Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli combine to frustrate Australia on Boxing Day

Agencies
December 26, 2018

Dec 26: Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli combined to frustrate Australia for an entire session as India controlled proceedings at 215 for two at the close of a grinding opening day of the third Test on Wednesday.

Pujara raised his 21st Test half-century to be 68 not out at stumps, with Kohli on 47 as the Australian bowlers endured a day of toil on a toothless Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket after the Indian captain won the toss and elected to bat.

Opener Mayank Agarwal enjoyed a stellar introduction to Test cricket, scoring 76 to record the highest ever innings by an India debutant on Australian soil before being dismissed on the last ball before tea.

The Karnataka batsman eclipsed the 51 scored by Dattu Phadkar against Australia in Sydney in 1947, raising his hand for a permanent role in the top order after replacing the out-of-form Murali Vijay.

The Boxing Day crowd of 73,516 was a record attendance for a match featuring India in Australia and travelling fans from the subcontinent roared their applause as Kohli and Pujara combined for a 92-run stand and strode off unbeaten at stumps.

A day after Christmas festivities, local supporters were left flat, however, and the Australian bowlers frustrated by the drop-in pitch that offered very little movement.

With the four-match series poised at 1-1, India`s disciplined performance left them well-placed to build a big total and tire the Australian bowlers in the baking heat forecast for day two.

Only Pat Cummins was rewarded for Australia, the paceman claiming the wicket of opener Hanuma Vihari and ending Agarwal`s 161-ball knock by having him glove a catch down the legside.

Vihari, promoted to replace the out-of-sorts Lokesh Rahul, had a less successful debut as a test opener, and was dismissed for eight off 66 balls by a short delivery that reared up and pinged off his gloves before being caught by slip fielder Aaron Finch.

That was the sole highlight until the brink of tea for Tim Paine`s side, with Agarwal and Pujara holding firm in an 83-run stand.

With the pitch doing little for the seamers, spinner Nathan Lyon was introduced in the eighth over of the morning but he was also unable to conjure a breakthrough.

Agarwal smashed two fours past the bowler after lunch, the second a glorious straight drive to raise his fifty off 95 balls.He slogswept Lyon for six after the drinks break before eventually falling to Cummins at 123 for two.

Kohli joined Pujara in the middle and feasted on the ageing ball, punching the ball to the fence with a trio of exquisite, wristy on-drives among his six fours.

Desperate for a wicket, Australia threw away a review for lbw when Lyon rapped Kohli`s pads with the captain on 32.

The appeal was turned down and the review squandered, with the replay showing the ball pitching a long way wide of off-stump.

After the second new ball was taken, a more realistic chance went begging when Kohli, on 47, nicked a Mitchell Starc delivery only for wicketkeeper Paine to grass a low, one-handed chance.

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News Network
March 31,2020

New Delhi, Mar 31: Australia batsman David Warner on Tuesday decided to shave off his head to show support towards all those people who are working relentlessly on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

After shaving off his head, Warner also challenged his Australian team-mate Steve Smith and India skipper Virat Kohli to do the same.

Warner, shared a time-lapse video on Instagram, of him shaving his head, and captioned the post as: "Been nominated to shave my head in support of those working on the frontline #Covid-19 here is a time-lapse. I think my debut was the last time I recall I've done this. Like it or not".

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's death toll stands at 19, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.

As of 8 am today, 4460 people across Australia have tested positive for COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a 'pandemic' on March 11.

Earlier in the day, Australia Test skipper Tim Paine also confirmed that the side's tour of Bangladesh is unlikely due to the virus spread.
"You don't have to be Einstein to realise (the Bangladesh tour) is probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. Whether it's cancelled or pushed back, we're not quite sure at the moment," cricket.com.au quoted Paine as saying.

Currently, Australia has 296 points in the WTC from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.

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News Network
May 21,2020

Mumbai, May 21: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has chosen legendary Sachin Tendulkar over current skipper Virat Kohli as a better batsman in the ODI format, considering the changed rules of the game and the Mumbaikar's longevity of career.

Tendulkar, who retired in 2013, played 463 ODIs and amassed 18, 426 runs with 49 hundreds at an average of 44.83.

Kohli, on the other hand, has played 248 ODIs and scored 11, 867 runs with 43 tons at an average of 59.33.

"Sachin Tendulkar, because probably with one white ball and four fielders inside the circle, not five fielders outside, it will be Sachin Tendulkar for me," Gambhir said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.

Nowadays, a one-day innings is played with two white balls and with three powerplays.

In the first power play (overs 1-10), two fielders are allowed beyond the 30-yard circle, while in the second powerplay (overs 10-40) four fielders are allowed. In the last powerplay (overs 40-50), five fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

Gambhir, who was the star performer in 2011 ODI World Cup final which India won, feels that the change in rules has helped batsmen.

"It's difficult because Virat Kohli has done phenomenally well but I think the rules have changed as well, which has helped a lot of new batters," elaborated Gambhir, who played 58 Tests and 147 ODIs.

"The new generation, with 2 new balls, no reverse swing, nothing for the finger spin, five fielders inside for the 50 overs, probably that makes batting much easier.

He said he would also go with Tendulkar, considering his longevity and flow of the ODI cricket format at that time.

"Probably I’ll go with Sachin Tendulkar if we see the longevity and flow of the one-day cricket format.

"Look at how Sachin Tendulkar has played, different rules, that time 230 to 240, was a winning total," Gambhir signed off. 

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News Network
February 18,2020

New Delhi, Feb 18: Skipper Virat Kohli has become the first Indian to reach the 50M followers mark on social media platform Instagram. Kohli, who is breaking cricketing records with each passing match, has a great social media following.

The 31-year old has so far made 930 posts on the platform and his social media posts continue to enthrall fans worldwide. Overall, Instagram's official account has the most number of followers and it is followed by Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 200M followers.

In terms of Indians with most number of followers, Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra is on the second spot with 49.9 followers while Deepika Padukone is on the third place with 44.1 followers.

Last year, Kohli had become the most successful Indian Test captain, surpassing Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Currently, Kohli is in action against New Zealand and his side would take on the hosts in the two-match Test series, slated to commence from February 21.

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