Warner gets Australia off to flying start, Hughes remembered

December 9, 2014

WarnerAdelaide, Dec 9: Opening batsman David Warner blasted a rapid-fire half-century to drive Australia to 113-2 at lunch on day one of the first test against India, firing up an emotional Adelaide Oval crowd after solemn tributes to Phillip Hughes on Tuesday.

Australia captain Michael Clarke won the toss and gladly sent his team to bat, and though India's pacemen captured two early wickets, Warner put Australia in a solid position to exploit the flat pitch in the afternoon.

He was on 77 not out with Clarke on nine.

Warner, who was present when team mate Hughes was lethally injured by a short ball in Sydney, smacked seven boundaries in the opening four overs and brought up his 50 shortly after the drinks break on a glorious, warm morning.

Bringing up the milestone with a pull to the fence, the pugnacious 28-year-old raised his bat and his head to the sky, a poignant moment on the day cricket resumed in Australia nearly two weeks after the death of Hughes.

Warner's opening partner Chris Rogers was reduced to a bystander as his team mate ran amok, and ultimately a spectator when he drove recklessly at an Ishant Sharma delivery, edging the paceman to Dhawan at second slip to be out for nine.

Shane Watson, batting at three and recalled to the side after missing Australia's 2-0 series defeat to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, survived a scratchy 53 minutes before edging Varun Aaron to the same fielder.

Watson's wicket, for 14 runs, brought captain Clarke to the crease and the 33-year-old, who played a leading role in supporting Hughes' family and his team mates, was given a standing ovation as he strode out onto the turf.

Aaron welcomed the 33-year-old with a bouncer first ball, prompting Clarke to walk down the wicket and spout a few words at the paceman.

Warner swept for two runs to reach 63, the score Hughes had advanced to before being struck in Sydney, and gazed at the cloudless sky again, clasping his bat and shaking it as the crowd rose to their feet.

13TH MAN

The opening match of the four-test series was originally scheduled in Brisbane but was delayed and switched to Adelaide Oval following Hughes' death to give players time to mourn for their former team mate.

Batsman Virat Kohli is leading India for the first time in a test match with regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni sidelined with a thumb injury.

Leg spinner Karn Sharma made his test debut for the visitors whose pacemen were inconsistent and may count themselves lucky to have taken two wickets.

On a day of tributes to Hughes, the number 408 was painted on the turf in front of the Sir Donald Bradman Pavilion, recognising the batsman as the 408th player to represent Australia in a test match.

Both teams wore black armbands and Hughes was named an honorary “13th man” in Australia's squad, with his former team mates to wear black armbands.

Following a video tribute narrated by iconic Australian commentator Richie Benaud, the crowd stood and applauded for 63 seconds in recognition of Hughes's final innings.

Hughes's death prompted a debate about the use of the bouncer, but paceman Aaron bowled the first in the fourth over, a sizzling 145 kph delivery that drew applause from the crowd and that Warner did well to avoid.

Earlier, young leg-spinner Karn Sharma made his debut for India as Australian captain Michael Clarke opted to bat.

Virat Kohli led the Indian side in absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is still not fully match fit to resume his keeping duties.

In Dhoni’s absence from the playing XI, Wriddhiman Saha gets to play another Test match after he last played at the same venue almost three years back.

India went in with three pacers in Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Varun Aaron. Rohit Sharma also returned to the playing XI after his last Test match against England in Southampton.

Scoreboard at lunch:

Australia 1st innings

C Rogers c Dhawan b Ishant 9

D Warner batting 77

S Watson c Dhawan b Aaron 14

M Clarke batting 9

Extras (w—2, nb—2) 4

Total (For 2 wickets; 24 overs) 113

Fall of wickets: 1—50, 2—88

Bowling: Shami 5—0—30—0, Aaron 8—1—51—1, Ishant 8—2—17—1, Karn 3—0—15—0.

Teams

India: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Karn Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Varun Aaron.

Australia: Michael Clarke (c), David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon.

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News Network
January 31,2020

Wellington, Jan 31: A nervous New Zealand threw it away yet again as a perseverant India prevailed in the Super Over for the second successive time to take a 4-0 lead in the T20 International series on Friday.

Needing just 11 runs off the last two overs with seven wickets in hand, New Zealand dug a hole for themselves yet again, taking the game to a Super Over two nights after doing the same in Hamilton.

New Zealand managed 13 runs in six balls and India got there effortlessly.

KL Rahul smashed 10 runs off the first two balls before he was caught. Then, a fired-up Virat Kohli and Sanju Samson finished the game in style.

Earlier, Manish Pandey proved his value to the team with an unbeaten 50 off 35 balls, taking India to 165 for eight from 88 for six in the 12th over.

India's total wasn't enough considering the batting-friendly conditions but the hosts made life a lot tougher for themselves from a commanding position before succumbing to pressure.

The entertaining knocks from Colin Munro (64 off 47) and Time Seifert went in vain (57 off 39).

Mohammed Shami, who was rested on Friday, had bowled a brilliant 20th over on Wednesday and man of the match Shardul Thakur was up to the task this time, conceding just six runs when the opposition needed seven for victory.

With the series already in the bag, India gave opportunity to Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar and Navdeep Saini for the first time in the five-match series, resting Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Shami. However, none of them was able to make an impact in the game.

Chasing 165, New Zealand lost Martin Guptill early. But Munro and Seifert put on 74 runs for the second wicket to put themselves on track.

Munro scored a half-century of 38 deliveries, inclusive of six fours and three sixes. He was out against the run of play as Kohli's direct hit surprisingly found the target after a relay throw from the deep.

It was the turning point as New Zealand lost regular wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled Tom Bruce (0), but Seifert found a partner in Ross Taylor as they pushed the score past 150 in the 18th over.

Seifert scored a half-century off 32 balls, including four fours and three sixes. But the great choke was yet to come again. Needing 18 off 18, the Black Caps lost four wickets in the last over bowled by Thakur.

Taylor holed out of the first ball, while Seifert was run out two balls later. Daryl Mitchell (4) was caught next and Mitchell Santner (2) couldn't steal two runs off the last ball as the sides engaged in a tie-breaker for the second game running.

This was after New Zealand won a fourth consecutive toss and opted to field. Kane Williamson didn't take part in the match owing to a shoulder niggle.

Tim Southee was the stand-in skipper, with the Black Caps making two changes.

Put in to bat, the visitors were struggling at 88-6 at one stage before Pandey's lonesome rescue act took them to a respectable total. KL Rahul contributed 39 runs off 26 balls, inclusive of three sixes and two fours.

Leg spinner Ish Sodhi got into the act and ran through India's batting order. First to go was Shreyas Iyer (1) and then Shivam Dube (12) was caught at mid-wicket.

Sodhi finished with 3-26 while Santner dismissed Sundar for nought as the New Zealand spinners rounded up a good outing with 4-54 in eight overs.

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Agencies
August 3,2020

Silverstone, Aug 2: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on Sunday won his seventh British Grand Prix title after a dramatic last-lap at the Silverstone Circuit.

Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas were at the first and second spot respectively until tyre drama struck.

Second-placed man Bottas was the first to suffer as his tyre deflated on lap 50, resulting in 11th place finish. Hamilton also suffered a similar issue before the final few seconds of the race.

However, with Max Verstappen having opted to pit a few laps from the end to try and claim the fastest lap, Hamilton had enough time in hand to just cross the line first, five seconds ahead of Verstappen and the third-placed Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz had been set to finish fourth, but his own last lap tyre issue saw him eventually come home P13, allowing Renault's Daniel Ricciardo to claim fourth, following a late pass on the sister McLaren of Lando Norris.

Renault's Esteban Ocon finished sixth, having enjoyed a race-long battle with Lance Stroll's Racing Point, with Pierre Gasly having enjoyed a fine race to finish seventh for AlphaTauri.

Alex Albon finished eighth for Red Bull, having recovered from a lap 1 tussle with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen that saw him fall to last, while Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel rounded out the top 10, Vettel holding off a late charge form the recovering Mercedes of Bottas.

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News Network
June 25,2020

New Delhi, Jun 25: India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday called the 1983 World Cup win as the 'landscape' changing moment for the game of cricket in the country.

Today, India is celebrating the completion of the 37 years of the maiden World Cup triumph under the leadership of Kapil Dev.

"Today 37 years ago, changed the cricketing landscape in India. Thank you @therealkapildev and team for making the game a career for many of us today. Deeply indebted," Ashwin tweeted.

In 1983, in the finals between India and West Indies, the latter won the toss and opted to bowl first.

The Kapil Dev-led side managed to score just 183 runs as Andy Roberts took three wickets while Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Larry Gomes picked up two wickets each.

Defending 183, India did a good job of keeping a check on the Windies run flow, reducing the side to 57/3.

Soon after, the team from the Caribbean was reduced to 76/6 and India was the favourites from there on to win the title.

Mohinder Amarnath took the final wicket of Michael Holding to give India their first-ever World Cup title win.

In the finals, West Indies was bowled out for 140, and as a result, India won the match by 43 runs.

Kapil Dev lifting the trophy at the balcony of Lord's Cricket Ground still remains an image to savour for all the Indian fans.

In the finals, Mohinder Amarnath was chosen as the Man of the Match as he scored 26 runs with the bat and also picked up three wickets with the ball.

India has been the regular participant in the World Cup from its beginning to the latest edition. The first edition was held in 1975 and from there on, it has taken place after a span of every four years.

West Indies won the first two World Cup titles (1975, 1979) and was the runner-up in 1983. India has won the title two times, in 1983 and in 2011.

MS Dhoni captained the 2011 team to win their second title after 28 years. Australia has won the tournament five times (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015).

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