India vs Sri Lanka: Meet Vijay Shankar, the latest entry to India's Test squad

Agencies
November 21, 2017

Chennai, Nov 21: Vijay Shankar had been hoping for a national call-up for a while but his elevation in the India Test team came as a surprise to the Tamil Nadu allrounder.

Shankar, who was seen as a backup seam bowling allrounder to Hardik Pandya, was drafted into the Indian Test team in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka as a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

"I am really excited (about the call-up). It has been a long-time dream of mine to be part of the Indian team. Now it has come true. My hard work has paid off. I was not expecting it but it feels great," he told PTI on Tuesday from Indore.

"I am looking forward to being part of the Indian dressing room for the first time," he added.

The 26-year-old cricketer, who has played for India A, said it has helped him grow as an allrounder.

"Being part of the India A team has helped me grow as an allrounder. I have matured as a player and learnt to perform under different situations," he said.

Shankar has been in good form with the bat in the ongoing Ranji Trophy and slammed a hundred against Odisha while also bowling long spells, which he said was good.

"I am happy with my batting form. I have been bowling well too and have bowled long spells. Getting four wickets against Mumbai has given me confidence," he said.

Having overcome a series of injuries, which forced him to miss matches and A tours in the past, Shankar is now looking forward to better times.

The allrounder, who led Tamil Nadu to triumphs in the Deodhar Trophy and Syed Musthaq Ali Trophy last season, said he had worked hard on his fitness.

"I was frustrated to miss matches but worked hard on my fitness. I did rehab at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) with the physios and trainers there. It has made me stronger," he said.

Shankar, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said working with Tamil Nadu bowling coach L Balaji, a former India cricketer, had helped him improve his bowling.

"Working with Balaji has helped me improve my bowling and increase my speed," he said.

His family members were delighted to see him earn a call to the Test team and his brother Ajay, who plays in the TNCA League, said Vijay's hard work and perseverance has paid off.

"We are excited to see him representing the country. Making a debut is a big and a very special time for us. He worked hard a lot for this," Ajay, a mentor of sorts for his brother, said.

He also said Shankar's determination helped during the tough times when he was injured and missed matches. "Vijay put in a lot of hard work and his efforts made him return stronger and earn a spot in the A team," Ajay said.

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News Network
May 1,2020

Melbourne, May 1: Reclaiming the top spot in Test cricket has brought smiles back on their faces but Australia coach Justin Langer says beating India in their own den remains the ultimate test and their numero uno status will be put to test when they clash with the Virat Kohli-led team.

After a tumultuous transition phase post the ball-tampering scandal, Australia on Friday displaced India as number one side in Test format but Langer is aware that it does not take long for the situation to change.

"We recognise how fluid these rankings are, but at this time it was certainly nice to put a smile on our faces," Langer told Cricket Australia website. "We've got lots of work to do to get to be the team that we want to be, but hopefully over the last couple of years not only have we performed well on the field, but also off the field," Langer added.

The former left-handed opener underlined what he felt will be the ultimate test of character.

"Certainly a goal for us has been the World Test Championship ... but ultimately, we have to beat India in India and we've got to beat them when they come back (to Australia).

"You can only judge yourself as being the best if you beat the best and we've got some really tough opposition to come," Langer put his priorities in place. The team he insists needs to get better as now others will come gunning for them.

"Getting to No.1 is a great thing, but when you're No.1, you're always the hunted," Langer said. "We've been the hunters for a while, now we're the hunted and we need to get better and better."

Langer also hoped that white ball team under Aaron Finch will win the World Cup. "I know how hard it is to win World Cups ... everything has to go right. One day, I'd love to see Aaron Finch with all his mates lift that T20 World Cup above his head."

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News Network
May 18,2020

Karachi, May 18: Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan believes it is at least five years too early to compare Virat Kohli and Babar Azam as the Indian skipper has proven himself in "every kind of situation" and the latter has not.

"Virat Kohli is far more experienced than Babar. He has at least five years more experience of top cricket and he is at the peak of his career," said Younis, Pakistan's leading run-getter in Tests.

"Kohli has far more exposure than Babar and he has been in every kind of situation and proven himself. No one gets 70 international centuries like that and this are proof of his class and abilities. He has scored runs in every situation and all opposition."

Younis said said Babar still has a long way to go.

"Babar has been in top cricket for just around five years. He has got a very impressive batting average across all three formats and he is getting better by the day.

"You see him batting and you can see he has got the same qualities that Kohli had at the start of his career."

Besides amassing 70 international hundreds, 31-year-old Kohli averages more than 50 in all three formats. The India skipper has scored more than 20,000 runs while 25-year-old Babar has 6680 runs across formats though the Pakistan limited overs skipper has played significantly lesser number of games.

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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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