In white-ball cricket things are different -- over there you outsmart the batsman, and over here in Test cricket it's all about patience and consistency. That was my main focus today. You can't blast the batsmen out. I was looking to bowl good lengths and always challenge the batsmen with good lengths and good line. So in the end it was a good day.'
India will eye another dominant performance against hosts England in a three- match ODI series
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hit back at criticism of the pitch for the ongoing third Test between India and South Africa in Nagpur, saying it needs to be taken out of the equation since both teams have to deal with the same conditions. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports
Former England left-arm spinner Phil Tufnell says India will be better off playing him in the Test series as well, having done the good thing by picking the "rare" talent in the upcoming five-match Test series.
An angry India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday lambasted the International Cricket Council's decision to impose a fine on all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for his altercation with England's James Anderson during the first Test in Nottingham.
'Doubtless he was the greatest opener of his era; and also one of the greatest in the history of cricket.'
'Good performance in any format is good because it is confidence.' 'The striking of the ball, when it hits the bat and creates that sound that to me is confidence.' 'So, that sound will give a lot of confidence and I feel if you are confident in any format that is what matters.'
Aggressive off-spin bowling from Graeme Swann and indifferent Australian batting allowed England to seize control of the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Friday.
Hardik Pandya has said that comparisons with Indian legend Kapil Dev are unwarranted
'Before Shastri's induction, things were sketchy and it was not known who was responsible for taking cricketing decisions around the team. The selectors chose a squad of players, the captain ran the show on the field and the coaches helped draft plans, or sort of tried to. There needed to be one man who could coordinate all elements around the squad -- someone who had the backing of the Board, the respect of the players and that of the support staff.'
"This will probably be the biggest World Cup, so there will be great expectations and I know we will do very well for the people of the West Indies," he added.
A venomous spell of fast bowling from Stuart Broad led England to an emphatic seven- wicket win over South Africa in the third on Saturday to clinch the series. Broad's brilliant return of 6-17 on a lively wicket skittled the Proteas for 83 in their second innings on the third day. England reached their modest victory-target of 74 with relative ease as captain Alastair Cook (43) top-scored in guiding them to 77 for three from 22,4 overs under gloomy skies. The tourists now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series, with the final game to be played in Pretoria. South Africa bowled out England for 323 in the morning session for a slender first-innings deficit of 10 runs, but were no match for the bounce and movement of a rampant Broad as they crumbled to their second lowest score since returning to international cricket in 1991.
Series already in their pocket, a rampaging India would look to keep the foot on the pedal and press for a clean sweep when they take on England in the fifth and final cricket one-dayer in Leeds on Friday.
Australian legend Glenn McGrath has said the Indian fast bowlers did a good job in the recent World Cup after a dismal show in the preceding tri-series.
Statistical highlights on associate member countries defeating Test-playing nations at the 50-over World Cup after Ireland beat West Indies by four wickets in the Pool B match at Nelson, New Zealand on Monday.
'A player need to have T20 skills otherwise he is not going to survive.'
'No matter how much runs you score in the Ranji Trophy or Duleep Trophy or Irani Trophy, if you don't have T20 skills in batting or bowling you are not going to go too far.'
There are bowlers who have a better statistical record than the 311 wickets in Tests and 282 in ODIs, but those figures do not reveal Zaheer Khan's match-winning abilities in all conditions
Raina is much experienced now, fully mature and he could unfold his true genius at the World Cup in Australia-New Zealand next year, writes Haresh Pandya
New Zealand have never appeared so well-united as they do currently. 'Individually and collectively, under Brendon McCullum's astute leadership, they seem a formidable lot.'
During his tenure as captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gone from being extremely cautious to trying something fancy, hoping to catch the opponent by surprise. However, mostly, he's ended up with egg on the face, especially overseas.
20 years ago this week, India and Australia played one of the greatest Test matches in cricket history. Sreehari Nair relives the sound and the fury of that unforgettable game at the Eden Gardens.
Henry Blofeld, who charmed the cricket world for more than 40 years, bids farewell to the microphone come September. Haresh Pandya salutes the Master.
United down Newcastle after Saints stun Chelsea on a dramatic night in the English Premier League.
Following is a match by match look at the English Premier League's weekend fixtures:
'In the merry-go-round of Indian cricket, amid abhorrent match-fixing scandals and incessant politicking, Ravi Shastri is a multifaceted personality who, when called upon, can don any hat with ease.'
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
