West Indies' run machine Chris Gayle is a big omission from the West Indies squad for T20I series against India. Meanwhile, Darren Bravo and all-rounder Kieron Pollard were welcomed to the limited-overs squad.

Cricket West Indies said that Chris Gayle has decided to skip their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/pollard-and-darren-bravo-back-for-west-indies-gayle-unavailable-170183">series in India and Bangladesh</a>.

"We will be without our stalwart, Chris Gayle, for this Indian tour and the next tour against Bangladesh as he has declined selection at this time..." Courtney Browne, chairman of the selection panel, said in a statement late on Sunday.

The 39-year-old Gayle has declined the selection because currently he is busy with the Afghanistan Premier League and will subsequently feature in the T10 league, also in the United Arab Emirates.

"... however, he has made himself available for the selection for the visit of England to the Caribbean and the CWC (Cricket World Cup) in 2019," Browne added.

ODI squad: Jason Holder (captain), Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas

T20 squad: Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Oshane Thomas

West Indies' run machine Chris Gayle is a big omission from the West Indies squad for T20I series against India. Meanwhile, Darren Bravo and all-rounder Kieron Pollard were welcomed to the limited-overs squad.

West Indies' run machine Chris Gayle is a big omission from the West Indies squad for T20I series against India. Meanwhile, Darren Bravo and all-rounder Kieron Pollard were welcomed to the limited-overs squad. Cricket West Indies said that Chris Gayle has decided to skip their series in India and Bangladesh. "We will be without our stalwart, Chris Gayle, for this Indian tour and the next tour against Bangladesh as he has declined selection at this time..." Courtney Browne, chairman of the selection panel, said in a statement late on Sunday. The 39-year-old Gayle has declined the selection because currently he is busy with the Afghanistan Premier League and will subsequently feature in the T10 league, also in the United Arab Emirates. "... however, he has made himself available for the selection for the visit of England to the Caribbean and the CWC (Cricket World Cup) in 2019," Browne added. ODI squad: Jason Holder (captain), Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas T20 squad: Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Oshane Thomas

Here is why Chris Gayle declined selection for India series

After Virat Kohli's spectacular&nbsp;performance, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hit his maiden international century as India declared their first innings on 649-9 on day two of the opening Test against West Indies in Rajkot on Friday.

The left-handed Jadeja remained unbeaten on 100 as the hosts rammed home the advantage after resuming the day on 364-4.

His whirlwind effort in front of home crowd came after skipper Virat Kohli completed his 24th Test hundred in the morning. Skipper Virat Kohli top-scored with 139.

Jadeja enthralled the sparse crowd at SCA stadium with aerial hits which came mainly off the spinners. He ended up with five boundaries and as many sixes.&nbsp;

The morning session was all about Virat and Pant, who missed out on century after a blistering 92-run knock, show but later Jadeja stole the show.

&nbsp;

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India declare on 649/9 after <a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imjadeja</a> reaches his maiden international century - will the hosts now perform just as well with the ball?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvWI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvWI</a> LIVE ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/bOSqMElBuo">https://t.co/bOSqMElBuo</a> <a href="https://t.co/ybtyyuppuF">pic.twitter.com/ybtyyuppuF</a>
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Earlier, Kohli and Rishabh Pant (92 off 84) had taken India to 506 for five at lunch.&nbsp;

Kohli, who was 72 not out overnight, took time to knock off the 28 runs needed for yet another hundred while his partner Pant, who resumed at 17, went all guns blazing. 
A second Test hundred in his fourth Test was for the taking but Pant, attempting another six over mid-wicket, failed to pick the googly and top-edged it for a simple catch to Keemo Paul at backward point. His entertaining innings was laced with eight fours and four sixes.

After Virat Kohli's spectacular performance, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hit his maiden international century as India declared their first innings on 649-9 on day two of the opening Test against West Indies in Rajkot on Friday.

After Virat Kohli's spectacular performance, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hit his maiden international century as India declared their first innings on 649-9 on day two of the opening Test against West Indies in Rajkot on Friday. The left-handed Jadeja remained unbeaten on 100 as the hosts rammed home the advantage after resuming the day on 364-4. His whirlwind effort in front of home crowd came after skipper Virat Kohli completed his 24th Test hundred in the morning. Skipper Virat Kohli top-scored with 139. Jadeja enthralled the sparse crowd at SCA stadium with aerial hits which came mainly off the spinners. He ended up with five boundaries and as many sixes. The morning session was all about Virat and Pant, who missed out on century after a blistering 92-run knock, show but later Jadeja stole the show. India declare on 649/9 after @imjadeja reaches his maiden international century - will the hosts now perform just as well with the ball?#INDvWI LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/bOSqMElBuo pic.twitter.com/ybtyyuppuF — ICC (@ICC) October 5, 2018 × Earlier, Kohli and Rishabh Pant (92 off 84) had taken India to 506 for five at lunch. Kohli, who was 72 not out overnight, took time to knock off the 28 runs needed for yet another hundred while his partner Pant, who resumed at 17, went all guns blazing. A second Test hundred in his fourth Test was for the taking but Pant, attempting another six over mid-wicket, failed to pick the googly and top-edged it for a simple catch to Keemo Paul at backward point. His entertaining innings was laced with eight fours and four sixes.

Ind vs WI, 1st Test, Day 2: After Jadeja's maiden Test century, India declare on 649-9

Prithvi Shaw slammed a gritty fifty on his debut game against West Indies in Rajasthan's Rajkot on Thursday.

Shaw, who opened with KL Rahul, displayed his cricketing prowess by playing some stunning shots to reach his half-century in just 56 balls.&nbsp;

The 18-year-old slammed seven boundaries and played at a strike rate of 89.29.

Rahul, on the other hand, lost his wicket in the first over. He was sent back to the pavilion for a duck after being lbw by Shannon Gabriel.

Shaw found any ally in veteran Cheteshwar Pujara, who has also crossed the boundary line seven times, so far.

Prithvi, who earned a maiden Indian call-up midway into the England tour but did not get a game, has been preferred over Mayank Agarwal in the playing XI for the series opener against West Indies.

In the domestic circuit, Prithvi showed maturity beyond years, notching up fine hundreds on his Ranji and Duleep Trophy debuts, a few years after bursting onto the Mumbai scene with a bang. Shaw also led India to U-19 World Cup triumph.

The young Mumbai batsman was part of the Indian squad for the last two Test matches against England but didn't get an opportunity as the team management decided to persist with Shikhar Dhawan and K L Rahul.

Prithvi Shaw slammed a gritty fifty on his debut game against West Indies in Rajasthan's Rajkot on Thursday. Shaw, who opened with KL Rahul, displayed his cricketing prowess by playing some stunning shots to reach his half-century in just 56 balls.

Prithvi Shaw slammed a gritty fifty on his debut game against West Indies in Rajasthan's Rajkot on Thursday. Shaw, who opened with KL Rahul, displayed his cricketing prowess by playing some stunning shots to reach his half-century in just 56 balls. The 18-year-old slammed seven boundaries and played at a strike rate of 89.29. Rahul, on the other hand, lost his wicket in the first over. He was sent back to the pavilion for a duck after being lbw by Shannon Gabriel. Shaw found any ally in veteran Cheteshwar Pujara, who has also crossed the boundary line seven times, so far. Prithvi, who earned a maiden Indian call-up midway into the England tour but did not get a game, has been preferred over Mayank Agarwal in the playing XI for the series opener against West Indies. In the domestic circuit, Prithvi showed maturity beyond years, notching up fine hundreds on his Ranji and Duleep Trophy debuts, a few years after bursting onto the Mumbai scene with a bang. Shaw also led India to U-19 World Cup triumph. The young Mumbai batsman was part of the Indian squad for the last two Test matches against England but didn't get an opportunity as the team management decided to persist with Shikhar Dhawan and K L Rahul.

1st Test: Prithvi Shaw slams gritty half-century on debut, India  89/1 after 18 overs

Indian Cricket team&nbsp;head coach Ravi Shastri finally cleared the air why captain Virat Kohli was rested from the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2018.

Kohli, who was presented with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, missed the tournament which included two games against arch-rivals Pakistan.&nbsp;

The right-handed batsman was not the only one who was criticised for his decision but coach Shastri was also at the receiving end.&nbsp;

Speaking to a national daily days after India registered a three-wicket win over Bangladesh to become the Asian Champion for the seventh time, Shatri said, "Virat needed this rest. Physically he is a bull. You can't give him out of the ground. And the thing with Virat is if he plays, then you know the level of intensity he brings. So it was a case of just mental fatigue, giving him a break, take your mind off cricket and then come back fresh".&nbsp;

The coach stressed that the same process will be followed for other players also.&nbsp;

"And we will have to do it with a lot of other players. You know like Bumah (Jasprit Bumrah), Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), we have to sustain them and keep them energetic", he added.

Kohli will return to international action as skipper with the Test series against West Indies.

He will lead the 15-member Indian cricket team for the upcoming two-match Test series beginning on October 4 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot.&nbsp;

However, Asia Cup performers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have not been included in the squad.&nbsp;

Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal have been inducted while pacers Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar have been rested.

Hanuma Vihari, who also impressed on debut in the final Test at The Oval, London, also found a place in India's 15-man squad.

Indian Cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri finally cleared the air why captain Virat Kohli was rested from the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2018. Kohli, who was presented with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, missed the tournament which included two games against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Indian Cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri finally cleared the air why captain Virat Kohli was rested from the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2018. Kohli, who was presented with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, missed the tournament which included two games against arch-rivals Pakistan. The right-handed batsman was not the only one who was criticised for his decision but coach Shastri was also at the receiving end. Speaking to a national daily days after India registered a three-wicket win over Bangladesh to become the Asian Champion for the seventh time, Shatri said, "Virat needed this rest. Physically he is a bull. You can't give him out of the ground. And the thing with Virat is if he plays, then you know the level of intensity he brings. So it was a case of just mental fatigue, giving him a break, take your mind off cricket and then come back fresh". The coach stressed that the same process will be followed for other players also. "And we will have to do it with a lot of other players. You know like Bumah (Jasprit Bumrah), Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), we have to sustain them and keep them energetic", he added. Kohli will return to international action as skipper with the Test series against West Indies. He will lead the 15-member Indian cricket team for the upcoming two-match Test series beginning on October 4 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot. However, Asia Cup performers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have not been included in the squad. Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal have been inducted while pacers Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar have been rested. Hanuma Vihari, who also impressed on debut in the final Test at The Oval, London, also found a place in India's 15-man squad.

Ravi Shastri reveals why Virat Kohli was rested from Asia Cup

Bangladeshi media on Saturday lauded the national cricket team's spirited showing in the Asia Cup final after they went down to favourites India in a last-ball thriller in Dubai.

Opener Liton Das slammed his maiden one-day international century in Bangladesh's modest 222 but it was the bowlers who made India sweat in their nervy chase of the 50-over contest.

A 45-run sixth wicket stand between Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and a gritty 23-run unbeaten knock by Kedar Jadhav, who was limping due a hamstring injury, finally gave India a three-wicket win.

India, led by Rohit Sharma, could not rest until a leg-bye off the final ball of the innings completed their chase for their seventh Asia Cup title.

A Daily Star headline read: "Tigers falling agonisingly short."

"Despite the batting implosion after their brightest start of the tournament, it was a bowling effort that Bangladesh can be proud of as they seemed out of the game on numerous occasions but clawed their way back each time," the country's biggest-selling English newspaper wrote.

Another English-language daily New Age headlined its report "Brave Bangladesh fall just short", with an accompanying picture of Mahmudullah lying on the pitch after he failed to accomplish a run out of Kumar.

The newspaper hailed Bangladesh's batting hero and man-of-the-match Das as "next big thing in Bangladesh" in a separate article, saying that with each stroke en route to his 121 off 117 balls, the 23-year-old batsman "showed his class".

Das set up the foundation for a competitive score but a mid-innings collapse saw Bangladesh slip from 120-0 to 151-5 before being dismissed in 48.3.

Meanwhile, India, who went into the tournament without regular skipper Virat Kohli, relished their title win that comes after a 1-4 Test loss in England.

Kohli and former Indian cricketers also praised Bangladesh for their fighting instincts that made the Asia Cup final an entertaining affair.

"Great job by the guys to win that tight game last night. @BCCI Seventh Asia Cup title for us Congrats to Bangladesh as well for giving a tough fight," Kohli wrote on Twitter.

Former Test batsman VVS Laxman also congratulated the Rohit Sharma-led team on his Twitter page.

"Congratulations India on becoming #AsiaCup Champions. Hats off to Bangladesh for their splendid fight and attitude, for not giving up and playing out of their skins... despite missing Shakib (Al Hasan) and Tamim (Iqbal). Special mention to Kedar Jadhav for his grit and commitment," Laxman wrote.

Bangladesh will face Zimbabwe for three one-day internationals and two Tests at home in October and November.

India host West Indies for three Twenty20 matches, five ODIs and two Tests starting October 4.

Bangladeshi media on Saturday lauded the national cricket team's spirited showing in the Asia Cup final after they went down to favourites India in a last-ball thriller in Dubai.

Bangladeshi media on Saturday lauded the national cricket team's spirited showing in the Asia Cup final after they went down to favourites India in a last-ball thriller in Dubai. Opener Liton Das slammed his maiden one-day international century in Bangladesh's modest 222 but it was the bowlers who made India sweat in their nervy chase of the 50-over contest. A 45-run sixth wicket stand between Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and a gritty 23-run unbeaten knock by Kedar Jadhav, who was limping due a hamstring injury, finally gave India a three-wicket win. India, led by Rohit Sharma, could not rest until a leg-bye off the final ball of the innings completed their chase for their seventh Asia Cup title. A Daily Star headline read: "Tigers falling agonisingly short." "Despite the batting implosion after their brightest start of the tournament, it was a bowling effort that Bangladesh can be proud of as they seemed out of the game on numerous occasions but clawed their way back each time," the country's biggest-selling English newspaper wrote. Another English-language daily New Age headlined its report "Brave Bangladesh fall just short", with an accompanying picture of Mahmudullah lying on the pitch after he failed to accomplish a run out of Kumar. The newspaper hailed Bangladesh's batting hero and man-of-the-match Das as "next big thing in Bangladesh" in a separate article, saying that with each stroke en route to his 121 off 117 balls, the 23-year-old batsman "showed his class". Das set up the foundation for a competitive score but a mid-innings collapse saw Bangladesh slip from 120-0 to 151-5 before being dismissed in 48.3. Meanwhile, India, who went into the tournament without regular skipper Virat Kohli, relished their title win that comes after a 1-4 Test loss in England. Kohli and former Indian cricketers also praised Bangladesh for their fighting instincts that made the Asia Cup final an entertaining affair. "Great job by the guys to win that tight game last night. @BCCI Seventh Asia Cup title for us Congrats to Bangladesh as well for giving a tough fight," Kohli wrote on Twitter. Former Test batsman VVS Laxman also congratulated the Rohit Sharma-led team on his Twitter page. "Congratulations India on becoming #AsiaCup Champions. Hats off to Bangladesh for their splendid fight and attitude, for not giving up and playing out of their skins... despite missing Shakib (Al Hasan) and Tamim (Iqbal). Special mention to Kedar Jadhav for his grit and commitment," Laxman wrote. Bangladesh will face Zimbabwe for three one-day internationals and two Tests at home in October and November. India host West Indies for three Twenty20 matches, five ODIs and two Tests starting October 4.

Bangladesh praised for fight in Asia Cup final

India will be aiming to reassert their continental supremacy while an injury-hit Bangladesh will hope to shrug off stage fright when the two sides square off in the grand finale of the Asia Cup here Friday.

A passionate Bangladesh turned out to be the party-poopers on Wednesday as they wrecked the prospects of an India-Pakistan summit clash with a gutsy performance despite losing key players to injury.&nbsp;

On paper, India will remain overwhelming favourites to win the tournament for a record seventh time while Bangladesh will be hoping to be third-time lucky in a summit clash.

Final of any tournament is a one-off game in complete isolation from how a team has performed in the tournament. Even the most consistent teams have slipped on the proverbial banana peel when it has mattered the most.

Add to this the fact that the Indo-Bangla cricketing rivalry has grown in intensity.

But what is definitely a dampener for Bangladesh heading into the final is the injury woes that the side is facing.

Star batsman Tamim Iqbal is already out with a fractured hand and Bangladesh will also not have premier all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan in the line-up owing to a finger injury.

He is expected to undergo surgery which will also force him out of the home series against Zimbabwe starting September 30.

For India, it will be a different test though.

A victory in the Asia Cup without their skipper and best batsman Virat Kohli will be a big statement going into next year's World Cup.

Not to forget, the Asia Cup trophy will be a healing touch after 1-4 Test series defeat in England.

The team's exploits in shorter formats have always successfully papered over the deficiencies when it comes to playing quality five-day cricket in adverse conditions.

An Asia Cup triumph can partially divert attention from the England debacle.

After resting five regulars during a wake-up call from Afghanistan in their tied Super Four encounter, the order is expected to be restored in the summit clash.

The crack opening pair of skipper Rohit Sharma and his deputy Shikhar Dhawan will be back at the top of the order while Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal will bolster the bowling.

A lot will depend on the start provided by Rohit (269 runs) and Shikhar (327 runs) as the middle order has looked shaky at times.

Ambati Rayudu has looked set in all the games but has not finished off well while Kedar Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have struggled in middle overs.

Dhoni's struggle is the biggest worry as a total of 240 plus could prove to be challenging on a slow track if the team bats second.

The only match where the Indian middle order was tested was the Afghanistan game where they came a cropper despite a century opening stand by the makeshift pair of KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu.

A significant batting contribution from Dhoni is expected as he might again come in at No.4 in order to face more deliveries.

The Bangladesh bowling attack is one of the most potent in 50 over cricket with Mustafizur Rahaman, Rubel Hossain, and Mashrafe Mortaza ready to test batting line-ups.

Mustafizur has a lot of tricks up his sleeve while Mashrafe's experience comes in handy. However, not having Shakib in the line-up could prove to be a major setback for the side.

In batting, the team will bank heavily on the ever-dependable Mushfiqur Rahim, who has been the 'crisis man' along with the very stylish Mahmudullah Riyadh.

They will be challenged by an in-form Jasprit Bumrah. Tackling the guile of Kuldeep Yadav, deception of Yuzvendra Chahal and probing questions from Ravindra Jadeja will also be quite a task for the Bangladesh line-up.

Probable Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Manish Pandey, Siddarth Kaul, KL Rahul, Deepak Chahar.

Bangladesh: Masrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Litton Kumar Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Islam Apu, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Haider Rony.

India will be aiming to reassert their continental supremacy while an injury-hit Bangladesh will hope to shrug off stage fright when the two sides square off in the grand finale of the Asia Cup here Friday.

India will be aiming to reassert their continental supremacy while an injury-hit Bangladesh will hope to shrug off stage fright when the two sides square off in the grand finale of the Asia Cup here Friday. A passionate Bangladesh turned out to be the party-poopers on Wednesday as they wrecked the prospects of an India-Pakistan summit clash with a gutsy performance despite losing key players to injury. On paper, India will remain overwhelming favourites to win the tournament for a record seventh time while Bangladesh will be hoping to be third-time lucky in a summit clash. Final of any tournament is a one-off game in complete isolation from how a team has performed in the tournament. Even the most consistent teams have slipped on the proverbial banana peel when it has mattered the most. Add to this the fact that the Indo-Bangla cricketing rivalry has grown in intensity. But what is definitely a dampener for Bangladesh heading into the final is the injury woes that the side is facing. Star batsman Tamim Iqbal is already out with a fractured hand and Bangladesh will also not have premier all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan in the line-up owing to a finger injury. He is expected to undergo surgery which will also force him out of the home series against Zimbabwe starting September 30. For India, it will be a different test though. A victory in the Asia Cup without their skipper and best batsman Virat Kohli will be a big statement going into next year's World Cup. Not to forget, the Asia Cup trophy will be a healing touch after 1-4 Test series defeat in England. The team's exploits in shorter formats have always successfully papered over the deficiencies when it comes to playing quality five-day cricket in adverse conditions. An Asia Cup triumph can partially divert attention from the England debacle. After resting five regulars during a wake-up call from Afghanistan in their tied Super Four encounter, the order is expected to be restored in the summit clash. The crack opening pair of skipper Rohit Sharma and his deputy Shikhar Dhawan will be back at the top of the order while Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal will bolster the bowling. A lot will depend on the start provided by Rohit (269 runs) and Shikhar (327 runs) as the middle order has looked shaky at times. Ambati Rayudu has looked set in all the games but has not finished off well while Kedar Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have struggled in middle overs. Dhoni's struggle is the biggest worry as a total of 240 plus could prove to be challenging on a slow track if the team bats second. The only match where the Indian middle order was tested was the Afghanistan game where they came a cropper despite a century opening stand by the makeshift pair of KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu. A significant batting contribution from Dhoni is expected as he might again come in at No.4 in order to face more deliveries. The Bangladesh bowling attack is one of the most potent in 50 over cricket with Mustafizur Rahaman, Rubel Hossain, and Mashrafe Mortaza ready to test batting line-ups. Mustafizur has a lot of tricks up his sleeve while Mashrafe's experience comes in handy. However, not having Shakib in the line-up could prove to be a major setback for the side. In batting, the team will bank heavily on the ever-dependable Mushfiqur Rahim, who has been the 'crisis man' along with the very stylish Mahmudullah Riyadh. They will be challenged by an in-form Jasprit Bumrah. Tackling the guile of Kuldeep Yadav, deception of Yuzvendra Chahal and probing questions from Ravindra Jadeja will also be quite a task for the Bangladesh line-up. Probable Squads: India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Manish Pandey, Siddarth Kaul, KL Rahul, Deepak Chahar. Bangladesh: Masrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Litton Kumar Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Islam Apu, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Haider Rony.

Asia Cup Final: India ready to tame depleted Bangla Tigers

Having already sealed their place in the 2018 Asia Cup final, defending champions India will look to continue their winning streak when they face Afghanistan on Tuesday.

The Rohit-Sharma side recently registered a 9-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to confirm their place in the finals.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Indian openers Rohit Sharma, also the captain, and Shikhar Dhawan slammed a century each&nbsp;to achieve Pakistan's below-par target of 237.

The duo played brilliantly to stitch together a 210-run stand, with Dhawan departing after contributing 114 runs.&nbsp;

India had earlier defeated Bangladesh in their first Super 4 match, to remain as the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far.&nbsp;

India will be aiming to continue their dominance over the Asian newbies, who have managed to give a tough fight in their narrow defeats to the likes of Pakistan and Bangladesh in their Super Four clashes.&nbsp;

While Pakistan managed to win a last-over thriller over the Afghans by 3 wickets, Bangladesh on Sunday pipped Afghanistan by 3 runs to set up a virtual semi-final with Pakistan on Wednesday.

The game is also a chance for India to rest a few players and give the opportunity to other young talents.

Having already sealed their place in the 2018 Asia Cup final, defending champions India will look to continue their winning streak when they face Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Having already sealed their place in the 2018 Asia Cup final, defending champions India will look to continue their winning streak when they face Afghanistan on Tuesday. The Rohit-Sharma side recently registered a 9-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to confirm their place in the finals. On Sunday, Indian openers Rohit Sharma, also the captain, and Shikhar Dhawan slammed a century each to achieve Pakistan's below-par target of 237. The duo played brilliantly to stitch together a 210-run stand, with Dhawan departing after contributing 114 runs. India had earlier defeated Bangladesh in their first Super 4 match, to remain as the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far. India will be aiming to continue their dominance over the Asian newbies, who have managed to give a tough fight in their narrow defeats to the likes of Pakistan and Bangladesh in their Super Four clashes. While Pakistan managed to win a last-over thriller over the Afghans by 3 wickets, Bangladesh on Sunday pipped Afghanistan by 3 runs to set up a virtual semi-final with Pakistan on Wednesday. The game is also a chance for India to rest a few players and give the opportunity to other young talents.

Asia Cup: Already in finals, India aim to extend winning streak against Afghanistan

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat against defending champions India in the second-last game of the Super Four stage of the 2018 Asia Cup.

India, who was being led by Rohit Sharma till now, will be playing this game under their former captain MS Dhoni. &nbsp;

Talking after the toss, Dhoni said, "We were looking to bowl first. Quite a few changes. Both the openers are missing, Bhuvi, Bumrah and Chahal are also missing. Everybody who hadn't played in this tournament get a chance," Dhoni said.

"They are part of the 15 and are representing India. We'll have to keep the intensity up. It is important for them to adjust to the line and length they need to bowl. I was not really sure of where I am standing. I have captained 199 ODIs, so this gives me an opportunity to make it 200. It's all destiny and I always believed in that. It's not in my control, once I left captainship. Good to complete 200, but I don't think it really matters, he added."

Talking about their strategy for today, Afghan skipper Asghar Afghan said, "We will bat first. Today, the wicket might spin. We would like to put runs on the board and apply pressure. We have made two changes. Samiullah and Ihsanullah are not playing. Najibullah and Javed Ahmadi come in. We played well, but we lost two games. It's part of the game. Today we will look to play confidently."

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Siddarth Kaul, Kuldeep Yadav, K Khaleel Ahmed

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Shahzad(w), Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan(c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

India qualified for the Asia Cup final after defeating Pakistan by nine-wickets.&nbsp;

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat against defending champions India in the second-last game of the Super Four stage of the 2018 Asia Cup. India, who was being led by Rohit Sharma till now, will be playing this game under their former captain MS Dhoni.

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat against defending champions India in the second-last game of the Super Four stage of the 2018 Asia Cup. India, who was being led by Rohit Sharma till now, will be playing this game under their former captain MS Dhoni. Talking after the toss, Dhoni said, "We were looking to bowl first. Quite a few changes. Both the openers are missing, Bhuvi, Bumrah and Chahal are also missing. Everybody who hadn't played in this tournament get a chance," Dhoni said. "They are part of the 15 and are representing India. We'll have to keep the intensity up. It is important for them to adjust to the line and length they need to bowl. I was not really sure of where I am standing. I have captained 199 ODIs, so this gives me an opportunity to make it 200. It's all destiny and I always believed in that. It's not in my control, once I left captainship. Good to complete 200, but I don't think it really matters, he added." Talking about their strategy for today, Afghan skipper Asghar Afghan said, "We will bat first. Today, the wicket might spin. We would like to put runs on the board and apply pressure. We have made two changes. Samiullah and Ihsanullah are not playing. Najibullah and Javed Ahmadi come in. We played well, but we lost two games. It's part of the game. Today we will look to play confidently." Teams: India (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Siddarth Kaul, Kuldeep Yadav, K Khaleel Ahmed Afghanistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Shahzad(w), Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan(c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman India qualified for the Asia Cup final after defeating Pakistan by nine-wickets.

Asia Cup: Afghanistan win toss, elect to bat against India

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan hit centuries to inspire the team towards victory against their arch-rivals Pakistan in Super Four, match 3 of the ongoing Asia Cup tournament&nbsp;on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma&nbsp;scored an unbeaten 111 runs in an attractive innings which included seven fours and four sixes.

Pakistan could have got Sharma out in the sixth over but Imam-ul-Haq dropped an easy catch off a luckless Shaheen Shah.

While the highlight of Indian innings was Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 114 runs and his magnificent knock included 16 fours and two sixes.

He played several marvelous shots to pump-up the crowd at Dubai International Cricket Stadium but&nbsp;got out in the 34th over with 38 needed it was through a run out.

The win is India's highest against Pakistan in terms of wickets, improving on the eight wicket win over Pakistan in Melbourne in 1985.

In the first innings, the fielding unit of India produced a clinical performance and the bowlers&nbsp;kept taking wickets to build pressure on the batsmen and restrict the Men in Green at an achievable score.

However, Shoaib Malik struck an attractive half-century to salvage Pakistan's innings. His 90-ball 78 included four boundaries and two sixes.

Opener Fakhar Zaman looked dangerous at a moment but lost his wicket to India's spin sensation Kuldeep Yadav after scoring 31 runs.&nbsp;

After opting to bat, Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq (ten), Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam (run out for nine) in an unimpressive start to their innings before Malik and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed added 107 for the fourth wicket.

Jasprit Bumrah finished with 2-29 in his ten overs.

The top two teams from the Super four will play the final on September 28 in Dubai.

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan hit centuries to inspire the team towards victory against their arch-rivals Pakistan in Super Four, match 3 of the ongoing Asia Cup tournament on Sunday.

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan hit centuries to inspire the team towards victory against their arch-rivals Pakistan in Super Four, match 3 of the ongoing Asia Cup tournament on Sunday. Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 111 runs in an attractive innings which included seven fours and four sixes. Pakistan could have got Sharma out in the sixth over but Imam-ul-Haq dropped an easy catch off a luckless Shaheen Shah. While the highlight of Indian innings was Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 114 runs and his magnificent knock included 16 fours and two sixes. He played several marvelous shots to pump-up the crowd at Dubai International Cricket Stadium but got out in the 34th over with 38 needed it was through a run out. The win is India's highest against Pakistan in terms of wickets, improving on the eight wicket win over Pakistan in Melbourne in 1985. In the first innings, the fielding unit of India produced a clinical performance and the bowlers kept taking wickets to build pressure on the batsmen and restrict the Men in Green at an achievable score. However, Shoaib Malik struck an attractive half-century to salvage Pakistan's innings. His 90-ball 78 included four boundaries and two sixes. Opener Fakhar Zaman looked dangerous at a moment but lost his wicket to India's spin sensation Kuldeep Yadav after scoring 31 runs. After opting to bat, Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq (ten), Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam (run out for nine) in an unimpressive start to their innings before Malik and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed added 107 for the fourth wicket. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 2-29 in his ten overs. The top two teams from the Super four will play the final on September 28 in Dubai.

Asia Cup: Rohit, Shikhar hit 100s as India beat Pakistan with 10 overs to spare

Yuzvendra Chahal broke Pakistan's opening partnership to give India its first wicket in the super four clash of the Asia Cup on Sunday.

Chahal bowled a beautiful delivery to lbw Imam-ul-Haq for just 10 runs.

Imam was however given not out by the umpire but was soon asked to leave the ground after India went for a review.&nbsp;

Opting to bat, Pakistan are&nbsp;44 runs for the loss of one wicket after 13 overs.

Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed said, " It's a used pitch. Looks like a flat wicket so we would like to put a good score on the board today. Amir will play today, and Fakhar has been asked to dig in there and hopefully, he can be more steady if he can spend more time out in the middle."

"Shadab is in for Haris and Amir is in for Usman Shenwari. We need to perform well in all three departments and today's performance is crucial for all of us. We will try to score over 250 and defend the score," he added.

India had easily defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the group stage match of the tournament.&nbsp;

Speaking about India's strategy, skipper Rohit Sharma said, "If we continue to bowl the way we have, and today will be no different. If we can repeat the feats of the last two games, I'll be a happy captain. I don't think about stats when I play (about India's chances improving when he scores a 50)."&nbsp;

"It's important for me to get my team off to a good start. That's my job. That's the role I play. It is important to not lose early wickets, and if the runs come for me then that is in the best interest of the team. I'm happy with the wrist spinners. They went wicketless in the last game but they know what they're doing, they know what is expected of them in the middle overs," he added.

"They're still learning, and they know what is expected of them. It is important to come out with some good tactical nous when the batsmen go after them in the middle overs. They have done it in the past a lot of times, and a few off-games doesn't mean they are bad bowlers."&nbsp;

"Sometimes the opposition has to be appreciated for the way they play Chahal and Kuldeep, especially given the fact that batsmen try to read them off the hand - what with all the technology and slow-motion videos available. We're going in with the same team today," he concluded.

Yuzvendra Chahal broke Pakistan's opening partnership to give India its first wicket in the super four clash of the Asia Cup on Sunday. Chahal bowled a beautiful delivery to lbw Imam-ul-Haq for just 10 runs.

Yuzvendra Chahal broke Pakistan's opening partnership to give India its first wicket in the super four clash of the Asia Cup on Sunday. Chahal bowled a beautiful delivery to lbw Imam-ul-Haq for just 10 runs. Imam was however given not out by the umpire but was soon asked to leave the ground after India went for a review. Opting to bat, Pakistan are 44 runs for the loss of one wicket after 13 overs. Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed said, " It's a used pitch. Looks like a flat wicket so we would like to put a good score on the board today. Amir will play today, and Fakhar has been asked to dig in there and hopefully, he can be more steady if he can spend more time out in the middle." "Shadab is in for Haris and Amir is in for Usman Shenwari. We need to perform well in all three departments and today's performance is crucial for all of us. We will try to score over 250 and defend the score," he added. India had easily defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the group stage match of the tournament. Speaking about India's strategy, skipper Rohit Sharma said, "If we continue to bowl the way we have, and today will be no different. If we can repeat the feats of the last two games, I'll be a happy captain. I don't think about stats when I play (about India's chances improving when he scores a 50)." "It's important for me to get my team off to a good start. That's my job. That's the role I play. It is important to not lose early wickets, and if the runs come for me then that is in the best interest of the team. I'm happy with the wrist spinners. They went wicketless in the last game but they know what they're doing, they know what is expected of them in the middle overs," he added. "They're still learning, and they know what is expected of them. It is important to come out with some good tactical nous when the batsmen go after them in the middle overs. They have done it in the past a lot of times, and a few off-games doesn't mean they are bad bowlers." "Sometimes the opposition has to be appreciated for the way they play Chahal and Kuldeep, especially given the fact that batsmen try to read them off the hand - what with all the technology and slow-motion videos available. We're going in with the same team today," he concluded.

 Asia Cup: Chahal breaks Pakistan's opening partnership, are 44/1 after 13 overs  

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shone brightly for team India as the Men in Blue defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the Super Four, Match 1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday.&nbsp;

India's skipper Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 83 inspire the team towards victory in 36.2 overs for the loss of three wickets.&nbsp;

Jadeja's four-wicket haul helped India to restrict Bangladesh to an achievable score in 49.1 overs.&nbsp;

He took crucial wickets of Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan to wreck Bangladesh's batting order.&nbsp;

Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-32) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-37) were also ruthless as Bangladeshi batting couldn't get going with tail-ender Mehidy Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 42 with two sixes and two boundaries.&nbsp;

Bangladesh, who were bowled out for a mere 119 against Afghanistan on Thursday, were once again off to a disastrous start during which they lost half the side for just 65 runs.

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Three wins out of three at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2018</a> for India! 🇮🇳 
 
Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja starred in a comfortable 7 wicket win against Bangladesh.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvBAN</a> REPORT 👇<a href="https://t.co/iC1Fvk20OR">https://t.co/iC1Fvk20OR</a> <a href="https://t.co/8TlaGEZ1TD">pic.twitter.com/8TlaGEZ1TD</a>
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Mushfiqur Rahman, who scored a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka, managed 21 while star batsman Shakib Al Hasan failed yet again with 17.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shone brightly for team India as the Men in Blue defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the Super Four, Match 1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shone brightly for team India as the Men in Blue defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the Super Four, Match 1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday. India's skipper Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 83 inspire the team towards victory in 36.2 overs for the loss of three wickets. Jadeja's four-wicket haul helped India to restrict Bangladesh to an achievable score in 49.1 overs. He took crucial wickets of Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan to wreck Bangladesh's batting order. Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-32) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-37) were also ruthless as Bangladeshi batting couldn't get going with tail-ender Mehidy Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 42 with two sixes and two boundaries. Bangladesh, who were bowled out for a mere 119 against Afghanistan on Thursday, were once again off to a disastrous start during which they lost half the side for just 65 runs. Three wins out of three at the #AsiaCup2018 for India! 🇮🇳 Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja starred in a comfortable 7 wicket win against Bangladesh.#INDvBAN REPORT 👇https://t.co/iC1Fvk20OR pic.twitter.com/8TlaGEZ1TD — ICC (@ICC) September 21, 2018 × Mushfiqur Rahman, who scored a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka, managed 21 while star batsman Shakib Al Hasan failed yet again with 17.

India beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets in Asia Cup Super Four

While India and Pakistan's fierce cricket rivalry has been on display at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, some families in the country have divided loyalties.&nbsp;

The UAE is home to many cricket-loving cross-border couples from India and Pakistan who find it an easier option than living on the subcontinent, where Pakistanis have trouble getting visas for India, and vice versa.&nbsp;

Cross-border ties have been strained ever since the violence and upheaval that accompanied the creation of modern India and Pakistan at the end of British rule in August 1947.&nbsp;

The two have fought three wars since becoming independent, deepening mistrust and suspicion of each other, while thousands of families remain divided by the border.

Relations further soured after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and cross-border unions are now few and far between.&nbsp;

One rare high-profile example is Indian tennis player Sania Mirza and her husband, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, who have a home in Dubai.&nbsp;

Indian national Kasim Vakkil and his wife Ghazala, from Pakistan, are also part of the UAE's large South Asian community.&nbsp;

"My marriage would not have been possible if we were not living in UAE," Kasim told AFP.

"Ghazala is from Lahore and I am from Mumbai but living at this neutral venue made our marriage possible."

They came together through cricket when Kasim met his future father-in-law at a game between Pakistan and South Africa in the UAE, where Pakistan hosts games owing to the risk of terror attacks on home soil.

"I went to watch a match between Pakistan and South Africa in 2014 where I met Ghazala's father which became the first step towards our proposal," said Kasim, a former college-level fast bowler in Mumbai.

"I would not have imagined watching Pakistani cricketers like Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Amir before my own eyes but it became possible since UAE became a neutral venue for the Pakistan team."&nbsp;

'Double joy'&nbsp;

Ghazala, who works in human resources, said watching India and Pakistan play made her think of home.

India thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets in the group stage and they are set to meet again in the Super Fours on Sunday.

"Now with India and Pakistan playing in UAE for the Asian title it has given us double joy as we get to see players from both the countries which gives us a nostalgic feeling," said Ghazala.

India is playing in the Emirates for the first time since 2006, sparking huge interest among the country's large number of Indian expats.

Club-level cricketer Naveed Siraj hails from Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, while his wife, Nida, is from the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

"My uncle and aunty lived in Kuwait and Nida's family were their neighbours so they initiated the talk for our marriage," said Naveed.

"UAE is a neutral venue for all the expats from Pakistan and India so everyone lives here in comfort and enjoys everything including cricket."

Dubai taxi driver Sunil Manohar, from India's Karnataka state, married Nunda from Pakistan's Sindh province after their families met in the UAE.

"UAE is a nice place for cross-border families," he said. "In the past, a few couples were stuck in Pakistan because they were not getting an Indian visa."

While India and Pakistan's fierce cricket rivalry has been on display at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, some families in the country have divided loyalties.

While India and Pakistan's fierce cricket rivalry has been on display at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, some families in the country have divided loyalties. The UAE is home to many cricket-loving cross-border couples from India and Pakistan who find it an easier option than living on the subcontinent, where Pakistanis have trouble getting visas for India, and vice versa. Cross-border ties have been strained ever since the violence and upheaval that accompanied the creation of modern India and Pakistan at the end of British rule in August 1947. The two have fought three wars since becoming independent, deepening mistrust and suspicion of each other, while thousands of families remain divided by the border. Relations further soured after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and cross-border unions are now few and far between. One rare high-profile example is Indian tennis player Sania Mirza and her husband, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, who have a home in Dubai. Indian national Kasim Vakkil and his wife Ghazala, from Pakistan, are also part of the UAE's large South Asian community. "My marriage would not have been possible if we were not living in UAE," Kasim told AFP. "Ghazala is from Lahore and I am from Mumbai but living at this neutral venue made our marriage possible." They came together through cricket when Kasim met his future father-in-law at a game between Pakistan and South Africa in the UAE, where Pakistan hosts games owing to the risk of terror attacks on home soil. "I went to watch a match between Pakistan and South Africa in 2014 where I met Ghazala's father which became the first step towards our proposal," said Kasim, a former college-level fast bowler in Mumbai. "I would not have imagined watching Pakistani cricketers like Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Amir before my own eyes but it became possible since UAE became a neutral venue for the Pakistan team." 'Double joy' Ghazala, who works in human resources, said watching India and Pakistan play made her think of home. India thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets in the group stage and they are set to meet again in the Super Fours on Sunday. "Now with India and Pakistan playing in UAE for the Asian title it has given us double joy as we get to see players from both the countries which gives us a nostalgic feeling," said Ghazala. India is playing in the Emirates for the first time since 2006, sparking huge interest among the country's large number of Indian expats. Club-level cricketer Naveed Siraj hails from Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, while his wife, Nida, is from the Pakistani capital Islamabad. "My uncle and aunty lived in Kuwait and Nida's family were their neighbours so they initiated the talk for our marriage," said Naveed. "UAE is a neutral venue for all the expats from Pakistan and India so everyone lives here in comfort and enjoys everything including cricket." Dubai taxi driver Sunil Manohar, from India's Karnataka state, married Nunda from Pakistan's Sindh province after their families met in the UAE. "UAE is a nice place for cross-border families," he said. "In the past, a few couples were stuck in Pakistan because they were not getting an Indian visa."

The cricket-loving India, Pakistan couples prove love has no boundaries

Ravindra Jadeja four-wicket helped India restrict Bangladesh to 173 in 49.1 overs in the Super Four, Match 1 at&nbsp;Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday.&nbsp;

India's all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was added in the squad at the place of injured Hardik Pandya, proved to be the most economical bowler for team India.&nbsp;

He took crucial wickets of Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan&nbsp;to thrash the batting order.

Pacemen Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-32) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-37) were also ruthless as Bangladeshi batting couldn't get going with tail-ender Mehidy Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 42 with two sixes and two boundaries.&nbsp;

Bangladesh, who were bowled out for a mere 119 against Afghanistan on Thursday, were once again off to a disastrous start during which they lost half the side for just 65 runs.

Mushfiqur Rahman, who scored a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka, managed 21 while star batsman Shakib Al Hasan failed yet again with 17.

It could have been worse had Mehidy not put on a fighting 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Mashrafe Mortaza who made 26 with two sixes.

Scorecard:

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Das), 2-16 (Nazmul), 3-42 (Shakib), 4-60 (Mithun), 5-65 (Rahim), 6-101 (Mahmudullah), 7-101 (Mosaddek), 8-167 (Mortaza), 9-169 (Hasan).

Bowling: Kumar 10-1-32-3(1w) Bumrah 9.1-1-37-3, Chahal 10-0-40-0, Jadeja 10-0-29-4 (1nb), Yadav 10-0-34-0.

Ravindra Jadeja four-wicket helped India restrict Bangladesh to 173 in 49.1 overs in the Super Four, Match 1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday.

Ravindra Jadeja four-wicket helped India restrict Bangladesh to 173 in 49.1 overs in the Super Four, Match 1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday. India's all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was added in the squad at the place of injured Hardik Pandya, proved to be the most economical bowler for team India. He took crucial wickets of Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan to thrash the batting order. Pacemen Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-32) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-37) were also ruthless as Bangladeshi batting couldn't get going with tail-ender Mehidy Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 42 with two sixes and two boundaries. Bangladesh, who were bowled out for a mere 119 against Afghanistan on Thursday, were once again off to a disastrous start during which they lost half the side for just 65 runs. Mushfiqur Rahman, who scored a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka, managed 21 while star batsman Shakib Al Hasan failed yet again with 17. It could have been worse had Mehidy not put on a fighting 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Mashrafe Mortaza who made 26 with two sixes. Scorecard: Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Das), 2-16 (Nazmul), 3-42 (Shakib), 4-60 (Mithun), 5-65 (Rahim), 6-101 (Mahmudullah), 7-101 (Mosaddek), 8-167 (Mortaza), 9-169 (Hasan). Bowling: Kumar 10-1-32-3(1w) Bumrah 9.1-1-37-3, Chahal 10-0-40-0, Jadeja 10-0-29-4 (1nb), Yadav 10-0-34-0.

Asia Cup 2018: Jadeja's four keep Bangladesh down to 173

Ramiz Raja has praised the role of legendary batsman Rahul Dravid in developing the young Indian players, and said Pakistan needs someone like him to unearth talent.

Lamenting the 203-run defeat at the hands of India in the semi-finals, Ramiz said he was pretty shocked at the margin of loss.

He, however, said it was not surprising, given the fact that Indian youngsters were better groomed and prepared to handle pressure situations.

&quot;I am impressed with the temperament shown by some of the Indian players. They have a fine find in Shubman Gill and others. Rahul Dravid deserves lot of credit for preparing and grooming them so effectively,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters.

&quot;They learn such a lot from him not just about cricket but about everything else. How to conduct oneself, how to develop game sense and so on,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said he was disappointed with the lack of batting talent in the Pakistan U-19 team.

&quot;The way our players fielded and batted it wasn&#39;t pleasant to watch. I think in Pakistan we need a total revamp of our youth cricket system. The Cricket Board needs to pay a lot more attention to youth cricket,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said a respected former stalwart of Pakistan cricket should be given the responsibility of developing the young players.

&quot;We need to have give someone charge for a proper time period like India has done with Rahul Dravid,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said youth cricket was not about winning but more importantly about scouting new players and than developing them for the future.

Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters.

Ramiz Raja has praised the role of legendary batsman Rahul Dravid in developing the young Indian players, and said Pakistan needs someone like him to unearth talent. Lamenting the 203-run defeat at the hands of India in the semi-finals, Ramiz said he was pretty shocked at the margin of loss. He, however, said it was not surprising, given the fact that Indian youngsters were better groomed and prepared to handle pressure situations. "I am impressed with the temperament shown by some of the Indian players. They have a fine find in Shubman Gill and others. Rahul Dravid deserves lot of credit for preparing and grooming them so effectively," he said. Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters. "They learn such a lot from him not just about cricket but about everything else. How to conduct oneself, how to develop game sense and so on," he said. Ramiz said he was disappointed with the lack of batting talent in the Pakistan U-19 team. "The way our players fielded and batted it wasn't pleasant to watch. I think in Pakistan we need a total revamp of our youth cricket system. The Cricket Board needs to pay a lot more attention to youth cricket," he said. Ramiz said a respected former stalwart of Pakistan cricket should be given the responsibility of developing the young players. "We need to have give someone charge for a proper time period like India has done with Rahul Dravid," he said. Ramiz said youth cricket was not about winning but more importantly about scouting new players and than developing them for the future.

Pakistan need mentor like Dravid for youngsters, says Ramiz Raja

India has omitted batsman Yuvraj Singh and rested their front line bowling attack for the limited-overs leg of the Sri Lanka tour, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday.

The selectors made seven changes to the squad and have overlooked Yuvraj after the 35-year-old managed just 109 runs in his last six one-day international innings.

The visitors will also be without spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja along with pacemen Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami, who have been a part of the ongoing test series in Sri Lanka.

Middle-order batsman Manish Pandey was included in the 15-man squad after recovering from an injury and scoring 307 runs for the A team in South Africa last month.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma, who has been named the vice-captain, returned to the squad after being rested for the series against West Indies. KL Rahul was included in the limited-overs side for the first time since February.

Virat Kohli-led India will play five ODIs and one Twenty20 in Sri Lanka starting Aug. 20.

Full squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur.

The selectors made seven changes to the squad and have overlooked Yuvraj after the 35-year-old managed just 109 runs in his last six one-day international innings

India has omitted batsman Yuvraj Singh and rested their front line bowling attack for the limited-overs leg of the Sri Lanka tour, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday. The selectors made seven changes to the squad and have overlooked Yuvraj after the 35-year-old managed just 109 runs in his last six one-day international innings. The visitors will also be without spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja along with pacemen Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami, who have been a part of the ongoing test series in Sri Lanka. Middle-order batsman Manish Pandey was included in the 15-man squad after recovering from an injury and scoring 307 runs for the A team in South Africa last month. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma, who has been named the vice-captain, returned to the squad after being rested for the series against West Indies. KL Rahul was included in the limited-overs side for the first time since February. Virat Kohli-led India will play five ODIs and one Twenty20 in Sri Lanka starting Aug. 20. Full squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur.

Cricket: India drops Yuvraj for Sri Lanka ODIs

Ravi Shastri on Monday applied formally for the job of head coach of the Indian cricket team.&nbsp;

Media reports said he was a favourite for the job, and that captain Virat Kohli keen on having him as coach.&nbsp;

Another notable application on Monday was that of former West Indies opener Phil Simmons.

&quot;Yes, Ravi has applied and so has Phil Simmons,&quot; PTI reported a BCCI official as saying.

The others who have thrown their hat into the ring are Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Venkatesh Prasad, Richard Pybus, Dodda Ganesh and Lalchand Rajput.

The deadline for applying is July 9.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Interviews of the applicants will be conducted the following day by the Cricket Advisory Committee&nbsp;comprising Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Sachin Tendulkar.

Media reports It was Tendulkar who had asked Shastri to apply for the job.&nbsp;

Just as interestingly, it is thought Ganguly had backed ex-coach Anil Kumble for the job over Shastri last year.&nbsp;

Kumble had finally had to go because of differences with captain Virat Kohli.&nbsp;

Another notable application Monday was that of former West Indies opener Phil Simmons

Ravi Shastri on Monday applied formally for the job of head coach of the Indian cricket team. Media reports said he was a favourite for the job, and that captain Virat Kohli keen on having him as coach. Another notable application on Monday was that of former West Indies opener Phil Simmons. "Yes, Ravi has applied and so has Phil Simmons," PTI reported a BCCI official as saying. The others who have thrown their hat into the ring are Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Venkatesh Prasad, Richard Pybus, Dodda Ganesh and Lalchand Rajput. The deadline for applying is July 9. Interviews of the applicants will be conducted the following day by the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Sachin Tendulkar. Media reports It was Tendulkar who had asked Shastri to apply for the job. Just as interestingly, it is thought Ganguly had backed ex-coach Anil Kumble for the job over Shastri last year. Kumble had finally had to go because of differences with captain Virat Kohli.

Ravi Shastri formally applies for India cricket coach job

Effective spin bowling and indiscreet shot selection combined to give&nbsp;India&nbsp;an ultimately comfortable 93-run victory over the&nbsp;West&nbsp;Indies&nbsp;in a low-scoring third fixture of a five-match One-Day International series on Friday.

Set a target of 252 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua to prevent the visitors taking an unbeatable 2-0 series lead, the hosts were on course with Jason Mohammed and Rovman Powell in full flow in a 54-run sixth-wicket partnership.

But then&nbsp;India&#39;s frontline spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin swung the match decisively in their team&#39;s favour.

From a promising position of 141 for five in the 33rd over, the Caribbean side crashed to 158 all out within the next five overs.

Yadav and Ashwin took three wickets each in engineering the capitulation that was finished off by Kedar Jadhav as he yorked last man Kesrick Williams with his first ball of the match.

Powell had looked dangerous in getting to 30 before a top-edged sweep off Yadav resulted in the pivotal dismissal via a catch at deep backward square leg.&nbsp;

Mohammed, who managed a top score of 40, became another victim of the left-arm wrist-spinner, trapped leg-before to effectively end the contest.

Earlier it was Jadhav who triggered a late run explosion in partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as&nbsp;India&nbsp;reached 251 for four batting first on a sluggish pitch affected by prolonged, torrential rains the day before.

Dhoni top-scored with an unbeaten 78 off 79 balls and was named man of the match, but the real impetus came from Jadhav, who blazed 40 off 26 balls in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 81 runs off just 46 deliveries.

Ajinkya Rahane held the innings together after the loss of early wickets, the opener extending his excellent run of form in the series with 72, his third consecutive score over 50.

&quot;I thought the pitch got easier for batting as the day went along so I was really pleased with the fight we showed towards the end of our innings and then from our bowlers,&quot; said&nbsp;India&nbsp;captain Virat Kohli.

&quot;We may now be looking at giving some of our other players in the squad an opportunity to show how they can perform in these conditions.&quot;

&#39;Satisfying&#39; for Dhoni&nbsp;

Comprehensively beaten by 105 runs in the second match in Trinidad five days earlier following a rain-ruined no-result to start the series,&nbsp;West&nbsp;Indies&nbsp;took early advantage of the pitch conditions.

Miguel Cummins removed Shikhar Dhawan in just the third over while Jason Holder justified his decision to bat first on winning the toss when he claimed the prized scalp of Kohli, who was brilliantly caught by debutant Kyle Hope at gully.

Rahane found a reliable partner in Yuvraj Singh, the pair putting on 66 for the third wicket before Devendra Bishoo trapped Yuvraj lbw for 39.&nbsp;

Dhoni then joined Rahane in another important stand of 70, although both found the spinners especially hard to get away on the turgid surface.

&quot;Our batting has been performing so well for the last year and a half that I haven&#39;t had too many opportunities to spend time in the middle in ODIs so this was very satisfying,&quot; said Dhoni.

&quot;I am continuing to enjoy my cricket and it&#39;s good to see the hunger and desire from all the players.&quot;

It was the arrival of Jadhav at the crease in the 43rd over, when Rahane became Cummins&#39; second wicket of the innings, that shot the score upward.

&quot;We started well with the ball but let things get away from us towards the end of their innings,&quot; said Holder. &quot;Yet again the batting didn&#39;t deliver and that continues to be a problem.&rdquo;

West&nbsp;Indies&nbsp;need to win the fourth match at the same venue on Sunday to have a chance of squaring the series going into the final match on July 6 in Kingston.

India scored 251 on a two-paced pitch, while West Indies folded for 158 in their reply

Effective spin bowling and indiscreet shot selection combined to give India an ultimately comfortable 93-run victory over the West Indies in a low-scoring third fixture of a five-match One-Day International series on Friday. Set a target of 252 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua to prevent the visitors taking an unbeatable 2-0 series lead, the hosts were on course with Jason Mohammed and Rovman Powell in full flow in a 54-run sixth-wicket partnership. But then India's frontline spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin swung the match decisively in their team's favour. From a promising position of 141 for five in the 33rd over, the Caribbean side crashed to 158 all out within the next five overs. Yadav and Ashwin took three wickets each in engineering the capitulation that was finished off by Kedar Jadhav as he yorked last man Kesrick Williams with his first ball of the match. Powell had looked dangerous in getting to 30 before a top-edged sweep off Yadav resulted in the pivotal dismissal via a catch at deep backward square leg. Mohammed, who managed a top score of 40, became another victim of the left-arm wrist-spinner, trapped leg-before to effectively end the contest. Earlier it was Jadhav who triggered a late run explosion in partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India reached 251 for four batting first on a sluggish pitch affected by prolonged, torrential rains the day before. Dhoni top-scored with an unbeaten 78 off 79 balls and was named man of the match, but the real impetus came from Jadhav, who blazed 40 off 26 balls in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 81 runs off just 46 deliveries. Ajinkya Rahane held the innings together after the loss of early wickets, the opener extending his excellent run of form in the series with 72, his third consecutive score over 50. "I thought the pitch got easier for batting as the day went along so I was really pleased with the fight we showed towards the end of our innings and then from our bowlers," said India captain Virat Kohli. "We may now be looking at giving some of our other players in the squad an opportunity to show how they can perform in these conditions." 'Satisfying' for Dhoni Comprehensively beaten by 105 runs in the second match in Trinidad five days earlier following a rain-ruined no-result to start the series, West Indies took early advantage of the pitch conditions. Miguel Cummins removed Shikhar Dhawan in just the third over while Jason Holder justified his decision to bat first on winning the toss when he claimed the prized scalp of Kohli, who was brilliantly caught by debutant Kyle Hope at gully. Rahane found a reliable partner in Yuvraj Singh, the pair putting on 66 for the third wicket before Devendra Bishoo trapped Yuvraj lbw for 39. Dhoni then joined Rahane in another important stand of 70, although both found the spinners especially hard to get away on the turgid surface. "Our batting has been performing so well for the last year and a half that I haven't had too many opportunities to spend time in the middle in ODIs so this was very satisfying," said Dhoni. "I am continuing to enjoy my cricket and it's good to see the hunger and desire from all the players." It was the arrival of Jadhav at the crease in the 43rd over, when Rahane became Cummins' second wicket of the innings, that shot the score upward. "We started well with the ball but let things get away from us towards the end of their innings," said Holder. "Yet again the batting didn't deliver and that continues to be a problem.” West Indies need to win the fourth match at the same venue on Sunday to have a chance of squaring the series going into the final match on July 6 in Kingston.

India beat West Indies to lead series 2-0

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday backed party president Amit Shah&#39;s statement opposing India&#39;s participation in any bilateral cricket series with Pakistan, while saying the decision came in view of the active support by Islamabad in terror activity.

&quot;This has been the consistent policy after the Pathankot attack on army base. This has been reiterated by Amit Shah. Unless peace is restored and Pakistan stop middling in the internal affairs of India and playing with the internal security by instigating the terrorist and allowing cross border terrorism India should refrain from playing with Pakistan any game,&quot; BJP leader S. Prakash told ANI.

Echoing similar views, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said no matches should be played between India and Pakistan unless Pakistan stops encouraging the terrorists.

&quot;Unless the situation becomes normal and Pakistan stops encouraging the terrorists, no matches should be played between both the countries. I support Amit Shah&#39;s statement,&quot; Sinha told ANI.

Ahead of the much-anticipated face-off between India and Pakistan in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, the BJP chief categorically stated that India and Pakistan will not feature in any bilateral cricket series but would continue to participate in international tournaments.

&quot;India, Pakistan will continue to play at international tournaments but neither India will play in Pakistan nor Pakistan will play in India,&quot; said Shah.

The comment from the BJP president came days after Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel had said cricket series between the two countries was not feasible until cross-border terrorism stops.

&quot;BCCI should come out with a proposal on Pakistan only after consultations with the government. I have already made it clear that any bilateral series with Pakistan is almost impossible because there cannot be sports relations between the two countries until there is terrorism from the Pakistani side,&quot; Goel has said last month in the national capital.

&quot;Sports and terrorism cannot go hand in hand,&quot; he added.

Goel, however, added that there was no control of the government on multilateral games.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier last month sent a legal notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for failing to honour the MoU signed between the two cricket boards in 2014.

The PCB had also demanded compensation close to USD 60 million from the BCCI for not honouring the MoU signed when N. Srinivasan was at the helm of affairs in the Indian board.

According to the 2014 agreement, India were scheduled to play six series against Pakistan, four of them were going to be Pakistan&#39;s home series, subject to clearance from the Government of India.

The two Asian neighbours have not played a full bilateral series after the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.

(ANI)

BJP leader Rahul Sinha said no matches should be played between the two nations unless Pakistan stops encouraging the terrorists

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday backed party president Amit Shah's statement opposing India's participation in any bilateral cricket series with Pakistan, while saying the decision came in view of the active support by Islamabad in terror activity. "This has been the consistent policy after the Pathankot attack on army base. This has been reiterated by Amit Shah. Unless peace is restored and Pakistan stop middling in the internal affairs of India and playing with the internal security by instigating the terrorist and allowing cross border terrorism India should refrain from playing with Pakistan any game," BJP leader S. Prakash told ANI. Echoing similar views, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said no matches should be played between India and Pakistan unless Pakistan stops encouraging the terrorists. "Unless the situation becomes normal and Pakistan stops encouraging the terrorists, no matches should be played between both the countries. I support Amit Shah's statement," Sinha told ANI. Ahead of the much-anticipated face-off between India and Pakistan in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, the BJP chief categorically stated that India and Pakistan will not feature in any bilateral cricket series but would continue to participate in international tournaments. "India, Pakistan will continue to play at international tournaments but neither India will play in Pakistan nor Pakistan will play in India," said Shah. The comment from the BJP president came days after Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel had said cricket series between the two countries was not feasible until cross-border terrorism stops. "BCCI should come out with a proposal on Pakistan only after consultations with the government. I have already made it clear that any bilateral series with Pakistan is almost impossible because there cannot be sports relations between the two countries until there is terrorism from the Pakistani side," Goel has said last month in the national capital. "Sports and terrorism cannot go hand in hand," he added. Goel, however, added that there was no control of the government on multilateral games. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier last month sent a legal notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for failing to honour the MoU signed between the two cricket boards in 2014. The PCB had also demanded compensation close to USD 60 million from the BCCI for not honouring the MoU signed when N. Srinivasan was at the helm of affairs in the Indian board. According to the 2014 agreement, India were scheduled to play six series against Pakistan, four of them were going to be Pakistan's home series, subject to clearance from the Government of India. The two Asian neighbours have not played a full bilateral series after the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. (ANI)

BJP backs Amit Shah's statement ruling out Indo-Pak 'bilateral' cricket

BCCI&#39;s acting secretary&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/amitabh-choudhary.html">Amitabh Choudhary</a>&nbsp;has said that the $400 million offer presented by the International Cricket Council (ICC) before India is &quot;far less than what the country deserves&quot;, seeing BCCI&#39;s contribution to global cricket revenues.

&quot;Because it is far less than what India deserves fairly,&quot; ESPNcricinfo quoted Choudhary as saying to a leading daily when asked why he did not agree to the settlement deal.

The BCCI secretary contended that the Indian market contributed 70 per cent of the global cricket revenue and, therefore, it was natural for India to get the lion&#39;s share.

&quot;Why do you forget that a disproportionate share of revenues to cricket comes from India? It&#39;s very easy and misleading to say that India is getting a disproportionate share,&quot; he said.

&quot;The facts are that over 70 per cent of cricket&#39;s revenue world over comes from the Indian market. That [the $293 million offered by the ICC] is not even close to the contribution that India makes,&quot; he added.

The ICC on Thursday abolished the &#39;Big Three system&#39; and approved a new financial model after its meet in Dubai, under which the BCCI will receive $293 million from 2016 to 2023. Previously, the board was drawing an amount of $570 million due to its &#39;&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/big-three.html">Big Three</a>&#39; formula.

This might not have gone down well with the Indian board as the new model eats into its share.

<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/icc.html">ICC</a>&nbsp;independent chairman Shashank Manohar had initially offered a compromise formula of an additional $100 million, which would push the BCCI&#39;s share to almost $400 million.

However, BCCI rejected this with a counter-offer under which it would still get its&nbsp;$570 million but no other full member&#39;s share would be reduced.

Manohar, had in February while presenting the finance model for the first time, had said the basic premise was to allow every member country to get an equitable share.

To which the BCCI had objected, saying it could not accept the finance model without any scientific basis.

Choudhary further said that any decision on revoking the Members Participation Agreement (MPA) could only be taken by the BCCI, which has called for a special general body meeting (SGM) on May 7.

With the new revenue model getting the nod, BCCI will now have to do with what they have in the eight-year cycle. The England Cricket Board received $143 million while Zimbabwe Cricket received $94 million.

The remaining seven Full Members will receive $132 million each. The Associate Members will receive a funding of $280 million. This model was passed by a vote of 13 to 1.&nbsp;

(ANI)

Before the model was passed by a vote, Indian cricket received $570 million. Now, it will receive $293 million until 2023

BCCI's acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary has said that the $400 million offer presented by the International Cricket Council (ICC) before India is "far less than what the country deserves", seeing BCCI's contribution to global cricket revenues. "Because it is far less than what India deserves fairly," ESPNcricinfo quoted Choudhary as saying to a leading daily when asked why he did not agree to the settlement deal. The BCCI secretary contended that the Indian market contributed 70 per cent of the global cricket revenue and, therefore, it was natural for India to get the lion's share. "Why do you forget that a disproportionate share of revenues to cricket comes from India? It's very easy and misleading to say that India is getting a disproportionate share," he said. "The facts are that over 70 per cent of cricket's revenue world over comes from the Indian market. That [the $293 million offered by the ICC] is not even close to the contribution that India makes," he added. The ICC on Thursday abolished the 'Big Three system' and approved a new financial model after its meet in Dubai, under which the BCCI will receive $293 million from 2016 to 2023. Previously, the board was drawing an amount of $570 million due to its ' Big Three' formula. This might not have gone down well with the Indian board as the new model eats into its share. ICC independent chairman Shashank Manohar had initially offered a compromise formula of an additional $100 million, which would push the BCCI's share to almost $400 million. However, BCCI rejected this with a counter-offer under which it would still get its $570 million but no other full member's share would be reduced. Manohar, had in February while presenting the finance model for the first time, had said the basic premise was to allow every member country to get an equitable share. To which the BCCI had objected, saying it could not accept the finance model without any scientific basis. Choudhary further said that any decision on revoking the Members Participation Agreement (MPA) could only be taken by the BCCI, which has called for a special general body meeting (SGM) on May 7. With the new revenue model getting the nod, BCCI will now have to do with what they have in the eight-year cycle. The England Cricket Board received $143 million while Zimbabwe Cricket received $94 million. The remaining seven Full Members will receive $132 million each. The Associate Members will receive a funding of $280 million. This model was passed by a vote of 13 to 1. (ANI)

BCCI seethes at ICC's revenue-sharing model, says India has been short-changed

India&#39;s cricket administration has thumbed its nose at International Cricket Council by not announcing the Indian team for the Champions Trophy before the April 25 deadline.

The&nbsp;Board of Control for Cricket in India -- the administrators of Indian cricket -- is apparently in no hurry to announce the&nbsp;squad, a move that will escalate tensions between the two cricket bodies.

The BCCI and ICC have recently sparred over the proposed revenue-sharing model. The new proposal would result in Indian cricket receiving a lot less money than they have in recent years.

Some reports suggest that the BCCI could lose up to&nbsp;$190 million if the new model is implemented. The Indian cricket administration will continue to remain the highest earners, but the massive pruning in their take-home earnings has prompted the BCCI to stoutly oppose the proposed model.

India&#39;s decision to not name the squad before the April 25 deadline is being viewed as BCCI&#39;s way of putting pressure on the ICC.

The BCCI is yet to officially seek an extension, which many could perceive as a show of defiance. The ICC extends the deadline only under special circumstances.

The BCCI top brass feels that naming the India squad is a mere formality as the selectors know who are the certainties.

With at least 14 of the 15 members of the Indian team more or less known, the Indian officials are in no tearing hurry. &quot;Tell me one thing, if we name the squad, say for example on May 5, will ICC bar us from participation. We have a settled squad and naming it is a mere formality,&quot; a top BCCI official told PTI today.

The Champions Trophy will be held in the United Kingdon from June 1 to 18, and India are the defending champions.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

BCCI flies in the face of ICC by not announcing the Champions Trophy squad before April 25

India's cricket administration has thumbed its nose at International Cricket Council by not announcing the Indian team for the Champions Trophy before the April 25 deadline. The Board of Control for Cricket in India -- the administrators of Indian cricket -- is apparently in no hurry to announce the squad, a move that will escalate tensions between the two cricket bodies. The BCCI and ICC have recently sparred over the proposed revenue-sharing model. The new proposal would result in Indian cricket receiving a lot less money than they have in recent years. Some reports suggest that the BCCI could lose up to $190 million if the new model is implemented. The Indian cricket administration will continue to remain the highest earners, but the massive pruning in their take-home earnings has prompted the BCCI to stoutly oppose the proposed model. India's decision to not name the squad before the April 25 deadline is being viewed as BCCI's way of putting pressure on the ICC. The BCCI is yet to officially seek an extension, which many could perceive as a show of defiance. The ICC extends the deadline only under special circumstances. The BCCI top brass feels that naming the India squad is a mere formality as the selectors know who are the certainties. With at least 14 of the 15 members of the Indian team more or less known, the Indian officials are in no tearing hurry. "Tell me one thing, if we name the squad, say for example on May 5, will ICC bar us from participation. We have a settled squad and naming it is a mere formality," a top BCCI official told PTI today. The Champions Trophy will be held in the United Kingdon from June 1 to 18, and India are the defending champions. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India runs the risk of not participating in this year's Champions Trophy

A dominant India remained in pursuit of a comprehensive victory after Bangladesh finished the penultimate day at a precarious 103 for three, chasing a mammoth target of 459 in the one-off Test here.

Rather than looking at the improbable task of scoring the remaining 356 runs, the visitors will try to stay afloat for minimum 90 overs on the fifth and final day and save the game.

Despite the benign nature of the track, India&rsquo;s bowling attack has firepower to get the remaining seven wickets.

Ajinkya Rahane&rsquo;s sharp one-handed catch off Ravindra Jadeja to dismiss a well-set Soumya Sarkar (42) put India in the driver&rsquo;s seat after the visitors looked comfortable during the post-tea session as they started their second innings.

Sarkar, along with Mominul Haque (27), had added 60 runs for the second wicket before the lanky left-hander poked at a Jadeja delivery that didn&rsquo;t turn much. The resultant edge was dipping down but Rahane showed fantastic reflexes to pull off a one-handed catch.

With the momentum broken, Ashwin then had Mominul deceived by the drift. The batsman pushed at a delivery, which turned a shade away to take the leading edge and present Rahane with another catch, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 75 for three.

Ashwin (2/34 in 16 overs), who completed the fastest 250 Test wickets, gave a better account of himself in the second innings by getting the turn and the drift. Being given the new ball helped him get some bounce off the pitch as well.

The pitch is still not offering a great deal of turn to the spinners, and had no hand in the wickets that Bangladesh lost in the second innings.

Seasoned Shakib Al Hasan (21 batting), along with Mahmudullah Riyadh (9 batting) and Mushfiqur Rahim, will need to bring their &lsquo;A&rsquo; game to the fore in order to save the game.

In the post-lunch session, Cheteshwar Pujara scored a quickfire half-century as India declared their second innings at 159 for four at the stroke of tea, leaving Bangladesh with a daunting target.

Pujara smashed 54 off 58 balls while skipper Virat Kohli contributed 38 off only 40 deliveries after having bowled out Bangladesh for 388 in their first innings.

A cushion of 299 was good enough for the hosts to go for the jugular even though openers Murali Vijay (7) and KL Rahul (10) were dismissed in quick succession by Taskin Ahmed (2/43).

But Pujara and Kohli upped the ante with an aim to have a a go at Bangladesh on the fourth day itself.

During their 67-run partnership, Pujara, surprisingly, was the aggressor even as Kohli scored at a quick pace.

Using Taskin&rsquo;s pace to his advantage, Pujara hooked him behind the square for a six.&nbsp;

Kohli was not one to be left behind as he lofted Shakib effortlessly for a six over long-on.

(PTI)

India's spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja took three wickets between them on fourth day of the Test as Bangladesh were given 459-run target

A dominant India remained in pursuit of a comprehensive victory after Bangladesh finished the penultimate day at a precarious 103 for three, chasing a mammoth target of 459 in the one-off Test here. Rather than looking at the improbable task of scoring the remaining 356 runs, the visitors will try to stay afloat for minimum 90 overs on the fifth and final day and save the game. Despite the benign nature of the track, India’s bowling attack has firepower to get the remaining seven wickets. Ajinkya Rahane’s sharp one-handed catch off Ravindra Jadeja to dismiss a well-set Soumya Sarkar (42) put India in the driver’s seat after the visitors looked comfortable during the post-tea session as they started their second innings. Sarkar, along with Mominul Haque (27), had added 60 runs for the second wicket before the lanky left-hander poked at a Jadeja delivery that didn’t turn much. The resultant edge was dipping down but Rahane showed fantastic reflexes to pull off a one-handed catch. With the momentum broken, Ashwin then had Mominul deceived by the drift. The batsman pushed at a delivery, which turned a shade away to take the leading edge and present Rahane with another catch, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 75 for three. Ashwin (2/34 in 16 overs), who completed the fastest 250 Test wickets, gave a better account of himself in the second innings by getting the turn and the drift. Being given the new ball helped him get some bounce off the pitch as well. The pitch is still not offering a great deal of turn to the spinners, and had no hand in the wickets that Bangladesh lost in the second innings. Seasoned Shakib Al Hasan (21 batting), along with Mahmudullah Riyadh (9 batting) and Mushfiqur Rahim, will need to bring their ‘A’ game to the fore in order to save the game. In the post-lunch session, Cheteshwar Pujara scored a quickfire half-century as India declared their second innings at 159 for four at the stroke of tea, leaving Bangladesh with a daunting target. Pujara smashed 54 off 58 balls while skipper Virat Kohli contributed 38 off only 40 deliveries after having bowled out Bangladesh for 388 in their first innings. A cushion of 299 was good enough for the hosts to go for the jugular even though openers Murali Vijay (7) and KL Rahul (10) were dismissed in quick succession by Taskin Ahmed (2/43). But Pujara and Kohli upped the ante with an aim to have a a go at Bangladesh on the fourth day itself. During their 67-run partnership, Pujara, surprisingly, was the aggressor even as Kohli scored at a quick pace. Using Taskin’s pace to his advantage, Pujara hooked him behind the square for a six. Kohli was not one to be left behind as he lofted Shakib effortlessly for a six over long-on. (PTI)

Bangladesh stare at defeat after India set mammoth target

Dr Tharoor called Dhoni&#39;s decision to pass on the reins&nbsp;&quot;admirable&quot;, and praised his style. Dhoni&#39;s surprise retirement as the Indian cricket ODI and T20 captain came just a day before he was to sit down with&nbsp;selectors to pick the team for the forthcoming series against England. The responsibility of leading the team now falls&nbsp;on the able shoulders of Virat Kohli.

&nbsp;

Read the interview here:

JT: MS Dhoni&nbsp;has never lived by the conventional rules of Indian cricket. You would expect India&#39;s greatest captain to go out with fanfare. But not him?

Dr Shashi Tharoor:&nbsp;He has got this abrupt departure style which is somewhat surprising in the case of the Test match resignation. I was actually disappointed. Even a bit angry, because I felt it was almost a betrayal to leave a tour that you&#39;re captaining the side before the final Test of the tour and announce that you&#39;re not playing anymore; that simply to my mind was bad form.&nbsp;But&nbsp;this announcement, on the other hand, was admirable because he was essentially saying,&nbsp;I am not going to leave it too late, one day I have to give&nbsp;up the captaincy. I&#39;ll do it on my own terms and I&#39;ll do it now&nbsp;when&nbsp;Kohli has been leading the squad, so&nbsp;why&nbsp;prevent him from assuming his natural place.&nbsp;That&nbsp;was a rather impressive decision which obviously could have been done in a more, shall we say, more theatrical way with more fanfare but&nbsp;that isn&#39;t Mr Dhoni&#39;s style.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

JT: The question everyone seems to be asking is, was this the right time?&nbsp;There is a series coming up against England and this could prove to be a distraction...

Dr Tharoor:&nbsp;I think that the right time&nbsp;for any sportsman is the time inside his head when he decides he should go. We&#39;ve seen a few predictable decisions, we&#39;ve seen some surprising decisions and we&#39;ve seen some delayed decisions.&nbsp;If Mr Dhoni feels that his time was right to give up the captaincy while staying in the same breadth that he remains available as a player and as a wicket keeper, then good for him. I think honestly until very recently his keeping is still unmatched in India and his batsmanship, you know he&#39;s averaging over fifty in ODIs and not too many players can say that.&nbsp;

 
JT: The numbers don&#39;t lie. This was a man who led from the front. The World Cup final against Sri Lanka is a case in point. Yet his captaincy style was unconventional?

Dr Tharoor:&nbsp;Dhoni was always a better captain in short formats than the Test match. It&#39;s because in the test matches you often felt that he was switching on to autopilot. In T20s, because he only had 20 overs to play with,&nbsp;I thought he was much more on the ball, and in 50 overs also he did enough interesting things. But you know a time comes after a while he&#39;s been captain for a 199 matches, a time comes after all when somebody says, look, I&#39;ve been there done that, let somebody else have a go. Certainly Virat Kohli is switched on all the time in a way that perhaps a veteran captain doesn&#39;t quite feel the need to be in the same way. It may not be a bad time right now to make that switch.&nbsp;

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<h5>If Mr Dhoni feels that his time was right to give up the captaincy while staying in the same breadth that he remains available as a player and as a wicket keeper, then good for him. I think honestly until very recently his keeping is still unmatched in India and his batsmanship, you know he&#39;s averaging over fifty in ODIs and not too many players can say that.&nbsp;</h5>
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JT: Talking about the unconventional approach, this was a man who turned to Joginder Sharma in the world T20, dropped Ashwin for the world cup final. The list is endless. Perhaps there could be a comparison with Sourav Ganguly but Dhoni was his own man?

Dr Tharoor:&nbsp;Dhoni was certainly his own man, some of his choices were pure instinct and there&#39;s no rational explanation for any of them. I think the Joginder Singh example is very interesting because Harbhajan still had an over left&nbsp;but Dhoni just felt that&nbsp;the way Misbah [Pak cricketer]&nbsp;was batting he was&nbsp;he would think the off-spinner into the grounds and he needed the effort to put somebody who can put some more pace in the ball. But that was an instinctive and a surprising bet. If you remember that after that Joginder Singh hardly ever played for India again, it suggests that you&#39;re looking at somebody who in many ways not only defied conventional wisdom but did it in the moment and for the moment. that kind of instinctive captaincy is unusual, it&#39;s also impossible to analyse beyond a particular point and it becomes extremely difficult to replicate. Kohli has his own instincts, he&#39;s made some surprising decisions even during the recent test series against England. Some of his more unexpected bowling changes which went against the advice of the commentators during those matches... were the ones that got wickets and now we&#39;ll look for Mr Kohli&#39;s unexpected changes as captain.&nbsp;

 
JT: What for you has been the defining moment in Dhoni&#39;s tenure as captain. Under him India achieved it all, the World T20 win, the World number&nbsp;one&nbsp;ranking in Tests and the ICC Champions Trophy?

Dr Tharoor:&nbsp;Dhoni undoubtedly took Indian cricket to heights that hadn&#39;t been known even during the glory days of Saurav Ganguly. Now Saurav as captain had some remarkable victories, most famously&nbsp;the time he stripped off his T-shirt at Lords when his team came from behind with an unexpected victory. But what Dhoni did in accomplishing titles that no previous captain had done since the World Cup in 1983, the T20 we won the very inaugural one and so on. So there were remarkable accomplishments and there were also losses. When somebody leaves we only remember his triumphs and that&#39;s how it should be. Just as obituaries never speak ill of the dead, departing test captains are rarely pilloried. But Dhoni also had setbacks and defeats, we never won another world T20 title, did we, after 2007, until we came up with some other good victories. But we lost a lot of tournaments much earlier and certainly we&#39;ve had setbacks also under Dhoni. So I don&#39;t want to imply that everything was great, but he has more victories than defeats and he was somebody who very often was responsible for those victories himself.

Some of his extraordinary performances coming in at number&nbsp;5 or 6 in an ODI lineup and hitting the winning runs will often stay etched in the memory and there was a feeling that as long as Dhoni was at the crease, almost any target in the last over was not impossible. Increasingly he&#39;s also had occasions when he&#39;s failed to hit that target but very very often he did it, and I think that is his individual stamp on his captaincy success.&nbsp;

 
JT: Where would you rate him in the pantheon of India&#39;s cricketing captains?

Dr Tharoor:&nbsp;I&#39;d say Dhoni was undoubtedly in the very top bracket, partly because you know we&#39;ve had only&nbsp;a handful of captains who&#39;ve got any significant success record, and that too in relatively recent years. Most of our captains right up to the 90s had more failures than successes. Gavaskar had one great success as captain which was the world championship of cricket in Australia, Kapil dev had one great success which was the world cup in 1983. But otherwise all our captains till the 90&#39;s including Tendulkar who ended the 90s as captain had more failures than victories. It&#39;s really a handful of captains all in the 21st century who&#39;ve seen a significant record of success and of that I would say Dhoni stands so far very near the top. Obviously, Kohli has begun with a higher percentage of success than either dhoni or Kumble or Ganguly or obviously any of their predecessors. But right now I&nbsp;would say Dhoni is at the very top if you look back at great Indian captains.&nbsp;

 
JT: He has retired from Tests and now given up the captaincy. The end of MS Dhoni as a cricketer is near. How badly will he be missed?

Dr Tharoor:&nbsp;Every great cricketer is missed for a very short time,&nbsp;then the game moves on. That is inevitable,&nbsp;that&#39;s simply how it is. Sport is a career which offers you a very short lifespan. If you want to be remembered for a long time become a politician, because as a cricketer you will be remembered fondly by people who saw you in your prime, but a younger generation will find new heroes. Many of us may&nbsp;worshiped Tendulkar, people called him god.&nbsp;But there are lots of people today who think of Kohli when they think of a great Indian batsman. Gavaskar&nbsp;seemed to be of a greatness and could never be equaled,&nbsp;then Tendulkar eclipsed him. Maybe Kohli will eclipse Tendulkar and as far as captaincy is concerned somebody will come along to eclipse Dhoni and may be one day Kohli.

Just today as we are speaking of this 17-year-old teenage prodigy, Prithvi Shaw, has hit a century for Mumbai and taken them into the Ranji trophy finals. It gladdens one&#39;s heart when a new star is born like this, a prodigy. But the fact is that somebody&#39;s gonna have to be displaced if one day as a bright young man he burst into the Indian team, it will be at the expense of somebody else who hasn&#39;t done badly. That&#39;s life. Karun Nayyar got his 303, how does Ajinkya Rahane come back in? There&#39;ll always be people of great accomplishment who will not be forgotten, but will have to make way for others. So Dhoni making way is simply the existing normal narrative of any cricketer&#39;s life and story.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Watch this video to hear Dr Tharoor describe the future of Indian cricket.

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After Dhoni&#39;s unpredictable retirement as the Indian Cricket ODI and T20 captain, the responsibility of leading the team now goes on the able shoulders of Virat Kohli. WION&#39;s Jessica Taneja speaks to Congress MP and cricket enthusiast Shashi Tharoor (WION)
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&nbsp;

(WION)

We spoke to the Congress MP and cricket enthusiast about India's most successful cricket captain MS Dhoni

Dr Tharoor called Dhoni's decision to pass on the reins "admirable", and praised his style. Dhoni's surprise retirement as the Indian cricket ODI and T20 captain came just a day before he was to sit down with selectors to pick the team for the forthcoming series against England. The responsibility of leading the team now falls on the able shoulders of Virat Kohli. Read the interview here: JT: MS Dhoni has never lived by the conventional rules of Indian cricket. You would expect India's greatest captain to go out with fanfare. But not him? Dr Shashi Tharoor: He has got this abrupt departure style which is somewhat surprising in the case of the Test match resignation. I was actually disappointed. Even a bit angry, because I felt it was almost a betrayal to leave a tour that you're captaining the side before the final Test of the tour and announce that you're not playing anymore; that simply to my mind was bad form. But this announcement, on the other hand, was admirable because he was essentially saying, I am not going to leave it too late, one day I have to give up the captaincy. I'll do it on my own terms and I'll do it now when Kohli has been leading the squad, so why prevent him from assuming his natural place. That was a rather impressive decision which obviously could have been done in a more, shall we say, more theatrical way with more fanfare but that isn't Mr Dhoni's style. JT: The question everyone seems to be asking is, was this the right time? There is a series coming up against England and this could prove to be a distraction... Dr Tharoor: I think that the right time for any sportsman is the time inside his head when he decides he should go. We've seen a few predictable decisions, we've seen some surprising decisions and we've seen some delayed decisions. If Mr Dhoni feels that his time was right to give up the captaincy while staying in the same breadth that he remains available as a player and as a wicket keeper, then good for him. I think honestly until very recently his keeping is still unmatched in India and his batsmanship, you know he's averaging over fifty in ODIs and not too many players can say that. JT: The numbers don't lie. This was a man who led from the front. The World Cup final against Sri Lanka is a case in point. Yet his captaincy style was unconventional? Dr Tharoor: Dhoni was always a better captain in short formats than the Test match. It's because in the test matches you often felt that he was switching on to autopilot. In T20s, because he only had 20 overs to play with, I thought he was much more on the ball, and in 50 overs also he did enough interesting things. But you know a time comes after a while he's been captain for a 199 matches, a time comes after all when somebody says, look, I've been there done that, let somebody else have a go. Certainly Virat Kohli is switched on all the time in a way that perhaps a veteran captain doesn't quite feel the need to be in the same way. It may not be a bad time right now to make that switch. If Mr Dhoni feels that his time was right to give up the captaincy while staying in the same breadth that he remains available as a player and as a wicket keeper, then good for him. I think honestly until very recently his keeping is still unmatched in India and his batsmanship, you know he's averaging over fifty in ODIs and not too many players can say that. × JT: Talking about the unconventional approach, this was a man who turned to Joginder Sharma in the world T20, dropped Ashwin for the world cup final. The list is endless. Perhaps there could be a comparison with Sourav Ganguly but Dhoni was his own man? Dr Tharoor: Dhoni was certainly his own man, some of his choices were pure instinct and there's no rational explanation for any of them. I think the Joginder Singh example is very interesting because Harbhajan still had an over left but Dhoni just felt that the way Misbah [Pak cricketer] was batting he was he would think the off-spinner into the grounds and he needed the effort to put somebody who can put some more pace in the ball. But that was an instinctive and a surprising bet. If you remember that after that Joginder Singh hardly ever played for India again, it suggests that you're looking at somebody who in many ways not only defied conventional wisdom but did it in the moment and for the moment. that kind of instinctive captaincy is unusual, it's also impossible to analyse beyond a particular point and it becomes extremely difficult to replicate. Kohli has his own instincts, he's made some surprising decisions even during the recent test series against England. Some of his more unexpected bowling changes which went against the advice of the commentators during those matches... were the ones that got wickets and now we'll look for Mr Kohli's unexpected changes as captain. JT: What for you has been the defining moment in Dhoni's tenure as captain. Under him India achieved it all, the World T20 win, the World number one ranking in Tests and the ICC Champions Trophy? Dr Tharoor: Dhoni undoubtedly took Indian cricket to heights that hadn't been known even during the glory days of Saurav Ganguly. Now Saurav as captain had some remarkable victories, most famously the time he stripped off his T-shirt at Lords when his team came from behind with an unexpected victory. But what Dhoni did in accomplishing titles that no previous captain had done since the World Cup in 1983, the T20 we won the very inaugural one and so on. So there were remarkable accomplishments and there were also losses. When somebody leaves we only remember his triumphs and that's how it should be. Just as obituaries never speak ill of the dead, departing test captains are rarely pilloried. But Dhoni also had setbacks and defeats, we never won another world T20 title, did we, after 2007, until we came up with some other good victories. But we lost a lot of tournaments much earlier and certainly we've had setbacks also under Dhoni. So I don't want to imply that everything was great, but he has more victories than defeats and he was somebody who very often was responsible for those victories himself. Some of his extraordinary performances coming in at number 5 or 6 in an ODI lineup and hitting the winning runs will often stay etched in the memory and there was a feeling that as long as Dhoni was at the crease, almost any target in the last over was not impossible. Increasingly he's also had occasions when he's failed to hit that target but very very often he did it, and I think that is his individual stamp on his captaincy success. JT: Where would you rate him in the pantheon of India's cricketing captains? Dr Tharoor: I'd say Dhoni was undoubtedly in the very top bracket, partly because you know we've had only a handful of captains who've got any significant success record, and that too in relatively recent years. Most of our captains right up to the 90s had more failures than successes. Gavaskar had one great success as captain which was the world championship of cricket in Australia, Kapil dev had one great success which was the world cup in 1983. But otherwise all our captains till the 90's including Tendulkar who ended the 90s as captain had more failures than victories. It's really a handful of captains all in the 21st century who've seen a significant record of success and of that I would say Dhoni stands so far very near the top. Obviously, Kohli has begun with a higher percentage of success than either dhoni or Kumble or Ganguly or obviously any of their predecessors. But right now I would say Dhoni is at the very top if you look back at great Indian captains. JT: He has retired from Tests and now given up the captaincy. The end of MS Dhoni as a cricketer is near. How badly will he be missed? Dr Tharoor: Every great cricketer is missed for a very short time, then the game moves on. That is inevitable, that's simply how it is. Sport is a career which offers you a very short lifespan. If you want to be remembered for a long time become a politician, because as a cricketer you will be remembered fondly by people who saw you in your prime, but a younger generation will find new heroes. Many of us may worshiped Tendulkar, people called him god. But there are lots of people today who think of Kohli when they think of a great Indian batsman. Gavaskar seemed to be of a greatness and could never be equaled, then Tendulkar eclipsed him. Maybe Kohli will eclipse Tendulkar and as far as captaincy is concerned somebody will come along to eclipse Dhoni and may be one day Kohli. Just today as we are speaking of this 17-year-old teenage prodigy, Prithvi Shaw, has hit a century for Mumbai and taken them into the Ranji trophy finals. It gladdens one's heart when a new star is born like this, a prodigy. But the fact is that somebody's gonna have to be displaced if one day as a bright young man he burst into the Indian team, it will be at the expense of somebody else who hasn't done badly. That's life. Karun Nayyar got his 303, how does Ajinkya Rahane come back in? There'll always be people of great accomplishment who will not be forgotten, but will have to make way for others. So Dhoni making way is simply the existing normal narrative of any cricketer's life and story. Watch this video to hear Dr Tharoor describe the future of Indian cricket. After Dhoni's unpredictable retirement as the Indian Cricket ODI and T20 captain, the responsibility of leading the team now goes on the able shoulders of Virat Kohli. WION's Jessica Taneja speaks to Congress MP and cricket enthusiast Shashi Tharoor (WION) × (WION)

EXCLUSIVE: Dr Shashi Tharoor speaks to WION's Jessica Taneja

India made a strong reply to England&#39;s first-innings total of 477 after half-centuries by debutant Liam Dawson and number nine Adil Rashid underlined the tourists&#39; batting depth in the fifth and final test on Saturday.

India claimed three wickets on the second morning but the 108-run partnership between Dawson and Rashid in a productive second session for the touring side frustrated the hosts.

India&#39;s Murali Vijay hurt his shoulder while fielding and could not come out to bat but the makeshift opening pair of Lokesh Rahul and Parthiv Patel did a decent job, adding 60 runs without being separated.

Rahul was unbeaten on 30 at stumps and the right-hander will be eager to make amends with the bat having dropped centurion Moeen Ali before he had scored on Friday.

Patel was on 29 at the other end with India, who have an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, 417 runs behind on a pitch which has grown easier to bat on.

Earlier, resuming on 284-4, England got an early jolt when Ravichandran Ashwin struck with the day&#39;s fifth delivery at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The leading wicket-taker in the series had endured a rare wicketless day on Friday but he lured Ben Stokes on to the front foot to edge a fuller delivery which Parthiv Patel caught behind the stumps.

Paceman Ishant Sharma trapped Jos Buttler lbw for five while Moeen, who resumed on 120, looked ill at ease against the short-pitched deliveries.

The left-hander virtually walked into a trap when Umesh Yadav forced him into playing a pull shot, which the batsman mistimed to find Ravindra Jadeja at deep mid-wicket.

Moeen faced 262 balls for his 146, hitting 13 fours and a six.

Dawson endured a tough test initiation, the second ball he faced from Sharma smacking him on his helmet but the 26-year-old grew in confidence as he and Rashid shared the second century-plus stand of the English innings.

Rashid hit eight fours before edging Yadav to Patel for 60.

Dawson was stranded on 66 not out, including five fours and a six, when Amit Mishra bowled Jake Ball with a googly.

(Reuters)

Impressive half-centuries by debutant Liam Dawson and number nine Adil Rashid helped England post a healthy total after early stutter

India made a strong reply to England's first-innings total of 477 after half-centuries by debutant Liam Dawson and number nine Adil Rashid underlined the tourists' batting depth in the fifth and final test on Saturday. India claimed three wickets on the second morning but the 108-run partnership between Dawson and Rashid in a productive second session for the touring side frustrated the hosts. India's Murali Vijay hurt his shoulder while fielding and could not come out to bat but the makeshift opening pair of Lokesh Rahul and Parthiv Patel did a decent job, adding 60 runs without being separated. Rahul was unbeaten on 30 at stumps and the right-hander will be eager to make amends with the bat having dropped centurion Moeen Ali before he had scored on Friday. Patel was on 29 at the other end with India, who have an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, 417 runs behind on a pitch which has grown easier to bat on. Earlier, resuming on 284-4, England got an early jolt when Ravichandran Ashwin struck with the day's fifth delivery at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The leading wicket-taker in the series had endured a rare wicketless day on Friday but he lured Ben Stokes on to the front foot to edge a fuller delivery which Parthiv Patel caught behind the stumps. Paceman Ishant Sharma trapped Jos Buttler lbw for five while Moeen, who resumed on 120, looked ill at ease against the short-pitched deliveries. The left-hander virtually walked into a trap when Umesh Yadav forced him into playing a pull shot, which the batsman mistimed to find Ravindra Jadeja at deep mid-wicket. Moeen faced 262 balls for his 146, hitting 13 fours and a six. Dawson endured a tough test initiation, the second ball he faced from Sharma smacking him on his helmet but the 26-year-old grew in confidence as he and Rashid shared the second century-plus stand of the English innings. Rashid hit eight fours before edging Yadav to Patel for 60. Dawson was stranded on 66 not out, including five fours and a six, when Amit Mishra bowled Jake Ball with a googly. (Reuters)

India off to good start after England's 477 in Chennai Test

India will become the last Test nation to embrace cricket&#39;s decision review system (DRS) this week, ending their resistance to on-field technology at a time of growing debate about its impact on the game.

While the recent series between England and Bangladesh fuelled criticism that the constant resort to TV replays has undermined umpires&#39; confidence, DRS supporters say the technology is rapidly improving.

While the other nine teams have been using DRS for years, the world&#39;s number one Test side had resisted over doubts about its reliability, sparked by a frustrating trial run in 2008.

India&#39;s master batsman Sachin Tendulkar was long rumoured to be at the forefront of the opposition in the dressing room and World Cup winning skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also a sceptic.

But opposition has faded since Tendulkar retired and Dhoni stepped down as Test skipper (he remains ODI captain).

India&#39;s agreement to employ DRS for the five-Test series against England that begins this week came after an International Cricket Council (ICC) presentation last month on upgrades in technology.

Announcing the U-turn, the country&#39;s cricket board president Anurag Thakur said India &quot;recognise the enhanced role of technology in sport&quot; and would deploy all the DRS tools in the England series.

DRS comprises three main elements: ball-tracking technology known as &#39;Hawkeye&#39;; a high-audio microphone known as &#39;snicko&#39; which detects the sound of a ball grazing the bat or gloves; and &#39;hotspot&#39; thermal imaging which can also determine where a ball makes contact.

Improved technology&nbsp;

ICC general manager Geoff Allardice said India&#39;s change of heart stemmed from improvements which more accurately predict whether the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps after hitting a batsman&#39;s pads.

&quot;Our aim for a long time has been to make the DRS technology better with an end goal of getting it used more consistently in international cricket,&quot; he said in a conference call from the ICC&#39;s Dubai headquarters.

Allardice said India&#39;s new coach Anil Kumble has been key to the change of heart after being a DRS proponent in his old position as chairman of the ICC cricket committee.

That the former spinner, who took a record 619 wickets for India, is a DRS fan is no surprise given the system is widely seen to have most benefited spinners.

Figures have shown the number of leg before wicket (LBW) decisions in favour of spinners has roughly doubled since DRS came into widespread usage in 2009.

Before, umpires could rarely be persuaded to raise their finger unless the ball was arrowed towards middle stump but batsmen now often have to walk after being hit on the pad by balls heading for off or leg.

Bishan Bedi, another legendary Indian spinner, is delighted India are finally using DRS.

&quot;Better late than never,&quot; he told AFP, saying India stood to benefit given the number of spinners they employ on their own turning tracks.

&quot;It should be good for the spinners. It cannot humanly be possible to eradicate human error so the more we can reduce it, the better.&quot;

But while India are now on board, the&nbsp;debate about the pros and cons of DRS shows no signs of abating -- particularly after 42 decisions were reviewed in last month&#39;s Bangladesh-England series.

Constant scrutiny

Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena had 16 decisions reviewed, eight of which were overturned by a colleague scrutinising the slow-motion replays.

The constant reviews drained some of the drama from a nail-biting series. It reached its nadir at the end of the first Test when England had to wait several minutes before their victory was confirmed.

Allardice acknowledged the number of reviews going against an umpire was a factor in deciding whether they remain on the elite panel which officiate in Tests, while insisting the ICC wouldn&#39;t &quot;jump to a conclusion on the basis of one single performance&quot;.

India&#39;s former international umpire Krishna Hariharan said it was important players continued to respect the umpires&#39; authority.

&quot;If technology can assist in the betterment of cricket it is definitely welcome, but remember it is always in the hands of the on-field umpire,&quot; said Hariharan who sits on India&#39;s umpire assessment committee.

Some observers say DRS has also undermined a basic tenet of the game, accepting the rough with the smooth.

&quot;There is much rhetoric about the spirit of cricket: but few things have betrayed that spirit more&quot; than DRS, the columnist Simon Heffer wrote in Britain&#39;s Daily Telegraph recently.

(AFP)

India's agreement to employ DRS came after an International Cricket Council (ICC) presentation last month on upgrades in technology

India will become the last Test nation to embrace cricket's decision review system (DRS) this week, ending their resistance to on-field technology at a time of growing debate about its impact on the game. While the recent series between England and Bangladesh fuelled criticism that the constant resort to TV replays has undermined umpires' confidence, DRS supporters say the technology is rapidly improving. While the other nine teams have been using DRS for years, the world's number one Test side had resisted over doubts about its reliability, sparked by a frustrating trial run in 2008. India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar was long rumoured to be at the forefront of the opposition in the dressing room and World Cup winning skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also a sceptic. But opposition has faded since Tendulkar retired and Dhoni stepped down as Test skipper (he remains ODI captain). India's agreement to employ DRS for the five-Test series against England that begins this week came after an International Cricket Council (ICC) presentation last month on upgrades in technology. Announcing the U-turn, the country's cricket board president Anurag Thakur said India "recognise the enhanced role of technology in sport" and would deploy all the DRS tools in the England series. DRS comprises three main elements: ball-tracking technology known as 'Hawkeye'; a high-audio microphone known as 'snicko' which detects the sound of a ball grazing the bat or gloves; and 'hotspot' thermal imaging which can also determine where a ball makes contact. Improved technology ICC general manager Geoff Allardice said India's change of heart stemmed from improvements which more accurately predict whether the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps after hitting a batsman's pads. "Our aim for a long time has been to make the DRS technology better with an end goal of getting it used more consistently in international cricket," he said in a conference call from the ICC's Dubai headquarters. Allardice said India's new coach Anil Kumble has been key to the change of heart after being a DRS proponent in his old position as chairman of the ICC cricket committee. That the former spinner, who took a record 619 wickets for India, is a DRS fan is no surprise given the system is widely seen to have most benefited spinners. Figures have shown the number of leg before wicket (LBW) decisions in favour of spinners has roughly doubled since DRS came into widespread usage in 2009. Before, umpires could rarely be persuaded to raise their finger unless the ball was arrowed towards middle stump but batsmen now often have to walk after being hit on the pad by balls heading for off or leg. Bishan Bedi, another legendary Indian spinner, is delighted India are finally using DRS. "Better late than never," he told AFP, saying India stood to benefit given the number of spinners they employ on their own turning tracks. "It should be good for the spinners. It cannot humanly be possible to eradicate human error so the more we can reduce it, the better." But while India are now on board, the debate about the pros and cons of DRS shows no signs of abating -- particularly after 42 decisions were reviewed in last month's Bangladesh-England series. Constant scrutiny Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena had 16 decisions reviewed, eight of which were overturned by a colleague scrutinising the slow-motion replays. The constant reviews drained some of the drama from a nail-biting series. It reached its nadir at the end of the first Test when England had to wait several minutes before their victory was confirmed. Allardice acknowledged the number of reviews going against an umpire was a factor in deciding whether they remain on the elite panel which officiate in Tests, while insisting the ICC wouldn't "jump to a conclusion on the basis of one single performance". India's former international umpire Krishna Hariharan said it was important players continued to respect the umpires' authority. "If technology can assist in the betterment of cricket it is definitely welcome, but remember it is always in the hands of the on-field umpire," said Hariharan who sits on India's umpire assessment committee. Some observers say DRS has also undermined a basic tenet of the game, accepting the rough with the smooth. "There is much rhetoric about the spirit of cricket: but few things have betrayed that spirit more" than DRS, the columnist Simon Heffer wrote in Britain's Daily Telegraph recently. (AFP)

Cricket: DRS makes India debut but debate still rages

Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev will be among the icons celebrating India&#39;s 500th Test in Kanpur this week as Virat Kohli&#39;s team begin their quest to regain the top spot in the world rankings against a dangerous New Zealand. 
 
The match marks both the start of a three-Test series against the Black Caps and a packed programme of international cricket for India, who will also host England, Bangladesh and Australia later this season. 
 
India are strong favourites after their recent 2-0 victory over the West Indies in a four-match away series, which saw Kohli lead from the front by scoring his first Test double century in Antigua. 
 
But their success was tinged with disappointment as they managed to topple Australia at the top of the rankings, only to be leapfrogged by their arch-rivals Pakistan when rain wrecked their hopes of a clean sweep in the Caribbean. 
 
India start the series just one point behind Pakistan, and they will be hopeful of returning to number one before Pakistan play three Tests against the West Indies in October and November. 
 
Inspired by Kohli, India&#39;s top order has been in fine form of late, with the newcomer Lokesh Rahul scoring three centuries in the last eight Tests. 
 
But they can&#39;t afford to be complacent after their stunning defeat by New Zealand at the start of the World Twenty20 in March. 
 
Their last Test series with New Zealand ended in a 1-0 away defeat in 2014, a contest which saw the then Black Caps&#39; skipper Brendon McCullum score a triple century. 
 
Although McCullum has since retired, his successor Kane Williamson is now established as one of the game&#39;s finest batsmen and he has already found form in India, hitting a belligerent half-century in a warm-up last week. 
 
Other former captains such as Sunil Gavaskar and Mohammad Azharuddin are expected to join Tendulkar and Dev at Kanpur&#39;s Green Park as part of the festivities organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 
 
Dev, who skippered India to victory in the 1983 World Cup, warned that a New Zealand side packed with veterans of the Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament should not be underestimated. 
 
&quot;India will have the home advantage but times have changed, teams and players are no longer alien to foreign conditions,&quot; he told the NDTV network. 
 
The legendary all-rounder, still the only player to have scored 4,000 runs and taken 400 wickets, said Test cricket had changed radically in the two decades since he retired, praising Kohli for his attacking batsmanship. 
 
&quot;The mindset of the young cricketer is different,&quot; said Dev. &quot;Aggression wasn&#39;t part of the Indian team in the 80s, but today I think, God these boys have changed.&quot; 
 
The series also marks Anil Kumble&#39;s first home assignment as coach and he is expected to pack the Indian bowling line-up with three spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin who took 17 wickets in the Caribbean. 
 
The hosts will also be bolstered by the return on home soil of medium-pacer Mohammed Shami, who took 11 wickets in the West Indies after a long lay-off. 
 
Williamson, who has so far skippered New Zealand in just four Tests, said he was excited by taking on such a tough assignment in the early days of his captaincy. 
 
&quot;We have a great bunch of guys and we are enjoying our cricket. We have to keep improving and that&#39;s my focus as a captain,&quot; he said. 
 
On the bowling front, all eyes will be on Indian-born New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.&nbsp; 
 
Fast bowler Trent Boult can expect a heavy workload after the visitors lost Tim Southee to an ankle injury just before the start of the series. 
 
New Zealand, who have never won a series in India, were whitewashed by the hosts in the two-match Test series in 2012. 
 
(AFP)

The match marks both the start of a three-Test series against the Black Caps and a packed programme of international cricket for India

Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev will be among the icons celebrating India's 500th Test in Kanpur this week as Virat Kohli's team begin their quest to regain the top spot in the world rankings against a dangerous New Zealand. The match marks both the start of a three-Test series against the Black Caps and a packed programme of international cricket for India, who will also host England, Bangladesh and Australia later this season. India are strong favourites after their recent 2-0 victory over the West Indies in a four-match away series, which saw Kohli lead from the front by scoring his first Test double century in Antigua. But their success was tinged with disappointment as they managed to topple Australia at the top of the rankings, only to be leapfrogged by their arch-rivals Pakistan when rain wrecked their hopes of a clean sweep in the Caribbean. India start the series just one point behind Pakistan, and they will be hopeful of returning to number one before Pakistan play three Tests against the West Indies in October and November. Inspired by Kohli, India's top order has been in fine form of late, with the newcomer Lokesh Rahul scoring three centuries in the last eight Tests. But they can't afford to be complacent after their stunning defeat by New Zealand at the start of the World Twenty20 in March. Their last Test series with New Zealand ended in a 1-0 away defeat in 2014, a contest which saw the then Black Caps' skipper Brendon McCullum score a triple century. Although McCullum has since retired, his successor Kane Williamson is now established as one of the game's finest batsmen and he has already found form in India, hitting a belligerent half-century in a warm-up last week. Other former captains such as Sunil Gavaskar and Mohammad Azharuddin are expected to join Tendulkar and Dev at Kanpur's Green Park as part of the festivities organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Dev, who skippered India to victory in the 1983 World Cup, warned that a New Zealand side packed with veterans of the Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament should not be underestimated. "India will have the home advantage but times have changed, teams and players are no longer alien to foreign conditions," he told the NDTV network. The legendary all-rounder, still the only player to have scored 4,000 runs and taken 400 wickets, said Test cricket had changed radically in the two decades since he retired, praising Kohli for his attacking batsmanship. "The mindset of the young cricketer is different," said Dev. "Aggression wasn't part of the Indian team in the 80s, but today I think, God these boys have changed." The series also marks Anil Kumble's first home assignment as coach and he is expected to pack the Indian bowling line-up with three spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin who took 17 wickets in the Caribbean. The hosts will also be bolstered by the return on home soil of medium-pacer Mohammed Shami, who took 11 wickets in the West Indies after a long lay-off. Williamson, who has so far skippered New Zealand in just four Tests, said he was excited by taking on such a tough assignment in the early days of his captaincy. "We have a great bunch of guys and we are enjoying our cricket. We have to keep improving and that's my focus as a captain," he said. On the bowling front, all eyes will be on Indian-born New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Fast bowler Trent Boult can expect a heavy workload after the visitors lost Tim Southee to an ankle injury just before the start of the series. New Zealand, who have never won a series in India, were whitewashed by the hosts in the two-match Test series in 2012. (AFP)

Kohli's India eye New Zealand scalp in 500th Test

Virat Kohli became the first Indian captain to post a test double century overseas as the tourists played their way into a virtually unbeatable position on the second day of the first test against West Indies in Antigua on Friday.

Kohli scored 200 as India hit 566 for eight declared, sharing a 168-run fifth stand wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin (113), who was dropped on 43 by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and made the West Indies pay by compiling a century.

West Indies were 31 for one in their first innings at the close of play with Kraigg Brathwaite (11) and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo (0) at the crease.

Rajendra Chandrika went for 16 in the penultimate over of the day when he got a thick edge to the keeper off paceman Mohammed Shami.

The day belonged to Kohli, who completed his double tonne just before lunch by pulling a single to deep mid-wicket.

He went down on his knees and kissed the turf as retired West Indies great Viv Richards, after whom the venue in North Sound is named, joined in the applause from the stands.

Kohli, who struck 24 fours in 283 balls, was out shortly after lunch when he got a thick inside edge on to his stumps off fast bowler Shannon Gabriel (2-65).

Leg-spinner Bishoo (3-163) looked dangerous at times but for the most part the home attack posed few problems for the batsmen on a flat track.

Ashwin, who registered his third test century, said a more disciplined approach was the key to his success.

&quot;I&#39;ve been looking forward to this opportunity,&quot; he said in an on-field interview after being promoted to number six in the order. &quot;I really enjoy my batting and there have been times in the past when I&#39;ve been a little too flashy.&quot;

&quot;I know if I have to get into the top seven or six I really need to tighten my game so I&#39;ve really worked on it. I&#39;ve never left so many balls (outside off stump) in my life.&quot;

India&#39;s total left West Indies looking to occupy the crease for three more days to squeeze a draw in the first of four tests between the teams.

&quot;It&#39;s not going to be easy. We&#39;ll have to prise every wicket out,&quot; said Ashwin. 
 
(Reuters)

First Indian captain to post 200 runs in international cricket as India hit 566 on the second day of the first test against West Indies

Virat Kohli became the first Indian captain to post a test double century overseas as the tourists played their way into a virtually unbeatable position on the second day of the first test against West Indies in Antigua on Friday. Kohli scored 200 as India hit 566 for eight declared, sharing a 168-run fifth stand wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin (113), who was dropped on 43 by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and made the West Indies pay by compiling a century. West Indies were 31 for one in their first innings at the close of play with Kraigg Brathwaite (11) and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo (0) at the crease. Rajendra Chandrika went for 16 in the penultimate over of the day when he got a thick edge to the keeper off paceman Mohammed Shami. The day belonged to Kohli, who completed his double tonne just before lunch by pulling a single to deep mid-wicket. He went down on his knees and kissed the turf as retired West Indies great Viv Richards, after whom the venue in North Sound is named, joined in the applause from the stands. Kohli, who struck 24 fours in 283 balls, was out shortly after lunch when he got a thick inside edge on to his stumps off fast bowler Shannon Gabriel (2-65). Leg-spinner Bishoo (3-163) looked dangerous at times but for the most part the home attack posed few problems for the batsmen on a flat track. Ashwin, who registered his third test century, said a more disciplined approach was the key to his success. "I've been looking forward to this opportunity," he said in an on-field interview after being promoted to number six in the order. "I really enjoy my batting and there have been times in the past when I've been a little too flashy." "I know if I have to get into the top seven or six I really need to tighten my game so I've really worked on it. I've never left so many balls (outside off stump) in my life." India's total left West Indies looking to occupy the crease for three more days to squeeze a draw in the first of four tests between the teams. "It's not going to be easy. We'll have to prise every wicket out," said Ashwin. (Reuters)

Cricketer Virat Kohli scores maiden double hundred overseas, makes history as India take command

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