Look at your career before commenting on Dhoni: Shastri

Agencies
November 15, 2017

Kolkata, Nov 15: India's chief coach Ravi Shastri today once again extended unflinching support to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying those commenting on the two-time World Cup winning former skipper should look back at their own careers.

A few former India players, including VVS Laxman and Ajit Agarkar, recently raised questions about Dhoni's T20I future, creating quite a storm in the country's cricketing circles.

"People should look back at their career before commenting on Dhoni. The captain has a lot of cricket left in him and it is the duty of the team to back the legend," Shastri said.

Shastri was having a look at the bat autographed by the 2011 World Cup winning Indian team at the Fanattic Sports Museum.

The coach further said the culture of the current team is based on performance and quality.

"There is no one better than Dhoni on the field given his ability behind the wicket and with the bat and his presence of mind and sharpness on the field."

Shastri lauded the players' athleticism and said: "In terms of fielding this team is the very best in the world at the moment and that's something that separates this team from Indian teams of the past."

India will take on Sri Lanka in three Tests beginning with the Eden five-dayer on November 16, and this will be Shastri's first home Test series.

"This team always turns up on the park to win. We hope to win the series spread over one and half months before going to South Africa."

Hardik Pandya has been rested for the series and Shastri said: "This team is not about one particular individual, we lose together, we win together."

Earlier, accompanied by bowling coach Bharat Arun, Shastri spent about two hours admiring the Fanattic Sports Museum curated and set up by sports historian Boria Majumdar.

While taking a stance with Sir Donald Bradman's bat from 1948, the former all-rounder said: "The quality of wood is such you can still play a few shots with it."

He compared Virat Kohli's bat with Sir Don's and donated his 2015 World Cup team directors' jersey and cap to the museum collection, and was particularly impressed with the Usain Bolt memorabilia.

Picking Bolt and Mohammed Ali as two of his personal favourites, Shastri said: "Every Indian cricketer should make a trip to the museum and enjoy the collection."

Arun, too, was impressed and said: "I would love youngsters training at the NCA to come to a place like this and absorb in cricket history."

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News Network
February 29,2020

Feb 29: India were all out for 242 in their first innings following a stunning battling collapse, triggered by paceman Kyle Jamieson on the opening day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, here on Saturday.

India were steady at 194 for five at tea but lost wickets in quick succession after the play resumed. Jamieson returned figures of 14-3-45-5.

Hanuma Vihari top-scored for India with his combative 55 while Prithvi Shaw (54) and Cheteshwar Pujara (54) hit contrasting half-centuries.

Virat Kohli's (3) poor run continued while his deputy Ajikya Rahane (7) also fell cheaply.

India lost last five wickets for 48 runs, of which 26 were contributed by last-wicket pair of Mohammed Shami (16) and Jasprit Bumrah (10).

Brief Scores:

India 1st innings: 242 all out in 63 overs. (H Vihari 55, P Shaw 54, C Pujara 54 batting; Kyle Jamieson 5/45, Tim Southee 2/38, ).

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Agencies
January 11,2020

Dubai, Jan 11: India opener KL Rahul has retained the sixth position while skipper Virat Kohli and left-hander Shikhar Dhawan have advanced one place each in the latest ICC Men's T20I player rankings after the conclusion of the series against Sri Lanka.

India won the T20I series 2-0 with one match getting washed out. Rahul, the highest-ranked Indian batsman, has gained 26 points and is now at the sixth spot with 760 rating points.

Rahul is just six points behind Australia's Glenn Maxwell after scores of 45 and 54 in his two innings against Sri Lanka.

Kohli, top-ranked in Tests and ODIs, is in the ninth position while Dhawan is on 15th. Manish Pandey has advanced four places and is ranked at the 70th.

India's fast bowlers have made notable gains in the first T20I update of the year and would be encouraged as they prepare for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia.

Player of the series Navdeep Saini has rocketed from 146 places to 98th while Shardul Thakur has re-entered in 92nd position after both finished with five wickets in the series. Jaspreet Bumrah has gained eight places to reach the 39th position.

For Sri Lanka, Dhananjaya de Silva has gained 72 places to reach 115th among batsmen after aggregating 74 runs while spinner Lakshan Sandakan has moved up 10 places to reach 29th position after grabbing three wickets in the series.

In the ICC Men's team rankings, India have gained two points but remain at fifth position with 260 points, while Sri Lanka have lost two points and now have 236 points and are at the eighth spot.

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News Network
January 27,2020

Auckland, Jan 27: : K.L. Rahul made an unbeaten 57 Sunday to steer India to a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second Twenty20 international and to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Rahul and Shreyas Iyer put on 86 for the third wicket as India cruised past New Zealand's total of 132-5 with 2.3 overs to spare. Shivam Dube (13 not out) hit a six from the bowling of Tim Southeein in the 18th over to lift India to 135-3.

Iyer made 58 not out and Rahul 56 as India beat New Zealand by six wickets with an over to spare in the first match of the series.

New Zealand made 203-5 batting first in that match but on Sunday, on the same pitch, it struggled to achieve any real momentum. During the second match the pitch played much slower and India bowled expertly to restrict New Zealand's total.

Martin Guptill made 33 in a 48-run opening partnership with Colin Munro and Tim Seifert made an unbeaten 33 at the end of the innings but New Zealand wasn't able to reach a total that could stretch India's deep batting lineup.

Rohit Sharma (8) and captain Virat Kohli (11) were out relatively cheaply but Rahul and Iyer (44) sped India towards a comprehensive victory.

Dube came to the crease shortly before the end and quickly brought the match to a conclusion.

"I think we backed up the first match with a very good performance today, especially with the ball," Kohli said. "We demanded that the bowlers stood up and took control of what we wanted to do out there.

"I think our line and length and the way we wanted to bowl on that wicket, sticking to one side of the wicket and being shorter was a very good feature of us as a team and helped us restrict a very good New Zealand team."

New Zealand's total was inadequate, even on a slower pitch, and India almost toyed with the home side as it made its way to a comfortable win.

New Zealand named the same team that lost the first match of the series and batted after winning the toss, just as it batted when it was outplayed in the first match of the series.

The match raised further questions about the coaching and captaincy of the New Zealand team after its humiliating test series loss in Australia last month. New Zealand showed again Sunday it hasn't the talent to compete with the best teams in the world.

"As a batting unit we probably needed another 15 or 20 to make that total more competitive," said New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. "But credit to the way the India side bowled, they're a class side in all departments and they put us under pressure throughout that middle period."

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