The Indian team was "mentally and physically drained" during the T20 World Cup and did not even "try to win", as it wasn't switched on during pressure situations in big games, outgoing head coach Ravi Shastri stunningly conceded before the side's last Super 12s match against Namibia, in Dubai, on Monday.
Offices have changed timings to make sure the employees don't miss Wednesday's action and a number of theatres -- starved of film releases since the world cup began -- plan to screen the match.
'As a South African team, we know we're going to have that chip on our back, or that narrative that we have to get over'
Purists may hope for a better balance between bat and ball compared to previous slugfests, and the big grounds and long boundaries may offer some relief for bowlers while putting a premium on fielding.
India coach Rahul Dravid hopes to have his full-strength squad in time for the World Cup starting next week.
With 35 matches spread over 27 days, World T20 looks set to illustrate once again just how skewed the 20-overs game is against bowlers.
South Africa have named fast bowler Dale Steyn in their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 in India next month, but will ask him to prove his fitness following a debilitating shoulder injury.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the first Test against Australia?
The most interesting aspect of the contest is the form of batters from both sides which has been the reason of their success so far.
India were dismissed for a paltry 101 in 18.5 overs by the inexperienced Lankan pace trio of debutant Kasun Rajitha (3 for 23) Dasun Shanaka (3 for 16) and Dushmantha Chameera (2 for 14).
'He never had a negative thought in his mind, he was supremely confident.' 'He always stuck to his natural game, he never moved away from that.'
It will be the biggest day in the history of Trans-Tasman cricketing rivalry when four-time champions Australia will be pitted against a highly committed bunch from New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Cup at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Pakistan registered a comfortable seven-wicket victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting says he would love to have Mike Hussey back in the squad, but prefers a bowler as replacement for the injured Doug Bollinger at the World Cup.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said they are mulling over whether to select a specialist batsman or all-rounder at number six for the opening one-day international against India on Wednesday.
Veteran pace spearhead Jhulan Goswami made a comeback in the India women's ODI squad for the tour of England, while hard-hitting Women's T20 Challenge sensation Kiran Navgire earned her maiden India call-up in the shortest format.
Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Pradeep has expressed delight at taking the prized scalp of Indian captain Virat Kohli after bagging his maiden five wicket haul in Tests on day two of the series-opener.
England coach Chris Silverwood admitted that it is "very difficult" to tell players not to play in the Indian Premier League even as his team's much-debated rotation policy in Test matches came under scanner after their humbling 317-run defeat against India in the second Test in Chennai.
West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle believes England has made a big mistake by refusing to allow Kevin Pietersen to continue playing Twenty20 cricket.
Sri Lanka's world record holder spinner Muttiah Muralitharan announced on Thursday he is planning to retire from Test cricket in 2010. However, the spinner plans to carry on in the shorter forms of the sport.
Some of the game's leading players have left their mark on the World Cup. Check out who they are.
This year has been the year of the no travel, which has left millions reminiscing on adventure-filled trips abroad. To celebrate the wonder of world travel, thousands of photography enthusiasts entered Agora #Travel2020, sharing the moments they feel captured the true essence of exploration. Octavi Royo, Agora's co-founder and CEO, said: "Thanks to these photos, we can travel to some amazing corners of our planet and see them from the point of view of travel photographers." Scroll down to see our pick of the shortlisted images...
Qualifier Nepal caused the first major upset of the World Cup, shocking New Zealand by 32 runs in a Group D match in Fatullah on Thursday.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continued to be the best-placed Indians in the batting chart, while off-spinner Ravichandra Ashwin held on to second spot among bowlers in the latest ICC Test Player ranking, release on Wednesday.
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...
'For the Tamil Nadu protestors to openly ask popular film actor Vijay Sethupathi not to don Murali in 800 is a travesty in every sense. It may have given them a cause to tell the world, and the governments in New Delhi, Colombo and Chennai, that the Sri Lankan ethnic issue was still alive in the state -- more so, during the current run-up to two major events in the first half of 2021,' says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Skipper Kumara Sangakkara couldn't thank Lasith Malinga enough after the slinger brought Sri Lanka's World Cup campaign back on track with a solid bowling performance in their Group A match against Kenya in Colombo on Tuesday.
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar feels including injury-prone pacer Mohammed Shami in India's Tewnty20 World Cup squad is a bit of a risk but the team announced by the Board's selection committee, on Friday, has "terrific balance".
West Indies captain Darren Sammy said he is not concerned as the ones who are in the side have enough calibre to be simply destructive.
All-rounder James Franklin will replace the injured Jacob Oram in New Zealand's Champions Trophy squad, the International Cricket Council said on Friday. Oram damaged his hamstring in training and missed New Zealand's opening match against hosts South Africa on Thursday when they lost by five wickets.
After failing to score big in the run-up to the World Cup summit clash against Sri Lanka, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni resembled a "bomb about to explode" ahead of the final, teammate and Man of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh said.
The Sri Lankan off spinner was forced out of the second and final Test against South Africa after complaining of intense pain.
Steyn has confidence in his team of match-winners
'It's Test cricket and (Shannon) is an emotional guy trying to do everything he can to win a Test match. Sometimes people say things on the field that they might regret'
While Agar is some way short of all-rounder status, Finch said the 26-year-old was working hard to get there.
After their ignominious exit from the Twenty20 World Cup Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said they badly missed Andrew Symonds, whose absence affected the balance of his side.
Skipper Temba Bavuma has been woefully out of form since his return from injury and also missed the last two ODI due to illness.
Pacer Mohammad Shami, who is recuperating after shoulder surgery, and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, back with a re-modelled action, are among 30 players named by the Board of Control for Cricket in India's senior selection committee for a preparatory camp ahead of the South African team's upcoming tour of India.
Deepak Chahar's unavailability due to an ankle injury will complicate selection matters with India looking for a much-improved bowling performance in the must-win second ODI against South Africa, in Ranchi, on Sunday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second ODI against the West Indies?
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