Cricket

New Delhi [India] : Former India skipper Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday lauded New Zealand for managing to survive on Day 5 of the first Test against India to walk away with a draw.“Both #TeamIndia and #NewZealand had their backs against the wall at various stages of this game and both teams fought hard to come back into the game. To survive 52 balls on the last day of the Test was commendable. This is what makes Test match cricket fascinating. #INDvNZ,” tweeted Tendulkar. New Zealand managed to survive by the barest of margins on the last day of the first Test against India after a gritty performance from their lower-order batters insured that visitors walked away with a draw here at Green Park, Kanpur on Monday.Team India managed to take eight wickets on Day 5 of the ongoing first Test but some late drama and stout-hearted performance from visitors’ batters clawed back victory from the jaws of hosts.Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday had surpassed Harbhajan Singh to become the country’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Ashwin scalped the wicket of Tom Latham (52) to go past the milestone. 

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 30 (ANI): India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that surpassing Harbhajan Singh’s tally of 417 Test wickets is a “wonderful milestone”. Ashwin on Monday had surpassed Harbhajan Singh to become the country’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Ashwin scalped the wicket of Tom Latham (52) to go past the milestone.“These are numbers that are just happening because of the effort I have been putting in. I am trying to enjoy my game. I am not worried about what number I am surpassing, it is a wonderful milestone. When Harbhajan Singh bowled that famous spell against Australia in 2001, I did not think I would be an off-spinner one day,” Ashwin told teammate Shreyas Iyer in a video posted on bcci.tv. “I was inspired by him and here I am. Actually, I was more of a batter, and a lot of people know this story. After that 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, I decided to take up spin bowling. That’s how I started, I have been on my action for a while, don’t know whether I can copy Harbhajan’s style now,” he added. The off-spinner had equalled Harbhajan’s tally of 417 wickets on Sunday after he dismissed Will Young on Day 4. New Zealand managed to survive by the barest of margins on the last day of the first Test against India after a gritty performance from their lower-order batters insured that […]

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Team India head coach Rahul Dravid praised the players for their ‘fighting spirit’ and ‘composure’ they showed in the now-concluded Day 5 of the first Test against New Zealand, here at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel came up with a determined performance to hold off the Indian spinners in the final hour of the Test to earn a commendable draw as the hosts ended the Test one wicket away from victory. Poor light had a major effect on the match and the head coach also agreed on the same.“Yeah, we were expecting it. We knew that the light kinda dipped a bit at that point in time, how it has been happening for every day. Not very difficult, the guys were pretty switched on and I thought we showed great composure, great fighting spirit to be able to work very hard in the last session, even on a very unresponsive pitch, so I think the guys did well by taking eight wickets after lunch,” said Rahul Dravid during a virtual post-match press-conference.Dravid further lauded the young players of the team and said that it is commendable to see them perform for India.“It is just great to see the young players coming through and performing straight away and we saw that a little bit in the T20 series as well, where one or two players […]

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: New Zealand managed to survive by the barest of margins on the last day of the first Test against India after a gritty performance from their lower-order batters insured that visitors walked away with a draw here at Green Park, Kanpur on Monday.Team India managed to take eight wickets on Day 5 of the ongoing first Test but some late drama and stout-hearted performance from visitors’ batters clawed back victory from the jaws of hosts. Ravindra Jadeja scalped four wickets in the second innings while veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin returned with three.Resuming the final session at 125/4, Indian bowlers clawed further deep as Axar Patel had Henry Nicholls adjudged LBW. Then after five overs, Ravindra Jadeja got the all-important wicket of Kane Williamson. The NZ skipper decided to go back and the ball skid on to trap him plumb in front. He departed for 24 off 112.In the 79th over, Tom Blundell was bowled round his legs by Ashwin. India took the second new ball in the 84th over as the match reached the endgame. With the light fading and time running out for the hosts, Ravindra Jadeja struck in quick succession to send Kylie Jamieson and Tim Southee back into the dugout.One wicket short, Indian bowlers threw everything at the batters on the pitch, Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel. But Rachin who played 91 balls in the second innings […]

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India] : Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh congratulated Ravichandran Ashwin as the latter surpassed to become the country’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.Ashwin scalped the wicket of Tom Latham (52) on the ongoing Day 5 of the first Test against New Zealand and hence he achieved the feat. Taking to his Twitter, Harbhajan wrote, “Congratulations @ashwinravi99. Wish you many more brother.. God bless. Keep shining.”The off-spinner had equalled Harbhajan’s tally of 417 wickets on Sunday after he dismissed Will Young on Day 4.Ashwin has so far taken 30 five-wicket hauls in his career.In the first innings of the ongoing Test, Ashwin had taken three wickets while Axar Patel took five.Nightwatchman Will Somerville and opening batter Tom Latham held the fort as New Zealand did not lose a single wicket in the opening session of Day 5 of the ongoing first Test against India here at Green Park, Kanpur on Monday.Currently, New Zealand’s score read 147/8 with the visitors still needing 137 runs for the win.Former spinner Anil Kumble is at the number one spot for India with 619 wickets in Test matches, followed by all-rounder Kapil Dev at 434.

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Team India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour believes that Shreyas Iyer looked ‘even better’ in the second innings of the Kanpur Test here at the Green Park Stadium on Sunday.India ended day four on a high after half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha allowed them to set New Zealand a target of 284 before Ravichandran Ashwin struck late to get the scalp of Will Young. Shreyas Iyer again stole the show in his debut Test match with his knock of 65 helping India in a position of command on day four of the Kanpur Test.“It’s always exciting when a debutant comes and scores a hundred. It’s very special and I thought he looked even better in the second innings. So all the credit to him. It’s always exciting as a coach and support staff to see someone walking into the team and doing [it] themselves,” Vikram Rathour said in the press conference after Day 4.In the third session, Wriddhiman Saha (61*) along with Axar Patel (28*) steadied the ship for hosts and helped India to set up a target of 284 in front of New Zealand. Wriddhiman Saha smashed an unbeaten gritty half-century, again proving his dogged abilities as a batter.“He had a stiff neck so he was struggling a bit. Knowing Saha who is an ideal team man, I mean if we need him, he is gonna do whatever […]

Abu Dhabi [UAE]: Dominic Drakes bowled an impeccable spell of fast bowling as the Delhi Bulls registered a 12-run victory over Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 on Sunday.After the Delhi Bulls posted a total of 100/7, Drakes picked up figures of 4/9 and helped the Bulls restrict the Tigers to 88/9 in their 10 overs. Captain Dwayne Bravo set the tone with the ball by dismissing Johnson Charles and Hazratullah Zazai in the second over. Thereafter, Adil Rashid removed Will Jacks and Karim Janat in the same over, reducing the Tigers to 25/4 in 3 overs. Captain Faf du Plessis gave a little hope to the Tigers when he smashed two boundaries and a six, however, his cameo of 26 runs from 16 balls ended when he was dismissed by Drakes.The speedster took two more wickets in the same over reducing the Tigers to 56/8 in 7 overs. The Delhi Bulls continued to put pressure on the Tigers and eventually walked off the field with two points.Earlier, Luke Wright got things going for the Delhi Bulls with consecutive boundaries in the second over, however, Mohammad Amir dismissed him on the final delivery of the same over. The Bangla Tigers put more pressure on the Bulls when James Faulkner bowled out Sherfane Rutherford in the third over. Rahmanullah Gurbaz tried to gain momentum for the Bulls as he struck a six and a […]

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi believes that his side should make the most use of the opportunities on the last day of the ongoing first Test against India, in order to chase down the target.Team India found themselves on top after Shreyas Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha showed grit and determination with the bat to help hosts fight back against New Zealand on Day 4 of the ongoing first Test here at Green Park, Kanpur on Sunday. “I think all three results are possible. If we bat with some good intent and make the most of opportunities to score them, then we certainly believe we can chase them down. From the Indian point of view, they’ll be going full of confidence that they can stop us from doing that,” said Luke Ronchi in the press conference after Day 4.Talking about Will Young’s dismissal, the coach said he felt that it was a bit disappointing. He said, “Well, I haven’t spoken to Will about this, but I honestly felt that it was disappointing from my point of view.”Coming to the match, on the cusp of stumps, Team India declared their second innings at 234/7d, giving the visitors the target of 284 to win the match. For hosts, Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel remained unbeaten with innings of 61* and 28* respectively.Shreyas Iyer again stole the show in his debut Test match […]

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India] : Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee wreaked havoc as New Zealand gained an upper hand against India on Day 4 of the ongoing first Test here at Green Park, Kanpur on Sunday.At lunch break, India’s score read 84/5 with the hosts leading by 133 runs. Shreyas Iyer (18*) and Ravichandran Ashwin (20*) are currently unbeaten at the crease. Resuming Day 4 at 14/1 with a lead of 63, overnight batters Cheteshwar Pujara (22) and Mayank Agarwal added 18 more runs to the total before the former was scalped by Kyle Jamieson.Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (4) failed to leave a mark after he was sent back to the pavilion by Ajaz Patel and the hosts were reduced to 41/3 in the 15th over.Mayank (17) and Ravindra Jadeja (0) were then quickly sent back by Tim Southee and India was staring down the barrel at 51/5 in the 20th over. In the end, Iyer and Ashwin ensured that the hosts did not lose any more wickets before the lunch break.Brief Scores: 345 and 84/5 (Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer 18*; Kyle Jamieson 2-21); New Zealand 296.

Sydney [Australia], NoveSydney [Australia]: England international fast bowler Chris Jordan has joined the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) as a replacement for injured West Indian star Carlos Brathwaite.The experienced right-hander, who has played all three formats of cricket for his country, most recently played for England at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. Jordan’s signing is a coup for the Sixers following the news that Brathwaite has undergone surgery on his shoulder and would be unable to regain fitness in time for the tournament that begins with the two-time defending champion Sixers taking on the Melbourne Stars at the SCG next Sunday, December 5.The 33-year-old Jordan was born in Barbados before moving to England on the back of a sporting scholarship to Dulwich College. Along with his international career, Jordan has played extensively in County Cricket, the IPL, and spent three seasons with the Adelaide Strikers.His contract with the Sixers is for five games, beginning with the team’s season opener.Cricket NSW Head of Male Cricket, Michael Klinger, in an official release said Jordan brought invaluable experience.“It’s disappointing for Carlos and the group that he has succumbed to injury but Chris is a world-class T20 cricketer and will provide the Sixers with fantastic versatility and high-quality skills in all three aspects of the game,” Klinger said.“His death bowling and changeups, as well as being one of the world’s […]

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Team India bowled out New Zealand at 296 on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test, here at Green Park Stadium on Saturday.Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin starred with the bowl, as they scalped five and three wickets respectively. Umesh Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja returned with one apiece. For visitors, Tom Latham and Will Young top-scored with 95 and 89 runs respectively. At Stumps, India’s score read 14/1 in 5 overs, with the hosts leading by 63 runs by the end of Day 3. Cheteshwar Pujara (9*) and Mayank Agarwal (4*) are currently unbeaten at the crease.Resuming the third session at 249/6, the Kiwis were startled as Axar Patel dismissed Tom Blundell for just 13 runs in the 124th over and later Tim Southee in the 128th over.Kyle Jamieson was looking like a last hope for the Kiwis as he was playing a firm innings but was later sent back by Ravichandran Ashwin, after scoring 23 runs. William Somerville was the last batter to depart after getting by Ashwin in the 143rd over.Later coming to bat again, the hosts suffered a heavy shock as opener Shubman Gill was clean bowled by Jamieson in the second over of the innings. Cheteshwar Pujara along with Mayank Agarwal stood at the crease and kept the scoreboard moving.Earlier in the day, Ashwin dismissed Will Young while Umesh Yadav removed New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson […]

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Will Young while Umesh Yadav removed New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson minutes before the lunch as India ended the first session on day three of the first Test on a high on Saturday.In the first session, New Zealand (197/2) scored 68 runs for the loss of one wicket. Latham is currently unbeaten on 82 runs and Williamson’s wicket right at the cusp of the lunch slightly tilted the advantage in India’s favour. For India, Ashwin was the lone wicket-taker before Umesh came to the party to dismiss the Kiwi skipper in the first session on Day Three here at Green Park, Kanpur.Resuming the game from 129/0, Latham and Young got off to a cautious start as India’s hunt for wickets continued.Ashwin got the much-needed breakthrough for India as Young departed after scoring 89 runs in the 67th over.Williamson and Latham then continued New Zealand’s innings to pile runs against India in the first innings before Umesh removed the Kiwi skipper.Earlier on Friday, New Zealand opening batters Will Young and Tom Latham registered half-centuries as the Kiwis dominated Day 2.After bundling down India for 345 in the first innings, the visitors dominated the proceedings as the hosts looked for wickets in the third session on Friday.Brief Scores: India 345/10 (Shreyas Iyer 105, Ravindra Jadeja 50; Tim Southee 5-69) vs New Zealand 197/2 (Will Young 89, Tom Latham 82; […]