Mike Hussey, who has a fair idea about the current crop of India players, feels that all-rounder Hardik Pandya's absence will "hurt" the visitors in the upcoming Test series against Australia.&nbsp;

The series starts on December 6 in Adelaide.&nbsp;

Pandya is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a lower-back injury during the Asia Cup in Dubai last September.&nbsp;

"I think Hardik is a wonderful talent and I am sure his game style would have been suited to the Australian conditions. Add to that, the balance he offers the team with his all-round abilities, yes I think his absence will hurt India," Hussey told PTI in an exclusive interview.&nbsp;

India have a good chance of doing well against a depleted Australia but 'Mr Cricket' is confident that the home team's seasoned bowling attack will test some of the younger batsmen in the visiting team.&nbsp;

India are being dubbed as favourites in many quarters primarily due to the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner.&nbsp;

But India could face a different challenge with the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and Hanuma Vihari set to face Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon for the first time.&nbsp;

"I do think India have a good chance as they have an excellent team with some very good fast bowlers. However, I think Australia's bowling attack is world class and will challenge the Indian team, particularly the younger players in Australian conditions. Australia always play well at home and hence will be very hard to beat."

Virat Kohli remains the biggest threat to Australia having scored four hundreds during the 2014-15 series and Hussey reckoned that the home team bowlers need to be patient against the Indian skipper.&nbsp;

"The Australians will prepare well against Kohli, but it comes down to execution. In my view the Aussies need to be incredibly patient and disciplined for long periods of time against a world class player like Kohli," said the 43-year-old, who has played 79 Tests and 185 ODIs for Australia.&nbsp;

India's 1-4 series defeat against England will have no bearing on the Australia series as the scoreline is not an accurate representation of how well India competed, said the former left-hander.&nbsp;

"It's a completely new series in completely different conditions. I think India played some brilliant cricket in England but unfortunately, the results didn't go their way," opined Hussey.&nbsp;

The ball-tampering saga is a thing of past and Hussey has faith in the current team's abilities even though Smith and Warner's absence will continue to be a big factor.&nbsp;

"It has been a tumultuous period for Australian cricket both on and off the field but I think the controversy is behind us now and everyone involved can just focus fully on the cricket. Australia will of course miss Warner, Smith and Bancroft."&nbsp;

Unlike some of the experts who are still not convinced about Tim Paine's leadership skills, the current Test captain has Hussey's vote of approval.&nbsp;

"I wouldn't underestimate Tim Paine, he is an excellent competitor and will be up for the fight against India. Yes, he has the mental strength to lead this Australian side," he asserted.&nbsp;

There were talks about an early return of Smith and Warner but Hussey made it clear that he doesn't see that happening with the duo requiring to play Sheffield Shield to stage a Test comeback.&nbsp;

"Personally, I don't see that happening, however, I would love to see them integrated into domestic cricket earlier, in particular the Sheffield Shield competition."&nbsp;

The Indian bowling attack has been top notch in all away series but Hussey wants the Australian batsmen to look at the upcoming series as an opportunity to cement their place in the side.&nbsp;

"The batting will be tested against an excellent Indian attack but there are some great opportunities for Australian batters to cement a place in the team with some big runs. So motivation will be high."&nbsp;

Hussey doesn't believe in terms such as 'x-factor', which is a buzzword in cricketing sides across the globe.&nbsp;

"There doesn't need to be an x-factor player, Australia need all players down the list to contribute to the team cause and play their role well."&nbsp;

Australian cricket is going through transformation and a cultural review has been done, which has been critical of earlier teams' theory of "win at all costs".&nbsp;

Words like "Elite Honesty" adorn the dressing room walls but Hussey revealed that this is nothing new with Australian cricket teams, only that it's now out in public domain.&nbsp;

Has there been an over-correction? "No, I don't think there has been an over-correction as there were all these kind of statements and quotes around when I played also but ours weren't put out there in the public domain."&nbsp;

So will the Aussies sledge? Hussey replied: "There will be an adjustment period for the team with regards to how far they can push the line but they will compete very hard."

Mike Hussey, who has a fair idea about the current crop of India players, feels that all-rounder Hardik Pandya's absence will "hurt" the visitors in the upcoming Test series against Australia.

Mike Hussey, who has a fair idea about the current crop of India players, feels that all-rounder Hardik Pandya's absence will "hurt" the visitors in the upcoming Test series against Australia. The series starts on December 6 in Adelaide. Pandya is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a lower-back injury during the Asia Cup in Dubai last September. "I think Hardik is a wonderful talent and I am sure his game style would have been suited to the Australian conditions. Add to that, the balance he offers the team with his all-round abilities, yes I think his absence will hurt India," Hussey told PTI in an exclusive interview. India have a good chance of doing well against a depleted Australia but 'Mr Cricket' is confident that the home team's seasoned bowling attack will test some of the younger batsmen in the visiting team. India are being dubbed as favourites in many quarters primarily due to the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner. But India could face a different challenge with the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and Hanuma Vihari set to face Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon for the first time. "I do think India have a good chance as they have an excellent team with some very good fast bowlers. However, I think Australia's bowling attack is world class and will challenge the Indian team, particularly the younger players in Australian conditions. Australia always play well at home and hence will be very hard to beat." Virat Kohli remains the biggest threat to Australia having scored four hundreds during the 2014-15 series and Hussey reckoned that the home team bowlers need to be patient against the Indian skipper. "The Australians will prepare well against Kohli, but it comes down to execution. In my view the Aussies need to be incredibly patient and disciplined for long periods of time against a world class player like Kohli," said the 43-year-old, who has played 79 Tests and 185 ODIs for Australia. India's 1-4 series defeat against England will have no bearing on the Australia series as the scoreline is not an accurate representation of how well India competed, said the former left-hander. "It's a completely new series in completely different conditions. I think India played some brilliant cricket in England but unfortunately, the results didn't go their way," opined Hussey. The ball-tampering saga is a thing of past and Hussey has faith in the current team's abilities even though Smith and Warner's absence will continue to be a big factor. "It has been a tumultuous period for Australian cricket both on and off the field but I think the controversy is behind us now and everyone involved can just focus fully on the cricket. Australia will of course miss Warner, Smith and Bancroft." Unlike some of the experts who are still not convinced about Tim Paine's leadership skills, the current Test captain has Hussey's vote of approval. "I wouldn't underestimate Tim Paine, he is an excellent competitor and will be up for the fight against India. Yes, he has the mental strength to lead this Australian side," he asserted. There were talks about an early return of Smith and Warner but Hussey made it clear that he doesn't see that happening with the duo requiring to play Sheffield Shield to stage a Test comeback. "Personally, I don't see that happening, however, I would love to see them integrated into domestic cricket earlier, in particular the Sheffield Shield competition." The Indian bowling attack has been top notch in all away series but Hussey wants the Australian batsmen to look at the upcoming series as an opportunity to cement their place in the side. "The batting will be tested against an excellent Indian attack but there are some great opportunities for Australian batters to cement a place in the team with some big runs. So motivation will be high." Hussey doesn't believe in terms such as 'x-factor', which is a buzzword in cricketing sides across the globe. "There doesn't need to be an x-factor player, Australia need all players down the list to contribute to the team cause and play their role well." Australian cricket is going through transformation and a cultural review has been done, which has been critical of earlier teams' theory of "win at all costs". Words like "Elite Honesty" adorn the dressing room walls but Hussey revealed that this is nothing new with Australian cricket teams, only that it's now out in public domain. Has there been an over-correction? "No, I don't think there has been an over-correction as there were all these kind of statements and quotes around when I played also but ours weren't put out there in the public domain." So will the Aussies sledge? Hussey replied: "There will be an adjustment period for the team with regards to how far they can push the line but they will compete very hard."

Hardik Pandya's absence will hurt India: Mike Hussey

After an easy win over the West Indies on home turf, the Virat Kohli led side is all prepared for the Australia series that is scheduled to kick off from November 21 with the T20Is.&nbsp;

On being asked about the expectations he has from the team, Indian skipper Kohli advised the team's lower-order to take a cue from their England Test defeat in a bid to rage a victory over the Aussies, especially in the Test series.&nbsp;

"The lower order contributions are crucial. As we saw in England, their lower order contributions were better than ours and that was the difference in the series. So that's where we want the guys to be fearless."

"If they get going they can change the game or course of the whole series," Kohli added.

With the top-orders and the middle-order failing to judge the moving dukes on English conditions, the team had hopes completely rested on Kohli's shoulders to rescue India each time. The skipper was the only batsman during the entire tour to punish the English side with his bat.&nbsp;

The Men in Blue will be playing three T20I, four Tests and three ODIs.The forthcoming Test series is considered to be India's best chance to win on the Australian soil as the team will be without the services of their beleaguered leaders Steve Smith and David Warner.&nbsp;

For India, Kohli is in top form as the skipper smashed three consecutive centuries against the Windies.

Talking about what kind of character the team has developed after the England tour, Kohli stressed that they have made decent progress but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

"We definitely have made decent progress but there is still a lot of room for improvement. The Thing is we understand within the group what we need to work on so it is up to the individuals to take ownership of that, take responsibility for the things that are explained or laid out. So there were a lot of things that we sat down and figured it out after the England tour."&nbsp;

Kohli also stressed that there was not much that went wrong during England tour.&nbsp;

"To be honest, we all felt that there was not much that went wrong but whatever was not right was very extreme also. So we played good cricket but the mistakes were also very extreme. That's why we lost that many numbers of games rather than winning those moments and winning the game. "

The skipper further asked the team to strike a decent balance when the situation is against them and try to find a way out of it, rather than wanting to get out of it immediately.&nbsp;

When asked what advice he wants to give to his team, Kohli said he would want every individual to take more responsibility, assess it and then find a solution rather than thinking that the solution will appear from somewhere.

After an easy win over the West Indies on home turf, the Virat Kohli led side is all prepared for the Australia series that is scheduled to kick off from November 21 with the T20Is.

After an easy win over the West Indies on home turf, the Virat Kohli led side is all prepared for the Australia series that is scheduled to kick off from November 21 with the T20Is. On being asked about the expectations he has from the team, Indian skipper Kohli advised the team's lower-order to take a cue from their England Test defeat in a bid to rage a victory over the Aussies, especially in the Test series. "The lower order contributions are crucial. As we saw in England, their lower order contributions were better than ours and that was the difference in the series. So that's where we want the guys to be fearless." "If they get going they can change the game or course of the whole series," Kohli added. With the top-orders and the middle-order failing to judge the moving dukes on English conditions, the team had hopes completely rested on Kohli's shoulders to rescue India each time. The skipper was the only batsman during the entire tour to punish the English side with his bat. The Men in Blue will be playing three T20I, four Tests and three ODIs.The forthcoming Test series is considered to be India's best chance to win on the Australian soil as the team will be without the services of their beleaguered leaders Steve Smith and David Warner. For India, Kohli is in top form as the skipper smashed three consecutive centuries against the Windies. Talking about what kind of character the team has developed after the England tour, Kohli stressed that they have made decent progress but there is still a lot of room for improvement. "We definitely have made decent progress but there is still a lot of room for improvement. The Thing is we understand within the group what we need to work on so it is up to the individuals to take ownership of that, take responsibility for the things that are explained or laid out. So there were a lot of things that we sat down and figured it out after the England tour." Kohli also stressed that there was not much that went wrong during England tour. "To be honest, we all felt that there was not much that went wrong but whatever was not right was very extreme also. So we played good cricket but the mistakes were also very extreme. That's why we lost that many numbers of games rather than winning those moments and winning the game. " The skipper further asked the team to strike a decent balance when the situation is against them and try to find a way out of it, rather than wanting to get out of it immediately. When asked what advice he wants to give to his team, Kohli said he would want every individual to take more responsibility, assess it and then find a solution rather than thinking that the solution will appear from somewhere.

Lower-order contribution crucial for team's victory over Australia, says Virat Kohli

India captain <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=virat">Virat Kohli</a> dismissed the debate that endorsements can be distracting for a cricketer and he said that it is important for a player to balance his cricketing and commercial interests.

"As a professional sportsman there is not a set age to do business because you have to establish a business whenever you start it. It is a cliche that you should do business only after a specific age," Virat said during an event.

"I don't believe that you can't do endorsement while playing. I don't believe in all of that. If you have limited time, you should know how to establish (your product) in a limited period of time," the star batsman added.

Kohli endorses a host of brands and some are even his own ventures. "I was 25-26 when I got associated with Wrogn (his own clothing brand). Even then people thought I am entering into business at 25, I am too young for it," said Kohli.

Kohli has been ranked ahead of American basketball player Stephen Curry and boxer Floyd Mayweather in the list of athletes who earn the most money for sponsored posts on the photo-sharing app, Instagram.

According to the Instagram rich list released by HopperHQ.com a few months ago, Virat earns US $120,000 per sponsored Instagram post and has over 25 million followers.

Kohli has a crucial cricketing assignment coming up with the tour of Australia, starting November 21. Australia personally has been a happy hunting ground for Kohli but the team has had little success.&nbsp;

The batting mainstay did not talk about the Australia tour, saying he will do that before the team leaves on November 16.

India captain Virat Kohli dismissed the debate that endorsements can be distracting for a cricketer and he said that it is important for a player to balance his cricketing and commercial interests.

India captain Virat Kohli dismissed the debate that endorsements can be distracting for a cricketer and he said that it is important for a player to balance his cricketing and commercial interests. "As a professional sportsman there is not a set age to do business because you have to establish a business whenever you start it. It is a cliche that you should do business only after a specific age," Virat said during an event. "I don't believe that you can't do endorsement while playing. I don't believe in all of that. If you have limited time, you should know how to establish (your product) in a limited period of time," the star batsman added. Kohli endorses a host of brands and some are even his own ventures. "I was 25-26 when I got associated with Wrogn (his own clothing brand). Even then people thought I am entering into business at 25, I am too young for it," said Kohli. Kohli has been ranked ahead of American basketball player Stephen Curry and boxer Floyd Mayweather in the list of athletes who earn the most money for sponsored posts on the photo-sharing app, Instagram. According to the Instagram rich list released by HopperHQ.com a few months ago, Virat earns US $120,000 per sponsored Instagram post and has over 25 million followers. Kohli has a crucial cricketing assignment coming up with the tour of Australia, starting November 21. Australia personally has been a happy hunting ground for Kohli but the team has had little success. The batting mainstay did not talk about the Australia tour, saying he will do that before the team leaves on November 16.

Virat Kohli: I don't believe that you can't do endorsement while playing

Fast bowling great Jeff Thomson Friday said India are favourites to "steamroll" Australia in the Test series Down Under due to the absence of the experienced duo of Steve Smith and David Warner.&nbsp;

Thomson, arguably the fastest bowler in Test cricket history, said the Australian batting looks ordinary in the absence of Smith and Warner, who both were handed 12-month bans for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.&nbsp;

"You (India) have a solid team, a very good fast bowling unit and you should win if you play hard in the upcoming series. There is no reason why you should not steamroll Australia which will be without Smith and Warner. Without these two, the Australian batting line-up is very average," said the 68-year-old Thomson.&nbsp;

He was speaking during a discussion at the Ekamra Sports Literary Festival here on the topic 'The Death of Test Fast Bowler', which the organisers claimed as Asia's first such initiative.&nbsp;

"You see the footwork of the Australians during the series against Pakistan (in the UAE which they lost 0-1). They lack technique, they just want to smack the ball out of the park, which is due to playing too many T20 and ODI matches," said the Australian, who took 200 wickets in 51 Tests between 1973-1985.&nbsp;

India will tour Australia for a four-Test series beginning December 6 at Adelaide.&nbsp;

Thomson said the ball-tampering controversy had embarrassed the Australian sports fraternity but felt the 12-month ban imposed on Smith and Warner was not justified.&nbsp;

"Banning them for such a long period of 12 months is ridiculous. I heard that the ban was to be for six months but one person (the Australian Prime Minister) who has no business in the issue called up and it was changed to 12 months," he said.&nbsp;

Thomson did not give a definitive answer when asked if Virat Kohli is the new Sachin Tendulkar.&nbsp;

"I feel Virat Kohli is emerging as a great player but he might have played differently in an earlier time. These days, a batsman will not score for two overs and then score a boundary with a stupid shot. At times, not getting out is the mindset of a batsman," he said.&nbsp;

"I think other team members (than Kohli) should play tough cricket like he plays. When he is out, other members should show the fighting spirit. If you score 300-350 you should win (in Australia)," he added.&nbsp;

He said he must have clocked 110 miles/hr in his playing days if the measurement was done similar to the current practice.&nbsp;

"During my time, the speed was measured at the impact of the ball with the bat and now it is done when the ball leaves the hand. I think I must have clocked 175 km/hr in the current measurement system," he said.&nbsp;

"Many a times when I bowled at the WACA, the ball used to bounce past the batsman to hit the side screen."&nbsp;

Asked if he remembers an incident when Sri Lankan Duleep Mendis was offered to lodge police complaint after being hit by his delivery, Thomson said: "I don't know about that but I am happy that I retired without inflicting any serious injury to anybody.&nbsp;

"At that time, there were no helmets, pitches were different and no limitation of bouncers but still no major injury occurred from my bowling."&nbsp;

On the playing conditions nowadays, he said, "It is heavily tilted towards batsmen. The balls are a problem, pitches have changed and have become flat, boundaries are smaller, bats are heavier and miss hits can go to boundaries."&nbsp;

Asked to name the five best batsmen in the world he has bowled to during his career, he mentioned Brian Lara, Vivian Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Greg Chappell and Barry Richards.&nbsp;

Lara though started playing after his retirement.&nbsp;

"I have not played against Don Bradman and Gary Sobers and so they are not in my choices," he said.

Fast bowling great Jeff Thomson Friday said India are favourites to "steamroll" Australia in the Test series Down Under due to the absence of the experienced duo of Steve Smith and David Warner.

Fast bowling great Jeff Thomson Friday said India are favourites to "steamroll" Australia in the Test series Down Under due to the absence of the experienced duo of Steve Smith and David Warner. Thomson, arguably the fastest bowler in Test cricket history, said the Australian batting looks ordinary in the absence of Smith and Warner, who both were handed 12-month bans for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town. "You (India) have a solid team, a very good fast bowling unit and you should win if you play hard in the upcoming series. There is no reason why you should not steamroll Australia which will be without Smith and Warner. Without these two, the Australian batting line-up is very average," said the 68-year-old Thomson. He was speaking during a discussion at the Ekamra Sports Literary Festival here on the topic 'The Death of Test Fast Bowler', which the organisers claimed as Asia's first such initiative. "You see the footwork of the Australians during the series against Pakistan (in the UAE which they lost 0-1). They lack technique, they just want to smack the ball out of the park, which is due to playing too many T20 and ODI matches," said the Australian, who took 200 wickets in 51 Tests between 1973-1985. India will tour Australia for a four-Test series beginning December 6 at Adelaide. Thomson said the ball-tampering controversy had embarrassed the Australian sports fraternity but felt the 12-month ban imposed on Smith and Warner was not justified. "Banning them for such a long period of 12 months is ridiculous. I heard that the ban was to be for six months but one person (the Australian Prime Minister) who has no business in the issue called up and it was changed to 12 months," he said. Thomson did not give a definitive answer when asked if Virat Kohli is the new Sachin Tendulkar. "I feel Virat Kohli is emerging as a great player but he might have played differently in an earlier time. These days, a batsman will not score for two overs and then score a boundary with a stupid shot. At times, not getting out is the mindset of a batsman," he said. "I think other team members (than Kohli) should play tough cricket like he plays. When he is out, other members should show the fighting spirit. If you score 300-350 you should win (in Australia)," he added. He said he must have clocked 110 miles/hr in his playing days if the measurement was done similar to the current practice. "During my time, the speed was measured at the impact of the ball with the bat and now it is done when the ball leaves the hand. I think I must have clocked 175 km/hr in the current measurement system," he said. "Many a times when I bowled at the WACA, the ball used to bounce past the batsman to hit the side screen." Asked if he remembers an incident when Sri Lankan Duleep Mendis was offered to lodge police complaint after being hit by his delivery, Thomson said: "I don't know about that but I am happy that I retired without inflicting any serious injury to anybody. "At that time, there were no helmets, pitches were different and no limitation of bouncers but still no major injury occurred from my bowling." On the playing conditions nowadays, he said, "It is heavily tilted towards batsmen. The balls are a problem, pitches have changed and have become flat, boundaries are smaller, bats are heavier and miss hits can go to boundaries." Asked to name the five best batsmen in the world he has bowled to during his career, he mentioned Brian Lara, Vivian Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Greg Chappell and Barry Richards. Lara though started playing after his retirement. "I have not played against Don Bradman and Gary Sobers and so they are not in my choices," he said.

India are favourites against Australian in absence of Steve Smith, David Warner: Jeff Thomson

Flamboyant opener Rohit Sharma, who finished as the leading scorer in the five-match ODI series against Australia which India won 4-1 on Sunday, has moved up four places to reach the fifth position in the ICC ODI Player Rankings.

Sharma&#39;s 296 runs in the series, which included a brilliant 125 in the last match in Nagpur, contributed significantly to India&#39;s convincing victory over the Steve Smith-led side that helped grab the No.1 position in the ICC ODI Team Rankings.

The Mumbaikar is now on a career-best 790 rating points but his highest ranking has been third, which he attained in February 2016.

His opening partner Ajinkya Rahane has moved up four places to reach 24th position while Australia&#39;s opening pair of Aaron Finch and David Warner have proved more prolific and the results show in the latest rankings that also take into account the five-match series in England which the home side won 4-0 against the West Indies.

Finch has gained nine slots to reach 17th position while Warner has closed in on No. 1 ranked Virat Kohli, bridging the pre-series gap of 26 points to just 12 points as he has moved to 865 points.

Other batsmen moving up include Kedhar Jadhav of India (up eight places to a career-best 36th), Marcus Stoinis of Australia (up 74 places to 54th), Jason Roy (up seven places to 30th), Jonny Bairstow (up 48 places to 40th) and Moeen Ali (up 18 places to 56th) of England, and the Windies pair of Jason Holder (up 11 places to 73rd) and Evin Lewis (up 31 places to 78th).

In the rankings for bowlers, South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir has regained the top spot after Australia pace bowler Josh Hazlewood missed the India series due to a side strain and lost 18 points in the process. Tahir is now just four points ahead of Hazlewood at 718 points.

In other movements, India&#39;s left-arm spinner Akshar Patel has reached a career-best seventh position after moving up three places while wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (up 24 places to 75th) and Kuldeep Yadav (up nine places to 80th) have also moved northwards.

Other bowlers to move up include Australia&#39;s Nathan Coulter-Nile (up 49 places to a career-best 44th position) and Pat Cummins (up seven places to 21st), and England&#39;s Liam Plunkett (up three places to 10th) and Adil Rashid (up four places to 12th).

In the list of all-rounders led by Bangladesh&#39;s Shakib Al Hasan, England&#39;s Ben Stokes has moved into the top five.

He moved up four places to reach the fifth position in the ICC ODI Player Rankings

Flamboyant opener Rohit Sharma, who finished as the leading scorer in the five-match ODI series against Australia which India won 4-1 on Sunday, has moved up four places to reach the fifth position in the ICC ODI Player Rankings. Sharma's 296 runs in the series, which included a brilliant 125 in the last match in Nagpur, contributed significantly to India's convincing victory over the Steve Smith-led side that helped grab the No.1 position in the ICC ODI Team Rankings. The Mumbaikar is now on a career-best 790 rating points but his highest ranking has been third, which he attained in February 2016. His opening partner Ajinkya Rahane has moved up four places to reach 24th position while Australia's opening pair of Aaron Finch and David Warner have proved more prolific and the results show in the latest rankings that also take into account the five-match series in England which the home side won 4-0 against the West Indies. Finch has gained nine slots to reach 17th position while Warner has closed in on No. 1 ranked Virat Kohli, bridging the pre-series gap of 26 points to just 12 points as he has moved to 865 points. Other batsmen moving up include Kedhar Jadhav of India (up eight places to a career-best 36th), Marcus Stoinis of Australia (up 74 places to 54th), Jason Roy (up seven places to 30th), Jonny Bairstow (up 48 places to 40th) and Moeen Ali (up 18 places to 56th) of England, and the Windies pair of Jason Holder (up 11 places to 73rd) and Evin Lewis (up 31 places to 78th). In the rankings for bowlers, South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir has regained the top spot after Australia pace bowler Josh Hazlewood missed the India series due to a side strain and lost 18 points in the process. Tahir is now just four points ahead of Hazlewood at 718 points. In other movements, India's left-arm spinner Akshar Patel has reached a career-best seventh position after moving up three places while wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (up 24 places to 75th) and Kuldeep Yadav (up nine places to 80th) have also moved northwards. Other bowlers to move up include Australia's Nathan Coulter-Nile (up 49 places to a career-best 44th position) and Pat Cummins (up seven places to 21st), and England's Liam Plunkett (up three places to 10th) and Adil Rashid (up four places to 12th). In the list of all-rounders led by Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, England's Ben Stokes has moved into the top five.

Rohit Sharma now amongst top five ODI batsmen

Skipper Virat Kohli Sunday urged&nbsp;India&nbsp;to be &quot;relentless&quot; after&nbsp;they thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth one-day international, clinching the series 4-1.

Chasing 243 for victory, the hosts rode on opener Rohit Sharma&#39;s 109-ball 125 to achieve their target in 42.5 overs at Nagpur and get back to the top of ODI world rankings table.

India, who reached the ODI summit after three straight wins in the series, had slipped behind South Africa following their loss in the fourth game. They were already the top Test team.

&quot;It feels good. It was a really convincing series win for us. Ticked all boxes... We had a chance to retain the No. 1 spot and we ended up doing that,&quot; Kohli said at the presentation.

&quot;The management also plays a massive part in motivating players after being 3-0 up in the series. But we want to be relentless,&quot; he added.

It was a disciplined bowling effort led by spinner Axar Patel, who claimed three wickets, that set up&nbsp;India&#39;s comfortable victory after restricting the visitors to 242-9.

In reply,&nbsp;Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, who made 61, put on a 124-run opening stand to lay a solid foundation in another dominating performance in recent times.

&quot;We repeated the way we played against Sri Lanka (beat them 9-0 across the three formats), proud of that. Shows the quality of the side, regardless of the opposition,&quot; said Kohli.

Man of the match Sharma, who opened his account with two successive boundaries after 14 deliveries,&nbsp;was the first to get to his fifty with a double off Marcus Stoinis.

Rahane also got his fourth successive 50-plus score before being trapped lbw by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile, who ended with 10 wickets in the five matches.

Sharma went on to register his 14th ODI ton during his 99-run partnership with Kohli, who made a sedate 39. He got to his hundred with a six off Coulter-Nile.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa sent Sharma, who hit 11 fours and 5 sixes, and Kohli back to pavilion.

&quot;Wickets in clumps&quot;

Kedar Jadhav, unbeaten on five, and Manish Pandey, 11 not out, then saw the team through.

Earlier, opener David Warner&#39;s 62-ball 53 was not enough to inspire Australian batting as they ended on a below-par total after electing to bat first.

All-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who struck first by getting Aaron Finch out for 32, was given the man of the series award for his six wickets and 222 runs in the series.

Travis Head and Stoinis tried hard to counter a persistent Indian bowling with their 87-run fifth-wicket partnership, but their departure spelt further trouble for the visitors.

Head, who made 42, and Stoinis, who scored 46, failed to convert their starts into bigger scores as Australia totally lost steam in the final five overs.

Left-arm spinner Patel returned impressive figures of 3-38 while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets.

&quot;Lost wickets in clumps again. Have a few things to look at to try and improve and gain the consistent performances we&#39;re after,&quot; said a disappointed Smith.

&quot;We&#39;ve been outplayed and deserve to lose 4-1...India&nbsp;have got a very good balance. We have six or so days until the 3-match T20I series. We&#39;d like to go home with a trophy,&quot; he added.

The action now shifts to the three Twenty20 internationals starting Saturday in Ranchi. 
&nbsp;

Virat Kohli asked?India?to be 'relentless' after?they thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth one-day international

Skipper Virat Kohli Sunday urged India to be "relentless" after they thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth one-day international, clinching the series 4-1. Chasing 243 for victory, the hosts rode on opener Rohit Sharma's 109-ball 125 to achieve their target in 42.5 overs at Nagpur and get back to the top of ODI world rankings table. India, who reached the ODI summit after three straight wins in the series, had slipped behind South Africa following their loss in the fourth game. They were already the top Test team. "It feels good. It was a really convincing series win for us. Ticked all boxes... We had a chance to retain the No. 1 spot and we ended up doing that," Kohli said at the presentation. "The management also plays a massive part in motivating players after being 3-0 up in the series. But we want to be relentless," he added. It was a disciplined bowling effort led by spinner Axar Patel, who claimed three wickets, that set up India's comfortable victory after restricting the visitors to 242-9. In reply, Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, who made 61, put on a 124-run opening stand to lay a solid foundation in another dominating performance in recent times. "We repeated the way we played against Sri Lanka (beat them 9-0 across the three formats), proud of that. Shows the quality of the side, regardless of the opposition," said Kohli. Man of the match Sharma, who opened his account with two successive boundaries after 14 deliveries, was the first to get to his fifty with a double off Marcus Stoinis. Rahane also got his fourth successive 50-plus score before being trapped lbw by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile, who ended with 10 wickets in the five matches. Sharma went on to register his 14th ODI ton during his 99-run partnership with Kohli, who made a sedate 39. He got to his hundred with a six off Coulter-Nile. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa sent Sharma, who hit 11 fours and 5 sixes, and Kohli back to pavilion. "Wickets in clumps" Kedar Jadhav, unbeaten on five, and Manish Pandey, 11 not out, then saw the team through. Earlier, opener David Warner's 62-ball 53 was not enough to inspire Australian batting as they ended on a below-par total after electing to bat first. All-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who struck first by getting Aaron Finch out for 32, was given the man of the series award for his six wickets and 222 runs in the series. Travis Head and Stoinis tried hard to counter a persistent Indian bowling with their 87-run fifth-wicket partnership, but their departure spelt further trouble for the visitors. Head, who made 42, and Stoinis, who scored 46, failed to convert their starts into bigger scores as Australia totally lost steam in the final five overs. Left-arm spinner Patel returned impressive figures of 3-38 while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets. "Lost wickets in clumps again. Have a few things to look at to try and improve and gain the consistent performances we're after," said a disappointed Smith. "We've been outplayed and deserve to lose 4-1...India have got a very good balance. We have six or so days until the 3-match T20I series. We'd like to go home with a trophy," he added. The action now shifts to the three Twenty20 internationals starting Saturday in Ranchi.

India thrash Australia to win ODI series 4-1

Australia have won the fourth ODI against India by 21 runs.&nbsp;

India were able to make only 313/8 against Australia&#39;s 334/5 in 50 overs.&nbsp;

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Australia have won the 4th ODI by 21 runs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/913436334009729025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Australia were playing for pride -- India has already won the first three matches of the five-match series.&nbsp;

India&#39;s Kedar Jadhav scored 67. Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma hit 53 and 67 respectively.&nbsp;

But it was&nbsp;Australia&#39;s David Warner who starred, making 124 runs off&nbsp;119 balls.

Warner and Aaron Finch (94) put together a mammoth 231-run opening partnership, in the process pulverising India&#39;s bowling attack at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The last match of this series will be played in Nagpur, India.&nbsp;

David Warner (124) and Aaron Finch (94) put together a mammoth 231-run opening partnership

Australia have won the fourth ODI against India by 21 runs. India were able to make only 313/8 against Australia's 334/5 in 50 overs. Australia have won the 4th ODI by 21 runs #INDvAUS — ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2017 × Australia were playing for pride -- India has already won the first three matches of the five-match series. India's Kedar Jadhav scored 67. Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma hit 53 and 67 respectively. But it was Australia's David Warner who starred, making 124 runs off 119 balls. Warner and Aaron Finch (94) put together a mammoth 231-run opening partnership, in the process pulverising India's bowling attack at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The last match of this series will be played in Nagpur, India.

4th ODI: Australia beat India by 21 runs, Warner sparkles

Virat Kohli reached yet another milestone as he equalled MS Dhoni&#39;s record for most number of consecutive wins as the ODI captain.

In the ongoing five-match series, India bagged the winning spot against the reigning world champions with a lead of 3-0.

The spotlight during the match was on all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who batted away to victory with 78 runs in 72 balls.

India&#39;s victory over Australia in the third-ODI on Sunday was its ninth consecutive win under Kohli&#39;s leadership. The previous record under Dhoni during February 2008 and January 2009.

India&#39;s current winning spree begun on July 6 this year when it won the final match at Sabina Park against West Indies by eight wickets.

Up till now, the skipper Virat Kohli has led 30 ODI victories in 38 matches with an 81.08 per cent wins.

Up till now, the skipper Virat Kohli has led 30 ODI wins in 38 matches, an 81.08 per cent wins

Virat Kohli reached yet another milestone as he equalled MS Dhoni's record for most number of consecutive wins as the ODI captain. In the ongoing five-match series, India bagged the winning spot against the reigning world champions with a lead of 3-0. The spotlight during the match was on all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who batted away to victory with 78 runs in 72 balls. India's victory over Australia in the third-ODI on Sunday was its ninth consecutive win under Kohli's leadership. The previous record under Dhoni during February 2008 and January 2009. India's current winning spree begun on July 6 this year when it won the final match at Sabina Park against West Indies by eight wickets. Up till now, the skipper Virat Kohli has led 30 ODI victories in 38 matches with an 81.08 per cent wins.

Virat Kohli equals Dhoni's record of consecutive ODI wins as captain

All-rounder Hardik Pandya celebrated his promotion in the batting order with a breezy 78 to help secure India&#39;s series-clinching five-wicket victory in the third one-day international against Australia on Sunday (September 24).

Three of India&#39;s top four batsmen scored 70 or more as the hosts chased down a 294-run victory target at Holkar Stadium in central Indore city, with 13 balls to spare for their third successive victory in the five-match series.

Pandya, who was promoted to number four, said message was simple - &quot;play your game&quot;.

The man-of-the-match hit four sixes and five fours and took India closer to victory before getting dismissed by Pat Cummins in the 46th over.

Earlier, Aaron Finch smashed 124 on his return but Australia, cruising at 224-1 at one stage, suffered a mini-collapse to settle for 293-6 in the Holkar Stadium.

Australian Captain Steve Smith credited the Indian pace bowlers for bowling well towards the end of their innings and restricting them to under 300 and blamed poor shot selections of batsmen for failing to take advantage of the platform set by Finch.

Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss for the first time in the series and opted to bat first.

Openers Finch and David Warner give Australia a solid, if not spectacular, start with a 70-run stand as the tourists looked determined to preserve wickets.

Pandya bowled Warner for 42 but Finch and Smith added 154 runs for the second wicket with a 325-plus total looking well within Australia&#39;s reach.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav dismissed both to trigger a collapse as Australia lost five wickets for 51 runs to fall short of the 300-mark.

India reached the 100 mark in 15 overs without losing a wicket with Rohit Sharma leading their robust reply with a blistering 71.

India soon suffered a mini-collapse of their own, losing four wickets, including their openers and skipper Virat Kohli, for 67 runs.

However, Pandya and Manish Pandey with 36 in 32 balls ensured that India achieves unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

India&#39;s ninth consecutive ODI win also ensured they are now the top ranked team both in tests and the one-day format.

Bangalore hosts the fourth match on Thursday.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya celebrated his promotion in the batting order with a breezy 78 to help secure India's series-clinching five-wicket victory in the third ODI against Australia on Sunday

All-rounder Hardik Pandya celebrated his promotion in the batting order with a breezy 78 to help secure India's series-clinching five-wicket victory in the third one-day international against Australia on Sunday (September 24). Three of India's top four batsmen scored 70 or more as the hosts chased down a 294-run victory target at Holkar Stadium in central Indore city, with 13 balls to spare for their third successive victory in the five-match series. Pandya, who was promoted to number four, said message was simple - "play your game". The man-of-the-match hit four sixes and five fours and took India closer to victory before getting dismissed by Pat Cummins in the 46th over. Earlier, Aaron Finch smashed 124 on his return but Australia, cruising at 224-1 at one stage, suffered a mini-collapse to settle for 293-6 in the Holkar Stadium. Australian Captain Steve Smith credited the Indian pace bowlers for bowling well towards the end of their innings and restricting them to under 300 and blamed poor shot selections of batsmen for failing to take advantage of the platform set by Finch. Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss for the first time in the series and opted to bat first. Openers Finch and David Warner give Australia a solid, if not spectacular, start with a 70-run stand as the tourists looked determined to preserve wickets. Pandya bowled Warner for 42 but Finch and Smith added 154 runs for the second wicket with a 325-plus total looking well within Australia's reach. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav dismissed both to trigger a collapse as Australia lost five wickets for 51 runs to fall short of the 300-mark. India reached the 100 mark in 15 overs without losing a wicket with Rohit Sharma leading their robust reply with a blistering 71. India soon suffered a mini-collapse of their own, losing four wickets, including their openers and skipper Virat Kohli, for 67 runs. However, Pandya and Manish Pandey with 36 in 32 balls ensured that India achieves unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. India's ninth consecutive ODI win also ensured they are now the top ranked team both in tests and the one-day format. Bangalore hosts the fourth match on Thursday.

India clinch series against Australia, courtesy all-round show by Pandya

All-rounder Hardik Pandya starred with the bat and ball to help India defeat Australia by 26 runs in the rain-hit opening one-day international in Chennai on Sunday.

(Also Read:<a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-completes-milestone-of-100th-international-half-century-20315"> MS Dhoni completes milestone of 100th international half-century</a>)

Chasing a revised target of 164 in 21 overs, the visitors were frustrated by wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav who shared five wickets between them. They ended on 137-9.

But it was Pandya&#39;s 66-ball 83 and two wickets that proved decisive in India taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Pandya put on a gritty 118-run sixth-wicket stand with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 79, to lift India from a precarious 87-5 after electing to bat first.

In reply, the visitors had to wait for two hours to start their shortened chase as constant drizzle threatened to spoil the contest.

Pacemen Jasprit Bumrah and Pandya combined to hurt Australia&#39;s hopes of chasing a tricky target with three early strikes including skipper Steve Smith for one.

Bumrah bowled debutant opener Hilton Cartwright for one. He then took a stunning high catch at short fine-leg to send Smith trudging back to the pavilion off Pandya.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also joined the party after getting star opener David Warner caught behind for 25 as Australia&#39;s innings fell apart.

Glenn Maxwell tried to raise Australia&#39;s hopes with his 18-ball 39, including three fours and four sixes, but Yuzvendra Chahal cut short the batsman&#39;s blitz.

Leg-spinner Chahal ended with three wickets in his five overs. Pandya and Yadav took two each.&nbsp;

Earlier Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile had made an impact with three wickets including the prized scalp of Virat Kohli for nought.

Coulter-Nile, who returned after a string of injuries that kept him out since June 2016, put India in early trouble at 11-3.

Rohit Sharma, who made 28, and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 40, tried to rebuild with their 53-run partnership before Marcus Stoinis sent the two batsmen back in the pavilion.

Dhoni, who has captained the successful Chennai franchise in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, then made his innings count along with Pandya for company.

The duo thwarted the Australian bowling with some stubborn batting before Pandya let loose to take the attack to the opposition.

Pandya took a special liking to Adam Zampa&#39;s leg-spin as he smashed the bowler for a four and three successive sixes in an over to bring up his third ODI fifty.

Zampa though did get Pandya out for his only wicket in the innings but the bowler&#39;s 10 overs cost his side 66 runs.

Dhoni soon took over to blast some vital runs in the last five overs as he added 72 runs with number-eight Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished unbeaten on 32.

The two teams now head to Kolkata&#39;s iconic Eden Gardens for the second ODI on Thursday.

It was Hardik Pandya's 66-ball 83 and two wickets that proved decisive in India taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series

All-rounder Hardik Pandya starred with the bat and ball to help India defeat Australia by 26 runs in the rain-hit opening one-day international in Chennai on Sunday. (Also Read: MS Dhoni completes milestone of 100th international half-century) Chasing a revised target of 164 in 21 overs, the visitors were frustrated by wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav who shared five wickets between them. They ended on 137-9. But it was Pandya's 66-ball 83 and two wickets that proved decisive in India taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Pandya put on a gritty 118-run sixth-wicket stand with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 79, to lift India from a precarious 87-5 after electing to bat first. In reply, the visitors had to wait for two hours to start their shortened chase as constant drizzle threatened to spoil the contest. Pacemen Jasprit Bumrah and Pandya combined to hurt Australia's hopes of chasing a tricky target with three early strikes including skipper Steve Smith for one. Bumrah bowled debutant opener Hilton Cartwright for one. He then took a stunning high catch at short fine-leg to send Smith trudging back to the pavilion off Pandya. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also joined the party after getting star opener David Warner caught behind for 25 as Australia's innings fell apart. Glenn Maxwell tried to raise Australia's hopes with his 18-ball 39, including three fours and four sixes, but Yuzvendra Chahal cut short the batsman's blitz. Leg-spinner Chahal ended with three wickets in his five overs. Pandya and Yadav took two each. Earlier Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile had made an impact with three wickets including the prized scalp of Virat Kohli for nought. Coulter-Nile, who returned after a string of injuries that kept him out since June 2016, put India in early trouble at 11-3. Rohit Sharma, who made 28, and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 40, tried to rebuild with their 53-run partnership before Marcus Stoinis sent the two batsmen back in the pavilion. Dhoni, who has captained the successful Chennai franchise in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, then made his innings count along with Pandya for company. The duo thwarted the Australian bowling with some stubborn batting before Pandya let loose to take the attack to the opposition. Pandya took a special liking to Adam Zampa's leg-spin as he smashed the bowler for a four and three successive sixes in an over to bring up his third ODI fifty. Zampa though did get Pandya out for his only wicket in the innings but the bowler's 10 overs cost his side 66 runs. Dhoni soon took over to blast some vital runs in the last five overs as he added 72 runs with number-eight Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished unbeaten on 32. The two teams now head to Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens for the second ODI on Thursday.

India beat Australia by 26 runs in 1st ODI

Former Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Sunday reached the landmark of 50 centuries in international cricket across all three formats of the game after he scored 79 runs against Australia in the first ODI in Chennai.

The 36-year-old is now the 13th cricketer in the history of international cricket to achieve the feat and among Indians, the fourth after Sachin Tendulkar (164), Rahul Dravid (146) and Sourav Ganguly (107).

Dhoni was playing his 66th ODI half-century in his 302nd ODI. He has scored 33 half centuries in 90 Tests and&nbsp;one in the 78 T20 International matches that he has played.

Dhoni now has 9737 runs in ODIs and requires 263 more runs to complete the 10,000-run milestone in the 50-over format.&nbsp;

Among Indians, he is fourth after Sachin Tendulkar (164), Rahul Dravid (146) and Sourav Ganguly (107) to achieve the feat

Former Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Sunday reached the landmark of 50 centuries in international cricket across all three formats of the game after he scored 79 runs against Australia in the first ODI in Chennai. The 36-year-old is now the 13th cricketer in the history of international cricket to achieve the feat and among Indians, the fourth after Sachin Tendulkar (164), Rahul Dravid (146) and Sourav Ganguly (107). Dhoni was playing his 66th ODI half-century in his 302nd ODI. He has scored 33 half centuries in 90 Tests and one in the 78 T20 International matches that he has played. Dhoni now has 9737 runs in ODIs and requires 263 more runs to complete the 10,000-run milestone in the 50-over format.

MS Dhoni completes milestone of 100th international half-century

India skipper Virat Kohli said Saturday that competitiveness and &quot;mind games&quot; can be good for cricket as his team prepares to face their arch-rival Australia in a one-day series starting Sunday.

While Australia captain Steve Smith has batted for peace and urged the five-match series to be played in &quot;good spirit&quot;, Virat Kohli hinted that a bit of aggression can be useful to get the best out of players.

&quot;All those things are to get that aspect of mind games which I think creates an excitement for the fans watching as well,&quot; Kohli told reporters on the eve of the limited-overs series in Chennai.

&quot;Also the players involved in the series you know, that becomes more exciting and players are more pumped up to win games and outdo each other,&quot; he added.

&quot;I feel that intense competition should be there for the game to have that excitement and keep this game alive. I think it is very important to have that competitiveness in every series that you play.&quot;

The hosts are on top form after recently beating Sri Lanka 9-0 in Tests, one day games and Twenty20, but second-ranked Australia poses a different challenge.&nbsp;

Kohli was furious after a Test in Bangalore in March this year, when Smith looked up to his dressing room from the field -- where replays could be seen by teammates -- while deciding whether to challenge an lbw dismissal.

Players are not allowed to have outside input while challenging an umpire&#39;s decision.

Smith later apologised for his self-admitted &quot;brain fade&quot; moment but Kohli slammed the Aussies at the time.

After landing in India, the combative Australian skipper said he was anxious to halt the acrimony that marked the series, which his team lost 2-1.

Kohli stressed that it was important to prepare properly for a series irrespective of your opponent.&nbsp;

&quot;Your preparation should matter more than who you are playing against,&quot; said Kohli.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli's statement comes as the team prepares to face their arch-rival Australia in a one-day series starting Sunday

India skipper Virat Kohli said Saturday that competitiveness and "mind games" can be good for cricket as his team prepares to face their arch-rival Australia in a one-day series starting Sunday. While Australia captain Steve Smith has batted for peace and urged the five-match series to be played in "good spirit", Virat Kohli hinted that a bit of aggression can be useful to get the best out of players. "All those things are to get that aspect of mind games which I think creates an excitement for the fans watching as well," Kohli told reporters on the eve of the limited-overs series in Chennai. "Also the players involved in the series you know, that becomes more exciting and players are more pumped up to win games and outdo each other," he added. "I feel that intense competition should be there for the game to have that excitement and keep this game alive. I think it is very important to have that competitiveness in every series that you play." The hosts are on top form after recently beating Sri Lanka 9-0 in Tests, one day games and Twenty20, but second-ranked Australia poses a different challenge. Kohli was furious after a Test in Bangalore in March this year, when Smith looked up to his dressing room from the field -- where replays could be seen by teammates -- while deciding whether to challenge an lbw dismissal. Players are not allowed to have outside input while challenging an umpire's decision. Smith later apologised for his self-admitted "brain fade" moment but Kohli slammed the Aussies at the time. After landing in India, the combative Australian skipper said he was anxious to halt the acrimony that marked the series, which his team lost 2-1. Kohli stressed that it was important to prepare properly for a series irrespective of your opponent. "Your preparation should matter more than who you are playing against," said Kohli.

Mind games can be good for cricket: Virat Kohli ahead of Australia match

India&#39;s women&#39;s cricket team beat Australia by 36 runs to reach the Women&#39;s World Cup final.

Harmanpreet Kaur hit an incredible 171 not out as India made 281 off their rain-restricted 42 overs before they dismissed six-time champions Australia for 245.

Australia, set 282 to win and what would have been a record World Cup chase if successful, got off to a terrible start as they lost three wickets inside the opening eight overs.

Despite some impressive hitting from Elyse Villani, who recorded her best ODI score of 75, they were never able to keep up with the required run rate and were dismissed for 245 with 11 balls to spare.

India will face now England, the three-time champions, in Sunday&#39;s final at Lord&#39;s. This is only the second time&nbsp;the Indian cricket team has reached the finals.&nbsp;

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Brilliant finish by the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomenInBlue?src=hash">#WomenInBlue</a>! The pic says it all! Here we come Lord&#39;s! My best wishes for the final against England <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWC17?src=hash">#WWC17</a> <a href="https://t.co/WPNLsLFhuE">pic.twitter.com/WPNLsLFhuE</a>
&mdash; sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/888113519371014149">July 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Filled with pride seeing <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIWomen">@BCCIWomen</a> perform like this.Congratulations on the great victory. Unforgettable knock by <a href="https://twitter.com/ImHarmanpreet">@ImHarmanpreet</a>
&mdash; Kapil Dev (@therealkapildev) <a href="https://twitter.com/therealkapildev/status/888111461137997824">July 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The Player of the Match award went to none other than India&rsquo;s Harmanpreet Kaur.

Indian had won the toss and elected to bat first.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/live-updates-womens-world-cup-india-win-toss-elect-to-bat-first-18123">Women&#39;s World Cup semi-final: Harmanpreet Kaur&#39;s ton puts India on top against Australia</a>

<h1 title="Women's World Cup semi-final: Harmanpreet?Kaur's ton puts India on top against Australia">&nbsp;</h1>

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Winners! ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWC17?src=hash">#WWC17</a> <a href="https://t.co/SoQEomeRgS">pic.twitter.com/SoQEomeRgS</a>
&mdash; Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup/status/888110267422261249">July 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

India won the Women?s World Cup semi-final against Australia by 36 runs

India's women's cricket team beat Australia by 36 runs to reach the Women's World Cup final. Harmanpreet Kaur hit an incredible 171 not out as India made 281 off their rain-restricted 42 overs before they dismissed six-time champions Australia for 245. Australia, set 282 to win and what would have been a record World Cup chase if successful, got off to a terrible start as they lost three wickets inside the opening eight overs. Despite some impressive hitting from Elyse Villani, who recorded her best ODI score of 75, they were never able to keep up with the required run rate and were dismissed for 245 with 11 balls to spare. India will face now England, the three-time champions, in Sunday's final at Lord's. This is only the second time the Indian cricket team has reached the finals. Brilliant finish by the #WomenInBlue! The pic says it all! Here we come Lord's! My best wishes for the final against England #AUSvIND #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/WPNLsLFhuE — sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 20, 2017 × Filled with pride seeing @BCCIWomen perform like this.Congratulations on the great victory. Unforgettable knock by @ImHarmanpreet — Kapil Dev (@therealkapildev) July 20, 2017 × The Player of the Match award went to none other than India’s Harmanpreet Kaur. Indian had won the toss and elected to bat first. Women's World Cup semi-final: Harmanpreet Kaur's ton puts India on top against Australia Winners! ????#AUSvIND #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/SoQEomeRgS — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 20, 2017 ×

India trounce Australia to enter Women's World Cup final

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon claimed four wickets in the final session to halt India&#39;s progress and help restrict the hosts to 248 for six on the second day of the fourth and final test on Sunday.

At 157 for two, and with the dependable Cheteshwar Pujara and stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane looking set in the middle, India appeared to have the upper hand before Lyon (4-67) intervened after tea.

In the first over of the final session, Lyon sent back Pujara for 57 and went on to dismiss Karun Nair, Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin to deflate the hosts.

Ravindra Jadeja clobbered a couple of sixes and was batting on 16 at the close, while Wriddhiman Saha was on 10, having survived two reviews and a dropped catch.

India are still 52 runs behind Australia&#39;s first innings total of 300 in the decider of the four-test series which is level at 1-1. 
&quot;It`s an unbelievable feeling, to be pretty evenly poised after day two,&quot; Lyon told reporters.

&quot;I know we probably left a few runs out there but to have India six down for 240-odd after a pretty a good day on the field -- (I am) quite happy to be honest.&quot;

Pat Cummins and new ball colleague Josh Hazlewood were aggressive in the morning session on a pitch which offered wholesome bounce to the pacemen.

Hazlewood was rewarded for constantly attacking the line outside the off-stump when Murali Vijay edged him to Matthew Wade to depart for 11.

Fellow opener Lokesh Rahul was hit on the index finger of his right hand by a Hazlewood delivery but the right-hander recovered to score 60 and give India a strong start.

The 24-year-old left well, drove elegantly and slog-swept Steve O`Keefe for a six en route to his fifth half-century of the series. 
The second-wicket partnership was worth 87 runs and was looking ominous until Rahul went for a wild hook, with the bouncer hitting the toe end of his bat before finding David Warner at mid off.&nbsp;

Rahane found himself in the line of fire and the otherwise dependable batsman made things difficult for himself by trying to pull and hook his way out of trouble.

Pujara, who batted for more than 11 hours in the drawn third test in Ranchi for his 202, played with characteristic calmness at the other end and brought up his fifty with a boundary off Lyon.

The off-spinner claimed a major breakthrough when he ended Pujara`s nearly three-and-half hour vigil by getting him caught at short leg.

Leading the side in absence of injured regular skipper Virat Kohli, Rahane fell to Lyon for 46 with Australia skipper Steve Smith taking a sharp catch at slip.

Ashwin made 30 before he was trapped leg-before by Lyon.

&quot;All of us got starts but we could not convert,&quot; Rahul said of his top and middle order colleagues.

&quot;We`re happy. (At the) end of the day, (nearly) 250 runs for six wickets was not really the worst day for us.&quot;

(Reuters)

India are still 52 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 300 in the decider of the four-test series

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon claimed four wickets in the final session to halt India's progress and help restrict the hosts to 248 for six on the second day of the fourth and final test on Sunday. At 157 for two, and with the dependable Cheteshwar Pujara and stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane looking set in the middle, India appeared to have the upper hand before Lyon (4-67) intervened after tea. In the first over of the final session, Lyon sent back Pujara for 57 and went on to dismiss Karun Nair, Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin to deflate the hosts. Ravindra Jadeja clobbered a couple of sixes and was batting on 16 at the close, while Wriddhiman Saha was on 10, having survived two reviews and a dropped catch. India are still 52 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 300 in the decider of the four-test series which is level at 1-1. "It`s an unbelievable feeling, to be pretty evenly poised after day two," Lyon told reporters. "I know we probably left a few runs out there but to have India six down for 240-odd after a pretty a good day on the field -- (I am) quite happy to be honest." Pat Cummins and new ball colleague Josh Hazlewood were aggressive in the morning session on a pitch which offered wholesome bounce to the pacemen. Hazlewood was rewarded for constantly attacking the line outside the off-stump when Murali Vijay edged him to Matthew Wade to depart for 11. Fellow opener Lokesh Rahul was hit on the index finger of his right hand by a Hazlewood delivery but the right-hander recovered to score 60 and give India a strong start. The 24-year-old left well, drove elegantly and slog-swept Steve O`Keefe for a six en route to his fifth half-century of the series. The second-wicket partnership was worth 87 runs and was looking ominous until Rahul went for a wild hook, with the bouncer hitting the toe end of his bat before finding David Warner at mid off. Rahane found himself in the line of fire and the otherwise dependable batsman made things difficult for himself by trying to pull and hook his way out of trouble. Pujara, who batted for more than 11 hours in the drawn third test in Ranchi for his 202, played with characteristic calmness at the other end and brought up his fifty with a boundary off Lyon. The off-spinner claimed a major breakthrough when he ended Pujara`s nearly three-and-half hour vigil by getting him caught at short leg. Leading the side in absence of injured regular skipper Virat Kohli, Rahane fell to Lyon for 46 with Australia skipper Steve Smith taking a sharp catch at slip. Ashwin made 30 before he was trapped leg-before by Lyon. "All of us got starts but we could not convert," Rahul said of his top and middle order colleagues. "We`re happy. (At the) end of the day, (nearly) 250 runs for six wickets was not really the worst day for us." (Reuters)

Nathan Lyon strikes for Australia, claims four wickets

Fighting half-centuries from Shaun Marsh and Matt Renshaw helped Australia secure a crucial first-innings lead over world number one India in the second Test in Bangalore on Sunday.

The visitors were 237 for six at stumps on the second day, leading India by 48 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Matthew Wade on 25 and Mitchell Starc on 14 were at the crease.

Marsh top-scored with a 197-ball 66 before Indian seamer Umesh Yadav lured him into a tired-looking shot that was caught at short midwicket just before close of play.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets, including the key scalps of Australia skipper Steve Smith (8) and Renshaw (60) on a pitch that offered variable bounce.

Fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Yadav, with a wicket each, unsettled the visiting batsmen but regular partnerships helped Australia surpass India&#39;s first-innings score of 189.

The visitors were faltering at the tea break on 163-5, but Marsh returned to score his sixth Test fifty while he and Wade put on 57 for the sixth wicket.

Marsh had his share of luck, surviving a few close calls against the Indian bowlers including nicking a Yadav delivery on 14 off the glove.

Earlier Renshaw, who started the day on 15, put on 52 runs with Marsh to keep the Indian attack temporarily at bay as runs came at a miserly rate of roughly two an over.

The left-handed opener, who had scored 68 in the first innings in Pune, looked ready to accelerate after hitting Jadeja for the first six of the match, but the bowler got his revenge two balls later.

Jadeja saw Renshaw emerge from his crease and fired the ball down the leg side as wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha completed the stumping in quick time.

Runs came at a trickle in the morning session, with the visitors scoring just 47 in 29 overs as two of their top batsmen Warner (33) and Smith were sent back to the pavilion.

Ashwin bowled Warner to get the opener for an eighth time in 12 Tests, while Smith battled hard for 52 deliveries before being caught by Saha off a wily Jadeja.

The morning was enlivened by banter between the lanky Sharma and Smith, who traded barbs as the day progressed.

The visitors lead the four-match series 1-0 after beating India in the first Test in Pune inside three days.

(AFP) 
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The visitors were 237 for six at stumps on the second day, leading India by 48 runs

Fighting half-centuries from Shaun Marsh and Matt Renshaw helped Australia secure a crucial first-innings lead over world number one India in the second Test in Bangalore on Sunday. The visitors were 237 for six at stumps on the second day, leading India by 48 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Matthew Wade on 25 and Mitchell Starc on 14 were at the crease. Marsh top-scored with a 197-ball 66 before Indian seamer Umesh Yadav lured him into a tired-looking shot that was caught at short midwicket just before close of play. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets, including the key scalps of Australia skipper Steve Smith (8) and Renshaw (60) on a pitch that offered variable bounce. Fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Yadav, with a wicket each, unsettled the visiting batsmen but regular partnerships helped Australia surpass India's first-innings score of 189. The visitors were faltering at the tea break on 163-5, but Marsh returned to score his sixth Test fifty while he and Wade put on 57 for the sixth wicket. Marsh had his share of luck, surviving a few close calls against the Indian bowlers including nicking a Yadav delivery on 14 off the glove. Earlier Renshaw, who started the day on 15, put on 52 runs with Marsh to keep the Indian attack temporarily at bay as runs came at a miserly rate of roughly two an over. The left-handed opener, who had scored 68 in the first innings in Pune, looked ready to accelerate after hitting Jadeja for the first six of the match, but the bowler got his revenge two balls later. Jadeja saw Renshaw emerge from his crease and fired the ball down the leg side as wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha completed the stumping in quick time. Runs came at a trickle in the morning session, with the visitors scoring just 47 in 29 overs as two of their top batsmen Warner (33) and Smith were sent back to the pavilion. Ashwin bowled Warner to get the opener for an eighth time in 12 Tests, while Smith battled hard for 52 deliveries before being caught by Saha off a wily Jadeja. The morning was enlivened by banter between the lanky Sharma and Smith, who traded barbs as the day progressed. The visitors lead the four-match series 1-0 after beating India in the first Test in Pune inside three days. (AFP)

Marsh, Renshaw give Australia edge in 2nd Test