MS Dhoni & Co. Will Find it Challenging During the World Cup, Says Rahul Dravid

January 29, 2015

MS Dhoni  Co

Mumbai, Jan 29: Former India captain Rahul Dravid on Wednesday said that the upcoming World Cup is going to be a challenge for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team, which should hope for the Australian and New Zealand wickets to remain slow and supportive of spin.

"It's going to be a challenge, it is not easy. You are playing in very different conditions," Dravid told reporters here.

It was a bit "strange" to see that most of the Australian wickets were slow during the recently-concluded Test series and Dravid hopes the pitches behave n the same manner to assist India's most potent weapon, spin.

"That's the advantage India has, if the wickets stay slower and lower as we have seen in the Test matches, then the spinners will come into the mix and India can afford to play two and even three spinners," he said.

However, he also pointed out that the slow track at Adelaide was much different from the fast one in Brisbane.

Dravid expressed confidence that the Indian team has the right combination to reach the quarter-finals. After that it would be only about "three good days" of performance, he said.

He cautioned that hosts Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have 60-70 per cent chance to lift the cup.

"It is going to be who handles pressure better and who handles the must-win games better. India will make to the quarter final, and I think they have got the players to do it," he said, adding that by quarter finals, the team should get their act together and the entire playing 11 should be in top form.

Dravid, who had a formidable reputation as a number three, said he would like Virat Kohli to walk onto the field after 10-12 overs which would allow him time to settle in for a big knock.

As far as the opening pair was concerned, he said it is unfortunate that Rohit Sharma is down with injury, but his comeback will help things a lot, while Shikhar Dhawan, who has had a few bad games recently, should be given necessary time to perform.

He acknowledged that the bowling has been lacklustre in the recent past, but pointed out that the return of Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja was a positive development.

"I am not overly worried about form right now. We had a few issues with injuries with couple of batsmen and bowlers getting injured, it's been hard for them, but I am not overly concerned," Dravid said.

Stressing the importance of team work, he said one celebrated player like Dhoni or his deputy Kohli cannot win the cup alone. At least six players will have to hit their best forms, he added.

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News Network
May 28,2020

New Delhi, May 28: India is not at risk of losing hosting rights for next year's Twenty20 World Cup despite its cricket board's failure to secure a tax exemption for the event, a key BCCI official has told Reuters.

Tax exemptions for International Cricket Council (ICC) events are listed as a requirement in host agreements and the BCCI was supposed to confirm they had secured one by May 18.

ESPNcricinfo, citing correspondence between the two bodies, has reported that the ICC has threatened to shift the tournament away from India over the issue.

However, BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told Reuters that would not happen and that negotiations were continuing.

"There is no risk to the tournament," he said by telephone.

"That is a work in progress. We are discussing it with the ICC and we'll resolve it."

The BCCI encountered a similar problem when it hosted the event in 2016 when the government refused to provide a tax exemption, and there has been no change in New Delhi's stance despite the board's appeals.

Failure to secure that exemption in 2016 saw the ICC withhold an equivalent sum from India's share of revenue from the governing body's grants and it appears to be taking an even harder line this time around.

"There are certain timelines within the agreements that we collectively work towards to ensure we can deliver successful world class events and continue to invest in the sport of cricket," an ICC spokesperson told Reuters.

"In addition to this the ICC Board agreed clear timelines for the resolution of the tax issues which we are guided by."

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Agencies
August 3,2020

Silverstone, Aug 2: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on Sunday won his seventh British Grand Prix title after a dramatic last-lap at the Silverstone Circuit.

Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas were at the first and second spot respectively until tyre drama struck.

Second-placed man Bottas was the first to suffer as his tyre deflated on lap 50, resulting in 11th place finish. Hamilton also suffered a similar issue before the final few seconds of the race.

However, with Max Verstappen having opted to pit a few laps from the end to try and claim the fastest lap, Hamilton had enough time in hand to just cross the line first, five seconds ahead of Verstappen and the third-placed Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz had been set to finish fourth, but his own last lap tyre issue saw him eventually come home P13, allowing Renault's Daniel Ricciardo to claim fourth, following a late pass on the sister McLaren of Lando Norris.

Renault's Esteban Ocon finished sixth, having enjoyed a race-long battle with Lance Stroll's Racing Point, with Pierre Gasly having enjoyed a fine race to finish seventh for AlphaTauri.

Alex Albon finished eighth for Red Bull, having recovered from a lap 1 tussle with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen that saw him fall to last, while Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel rounded out the top 10, Vettel holding off a late charge form the recovering Mercedes of Bottas.

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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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