Kohli, Dhoni show keep England attack at bay

December 15, 2012

kohli_Dhoni

Nagpur, December 15: Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli batted resolutely to take India to 146/4 at lunch on the third day of the fourth and final cricket Test against England in Nagpur on Saturday.

Battling hard to resurrect the stuttering innings, the two overnight batsmen carried on in a sedate fashion against the England attack to remain unconquered in a lunch score of 146 for 4 in 73 overs, that left India 184 runs behind England’s first innings total of 330.

At the break, Kohli was not out on 46 - his highest individual score of the series - after a total stay of 170 minutes in which he faced 155 balls and hit three fours. His captain was on a 103-ball 33 that included four fours and came in 155 minutes.

The day began with the two batsmen, who tried their best to eschew all risks, facing innings wrecker-in-chief James Anderson and Monty Panesar.

The first four of the morning was an edged for by Dhoni off Anderson, who had ripped out the stumps of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in a sensational stint of fast bowling on Friday.

Strangely, there was not a slip in sight to wait for the edges to Anderson who later gave way to Tim Bresnan after a four-over spell in which he conceded that four and three more runs.

The sight of a new fast bowler into the attack galvanised Kohli a bit and he off-drove him superbly for his first boundary of the day to raise the team’s 100 in the 52nd over.

Kohli then crossed his previous best score in the series - 20 made in the second innings of the third Test - and then Dhoni square cut Swann, who replaced the frugal Panesar after the latter’s six-over spell for two runs, to increase the rate of scoring.

The fifth wicket duo also completed their half-century re-building stand in 106 minutes and 170 balls.

The first hour produced just 27 runs in 17 overs and India were 217 runs adrift of the visitors’ first innings total of 330.

Panesar went to the end from where Bresnan and Anderson bowled, soon after the start of the second hour’s play and the two batsmen got a few boundaries with square cuts off the spinners.

Eager to get a breakthrough, England captain Alastair Cook brought the unimpressive Bresnan for Swann late in the session and then gave the ball to debutant Joe Root.

The hosts added 59 runs in 32 overs in the session, and more importantly, did not lose a wicket while putting on 75 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket in 248 balls.


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News Network
June 3,2020

Colorado, Jun 3: Formula One boss Chase Carey has said that races will go ahead even if a driver tests positive for coronavirus.

His remarks come as organisers revealed a revised 2020 calendar and the schedule for the first eight races was put in the public domain.

"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," the official website of Formula One quoted Carey as saying.

"Some things we'd have to talk through and work through. The array of 'what ifs' are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race would not cancel the race. I do not think I could sit here and lay out the consequences," he said.

Carey added the organisers will be having the necessary procedures in place so that the race does not get cancelled if a driver ends up testing positive for coronavirus.

"But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, teams have reserve drivers available," Carey said.

"We would not be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive," he added.

The Formula One 2020 season will be beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

F1 currently expects the opening races to be closed events but hopes that fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so.

The season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race on the same track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will follow a week after that, before a break. There will be then two back to back races at Silverstone, followed by the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6.

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Agencies
March 1,2020

New Delhi, Mar 1: Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif on Sunday heaped praise on Ravindra Jadeja after the all-rounder took a spectacular catch on the second day of the Christchurch Test against New Zealand.

Jadeja grabbed a one-handed stunner at deep square leg in the 72nd over to dismiss Neil Wagner, who had to depart after scoring 21 runs.

"Sir Jadeja for a reason! Jadeja Airlines, flying high! Terrific stuff," Kaif tweeted.

In the match, Jadeja also impressed with the ball. The left-handed bowler took two wickets while giving away 22 runs.

On day two, India bundled out New Zealand on 235 runs in the second Test. However, in their second innings, Indian batsmen again struggled to tackle the New Zealand pacers and lost six wickets with a lead of just 97 runs.

India went to stumps at 90/6, with Trent Boult doing the majority of the damage with three wickets.

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News Network
June 9,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 9: Former India skipper Rahul Dravid has said that Virat Kohli understands that the real respect for him as a cricketer will come through success in the longest format of the game.

Dravid, popularly known as 'The Wall', also said that Test batsmanship has become exciting to watch now as batters play aggressive shots more often.

"I actually believe Test batsmanship has become more exciting than before, the aggressive element of Test batsmanship is going forward, players are playing shots and it is good to see, a good thing for India is Virat Kohli really values Test cricket, he understands that the real respect for him as a cricketer will come from his success in Test cricket," Dravid told Sanjay Manjrekar in a videocast hosted by ESPNCricinfo.

He also said that defensive batting in cricket is not irrelevant, but added that players can have successful careers without having a good defensive technique.

"I don't think it is becoming irrelevant, maybe the value of defensive batting is not the same as it was a generation ago, it can never become irrelevant, I think you still need to defend your wicket if you want to score suns, I feel now you can survive without a good defensive technique in cricket," Dravid said.

"Today, you do not need to have a good Test career to have a successful career, look at the best players in the world today, a lot of them have a good defensive technique and they can play out difficult periods of the game," he added.

The 47-year-old Dravid also said that all young players want to represent their country in all three formats during their initial days, but eventually, they become realistic as time passes by.

"I would say in my interaction with the younger players, everyone's hero is someone who has succeeded in all formats of the game. I think all players start off wanting to play all formats, but then guys get a little realistic about their careers, superstars of the game will still want to play to all formats of the game," Dravid said.

Dravid is the only player in the history of cricket to be involved in two 300-plus ODI partnerships.

He played 164 Tests, 344 ODIs and one T20I for India. Dravid had announced his retirement from international cricket in March 2012.

He finished his career with 48 international centuries.

He has also coached the Indian junior sides (India U-19 and India A) and he is now the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

Dravid has also led the side during his playing days and under his leadership, the side had managed to register their first Test series win in England.

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