Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara difference between India and Australia: Aussie coach

Agencies
December 31, 2018

Melbourne, Dec 31: Australian coach Justin Langer has lamented a lack of world-class batsmen in his side's line-up and pointed out that Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have been the difference for the visitors in the on-going four-match Test series.

India won the third Test at the MCG by 131 runs to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series. The fourth Test begins in Sydney Thursday.

"At this stage, the difference in the series is Pujara and Kohli, if we're frank. Pujara averages 53 and Kohli has averaged 46 and got a duck in the second innings. The lesson we learn from that is he just absorbed all our pressure," Langer said Monday.

"It's the art of batting, isn't it? It's about absorbing pressure. You've got so much time in Test cricket, and I guess in the (T20) world we live in, everything is so instant and so quick and talk about strike rates. Our guys are learning that, or hopefully they're learning that. If they don't we'll keep having performances like we're having," he said.

Langer blamed the first innings batting flop-show -- 151 all out -- for Australia's defeat in the third Test at the MCG.

"It was a really tough Test match. I've said from day one it's going to be a real arm wrestle the Test series and it feels like that. It has been tough, we probably got the worst of the conditions in this Test match and our first innings batting particularly was not up to the work we put into it. We feel disappointed and tired, but we are getting ready to refresh and get ready for the fourth one," he added.

Defeat in Melbourne has opened up old wounds for Australia who are now obviously struggling in the absences of banned duo of David Warner and Steve Smith. They have various points to ponder over, including the form of opener Aaron Finch as well as middle-order composition with both Peter Handscomb and Mitchell Marsh out of form.

Langer said the relative inexperience of the Australian batting line-up was starting to show as the series heads towards its culmination.

"He (Finch) is having a bit of a lean run of it although he has got a couple of fifties. He got a 100 run partnership one Test match ago and that set up the whole Test match for us. Finch is a really good player and he is working harder probably than he has ever worked. He has got to somehow recharge his batteries over and over again. It is a great challenge for him at the moment and he will be better I think," said the coach.

"With these guys one of the hardest things about Test cricket is one of the distractions so they are learning on the run actually. We will be collectively better for it. We have just got to make sure we stay in this contest and be great to have a win at the end of it. India have come here determined to win this series, we know that, and we see that in everything they have done since day one. It would be nice for us to send them home drawing the series, not winning it," he added.

Leg-spin all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne has been called up to the Test squad as Australia anticipates another slow track in Sydney. Langer said that their bowling attack needs a more favourable situation playing at home.

"I love playing at the WACA and I love playing at the Adelaide Oval with a bit of pace and bounce. All the years we have gone to India we have not had too many bouncy wickets, and it usually spins square. But it is also our way in Australia to just produce the best wickets we can.

"We are interested to see what we are going to get in Sydney next week. We are not sure ? it has been a bit inconsistent. India played a practice game there and it was very flat. In the Shield game there a few weeks ago it was very flat. We certainly hope it is not. In Melbourne the last couple of days were more of a contest and it was because the wicket deteriorated and you want to see a good contest," said the former opening batsman.

"We will definitely have a look at the wicket (before selection decisions). There are lots of discussion about how the wicket is going to be, is it going to spin, is it green, we are not sure yet. Have a look at that and then make some decisions next couple of days. From Australian perspective you have got three of the best fast bowlers in the world and a gun spinner, so you would like to see a bit more bounce," Langer said.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

London, Jan 11: Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's famous lap around the Wankhede Stadium after the World Cup 2011 win has been nominated in Laureas's list for the most inspiring sporting event in the last twenty years.

The moment featuring Tendulkar has been described as "Carried on the shoulders by a nation".

On his sixth attempt at the World Cup and with India not having won the competition since 1983, Tendulkar finally became a part of the team that lifted the coveted trophy. Carried on the shoulders of the Indian team, he made a lap of honour, shedding tears of joy after the victory was sealed in his home city.

The 2011 World Cup was also the first time, in which a host nation ended up winning the trophy.

Apart from Tendulkar, England's Andrew Flintoff is the only other cricketer to feature in the list. In 2005, England managed to defeat Australia in an Ashes Test, but Flintoff chose to first shake hands with Brett Lee rather than celebrate with his side.

Matthias Steiner (weightlifting), Natalie du Toit (swimming), Sky Brown (skateboarding), Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee (triathlon), Xia Boyu (mountaineering) have been nominated in the list.

Female tennis stars also feature in the list for coming up with an equal play, equal pay campaign. After pressure from Venus Williams and others, Wimbledon announced that female tennis players would receive prize money equal to the men's.

German international footballer Miroslav Klose was playing for Lazio in Italy's Serie A in 2012 against Napoli when he rose for a ball in the early moments of the game.

The ball came spiraling off his hand and skirted into the back of the net and a goal was awarded. While most players would carry on as if nothing had happened, Klose was honest with the referee and admitted that he handled the ball.

As a result, he also finds a place on the list.

The Laureus Sporting Moment Award celebrates the moments where the sport has unified people in the most extraordinary way.

This campaign has shortlisted 20 sporting stories from the last 20 years that have left their mark on the world.

The winner will be decided on the basis of public voting. It has already started, and the final date to cast the vote is February 16.

Finally, the result will be declared on February 17.
With three knock-out rounds, the top-20 moments will be whittled down to ten then five, with the top-five moments going head-to-head.

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News Network
April 8,2020

London, Apr 8: England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has raised more than 65,000 pound (USD 80,000) to help fight the coronavirus by auctioning off his World Cup final shirt.

Buttler's shirt, which he wore when completing the last-ball run-out that saw England beat New Zealand at Lord's last year, was sold to raise money for specialist heart and lung centres provided by the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals in London.

Buttler, who earlier in the showpiece match had hit a fifty and batted in the Super Over, put his long-sleeve keeping jersey up for sale on eBay a week ago.

By the time the auction closed on Tuesday, the shirt had attracted 82 bids with the winner paying 65,100 pound.

Buttler, speaking on Monday, said: "It's a very special shirt but I think it takes on extra meaning with it being able to hopefully go to the emergency cause.

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Agencies
January 26,2020

Chennai, Jan 26: Former India cricketer Kapil Dev on Saturday said that it will be a big loss for the Indian side when MS Dhoni decides to hang up his boots.

"I think he has served the country so well and nobody has done it like him. Everyone has to retire sooner or later. He is not playing matches currently. So I don't know when he will come out one day and say -- I have had enough. I think it will be our loss because he is such a fabulous cricketer," Dev told reporters here.

In the recently released BCCI contracts list, Dhoni did not find a place for himself. The former World Cup winning captain Dev said that it is unfortunate that Dhoni was not included in the contract list.

"I feel sorry that they have not included him. 

Tendulkar, Gavaskar had to witness the same. It's not my job and I am not there to give the contract to anyone. It is the job of the cricket board. So, I don't know. You can ask this question to the cricket board. They will be able to answer this question," Dev said.

The 38-year-old Dhoni is currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.

Dhoni had to face criticism for his slow batting approach during India's matches in the tournament. 

Especially in the games against England and New Zealand (semi-final), he had to bear the brunt of netizens, who deemed him as the reason for the Men in Blue's loss.

BCCI released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

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