There was general consensus in Australia on Wednesday that retaining the Ashes this year got a little bit harder after the appointment of wily compatriot Trevor Bayliss as England's new head coach.
The bilateral talks took place as the formal heads of government meeting got underway in London on Thursday, following a formal launch by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
India's middle-order mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara scored his last half-century six innings ago but the Saurashtra batsman is 'not too worried' about his own form, saying he is happy as long as he is contributing in the team's success.
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The challenge for Virat Kohli's team is not just winning the four-Test series, but winning it handsomely.
'The moment you are representing your country, you are supposed to do whatever you are assigned. When I was carrying drinks during the Champions Trophy, I had no ego issues. That's how I am as a person' 'The biggest lesson of life for me is to keep things simple'
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
Masaba Gupta gets ready for the next phase in her life: her wedding.
Roston Chase joined an elite group, scoring an unbeaten century as West Indies staged a great escape in the second Test against India in Jamaica on Wednesday.
The weather stands in the way of India going 2-0 up in the series after rain forced an early end to play on day four with the West Indies in deep trouble at 48/4 in their second innings and 256 runs behind the visitors, in Kingston, on Tuesday.
India spinner R Ashwin said he was surprised with West Indies' decision to bat first on a sticky wicket, even as he returned with a five-wicket haul on the opening day to dismiss the hosts for a paltry 196 in the second cricket Test in Kingston, Jamaica.
Fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who took four wickets in the first innings to help India enforce the follow-on, said considering the slow nature of the pitch, bowling as many maiden overs as possible was their plan to create pressure on the West Indies' batsmen.
India's skipper Virat Kohli scored a splendid unbeaten century to guide his team to a comfortable 302 for the loss of four wickets at stumps on day one of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua on Thursday. At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Kohli carried his limited-overs form into Tests and scored an effortless 143 off 197 balls, which was laced with 16 boundaries.
The pitch was slow and shot-making difficult but India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said these factors cannot cover up for the fact that batsmen 'let the team down' in the lost fourth One-Day International against West Indies, on Sunday.
India's star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that his team will look to come hard at the West Indies batsmen in the first innings and knock them over early during the four-Test series.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
West Indies fast bowling legend Curtly Ambrose says Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar were two of the greatest batsmen of their generation, but it is difficult to compare them because both were so different.
Ajinkya Rahane scored his seventh Test hundred to help India take a huge first innings lead before rain forced play to be called off early on day three of the second Test against the West Indies, in Jamaica, on Monday.
Indian bowlers, with the exception of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, were far from impressive as they struggled for wickets on the third and final day of the second tour match against the West Indies Board President's XI which ended in a draw in Basseterre, St. Kitts on Saturday.
Ravindra Jadeja continued his impressive form in India's second and final tour match against West Indies Board President's XI as he followed up his three-wicket spell with a fine half-century on the second day.
As India kicks off its run in the World Test Championships on Thursday, Rajneesh Gupta tells you all you need to know about the India-West Indies on-field rivalry.
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq equalled Viv Richards's record for the fasTest Test century while his team stood six wickets away from a memorable 2-0 series win against Australia on Sunday.
After so many false dawns, West Indies cricket fans will be wary of reading too much into Sunday's third Test win over England but in drawing the three Test series, the Caribbean side showed some significant signs of improvement.
A patient 94 not out from Marlon Samuels helped West Indies recover against England to end the first day of the second Test on 188 for five in Grenada on Tuesday.
Americans wear garments made all over the English-knowing world.
Dhoni's diverse talents make him an invaluable asset to the Indian side. But it will be his batting that will keep him afloat, says Dhruv Munjal.
Rajneesh Gupta salutes Tamim Iqbal's courage in the Asia Cup's opening game on Saturday and lists instances where cricketers braved injuries to battle it out for their teams.
Indian cricket team's batting coach Sanjay Bangar praised Ravichandran Ashwin for "brilliantly" fitting in the role of a No 6 batsman in the current Test squad stating that the Tamil Nadu all-rounder has now given more option to management in terms of combination. After a century in the first Test, Ashwin against bailed India out of trouble with an unbeaten 75 after a top-order collapse that saw India reeling at 126 for five on the first day of the third Test.
India recovered to 234 for five at stumps on Day One of the third Test against the West Indies, courtesy an unbeaten 108-run stand between Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha.
Injuries of varying proportions have occurred on the cricket field, some fatal while others life altering. Rediff.com gives you a lowdown of 10 most critical injuries in cricket.
"Extremely satisfied" with his maiden Test double hundred, India skipper Virat Kohli says the feat has helped him wipe off the memories of his disappointing debut tour to the Caribbean in 2011 when he had struggled with the bat.
Former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh hailed the BCCI decision of appointing Anil Kumble as the chief coach terming the leg-spinner as someone who has "his heart in right place". "I think it is a very good move. He is a very well respected person, and someone who is involved with the ICC as well," Walsh, who has 519 Test and 227 ODI wickets said. Walsh, who is also a national selector, was present in St Kitts to watch the warm-up games and was seen enjoying dinner with the Indian coach.
Rajneesh Gupta brings all Yuvraj Singh's numbers from different formats of cricket.
In terms of days, Dale Steyn has spent 2,320 days at the top of the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, the most by any bowler since World War II.
England openers Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott made a solid start in reply to West Indies' total of 299 by reaching 74 without loss on the second day of the second Test on Wednesday.
Former England paceman Mathew Hoggard urges England cricket to have shift in mindset
The Indian spin troika's inability to get breakthroughs on a good batting track was exposed once again as the first cricket Test against England meandered towards a draw after a solid century stand by the visiting team's openers here on the penultimate day. - Scorecard: After India were all out for 488 in their first innings, thereby conceding a first innings lead of 49 runs, England openers Alastair Cook (46 batting) and teenager Haseeb Hameed (62 batting) added 114 runs in 37 overs to take the lead to 163 runs.
Stung by a remarkable fightback from West Indies on the final day of the rain-hit second Test, India will have to look at their bowling combinations and get back to winning ways when the third cricket Test begins in St. Lucia, on Tuesday.
India's Test captain Virat Kohli says he thinks like a batsman even when he is leading the side in the field and that mindset helps him place fielders accordingly. A pertinent example of this working out a batsman was when Kraigg Brathwaite was batting on 70-plus in the first innings of the first Test which India won comprehensively. The fact that the big hitting batsman was looking to play for time allowed the Indian skipper to optimise his fields, setting a tight leg-side cordon of five fielders within the circle, three of them in catching positions. With Umesh Yadav bowling short, the batsman was cramped for room and ended up edging a rising delivery instead of attempting to pull it.
West Indies must find a way to turn the undoubted talent in their ranks into consistent performances that will win Test series, former fast bowler Curtly Ambrose said on Thursday.
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