India Vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Preview: India Would Be Keen To Keep Purple Streak Alive

Agencies
November 15, 2017

Nov 15: India have been in sensational form over the past year or so and captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri would be very keen to ensure that the purple streak continues against Sri Lanka as the two sides step up their preparations for the 1st Test, to be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from Thursday. While Sri Lanka may not be the stiffest of opponents, especially at home, India would like to iron out as many glitches as possible before they embark on their first real test in a long time - a tour of South Africa in the beginning of next year.

Sri Lanka would want to forget the annihilation suffered at home and chase what has been an improbable dream of winning a Test here when the two teams clash in a three-match series.

There is a possibility of rain threat after home team's morning practice session was called off after a spell of shower.

India had inflicted on Sri Lanka, a humiliating 9-0 whitewash across three formats even as they bounced back to secure a surprise 2-0 win against Pakistan in the UAE.

There will be no let up from Team India, who are taking this series as a preparation for the gruelling two-month long South Africa tour where they play three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is beginning with Cape Town Test on January 5.

Since that Test series in July-August, the hosts have played 13 ODIs and six Twenty20s but adjusting to the rigours of the longer-version of the game should not be an issue since most of the team members have played Ranji Trophy matches for their respective sides.

That the islanders have not won a single Test in 16 appearances over 35 years (they first played in India in 1982) and travel with an inexperienced side will make the task onerous for skipper Dinesh Chandimal.

The Met office has predicted rain till November 18 under the influence of a well-marked low-pressure area that is making its way up the Bay of Bengal along the Indian coast and the series-opener may be a curtailed affair.

India look supremely confident at home barring a couple of selection dilemma looking at the Eden's seemingly green top strip which may pave the way for the return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a likely three-plus-two bowling combination.

Bhuvneshwar last played a Test against Australia in Dharamsala in March this year and looked in good rhythm during India's practice sessions. He may join the other two pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami.

In the spin line-up, India may stick to their third Test line-up in Pallekele where chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav made way for left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

Yadav not only rolled his arm at the nets but had an extended batting session but it remains to be seen if India leaves out Jadeja, who is also a handy option with the bat.

Murali Vijay is back after recovering from a wrist injury that had left him out of the Sri Lanka tour. The Tamil Nadu opener is confident after his 140 against Odisha in Cuttack but was not seen much in action during practice, an indication that Kohli may stick to Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul up front.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored two centuries in Sri Lanka, not only gives the Indian batting solidity but has a calming effect on the team with his penchant for marathon innings.

Further down, skipper Kohli will be desperate to be back among runs after getting only one second innings hundred against Sri Lanka at Galle (103).

In the middle order, Ajinkya Rahane too was among runs with a century and a fifty in Sri Lanka. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, who has been rested, R Ashwin will look to shoulder the responsibility in batting.

If winning a Test is a dream for Chandimal, it would not come easy as their batsmen will have to spend considerable time on the crease.

Touted as Sri Lanka's next big thing, Sadeera Samarawickrama is likely to take the opening slot left vacant after the sacking of Kaushal Silva.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne is fresh from a career-best 196 against Pakistan in the Dubai Test and the southpaw would look to carry forward his form.

In the bowling, they will rely heavily on veteran Rangana Herath but it remains to be seen who will assist him.

They have the promising chinaman Lakshan Sandakan who had a five-wicket haul against India in the Pallekele Test but in Indian conditions it remains to be seen whether they will opt the inexperienced spinner ahead of off-spinner Dilruwan Perera.

Teams (from)

India: Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvenshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma.

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Dasun Shanaka and Roshen Silva.

Match starts at 0900 a.m. IST.

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News Network
February 3,2020

New Delhi, Feb 3: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels there are a lot of similarities between the Virat Kohli-led Team India and the Pakistan team when Imran Khan had led it as both captains instill strong self-belief in their respective teams.

Manjrekar also said that Pakistan under Imran had found different ways of winning matches even when it seemed all was lost.

"India under Virat in NZ reminds me of Pakistan under Imran. Strong self belief as a team. Pakistan under Imran found different ways of winning matches, often from losing positions. That only happens when the self belief is strong," Manjrekar tweeted.

The cricketer turned commentator expressed his opinion after India completed a rare 5-0 whitewash with a seven-run victory over New Zealand in the final T20 International in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.

Manjrekar also lauded KL Rahul, now also shouldering wicket-keeping duty, for his impressive showing in recent times.

"Samson & Pant... the next batting brigade of India obviously have the skill & the power game they just need to infuse a small dose of Virat's batting 'smarts' (mind) into their game," Manjrekar wrote.

The victory at the Bay Oval saw India stretch their record for most successive T20I wins.

This was their eighth win in a row, bettering the previous three instances when they won seven successive matches.

Kohli is the most successful Test captain in Indian cricket history, winning 11 consecutive series at home and are on top of the ICC rankings.

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News Network
May 6,2020

New Delhi, May 6: He has flattered to deceive on umpteen occasions but highly-rated wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson says he has learnt to accept his failures in pursuit of the calm demeanour that former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni possesses.

The 25-year-old from Kerala has always been talked about by the likes of Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir but it hasn't translated into international success with only four T20 Internationals in his kitty in the last five years.

"I have learnt to understand and focus more on my strengths and (be more) accepting (of) the failures. I try to contribute to the team's cause and try to take the team over the line. I am learning to focus and control my emotions while batting like MS Dhoni," Samson said during a podcast organised by Rajasthan Royals.

He recently made a comeback in India's T20 side and it was a worthy experience for him.

"It was great to be a part of the Indian team again. To be a part of one of the best teams in the world, surrounded by players like Virat bhai and Rohit bhai, it was a fantastic experience," Samson said.

In one of the games in New Zealand, Samson was sent to bat in the Super Over, something which made him feel wanted in the Indian set-up.

"It was a great feeling to be trusted by the players such as Virat bhai and Rohit bhai to go out there and bat in the crucial moments. It's a great feeling when the team and the players consider you to be a match winner."

On a lighter note, Samson revealed that he refers to Steve Smith as "chachu" (uncle) after Brad Hodge once started calling him by that name.

"I share a very good relationship with 'Chachu' Steve Smith. He is one of the best brains in world cricket and we all enjoy a lot playing under him."

Asked what's the back story of the nickname, Samson said: "It started with Brad Hodge, he used to call Smith 'Chachu', then when Hodgy left, I started calling Smith 'Chachu'. In return Smith also started calling me 'Chachu'. We both really enjoy and continue calling each other that."

While Dhoni is his idol, he also loves watching Jos Buttler in Royals and makes notes on how the star Englishman prepares for games.

"I observe Jos especially given he too is a wicketkeeper-batsman. He's always working on his skills and his game and never sits idle.

"He's either working on his keeping, batting in the nets or running around the park. I love to observe and know how he thinks and prepares as a keeper before a game.

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News Network
January 10,2020

New Delhi, Jan 10: Injured Assam archer Shivangini Gohain underwent a critical surgery at the AIIMS. Dr. Deepak Gupta, professor of Pediatric neurosurgery at AIIMS, revealed about the delicate nature of the procedure and said there was no room for error.

"It was touching vertebral artery which supplies blood to the brain stem. The arrow was 0.5 cm in front of the spinal cord and the child could have become quadriplegic if someone tried to pull it out," Gupta said.

According to doctors, the arrow accidentally went inside the body damaging the shoulder bone, part of the neck, spinal cord and left lung.

Dr Gupta said, "Now the patient is fine. We had planned the surgery in a very unique way. Last whole night, our team was doing the planning and plotting to conduct this complex surgery. About 15 cm part of the arrow was inside the body which has entered through shoulder bone and affected neck, spinal cord and left lung".

"We started the surgery in the morning at 6 am which lasted for three and a half hours. We have successfully removed the arrow. The patient is stable now and shifted to ICU for observation," he added

Shivangini Gohain, the 12-year-old Assam archer who was impaled by an arrow shot accidentally at the SAI centre in Dibrugarh, was training unsupervised and the mishap was a result of negligence by the local coach and officials, the state's archery association has said.

The child was training at the Dakha Devi Rasiwasia College at Chabua, which serves as an extension centre under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Guwahati when the incident took place on Wednesday.

She was airlifted to Delhi on Thursday night and admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre. Pulin Das, a joint secretary of Assam Archery Association and executive member of the state Olympic association said the injury to the school girl from the Deodhai village, which is 3km from Chabua, happened as the trainees were practising without any coach and other officials.

“There is a SAI contractual coach Marcy and he has left for the Khelo India Games in Guwahati. He didn't instruct the trainees to stop the camp for some time nor did the college principal, who acted as administrator of the extension centre, looked after the practice,” Das said on Friday.

The extension centre has 11 trainees, six boys and five girls, and they were training under SAI contractual coach A C Marcy from Nagaland, who is in Guwahati for the Khelo India Youth Games.

“The training ground itself is in very bad shape, it was not even a dedicated ground for archery training, some play football, cricket and other sports on that ground. But the worst part is that the SAI coach did not give instructions to stop the camp for a while and the archers were training without any supervision,” he added Das said Gohain was struck by an arrow shot by boys doing practice for compound event. The arrow remained stuck for more more than a day before she was airlifted to New Delhi on Thursday night.

“There was nobody to look after the archers, they were training on their own though their parents were outside the ground. An arrow shot by a boy trainee who was doing compound event practice hit her on the shoulder,” the official said.

Gohain's father Brinchi Gohain was outside the practice area and with no official of the college and SAI coming for help, she was taken to Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh, 33km from Chabua.

“She could reach the AMC in Dribugarh only on Thursday morning. There, the doctors told her parents to take her to a more reputed hospital like AIIMS in Delhi. With help from people close to the local Member of Parliament and Assam CM himself, she was taken by air ambulance to Delhi.

“I was told that she had a very tough time as the arrow remained stuck for more than a day. She is a strong-willed girl and she fought. Her father must be a daily wage labourer and he was distraught also.”

The SAI said that it will bear all the expenses of her treatment. The Assam Archery Association has contributed Rs 20,000 towards her treatment.

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