Murali Vijay flays Australia with brilliant ton in second test at Brisbane

December 17, 2014

Vijay bats

Brisbane (Australia), Dec 17: Indian opener Murali Vijay put Australia to the sword at the Gabba with a brilliant 144, as the visitors reached 311 for four at close of play, on the opening day of the second test on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old shared an opening partnership of 56 with Shikhar Dhawan, stalled a little in the sweltering heat after lunch and then opened up after reaching his fifth test century in the final session. His innings came to an end after five and half hours when he stepped down the pitch in search of a 23rd boundary and was caught behind off Nathan Lyon.

Ajinkya Rahane, who shared a 124-run partnership with Vijay, will resume on 75 not out on day two along with Rohit Sharma (26), as India look to inflict a first defeat on Australia at the Gabba since 1988. It was a tough first day for Australia, who lost Mitchell Marsh to a hamstring problem after lunch.

Debutant paceman Josh Hazlewood was also forced to leave the field midway through his 16th over, having taken his first two test wickets after lunch. A miserable day for Australia was compounded when Shaun, recalled to replace injured captain Michael Clarke, dropped Vijay on 36 and 102. Vijay had illustrated his rich vein of form with knocks of 53 and 99 in the first test at Adelaide and fully vindicated captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bat first after winning the toss.

Vijay then weathered a period of pressure as Hazlewood removed Cheteshwar Pujara (18) and Virat Kohli (19). He kept his cool through the second session in which the tourists added 62 runs to their lunch score of 89-1 and hit his stride again when the bowlers tired in the afternoon sun.

Successive fours off Shane Watson took him to his century as he initially looked unaware of having reached the milestone, before whipping off his helmet and raising his bat to the visitors' dressing room.

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Agencies
August 5,2020

New Delhi, Aug 5: Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Harmanpreet Kaur were on Wednesday appointed as the global brand ambassadors of the WTF Sports.

Raina is also joining the brand as a Strategic Partner. WTF Sports, a fantasy sports gaming platform, was today formally launched in India and globally.

The announcement was made through a web conference with prominent cricket host, Vikram Sathaye moderating and hosting the webinar and Vinit Bhatia, Manit Parikh and Yash Kadakia Co-Founders - India and Global, WTF Sports introducing the cricketers as the Global Brand Ambassadors.

Kaur said it was a perfect fit for her and she can use her strategy and experience while playing.
"WTF Sports was the perfect fit with me, I can use strategy and my experience while playing, I've actually learnt to strategize better as I've played along. Additionally, when we were under lockdown and I couldn't really practice, it was fun to come on the platform and feel like I'm still playing," Kaur said in a statement.

On the other hand, Raina said, "It is exciting to be a part of a fantasy sports platform like WTF Sports not just as an ambassador but also as the strategic partner, it is everything that I embody and what I believe in, it's fierce, fun and competitive."

The app currently hosts three major sports, multiple playing modes, and exciting contests, ensuring that sports fans can get more skillful by letting them strategize and use their sports knowledge into rewarding behaviour.

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Agencies
March 13,2020

New Delhi, Mar 13: The remaining ODI series between India and South Africa has been called-off amidst the rising concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

"The second and third ODI between India and South Africa in Lucknow and Kolkata respectively are called off," the BCCI source told media persons.

The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain and wet outfield without a toss at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium on Thursday.

The second and third ODI was scheduled to be played at Lucknow and Kolkata on March 15 and 18 respectively. Earlier on Thursday, the BCCI has decided to play the remaining two ODIs behind closed doors.

"After holding discussions with the MYAS and MOHFW, the BCCI on Thursday announced that the remaining two One-day Internationals (ODIs) of the three-match series of South Africa tour of India, 2020, will be played without any public gathering, including spectators," the BCCI had said in a statement.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has advised all the federations to avoid large gatherings.

World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday had declared the coronavirus outbreak a 'pandemic' and expressed deep concerns.

The coronavirus disease was first detected in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, in late December, and has since spread worldwide.

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Agencies
January 5,2020

Mumbai, Jan 5: All-rounder Irfan Pathan on Saturday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending an injury-ridden career that prevented him from realising his true potential.

The 35-year-old's retirement was on expected lines, considering he last played a competitive game in February 2019 during the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy for Jammu and Kashmir.

He did not even put himself in the IPL auction pool, last month.

The left-arm seamer's bowling was like a breath of fresh air when he made his India debut against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2003.

He never had express pace but his natural ability to swing the ball into the right-handers got him instant success, also drawing comparisons with the great Kapil Dev.

It seemed India had found the all-rounder they were looking for since Kapil left the scene. Pathan, who last played for India in October 2012, featured in 29 Tests (1105 runs and 100 wickets), 120 ODIs (1544 runs and 173 wickets) and 24 T20 Internationals (172 runs and 28 wickets).

He was part of the victorious Indian team at the 2007 World Twenty20 and was the man-of-the-match in the final against Pakistan.

One of his best performances came on the tour of Pakistan in 2006 when he became the second Indian after Harbhajan Singh to take a Test hat-trick, removing Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yusuf during the Karachi game.

He also played a big role in India winning a Test match against Australia on a tough Perth wicket, which offered steep bounce.

Injuries and lack of form troubled him thereafter and his ability to swing the ball deteriorated.

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