India vs Australia 1st ODI: Bowlers won the game for us, says Virat Kohli

Agencies
March 2, 2019

Mar 3: India skipper Virat Kohli has lauded Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav for scripting a memorable chase but said the bowlers set up their six-wicket win over Australia in the first ODI at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.

India produced a clinical bowling performance, led by Mohammed Shami, to restrict Australia to 236 for seven. The hosts then returned to chase down the target with Dhoni and Kedar forging a 141-run unfinished partnership to score 240 for four in 48.2 overs.

"It was a difficult sort of a game. We did a good job with the ball. You have experience with MS and flair with Kedar. I think Kedar and MS took responsibility, it was great. I think the bowling (won the game for us)," Kohli said.

Shami (2/44) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/46) scalped two wickets and Kohli said India's bowling performance augurs well for the team as they head to the World Cup in a few months' time.

"Kuldeep's been doing it for a while. I have never seen him (Shami) so lean. Got Maxi out with a beautiful ball. I haven't seen him so hungrier. Heading into the World Cup, it's a great sign for India."

On Ravindra Jadeja, who bowled two miserly spells to keep the visitors under tight leash, Kohli said, "Ten overs for less than 35 is a great job on this pitch. He set his fields on his game. He is a great asset in the field too."

Kedar was adjudged the Man of the Match for taking a wicket and top-scoring with an 87-ball 81, which was studded with nine boundaries and a six.

Talking about his bowling, Kedar said, "My bowling is all about reading batsmen's mind. I tried to bowl stump-to-stump. I don't think like I'm a bowler. I enjoy my responsibility."

During India's recent tour of Australia, Kedar and Dhoni had starred in a successful chase in Melbourne in January and the Maharashtra batsman said having the former skipper at the other end eased his mind as he looked to take the chase deep.

"Recently in Australia, we pulled off similar kind of chase. I just did that again today. I tried to learn a lot from him (MS). MS and Cheeku (Virat Kohli) are the best chasers in the game," Kedar said.

"That's what we learn from the captain and that's what we tried to do. I tried to play more shots early. He reads your mind, team needs more solidity. Every time you think the team, most of the times, you'll end up on the winning side."

Australia captain Aaron Finch said his team should have put up a bigger score and stressed on taking regular wickets.

"I think we were 20 or 30 runs short. I thought our bowlers did a terrific job. It's not as if they are trying to get out. We certainly tried our best with the ball," he said.

"I think the quick were good when they were banging it in. You have to continue taking wickets when you play against good teams."

India will play Australia in the second ODI on March 5.

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Agencies
February 4,2020

Potchefstroom, Feb 4: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena guided India to a comfortable ten wickets win over Pakistan in the ICC U19 World Cup semifinal at Senwes Park on Tuesday and progressed to the final of the tournament.

Chasing 173, Indian openers Jaiswal and Saxena played cautiously and stitched an unbeaten partnership of 176 runs.

The duo built the highest opening partnership of the tournament's history. Jaiswal, the left-handed batsman, scored his maiden century of the tournament as he amassed unbeaten 105 runs studded with eight fours and four sixes.

Saxena scored 59* off 99 balls including six fours. India chased down the total in 35.2 overs. This is the first time in the history of the U19 World Cup that a team won a knockout match by ten wickets.

Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Opener Haider Ali and skipper Rohail Nazir's half-centuries guided the side to a respectable total of 172. Ali played a knock of 56 runs while Nazir accumulated 62 runs including six boundaries.

Pakistan did not have a good start as they lost Mohammad Hurair (4) in the second over. Fahad Munir, came to bat at number three, failed to score a single run and was departed by Ravi Bishnoi on a duck in ninth over.

Apart from Ali and Nazir, Mohammad Haris was the only batsman to score runs in double digits. He played an innings of 21 runs off 15 balls. Indian bowlers showed a spirited performance as they bowled out arch-rival in 43.1 overs.

Pacers Karthik Tyagi and Sushant Mishra bagged two and three wickets respectively. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi clinched two scalps and conceded 46 runs in his ten overs.

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Agencies
January 25,2020

Headingley, Jan 25: England have become the first team in the world to score 500,000 runs in Test cricket. They achieved the feat during the ongoing fourth and final Test against South Africa being played at The Wanderers.

On Friday - the opening day of the Test match -- England captain Joe Root's single through the covers took the Three Lions to a landmark 500,000 run-mark in the longest format of the game. They achieved the feat in their 1022nd Test match.

Australia comes second in the list, with 432,706 runs in 830 Tests. India, meanwhile, are third, with 273,518 runs in 540 Tests, followed by West Indies (270,441 runs in 545 Tests).

In the third Test played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, England had become the first team to play 500 Test matches on foreign soil. Australia are the second team to play the most away Test with 404 matches they have played so far.

India have played 268 Tests on foreign soil in which they have won 51, lost 113 and 104 have ended in a draw.

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Agencies
July 28,2020

New Delhi, Jul 28: 'Your character stood out for me than the number of runs you scored," said India skipper Virat Kohli while explaining his decision to give opening Mayank Agarwal a Test debut in the 2018-19 Australia series.

Mayank Agarwal had made his Test debut against Australia in the third Test of the four-match series.

Playing the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Agarwal managed to register a half-century in his very first innings in the longest format.

"I had seen you play for RCB, even then you played international bowlers with conviction and you would take them on. You were performing in first-class matches in a dominating way. That is something always stood out with you, I would say your character stood out for me than the number of runs. I knew you would be fearless without having any baggage," Kohli told Mayank Agarwal in a video posted on the official website of BCCI.

In the longest format of the game, Agarwal has managed to score 974 runs from 11 matches at an average of 57.29 with three centuries as an opening batsman.

The Indian skipper also explained as to what makes him notice in a player and added that it is important that guys in the team look to face new challenges and emerge triumphantly.

"For me, the biggest marker is how a person approaches the game, so for example when you opened and we made Vihari open with you. The first opportunity we presented Vihari to open the batting, he said yes to it and that matters me to the most," Kohli said.

"I opened in my first series for India, I said yes to this opportunity and things worked out fine for me. So, a guy who wants to get into tough situations will come out either holding his head high or learning from his mistakes," he added.

Kohli and Mayank would soon be seen in action for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab respectively in the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting from September 19 in the UAE.

The comparisons between Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar keep on growing and many have picked the current Indian skipper to break the records set by Tendulkar.

Tendulkar called time on his career after registering 100 international centuries, while Kohli currently has 70 centuries across all formats.

At present, Kohli is ranked at the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings while he is in the second place in Tests rankings. Kohli has so far played 86 Tests, scoring 7,240 runs with 27 centuries at an average of 53.62.

His knock of 254 against South Africa at Pune in 2019 remains his highest Test score to date. When it comes to ODIs, the current Indian skipper has played 248 matches and has 43 centuries.

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