For Rohit Interview, Gambhir Asks Kohli For 1 Question. Gets Epic Reply

Whatever happens on the field, stays on the field. Don't think there is a better sentence to describe the relationship between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and star batter Virat Kohli. The two share a history when it comes to on-field altercations, having played plenty of cricket together and against each other. The two Delhi boys, in a video shared by the BCCI, sat down to discuss their careers, highs and lows, and the on-field battles in the past.

During the light-hearted chat, Gambhir asked Virat, "So Virat, the next guest is Rohit. What do you want me to ask? What should be the first question?"

Kohli told Gambhir to ask Rohit whether he eats soaked almonds in the morning. 

"I think it is a very simple question to Rohit. Ki subah bheege badam khate ho ki nahi (Do you eat soaked almonds in the morning?)."

This prompted laughter from Gambhir, who replied: "That will help Rohit remember to come in at 11 am, not at night. Ke subah 11 bhaje ke jagah, raat ko 11 bhaje na aa jaye (So that he comes in at 11 am and not 11 pm)."

"So, Rohit, that's the first question for you," Kohli confirmed the query.

The lighthearted conversation was shared by the BCCI on the eve of the start of the 1st Test against Bangladesh.

Gambhir also gave a press conference on Wednesday and underlined the significance for him to build on the existing cordial relationship with the senior players like skipper Rohit Sharma and batting talisman Virat Kohli to take Indian cricket forward.

"It's still early days (for him as coach). But the good part is that I have played with those guys (seniors). At one stage we were sharing the dressing room as players, when they were younger, who have now become experienced guys," Gambhir said in the pre-match press meet here.

"When you have that kind of a relationship, sometimes it gets much easier than building a relationship. Obviously, now the roles are different.

"The relationship we can build over a period of next couple of years. It's going to be very important, and now we should keep taking it a little bit forward because we've got massive challenges coming our way," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Simple Funda Hai...": Axar Patel Sums Up Rohit Sharma Captaincy Style

India captain Rohit Sharma commands great respect from his peers and has often been described as an easy guy to hangout with. Rohit's on-field communication with players has also given fans a glimpse of they style of his captaincy. Delving deep into the topic, India all-rounder Axar Patel explained how Rohit gives bowlers complete freedom to execute plans, but also likes to do his own homework beforehand, drafting strategies before matches, not just for the opponent teams but individual players as well.

"Simple funda hai unka. He doesn't like to complicate things too much. He comes in after learning his lessons. He knows which bowler will be used in what kind of situation and which one won't and after that he would leave it to the bowlers," Axar said in a chat with Vimal Kumar on YouTube.

"He doesn't interfere much with the bowlers. Yes if I ask that I want this thing and I am planning this, then he will give that without any qualms. But if that didn't work then he would come in and suggest that it might not be working and say I feel something else might be better," he added.

Axar said that he shares a great rapport with Rohit, to the extent that they never had to argue over a decision, even when their decisions differed from each other.

"It has never, at least for me I haven't argued with him, such is the rapport between us that I have never had an argument with him nor have I ever disagreed with him," he added.

"Rohit as a captain does not think that a lefty cannot bowl to a left-arm batter or a righty to a right-arm batter. That is the sign of a captain whether you can recognise the strength of the bowler and know that this person can get you out of a tough situation," he concluded.

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Kohli Opens Up On Dhoni Exit Challenge, Gambhir Gives Priceless Response

In a heart-to-heart conversation, Indian cricket stalwarts Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir gave fans the memory of a lifetime. Often making news because of the 'masala' in their relationship, Kohli opened his heart in front of Gambhir, the man who recently took up the role of Team India's head coach. As the two discussed their careers, personalities and vision through this journey of Indian cricket, some brilliant tales were narrated.

While discussing the famous Australia series of 2014-15, Virat opened up the on the challenge he found ahead of him as MS Dhoni announced his decision to quit Test captaincy, leaving the responsibility of a young team on Kohli's shoulders.

"The thing that excited me about Test cricket and when I was coming up as captain was the challenge. We were transitioning when you guys had made way for a youngster team and Mahi bhai left Test captaincy. I was 25, so for me it was like 'I am here with a bunch of 24-25 year-old guys. How do we become household names?' We sat down and thought 'I really need to plan this out. This can't happen by chance'," Kohli said during the chat with head coach Gambhir in an interview arranged by the BCCI.

Rather than being bogged down by the weight of the responsibility, Kohli decided to rise to the occasion. The rest, as they say, is history.

"When I started thinking from the point of view where Indian cricket has to be in 7 years' time, the solutions came. We need a group of fast bowlers. We need batters who can bat long. We need to give ownership to five batters and a keeper to get us 350-400. We can't have a seventh option. I remember the challenge excited me. I didn't feel like 'Oh my god! I don't want any part in this'. And that's when I was like I am all in."

Kohli also found comfort in Gambhir's words as the India head coach lauded him for leading the troops valiantly despite being a young 25-year-old batter himself.

"I can understand what you might have gone through. A 24-25 year-old boy taking up Test captaincy and then what you did brilliantly was that you had a really strong bowling unit. Test matches are won by taking 20 wickets. Till the time you don't have a strong bowling line-up, you won't [win]. And that is what made you the most successful Test captain in the country," said Gambhir.

"Credit has to go to you because as a batter it is very easy to have a strong 6-7 batters putting runs on the board but the way you identified and more importantly, the attitude which you brought on the field from fast bowlers. Imagine having people like Shami, Bumrah, Ishant, Umesh and then winning overseas. I remember you playing that knock in Adelaide. We were chasing 400; it was your first game as captain, and you still wanted to win that Test match. That is the mindset, that is the culture we want to bring in," he further asserted.

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Bad News For Shreyas Iyer: BCCI Officials Say "No Room, Won't Go To..."

Star India batter Shreyas Iyer is currently not in the scheme of things, as far as Test cricket is concerned. Iyer, who was not picked by the selectors for the 1st Test against Bangladesh, has endured a torrid run in the ongoing Duleep Trophy scoring just 104 runs in four innings. The batter has fallen behind in the pecking order, with youngsters like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel impressing in the whites against England earlier this year. With Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul also part of the squad for the series opener, Iyer's form in the Duleep Trophy has further dented his hopes of making a Test comeback any time soon.

Now, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official has claimed that there's no room for Iyer in the current Test team, raising concerns over his inability to capitalise on batting pitches in the Duleep Trophy.

"At the moment, there's no room for Shreyas to be in the Test team. Who will he replace? Besides, his shot selection has been a concern in Duleep, especially yesterday (Sunday). He was well set and then suddenly played such a shot (off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani). When you are set and then batting on a flat deck, you need to make the best use of that opportunity.," the BCCI official told Telegraph.

Meanwhile, another board official has suggested that Iyer will continue to do the hard yards in the Domestic circuit. it is unlikely that the player will be picked for the five-match Test tour of Australia later this year.

"Shreyas could be there (in the Mumbai squad) for the Irani Cup (beginning on October 1 in Lucknow). Even if he's picked for the Bangladesh T20Is (from October 6), he still might play Irani and then be available from the second T20I onwards," another board official said.

"Now, if he doesn't fire in Irani too, he still has the Ranji Trophy to get runs. It wasn't too many days ago when he was batting so well in last year's ODI World Cup. He suffered an injury too, which needs to be considered. Also, with still one round left in Duleep, you never know he might score a hundred. He needs to regain form. Most likely he won't go to Australia for his problems against the short ball, but one can't just ignore his runs at home," he added.

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Bangladesh Tests 'No Dress Rehearsal', Says India Skipper Rohit Sharma

Captain Rohit Sharma on Tuesday warned his India team there is "no dress rehearsal" in cricket as they face a Bangladesh side fresh from a historic Test series win over Pakistan. India lead the World Test Championship (WTC) standings ahead of Australia, where Rohit's team will tour for a five-match series later in the year. But first they host Bangladesh in a two-Test series, starting with the opener in the northern Indian city of Chennai from Thursday. India are clear favourites but the visitors recently celebrated a landmark 2-0 series sweep in Pakistan. "There is no dress rehearsal kind of stuff happening here," Rohit told reporters, cautioning against minds turning too quickly to Australia.

"Every game is important because of what is at stake -- the WTC table is quite wide open," Rohit added. "We want to win here, and start the season on a high."

The skipper added: "In terms of preparation, in terms of readiness, I feel we are quite ready for this game, and what lies ahead of us."

India's last Test series was at home earlier this year when they beat England 4-1.

India won the T20 World Cup in June, their first International Cricket Council title in 11 years.

But there was "no way" his players would "relax and sit back" as a result, the 37-year-old Rohit said.

"Us cricketers, we have got limited time to play the game, to make an impact in the sport that we play," he said.

India will host New Zealand for three Tests in October and November, before travelling to Australia, the current World Test champions.

"Every team likes to beat India. Let them have fun," said Rohit of a Bangladesh team on a high after their first win over Pakistan.

"We need to win the match and that's what we are here for."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Watch: Dhoni Spotted At NFL Game In Michigan During Vacation With Friends

Former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni was spotted in the United States of America as he was on a vacation with some of his close friends. The veteran wicket-keeper batter is widely expected to play for Chennai Super Kings with multiple reports claiming that the franchise will retain him ahead of the 2025 season. There have also been reports that he can be categorised as an "uncapped player" because of his international retirement but the BCCI has not confirmed anything officially. In a video posted by his friend Hitesh Sanghvi on Instagram, Dhoni was seen enjoying with his friends and they also went to a National Football League (NFL) game with his friends in Michigan.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Tushar Deshpande shared some inspirational words from MS Dhoni that motivated him ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Deshpande, who had initially struggled in the competition, played a crucial role in CSK's fifth title victory, solidifying his position in the bowling unit.

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A post shared by Hitesh Sanghvi (@hitesh412740)

During the 2023 season, CSK faced a significant injury crisis within their pace bowling department, with Ben Stokes, Deepak Chahar, Sisanda Magala, Simarjeet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary all sidelined by serious injuries.

In their absence, Deshpande led the attack alongside young talents like Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Matheesha Pathirana, and Akash Singh. Deshpande rose to the challenge, taking 21 wickets in 16 matches with an economy rate of 9.92.

Deshpande recounted a motivating conversation with Dhoni at Chepauk during the IPL 2023 preparation camp.

"You have everything to succeed at international level. But you have to be calm during your run-up. Don't get distracted by the crowd. Just take a deep breath, stay calm and bowl.' If Mahi tells you that you have everything to be successful at international level, boss, that itself is an achievement," Deshpande told ESPNcricinfo.

(With ANI inputs)

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"Saw Sachin Unhappy For 1st Time": Ex-Ind Star On Infamous 194* Declaration

The Multan Test between India and Pakistan in 2004 is remembered for Virender Sehwag's swashbuckling 309 - the first time an Indian cricketer scored a Test triple-century. However, there was another incident from the Test match that went on to become one of the controversial moments of Indian cricket. With India batting on 675/5 and Sachin Tendulkar unbeaten on 194, skipper Rahul Dravid decided to declare the first innings. While the decision was taken by the Indian cricket team considering the match situation, it meant that Sachin was left stranded six runs away from his double century. Sachin was visibly disappointed with the decision and it was widely criticised by both fans and experts. Former India batter Aakash Chopra recently spoke about the incident and how Tendulkar was extremely "unhappy".

“I was in the dressing room, but I wasn't part of that conversation. To be very honest, I didn't even try to get into it because I was too young. Yes, paaji wasn't happy that day. I think I saw him unhappy for the first time. I never saw him lose temper, and he didn't exactly lose temper that day but he was visibly unhappy. Something wasn't right,” Chopra told YouTube channel 2 Sloggers.

Chopra further said that it was the team's decision to declare the innings and not Dravid's alone. He added that Sourav Ganguly was also in the dressing room despite not playing the match and he was a part of the think-tank that took the decision.

“Rahul did call, but Dada (Ganguly) was part of the dressing room that day too. He wasn't playing in that game, but he was in dressing room and I'm sure he was part of the think-tank. It wasn't the captain's decision alone,” said Chopra.

"After the game, Rahul did say that he wouldn't have declared had he known the match would end within 4 days. With Rahul, it is possible that in heat of the moment, you agree or disagree. But you don't doubt his decision. You know that even if he was at a similar position, he would've taken the same decision.”

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"Khelte Kam, Bolte Zyada": Pak Great Slams Babar. Says This On Kohli

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has lashed out at star batter Babar Azam and other players for prioritising personal gains over team goals. Babar has come under the firing line for his batting and leadership of late. He hasn't scored a half-century in his last 16 Test innings, with his form drawing harsh criticism from former players. Younis is the latest to jump the gun as far as criticism of Babar and other top players is concerned. Younis highlighted the team's failure to win games in recent times, saying that Babar and others talk more than they perform.

"If Babar and other top players deliver on the field, then results will be clear to everyone. Humare players khelte kam, bolte zyada hai. (I have observed that our players tend to talk more than they perform)," Younis told Cricket Pakistan at an event.

Younis also urged Babar to learn something from Virat Kohli, pointing out how the India star batter relinquished his captaincy to focus more on his batting.

"Look at Virat Kohli. He chose to step down from captaincy on his own terms, and now he's breaking records worldwide. This shows that playing for the country should be the priority. If there's any energy left, then play for yourself,'' Younis suggested.

"The only suggestion I have for Babar is that he should focus on his cricket. He should up his performance. Babar Azam was made the captain because he was the best player at the time. I was there when the decision was made that the team's best player should be the captain. 

"Your focus should be on cricket. You have to perform everywhere because there are very high expectations. Players should focus more on cricket and use social media wisely, but their real answers should come through their performances with the bat and ball. He (Babar) needs to focus on his fitness and work ethic because opportunities like these don't come around often," he added.

Pakistan's white and red ball head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have advised the country's cricket board against changing the captains in haste after recent shoddy performances across formats. Babar Azam was sacked from white ball captaincy after 2023 ODI World Cup round robin exit in India and his replacement Shaheen Shah Afridi was removed after one bad series. Similarly in Tests, after Babar resigned, Shan Masood was named captain but after 0-2 Test series defeat to Bangladesh, there are calls for his immediate ouster.

A PCB source however told PTI that recent media speculations about Masood and Babar's sacking is nothing more than kite flying.

"There has been no discussion on changing the captains as the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has left it up to the two coaches and selectors to decide on the captaincy," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)

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PCB Fears Embarrassment With Champions Trophy Getting Closer. Reason Is...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has made it clear that the nation will be host the upcoming Test series against England, refuting the media reports that claimed it could be moved out. The international cricket department's failure to finalise the itinerary has left the PCB chief frustrated. Pakistan are scheduled to face England in three Tests from October 7 with Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi being outlined as the venues. However, the construction work going on at these venues ahead of next year's ICC Champions Trophy has created some doubts about the availability of the stadiums there. Champions Trophy 2025 is set to take place in February-March.

"With less than a month remaining for the first Test, the international department is yet to even decide where the first match would be held," an insider confided to PTI.

He said although Naqvi had shot down a proposal to move the Test series to UAE or South Africa, the department concerned is yet to formally announce the tour itinerary.

"The Chairman has made it clear that relocating the series would damage the image of the PCB, and Rawalpindi and Multan should be used as the venues for the three-match series," he said.

The board insider said even the English cricket board and the Barmy Army members were anxious to know whether the first Test will be played at Multan or Rawalpindi.

"The chairman is not happy because the more the announcement of venues and itinerary is delayed the more it affects the board's revenue generation opportunities from the three matches," the insider said.

In this context, the insider said the broadcasters have been struggling to sell the telecast rights of the series abroad.

"Even the broadcasters who have bought the rights to sell the series internationally are worried as they are yet to find a buyer to show the matches in the UK," he added.

"In this background, the more the announcement is delayed the more it is hitting the PCB's chances of earning good revenues from the England series."

Recently, the PCB had to stop the National under-19 championship after just one day's play in the first round of three-day matches all over the country.

"The reason for the postponement was because of various complaints that due process was not followed while selecting the regional teams and secondly the event was launched without the budget for the championship first being approved/released by the finance department of the board," he added.

The source confided that some gaps were also found in the budget submitted for the event.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Enjoy My Battles With Virat Because...": Starc's Massive Revelation

Australia's mainstay Mitchell Starc is looking forward to his battle with India's stalwart Virat Kohli in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli and Starc have faced each other in 19 innings, and the Indian has been dominant against the left-arm pacer in the Test format. The seasoned Indian batter has garnered 291 runs at an average of 59.00 against the fiery pace of Starc. On the other hand, Starc has had the opportunity to show Kohli the route to the pavilion only four times. Ahead of the upcoming BGT, Starc acknowledged that he enjoys his battles with Kohli despite the Indian outperforming him in their head-to-head battle.

"I enjoy my battles with Virat Kohli, it's because we've played a lot of cricket against one another. I always have some good battles. I've managed to get him out once or twice, and he's no doubt scored a fair few runs against me, so it's always a good contest and one we both enjoy," Starc told Star Sports.

Kohli's battle against Starc in Australian conditions won't be the only captivating battle that will unfold on the field.

All-rounder Glenn Maxwell feels the head-to-head battle between star India and Australia batters Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will be exciting to watch.

"I think probably the way that the two superstar batters, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, are probably head-to-head, seeing how their dominance, I suppose, is asserted on the series and how much of an influence that has on who takes home the Border Gavaskar Trophy. One of those two is going to make a lot of runs, if not both of them, and it is going to be pretty exciting to watch the two of the finest players of our generation go head-to-head," Maxwell recently told Star Sports.

The Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin on November 22, with the first Test at Perth.

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England vs Australia Live Score Updates 2nd T20I Live

England vs Australia 2nd T20I Live Updates: England look to bounce back after their loss when they take on Australia in the second T20I encounter at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. This is a must-win game for England in the three-match T20I series. England were defeated in the first T20I encounter by 28 runs. Travis Head was one of the top performers for Australia in the first T20I match as he slammed 59 runs off just 23 deliveries including a massive 30-run over against Sam Curran. (Live Scorecard)

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Duleep Trophy LIVE: CSK Star Eyes Big Score For India C vs India B

Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE: Beginning Day 2 on 357/5, India C will be hoping to stretch their first innings total as much as possible. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had to retire injured earlier, came back to near a half-century, and will look to take his team's total forward alongside Manav Suthar. India B will hope that the likes of Mukesh Kumar and Navdeep Saini will be able to give them the early breakthroughs on Day 2, so that the total does not get out of reach. (Live Scorecard)

Here are the Live Scorecard and Live Updates from Duleep Trophy 2024 2nd Round, India B vs India C Day 2:

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1st Time In 91 Years: Afghanistan vs NZ, Puts Blemish On Indian Cricket

Friday is the last day for the Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off Test in Greater Noida, but wait continues for the first ball of the game to be bowled. Poor facilities and inclement weather has meant that the match is likely to be called off without a ball being bowled. If indeed it happens, it will be the first time on Indian soild that a Test match would be abandoned without a ball being bowled. The first time India hosted a Test match  was in 1933. 

So, it will be the first time in 91 years that a Test match on Indian soil would be called off without a ball being bowled. In Asia, before this, only one match has been called off without a ball being bowled. It happened in 1998 in a match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Faisalabad. Overall, only seven Tests have been abandoned without a ball being bowled across the world. 

"The fourth day of the only Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand teams is also not going to be played due to continued rainfall," the Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement on Thursday.

It said that the decision about the start of the game on Friday morning at 8:00 will be made after the stadium assessment.

The city had witnessed relentless rains over the last week and the first two days were disrupted due to a damp outfield caused by poor drainage system at the ground. Then, rain intervened on day three and four to force an early abandonment of the play.

ACB had previously said they were offered Kanpur and Bengaluru to host this Test, but they chose the venue in Greater Noida due to other two venues being used for BCCI matches (upcoming India-Bangladesh second Test and recently-concluded Duleep Trophy round one).

The current Test is not part of the World Test Championship but the Kiwis have the opportunity to acclimatise to subcontinental conditions ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka and India in the coming months.

On the other hand, Afghanistan, who have played two one-off Tests against Sri Lanka and Ireland earlier this year, are in search of their first red-ball win since 2021.

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1st In 147 Years: Kohli Needs 58 To Break Sachin's Record For Historic Feat

All eyes will be on Virat Kohli when Indian cricket team gets down to action against Bangladesh in a Test series, starting September 19. Kohli has already retired from T20Is and it means that fans will get to see the 35-year-old star in only two formats - Tests and ODIs. Comparisons have often been drawn between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, though the former has always maintained that the latter is unmatchable. Kohli has 80 international tons and is second to Tendulkar (100) in terms of number of centuries. 

While surpassing that feat may take some time, Kohli can surpass Tendulkar for a world record in international cricket in the Bangladesh Test series. Virat Kohli needs 58 runs to complete 27,000 runs in international cricket. Tendulkar is the fastest to reach 27,000 runs international cricket - 623 innings (226 Test innings, 396 ODI innings, 1 T20I innings). Kohli so far has played 591 innings across formats scoring 26942 runs. If Kohli can score 58 more runs in his next eight innings - which looks highly likely - he will become the first cricketer in the 147-year history of international cricket to reach 27,000 runs in less than 600 innings. 

So far, apart from Tendulkar, Australia's Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara have over 27000 runs in international cricket.

Meanwhile, there is a chance that the Afro-Asia Cup may be revived again. If the tournament indeed see light of the day, it might open up a possibility of Virat Kohli partnering Babar Azam in the middle or Shaheen Afridi bowling in tandem with Jasprit Bumrah. 

According to a report in Forbes, the possibility of Afro-Asia Cup revival "is being looked at again". 

"Personally, I am very hurt that it (Afro-Asia Cup) didn't happen," Damodar told me. "There was not adequate momentum through the ACA, but it is being looked at again. I think it was basically a lack of understanding and not buying into the concept," ex-African Cricket Association chair Sumod Damodar told Forbes. "Our members are regretting it. It needed to be pushed by Africa."

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Mark Butcher Slams England Batting After Loss In Third Test To Sri Lanka

Former England batter Mark Butcher slammed the Three Lions for their "slapdash, gung ho" batting against Sri Lanka in the third Test of the recently-concluded series, saying that they aided Lankan Lions in their victory through their poor batting. Though Sri Lanka offered moments of fight and resilience, they lost the three-match Test series to England 2-1, but not without handing the hosts a painful eight-wicket loss at The Oval on Monday, their first-ever to the Island nation in 10 years at home and just fourth against them at home.

On day one, England were at 221/3, but were bundled out for 325 due to their excessively aggressive shot making. Sri Lanka responded with a decent 263 and skittled out the hosts for just 156 runs in their second innings, thanks to fine spells from Lahiru Kumara (4-21) and Vishwa Fernando (3-40). Sri Lanka had a target of 219 runs to chase, which they knocked down easily thanks to a century from Pathum Nissanka (127*).

Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Podcast, Butcher said, "I have to say England's batting on both occasions was end of term, gung ho, slapdash, all the bad adjectives that you could come up with about the way that England played from day two onwards in the match really. So they [Sri Lanka] were aided and abetted by a team that kind of played as though the victory was a foregone conclusion and kind of went at it like that."

Butcher said that what annoyed him the most was that England were playing in a very pragmatic manner in their previous Test matches and batted according to game situations.

"And then you know once you had earned the right to be a bit more expansive and go back to Bazball 1.0 then do it. But the lead was only 60, the ball was moving around and they kind of came out and played like they had 260 on the board instead," he added.

Butcher also lauded Lankan bowlers for their fine bowling, dismissing Joe Root and Harry Brook with fine inswingers. He said that though England have made strides in cutting down " unnecessary risk-taking", they still managed to lose the match despite being in commanding positions.

"Then Sri Lanka as we have mentioned before bowled brilliantly, knocking over Joe Root and Harry Brook with two in swingers. Vishwa Fernando, who up until this test match or that afternoon anyway had looked absolutely insipid as a left-arm swing bowler. And suddenly before you know it, you are in big big trouble," said the former player.

"That's what's annoyed me really, the fact that they actually made strides to kind of remove that sort of unnecessary risk-taking from the game in order to get the job done, get themselves into a position where they were infallible and were going win it and that. I hope that has annoyed them too," he concluded.

Coming to the third match, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field first. England was bowled out for 325 runs in the first innings, with contributions from Ollie Pope (154 in 156 balls, with 19 fours and two sixes) and Ben Duckett (86 in 79 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) taking England to a solid score.

Key highlights of the innings were a 95-run partnership for the second wicket between Duckett and Pope and latters' half-century stands with Joe Root (13) and Harry Brook (19), in which Pope did the majority of the scoring.

Milan Rathnayake (3/56) was a top bowler for SL. Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, and Dhananjaya de Silva got two wickets each.

In the first innings, Lankan Lions lost wickets at regular intervals. SL was reeling at 93/5 at one point, but a fine 127-run partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva, the skipper (69 in 111 balls, with 11 fours) and Kamindu Mendis (64 in 91 balls, with seven fours) took SL to 263, trailing by 62 runs. Pathum Nissanka had contributed 64 in 51 balls, with nine fours at the top, but did not get support from his batting partners.

Olly Stone (3/35) and Josh Hull (3/53) were the top bowlers for England. Chris Woakes got two scalps, and Shoaib Bashir got one wicket.

In the England's second innings, Lankan bowlers asserted their dominance. Other than a half-century by Jamie Smith (67 in 50 balls, with 10 fours and a six), nothing really stood out.

England was reduced to 82/7 at one point, but then Jamie launched a counter-attack with some solid support from Stone (10), in which wicketkeeper-batter displayed his free-flowing strokeplay and immense game awareness while batting with the tail.

England was bowled out for 156 runs, and England set 219 runs to win for Sri Lanka.

Lahiru (4/21) was the top bowler for SL, while Vishwa (3/40) got key wickets of Root, Brook and Jamie. Asitha Fernando took 2/49 in 12 overs while Milan got one wicket.

Sri Lanka lost Dimuth Karunaratne early during the run-chase. But Pathum Nissanka stitched a 69-run partnership with Kusal Mendis (39 in 37 balls, with seven fours) to bring the team back on track. Nissanka went on to score his second Test ton, making 127* in 124 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes. All-rounder Angelo Mathews was also unbeaten at 32 in 61 balls, with three fours.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Amid Greater Noida Venue Fiasco, Report's "Wanted To Make Money" Bombshell

The Shahid Vijay Pathik Sports Complex Stadium in Greater Noida has come under a lot of criticism after the play was cancelled once again on Day 2 of the one-off Test encounter between Afghanistan and New Zealand on Tuesday. There was no play possible for the second consecutive day as there were wet patches on the ground despite no rain on Tuesday. Questions remain over whether the play will be able to start on Day 3 and sources have now claimed that the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Greater Noida authority decided to organise the match to make some money. The sources further alleged that they were aware of the fact that rain can be a problem but they did not care.

"This stadium comes under the Greater Noida Authority. Some of its people and some people from Afghanistan Cricket organised a match in Greater Noida during the rainy season to make money," the source told Times Now.

"UPCA called several times to say let's have a meeting. We will give you whatever you need. We have experience, it will be easy for you. UPCA said that the match should be held in Green Park because UP League is being held in Ekana," the source added.

The source also made an explosive claim that workers were taken from the Labour Chowk to manage the ground and Super Soppers were not available at the ground for a considerable period of time.

"They took away workers from Labour Chowk to manage the ground. Have you ever seen such a thing? A WhatsApp was sent to a person from UPCA after which the Super Sopper was made available in the stadium," the source further said.

Match referee Javagal Srinath's report on the preparedness of Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports complex in Greater Noida will go a long way in deciding the fate of the venue which is under the scanner after the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand failed to get underway on successive days.

For once, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which often becomes the favourite whipping boy, isn't responsible for the mess. The 'home board' is the Afghanistan Cricket Board, which selected a familiar and cost-effective venue despite being offered the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and Green Park in Kanpur as options.

(With PTI inputs)

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3 Uncapped Players Named In England's Playing XI For 1st T20I vs Australia

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) named the playing XI on the eve of the first T20I against Australia at Utilita Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday. Three uncapped players, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, and Jamie Overton, will make their England T20I debut against Australia. Philip Salt will captain the side in the absence of injured designated skipper Jos Buttler. Apart from handling the captaincy duties, Salt will look to lead the charge with the bat in the opening order. The 28-year-old's explosiveness at the top is reflected in his T20I statistics; he has amassed 885 runs at a whopping strike rate of 165.11 in 31 T20Is. In Buttler's absence, Cox will take up the duty behind the stumps. All-rounder Liam Livingstone will prove the firepower needed in the middle-order and is also capable of chipping in with a couple of overs with his spin.s

Youngster Bethell will add another layer of depth to England's middle-order set-up. He will also serve as an additional spin option with his slow left-arm orthodox style of bowling.

All-rounders Sam Curran and Jamie Overton will offer batting strength towards the tail end. Apart from their ability to produce fireworks with the bat, with their pace, the duo possesses the ability to pick wickets in all phases of the game.

England's formidable frontline pace-bowling will feature Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood, and Reece Topley. Seasoned spinner Adil Rashid is the frontline spinner in England's playing XI.

After the conclusion of the first T20I in Southampton on Wednesday, the second match will be played on September 13 in Cardiff. The T20I series will conclude on September 15 in Manchester.

England playing XI for the first T20I against Australia: Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley.

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Steve Smith Says Virat Kohli Is Australian. Explains Why

Veteran batter Steve Smith described Virat Kohli's approach on the field in a unique way, saying the Indian batting stalwart is Australian in his thoughts and action. India and Australia will renew their intense rivalry at the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will see the two nations squaring off in the all-important five-match series at Perth, Adelaide (pink-ball game), Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, respectively. India have won the last two editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy held in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21 respectively.

"I believe Virat Kohli is Australian in thoughts and action. The way he gets into a battle, the way he gets into the challenge and tries to get on top of the opposition. He's probably the most Australian of the Indian players, I'd say," Smith said in a video posted by Star Sports on 'X', formerly Twitter.

Kohli, who has 80 international centuries, including 29 Test tons, has scored 8,846 runs across 113 Tests with a 49.16 average while Smith has 9,685 runs in 109 Tests at an average of 56.97 with 32 centuries.

"There's no real, you know, I need to beat him or anything like that. It's just about going out and playing and trying to score as many runs as I can and helping Australia have success and that's what it's all about," he added.

Smith further revealed that the two players share messages often and expressed excitement to face Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting from November 22.

"We get on quite well, share messages every now and then and look, he's a great guy and obviously a wonderful player. It's going to be nice to come up against him again this summer," said Smith.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Not Rohit Or Gill: This India Star Predicted To Make "Big Centuries" vs Ban

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has predicted that stalwart batter Virat Kohli will score some "big centuries" in India's upcoming Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Virat will return to Test format for the first time since featuring for India during the South Africa tour in January this year. He missed out on India's home Test series against England due to the birth of his son Akaay. Since then, he has gone through an underwhelming T20 World Cup and Sri Lanka tour and will be keen to return to find his rich vein of form. Basit believes fans will witness Virat hitting the three-digit mark against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

"In the England series, Virat wasn't there. He didn't perform well in the Sri Lanka series. But in the Bangladesh and the New Zealand series, you will see big centuries (from Virat). Not 110 or 115, you may see a 200-run knock from him," Basit said on his YouTube channel.

During India's successful unbeaten run in the T20 World Cup, Virat finished the tournament with 151 runs in eight matches at an average of 18.87.

During India's surprising 2-0 ODI away series defeat against Sri Lanka, Virat just like the rest of the batters was exposed in front of spinners. In three ODIS Virat could garner a mere 58 runs at an average of 19.33.

The two-match series against Bangladesh will begin on September 19 in Chennai, and the second Test will kick off on September 27 in Kanpur.

India announced the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh on Sunday. Skipper Rohit Sharma, young top-order batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat will form a formidable batting pair for India.

KL Rahul made his return to the Test set-up after missing out on the bulk of the England Test series due to an injury. Dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has returned to Test cricket for the first time since his life-threatening accident in December 2022.

The spin quartet of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav will provide the team with both the bat and ball. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal will make India's pace line-up.

Basit named his playing XI for the first Test and chose Kuldeep over Axar due to Bangladesh's line-up featuring a good number of left-handed batters.

"Rohit, Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli, Rahul, Pant, Jadeja, Ashwin, Kuldeep, Bumrah, Siraj," Basit named his playing XI.

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"Always Been Huge...": Usman Khawaja On India-Australia Rivalry

As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) approaches, the cricketing world is abuzz with anticipation of what is widely regarded as one of the sport's most intense rivalries, India versus Australia. The series, set to commence on November 22, features the top two teams in Test cricket, adding an extra layer of excitement. Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has shared his thoughts on the significance of the rivalry. "We're the world number one and number two teams really over the last two years. We were there at the last World Test Championship together. The rivalry has always been huge. I take it as a sign of respect, and I know that Indians love beating Australia in any form of cricket," Khawaja said, according to Star Sports.

"The tradition that Australia has had over so many years as being one of the dominating teams in world cricket has staked that reputation," he added.

He emphasized the tradition of excellence that Australia has maintained over the years which has cemented its reputation as a dominant force in world cricket.

"I think for Indians it's always been the case to beat Australia," Khawaja noted.

Khawaja also pointed out that the rise of Indian cricket, particularly through the Indian Premier League (IPL), has added another dimension to this rivalry.

The recent success of the Indian team, including back-to-back series wins in Australia, has intensified the competition.

"More recently, you know, since the rise of India and IPL and everything else that happened, it's the same way with Australia against India. And particularly since India's beaten Australia in Australia the last two times.... It just means a little bit more," he added.

The second Test, scheduled for December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under the stadium's lights. After that, fans will turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, which will be held from December 14 to 18.

The customary Boxing Day Test, set for December 26 to 30 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, will bring the series to its penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test, taking place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series climax, promising a dramatic conclusion to an exciting contest.

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2-Time IPL Winner Leading Race To Replace Gambhir As KKR Mentor: Report

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ended a 10-year Indian Premier League (IPL) drought earlier this season, beating SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a one-sided final. Prior to this season, KKR had last won an IPL trophy in 2014 back when Gautam Gambhir was the captain of the team. Incidentally, Gambhir made his return to KKR ahead of IPL 2024, joining the franchise as a mentor from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). However, months after masterminding KKR's IPL triumph, Gambhir left the role to join the Indian men's cricket team as its head coach in July earlier this year.

Not only that, he also took Abhishek Nair and Ryan ten Doeschate, who were part of KKR's support staff, to join him as assistant coaches at India.

However, KKR have already began the process to hire Gambhir's replacement, who can assist head coach Chandrakant Pandit at the helm.

According to a report in Sangbad Pratidin, KKR want to hire franchise legend Jacques Kallis as mentor.

For the unversed, Kallis has previously contributed to the franchise's coaching staff, acting as head coach in 2015 and as a batting consultant during the same year.

Kallis played under Gambhir's leadership during KKR's title-winning seasons in 2012 and 2014.

Reports had earlier claimed that KKR are also interested in hiring Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara for the role.

Ponting left his role as head coach of Delhi Capitals earlier this year. Meanwhile, Sangakkara, who is currently the director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals, had shown interest in taking up a new challenge.

However, he is likely to stay at RR, with Rahul Dravid joining the franchise as head coach few days back.

Dravid also has an excellent relationship with RR captain Sanju Samson, who came through the under-19 ranks while the former India captain was coaching the junior side.

Dravid also represented the Royals as player. He was the captain of the franchise in 2012 and 2013, and served as the team director and mentor in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

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Pathum Nissanka Leaves Sri Lanka In Sight Of Third Test Win Over England

Pathum Nissanka's superb unbeaten fifty left Sri Lanka eyeing a memorable win over England as the third Test at the Oval headed for a dramatic finish. Sri Lanka were 94-1 when bad light led to an early close on Sunday's third day, needing a further 125 runs to reach a victory target of 219 that would end a run of seven successive Test defeats by England. Dimuth Karunaratne was caught and bowled by Chris Woakes for eight when a drive ballooned off his pad. But fellow opener Nissanka, who made 64 in Sri Lanka's first innings, was 53 not out having gone to his second fifty of the match in style when he blazed debutant left-arm quick Josh Hull through the covers for a seventh four in 42 balls faced.

The recalled Kusal Mendis, meanwhile, pounced on numerous loose deliveries during an unbeaten 30 featuring 24 runs in boundaries.  

That Sri Lanka were chasing a target in excess of 200 was mainly down to Jamie Smith's superb counter-attacking 67 that rescued England from a dramatic collapse.

England, already 2-0 up in this three-match series, lost five wickets for 26 runs in slumping to 82-7 before wicketkeeper Smith's dashing display on his Surrey home ground helped them recover to 156 all out.

His innings left England, who routed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season, with renewed hope of a first home Test clean sweep since 2004 when Michael Vaughan led them to seven successive wins.

Smith fell on the stroke of tea when he chipped Vishwa Fernando to short midwicket to end a brilliant 50-ball innings featuring 10 fours and a six.

Left-arm quick Vishwa Fernando, gaining prodigious swing, also captured the prize scalp of Joe Root for just 12 on his way to 3-40, with Lahiru Kumara enjoying a fine return of 4-21 in seven overs. 

Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook had criticised the hosts for sloppy batting while slumping from 221-3 to 325 all out in their first innings.

It is unlikely either of the old batsmen would have been impressed by opener Ben Duckett holing out for seven off Asitha Fernando.

Ollie Pope, fresh from 154 in England's first innings -- his first Test century since taking over as captain from the injured Ben Stokes -- also fell for seven by chopping on to Kumara.

Dan Lawrence, a middle-order batsman by trade, had been promoted to open this series in place of the injured Zak Crawley.

The 27-year-old had yet to get the 30s in four innings against Sri Lanka and it was a similar story on Sunday for all he lofted Asitha Fernando for six.

Lawrence, however, chanced his luck once too often when he charged at Kumara only to edge behind to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal for a run-a-ball 35 that ended up being England's second-top score of the innings.

Root's square-driven boundary off Vishwa Fernando meant he surpassed Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 12,400 Test runs to go into sixth place in the all-time list.

Two balls later, however, Vishwa Fernando's excellent inswinging yorker struck Root on the boot and he was lbw.

Brook was also lbw to another fine inswinger from Vishwa Fernando.

Smith counter-attacked, scoring 20 runs in one over from fast bowler Milan Rathnayake that featured a flashing cut for four and crunching pull for six off successive deliveries.

He also lofted Rathnayake down the ground for four before ending the over by punching the paceman through the covers for another boundary.

Earlier, Olly Stone and 20-year-old quick Hull did the bulk of the damage as Sri Lanka, who resumed on 211-5, lost their last five first-innings wickets for 52 runs in 16.2 overs, with captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis unable to add signficantly to their overnight unbeaten fifties.

Stone took 3-35 in nine overs and the towering Hull 3-53 in 11.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Numbers Back Root, But Dinesh Karthik Picks This Player To Bat For His Life

Amid his ongoing purple patch, England star Joe Root has entered the discussion as to who is the greatest Test batter of all time. Recently, Root surpassed Alastair Cook to become the England player with most Test tons, having scored ccenturies in each innings of the second Test against Sri Lanka. Still just 33, Root already has 34 Test centuries to his name, in addition to 12,377 runs in the longest format. Root, who is part of Test cricket's current 'Fab 4', is ahead of his contemporaries -- Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli.

However, former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik confessed that although the statistics show that Root is the better player, he picked Kohli when asked to name the best Test batter.

"Numbers will tell you it's Joe Root, but my heart, the fact that he (Kohli) is someone I've seen playing in close quarters for the longest time now, over a decade. I know how he loves playing those big moments and big series. And if somebody asks him questions, he will come to you so strongly that you will be thinking, 'Wow, why did I even ask that question," Karthik said in a video on Cricbuzz.

Karthik also said that if he had to choose someone to bat for his life. he would pick his former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate Kohli.

"If I were given a question of who would bat for my life, it would be Kohli. No doubt," he added.

Meanwhile, Kohli scored his last century against West Indies in July 2023. Since then, he has registered just one 50+ score his last four innings.

Overall, Kohli has 8,848 runs from 113 Tests, with 29 hundreds to his name. Meanwhile, Root has amassed 12,377 runs from 145 Tests, at a stunning average of 50.93.

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Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya De Silva And Kamindu Mendis Defy England In 3rd Test

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva and the in-form Kamindu Mendis frustrated England with a unbroken century partnership on the second day of the third Test at the Oval on Saturday. The tourists collapsed to 93-5 before tea, but had recovered to 211-5 when bad light forced an early close. That left Sri Lanka 114 runs adrift of an England first-innings total of 325 built on Ollie Pope's 154 -- his first century as England captain. De Silva was 64 not out and left-handed batsman Kamindu Mendis, again down the order at number seven, 54 not out in an undefeated stand of 118 as Sri Lanka looked to salvage some pride at 2-0 behind in a three-match series.

It was a fine end to the day for Sri Lanka, who took seven wickets before lunch on Saturday to end England's innings.

For Mendis, currently boasting a staggeringly high Test batting average of over 85, this was the seventh time in six matches at this level the 25-year-old had passed 50 -- a run that also includes three centuries.

De Silva, however, should have been out for 23 but Test debutant Josh Hull dropped a simple catch at mid-on, the ball bursting through the towering fast bowler's giant hands following a miscued drive off spinner Shoaib Bashir.

England, 211-3 overnight, could have batted Sri Lanka out of the game.

But an improved Sri Lanka bowling display, allied to several England batsmen giving their wickets away, helped the tourists fight back.

'Character'

"I think after what happened yesterday (Friday), we pulled ourselves back into the game," Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya told reporters after stumps.

"Getting seven wickets for about 100 runs was very good. The quicks and (off-spinner) De Silva bowled well.

Jayasuriya, who scored a superb double century in Sri Lanka's 1998 Test triumph at the Oval, also praised De Silva and Kamindu Mendis's batting by saying: "These guys have shown character. They know that they are the last two recognised batters."

Sri Lanka scored 69 runs without loss in 17 overs of all spin bowling after tea on Saturday, with England deciding against deploying their pacemen in case the umpires halted play for bad light even earlier than they eventually did.

England quick Olly Stone defended Pope's tactics by telling Sky Sports: "It was too dark for our seamers but we tried to take the positive option.

"We thought we could take wickets with our spinners," added Stone, who had 2-28 in five overs at stumps. "But Sri Lanka played well."

Sri Lanka's innings suffered an early setback when Dimuth Karunaratne (nine) was run out by Stone's direct hit from short cover after Pathum Nissanka set off for a rash single.

Nissanka completed a fine fifty when he punched the 20-year-old Hull for four through mid-off. But the 6ft 7 inch (2 metres) tall Hull took his first Test wicket by removing Nissanka for 64 when the opener's drive was well caught by a diving Chris Woakes at cover.

And 91-4 became 93-5 when Stone had Dinesh Chandimal lbw for a duck.

De Silva celebrated his reprieve by late-cutting Lawrence for four to complete an 81-ball fifty, while the stylish Kamindu Mendis reached the landmark in a mere 60 balls.

Joe Root was also given a couple of overs with his occasional off-breaks before, amid worsening natural light, play ended for the day.

Earlier, England lost their last six wickets for 35 runs after resuming on 221-3.

Pope was then 103 not out after managing a mere 30 runs in four innings since succeeding the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the start of this series.

Sri Lanka's wayward four-man pace attack had failed to make the most of overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch after De Silva won the toss.

Their performance improved markedly on Saturday, although Pope contributed to his own downfall by hooking left-arm quick Vishwa Fernando to deep square leg to end a 156-ball innings including 19 fours and two sixes.

England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier this season, are chasing their first home Test clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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India A vs India B, Duleep Trophy LIVE Day 3: All Eyes On Rahul, Riyan

Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE Updates: Musheer Khan and Navdeep Saini shone yet again to play key roles on a bright day for India B on Day Two of the Duleep Trophy first-round match against India A at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday. At stumps, India A reached 134/2, and trailed India B by 187 runs, with K.L. Rahul (23 not out) and Riyan Parag (27 not out) at the crease. Musheer continued to be impressive on Day Two and made 181 eventually, laced with 16 fours and five sixes. (LIVE SCORECARD | India C vs India D LIVE SCORE)

Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE Updates India A vs India B LIVE Score straight from M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

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Not Zaheer Or Kapil, Shami Picks These 2 As "Favourite Bowlers Of All Time"

The likes of Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan have etched their names in the history books for the kind of performances they put for India. While Kapil, an all-rounder in true sense, is among the legendary players of the nation, Zaheer, a left-arm pacer, was also superb with his skill set during his playing days. Come 2024 and Jasprit Bumrah has established himself as a modern day great in bowling. However, these three are not the only names, who have produced scintillating bowling performances for India. Former spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh alongside off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin are find their names in the list of India's top performing bowlers.

However, when India pacer Mohammed Shami was asked to pick his "favourite bowler of all-time", he named two greats, who are not from India.

"There are a lot of them. But if you are asking for names, then I like Waqar Younis and Dale Steyn more," said Shami in a rapid-fire Question and Answer session on Star Sports.

What is #MohammedShami's nickname? Who does he enjoy bowling to?

Watch the star answer these Qs and more, on his birthday today!

Don't forget to wish the Indian speedster a #happybirthday in the comments#Cricket #HappyBirthdayMohammedShami pic.twitter.com/NWjjyqyDWb

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 3, 2024

Indian all-format pace veteran Shami has stood up as the match-winner across all three formats by delivering numerous memorable performances and has been the national team's go-to man in the ODI World Cups.

Ever since his memorable debut in international cricket back in 2013 -- where he picked up nine scalps in Eden Gardens -- Shami has made a name for himself with his pace, toe-crushing yorkers and ability to step up his game in big games.

Delivering match-winning performances through major ICC tournaments for India, particularly, the 50-over World Cups, despite battling injuries, the pacer has gained a massive following for himself.

He forms a formidable pace duo with Bumrah in all formats of the game.

With 448 international scalps in 188 games including 229 in Tests, 195 in ODIs and 24 in T20Is, Shami is one of the best modern-era pacers to have graced the sport.

(With ANI Inputs)

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Ton-Up Ollie Pope Back In Runs As England Make Sri Lanka Struggle

Ollie Pope returned to form on his Oval home ground with a first hundred as England captain on Friday's opening day of the third Test against Sri Lanka. Pope had managed a mere 30 runs in four previous innings since succeeding the injured Ben Stokes as skipper at the start of this series. But when bad light ended play for the day, Pope was a run-a-ball 103 not out, with England well-placed on 221-3. Sri Lanka, already 2-0 down in this three-match series, failed to make the most of overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch after captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the toss. And England should arguably have had two century-makers on Friday with opener Ben Duckett, not for the first time, giving his wicket away after making 86.   

A rare bright spot for struggling Sri Lanka was the dismissal of Joe Root for 13 shortly before tea.

Root was fresh from two hundreds in a 190-run win at Lord's where he set a new England record of 34 Test centuries.  

England, who swept the West Indies 3-0 earlier this season are chasing their first home Test campaign clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

Duckett was soon into his stride, with the left-hander cover-driving fours off successive Milan Rathnayake deliveries.

It was a different story for makeshift opener Dan Lawrence, a middle-order batsman by trade.

Lawrence was forced to face the new ball this series in the absence of the injured Zak Crawley.

He had made just five when he got in a tangle against a short-pitched Lahiru Kumara delivery and top-edged a simple catch to gully.

Number three Pope got off the mark in style by cutting a loose ball from fast bowler Rathnayake for four and he also hooked a six off Lahiru Kumara. 

The 29-year-old Duckett completed a speedy fifty off just 48 balls, including seven fours.

Even with the floodlights on, the umpires decided it was too dangerous to continue and stopped play for bad light, with England 76-1 off 15 overs. Rain then fell as well and the match did not resume until 1410 GMT.

It was not long before Duckett ramped Kumara for six over fine leg and uppercut him high over third ma, with all of Sri Lanka's four-man pace attack struggling to maintain a challenging line and length.

But Duckett, in sight of just his fourth century in 26 Tests, was out when he miscued an extravagant scoop off Rathnayake to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.

It was a careless end to a stand of 95 in 16 overs with Pope.

The 26-year-old Pope was fortunate with a top-edged six off Kumara but the persevering paceman did have Root hooking to fine leg, where Vishwa Fernando held onto the catch despite slipping on the wet turf.

Surrey favourite Pope, 84 not out at tea, went to his seventh hundred in 49 Tests, but first at the Oval, when he stylishly square-drove Asitha Fernando for his 13th four in 102 balls, also including two sixes.

Soon afterwards bad light at 1653 GMT again saw the players leave the field, with no more play possible Friday. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Gambhir "Very One-sided About...": Pant's Mega Reveal On 'Change' In Team

The Gautam Gambhir era in Indian cricket started with the Sri Lanka Tour. While India won the T20I series, they lost the ODI series. Indian cricket  team got a long break after that and will next be playing in a Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19. That series will start Gambhir's real test. Rishabh Pant is going to be crucial cog in India's scheme of things in the coming years. Both Gambhir and Pant played their national level cricket for Delhi team. In an interview, Pant talked about the change in Indian cricket under Gautam Gambhir. 

"What is the biggest change that can happen under Gautam Gambhir and how it can take Indian cricket forward?" the anchor asked Pant.

"I feel Rahul bhai was very balanced as a human being and as a coach. It could be both good and bad, because in cricket there can be positives. This is upon the individuals whether to focus on the positives and negatives, and it depends on where individuals want to focus. Gauti bhai (Gambhir) is more aggressive, he's very one-sided about the fact that you have to win. But you need to find the right balance and improve. This is the best part of international cricket,” Pant said on Jio Cinema.

Rishabh Pant warned against taking Bangladesh lightly in the upcoming two-Test series, and stressed on the need for India to keep improving themselves to stay ahead of the competition. Bangladesh, who recently blanked Pakistan 2-0 at Rawalpindi, will face Rohit Sharma's side in the first Test at Chennai from September 19 before moving to Kanpur.

India will play a total of 10 Tests within the next five months as the series against Bangladesh will be followed by three Tests against New Zealand at home in October-November before moving to Australia for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka perform well in Asian conditions because they are accustomed to the wickets,” Pant told Jio Cinema.

“As the Indian cricket team, we focus solely on our own standards and how we can improve. Regardless of the opposition, we strive to play with the same intensity and give our 100 percent every single day,” he said.

Pant said no series can be taken lightly with the margins between the teams decreasing in international cricket.

"Pressure will always be there because in international cricket, you can't take any series lightly. The margin between winning and losing is very small, and nowadays, the gap between international teams isn't much either,” he said.

Pant said playing in the Duleep Trophy ahead of a long season of Test cricket will give the players quality match practice while young cricketers at domestic level will benefit from the presence of international stars.

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Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE: Shreyas Iyer In Focus As India C Take On India D

Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE Updates: India C captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and opted to field against India D in the first round of the Duleep Trophy 2024 at the Rural Trust Development Stadium in Anantapur. The The focus will be on Shreyas Iyer in the Duleep Trophy encounter. Shreyas last played a Test for India in February and was excluded from the BCCI central contracts list after not representing Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal. Against the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India C, Iyer will have a chance to prove himself against a host of top Indian talents. (Live Scorecard)

Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE Updates India C vs India D LIVE Score straight from Rural Trust Development Stadium in Anantapur -

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Duleep Trophy LIVE: India A Opt To Bowl vs India B; Rishabh Pant In Focus

Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE Updates: India A captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field against India B in the Duleep Trophy encounter at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Rishabh Pant will make his return to red-ball cricket while many major Indian cricket team stars will feature as India A take on India B in the Duleep Trophy encounter. All eyes will be on Pant with the Bangladesh Test series just round the corner. He will feature for the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led Team B while Team A will be captained by Shubman Gill. The Duleep Trophy will also be a brilliant place to identify backup options for frontline stars. (Live Scorecard)

Duleep Trophy 2024 LIVE Updates India A vs India B LIVE Score straight from M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru -

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Pak Coach Unhappy With Stars' Fitness, 'Contract Condition' Set To be Imposed

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will conduct stringent fitness tests before awarding central contracts for the next 12 months, bringing currently contracted players and other international and domestic performers into the ambit. The fitness test will be carried out between September 6 and 8 at Lahore and the process will be supervised by white ball head coach Gary Kirsten and the team's physiotherapist and trainer. The players will then leave for Faisalabad for the Champions Cup.

“The fitness tests will basically decide which players make the contracts this year while performances would also be given priority,” a reliable source in the board said.

“Both the foreign coaches (Kirsten and Jason Gillespie) have made it clear to the selectors and PCB that their first criteria for selecting players will be their fitness status,” he added.

“Gillispie was not happy with the fitness of some players in the recent Test matches against Bangladesh and felt they were not able to sustain their intensity and endurance during all sessions of the Tests,” the source added.

He said Kirsten had also expressed similar feelings about the fitness level of some players when he met with the selectors and board officials.

“The fitness tests will comprise everything to determine how fit a player is, gym training, stamina and endurance runs, yo yo and other tests would also be held,” he added.

Presently, the PCB has awarded central contracts to around 27 players but indications are the number would be reduced this time given the performances of the national team in the last one year in all formats.

Pakistan were swept aside 2-0 in a recent Test series by Bangladesh leading to a lot of criticism of players and board officials.

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RCB Roasts Pakistan Team, Harsha Bhogle Reacts To "Embarrassing" 0-2 Loss

Bangladesh completed a 2-0 whitewash of Pakistan on Pakistan soil, as they sealed a six-wicket win in the second Test at Rawalpindi, despite Day 1 being washed out. Pakistan held a 12-0 record over Bangladesh in Test cricket before the series. Bangladesh, meanwhile, had never won a series game in Pakistan before the series, having a 0-20 record. But that has all changed now. This is also only the second-ever Test series victory for Bangladesh on away soil. Pakistan's dismal performance has drawn criticism from experts in the cricket world.

"Well as Bangladesh played, this is embarrassing for Pakistan," tweeted reputed Indian cricket journalist Harsha Bhogle.

I remember saying some time ago that the shorter the game, the more dangerous Pakistan would be, and, almost as consequence, that the longer the game, the more vulnerable they would be. But I didn't expect it to be this stark. Well as Bangladesh played, this is embarrassing for…

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 3, 2024

"I remember saying some time ago that the shorter the game, the more dangerous Pakistan would be, and, almost as a consequence, that the longer the game, the more vulnerable they would be. But I didn't expect it to be this stark," he added on his post on 'X'.

"Winning at home isn't as easy as this team makes it look like. And they are back this month," RCB wrote on X.

Winning at home isn't as easy as this team makes it look like

And they are back this month pic.twitter.com/Ij7jl8KHCh

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) September 3, 2024

Bangladesh were heaped praise on by commentator and ex-West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop.

Congratulations to Bangladesh on their historic series victory vs Pakistan. An achievement for the ages.

— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) September 3, 2024

Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 2nd Test: As it happened

After Day 1 was completely washed out, Pakistan were bowled out for 274 on Day 2. However, it seemed like they would gain a sizeable lead, as Bangladesh were tottering at 26/6 in their first innings. However, a resilient Bangladesh comeback, led by Litton Das' 138 off 228 balls, took Bangladesh to within 12 runs of the Pakistan total.

Bangladesh then managed to bowl out Pakistan for 172 in the second innings, with Hasan Mahmud grabbing a five-fer. Chasing the score, every Bangladesh batter put up a 20-plus score, guiding the team to a historic series win.

Earlier, Bangladesh had won the first Test, also at Rawalpindi, by 10 wickets after a Pakistan second innings collapse.

Bangladesh leap up to an unprecedented fourth spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle standings, while Pakistan are almost certainly out of contention for the final.

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"Has Mental Issue": Yuvraj's Old Comment Viral After Father's Dhoni Rant

In the light of Yuvraj Singh's father Yograj Singh's heated attack on legendary India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, another interesting video has resurfaced online. In this video, Yuvraj Singh can be seen admitting that his father has a "mental issue". Yuvraj's father Yograj has made critical comments about MS Dhoni, and went one step further recently, when he stated that he would not "forgive" Dhoni for what the latter had done to his son. Now, Yuvraj's comment has gone viral on social media.

In a clip taken from a podcast run by social media influencer Ranveer Allahbadia, Yuvraj admits that his father may have some mental issues.

"I feel that my father has a mental issue, but he just won't accept it," said Yuvraj, in the podcast episode released on November 4, 2023.

Yuvraj Singh - "My father has mental issues". #MSDhoni #YuvrajSinghpic.twitter.com/tgxiXHKAhy https://t.co/f6GnO65Id2

— Sports with naveen (@sportswnaveen) September 2, 2024

While Yuvraj admitted that his father has been successful in his life, he does not accept certain things.

"I feel that there are some things he needs to address, but he just doesn't accept it," Yuvraj added.

Yuvraj and Dhoni had been teammates for over a decade in India colours, and at one point, Yuvraj had served as vice-captain to Dhoni. However, a point of contention often arises from the fact that Dhoni had been given the captaincy after Rahul Dravid in 2007, despite Yuvraj being the vice-captain to Dravid as well.

"I won't forgive MS Dhoni. He should look at his face in the mirror. He is a very big cricketer, but what he has done against my son, everything is coming out now; it can never be forgiven in life.," Yograj had said on the Zee Switch YouTube channel.

The latest saga gives another angle to the relationship between two of India's finest match-winners in recent history. In fact, they were the two batters at the crease when India clinched the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

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