England skipper Eoin Morgan would like to believe his team peaked at the right time at the ongoing World Twenty20 while New Zealand were slightly premature going into Wednesday's semi-final at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Kane Williamson and his Kiwi team mates have not put a foot wrong since landing in India, winning all four group matches without really breaking a sweat to qualify for the semi-finals as the tournament's only unbeaten team. For a side boasting an explosive batting order and a balanced attack to go with, England's passage proved bumpier. Even before they could soak in the atmosphere, England were blown away by a Chris Gayle century in their tournament opener against West Indies in Mumbai.
The 55-year-old had previously suggested that Twenty20 internationals should be stopped to alleviate players' schedules.
The selectors have much to ponder after England slumped to a crushing 405-run defeat by Australia in the second Ashes Test at Lord's with calls for change in the top order coming a week after the team were lauded for their first-test victory.
After picking up pretty much every individual honour on offer in a spectacular 2015, Australia captain Steve Smith has a more collective goal in his sights this year -- restoring his country to the top of the Test rankings.
The Emmy nominations for 2018.
East Bengal rode on substitute Ryuji Sueoka's second-half strike to scrape past Semen Padang of Indonesia 1-0 in the home-leg of AFC Cup quarter-finals at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday.
He has no qualms in conceding that England will be underdogs in the upcoming Test series against India but captain Alastair Cook feels that status itself will take a the pressure off his side and make it more competitive in the five-match rubber, starting in Rajkot on November 9.
His goal of 18 majors is in serious doubt, but five years after his precipitous fall from grace a rehabilitated Tiger Woods is entering the next phase of his career heading toward making another billion.
'He has to sit down and ask himself is he the man to energise this England side for seven Test matches in the summer'
India's bowling coach Joe Dawes has affirmed that he was not sacked by the BCCI instead they parted ways "amicably" even as he was very much interested in working with the team at the upcoming World Cup.
The all-powerful working committee meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will take place in Chennai on Friday to discuss about deferring the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a longer tenure for team director Ravi Shastri, who in all likelihood would be requested to guide India till next year's World Cup.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who was among the top-order batsmen who failed to click in the five-Test series against England that India lost 1-3, has sought permission to play in the remainder of the English county season and will be allowed to do so by the Board.
The last time he took charge, Ravi Shastri gave the Indian team a new josh after the 2007 World Cup debacle. Can he do so this time as well?
Sikh men, women and children found in a shipping container in Britain were fleeing persecution in Afghanistan and had been trapped in the airless compartment without food or water for 18 hours, their translator said on Monday.
Australia captain Michael Clarke said the way his side bounced back at the World Cup after their defeat by New Zealand should encourage them following a crushing loss in the first Ashes Test.
England batsman Joe Root believes if they stay true to their character, it will not be a problem to beat West Indies in the ICC World Twenty20 summit clash on Sunday. "I don't think there's been an attitude swing or the way we approach practice or anything like that. We went into the tournament and stayed true to what we believe in as a side and the way we play our cricket. I think that's probably been the most important thing," Root said ahead of the final. The promising youngster struck a match-winning 83 from 44 balls to script their famous win against South Africa chasing a huge 230 as they have not looked back since then. "It's about making sure that we did not go away how we wanted to play and the way we wanted to approach our cricket. Having that self-belief in each other and we could get and win against South Africa and build our confidence from that point onwards. Everyone contributed in some way, shape or form which is always nice getting into the final," Root said. He however credited the captain and coach duo of Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss for this turnaround, especially after their ignominous exit in ODI World Cup in Australia last year where they had failed to get past any team apart from minnows Scotland and Afghanistan.
'Unless Indian bowlers work with the correct information, the right mindset and the learning that encourages pace and accuracy together, they won't be able to maximise their talent,' says English bowling coach Ian Pont.
Gaganjeet Bhullar put himself in a fine position for a top-10 finish as he carded a seven-under 65 to move to tied ninth place at the halfway stage of the Tshwane Open in Centurion.
India has gone through this exercise twice, and here's what happened then.
Former Australia captain Richie Benaud, the celebrated 'voice of cricket' in the commentary box, has died at the age of 84 after battling skin cancer.
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.
With only a day to go for the start of the much-anticipated five-match Test series between India and England, all eyes would be on aggressive skipper Virat Kohli as he readies to motivate his boys and avenge the 2012 home series loss against Alastair Cook's men.
Yusuf Pathan has said his big-hitting skills are intact.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Anirban Lahiri battled tough weather conditions and somewhat inconsistent breaks in the second round as he made the cut for the weekend at the prestigious Augusta Masters.
Under fire after a below-par show on a good batting strip, the Indian spinners will aim for an improved show on a comparatively more helpful track as they take on a gritty England in the second Test, starting in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
Former batsman V V S Laxman believes tinkering with Team India's support staff is not a viable option and newly-appointed team director Ravi Shastri and coach Duncan Fletcher should stay till the 2015 World Cup.
Cricket is a team sport, but there are instances where an individual performance outdid all. Such efforts, coincidentally, occur at critical junctures, and turn the outcome of the game on its head. Rediff.com takes a look at few such one-man shows at the World Cup.
Coach Trevor Bayliss claimed that Kolkata Knight Riders have made a smooth transition from Sunil Narine to Brad Hogg but added that his side still want the West Indian mystery spinner back as soon as possible, in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
Former Australia captain, Dean Jones, is of the view that India Test captain Virat Kohli must have a say in picking the next coach and also says that changing staff again and again isn't a solution for the team.
Carlos Brathwaite's inclusion will lift the spirits of Delhi Daredevils.
The Indian cricket team is not losing sleep over the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) in the five-Test series against England commencing in Rajkot on Wednesday with captain Virat Kohli saying the referral process is not rocket science. "Well there is no rocket science on DRS. As a cricketer you understand, you have a fair idea of where the ball has hit the pad, whether it has pitched in line or hit in line. "Those are pretty basic things in cricket. You don't have to necessarily go through a course for DRS," said the home team captain on the eve of the series opener at the SCA stadium in Rajkot.
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More than 60 years ago, a bicycle thief in Louisville, Kentucky, unknowingly set in motion one of the most amazing sports careers in history.
Bikash Mohapatra salutes boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
'There is a Jack Warner or two in every Caribbean parliament today.'
'As the IAF kicks off another round of myth-making -- launching a year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 India-Pakistan war -- it is worth remembering how little there was to celebrate in those September days when the underdog PAF got the better of the IAF in raid after raid, dogfight after dogfight.'
From Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, Imran Khan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, these cricketers, among others, etched their names in the annuls of cricketing history with heroic efforts that helped their teams clinch the big prize of One-day cricket. With the 2015 edition of the cricket World Cup starting on February 14, we bring you a brief history of finals from 1975-2011...
Haresh Pandya recounts one of the biggest upsets in One-day cricket.
During his tenure as captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gone from being extremely cautious to trying something fancy, hoping to catch the opponent by surprise. However, mostly, he's ended up with egg on the face, especially overseas.