong.

In the absence of star opener Quinton de Kock, the tourists struggled at the top.

"We tried to assess, tried to get some momentum, unfortunately we couldn't do that. Losing three early wickets, always puts us under pressure. Quinton is an integral member of the team.

"Unfortunately we don't have him. We back Reeza (Hendricks) at the top. The opportunity is there, we'll keep going with Reeza."

Also Read : Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan sizzle in India's 179/5 against SA

News Source : PTI

2022-06-15 10:55

IPL to have a two-and-a-half month window in ICC's next FTP cycle: Jay Shah

New Delhi, Jun 13 (Cricket News) Attracting astronomical bids that eventually translated into mind-boggling revenue of Rs 48,390 crore for a five year period through IPL's media rights has not surprised BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who asserted that cricket's most talked about T20 league has potential to deliver way more.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, the 33-year-old Shah spoke on a range of subjects related to Indian cricket, IPL's place in the global cricket calendar, running the cricket establishment in times of COVID-19 and the road ahead for both Indian cricket and IPL.

Excerpts: Q: Were you surprised by the intense bidding for IPL media rights or it was on expected lines?

A: I am really happy with the kind of numbers that we have achieved. This shows the phenomenal growth potential of Indian cricket. The auction was always going to be exciting for every stakeholder. We have been able to realise the true value and the numbers in-front of you, is a testimony to that.

These numbers show the potential of the Indian economy and the faith of investors in new India. The digital India push has changed the way cricket is watched in India. So the bid outcome of digital rights bears testimony to that.

Q: Were there any apprehensions in the BCCI when it was decided to scale up the cumulative base price of media rights in excess of Rs 32,500 crore when the winning bid during the last media rights auction was almost half (16,347.50 crore) of it ?

A: No, the BCCI never felt that the base price was too high. You need to understand that in 2018, it was for 60 games. For the next cycle, we will have 410 games, with 74 games each in the first two seasons and then 84 games in the next and finally 94 in the 2027 edition.

You also need to check the digital numbers -- there were approximately 560 million digital viewers in 2017 and 665 million in 2021. You expect it to grow even more in the coming years.

We have agencies conducting research for us. By 2024, there will be 900 million internet users in India as we would be providers of second-cheapest data in the world. Obviously linear viewership (TV) will remain but there is a transition towards digital viewership and that's how you realise the value.

Q: You are talking about having 94 matches in the future. How do you plan to manage the window and various international teams having their own FTP commitments?

A: That is an aspect we have worked upon. Let me inform you that from the next ICC FTP calendar, IPL will have an official two-and-a-half month window so that all the top international cricketers can participate. We have had discussions with various boards as well as the ICC.

Q: When Amazon pulled out, there were talks that they were not happy with Package C which offered only 18 games per season for non-exclusive digital rights?

A: BCCI's aim was simple. Our motto was maximum participation, maximum value and better price discovery. So if someone is winning A and B, they need to shell out more for buying Package C. It is as simple as that.

This is called better price discovery. I think the manner in which we pulled off the e-auction was the most transparent one.

Q: There is speculation that IPL may be held in two phases. Where does the BCCI stand on that aspect and how do you plan to implement that?

A: We are having discussions with various stake-holders. There are also multiple proposals for all the IPL franchises of playing friendlies overseas. That idea is being seriously contemplated but for that we also need to speak to other boards as we would need to know the schedule of international players.

Q: There are reports that IPL's viewership has dropped by 30 percent this time. The viewers fatigue due to too many matches is also being discussed. Also, the the recall value of games has been talked about this year. Your views?

A: I don't agree that there has been a viewership dip. You have to factor in pre-COVID and post-COVID numbers. The 2020 and 2021 IPL viewership numbers skyrocketed because cricket was the only source of live sporting entertainment for the Indian public. People were unable to venture out due to COVID-19. So the figures saw a sharp rise.

Now in 2022, the same public after the return of a certain amount of normalcy is venturing out. People are socialising, going out for dinners, taking vacations which they didn't do in the last two years. Also, when you calculate viewership, this year, during evening games, you would have hundreds watching it on TV while sitting in a pub or a restaurant.

So there are hundreds of fans watching an IPL match on one DTH (Direct To Home) connection. Therefore, if you calculate viewership numbers, I would want you to calculate on the basis of 2019 viewership numbers vis-a-vis 2022.

Q: Let's discuss a bit about international cricket. Will India's bilateral calendar take a hit if IPL enjoys a bigger window?

A: Indian cricket will remain strong as long as world cricket remains strong. Let me assure you of this. The BCCI is committed to international cricket. And it's not just about India versus Australia or India versus England marquee series, we are committed to playing even the smaller nations. All bilateral international commitments across all formats will be honoured. We are playing Ireland in two T20 Internationals this month only. We want a strong robust international circuit and want to help the smaller cricketing nations by playing against them.

Q: BCCI also needs to factor in players workload management in a crunched calendar. How do you tackle the physical fatigue issues?

A: I have had discussions with NCA head VVS Laxman and we will always have 50 players in our roster. In future, you will have a scenario, where the Indian Test team will be playing a series in one country and the white-ball team will be engaged in a series in a different country. We are going in that direction where we will have two national teams ready at the same time.

Q: Let's turn our focus on women's cricket. You have already said that the Women's IPL will start from 2023. Can you give us an idea about what the scale will be and how you plan to hold it?

A: This is a project which is very close to my heart. We will start with either five or six teams in the first edition. I am thrilled at the kind of response we have got from stakeholders. Multiple existing IPL teams have enquired and expressed serious interest in owning WIPL franchises.

Not to forget interest from outside. We are in discussions with other Boards about the possible window when all top cricketers will be available. I can promise that the valuation of the league, franchises and media rights will stun one and all.

Q: You took over as BCCI secretary in 2019 and if one asks you to look back at your time so far, what is it that you value most?

A: Being able to conduct games despite operational difficulties during COVID-19 times was very satisfying. There were challenges and we had to stop the IPL during the second wave last year because we didn't want to compromise on health, safety and security. I would like to thank Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for helping us with logistical arrangements in 2020 and also the second phase of 2021.

We had Indian women team playing two Test matches after eight years, which is huge achievement. We conducted more than 30,000 RT-PCR tests and had one of the safest bio-bubbles across three editions with minimum number of cases. When Omicron cases were rising in South Africa, the BCCI sent its full-fledged team for Test and ODI series. We sent our team to Australia during the pandemic and also hosted England successfully with not a single case detected.

Also Read : BCCI hits Jackpot: IPL Media Rights deal fetches Rs 48,390 crore revenue; Viacom18 ends Disney Star's monopoly

News Source : PTI

2022-06-14 21:16

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan sizzle in India's 179/5 against SA

Visakhapatnam, Jun 14 (Cricket News) Openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan produced scintillating fifties to set the platform before India lost the momentum to stop at 179 for five against South Africa in the must-win third T20I here on Tuesday.

Under the scanner for his patchy form of late, Gaiwad finally came good with a sizzling 57 off 35 balls, while Kishan smashed his second fifty of the five-match series. He made a 35-ball 54.

However, South Africa tightened the screws in the second half to keep India inside the 200-mark. The hosts managed just 20 runs while losing two wickets from over 13 to 17 before Hardik Pandya took them close to 180 with some lusty blows in the final stages.

It was Gaikwad, who turned aggressor after a watchful start and exploded in the fifth over, slamming five successive boundaries off Anrich Nortje.

If the first one was cut with aplomb, he danced down the track for the second four. The third boundary was a lucky one as the ball hit his grill while Gaikwad tried to move away from a nasty bouncer.

Gaikwad then punished Nortje for bowling a half volley and the fifth ball was sent across the third man.

The Maharashtra batter also deposited Dwaine Pretorius over deep backward square for his second six as India posted 57 for no loss in six overs, their best powerplay in the series.

Kishan, who was playing second fiddle, got into the act in the ninth over, smacking Shamsi's overpitched ball for a maximum before sweeping him for another four as 13 runs came from the over.

Gaikwad completed his fifty in 30 balls and then welcomed Keshav Maharaj with an inside out lift for a four, but the spinner had him caught off his own bowling with India on 97 for one at the halfway stage.

Kishan then gave a special treatment to Maharaj, picking up two fours and a six en route a 31-ball fifty, his second of the series.

New-man Shreyas Iyer looked in good touch as he blasted a six each off Nortje and Shamsi, but the spinner dismissed him with Nortje timing his jump to perfection for a nice catch.

Pretorius pegged India further back by getting rid off Kishan, who was caught by Hendricks.

It could have been five down but David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen dropped two sitters to give a life to Hardik Pandya (29) and Rishabh Pant (6).

Temba Bavuma finally caught one off Pretorius to remove Pant as South Africa slowed things down.

Dinesh Karthik (6) couldn't force the pace with Rabada removing him, but Pandya managed to find some quick runs.

Also Read : IPL to have two-and-a-half month window in ICC's next FTP cycle: Jay Shah

News Source : PTI

2022-06-14 19:58

BCCI hits Jackpot: IPL Media Rights deal fetches Rs 48,390 crore revenue; Viacom18 ends Disney Star's monopoly

New Delhi, Jun 14 (Cricket News) The BCCI on Tuesday reaffirmed its status as a cricketing behemoth by securing one of the biggest broadcast deals in the history of the sport, fetching an eye-popping 48,390 crore (USD 6.20 billion) through IPL media rights for a five-year period, starting 2023.

While Disney Star retained their Indian sub-continent TV rights by paying Rs 23,575 crore (Rs 57.5 crore/game), the most sought-after India digital rights deal was acquired for Rs 20,500 crore by the Reliance backed Viacom18, which also won the non-exclusive Package C by paying Rs 2991 crore more.

The deal for package A and B is for 410 matches across five years with 74 matches each in 2023 and 2024 and 84 each in 2025 and 2026. The 2027 edition will have 94 games. The Package 'D' for overseas rights for various regions was bagged by Viacom and Times Internet.

Viacom18 entered the fray through a consortium which has former Star India head Uday Shankar (Bodhi Tree) and James Murdoch (Lupa Systems) in it.

"I am thrilled to announce that STAR INDIA wins India TV rights with their bid of Rs 23,575 crores. The bid is a direct testimony to the BCCI's organisational capabilities despite two pandemic years," BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted.

"Viacom18 bags digital rights with its winning bid of Rs 23,758 cr. India has seen a digital revolution & the sector has endless potential. The digital landscape has changed the way cricket is watched. It has been a big factor in the growth of the game & the Digital India vision" the BCCI secretary added.

"Since its inception, the IPL has been synonymous with growth & today is a red-letter day for India Cricket, with Brand IPL touching a new high with e-auction resulting in INR 48,390 cr value. IPL is now the 2nd most valued sporting league in the world in terms of per match value." The IPL, in terms of sheer valuation, will now be bracketed in the top-most sporting properties alongside National Football League (USA), National Basketball Association (USA) and English Premier League (England), the most watched sporting event in the world.

The value of per IPL match made more than a 100 per cent jump from previous Rs 54.5 crore to above Rs 114 crore (approx). Globally, the per match value (USD 14.61 million) in IPL is second only to NFL where every match is worth USD 17 million.

The new deal also ends the monopoly of a single broadcaster. Sony had acquired the rights by paying Rs 8200 crore for the first 10 years (2008-17) while Star with a bid price of 16347.50 won it for the next five years.

There was a also a Package C, where digital rights of 18 non-exclusive marquee games per season were up for grabs and Viacom18 won it with a winning bid of Rs 2991.6 crore at the rate of Rs 33.24 crore per match. There are 90 matches in this package.

Package D with a base price of Rs 3 crore per game with overseas TV and Digital Rights on offer was sold for more than 1300 crore to Viacom18 and Times Internet.

If one looks at the transformation, in 2008, it was 90 percent of linear coverage (TV) compared to a miniscule 10 percent in digital space.

In 2018, when Star won the rights, the TV-Digital ratio was 75:25 but this new deal has given digital space a more than 51 percent share in broadcast footprint.

Having lost the digital rights to Viacom18, Walt Disney's Head of International Content and Operations, Rebecca Campbell in a statement hinted that Star will be vying for other multi-platform cricket rights.

"We will be exploring other multi-platform cricket rights, including future rights for International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which we currently hold through the 2023 and 2024 seasons, respectively," Campbell said.

Also Read :South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss, ask India to bat

News Source : PTI

2022-06-14 18:26

Ranji Trophy SF: Jaiswal hits ton; guides Mumbai to 260/5 against UP

Bengaluru, Jun 14 (Cricket News) Continuing his good form, left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a responsible hundred to propel Mumbai to 260/5 on the first day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttar Pradesh here on Tuesday.

Oozing with confidence, Jaiswal, who struck his maiden first-class hundred in the quarterfinal against Uttarakhand, anchored the innings, after the 41-time Ranji Trophy champions suffered a top-order failure.

Jaiswal was the cynosure of eyes as he took a formidable UP attack to task and struck 15 boundaries in his 227-ball 100.

Sent into bat, Mumbai lost in-form skipper Prithvi Shaw (0) in the very first over. He became left-arm pacer Yash Dayal's first victim, on the third ball of the day, after being caught by Priyam Garg.

Uttar Pradesh bowlers were on top in the first session as they persisted with the fifth stump line. Pacer Shivam Mavi was rewarded as he trapped one-down Armaan Jaffer (10) in front of the wickets to leave the opposition in a spot of bother at 24/2.

Then Jaiswal added 63-runs with Suved Parkar (32), who had hit maiden double hundred on debut in the quarterfinals, and pulled the team out of trouble.

However, it was once again Dayal, who broke the partnership by dismissing Parkar, who hit four boundaries in his sedate knock.

Parkar chased a wide delivery from Dayal and gave a sitter to Saurabh Kumar at backward point, as Mumbai lost their third wicket for 87.

Aggressive batter Sarfaraz Khan (40), who is in form of his life, had the responsibility of re-building the Mumbai innings along with Jaiswal.

The duo mixed aggression and caution in their 87-run stand for the fourth wicket as they frustrated the UP bowlers.

Right-handed batter Sarfaraz, who hit five fours, however, could not convert his start to a big score and became off-spinner Karan Sharma’s first victim.

After Sarfaraz fell, Jaiswal found an able ally in wicket-keeper Hardik Tamore (51 not out), who played his part to perfection.

Tamore, who was included in the playing XI in place of the injured and experienced stumper Aditya Tare, reposed the faith shown in him.

But Jaiswal, to whom the first day belonged, was dismissed soon after reaching the three-figures mark. He became Karan Sharma’s second victim as Mumbai lost half of their side for 233.

Then Tamore, who has hit six boundaries and one maximum in his unbeaten 74-ball innings, and all-rounder Shams Mulani (10 not out) ensured Mumbai did not lose any more wickets and remained unbeaten when stumps were drawn.

For UP, Dayal (2/35) and Sharma (2/39) were the pick of the bowlers.

Brief Scores: Mumbai 260/5 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 100, Hardik Tamore 51 not out; Yash Dayal 2/35).

Also Read : ICA welcomes BCCI's decision to double pension of former cricketers

News Source : PTI

2022-06-14 12:50

India look to keep series alive in the 3rd T20I against South Africa

(Cricket news) The first two T20Is haven't gone India's way and now they find themselves in a do or die situation. The men in blue now have to win all the remaining matches in order to win the series. South Africa on the other hand need one win to clinch the trophy and beat India in all 3 formats in the same year. India have retained the same line-up in the two games so far but they will have to make some changes in the next one.

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Bench: Axar Patel, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel.

India's bowling performance has not been upto the mark so far therefore changes are expected. Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh could be given their debuts while Ravi Bishnoi is likely to come back into the lineup. Axar Patel has failed to contribute with ball and bat. Even though he doesn't have a direct replacement Deepak Hooda is close enough. He will give the batting more depth and his off spin is handy. Hardik Pandya has shown that he is more than capable of completing his 4 over quota.

South Africa possible playing XI:

Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje

Bench:, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs

Heinrich Klaasen has earned his place in the team after the blistering knock at Cuttack. De Kock is likely to be fit again and should replace Reeza Hendricks. The rest of the team is well set and picks itself. Maharaj and Shamsi haven't been too great so far but they have a chance to step up at Vizag. There is still no update on the availability of Aiden Markaram who has missed both games due to Covid.

India will have to keep things simple and try to play their natural game. Dravid and Pant have a few tough calls to make with regards to team selection and balance. More will be expected from the likes of Pandya, Kishan and Gaikwad. Pant himself will have to bat well if India want to win the game. South Africa just need to continue doing what they have done in the first two matches. Considering the situation they will be eyeing a whitewash which will be an incredible feat.

Also read: I want to represent India and lift the World Cup - Jasmer Dhankhar

2022-06-14 12:10

I want to represent India and lift the World Cup - Jasmer Dhankhar

Representing Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy and Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League, 23 year old Jasmer Dhankhar is aiming high and working even harder to achieve his dreams. In this exclusive interview, the cricketer speaks about his journey so far, the toughest batter in the LSG team, experiences so far, preparations for the Ranji Trophy, cricketing idols and his future goals.

Q1) When did your journey with cricket start and how has it been so far?

I used to play cricket ever since I was a little kid on the road with my friends and my brothers. I was interested in cricket from my childhood and when I realised that I play better than most kids I decided to try and pursue it professionally. I wouldn't say that the journey was easy but I feel blessed at the position I am playing the Ranji trophy and being a part of the IPL.

Q2) Who is the toughest batter to bowl to in the Lucknow Super Giants nets and why?

I think the toughest to bowl to was Evin Lewis because he is a left hander and has a lot of power. He has the gift of timing as well but these are the kind of challenges I enjoy. I love to bowl against difficult batters and I always want to get them out. My mindset is always positive in such things.

Q3) How was your experience with LSG? Which player have you learned the most from?

Usually when you go into a new dressing room there is a feeling of awkwardness but with LSG I never felt that. I got to learn a lot of things from KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya, Evin Lewis, Marcus Stoinis and our bowling coach Narendra Hirwani.

Also read: Long jump sensation Jeswin Aldrin aims to become the best in the world

Q4) How are preparations going for the Ranji trophy semi finals and what are your expectations from the game?

Our preparations have been going well as the team is young but we are hungry to train even harder, putting in the effort and we are all showing character. We proved to the world that we belong on this stage and showed them that we can dominate in all formats. Since the start of the season we had all the focus on our team and most importantly we backed our own strengths which has been the main focus mostly.

Q5) Who was your cricketing idol growing up and what did you like about him?

Since I am a leg spinner, I used to idolise Shane Warne growing up. I was a big fan of his leg spin and I used to watch all his videos and try to implement the variations he used to use. Mostly I used to notice his leadership skills and his attitude on the pitch.

Q6) What are your future goals and ambitions? How do you plan to achieve them?

My future plan is to represent India and establish myself as a regular player in the Indian squad and then help my country lift the World Cup. I feel as a player you have to keep growing and adapting, that has always been my focus. For me, I should be able to give my 100% in every practice session and with my commitment I will hopefully progress forward.

2022-06-13 15:19

Ranji Trophy SF: Mumbai have slight upper hand against Uttar Pradesh

Bengaluru, Jun 13 (Cricket News) Record champions Mumbai, who are back to their ruthless best, face a high on confidence Uttar Pradesh in what promises to be an intriguing semifinal of the Ranji Trophy, beginning here on Tuesday.

The in-form Mumbai batters will be up against a varied UP attack, which will be bolstered by the addition of pacer Mohsin Khan.

The 41-time Ranji champions made it to the last four with a world record 725-run hammering of Uttarakhand and will aim to carry the momentum into the game. UP decimated Karnataka by five wickets.

Mumbai will once again rely on their batters to set the tone. All eyes would be on Prithvi Shaw, who will have to be at his best against Mohsin and Co.

The two other big impact players are Yashasvi Jaiswal and an in-form Sarfaraz Khan who would be oozing with confidence after their hundreds in the last game.

Sarfaraz has pummelled opposition attacks into submission at will. And thus it will indeed be a challenge for the UP bowling unit to stop him.

Debutant Suved Parkar, who scored a double hundred, will look to add runs in his kitty while Armaan Jaffer would also be eyeing a bigger knock.

Mumbai will however, be forced to make a change as wicket-keeper Aditya Tare has been ruled out due to an injury and Hardik Tamore could make the playing XI.

But this time they would be facing the likes of left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, Ankit Rajpoot and tweaker Saurabh Kumar, who can spin a web around the opposition.

Kumar, who picked up seven wickets in the quarter-final, could well be the go-to man for skipper Karan Sharma.

Mumbai are unlikely to tinker with their bowling combination. And left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, who has been taking fifers at will, will look to recreate his magic.

Add to it the experience of Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohit Awasthi, Tushar Deshpande and young off-spinner Tanush Kotian, Mumbai have the necessary fire-power to get the better of the UP batters.

UP also have a relatively inexperienced batting line-up and are reliant on one or two batters. Their top-order would need to fire in unison and skipper Sharma will have to lead from the front.

Two other batters who can make an impact are Priyam Garg and Rinku Singh.

But the others like Aryan Juval, Samarth Singh, Dhruv Jorel would need to stand up and take greater responsibility. While Mumbai would be keen to get a step closer to their 42nd title, UP have the wherewithal to pull off a major upset.

Also Read : Pressure on spinners, Ruturaj as India take on SA in must-win game

News Source : PTI

2022-06-13 14:16

Pressure on spinners, Ruturaj as India take on SA in must-win game

Visakhapatnam, Jun 13 (Cricket News) Under-performing spinners, an out-of-form opener and his own poor show -- skipper Rishabh Pant will have a lot on his mind when India take on a buoyant South Africa in the third T20 on Tuesday in their bid to keep the five-match series alive.

India came into the series on a 12-match winning streak but South Africa took the wind out of India's sails with two crushing defeats.

Pant's side is now struggling on multiple fronts and it would take a herculean effort to plug all the holes with just one day between the second and third game.

If bowling let India down in the first game, a poor batting show cost them the second match and now they have their backs to the wall.

Strike-rate woes for Ruturaj, Iyer ==================== India's batting left a lot to be desired with the openers failing to give the team a good start in the powerplay.

While Ishan Kishan has done well so far, Ruturaj Gaikwad (23, 1) has pulled the team down with questions being raised over his technique against quality pacers and his ability to force the pace early on.

Shreyas Iyer too has looked vulnerable against the fast bowlers and even though he has got starts, he hasn't been able to capitalise or push the run-rate, putting pressure on the next line of batters in the middle-order.

Hardik Pandya, who was in sensational form for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, produced some big hits when the team was in a comfortable position in the first T20 but he couldn't get going on the two-paced Cuttack track.

He also failed to impress with the ball and has leaked 49 runs in the four overs that he bowled across the two matches.

Pant's captaincy under scanner =================== Shoehorned into captaincy, Pant (29, 5) has not fired himself so far. He has only three fifties in 45 T20Is with an average of 23.9 and strike-rate of 126.6.

As someone, who is touted as a future leader, Pant has not inspired enough confidence with his leadership abilities.

His decision to promote Axar Patel over designated finisher and the experienced Dinesh Karthik in the second game was baffling, to say the least.

Going into the World Cup in Australia later this year, a lot will be expected from the wicketkeeper batter, who can win matches single-handedly and he will look to produce an inspired show on Tuesday.

Uninspiring show by Chahal & Axar ===================== In bowling, the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel have been a big letdown as they went for 75 and 59 in six and five overs in the two matches and the axe is likely to fall on one of them going into the third game.

Chahal, who was the purple cap holder in the IPL, and Axar were put under the pump with the likes of David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klassen feasting on their pedestrian bowling.

With the duo flopping, it needs to be seen whether the team management gives young leggie Ravi Bishnoi or allrounder Venkatesh Iyer, who also opens for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL, a chance in the middle.

The hosts, save Bhuvneshwar Kumar, have looked bereft of ideas of getting breakthroughs as India picked just four wickets in the opening game and six in the second match with the leading seamer from Meerut doing most of the damage.

Indian bowlers have the propensity to concede runs in a heap in one or two overs which completely undo the work done in the previous overs and they will need to tighten their game to salvage hopes of saving the series.

India's think-tank might also look to unleash the express pace of Umran Malik on South Africa or get Arshdeep Singh in place of Avesh Khan, who is yet to take a wicket in the series.

South Africa, on the other hand, have looked like a well-oiled machine with both their bowlers and batters working in partnerships.

If Miller and van der Dussen took it away with a stellar show in the first T20, comeback man Klassen proved to be the difference on Sunday with his fluent 81-run innings on a tricky wicket.

Skipper Temba Bavuma also played the perfect foil to Klassen to script SA's recovery.

In bowling, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell have hunted in a pack.

Teams (from): India: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Match starts at 7pm IST.

Also Read : South Africa comfortably defeat India to go 2-0 up in the series

News Source : PTI

2022-06-13 12:28

South Africa comfortably defeat India to go 2-0 up in the series

(Cricket news) South Africa defeated India by 4 wickets with 10 balls to spare in the 2nd T20I. The Proteas lead the 5 match series 2-0 and have won all 7 matches against India this year in addition to the two Tests they won at the end of last year. India are getting well and truly outplayed in their own backyard. It will now take unbelievable character and quality for India to win the series from this position.

Temba Bavuma once again won the toss and elected to bowl first. India struggled to cope with the pitch in the 1st innings as they could only manage 148/6. Ishan Kishan scored 34 off 21 balls while Shreyas Iyer got 40 off 35 balls. Other than that the entire top order failed to stick around. Dinesh Karthik who initially struggled, finished with 30 off 21 balls to get India to a defendable total. The pitch was definitely fast bowler friendly as the two specialist spinners bowled a combined 4 overs. After having a bad game in Delhi, Keshav Maharaj had an excellent game as he finished with figures of 1/12 in 2 overs. Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius and Wayne Parnell all had excellent spells as they kept Indian batters at bay.

The Indian bowlers didn't have enough runs to defend but Bhuvneshwar Kumar showed his class. The U.P seamer finished with figures of 4/13 in his four overs. He got the new ball to dance to his instructions by picking up 3 wickets in the powerplay. Unfortunately his efforts went in vain as Heinrich Klaasen, who replaced the injured Quinton de Kock scored an incredible 81 off 46 balls to lead South Africa to victory. David Miller and Temba Bavuma played cameos as the Proteas always looked in control. Apart from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh Khan all Indian bowlers were expensive and couldn't trouble the visiting batters.

Rishabh Pant's first two games as India skipper haven't gone too well. Both the wickets have been extremely tricky to read especially for the captains. India now have 3 must win matches coming up which will be anything but easy. South Africa is the team which India have struggled to get the better of recently. India will have no option but to make some changes in the playing XI in the next match. Both Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik will be the first ones in Rahul Dravid's mind as the players to come in.

Also read: Celeste Raack leaves Ireland camp for family reasons before South Africa serie

2022-06-13 12:21

Shreyas defends bizarre batting order: 'Axar sent ahead of DK to rotate strike'

Cuttack, Jun 13 (Cricket News) It may have looked odd to send Axar Patel ahead of India's 'designated finisher' Dinesh Karthik in the second T20 against South Africa but top-order batter Shreyas Iyer defended the strategy, saying the need of the hour was to "rotate strike".

India were struggling to get going and were 112/6 when Axar Patel got out in the 17th over as it was mainly due to the veteran Karthik's pyrotechnics while batting at No 7 that they could get post a respectable 148/6.

"It's something we had strategised earlier as well. We had seven overs left when Axar went in, and he’s someone who can take the singles and keep rotating the strike," Shreyas said at the post-match media interaction on Sunday.

"Also, at that point in time, we didn’t require someone to go in and start hitting from ball one. DK can obviously do that, but he has been a really good asset for us after 15 overs, where he can go in and start hitting straightaway." Promoted at No 6, Axar scored 10 off 11 balls before being cleaned up by Anrich Nortje, while Karthik slammed an unbeaten 30 from 21 balls.

Shreyas argued that even Karthik had struggled to get his timing right like many others on the day on a two-paced wicket.

“Even he was finding it a little bit difficult at the start. The wicket played a huge role in this game. And as for that strategy, we can and we will be going with it in the next matches as well," Shreyas said.

As a matter of fact, Karthik took 15 balls to score eight runs but then he broke free in the next six, smashing two sixes and two fours.

On hindsight, it may have felt that India could have notched 160-plus had the in-form Karthik got more time in the middle.

Shreyas however agreed that they fell short by about 12 runs in the end.

"If I look back I think 160 would have been a really good score on this wicket to put them under a little bit of pressure. But we were like 12 runs short," he added.

For India, the Kolkata Knight Riders skipper was the top-scorer on the day as he scored a sedate 35-ball 40 and also spent some anxious moments at the two-paced wicket.

"It was really tough to be honest, I played 35 balls but I was not able to identify how the wicket was playing.

"I was trying to time the ball as well, I actually tried everything out there. But it was really difficult especially for the new batters to come in and get going," the 27-year-old said.

"On top of that the ball was staying low from one end, and from the other there was a variable bounce as well and the ball was seaming. I could not really talk much about it since every wicket can be challenging for us. But we don't blame it for the loss," he added.

At a time when most of the batters struggled at Barabati, comeback man Heinrich Klaasen stood out and smashed 81 off 46 balls as the Proteas chased down the target with 10 balls to spare.

"Klaasen targeted our spinners really well. He played shots off good lengths. The ball wasn’t turning and he was standing and delivering.

"The strokes he hit mostly landed over the ropes. I don’t think our bowlers did much wrong.

Trailing 0-2, the Rishabh Pant-led India now have the onerous task to win three matches in a row to seal the five-match series.

"It's a great challenge, a lot of pressure on us. But I can't see anything which is going to stop us," he signed off.

Also Read : Pant not happy with spinners, feels game turned after 10th over

News Source : PTI

2022-06-13 07:08

Pant not happy with spinners, feels game turned after 10th over

Cuttack, Jun 12 (Cricket News) A distraught skipper Rishabh Pant made no bones about the uninspiring performance of the two leading spinners Axar patel and Yuzvendra Chahal, urging them to come good after another meek surrender at the hands of South Africa in the second T20 International here on Sunday.

While Axar could be given only one over in which he conceded 19 runs, Chahal was equally bad as he was smashed for 49 runs in four overs. In the two games, Axar has given away 59 runs in five overs while Chahal has gone for 75 in six overs.

"The spinners have (need) to come (perform) better into the game," Pant said at the post-match presentation ceremony without elaborating much.

He admitted that a total of 148 for 6 was probably 15 runs short despite the track being two-paced in nature.

"I think (while) batting, we were 10-15 runs short," he said.

"Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar for his 4/13) and all other fast bowlers though bowled very well. We were short in the second half and the things did not go our way.

"The bowlers started really well, but after 10-11 overs, we did not bowl well and that's where the game changed. We thought we were going to do similar things (as the South African bowlers). In the last three matches, we will look to win," his answer lacked conviction.

Man of the match Heinrich Klaasen is happy that he could play such a knock as it would "extend his career".

"I am glad the knock came against India. I hope it extends my career longer. I haven't performed well in the last couple of years. I am very happy and confident to be here," Klaasen said.

He was selected as regular keeper Quinton de Kock sustained a wrist injury.

"Quinny (De Kock) came up to me two days back in the team bus and said he injured his wrists. I thought he is a strong character and he will be fine. But yesterday again, he said his hand is not fine. Yesterday morning, we came to training and the coach told me I might play." His skipper Temba Bavuma was happy how things panned out.

"It was a tricky chase. They got the ball to talk with the new ball, it was tricky. I was just trying to hold in and allowed Klassen to come and do what he does best. We could have been clinical at the end but the result is what matters," Bavuma said.

"Klaasen can do a lot of damage with a couple of ball. He adds a lot of value to our batting. It is about whatever your role is," he was all praise for Proteas' hero of the second game.

Also Read : South Africa beat India by 4 wickets, take 2-0 lead

News Source : PTI

2022-06-12 08:25

Important to keep our IPL players fresh and mentally ready for this series: Parnell

Cuttack, Jun 11 (Cricket News) Majority of South Africa's star players were part of the two-month long IPL that preceded the ongoing T20 series against India and Proteas seamer Wayne Parnell said it will be a challenge to keep them "mentally ready" over the course of the five games.

David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen and Anrich Nortje were among the players who were part of the IPL. However, there was no sign of any fatigue as the visitors thrashed India in the first ODI in Delhi.

"It's important to get them fresh and ready for the matches, it's been 10-12 weeks in the IPL with a lot of time in the bubble. Getting guys mentally ready is going to be key for us," said Parnell ahead of the second T20.

The 32-year-old made a T20 comeback at Kotla after more than five years. He comes into the series rather fresh having played his last competitive game in March.

"Being part of the national team is always a privilege. Certainly, coming back into this group, it was a different feel to it. It's just nice being here." He is expecting a strong India comeback on Sunday.

"I think this match is going to be crucial. India will definitely bounce back, they are a quality side. We don’t expect anything less.

"I think every single game till Bangalore will be very, very tough. Obviously it was a great win the other night, we can take a lot of confidence from that, but it’s a brand new venue, new conditions, so we need to adapt and start work." The last match held here was an ODI back in December 2019 and witnessed a run feast India chasing down West Indies tall total of 316 with eight balls to spare.

On the conditions on offer, Parnell said: "I think tomorrow it will be the same -- it will be difficult for us as bowlers.

"The conditions here probably favour run-scoring more. It is just about what we are going to get on that particular day. It did swing around a little bit so maybe we can use that to our advantage but it's difficult to assess.

"The side strip was pretty green and with overhead conditions, and swung around a bit. Maybe for the seamers, there will be a little bit with the new ball. But the actual wicket, we have to see how it is on the match day," Parnell said.

Also Read : It's okay, we had an off day as bowling unit: Bhuvneshwar

News Source : PTI

2022-06-11 19:08

It's okay, we had an off day as bowling unit: Bhuvneshwar

Cuttack, Jun 11 (Cricket News) India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Saturday said the bowlers let stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant down in the high-scoring first T20 International against South Africa.

Elevated to captaincy after designated skipper KL Rahul pulled out on the eve of the series opener after a groin injury, Pant had a forgettable outing leading the side for the first time ever, even as his bowlers struggled with their line and length.

Bhuvenshwar backed the wicketkeeper-batter and said he's a long way to go.

"He's a young captain and it was his first match. I'm sure he will try to do better and improve as the series progresses. Generally the captain is as good as the team and it's a team effort.

"Our bowling did not go off well and let him down. If we did well then you would have hailed his decision-making skills. I'm sure he will do well," Bhuvenshwar said.

The experienced seamer, however, refused to read too much into their forgettable bowling display at the Ferozshah Kotla and expressed optimism about a strong comeback in the second match.

In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar is leading the Indian pace attack in the ongoing five-match series.

India could not defend 212 as the rampaging South African duo of David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen struck half-centuries to hunt down the target with five balls to spare and go 1-0 up in the series.

"There wasn't any big discussion as anyone can have an off day. As a bowling unit, we had an off day but that's okay we just want to come back in the next match," Bhuvneshwar said at the pre-match press conference here.

"It was the first match of the series and everybody was coming out of the IPL, almost everyone in the team had a good IPL. Everyone knows what needs to be done and things to improve on.

"We are aware that we didn't bowl well in the first match. So we hope to improve, bowl well and level the series. We still have four matches to go, we have matches in hands to bounce back," he said.

In the first game, Team India fielded a new-look pace attack in Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan, but none of them could make an impact against the marauding South Africans.

Bhuvneshwar said it's about taking responsibility and improving in every match ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November.

"My target is not any different. I just have to bowl in the same way as in the power play or in the death overs. Yes, in absence of them, I try to take up responsibility, focus on improving in every match before going to the T20 World Cup."

Also Read : It was more about battles I won against my own self and lots of other things: Hardik

News Source : PTI

2022-06-11 17:53

It was more about battles I won against my own self and lots of other things: Hardik

Cuttack, Jun 11 (Cricket News) As he got down to plot his return to the Indian team, Hardik Pandya would hit the bed at 9.30pm and wake up at 5am, dedicating the day's intervening period of time to win battles against his "own self" and the doubting Thomases.

The star all-rounder followed this time table strictly for four months, after which he guided an unfancied Gujarat Titans to a memorable title triumph in only their maiden IPL outing, leading the debutants from the front to earn an India call-up.

In a video posted by the BCCI, Pandya recalled the win in IPL 2022 and the rewards that followed.

"I was happy. It was more about the battles I won against my own self and a lot of other things as well. Winning the IPL, or even qualifying (for playoffs) was a big deal for me because a lot of people doubted us.

"A lot of people frowned at us before we started. A lot of people raised a lot of questions. A lot of things were said about me even before I made a comeback," Pandya said.

The 29-year-old all-rounder said that he would get up at 5 AM and sleep at 9:30 in the night for four successive months during his time away from the Indian team after the T20 World Cup.

"It was never about giving them answers. I'm just proud of the process I followed. No one knows what I went through the six months that I was off. I've gotten up at 5 in morning to make sure I train. I slept at 9:30 in the night for fourth months, so (there was) a lot of sacrifice.

"It was the battle I fought before the IPL. I have always worked hard in my life, and it has always given me the result I wanted," added Pandya.

He also said the ongoing series against South Africa is the ideal platform to get into the groove for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

"Every series or every game you play is as important as your last. So, for me, World Cup is the goal, this is the right platform to get into the rhythm and a lot of cricket is going to come back to back. Always being in the rhythm is very important.

"My role will be changed here, I won't be captain, I won't be batting higher up the order and guiding through the innings. This will be back to being the Hardik for which I am known for," Hardik said.

Coming back into international cricket after a long layoff, Hardik fitted seamlessly in the finisher's role, smashing 31 not out from just 12 balls in the first T20 against the Proteas.

In the IPL though, he had batted at No. 4 for Gujarat Titans.

Also Read : Celeste Raack leaves Ireland camp for family reasons before South Africa series

News Source : PTI

2022-06-11 15:33

Celeste Raack leaves Ireland camp for family reasons before South Africa series

(Cricket news) Celeste Raack has been granted personal leave from the Ireland Women’s squad for family illness reasons, as the home side completes final preparations ahead of the first one-day international against South Africa tomorrow at Clontarf Cricket Club – the first-ever match Ireland will play in the ICC Women’s Championship.

Raack will not initially be replaced, with Selectors keeping faith with the remaining 13 players in the squad. However, a further assessment will be made after tomorrow’s game.

Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the 2022-2025 ICC Women’s Championship match-ups that form the qualification route to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Ireland Women are set to host England, Australia, South Africa (starting tomorrow) and Sri Lanka, while the squad will travel to play Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the West Indies over the four-year cycle.

This is the first time that Ireland Women are part of the ICC Women’s Championship, and - along with fellow newcomers Bangladesh - will join Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies as they fight it out for qualification to the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. The tournament hosts (yet to be announced), along with the top five sides in the Championship standings will earn direct entry, while the two remaining spots will be identified through a global qualifier.

Speaking after training today, Ireland captain Gaby Lewis said: “We’ve had a good chat after the end of the T20I series and we’ll take the positives from that series. We’re really excited about the first Women’s Championship games tomorrow. Going into the ODIs, we just need to remind ourselves to focus on getting our processes right and not get too carried away with what the opposition are doing. Apart from Celeste, we’re sticking with the 13 we have and really looking forward to the series.”

The Ireland Women’s squad is:

Gaby Lewis (captain), Alana Dalzell, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Kate McEvoy, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Mary Waldron.

The ODI series dates are:

11 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)
14 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 2nd ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)
17 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 3rd ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)

Also read: India look to level series against South Africa in Cuttack

2022-06-11 12:41

Test of Pant's captaincy as India plot comeback versus Proteas

Cuttack, Jun 11 (Cricket News) Accidental captain Rishabh Pant will expect an improved showing from the India bowlers as he plots a comeback against a marauding South Africa in the second T20 of the five-match series here on Sunday.

Leading India for the first time ever, Pant had to swallow a bitter pill when David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen shot down an imposing 212 with utmost nonchalance to go up 1-0 in the series.

The southpaw also had a forgettable Indian Premier League where he failed to lead Delhi Capitals to the playoffs.

Seen as a future white-ball captain, Pant's stakes have suddenly come down post-IPL and that has coincided with the resurgence of Hardik Pandya.

Returning to full fitness, the pace bowling all-rounder took the IPL by storm not only by his form but by pulling off a coup as he led Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season.

Amid the growing chorus of 'Hardik Pandya -- the next white-ball captain of India', Pant will be under scrutiny again as he masterminds a comeback.

It may still be early days for Pant the leader, but his body language never stood out and he looked under pressure on his captaincy debut. He also made a debatable decision to underbowl the IPL Purple Cap winner Yuzvendra Chahal, fresh from claiming 27 wickets for runners-up Rajasthan Royals. At Kotla, the leggie bowled only two full overs.

As for Pandya, fresh after his historic success with GT, continued from where he left in the IPL.

Pandya, who last played for India in November last year in the 2021 T20 World Cup, dazzled with the bat with a 31 not out from 12 balls to prop the total past 200.

But he failed to impress with the bowl and leaked 18 runs in his only over. The big headache for Pant would be the bowling department where he would have to make a call between Arshdeep Singh and pace gun Umran Malik.

While the batting looks in perfect shape, the new-look pace department looked flat in the series opener.

Seniormost Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not look the same and leaked runs in the death overs, while Harshal Patel too was taken to cleaners.

Youngster Avesh Khan too failed to impress though he was the most economical among the trio.

With the duo of Arshdeep and Malik trying hard to impress at the nets with their pace and accuracy it is likely that one among the duo may be well set for a debut on Saturday.

It would not be an easy task as another slip-up would mean the Pant-led side would have the difficult task of winning three in a row.

Fresh from their individual players' success in the IPL, the Proteas are finding themselves at 'home'.

In the form of his life, Miller who scored 481 runs at 68.71 in the IPL to play a key role in GT's triumph, has started in ominous fashion and looked unstoppable both against spin and pace at Kotla.

Quinton de Kock failed to convert his start but the Lucknow Super Giants batter also scored a bagful of runs (508) in the IPL and he would look to make it count here.

With Van der Dussen also striking it rich, the trio will form the batting backbone, while the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje would look to stop the Indians.

Teams (from) India: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer,Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Match starts at 7pm IST.

Also Read : India look to level series against South Africa in Cuttack

News Source : PTI

2022-06-11 12:27

India look to level series against South Africa in Cuttack

(Cricket news) After losing the first T20I, India are now preparing to take on South Africa in Cuttack. The first match was a tale of two innings for India as their batting was almost perfect while the bowling was way off. South Africa on the other hand will be looking to get a 2-0 lead. The Proteas will be looking to improve their bowling this time around, especially in the power play. Both the teams are likely to name an unchanged playing XI as the conditions shouldn't be too different.

India's possible playing XI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik.

Bench: Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The batting line-up is likely to remain the same. However there might be a few changes in the bowling department. Umran Malik's pace is too much of an asset to be kept on the bench for a long time. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the one likely to be replaced. There is a high chance that India may field an unchanged XI as well.

South Africa possible playing XI:

Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje

Bench: Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen

Aiden Markaram, who missed the last game due to Covid is likely to miss this one as well. Even though the two spinners had a tough game in Delhi, they should be retained in the team. South Africa will be hoping that the two openers stay at the crease for longer. Pretorius is likely to be used as a floater depending on the situation. David Miller is definitely one to look out for as he is in the form of his life.

The dew factor will definitely come into play in Cuttack. The pitch is expected to be slower which is why it could be a low scoring game. A 2-0 deficit will be very difficult for India to come back from. South Africa have already defeated India in Tests and ODIs, now they have taken the lead in T20Is as well. Rishabh Pant has had quite a few criticisms about his captaincy in the last match and he will have a few questions to answer.

Also read: Purpose of playing club cricket was to shift from T20 to red-ball mode: Ashwin

2022-06-11 10:20

Purpose of playing club cricket was to shift from T20 to red-ball mode: Ashwin

Chennai, Jun 10 (Cricket News) R Ashwin turned up for his club team days after a gruelling IPL season and the star India spinner says he did that to get into the red ball cricket mode ahead of the rescheduled fifth Test in England beginning July 1.

The Indian Test team is likely to depart for England on June 15. It will play a warm up game Leicestershire before the Test at Edgbaston.

Ashwin chose to turn out for his club side MRC 'A' in the TNCA First Division semifinal and final just days after being part of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL final.

"The purpose of playing these games (First Division) is to shift from 20 overs to this (red-ball) format...All these things are workload management. As you grow older, you play more and play smarter.

"I am trying to do that. I am enjoying my game. I just want to go there (England) and take it as it comes. I feel I can contribute with the bat and bowl well. I want to keep ticking on my fitness and keep working," the 35-year old spinner told reporters after leading MRC 'A' to their maiden First Division title.

Asked if he had set any targets for himself, Ashwin, who recently overtook the legendary Kapil Dev (434) to become the second highest wicket-taker for India (with 442 scalps) behind ace leg-spinner Anil Kumble (619), he said: "I have worked incredibly hard on my game. I think a lot.

"I have done all these things over the years that I feel I am in a position where I can take it as it comes. I am happy playing the kind of cricket I am playing. I do not want to think too far ahead." Ashwin, who has been keen to ensure Tamil Nadu get back to their dominant ways in the Ranji Trophy, said steps need to be taken to revive the red-ball culture in the state and wished to see the TNCA revert to the three-day or four-day format for the First Division league next year. It is now played on a two-day format.

"I would like to see the First Division go back to the days when I started playing. There was seriously good quality. I wish the TNCA pushes the game to three or four days next year.

"Only if these quality players play back to back against each other, there will be more competition for places. Tamil Nadu cricket, yes, we have done superbly well in the white-ball game.

"If we have to revive the red-ball culture, the First Division is the place where we start. I believe I am giving my 1 per cent by coming back and playing here. With our team, there has been a lot of hard work. There have been a lot of disappointments," he added.

Tamil Nadu, though successful in the white-ball formats (T20 and 50-overs) have not been able to get past the league stage in the last couple of Ranji seasons.

"If you are serious about playing good red-ball cricket, both our fast bowling and our batting against fast bowling definitely need to go up. There are no two ways about it.

"At the moment, there is intent. Our fast bowlers are struggling to find the right length and balance. We have got spin by a dozen; we can manage and all that. In the Ranji Trophy also, when spin comes into play, we come to our own. We know how to do it. Fast bowling is something that we definitely need to work on," he added.

Also Read : IPL Media Rights: Amazon pulls out; Star, Viacom18, Sony, Zee in 4-way race

News Source : PTI

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