"Miami Bound": Virat Kohli, Team India Members Depart For Month-Long Series Against West Indies

Unknown July 29, 2019

"Miami Bound": Virat Kohli, Team India Members Depart For Month-Long Series Against West Indies

Virat Kohli, after rubbishing all the rumours of rift between him and Rohit Sharma in the pre-departure press conference, tweeted a group picture featuring him and several other team members before boarding a flight to Miami. "Miami Bound," Kohli captioned the picture. From Miami, the Indian players will head to Florida, the venue for the first two T20 Internationals against the West Indies. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan also tweeted a picture of him and his batting opening partner Rohit Sharma before leaving for the West Indies tour.

Reviewed by Unknown on July 29, 2019 Rating: 5

India´s skipper Kohli rubbishes rift with star Sharma

Unknown July 29, 2019

India´s skipper Kohli rubbishes rift with star Sharma

MUMBAI: India skipper Virat Kohli said Monday that talk of a rift with star batsman Rohit Sharma was "ridiculous" and "baffling" and insisted all was well in the team camp ahead of the West Indies tour.

Rumours of cracks within the Indian team were reported by local media after Kohli´s team bowed out of the World Cup following their semi-final loss to New Zealand earlier this month.

Sharma -- the vice-captain of the one-day and Twenty20 international side -- recently unfollowed Kohli and the captain´s Bollywood wife Anushka Sharma on Instagram, adding fuel to the suggestions the two senior players were not on good terms.

But Kohli dismissed the speculation ahead of the team´s departure for the tour of West Indies, which starts on August 3 with the first of three Twenty20 internationals followed by three ODI matches and two Tests.

"In my opinion it´s baffling to be honest. Ridiculous to read some stuff that comes out," the 30-year-old told reporters in Mumbai.

"Here we are feeding off lies, we are overlooking facts, turning a blind eye to all the good things that have happened. And creating fantasies and scenarios in our head and we want to accept this is the truth."

"I have seen this for too long now. It´s bringing personal lives into the picture. It is disrespectful after a moment."

Sharma was key to India´s semi-final finish in the 50-over showpiece event, with the opener topping the batting chart with 648 runs including a record five centuries in nine matches.

Kohli, the world´s top Test and ODI batsman, scored five fifties but was unable to record a three-figure score.

Stories circulated that the two big guns were leading different camps during the World Cup in England, with pundits suggesting the captaincy could be split between the pair.

"I have played the game for 11 years, Rohit´s played for 10 years, it´s bizarre that you know... this from the outside when the changeroom environment is so good," said Kohli.

"Please come and see for yourself, how to talk to a young Kuldeep Yadav or talk with respect to a senior like MS Dhoni. We can´t show you a video.

"It baffles you as a leader, as a coach, and as a team when lies are being floated around. And they are made to look believable. We have had no issues."

Meanwhile the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited applications for backroom positions including the head coach.

Coach Ravi Shastri´s tenure ended after the World Cup and was extended for the West Indies series.

"With Ravi... all of us have a great camaraderie. Everyone in the team shares mutual respect and we have done really well as a group," said Kohli.

"We definitely will be very happy if he is continuing as coach."

Kohli said the team was looking forward to the West Indies series, especially the five-day matches which have been included in the World Test Championship.

The aim of the championship is to give individual Test series greater context and spark a worldwide revival of interest in the five-day game.

India´s skipper Kohli rubbishes rift with star Sharma

Reviewed by Unknown on July 29, 2019 Rating: 5

Sports news : rishabh pant will replace dhawan in world cup 2019

Unknown July 29, 2019

Sports news : rishabh pant will replace dhawan in world cup 2019

Rishbh Pant

बीसीसीआई ने पंत को इंग्लैंड जाने की मंजूरी दे दी है
ऑस्ट्रेलिया के खिलाफ धवन के अंगूठे में फ्रैक्चर हुआ है
धवन ने रविवार को ऑस्ट्रेलिया के साथ हुए वर्ल्ड कप मुकाबले में शानदार 117 रन बनाए थे

खेल डेस्क. युवा विकेटकीपर बल्लेबाज ऋषभ पंत चोटिल होकर बाहर हुए ओपनर शिखर धवन की जगह लेंगे. इसके लिए ऋषभ पंत को पहले ही कह दिया गया है कि वो इंग्लैंड के लिए रवाना होने को तैयार रहें.

इस बीच बीसीसीआई ने पंत को इंग्लैंड जाने की मंजूरी दे दी है. बीसीसीआई ने यह फैसला शिखर धवन के चोटिल होने की वजह से किया है. हालांकि शिखर धवन इंग्लैंड में ही BCCI की मेडिकल टीम की देखरेख में रहेंगे.

ऑस्ट्रेलिया के खिलाफ धवन के अंगूठे में फ्रैक्चर हुआ है जिसके कारण वह तीन हफ्ते के लिए मैदान से दूर हो सकते हैं. जिसके बाद कहा गया कि वह न्यूजीलैंड और पाकिस्तान के साथ होने वाले दो मैचों में नहीं खेल पाएंगे.

आस्ट्रेलियाई गेंदबाज कूल्टर नाइल की एक बॉल धवन के अंगूठे पर लग गई थी. हालांकि धवन इसके बाद भी क्रीज पर डटे रहे. लेकिन पारी के बाद धवन ड्रेसिंग रूम में ही बैठे रहे और बर्फ से चोट की सिकाई करते रहे. उनकी जगह रवींद्र जडेजा ने फील्डिंग की थी.

पंत को जब टीम में नहीं चुना गया था तब कई लोगों ने इस पर निराशा जताई थी. इंग्लैंड के पूर्व कप्तान केविन पीटरसन ने धवन की चोट सुनने के बाद पंत को इंडियन टीम में शामिल करने की अपील की थी.

धवन ने रविवार को ऑस्ट्रेलिया के साथ हुए वर्ल्ड कप मुकाबले में शानदार 117 रन बनाए थे और मैन ऑफ द मैच चुने गए थे. भारत ने वह मैच 36 रनों से जीता था.वर्ल्ड कप के लिए जब टीम चुनी गई थी तब पंत को चयनकर्ताओं ने इस युवा दरकिनार कर दिया था.

लेकिन अब पंत को अब बोर्ड ने इंग्लैंड जाने के लिए तैयार रहने को कहा है. बीसीसीआई ने कहा है कि धवन इस समय मेडिकल टीम की देखरेख में हैं. टीम प्रबंधन ने फैसला किया है कि धवन इंग्लैंडमें ही रहेंगे और उनकी चोट पर नजर रखी जा रही है.

Sports news : rishabh pant will replace dhawan in world cup 2019

Reviewed by Unknown on July 29, 2019 Rating: 5

England vs Australia - 1st Specsavers Ashes Series Test Match 2019 - Day 1

Unknown July 28, 2019

England vs Australia - 1st Specsavers Ashes Series Test Match 2019 - Day 1

England vs Australia - 1st Specsavers Ashes Series Test Match 2019 - Day 1

Reviewed by Unknown on July 28, 2019 Rating: 5

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 2nd ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Unknown July 28, 2019

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 2nd ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

BAN 238/8 (50.0)

SL 242/3 (44.4)

Sri Lanka won by 7 wkts

Dimuth Karunaratne seems to be the crisis man for Sri Lanka. Became the Test captain out of nowhere this year and led them to a historical series win in SA, then similarly found himself as the ODI captain before the World Cup. The team didn't make the knockouts but still did decently well with their squad strength. And now, the drought of a home series win is broken under his leadership in his first series in Sri Lanka. Happy times for the Lankans as they look to rebuild towards the next World Cup. Bangladesh have been poor in both the games, especially during vital moments. Certainly need a kick up their backsides. That's it from us today then. Do join us for the next game between the two sides. It might be a dead rubber technically but it's dedicated to Nuwan Kulasekara who has retired recently. The Lankans will want to win that for him. Until next time, this is Hari Sadanandan signing off on behalf of Abhinand Raghavendran and Siva MD. Cheers and goodnight!

Dimuth Karunaratne, winning captain: We did really well and it was on our minds that we hadn't won at home in a long time. It was challenging against Bangladesh but we did really well. We wanted to bat first but that's how things go. Bowlers did a good job and put their hands up. Akila came after a long time to the team and did really well. Did his job perfectly of keeping the pressure. Avishka was told to play freely as we knew that the wicket will turn more as the innings progresses. Unfortunate that he couldn't get his hundred, hopefully he will do it in the future.

Tamim Iqbal, losing captain: We won an important toss because we knew that the pitch will spin later on. We added a spinner for the same reason. I did tell at the toss that we needed to start well but losing four wickets early didn't help. Not a 300 kind of pitch but at least 260 would have been a good score. The way we bowled today, I doubt if even 300 would have been enough. We had our moments in both the games but we just aren't ready to do the hard work to push ourselves across the line.

Avishka Fernando, Man of the Match: I don't mind batting at the top or at number three. Happy to bat anywhere for the team. I am disappointed to not get to the three-figure mark and hopefully, I can convert my starts into bigger knocks in the future. The track was a bit slow and also spun a bit. I am glad that I was able to make a contribution.

Angelo Mathews: We haven't been playing very good cricket over the past couple of years. It's been disappointing, we have disappointed the fans. But, they have turned out in numbers, thank them for backing us all the way and coming to watch us play We (Mathews and Mendis) were just talking that we have a lot of time. We just had to get in and get set. The wicket wasn't easy, it was turning quite a lot and stopping for the seamers. Credit to Bangladesh, they put us under a lot of pressure. It was a tough wicket to bat on. Kusal played brilliantly after Avishka's brilliant knock.

21:54 Local Time, 16:24 GMT, 21:54 IST: Another clinical performance from the Lankans. 238 wasn't a challenging total but certainly workable on a pitch that had some help for the spinners and those who took pace off. Bangladesh's bowlers weren't accurate enough though, and their spinners were too inconsistent to make use of the surface. Take no credit away from the Lankans as Fernando's blistering innings set the game up nicely for the hosts, so well that even a couple of quick wickets didn't really hurt them. Mathews and Mendis put their heads down to take their side past the finish line. Bangladesh's fielding was also shoddy, which only made matters worse, given the inadequate performance from their bowlers. Consecutive defeats and both really hurting ones at that, Bangladesh will be stinging for sure. On the other hand, Sri Lanka will be jubilant as it's been a long drought in white-ball cricket for them.

44.4

Sabbir Rahman to Mathews, FOUR, first ODI series win at home for SL in 44 months!That's a long wait really but it's finally come. Mathews finishes it off with a positive blow over mid-on, clean strike and it's double whammy for him as he gets to his 50 as well

44.3

Sabbir Rahman to Mathews, no run, flatter and shorter on off, Mathews punches from the crease to cover

44.2

Sabbir Rahman to Mathews, FOUR, smashed away! Another long hop from Sabbir and Mathews capitalizes on it this time. Sits back and mauls the pull over mid-wicket. Nobody in the deep

44.1

Sabbir Rahman to Mathews, no run, tossed up really full on off, dug out back to Sabbir

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 2nd ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Reviewed by Unknown on July 28, 2019 Rating: 5

World Cup 2019 Match 16, BAN vs SL Dream11 prediction: Best players for the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka ODI

Unknown July 28, 2019

world Cup 2019 Match 16, BAN vs SL Dream11 prediction: Best players for the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka ODI

After making a cracking start to their ICC Cricket World Cup 2019campaign, Bangladesh have since wavered but now have a chance to get back to winning ways when they take on Sri Lanka in Game 16 of cricket’s showpiece event on Tuesday. Sri Lanka haven’t quite looked the side that has won a World Cup in the past and reached the final twice in succession in 2007 and 2011, but still find themselves placed fifth in the points table, after their game against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain. Here’s our top five fantasy picks for your BAN vs SL Dream11 team:

ICC World Cup 2019 Match 16: Top Dream11 picks for BAN vs SL ODI

Here are the top picks for your Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka World Cup 2019 Match 16:

1. KUSAL PERERA – BATSMAN, SRI LANKA

The attacking left-hand opening batsman was the catalyst behind Sri Lanka’s victory over Afghanistan, as he scored a vital 79 amid falling wickets to take his side to a defendable total. Perera is capable of playing the big shots, but also batting through an innings, as he displayed during Sri Lanka’s victory in the last game, and will be central to his team’s chances against Bangladesh.

Dream11 Points – 69.5

World Cup 2019 Match 16, BAN vs SL Dream11 prediction: Best players for the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka ODI

Reviewed by Unknown on July 28, 2019 Rating: 5

BANGLADESH VS SRI LANKA, ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019 MATCH, FULL CRICKET SCORE: MATCH CALLED OFF WITHOUT SINGLE BALL BOWLED

Unknown July 28, 2019

BANGLADESH VS SRI LANKA, ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019 MATCH, FULL CRICKET SCORE: MATCH CALLED OFF WITHOUT SINGLE BALL BOWLED

Well, no match was possible even today despite groundsman doing a good job as it stopped and rained every now and then. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh share a point each and both teams would not really be happy with it for sure. Every match counts in the tournament and every point lost is nothing less than an upset. Bangladesh would have had fancy their chances against this Sri Lanka unit, aiming to make a comeback but that chance has now gone down the drain.

Tomorrow, we have another mouth-watering contest. It is Pakistan vs Australia. Needless to say, you cannot miss it. Catch you again tomorrow at 3 pm IST sharp. Bye for now.

BANGLADESH VS SRI LANKA, ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019 MATCH, FULL CRICKET SCORE: MATCH CALLED OFF WITHOUT SINGLE BALL BOWLED

Reviewed by Unknown on July 28, 2019 Rating: 5

India A ease to comfortable victory in Antigua

Unknown July 27, 2019

India A ease to comfortable victory in Antigua

Shahbaz Nadeem picked 10 wickets in the match

A crucial 49-run stand between skipper Hanuma Vihari and Srikar Bharat ensured India A crossed the finishing line without much fuss against West Indies A, winning by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three match series.

With less than 70 runs away from the victory, India A started the day in a commanding position at 29/1. West Indies A needed a miracle to win from that situation. They started off well by taking the wicket of Abhimanyu Easwaran but the partnership between Vihari and Bharat smashed their chances of making a comeback in the match.

West Indies A did manage to take the wickets of Bharat and Vihari but when they did, it was too little too late. Wriddhiman Saha and Shivam Dube who took India out of trouble in the first innings got together and fittingly steered them to victory.

The 84-run lead which India A had in the first innings proved to be crucial as West Indies A could only manage 180 in their second innings. And India A just had a meagre target of 97 to chase. West Indies A in the second innings were restricted mainly because of the brilliance of Shahbaz Nadeem. The pitch was tailor-made for the left-arm-spinner who brought his 'A' game to the fore and picked up a stellar five-wicket-haul (5/47) to put India A on the cusp of a victory.

The second Test of the series starts on July 31 in the Port of Spain.

Brief scores: West Indies A 228 & 180 (Shamarh Brooks 53; Shahbaz Nadeem 5-47, Mohammed Siraj 3-38) lost to India A 312 (Shivam Dube 71, Wriddhiman Saha 66; Miguel Cummins 4-40) & 97/4 ( Srikar Bharat 28 and Abhimanyu Easwaran 27) by 6 wickets.

India A ease to comfortable victory in Antigua

Reviewed by Unknown on July 27, 2019 Rating: 5

England mulling 'senior player' at No. 3

Unknown July 27, 2019

England mulling 'senior player' at No. 3

The perennial debate about where Joe Root should bat in England's Test line-up is set to continue with head coach Trevor Bayliss suggesting a move back to number three for the Ashes will be considered.

Bayliss has long thought that the team's best player should bat at first wicket down and after England had wrapped up victory against Ireland at Lord's, he confirmed once again that he thinks Root's best position is at three despite England's captain preferring to bat at number four.

Root has batted at three before, of course. He did it for a period last summer but the experiment was abandoned midway through the fourth Test against India in Southampton and he has remained at four ever since. However, given England's continued batting woes, reconfirmed with two more collapses against Ireland, the issue of who bats where lingers on.

In a bid to solve the problem, Bayliss confirmed that England would consider a senior player at number three which, given the squad named on Saturday, would mean either Root or potentially Ben Stokes doing the job. "Look, Joe's the captain," Bayliss said. "He'll make the final decision, as he did when he went back to four. He knows how I feel. Whether he goes in at 1 for 20 or 2 for 20, he can still cop a good one."

If the order is rejigged, Joe Denly would be likely to open with Rory Burns and Jason Roy, who made his debut against Ireland as an opener, would move to number four or five, a position closer to the one he occupies for Surrey in Championship cricket. Wherever Roy bats, though, the long-term challenge is whether he can successfully adapt his belligerent white-ball style to the more nuanced demands of the Test game.

"We want him to go out and play his natural game but in red-ball cricket you have to be a little more selective," Bayliss said. "You have to make sure the ball is underneath your eyes or it really is a true half-volley, especially on a wicket that's doing a bit. You've got to make a conscious effort to say to yourself 'right, I'm not going to go for the big cover drive on the up until I'm really settled, the wicket is flat or the ball's not doing as much.

"Like any debutant, he looked nervous but to score 70-odd in your first Test was a good effort. There was a bit more in those wickets than he's been used to in white-ball cricket over the last few years but runs are runs. He wouldn't be the first player to look scratchy and eek out runs. In fact, that's a good sign."

There weren't too many other positive signs on the batting front over the seven sessions of play against Ireland although the match may have at least focused minds back onto business after the highs of the World Cup. "It certainly gives us a little bit to think about, probably more so from not a negative point of view but areas we've got to be careful of an areas we've got to get better at," said Bayliss.

"That's more to do with the approach to our batting. I don't think we'll have any problems getting up for the hype that's around The Ashes. We've played a lot against the Australians and the bowlers they've got. One of the good things about playing an extra game before The Ashes is that it gets you back into that mindset that the red ball can be a little bit more dangerous than the white ball."

Fatigue - both mental and physical - is a concern for England, however, given the effort and energy which went into their World Cup campaign. After the Ireland game, Root admitted to feeling tired and with five Ashes Tests in seven weeks to come, the toll on England's players will not get any lighter.

The likes of Root and Jonny Bairstow could have been rested for the Ireland game, as Jos Buttler and Stokes were, but preparations for the Ashes had to be factored in too. At least the three-day victory over the Irish has given them an extra day-off but England's World Cup winners have had hardly any time to enjoy their success. "It would have been nice to have another week to let it all soak in and take stock of it all," Bayliss said.

England have named their squad for the first Test at Edgbaston and Jofra Archer, one of the stars of the World Cup campaign, is included and could be set for a Test debut. However, England are wary of rushing him back after a side injury and given he has not played a first-class game since last September, it may be that he receives his first Test cap later in the series.

"He's come back from Barbados saying he's fine," Bayliss said. "It's something we'll have to discuss between now and the final selection of the XI - whether he's bowled enough overs. We've got a duty of care to him and not necessarily bowl him into the ground when he hasn't played a red-ball game for 12 months."

As well as announcing Archer's inclusion in the 14-man squad for the first Ashes Test, the ECB also confirmed that Ben Stokes has been named as Root's vice-captain in Test cricket for the first time since he lost the role in the aftermath of the Bristol nightclub incident in September 2017.

"Ben is highly respected within the team environment," Ashley Giles, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said. "He is a natural leader and has a great understanding of the game. He will offer tremendous support to Joe Root as part of the senior playing group. Over the past 18 months, he has come a long way and has shown a great degree of maturity on and off the field."

England mulling 'senior player' at No. 3

Reviewed by Unknown on July 27, 2019 Rating: 5

New Zealand v Bangladesh

Unknown March 07, 2019

2nd Test
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Friday, 8 March; 11:00am local, 10:00pm GMT (-1 day)

Bangladesh’s problems have been laid bare after the Hamilton defeat. They have the potential, but not the intent. Their batsmen have all the shots, but play too many of them. Too often, they try to hit their way out.

It gave them 429 second-innings runs, but on a surface that had lost a lot of its sting. When it is fresh and full of venom, as it was in the first innings, it’s hard to expect more than the 234 they managed after being asked to bat.

Their batsmen at least put on a show: Bangladesh had three centurions in Hamilton and Tamim Iqbal scored 200 runs in the Test. But what of the bowling?

Between them, their three pacers picked up one wicket for 359 runs despite getting a go at New Zealand on the first day, when conditions are as ripe as they get. By contrast, New Zealand’s pacers picked up all 20 wickets. Courtney Walsh has urged patience with Bangladesh’s fast bowlers, but with both remaining Tests now must-win, they'll have to make amends quickly.

Bangladesh’s main strength is spin. Spinners pull the bulk of the weight irrespective of conditions. But Mehidy Hasan, their premier spinner, returned the worst figures for a Bangladesh bowler in a Test innings.

Neil Wagner's short-ball barrage has left Bangladesh's batsmen nonplussed

They couldn’t keep it together in the field either, dropping Tom Latham before he had made a run, Kane Williamson on 81 and Colin de Grandhomme on 43. It cost Bangladesh 313 runs. That’s about 44% of the runs New Zealand wound up making.

New Zealand are unstoppable. They are coming off an innings win and the highest total in their Test history.

On the bowling front, Neil Wagner delivers short balls like a bowling machine that is programmed to do so all day. Tim Southee swings the ball like he doesn’t understand the meaning of straight lines. And Trent Boult keeps batsmen forever wide-eyed with searing pace and inch-perfect lengths.

Bangladesh have lost all the eight Tests they have played in New Zealand. Now, they have to win two in a row. It’s a tall ask against a team that hasn’t lost a home series in two years.

Key playersTom Latham (New Zealand): Wellington is the site of the opening batsman’s magnum opus – the 264* against Sri Lanka. Since that knock, he’s had two more centuries – both over 150 – in three innings. In his last four innings, Latham has spent 1687 minutes at the crease, which amounts to 28 hours. That’s a whole Test match in itself.

Tamim Iqbal shows one way of tackling Neil Wagner's bouncers

Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh): Left-handed opening batsmen dominated the first Test, with both Latham and Jeet Raval notching up centuries, while Iqbal did the same in the Bangladesh first innings. Iqbal has the class, experience and the burden to deliver. What he doesn’t have is support. Can his team-mates rally around him?

ConditionsThe last time Wellington hosted a Test, Latham struck 264*, New Zealand piled on 578, and Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis batted out an entire day. Bangladesh will be thrilled if they can produce such an effort, but it won’t win them the series. Also fostering the prospect of a draw is the weather. There is a 100% chance of rain on the opening day, and a 50% chance on the third day. The remaining days have minimal likelihood of rain, but there isn’t a day in the Test without showers forecast.

SquadsNew Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling (wk), Will Young

Bangladesh: Mahmudullah (c), Khaled Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das (wk), Mominul Haque, Mehidy Hasan, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadat Hossain, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar

New Zealand v Bangladesh

Reviewed by Unknown on March 07, 2019 Rating: 5

South Africa capitulate post de Kock belligerence

Unknown March 06, 2019

The last five SA batsmen all managed single-digit scores as the hosts folded with 29 deliveries to spare.

South Africa threw away a blistering start to the second ODI against Sri Lanka, folding for a middling 251 despite setting themselves up for a total in excess of 300 on a fine batting surface at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Quinton de Kock smashed a rapid 70-ball 94 and then smashed his bat in anger in the dressing room, but even he wouldn't have foreseen the capitulation that followed as South Africa lost their last six wickets for 31 runs on Wednesday (March 6).

Thisara Perera orchestrated the collapse by first denying de Kock's century and then followed that with the wickets of Rassie van der Dussen and the other half-centurion Faf du Plessis. Dhananjaya de Silva and Lasith Malinga picked up two wickets apiece.

Malinga elected to field but would have questioned his decision several times over as de Kock wreaked havoc on his fellow fast bowlers even as he kept Reeza Hendricks tied down. Vishwa Fernando was at the receiving end of some preferential treatment as the southpaw capitalised on the full and wide deliveries to pepper the cover boundary with four boundaries in the second over. The early assault forced Malinga to replace Fernando with offie Dhananjaya. But the conventional wisdom of the away spinner stood no chance against de Kock in this mood.

The keeper-batsman raced to a half-century off 36 deliveries, with 48 of his runs coming through boundaries. By the 10th over, the hosts had motored along to 75 for no-loss. It was after the PowerPlay that Sri Lanka began finding their way back into the contest. Akila Dananjaya and Kasun Rajitha put a lid on the scoring over the next four-and-a-half overs, a crucial period of play in the context of the game with the openers managing just 16 runs. Hendricks, in particular, had been scoring at a rate of 70 meaning a get-out-of-jail shot was always coming.

Malinga, always a shrewd operator, bowled a short ball - about the first such delivery attempted on the day - and elicited a top-edge that was gobbled up at fine leg. Perera then came on to the attack and struck a hammer blow in his second over. De Kock closed his bat face early attempting a flick and saw the ball land in the keeper's gloves via his leading edge. One brought two as van der Dussen dragged a short and wide delivery to deep-midwicket.

Wiaan Mulder began his innings with four successive boundaries off Rajitha before bizarrely losing his leg stump after missing an attempted flick of Fernando. Du Plessis kept one end going and followed his century in the first game with a half-century in this one. But soon after getting to 5,000 ODI runs, he was cleaned up by a Perera delivery that kept low.

Andile Phehlukwayo, who came in for Dwaine Pretorius, didn't do his case any good with an ungainly cut shot as South Africa imploded. The last five batsmen all managed single-digit scores as the hosts folded with 29 deliveries to spare.

Brief scores: South Africa 251 in 45.1 overs (Quinton de Kock 94, Faf du Plessis 57; Thisara Perera 3-26, Lasith Malinga 2-39) vs Sri Lanka

South Africa capitulate post de Kock belligerence

Reviewed by Unknown on March 06, 2019 Rating: 5

WATCH: MS Dhoni nearly pulls off an unbelievable catch of Peter Handscomb during India vs Australia 2nd ODI

Unknown March 06, 2019

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was once again at his usual best behind the stumps during the second ODI between India and Australia and almost pulled off a stunning catch of Peter Handscomb.

MS Dhoni nearly pulled off a stunner during 2nd ODI between India and Australia

MS Dhoni's unparalleled experience coupled with his sharp brain makes him one of the most shrewd tacticians in the game of cricket. There have been many instances over the years where Dhoni has shown that his precision, anticipation and decision making is one of the best. On Tuesday, Dhoni's genius was once again on display when the veteran wicket-keeper almost pulled off a nearly impossible catch in the second ODI between India and Australia.

The incident happened in the 33rd over of the match when Peter Handscomb was facing the unpredictable Kedar Jadhav. The right-hander went for a paddle sweep using little power in his shot. Dhoni had already anticipated the shot from behind the stumps and moved towards his left to almost pull off a stunner. However, the ball slipped from his gloves and India were denied a wicket. It could have been a sensational grab if taken.

While Dhoni was at his usual best behind the stumps, he also helped Kohli towards the end of the Australian innings and constantly kept advising the Indian captain on who to bowl when. Kohli in the post-match presentation admitted that he had thought of letting Vijay Shankar bowl the 46th over and save the remaining two overs each of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami for last. However, a discussion with Rohit Sharma and Dhoni made him change his mind.

"I was thinking about the 46th over (to go with Kedar/Shankar). I was talking with both of them (Rohit and Dhoni). If they (Bumrah and Shami) take wickets, we'll be right in the game and that's exactly what happened," Kohli said in the post-match presentation.

After Kohli's 40th ODI hundred helped India post a respectable total of 250 runs on the board, the bowlers did a tremendous job to restrict Australia on 242 runs. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for India with his three wickets but it was Shankar, who stole the show with his match-winning last over as he conceded only two runs and took two wickets while defending 11 runs. India now have a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

WATCH: MS Dhoni nearly pulls off an unbelievable catch of Peter Handscomb during India vs Australia 2nd ODI

Reviewed by Unknown on March 06, 2019 Rating: 5

Hashim Amla

Unknown March 06, 2019

Profile

Of Indian origin - his grandparents migrated to South Africa from Gujarat - Hashim Amla is one of the finest stroke-makers in the game. His supple wrists are a delight to watch, especially when he stands up tall to play those forcing shots off the back-foot, or when he is tucking it off his pads nonchalantly through the on side.

He was appointed captain of his state side - the Nashua Dolphins - at the tender age of 21 and soon impressed everyone with his demeanour. Earmarked as a special talent right from his young age, he led the South African side at the 2002 Under-19 World Cup and made his Test debut against India in 2004-05.

Questions were asked about his mental framework when his talent didn't translate into runs. His technique was thought to be suspect and a couple of failures only reinforced that belief. He was dropped from the side after the initial setbacks and went back to his domestic side and amassed runs to make a comeback. He made a career-saving 149 against New Zealand in Cape Town which ensured a draw.

Now, that knock gave him the self-belief that he could succeed at the international level and runs flowed from his blade. An unbelievable tour of India, where he was dismissed only once in three innings even as the Indians threw everything at him, proved to the world that Amla was the next big thing in world cricket. His run-tally of 490 runs in three innings at an average of 490 in a two Test match series was just simply out-of-the-world stuff.

Despite his magnificent record in Tests, he was always thought to be unsuitable to to the shorter formats of the game, but he proved that wrong by making two hundreds when the Proteas toured the West Indies in 2010 for a five-match ODI series. That performance ensured a permanent place in the South African ODI squad and he was given a chance in T20Is as well.

After Smith resigned from the ODI captaincy when the 2011 World Cup ended, Amla was expected to succeed him, but he chose not to assume the captaincy mantle. He was named the vice-captain of the ODI side.

In 2012, he slammed a triple hundred by scoring 311 against England at The Oval and in the process became the first South African to score a triple century. Amla had a slight dip in form during the end of 2013, where he did not score runs on a consistent basis, but he came back with a bang as he scored a fluent hundred against the touring Australians in the second Test in Port Elizabeth. He also played a major role in getting South Africa to the semi-final of the 2014 World T20, where he scored 185 runs in five innings.

Amla continued to pile on the runs as in the ODI series in Sri Lanka, he scored back-to-back hundreds, before notching up one more in Zimbabwe. In fact, he finished 2014 as South Africa's highest run-getter in both Tests and ODIs. He also smashed a double hundred against West Indies in December 2014.

2015 wasn't the greatest year for Amla. He had an average World Cup by his standards, and even his Test form dipped. Captaining a Test team in transition, after Graeme Smith's retirement in mid-2014, it proved to be a struggle for him. The tour of India during the winter further aggravated his misery as South Africa were blown away in the Test matches. Not long after that, early in the new year, Amla resigned as captain.

The resignation came during the series against England at home, after he had slammed a double hundred in the first Test at Cape Town.

While his Test form may have dipped slightly, Amla remained prolific as ever in ODIs, becoming the fastest player to 7000 ODI runs in 2017. He also holds the record for being the fastest ever to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 ODI runs - which is a testament to his astonishing levels of consistency.

Despite not being known as a power-hitter, Amla has also excelled at T20 cricket. He finished sixth on the list of top run-getters in IPL 2017 - a season in which he smashed two hundreds.

Hashim Amla

Reviewed by Unknown on March 06, 2019 Rating: 5

Live Cricket Score - South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI

Unknown March 06, 2019

Match

RSA vs SL, 2nd ODI, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa, 2019

Date

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Toss

Sri Lanka won the toss and opt to bowl

Time

11:00 AM GMT

Venue

SuperSport Park, Centurion

Umpires

Bongani Jele, Aleem Dar

Third Umpire

Richard Kettleborough

Match Referee

Sir Richie Richardson

South Africa Squad

Playing XI

Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (c), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir

Bench

Dale Steyn, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dwaine Pretorius

Sri Lanka Squad

Playing XI

Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Lasith Malinga (c), Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando

Bench

Isuru Udana, Angelo Perera, Upul Tharanga, Priyamal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan

Live Cricket Score - South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI

Reviewed by Unknown on March 06, 2019 Rating: 5

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