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.
Photos of the first Test match between West Indies and England, eing played i Antigua
Ravi Bopara and captain Stuart Broad put on 58 unbroken runs to guide England to a nerve-jangling, three-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second One-day international in North Sound, Antigua, on Sunday. Bopara, 38 not out, and Broad, 28 not out, combined in a patient stand for the eighth wicket as England reached 163 for seven in 44.5 overs, in reply to the West Indies total of 159 all out at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
India's champions from the last edition who will be missed when the action commences in Australia-New Zealand next year.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed five for 52 as Indian bowlers dominated the proceedings to bowl out West Indies for a meagre 196 on Day 1 of the second Test in Jamaica.
Penpix of the West Indies squad for the 2015 cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Ahead of the four-Test series against the West Indies, starting in Antigua, on July 21, Rajneesh Gupta sheds light on India's first tour of the Caribbean.
'There is a Jack Warner or two in every Caribbean parliament today.'
Anjali helped Sachin Tendulkar deal with the debacles during his reign as captain and carry on.
Making their first appearance in the WTA Finals in Singapore, Sania Mirza and Cara Black outplayed Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in their opening match to book their semi-finals berth on Thursday.