India's sorry state continues, all out for 167 in 3rd ODI

January 6, 2013

saeed

New Delhi, Jan 6: India's horrendous batting show continued unabated as the hosts were bowled out for a paltry 167 against Pakistan in the third and final cricket One-day international, here today.

So pathetic was India's batting that they could not even last the full 50 overs after electing to bat. They were bundled out in 43.4 overs as Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal recorded a career-best performance of five for 24.

If India fail to defend the total, they would suffer their first series whitewash in 29 years. The last time India suffered the ignominy was at home in 1983 when the West Indies had routed the then world champion 5-0.

India's top-order collapsed again in the face of some fiery bowling by the Pakistani pacers -- Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan -- at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.

Pakistan bowled as a unit -- the fast bowlers provided a start and the spinners carried on with the good work.

India owed their partial recovery to a sensible partnership between skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36) and Suresh Raina (31). They joined forces when the team was stuttering at 63 for four and their 48-run stand for the fifth wicket repaired the flagging innings to some extent. They batted cautiously, looking for singles and punishing the bad balls.

Raina was timing the ball well, driving and lofting confidently. The diminutive left-hander hit an elegant six off Mohammed Hafeez over long-on and Dhoni, too, later hit the same bowler for two consecutive sixes.

However, Ajmal broke the stand by trapping Raina before also scalping R Ashwin in the next ball, which brought Ravindra Jadeja to the crease.

Dhoni dispatched Hafeez for another six over mid-wicket boundary before being dropped by the same the bowler in his follow through later on. Dhoni smashed one hard, which Hafeez tried to latch on to but only ended up hurting his left hand. Dhoni was batting on 29 at the time.

Dhoni could not cash in on the chance and was out to Umar Gul when he went for a cut only to find Umar Akmal at point. His 55-ball knock featured four boundaries, including three sixes.

With Dhoni's dismissal, India's hopes of a recovery were crushed even as Jadeja came up with a useful cameo of 27 with the help of two sixes.

Junaid and Irfan tested the Indians with some short and fast deliveries and succeeded in subduing the host's top- order. The Kotla wicket had some juice and the Pakistani duo made full use of the conditions to keep the Indians under check.

India left out struggling opener Virender Sehwag and brought in Ajinkya Rahane, hoping for a good start, which has eluded the hosts right through the series.

Rahane (4) was never comfortable and fell prey to the seven-foot tall Irfan when he edged one to keeper Kamran Akmal.

Baring a few shots, Gautam Gambhir's (15) stay was also uncomfortable before he gifted away his wicket by guiding a widish delivery off Irfan straight to point.

Local boy Virat Kohli (7) made a promising start with a boundary off Irfan, which got the spectators off thir seats. But he was soon scalped by Junaid in the slip cordon.

With both the pacers bowling in tandem, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq let the two bowl an extended seven-over spell each. After 14 overs, India were reeling at 43 for three and the crowd, which braved a chilling winter to see their stars in action, had only five boundaries to enjoy.

Two of those five shots came from the blade of flamboyant left-hander Yuvraj Singh at the start of his innings. The introduction of Umar Gul gave India their best over as the paceman was spanked for 18 runs.

India's joy, though, was short-lived as off-spinner Mohammed Hafeez castled Yuvraj with a faster one that spun from the middle before taking the bails off.

Scoreboard of the third and final One-day International between India and Pakistan here today.

India:

Gautam Gambhir c Umar Akmal b Md Irfan      15

Ajinkya Rahane c Kamran Akmal b Md Irfan     4

Virat Kohli c Younis Khan b Junaid Khan      7

Yuvraj Singh b Md Hafeez                    23

Suresh Raina lbw b Saeed Ajmal              31

MS Dhoni c Umar Akmal b Umar Gul            36

Ravichandran Ashwin lbw b Saeed Ajmal        0

Ravindra Jadeja c Umar Akmal b Saeed Ajmal  27

Bhuvneshwar Kumar lbw b Saeed Ajmal          2

Ishant Sharma    c&b Saeed Ajmal                5

Shami Ahmed not out                          0

Extras: (LB-4, W-7, NB-1, PEN-5)            17

Total: (all out; 43.4 overs)               167

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-29, 3-37, 4-63, 5-111, 6-111, 7-131, 8-141, 9-160, 10-167.

Bowling: Mohammad Irfan    7-1-28-2, Junaid Khan 9-1-17-1, Umar Gul 8-1-45-1, Mohammad Hafeez 10-0-44-1, Saeed Ajmal 9.4-1-24-5.

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July 19,2020

Manchester, Jul 19: Former England pacer Dominic Cork reckons star all-rounder Ben Stokes will go on to become one of his country's greatest cricketers ever.

Stokes, the hero of England's World Cup triumph last year, sparkled with a fine 176 and powered his side to a strong first-inning total of 469/9 declared in the ongoing second Test against the West Indies here.

"I genuinely think he can get better because of his work ethic. He wants to bat, he wants to bowl, he wants to work on his game, wants to get better," Cork said on Sky Sports show The Cricket Debate.

"I know he works a hell of a lot on his bowling as well. I just see this man not becoming only the best in the world but one of the best we have had ever. That's how highly I rate him."

The former seamer thought things changed for better for the World Cup hero after the Bristol bar brawl three years ago.

Last year, Stokes himself had said that the unsavoury incident and the ensuing chain of events, which dogged his career for 15 months, may be the best thing that could have happened to him.

Following the incident in September 2017, Stokes was acquitted of affray by a Bristol court in August 2018, before the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) ended his 15-month exile after a hearing in December 2018.

Former England batsman Ravi Bopara also spoke about the remarkable change in Stokes' approach.

"I think there has definitely been a change with Ben. He has made his mistakes and learnt from them. He looks a formidable cricketer," he said.

"He is a fiery character and always has been - even if you are playing PlayStation in hotel rooms.

"But as he has had a more important role in the side as an all-rounder, making an impact with bat and ball, winning games for England, and since England have started looking at him as the main guy, his attitude has changed with it."

West Indies lead the three-match series 1-0 after their win in the opener at Southamton.

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News Network
February 19,2020

New Delhi, Feb 19: An Indian wrestler whose family story was immortalised by Bollywood is hoping to create a blockbuster of her own by becoming her country's first world champion in the high-octane sport of mixed martial arts.

Ritu Phogat, who initially followed her father and two elder sisters into wrestling, is now charting a new path after making an explosive MMA debut in November.

Phogat's father Mahavir, and her sisters Geeta and Babita were the subject of 2016 movie "Dangal", telling the story of the wrestling coach who raised his daughters to become Commonwealth champions.

But Ritu, 25, is forging a different career. After winning her first MMA fight in less than three minutes, she will face China's Wu Chiao Chen at this month's ONE Championship fight night in Singapore, which will be held behind closed doors because of the coronavirus.

The youngest Phogat daughter is trading an attempt at an Olympic medal to tackle MMA, but she said she was attracted by the lure of making history in her new sport.

"I got a chance to train with the best in Singapore and there was no looking back," she told AFP during a promotional event in New Delhi.

"There was the 2020 Olympic Games but I thought that I would do well in mixed martial arts. I have come with an aim of becoming the first girl from India to become a world champion in mixed martial art."

The nimble but strongly built Phogat said wrestlers were a good fit for the fast-growing contact sport, which is yet to take off in India.

"Top seven champions in mixed martial arts are wrestlers, so I believe that wrestlers have an edge in this sport with their ability to take down the opponent," she said.

"It is all a matter of skill. You just have to practise hard. I think MMA is not much different from wrestling in terms of preparation.

"One has to take risks to do something new and as an athlete I am ready to embrace every challenge."

She added: "Without the support of my father and sisters I would not have been where I am. My father always taught me to be far-sighted, hard-working and with strong resolve. Three traits will take you a long way."

Phogat won 48kg gold at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship and followed it up with a silver in the under-23 world championships the next year.

"She used to watch a lot MMA and one day told me that I will win a gold in this game. So we all backed her and the result is there for everyone to see," he said.

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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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