Rohit Sharma played a captain's knock and struck an unbeaten 68, while Kieron Pollard smashed 51 not out in just 17 balls to power defending champions Mumbai Indians to a comfortable six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match.
At stumps on day four, with an hour's play lost because of the weather, Sri Lanka were 109 for three, requiring a further 296 runs to pull off an epic victory.
A clutch of Indian stars led by India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli are either sidelined or ruled out of this edition of the tournament, lessening the wow factor of the IPL.
Standing in as skipper for the injured AB de Villiers and without pace spearhead Dale Steyn for all but a day and a half of the campaign, the 32-year-old batsman delivered a 2-1 series triumph that sent Australia plummeting into crisis.
'That was a morning where if I wanted to fly, I would have flown as well.'
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped India snatch a 4-wicket win after the Indian batsmen faced an early hiccup in their run-chase on Friday. Here are the statistical highlights from that ICC World Cup Pool B match between India and West Indies played at the WACA in Perth.
Jason Holder is hoping to lead a very different West Indies side into Friday's World Cup clash against South Africa to that which was crushed 4-1 in a One-Day International series last month.
The South Africa fast bowler said he had made the difficult decision to sign a four-year contract with Hampshire to ensure his financial security.
It seems that Pakistan's long-standing wait to end their drought of international cricket at home is finally coming to an end as West Indies are mulling to tour the country for the two-match T20 series in March this year, subject to an agreement from the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) and security clearance. "There is an offer [from the PCB] to play two T20 matches in Pakistan, subject to Players' Association agreement and security clearance," ESPNcricinfo quoted Roland Holder, WICB manager of cricket operations, as saying.
Ireland shocked former champions West Indies by four wickets in a Pool B match in the ICC World Cup at Saxton Field in Nelson.
With Yuvraj Singh's injury-forced ouster disturbing their settled line-up, India have been left with a selection dilemma to handle as they gear up to take on the flamboyant and unpredictable West Indies in what promises to be a battle of nerves in the World Twenty20 semifinal in Mumbai on Thursday. Yuvraj, who has not got big runs but was involved in crucial stands with top performer Virat Kohli during the group stage matches, has been ruled out owing to an ankle injury that he sustained in the must-win game against Australia. Manish Pandey, not in the original 15, has been penciled in to replace the all-rounder in the squad although Ajinkya Rahane is also present as a viable alternative. But it remains to be seen whether skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chooses between the two or decides to go with rookie all-rounder Pawan Negi.
Ajinkya Rahane cracked a superb half-century to power Rising Pune Supergiants to a competitive 160-5 against Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Sunday.
Oscar nominations 2014: According to Raja Sen, this year's chosen ones are (mostly) loud and showy examples of the best in the craft.
It is a spread so full, rich and varied it'd satisfy most cinematic gluttons.
India's leading off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin can use the IPL as a platform to revive his dwindling career in limited overs cricket, feels veteran batsman Subramaniam Badrinath.
For the Gujarat Lions to roar, their top-heavy batting order must first win in unison against a consistent KKR bowling attack.
Handicapped by the absence of key strike bowler Dale Steyn, South Africa will need to dig deep into their reserves if they are to beat England in the third Test and bring parity to the series.
War-torn Afghanistan, playing only their third match after being inducted as a Test-playing nation two years ago, completed a famous victory by defeating Bangladesh by 224 runs with 3.2 overs left on the final day on Monday.
Rajneesh Gupta profiles the cricketers playing the World Cup 2019.
Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by two runs in a low-scoring Indian Premier League match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
The odds are in favour of table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders as they square off against defending champions Mumbai Indians, experiencing a campaign that is oscillating between high and low, in a potentially exciting Indian Premier League contest in Mumbai, on Thursday.
India registered a resounding victory in the T20 series-opener against Australia, and following their clinical performance Sunil Gavaskar feels the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will start as favourites at the upcoming World Twenty20 at home.
Asserting that the Indian Premier League is a great platform to sharpen skills, legendary pacer Wasim Akram said Pakistan and England are losing out big time by their players not playing in the cash-rich Twenty20 cricket tournament.
IMAGES from the match between KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad played at Eden Gardens on Saturday
India's chances of advancing to the final suffered a blow after they went down 1-2 to defending champions New Zealand in their penultimate round-robin league match of the 25th Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament at Ipoh in Malaysia. Goals from Ken Russell (28th minute) and Nick Wilson (41st) clinched victory for defending champions New Zealand, who managed to weather the hot and humid conditions better than the Indians, whose only goal came from Mandeep Singh in the 36th minute. Wilson's match-winner resulted from a defensive error committed by the Indians as they failed to clear the ball properly in their own striking circle. New Zealand benefitted from the loose ball in the Indian circle in the 41st minute, when a reverse shot from the goal-line was padded by the Indian goalkeeper and deflected to the middle. Defender Harmanpreet failed to connect in his reflex attempt to push the ball out and Wilson had the easiest task of shooting into the goal for what turned out to be the match-winner for the Black Sticks
Chris Woakes took 5 for 19 as England claimed a comfortable nine-wicket victory in their first official World Cup warm-up match after dismissing a hapless West Indies for 122 in 29.3 overs on Monday.
The Indian men's hockey team suffered a 2-3 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in a hard-fought encounter of the Four-Nations Invitational Tournament here on Saturday. India knew that they would have to do most of the attacking in the opening periods of the game. The first quarter followed that pattern, India dominating the possession statistics, and creating several circle penetrations but unable to offer clear opportunities on goal.
The second World Twenty20 semi-final is likely to hinge on who emerges on top in the battle between the big-hitting West Indian batsmen and India's wily spinners when the former champions clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Backing Virat Kohli's five-bowler theory to win Test matches, former batsman Russel Arnold said that the Indian pace attack has the variety to match their Sri Lankan counterparts.
Images from Thursday's IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, in Kolkata.
Perera did not take dressing room help for DRS review: SLC
After a jittery start, Chennai Super Kings will look for a turnaround to get their campaign back on track when they take on South African team Nashua Dolphins in a Group A match of Champions League T20 in Bangalore on Monday.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith expects an even contest between bat and ball to set up a thrilling finale in the series-deciding third Test against Australia at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders would look to return to winning ways.
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill sent the ball soaring and the records tumbling by striking a World Cup record of 237.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the important numbers of IPL 2020.
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.
The Knight Riders have outplayed Rajasthan both in the home and away games this season.
Minnows Scotland came up just four runs short of a famous upset in a World warm-up match.
Factbox on the cricket World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland.
