'The future of finger-spinners lies in the perception of people'
Suresh Raina was presented a golden opportunity to force his way back into the Test squad after being named captain of the Board President's XI, which will play the West Indies in a three-day warm-up match ahead of the Test series that follows the ongoing One-day internationals.
Shikhar Dhawan smashed a career-best 92 to guide India to a thrilling six-wicket win over the West Indies in the third and final T20 International, thus completing a 3-0 clean sweep, in Chennai, on Sunday.
India will need to win at least a game in the upcoming one-dayer series against Australia to retain their current second position in the ICC ODI Team Championships, even as second-placed Virat Kohli looks to close in on AB de Villiers in the batting chart. World champions Australia go head to head with former winner India in a five-match series in Perth on Tuesday. Australia (127) lead second-ranked India (114) by 13 points and even if they lose all the five matches of the series, they will drop points but still finish a point ahead of India.
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.
We bring you a collection of some of the odd moments from around the world.
Hosts India might have outplayed them in the first three ODIs but Sri Lankan team management is keen to include experienced spinner Ajantha Mendis in the playing XI for the fourth ODI scheduled on Thursday.
High on confidence after their third consecutive win, Mumbai Indians will hold a clear edge over the inconsistent Delhi Daredevils in their key Indian Premier League match at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has entered into the Decision Review System debate, saying that he'd be happy with the controversial review system to be scrapped altogether. Johnson, who retired last year with 590 wickets in international cricket, echoed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opinion on the issue, saying decisions made by on-field umpires should stand until the technology improves and becomes accurate. "In my mind, we need to decide if we want to use technology properly or not use it at all," he wrote in a column for News Corp. "To be honest, I'd be happy if they left everything to the on-field umpires. "I'm happy to have no DRS - cricket worked pretty well without it for over 100 years. I tend to agree with India's perspective on the DRS debate - it's either got to be spot on, or not used at all. "If we can make sure that technology is used to get the right decision every time, then that's great. But until then, I'm not so sure." India has mainly opposed the use of DRS system in international cricket and the BCCI has shown no signs of changing their stance in recent years.
Haresh Pandya picks his all-time best Indian Test team which is packed with some exciting stroke-players, a couple of heavy-scorers known to play monumental innings, some superb spinners, a world-class all-rounder and a top-notch wicketkeeper. Check out his list and then create your own Dream India XI, and share it with family and friends!
Penpix of the South Africa squad for the 2015 cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The auction ahead of the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League had in store something on expected lines and some surprises. Here's a look at the top buys after the first round.
India skipper Mithali Raj has sounded a warning shot to England ahead of Sunday's summit clash in the ICC Women's World Cup, saying the hosts should expect a tough contest from her ever-improving and gritty team.
India Test skipper Virat Kohli was among the few cricketers who received a higher actual salary according to the salary details of the retained Indian Premier League players listed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday.
Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming is not only ruing the absence of Brendon McCullum from the batting line-up for Indian Premier League qualifier but also the fact that Tuesday's match is an away game for them.
Pushed to the bottom of the table following their fifth defeat in six outings, former champions Mumbai Indians will look to keep their chances alive when they face a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial Indian Premier League game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
Desperate to break their title jinx, Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore will be hoping for a positive start to their campaign in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
Chris Gayle joined Hashim Amla and Sachin Tendulkar as only the third batsman in the history of ODI cricket to score centuries against 11 different countries, while Shimron Hetmyer hit his maiden century as the Windies defeated the United Arab Emirates by 60 runs in their opening Group A fixture of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 at the Old Hararians in Harare on Tuesday.
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood received his reward for some fine domestic form on Wednesday when he was included in a pace-heavy 13-man squad for the first two One-Day Internationals against South Africa next month.
ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said the issue over the number of teams for the next World Cup is not set in stone and would be reviewed later this year but he does not expect any changes.
Ecstatic after his maiden call-up into the Indian cricket team, all-rounder Hardik Pandya said that India A coach Rahul Dravid's guidance during the Australia tour has made him "mentally stronger". "For me, everything changed after my tour of Australia with the India A team. It is a tour that transformed me as a cricketer. I can't but thank Rahul Dravid enough for his contribution. I understood that there is a mental aspect about the game that needs to be worked upon. He (Dravid) made me mentally stronger," Hardik told PTI.
India last won a Test series in England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid, and it will be no easy task ahead of the Virat Kohli-led side to replicate that feat.
The SCG may be perfect for the under-performing trio -- Pujara, Dhawan and Ashwin -- to regain their touch.
'When Hardik was dropped from the Zimbabwe tour, coach Sanjay Bangar called, telling him to work hard and not lose focus.' 'This really motivated Hardik to do better and he emerged one of the star performers during India A's tour of Australia.'
- 'Unless and until they finalise the combination of pace and spin, it will be extremely difficult for the team to progress beyond the quarter-finals' - 'It is up to the team management what they want from Patel'
The below-par Test record of Rohit Sharma is expected to be the focus of discussion when the selection committee, headed by Sandeep Patil, picks the Indian cricket squad for the home Test series against New Zealand . Despite Rohit's poor form in the Tests, he has the confidence of captain Virat Kohli, who feels that the ODI specialist should be given a longer run to prove himself in the Test format.
'Rohit has been dropped two Tests back and then to bring him back, it's a little bit strange to drop Pujara'
'I don't see Hardik getting a new ball. He is a certainty in the side as playing four fast bowlers would mean a long tail. He is your ideal No 7 batsman but you can use him for 4-6 overs depending on the situation'
Sachin Tendulkar sent out a warning to the teams participating in next year's cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, saying they need to watch out for defending champions India.
The master plan reveals a far more expansive project involving Chinese penetration into Pakistan's agriculture, industry, telecommunications, surveillance and intelligence networks and even leisure and popular culture.
Here's this week's collection of wacky and funny stories from around the world.
Speculation is rife that Younis Khan will quit One-day cricket after the World Cup and chances are it would be far from a fairytale farewell for one of Pakistan's modern batting greats.
Suresh Raina smashed an unbeaten half-century as Chennai Super Kings booked a berth in the second qualifier with a comfortable seven-wicket win over holders Mumbai Indians in the IPL eliminator in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Their winning momentum punctured after a loss to Rising Pune Supergiants, Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to get back to their winning ways when they take on a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League Twenty20 match, in Hyderabad, on Saturday.
Cricket has few examples of players calling it quits when very much at the top their game. It is anything but coincidence that most of them happen to be from the most successful nation in the history of the sport.
West Indies have lost their last four Tests, two to Australia and two to Sri Lanka, and have not enjoyed a single win in Australia since the 1996-97 tour.
'You have to just adjust to the conditions quickly because there is a big difference in the 50-over and 20-over cricket.' 'Even in Test cricket you can't be a classical spinner, which you were 20 years ago.' 'If I want to hide myself from my limitations, then I don't want to play this game.'
It is not only Dhoni's batting, but also his regular inputs during a game to bowlers and fielders that should work in the veteran's favour when it comes to the 2019 World Cup.
Dark sunglasses were the order of the day for Australia's triumphant cricket team.
'I am always in favour of playing five bowlers, because if we play more batsmen, you can score 700 runs in a Test but that doesn't help in any way' 'We want to start the series with that same mindset, that our bowling should be strong enough to take 20 wickets' 'We have committed some mistakes we cannot afford in Test cricket if you want to be a champion side'
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