Good feeling to scalp KL Rahul, Virat Kohli's wicket: Kemar Roach

Agencies
September 2, 2019

Kingston, Sept 2: West Indies pacer Kemar Roach said that it was a good feeling to take the wickets of India batsman KL Rahul and skipper Virat Kohli on successive deliveries in the second innings of the ongoing Test match at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

"It was a good feeling. Obviously, the Indian batting line-up is very strong, so to be on a hat-trick against those guys is obviously a good feeling. I'd have liked to get it, but a little more luck the next time it hits on the stumps and it will go my way, but I am pretty happy for what happened," Roach said in the post-match conference here.

In the second innings, Roach scalped three Indian wickets while he was able to get hold of one wicket in the first innings.

After having a lead of 299 runs, India got off to a bad start in the second innings as Mayank Agarwal (4) was caught plum in front and as a result, he was adjudged leg-before wicket. India did not lose any more wicket and they went to the lunch break with the score of 16/1.

After the break, Windies bowlers were able to keep the run-rate in check as they did not give loose balls for India to dispatch for boundaries. The team from the Caribbean was able to scalp two prized wickets in succession as both KL Rahul (6) and Virat Kohli (0) departed cheaply.

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara (27) put up a brief 21-run stand, but skipper Jason Holder had the latter caught at third slip, reducing India to 57/4.

Rahane and Hanuma Vihari ensured India did not lose more wickets and the team went to the tea break with a score of 73/4, leading Windies by 372 runs.

After the interval, both batsmen scored at a brisk pace and further consolidated the lead for the Indian team. The duo brought up their individual fifties and took the lead past the 460-run mark.

With the score at 168/4 in the second innings, skipper Kohli decided to declare India's innings, setting Windies a target of 468 for the win. Rahane and Vihari were involved in an unbeaten stand of 111 runs. The two remained unbeaten on 64 and 53, respectively.

"It's flattened out a bit more. It's not as bouncy as it was the first couple of days. There is still enough there for the bowlers. Still, have to apply yourself as a batsman and have to grind and get that score, but I think once you get in it gets way easier - so it's all about the guys being positive and grinding and obviously getting the score," Roach said.

In pursuit of 468, Windies got off to a poor start as the side lost its opener Kraigg Brathwaite (3) in the third over of the innings. Ishant Sharma had Brathwaite caught at the hands of wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant.

John Campbell (16) was also not able to stay at the crease for a long time as he was sent back to the pavilion by Mohammad Shami as he had him caught at third slip, reducing Windies to 37/2.

Shamarh Brooks and Darren Bravo saw off the day without any more hiccups and Windies ended the day at 45/2, still, 443 runs away from the target.

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Agencies
June 23,2020

Islamabad, Jun 23: Seven more Pakistan cricketers, including Muhammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, selected for the tour of England have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total to 10, the PCB revealed on Tuesday.

The seven who tested positive on Tuesday are Kashif Bhatti, Muhammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Rizwan, Imran Khan, Hafeez and Riaz. Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Haris Rauf had returned positive tests on Monday.

“It is not a great situation to be in and what it shows is these are 10 fit and young athletes...if it can happen to players it can happen to anyone,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO, Wasim Khan told a media conference.

He said a support staff member, masseur Malang Ali, had also tested positive for COVID-19.

Khan said that the players and officials would now assemble in Lahore and another round of tests would be carried out on June 25 and a revised squad would be announced the next day.

The squad has to leave on June 28 for the series scheduled to be held next month, he said.

“It is a matter of concern but we shouldn’t panic at this time as we have time on our hands,” Khan said.

He said the players and officials would be retested on reaching England.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Jan 10: Australian cricketer Shane Warne’s prized 'baggy green' cap raised more than A$1 million ($686,000) on Friday for bushfire relief efforts after the former leg-spinner donated it for auction.

Twenty-seven people have been killed and thousands made homeless in recent months as huge fires scorched through more than 25.5 million acres of land, an area the size of South Korea.

The baggy green is presented to Australian players when they make their Test debut and they receive just one for their entire career. The Aussie cricketer donated the cap to an online auction site on Monday. The auction closed at 10 a.m. on Friday (2300 GMT Thursday) with a final public bid of A$1,007,500.

"Unbelievable … so generous from everyone. Totally blown away," Warne said on Twitter shortly before the auction closed.

The auction attracted global interest and the price eclipsed the A$425,000 achieved by the late Don Bradman's baggy green when it was sold in 2003.

"We have been overwhelmed and it is a fantastic result," Marc Cheah, head of marketing for auctioneers Pickles, said.

"Other baggy greens have been auctioned and Don Bradman’s got $425,000 about 15 years ago, but the Don is the Don. He’s the greatest cricketer that ever lived," Cheah said in relation to the widely held recognition Bradman was the best batsman the game has produced.

"But Shane is also right up there and that drove a lot of traffic and momentum, while the cause is also very worthwhile."

Warne, 50, is one of many local and international athletes to support the fundraising for bushfire victims with several cricketers promising to donate a sum based on the number of sixes they hit in Australia’s Big Bash Twenty20 competition.

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News Network
June 29,2020

Jun 29: The West Indies cricketers will sport a 'Black Lives Matter' logo on the collars of their shirts during the upcoming three-Test series against England to protest against racism in sports.

Skipper Jason Holder, who has voiced his support to the cause that has once again come to the forefront after the killing of American George Floyd, said in a statement on Sunday: "We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness."

The ICC-approved logo, designed by Alisha Hosannah, will be the one which featured in the shirts of all 20 Premier League football clubs since the sport's resumption earlier this month.

"This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team," Holder was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the fight for justice and equality. "As a group of young men, we know of the rich and diverse history of West Indies cricket and we know we are guardians of the great game for a generation to come."

Holder, who wants racism to be treated at par with doping and corruption, said they arrived at the decision to wear the logo after much thought.

"We did not take our decision lightly. We know what it is for people to make judgments because of the colour of our skin, so we know what it feels like, this goes beyond the boundary. There must be equality and there must be unity. Until we get that as people, we cannot stop," he said.

"We have to find some way to have equal rights and people must not be viewed differently because of the colour of their skin or ethnic background."

The West Indies players are likely to wear the shirts for the first time in this week's four-day warm-up match at Emirates Old Trafford, starting on Monday.

The opening Test of the series, which will mark the resumption of international cricket after the coronavirus-forced hiatus, will get underway at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on July 8.

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