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The Pakistan cricket team has truly enjoyed itself since landing in India for the ODI World Cup 2023. Since reaching Hyderabad, the Pakistan team has been full of praise for the hospitality their players have received in India. After their first warm-up fixture against New Zealand in Hyderabad, Babar Azam's men enjoyed a lavish dinner and also clicked a few selfies with the fans. The Pakistan Cricket Board's official Twitter (now X) account shared a video of the team's dinner, where the players could be seen having a gala time.
Hangout in Hyderabad: Glimpses from the Pakistan team dinner #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/R2mB9rQurN
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 30, 2023
Pakistan didn't get off to the most promising start on the sporting front as they were beaten by New Zealand in the practice match on Friday.
Batting first, Pakistan put a mammoth total of 345 runs on the board at the Raji Gandhi International Stadium. But, their bowlers could defend the target as the Kiwis overhauled the total in 43.4 overs.
For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra (97), Kane Williamson (54), Daryl Mitchell (59) and Mark Chapman (65) were the top-scoring batters.
For Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan (103), Babar Azam (80), and Saud Shakeel (75) performed the best with the bat.
"A hundred is a hundred, proud and happy of it. Scoring a century for Pakistan is always special. The Indian crowd gave us a lot of love at the airport itself, just like how our fans love us back in Pakistan. We were welcomed in India in a great way. In T20Is I open for Pakistan, in Tests I bat at 6-7, and in ODIs I bat at number 4, I play according to the team requirements.
"Saud Shakeel is in great form and he played a classy knock today. Hopefully, he turns out to be a great player in the ODI format as well. I and Babar try to rotate the strike, we bat similarly, our communication is good and that helps us," Rizwan said during the mid-inning break.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes that the country's star batter Shubman Gill has the potential to become the best player of this generation. Gill is surely one of the rising superstars of Indian cricket. The 24-year-old is among the best batters the Indian team has. However, it seems that Gill's own best is yet to come as his batting graph continues to rise with time. The right-handed batter was the top run-scorer during India's recently-concluded three-match ODI series against Australia.
"Shubman Gill has the potential to become the best player of this generation. The guy works hard. Since he was 19-20, his attitude has always been like that. He works four times harder than a normal guy since he was a kid. Whatever I have worked with him, he can be the player of this era," Yuvraj Singh told The Week.
"He (Gill) scored 91 in a Test match which India won. He scored two fifties as well on his first tour to Australia which I don't know how many players have done. I am sure he will score runs in Australia, South Africa as well as England," he added.
After a sensational Indian Premier League 2023 season, Gill's form saw a dip before he made a brilliant comeback. The Asia Cup 2023 saw the batter ending as the top scorer with 302 runs to his name across six matches at an average of 75.50.
The ODI series against Australia that followed saw Gill scoring 178 runs across two matches at an average of 89.
Gill came under scrutiny and a lot of criticism after he underperformed against West Indies, especially in the two-match Test series and five T20Is this year. However, his comeback in Asia Cup has once again put the batter in the list of key players that India will be having during the Cricket World Cup 2023.
Former India captain MS Dhoni had a strange interaction with a fan while he was going through the security procedure at an airport. Arguably India's greatest-ever captain, Dhoni enjoys an unparalleled following from fans across the globe. However, Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in August 2020, remains down-to-earth on and off the field. In a viral video, a fan expressed his love for Dhoni, while the veteran wicketkeeper-batter was going through a security check at an airport.
In the video, the fan shouted multiple times, saying: "Mahi bhai I love you". "Mere haanth kaanp rae hain (My hands are shivering)," the fan went on to add.
Dhoni gave another glimpse of his simplicity as he smiled at fan's gesture.
Fan : Mahi bhai I love you
— FAN (@KattarDhoni) September 29, 2023
Thala : Smiles @msdhoni #MSDhoni pic.twitter.com/W6SXlb6E1r
After drawing curtains on an illustrious international career, Dhoni continues to feature for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
He is India's most successful captain at ICC tournaments. Under him, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Overall, he led India in 332 matches, the most by a captain in international cricket. Out of these, he won 178, lost 120, tied six and 15 ended in a no-result. His win percentage as a captain is 53.61. This combined with the trophies he has won, makes him India's most successful captain ever.
In these 332 matches, he scored 11,207 runs in 330 innings at an average of 46.89 and a strike rate of over 76. He scored 11 centuries and 71 fifties as a captain, with the best score of 224. Safe to say, the burden of captaincy did not affect MS at all.
Team India is all set for the Cricket World Cup 2023, starting October 5. The Rohit Sharma-led side is set to take on England and Netherlands in two warm-up matches ahead of the mega event. It will be a big opportunity for India to win an ICC title after a gap of more than eight years. The last time India won an ICC trophy was way back in 2013 - a Champions Trophy title. Talking about World Cup, India last won the coveted trophy in 2011, in the ODI format.
Ahead of the start of India's campaign in Cricket World Cup 2023, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has recalled how legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar guided his teammates to keep themselves away from distraction during 2011 World Cup.
"Now, distraction is a bit more because that time there was no social media. There was distraction with media and people. We were trying to focus on the game, and in the World Cup, we had lost to South Africa - a game we should have won. The media started to go berserk. Sachin (Tendulkar) sat down with the team and said, 'We need to stop watching television, stop reading the papers. Use our headphones when we are going through crowds in airports. Just focus on the World Cup'. The team agreed, we just followed that and it really worked," Yuvraj told The Week.
"Because there's anyway so much pressure. Problem with India is that, people think only Indian team will win. It's a big World Cup, there are so many good teams out there, and we got to be really focussed on your tasks at hand" he added.
India's star Virat Kohli and his actor wife Anushka Sharma are among the perfect couples one could find on social media. While Kohli, one of the finest batters in international cricket, has admitted that Anushka has been his perfect support, the Bollywood actor too has given her husband a lot of credit for her achievements in life. The couple often takes to social media to share its pictures together. Recently, Anushka put up a cute picture of her on social media during a promotional post and the comment of Kohli on it melted the internet.
See it here:
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli have been setting couple goals ever since they were rumoured to be dating several years ago. In 2017, the couple sent the nation into a tizzy with glimpses of their dreamy wedding. Years later, the two continue to impress fans with their loved-up Instagram posts featuring each other and their comments on each other's pictures.
Kohli will be seen in action during India's Cricket World Cup warm-up matches, starting September 30 in Guwahati.
The Indian team management will try to keep cards close and assess defending champions England's batting depth when the home team takes field for its first World Cup warm-up match game.
The warm-up games don't have an official status. Both teams can use as many players as they want and check out how some of the players respond in specific match situations. However no team would like to go full throttle and expose all their players or strategies during these games.
(With PTI Inputs)
The Indian squad is packed with quality players but either wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal or Washington Sundar should have found place in the home team's line-up, reckons 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh. All-rounder Axar Patel was ruled out of the global event due to quadriceps tear and the management replaced him with senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin was summoned for the ODI series against Australia and eventually he was included in the final 15-man squad as Chahal and Washington miss out.
"I personally feel the only miss in this side is Yuzvendra Chahal. I think the only aspect that is missing from this team is a leg-spinner," Yuvraj told PTI in an exclusive interview.
"I was very keen to see Washington Sundar in the side if we are not picking up Yuzi. But maybe the team wanted an experienced bowler, so that is why I think they went with R Ashwin," said one of India's greatest ODI cricketers.
Yuvraj spoke on the sidelines of an event, organised by Vicks, to release the World Cup anthem.
The performance of Jasprit Bumrah will have a massive bearing on India's campaign in the World Cup at home, felt former India batter.
Bumrah returned to the Indian side during the T20I series against Ireland recently after a long injury lay-off and he also produced intense efforts in the Asia Cup.
"Jasprit is a match-winner, like Zak (Zaheer Khan) did for us back in 2011. What makes Jasprit a threat is he has skill and pace. He is an asset to the team.
"To make a comeback from the back injury at this stage is quite big too. As a team you feel confident to have bowlers like that, they win you matches from any situation." Yuvraj, who was the player of the tournament during the 2011 World Cup, was pleased to see the growing maturity of Bumrah as a cricketer. "Bumrah has matured in the last couple of years, he has captained India and has become a smart bowler. Rohit knows how to use him wisely, especially because he has captained Bumrah in the Mumbai Indians," said Yuvraj.
"The advantage with Bumrah is that initially he can get wickets with pace but when he starts going for runs, his skillset will come into play. There will be days when you will win a game after scoring 300 or 350-plus but these kinds of bowlers like Bumrah are needed to defend scores like 250s and 260s," he said.
The 41-year-old was also chuffed to see the form of India's middle-order batters.
"It is a good thing that all our middle-order batters – KL (Rahul), Ishan (Kishan) and Shreyas Iyer – are in good form. But the team management needs to decide the 11 and combination ahead of the tournament that will give the team a settled look," he said.
Yuvraj knows a thing or two about winning the World Cup as he was a part of India's triumphant sides in 2007 (T20 WC) and 2011 (50-over WC).
He said India had started their preparation for the 2011 World Cup the moment Gary Kirsten joined the team as the head coach.
"We started planning for the World Cup from the day Gary came on board. The first step was to get to the No. 1 ranking in all formats – whether it is ODI cricket or Tests. When the World Cup came, we had a lot of players who were at the peak of their careers. The younger generation too had matured. So, it became a complete team effort," he said.
On personal front, Yuvraj was battling injuries and other health issues, which was later diagnosed as cancer, ahead of the 2011 big bash.
So, how did he manage to rise above those obstacles? "I was battling injuries ahead of the World Cup…neck, fingers…and other health-related issues as I was not able to breathe properly. I had to put aside all of those things and concentrate on one goal, which is the World Cup.
"When you were playing in a physical state like that, you had to put the body on the line. I think to win a World Cup after 28 years, an effort like that was needed." India had then won a 50-over World Cup, their second, after a gap of nearly three decades, and Yuvraj hoped that Rohit Sharma and his bunch would end India's 12-year wait for a third trophy at home next month.
"I love these guys as I get along with every one of them and I have also played with some of them. I feel that Virat and Rohit deserve a World Cup. So, everyone needs to put their body on the line for such a big stage," he said.
Yuvraj also advised the present bunch to stay away from distractions during the World Cup. "I would tell them to stay away from distractions for the next 40 or 45 days…media, friends and everything. They need to focus on the game exclusively. Sachin paaji (Tendulkar) used to tell us that," he signed off.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
One of the greats of the game, MS Dhoni is a man that the entire cricketing universe respects. Though Dhoni got his India not a little late, he went on to create a legacy that remains unparalleled event today. While many intriguing tales of the Ranchi-born wicket-keeper batter, a new one unfolded as former pacer S Sreesanth shared anecdotes from an India vs Pakistan match in Kerala. While the fans were chanting Sachin, Sachin, Dhoni knew that it was his time to deliver and cement his place in the team.
"Before the India vs Pakistan match in Kerala, John Wright (India's head coach) called me to bowl in the nets. Kochi hosted the match. India vs Pakistan, it was housefull. Everyone was chanting 'India, India, Sachin, Sachin'," Sreesanth said in a chat on Sportskeeda.
"Dhoni bhai came and spoke with us (support players). I have not shared this story anywhere. When we were standing there, Dhoni bhai said 'I want to express myself. I am not getting the chance where I can express myself'," he added.
While Dhoni was eager to prove his credentials, Sreesanth also showed keen interest in representing India in the future too.
"There was one more player with me from Kerala. Dhoni was talking with us. We even jokingly told him, 'Dhoni bhai, even we will come in the team in 1-2 years'. He said with a smile, 'Yes, sure. Why not. Just keep working hard'."
"At the dinner party, we just had a casual interaction. But I told him, 'Don't worry. Something tells me (you will play and do well soon).' I have the habit of motivating the players sitting on the bench. You won't believe, the next match he played he scored a hundred. In Duleep Trophy finals, he got a chance and he scored a hundred," Sreesanth revealed.
Dhoni went on to score a hundred for India A and went on a run that made him indespensible to the senior Indian team forever.
"Then he got a chance in India 'A', he scored hundred again, and then hundred again. Crazy journey man! So from playing Duleep Trophy against him in 2003/04 to winning two World Cups with him. Unbelievable journey. That's why it is said you should not hope, you should believe.
"I am writing about this in my autobiography also. During India vs Pakistan match, MS Dhoni told me 'I don't know what we have to do. You don't know what makes you come here, but you know what to do here'," Sreesanth concluded.
The Cricket World Cup 2023 is just round the corner and the ten competing teams have officially submitted their final squads for the competition. India and Australia made late changes to their 15-member squads as Ravichandran Ashwin replaced the injured Axar Patel while Marnus Labuschagne was rewarded for his brilliant run of form in the recently concluded ODI series against India. The tournament will begin on October 5 with England taking on New Zealand. Hosts India will begin their campaign in the competition against Australia in Chennai on October 8.
A look at all the 10 final squads for Cricket World Cup 2023 -
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis (vc), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha
Bangladesh squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Kumer Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen ul Haq.
Netherlands squad: Scott Edwards (c), Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
The Indian men's cricket team on Thursday reached Guwahati ahead of the Cricket World Cup 2023 warm-up match against England on September 30. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who was added to India's 15-player squad for the World Cup 2023 earlier in the day in place of Axar Patel was present with the Indian team. Axar failed to recover in time for the World Cup after sustaining a left quadriceps strain during India's Asia Cup Super Four encounter against Bangladesh. Subsequently, the spin-bowling all-rounder missed the final of the Asia Cup as well as India's three-match ODI series against Australia. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer were also present as they made a successful comeback from long-term injuries.
Team India arrived in Guwahati to start their World Cup campaign. pic.twitter.com/q8VHEO15hi
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 28, 2023
Both stars have made vital contributions in the games leading up to the tournament. Rahul announced his comeback with an incredible century against arch-rival Pakistan in the Super Four Asia Cup encounter. Iyer too struck a ton in the second ODI against Australia.
India will begin their World Cup campaign on October 7 against five-time Champions Australia. Before the tournament, Rohit Sharma's men will play two warm-up fixtures, the first against England on September 30 followed by the Netherlands on October 3.
India Cricket World Cup 2023 squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
New Zealand gave themselves a perfect boost ahead of the World Cup by whitewashing Bangladesh in the three-match series 2-0, with a seven wickets win in the final one-day international in Dhaka on Tuesday. Will Young and Adam Milne starred with bat and ball respectively, with Young hitting 70 off 80 balls to guide New Zealand to 175-3. Milne's 4-34 restricted the hosts to 171 in 34.3 overs at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Stand-in skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto scored highest with 76 runs for Bangladesh, but was unable to give the hosts a competitive score with a lack of support from the other end after he opted to bat first.
New Zealand made light of their target despite losing Finn Allen (28) and Dean Foxcroft (0) to Shoriful Islam in consecutive balls, as Young put on 81 runs with in-form Henry Nicholls for the third wicket.
By the time left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed bowled Young, New Zealand were well in control.
Nicholls, who made 44 and 49 runs in the previous two matches, went on to complete 50 this time, with a single off Mahmudullah Riyad.
Tom Blundell (23 not out) hit a boundary to take New Zealand home, with 91 balls to spare.
Cole McConchie and Trent Boult earlier complemented Milne, who was playing his first match of the series, claiming 2-18 and 2-33 respectively to deny Bangladesh any serious momentum in the contest.
The Kiwis, who lost the previous two series in Bangladesh 4-0 in 2010 and 3-0 in 2013, won the second match by 86 runs on Saturday. The first match was washed out by rain.
"The World Cup is just around the corner -- to come up with the first win since 2008 is great," said Young, the man of the match, in a briefing afterwards.
"This group plays a lot together, we gel well and it's a lot of fun," he added.
Young said that while he could not predict what conditions the Kiwis would face in India when the World Cup opens on October 5, he hoped "it's similar to these".
Bangladesh initially rested key players but, with the series at stake, they brought back stalwarts Najmul, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shoriful Islam. However, it did little to improve their performance.
Najmul, leading Bangladesh for the first time, held down one end to score his fifth ODI fifty but wickets kept falling regularly from the other end.
"Our batsmen didn't score big runs," Najmul said. "Hopefully, next time batters take responsibility and bat long."
Milne and Boult struck early to reduce Bangladesh to 35-3, before Najmul and Mushfiqur offered a brief resistance with a 53-run fourth wicket stand.
Mushfiqur's dismissal to Lockie Ferguson for 18 put New Zealand back on top and the visitors did not lose the momentum again.
McConchie ended any real chance of Bangladesh lodging a fighting score by dismissing Najmul with his second ball of the day, with the left-hander hitting 10 fours in his 84-ball innings.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Suryakumar Yadav has been enjoying a brilliant run of form in the ongoing ODI series against Australia and this purple patch could not have come at a better time as India gear up for the Cricket World Cup 2023. The selection of Suryakumar for the World Cup was met with severe criticism from some fans and experts due to his poor performances in the format but his recent knocks have proved a lot of critics wrong. Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh was all praise for the explosive batter and said that he needs to play every match of the Cricket World Cup as he is a 'pure match winner'.
"Surykaumar Yadav has to play all the matches. I don't care whom he replaces, but his name should be taken first and then the rest. You have a player who is a pure match winner and can single-handedly make the game one-sided. He is the ace of spades. We have have been taking about a finisher...he is the one. He has to play at No. 5 for India," Harbhajan said on his official YouTube channel.
Earlier, he gave his take on why Sanju Samson was not picked for India's ODI series against Australia.
“Sanju Samson's exclusion has raised a lot of debates. If you average 55 in ODIs and still don't be a part of the squad, then definitely that's strange. But I think Sanju wasn't selected because India already had two wicketkeepers, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan. Both are also a part of the World Cup squad,” he said.
Southpaw David Warner had to employ a rather bizarre tactic of batting right-handed against R Ashwin in the second ODI because of the turn the Indian was generating from the Indore pitch, said Australia bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott. Australia were never in the hunt after India amassed 399 for five to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series on Sunday. Warner (53) and Abbott (54) were the two Australian batters who got going before the visitors suffered their fifth ODI loss in a row.
Warner played some audacious strokes batting both left and right-handed. He is known for his innovative strokeplay including reverse hits but he took that to the next level on Sunday when he resorted to bat with a right-hander's stance while facing Ashwin.
The premier India spinner did get the better of Warner eventually but it was not before the 'right-hand' batter swept him for a boundary, much to the amusement of his teammates in the dugout.
"I think that's a testament to Ashwin's skills, to be honest, because I think if Davey's just going to sit there and bat left-handed and Ashwin he's not going to miss his length, too often, and with the ball spinning so much, he's got the one that goes the other way, the straighter one and all the variations that go along with that," said Abbott when asked Warner's unusual methods.
"David just thought he had to change it up. He plays golf right handed. we obviously see how dynamic he is batting like doing his switch hitting and stuff. So he weighed up those options. They actually might have spoken about it during the test match here (in March).
"He's done it before he practices it in the nets. So I was like, 'Oh, this is different' but Davey's Davey, so we just let him crack on, he's a great competitor," said Abbott who himself staked a strong claim for a spot in the playing eleven for the World Cup with his clean hitting.
Indian batters feasted on the Indore track but going by Abbott, it was not easy facing Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja under lights.
"It was a difficult batting wicket in the end, facing their spinners. They're very skilful. So we were going to have our work cut out for us.
"Before we went out there bat we had some glimpses of some good batting especially from Davy and I just thought Ashwin and Jadeja on that wicket there, especially Ashwin... tremendous skills spinning it both ways as a finger spinner.
"He asked me if I was picking them and I was like, no chance, mate, so very difficult," said Abbott whose entertaining effort comprised five sixes.
In the absence of Mitchell Starc, who might play in Rajkot on Wednesday, the Australians have been struggling to take wickets in the powerplay of late. The loss on Sunday raised questions over their form going into the World Cup.
Far from ideal: Abbott on Australia conceding 400 twice in 10 days
Before Sunday, Australia had allowed South Africa to hammer 416 in the fourth ODI in Centurion 10 days ago. Five losses in a row should be a matter of concern for the Aussies.
"It is far from ideal. But at the same time, we've got such a great group in that, we're communicating well out in the ground, but we've obviously just not executed as well as we would have liked.
"I've mentioned a couple of times already our execution in bringing those stumps into play, owning our lengths and putting pressure on the batters that way certainly has to improve. And I have no doubt of that. We've got a very skilled attack. Looking forward to the next game," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be available for the third ODI against Australia after being given a one-match break but all-rounder Axar Patel will be given a few more days to recover from his quadricep tear ahead of the World Cup, BCCI sources said on Monday. While Ravichandran Ashwin has done decently in his two outings, the team management is still bullish about the fitness of Axar, the left-arm spin bowling all-rounder. "The team management wants to give Axar full chance of recovery. His forearm and finger bruises have healed but may be in another few days, he would get fit for World Cup. India's first match is on September 8 and hence there is time.
"As far as Ashwin is concerned, we now know that he is match fit and in rhythm. If Axar can't make it, Ashwin walks in," a BCCI source privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The final squad announcement is on September 27 and it is understood that Axar still remains the team management's top choice for the reserve spinner's slot ahead of the Tamil Nadu veteran.
It is understood that young batting star Shubhman Gill and bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur have been given a few days rest ahead of the third ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday.
"As per rotation policy of the team, Bumrah, who was given a couple of days off to freshen up is back along with skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. Gill, who has been playing continuously gets to cool his heels for 3-4 days along with Shardul Thakur," the source added.
Ruturaj, Mukesh released for Asian Games
India's Asian Games cricket team captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who played the first two ODIs, have been released from the squad as he will link up with the Hangzhou-bound outfit. Also released is pacer Mukesh Kumar, who came as cover for Bumrah, who was given a break.
It is understood that Washington Sundar is also suppose to leave on the evening of the game or day after.
While the Indian World Cup-bound team won't have any travelling net bowlers, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar will be summoned as and when required.
Suryakumar Yadav played an explosive knock that included four consecutive sixes off the bowling of Cameron Green during the second ODI clash between India and Australia on Sunday. Suryakumar looked in brilliant touch and in the 43rd over, he decided to attack his Mumbai Indians teammate's bowling. The first ball went sailing over the deep backward square leg boundary thanks to a trademark SKY shot and he followed it up with a similar attempt that sent the ball over the fine-leg boundary. Green was quick to course-correct but his outside the off stump line resulted in Suryakumar heaving the ball over deep extra cover for another six. Green looked lost and he went for a full-length delivery but the result was the same as it flew over the deep mid-wicket fielder for the fourth six of the over.
Shubman Gill showed his insatiable hunger for runs with his fifth hundred of the year while Shreyas Iyer hit a timely ton under pressure to set up a series-sealing 99-run win for India.
Gill (104 off 97 balls) and Iyer (105 off 90 balls) shared a stroke-filled 200-run stand from 164 balls before Suryakumar Yadav (72 not out off 37 balls) unleashed carnage to fire India to 399 for five, the hosts' highest total against Australia in ODIs.
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 24, 2023
The crowd here in Indore has been treated with Signature SKY brilliance! #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/EpjsXzYrZN
Skipper K L Rahul chipped in with 52 off 38 balls.
Rain stopped play for the second time in the game when Australia were 56 for two in nine overs. With the revised target of 317 in 33 overs, they fell further behind in the game and ended with 217 all out in 28.2 overs.
David Warner (53 off 39), who batted right-handed against R Ashwin (3/41), and Sean Abbott (54 off 36), had a good hit in the middle.
The series win without their five main players in the squad was a big boost for India ahead of the World Cup at home.
The final game, in which a full-strength India squad is expected to play, will take place in Rajkot on Wednesday.
(With PTI inputs)
The Indian contingent started off Sunday on a promising note, earning the nation its first medal of the Asian Games 2023, with silver medals in 10m Air Rifle Team event and Men's Doubles Sculls Rowing. The Indian team, that is aiming to cross the 100-medal mark this time around in Hangzhou, wasted little time in opening their medals tally. Though, there will be some disappointment in the hearts of the athletes, considering the fact that they couldn't fetch the elusive gold medals in their respective events.
In shooting, the trio of Ramita, Mehuli Ghosh and Ashi Chouksey secured silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event at the end of the qualification round with a total score of 1886. The gold medal went to the hosts China, with a score of 1896.6 while Mongolia took bronze with 1880.
Ramita (631.9) - 2nd, Mehuli - (630.8) - 5th, qualify for the individual final. China's Han Jiayu sets a new Qualification Asian Record with a score of 634.1, 0.1 better than the previous mark set by her compatriot Zhao Ruozhu in New Delhi in 2019.
In rowing, the duo of Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh won silver in the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls with a timing of 6:28.18s. In this event too, the Gold medal went to China, with a timing of 6:23.16s while the bronze went to to Uzbekistan, with a timing of 6:33.42s.
The Indians, who finished 11th in the Tokyo Olympics, went on to upset the odds, to seal their place on the podium.
Chinese pair of Fan Junjie and Sun Man secured the top spot by clocking 6:23.16s. With this China have already secured a second gold in the Asian Games. Uzbekistan settled for a bronze medal by clocking 6:33.42s.
Throught the contest, the Indian pair gave the hosts a run for their money as they were breathing down their necks for the entire time.
With 500m to go and China managed to open up a bigger gap by building a lead of 2.73 seconds. Uzbekistan maintained their position on third.
With Agency Inputs
The talismanic Suryakumar Yadav finally roared back to form in ODI cricket, scoring 50 runs off 49 balls before being dismissed. Surya, who remains a part of India's ODI World Cup squad too, hasn't quite managed to impress in the 50-over format while wearing the Indian team but the Mohali ODI on Friday was different. In fact, even after the match had ended, Surya reportedly did some more batting practice in the nets. When former India cricketer Virender Sehwag was asked about the mentality behind such an act, he said that it's not something he personally ever did.
In a chat during the post-match show, Sehwag said that he only believed in giving his all on the field. In fact, he also feels Surya doesn't need to work his skills as the mental aspects of the game.
"I didn't need to. When you go out there, you put your 100 percent effort. Sometimes, you get out and it's fine. But for me, that was it. I wouldn't practice until the next day. I don't know the reasons why he was knocking after the game, but I believed that you prepared for this particular game, you had the chance, you made a mistake and got out. Focus on the mistake, the mindset is more important. The skills won't go anywhere, you don't need practice," Sehwag said.
"It's the mindset. What were you thinking when you play that shot, whether it was the right decision or not. The mental tuning is more important. You should've focussed on skills when you had those three ducks in a row. Now that you've scored runs, you have to tune yourself mentally," Viru added.
Suryakumar's place in the Indian ODI team has been questioned by many, owing too poor shows in the format. But, with the selectors deciding to pick him in the ODI World Cup squad, he would be determined to repay the management's faith.
The match schedule for the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 has been revealed as hosts Sri Lanka prepare to welcome the future stars of world cricket to the island nation for the first time since 2006. Five venues in Colombo are set to stage the action from January 13, with the final on February 4 at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, as per ICC press release. Hosts Sri Lanka play Zimbabwe on opening day while defending champions India open up a day later against 2020 champions Bangladesh.
Sixteen teams are set to compete for the trophy across 41 matches from January 13 to February 4, comprising the 11 best-placed Full Member teams at the last edition and five teams who earned their World Cup spot through regional qualification pathways - Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland and USA.
Five venues located in Colombo will stage the 15th edition of the celebrated event; the P. Sara Oval, Colombo Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Singhalese Sports Club and the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, the arena chosen to host both semifinals on January 30 and February 1 and the Ffnal on February 4.
The action starts on January 13 with three fixtures taking place on opening day. Hosts Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, while 2022 finalists England play Scotland at Colombo Cricket Club and New Zealand face off against Nepal at the P. Sara Oval.
India, who triumphed in the 2022 edition in the West Indies, commence the defence of their crown against 2020 winners Bangladesh a day later on January 14 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
In a revised format that has been introduced for the upcoming edition, teams progressing from the group stages will enter a new Super Six stage, starting January 24, where two groups of six teams will clash to determine the semi-finalists and the subsequent finalists.
In the group listings, holders India are joined by Bangladesh, Ireland and the US in Group A. Group B consists of England, South Africa, West Indies and Scotland. Group C features Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Namibia while Group D is made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal.
Speaking on the announcement of the schedule, ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley remarked, “The ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup has a long-standing history of introducing global audiences to future stars of the sport.
“Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Angelo Mathews are some of the names that made their entrance onto the world stage at this event, and we are certain to see this tradition continue as the drama unfolds across the 41 tournament fixtures.
“We are thrilled to see the competition return to Sri Lanka for the first time since 2006, in what promises to be a festival of cricket with no shortage of entertainment, and we are proud to offer fans the chance to witness the action for free once more.”
Tournament Director, Samantha Dodanwela added, “Sri Lanka Cricket is delighted to be welcoming this prestigious event back to Sri Lanka after 18 years.
“Sri Lanka is renowned for its passionate, cricket-loving fans, and we are looking forward to giving them the opportunity to watch some of the most promising young cricketers in the world over 23 days of competition. The five venues selected to host the event in January and February next year have been graced by many exceptionally talented cricketers over the years, and it will be fitting for these historic grounds to host the future stars of the game.
“With so much to look forward to, we have no doubt that the event will help showcase Sri Lanka as an ideal destination for cricket.”
Ahead of the event, each competing team will play two warm-up matches. These will take place across four of the five tournament venues.
The hosts will be hoping to go one better than their previous best finish, when they were runners-up to India at the final of the competition back in 2000.
The landmark event has been the springboard for some of the most recognisable stars of the global game. Through the history of the event, India are the most decorated with five U19 Men's Cricket World Cup titles, Australia have won the event three times, Pakistan twice, while England, Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies have each been crowned once.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of the first ODI against Australia, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid on Thursday said that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been rested as the team wanted them to be fresh mentally and physically for the Cricket World Cup 2023. India will take on Australia in a three-match ODI series, starting from the first ODI at Mohali on Thursday. It will be India's final assignment before the ICC Cricket World Cup at home from October 5 onwards. "It is one of those series, where you have seen that some of our boys are not playing the first two games. We will rotate our pacers a bit. It will be nice for some other guys that they are given this opportunity to play three tough games before the World Cup," said Dravid in a pre-match press conference.
"I think with people like Rohit and Virat, from our perspective, it is important that they reach the first game of the World Cup with the physical and mental headspace they want to be in. With the amount of cricket they have played, they know how to prepare themselves for these big games. A lot of these decisions are discussed with them. We discuss with them how they would like to prepare leading up to big events. Based on these discussions, we come up with these mutual decisions," he added.
On the return of spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin to the ODI set-up after a year, Dravid clarified that the spinner was always in the plans.
"Having someone of Ashwin's experience is always good for us. He gives you experience, the ability to contribute with the bat at number eight. He is someone we taught about in case of an injury or an opportunity opened up. He was always in our plans. He has not played much ODI cricket for a while, but someone of his experience can deal with that," said the coach.
India squad for first 2 ODI: KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
India squad for final ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, (Vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj.
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday held a review meeting of their woeful Asia Cup show in the wake of their World Cup squad announcement. All teams must finalise their 15-player squads for the cricket showpiece before the September 28 deadline, with any replacements after this date requiring approval from the ICC. "The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus," PCB chairman of the management committee Zaka Ashraf said in a statement. "The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions.” The review meeting was also attended by head coach Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan and former skippers Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez.
Chief selector and former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq could not attend the meeting due to a 'medical emergency' but shared his inputs with the PCB chief on Thursday.
The other members of the men's national coaching staff including head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick and bowling coach Morne Morkel “were also invited to report on the team's recent performance".
“We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team,” he added.
Pakistan failed to make the final of the Asia Cup after losing to India and Sri Lanka in the 'Super Four'. They managed wins only against Nepal and Bangladesh.
In fact, Pakistan, who have won the Asia Cup only twice in 2000 and 2012, suffered their heaviest defeat to arch-rivals India by 228 runs in the ODI format, ahead of their mega clash in the World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 14.
Dr Sohail Saleem briefed about the players' injuries and "the way forward for players' rehabilitation programs," the PCB said.
Pakistan pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf both suffered injuries during their rain-marred clash against India in Colombo, with the former under doubt to play the World Cup.
“In a robust analysis, every aspect of recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans came into discussion with a view to bringing improvement to the side,” the release said.
“There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players' workload. The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasized,” it added. PTI DDV TAP
The India vs Australia ODI series narrative has been dominated by the inclusion of one player - Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner is set to play his first ODI since 2022 when the India vs Australia series starts on Friday. The India vs Australia ODI cricket series is being seen as the final dress rehearsal ahead of the Cricket World Cup. The 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup starts from October 5 while the Indian cricket plays it first match on October 8. The much-awaited India vs Pakistan match at the Cricket World Cup will be played on October 14. But much before that, Ravichandran Ashwin will be in focus.
India star spinner Amit Mishra had an interesting observation on why Ravichandran Ashwin was missing from ODIs for a long time.
"Ravichandran Ashwin is undoubtedly a quality bowler and a wicket-taker, but remember this is not a 20-over game. It is of 50 overs. You have to bowl for 10 overs and field for 40 overs and might have to bat as well. No doubt he has been around for so long, has been a wicket-taker as well, but there is that matter of fielding as well and that is why a young player might be picked," Amit Mishra was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
"The only reason he has been picked is because if a spinner gets injured, then the team needs to have a wicket-taking option, which Ashwin brings. Ashwin has got an edge as an off-spin option, as India already has two left-arm spinners and a wrist-spinner in Kuldeep Yadav,"
"Indian team will be looking at how Ashwin will be bowling against Australia, and to assess if he still has the wicket-taking abilities in this format. The only reason why he is not in the team is because of his fielding and right-handed batting ability.
"Jadeja and Axar are both lefties. Washington is a young player and has shown wicket-taking abilities apart from being a batting option. Plus, he provides an advantage with his fielding, something which holds importance in ODIs," he added.
A month and half back, Ravichandran Ashwin was eloquently explaining on his Tamil YouTube channel, why a talent like Tilak Varma should be seriously considered for the ODI Cricket World Cup. One of India's greatest match-winners in Test cricket wouldn't possibly have envisaged that in six weeks time he would be summoned for a two-match trial against Washington Sundar -- nearly a decade and half junior to him. Close selection calls are par for course when it comes to Cricket World Cup squads. But just two weeks before the mega event, the Indian team management has called the two off-spinners for the three-match series against Australia to keep a ready back-up option in case Axar Patel's quadriceps tear doesn't heal on time.
It will be a virtual shoot-out and their performances on flat decks of Mohali and Rajkot will be monitored by Ajit Agarkar's selection committee.
"I think Ashwin will be slightly ahead now that a bowler of his stature has been called into the mix. I have always felt that Ashwin should have been in the mix from the time the team got into the ODI Cricket World Cup mode," said former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, who was at helm when the 2019 squad was selected.
With PTI inputs
Cricket is a game loved by all, especially in the Indian sub continent. The game is more than just a sport from many. Cricket's popularity is on the rise. Though it is still not as widely followed as football at a global level, cricket is making its presence felt in countries like USA among other countries. The fans of cricket are many and so are those who practise. Cricket is literally for everyone and that was the message the the X handle of 'Barmy Army' proved once again. A video posted from it's handle, with the caption: "How amazing is this guy batting on one AN INSPIRATION", shows a differently-abled man playing cricket.
The video was widely shared and one handle, gave a nice caption: "Cricket is for EVERYONE Inspirational!"
How amazing is this guy batting on one
— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) September 20, 2023
AN INSPIRATION pic.twitter.com/PboTaixI4g
Meanwhile, recently, the Indian women's blind cricket team scripted history as they won a gold medal after defeating Australia in the rain-curtailed finals of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games 2023 on the back of their scintillating show in Birmingham. The Indian women's blind cricket team has won everyone's hearts with their spectacular show in the World Games. The Women In Blue remain undefeated, having won all their league games in the tournament. India restricted Australia at 114/8 in the allotted 20 overs and then chased down the revised target of 42 in the fourth over.
Blind cricket in IBSA World Games made a debut last week with England and Australia playing the first match. This was the first final in the World Games and India won the ultimate showdown beating Australia by 9 wickets.
Opting to bat first, Australia got off to a bad start as the side lost the first wicket in the 4th over. Feeling the pressure of finals, Australia carried their innings slowly, scoring 29 runs in the powerplay.
India picked two wickets in the eighth and ninth over as Australia were left reeling at 39/3. C Lewis and C Webeck then carried Australia's innings stitching a 54-run partnership.
However, India came back in the game picking wickets at regular intervals and reduced Australia to 109/8 in just 3 overs. In the end, the team from down under was just able to score 114/8 in the allotted 20 overs.
Chasing a paltry target of 42 runs, India came all guns blazing on Australia bowlers. The Women In Blue never looked out of form as the side chased down the target in just 3.3 overs.
Team India bagged their eighth Asia Cup title with a remarkable victory over Sri Lanka in the final match on Sunday. Asked to bowl first, the Rohit Sharma-led side bundled out Sri Lanka for just 50 runs, with pacer Mohammed Siraj stealing the show with his impressive six-wicket haul. Later, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan chased down the target in just 6.1 overs and took Team India across the line with ten wickets in hand. After the final match, skipper Rohit attended a press conference, where his one comment left all the media persons in splits.
During the interaction, Rohit was answering a question but he got interrupted by the sound of firecrackers, which were being burst by the fans to celebrate India's victory. The right-handed batter waited for a minute and said that the fans should wait for India to win the ODI World Cup 2023.
"It gives us a lot of confidence to come here and win a tournament like this. Through the tournament we saw a lot of.." said Rohit when the noise of the bursting crackers interrupted him.
Video pic.twitter.com/t7pcQGKEt8
— Shivani (@shivani_45D) September 17, 2023
"Arey World Cup jeetne ke baad phodo ye sab..(burst crackers once we win the world cup)", said Rohit with a smile as the media persons burst out in laughter.
Talking about the match, Sri Lanka opted to bat first but Siraj soon made them regret this decision as they were reduced to 13/6 after he took four wickets in the 6th over.
Kusal Mendis (17) and Dushan Hemantha (13*) swung their bats for a while, offering tiny moments of respite. Siraj ended with 6/21 in his seven overs while Pandya took 3/3 in 2.2 overs. Bumrah also got 1/23 in five overs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50 in 15.2 overs.
Ishan Kishan (23*) and Shubman Gill (27*) chased down the target in 6.1 overs without any loss of wicket.
India captured its eighth Asia Cup title and Siraj took home the 'Player of the Match' award. Kuldeep Yadav (nine wickets) was given the 'Player of the Series' award for his bamboozling spin bowling in the tournament. Shubman Gill with 302 runs in six games and one century and two fifties, scored the most runs in the tournament.
(With ANI Inputs)
A Bangladeshi cricketer has apologised for social media posts condemning working women but denied he was a misogynist because "his mother is a woman", the country's cricket board said Tuesday. Tanzim Hasan Sakib took the wicket of India captain Rohit Sharma with only his fourth international delivery when the neighbours met in the Asia Cup last week before helping secure victory for Bangladesh. But the resulting adulation for the 20-year-old turned to scorn from women's rights activists and feminists after his misogynist social media posts came to light.
"He said he was sorry," Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations chief Jalal Yunus told reporters in Dhaka.
He added that Tanzim had been warned not to make similar social media posts in the future but also said the bowler had insisted he was "not misogynistic". "He said he is not against women, as his mother is a woman," Jalal said.
One of Tanzim Sakib's posts which is under the radar. pic.twitter.com/c58cZtCSLm
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 18, 2023
Tanzim's posts, dating back to last year, criticised women who joined the labour force and those who mixed with "male friends in a university".
"If the wife works, her elegance is damaged," Tanzim wrote in one Facebook post. "If the wife works, the family is ruined. If the wife works, the veil is ruined. If the wife works, society is ruined."
Women form the vast majority of the workforce of garment factories that have driven much of Bangladesh's economic growth in recent years. But conservative patriarchal attitudes remain widespread in the majority Muslim country. The comments provoked a backlash, with Paris-based feminist writer Jannatun Nayeem Prity pointing out that the Bangladesh team jerseys were made in factories mostly staffed by women.
"I feel sorry for you that you don't consider your mother a normal human being," she added.
Tanzim has played 12 first-class matches in his short senior career, after helping Bangladesh win the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.
Rishabh Pant isn't fit to play the upcoming World Cup but former Australian ace Adam Gilchrist is still fascinated by the kind of impact that the burly keeper-batter has had in his six years with the Indian team. Pant, who met with a horrific car accident last December, is currently doing his rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and is expected to make a comeback sometime next year. In his absence, KL Rahul will keep wickets for India and Ishan Kishan has a good chance of playing as a specialist middle-order batter.
"I think Rishabh has inspired a lot of wicket-keeper batters around the world to play that way (he does). It is fascinating for such a young man to have such an impact that Rishabh has had and others are responding and playing in that positive manner," Gilchrist, who is in India on a promotional visit, told PTI.
Gilchrist was impressed how Kishan has shaped up despite knowing that Rahul will be the first keeper.
"They (India) are well stocked. They have got a couple of options there, obviously when KL was out with his injury, Ishan Kishan took his opportunity and played really well and now they find themselves in the team together so that's a wonderful case of taking an opportunity," said the man who won three World Cups for Australia.
What Gilchrist found laudable was Kishan's ability to force the selectors to keep him in the mix with consistent performances.
"Being positive and then and forcing the selectors into keeping you in the team so it seems like KL is gonna be the one who is going to continue with the gloves but it does not seem to hinder Ishan Kishan's batting, he seems to be playing really well, carefree, attacking and dangerous," he explained.
The man, who played nearly 400 international games across three formats, with 15,000 plus runs and over 900 dismissals (catches and stumpings), however had straight forward choices as far as four potential semi-finalists were concerned.
"I think India and Pakistan could feature in the semi-finals, Australia and England are another two teams," opined Gilchrist.
Gilchrist is hopeful that five-time champions will do well in India, where they won a bilateral series 3-0 last time around.
"Australia will learn a lot from their efforts in South Africa when they come to India, they have got three games before the World Cup against India so they will have a bit more of a full strength squad there so that might tell us a bit about where they are at so its a bit hard who's gonna win it (World Cup) but I think there is probably four semi-finalists there." Adam Zampa recently was taken to cleaners by Heinrich Klaasen during an ODI in South Africa, having gone for 113 and 70 in his quota of overs. But Gilchrist has full faith in Zampa's quality and ability to bounce back.
"Adam Zampa, obviously in South Africa was at the receiving end a little bit but it's different conditions out here in India with different pitches and he is a world-class spin bowler and he has shown that particularly across T20 cricket and now he gets his chance in the 50 over World Cup," Gilchrist said.
Australia will bank on their experienced players.
"So its a very knowledgeable group and they are going to use and they are going to have to use all that experience against batting line ups now across the globe and play without fear, so that is a challenge for all the bowlers on how to take on aggressive batting line ups." There has been some suggestions about pushing veteran David Warner down the order but someone, who was a mega successful opener in the shorter formats, feels a move like that could well back-fire.
"He (Warner) looked really good in South Africa for the most part of what he did, I think he has got to bat at the top, there has been some sort of discussions that he bats down the middle order but I think he has got to open," he then gave his rationale.
"...and he (Warner) showed in South Africa a couple of times that he is aggressive and dominant at the top of the order as he has ever been so I think they bring with him a lot of experience and a lot of confidence and I think he should play at the top of the order for Australia and if he plays really well then our opposition will fear that."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka sounded discouraged after his team was hammered by 10 wickets in a one-sided Asia Cup 2023 final against India on Sunday and apologized to Sri Lankan fans for the teams lackluster display on the field. After speedster Mohammed Siraj's fiery spell decimated Sri Lanka, the opening duo of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan's fifty-run partnership helped India lift the Asia Cup trophy for the 8th time in style after beating co-hosts in the final at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.
He expressed regret for losing the important final and thanked the crowd for showing up in great numbers to support the Sri Lankan team.
"I would like to thank the fans who came in numbers, really sorry that we disappointed you. We as cricketers really love you. And congratulations to the Indian team for the brand of cricket they're playing," Dasun Shanaka said in a post-match presentation.
Leading the India fast bowling effort, Siraj ran through the Sri Lanka top-order in a dazzling performance in the summit clash. It just took a little more than two hours for India to win their 8th Asia Cup title in style. Men in Blue lifted the Asia Cup trophy after five years.
Shanaka congratulated India on their win and had words of wisdom for Mohammed Siraj.
"It was an outstanding display of bowling from Siraj, credit to him how he approached the game. I thought it would be a good pitch for the batters, but the overcast conditions played a part and it was a tough, tough day. Of course, the application could have been better, could've tightened our technique a bit to settle down and free our arms in the middle period," Shanaka said.
He also gave several of his players credit for their performance in this competition. He claimed to be a future celebrity and used the aliases Charith Asalanka, Kusal Perera, and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
"A positive takeaway is how Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis batted in the middle period in spinning conditions, as well as the way Charith Asalanka batted and he's handling that pressure well. In Indian conditions, these three will perform well and score heavily. Also Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana and the two other fast bowlers as well in Kasun Rajitha and Pramod Madushan, think they will do well in the coming World Cup. Without five main players, the good thing is we came to the final playing good sides. It's a good sign from where we began two years ago," he added.
In a spectacular display of bowling prowess, Sri Lanka was bowled out for a mere 50 runs in just 15.2 overs, mainly due to Siraj's exceptional performance, claiming six wickets in seven overs.
In response, India chased down the target in merely 37 balls by 10 wickets. This is the largest victory for India, by the number of balls remaining in the innings and also the biggest defeat for Sri Lanka.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Mohammed Siraj - that name will be spoken about a lot in the coming days ahead of Cricket World Cup. There are enough reasons. In the India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 final in Colombo on Sunday, the 29-year-old right-arm pacer single-handedly broke the hosts' resistance with a fiery spell. At the end of the game, Siraj's figures read - 7-1-21-6. It was only the fourth time that an Indian bowler had taken a six-wicket haul in ODIs. Courtesy Siraj's bowling, India skittled out Sri Lanka for just 50 - the team's second-lowest score in ODIs.
India chased down the 51-run target win just 6.1 overs. As India won with 263 balls remaining, this is India's biggest ODI win for India. This is also the biggest win in an ODI tournament final in terms of balls remaining. And Mohammed Siraj was the chief architect of it.
Here are 10 facts about Mohammed Siraj:
1. Born in 1994 in Hyderabad, Telangana, Mohammed Siraj had humble beginnings. His father was an auto rickshaw driver while his mother was a home-maker. Mohammed Siraj has often acknowledged the role of his father in his cricket journey.
2. Mohammed Siraj first started getting notice from t he tennis ball cricket circle. His friends convinced him to train to become a professional cricketer. He joined the Charminar Cricket Club and played in the HCA League.
3. Mohammed Siraj made some rapid progress. He made his first-class debut for Hyderabad on November 15, 2015, under the coaching of Karthik Udupa in the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy tournament. He made his T20 debut on January 2, 2016 in the 2015–16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament. During the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy season, Siraj picked 41 wickets at an average of 18.92 - the highest that season for Hyderabad.
4. His big break came in February, 2017, when he was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for that year's Indian Premier League for a whopping Rs 2.6 crore. Next Year, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he currently plays.
5. In 2017, Siraj was named in India's T20I squad for their series against New Zealand. He made his debut for India against New Zealand on November 4, 2017, taking the wicket of Kane Williamson.
Siraj has so far played 21 Tests (59 wickets), 29 ODIs (53 wickets) and 8 T20Is (11 wickets).
6. Siraj has ben a no. 1 ranked bowled in the past. On January 21, 2023 Siraj became No. 1 ODI Bowler in ICC Rankings. Currently, he is ranked 9th in ODIs.
7. Mohammed Siraj Siraj is a great Cristiano Ronaldo fan. His celebration after taking a wicket is similar to what Ronaldo does after scoring a goal.
8. With his 6/21 against Sri Lanka, the pacer became only the fourth bowler in ODI history to take four wickets in an over, and he matched former Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas as the fastest to a five-wicket haul in one-dayers – in just 16 deliveries.
9. Siraj is the second bowler in the Asia Cup 50-over format to take a 6-wicket haul after Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis bagged the figure of 6/13 against India in 2008.
10. Mohammed Siraj, who is also known as 'Miyan Magic' to his fans, won hearts at the R Premadasa stadium after the Asia Cup final match as he dedicated the 'Player of the Final' cash prize to the ground staff.