Send SOS to Pujara, Zaheer: Sourav Ganguly

January 20, 2014

SOS_to_PujaraKolkata, Jan 20: India need Cheteshwar Pujara and Zaheer Khan in their one-day line up, former captain Sourav Ganguly said on Sunday as India began their New Zealand tour with a defeat in Napier.

Criticising Ishant's selection, Ganguly felt India leaked too many runs even as they had the "world's best" one-day batsman in Virat Kohli.

"I feel selectors should think about two players - Cheteshwar Pujara and Zaheer Khan. Pujara is the most-needed batsman in these conditions. He has adjusted well in the Test mould and I'm sure he will do well in the ODI format," Ganguly said.

"Similarly Zaheer is must-needed in the bowling attack. If he can bowl 30 overs in Tests, why can't he do that for 10 overs?" he asked.

Questioning the selection of the lanky pacer who conceded eight runs per over in the first ODI on Sunday, Ganguly quipped "Ishant Sharma remains to be an enigma to me."

"He is the seniormost Indian bowler with experience. But he has been inconsistent under pressure as Mohammad Shami has become the backbone of Indian bowling. He's no doubt the find of Indian cricket as I've said earlier," he said.

Ganguly hoped that Bengal pacer Ashoke Dinda will make a comeback after his Ranji performance this season.

"I hope Dinda will get a chance this year. He is good in his length and line."

Ganguly also hailed Kohli who scored his 18th century to keep India in the hunt in their chase of 293 before being bundled out for 268 to trail 0-1 in the five-ODI series.

"He is no doubt the best one-day batsman in the world at the moment. He has scored runs in all parts of the world. But the target proved too much in such conditions. In India, it would have been easy," Ganguly told a Bengali news channel.

Bengal might be staring at an innings defeat against Maharashtra in their Ranji semifinals in Indore, but the city's favourite cricket icon said Laxmi Ratan Shukla should not lose heart after their commendable performance in the Ranji season.

"It's really unfortunate, the match seems to have gone out of their hand. It seems toss became crucial. But they should rejoice about their performance this season. Hope they go forward from here," he said.

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News Network
February 13,2020

Feb 13: Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were buried in a private funeral service in Southern California last week, multiple outlets reported late Tuesday.

Citing Kobe Bryant's death certificate, Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV reported the remains of the former Lakers star and his daughter were transferred to Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Corona del Mar. Kobe and Brianna were laid to rest in a private ceremony there last Friday.

According to KTTV, the death certificate cited Kobe's cause of death as "blunt trauma" sustained in a "commercial helicopter crash." It also said his death was "rapid."

Corona del Mar is a community within Newport Beach, where the Bryant family lives.

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were among nine people killed when the helicopter they were in crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif., northwest of Los Angeles, on Jan. 26. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56; his wife, Keri; and their daughter Alyssa, 14 -- who played on the same club basketball team as Gianna Bryant -- also were killed. Christina Mauser, a 38-year-old who was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls basketball team, was also killed in the accident, as were Sarah Chester, 45; her daughter Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

A public memorial service for the Bryants will be held Feb. 24 at Staples Center, beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

While the date -- 2/24 -- conveniently falls between two Lakers' home games, it still could have been chosen symbolically. Gianna -- one Kobe and Vanessa' four daughters -- wore No. 2 on her basketball jersey while Kobe was No. 24 for part of his 20-year-tenure with the Lakers, and his retired jerseys -- he also wore No. 8 -- hang at Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Times reported that "entry is expected to be severely restricted" at the venue despite Staples Center's capacity of about 20,000.

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News Network
April 5,2020

New Delhi, April 5: England batsman James Vince lashed out at people for not taking proper measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and said people are going out as if "everything is normal".

"Just seen the pictures of people out and about today as if everything is normal. What selfish people, surely by now they've realised this is serious. Well done to everyone who's doing their bit and staying in," Vince tweeted.

On March 13, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that Europe was now the 'epicentre' of the disease.

The death toll due to the novel coronavirus in the UK has exceeded 4,313 with at least 708 new deaths in the last 24 hours, the largest one-day rise since the start of the outbreak as confirmed by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The total number of cases in the UK as on Saturday is 41,903, a rise of 3,735 cases in the last 24 hours.

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April 4,2020

New Delhi, April 4: India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the 2014 Test series against England was the lowest point of his career.

He made the revelation during a candid Instagram Live session with former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

To date, the 2014 Test series in England remains one of the worst Test series for Kohli as he averaged just 13.40 from 10 ten innings with his highest score being 39.

"I felt like as a batsman, you know you are going to get out in the morning as soon as you wake up. That was the time I felt like that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail, was something that ate me up," Kohli told Pietersen.

However, just four years later, Kohli made a triumphant return to England as he scored a century in the opening Test of the 2018 series and finished as the highest run-getter in the series.

Kohli told Pietersen that the performance in 2014 came because he was just thinking about his own batting.

"2014 series happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view. I wanted to get runs. I could never think of what does the team want me to do in this situation," Kohli said.

"I just got too engulfed with England tour - if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I am going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all," he added.
During the chat, Kohli talked about his favourite format in cricket and he also revealed the main reason for turning into a vegan.

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