Glenn McGrath: In-form Jimmy Anderson can make it hard for Virat Kohli

Agencies
June 5, 2018

Chennai: Virat Kohli is a far more experienced player than what he was during his nightmarish tour of England in 2014 but Aussie great Glenn McGrath cautioned that an in-form Jimmy Anderson could make things tougher for the Indian captain this time too.

"Kohli is a more experienced player now. Quality player, no doubt about that. But English conditions are very tough. When you have got a bowler like Jimmy Anderson, who is bowling well now, it is going to be hard work.

You got to be prepared to work hard. Kohli is a quality player so I am looking forward to that contest," McGrath told media persons during an interaction.

McGrath made it clear it will be foolhardy only depend on Kohli and in case he fails, it will give other players to raise their hands up.

"You always want your best batsman performing. However, it also gives other batsmen a chance to put his hand up and there are still some quality batsmen there, some quality players there. If India is really depending on one player, they have got it wrong...", he added.

While Cheteshwar Pujara didn't have a great run during the four-day games in England, the mere experience will prove to be handy, according to McGrath.

"I have not seen what the conditions are like in the UK. Pujara, even though he hasn't got runs, he will be there. Just being used to the conditions, I think that will help him," he opined.

About the bowling department, McGrath is confident that speedsters Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah will make a mark.

When asked who among Indian pacers could do the job in England, McGrath said:"Bhuvi and Bumrah. They have got pretty good control. That's what you need, especially in England. The Dukes ball has a pronounced seam. If you get the ball in the right areas consistently, then you are going to do well. The ball will do a little bit, so yeah.. They will do well."

Adaptability is the key, said one of Australia's finest fast bowler.

"I think a lot of it depends on how the players adapt. You got to adapt a lot quicker these days. During my time, we used to get a couple of tour matches. They will have to adjust and adapt quicker. Obviously, there aren't enough tour matches to really get used to the conditions. They will just have to rely on past experience," McGrath said.

As the discussion veered towards Australian cricket, McGrath said that jury is still out on whether Tim Paine is a worthy leader of the 'Baggy Greens'.

"We will wait and see. I think it was probably not the best way (for Paine) to get the Australian captaincy. I am sure he would have preferred it differently. But he has got the job now. It will be tough but he will have to go out there and give his best. The final Test (against South Africa) didn't go too well. It was never going to with what all happened," McGrath referring to the infamous ball-tampering scandal that rocked the game

"I think they have got Justin Langer (as coach), which will be great for the team. I think he is the type of guy that the team needs. Discipline and respect are two strong words for Justin. He is the type of the guy that the team needs at the moment. The team has hit pretty much rock bottom. I think one way to go," he added.

While McGrath admitted that the act was naive, he feels that one year ban for Steve Smith and David Warner was a bit too harsh.

"To think they can get away with it, was very naive... Getting caught and the way it was all handled and then the punishment, it is quite extreme," he said.

Asked if he thought ball tampering can be stopped, the legendary Aussie pacemen said it is up to the umpires and match referee to be proactive.

"The umpires are in a good position. They can see what is happening. If anyone gets caught, the punishment may be a bit harsher," he added.

He also felt that Smith and David Warner would come back stronger from the incident and also as better persons.

"Everyone makes mistakes. I think Steve Smith will come back a better player, a better person. Same for David Warner, David might find it a little tougher. Australia needs quality players in the team," he added.

McGrath also praised fellow Aussie, Shane Watson, who was one of the stars of Chennai Super Kings' triumph in the recently concluded IPL and said he is a quality player and probably saved his best for the final (in which he made 117 not out).

"Shane Watson is a quality player, no doubt about that. In the first IPL, in 2008, Rajasthan Royals won because of Watson. He did quite well. He saved his best innings for the final. He has shown that he is still good enough and still keen. Just the team CSK have with MS Dhoni leading. CSK have always had a good unit in the way they go about things.

McGrath said that the recently retired AB de Villiers was a class player and South Africa will miss him.

"AB (de Villiers) is class player, no doubt that. He has got more talent in his little finger than I have in my body. He will be missed. He is just a natural," Australia said of the South African legend.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8:  India skipper Virat Kohli has added yet another feather to his cap by becoming the fastest player to score 1,000 runs in T20I cricket as a captain. Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 30 during India''s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the ongoing three-match series on Tuesday evening.

Kohli achieved the milestone of scoring 1,000 runs as captain in his 30th T20I inning. He is the second Indian and sixth overall after MS Dhoni to have achieved the feat. Dhoni had scored 1112 runs in 62 T20I games as captain.

Faf du Plessis (1273 runs from 40 games), Kane Williamson (1083 runs in 39 games), Eoin Morgan (1013 runs in 43 games) and Ireland''s William Porterfield (1002 runs in 56 games) are other captains on the list.

During India''s emphatic victory at the Holkar Stadium, Kohli also surpassed team-mate Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the series, as the top run-getter in the T20Is. Kohli now has 2663 runs from 71 innings.

Both had finished 2019 as joint top-scorers in T20Is, with 2633 runs each.

India, already with an unassailable lead of 1-0 in the series, will now face Sri Lanka in the final T20I on Friday in Pune. The first match between the two teams was called off without a ball being bowled due to wet patches on the pitch in Guwahati last Sunday.

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Agencies
August 1,2020

Colombo, Aug 1: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his interest in playing the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), scheduled to start from August 28.

Pathan is among 70 foreign players to have shown interest in playing the LPL, ESPNcricinfo reported.

It is believed that Pathan has taken permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take part in the competition. 

BCCI doesn't allow active players to participate in other T20 leagues but Pathan announced his retirement in January this year.

Former swashbuckling all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also played in a foreign league last year. He played for Maratha Arabians in the T10 League in Abu Dhabi.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Pathan will now be put in a player draft unless one of the five franchises choose him to be a marquee player. The details of the draft, and the franchise owners, are yet to be finalised and announced. 

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is also waiting on some government clearances even as it decides on franchise owners. The five franchises will represent Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna.

On Monday, SLC Executive Committee granted approval for the tournament.

"The 23 match League will be played on the four international venues of R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium. Five teams named after the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna will participate in the League," SLC said in a statement on Monday.

Sri Lanka has controlled the spread of COVID-19 better than many other cricket-playing nations.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Sydney, Jan 6: Nathan Lyon captured five for 50 and 10 match wickets as Australia crushed New Zealand by 279 runs on Monday, capping a golden domestic summer as they swept the three-Test series.

The off-spinner led the powerful Australian bowling attack to dismiss the Kiwis for 136 and seal another heavy win over the Black Caps after similar victories in Perth and Melbourne.

Australia have been unbeatable this season, winning all five Tests at home -- two against Pakistan and three against New Zealand -- after retaining the Ashes by drawing the series 2-2 in England.

"It's been a great summer for the Australian Test side," Lyon said.

"It's pretty special to be part of it, we have been impressive, pretty clinical, the batters have done well and given us bowlers plenty of time."

Australia declared their second innings at 217 for two with David Warner scoring an unbeaten century, leaving the Black Caps with a revised 416-run target in the fourth innings on a wearing Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

But the Kiwis buckled under the pressure of Australia's superior bowling attack with Mitchell Starc taking three for 25 to support the wiles of spinner Lyon.

"They were clinical in all areas and after the first match they put us under pressure session after session," said skipper Kane Williamson, who missed the Test with a virus.

New Zealand were reeling early at 27-4 and never recovered after Starc and Lyon took two wickets each in the middle session to put the skids under the tourists.

Starc removed both openers, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell, in the first five overs. Blundell fell to a stunning catch by a diving Lyon at point for two and stand-in skipper Latham lost a review for leg before wicket.

Jeet Raval was out in a review to the faintest of edges on 'Snicko' in Lyon's first over for 12.

First-innings top-scorer Glenn Phillips went for a duck after technology detected a faint outside edge to wicketkeeper Paine off Lyon.

Taylor's Kiwi record

Ross Taylor became the leading all-time Kiwi batsman, going past Stephen Fleming (7,172) before he was bowled by Pat Cummins for 22 to take his Test aggregate to 7,174.

Big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme smacked Lyon for six to bring up his fifty but went next ball hoicking to Joe Burns at deep mid-wicket for 52.

Todd Astle was out to a superb diving catch by James Pattinson in the outfield for 17.

Starc yorked William Somerville's middle stump for seven and BJ Watling was the last to fall, caught at backward square leg by Pat Cummins for 19.

Earlier, Warner completed his 24th Test century and remained unbeaten when skipper Paine declared upon the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne.

"You know you're capable of doing so," Warner said, when asked about how he had bounced back from his disastrous Ashes campaign in England last year.

"I was in the nets hitting the ball well and had the skipper backing me. To be able to play with freedom helped me. It's all paying off."

Labuschagne, who was dropped on four in a regulation caught-and-bowled chance by leg-spinner Astle, was caught at long on off Matt Henry for 59 -- his seventh score over 50 in eight innings this domestic summer.

Labuschagne finished the home five-Test season with a stunning aggregate of 896 runs, made up of his 215 in the first innings, three other centuries and three half-centuries in eight innings.

There was drama late in the Australian innings when Warner was given an official warning by umpire Aleem Dar for running down the middle of the pitch in scampering a single.

It resulted in five penalty runs being added to New Zealand's first innings total meaning their target was revised down from 421 to 416.

The Test was played against the backdrop of one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons with at least 24 people losing their lives in blazes raging across the country, including on the outskirts of Sydney.

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