"He's Better Than Me": Sarfaraz Khan As Brother Takes U19 World Cup By Storm

After scoring truckloads of runs on the domestic circuit, Sarfaraz Khan finally earned his maiden India call-up as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) added him to the roster for the second Test against England. Sarfaraz's maiden call-up came as a result of injuries to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja. But, as the uncapped star prepares for the second Test against England in Vizag, he revealed looking up to his younger brother, who is making waves for India in Under-19 cricket, during tough times.

Sarfaraz, in fact, admitted that his brother Musheer is a batter batter than him. Musheer famously scored a century against Ireland in the ongoing U19 World Cup in South Africa, leaving Sarfaraz in awe of his technique.

"He's a better batter than me. I'm not saying this because he's my brother. Sometimes, I may be struggling, but watching his technique and trying to work out what he's doing would give me confidence. His mannerisms, bat flow is very good. Sometimes when I'm not batting well, I look at him and learn," Sarfaraz told ESPNcricinfo.

"If I batted 300 balls, Musheer would bat for 300 balls even if he'd done a lot of bowling. Our middle brother, Moin, would do the throwdowns. Having two cricketers in the house, he decided to switch to training," Sarfaraz said.

Inside Sarfaraz's family, there's a lot of healthy competition, with him and Musheer looking to outdo each other. The comparison even comes down to different shots, with Sarfaraz suggesting that his sweep shot is better than Musheer's but when it comes to reverse-sweep, the younger brother has a better technique.

"Musheer's reverse sweep is better than mine. Sweep, I think mine is better, since I have better judgment that has come from experience. We always want the other to do better. Now when he bowls and I bat, there's a lot of healthy competition," he added.

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Hemant Soren arrested by ED , to be produced in court on Thursday

Hemant Soren arrested by ED , to be produced in court on Thursday

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Darshan at Shree Siddhivinayak Temple 31 - Jan -2024

Darshan at Shree Siddhivinayak Temple 31 - Jan -2024

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“Formally apologize to PM Modi…” Maldivian Opposition leader to President Mohammed Muizzu

“Formally apologize to PM Modi…” Maldivian Opposition leader to President Mohammed Muizzu

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"Obviously Jadeja, Rahul And Kohli...": McCullum On 2nd Test Situation

Down 0-1 in the 5-match Test series against England, the Indian cricket team has its task cut out as it heads into the second match in Vizag. While Virat Kohli was already set to miss the second match due to a personal issue, injuries to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have trimmed the Indian team even further. England coach Brendon McCullum, analysing the hosts' situation ahead of the Vizag encounter, said that he is disappointed as the trio of Jadeja, Rahul and Kohli will not be playing the second Test.

"Obviously, Jadeja and KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, he is obviously not playing the next game as well. You want to play against the best. But it's disappointing for the Indian side. But they have also got an incredible talent pool to pick from. So it becomes a bit more difficult, we will do our homework on them," McCullum was quoted as saying by India Today.

England produced a heroic performance in the series opener despite trailing by 190 runs in the first innings. But, McCullum is aware that his luck won't favour him every single time.

"We will enjoy where we sit at the moment and lap up the great experience we have had over the last few days and tomorrow we will travel to Vizag and once we get there, we will start to turn our attention to that game. And have a look at the conditions and make a call. You are not going to get every call right, especially in these conditions, it's hard to read some of these pitches, right?" McCullum said.

"But we will make a decision and we will try and commit to that and see where we land," concluded the England coach.

The second match of the series will be played from Jan 02 in Vizag.

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Standoff at Ladakh: Indian Graziers Confront Chinese Soldiers along Line of Actual Control

Standoff at Ladakh: Indian Graziers Confront Chinese Soldiers along Line of Actual Control

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Watch: WI Legend Struggles To Stop Tears After Team's Historic Gabba Win

West Indies' dramatic triumph against Australia at The Gabba on Sunday turned the cricket world upside down, with rookie pacer Shamar Joseph running riot with the ball, bagging a 7-for in the second innings. Seeing West Indies secure their first Test win in Australia in over 2 decades, not just the team's players, their fans but also some legends of the game went emotional. A crying Brian Lara was hugged by former Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist while the legendary Carl Hooper was spotted crying inconsolably with his face towards a wall after the end of the match.

Hooper, who played 102 Tests and 227 ODIs for the Windies, was completely out of words, with his tears explaining the emotions he was going through at that moment. Here's the video:

What it means to Carl Hooper! @abcsport #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/5TlnhWezRS

— Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) January 28, 2024

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite couldn't stop hailing Joseph following the team's triumph at the Gabba, calling the pacer a "superstar".

"He's a superstar. I know he'll do great things for the West Indies in the future. Just his belief is incredible, he told me that he won't stop bowling till we win it. Very proud of the guys, they showed a lot of fire and heart, especially after the first Test. Very nice to see how they put in a fight, especially the batters. We can only learn from this win. I believe the more the better, that's how we learn. I would love more Test cricket for sure," Brathwaite said.

Joseph wasn't even expected to bowl for West Indies on Sunday because of a toe injury but he battled pain to steer his team home with a brilliant 7 for 68. 

"Having a bruised toe to bowl with, but I just go through the phase and pain, knowing that I need to do this for my team and you know for everyone in my country and the Caribbean. Came down to the crowd, to keep pushing us and actually believing us that we can bring the series to 1-1, thank you guys so much," he said after being named the player of the match.

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West Indies Pacer Shamar Joseph Signs For Peshawar Zalmi In PSL

Following West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph's match-winning spell against Australia in the second Test match at the Gabba, the Caribbean seamer on Monday signed for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Peshawar Zalmi. According to ESPNcricinfo, Joseph replaced Gus Atkinson in the squad and he will stay with the franchise for the entire season even after when the English pacer returns to the team. Atkinson is currently with the English squad in India for the ongoing five-match Test series which will end on March 11. The English pacer would miss all the matches of the tournament except for the playoff games.

Shamar signed for the Zalmi's via the replacement draft.

The 2024 season of the PSL will start on February 17 at the Gaddafi Stadium and will conclude on March 18. The final game of the tournament will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi. Last year, Lahore Qalandars were the champions of the tournament.

On the second Test match between West Indies and Australia, Joseph was named the 'Player of the Match' following his seven-wicket spell in the second inning. The young pacer dismissed Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.

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Watch: Lalu Prasad Yadav grilled for 10 hours in land-for-jobs case, leaves ED office with daughter Misa Bharti

Watch: Lalu Prasad Yadav grilled for 10 hours in land-for-jobs case, leaves ED office with daughter Misa Bharti

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"We Didn't Really...": Dravid Pin Points Exact Turning Point In First Test

India head coach Rahul Dravid felt India's mistake during the 28-run defeat to England in the opening Test was leaving runs on the field in the first innings and not capitalising on good starts. After India's spinners forced England to succumb to 246, Yashasvi Jaiswal (80), KL Rahul (86) and Ravindra Jadeja (87) guided India to a gigantic total of 436.

All three batters looked poised to a big time on field, but eventually fell short. Dravid emphasized on this fact in the post-match press conference and said, "I thought we left probably 70 runs on the board in the first innings. You know, I think in our first innings, when conditions were pretty good to bat in on day two, I thought in the kinds of situations we got ourselves into, some good starts and we didn't really capitalise."

"We didn't get a hundred, you know, we didn't get somebody getting a really big hundred for us. So, in some ways, in India, I just felt we left those 70, 80 runs back in the hut in the first innings. Second innings is always going to be challenging. It's one of those things that, you know, it's tough. It's not easy to chase 230 or it's not done very often," Dravid added.

Dravid went on to state that the current Test set-up features a lot of young players, who are still learning the art of playing long innings.

"A lot of players are quite young, in the sense that a lot of these guys do play a lot of white-ball cricket and also maybe don't get a lot of time to get to play a lot of first-class cricket as well. So they're learning and I think they're getting there. To be fair, there have been challenging wickets as well over the last few years. And it's been a bit of a challenge for some of our young batsmen to adapt. But they've got the skill and they've got the ability, and they've not come here just like that; they've come here by scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket, doing well in A-team cricket. So, you know, they are being picked on merit," Dravid said.

"Sometimes it does take time for people to adjust. They're working really hard. I will say that, I mean, there's a lot of thought going into a lot of their batting and for them... it's just a question of them looking to constantly keep improving and developing skills that maybe help them counter these kind of conditions a little bit better," Dravid added.

For the past three days, India were in complete control of the Test and dominated the visitors. But on Day 3, Ollie Pope stepped onto the crease and changed the entire complexion of the game with his reverse sweeps.

He not only brushed off India's 190-run lead but went on to hand England a target that could be defended on a tricky surface with his knock of 196.

"I haven't seen a better exhibition of sweeping and reverse sweeping [than Ollie Pope] ever in these conditions against that quality of bowling. Having said that, for us now, it's important that we respond and come up with some plans and some strategies and see how we can maybe make him play those shots from probably even more difficult lengths and be even more disciplined and even more meticulous with our execution," Dravid said.

"Because, I thought a little bit our execution went off. Not by much. Credit to him, but we were a little bit off and hopefully in the next Test match, if we get our execution right, then I hope he makes a mistake," Dravid added.

India will face England in the second Test on February 2 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Andhra Pradesh.

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

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"Get Attacking": India Star Slams Rohit's 'Defensive' Tactics vs England

Veteran Indian cricket team wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik was not pleased with Rohit Sharma's 'defensive' approach on Day 4 of the first Test match against England on Sunday. Resuming at 316/6, Ollie Pope ended up scoring 196 as India were given a target of 231. Karthik said that India were very defensive in their approach from the start of the day and although it was understandable to be conservative in their tactics against Pope, he pointed out that against tail-enders like Tom Hartley, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja should have had attacking fielders to create pressure.

"India have been too defensive. I can understand being defensive to Pope but to Tom Hartley, Jadeja and Ashwin should get attacking fielders and not so many sweepers," Karthik said on JioCinema.

Legendary India cricketer Ravi Shastri also echoed similar sentiments as he said that it is 'unknown territory' for Rohit and Co for a visiting side to score over 400 runs in the third innings.

"The body language is dropping. This is an unknown territory for India. You can sense the home team is under pressure. They are not used to visiting teams pilling on 400-plus runs in the third innings," he said.

Pope hit 196 as England ended their second innings on 420 all out on Sunday's day four, with India needing 231 runs to win the opening Test.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah got four wickets and bowled Pope to wrap up the England innings in the first session in Hyderabad after the tourists resumed the day on 316-6.

England slipped to 163-5 on Saturday after starting the innings 190 runs behind, but Pope hit back with his fifth Test ton and a 112-run stand with Ben Foakes.

(With AFP inputs)

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Darshan at Shree Dwarkadhish Jagan Mandir, Dwaraka 29 - Jan - 2024

Darshan at Shree Dwarkadhish Jagan Mandir, Dwaraka 29 - Jan - 2024

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'Not Easy For Batter To Breathe': IND Great's Big Praise For Ashwin-Jadeja

Amid the ongoing first Test against England in Hyderabad, former India captain Anil Kumble reserved high praise for veteran spin-twins Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. Both the players have picked more than 500 wickets between them in Test cricket, bagging three each in the first innings against England. In the 49 Tests they have played together, India have won 35 games while losing just four in the process. On Ashwin and Jadeja surpassing him and Harbhajan as India's most successful Test bowling pair, Kumble hailed the achievement as "incredible". 

"The pressure on these two spinners right from the first test match when they came together to the 41st has not changed, and to have been through those pressure moments and come out with match winning performances, either by Ashwin or Jadeja or both is incredible," said Kumble.

"Sometimes both of them have picked up five-fers. If someone has picked up five in the first, then the other guy picks five in the second, and to consistently do that for 40 games and ensure that your team wins 30 times out of that is incredible," he added.

The legendary spinner also suggested that Ashwin and Jadeja don't let the opposition batters breathe due to their aggressive mindset.

"These two are brilliant. And it's not easy for a batter to just breathe even for one ball, because these two are constantly at you. And the best thing about spin bowling and about Indian conditions is these two can go on. They will be coming at you and that is the beauty about these two bowlers," Kumble concluded.

For India, Kumble (281) and Harbhajan (220) had picked 501 in 54 Tests. Meanwhile, Ashwin and Jadeja have crossed the mark in their 50th Test together.

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Not Stokes Or Hardik! England Great Picks 'Best All-Rounder In The World'

Former England cricket team skipper Michael Vaughan took to social media to praise Ravindra Jadeja for his all-round performance in the ongoing Test match in Hyderabad. Jadeja took three wickets to bowl out England in the first innings on Day 1 of the first Test and the all-rounder ended Day 1 with a gritty half-century. Vaughan was in awe of the Indian cricket team all-rounder and ended up saying that he is the 'best all-rounder in the world at the moment". "He has to be the best allrounder in the world at the moment @imjadeja," he posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja hit half-centuries to put India in command of the opening Test against England on Friday with a lead of 175 at stumps on the second day in Hyderabad.

Jadeja remained unbeaten on 81 and took charge after Rahul's 86 to steer the hosts to 421-7.

He and fellow left-hander Axar Patel, on 35, were batting in a partnership of 63 at the close of play.

"It was a tough day," England assistant coach Jeetan Patel told reporters.

He has to be the best allrounder in the world at the moment @imjadeja ..

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 26, 2024

"I think the effort the guys put in were immense. I think the way we created chances today, if they'd gone... it would be different."

Jadeja's fifth-wicket stand of 65 with Rahul, who looked assured in his knock laced with eight fours and two sixes, stood out in a dominant day for India, who resumed on 119-1.

The world's top-ranked Test all-rounder then kept up the charge with wicketkeeper-batsman K.S. Bharat, who made 41 before being dismissed by Joe Root.

Root and debutant Tom Hartley have taken two wickets each on a grinding day for the tourists, who bowled 87 overs after an extended final session.

England's Jack Leach bowled just 16 overs in the day without long spells and Patel said the senior spinner struggled with his knee after getting injured while fielding on day one and two.

"I believe he'll be back in the fourth innings. He just landed on his knee funny," Jeetan said.

(With AFP inputs)

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Russian doctors use Artificial Intelligence to treat patients

Russian doctors use Artificial Intelligence to treat patients

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Darshan at Shree Somnath Temple, First Jyotirlinga, 28 - Jan - 2024

Darshan at Shree Somnath Temple, First Jyotirlinga, 28 - Jan - 2024

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Watch: Recovering From Ankle Injury, Pandya Begins Bowling Full Tilt

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has begun bowling full tilt after rehabilitation from his ankle injury, clearly indicating that he is on course for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League where he will captain Mumbai Indians. Pandya, who sustained an ankle injury during World Cup last year, was seen bowling here in a video footage shared on his Instagram. "I feel good to be back. My journey started 17 years back at this same ground," said Pandya, who was seen sending down a few deliveries while also doing some running drills and exercises.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hardik Himanshu Pandya (@hardikpandya93)

"I am giving it all I got, every single day." Pandya, who was named Mumbai Indians captain in place of highly-successful Rohit Sharma on December 15 following a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans, has been out of action after sustaining the injury in November during World Cup clash against Bangladesh.

He missed the home T20I series against Afghanistan earlier this month.

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

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Australia vs West Indies 2nd Test Day 3 Live Score Updates

Australia vs West Indies 2nd Test Day 3 Live Score Updates: West Indies look to strengthen their position on Day 3 of the second Test match against Australia. At stumps, West Indies were 13-1 with a lead of 35 runs but they lost the wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul. Earlier, West Indies were all out for 311 in the first innings and in reply, Australia declared at 289-9 late in the night session. (Live Scorecard)

Follow Australia vs West Indies 2nd Test Day 3 Live Score Updates here -

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Pak's On-Field Performances Not Affected By Changes In PCB: Acting Chief

The newly-appointed acting chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shah Khawar on Friday said frequent changes in the board are not responsible for the national team's poor on-field performances in the last one year. Addressing the media on Friday, Khawar asserted that there were several other reasons for the team's below-par showing. "I don't think changes in the board in the last one year have affected the team. It might be a minor reason, but there are other other factors and once the new board of governors is formed and the new chairman takes charge, they will look into this," he said.

Khawar also insisted that there was no interference from the government in the cricket board's affairs.

"It is a wrong impression that the ministry of inter provincial coordination or government interferes in cricket affairs or is taking decisions," he said.

"The patron in chief of the board, as per powers vested in him and laid out in the PCB constitution, has taken decisions and is authorised to do this," he added.

Khawar said the board remains an independent body and functions as such, adding that normalcy will be restored once the new board of governors is formed.

Khawar also confirmed being informed by Mohammad Hafeez, the incumbent director of the Pakistan team, that many players were more worried about their contracts in white-ball leagues rather than being focussed on job, during recent tours of Australia and New Zealand.

"This is an issue which needs serious reflection because while we don't want players to suffer financially, it is also important to make them realise, especially those centrally contracted to the board, that their first priority should always be the national team," he said.

Khawar confirmed Hafeez met him informally on Thursday and that he did not call him for a meeting.

"Hafeez was in the board offices and he wished to see me, so I met him with chief selector, Wahab Riaz and the chief operating officer Salman Naseer and he informally conveyed his concerns to us," he said.

Khawar said that Hafeez had also asked about getting his three-year contract in place, but was informed in return that the patron in chief would decide.

Additionally, a proper advertising process had to be followed before hiring anyone to this main post.

"He also wanted to know about some dues from the board as he had gone on a one month contract which expired on 15th December," he said.

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

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President Murmu: Ram Temple Represents India's Rediscovery of Civilizational Heritage

President Murmu: Ram Temple Represents India's Rediscovery of Civilizational Heritage

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"Will Soon Find Out But...": De Villiers On Kohli's Test Withdrawal

There continues to remain mystery behind India stalwart Virat Kohli's decision to pull out from the first two Tests against England. Kohli decided to withdraw over 'personal issues' as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) advised against speculation on the matter. AB de Villiers, Kohli's former teamamte at Royal Challengers Banglore and a close friend, admitted that he too doesn't know what reason behind his exit is. But, he plans to find out soon.

De Villiers said that the reason behind Kohli's withdrawal could be because he wanted some time off or it could be a family issue. De Villiers plans to soon find out be he isn't going to reveal it to the public as his friendship with Kohli is too important to him.

"No one knows what has happened yet. I am sure we will get to know soon. If Virat talks about personal reasons, there must be a very good reason for that. Maybe he is also tired. He has been playing a lot of cricket. Could be family stuff. I will find out soon but I won't tell you guys. His friendship is too important to me," De Villiers said in a video on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers also spoke about the Test series between India and England, saying he feels that 'Bazball' will work well in India. There are other pundits who have doubts over Bazball's success against Indian spinners but the former South Africa captain feels it could succeed.

"I feel Bazball, or any attacking brand of cricket in Indian conditions will work very well. It can work in any rough conditions. In the Newlands with the ball moving around, who scored? Aiden Markram and a few Indian batters who took the attack to the opposition. Players who are conservative generally struggle," De Villiers further said.

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Indian Railways achieves milestone with successful testing of indigenous Kavach anti-train collision system

Indian Railways achieves milestone with successful testing of indigenous Kavach anti-train collision system

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Hayley Matthews Crowned As ICC Women's T20I Cricketer Of The Year

West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews on Wednesday was named the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year and became just the second women's cricketer from the Caribbean to get the honour. Before Matthews, former skipper Stafanie Taylor was crowned with the coveted accolade in 2015. Matthews was sensational with her skills from the bat and the ball. She defeated competition from Australia's Ellyse Perry, England's Sophie Ecclestone, and Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu. "I have been really blessed to have a pretty good year with West Indies wearing those colours, performing really well and helping the team," Matthews said, according to ICC.

"Growing up I saw many of my idols getting these type of awards a lot, so to be able to come out as a player with this award is special for me," she added.

The No.1 ranked ICC Women's T20I all-rounder embarked on a journey that saw her produce a remarkable performance for the ages against Australia in a bilateral T20I series.

During the series, she scored 99*, 132 and 79 as the West Indies skipper proved to be a major hurdle to the Australian side. The 25-year-old's 99* in the first game of the series went soon under the radar with her breathtaking 132 in a run-chase of 213 in Sydney.

The world-record run-chase in women's T20Is saw Matthews tumble several records which included the highest individual score in a women's T20I run-chase. Her overall score of 310 runs in the series set the milestone of most by any player in a women's T20I bilateral series.

Matthews also had a good outing in the T20 World Cup. She amassed 130 runs and picked up four wickets.

Overall, she added 700 runs to her name in 2023, the most by any player in a year in Women's T20Is. She also claimed 19 wickets at an average of 16.21 in the year.

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

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This is revenge politics Sachin Pilot on FIR against Rahul Gandhi during BJNY

This is revenge politics Sachin Pilot on FIR against Rahul Gandhi during BJNY

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"Looks Like...": Dravid Gives Hint On Nature Of Pitch For IND-ENG 1st Test

India are all set to take on England in the five-match Test series at home, starting January 25 in Hyderabad. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced the squad for the first two games of the series. While England will aim to repeat the glory of 2012 where they won 2-1 in India, the hosts will eye to maintain their dominance against the Three Lions in Tests at home. Indian cricket team's head coach Rahul Dravid has given a hint on the kind of surface that will be offered for the first Test.

"It's hard to say. We will see once the game starts and figure it out. It looks like a good one from where I have seen it. The pitch may spin a little bit, how quickly and how fast that I don't know," Dravid said in the pre-match press conference.

Rahul Dravid on Tuesday also said that Virat Kohli, who will miss the first two Tests of the England series due to personal reasons, is a "phenomenal player" and other players will have opportunity to step up and put in some good performances in his absence.

Virat Kohli will miss the first two Tests of the five-match series against England due to personal reasons.

India will play against England in the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The second Test of the series will be played at Vishakapatnam, the third Test at Rajkot, the fourth Test at Ranchi and the fifth and final Test at Dharamshala.

Dravid said that any team will miss the absence of a player like Kohli.

"Any team will miss a quality player like Virat Kohli, there is no doubt about it. He is a phenomenal player and his records tell everything. He is a huge boost to the side but having said that it gives an opportunity to the other players to step up and put in some good performances," he said.

"We have got some good experience in the squad. We have players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who have played in the team for over a decade in Tests. There are some other great players in the team like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer but I will not call them youngsters...They have been there with the squad for a time now and they have the opportunity to perform and prove themselves in the five-match series," the former right-hand batter added.

(With ANI Inputs)

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Two Indian Spinners Feature In ICC Men's Test Team Of The Year

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the Men's Test Team of the Year 2023 with five Australian players and two Indian spinners featuring in the eleven. Australia's World Test Championship-winning captain Pat Cummins was crowned as the skipper of the team while Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja found their way into the team. Usman Khawaja's rich vein in form saw him feature in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year for a second consecutive year. He ended 2023 as the highest scorer in Tests, becoming the only batter to get past the 1000-run mark. The left-handed batter amassed 1210 runs in 13 matches at an average of 52.60, which included six centuries and six fifties. Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne was named the other opening batsman despite having played only six matches in 2023.

During Sri Lanka's away series against New Zealand, the experienced batter scored three fifties in four innings and amassed 207 runs. Overall, he scored 608 runs at an average of 60.8.

He also scored two tons against Ireland and played a crucial role in Sri Lanka's dominant 2-0 series win.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson, who had a slow start, went on to score 695 runs in red ball cricket.

Williamson was at his best during New Zealand's win against England in Wellington with his 132. His scintillating knock inspired the Kiwis to a one-run win over the Three Lions. He continued to ride high on confidence and struck three centuries in a row. He converted a century into double hundred in the second Test against Sri Lanka.

England's Joe Root featured in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year for the fourth time in his career and also remains in contention for the Men's Test Player of the Year award.

Root kicked off the year on an impressive note with three 50-plus scores against New Zealand which also included 153* and 95.

He scored a fifty against Ireland in the one-off Test and began the Ashes series with 118* in Birmingham as England ended on the losing side.

After going through a barren run in the next two Tests, he returned to form and helped England finish the Ashes on level terms.

Australia's match-winner Travis Head had a memorable outing in 2023 across all formats. The left-handed batter stood out exceptionally in the red-ball format scoring 919 in 12 matches.

Head's moment of the year came in the WTC final as he shone against India by inspiring Australia with his heroic knock of 163 in the first innings.

India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made his way to the team with his handy contributions from hand and the ball. The experienced all-rounder stood out in the Test series against Australia with a five-wicket haul and a half-century in Nagpur. He then went on to claim a 10-wicket haul in the next game.

Australia's Alex Carey will take the role behind the stumps following his remarkable year with the gloves. With 54 dismissals, no wicketkeeper had more dismissals than Carey in 2023.

He had a forgetful start to the year with the bat but showed grit against India in the WTC final. Carey scored 44 off 68 in the first innings and 66* in the second which helped Australia take the game away.

Cummins had a dream year as everything he touched turned to gold. He led Australia to WTC glory and then to record-extending World Cup glory.

The Australian skipper led the wicket-takers charts for pacers with 42 wickets in 11 matches. He had his ups and downs throughout 2023 but capped off his exceptional year with a five-wicket haul in each innings in the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan.

India's experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the leading wicket-taker for India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was awarded the Player of the Series, but even his stellar performance couldn't clinch him a spot in India's playing XI for the WTC final.

He made a comeback in the Test team with 12 wickets against West Indies.

Australia's Mitchell Starc was named alongside his compatriot Cummins as the second pacer. The left-arm pacer secured an impressive 38 wickets in nine matches in 2023.

After failing to impress in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the left-arm pacer rose on the occasion by taking four wickets and also putting up a crucial 41 in the second innings during Australia's WTC victory.

Starc dominated the Ashes as he led the charts in the series bagging 25 wickets in total and taking away the Player of the Series award.

England's experienced pacer Stuart Broad, who announced retirement from international cricket, was lethal in the final year of his career.

He made headlines with a four-wicket haul in each match against New Zealand. He finished the series as the leading wicket-taker for England with 10 wickets.

He capped off his career by taking the final wicket during England's closely fought contest in the final game of the Ashes against Australia.

ICC Men's Test Team of the Year: Usman Khawaja, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Travis Head, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, Stuart Broad.

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PM Modi delighted as former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur to be awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously

PM Modi delighted as former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur to be awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously

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"If He Wants To Play World Cup...": Ex-India Star's Advice For KL Rahul

With the clean sweep against Afghanistan in the recently-concluded T20I series, Team India started their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup on a positive note. The series marked the return of India skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli in the T20I format after a gap of 14 months. It is highly likely that both the players will feature in India's squad at the marquee event. However, there are doubts over the selection of wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul.

Team India has found potential batters in the form of Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and even wicketkeeper like Jitesh Sharma, who is known for his destructive batting. So, it will be quite a challenge for Rahul to find a place for himself in the squad.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra stated that to find a spot in the World Cup squad, Rahul needs to bat at No 4 in IPL 2024. Rahul, who is the captain of IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants, plays the role of an opener.

"You might see KL Rahul at No. 4. If he wants to play the World Cup, he probably needs to bat at No. 4. You might see one among Deepak Hooda, Ayush Badoni and Prerak Mankad playing at No. 3. They have plenty of options available to get the work done," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"After No. 4, they have Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, and Ayush Badoni along with Krunal Pandya down the order. Suddenly you see a lot of depth in the batting. So they have prepared a very good team," Chopra further added.

After missing out on the T20Is against Afghanistan, Rahul will now be seen in action against England in the five-match Test series. The first Test match will start from January 25 in Hyderabad.

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Watch: Indian-Origin NZ U-19 WC Player Copies Gill's Celebration Style

Shubman Gill has got an admirer in India-origin Snehith Reddy, a member of the New Zealand U-19 World Cup team, who copied the Indian opener's batting and celebration style. Snehith took off his helmet, raised his bat and bowed down to the crowd, similar to the trademark celebration of Gill, after reaching his century against Nepal in an U-19 World Cup match at Buffalo Park on Sunday. "We were talking before the game, the boys, on what the celebrations are gonna be. I decided the Shubman Gill bow is my celebration, it was special," Snehith said later.

"One of my favourite players, I love the way he makes contact with the ball, his timing is exceptional and I tried to copy that to my batting a little bit," he said in a video footage uploaded by the ICC.

A moment shared with family
? Enjoying the occasion
Shubman Gill's influence

New Zealand's Snehith Reddy reflects on his #U19WorldCup centurypic.twitter.com/szYB81B0yi

— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2024

His parents were also present at the ground when Snehith achieved the feat.

"That was extremely special. I think, them (parents) coming over and seeing the first game on the world stage was extremely special. They enjoyed it and I loved it.

"They just told me to enjoy, it's a massive occasion and there'll be nerves but I had fun and that's the key," he said.

The 17-year-old Snehith, who was born in Vijayawada, smashed an unbeaten 147 off 125 balls to help New Zealand reach 302 for 8 in 50 overs after electing to bat.

New Zealand then restricted Nepal to 238 for 9 for a 64-run win.

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Maldives defies Indian concerns, set to host Chinese research vessel amid rising tensions

Maldives defies Indian concerns, set to host Chinese research vessel amid rising tensions

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USA: Om Sri Sai Bala temple in New Jersey receives 25-feet Hanuman idol before ‘Pran Pratishtha’

USA: Om Sri Sai Bala temple in New Jersey receives 25-feet Hanuman idol before ‘Pran Pratishtha’

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Earlier a critic, Shankaracharya now hails PM Modi, blames media for painting anti-Modi

Earlier a critic, Shankaracharya now hails PM Modi, blames media for painting anti-Modi

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Ayodhya Ram Mandir: ‘Eyes of Ram Lalla can't be revealed,’ says Acharya Satyendra Das

Ayodhya Ram Mandir: ‘Eyes of Ram Lalla can't be revealed,’ says Acharya Satyendra Das

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"Of Course, He Can": AFG Star On Rinku Taking Dhoni, Yuvraj's Legacy Ahead

Young batter Rinku Singh is emerging as one of the most reliable finishers for Team India. Rinku, who is just 15 matches old in T20I format, has played many marvelous innings and taken Team India across the line on numerous occasions. The biggest example of his talent was seen during the third T20I match against Afghanistan, where he played a crucial 69-runk knock off 39 balls. Recently, Afghanistan wicketkeeper and his Kolkata Knight Riders teammate Rahmanullah Gurbaz made a massive prediction about Rinku's future.

Gurbaz called Rinku a great finisher, who has the ability to carry forward the legacy of the Indian legends like MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.

"Of course, he can. The way he is going right now is unbelievable. If you see his recent performances in the Indian team, against every side he performs really well. It shows that he is young and he proved that ' I am here for something and not just be in the team and go out'. He is hungry and always working hard, and that's a good thing about him," Gurbaz was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.

"No doubt he is a really good cricketer and a really good finisher. The most important thing in him, whenever he comes to bat he tries to watch the ball. Always a batter is looking to hit. He is a clever cricketer. He is the one who can adjust to the conditions really soon. He can be the next finisher for India and he will be a good cricketer for their team as well," he added.

Earlier, India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin also praised Rinku and called him a left-handed MS Dhoni.

"He is somebody I'd call a left-handed Dhoni. I can't compare him to Dhoni just yet because Dhoni is too big. But, I am talking about the composure that he brings. He has been consistently scoring buckets of runs for UP and broke his way into the Indian team," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

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Students of Vidya Bal Bhawan Senior Secondary School in Delhi form human chain of ‘Jai Shri Ram’

Students of Vidya Bal Bhawan Senior Secondary School in Delhi form human chain of ‘Jai Shri Ram’

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"Bit Tricky: Groundsman Explains Making Of India vs Pakistan T20 WC Pitch

Ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Adelaide Oval head groundsman Damien Hough explained on Friday the making of the pitch in New York at Eisenhower Park that would be used for the India-Pakistan match in the extravagant ICC tournament. While speaking to Channel 7, Hough said that the job is a bit tricky. "It's a bit tricky, we basically built six of the 10 trays here in Adelaide. We made them modular. We're really proud of them. We've got a couple out of the back that will probably come out here [on Adelaide Oval] next year," Hough was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.

He confirmed that the pitch in New York's Eisenhower Park is currently in the "grow-in phase".

"We put them in a shipping container and send them really wherever we want around the world. But they've gone over to Florida. And I've just come back from a month of work over there putting the trays together, putting the soil in, compacting them and putting the grass on. So we're in the grow-in phase," he said.

"We've got a business, a company over there called LandTek that are helping us with the grow-in phase. Then there's a couple more strategic trips throughout the next six months to do some work on them and then transport them from Florida all the way up to New York where we'll put them in and prepare them," he added.

Hough accepted that he had never done did process before and "there's a lot of firsts."

"It's a lot of work that's gone into it so far. But the real work starts around the start of May. It'll take two days to transport them up which is quite incredible. Never done that before. So there's a lot of firsts. And then there's getting them in the ground," he said.

While concluding, he added that the high-voltage match between India-Pakistan will also be played there and "which will be amazing."

"Four go into that venue, that pop-up stadium, 34,000-seat stadium. Eight games in 10 days. One of them is Pakistan and India which will be amazing. And then there's six that go into the warm-up venue with so many teams rotating through and so much training," he concluded.

T20 World Cup fixtures that will be hosted in New York: Sri Lanka vs South Africa (June 3), India vs Ireland (June 5), Canada vs Ireland (June 7), Netherlands vs South Africa (June 8), India vs Pakistan (June 9), South Africa vs Bangladesh (June 10), Pakistan vs Canada (June 11), USA vs India (June 12).

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

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Darshan at Shree Siddhivinayak Temple 20 - Jan -2024

Darshan at Shree Siddhivinayak Temple 20 - Jan -2024

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Tata Group Retains IPL Title Sponsorship For Next Five Years: Sources

The Tata Group has retained the title sponsorship rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the next five years, sources confirmed to NDTV. The new deal will see Tata continue as the title sponsor of the marquee T20 event until 2028. Tata cracked the deal after matching the figure presented by Aditya Birla by using its Right to Match (RTM) card. One of India's largest business conglomerates, the Tata Group had earlier replaced Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo as the IPL title sponsor. It was a two-year deal from 2022 to 2023.

Vivo had a deal of Rs 2200 crore for title sponsorship rights of IPL from 2018-2022 but after the 2020 Galwan Valley military face-off between the Indian and Chinese Army soldiers, the brand took a break for a year with Dream11 replacing it in the IPL.

However, Vivo was back as IPL tittle sponsor in 2021 even as speculation raged that the company was looking to transfer the rights to a suitable bidder and the BCCI approved the move.

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UP Devotee from Lucknow prepares ‘56 Bhog’ for Ram Lalla

UP Devotee from Lucknow prepares ‘56 Bhog’ for Ram Lalla

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"Unfortunately, We Won't...": Dravid's Admission On T20 World Cup Squad

India head coach Rahul Dravid was a pleased man after the 3-0 series win over Afghanistan as few fringe players performed well to give the team more options for the T20 World Cup in June. India played 11 T20s after the ODI World Cup last year and the thinktank was able to have a closer look at some contenders such as Jitesh Sharma and Shivam Dube after frontline players were given a rest. Dravid was quite chuffed at their efforts.

“We've had different people play after the last ODI World Cup for a variety of reasons. But I think it's just nice to see that there are some options (ahead of the World Cup) who have put their hand up, and certainly shown that they've got skills to address.

"Some areas we might need some addressing in, and we were thinking about it,” Dravid said in his post-match press conference.

The only concern for Dravid was the lack of team-time ahead of the showpiece to be held in the West Indies and the USA.

The three-match series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0, was India's last T20 assignment ahead of the World Cup.

“Unfortunately, we really won't have much cricket as a team anymore. We will obviously have the IPL, and you know, everyone will be watching closely to see how some of those guys play and what are the slots we need to fill in the team,” he said.

Dube emerged player of the series against Afghanistan for his 124 runs and two wickets, and Dravid was excited to have an all-rounder option to consider.

“He's come back after a long time. He's certainly very much an improved player after coming back. There's no doubt that he always had the talent, but just really happy to see the way he performed in the series.

"I'm sure it will give him a lot of confidence as well, you come back in and play a series and you become the man of the series. It's great and has certainly put his hand up. He's going to have that opportunity to show it in the IPL again, like he did last year,” said Dravid.

The wicketkeeper's slot too will come under scrutiny as India now have multiple choices in Jitesh, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, who is yet to regain full fitness.

The former Indian captain did not rule out anyone from contention.

“We've got quite a few keeping options out there. We saw a couple of guys in this game. There's Sanju, Kishan and Rishabh, I mean, we have all these guys.

"We'll just have to see how things pan out over the course of the next few months and make a decision on what we think is the best way to go.”

The 51-year-old Bengaluru man was also impressed by captain Rohit Sharma's decision to give the ball to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi in the second Super Over against Afghanistan on Wednesday night.

Bishnoi successfully defended 11 runs dismissing Mohammed Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in successive balls.

“Rohit went with Bishnoi and it was his gut call. I think he felt that a spinner had a better chance to take two wickets. If they batted six balls, with the power that they had, they probably would have got 12 runs.

"But I thought Bishnoi was brilliant because he bowled two super balls. He pulled the length back. If the length had gone slightly fuller, you know, it would have gone for six. It was a really good gut call from Rohit to go for the wickets and be more aggressive rather than looking for a safer option,” Dravid added.

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

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Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn, Andrew Puttick Resign From Pakistan's NCA

Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick have resigned from their respective positions at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, announced the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday. "Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick, who were assigned duties at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore after a change in their portfolios in November 2023, have resigned from their respective positions," said a statement from PCB. In the aftermath of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, Pakistan introduced a new group of coaching staff and reassigned Arthur, Bradburn, and Puttick to roles with the NCA.

In April 2023, Arthur was appointed Director of the Pakistan men's cricket team while Bradburn was announced head coach of the Pakistan national men's side earlier last year. Former South Africa cricketer Puttick has been Pakistan's batting coach since April 2023.

Prior to his recent stint, Arthur was the head coach of the Pakistan Men's Cricket Team from 2016 to 2019 during which Pakistan attained the number spot in the ICC Test team rankings and won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. In international cricket, Arthur has also served as the head coach of South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka.

57-year-old Bradburn, who had previously represented New Zealand in 18 international matches from 1990 to 2001, served as the fielding coach of the Pakistan men's team from 2018 to 2020 before taking up the Head of High-Performance Coaching role at NCA till October 2021. Under his tenure as head coach, Pakistan achieved the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI team rankings for the first time in May 2023.

All three individuals informed the Pakistan Cricket Board of their decision to leave their respective jobs by the end of January 2024. The decision was taken amicably between all the stakeholders. The PCB wishes them well in their future endeavours and is grateful for their services.

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

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Australia vs West Indies 1st Test Day 3 Live Score Updates

Australia vs West Indies 1st Test Day 3 Live Updates: An inspired spell of bowling from Josh Hazlewood and a brilliant attacking century from Travis Head put Australia in complete control of the first Test against the West Indies in Adelaide on Thursday. After Head smashed 119 from 134 balls to take Australia to 283 and a first-innings lead of 95, Hazlewood took four wickets for just two runs at the start of the West Indies second innings to deal a hammer blow to the visitors. At stumps on the second day, the West Indies were 73-6, still 22 runs from making Australia bat again. (LIVE SCORECARD)

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Sri Lanka Rope In Bharat Arun In Advanced Coaching Role

Sri Lanka have roped in former India bowling coach Bharat Arun as part of the board's endeavour to impart advance training to coaches and other support staff in the country. Arun had played a big role in developing India's formidable pace attack along with former head coach Ravi Shastri. "Sri Lanka Cricket decided to obtain the services of some of the best-known talents in international cricket to provide advanced training for local coaches, trainers, and physiotherapists to enhance their skills and competencies by conducting periodic training programs in selected areas," the SLC stated after its executive committee meeting.

Apart from Arun, the SLC has also drafted in former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes, who is now a specialist fielding coach, and Alex Kountouri, a well-known physiotherapist who had earlier worked with the Lankan national team.

The Lankan board is hoping for its suspension to be lifted after International Cricket Council (CEO) Geoff Allardice recently met the country's president Ranil Wickremesinghe and sports minister Harin Fernando.

Recently, Sri Lanka defeated a visiting Zimbabwe side in both ODI and T20I series to begin the new season on a bright note.

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

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Iran’s Foreign Minister in Davos: 'Attacks on Israel will end if Gaza war stops'

Iran’s Foreign Minister in Davos: 'Attacks on Israel will end if Gaza war stops'

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Darshan at Shree Dwarkadhish Jagan Mandir, Dwaraka 17 - Jan - 2024

Darshan at Shree Dwarkadhish Jagan Mandir, Dwaraka 17 - Jan - 2024

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Current Revenue Sharing Model Completely Broken: Cricket West Indies CEO

The big three in world cricket, including India, England and Australia should do more to save smaller Test playing teams and ICC's current revenue sharing model is "completely broken", said Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave. India being the engine of the game pockets close to 40 percent of ICC's net annual earnings, followed by England and Australia, who get a single digit share. "The revenue-share model is completely broken. If we really want to operate as a cricketing community, we are only as strong as the weakest team, and we've got to change the mindset of bilateral cricket," Grave was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. At the moment, the players of the teams like South Africa and West Indies are having to prioritise franchise cricket over their international commitments.

South Africa recently announced a third string squad for their Test tour of New Zealand and West Indies too were forced to leave out senior players like Jason Holder for the tour of Australia beginning on Wednesday.

Back in 2018, Cricket West Indies had proposed a cap on the number of overseas players in T20 leagues and a fee for their respective boards and ICC agreed to it. However, those suggestions don't apply to leagues like ILT20, which began last year and has drawn umpteen international stars in the second edition. "If those regulations had been in place, the ILT20 probably wouldn't have had the enormous effect it has had on bilateral international cricket in January because it wouldn't have had as many international players, therefore wouldn't have got the broadcast revenues and probably wouldn't be offering players the kind of money they are offering," Grave said.

"And then by consequence, South Africa wouldn't necessarily have had to compete and invest so much in their international talent for the SA20 in the same window." Grave also highlighted Cricket West Indies' big spending on air travel.

"We took a women's team there (Australia) and we won a T20I against all the odds, and match fees and international air flights cost us three-quarters of a million dollars.

"We've got a Test team there, an ODI team and a T20I team, which will cost us another million-plus dollars in terms of match fees and airfares. We spend more on airfares than anyone else in the world.

"In percentage terms, we will spend more than anyone on red-ball cricket so I would argue against any narrative that the West Indies aren't interested in Test cricket.

"Hopefully, the South Africa series has woken up the Australian media to the realities of what it's like to operate Test cricket, and unless the boards change the economic model, I don't think Test cricket will thrive outside of the Big Three," Grave said. PTI BS KHS KHS

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"Next Target Is To...": Prakhar Chaturvedi After His Record-Breaking 404

Karnataka batter Prakhar Chaturvedi, who made history by becoming the first-ever batter to score over 400 runs in Cooch Behar Trophy final on Monday, expressed his aim to play for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and hope to continue his form in future. He hit a splendid unbeaten 404 against Mumbai at the KSCA Navule Stadium in Shimoga, Karnataka. Team Karnataka U-19 reaches Bengaluru after winning Cooch Behar Trophy.

"I feel really proud, especially because it came in the finals. Karnataka have never won the Cooch Behar Trophy before and scoring more than 400 runs in the final against Mumbai, who have won this trophy quite a few times, this feels really great. I still can't believe it and can't express my joy in words," Prakhar told ANI.

He also broke India's former star batter Yuvraj Singh's long-standing 24-year-old record of 358, the previous highest individual score in the tournament final. Prakhar stated that beating Yuvraj Singh's record feels surreal to him, and accomplishing this milestone is beyond words for him.

"Feels great but hopefully, in the future, I will be able to play in the same way constantly for Karnataka. Whenever I represent Karnataka I will put in my 100 per cent effort and hopefully, the result will fall in place," Prakhar stated.

"Next target is to represent Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and perform well over there. Hopefully, we will win the Ranji Trophy one day. I think this is the best team that Karnataka has ever gotten at the U19 level," he added.

Hoping to continue his blistering performance in future too, Prakhar said, "My parents were really happy.... not only parents even the coaches and friends everybody are really happy. And we are hoping that this continues in the future. I will give my best wherever I play."

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Australia vs West Indies, 1st Test Day 1 Live Score Updates

Australia vs West Indies, 1st Test: Live Updates: Australia will be squaring off against West Indies in the first Test of the two-match series on Wednesday in Adelaide. Pat Cummins confirmed the return of Cameron Green to the side that has been rearranged after David Warner retired from the longest format. Steve Smith will play the role of an opener in Test cricket for the Aussies. Meanwhile, West Indies have announced that they will bring in three debutants. (Live Scorecard)

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Watch: Virat Kohli's Reaction As Dube Tonks 3 Back-To-Back Sixes

With the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year in June, all-rounder Shivam Dube has boosted the hopes of his selection in India's squad for the marquee event. With all-rounder and vice-captain Hardik Pandya nursing an ankle injury since October last year, Dube's resurgence as a fast-bowling all-rounder has proved to be a blessing for India. In the ongoing T20I series, Dube has scored back-to-back half-centuries in the first two matches, also picking up two wickets in the process.

Dube has notched up unbeaten scores of 60 and 63, respectively, striking over 150 in both matches.

During the second T20I on Sunday, Dube entertained the crowd and his teammates by smashing three sixes on the trot in the 10th over of India's chase. Virat Kohli was also impressed by the show put on by Dube.

Up, Up and Away!

Three consecutive monstrous SIXES from Shivam Dube #INDvAFG @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/3y40S3ctUW

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 14, 2024

On way to his an unbeaten 63 off 32 balls in the second T20I here on Sunday, Dube smashed four towering sixes and five fours, as India chased down a target of 173 with as many as 26 balls to spare.

On how hard it is to think only about the present and not about the forthcoming T20 World Cup, Dube said, "In the past I have thought a lot about the future. But I have realised that I got to focus on the present. I have to focus on how to improve my skills, so that's more important to me. I just try to keep myself grounded and try to focus on what I have to do." In stark contrast to his penchant to toy with the spinners, 30-year-old Dube has often looked vulnerable against the short deliveries bowled at good pace. He admitted that the standard of fast bowlers in the IPL is much better than in domestic cricket.

On the amount of work that has gone into improving his game against short balls, Dube said, "I have worked a lot on it. When I was playing domestic cricket, I was able to dominate all the bowlers, but when it came to IPL and Indian cricket it was not easy as bowlers were bowling over 140km/hr." "I worked a lot with side arms, but it is more about the mindset which I worked." Dube had a poor start for India's white-ball team against Bangladesh more than four years ago.

Asked about the methods he has employed that's resulted in a significant improvement, he said, "This credit goes to Chennai Super Kings and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) because I always had this game in me." "They have brought out the best in me. They have always encouraged me and said that they believe in me. Stephen Fleming and Mike Hussey have shown faith in me." Speaking about his mindset as a finisher, the Mumbai all-rounder said, "As a middle-order batsman, my role is to take on spinners and improve the strike rate. But when it is like getting 20-25 runs, I focus on that." "What I have seen Mahi bhai do for a long time, I am working in that direction. I have to keep myself calm and composed and just focus on one ball at a time.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Nearly Vomited": Ex-Australia Captain On Smith's Elevation As Test Opener

Former Australia captain Kim Hughes has hit out at the team management for elevating star batter Steve Smith to the opener's role following David Warner's Test retirement. Warner played his last Test earlier this month against Pakistan in Sydney as Australia swept the series 3-0. While Western Australia's Cameron Bancroft made a strong case for himself to replace Warner, the Australian team management announced that Smith will be opening the innings with Usman Khawaja, starting with a two-match series against West Indies later this week.

On Smith's elevation as opener, Hughes revealed that he almost "vomited" upon hearing the latest development. The former Aussie skipper took shots at the selection committee for ignoring Bancroft, who is in the form of his life," Hughes told WA Sports Talk, as quoted by Sports ABC.

"I nearly vomited. I've got no doubts in my mind that if Cameron Bancroft played for New South Wales, he'd be in the Test side. He is in his prime."

Earlier, despite calling Smith a superstar, Hughes feels the batter has struggled in recent times, and should stick to his normal batting order -- No. 4.

"Touch this, do this, do that [imitates Smith]... never want to leave when I am given out. He's like a petulant kid. Smith is struggling at the moment. He's been an absolute superstar, but as an opener, he is no more opener than me opening the bowling. He needs to stay at No.4, get his mojo back if you like, without all the fluff," he had told 10 News First.

Hughes also highlighted the importance of rewarding players performing in Sheffield Shield -- Australia's premiere four-day red-ball tournament.

"I think the other, and a very important thing is, you must reward those that are performing well, and our Sheffield Shield competition - yes it is not as strong as it used to be when he had our Test players playing in it - it is still the competition from which you can have a look and see who is playing well. I just think get Bancroft in there, it also sends a message to the Shield players that if you perform, you'll get picked. You may as well go and play marbles - it would be just shattering," he added.

Bancroft was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season with 512 runs in six matches, averaging more than 56.

He and Smith were penalised alongside Warner in 2018 for player their part in a ball-tampering scandal.

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Darshan at Shree Somnath Temple, First Jyotirlinga, 16 - Jan - 2024

Darshan at Shree Somnath Temple, First Jyotirlinga, 16 - Jan - 2024

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"What Mental Fatigue Can You Have?": Ex-Pak Star Questions Ishan Kishan

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has questioned India youngster Ishan Kishan's decision to take a break from the sport, citing mental fatigue. Kishan had pulled himself out of the India squad for the Test series against South Africa in December 2023. The wicketkeeper-batter was then ignored for the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. Speaking on the issue, India head coach Rahul Dravid said that the player did not make himself available for selection, and will now have to play domestic cricket to get back into the side.

Kishan also did not find a place in India's squad for the first two Tests against England, with KS Bharat and youngster Dhruv Jurel part of the squad as the wicketkeepers.

Akmal slammed Kishan for taking a break so early in his career, and highlighted how veterans like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah also face the same amount of mental fatigue.

"There has been talk about Ishan Kishan being released from the Test squad in South Africa to deal with mental fatigue. At this early stage of your career, what mental fatigue can you have? In this team, there are the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, who also deal with fatigue. They play the IPL, international matches, including Test matches. Have never heard of players taking a break due to this reason," Akmal said on his YouTube channel.

Akmal further stated that Kishan's decision to take rest is "beyond his understanding', adding that young players shouldn't make such demands so early in their careers.

"You are saving yourself for two months of IPL. Playing in the Indian team is a big thing and this excuse is beyond my understanding. I think the selection committee has done a good job by keeping Ishan Kishan away from this team. Let him rest for now and then playing domestic cricket. This should be a message to players that they cannot ask for rest whenever they want due to mental fatigue. This is national duty, you cannot ask for rest just like that," he added.

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Darshan at Shree Dwarkadhish Jagan Mandir, Dwaraka 15 - Jan - 2024

Darshan at Shree Dwarkadhish Jagan Mandir, Dwaraka 15 - Jan - 2024

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Man Hugs Virat Kohli During Match, Detained For Security Breach

After a hiatus of more than 14 months, Team India's talisman batter Virat Kohli was back in T20I colours on Sunday, playing a handy knock to help his team beat Afghanistan in the second T20I in Indore. The crowd inside the Holkar Stadium gave a special ovation to Kohli everytime he touched the ball or collected a boundary. While no one has ever doubted Kohli's intent and desire while batting, the former India captain came out to bat with a different mindset as India blew away Afghanistan in a rather chilly evening in Indore.

Striking at 181.25, Kohli raced his way to 29 off just 15 balls before a mistimed shot ended his innings prematurely. He cracked five fours during his stay in the middle before being caught at mid-off.

While fans were chanting his name throughout the game, a fan seized his opportunity to meet Kohli as he ran inside the outfield while Kohli was fielding near the boundary.

The fan hugged Kohli and the star batter made his day by embracing him too. Pictures of the same moment has gone viral on social media. The incident happened in the 18th over.

A Fan Hug Virat Kohli

The GOAT THE KING KOHLI #ViratKohli | #INDvsAFG | #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/Ag0pqsnBZv

— Muhammad Ibrar (@iMIbrarr) January 14, 2024

Everything is temporary but King Kohli Hug is Permanent#PAKvsNZ #INDvsAFG pic.twitter.com/75PWeWefHb

— Ahtasham Riaz (@AhtashamRiaz_) January 14, 2024

However, the fan was detained for breaching security arrangements.

After detaining him, cops took the young man to Tukoganj police station.

A police official said that the youth had a ticket for the match and entered the Holkar Stadium from Narendra Hirwani Gate.

He said that the young man seemed to be a big Kohli fan and entered the ground by climbing the fence of the spectators' gallery with the desire to meet the player.

The officer said that the youth was being interrogated.

Further steps will be taken in the case on the basis of interrogation, the official said.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Milind Deora: ‘Congress always opposes everything about PM Modi’

Milind Deora: ‘Congress always opposes everything about PM Modi’

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UK Ministry of Defence Releases Footage of RAF Attacks on Houthi Facilities in Yemen

UK Ministry of Defence Releases Footage of RAF Attacks on Houthi Facilities in Yemen

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Darshan at Shree Somnath Temple, First Jyotirlinga, 14 - Jan - 2024

Darshan at Shree Somnath Temple, First Jyotirlinga, 14 - Jan - 2024

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Indian Army launching 'Operation Sarvashakti' to counter Pak's attempts to revive terrorism in J&K

Indian Army launching 'Operation Sarvashakti' to counter Pak's attempts to revive terrorism in J&K

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Ranji: Prabhudessai's Unbeaten Century Puts Goa In Command vs Chandigarh

Goa opener Suyash Prabhudessai remained unbeaten on 124 as the hosts were in command with 267/3 on the opening day their Ranji Group C match in Porvorim on Friday. Opting to bat, the Goans were off to a decent start, with Prabhudessai and Ishaan Gadekar (45) putting on a 79-run opening stand before the latter was knocked over by pacer Arpit Pannu. Prabhudessai then joined forces with Krishnamurthy Siddharth (77) and built a strong 149-run partnership for the second wicket, strengthening the Goa innings.

The stand was eventually disturbed by Raj Bawa.

In another Group C fixture in Ahmedabad, Gujarat folded for 264 against Karnataka with Vasuki Koushik's returning with 4/49.

Put in, Gujarat were off to a shaky start and were reeling at 45 for four before Kshitij Patel (95) and Umang Kumar (72) tailored a healthy 157-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Eventually, Vijaykumar Vyshak got rid of Kshitij at 202, quickly followed by Umang six runs later before they were bundled out at 264.

In Chandigarh, Railways finished day one on 118 for three against Punjab, thanks to Pratham Singh's unbeaten 50.

Play could only be started after lunch due to bad light.

For Punjab, Baltej Singh, Siddarth Kaul and Abhinav Sharma grabbed a wicket each, while Sanvir Singh put up a tidy show.

Bad light rendered no opening day's proceedings in Tripura home match against Tamil Nadu at Agartala.

Brief Scores In Porvorim: Goa 267/3; 90 overs (Suyash Prabhudessai 124 batting, Krishnamurthy Siddharth 77; Raj Bawa 1/36) versus Chandigarh.

In Ahmedabad: Gujarat 264; 88 overs (Kshitij Patel 95, Umang Kumar 72; Vasuki Koushik 4/49) versus Karnataka.

In Chandigarh: Railways 118/3; 34 overs (Pratham Singh 50 batting; Baltej Singh 1/26) versus Punjab.

In Agartala: Tripura versus Tamil Nadu - No play.

Group D

Veteran left-arm spinner Sagar Udeshi sizzled with a seven-wicket haul as Puducherry dismissed Baroda for 218 and then reached 54 for 3 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group D match in       Vadodara on Friday. Opting to bat, Baroda made a solid start with openers Jyotsnil Singh (51) and Kinit Patel (44) forging a 93-run partnership but Udeshi (7/82) then spun his web around the opposition batters to leave them gasping for breath in one of the best spells of his career.

The 37-year-old from Maharashtra completely derailed Baroda's innings as he dismissed both the openers in the 29th and 31st overs, before getting rid of Abhimanyu Singh (5) and trapping skipper Vishnu Solanki (18) as the hosts lost half their side in 55th over.

Mitesh Patel (0), Atit Sheth (1) and Ninad Rathva (31) were next in line as wickets fell like nine pins with Udeshi dismantling their opposition.

Mahesh Pithiya then hit a counter-attacking 37-ball 30 with five fours to take Baroda past the 200-mark.

In reply, Puducherry lost both their openers in quick succession with Bhargav Bhatt (2/24) claiming both the wickets.

Paras Dogra (11) too was cleaned up by Ninad rathva (1/4).

At the draw of stumps, Paras Ratnaparkhe (13 not out) and Udeshi (0 not out) were at the crease with Puducherry trailing by 164 runs.

Tare slams 100, Uttarakhand 229/9 vs HP 

At Dharamsala, Aditya Tare compiled a well-deserving 100 to steer Uttarakhand to 229 for nine against Himachal Pradesh on the opening day.

Sent in to bat, Tare hit 14 boundaries and a six during his 145-ball innings but rest of the Uttarakhand batters cut a sorry figure with just Kunal Chandela (26), Swapnil Singh (19) and Akash Madhwal (16) reaching doubles figures.

Vaibhav Arora (3/34) and Abhishek Kumar (3/44) took three wickets each, while Rishi Dhawan (2/35) picked up two and Arpit Guleria (1/21) accounted for one wicket for Himachal.

In Indore, Subhranshu Senapati (87 not out) and Rajesh Dhuper (51) smashed half-centuries as Odisha reached 208 for six in 85.3 overs against Madhya Pradesh at stumps on day one.

Put in, Odisha found themselves in a spot of bother after being reduced to 38 for four in 21.1 overs.

But Senapati and Dhuper resurrected the innings with an 118-run fifth wicket stand.

At stumps, Suryakant Pradhan was giving company to Senapati.

Brief Scores: Baroda 1st innings: 218 allout in 69.5 overs (Jyotsnil Singh 51; Sagar Udeshi 7/82) vs Puducherry 1st innings 54/3 in 18 overs (Jay Pande 20; Bhargav Bhat 2/24).

Uttarakhand 229/9 in 76 overs (Aditya Tare 100; Vaibhav Arora 3/34) against Himachal Pradesh.

Odisha 208/6 in 85.3 overs (Subhranshu Senapati 87 not out; venkatesh Iyer 2/25) against Madhya Pradesh.

Delhi 0-0 in 1 overs against Jammu and Kashmir as bad light suspends play.

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

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