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Ind vs Pak Dream11 Prediction: The Icc T20 World Cup 2024 match between India vs. Pakistan on June 9 at 08:00 Pm Ist at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York promises to be an exciting encounter. Team India is full of enthusiasm after winning the last match and the Pakistani team would like to make a comeback after losing to America in the last match.

India vs. Pakistan last faced each other in the T20 World Cup 2022, in which India defeated Pakistan by 4 wickets. India would like to continue its winning campaign while Pakistan will definitely try to pull off an upset once again.

Ind vs Pak Match Preview

India has started its World Cup campaign by winning its first match against Ireland and Pakistan has become a victim of criticism after losing against America in its first match. Due to this, India seems to have the upper hand in this match.

Mi vs Rcb Dream11 Prediction: The 25th Match of the 2024 Indian Premier League hits a thrilling note as two cricketing giants, Mumbai Indians (Mi) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Rcb), lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 11, 2024.

Both teams have endured an underwhelming start, with just one victory each, but this clash presents an opportunity to reignite their campaigns.

Mi vs Rcb Match Preview

Mumbai Indians put themselves back on the winning track with a victory in their most recent game, and they are currently ranked eighth. However, Royal Challengers Bangalore, currently ranked ninth, have only won one of their five games played.

After a sluggish start, Mumbai Indians finally found their groove, defeating Delhi Capitals in their last encounter. Led by the explosive Hardik Pandya, the five-time champions showcased an aggressive brand of cricket, propelling them to a formidable total of 234 runs.

Rohit Sharma’s blistering 49 off 27 balls...

Mumbai, March 19 (Ians) The Norwegian DJ and music producer Alan Walker, known for his track ‘Faded’, ‘Sing Me to Sleep’, has crafted a team song titled ‘Team Side ft Rcb’ for Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rcb), ahead of the Indian Premier League (Ipl) 2024.

The song, which features pop artist Sofiloud, was premiered live by the Edm prodigy at his 30-minute set at #RCBUnbox at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The global artist was joined by several players from Rcb, including Faf Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell, Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, Rishabh Shetty and Dinesh Karthik.

His performance was supported by local acts such as Raghu Dixit, Neeti Mohan, Brodha V, Jordindian and Barfi Katcheri.

With its catchy electro-house vibe, the three-minute multi-lingual anthem imbibes English, Kannada and Hindi.

Talking about the same, Alan said: “I love cricket and I’m looking forward to meeting all the Indian cricket legends on the field.

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has heaped praise on Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma and the Indian team during the Ind vs Nz match at the Icc Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Talking about Rohit Sharma, Ranbir, who was promoting his film ‘Animal’, said: “I would like to talk about Rohit Sharma as a person. You know, whenever I hear him during interviews, watch his reels or watch his photographs with the team, I feel like he’s such a likable guy.”

“Being a leader and also being somebody who’s so friendly with his teammates, making them feel like we are all together makes him a great captain. And I think we see that in Rohit Sharma very clearly. Hats off to him!”

Later, talking about the Indian team, he said: “I think they are a pack of wolves, be it Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, we also have Ravindra Jadeja,...

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has heaped praise on Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma and the Indian team during the Ind vs Nz match at the Icc Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Talking about Rohit Sharma, Ranbir, who was promoting his film ‘Animal’, said: “I would like to talk about Rohit Sharma as a person. You know, whenever I hear him during interviews, watch his reels or watch his photographs with the team, I feel like he’s such a likable guy.”

“Being a leader and also being somebody who’s so friendly with his teammates, making them feel like we are all together makes him a great captain. And I think we see that in Rohit Sharma very clearly. Hats off to him!”

Later, talking about the Indian team, he said: “I think they are a pack of wolves, be it Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, we also have Ravindra Jadeja,...

New Delhi, Sep 5 (Ians) Kl Rahul has been included in India’s World Cup 2023 squad, marking his return from a lengthy injury layoff, as the Bcci confirmed the 15-member squad on Tuesday.

Batter Suryakumar Yadav also managed to hold on to a spot in the squad for the marquee event with regular skipper Rohit Sharma leading the side and all-rounder Hardik Pandya as his deputy.

Rahul, who last played an Odi in March this year, injured his thigh earlier in the year at the Ipl, though has been training at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, and preparing to fly out to Sri Lanka for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup.

With Rahul in the squad, Sanju Samson, who is a reserve player at the Asia Cup, has missed out, as well as Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna as other omissions.

Rohit leads the batting group, with Shubman Gill,...

Pallekele, Sep 4 (Ians) Unbeaten fifties by captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill powered India to the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup with a 10-wicket thrashing of Nepal in their Group A match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

After Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj picked three wickets apiece while Aasif Sheikh and Sompal Kami played gusty knocks in guiding Nepal to a competitive 230, the rain stopped the proceedings for two hours. By then, India reached 17 for no loss in 2.1 overs and the target was then revised to 145 in 23 overs as per Dls method when the game resumed at 10:15 pm.

Sharma (74 not out off 59 balls) and Gill (67 not out off 62 balls) slammed whirlwind fifties while stitching an unbroken opening partnership to complete the chase with 17 balls to spare.

While Sharma hit six fours and five sixes, Gill slammed eight fours and a six in ensuring India...

Pallekele, Sep 4 (Ians) Unbeaten fifties by captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill powered India to the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup with a ten-wicket thrashing of Nepal in their Group A match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

After Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj picked three wickets apiece while Aasif Sheikh and Sompal Kami played gusty knocks in guiding Nepal to a competitive 230, the rain stopped the proceedings for two hours. By then, India had reached 17 for no loss in 2.1 overs and the target was then revised to 145 in 23 overs as per Dls method when the game resumed after the lengthy break.

Rohit (74 not out off 59 balls) and Gill (67 not out off 62 balls) slammed whirlwind fifties while stitching an unbroken opening partnership to complete the chase with 17 balls to spare. While Sharma hit six fours and five sixes, Gill slammed eight fours and a six in...

Pallekele, Sep 4 (Ians) The India-Nepal Group A match in the Asia Cup will be resuming at 10:15 pm, with India’s target now revised to 145 in 23 overs as per the Dls Method at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Rain had earlier brought the proceedings to a halt at 8:20 pm local time, with the entire ground almost covered. By 9:20 pm, the rain stopped and all covers were removed, with ground staff working hard to make the ground fit for play.

At 10 pm, on-field umpires Paul Wilson and Ruchira Palliyaguruge had a quick inspection and spoke with the curator, following which the ground was deemed fit to resume play from 10:15 pm, five minutes before the cut-off time of 10:20 pm.

India have already made 17 for no loss in 2.1 overs, leaving 128 runs needed off 125 deliveries in the shortened chase. The first Power-play will be of five overs, followed...

Pallekele, Sep 4 (Ians) Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj picked three-wicket hauls as Aasif Sheikh and Sompal Kami played gusty knocks to guide Nepal to a competitive total of 230 against India in the Asia Cup Group A match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

On a two-paced pitch that aided spinners more, Nepal put up a much-improved batting display after being skittled out for 104 against Pakistan last week. Aasif, the wicketkeeper-batter, was brilliant in his 58 off 97 balls, laced with eight fours.

After an hour’s rain interruption, Kami during his 56-ball 48 struck a few shots to take Nepal past 200. Nepal were also aided by some erratic bowling from India, who bowled too many short and back-of-length deliveries.

There was also very sloppy work from India in fielding, leading to three catches being dropped in the first five overs and plenty of misfields happening throughout the innings.

In a lacklustre Indian bowling performance,...

New Delhi, Aug 27 (Ians) Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden called out his Indian squad for the upcoming World Cup 2023 and made some big calls. Hayden added wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson to the squad and affronted Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Talking to Star Sports, Hayden said, “The job which he hates the most is selecting any squad for the tournament. In the Indian context, I would love to see Sanju Samson in the squad. Also India needs more all-rounders than batters so Axar Patel will be a better choice than Tilak Verma.”

The 15-member Indian squad picked by Hayden follows: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Kl Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel.

The Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2023 was announced on August 21, 2023, with some surprising names in it. The...

New Delhi, Aug 25 (Ians) Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar revealed his preferred 15-player squad for the upcoming Men’s Odi World Cup, to be held in the country from October 5 to November 19.

In his squad, Bangar sprung a huge surprise by naming left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh in his team ahead of fast-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur. Arshdeep has only played three ODIs so far, but is yet to take a wicket. Moreover, he is not named in the Asia Cup squad.

Bangar was the batting coach of the Indian team when they reached the semi-finals of 2019 Men’s Odi World Cup in England, before losing to New Zealand in the knockout game at Manchester.

“For the World Cup, the way I have chosen my squad is focused on combinations. The combination will be as follows: five specialist batsmen, two wicketkeeper-batsmen, two spin-bowling all-rounders, one pace-bowling all-rounder, one specialist spinner, and four fast bowlers,...

Mumbai, Aug 21 (Ians) The return of Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna has bolstered the Indian fast bowling attack and gives it a healthy look but the problems in the spin department are worrisome, according to former India pacer Karsan Ghavri. Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna have made a successful return from long injury layoffs in the ongoing T20I series against Ireland, which has also earned them a call-up for the Asia Cup to be held in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

“It’s good news (for the Indian team) that both Bumrah and Krishna are looking fit and right now, you know, are playing in Ireland. They are in for Asia Cup and hopefully for the World Cup too they should be 100% fit and available. That makes a very formidable pace attack and along with that of course we have Mohammed Siraj and Shami,” Ghavri told Ians in an interview on...

Mumbai, Aug 6 (Ians) With the recent experimentation by the team management with the Indian playing XI giving mixed results, the senior national cricket selectors will be in a fix when they sit down to finalise the squad for the Asia Cup 2023 and the Asian Games which follow it, which will be important stops on the journey to the Odi World Cup to be held later in the year.

The Icc Odi World Cup in October-November in India follows on the heels of the Asia Cup 2023, which will be held from August 30 to September 17 in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou from September 23-October 8. It is apparent that the selectors will be left with little time to settle on their World Cup squad.

Thus the Indian squad for the Asia Cup will virtually be the one that would also represent the country in the World Cup — barring minor tweaks due to injuries,...

New Delhi, Aug 6 (Ians) Asia Cup will start in less than a month while just 60 days are left for the Icc Odi World Cup 2023 to begin and Team India is still unsure about who would be the perfect fit for the number 4 position.

The reason is the growing list of injuries as Team India continues to battle both on the field and off the field. Due to the players getting injured, the Men In Blue have struggled to find the right fit throughout the year and are now left with no choice but to try different players ahead of the Asia Cup.

As per the latest medical update provided by the Bcci, wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant has made significant progress in his rehabilitation and has commenced batting as well as keeping in the nets.

However, he won’t be able to make it to the team this year considering his injuries,...

New Delhi, Aug 3 (Ians) Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes that one major difference in the build-up of the 2023 Men’s Odi World Cup as compared to the preparation undertaken by the 2011 tournament-winning team, has been the significantly lesser time of playing matches as a cohesive unit.

After the end of 2007 Odi World Cup and before the start of the 2011 edition, India had played 118 ODIs. With the 2023 World Cup being just over two months away, India have played just 57 matches after the end of the 2019 edition in England. Moreover, India has played 42 ODIs since the start of 2021, with 44 players being tried out, highlighting that a settled combination hasn’t been achieved yet.

“There is one significant difference in the build-ups of 2011 and 2023 World Cups, which is the amount of T20 cricket being played. I still remember we were very reluctant to play T20 cricket even after winning the inaugural T...

New Delhi, July 27 (Ians) Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj has been rested for the Odi leg of the West Indies tour in order to ensure proper workload management leading up to the 2023 World Cup.

Siraj flew back with the rest of the Test contingent, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, K.S. Bharat and Navdeep Saini after India’s 1-0 series win, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The report further said India opted to rest the fast bowler keeping his workload in mind and the Bcci have not named a replacement.

India’s schedule includes the Asia Cup, which is scheduled from late August to mid-September. Additionally, they will be engaged in a three-match Odi series against Australia at home in September ahead of the Odi World Cup at home in October.

The 29-year-old pacer has been playing regular cricket since the start of the year. Siraj has played in all ODIs for India against Sri Lanka,...

Bridgetown, July 26 (Ians) With just over two months left for the Men’s Odi World Cup to start, India will be aiming to restart and fine-tune their preparation for the marquee tournament when they face West Indies in the series opener starting on Thursday.

With many regulars of the Indian team still on the road to recovery from injuries of various kind, the series against the West Indies presents a chance for the likes of Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Umran Malik to strengthen their case for playing a home Odi World Cup.

With Shreyas Iyer out, Suryakumar Yadav is likely to be given a chance for batting at number four despite recording a hat-trick of ducks in the ODIs against Australia in March. In the absence of Kl Rahul, who’s on the road to recovery from a right thigh injury, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson will...

Dubai, July 26 (Ians) India captain Rohit Sharma, fast-bowler Mohammed Siraj and left-arm spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have made gains in the latest Icc Men’s Test Rankings, released on Wednesday.

Following India’s draw in the second Test against the West Indies in Trinidad which propelled them to 1-0 series triumph, Rohit has risen up to ninth place in the batters’ rankings after scores of 80 and 57.

On the other hand, Siraj, who picked five wickets in the first innings at Trinidad, has jumped six places to a career-best 33rd place overall on the list for bowlers, while Jadeja has moved to sixth place in the rankings.

Meanwhile, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has claimed a new career-high of 63 on the list for batters after he shot up 10 places courtesy of making 57 and 38 in just his second Test appearance in Trinidad.

For Pakistan, left-handed batter Saud Shakeel’s heroics with the bat,...

Port of Spain, Sep 25 (Ians) After winning the two-match series 1-0, India skipper Rohit Sharma said that playing in the West Indies has its own challenge and he is happy with the way things went for his side.

The fifth day of the second Test on Monday got washed out which meant that the match was drawn, handing the visitors a 1-0 series victory against West Indies.

“Every win is different. Playing in Wi has its own challenge. Happy with the way things went. We gave it a good shot, unfortunately we couldn’t get any play today. We actually went out with a positive intent yesterday. Rain had its final say. We were quite confident. You know how difficult it is batting last. We always wanted that kind of score where we wanted the opposition to go for it. There wasn’t much on the surface. No play today,...

Port of Spain, July 24 (Ians) In the ongoing tour of the West Indies, Mohammed Siraj had to step up to be the leader of the Indian fast-bowling attack. On Fay Four, where there was nothing for the bowlers to extract from a slow pitch at Queen’s Park Oval, Siraj returned with his career-best figures of five for 60 to give India a healthy 183-run lead.

Siraj’s scalps for his second five-wicket haul in Tests included Joshua da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. Siraj mixed his inswingers, outswingers and wobble-seam deliveries to good effect with the second new ball to bring a swift end to the West Indies innings.

The fast bowler pointed out that it was not easy for him to succeed on a placid pitch. “First of all, this performance was really good because it’s not easy to take a five-fer on such a flat wicket.

New Delhi, July 24 (Ians) The stage is set for an interesting finish on Day five of the 2nd Test in Port of Spain as the West Indies still require 289 runs for victory with eight wickets in hand.

Set a target of 365 runs on a rain-curtailed penultimate day on Sunday, the hosts reached 76/2 at close with Tagenarine Chanderpaul (24 runs) and Jermaine Blackwood (20 runs) holding fort.

Earlier, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj did the star turn with the ball, claiming 5/60 that went a long way in bowling out the Windies for 255 in the 1st innings. Thereafter, skipper Rohit Sharma (57) and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan (52 not out) played whirlwind knocks to help India declare their second innings at 181/2.

So, what’s the strategy that the hosts should adopt in the prevailing circumstances? Former India opener Aakash Chopra, a JioCinema expert, said: “It depends on what they’re actually thinking about. If they want to win this game,...

Port of Spain, July 24 (Ians) India came out with guns blazing in their second innings but rain played spoilsport and halted their progress, reducing the session to just three overs as India reached 118/2 at Tea on the fourth day of the second Test.

After forcing an early lunch, the rain started soon as the batsmen were ready to get into the field for the afternoon session. Though the rain stopped soon, the wet ground stopped the play further and kept the players inside. Eventually, when play finally started, India crossed 100 runs off 75 balls on the second ball of the 13th over.

However, India suffered a setback when they lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the same over, falling to a slower delivery that landed at the good length spot outside off-stump. Jaiswal attempted a slog-sweep across the line but the bounce got him and the top edge ballooned and keeper Joshua Da Silva...

Port of Spain, July 23 (Ians) Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj bagged excellent figures of five for 60 while captain Rohit Sharma hit a rollicking 57 off 44 balls to put India on top against West Indies before rain forced early lunch on the fourth day of the fourth Test at the Queen’s Park Oval here on Sunday.

At lunch, India were 98 for one in just 12 overs, with the lead at 281 runs. Jaiswal is unbeaten on 37 off 28 balls with Shubman Gill giving him company after playing one ball. In an early start to the day, Siraj mixed his inswingers, outswingers and wobble-seam deliveries to good effect with the second new ball to bag his best figures in an innings in Test cricket.

West Indies managed to avoid the follow-on in the first innings but could add only 26 runs to their overnight total, giving India a healthy 183-run lead. With the bat, Rohit came out all guns blazing,...

Port of Spain, July 23 (Ians) Fast-bowler Mohammed Siraj emerged as the pick of the bowlers for India with excellent figures of five for 60 to help the visitors take a healthy 183-run lead after bowling out West Indies for 255 on day four of the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval on Sunday.

Siraj mixed his inswingers, outswingers and wobble-seam deliveries to good effect with the second new ball to bag his best figures in an innings in Test cricket. In an early start to the day, West Indies managed to avoid the follow-on but could add only 26 runs to their overnight total.

With the second new ball being just 5.1 overs old, India were to make inroads in an early start to day four’s play. It happened when Mukesh Kumar struck in the first over of the day, beating Alick Athanaze on the inside edge and trapping him lbw for 37.

In the next over,...

New Delhi, July 23 (Ians) Indian wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on Mukesh Kumar and said that the pacer’s debut is a great success story for the country’s domestic cricket.

The 29-year-old Mukesh earned his debut for Team India in the second Test of the ongoing series against West Indies in Port of Spain. On Day 3 of the second Test, he claimed his maiden Test wicket by removing fellow debutant West Indies’ Kirk McKenzie for 32, providing India with a crucial breakthrough.

“Mukesh Kumar, what a lovely story. Coming from a very humble background, a great success story for our domestic cricket. You ask anybody in the domestic circuit, they will tell you Mukesh Kumar is born for Test cricket,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

“Bowling those long overs, he is somebody if there is a little bit in the wicket, you can ask anybody who has played domestic cricket,...

Port of Spain, July 23 (Ians) India debutant Mukesh Kumar won praise from bowling coach Paras Mhambrey after the right-arm pacer claimed his first Test wicket on a rain interrupted Day 3 of the second match against the West Indies, here on Saturday.

Mukesh claimed the wicket of fellow debutant Kirk McKenzie for 32 on a day that saw the West Indies show plenty of fight with the bat, as the hosts frustrated India to go to stumps at 229/5 and still trailing by 209 in the second match.

While veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja did the bulk of the bowling on Saturday, Mukesh showed enough on debut through 14 overs to show he has a future in red-ball cricket as he got the wicket of McKenzie and then was entrusted to partner Mohammed Siraj with the second new ball later in the day.

Mukesh found some swing with that new ball and India...

Port of Spain, July 23 (Ians) Ravichandran Ashwin claimed the crucial wicket of West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite (75) as the hosts reached 174/3 at tea on the third day of the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval here.

Jermaine Blackwood was batting on 16 with Alick Athanaze on 13 at the Tea break as West Indies still trailed India (438) by 264 runs.

After rain forced India and West Indies to take an early lunch, West Indies played at a sedate pace in the second session as they scored 57 runs in 34 overs that were possible in the afternoon session.

Braithwaite completed his half-century off 170 balls, hitting four boundaries as the West Indies continued to build their innings. The hosts reached 150 runs in the 69th over with Braithwaite batting on 67.

Braithwaite, who was beaten by Mukesh Kumar with a superb delivery, hammered the bowler for a big six, pulling the sharp short ball over fine-leg. The...

Port of Spain, July 22 (Ians) Rain forced India and West Indies to take an early lunch on Day Three of the second Test at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday, shortly after seamer Mukesh Kumar got his maiden Test wicket in fellow debutant Kirk McKenzie.

Rain meant that only 10.4 overs were bowled in the first session on Day Three, where West Indies added 31 runs before losing McKenzie on 32 off 57 balls. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite continues to remain unbeaten on 49 off 161 balls, as West Indies are trailing India by 321 runs.

The day began with Mukesh testing McKenzie with his accurate deliveries, followed by Mohammed Siraj slipping in one maiden over. McKenzie got going when he brought out the drive and loft against Jaydev Unadkat for back-to-back fours in the 44th over.

After bringing up West Indies’ hundred runs, McKenzie swivelled Unadkat for a handsome pull going for a boundary, followed by...

Port of Spain, July 22 (Ians) Virat Kohli’s 121 along with fifties from Rohit Sharma (80), Ravindra Jadeja (61) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (57) and Ravichandran Ashwin’s (56) helped India post 438 runs in their first innings on the Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval, here on Friday.

West Indies made an impressive comeback in the second session bowling out India for 438, as the visitors lost the wickets of Ishan, Ashwin, Jaydev Unadkat and Mohammed Siraj. India, who were 373/6 at lunch, scored 65 runs in 20 overs and lost four wickets to finish the innings with 438 at Tea.

Ashwin and Ishan began the second session with a couple of boundaries. But the West Indies struck early in the session, dismissing Ishan for 21.

Ishan got caught behind on the bowling of Jason Holder, who bowled well outside off stump but the left-hander edged it and Joshua Da Silva comfortably took the catch behind the stumps.

Port of Spain, July 20 (Ians) West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the second Test of the two-game series at Queen’s Park Oval, here on Thursday.

Left-handed top-order batter Kirk McKenzie and right-arm seamer Mukesh Kumar are making their Test debuts for West Indies and India respectively. It is the 100th Test between West Indies and India, which coincides with Virat Kohli playing his 500th international match.

After winning the toss, Brathwaite said pacer Shannon Gabriel also comes back in the playing eleven, with no place for Raymon Reifer and Rahkeem Cornwall.

“Pitch has a bit of moisture which we want to use. We were decent bowling-wise, we need to continue being disciplined,” the West Indies captain said.

“We need to take the first game off our memories and play their quality bowlers well. Our rivalry has come a long way,...

New Delhi, June 12 (Ians) Australia and India have been handed hefty fines for maintaining slow over rates in the Icc World Test Championship Final held at The Oval.

India slipped to defeat early on day five of the Wtc Final, losing by 209 runs to Australia on Sunday.

An additional 15 minutes were taken at the end of the session to allow the final wicket to be taken, and Nathan Lyon picked up the scalp of Mohammed Siraj to secure Australia the Wtc title.

India have been fined 100 percent of their match fee while Australia docked 80 percent of their match fee due to their sluggish over rates, breaching Article 2.22 of the Icc Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

Article 2.22 relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

Richie Richardson of the...

London, June 10 (Ians) Australia looked to be in a prime position to win the World Test Championship Final when they declared on 270/8, as Alex Carey top-scored with 66 not out, and set India a daunting target of 444 at The Oval on Saturday.

In their pursuit of breaking the world record of 418 for the most successful fourth innings chase in a Test match, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane put together a solid unbeaten 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket, on yet another day of gripping action, and take India to 164/3 at stumps on Day Four.

On a pitch that flattened out and was devoid of demons in terms of movement and bounce, Kohli was in fantastic touch to be 44 not out off just 60 balls, with Rahane unconquered on 20.

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The duo’s efforts meant the match is set up towards an exciting finish, as India are still alive in the chase with 280 runs...

London, June 10 (Ians) Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey remained unbeaten on 66 as Australia declared their second innings at 270/8 in 84.3 overs in the World Test Championship final at The Oval, setting India a daunting target of 444.

It means that if India were to win the coveted mace, starting from 45 minutes left in the second session, they need to break the world record of 418 for the most successful fourth innings chase in a Test match on a not-so-easy pitch to bat on.

Carey showed fine composure and middled his shots well to hit eight fours in his unbeaten 105-ball vigil. He found an able ally in Mitchell Starc, who made a nice 41 while sharing a quick 93-run stand for the seventh wicket.

India had a bright start to the day as in the third over of the session, Umesh had Marnus Labuschagne caught at first slip. Umesh got the delivery to come in and...

London, June 10 (Ians) Top-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne has revealed why he took a brief nap during Australia’s second innings of the Icc World Test Championship Final when he dozed off even while teammates faced a bowling barrage at The Oval.

Labuschagne decided to sit back and take a nap as teammates David Warner and Usman Khawaja looked to build on Australia’s lead, though the No.3 batter was rudely awoken and called out to the middle when Mohammed Siraj struck, reports Icc.

Taking a nap before his innings, Marnus Labuschagne was awoken on The Oval balcony by India fans celebrating David Warner’s wicket.

“I was just resting my eyes between balls and just relaxing,” Labuschagne told Sen Cricket after the day’s play. “I was trying to calm my nerves a little bit, you can’t watch the game all the time, I got up there and was awake pretty soon.

But it is still an uphill climb for India to save the Test.

In their second venture, Australia weathered the fire and fury of Mohammed Siraj – which fetched the early wicket of veteran David Warner – and extended their first innings lead of 175 to close to 300. Only a most sensational collapse will bring India into the reckoning.

At draw of stumps on Day 3, Australia were 123/4, leading by 296 runs, with Marnus Labuschagne (41*) and Cameron Green (7*) holding fort.

With cracks appearing on the pitch which could expand on Saturday, the hottest day of the year forecast so far (28-degree Celsius), Aussie off-spinner Nathan Lyon could come into the frame when India bat in the fourth innings.

Admittedly, though, there was no evidence of assistance to a slow bowler when India’s left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja operated on the third day.

India may have only one left-handed batsman in all-rounder Jadeja in their ranks – often an off-spinner’s bunny.

London, June 9 (Ians) Australia continued to remain ahead in the World Test Championship final by extending their lead to 296, despite a superb Indian fightback led by Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur on a riveting day three’s play at The Oval, here on Friday.

When Ks Bharat was bowled through the gate by Scott Boland in the first over of the morning session, the fear of being bowled out quickly loomed large over India. But Rahane and Thakur fought hard to capitalise on Australia’s inconsistent bowling, as well as slices of luck coming via no-balls and sloppy fielding.

Rahane and Thakur shared a superb 109-run partnership off 145 balls for the seventh wicket to lead a superb fightback for India and avoid the ignominy of follow-on. Rahane, playing in Test cricket for the first time since January 2022, shined on his comeback with a splendid 89, his 26th half-century in the format.

London, June 9 (Ians) Veteran opener David Warner was dismissed cheaply in a testing spell from Mohammed Siraj as Australia reached 23/1 in 11 overs of second innings at tea on day three of World Test Championship final against India at The Oval, here on Friday.

Effectively, Australia are leading by 196 runs, after taking a vital 173-run lead by bowling out India for 296 in first innings.

At 152/6 in the first over of the day, the fear of India being bowled out quickly and being made to follow-on loomed large. But Ajinkya Rahane, who looked solid on day two and a fighting Shardul Thakur shared a superb 109-run partnership off 145 balls for the seventh wicket to lead a superb fightback for India and avoid the ignominy of follow-on.

Rahane, playing in Test cricket for the first time since January 2022, shined on his comeback with a splendid 89, his 26th half-century in the format. Thakur, meanwhile,...

London, June 9 (Ians) Australia managed to take a vital 173-run first innings lead after bowling out India for 296 on day three of World Test Championship final at The Oval, here on Friday.

At 152/6, the fear of India being bowled out quickly and being made to follow-on loomed large. But Ajinkya Rahane, who looked solid on day two and Shardul Thakur shared a superb 109-run partnership off 145 balls for the seventh wicket to lead a superb fightback for India and avoid the ignominy of follow-on.

Rahane, playing in Test cricket for the first time since January 2022, shined on his comeback with a splendid 89, his 26th half-century in the format. Thakur, meanwhile, had luck on his side and survived some blows on his forearm to make a gritty 51, his third consecutive fifty at the venue.

After India made 109/1 in the first session thanks to erratic bowling and sloppy fielding from Australia, they...

New Delhi, June 9 (Ians) As India seemed to struggle against a dominant Australia in the first two days of the World Test Championship (Wtc) Final at The Oval, London, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has expressed his belief that India let themselves down in the first hour of the opening day of the one-off Test.

Australia maintained their pole position on Thursday, posting 469 in the first innings, thanks to Travis Head’s 163 and Steve Smith’s 121 and polished bowling performance from their four fast bowlers, as they reduced Rohit Sharma-led side to 151/5.

“I think where they let themselves down was in the first hour yesterday and bowling too short. With the wicket conditions, the overhead conditions they had and the brand-new Dukes ball, they had to bowl fuller and get the ball driven back down the ground,” Ponting told the Icc.

“They needed to have Australia four or five...

London, June 8 (Ians) For the second straight day, Australia maintained their pole position in the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval. On Thursday, they posted 469 in first innings, thanks to Travis Head’s 163 and Steve Smith’s 121, his 31st Test hundred along with Alex Carey’s cameo of 48.

The potent Aussie bowling unit used fuller deliveries and bounce in the pitch to good effect to leave India on 151/5 in 38 overs at stumps, with Australia still leading by 318 runs. All of Australia’s five bowlers took a wicket each as India’s top four batters failed to pass the 15 run mark in front of accurate and relentless lines and lengths.

A 71-run partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja kept India afloat till off-spinner Nathan Lyon took the latter out 15 minutes away from stumps, as Australia dominated another day of proceedings in the marquee clash, as 12 wickets fell on day two,...

London, June 8 (Ians) For the second straight day, Australia maintained their pole position in the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval. On Thursday, they posted 469 in the first innings, thanks to Travis Head’s 163 and Steve Smith’s 121 along with Alex Careys cameo of 48.

Their potent bowling unit used the fuller deliveries and bounce in the pitch to good effect to leave India on 151/5 in 38 overs at stumps, with Australia still leading by 318 runs. All of Australia’s five bowlers took a wicket as India’s top four batters failed to pass the 15 run mark.

A 71-run partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja kept India afloat till off-spinner Nathan Lyon took the latter out 15 minutes away from stumps, as Australia dominated another day of proceedings in the marquee clash.

The final session began with Cheteshwar Pujara playing a lovely on-drive off Scott Boland for four, followed...

London, June 8 (Ians) Pat Cummins and Scott Boland dismissed openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in quick succession to leave India at 37/2 in 10 overs at Tea after Mohammed Siraj picked a four-wicket haul to lead a solid fightback for his team and bowl out Australia for 469 in their first innings on day two of the World Test Championship final at The Oval, here on Thursday.

For India, still trailing by 432 runs, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli were unbeaten on 3 and 4 respectively at Tea. A lot hinges on the highly-experienced duo to lead India’s charge with the bat in a crucial final session on Day 2.

India made a positive start with Rohit pulling a short ball off Mitchell Starc while squeezing a drive off him to take two fours. Gill played a glorious drive off Cummins through the gap for four on the very first ball he faced and went...

London, June 8 (Ians) Australian batter Steve Smith on Thursday equalled former England captain Joe Root’s tally of scoring most centuries – nine – in Test cricket against India after he scored 121 on day two of World Test Championship final at The Oval, here.

Smith needed just two balls on day two’s morning session to go from his overnight score of 95 not out to breaching triple figures via successive flicks on half-volleys from Mohammed Siraj to reach his century. With this ton, he went past Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Matthew Hayden to score 31 Test hundreds.

When he got out for 121 after chopping on to his stumps off Shardul Thakur, Smith enhanced his excellent record at The Oval, now managing to score three Test tons at the venue. Only the great Sachin Tendulkar (11) has scored more Test hundreds in matches between India and Australia.

“When it comes to Test cricket, I don’t...

London, June 8 (Ians) Mohammed Siraj picked a four-wicket haul to lead a solid fightback for his team on day two of the World Test Championship final and bowl out Australia for 469 in 121.3 overs of their first innings but Pat Cummins and Scott Boland then attacked stumps relentlessly while bowling fuller to dismiss Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in quick succession to leave India at 37/2 in 10 overs at Tea, here on Thursday.

For India, still trailing by 432 runs, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are unbeaten on 3 and 4 respectively. A lot hinges on the highly-experienced duo to lead India’s charge with the bat in a crucial final session.

India made a positive start with Rohit pulling a short ball off Mitchell Starc while squeezing a drive off him to take two fours. Gill played a glorious drive off Cummins through the gap for four on the very first ball he faced...

London, June 8 (Ians) Mohammed Siraj picked a four-wicket haul to lead a solid fightback from India on day two of the World Test Championship final and bowl out Australia for 469 in 121.3 overs of their first innings at The Oval, here on Thursday.

Australia began day two from their overnight score of 327/3 with Steve Smith making 121, his 31st Test century while Travis Head crossed 150 for the fourth time in his career to top-score with 163 as the duo shared a massive 285-run stand for the fourth wicket after being reduced to 76/3.

But India, who took only three wickets on a lacklustre day one, made a spirited fightback to pick the rest of seven wickets to bowl out Australia for 469 on a pitch, where there is some movement and variable bounce on offer.

A persistent Siraj was the pick of bowlers for India with 4/108, also becoming the 42nd bowler from the country to scalp 50 wickets in Tests.

London, June 8 (Ians) Australias premier batter Steve Smith on Thursday equalled former England captain Joe Root’s tally of scoring most centuries in Test cricket against India after he scored 121 on day two of World Test Championship final at The Oval, here on Thursday.

Smith needed just two balls on day two’s morning session to go from his overnight score of 95 not out to breaching triple figures via successive flicks on half-volleys from Mohammed Siraj to reach his 31st Test century.

When he got out for 121 after chopping on to his stumps off Shardul Thakur, Smith enhanced his excellent record at The Oval, now managing to score three Test tons at the venue. Only the great Sachin Tendulkar (11) has scored more Test hundreds in matches between India and Australia.

“When it comes to Test cricket, I don’t think anyone is close to him in this generation. His adaptability,...

London, June 8 (Ians) After taking only three wickets on day one of World Test Championship final at The Oval, India staged a spirited fightback in the first session of second day’s play with four scalps, including of centurions Travis Head and Steve Smith, as Australia reached 422/7 in 109 overs at lunch, here on Thursday.

Though Australia are still ahead in the final as they amassed 95 runs in the morning session, they weren’t able to dominate thoroughly thanks to the Indian bowling line-up sticking to their plans of bowling on good areas.

India would want for their bowlers to continue doing the same in the second session on a pitch, where some deliveries misbehaved as sun shined bright, with Alex Carey and captain Pat Cummins unbeaten on 22 and 2 respectively at lunch.

The day began with Mohammed Siraj bowling two successive half-volleys to Smith, who flicked dazzlingly on both deliveries to reach his 31st Test hundred,...

London, June 8 (Ians) Australia’s veteran left-handed opener David Warner feels he wasn’t challenged enough on his front-foot defence by a lacklustre and erratic Indian bowling attack on Day One of the World Test Championship (Wtc) Final at The Oval.

Warner looked in great touch after surviving a probing first hour, particularly from Mohammed Shami operating from around the wicket angle, though he lost Usman Khawaja to Mohammed Siraj for a ten-ball duck.

He hammered Umesh Yadav for a drive through for four, before carving the pacer for four offside boundaries in the 15th over. But he fell just before the lunch break to Shardul Thakur for 43, gloving a pull behind to the keeper.

“Only thing I felt as a batsman (was) I wasn’t challenged enough on my front-foot defence so it was okay to leave on length then try to put some pressure on,” said Warner in...

London, June 7 (Ians) Travis Head and Steve Smith took full advantage of a lacklustre Indian bowling line-up to stitch a mammoth 251-run unbeaten stand for the fourth wicket to put Australia in the driver’s seat by putting 327/3 on the board at the stumps on Day 1 of World Test Championship final at The Oval, here on Wednesday.

The day began with India bowling first, under overcast skies and fielding a four-man fast-bowling attack, with Ravichandran Ashwin’s exclusion becoming a huge talking point. They succeeded initially by reducing Australia to 76/3.

But Head, who was dropped from the playing eleven for Nagpur Test earlier this year, came out all guns blazing to lead Australia’s counter-attack and dishing out yet another memorable knock to bail his team out of a tough situation as Australia ended the day on a strong position.

As the sun came out and pitch became good to bat on,...