India's Predicted XI, 3rd T20I: Will Gill Make Way For Prithvi Shaw?

Team India registered a six-wicket victory against New Zealand in the second T20I in Lucknow on Sunday to level the three-match series 1-1. The match turned out to be a low-scoring thriller as both the team struggled to put up a good show with the bat. Asked to bowl first, the Hardik Pandya-led side restricted the visitors for 99/8 in 20 overs. However, the hosts also lost some wickets in the chase but Suryakumar Yadav anchored the innings and took Team India across the line with one ball remaining. The result of the three-match series will now be declared in the third and final T20I on Wednesday in Ahmedabad. In the second match, Team India's top-order miserably failed to get a big score. This might open a door for batter Prithvi Shaw in the Playing XI. 

Here's our predicted India XI for the third T20I:

Prithvi Shaw: As Shubman Gill failed to deliver a good performances in the first two matches, the management might give a chance to Prithvi Shaw in the third T20I. The 23-year-old batter, who played his last international match in 2021, had a blistering run in domestic cricket this year.  

Ishan Kishan: The wicketkeeper-batter played yet another poor knock in the second T20I and got dismissed for 19 off 32 balls. He will look to redeem himself in the third match. 

Suryakumar Yadav: The star batter came as a savior for India and remained unbeaten at 26 to take the hosts across the line in the second match. He will now eye a bigger innings in the third T20I. 

Rahul Tripathi: After falling for duck in the first T20I, Tripathi was dismissed for 13 in the second match. The 31-year-old batter really needs to deliver a good performance in the next match. 

Hardik Pandya: The skipper scalped one wicket and leaked 25 runs in his 4-over spell. Later, he stitched a match-winning partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, where he contributed with 15* runs. 

Deepak Hooda: The right-handed batter did not bat in the second T20I but gave a good performance with the ball. In his 4-over quota, he took one wicket and conceded only 17 runs.

Washington Sundar: The all-rounder conceded 17 runs and took one wicket in three overs. Apart from this, he also scored 10 runs before he was run out. 

Kuldeep Yadav: The left-arm wrist spinner gave a good performance as he took one wicket and leaked only 17 runs in four overs. 

Arshdeep Singh: The young India pacer, who had a forgettable outing in the first T20I, redeemed himself in the second match as he scalped two wickets and conceded only 7 runs in two overs. 

Shivam Mavi: The right-handed pacer went wicketless and turned out to be expensive as he gave away 11 runs in one over. 

Yuzvendra Chahal: The veteran spinner replaced Umran Malik and strengthened India's spin attack. Chahal bowled two overs in the second T20I and gave away only four runs for two wickets.

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3rd T20I: India, New Zealand ready for one final push

The last time India lost a T20I series at home was in March 2019, when all-rounder Glenn Maxwell inspired Australia to a 2-0 series triumph.

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Gulf Giants Team Camp Set Up for Players To Express Themselves: Erasmus

In the inaugural edition of the DP World ILT20, Adani Sportsline-owned Gulf Giants have impressed all. With some of the best numbers to back them up, playing for the Giants is a daunting task, and Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus has been among the stars of the campaign so far. The all-rounder, who is playing in first T20 franchise tournament, scored a crucial half-century when the Giants defeated the Dubai Capitals in the first phase of the tournament. 

"It has been a brilliant period so far with Adani's Gulf Giants, who have made me feel at home since I joined the squad. The set-up all-round has been excellent and enjoyable as well. They've put in place a system where you can thrive and concentrate on producing your best cricket," Erasmus said. 
At the ILT20, a standout aspect is the fact that all team XIs are required to have a couple of players, at least, from associate nations. And undoubtedly, Erasmus is quite happy about that. 

"There's long been a push for the development of associate cricket around the world, and this is a great initiative from the ILT20 to bring in that rule. The associate players continuously yearn for opportunities like this, and are also showing that they can hold their own in such situations as well. It has been a phenomenal experience. I don't think associate cricket has been in a better place than the last couple of years," he added. 

Erasmus also touched upon the fact that he has enjoyed his time working with coach Andy Flower, a legend of Zimbabwean cricket, saying that the former England coach is a reassuring figure. 

“I've always known that Andy Flower has a great name out in the cricketing world. And having experienced that now myself in the last three weeks I've enjoyed my time with Andy. He's explained to me that I should not hesitate to play my own game, and that's really reassuring coming in in from the outside.”

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Gulf Giants Team Camp Set Up for Players To Express Themselves: Erasmus

In the inaugural edition of the DP World ILT20, Adani Sportsline-owned Gulf Giants have impressed all. With some of the best numbers to back them up, playing for the Giants is a daunting task, and Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus has been among the stars of the campaign so far. The all-rounder, who is playing in first T20 franchise tournament, scored a crucial half-century when the Giants defeated the Dubai Capitals in the first phase of the tournament. 

"It has been a brilliant period so far with Adani's Gulf Giants, who have made me feel at home since I joined the squad. The set-up all-round has been excellent and enjoyable as well. They've put in place a system where you can thrive and concentrate on producing your best cricket," Erasmus said. 
At the ILT20, a standout aspect is the fact that all team XIs are required to have a couple of players, at least, from associate nations. And undoubtedly, Erasmus is quite happy about that. 

"There's long been a push for the development of associate cricket around the world, and this is a great initiative from the ILT20 to bring in that rule. The associate players continuously yearn for opportunities like this, and are also showing that they can hold their own in such situations as well. It has been a phenomenal experience. I don't think associate cricket has been in a better place than the last couple of years," he added. 

Erasmus also touched upon the fact that he has enjoyed his time working with coach Andy Flower, a legend of Zimbabwean cricket, saying that the former England coach is a reassuring figure. 

“I've always known that Andy Flower has a great name out in the cricketing world. And having experienced that now myself in the last three weeks I've enjoyed my time with Andy. He's explained to me that I should not hesitate to play my own game, and that's really reassuring coming in in from the outside.”

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Cheteshwar Pujara Starts Preparation For Border-Gavaskar Trophy. See Pics

India middle-order veteran Cheteshwar Pujara has started preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against Australia, which will be starting from February 9 onwards. The batter took to Twitter and shared some pictures from a practice session. "Getting ready for India vs Australia," tweeted Pujara. It will be important for Team India that this batter displays his grit, determination and steely approach to batting to the fullest against a world-class Australian bowling attack. He was in fine form last year. In five Tests and 10 innings in 2022, Pujara scored 409 runs at an average of 45.44. He scored one century and three half-centuries last year.

Getting ready for vs pic.twitter.com/g8c1RRqUbO

— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) January 31, 2023

His century came after 1,400-plus days back in December last year. Before this, he had hit a century in January 2019. Two years of inconsistent form followed the batter as he could average only 20.37 (2020) and 28.08 (2021) and scored a total of 865 runs in 18 Tests and 34 innings with seven fifties.

But a stint with Sussex county in England turned around things for him. In his eight matches for Sussex during the County Championship, he scored 1,094 runs at an average of 109.40. He scored five hundred-plus scores in the championship in 13 innings, with the best score of 231. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the championship.

Pujara is the sixth-highest run-scorer in history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In 20 matches and 37 innings, he has scored 1,893 runs at an average of 54.08 with five centuries and 10 half-centuries and the best score of 204.

The batter's peak performance in BGT came back in 2018-19 in Australia, where he topped the batting charts and won the 'Man of the Series' award. In four matches and seven innings, he scored 521 runs at an average of 74.42, with three centuries and a fifty. His best individual score was 193.

In the 2020-21 edition of the series, which saw India making history and winning the series 2-1 after battling the absence of star batter Virat Kohli, poor performance in the first Test which saw them get all out for just 36, racism and injuries to key players, Pujara was one of India's brightest stars. In four matches and eight innings, he scored 271 runs at an average of 33.87, with three fifties and a best of 77. His best performance was a knock of 56 during the final Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, which saw him overcome a lot of body blows to steer his team to a win, which was Aussie's first Test loss at the venue since 1988.

The series is a big one for both teams as they look to nail down a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The series begins in Nagpur on February 9 with Tests in Delhi, Dharamsala and Ahmedabad.

Australia is at the top of WTC standings with a win percentage of 75.56 and have won 10 Tests, lost one and drawn four. India is at the second spot with a win percentage of 58.93 and have won five Tests, lost four and drawn one.

India's Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat and Suryakumar Yadav.

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Ravindra Jadeja set to join Indian squad ahead of first Test against Australia

Star India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who made a return to competitive cricket in Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu, is all set to join the Indian Test squad this week ahead of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia, which will start from February 9, as per ESPNCricinfo.

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Cheteshwar Pujara Starts Preparation For Border-Gavaskar Trophy. See Pics

India middle-order veteran Cheteshwar Pujara has started preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against Australia, which will be starting from February 9 onwards. The batter took to Twitter and shared some pictures from a practice session. "Getting ready for India vs Australia," tweeted Pujara. It will be important for Team India that this batter displays his grit, determination and steely approach to batting to the fullest against a world-class Australian bowling attack. He was in fine form last year. In five Tests and 10 innings in 2022, Pujara scored 409 runs at an average of 45.44. He scored one century and three half-centuries last year.

Getting ready for vs pic.twitter.com/g8c1RRqUbO

— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) January 31, 2023

His century came after 1,400-plus days back in December last year. Before this, he had hit a century in January 2019. Two years of inconsistent form followed the batter as he could average only 20.37 (2020) and 28.08 (2021) and scored a total of 865 runs in 18 Tests and 34 innings with seven fifties.

But a stint with Sussex county in England turned around things for him. In his eight matches for Sussex during the County Championship, he scored 1,094 runs at an average of 109.40. He scored five hundred-plus scores in the championship in 13 innings, with the best score of 231. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the championship.

Pujara is the sixth-highest run-scorer in history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In 20 matches and 37 innings, he has scored 1,893 runs at an average of 54.08 with five centuries and 10 half-centuries and the best score of 204.

The batter's peak performance in BGT came back in 2018-19 in Australia, where he topped the batting charts and won the 'Man of the Series' award. In four matches and seven innings, he scored 521 runs at an average of 74.42, with three centuries and a fifty. His best individual score was 193.

In the 2020-21 edition of the series, which saw India making history and winning the series 2-1 after battling the absence of star batter Virat Kohli, poor performance in the first Test which saw them get all out for just 36, racism and injuries to key players, Pujara was one of India's brightest stars. In four matches and eight innings, he scored 271 runs at an average of 33.87, with three fifties and a best of 77. His best performance was a knock of 56 during the final Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, which saw him overcome a lot of body blows to steer his team to a win, which was Aussie's first Test loss at the venue since 1988.

The series is a big one for both teams as they look to nail down a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The series begins in Nagpur on February 9 with Tests in Delhi, Dharamsala and Ahmedabad.

Australia is at the top of WTC standings with a win percentage of 75.56 and have won 10 Tests, lost one and drawn four. India is at the second spot with a win percentage of 58.93 and have won five Tests, lost four and drawn one.

India's Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat and Suryakumar Yadav.

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West Ham ease past Derby to earn United clash in FA Cup

David Moyes cannot wait to take on his former club Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio sealed West Ham's 2-0 victory at third tier Derby on Monday.

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"Can't Answer That": Gautam Gambhir Baffled By Hardik Pandya's Call

The Indian cricket team made one big change in the playing XI for the 2nd T20I against New Zealand, roping in Yuzvendra Chahal as a replacement for Umran Malik. However, despite being brought in to provide wickets on a 'spin-friendly' surface, Chahal only bowled four overs in the match. When former India cricketer, Gautam Gambhir, was asked about this decision by skipper Hardik Pandya, he admitted that it was a 'massive surprise'. Gambhir even said that he "can't answer this question".

"Massive surprise. I can't answer this question, that too on a wicket like this. Chahal is your No. 1 spinner the T20 format. Just asking him to bowl two overs and in that he got the important wicket of Finn Allen and then not using his full quota of overs makes no sense to me," Gambhir said on Star Sports after the conclusion of the match.

Gambhir agreed that younger players like Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi need to be given an opportunity but he is also of the opinion that had Chahal completed his full quota of overs, New Zealand would've been bowled out for 80 or 85. The fact that Hardik preferred to make Deepak Hooda bowl 4 overs was a 'massive surprise' for Gambhir.

"Yes, you want to give young guys another opportunity like Arshdeep Singh or Shivam Mavi. But then you could have bowled Chahal in the last over as well, or earlier. So I feel he missed a trick. He could have gotten New Zealand bowled for maybe 80 or 85 and on this kind of pitch, you don't want to let the opposition off the hook. Massive surprise, asking Hooda to bowl four overs but not Chahal," said Gambhir.

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"What's Your Problem?": Buttler, Rassie's Altercation Caught On Stump Mic

South Africa took an unassailable 2-0 lead over England in the three-match ODI series, after claiming a five-wicket win in the second ODI on Sunday. Asked to bat first, the visitors posted 342/7 in 50 overs after Jos Buttler and Harry Brook played top knocks of 94* and 80 respectively. However, the game completely turned upside down in the second innings when South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma smashed 109 off 102 balls as the hosts chased down the target with five wickets and five balls to spare. Apart from such a spectacular win, one moment which grabbed everyone's attention was the banter between Jos Buttler and Rassie van der Dussen that was caught on stump mic.

In the 19th over of South Africa's chase, a conversation between England skipper and wicketkeeper Buttler, Jos Buttler, and van der Dussen was captured on the stump mic. Buttler was heard saying, "I am trying to get to the ball” to which Dussen says “I saw”.

Jos Buttler is at it again.#SAvsENG | #Proteas https://t.co/d4724m1ws7 pic.twitter.com/TSn9OdaK3M

— PEAK (@ThePeakSA) January 29, 2023

The conversation then got intense when Buttler said, "What's your problem Rassie. It's not all about you all the time. I am allowed to try and catch the ball”. Later, the umpire entered as a peacemaker and asked both players to calm down. 

Coming to the match, Bavuma sent England in to bat, reasoning correctly that there could be early life in the pitch. England struggled initially, losing both openers inside the first seven overs, but prospered as batting conditions eased.

Harry Brook, playing in his second one-day international after being dismissed for naught in the first match on Friday, made 80 off 75 balls. Captain Jos Buttler hit an unbeaten 94 off 82 deliveries.

Moeen Ali was also in fine form for England, hitting 51 off 45 balls and sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 106 with Buttler.

There was a brief lull after Ali's dismissal but England scored 60 runs off the last four overs, with Sam Curran hitting three sixes in scoring 28.

Bavuma and Quinton de Kock made a fast start, putting on 77 for the first wicket in 12 overs. All the South African batsmen made contributions and the hosts were always up with or close to the required rate. David Miller hit 58 not out off 37 balls and finished the match with a six off Chris Woakes.

(With AFP Inputs)

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"What's Your Problem?": Buttler, Rassie's Altercation Caught On Stump Mic

South Africa took an unassailable 2-0 lead over England in the three-match ODI series, after claiming a five-wicket win in the second ODI on Sunday. Asked to bat first, the visitors posted 342/7 in 50 overs after Jos Buttler and Harry Brook played top knocks of 94* and 80 respectively. However, the game completely turned upside down in the second innings when South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma smashed 109 off 102 balls as the hosts chased down the target with five wickets and five balls to spare. Apart from such a spectacular win, one moment which grabbed everyone's attention was the banter between Jos Buttler and Rassie van der Dussen that was caught on stump mic.

In the 19th over of South Africa's chase, a conversation between England skipper and wicketkeeper Buttler, Jos Buttler, and van der Dussen was captured on the stump mic. Buttler was heard saying, "I am trying to get to the ball” to which Dussen says “I saw”.

Jos Buttler is at it again.#SAvsENG | #Proteas https://t.co/d4724m1ws7 pic.twitter.com/TSn9OdaK3M

— PEAK (@ThePeakSA) January 29, 2023

The conversation then got intense when Buttler said, "What's your problem Rassie. It's not all about you all the time. I am allowed to try and catch the ball”. Later, the umpire entered as a peacemaker and asked both players to calm down. 

Coming to the match, Bavuma sent England in to bat, reasoning correctly that there could be early life in the pitch. England struggled initially, losing both openers inside the first seven overs, but prospered as batting conditions eased.

Harry Brook, playing in his second one-day international after being dismissed for naught in the first match on Friday, made 80 off 75 balls. Captain Jos Buttler hit an unbeaten 94 off 82 deliveries.

Moeen Ali was also in fine form for England, hitting 51 off 45 balls and sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 106 with Buttler.

There was a brief lull after Ali's dismissal but England scored 60 runs off the last four overs, with Sam Curran hitting three sixes in scoring 28.

Bavuma and Quinton de Kock made a fast start, putting on 77 for the first wicket in 12 overs. All the South African batsmen made contributions and the hosts were always up with or close to the required rate. David Miller hit 58 not out off 37 balls and finished the match with a six off Chris Woakes.

(With AFP Inputs)

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Fans To Be Punished For Racially Abusing Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior

Spain's High Council for Sport (CSD) said Monday that more than 10 Real Valladolid fans who racially insulted Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior in a La Liga game last month will be punished. Some home fans hurled abuse at the Brazilian winger during Madrid's 2-0 win at Valladolid on December 30, prompting La Liga to file a complaint to the local courts. The CSD said in a statement that its Commission against Violence, Racism and Xenophobia in sport has "initiated proceedings for the proposed punishment of more than 10 supporters" over the incidents.

Police are collecting data before recommending punishments, which could include fines of 4,000 euros (around $4,300) and a one-year ban from sports stadiums for any person identified, the statement added.

La Liga made a complaint about the fans to the police and said they had provided video and audio recordings they had gathered. The commission also held an extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss another incident involving the 22-year-old Brazilian.

A dummy dressed in a Vinicius shirt was strung up near Real Madrid's training ground before last week's Copa del Rey quarter-final against local rivals Atletico with a message reading "Madrid hates Real."

The CSD said police had begun an investigation to identify those behind the "despicable acts" using traffic cameras and images published on social media. Earlier this season, Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation into racist abuse against Vinicius by Atletico Madrid fans based on footage of chants calling him a monkey before last September's Madrid derby.

The prosecutors closed the probe saying it was impossible to charge a specific individual despite the "unpleasant, inappropriate and disrespectful" nature of the chanting.

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On Shubman Gill's Poor T20I Form, Gambhir's Huge Prithvi Shaw Statement

Labelled by many as the ‘future of Indian batting', Shubman Gill hasn't been able to create the same impact in T20 cricket for India as he has been in ODI cricket. After yet another poor show at the top for the national team, Gill has been given a subtle warning by former India opener Gautam Gambhir who feels the player still ‘hasn't found his feet in T20 format'. Gill was dismissed for just 11 runs off 9 balls, squandering another opportunity to become an important member of the Indian team. 

After the conclusion of the 2nd T20I against New Zealand, Gambhir highlighted how Shubman has struggled against spin bowling. He urged the right-handed batter to improve the skill of handling spinners, especially on turning wickets.

“I feel Shubman Gill has to get better against spin, on a spinning wicket. He had his struggles against Bangladesh as well. Yes, he has been fabulous in the 50-over format, got good wickets to bat on, with 5 fielders inside, But then, you've got to get better when the ball starts spinning, gripping and bouncing as well. He will get tested, not only against seam but spin as well,” Gambhir said on Star Sports. 
 
Gambhir also feels Gill's ‘basic game' suits ODI cricket more than T20 cricket. On the contrary, Prithvi Shaw is a player whose ‘basic game' suits the shortest format more.

“He still hasn't found his feet in T20 format, when it comes to playing international cricket. Sometimes you have to play at a different tempo. His basic game suits 50-over format. Someone like Prithvi Shaw, his basic instinctive game is made for T20 cricket. Shubman Gill is someone whose basic game is made for 50-over format. How quickly he learns and adapts to this format will decide whether he will be able to play all the three formats,” Gambhir asserted.

In the first two T20Is against New Zealand, Shubman has scored just 18 runs cumulatively. In comparison, he had scored over 350 runs in the 3-match ODI series against the same opponents.

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On Shubman Gill's Poor T20I Form, Gambhir's Huge Prithvi Shaw Statement

Labelled by many as the ‘future of Indian batting', Shubman Gill hasn't been able to create the same impact in T20 cricket for India as he has been in ODI cricket. After yet another poor show at the top for the national team, Gill has been given a subtle warning by former India opener Gautam Gambhir who feels the player still ‘hasn't found his feet in T20 format'. Gill was dismissed for just 11 runs off 9 balls, squandering another opportunity to become an important member of the Indian team. 

After the conclusion of the 2nd T20I against New Zealand, Gambhir highlighted how Shubman has struggled against spin bowling. He urged the right-handed batter to improve the skill of handling spinners, especially on turning wickets.

“I feel Shubman Gill has to get better against spin, on a spinning wicket. He had his struggles against Bangladesh as well. Yes, he has been fabulous in the 50-over format, got good wickets to bat on, with 5 fielders inside, But then, you've got to get better when the ball starts spinning, gripping and bouncing as well. He will get tested, not only against seam but spin as well,” Gambhir said on Star Sports. 
 
Gambhir also feels Gill's ‘basic game' suits ODI cricket more than T20 cricket. On the contrary, Prithvi Shaw is a player whose ‘basic game' suits the shortest format more.

“He still hasn't found his feet in T20 format, when it comes to playing international cricket. Sometimes you have to play at a different tempo. His basic game suits 50-over format. Someone like Prithvi Shaw, his basic instinctive game is made for T20 cricket. Shubman Gill is someone whose basic game is made for 50-over format. How quickly he learns and adapts to this format will decide whether he will be able to play all the three formats,” Gambhir asserted.

In the first two T20Is against New Zealand, Shubman has scored just 18 runs cumulatively. In comparison, he had scored over 350 runs in the 3-match ODI series against the same opponents.

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Temba Bavuma Century Sets Up ODI Series Win For South Africa vs England

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma hit a century to lead his team to a series-clinching five-wicket win in the second one-day international against England at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Bavuma hit 109 as South Africa chased down an England total of 342 for seven, winning with five balls to spare. Bavuma battled cramps shortly before reaching his hundred. With his score on 96 there was a lengthy break while he received treatment. He reacted in emotional fashion when he hit the next ball from Adil Rashid through the covers for four.

He thumped his chest and pointed to his name on the back of his shirt. He was the only member of the South African team not signed up for the country's new Twenty20 league and his place in the national white-ball teams had been questioned because of a perceived inability to score at the rapid rate required in modern limited overs cricket.

But he was in outstanding form on Sunday as he spearheaded South Africa's third-highest successful run chase, facing only 102 balls and hitting 14 fours and a six.

"It was very special," said Bavuma. "It was very enjoyable. I managed to hit a few out of the middle."

Bavuma said it was a confidence-boosting performance from his team, who have yet to qualify automatically for the World Cup later this year. "We knew we had to come out and play. We played the conditions, which were good for batting."

Bavuma sent England in to bat, reasoning correctly that there could be early life in the pitch. England struggled initially, losing both openers inside the first seven overs, but prospered as batting conditions eased.

Harry Brook, playing in his second one-day international after being dismissed for nought in the first match on Friday, made 80 off 75 balls. Captain Jos Buttler hit an unbeaten 94 off 82 deliveries.

Moeen Ali was also in fine form for England, hitting 51 off 45 balls and sharing a fifth wicket stand of 106 with Buttler.

There was a brief lull after Ali's dismissal but England scored 60 runs off the last four overs, with Sam Curran hitting three sixes in scoring 28.

"We didn't expect the ball to swing as much as it did at the start but to come back and post 340 was a fantastic effort," said Buttler. "It was a brilliant game of cricket and a great chase by South Africa."

Bavuma and Quinton de Kock made a fast start, putting on 77 for the first wicket in 12 overs. All the South African batsmen made contributions and the hosts were always up with or close to the required rate. David Miller hit 58 not out off 37 balls and finished the match with a six off Chris Woakes.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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2nd T20I: India Defeat New Zealand In Low-Scoring Thriller, Level Series

Indian spinners revelled on a turning track before the batters made heavy weather of a small target to register a scrappy series levelling win over New Zealand in the second T20 International in Lucknow on Sunday. The trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav impressed on a helping surface to limit a self-destructing New Zealand to 99 for eight, their lowest total against India in the shortest format. It should have been a straight-forward run chase but the top-order comprising Ishan Kishan (19 off 32), Shubman Gill (11 off 9) and Rahul Tripathi (13 off 18) had a tough time again in spin-friendly conditions.

In the end, Hardik Pandya (15 not out off 20) and Suryakumar Yadav (26 not out off 31) took the team over the line with a ball to spare and six wickets in hand.

The series decider will be played in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

With the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli not playing T20s since the World Cup last year, opportunities have been presented to the younger players who are yet to make them count.

Kishan has gone off the boil since his double hundred in Bangladesh while Gill has not been able to carry on his scintillating ODI form into T20s. The stylish right-hander fell while trying to pull a spinner for the second game in a row but was surprised by the amount of turn.

Tripathi, who is getting to play at number three in Kohli's absence, was unable to take the attack to the New Zealand spinners.

The Indians felt the pressure and that was evident with the run out of Washington Sundar, who sacrificed his wicket to ensure Surya's stay in the middle.

Since the asking rate was never an issue, India could afford to stutter in the chase.

A four after 45 balls, coming from Hardik's bat in the 19th over, released a lot of pressure before the skipper completed the job alongside Surya who hit the winning four.

Earlier, Hardik decided to employ spinners from both ends in the powerplay after opening the bowling himself.

Wrist spinners Kuldeep (1/17) and Chahal (1/4), playing in a T20 together after a while, extracted a lot out of the Lucknow surface while finger spinner Washington (1/17) produced another tidy spell.

Chahal was left licking his lips after the first ball of his opening spell. It was a ripper that pitched on leg stump before beating the outside edge of Finn Allen's bat. The opener perished two balls later trying to reverse sweep with the ball thudding into his back leg before crashing on to the stumps.

The in-form Devon Conway too fell to a reverse sweep as the ball kissed his gloves on way to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.

New Zealand were soon reduced to 35 for three in seventh over when the dangerous Glenn Phillips missed a straight ball from Deepak Hooda in his attempt to reverse sweep the part time off-spinner.

Daryl Mitchell got a beauty from Kuldeep that came back in sharply to shatter the stumps.

New Zealand bat deep but none of their batters were able to apply themselves on a testing pitch.

Pacer Arshdeep Singh, who has been guilty of bowling too many no balls lately and Shivam Mavi, were only used in the death overs.

Arshdeep did well to take wickets in his two tough overs and conceded only eight runs. Hardik ended with figures of one for 25 in four overs.

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Liverpool Season 'Nowhere Near Good Enough': Andy Robertson

Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson said "this season has been nowhere near good enough" after the holders crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Brighton. Jurgen Klopp's men lost their fourth-round tie 2-1 at the Amex Stadium despite taking a lead through Harvey Elliott. Lewis Dunk levelled before the break and Kaoru Mitoma's brilliant control and finish in stoppage time earned the Seagulls a place in the fifth round. Liverpool, who went close to winning a historic quadruple last season, are already out of the League Cup and are languishing in ninth place in the Premier League.

Robertson said the result was "bitterly disappointing".

"At a club like Liverpool, fans expect a lot and to lose with the last kick of the ball, it's disappointing," he told ITV. "We need to start winning games. It's easy to say but harder to fix.

"This season has been nowhere near good enough. At the start of the year we wanted a fresh start but that hasn't happened. We've been worse. In the league we haven't been good enough and now we're out of both cups.

"You can't put your finger on one thing, it's more than that. You can tell we're not as confident in front of goal and in defence we are a wee bit open. We had two clean sheets coming into today but then go and concede two goals."

The Scotland international said the team needed to get their confidence back, adding that they had let down the fans again.

Liverpool lost 3-0 to Brighton earlier this month in a Premier League match Klopp described as a "horror show".

The Liverpool boss was unhappy with his team's defending on Sunday.

 "We came here after a game a few weeks ago when we weren't even close to ourselves," he told the BBC.

"Today we played a better game but we concede two goals from set-pieces and that is not allowed in any way."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Titas Sadhu: Sprinter, swimmer and now a World Cup winning pacer

Cricket happened by fluke for the country's latest pace sensation Titas Sadhu, who dished out match-winning figures of 4-0-6-2 as India shot out England for 68 on way to lifting the inaugural Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup trophy on Sunday.

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"Didn't Seem To Have Any Plans": Ex-Pak Star Critical Of Hardik Pandya

Team India lost the first T20I of the three-match series against New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday. After sweeping the ODIs 3-0, India failed to carry the momentum forward as the Kiwis won the match by 21 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series. After India's defeat, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria criticised captain Hardik Pandya, saying that the star all-rounder struggled tactically. Kaneria said that Hardik failed to rotate his bowlers smartly, adding that the latter didn't have any plans.

"Hardik Pandya was not smart with his rotation of bowlers. He brought Shivam Mavi into the attack very late. He should have been brought in early. He could have also used Deepak Hooda a bit more, given the amount of turn that was on offer. This is where Hardik missed a trick or two, tactically. He didn't seem to have any plans," Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.

Kaneria also questioned Hardik's role as a bowler, saying that he didn't bowl well with the new ball.

"The Indian bowlers leaked a lot of runs. Hardik Pandya didn't bowl well with the new ball. He did not hit the right areas and conceded 33 runs in his three overs," he added.

For New Zealand, Opener Devon Conway made 52 off 35 balls and Daryly Mitchell smashed an unbeaten 59 as the Kiwis posted 176/6 after being invited to bat first in Ranchi.

In reply, India were restricted to 155/9, with Washington Sundar smashing a gritty half-century.

Sundar survived three dropped catches to hit 50 off 28 balls after Suryakumar Yadav (47) and Hardik Pandya (21) had stitiched a partnership of 68.

(With AFP Inputs)

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Rohan Bopanna Reacts To Fan's "Most Beautiful Woman" Praise For His Wife

Indian tennis stars Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza went down fighting in the final of the Australian Open mixed-doubles category on Friday. Bopanna and Sania lost in straight sets (6-7, 2-6) to Brazil's Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos at the Rod Laver Arena. The match also marked the end of Sania's Grand Slam career. Sania's family, including her son Izhaan, was present at the Melbourne Park for her last dance at a Grand Slam, while Bopanna's wife and kids were also spotted cheering for the Indian pair.

After the match, a fan took to Twitter and labelled Bopanna's wife as the "most beautiful woman".

Responding to the viral tweet, Bopanna said: "I agree".

I agree ... https://t.co/XVUjZWI1Rm

— Rohan Bopanna (@rohanbopanna) January 28, 2023

Sania capped off her glorious Grand Slam career with runners-up finish at the Australian Open.

"If I cry, these are happy tears. That's just a disclaimer. I'm still going to play a couple of more tournaments but my journey of my professional career started in Melbourne," an emotional Sania said as she struggled to hold back tear.

"Rohan was my first-ever mixed doubles partner when I was 14 and we won the nationals, it was 22 year ago and I couldn't think of a better person, he's my best friend and one of my best partners to finish my career," Sania said, thanking Bopanna, who has one French Open mixed doubles title to his credit.

The 36-year-old, who earlier announced that the WTA event in Dubai next month will be her swansong, is India's most accomplished woman tennis player, having won six Grand Slam title, including three mixed doubles trophies.

She had won the mixed doubles titles at the 2009 Australian Open and the 2012 French Open with Mahesh Bhupathi and the 2014 US Open with Brazillian Bruno Soares.

The Rod Laver Arena has been a happy hunting ground for the Hyderabadi. She has a women's doubles and mixed doubles title each and has finished runner up four times at the Australian Open.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Australian Open final: A lot at stake for Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas

Major breakthrough for Tsitsipas or record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam for Djokovic?

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"Didn't Seem To Have Any Plans": Ex-Pak Star Critical Of Hardik Pandya

Team India lost the first T20I of the three-match series against New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday. After sweeping the ODIs 3-0, India failed to carry the momentum forward as the Kiwis won the match by 21 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series. After India's defeat, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria criticised captain Hardik Pandya, saying that the star all-rounder struggled tactically. Kaneria said that Hardik failed to rotate his bowlers smartly, adding that the latter didn't have any plans.

"Hardik Pandya was not smart with his rotation of bowlers. He brought Shivam Mavi into the attack very late. He should have been brought in early. He could have also used Deepak Hooda a bit more, given the amount of turn that was on offer. This is where Hardik missed a trick or two, tactically. He didn't seem to have any plans," Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.

Kaneria also questioned Hardik's role as a bowler, saying that he didn't bowl well with the new ball.

"The Indian bowlers leaked a lot of runs. Hardik Pandya didn't bowl well with the new ball. He did not hit the right areas and conceded 33 runs in his three overs," he added.

For New Zealand, Opener Devon Conway made 52 off 35 balls and Daryly Mitchell smashed an unbeaten 59 as the Kiwis posted 176/6 after being invited to bat first in Ranchi.

In reply, India were restricted to 155/9, with Washington Sundar smashing a gritty half-century.

Sundar survived three dropped catches to hit 50 off 28 balls after Suryakumar Yadav (47) and Hardik Pandya (21) had stitiched a partnership of 68.

(With AFP Inputs)

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Bundesliga: Union Draw Level With Bayern Munich After Berlin Derby Win

Union Berlin climbed level on points with Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, with a 2-0 away win at derby rivals Hertha Berlin,

Bayern can pull ahead again later Saturday when they host Eintracht Frankfurt.

Union took the lead late in the first half through Dutch defender Danilho Doekhi, who headed in a free kick from captain Christopher Trimmel.

Union doubled their lead halfway through the second half through Germany midfielder Paul Seguin to run out victors over a spirited but toothless Hertha.

Visiting fans began singing "city champions" with ten minutes remaining, celebrating their fifth consecutive derby win.

Union's win sees them sit an unlikely second on goal difference behind the league leaders, while deepening the woes of Hertha, who are second bottom having won just three games all season.

Surprise packages Freiburg beat Augsburg 3-1 at home to move into fourth spot on the table.

First-half goals by towering Austrian striker Michael Gregoritsch and fellow forward Lucas Hoeler put Freiburg in the driving seat.

A 29th-minute penalty to Mergim Berisha gave the visitors hope, but Freiburg sealed their first win of 2023 through an 85th-minute strike from Philipp Lienhart. 

In Bremen, Germany striker Niclas Fuellkrug scored both his sides goals in a 2-1 win over Wolfsburg, overcoming RB Leipzig's French forward Christopher Nkunku to top the Bundesliga scoring charts with 13 goals this season.

Promoted Bremen, who had lost six of their past eight matches came up against an in-form Wolfsburg who were unbeaten in 11 matches under former Bayern manager Niko Kovac.

Borussia Moenchengladbach deepened Hoffenheim's woes with a 4-1 away win. 

Two first half goals and a second-half assist for captain Lars Stindl from midfielder Jonas Hofmann, Gladbach's only representative in Germany's 2022 Qatar World Cup squad, gave the visitors a comfortable victory.

The win sentenced Hoffenheim to their sixth defeat in their last nine games, leaving them just three points clear of the relegation playoff spot.

Mainz overcame the disappointment of Wednesday's last-gasp loss to Borussia Dortmund, thrashing Bochum 5-2 at home, their first win in six league matches dating back to October.

A hat-trick from Austrian forward Karim Onisiwo, plus goals to Jae-sung Lee and Silvan Widmer lifted Mainz into 11th ahead of a midweek German Cup meeting at home with Bayern Munich.

In Saturday's late game, Bayern Munich host Eintracht Frankfurt.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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In Pics - Sabalenka clinches first Grand Slam title at Australian Open

Read More on TOI Sports

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Pakistan Batter Who Said 'Kohli Is Behind Me' Now Says This On India Star

Virat Kohli has regained his golden touch and it's evident with the way he has been reaching the triple figure marks in recent times. He is now only second to Sachin Tendulkar in terms of number of international tons. Kohli, who didn't score a ton for more than three years, ended his century drought last year in the Asia Cup against Afghanistan, which was his 1st hundred in T20Is. Since then, the 35-year-old hasn't looked back, smashing three centuries in his last nine ODI outings. He is just three ODI tons away from equalling former India batter Sachin Tendulkar's (49) record of scoring the most number of tons in the format. 

Recently, however, a veteran Pakistani batter claimed that his List A record is better than that of Kohli. During a recent interaction, Khurram Manzoor, who has represented Pakistan in 16 Tests, seven ODIs and three T20Is, was asked about a claim he had made over his List A numbers being better than Kohli.

Manzoor, who last played for Pakistan in 2016, clarified that his intention was not to compare himself with the former India captain, but to highlight his achievements in domestic cricket.

"I am not comparing myself with Virat Kohli. Fact is, in 50-overs cricket, whoever are there in the top-10, I am the world no.1. Kohli is behind me as he scores a century every six innings. I score century every 5.68 innings, which is a world record. Over the last 10 years, my average is 53, and I am ranked fifth in the world, as far as List A cricket is concerned," Manzoor said on Nadir Ali's Podcast.

After the statement, Manzoor got trolled and has now issued a clarification. "Its funny how some media outlets and individuals have taken my interview out of context and twisted my words. Virat Kohli is a generational player and I have always admired him as the best. I talked about this stat in List A Cricket about having best innings per hundred ratio where I am topping the chart and Kohli is on second. There is no comparison between me and him, he has played more games and that too mostly on international level," Manzoor wrote in a series of Tweets.

1/3 Its funny how some media outlets and individuals have taken my interview out of context and twisted my words. Virat Kohli is a generational player and I have always admired him as the best. pic.twitter.com/d1UzhA7egI

— Khurram Manzoor Khan (@_khurrammanzoor) January 26, 2023

"He remains the best regardless of this stat. I would like to suggest all these media outlets to show some responsibility in publishing any articles or news. Thank you!"

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"We Were Poor With...": Hardik Pandya's Blunt Assessment After Loss To NZ

After New Zealand won the first T20I by 21 runs on Friday, India captain Hardik Pandya said that the pitch at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi "caught us by surprise". The Kiwis took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series as India's batting crumbled under the light in Ranchi. Chasing a target of 177, India were restricted to 155 for nine in 20 overs, despite Washington Sundar's maiden fifty in the format. However, Hardik said that his team conceded some extra runs, which made life difficult for the batters.

"No one even thought that the wicket would play like that and both teams were surprised. But they played better cricket on this and that's why the result end up like that. Actually the new ball was turning more than the old one and the way it spun, way it bounced, it caught us by surprise. But somehow, we pulled it back and were in the game till Surya and myself were batting. On hindsight, I don't think this wicket was 177, we were poor with the ball and we ended up giving 25 runs more than the par...," Hardik said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Hardik hailed Sundar, who scored 50 off 28, for keeping India in the hunt, adding that his young side will only get better.

"It is a young group and we will only learn from this. The way he bowled, batted and fielded; it was Washington against New Zealand today. We needed someone who can bat and bowl, gives us a lot of confidence and it will help us going forward," he added.

With the win, New Zealand took a 1-0 in the series, and will face India in the second T20I in Lucknow on Sunday.

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Watch: Kishan Pulls Off Stunning Run Out Against NZ In Dhoni's Presence

It was a homecoming for Ishan Kishan during the first T20I encounter between India and New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday. Although the hosts were beaten by 21 runs after a disappointing performance by the batsmen, Kishan impressed his home crowd by a brilliant direct hit to dismiss Michael Bracewell. During the 18th over of the New Zealand innings, Daryll Mitchell was unable to hit the ball properly and it hit his thigh pad to roll slowly towards the keeper. Kishan showed brilliant presence of mind to pick up the ball quickly and pull off a direct hit to make sure that the batsman was unable to reach the crease in time. 

Bang on ?

How about that for a run-out! ? ?

Watch @ishankishan51's direct-hit to dismiss Michael Bracewell ?

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/gyRPMYVaCc #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/XqVfGSPkMm

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 27, 2023

New Zealand produced a dominating performance with bat and ball to defeat India by 21 runs in the opening T20I of the three-match series at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. 

New Zealand now lead the three-match series 1-0. 

Chasing a target of 177, Washington Sundar scored the highest for Team India with 50 of 28 deliveries while vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav played a gritty knock of 47 runs. For New Zealand, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson bagged two wickets each. 

Earlier, Devon Conway's gritty fifty and Daryl Mitchell's blistering knock of 59 propelled New Zealand to 176/6 against India. 

Mitchell scored the highest runs for New Zealand and his 59 came of 30 balls. Devon Conway contributed with a knock of 52. Arshdeep Singh conceded most runs for India with New Zealand batsmen scoring 51 in four overs of his spell. 

(With ANI inputs) 

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Watch: Kishan Pulls Off Stunning Run Out Against NZ In Dhoni's Presence

It was a homecoming for Ishan Kishan during the first T20I encounter between India and New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday. Although the hosts were beaten by 21 runs after a disappointing performance by the batsmen, Kishan impressed his home crowd by a brilliant direct hit to dismiss Michael Bracewell. During the 18th over of the New Zealand innings, Daryll Mitchell was unable to hit the ball properly and it hit his thigh pad to roll slowly towards the keeper. Kishan showed brilliant presence of mind to pick up the ball quickly and pull off a direct hit to make sure that the batsman was unable to reach the crease in time. 

Bang on ?

How about that for a run-out! ? ?

Watch @ishankishan51's direct-hit to dismiss Michael Bracewell ?

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/gyRPMYVaCc #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/XqVfGSPkMm

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 27, 2023

New Zealand produced a dominating performance with bat and ball to defeat India by 21 runs in the opening T20I of the three-match series at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. 

New Zealand now lead the three-match series 1-0. 

Chasing a target of 177, Washington Sundar scored the highest for Team India with 50 of 28 deliveries while vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav played a gritty knock of 47 runs. For New Zealand, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson bagged two wickets each. 

Earlier, Devon Conway's gritty fifty and Daryl Mitchell's blistering knock of 59 propelled New Zealand to 176/6 against India. 

Mitchell scored the highest runs for New Zealand and his 59 came of 30 balls. Devon Conway contributed with a knock of 52. Arshdeep Singh conceded most runs for India with New Zealand batsmen scoring 51 in four overs of his spell. 

(With ANI inputs) 

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Conway, Mitchell And Spinners Shine As New Zealand Beat India In 1st T20I

Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell conjured up fluent and fiery half-centuries before the spinners choked the hosts as New Zealand outplayed India by 21 runs in the opening T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Friday. Asked to take first strike, opener Conway continued his purple patch with a 35-ball 52, while Mitchell smashed a 30-ball unbeaten 59, which included a last-over thrashing of Arshdeep Singh for 27 runs, to power the Black Caps to a challenging 176 for six. The Kiwi bowlers, led by Mitchell Santner (2/11) and Michael Bracewell (2/31), then spun a web around the home batters, restrict India to 155 for 9 in 20 overs.

India had a disastrous start to their chase with both Ishan Kishan (4) and Rahul Tripathi (0) sent back to the pavillion by the third over.

While Ishan was bamboozled by Bracewell, pacer Jacob Duffy (1/27) induced a fine edge off Rahul's blade. Shubman Gill (7) too perished soon after being deceived by Santner as India slumped to 15 for three.

Suryakumar Yadav (47), however, looked in good touch as he picked up two boundaries before picking one off his hips for a six off Lockie Ferguson (1/22).

Santner then bowled a maiden as India reached 33 for three in the powerplay overs.

With the pitch offering grip and turn, New Zealand spinners controlled the proceedings keeping it flat and mixing the length even as Hardik unleashed a drive over extra cover to ease the pressure.

Suryakumar too brought out his range of sweep shots to keep the scoreboard ticking. When Blair Tickner was introduced, he played a square cut and then sent another one through backward point for successive fours as India reached 74 for 3 in 10 overs.

Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi was then sent inside out over extra cover for a maximum but New Zealand struck twice in next five balls to remove both the set batters.

While Surya chipped one off Sodhi to Finn Allen at long on, Hardik was caught and bowled by Bracewell as it all went downhill after that with India slipping to 85 for five.

Deepak Hooda smacked one over the rope before being stumped. Santner then ran out Shivam Mavi. Ferguson bowled a wicket maiden, removing Kuldeep.

Washington Sundar smashed a fighting 28-ball 50 but it was too late.

Earlier, Indian bowlers struggled to get their line and length, allowing New Zealand to get off to a good start.

Allen (35) smashed Hardik for successive boundaries, while a juicy half volley from Arshdeep was hit straight to the boundary.

Conway, who had scored 138 in the third ODI in Indore, also punished the left-arm pacer for a widish ball as New Zealand put up 23 in two overs.

Sundar, however, got a lot of purchase from the wicket and soon saw the back of Allen and Mark Chapman (0) in the space of five deliveries to reduce New Zealand to 43 for 2.

Conway, however, kept it going with two fours and a six off Umran Malik, who bled 16 runs in his only over.

Hardik brought himself back and tried to mix his bowling, using more cutters and slower deliveries as New Zealand reached 79 for 2 in 10 overs.

Conway used the slog sweep and his feet to pick up boundaries off Kuldeep and Hooda as New Zealand crossed the 100-mark in the 13th over.

Kuldeep then struck with a googly as Glenn Phillips went for a slog, only to be holed out by Surya at deep midwicket.

Daryl Mitchell then joined Conway and, after surviving two video referrals for a caught behind and an LBW, blasted Hardik for two maximums.

Conway, on the other hand, completed his fifty in the 16th over but was sent packing soon by Arshdeep with Hooda taking the catch at long-off.

Ishan Kishan then ran out new man Bracewell (1) and Shivam Mavi had Santner (7) caught by Rahul Tripathi as India seemed to have pulled things back.

However, Arshdeep conceded 27 runs in the last over, with Mitchell clobbering him for three sixes and a four.

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Conway, Mitchell And Spinners Shine As New Zealand Beat India In 1st T20I

Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell conjured up fluent and fiery half-centuries before the spinners choked the hosts as New Zealand outplayed India by 21 runs in the opening T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Friday. Asked to take first strike, opener Conway continued his purple patch with a 35-ball 52, while Mitchell smashed a 30-ball unbeaten 59, which included a last-over thrashing of Arshdeep Singh for 27 runs, to power the Black Caps to a challenging 176 for six. The Kiwi bowlers, led by Mitchell Santner (2/11) and Michael Bracewell (2/31), then spun a web around the home batters, restrict India to 155 for 9 in 20 overs.

India had a disastrous start to their chase with both Ishan Kishan (4) and Rahul Tripathi (0) sent back to the pavillion by the third over.

While Ishan was bamboozled by Bracewell, pacer Jacob Duffy (1/27) induced a fine edge off Rahul's blade. Shubman Gill (7) too perished soon after being deceived by Santner as India slumped to 15 for three.

Suryakumar Yadav (47), however, looked in good touch as he picked up two boundaries before picking one off his hips for a six off Lockie Ferguson (1/22).

Santner then bowled a maiden as India reached 33 for three in the powerplay overs.

With the pitch offering grip and turn, New Zealand spinners controlled the proceedings keeping it flat and mixing the length even as Hardik unleashed a drive over extra cover to ease the pressure.

Suryakumar too brought out his range of sweep shots to keep the scoreboard ticking. When Blair Tickner was introduced, he played a square cut and then sent another one through backward point for successive fours as India reached 74 for 3 in 10 overs.

Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi was then sent inside out over extra cover for a maximum but New Zealand struck twice in next five balls to remove both the set batters.

While Surya chipped one off Sodhi to Finn Allen at long on, Hardik was caught and bowled by Bracewell as it all went downhill after that with India slipping to 85 for five.

Deepak Hooda smacked one over the rope before being stumped. Santner then ran out Shivam Mavi. Ferguson bowled a wicket maiden, removing Kuldeep.

Washington Sundar smashed a fighting 28-ball 50 but it was too late.

Earlier, Indian bowlers struggled to get their line and length, allowing New Zealand to get off to a good start.

Allen (35) smashed Hardik for successive boundaries, while a juicy half volley from Arshdeep was hit straight to the boundary.

Conway, who had scored 138 in the third ODI in Indore, also punished the left-arm pacer for a widish ball as New Zealand put up 23 in two overs.

Sundar, however, got a lot of purchase from the wicket and soon saw the back of Allen and Mark Chapman (0) in the space of five deliveries to reduce New Zealand to 43 for 2.

Conway, however, kept it going with two fours and a six off Umran Malik, who bled 16 runs in his only over.

Hardik brought himself back and tried to mix his bowling, using more cutters and slower deliveries as New Zealand reached 79 for 2 in 10 overs.

Conway used the slog sweep and his feet to pick up boundaries off Kuldeep and Hooda as New Zealand crossed the 100-mark in the 13th over.

Kuldeep then struck with a googly as Glenn Phillips went for a slog, only to be holed out by Surya at deep midwicket.

Daryl Mitchell then joined Conway and, after surviving two video referrals for a caught behind and an LBW, blasted Hardik for two maximums.

Conway, on the other hand, completed his fifty in the 16th over but was sent packing soon by Arshdeep with Hooda taking the catch at long-off.

Ishan Kishan then ran out new man Bracewell (1) and Shivam Mavi had Santner (7) caught by Rahul Tripathi as India seemed to have pulled things back.

However, Arshdeep conceded 27 runs in the last over, with Mitchell clobbering him for three sixes and a four.

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1st T20I: Spinners 'choke' India as New Zealand take a 1-0 lead with 21-run victory

Washington Sundar's maiden T20I fifty went in vain as hosts India suffered a 21-run defeat against New Zealand at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. With the victory, New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing a competitive 177-run target, Sundar scored a quick 50, off 28 balls, but could manage to take India to just 155 for 9 in their 20 overs in the end.

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Australian Open Mixed Doubles final LIVE: Last dance awaits Sania Mirza in Grand Slam final

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"Look At The Way Rohit Sharma Plays": Ex-NZ Opener On Allen's Struggles

Former New Zealand cricketer Craig Cumming is unhappy with head coach Gary Stead's persistence with opener Finn Allen, who failed with the bat in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series against India. The hosts whitewashed the Kiwis 3-0 with Allen, 23, scoring two consecutive ducks and a 40, raising doubts about his selection in the New Zealand side with the ODI World Cup in India less than nine months away.

The cricketer had made his 50-over debut last year with a few impressive scores against Ireland and the West Indies but has quickly gone into a downward spiral.

"I'm concerned around the style of cricketers we're trying to produce. I want to produce Devon Conways, I want to produce Kane Williamsons; the guys that have got craft and can bat and they've got more than one (skill)?," Cumming told SENZ Mornings on Thursday.

"Finn Allen at the moment, he's young, he's learning but (he's in a) really important position for us at the top of the order and he seems to be at the moment a one-pace, one-line hitter.

"At the moment it's failing and maybe Finn's getting the experience, I mean they've got to stick with him, but he's not producing enough at the moment." Cumming compared Allen with India skipper Rohit Sharma, who is not just a strong hitter of the ball but also has the required skill-set to play according to the situation.

"You look at Rohit Sharma and the way they (India) play, yes they're powerful but they also have skill in the way they go about executing their plans. I just worry at the moment that Finn's sort of been thrown into that mix where it's one pace, batter up, it's a baseball style mentality; try to hit home runs and that's all we want."

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"Yes, Yes, Yes": Jadeja's Unique Response On If He's Ready For Australia

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, on a comeback trail following a knee injury and a long layoff, said on Thursday that he is ready for series against Australia after picking up seven wickets for Saurashtra against Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy game in Chennai. "Yes, yes, yes," the left-handed all-rounder said in response to a question if he was ready for touring side led by Pat Cummins after the third day's play of the Ranji Trophy fixture at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.

Jadeja's haul helped Saurashtra bowl out TN for 133 in the second innings and the visitors require 262 runs for an outright victory on Friday. Jadeja last played for India in the Asia Cup in August last year.

India take on Australia in the four-Test Border-Gavaskar series beginning at Nagpur on February 9. Jadeja, who is leading Saurashtra in place of the rested Jaydev Unadkat in the final Ranji Trophy league fixture, had figures of 7/53 in 17.1 overs in the second innings.

Jadeja said it was good to pick up a five-wicket haul and that he was "feeling very good" playing after such a long time.

"Feeling very good, playing a game after a long time. Hopefully I am good to go now. It was tough on the first day but as the game progressed, I was feeling good," Jadeja said.

Asked about bowling 12 overs at a stretch in the second spell, he said, "I (am) used to bowling long spells. Nothing new for me. I was enjoying...ball was turning..."

He further said, "The pitch was assisting me. When we were batting, the odd ball was spinning, the odd ball was keeping low, so I was keen to bowl a long spell. Luckily I got wickets." 

To a question if he felt he was there in terms of fitness, Jadeja said, "Yes, I am almost there...it is just a matter of little bit of confidence. Luckily I bowled enough overs in the match, like almost 37 overs in the game (41 -- 24 in the first innings and 17.1 in the second)." 

Asked if he felt any discomfort, Jadeja said, "no discomfort... not really." "When you get seven wickets, obviously you feel confident. When you take a five-for in a first-class game it is always good," he added.

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"Look At The Way Rohit Sharma Plays": Ex-NZ Opener On Allen's Struggles

Former New Zealand cricketer Craig Cumming is unhappy with head coach Gary Stead's persistence with opener Finn Allen, who failed with the bat in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series against India. The hosts whitewashed the Kiwis 3-0 with Allen, 23, scoring two consecutive ducks and a 40, raising doubts about his selection in the New Zealand side with the ODI World Cup in India less than nine months away.

The cricketer had made his 50-over debut last year with a few impressive scores against Ireland and the West Indies but has quickly gone into a downward spiral.

"I'm concerned around the style of cricketers we're trying to produce. I want to produce Devon Conways, I want to produce Kane Williamsons; the guys that have got craft and can bat and they've got more than one (skill)?," Cumming told SENZ Mornings on Thursday.

"Finn Allen at the moment, he's young, he's learning but (he's in a) really important position for us at the top of the order and he seems to be at the moment a one-pace, one-line hitter.

"At the moment it's failing and maybe Finn's getting the experience, I mean they've got to stick with him, but he's not producing enough at the moment." Cumming compared Allen with India skipper Rohit Sharma, who is not just a strong hitter of the ball but also has the required skill-set to play according to the situation.

"You look at Rohit Sharma and the way they (India) play, yes they're powerful but they also have skill in the way they go about executing their plans. I just worry at the moment that Finn's sort of been thrown into that mix where it's one pace, batter up, it's a baseball style mentality; try to hit home runs and that's all we want."

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Hockey World Cup: India Demolish Japan 8-0 In Classification Match

Under-fire captain Harmanpreet Singh finally came good with his drag flick as he and young striker Abhishek struck a brace each as India demolished Asian Games champions Japan 8-0 in an inconsequential FIH Men's World Cup classification match in Rourkela on Thursday. India, who had made a shock exit from the showpiece event after losing to New Zealand in their crossover match, played their best game but it came too late in the tournament. The hosts, who scored four goals each in the third and fourth quarters, will now play South Africa in the ninth to 12th place match on Saturday.

Harmanpreet (46th and 59th minutes) struck twice in the fourth quarter off penalty corners, which should boost his confidence a bit after repeated failures with his drag flick throughout the tournament. He had taken most of India's 26 PCs before Thursday's classification match.

He also took the majority of the 11 PCs India earned on Thursday.

He had also scored once earlier from his drag flick in the dying moments of the final Pool D match against Wales, but that was after the opponents had taken out the goalkeeper in lieu of an outfield player.

The 23-year-old Abhishek, known only by his first name, scored in the 36th and 44th minutes -- both field goals -- while Mandeep Singh (33rd), Vivek Sagar Prasad (40th), Manpreet Singh (59th) and Sukhjeet Singh (60th) were the other goal-getters for India.

After a goalless first half, India scored four goals in the third quarter and added four more in the fourth in a lopsided match, where more than 60 per cent possession was with the hosts.

A full-capacity crowd turned up at the Birsa Munda Stadium to watch the classification match and the spectators were treated to the home side's most convincing win in the tournament.

India were the dominant side in the first quarter with more circle penetration. The home side earned back-to-back PCs in the 12th minute but Harmanpreet could not score from both. Raj Kumar Pal struck a powerful reverse hit in the 14th minute but missed the target.

Abhishek had a golden chance with a few seconds left in the first quarter but his shot was blocked by Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikawa Takashi.

Japan earned back-to-back PCs just as the second quarter started but wasted both.

India quickly counter-attacked and Akashdeep Singh's snapshot from the top of the striking circle was again blocked by Takashi. Harmanpreet then wasted India's third PC.

Lalit Upadhyay had another go at the Japanese goal but Takashi was at it, denying India yet again.

India had at least 16 circle penetrations till the half time as against nine by Japan but that domination did no translate into goals.

India scored three minutes after the start of third quarter from a penalty-corner variation. Amit Rohidas' push was deflected into the goal by Mandeep Singh for his first goal of the tournament.

Three minutes later, Abhishek made it 2-0 as his reverse sweep off a fine pass from Vivek Sagar Prasad beat the Japanese goalkeeper.

India's dominance continued to grow as the hosts took the game away from Japan's reach with their third goal in the 40th minute from their sixth PC.

Prasad scored his maiden World Cup goal after Harmanpreet's drag flick ricocheted from a defender's stick.

Abhishek completed his brace a minute before the end of the third quarter as his high reverse shot following a pass from Prasad found the net.

Harmanpreet finally found the target with his drag flick in the first minute of the fourth quarter as India continued their goal-scoring spree.

Senior player Manpreet and Sukhjeet joined the party with goals towards the end of the match.

In other classification matches here, South Africa beat Malaysia 6-3 while debutants Wales defeated France 2-1 in the penalty shootout to register their maiden World Cup win after the sides were locked 2-2 at the end of regulation time.

Wales will face Argentina, who hammered neighbours Chile 8-0 in another classification match, in the 9th to 12th place match on Saturday.

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IOC's move to reintegrate Russia into Olympics meets opposition

The International Olympic Committee's efforts to find a "pathway" for Russians to take part in the 2024 Paris Games despite the invasion of Ukraine were strongly criticised by Britain on Thursday.

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Australia Great Slams Selectors For Not Considering Steve Smith As Opener

Legendary Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy has questioned the national selectors for not considering Steve Smith in the role of an opener in white-ball cricket. Smith, 33, has notched up 328 runs in four innings for the Big Bash League (BBL) side Sydney Sixers, scoring 36, 101, 125 not out and 66. Healy says it is difficult to ignore Smith's credentials as opener, especially since David Warner and Aaron Finch are nowhere near their best.

Finch retired from ODIs late last year after a miserable season, which also saw the hosts exit the T20 World Cup at home prematurely.

Healy also compared Smith with the legendary Don Bradman and said it was a "privilege" watching the cricketer bat.

Asked whether he would like to see Smith open in the shortest format, Healy said, "Definitely, how could you not?" "Who opened with (David) Warner in the T20 World Cup? It was Finchy (Aaron Finch) who was captain. Both Warner and Finch aren't playing anywhere near as well as Smith, so he overtakes both of those in my eyes with the way he's batting now," Healy told Sportsday NSW on Wednesday.

The 58-year-old added that not just T20Is, the selectors should consider Smith for the opener's role in the 50-over World Cup in India next year.

"We don't play many international T20s so hopefully he's doing this (scoring big in BBL) in the lead-up to the next World Cup. Even in the 50-over game I'd be opening with him as well." Healy indicated that very few batters in Australia came anywhere close to Smith in terms of technique.

"I feel like it's a privilege watching him. When he gets out, seeing how hard the others are doing it, the discrepancy between him and the rest is unbelievable, it's very Bradman-like.

"He's just doing it so easily and how he's done it, he'd have a technical idea of what he's doing -- he's talking grip and everything like that, but I like his feet, his feet are still and his head is still.

"When he played at his best maybe three years ago or four years ago, he was walking all over the place but when the bowler delivered the ball he was dead still, and his feet were set.

"He's finding the middle of the bat incredibly often and it feels like a privilege watching him play like this, he wasn't doing it six months ago."

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Ousmane Dembele Fires Barcelona Past Real Sociedad To Copa Semi-finals

Ousmane Dembele's strike, capping a brilliant individual display, helped Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 1-0 on Wednesday, and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals. The French forward struck in the 52nd minute to power the record 31-time cup-winners through against 10-man La Real, who had Brais Mendez sent off late in the first half. Barcelona have enjoyed a strong start to 2023, winning the Spanish Super Cup and moving three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, and continued it in a pulsating cup clash.

Imanol Alguacil's Real Sociedad have thrilled in the league, sitting third, but were missing veteran playmaker David Silva and Mikel Merino through injury.

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, on his 43rd birthday, guided his team to a nervy victory, thanks to Dembele.

The coach defended Dembele when taking over at Barcelona in November 2021, saying that with hard work he could be the best winger in the world.

"The most important thing is having the mentality that you will make the difference at Barcelona," Xavi told reporters on Wednesday.

"For me, Dembele is still one of the best in the world in his position. I am happy for him because he's a good guy and a good professional.

"He has turned things around and that is not easy at Barca."

The Catalans came out of the blocks quickly and Robert Lewandowski had an effort blocked after the electric Dembele found him.

At the other end Takefusa Kubo crashed a shot against the crossbar, as the game ebbed and flowed in entertaining fashion.

Barcelona fans frequently showed their ire towards referee Jesus Gil Manzano in the first half -- he was the official who sent off Lewandowski against Osasuna in November, resulting in a ban which the Pole is still serving in La Liga.

However it was Real Sociedad midfielder Mendez who was sent off at Camp Nou on Wednesday, just before half-time.

The Spaniard lunged in on Sergio Busquets, catching his compatriot with his studs above the ankle.

Decisive Dembele

Early in the second half, Barcelona broke the deadlock when Jules Kounde slid Dembele in down the right wing and he drove into the box and lashed the ball past Alex Remiro at the near post.

It was the French forward's third goal in six games and another sign of his superb form under Xavi.

"It's hard to stop a player at such a level, in form and having a day like this," said Alguacil.

"We made things too easy for him in the first half ... I think we were afraid. If you give half a metre to Dembele, you're screwed."

Now that Dembele has found a coach who believes in him -- and signed a new deal last summer -- he has become vital at Barcelona.

"(Dembele) had a great game, we know what a great player he is," Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo told Movistar.

"He helps us with goals, he's taking good decisions, that's the most important thing, something that maybe was tricky for him at the beginning."

Real Sociedad, despite their numerical disadvantage, battled well and should have levelled when Alexander Sorloth fired over from only a couple of yards out.

The Norwegian striker had netted five goals in his previous six games and looked aghast at his miss.

Gavi struck the bar after more good work by Dembele as Barcelona tried and failed to seal the win with a second goal.

"There are a lot of games that we can put to bed earlier, we will try to work on that," said Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde.

"We are in very good form and we just have to kill off these situations."

Barcelona survived two late scares after Marc-Andre ter Stegen gave the ball away but then saved from Robert Navarro and produced another fine stop to deny Jon Ander Olasagasti.

Elsewhere Osasuna earned a 2-1 win over Sevilla in extra-time to reach the semis for the first time since 2005, when they finished as runners-up to Real Betis.

On Thursday Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid and Valencia welcome Athletic Club in the other quarter-finals.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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