A second-string India just about managed to survive an embarrassing defeat at the hands of a fighting Zimbabwe as the visitors huffed and puffed to a narrow four-run win to take 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series in Harare.
A career that almost always fell apart after promising to fall into place -- Ambati Rayudu will be remembered as someone who could not live up to his rare cricketing talent, undone by a mercurial demeanour that often led to run-ins with authorities. His cricketing journey ended abruptly on Wednesday after a heart-breaking and baffling World Cup snub.
Fast bowler Vernon Philander will return to international action for the first time in eight months after a freak injury when he plays for South Africa A against Zimbabwe A in Harare in a four-day match starting on Saturday. The 31-year-old has been sidelined since November after damaging ankle ligaments playing a warm-up game of soccer while on tour with South Africa in India.
Zimbabwe suffered a humiliating nine-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka after being bowled out for just 67 in the second one-day international in Harare on Saturday. Spinner Ajantha Mendis took four for 15 and was ably assisted by pacemen Farveez Maharoof (three for 26) and Thilina Thushara (two for 17).
A Zimbabwean batting collapse ensured Sri Lanka an easy win in Harare on Thursday in the first of the five one-day internationals.
Sanath Jayasuriya scored a superb 130 as Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 132 runs in their Asia Cup match.
The India ODI and T20 captain will be next seen in action in October during the limited overs leg of the series against New Zealand.
Medium pacer Tinashe Panyangara has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series and three T20 internationals against India with a back injury, while Graeme Cremer returned to lead the side in both forms of the game. The 30-year-old Panyangara will not be part of the three ODIs and three T20Is owing to a back injury, according to 'ESPNcricinfo'. Taurai Muzarabani, who has played six ODIs and seven T20Is, was picked in Panyangara's place. Though he was sacked as captain, Hamilton Masakadza retained his place in both sides. Graeme Cremer, who missed the 2016 World T20 with injury, returned and will lead both squads of 18 men each.
Zimbabwe axed their coach Dav Whatmore and captain Hamilton Masakadza just days before the arrival of India for a five-match limited-overs tour.
Pacer Suranga Lakmal shone with the ball to help Sri Lanka steamroll India by seven wickets in the first one-day international in Dharamsala on Sunday.
Batsman Darren Bravo has been dropped from the West Indies squad in Zimbabwe for a triangular one-day international series because of "unacceptable behaviour", the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said on Saturday.
Statistical highlights of the third day's play between India and Sri Lanka in the first Test at the SSC in Colombo on Friday.
Elton Chigumbura blasted a quickfire half-century as Zimbabwe shocked favourites India by two runs in a thrilling finish, in the first T20 International match in Harare, on Saturday.
Middle-order batsman Umar Akmal hit an unbeaten 38 from 28 balls as Pakistan wrapped up the two-match Twenty20 international series against Zimbabwe with a 15-run victory at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
It will be a different sort of challenge for Mahendra Singh Dhoni when he captains a new-look Indian cricket team against Zimbabwe in the first ODI of a short series starting in Harare on Saturday.
India trounced Bangladesh in the second Test in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Sunday winning by an innings and 239 runs in just three days.
How rare is it for two players to score hundreds on captaincy debut in the same series? Virat Kohli got two when he led India in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. Now, Steven Smith got one in his first Test as captain in the ongoing second Test at Brisbane.
It is the first time that India have made a clean sweep in a Test series in the West Indies.
Placed eighth in the International Cricket Council's T20 batting charts, captain Virat Kohli will look to improve his and Team India's rankings in the upcoming series against Ireland and England.
Propelled by the embarrassing loss to minnows Zimbabwe, Pakistan fell two rungs down the list to sixth in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Saturday.
They were released from police custody on Wednesday after being questioned about their foreign exchange dealings.
When Vinoo Mankad ran out Bill Brown, he created cricketing history -- and eternal controversy.
Shahriar Nafees became the first batsman from Bangladesh to score two centuries in One-Day Internationals when he hit an unbeaten 123 against Zimbabwe in a Champions Trophy qualifying match.
Gary Brent and Sean Williams shared seven wickets as Zimbabwe won the second one-day international by eight wickets.
His return to form will be welcome news for Australia whose top-order batsmen have failed to fire in two successive defeats by England in the five-Test Ashes series.
Disgraced batsman David Warner's hopes of playing in the third Ashes Test looked slim on Friday after he failed in both innings of Australia A's tour match against a Zimbabwe Select XI in Harare.
Zimbabwe could return to Test cricket in six months, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said on Tuesday.
Only 5 batsmen have hit a six to take their team to victory when they needed 4 or more off the final ball.
Pakistan-born cricketer Sikander Raza, who recently made his debut against Bangladesh in a home series, has been named in the 16-member Zimbabwe squad, led by Brendon Taylor that will take on India in a five match ODI series starting July 24, in Harare.
Zimbabwe are close to accepting an invitation to play in Pakistan next month in a One-Day International series that could mark the first visit by a Test-playing nation since 2009.
Zimbabwe's young skipper Prosper Utseya says his team has the wherewithal to pull off a few upsets in the upcoming Champions Trophy.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson scored 90 to lay the foundations for a 38-run victory over Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Friday which gave the Kiwis the three-match one-day international series 2-1.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said Zimbabwe could return to Test cricket in six months.
Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar has been sidelined for four weeks with a fractured thumb.
The Durban defeat is the seventh instance since 2000 when India lost the next Test after gaining a 1-0 lead in the series.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane credited his spinners for exploiting the slow pitch to the optimum as India sealed the three-match series against Zimbabwe with a comfortable 62-run win in the second ODI in Harare.
Now only Sachin Tendulkar - with 35 hundreds - is ahead of Lara in Test cricket.
Australia's batsmen made mincemeat of a listless Indian bowling attack at Jaipur in the second ODI to post a massive 359 for 5, and also set a new world record in the process with their top five compiling individual half centuries.
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