India are favoured to extend their dominance while West Indies face insurmountable odds to draw parity, in the second One-day International, in Visakhapatnam, on Wednesday.
It is a delight for a coach when a blend of youth and experience works in tandem to create magic for the team and Anil Kumble isn't complaining either. He couldn't have asked for more in the manner seasoned Ravichandran Ashwin and rookie Jayant Yadav combined to outwit the dogged defiance of a stodgy England line-up during the comprehensive victory in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. While Ashwin is donning the role of an all-rounder batting at No 6, where he is making useful contributions on a regular basis, there are talks about his enormous workload as his phenomenal success in sub-continental conditions is known to one and all.
Ravichandran Ashwin may not be India's highest wicket-taker in the World Cup but the lanky off-spinner is not complaining.
Team India has two members - MS Dhoni and Ishant Sharma - of that victorious 2009 side returning to New Zealand for the One-Day International series, which commences on Sunday. The hosts, however, are almost a completely overhauled unit. The teams may not appear equal on paper but the home advantage is something than should benefit New Zealand. Rajneesh Gupta presents a statistical lowdown of the teams ahead of tour opener in Napier.
Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav's "mature performance" in the ongoing cricket World Cup, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels the duo are on the path to become "world-class" bowlers and have been the key to India's success in the tournament.
Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped down the ladder to No 4 and 10 respectively, while Shikhar Dhawan retained the seventh rung in the latest Reliance ICC ODI batsmen's rankings, released on Monday.
Insisting that India are currently playing the "best cricket of the World Cup", West Indies batting legend Brian Lara feels that the defending champions must test their bench strength against minnows UAE in a Pool B match in Perth.
'Aggressive intent' was the key behind India's overwhelming success against New Zealand in the Test series and the hosts aim to continue playing the same brand of cricket in the upcoming five-match ODI series, middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane said, in Dharamsala, on Friday.
Reclaiming the No. 1 spot has not satiated Virat Kohli's hunger for success and the Indian captain said the team will at no point 'take the foot off the pedal' as he set his sights on holding on to the No. 1 ranking for a prolonged period.
Zaheer Khan feels that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's form will be key to India' title defence as they get ready to face arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup in less than a week's time.
India were 227 for eight in their second innings at stumps on the third day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand at the Edens Garden on Kolkata on Sunday. India, thus, took an overall lead of 339 runs over New Zealand with two wickets in hand. Rohit Sharma made 82 while Wriddhiman Saha was unbeaten on 39 along side Bhuvneshwar Kumar (8 not out).
On a roll after five wins on the trot, table toppers Mumbai Indians will look to continue their domination when they clash with struggling Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League game, in Mumbai, on Saturday.
India beat New Zealand by 197 runs to win the opening Test in Kanpur and take a 1-0 in the 3-Test match series.
Sitting atop the points table, Kolkata Knight Riders would look to consolidate their position when they clash with an equally confident Delhi Daredevils in what promises to be a thrilling IPL encounter, in New Delhi, on Monday.
Former Australian fast bowling great Brett Lee is worried at the alarming trend of young quicks putting an effort on beefing up upper body which in turn is adversely affecting the quality of speed merchants. Lee was forthright when asked about the absence of genuinely quick bowlers at the moment. "I just think that we have to keep promoting wickets where bowlers can bowl quick. I don't think bowlers are training correctly, there is a lot of emphasis and too much importance only on guys lifting heavy weights. Gym work is good only if it's done correctly, it has to be high on intensity and low on weights," Lee told PTI in New Delhi during an interaction.
Up-and-coming Karnataka batsman Lokesh Rahul and Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Karn Sharma were named in India's 19-man Test squad for the tour of Australia, which was announced after the selection committee of the Board for Control of Cricket in India met in Mumbai on Monday morning. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss the opening Test, from December 4, at the Gabba in Brisbane, because of an injury and Virat Kohli will stand in for him.
Mohun Bagan batsman Arindam Ghosh, who represents Railways in the Ranji Trophy, on Monday became the first player to score a century in a pink ball match in India in the Cricket Association of Bengal's four-day Super League final between Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Kohli was at his aggressive best in the just-concluded second Test against Sri Lanka as he smashed a strokeful 213 off 267 balls to help India amass a huge first innings total.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead the Indian team for the limited overs tour of Zimbabwe starting June 11, while top stars like Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have been rested.
David Warner and Glenn Maxwell struck blistering centuries as Australia flexed their batting muscles to expose defending champion India's bowling limitations in a World Cup warmup match in Adelaide on Sunday.
India may have had a terrible Australian summer so far, but commentator Harsha Bhogle said that putting in hard-yards against the No 1 ODI side would have certainly made the 'Men in Blue' battle-ready for the cricket World Cup.
Images from the sixth ODI of the tri-series, between India and England, on Friday.
Their path to the semi-finals looking relatively easier in comparison, Australia will fancy their chances when they lock horns with a struggling Pakistan side whose hopes hangs by a thread in the ICC World Twenty20, in Mohali, on Friday.
Struggling teams Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab take on each other in an Indian Premier League match in Mohali on Sunday as they desperately seek to get back to winning ways to stay in the hunt for a play-offs berth.
Team India manager Arshad Ayub, speaking exclusively to Rediff.com's Manu Shankar, says he won't be surprised if India does well on the upcoming tour of Australia.
Should India drop Rohit Sharma and bring in an extra spinner? Or should fast bowler Umesh Yadav make way for Amit Mishra?
Effusive in his praise for the Indian cricket team, former captain Sunil Gavaskar, on Tuesday, said after dominating at home, Virat Kohli's men now need to produce results in overseas conditions.
So you could relate to where the critics and the analysts were coming from. In many ways, they weren't too far off the mark. Had it not been for Bhuvneshwar Kumar's lack of fitness going into the tournament, and Ishant's injury, Shami could well have been ruled out of leading the Indian attack this World Cup.
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Virat Kohli was focus personified as India geared up to take on a traditionally pace-heavy South Africa in their upcoming ICC World Cup match.
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.
Help coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli in selecting India's best 11 for the first Test against the West Indies.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the important numbers after the fifth week of IPL 2020.
Rain played spoilsport on Day 2 of the first Test between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval. It caused three interruptions, but in the 30 overs that were bowled, Australia captain Michael Clarke did well to fight off pain and score 128, and Steve Smith a career-best 162 not out, as India's hapless bowling attack got a beating. At stumps, Australia were 517 for 7. A look at the statistical highlights from the start-stop day.
Team India, set for a gruelling tour of Australia, looked in top gear as they practiced diligently during a nets session on the eve of the first Test in Adelaide on Monday.
There was no toss and India were allowed to bowl first. The players and officials, wearing black armbands, observed a minute's silence before the start of the play. India ended the day 99-2
'I think it is very difficult to compare (M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli) because both have different teams and different attitude' 'If you do not win matches abroad, you cannot become number one in the world'
After a long time in the series the hosts has a little to worry about. New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling admitted that a long, hard battle lies ahead of their batsmen in the second Test against India after the visitors took a formidable 246-run first innings lead, riding on Ajinkya Rahane's maiden Test ton in Wellington on Saturday.
'376 was always tough (to chase) but the bowlers fought throughout and that's something we can take to Indore. Hopefully, we can play some fear-free cricket to put India under pressure'
Former captain Kapil Dev on Monday expressed amazement at the pace at which the current Indian cricket team settled into a formidable outfit despite losing, one after another, some of the world's top players over the last few years. "There is no team in the world, after losing their legendary players, bounced back quicker than this Indian team. Normally, once the great players go in a bunch, a team needs at least five to seven years to come back. But this Indian team has come back so quickly, I have never seen something like this. I am amazed," Kapil told PTI in New Delhi.
Paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar scalped four wickets as India hit back with two late strikes to wrest the initiative on Day 2 of the second Test against England despite Gary Ballance's gutsy century at Lord's, on Friday.
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