Mohammed Shami and Pawan Negi made it to the the Asia Cup and World T20 squads but Manish Pandey and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were left out as the BCCI's selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil announced the squads on Friday in Delhi. Other than that there were no major surprises as Mahendra Singh Dhoni had hinted after the Australia T20 series.

The selectors clearly thought better than going against the wishes of Team India skipper.
Mohammad Shami, who missed out on the tour of Australia due to a hamstring injury made the cut while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has had a torrid time of late in limited-over internationals, was ignored.

"Shami has 30 days before the World T20. We have good time in hand to take a call on Shami. He has been one of our best bowlers. For now, I can only say that he has recovered and started bowling," Sandip Patil said.
Delhi all-rounder Pawan Negi, who was a surprise inclusion for the Sri Lanka series, also made it to the squad.

The selectors also named the Women's squad for the World T20, which will be happening parallel to the men's event. Mithali Raj has been named the captain of the squad which is unchanged from the side which won the historic three-match series Down Under against reigning World Champions Australia.

For Dhoni'a side, as expected, there was a toss up between Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane.
Pandey missed out on the T20Is in Australia despite a match-winning century in the final one-dayer because both squads were announced before the ODI series. His heroic performance came against Australia in the final ODI.
With Virat Kohli rested, Pandey, though, was included for the Sri Lanka T20 series that also included Ajinkya Rahane despite the fact that Rahane didn't make it to the starting XI for the three T20Is against Australia.

With Kohli returning to the squad, one batsman had to make way and Pandey turned out to be the unlucky one.
"Manish Pandey performed exceptionally well in Australia, his name was also discussed," Patil said.
"When selectors pick a team, we always give importance to domestic performance. It is not that we are only looking at seniors, we have looked at the performance, fitness and record of the domestic players as well. We have taken into account all the performances of not just 15-16 guys but all the domestic players and then picked these 15," he added.

Yuvraj's last-over heroics in the third T20 against Australia have ensured his place in the team. Also, the 15 wickets he took during the 2011 World Cup with his slow-left arm spin will also be taken into account.
Baroda all-rounder Hardik Pandya — who didn't get a chance to bat in the Australia series and impressed in bits with the ball, retained his place in the squad.

Dhoni had said after the end of the Australia T20 series that the core of team is more or less set and that there could only be minor changes in the squad of 15.
India start off their Asia Cup campaign, against Bangladesh in Fatullah on 26 February and World T20 against New Zealand in Nagpur on 15 March.

"This is the best combination of 15 we can think of," Chairman of the committee, Sandeep Patil, said in a press conference after the meeting. Patil expressed his faith in Dhoni's leadership despite the recent mixed run.
"We have no right to tell people when to retire, we have total faith in Dhoni's captaincy. He is the right person to lead in Asia Cup and World T20," Patil said.

Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been retained in the side despite not getting a single T20 in the series against Australia.
"Harbhajan has been a part of this team. The selectors, the team management and the captain have faith in Harbhajan, his record and the contribution he has made to the team," Patil explained.

Asia Cup and World T20 squad: MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Shami.
The India Men’s team will play the Asia Cup in Bangladesh from Feb 24-06 March followed by the ICC World T20 to be held in India from the 8th March to 3rd April. Both the men’s and the women’s team will play in the ICC World T20.
Indian Team for the ICC World T20 and Asia Cup (Men): MS Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi.

Indian Team for ICC World T20 (Women) : Mithali Raj (Captain), Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana, Veda Krishnamurthy, Harmanpreet Kaur, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sushma Verma, Poonam Yadav, VR Vanitha, Anuja Patil, Ekta Bisht, Thirushkamini MD, Deepti Sharma, Niranjana Nagarajan.

source link : firstpost.com

No major surprises in World T20 and Asia Cup squads: Shami recalled; Pandey, Bhuvneshwar miss out

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Mitchell Starc’s belligerent burst at the Kiwi batsmen towards end of Day 3 at Perth was a thrilling sight. That phase of play will perhaps be etched forever in the minds of many. Starc, bowling with genuine pace and hostility, commanded the undivided attention of spectators at the stadium.

Fast bowlers live for such moments. Mitchell Johnson lived for such moments. But of late, he had lost the artistry to produce such moments. That ability to strike fear into opposition batsmen, wake the crowd up or spring life into a dull day of cricket had diminished.

Which is what that spell from Starc highlighted. Australia had found a new Mitch – younger and faster. Johnson didn’t want it any other way either. He always wanted to bowl fast. He knew his time was up. The tank was empty.

If Mitchell Johnson didn’t intimidate batsmen, he wasn’t really Mitchell Johnson and who’d know this better than the man himself.

The beauty about Australia’s deep-rooted cricket culture is that it prevents players from overstaying their welcome. Like Michael Clarke and Shane Watson before him, Johnson too had to obey the unwritten law. Like them, Johnson too left after having achieved everything the sport had to offer an Aussie – a World Cup and Ashes wins.

Johnson belonged to a rare group of cricketers. Numbers will never justify his contribution to the Australian team. 25th and 27th on the highest all-time Test and ODI wicket takers list respectively doesn’t merit an inclusion into a select club of great cricketers, but the tremors and shivers he sent down the spines of batsmen don’t find mention in stats columns.

His ability to nip the ball back into the right-hander at pace and alternately slide it across the batsman made Johnson a difficult bowler to deal with. The fizzing bouncer directed at the armpits of batsmen was another potent weapon he possessed. Unlike fellow pacers, Johnson could catch batsmen on the crease with his speed.

From a neutral standpoint, the sheer unpredictability about Johnson’s bowling is what made him a truly fascinating watch. The 34-year-old could be magnificent one moment and mediocre the next. He could dish out good, bad and the ugly in a matter of six balls.

For a large part of his career, dependability was a quality one hesitated to associate with the Queensland native. But he more than made up for such deficiencies with a characteristic hard to define called the X factor. Good or bad, Mitch made things happen.

The Indian team was among the first to experience the full fury of a young Johnson. Seven matches into his ODI career, Johnson made light work of the famed Indian batting line-up. The rain gods eventually rescued them, but not before Johnson caused carnage in Kuala Lumpur, removing Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan in seven overs of high-quality bowling.

Like most feared fast bowlers, Johnson too was gentle and likeable off the pitch. His teammates adored him and the media never had problems with him. However, one particular group of people he managed to rile on most occasions was England’s Barmy Army.

Johnson got under their skin. Every time he came on to bowl, the Barmy Army sang, "He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right, that Mitchell Johnson is bowling his shite."

What started off as banter in the 2011 Ashes series, came back to haunt England fans two year later in 2013 in Australia. No longer inaccurate and unpredictable, much to the other horror of the Barmy Army, Johnson was a symbol of precision and menace.

He terrorized the English batsmen like no other bowler had since the famous West Indian pace battery in the 70’s. Johnson fired one rocket after another in short four to five over bursts. The Poms, bobbing and weaving, were subjected to a full frontal assault from a man now at the peak of his powers.

That series was perhaps the crowning glory of Johnson’s career. He’s now credited with being the man who changed England cricket forever. The damage he caused on that tour was in many ways irreparable.

Despite being a World Cup winner and an Ashes legend, it’s hard to make a case for Johnson’s inclusion in the greatest Australian XI. Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson will by all means make the cut ahead of him.

Hence Johnson will have to be judged by his ability to alter the course of matches. He will have to be remembered by the buzz he brought to the game. Use of standard measuring metrics is best avoided in case of a maverick like him.

Players across sports, modify their methods to boost longevity. In case of pacers in cricket, cutting down on speed has been the preferred option for most. Johnson didn’t take that route. He could never take that route. He bowled at full pace even at 34 on a dull Perth pitch.

If legacies matter, Johnson’s should be that of a great fast bowler. He stayed true to its definition right till the very end, which is why Johnson’s last victim in international cricket, Martin Guptill, was out caught trying to fend off a bouncer.

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Mitchell Johnson: The need for speed

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On Monday, Indian batting wizard Virender Sehwag announced that he would retire from international cricket on returning to India, having gone to Dubai for the launch of the Masters Champions League.

Related Read: Virender Sehwag to announce retirement from all forms of international cricket

The MCL is a cricket league composed of retired cricketers. When asked why he was joining the league, Sehwag told PTI, "If I am not retired I will not play. I will go back to India and announce my retirement."

It is unfortunate that a batsman who revolutionised the opening position in Test cricket and for more than a decade terrorised bowlers all around the world, played his last match in 2013 and had to announce his departure in such a way.

On a day that the BCCI announced the Test squad against South Africa, leaving out Yuvraj and Sehwag, and just a few days after Zaheer Khan announced his retirement, Sehwag's announcement comes as a heartbreak for many who had hoped that he would at least get a farewell series.

Long before Dhoni's men had conquered the world by winning the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007, Virender Sehwag epitomised the new, aggressive India of the post-liberalisation era. Short on technique and temperament but blessed with Vivian Richards-esque hand-eye coordination, Sehwag set about taking apart world-class bowling attacks with an impunity that shook the cricketing world.

On his Test debut in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 2001, Sehwag scored 105 off 173 balls - in a 220-run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar - outscoring his idol during certain periods of play. Earlier, Sehwag had hit a 69-ball ODI century against Sri Lanka while batting in the opening position, signalling the arrival of a new legend in Indian cricket.

It was the move to the opening slot in Test cricket that changed Sehwag's (and India's) fortunes altogether. For a batsman of his kind, opening should have been a mistake, and 'experts' at the time predicted that it would be. Instead, Sehwag amassed century after century, demolishing the world's best bowling attacks even as he defied every caricature of a Test match opener. Sehwag would often score a boundary off the first ball, a few in the first over, and play little heed to the wisdom of the old which dictated that opening batsmen should play out the first hour of play before shifting to a more attacking mould.

Moved to the top after the likes of Shiv Sunder Das, Deep Dasgupta and Sadagoppan Ramesh had all been discarded, Sehwag dramatically changed the perception that one had to be technically sound and patient to succeed as a Test opener. Incredibly, it was in the longest form of the game, and as an opener, that Sehwag found his greatest success. His style, tailor made for the shorter game, did not reap quite the same rewards in ODIs and Twenty20 internationals.

As the ranks of the naysayers began to dwindle, a new consensus emerged - would this youngster, short on technique and temperament, be able to succeed on the green wickets outside India for long? Or would he end up as a flat-track bully, consigning his legacy to the same level as many others before him who were exposed on foreign pitches?

For most of his career then, Sehwag set about proving his critics wrong over and over again. From scoring 2 centuries in India's 2-5 humbling in an acrimonious New Zealand tour, to blasting the Australian pace attack into oblivion during a frenetic 195 in Melbourne, to scoring a match-saving 151 in the second innings at Adelaide in 2008, Sehwag established that he was simply not another one of those subcontinental bullies.

But what really stood out in Sehwag was his penchant for the dangerously unusual - trying, nearly each time, to reach a century (and a double century) off a sixer, chasing targets of nearly 400 in a Test match by slamming 83 off 58 balls, trying the same shot (and getting out) the third consecutive time while he and Dravid were on the cusp of a world-record opening stand, and more.

Sehwag really validated the maxim of 'live by the sword, die by the sword'. It was amazing how his limited skill set enabled him to overcome difficulties which more gifted, far more technically sound batsmen could not overcome.

During India's Sri Lanka tour in 2008, India's legendary batting order was struggling against a new 'mystery spinner' - Ajantha Mendis. Mendis had caused India's ignominious defeat in the first Test, and effected an Indian batting collapse in the first innings of the second as well. What made the difference was that Sehwag went hammer and tongs at Mendis and Co, scoring an unbeaten 201 out of the team's score of 329. He then made a half-century in the second innings, paving the way for an Indian victory.

But it was not merely Sehwag's terrific hand-eye coordination and take no prisoners attitude which made a successful career possible. He had a unique way of pacing his Test innings. He was brilliant on the off side and constantly on the lookout for a delivery which could be dispatched to the fence. Rather than attacking each ball (as is mistakenly believed), he waited for the one that was in a strong zone before having a go. He usually had a fairly precise idea of field placements, bowler strengths, his own role and the match situation. He used these most basic yet extremely important parameters to assess how quickly he should score, and which bowler he must target more than others. For example, after he had been dismissed for 155 against Australia at Chennai in 2004, Sehwag was asked why he had continued in an attacking vein after tea. He replied that the new ball would soon have been available to the Australians, and hence he wanted to score as many runs as possible before that happened.

It is often said that Sehwag was such an exciting player because you never knew what would happen next with Sehwag at the crease. But it seems he always had a plan. And he executed it with the least of fuss.

But the Najafgarh batsman's unique abilities which saw him become the most feared batsman in the world, also eventually led to his downfall. Periodically, he would enter long phases of poor form, play awful strokes and be criticised by all and sundry. He made some huge comebacks to the Indian side even before he went into permanent decline after the 2011 World Cup.

Creditably - and this was another of Sehwag's great qualities - he never once looked stressed, worried or harassed during his low phases. Instead, he gave refreshingly honest interviews, steered clear of controversies, trusted his usual game and carried on.

Ultimately however, Sehwag mirrored the great Vivian Richards - whose form and career declined after his eyesight and reflexes weakened. As Sehwag grew older and began to sport glasses, the hand-eye coordination which had been his main weapon of assault deserted him. The awe-inspiring, 'grand daddy hundreds' became rarer still. His form fell away, and in the absence of a good defensive technique to fall back on, he could never recover lost ground. His axing in 2013 was the writing on the wall, but Sehwag and his fans soldiered on, hoping for one last hurrah. Unfortunately, it never came.

But perhaps he deserved that one last day in the sun. For a sport which still values classical technique and elegant batsmanship, and a country with a different batting god, Virender Sehwag was an afterthought after he had been axed. Simply put, he was no Sachin Tendulkar. That much is clear when you consider how long a rope Tendulkar got and how well planned and executed his retirement was. One can only reflect on the injustice of it all - one batting legend exits in a farcical farewell series on tailor-made grounds, while another walks away into the sunset after having been ignored for 2 years. As they say, life is not fair. But I suspect it wouldn't matter to Virender Sehwag. He would merely shrug his shoulders and wait for the next time he can smash a bowler around the park - in the MCL.

This post is appeared on: Dnaindia

ThankYouSehwag: Goodbye Virender Sehwag, the maverick who revolutionised the art of batting

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BENGALURU: When India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni marshals his forces against South Africa at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in early October, it will be his first outing in three months. Much has changed in Indian cricket since the 2-1 series loss against Bangladesh in June. Test captain Virat Kohli has proved to be a quick learner and an aggressive skipper who led India to a rare series victory against Sri Lanka earlier this month. 

While there have been calls to hand over the T20 and ODI reins as well to the 26-year-old Kohli, team director Ravi Shastri was vocal in his support of the limited-overs captain. Shastri, a man who was known as much for his consistency as his straight talk, backed Dhoni to take over from where he left off after the World Cup with the Bangladesh series being a mere blip. 

"You are talking of a seasoned campaigner, a legend. He (Dhoni) is one of the all-time greats of world cricket. So he takes over a job that he has been doing. Everything falls into place automatically. For the team, (there is) no difference. They played under him in the World Cup, they played under him in Bangladesh (in June). So what's different now? They are playing under a champion," asserted the 53-year-old, who spent time watching Dhoni bat in the nets at the National Cricket Academy here on Friday. 

In the last two ODIs against Bangladesh, Dhoni moved up the order to bat at No. 4.While Shastri did not confirm the shift; there were enough indications that he wanted Dhoni to continue in the slot. "Don't you think it is about time? He has done the dirty work for donkey's years. Give him the chance to enjoy himself. You are talking of probably one of the greatest captains and players to have played the game. Check his record, what his achievements are in the shorter format of the game. I don't think anyone will come close to him. Don't worry about MS." 

On changes in the batting order and players being moved out of their comfort zones in Sri Lanka, Shastri said it wasn't part of the team's strategy. "Nobody is in a comfort zone. As a batsman in the top order you should be prepared to bat anywhere the team demands. Those were unforeseen circumstances (in Sri Lanka), otherwise they wouldn't have had to do it. Shikhar (Dhawan) was injured, so was Vijay. We never had our two regular openers fully fit from the outset. If that was the case, things would have been different." 

When asked whether the team would persist with the five-bowler theory, which was applied in Sri Lanka, Shastri replied in the negative. "(It was) never a permanent strategy. You have to respect the conditions. It's important to study the opposition and decide what the best combination is." 

On his thoughts on the South African side which will arrive next week for a 72-day tour, Shastri said: "You have to respect the fact they are the No. 1 team in the world. They are a stiff opposition. They play well in overseas conditions. Better than any other side in world cricket. They travel better than any other team. Their record shows that. We know what we are up against, the respect is there, but we won't take any backward steps. " 

Ravi to discuss pool with Dravid 

India A hasn't enjoyed as much fame as it is basking in today. That's mostly courtesy Rahul Dravid who took over as chief coach of the side since June this year. 

Lauding Dravid's efforts with the India `A' unit, Ravi Shastri on Friday said: "He is doing a wonderful job. The fact he is giving so much time just after finishing his cricket, for a young team, is brilliant." 

On the batting maestro's influence on young players, Shastri explained, "With the amount of cricket he has played he will understand quickly who is the bloke who can bridge the gap (between A level and international cricket). It's ok to get heaps of runs in domestic cricket, but there is also talent which comes with experience. There are also guys with fewer runs but ready for the top level because of certain things they do. Those are the things you have got to consult Rahul." 

Shastri said he would talk to Dravid on the talent pool. "I am going to have a chat with Rahul today (Friday) to find out because he is in the best position to know the guys who can come through the ranks." 

This post is appeared on: Timesofindia

MS Dhoni is one of the greatest ever: Ravi Shastri

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Charitable Foundation received 20,000 pounds out of the 300,000 raised during the inaugural T20 fundraiser, 'Cricket for Heroes' held at The KIA Oval last week.

India's limited-overs captain Dhoni smashed the winning runs for his side Heroes XI in the inaugural T20 match fundraiser against Rest of the World XI.

India's limited-overs captain Dhoni smashed the winning runs for his side Heroes XI.

Out of the 300,000 pounds raised during this match, the Help for Heroes Foundation has contributed 20,000 pounds towards Dhoni's Charitable Foundation. This amount will be eventually handed over to the Indian Army in support of the wounded and severely injured soldiers in the line of duty.

Following this inaugural fundraiser match at The Oval in London, The MS Dhoni Charitable Foundation has also partnered with The Help for Heroes foundation to replicate a series of similar charity matches in India over the coming years in order to raise more funds towards the support of the Indian Army.

On his return to India after the match, Dhoni said, "The match was an excellent platform to support such a worthy cause. I feel honored to have been a part of it and look forward to supporting many more like these in the near future. The match also served as a good practice for the upcoming ODI series with South Africa."

In the match the Andrew Strauss-led Heroes XI beat the ROW XI by four wickets.

The match saw big names from the world of cricket as Dhoni combined with Virender Sehwag to provide wholesome entertainment to the 20,000 packed crowd in Surrey.

Crowds were thrilled by the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Brendon McCullum, Matthew Hayden and former England captain Strauss.

This Post is appeared on: Firstpost.com

Captain MS Dhoni's heroics in charity T20 earns Indian Army 20,000 pounds

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He obviously is more entertaining that me: Dravid on Rahane. 

MUMBAI: Former India captain Rahul Dravid joined the chorus of praise that's been flowing towards Virat Kohli in recent days, recalling how he had been bowled over by the current Test skipper's desire to improve his game when he had only just arrived on the international stage.

"One of the things I saw rather early in Virat was his ability to work hard on improving his game," Dravid said on Friday during an interaction with former cricketer Aakash Chopra at the launch of the latter's new book, The Insider. "(Kohli) had joined the RCB team fresh from leading the India Under-19 side to World Cup glory, and I remember a few months later during the Irani Trophy game between Rest of India and Delhi in Baroda, he got out to a short ball. Six months later, it was all sorted out. He is that kind of player who is always looking for ways to improve and finding answers to the questions asked of him," he added.

With Kohli's current India team-mate Ajinkya Rahane also in attendance, talk inevitably shifted to the ongoing debate raging over the Mumbai batsman's position in the Test line-up. Asked which slot he'd prefer to see Rahane occupy between three and five, Dravid gave it some thought before saying, "He's a good number four or five. That's not to say he can't bat at three. He showed in Sri Lanka that he has what it takes to be successful there, and there could well be more occasions in the future where the team may need him to bat there. But considering the runs he's got at five, his range of shots, his ability to bat with the tail as well as play the second new ball, five is probably the position that suits him best."



Rahane has garnered a reputation for being earnest and sincere that has led to former players like Sunil Gavaskar comparing him with Dravid, his mentor at Rajasthan Royals. But the current India A and under-19 coach was typically modest when asked if he saw shades of himself in Rahane. "He certainly plays more shots than I did, scores at a quicker rate, definitely entertains people more than I used to," said Dravid. "Where I can relate with him is he had to work every bit as hard as I had to get into the Indian team, maybe cause he wasn't perceived to be as flashy as some of the others. But in the past couple of years, he's probably been India's best player considering the fact that he's scored runs virtually everywhere."

Reflecting on India's first Test series win in Sri Lanka in 22 years, Dravid said the various individual performances pointed to a promising future for Indian cricket. "All our leading batsman got runs," he said, adding: "When we were bowing out, we all felt it was going to be really exciting to see how this current lot were going to develop. If three or four of these guys can establish themselves in that middle order, there's good reason to feel encouraged. Let's not forget that they will also feel the pressure from those knocking on the door. As long as that's the case, you know the standard is always good."

No. 5 position suits Rahane the best: Dravid

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Pacer Ishant Sharma broke into the bowlers' top-20, while Cheteshwar Pujara entered the top-20 of batsmen's list as Indian cricketers gained significantly in the latest ICC Test rankings following their first series triumph in Sri Lanka in 22 years.

"Cheteshwar Pujara has broken into the top 20 of the ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen for the first time in his career following the conclusion of the Colombo Test, which India won by 117 runs to clinch the series 2-1," the ICC said in a statement.

Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates a ton on day two of the 3rd Test between Sri Lanka and India. AP

The 27-year-old batsman carried his bat in the first innings and returned unbeaten on 145 not out, his seventh career century, which was the cornerstone of India's first innings score of 312. For this performance, Pujara has been rewarded with a jump of four places, which puts him in 20th position.

Pujara is now the second India batsman to feature in the top 20, but following Virat Kohli's drop to 11th (down by one place), the fifth-ranked side has no batsman inside the top 10.

Apart from Pujara, there were few other middle-order batsmen who made significant contributions to India's cause at the Singhalese Sports Club, which, in turn, have helped them to head in the right direction.

Rohit Sharma has moved up two places to 48th, Ravichandran Ashwin has gained five places and is now in 50th spot, while Amit Mishra, who scored 59 in the first innings and featured in a 104 runs eighth wicket partnership with Pujara, has vaulted 56 places to 91st.

It was a disappointing Test for Sri Lanka batsmen. However, Angelo Mathews has retained his fifth ranking following his seventh career century (110 in the second innings). He is now 11 points adrift of fourth-ranked South Africa captain Hashim Amla.

Meanwhile, there were no changes to the top 10 of the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers. However, there were improvements for Ishant, who reached the 200-wicket mark after claiming match figures of eight for 86. As a result, the fast bowler has moved up three places to 18th.

Amit Mishra's three for 72 in the match has elevated him two places to a career-high 37th, while Umesh Yadav has also improved his ranking by two places to 42nd.

Sri Lanka trio of Dhammika Prasad (up three places to 22nd), Nuwan Pradeep (up 12 to 57th) and Mathews (up two to 71st) have also all made career-high gains.

Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma break into top 20 of ICC Test rankings

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The most impressive statistic of this series might well be that India used four different openers over three Tests and none of them managed a 50-run partnership.

Yet three of them made centuries and the other managed 82.

That fact embodies the collective approach of this Indian side under Virat Kohli, in which every time India needed a player to make runs or take wickets, somebody was willing to put his hand up and oblige.

Overall, five different batsmen made centuries over six innings, including Cheteshwar Pujara, who carried his bat in his first Test innings for eight months, even as all those around him were losing their wickets (with the notable exception of Amit Mishra). It was an old-fashioned innings that relied on patience, technique and a little luck. It was also the result of injury. Had Murali Vijay or Shikhar Dhawan been fit, Pujara would not have played.

India pose with the series trophy. AFP

Most teams would have taken a step back in the face of a situation where neither their first-choice openers, nor a replacement opener was available. Yet Pujara, batting in the top two for only the fifth time in his Test career, grafted his way to an unbeaten 145. It set up a first series win in Sri Lanka for 22 years.

Similarly, Ajinkya Rahane made a series-turning century in the second innings of the second Test, after being promoted unexpectedly (for those watching, at least) to No. 3 in the batting order.

When faced with unfamiliar situations, the players chose to rise to the challenge rather than question their fate.

“[We] looked at it as an opportunity rather than a difficulty,” Kohli said at press conference after the victory. “That’s why we are able to play the kind of cricket that we want to.”

The five bowler theory paid off, with India taking all 60 Sri Lanka wickets over six innings. And while there wasn’t the same chopping and changing with the bowlers, the load was similarly shared. R Ashwin led the wickets column with 21, but Amit Mishra has a better average and strike rate for the series. And it was Ishant Sharma who produced the star turn in the third Test when conditions favoured the seam bowlers, picking up crucial wickets in both innings, including that of Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews twice.

Kohli also showed flexibility in giving Ashwin the new ball in the first two Tests. At every step, he has bucked custom, suggesting he is willing to succeed unconventionally, rather than fail conventionally.

The bowlers also showed rare patience as a group in the second and third Tests, especially when faced with Mathews' implacable aura and broad bat. They didn’t flag or grow restless and try too many things. They just kept plugging away with their plans, trusting that sooner or later, the game would break their way. Eventually, they breached Mathews' defenses and marched to victory.

Even the much maligned Stuart Binny chipped in with big wickets in the second Test and a crucial cameo with the bat in third when another dismissal could well have opened the door for Sri Lanka to come barreling through.

“The kind of attitude and the kind of character the team has shown, I am really proud of the boys and everybody can be proud of the way we played in this series,” Kohli said

The team was even able to turn a combustible Ishant to its advantage. Normally mild-mannered, Ishant erupted on the fourth day while batting after an exchange of words with Sri Lanka fast bowler Dhammika Prasad. It could have led to him and the team losing focus and getting caught up in extra-curricular activities. Instead, a fired-up Ishant tore into Sri Lanka’s top order and even slapped his own head multiple times after getting Dinesh Chandimal caught behind late on the fourth evening.

“An angry fast bowler is a captain’s delight,” Kohli said. “I was very happy to see what happened yesterday. The timing was perfect. It had to be controlled but in the end it benefited us.”

Another example of seeing an opportunity and seizing it.

India could have withered away after that collapse in Galle. An inexperienced captain and an inexperienced team could easily have turned inward and found themselves caught up in what might have been, rather than what could still be. But Kohli is a relentlessly positive person and that character trait seems to be seeping into the team as a group.

“The way we lost in Galle was because we played bad cricket in two sessions,” Kohli said. “There were lots of positives to take from the match and we focused on that.”

Admittedly, Sri Lanka were not the toughest opponents, but they had the home advantage, the bowlers to exploit it and the weight of recent history on their side. India have weaknesses - they are by no means a complete team – but they made the most of their strengths and a win for Kohli in his first series as captain, and away from home too, is no small feat. The team also fixed some of the flaws from the first Test, particularly bowling as a pack and soaking up pressure.

The series win marks the end of a number of unwanted streaks. It is India’s first victory in Sri Lanka for 22 years. It is India’s first away series win since 2011. It is the first time India has won two Tests in a series since 2004 and only the fifth time that they have done so in their history. It is also the first time ever that India has come back to win an away series after losing the first Test.

It might also mark the beginning of something – a resilient and adaptable India team that finds a way to win. The home series against South Africa in October will test that assertion, but if I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Kohli and India.

India's series victory over Sri Lanka was built on guts, patience and flexibility

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COLOMBO: It seems India were almost destined to win this second Test at the P Sara Oval here. The nature, elements and even their opposition — Sri Lanka — conspired to end this match in a hurry and level the three-match Test series 1-1. 

In a match played in baking hot, humid conditions over the past four days, the gods smiled on India as a majority of the final day was played under heavy cloud cover, with a pleasant breeze across the ground. 

India wrapped up the thumping 278-run win just four minutes after lunch. The end could have come sooner if not for a short but sharp shower when the Lankans were reeling at 128/9 after resuming on 72/2. 

The win ended India skipper Virat Kohli's nine-month wait for a first Test win since leading his country for the first time in Adelaide in December last year. Kohli had come close to a famous victory at that time but India had eventually fallen short by 48 runs. 

India have been the better of the two sides over the course of this series. Apart from a mindless session on the fourth day in Galle, Kohli and Co. have won almost every session so far. 

The abject surrender by the home side on Monday was similar to India's own capitulation just over a week back in Galle. Chasing 341 to win on the last day, the fight went out of the Lankan challenge off the very first ball of the day, when skipper Angelo Mathews (23) edged Umesh Yadav and makeshift 'keeper KL Rahul took a superb diving catch in front of first slip. 

"We knew that the Indians are going to come back really hard. We expected that and they did the same too. They played really good cricket. They played better than us. The first innings was very crucial on this wicket. It was a good wicket to be honest. It was turning a little bit but there were no demons. We didn't play well and they are the deserving winners," Mathews said after the loss on Monday. 
This post is appeared on:Timesofindia

Ashwin engineers huge 278-run win as visitors draw level

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Day three of the second test between India and Sri Lanka is here. We had a good day of cricket on day two, didn't we? After the first innings, India put up the score of 393 runs. Answering to that the islanders at the end of the day were at 140/3 after 53 overs.

It is not a solid position for Sri Lanka. Match scales still can be tipped towards India given that Indian spinners will try to make most of it. Indian bowlers have stuck to the lines and lengths, leaving very little space for Lankans to score.

Match updates - India vs Sri Lanka: 2nd Test match Day 3: Mathews and Thirimanne lead strong Sri Lankan reply in first innings

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LIVE SCORE

SL

69/3 (16.5 ov.)

vs.

IND

375 (117.4 ov.)

SL trail by 123 runs

India will look to make further inroads into the Sri Lankan batting order on Day 3 of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Friday.

The hosts are already 3 down with hardly any runs on the board in their second innings, with Kumar Sangakkara and skipper Angelo Mathews at the crease.

Earlier on Day 2, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli hit centuries before the spinners struck as India took charge at Galle.

The tourists, replying to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 183, moved from their overnight total of 128-2 to 375 before they were all out just before stumps on the second day.

Sri Lanka, who trailed by 192 runs on the first innings, slipped to 5-2 from four overs in their second knock by close as the Indian spinners removed both openers in the first two overs.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who opened the bowling after taking six wickets in the first innings, bowled Dimuth Karunaratne with his fifth delivery before a run had been scored.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, sharing the new ball with Ashwin, then bowled Kaushal Silva for no score to provide a dramatic start to the innings.

Kumar Sangakkara, playing the penultimate Test of his international career, resumed on Friday on one facing a tough challenge to prevent India from running away with the first match of the three-game series.

Nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad was the other batsman at the crease on three, with Sri Lanka trailing by 187 runs.

Left-handed opener Dhawan scored 134, his fourth Test century and the second in succession after making 173 against Bangladesh in June, and skipper Kohli returned to form with 103.

The pair put on 227 runs for the third wicket in a fine partnership after India were reduced to 28-2 after tea on the first day.

Dhawan said he was happy to eschew his normally aggressive game to play a patient innings that helped his team take a big lead.

"I feel my shot selection has got better and that's why I am not getting out in the 20s and 30s now," he said. "The major difference in my batting is that I am not giving too many chances to the opposition.

"Even if I wanted to hit I could not, because the Sri Lankans were bowling in really good areas. Maybe if the wicket was flatter I could have played more shots."

"Great to bat with Virat"

Dhawan said the partnership with Kohli made him relax at the wicket and enabled him to play a long innings.

"It's great to bat with Virat, who is one of the best batsmen in the world," he said. "You feel at ease when such kind of a batsman walks in because you know he will take control of the game."

India were cruising at 255-2 when Sri Lanka hit back with four quick wickets on either side of the second new ball to make it 302-6.

Wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha, who walked in at 257-4, smashed a gutsy career-best 60 with six boundaries and a six to boost the total.

Off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal finished with five for 134, while seamer Nuwan Pradeep took three for 98.

Dhawan, who was on 53 overnight, reached the three-figure mark 20 minutes before lunch by driving Prasad through the covers for his 10th boundary.

But Dhawan was lucky to survive a loud appeal for leg-before against Kaushal when he was on 79.

Replays showed the ball pitched in line and would have gone on to hit the stumps, but since the Decision Review System is not being used in the series, umpire Bruce Oxenford's decision stood.

Kohli went to his 11th Test century with an off-driven boundary against Kaushal, his first 50-plus knock in 12 innings across all formats since making 107 in the World Cup match against Pakistan in Adelaide in February.

Kohli was given out leg-before later in the same over as he attempted to pull the off-spinner, but replays indicated the ball may have turned enough to miss the leg-stump.

The original post on: Hindustantimes

Live | India vs SL Galle Test Day 3: India make inroads

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Test skipper Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan will look to extend their 100-run partnership and build a big lead for Team India when they open proceedings on Day 2 of the first Test match against Sri Lanka at Galle on Thursday.

Kohli and Dhawan ended Day 1 with the score at 128/2, 55 runs short of Sri Lanka's first innings total of 183, after off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed six wickets for 46 runs to hand the visitors the advantage.

India began its batting with the loss of two early wickets, opener Lokesh Rahul falling for seven and Rohit Sharma for nine with the score at 28/2. Both batsmen were trapped leg before.

Kohli and Dhawan then steadied the ship with their partnership. Dhawan scored 53, while Kohli ended the day five runs short of his half century.

For the Lankans, skipper Angelo Mathews and right-arm pacer Dhammika Prasad took one wicket apiece. Rangana Herath also contributed, conceding 15 runs and one maiden in his seven overs. Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal were the top-scorers for the hosts, with 64 and 59, respectively.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra took two wickets in his first Test for India since 2011. Pacer Ishant Sharma and spinner Harbhajan Singh took one wicket apiece.

Live | India vs Sri Lanka Galle Test Day 2: Kohli scores 50

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Graphic Web Design & Development program (GWDD) at Arena is now more powerful and sought web development program. GWDD covers HTML5, CSS 3, Javascript, PHP & Drupal, core technologies powering the current and future of World Wide Web.

Our program teaches formatting, incorporating graphics and hyperlinks, and creating rich Web contents. Discover cascading style sheets (CSS) and how they make formatting consistent across Web sites. Learn to use JavaScript effectively to make the web pages more dynamic and functional. Also its emphasise on latest trends in web medium such as: Info-graphics, Typography, User generated content, transparency, animation layers, multiplatform versatility etc and gives exposure to various Video editing/streaming outputs, UI/UX,SEO, Content Management See More.....

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NEW DELHI: When the national selectors sit down here on Thursday to pick the Test squad for next month's Sri Lanka tour, they would definitely take into account the trouble Pakistani leg-spinner Yasir Shah caused to the Island batsmen recently. That may prompt the selectors to go for a leg-spinner to complement the two offies - R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh - who are almost sure to be in the squad. 

"We have followed how the Sri Lankans struggled against Yasir Shah. The team would love to have a good leg spinner in the team," a source close to the team management told TOI on Wednesday. "However, one must realize that Shah is perhaps the best leg-spinner going around in the world right now. It's not easy to match up to him," added the source. 

Railways leggie Karn Sharma had gone with the team on the last two tours but had to pull out of the recently concluded Zimbabwe tour due to a fractured left middle finger. The other leg-spinner in the contention is Amit Mishra who is currently playing for India 'A' against Australia 'A' in an unofficial 'Test' in Chennai. While it is likely that Karn should be fit for the series, the selectors have shown little confidence in Mishra over the past few years. Karn, too, has done little to inspire in the only Test he played in Australia last year and the few limited-over games he has played in the India shirt. 

Thus, it will be interesting to see if the selectors go with the wish of the team management and name a leg spinner or they opt for a left-arm spinner instead. If that happens, then the names of Axar Patel and Pragyan Ojha come into the picture as Ravindra Jadeja seems to have fallen off the radar. 

However, it is unlikely the selectors are going to be swayed by the tradition of fielding 'spin-heavy attacks' in Lanka. Captain Virat Kohli has been vocal about his fascination for genuine pace in his armory. He opted to play three pacers on a docile pitch in the one-off Test against Bangladesh last month. And the trend is more certain to continue. "We can't think of winning only with spin. We'll have our pace attack as we had in Bangladesh," said the source. In that case, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron (subjected to his recovery from viral fever) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are set to fly to Lanka. 

Other than trying to get a balanced bowling attack, the selectors will have to look for a reserve wicketkeeper with Wriddhiman Saha going on a full tour as the first choice for the first time since MS Dhoni's retirement last December. Naman Ojha, with a barrage of big scores in first-class cricket, is likely to edge the other contenders. 

Team to depart on August 1 

The departure of the team has been preponed by a couple of days. The squad will now be leaving for Sri Lanka on August one. There will be no preparatory camp for the team.

ORIGINAL POST: TIMESOFINDIA

Selectors to pick Test squad for Sri Lanka tour today

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the venues that will host the men’s and women’s ICC World T20 2016. The big-ticket event will be played in India from 11th-3rd April, 2016. While the Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the event finale, Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamshala, Mohali, Mumbai, Nagpur and New Delhi will be the venues for the matches. 

“BCCI is extremely proud to host this prestigious event. All the venues identified have hosted many prestigious matches. With this announcement, we have begun our preparations in right earnest. We want this World Twenty20 to be a memorable experience for our participants and fans. I am confident that all the venues nominated will deliver a world class event,” Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, Mr. Anurag Thakur said. The BCCI has constituted a Managing Committee for the ICC World Twenty20 comprising of the following members: President of BCCI, Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya would be the chairman of this committee along with the following members; Mr. Anurag Thakur, convenor and Hon. Secretary, BCCI Mr. Amitabh Choudhary, Hon. Joint Secretary, BCCI Mr. Anirudh Chaudhry, Hon. Treasurer, BCCI Mr. G. Ganga Raju, Vice President, BCCI Mr. Rajeev Shukla, Chairman, IPL Mr. Ashish Shelar, Vice President, Mumbai Cricket Association Mr. Ashirbad Behera, Hon. Secretary, Orissa Cricket Association 

ORIGINAL POST: NDTV

BCCI announces ICC World T20 2016 venues, Eden Gardens to host final

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• ZIMBABWE

75 / 4

OVERS12.4

R/R6.05

Fours3

Sixes4

Extras6

Play in Progress

Batsman	Status	R	B	4s	6s
Sikandar Raza	Batting	6	7	0	0
Craig Ervine	Batting	1	5	0	0

Extras : 6 (b - 0, w - 2, nb - 0, lb - 4, Penalty - 0)

Preview: After ensuring a resounding clean-sweep over Zimbabwe in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series, a confident young Indian side will aim to consolidate their dominance over the hosts in the first match of the two Twenty20 Internationals to be played at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

India clinched the ODI series 3-0. The visitors were a superior side in the 50-over campaign winning the first ODI by four runs, the second by 62 runs and the third by 83 runs.

Murali Vijay in action for India. Reuters

The visitors will have very little homework to do after putting up an impressive show both with the bat and bowl in the ODI series.

But the hosts, swept aside in the ODI series, will look to making a strong comeback and proving themselves in the T20 series.

Several Indian batsmen, namely Ambati Rayudu, skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Yadav and Murali Vijay, were among runs in the ODIs. Allrounder Stuart Binny and bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, spinners Axar Patel and Harbhajan Singh were successful at taking wickets.

While Rayudu, who scored a match-winning hundred in the first ODI, got injured and returned home, his replacement Manish Pandey chipped in, hitting a useful 71 on his debut to help India win the third ODI.

India will aim to capitalise on their batting strength to put on an authoritative show, hoping their batsmen become more aggressive in the shortest format of the game.

ALl eyes will be on skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay and their ability to provide strong starts on foreign pitches. Senior batter Robin Uthappa will also like to start scoring after missing out in the ODIs.

Zimbabwe will hope their star hitter Chamu Chibhabha comes good and single handedly lead them to victories.

India: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Robin Uthappa, Murali Vijay, Stuart Binny, Manoj Tiwary, Harbhajan Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Dhawal Kulkarni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Sandeep Sharma, Sanju Samson and Mohit Sharma.

Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Graeme Cremer, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Tinashe Panyangara, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller and Sean Williams.

ORIGINAL POST: FIRSTPOST

Zimbabwe vs India 1st T20I Live: Axar Patel strikes twice in one over as Zimbabwe falter

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