Category: SPORTS

Australia coach Justin Langer on Wednesday said he has great respect for the formidable Indian bowling line-up but his team’s batsmen have become familiar enough with their tactics to be ready for the challenge they will throw up in the upcoming series. India and Australia will clash in a full series, starting with the limited-overs leg, from November 27 here. Langer said the contest would likely be an exciting one thanks to the two teams being evenly-matched. “Well, we know Jasprit Bumrah, world-class bowler, (Mohammed) Shami, really good opening combination.…

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Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has warned that India could be “smoked 4-0” in the Test series if skipper Virat Kohli does not set the tone in the white-ball games before his departure. The 32-year-old Kohli has been granted paternity leave by the BCCI to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. He will lead the team in the white-ball series, comprising three ODIs and as many T20s, and the opening Test at Adelaide before heading back home. “These One-dayers and these Twenty20s is where Virat…

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West Indies great Brian Lara feels that a batsman of Suryakumar Yadav’s calibre should have been in the Indian white-ball squad for the tour of Australia. The Mumbai Indians batsman’s non-inclusion, despite being seventh in the IPL run-getters’ list with 480 runs at a strike-rate of 145 plus, has become a major talking point. “I see no reason why, looking at the (Indian) squad, he can’t be a part of it,” Lara said on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’. Lara said he is impressed not just by the runs but…

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Former left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan believes bowlers will decide the fate of this summer’s India-Australia contest as both the teams boast of some of the world’s finest bowlers in their squads. The Indian cricket team is currently in Australia for a full series that includes three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals followed by a four-Test rubber. The tour will start with the ODIs here on November 27. With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, to name a few, up their ranks, both India…

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It’s a “shame” that Sunrisers Hyderabad could not make the IPL final, feels top batsman Kane Williamson but asserted that the side can take pride in its remarkable fightback to make the play-offs after the early struggle in the tournament. Williamson’s counter-attacking 67 went in vain as Delhi Capitals made it to their maiden IPL final with a 17-run win over Hyderabad in the second Qualifier here on Sunday. It was Delhi’s second win in last seven games, while the loss snapped SRH’s four-match winning streak. “Delhi is a very…

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Former India opener and two-time IPL champion skipper Gautam Gambhir feels Virat Kohli’s non-performance as Royal Challengers Bangalore captain should lead to his removal from the hot seat as it is now a question of accountability. Known for his straight-talking, the hero of India’s two World title triumphs made it clear that Kohli’s name as a leader shouldn’t be taken alongside the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who are IPL’s most successful captains. Asked if Kohli should be removed from RCB’s captaincy, Gambhir told ‘ESPNCricinfo’, “100 per…

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Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh has urged the side to not get into a war of words with Virat Kohli during the upcoming four-Test home series as it might end up providing “extra motivation” to not just him but also his teammates. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin with a day-night encounter at the Adelaide Oval on December 17, followed by Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26), the Sydney Cricket Ground (January 7) and the Gabba (January 15). The tour will begin with three ODIs starting on November 27,…

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Supernovas’ skipper Harmanpreet Kaur blamed ordinary performance by both batters and bowlers in the death overs for her team’s five-wicket loss to Velocity in the opening match of the Women’s T20 Challenge here. Put in to bat, Supernovas couldn’t accelarate in the slog overs to post a modest 126 for eight. Velocity then overhauled the target, scoring 129 for five in 19.5 overs. “To win games you need to keep bowling well. Whatever we thought, in the last couple of overs, we didn’t bowl according to plan. They batted really…

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s “never-say-die” attitude helped the team stage an incredible turnaround and secure a spot in the IPL play-offs, skipper David Warner stated. Sunrisers Hyderabad delivered under pressure in a must-win game to crush table toppers Mumbai Indians by 10 wickets and qualify for the play-offs. Warner (85 not out off 57) and Wriddhiman Saha (58 not out off 45) lit up the last league game of the tournament with an unbeaten 151-run opening stand to chase down a 150-run target in 17.1 overs. “It feels good now after that…

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A ‘reticent’ Ruturaj Gaikwad took some time to make a mark in the ongoing IPL but he has managed to impress his CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who believes that the young opener is “one of the most talented players going around”. Gaekwad scored his second straight half-century on Thursday to set up a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders here. He got his chance after Chennai Super Kings decided to field untested players following a disastrous start to the season. “(The changes) are a conscious effort. We want to…

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