India Ends South Africa Test Series With Dramatic 63-Run Win

Agencies
January 28, 2018

Johannesburg, Jan 28: India salvaged lost pride by pulling off a dramatic 63-run win against South Africa in the third test match as relentless pacers scripted a sensational turnaround on a treacherous track, in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Mohammed Shami led India's fightback with a career-best five-wicket haul as India snapped nine wickets for 53 runs to shot out South Africa for 177 and avoided a humiliating whitewash in the three-match series.

Overall, the four full-time seamers shared all 20 wickets in the match, which ended on the fourth day.

Shami ended with figures of 12.3-2-28-5, while Jasprit Bumrah (2/57), Ishant Sharma (2/31) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/39) shared the other five wickets.

It was their second victory in five Tests with the other three being draws.

South African opener Dean Elgar, who took a nasty blow on his helmet and forced early stumps yesterday, remained unbeaten on 86 even as four of his colleagues could not even open their account.

India skipper Virat Kohli was under pressure to deliver after losing the first two Tests following a stellar home run last year. South Africa won the series 2-1 but India ended it on a high.

The pitch remained a talking point throughout for the dangerous bounce it offered to pacers and forced early stumps on day three. Surprisingly when India were expected to dominate the proceedings at the start of the day, the batsmen found it easy to score this morning.

South African downfall began post tea as Faf du Plessis (2) was bowed in the fourth over after resumption of play. He missed an in-swinger from Ishant Sharma and it cut through the gap between bat and pad.

The heavy roller’s effect – used in the morning – wore off quite quickly as the pitch started doing a lot more in this last session. Three overs later, in the 64th, Bumrah trapped Quinton de Kock plumb lbw for a first-ball duck.

Running out of time, and patience, Vernon Philander (10) tried attacking the bowling just as Shami returned for a spell with the old ball. He was bowled as the ball clattered onto the stumps off an inside edge.

Shami then tore through the lower order, bowling Andile Phehlukwayo for a three-ball duck and Morne Morkel (0) first ball.

In between Kumar had Kagiso Rabada caught at slip for another three-ball duck as South Africa went from 144/3 to 160/8 in the space of 47 balls.

There were a few comic elements as Hardik Pandya missed two run-outs, but the formalities were completed in the 74th over as Lungi Ngidi (4) was caught behind with the Indian players breaking into a celebratory jig.

Meanwhile, Parthiv Patel did not come out to keep wickets in this final session. He had suffered an injured right index finger and is scheduled to go for an x-ray in the evening.

Dinesh Karthik came on as substitute keeper.

This was after Elgar and Hashim Amla (52) added 119 runs for the second wicket to take South Africa to 136/3 at tea.

Post lunch, Elgar and Amla continued building their stand even as India looked to make quick in-roads to gain footing back in the match.

The visitors were denied as the duo batted calmly and took South Africa past the 100-mark. Ishant bowled a tight spell after lunch, but India struggled to string together a bowling partnership that could put Elgar-Amla under pressure.

Soon after, they raised a 100-run stand, the first in this Test. In doing so, Elgar reached his 10th Test half- century off 153 balls.

At the other end, Amla crossed 50 off 134 balls, his 38th in Test cricket. It was also the ninth time that he scored twin half-centuries in the same Test.

Hardik Pandya (0-15) was also introduced into the attack in the second hour of play as India desperately searched for a breakthrough.

It finally came, as Amla chipped Ishant straight to midwicket and was out caught, much in the same manner as the first innings.

Overall, Amla and Elgar added 119 runs off 304 balls for the second wicket. India made it a double blow as three overs later, AB de Villiers (6) was caught at gully off Bumrah to give India a glimmer of hope.

This was after Elgar and Amla had taken South Africa to 69/1 at lunch. Play was delayed due to heavy morning rains in Johannesburg. The team arrived on schedule at the Wanderers but had to wait for better conditions for play to resume.

Starting from their overnight score of 17 for one, South Africa made steady progress. Elgar encountered a couple of hairy moments once again, against Bumrah in particular, but settled down shortly enough.

He shrugged off whatever happened last evening and looked more confident as the session went on.

At the other end, Amla looked ever solid. He left the ball well and looked to score whenever the opportunity presented itself. India gave away too many quick runs early on in the session, not helped by uneven bounce.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Jan 6: Former India opener Kris Srikkanth on Sunday said he would prefer K L Rahul over Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 World Cup later this year.

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth on Sunday said he would prefer K L Rahul over Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 World Cup later this year.

Dhawan is returning to international cricket after a long gap. During the senior left-handed batsman's absence, Rahul has emerged as one of the top contenders for the opener's slot in limited-overs cricket.

"Runs against SL (Sri Lanka) don't count. If I was chairman of selectors, I won't pick Dhawan in the T20 WC squad. There is no competition between him and Rahul. Only one winner," Srikkanth said on Star Sports.

Before the series, the 34-year-old Dhawan said that he is looking forward to a "new start" in a new year and wants to win the World Cup for India.

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News Network
May 4,2020

May 4: Yuzvendra Chahal is among the best leg-spinners in international cricket right now but he can be more effective with better use of the crease, says former Pakistan spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

Ahmed picked Chahal, Australia's Adam Zampa and Pakistan's Shadab Khan among the top leg-spinners in white-ball cricket.

"Chahal as been impressive. He is definitely among the top leg-spinners of the world. And I feel he would be more effective if he uses the crease a lot more," Ahmed said.

Ahmed, who has coached all around the world and is currently a consultant for his native team, said India's ability to take wickets in the middle-overs in the limited overs format through Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has been a game-changer for them.

Both the wrist-spinners were brought into India's limited overs set-up following the 2017 Champions Trophy. Though, of late, both Chahal and Kuldeep havn't been playing together.

"He (Chahal) can go wide of the crease at times. You got to be smart enough to understand pitches. If it is a flat pitch, you can bowl stump to stump," said Ahmed, one of the best leg-spinners Pakistan has produced.

"If the ball is gripping, you can go wide of the crease because you can trouble even the best of batsmen with that angle. That way your googly also doesn't turn as much as the batsman expects and you end up taking a wicket."

Chahal has taken 91 wickets in 52 ODIs at 25.83 and 55 wickets in 42 T20s at 24.34. He is not a huge turner of the ball but uses his variations very effectively.

Ahmed also feels the likes of Chahal and Kuldeep have benefitted immensely from former captain M S Dhoni's advice from behind the stumps.

"You have got to be one step ahead of the batsman. You should know your field position as per the batsman's strength. I always say attack with fielders not with the ball. If you understand that theory, you will always be successful," the 49-year-old, who played 52 Tests and 144 ODIs, said.

"India has become a force to reckon with in all three formats as it uses its bowlers really well. Dhoni was a master at getting the best out of his bowlers in limited overs cricket and now you have Virat Kohli."

He also said the art of leg-spin remains relevant more than ever.

"You need leg-spinners and mystery spinners in your team as they have the ability to take wickets at any stage of the game. I see a lot of them coming through in the next 10-15 years.

"Most batsmen now like playing express pace but with a good leg-spinner in the team, you are always in the game," added member of the 1992 World Cup-winning squad.

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: Virat Kohli's natural talent makes him a cricketing equivalent of Roger Federer while Steve Smith's mental fortitude matches that of Rafael Nadal, said South African swashbuckler AB de Villiers comparing the two contemporary greats.

In an instagram chat with former Zimbabwe seamer Pommie Mbangwa, de Villiers spoke about the two batsmen, who are easily the game's biggest crowd-pullers right now.

"It's a difficult one, but Virat is definitely the more natural ball-striker, there's no doubt about that," de Villiers said during his interaction on 'Sports Hurricane'.

"In tennis terms, I'd say he's more like a (Roger) Federer whereas Smith is like a (Rafael) Nadal. Smith is mentally very strong and figures out a way of scoring runs - he doesn't look natural, but he ends up writing records and doing amazing things at the crease.

"I think mentally, Smith is one of the best I have ever seen. Virat has also scored runs all over the world and won games under pressure," de Villiers,himself a modern day great, said.

De Villiers also felt that when it comes to chasing, Kohli is a shade ahead of Tendulkar.

"Sachin is a role model for both of us (him and Kohli). The way he stood out in his era, the things he achieved and with the grace he did all that is a great example for everyone," de Villiers said.

"And I think Virat will also say that he set the standards for us to follow.

"But personally, in a chase, I'd say Virat is the best I've seen in my life. Sachin was amazing in all formats and all situations, but Virat comes out on top while chasing."

The world knows Kohli as a prolific cricketer but for de Villiers, he is a friend, who has interests beyond cricket and is spiritual at one level.

"He's much deeper than just a cricket player...I think most people realise after a while that there's more to life than just cricket," de Villiers said.

"...Virat's always been a thinker, he experiments (with) a lot of things, he loves trying new things out - gym wise, what he puts in his mouth. He thinks a lot about life after life - what's to come, the different religions, we talk about everything."

De Villiers said that he also shares a great bond with Indian captain's actor wife Anushka Sharma, conversing on a lot of issues including family life.

"We go pretty deep and his missus as well, Anushka, we have very deep conversations, which is fantastic. We talk about children and family. We're waiting for that first little Kohli to come.

"It's a good friendship and we always find a way to talk about cricket as well, but 90 per cent of the time we talk about other stuff. It's refreshing and in the middle of a very intense IPL tournament," he shared.

IPL, for de Villiers, is not just a tournament but also about friendships that he cherishes.

"Obviously, when it comes to the IPL in India, it's been more than friendship," De Villiers said, when asked who his best friends in cricket are.

"Virat obviously - not only during the IPL, we chat throughout the year, which means it's different than just the IPL or cricketing friendship.

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