India vs England: Cheteshwar Pujara sweats it out with unbeaten 132 to put visitors in lead on Day 4

Agencies
September 1, 2018

Southampton, Sept 1: Cheteshwar Pujara's painstaking and brave century gave India a narrow lead on the second day of the fourth Test after England off-spinner Moeen Ali took five wickets at Southampton on Friday.

Pujara's near six-hour 132 not out was the cornerstone of India's 273, made in reply to England's first-innings 246.

Ali took five wickets for 63 runs in 16 overs -- his second successive five-wicket innings haul in a Test against India at Southampton following a return of six for 67 in 2014.

Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings batted out four overs as England reached stumps on six without loss in their second innings -- a deficit of 21 runs.

"At one stage they were 140 for two going well, and so to bowl them out just 20-odd runs ahead is fantastic" Ali told Sky Sports. "I have nice memories from the last Test I played here which helps as well."

Pujara was on 78 when Ali struck twice in two balls to leave India, 2-1 down in the five-match series after their 203-run win at Trent Bridge last week, on 195 for eight.

Ishant Sharma survived the hat-trick at the start of Ali's next over before he too fell to the all-rounder.

Pujara, now on 96, now had only No 11 Jasprit Bumrah for company.

But a swept two off Ali took him to 99 and he then survived the bowler's review for lbw after third umpire Joel Wilson ruled he had been playing a shot.

India number three Pujara, with the field up, lofted Ali down the ground to complete a deserved century, his 15th in Tests, off 210 balls including 11 fours.

It was the kind of patient century seemingly beyond many members of an England top order for whom batting collapses have become a matter of routine.

Pujara fielded, but did not attend the post-match press conferences.

India-born former England captain Nasser Hussain, commentating on Sky, praised Pujara's innings by saying: "Here is a lad who has gutsed it out, played in a good old-fashioned determined way."

Bumrah hung around so long that England took the new ball.

Pujara's response was to launch Stuart Broad for four over midwicket and next ball drive him through the covers for another boundary.

Broad eventually had Bumrah, who batted over an hour for six, caught by Cook at first slip.

India resumed Friday on 19 without loss.

James Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, needed six more wickets to equal retired Australia great Glenn McGrath's mark of 563 -- the most taken by any fast bowler at this level.

Anderson, however, went wicketless in an innings return of none for 50 in 18 overs.

Instead it was longtime new-ball partner Broad who removed openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan to leave India 50 for two.

Pujara and India captain Virat Kohli (46) rebuilt the innings with a third-wicket stand of 92.

But after lunch, Sam Curran, who had already marked his return to the team with a Test-best 78 that rescued England from the depths of 86 for six on Thursday, dismissed Kohli, who during his innings passed 6,000 runs in Tests.

The 20-year-old Surrey left-arm swing bowler angled a delivery across star batsman Kohli who, in a rare error, pushed away from his body and saw the ensuing edge well caught low at first slip by Cook.

Curran was unlucky to make way for the returning Ben Stokes at Trent Bridge.

A minor recurrence of all-rounder Stokes's knee injury led to doubts over his ability to bowl at Southampton and a fresh rejig of England's team.

But the paceman's first legitimate delivery on Friday saw Pujara, on 50, edge just beyond Buttler's grasp.

Stokes had better luck when a desperately close call for a no-ball went his way after he had Ajinkya Rahane lbw for 11.

Pujara suffered a painful blow when he missed an intended hook off Stokes, with the batsman needing several minutes of on-field treatment as medical staff checked for concussion.

Ali removed Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya either side of tea.

Ravichandran Ashwin then inexplicably tried to reverse sweep his opposing off-spinner and played on, before Ali's next ball clean-bowled Mohammed Shami.

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News Network
January 30,2020

Hamilton, Jan 30: Caught unaware about the Super Over scenario, Rohit Sharma took five minutes to “find” his abdomen guard after the third T20 International against New Zealand had ended in a tie on Wednesday.

The India vice-captain said the team had almost given up with New Zealand going great guns at one point.

“Everything was packed. All my stuff was inside my bag. I had to get it out. It literally took me five minutes to find my abdomen guard because I didn’t know where it was,” Rohit said.

“I mean we never thought it would go to the Super Over, the way they were batting at one point. It looked like they could easily win the game,” he added.

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News Network
June 25,2020

Jun 25: After asserting that the 2011 World Cup final was "sold" by "certain parties" in Sri Lanka to India, the island nation's former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has now called his claim a "suspicion" that he wants investigated.

The Lankan government has ordered an enquiry into the matter and a special Police investigation unit recorded Aluthgamage's statement on Wednesday. He told the team that he was only suspicious of fixing.

"I want my suspicion investigated," Aluthgamage told reporters.

"I gave to the Police, a copy of the complaint I lodged with the International Cricket Council (ICC) on 30 October 2011 regarding the said allegation as then Sports Minister," he said.

Aluthgamage has alleged that his country "sold" the game to India, a claim that was ridiculed by former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene who demanded evidence from him.

Set a target of 275, India clinched the trophy thanks to the brilliance of Gautam Gambhir (97) and then skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (91).

"Today I am telling you that we sold the 2011 world cup, I said this when I was the sports minister," Aluthgamage, who was the sports minister at the time, had stated.

Sangakkara, the captain of Sri Lanka at that time, asked him to produce evidence for an anti-corruption probe.

"He needs to take his 'evidence' to the ICC and the Anti corruption and Security Unit so the claims can be investigated thoroughly," he tweeted.

Jayawardene, also a former captain who scored a hundred in that game, ridiculed the charge.

"Is the elections around the corner...like the circus has started...names and evidence?" he asked in a tweet.

Aluthgamage said that in his opinion no players were involved in fixing the result, "but certain parties were."

Both Aluthgamage and the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa were among the invitees at the final played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Following his allegations, Aravinda de Silva, the former great who was the then chairman of selectors, has urged the BCCI to conduct its own investigation.

De Silva has said he is willing to travel to India to take part in such an investigation despite the current COVID-19 threat.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8: Former opener Gautam Gambhir is mighty impressed with the way K.L. Rahul batted during India's comfortable seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second T20I and said it amazes him why the right-handed batsman can't play the same way in Tests. On Tuesday, Rahul top-scored with a 32-ball 45 as India chased down the meagre target of 143 with utmost ease at the Holkar Stadium.

"Rahul is in unbelievable form. It amazes me every time I see Rahul bat that why didn't he play the same way in Test cricket," Gambhir told the host broadcasters. "It's not about only white-ball cricket; it is about Test cricket too. He just got into a shell too much. With the kind of quality he posses, he is someone who can get you a 50-ball 100 in Test cricket as well. The kind of shots he has is superb," he added.

Shikhar Dhawan, who is making a return to the team after an injury lay-off, also contributed with a "rusty" 30-ball 32. Both Dhawan and Rahul are virtually playing for the second opener's slot for the World T20, with Rohit Sharma set to be one.

And Gambhir feels going by the current form, Rahul should be opening the batting alongside Rohit in Australia. "You can't compare IPL to international cricket. When you're playing for Delhi Capitals, you know there's no one waiting for the opportunity, but when you're playing for the country and you know there's someone who's actually can replace you, there'll always be pressure. And today it was shown who's in better form," Gambhir said.

The cricketer-turned-politician, however, exuded confidence that Dhawan will bounce back strongly in the next game. "Shikhar Dhawan looked rusty but it's a good thing that he got some runs under his belt. It will help him when he walks out to bat in the next game. Had he got out early, the pressure would have been more," he said.

India will play Sri Lanka in the final T20I in Pune on Friday before taking on Australia in a three-match ODI series beginning January 14 in Mumbai.

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