Ravichandran Ashwin was back in his element with yet another five-wicket haul, setting up a perfect launchpad for skipper Virat Kohli to extend India&#39;s lead to 298 runs against England on the third day of the second cricket Test here.

Courtesy Ashwin&#39;s 5 for 67, the first time he has picked so many against England in an innings, India bowled out England for 255 in their first essay to take a commanding lead of 200 runs.

Deciding against enforcing follow-on, India reached 98 for 3 in their second innings at close of play with skipper Kohli once again leading from the front with an attacking 56 off 70 balls. His innings was laced with six boundaries.

First-innings centurion, Kohli, was batting in the company of Ajinkya Rahane (22).

While the pitch has not deteriorated massively, but batting on fourth and fifth day will be trickier and Kohli would like to take charge and set up a target beyond the reach of the visitors, who will be batting fourth.

After an indifferent first session, it was Ashwin, who turned the tables on the visitors with his 22nd five-wicket haul in Test cricket. 
The off-spinner faced some challenges but he returned to rip through the tail with wickets in successive deliveries after Ben Stokes (70) and Jonny Bairstow (53) put on 110 runs for the fifth wicket.

With overnight figures of 2 for 20, Ashwin had a lean first spell (9-1-33-0) after he was introduced in the second over of the day, struggling to break the Stokes-Bairstow partnership.

But he returned in the second session and got the balls to grip and skid off the pitch in a fine spell of 7.5-0-14-3, which included the wicket of England top-scorer Stokes, who hit 11 boundaries.

Ashwin now has five-wicket haul against all the Test nations he has played against -- six against New Zealand, four each against

Australia, South Africa and West Indies, two against Sri Lanka and one each against Bangladesh and England. 
In 2016, the 30-year-old has 52 wickets, two behind Rangana Herath&#39;s 54.

The left-hander carried England&#39;s survival hopes and found a fine ally in Bairstow (53), who batted brilliantly despite a troubled ankle before being cleaned up by a fullish delivery from Umesh Yadav with 10 minutes to go for the lunch.

With 33 minutes to tea, England&#39;s first innings folded for in 102.5 overs with a deficit of exactly 200 runs.

(PTI)

India bowled out England for 255 in their first essay to take a commanding lead of 200 runs

Ravichandran Ashwin was back in his element with yet another five-wicket haul, setting up a perfect launchpad for skipper Virat Kohli to extend India's lead to 298 runs against England on the third day of the second cricket Test here. Courtesy Ashwin's 5 for 67, the first time he has picked so many against England in an innings, India bowled out England for 255 in their first essay to take a commanding lead of 200 runs. Deciding against enforcing follow-on, India reached 98 for 3 in their second innings at close of play with skipper Kohli once again leading from the front with an attacking 56 off 70 balls. His innings was laced with six boundaries. First-innings centurion, Kohli, was batting in the company of Ajinkya Rahane (22). While the pitch has not deteriorated massively, but batting on fourth and fifth day will be trickier and Kohli would like to take charge and set up a target beyond the reach of the visitors, who will be batting fourth. After an indifferent first session, it was Ashwin, who turned the tables on the visitors with his 22nd five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The off-spinner faced some challenges but he returned to rip through the tail with wickets in successive deliveries after Ben Stokes (70) and Jonny Bairstow (53) put on 110 runs for the fifth wicket. With overnight figures of 2 for 20, Ashwin had a lean first spell (9-1-33-0) after he was introduced in the second over of the day, struggling to break the Stokes-Bairstow partnership. But he returned in the second session and got the balls to grip and skid off the pitch in a fine spell of 7.5-0-14-3, which included the wicket of England top-scorer Stokes, who hit 11 boundaries. Ashwin now has five-wicket haul against all the Test nations he has played against -- six against New Zealand, four each against Australia, South Africa and West Indies, two against Sri Lanka and one each against Bangladesh and England. In 2016, the 30-year-old has 52 wickets, two behind Rangana Herath's 54. The left-hander carried England's survival hopes and found a fine ally in Bairstow (53), who batted brilliantly despite a troubled ankle before being cleaned up by a fullish delivery from Umesh Yadav with 10 minutes to go for the lunch. With 33 minutes to tea, England's first innings folded for in 102.5 overs with a deficit of exactly 200 runs. (PTI)

Ashwin, Kohli put India in commanding position

In an attempt to promote gender equality, the Indian cricket team today sported jerseys with their mothers&#39; names on them during the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam.

The move is part of the Indian team&#39;s sponsorship rights holder and broadcaster Star India&#39;s &quot;Nayi Soch&quot; (translated in English to, new way of thinking)&nbsp;campaign.

&quot;To make a powerful statement, one that can inspire millions and propel change, our cricket team today sported jerseys with their mothers&#39; names at final ODI of the India-New Zealand series. Our cricket team will serve as ambassadors of new thinking and use the power and platform of sport to drive meaningful social change,&quot; Star India said in a statement.

It expects the symbolic gesture to champion the cause of women in the country which is ranked 130th out of 155 nations in the world on gender equality, as per the UN Human Development Report 2015.

&quot;This is the first time in the world that a team jersey is being used so disruptively to power social change. We compliment BCCI (the Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the team for such a transformational collaboration. This time around both the BCCI as well as Star have put their strength together to highlight the cause of women in our country,&quot; Star India chairman and chief executive Uday Shankar said.

&quot;World over sports is a tremendous platform for advocacy and social causes. Our cricketers sporting their mothers&#39; names make a powerful and emotive statement, and we are thankful to BCCI and the cricket team for partnering with us on this idea. It will support the voice of the emerging women and inspire millions to acknowledge and celebrate the identity and role of women here,&quot; he added.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur said, &quot;with this initiative, our endeavour is to honour each and every woman. Our team have sported their mothers&#39; names on their jerseys for the fifth ODI against New Zealand with intent to thank all the mothers for their efforts and sacrifices.&quot;

(PTI)

The gesture was initiated by the team's sponsorship rights holder and broadcaster Star India, for their 'Nayi Soch' campaign

In an attempt to promote gender equality, the Indian cricket team today sported jerseys with their mothers' names on them during the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam. The move is part of the Indian team's sponsorship rights holder and broadcaster Star India's "Nayi Soch" (translated in English to, new way of thinking) campaign. "To make a powerful statement, one that can inspire millions and propel change, our cricket team today sported jerseys with their mothers' names at final ODI of the India-New Zealand series. Our cricket team will serve as ambassadors of new thinking and use the power and platform of sport to drive meaningful social change," Star India said in a statement. It expects the symbolic gesture to champion the cause of women in the country which is ranked 130th out of 155 nations in the world on gender equality, as per the UN Human Development Report 2015. "This is the first time in the world that a team jersey is being used so disruptively to power social change. We compliment BCCI (the Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the team for such a transformational collaboration. This time around both the BCCI as well as Star have put their strength together to highlight the cause of women in our country," Star India chairman and chief executive Uday Shankar said. "World over sports is a tremendous platform for advocacy and social causes. Our cricketers sporting their mothers' names make a powerful and emotive statement, and we are thankful to BCCI and the cricket team for partnering with us on this idea. It will support the voice of the emerging women and inspire millions to acknowledge and celebrate the identity and role of women here," he added. BCCI president Anurag Thakur said, "with this initiative, our endeavour is to honour each and every woman. Our team have sported their mothers' names on their jerseys for the fifth ODI against New Zealand with intent to thank all the mothers for their efforts and sacrifices." (PTI)

Indian cricket team wears jerseys with mothers' names on them in ODI vs New Zealand

Batsman Suresh Raina today staged a comeback for the first three One Day Internationals&nbsp;(ODI) against New Zealand, while three senior players, including off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, were rested keeping a gruelling season in mind.

Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, however, made it clear that Raina&#39;s inclusion is a short term move,&nbsp;primarily keeping in mind his ability to bowl tight off-breaks in sub-continental conditions.

The other two seniors rested were Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami, who are expected to play a significant part in the upcoming Test series against England and Australia.

While Raina is the most prominent name to make a comeback, it will be young Mandeep Singh&nbsp;who would be opening alongside Rohit Sharma in the first three ODIs.

Off-spinner Jayant Yadav and left-arm spinner Axar Patel replaced Ashwin and Jadeja while Dhawal Kulkarni came in place of Shami.

&quot;We gave Raina a break during the Zimbabwe tour. But with Jadeja, Ashwin and Shami rested, we needed some experience. Although it&#39;s a short term solution. While selecting Raina, apart from his batting experience, we also considered his bowling. He has scored runs in Duleep Trophy,&quot; said chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad.

Asked about the decision to rest the three bowlers, Prasad reasoned: &quot;We spoke to the team management and the decision was taken. We have another 10 Test matches to play and we need to look at their workloads.&quot;

While the names&nbsp;Mayank Agarwal and Gautam Gambhir were discussed, the chairman said that Mandeep is being groomed as an ODI opener.

&quot;We definitely discussed Mayank&#39;s name, who is in our scheme of things and gambhir&#39;s name was also discussed. But for the sake of continuity, we have groomed Mandeep as an opener.&nbsp;He has played extremely well in Australia against pacers like Kane Richardson. I was present there and was convinced by his performance. It is unfortunate that we would be missing two readymade openers in KL (Rahul) and Shikhar (Dhawan),&quot; said Prasad.

Hardik Pandya also made a comeback after being dropped during Zimbabwe and the tour of United States.

&quot;Hardik bowled exceptionally well in all three formats during our A tour of Australia. He and Dhawal rose to the occasion and after we were all out for 55 in the first game, we were able to make a comeback. Also he is one of the rare seam bowling all-rounders that we have,&quot; explained Prasad.

(PTI)

The other seniors rested were Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami who are expected to play a significant part in India's upcoming Test series

Batsman Suresh Raina today staged a comeback for the first three One Day Internationals (ODI) against New Zealand, while three senior players, including off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, were rested keeping a gruelling season in mind. Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, however, made it clear that Raina's inclusion is a short term move, primarily keeping in mind his ability to bowl tight off-breaks in sub-continental conditions. The other two seniors rested were Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami, who are expected to play a significant part in the upcoming Test series against England and Australia. While Raina is the most prominent name to make a comeback, it will be young Mandeep Singh who would be opening alongside Rohit Sharma in the first three ODIs. Off-spinner Jayant Yadav and left-arm spinner Axar Patel replaced Ashwin and Jadeja while Dhawal Kulkarni came in place of Shami. "We gave Raina a break during the Zimbabwe tour. But with Jadeja, Ashwin and Shami rested, we needed some experience. Although it's a short term solution. While selecting Raina, apart from his batting experience, we also considered his bowling. He has scored runs in Duleep Trophy," said chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad. Asked about the decision to rest the three bowlers, Prasad reasoned: "We spoke to the team management and the decision was taken. We have another 10 Test matches to play and we need to look at their workloads." While the names Mayank Agarwal and Gautam Gambhir were discussed, the chairman said that Mandeep is being groomed as an ODI opener. "We definitely discussed Mayank's name, who is in our scheme of things and gambhir's name was also discussed. But for the sake of continuity, we have groomed Mandeep as an opener. He has played extremely well in Australia against pacers like Kane Richardson. I was present there and was convinced by his performance. It is unfortunate that we would be missing two readymade openers in KL (Rahul) and Shikhar (Dhawan)," said Prasad. Hardik Pandya also made a comeback after being dropped during Zimbabwe and the tour of United States. "Hardik bowled exceptionally well in all three formats during our A tour of Australia. He and Dhawal rose to the occasion and after we were all out for 55 in the first game, we were able to make a comeback. Also he is one of the rare seam bowling all-rounders that we have," explained Prasad. (PTI)

Raina returns to ODI squad

Gruelling workouts have been key for India Test captain Virat Kohli&#39;s prolonged purple patch. 
 
&quot;Explosive&quot; batting and &quot;dynamic&quot; running between the wickets have been products of his lung-busting sessions he undergoes daily at the gym. &quot;Weightlifting has made me realise what actually one needs to do. It&#39;s a thing that one needs to get a knowledge of,&quot; the run-machine had said earlier this year. 
 
With the New Zealand series just around the corner, the Indian cricketer has given us a sneak peek -- a morning cardio session to be precise -- of what he is doing to get battle-ready for Boult and company come September 22. 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Sneak peak into my morning cardio session ???? <a href="https://t.co/RANRd9svMt">pic.twitter.com/RANRd9svMt</a>
&mdash; Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/776256026311929856">September 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
 
Those who want to know what he&#39;s doing everyday in the morning, his cardio regime includes:&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Wearing a high altitude mask during training which increases the level of difficulty tremendously</li>
	<li>15 minutes on bike at level 3 maintaining a&nbsp;120 rpm</li>
	<li>Straight treadmill for 10 strides of 20 seconds each</li>
	<li>10 strides back to back at a speed of 19 km/hr at level 1</li>
</ul>
(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

India vs New Zealand Test series starts from September 22

Gruelling workouts have been key for India Test captain Virat Kohli's prolonged purple patch. "Explosive" batting and "dynamic" running between the wickets have been products of his lung-busting sessions he undergoes daily at the gym. "Weightlifting has made me realise what actually one needs to do. It's a thing that one needs to get a knowledge of," the run-machine had said earlier this year. With the New Zealand series just around the corner, the Indian cricketer has given us a sneak peek -- a morning cardio session to be precise -- of what he is doing to get battle-ready for Boult and company come September 22. Sneak peak into my morning cardio session ???? pic.twitter.com/RANRd9svMt — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 15, 2016 Those who want to know what he's doing everyday in the morning, his cardio regime includes: Wearing a high altitude mask during training which increases the level of difficulty tremendously 15 minutes on bike at level 3 maintaining a 120 rpm Straight treadmill for 10 strides of 20 seconds each 10 strides back to back at a speed of 19 km/hr at level 1 (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Virat Kohli reveals fitness regime, breaks the internet

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was not satisfied with being an average performer and the India test captain says that a desire to reach the next level was his motivation for an improvement in his conditioning. 
 
The 27-year-old is widely considered to be the fittest cricketer in the Indian side, complementing his batting with razor-sharp skills in the field. 
 
A lean patch with the bat during the 2012 Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament acted as the catalyst for Kohli to make a &quot;lifestyle choice&quot;. 
 
&quot;Until IPL 2012, I did not focus much on the physical aspect,&quot; said Kohli, who tops the world Twenty20 batting rankings and is second on the one-day international list. &quot;I never got into the minute details of fitness, things like what I need to eat from morning to night, how much I need to work out and how much I need to train. After that IPL, I started listening to my body. I made a lifestyle choice.&quot; 
 
Kohli, who has scored 11 test hundreds and 25 one-day international centuries for India, admitted he initially did not have the fitness to be the world&#39;s best batsman. 
 
&quot;I wanted to explore a new side of my body to take me to the next level because I never wanted to be average,&quot; he told reporters at a promotional event in Delhi. 
 
&quot;I wanted to (be) best in the world. So I always had that mindset but never had the physical ability.&quot; 
 
Kohli has often been lauded for the effort he puts into his fitness regime and he feels it has also improved his fielding as well as given him confidence. 
 
&quot;When you become fit, you feel you can do anything,&quot; he said. &quot;I will give you one example. I was never a quick fielder. I was never willing to field in every position. But after becoming fitter, lighter and stronger, I overcame all those doubts I had. Now it (staying fit, eating right) has become second nature to me. I have never been as fit as I am today. It has worked beautifully for me. Even in my off-time, I watch what I eat.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Indian Test captain credits his fitness regime for improving his on-field performance as well as his confidence

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was not satisfied with being an average performer and the India test captain says that a desire to reach the next level was his motivation for an improvement in his conditioning. The 27-year-old is widely considered to be the fittest cricketer in the Indian side, complementing his batting with razor-sharp skills in the field. A lean patch with the bat during the 2012 Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament acted as the catalyst for Kohli to make a "lifestyle choice". "Until IPL 2012, I did not focus much on the physical aspect," said Kohli, who tops the world Twenty20 batting rankings and is second on the one-day international list. "I never got into the minute details of fitness, things like what I need to eat from morning to night, how much I need to work out and how much I need to train. After that IPL, I started listening to my body. I made a lifestyle choice." Kohli, who has scored 11 test hundreds and 25 one-day international centuries for India, admitted he initially did not have the fitness to be the world's best batsman. "I wanted to explore a new side of my body to take me to the next level because I never wanted to be average," he told reporters at a promotional event in Delhi. "I wanted to (be) best in the world. So I always had that mindset but never had the physical ability." Kohli has often been lauded for the effort he puts into his fitness regime and he feels it has also improved his fielding as well as given him confidence. "When you become fit, you feel you can do anything," he said. "I will give you one example. I was never a quick fielder. I was never willing to field in every position. But after becoming fitter, lighter and stronger, I overcame all those doubts I had. Now it (staying fit, eating right) has become second nature to me. I have never been as fit as I am today. It has worked beautifully for me. Even in my off-time, I watch what I eat." (Reuters)

Cricketer Virat Kohli lauds benefits of conditioning to reach next level

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Ashwin, Kohli put India in commanding position

Indian cricket team wears jerseys with mothers' names on them in ODI vs New Zealand

Raina returns to ODI squad

Virat Kohli reveals fitness regime, breaks the internet

Cricketer Virat Kohli lauds benefits of conditioning to reach next level