Despite losing the series to S Africa, India remains in the saddle.

Virat and boys were outstanding in the third test of South Africa tour. The win means India have retained the ICC Test Championship mace and have also won an award of $1 million for being top of the rankings by the April 3 cut off date. The victory in Johannesburg means second-placed South Africa can’t go ahead of India, even if they beat Australia 4-0 in their upcoming series.

Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla shared a century second-wicket partnership in the test that took South Africa more than halfway towards their target of 241 before Amla’s dismissal for 52 started a collapse in which nine wickets fell for 53 runs. Sharma and Bumrah claimed two wickets each to start the slide be- fore Mohammed Shami ripped through the lower order, taking 5-28. The hosts were looking comfortable as Elgar and Amla compiled a partnership of 119, although it took four hours and 50.4 overs of hard work on a difficult pitch. It was only the third century partnership of the series.

But India hit back with the wickets of Amla and AB de Villiers in quick succession shortly before tea. Amla fell with the total on 124 when he clipped Sharma firmly towards mid wicket and Hardik Pandya dived to his right to hold a good catch. Amla had faced 140 balls in making his second half-century of the match. De Villiers started confidently with a boundary off Sharma but was out for six when he was squared up by a lifting delivery from Jasprit Bum- rah that flew off the shoulder of his bat to Ajinkya Rahane at gully.

The same two bowlers struck again immediately after tea. South African captain Faf du Plessis was bowled by a ball from Sharma that cut back and kept low and the out-of-form Quinton de Kock was trapped leg before wicket first ball by Bumrah. Vernon Philander batted brightly to make 10 before he pulled a ball from Shami onto his stumps, to be followed in quick succession by Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel, all without scoring. Phehlukwayo was bowled by Shami, Rabada was caught at first slip by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Morkel was bowled by Shami.

Elgar, having batted with unflappable concentration for more than five hours, tried to play some shots and keep the strike after being joined by last man Lungi Ngidi. Elgar was left to fight alone, carrying his bat for 86 off 240 balls. He hit a six off Kumar before Ngidi was caught behind off Shami. “This is one of our sweetest wins,” skipper Virat Kohli said. “This day will be remembered for a long time for us as a team.” “We already had the belief but now we have the result to back that as well.

“South Africa played better than us in the first two games so they deserved to win (the series) but we deserved to win this game. But at many moments in the first two games we put them under pressure. “We are the number one team in the world and we certainly played like that today.” South Africa captain Faf du Plessis admitted that India had been the better team at the Wanderers but hailed the series win. “It’s fantastic to win the series against a really good team. He gave credit to India for playing some really good cricket in all three Tests.”

Experts believe that Indian team management including BCCI planned the tour badly. The Indian team should have played at-least three warm up matches before pushing straight in the test cricket. It takes time to acquaint with the local conditions and surely then the talented Indian team would have defeated South African with ease in their back yard if the preparation to the test series would have been better planed. It is the sole responsibility of the BCCI to plan the itinerary better for the future overseas tour and give boys more opportunity to spend time in the overseas territory for securing better results.

( Dr Rahul Misra: Writer is Associate Editor, Opinion Express )

Roger Federer is testimony of amazing grace; outstanding player & humble human

Just wow. Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer in winning the Australian open Men’s Singles title after an epic five set battle with Marin Cnlc, has ensured that the expanse of clear blue water between him and other greats of the game just become even wider. He has become the first man, in any era to notch up 20 Grand Slam singles titles – six Australian Opens, five US Opens and a sole French open to go with his record 8 Wimbledon cups leaving his great rival Rafael Nadal trailing at 16 titles and surpassing by a significant margin the tally of yesteryear Greats including Pete Sampras (14) and Roy Emerson (12). But more than the titles he has accumulated has been the manner in which he has gone about collecting them ever since he burst on to the world of professional tennis at the turn of the millennium. Pushing 37 years of age now, Federer became the second oldest player to win a Grand Slam after Ken Rosewall who won the Australian open when he was past 37, and yes, he bubbled, especially when Australian legend Rod ‘Rocket’ Laver turned fanboy and insisted on taking a photograph of the Swiss master on his mobile phone after the win. Federer said later. “I was too embarrassed …I couldn’t control the emotions … I didn’t lift my head, couIdn’t see through my tears.”

And that’s the thing about Roger Federer. Despite being a very contemporary champion of the game wherein power tennis rules, he is, in the best way possible, a throwback to an earlier age of the sport. His game has always been classical: a smooth serve and volley routine but equally adept from the baseline; powerful forehand but never relying solely on bulk to propel it as many of his contemporaries do; a single handed backhand when the world and its uncle including sports scientists recommend the two-handed approach as steadier and safer in percentage terms, and a serve (including his brilliant second serve) that swerves and dips at pace without being a function of brute strength. Physically, he is tallish (just over six feet) without being a giant, supremely athletic without being muscle-bound and the lithe frame he has worked very hard to maintain despite the ravages of time and playing top-level professional tennis for close to two decades has resulted in court coverage that is a connoisseur’s delight. Plus, he’s well-mannered to a fault on court.

Off the court, he is one of the few champions who has never been in caught in an unseemly scandal, his marriage to fellow tennis player and long- time partner Mirka they met when they were both representing Switzerland at the Sydney Olympics is considered one of the most stable in the high stress professional tennis circuit , and they are by all accounts pretty hands on parents to their four kids. Mirka also doubles as Roger ’s PR and image consultant . Given her spouse’s amazing grace, that’ s possibly the easiest job in the world of tennis. The humility of super human being is a testimony of his greatness. Surely Roger Federer will go down in the history book as the greatest tennis player of the modern era. It is not just the tennis but the youngsters hoping to make it big in any sport round the world must adopt Federer traits to become champions. It is a simple way to achieve stardom, if the content is there.

By Rahul Misra: Associate Editor – Opinion Express

Kalra’s ton helps Dravid & boys overwhelm Australia in Final & remain invincible throughout tournament.

India on Saturday lifted a record fourth U-19 World Cup trophy after an eight-wicket rout of Australia in the final, underlining their dominant run in the tournament and giving Rahul Dravid the biggest success of his coaching career. As it has been the case throughout the tournament, India had all their bases covered with bowlers bouncing back to dis- miss Australia for 216 from 183 for four at one stage. The highly-rated batting, barring a minor blip, completed the job with conviction as India chased down the modest target in 38.5 overs.

Delhi-boy Manjot Kalra emerged as the man for big occasion, scoring a sub- lime 101 not out off 102 balls and anchoring the innings after the loss of captain Prithvi Shaw and team’s leading scorer in the tournament, Shubman Gil. With a fourth crown, India also surpassed Australia in the race of most U- 19 World Cup titles. Prior to the final, India and Australia were locked at three titles each. The team’s performance was also a fitting tribute to coach Dravid, who finally got his hands on a “World Cup trophy. Under Dravid, the side had finished runner-up in the 2016 edition in Bangladesh.

India’s previous tide came in Australia six years ago when the Unmukt Chand- led team beat the hosts in the final. The Virat Kohli-led side was victorious in 2008 and Mohammad Kaif was captain when India triumphed way back in 2000. “Really proud of the boys and the effort they put in,” said Dravid as his boys continued with the on-field celebrations. “Hopefully it’s a memory they cherish for a long, long time, but hopefully not the lasting memory and they have many more great moments and bigger things in future. I don’t want to mention names but everyone in the support staff has put in a great effort. We do the best for the kids,” the Indian great added.

In the current edition, India were the overwhelming favourites and they played like one, dishing out dominant performances one after the other, The gulf between them and other teams was clearly evident. In the playing eleven of the final, India fielded five players with the First-Class experience while Australia had just one in captain Jason Sangha.”I really can’t express what I am feeling now,” said skipper Shaw.”All credit to our support staff, they’ve really been supporting us for the last two years, especially Rahul sir. He is a legend. And full credit to the guys as well. It was the final, a very crucial hundred from Manjot.”

On man of the series Gill and performance of other his teammates, Shaw added: “Gill was batting really well throughout. And the two pacers, Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti were excellent too.” Having lost skipper Shaw (29) and Gill (31), Kalra displayed commendable calm and composure to see the team through.

Harvik Desai (47 not out) provided the support Kalra needed after India were 131 for two in the 22nd over. The two shared 89 runs for the third wicket in what turned out to be a match-winning partnership. Kalra, who had smashed  a match-winning 86 against Australia in the tournament opener, was in devastating touch again. He hammered the spinners for huge sixes and showed his silken touch by beautifully driving the pacers through covers. In the end, he finished with eight fours and three sixes. It was only fitting that he reached the three figures in the last over of the final. Desai hit the winning boundary, sending the team members and the packed crowd into frenzy.

Earlier, Jonathan Merlo made a solid 76 before the India’s left-arm spin duo of Shiva Singh and Anukuj Roy sprung into action, limiting Australia to 216. At 183 for four, Australia looked well on course to reach 250 in a high-pressure match until the Indian spinners engineered the collapse with the Sangha-led side losing its last six wickets for 33 runs.

Australia, who had little hesitation in batting first, were guilty of not converting starts into big partnerships.

DIFFICULT TO EXPRESS MY FEELING IN WORDS

MOUNT MAUNGANUI: He understands the enormity of his side’s achievement but a reticent skipper Prithvi Shaw found it hard to express his emotions after India won their fourth Under-19 World Cup. At 18, like all teenagers, he was not expected to give loaded answers and underlined that it was “fun” which united this bunch of cricketers.

“There a lot of memories created. I can’t express, what I am feeling, right now. I am just happy” , was all he said when asked to pick a few memories having played his last match at this level in a befitting manner. “It feels really good. Winning this “World Cup, it means a lot to us, making India proud. We are enjoying ourselves whether we were batting or bowling,” he said. Asked what he was going through having achieved the target of winning the World Cup, Shaw said: “There were not many emotions. It was mazzak and masti (fun and frolic). We were waiting for this tournament. “We have played together for 1-2 years. As a captain, I have been backed. Whenever I was under pressure, the team backed me.”

HOPE BOYS HAVE MORE MEMORIES LIKE THIS: DRAVID

India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid is confident that World Cup triumph won’t just be “one memory” that would define this talented bunch of cricketers as a bigger and more challenging journey awaits them. “It’s a memory they’ll cherish for a long time and hopefully it’s not a memory that defines them and they will have a lot more bigger and better memories as they go on ahead in their careers,” coach Dravid said after India’s fourth ICC U-19 World Cup title.

Dravid spoke about the effort that the entire batch put on for the last 14 month, which bore fruit. “I am really proud of the boys, proud of the effort that they have put in and proud of the support staff as well. I think the effort we have put in over the last l-l months have been sensational. They really deserved this, couldn’t be really happier and proud for this bunch of boys,” the legendary batsman said.He was always aware that the since this was an U-19 team, the spotlight will always be on him but as usual he was magnanimous in praising the entire sup- port staff comprising of fielding coach Abhay Sharma, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey to name a few.”

Federer’s 20th Grand Slam title is a testament to his talent and affirms that nice guys do finish first

Wow. Just wow. Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer in winning the Australian Open Men’s Singles title after an epic five set battle with Marin Cnlc, has ensured that the expanse of clear blue water between him and other greats of the game just become even wider. He has become the first man, in any era to notch up 20 Grand Slam singles titles – six Australian Opens, five US Opens and a sole French Open to go with his record 8 Wimbledon cups leaving his great rival Rafael Nadal trailing at 16 titles and surpassing by a significant margin the tally of yesteryear Greats including Pete Sampras (14) and Roy Emerson (12). But more than the titles he has accumulated has been the manner in which he has gone about collecting them ever since he burst on to the world of professional tennis at the turn of the millennium. Pushing 37 years of age now, Federer became the second oldest player to win a Grand Slam after Ken Rosewall who won the Australian Open when he was past 37, and yes, he bubbled, especially when Australian legend Rod ‘Rocket’ Laver turned fanboy and insisted on taking a photograph of the Swiss master on his mobile phone after the win. Federer said later. “I was too embarrassed …I couldn’t control the emotions … I didn’t lift my head, couIdn’t see through my tears.”

And that’s the thing about Roger Federer. Despite being a very contemporary champion of the game wherein power tennis rules, he is, in the best way possible, a throwback to an earlier age of the sport. His game has always been classical – a smooth serve and volley routine but equally adept from the baseline; powerful forehand but never relying solely on bulk to propel it as many of his contemporaries do; a single handed backhand when the world and its uncle including sports scientists recommend the two-handed approach as steadier and safer in percentage terms, and a serve (including his brilliant second serve) that swerves and dips at pace without being a function of brute strength. Physically, he is tallish (just over six feet) without being a giant, supremely athletic without being muscle-bound and the lithe frame he has worked very hard to maintain despite the ravages of time and playing top-level professional tennis for close to two decades has resulted in court coverage that is a connoisseur’s delight. Plus, he’s well-mannered to a fault on court.

Off the court, he is one of the few champions who has never been in caught in an unseemly scandal, his marriage to fellow tennis player and longtime partner Mirka they met when they were both representing Switzerland at the Sydney Olympics is considered one of the most stable in the high stress professional tennis circuit, and they are by all accounts pretty hands on parents to their four kids. Mirka also doubles as Roger’s PR and image consultant. Given her spouse’s amazing grace, that’s possibly the easiest job in the world of tennis.

The humility of super human being is a testimony of his greatness. Surely Roger Federer will go down in the history book as the greatest tennis player of the modern era. It is not just the tennis but the youngsters hoping to make it big in any sport round the world must adopt Federer traits to become champions. It is a simple way to achieve stardom, if the content is there.

By Opinion Express News Desk

Virat & boys were outstanding in the third test of South Africa tour. The win means India have retained the ICC Test Championship mace and have also won an award of $1million for being top of the rankings by the April 3 cut-off date. The victory in Johannesburg means second-placed South Africa can’t go ahead of India, even if they beat Australia 4-0 in their upcoming series.

Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla shared a century second-wicket partnership in the test that took South Africa more than halfway towards their target of 241 before Amla’s dismissal for 52 started a collapse in which nine wickets fell for 53 runs. Sharma and Bumrah claimed two wickets each to start the slide before Mohammed Shami ripped through the lower order, taking 5-28. The hosts were looking comfortable as Elgar and Amla compiled a partnership of 119, although it took four hours and 50.4 overs of hard work on a difficult pitch. It was only the third century partnership of the series.

But India hit back with the wickets of Amla and AB de Villiers in quick succession shortly before tea. Amla fell with the total on 124 when he clipped Sharma firmly towards midwicket and Hardik Pandya dived to his right to hold a good catch. Amla had faced 140 balls in making his second half-century of the match. De Villiers started confidently with a boundary off Sharma but was out for six when he was squared up by a lifting delivery from Jasprit Bumrah that flew off the shoulder of his bat to Ajinkya Rahane at gully.

The same two bowlers struck again immediately after tea. South African captain Faf du Plessis was bowled by a ball from Sharma that cut back and kept low and the out-of-form Quinton de Kock was trapped leg before wicket first ball by Bumrah. Vernon Philander batted brightly to make 10 before he pulled a ball from Shami onto his stumps, to be followed in quick succession by Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel, all without scoring. Phehlukwayo was bowled by Shami, Rabada was caught at first slip by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Morkel was bowled by Shami.

Elgar, having batted with unflappable concentration for more than five hours, tried to play some shots and keep the strike after being joined by last man Lungi Ngidi. Elgar was left to fight alone, carrying his bat for 86 off 240 balls. He hit a six off Kumar before Ngidi was caught behind off Shami.

“This is one of our sweetest wins,” skipper Virat Kohli said. “This day will be remembered for a long time for us as a team.” “We already had the belief but now we have the result to back that as well.

“South Africa played better than us in the first two games so they deserved to win (the series) but we deserved to win this game. But at many moments in the first two games we put them under pressure. “We are the number one team in the world and we certainly played like that today.”

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis admitted that India had been the better team at the Wanderers but hailed the series win. “It’s fantastic to win the series against a really good team. He gave credit to India for playing some really good cricket in all three Tests.”

Experts believe that Indian team management including BCCI planned the tour badly. The Indian team should have played at-least three warm up matches before pushing straight in the test cricket. It takes time to acquaint with the local conditions and surely then the talented Indian team would have defeated South African with ease in their back yard if the preparation to the test series would have been better planed. It is the sole responsibility of the BCCI to plan the itinerary better for the future overseas tour and give boys more opportunity to spend time in the overseas territory for securing better results.

ICC TEST RANKINGS

1.  India – 121
2. South Africa – 115
3. Australia – 104
4. New Zealand – 100
5. England – 99
6. Sri Lanka – 94
7. Pakistan – 88
8. West Indies – 72
9. Bangladesh – 72
10. Zimbabwe – 1

By Dr Rahul Misra Associate Editor – Opinion Express

Shuttler Srikanth continues with his Super run

Kidambi Srikanth became the first Indian and only fourth male shuttler in history to lift four Super Series titles in a calendar year as he beat Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in the men’s singles final at French Open. In just 34 minutes, Srikanth beat Nishim- oto 21-14, 21-13 to lift the French Open Super Series titles.

This is Srikanth’s fourth Super Series title this year after he won the Den- mark Open Super Series Premier last Sunday and the Indonesia Super Series Premier and Australian Open Super Series in June earlier this year.

Twice this year, Srikanth has won back-to-back Super Series titles Denmark and French this month and Indonesia and Australia consecutively in June. Only Lee Chong Wei has done that before.The 24-year-old surpassed Saina Nehwal’s record of three Super Series in a year (2010) and with the achievement; he is all set to reach his career- high of world No. 2 in BWF Rankings.

Srikanth was unstoppable and superior to the opponent. He won the first point of the match with Nishimoto putting the shuttle wide. Thereafter, the Japanese displayed some excellent in- tent coupled with good resistance and cross court strokes to take a 9-5. It was the difference in points that seemed to have triggered something in Srikanth and he took over the mantle from there to show the kind of strokes he has been playing since two weeks. Srikanth took six consecutive points to lead 11-9 at the break.

Srikanth didn’t let the momentum drop from there. He played his classic smashes and coupled with Nishimoto’s inability to handle the pressure, Srikanth raced to a 15-10 lead. Srikanth varied the pace of his strokes and kept it simple to force errors from Nishimoto the Japanese unable to control the shuttle started sending it long. Within 16 minutes, Srikanth took the first game 21-14.

The second game began similarly with the Indian racing off to a 4-0 lead. A similar pattern followed with Nishimoto gifting points to Srikanth. Despite a mini fightback, Srikanth lead 11-5 at the breather. Srikanth began playing around with the Japanese thereafter moving him all over the court. With stunning control over the shuttle and brilliantly accurate smashing, Srikanth opened up an 18-12 lead. Nishimoto managed just one more point after which Srikanth won three points in a row to clinch the title. It is a great achievement by an Indian sportsman; it must be rejoiced by Indians.

Report filed by OE News Desk, UK Bureau

Leadership can transform a country, so the team of eleven men can be motivated by aggressive competent leadership. Virat Kohli is outstanding sportsman and huge influence on the Indian cricket team. The Indian Men’s Cricket Team is in the recent times seems to possess a Midas touch. It appears that everything that team under Virat’s command touches turns into gold. With the recent conclusion of One Day Internationals (ODIs) series against Australia, India has/ the team has finished on the top of the Cricket Ratings in both the Test Matches as well as ODIs. The phenomenal success of the team has been attributed to many/several factors, one such being the smooth transition of the captaincy in the hands of Virat Kohli’s hands. In the test cricket, India has quite successfully clinched last eight test match series in a row. it is just one short to equal/level the record of Australia, nine consecutive victories on a roll. The formidable form of the team must be decoded in detail and also the roles of young players especially Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah being pivotal to achieve the desired goals on a consistent basis.

Smooth transition for ‘New Captain’

The Indian Team has in the recent years seen the transformation from a Ms Dhoni’s Captaincy to the new hands of Virat Kohli, with significant differences in then and now. The new captain took over the Test captaincy in 2014 when MS Dhoni announced his ‘surprise’ retirement from the longest format/5-day format. The team recorded exceptional success rates under his command with an unbeaten series streak running into the third year as well. The team is also ranked as Number one in the world with a rating of 125, cruising well ahead of South Africa which is at the second spot with a score of 110. In the past three years, India has defeated all great names, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia in the test series. The whitewash of Sri Lanka on their home soil has been a stellar example of the victorious spirit possessed by Team India. The team has displayed the astounding courage to bounce back every time; it has also been subjected to pressure by the opponent team.

The achievement story for the team in ODIs has also been exceptional, currently being the number one side in the world. It is pertinent to mention that India needed to defeat Australia by a specific lead of 4-1 in the series to attain the top spot and gladly the team succeeded in it. The new captain has infused a renewed confidence in the team with ‘fearlessness’ being one of the main attributes. The team/the unit shows/possesses the will to emerge triumphant in all situations. The objective is to continue the unbeaten run. The younger players are provided with the leverage to express themselves on the field and the captain himself backs them with favorable field settings. The main feature of this ’New Age’ team is blending of experience and talent, with the exposure of seasoned players like MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, mentoring the new entrants becomes quite handy by guiding them.

Combination of virat Kohli and MS Dhoni/A Duelist Spirit

The fact that MS Dhoni has stepped down from the captaincy from both the test matches as well as the limited overs cricket, coupled with the reality that he still remains a pivotal part of the ODIs fixture, could have resulted in a tough situation for both for the new captain and old guard. It has been, on the contrary, been beneficial for the team, both Kohli and Dhoni have a great rapport and mutually respect each other.

Many times it has been observed that Virat takes the advice of Dhoni into account before a fielding or bowling change.MS Dhoni with his vast experience is also able to guide the team in scenarios of DRS, that whether the Decision Review System (DRS) must be taken or not. He is very useful in setting the field as well particularly in the last/death overs when Virat himself is in the outfield. Dhoni has also transformed his batting style nowadays, playing with greater responsibility and taking game until the end with the lower order. He has also guided players like Hardik Pandya and Bhuwaneshwar Kumar while scripting partnerships to save the team. The unparalleled combination of Virat’s aggression and Dhoni’s experience makes for a duelist spirit/ one of the most deadly leader- ship skills which is non-existent in any other team in the world.

rise of ‘Spin Powerhouse’

Indian has always been known to be one of the best spin bowling team in the world/India has been known for its Knack of producing some great spin bowlers in world cricket. We have produced world class spinners like Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Bishen Singh Bedi, etc. The thing about the contemporary spinners like R Ashwin, Ravinder Jadeja, Kuldeep yadav and yuzevendera Chahal which brings them into perspective is that they lead the bowling attack from the front. The youngsters like Chahal, yadav and Axar Patel don’t get rattled by the onslaught, but rather backs themselves to take wickets, thanks to the belief. The team management has also supported the bowlers very well, every player given ample opportunities to prove his mettle. The superb success rates in the test matches is largely the result of great bowling skills portrayed by Ravinder Jadeja and R Ashwin, who have outfoxed nearly every opponent side with spin. The fact that both of them are ranked second and third respectively, in the world in both bowling and all-rounders shows/depicts their excellent form as well as record.

They have contributed both with the bowl and bat to give their team the killer edge. The comprehensiveness of India’s recent victory over Australia could be gauged from the fact that both Ashwin and Jadeja didn’t play a single game, yet the home side routed the Australians 4-1 & New Zealand 2-1. The ‘problem of plenty’ in the spin department is the best headache that a team management is faced with in the given period.

‘opening Combination’ kicks in

The importance of the opening batsmen in any format of the game is immense as they set the stage for the coming players to build up the innings. They are also entrusted with the responsibility of dealing with the ‘New Ball’ and see through the initial pace attack. India, in the recent past, has been extremely lucky to get hold of a settled combination consisting of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan for the ODIs.

They on several occasions have contributed with sometimes a fifty runs and other times a hundred run stands to bolster the team’s chances. One of the interesting facts being that the bench strength of the current is so high that after Shikhar Dhawan who scored the highest runs for the team against Sri Lanka in the ODIs had to opt out of the Australian series due to personal reasons, Ajinkiya Rahane chipped in with quite an ease for the opener’s role. In the test matches, the role has been played by KL Rahul along with Shikhar Dhawan with great success, even on foreign soils.

The real backbone of the team’s batting has been the skipper himself, Virat Kohli being the chase specialist in the ODIs, has more than 28 centuries under his belt. It is a world record and he has beaten legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, etc. in this aspect. The contribution of Cheteswar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkiya Rahane and KL Rahul who all feature in the Top 10 of the Batsmen rankings have helped the team win over other sides.

The ‘Pace Powerhouse’ emerges

The great victories of the team in both the ODIs and Test matches have been the result of outstanding contribution by the pace bowlers. Mohd. Shami, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh yadav have been able to swing the bowl with great discipline.

The duo of Bhuwaneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah has emerged as the best death overs combination for the ODIs and has been able to stem the flow of runs on numerous occasions. The test cricket has also observed the pacers utilizing the seam conditions with panache and providing early breakthroughs to the team. The bowling coach Bharat Arun has also been quite pivotal in the success of the fast as well as medium fast bowlers and has polished their skills to great effect.

Rise of Hardik Pandya

The newest/Brand new superstar in the Indian Team is being marked as the ‘Ace in the Pack’ for the team. He has been in carrying into a marauding form in both test matches and ODIs. He has established himself as an upper order batsman with an exhibition of a remarkable composure in some recent innings.

He has also added to the bowling prowess, executing the role of the fifth bowler. He has given the team an extra edge with an attribute of acting as a pace all-rounder in place of the traditional part time spinners. He has worked very hard on his bowling and has improved his lengths and consistency. The uprising has been in his battling with the team management and hooking off to number 4 slot to extend the batting line up. His brutal attacks against the spinners are one of the most joyful sights for any Indian cricket fan. He has also matured as a player and has performed immaculately in test matches as well. His fitness levels and aggressive demeanor adds to the entire aura which make him an unassailable player of cricket.

New Coach and focus on Fitness

The arrival of Ravi Shastri first as a manager and then as the coach of the team has been quite beneficial for the team. He shares a great rapport with the captain Virat Kohli and the results under his coachman ship infer the same.

He has given the required/right amount of leverage to the captain, so as to share the team and has also lent outside support in the times of exigencies. The added emphasis on the fitness of the players has also helped the players in refining their fielding skills. It has lifted the morale of the team with every/each player being involved in a healthy competition with his teammates to prove his potential. Virat Kohli who himself is extremely fit leads the team from the front in this department and is one of the best-known fielders in the world. Even in the test matches, the level of fielding is very high and it certainly puts the opposition under tremendous pressure, as the fielders are not ready to concede even an inch in the field.

The ultimate road to Glory…..

The Indian team is currently the top-ranked side both in test matches as well as ODIs, but there are still some greater goals that the team must achieve to emerge ‘Invictus’/undefeatable. The disappointing loss against Pakistan in the finals of the Champions Trophy, England still ekes/pinches in the heart of every Indian fan. The emphasis on playing in the English conditions is even greater nowadays because the venue for 2019 World Cup is England and Wales. The whole nation would be hoping that India becomes the world champions once again and reclaims the coveted trophy from the reigning champions, Australia. Another area in which the current team has still not been tested is the foreign test series, particularly in Australia and England.

It is pertinent to mention that even in 2011 when the team appeared unassailable in the world, had to face humiliating defeats in several test matches in england. But Virat Kohli’s team surely appears more formidable than ever. Perhaps it is the time that the team achieves success in the toughest seam conditions and rests the debate/case forever. It is hoped that the Indian Team would continue its scintillating form under the aggressive captain and would achieve feats which would be repeated as folklores for times immemorial/to come. Serelu, the tag of No1 will be justified when India starts winning matches overseas. The tough tours of South Africa and Australia in the next calendar year will bring this eminent test for Virat’s men in blue: the win in South Africa and Australia will confirm the superiority of Indian cricket team in the global cricket scenario.

By Prashant Tewari

Thanks to his feat in the Island country, the Indian pace bowler has jumped 27 places to grab fourth position in ICC ODI player ranking

India pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has made handsome gains in the latest MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings after playing a big role in the team’s 5-0 series whitewash over Sri Lanka.

Bumrah has moved up 27 ranks to a career- best fourth position in a list led by Australia pace bowler Josh Hazlewood with South Africa spinner Imran Tahir and Australia pace bowler Mitchell Starc the other two bowlers ahead of him.

The 23-year-old Bumrah, whose previous best was 24th position in June this year, has moved up the table with his player of the series effort of 15 wickets, the best by any bowler in a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka. His performances included a career-best five for 27 in the third ODI at Palekelle.

Also gaining in the rankings is India’s left arm spinner Akshar Patel, who has moved up from 20th to 10th position after finishing with six wickets in four matches. Patel has thus closed in on his career-high rank of ninth in October last year.

Hardik Pandya (up two places to 61st), Kuldeep Yadav (up 21 places to 89th) and Yuzvendra Chahal (up 55 places to 99th) are other India bowlers to gain in the rankings.

Captain Virat Kohli has consolidated his position at the top of the rankings for batsmen after his 330 runs in the series, which included an unbeaten 110 in the last match in Colombo on Sunday, his second century of the series.

Kohli, who is also top-ranked in T20Is, has increased his lead over Australia’s David Warner from 12 to 26 points and is now on 887 points – equaling the highest ODI rating points by an India batsman, recorded by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998.

Rohit Sharma, the second highest run-maker in the series with 302 runs, and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni are both back in the top 10. Sharma, who struck two centuries in Sri Lanka, has gained five slots to reach ninth place while Dhoni’s 162 runs have lifted him two places to 10th position.

Virat Kohli is now on 887 points equaling the highest ODI rating points by an India batsman, recorded by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998. Virat Kohli is now on 887 points – equaling the highest ODI rating points by an India bats- man, recorded by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998.

For Sri Lanka, all rounder Angelo Mathews’s 192 runs in the series have helped him gain four slots to reach 23rd position while Niroshan Dickwella (up two places to 36th), Upul Tharanga (up one place to 63rd) and Milinda Siriwardana (up 35 places to 89th) are the others to gain.

Mathews has gained one slot among bowlers to reach 52nd position while spinner Akila Dananjaya has gained 21 places to reach 80th position. Mathews has also gained one position to be fourth among all-rounders.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has been unable to seal a direct qualification place in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which it could have done by winning two matches in the series.

Though it is in a strong position to make the grade, the Windies can overtake it by beating Ireland in an upcoming match on 13 September and winning either all five matches against England or the last four matches for a 4-1 win in the series from 19 to 29 September.

The top seven ODI sides apart from host England as on 30 September qualify directly. Teams not getting direct places will get another shot through a Qualifying tournament.

The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 will feature the bottom four sides from the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings, the top four sides from the ICC World Cricket League Championship and the top two sides from the ICC World Cricket League. The top two sides from the World Cup Qualifier will complete the 10-team line-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

India remains in third position but has gained three points to close in on Australia, which is also on 117 points but remains ahead on decimal points.

 – OE News Bureau

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday  hosted  the  women’s cricket team and told the players that  they  made  the  nation  proud  like several  other  “daughters”  of  the  country. The team has returned from London after  participating  in  Women’s  World Cup  in  which  India  lost  to  England  in the final played last Sunday.

Modi  had  posted  a  series  of  tweets before  the  match  to  wish  luck  to  the team  and  to  players  individually.  He had also tweeted soon after the match to hail the team’s performance. During  the  interaction  today,  the players said that this was the first time that  they  had  seen  a  Prime  Minister tweeting for the women’s cricket team, the PMO said.

They said that they felt proud, happy and inspired to know that the Prime Minister was following their progress, PMO said in a statement. Responding  to  questions  asked  by the  players  on  handling  pressure,  the Prime  Minister  said  that  yoga  helps achieve  a  good  balance  between  mind, body and action. He also said that practice of yoga helps develop detachment, it said.

Telling the players that they had not “lost”, the Prime Minister said that 125 crore Indians carried their defeat in the final, on their shoulders, and this was, in fact, their greatest victory, the statement said. Modi said India’s daughters have made the nation proud in many international sporting events and that the society is benefiting from the progress that women are making in various fields. Besides sports, he mentioned the school results of Class 10 and 12; and women space scientists who have played a key role in prestigious ISRO missions. The players presented a signed cricket bat to the Prime Minister.

 – OE News Bureau

INDIA DOMINATE CRICKET AREANA AFTER WORLD CUP VICTORY

A huge six to long on by Captain Mahendra Dhoni completed victory for India in the 2011 Cricket World Cup in style and brought to a satisfying conclusion what has been a truly entertaining World Cup.India without doubt played the best cricket over the last six weeks and the final against Sri Lanka proved a worthy contest, with tension, drama and superb individual performances plentiful.

India’s talent has long been apparent, with stars such as Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and, of course, Sachin Tendulkar all proving them- selves world-class. But there was always the fear that they lack the mentality to build upon their obvious talent and achieve success at the World Cup.This year though they showed such doubts to be wrong, displaying an assured toughness in victories over Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the knock-out stages. That they defeated these three teams (arguably the three strongest teams after India themselves) too proves them worthy winners.

Much attention is placed on the incomparable Sachin Tendulkar, who did have an exemplary tournament, ending it the second highest run scorer (behind Tillakaratne Dilshan). But their success has been a real team effort, with match-winning contributions being made throughout the squad.

Sehwag’s 175 in the opening match was the tournament’s highest score; Zaheer Kahn took the joint highest number of wickets, at a devastating rate of 16.66 runs per- wicket; and, most noticeably, Yuvraj Singh batted and bowled superbly throughout, ending with four man of the match awards. And in the final, it was two players who had so far had a quieter tournament, Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni, who put in star showings. When Gambhir came to the crease India were in crisis, with Tendulkar out for 18 and India at a perilous 31-2. But the 29-year-old kept a calm head and scored a brilliant 97, most of them coming during his 109 run match-winning stand with Dhoni.

Dhoni had surprisingly elevated himself up to bat at five, ahead of the on-form Yuvraj Singh, but his decision was justified as he made 91 not out of 79 to calmly bring home victory for India.

For a long while beforehand the game re-balls deserved to be a match-winning knock. His elegant batting style was beautiful to watch, and came very quickly too thanks to a lethal acceleration in the last 10 overs. He even ended Sri Lanka’s innings not out, and, despite ending on the losing side, probably deserved to be man of the match.The wickets of Tendulkar and Sehwag at the hands of the dangerous Lasith Malinga put Sri Lanka in a very strong position and stunned the home crowd into silence. But Gambhir and Dhoni’s composed and excel- lent performances slowly put India back into pole position, before Dhoni’s on-drive six saw them over the line. Such a great game was a welcome relief from the trilogy of thrashings Australia have dished out in the previous three world cups.The semi-finals too proved entertaining contests.

First Tuesday saw Sri Lanka complete what looked halfway through the second innings – with Sri Lanka 160-1 chasing 217 – to be a routine victory, but what proved, thanks largely to intimidating captaincy by Daniel Vettori, to be a tense finale as New Zealand took three quick wickets. But with Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Matthews at the crease Sri Lanka ultimately steadied themselves and booked their finale as New Zealand took three quick wickets. But with Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Matthews at the crease Sri Lanka ultimately steadied themselves and booked their place in the final.

Then the India v Pakistan took place, the tournament’s most hotly anticipated match. The contest did not disappoint, as the first innings saw batting fireworks from Sehwag and Tendulkar (the latter despite being dropped multiple times) only for young Wahab Riaz to strike back with the ball with a five-for.Pakistan needed a difficult-but-obtain-able 261 runs to win but fell short, failing to accelerate sufficiently at the end of their innings. The inexplicably defensive Misbah-ul-Haq the main culprit and they were bowled out for 231, with all five of India’s bowlers taking two wickets each – further evidence of their strength as a collective whole.Looking back, the tournament was a far more exciting affair than predicted.

It still had structural problems, specifically the seemingly never-ending length of the group stages; but despite the inevitable one-sided affairs at the early stages, we have England’s unpredictable showings to thank for keeping the early stages interesting. The most memorable words of the night came from Sangakara, the Sri Lankan skipper, who spoke like a great ambassador for his country, speaking words worthy of his reputation, giving un- conditional praise to his opponents, and making every Sri Lankan proud by accepting defeat with graciousness and extending no excuse, the sign of a truly great cricketer.

The quality of cricket, the closeness of matches in the knockout stages and India proving to be worthy champions ensured this World Cup to be the best in re- cent years. The grand success of the World Cup plus the IPL success saga has assured that India will remain the power house of the world cricket, a strategic shift from the mecca of cricket – England. All the international players are rushing to India to associate themselves with Indian cricket to reap both practical and monetary benefits.

– Prakhar Mishra

India, under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy, have won the ICC World Cup, ICC World Twenty20 and the ICC Champions Trophy the first captain to have won all three ICC trophies. India beat England by 5 runs in a rain curtailed final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Here are some other statistical highlights:

• India have won both the Grand Finals against England in ODIs by two wickets in the NatWest series at Lord’s on July 13, 2002 and by five runs at Edgbaston in the ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston on June 23, 2013.
• India have defeated England in all three games in the ICC Champions Trophy, enjoying 100% success rate their previous two wins being by eight wickets at Colombo (RPS) on September 22, 2002 and by four wickets at Jaipur on October 15, 2006.
• For the first time, a team batting first, has won the final of the ICC Champions Trophy.
• Also for the first time, India have won six games in succession in the ICC Champions Trophy  between September 30, 2009 and June 23, 2013.
• Shikhar Dhawan has established an Indian record for the highest run aggregate in an ICC Champions Trophy com- petition – 363 runs (ave.90.75) in five matches, including two hundreds and a fifty.Only Chris Gayle has amassed more runs than Dhawan  474 (ave.79.00) in eight matches in 2006- 07.
• Dhawan has received his first Player of the series award in ODIs.
• Sourav Ganguly had managed 348 (ave.116.00) in four matches in 2000- 01.
• Dhawan is the only batsman to aggregate 300 runs apart from recording strike rate of 100 plus (101.39) in an ICC Champions Trophy competition
• Rohit Sharma, with 177 runs at an average of 35.40 in five matches, is the second highest run getter for India in the just concluded competition.
• Ravi Bopara (3/20) has produced his best bowling performance in the ICC Champions Trophy. The said performance is also his best vs India in ODIs.
• Bopara’s excellent figures are the best by an England bowler vs India in the ICC Champions Trophy.
• Bopara’s figures of 3 for 20 are his second best in ODIs, next only to the four for 38 vs Bangladesh at Birmingham on July 12, 2010.
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s first duck vs England is his seventh in ODIs. As captain, Dhoni has posted his second duck in 140 matches  his first being vs Australia at Visakhapatnam on October 20, 2010.
• Virat Kohli (43 off 34 balls) has posted his highest score in six ODI finals, outstripping the 37 off 57 balls vs Sri Lanka at Dambulla on August 28, 2010.
• Kohli has averaged 58.66 in the ICC CT 2013  his tally being 176 in five matches, including a fifty.
• Ravindra Jadeja is averaging 52.16 vs England in ODIs  his aggregate being 313 in eleven innings (five times not out), including two fifties.
• Rohit Sharma’s wicket today is the first in the mandatory Power play for India in the just concluded competition.
• Alastair Cook has averaged 32.20 in five matches in the just concluded ICC Champions Trophy – his aggregate being 161, including two fifties.
• James Anderson, with eleven wickets at 13.72 runs apiece in five matches, has set an England record for the high- est wicket aggregate in the ICC CT 2013, obliterating Stuart Broad’s tally of ten at 15.50 runs apiece in three matches in 2009-10.
• Eoin Morgan (33 off 30 balls) has posted his highest score in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
• Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan have shared a stand of 64 England’s highest fifth wicket partnership vs India in the ICC Champions Trophy.
• Ravindra Jadeja, with 12 wickets at 12.83 runs apiece, has finished as
• the leading wicket-taker in the just concluded competition. His tally is an Indian record in the ICC Champions Trophy.
• Jadeja’s fourth MOM award vs England is his seventh in ODIs.
• Ravichandran Ashwin has taken three catches in an ODI for the first time

– OE News Bureau