Skipper Rohit Sharma will be desperate to get back to form as a resurgent India look to set their record straight against hosts Sri Lanka in the third match of the Nidahas Tri-Series, in Colombo, on Monday.
Arson attacks continued on Wednesday and Muslim-owned businesses were targeted by the mobs.
'Even though the immediate past has not been good we are looking for a new leaf to start with'
'In the leadership of Ganguly and a foreign coach, a much brighter phase of Indian cricket began.' 'India played the way I had wished throughout my playing career.' 'Dhoni brought calmness into Indian cricket.' 'Under Dhoni India started winning tight games, with the captain himself leading by example.'
Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim took four wickets to spin Pakistan to a 13-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur on Sunday said that the board is not averse to having different coaches for different formats in future just like Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni captaining teams across Tests and limited overs respectively.
Pakistan have named Azhar Ali as their One-day captain following the retirement of Misbah-ul-Haq from One-Day Internationals after this month's World Cup.
'Virat, as a captain, is very positive and will back an attacking bowler. He will possibly believe that Kuldeep has more to offer than Ashwin or Jadeja, and then that's the route Virat will take. And then the wrist spinner has to perform, and replicate with the red ball what he has done with the white ball. We won't know until he is given a go'
'The past few weeks in England will be remembered as much for Kohli's skilled conquest of his English demons as they will be for his dreadful reading of pitches, curious selection choices, sporadic tactical lapses, and overall inability to help his side cross the finish line,' notes Dhruv Munjal.
Rain played spoilsport on the opening day, washing out more than two sessions, after India had recovered to 50 for two in their first innings in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, on Friday.
Harbhajan Singh was overcome by a sense of deja vu while watching Kuldeep Yadav's hat-trick. He feels the feat will make the young spinner an indispensable part of the Team India set-up, just like him, after that epic 2001 series.
The world's top-ranked Test bowler said it's nice to have these numbers, but 'I have had a lot better moments in my cricketing career', after attaining the milestone. 'There was a period when I actually didn't want to have a ball in my hand, I think I just needed maybe two or three weeks off to get that love back again'
Former captain Mahela Jayawardene hit a classy unbeaten century to help Sri Lanka close on 305 for five on the first day of the second Test against South Africa in Colombo on Thursday. In a chanceless six hours at the crease, Jayawardene finished on 140 not out off 225 balls, including one six and 16 fours, to give Sri Lanka a solid start in their bid to level the two-match series.
West Indies head into World Cup with little or no expectations of success.
JP Duminy scored his fourth Test century and his first in the subcontinent to steer South Africa to a first innings total of 455 for nine wickets declared on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Maldivian President Mohammed Waheed on Wednesday said that all the three candidates for the country's controversy-ridden presidential election have reached a consensus on holding the poll on November 9.
Australia will play their first Test series in Sri Lanka in more than five years, with a three-match series beginning on July 26 in Kandy. The Australians will embark on a two-month tour of the island nation from July 11, playing three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 Internationals. Steve Smith's side leapfrogged India in February to finish the latest 12-month period in first spot on the ICC Test Championship table, while Sri Lanka have dropped to seventh place after a disappointing year following the retirements of legendary batting duo Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena. Only three members of the Australian side that beat the Black Caps in their most recent Test series - Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle and Usman Khawaja - have experienced Test cricket in Sri Lanka.
It remains to be seen if reserve opener Ajinkya Rahane, the only player not to get a game in this series, would be included in place of Rohit Sharma or Shikhar Dhawan.
'We have five to six bowlers and everyone is different from each other.' 'Someone has got pace, someone has got swing, someone has got seam... we complement each other well.'
Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was approached by Sourav Ganguly to turn out for Bengal in the upcoming domestic season. The offer that was so exciting that the India discard had to seek an emotional move from Hyderabad.
Veteran Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga says he will assess his future in international cricket after the current limited overs series against India, saying he will call it quits the moment his performance drops.
Maithripala Sirisena, who scored a stunning victory, was on Friday sworn-in as Sri Lankan president, bringing the curtains down on the 10-year rule of Mahinda Rajapaksa, marking a smooth transition of power.
Take a look at images from events that caught our attention in the week gone by.
Maithripala Sirisena, the Sri Lankan president-elect, will be sworn-in on Friday evening following his stunning victory in the tightest-ever presidential race that ended the 10-year-rule of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Skipper Angelo Mathews and opener Kaushal Silva hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka take a 166-run first innings lead against Pakistan and push for a series-levelling victory on day two of the second Test on Friday.
Kusal Mendis led a strong Sri Lankan second innings effort but the West Indies still held the advantage at stumps on day four of the first Test at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Saturday. Set a daunting target of 453 when the hosts declared their second innings at 223 for seven just after lunch, the visitors reached 176 for three by the close with Mendis unbeaten on 94.
Mayank Agarwal, who was the third opener for the West Indies series, is a contender for the yet-to-be-decided squad of 17 that will travel Down Under.
Kumar Sangakkara laid the foundation before Angelo Mathews completed a nervy chase as Sri Lanka beat England by six wickets in the fourth One-Day International.
Fast bowler Dhammika Prasad picked up four wickets as hosts Sri Lanka bundled out West Indies for 163 to take a first-innings lead on the second day of the second and final Test at the P Sara Oval on Friday.
Ajinkya Rahane rated his knock of 132 against Sri Lanka as one his best on spin-friendly tracks as he predicted tough times for batsmen in the remainder of the second Test.
India's Virat Kohli slipped a rung but is still the best-placed Indian batsman in third position in the latest the International Cricket Council One-Day batsmen's rankings released on Tuesday.
Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock feels Virat Kohli sees a bit of himself in Hardik Pandya and predicted a long run for the all-rounder in the Indian team.
Sri Lanka's chairman of selectors Sanath Jayasuriya has said that the hastily-arranged five-match ODI series in India, to be held in early next month, will help the fringe players prove their worth before next year's World Cup.
Suspended from international cricket for an illegal bowling action, Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal on Friday returned to the national side.
With his tight technique and a cool temperament, Cheteshwar Pujara has an assuring presence at the crease, former captain Sunil Gavaskar said in praise of the young batsman, who rescued India with his century.
Rediff.com recaptures these and other exciting sporting moments from the week gone by....
Rediff.com brings you this and a lot more gripping sporting action from the week gone by...
Interesting numbers from the third day's play in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, at Galle.
Newly appointed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shaharyar Khan criticised Ahmed Shehzad for offering religious advice to Sri Lankan player Tillakaratne Dilshan during an ODI last week, saying it was a "stupid statement" on part of the Pakistani batsman.
Here's this week of photos that prove we live in a mad world.
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