Australia coach Justin Langer on promised unwavering support for out-of-form Aaron Finch, saying he has no doubts that the limited-overs skipper will soon find his mojo back.

Finch's rough patch has extended to the T20s as he was out for zero and eight in the two T20Is which Australia won to claim their maiden series win in the shortest format in India.

"He's such a good player, such a good person, captain of the team, we know he'll come good," Langer was quoted as saying by cricket.Com.Au.

"We just got to keep giving him plenty of care and support. We know he'll come good."

Finch has not scored a fifty in his last 19 innings for Australia in limited overs cricket.

However, Langer threw his weight behind Finch.

"There's no more destructive player in the world, we talk about 'Maxi' (Glenn Maxwell), Marcus Stoinis, a number of our players who can be so destructive but when he's going, he is as destructive as a player as there is in white-ball cricket," Langer said.

"We know he'll come good and we'll be patient with him."

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-2019-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-197778">India vs Australia 2019: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

Langer was impressed with the way Finch has conducted himself as a captain during this phase.

"Another important part about leadership is that he's really consistent.&nbsp;

We haven't seen any real change in his personality or his attitude around the group, so that's a real credit to him. That's why he is the captain of the team," he said.

"My experience of every captain, the most important thing is they're playing really good cricket. He's got to keep his attention on that. He's got lots of support around him. Like I say, he's such a good person, he's got to be Aaron Finch, be himself. He's doing that.

"He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. We'll just keep encouraging him to be himself. His runs will come, keep encouraging him to be himself and

I'm sure he'll come good soon."

While Finch endured a lean patch, teammate Maxwell has been on fire, blasting a 55-ball match-winning 113 in the second T20I. He had also scored a 56 in Vizag.

Given his form, Maxwell said a promotion in the batting order in the ODIs might help his game and also the team. The all-rounder was demoted to no 7 following his lean patch.

Asked if a potential move up the order for Maxwell is on the cards, Langer said: "We'll wait and see. We'll do what's best for the team I reckon. We'll see how we go."

Langer said if Maxwell can be more consistent his standing in the game will go to another level.

"He'll be the first to say it, that's what we've been crying out for some time from him. It just goes to show what he can do. When he does things like that, he elevates himself to a world-class performer," Langer said.

"He wants that, we want that and the more he becomes a world-class performer, the more games we win and the more he gets recognised as a great player."

Australia will play India a five-match ODI series against India starting Saturday.&nbsp;

Australia coach Justin Langer on promised unwavering support for out-of-form Aaron Finch, saying he has no doubts that the limited-overs skipper will soon find his mojo back.

Australia coach Justin Langer on promised unwavering support for out-of-form Aaron Finch, saying he has no doubts that the limited-overs skipper will soon find his mojo back. Finch's rough patch has extended to the T20s as he was out for zero and eight in the two T20Is which Australia won to claim their maiden series win in the shortest format in India. "He's such a good player, such a good person, captain of the team, we know he'll come good," Langer was quoted as saying by cricket.Com.Au. "We just got to keep giving him plenty of care and support. We know he'll come good." Finch has not scored a fifty in his last 19 innings for Australia in limited overs cricket. However, Langer threw his weight behind Finch. "There's no more destructive player in the world, we talk about 'Maxi' (Glenn Maxwell), Marcus Stoinis, a number of our players who can be so destructive but when he's going, he is as destructive as a player as there is in white-ball cricket," Langer said. "We know he'll come good and we'll be patient with him." Also Read: India vs Australia 2019: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue Langer was impressed with the way Finch has conducted himself as a captain during this phase. "Another important part about leadership is that he's really consistent. We haven't seen any real change in his personality or his attitude around the group, so that's a real credit to him. That's why he is the captain of the team," he said. "My experience of every captain, the most important thing is they're playing really good cricket. He's got to keep his attention on that. He's got lots of support around him. Like I say, he's such a good person, he's got to be Aaron Finch, be himself. He's doing that. "He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. We'll just keep encouraging him to be himself. His runs will come, keep encouraging him to be himself and I'm sure he'll come good soon." While Finch endured a lean patch, teammate Maxwell has been on fire, blasting a 55-ball match-winning 113 in the second T20I. He had also scored a 56 in Vizag. Given his form, Maxwell said a promotion in the batting order in the ODIs might help his game and also the team. The all-rounder was demoted to no 7 following his lean patch. Asked if a potential move up the order for Maxwell is on the cards, Langer said: "We'll wait and see. We'll do what's best for the team I reckon. We'll see how we go." Langer said if Maxwell can be more consistent his standing in the game will go to another level. "He'll be the first to say it, that's what we've been crying out for some time from him. It just goes to show what he can do. When he does things like that, he elevates himself to a world-class performer," Langer said. "He wants that, we want that and the more he becomes a world-class performer, the more games we win and the more he gets recognised as a great player." Australia will play India a five-match ODI series against India starting Saturday.

Aaron Finch will come good, just need to be patient, says coach Justin Langer

South Africa have recalled fast bowler Lungi Ngidi to their one-day international squad for the five-match home series against Sri Lanka, restoring their first-choice fast bowling line-up ahead the World Cup in England.

Ngidi made a successful return to provincial cricket this month after injuring his knee in November and along with Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn, is an important element of the side as South Africa seek to win a first World Cup trophy.

"His recent form for the Titans in the (domestic) One-Day Cup has been most impressive and he is clearly match fit for international cricket again," Cricket South Africa selection convener Linda Zondi said in a statement on Sunday.

There is also a first call-up for fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who is also back from injury.

"We want to see what he can offer the Proteas after his highly impressive form in the Mzansi Super League. Outright pace is not something that you can coach, and he looks another exciting addition to our pace arsenal," Zondi added.

South Africa have rested experienced opener Hashim Amla, while all-rounder JP Duminy has still not returned from a shoulder injury sustained in October.

The first ODI against Sri Lanka will be played in Johannesburg on March 3, with the series to conclude in Cape Town on March 16.

South Africa open their World Cup campaign against hosts England at the Oval on May 30.

Squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Rassie van der Dussen.

South Africa have recalled fast bowler Lungi Ngidi to their one-day international squad for the five-match home series against Sri Lanka, restoring their first-choice fast bowling line-up ahead the World Cup in England.

South Africa have recalled fast bowler Lungi Ngidi to their one-day international squad for the five-match home series against Sri Lanka, restoring their first-choice fast bowling line-up ahead the World Cup in England. Ngidi made a successful return to provincial cricket this month after injuring his knee in November and along with Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn, is an important element of the side as South Africa seek to win a first World Cup trophy. "His recent form for the Titans in the (domestic) One-Day Cup has been most impressive and he is clearly match fit for international cricket again," Cricket South Africa selection convener Linda Zondi said in a statement on Sunday. There is also a first call-up for fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who is also back from injury. "We want to see what he can offer the Proteas after his highly impressive form in the Mzansi Super League. Outright pace is not something that you can coach, and he looks another exciting addition to our pace arsenal," Zondi added. South Africa have rested experienced opener Hashim Amla, while all-rounder JP Duminy has still not returned from a shoulder injury sustained in October. The first ODI against Sri Lanka will be played in Johannesburg on March 3, with the series to conclude in Cape Town on March 16. South Africa open their World Cup campaign against hosts England at the Oval on May 30. Squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Rassie van der Dussen.

South Africa recall fit again Lungi Ngidi for Sri Lanka ODI series

Aaron Finch-led team Australia will tour India to play two T20 Internationals and five One-Day Internationals.&nbsp;

The tournament, which will start from February 24, is considered as part of an important build-up to Australia's World Cup title defence in England this year.&nbsp;

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been ruled out of Australia's Twenty20 and one-day tour with a "substantial" muscle tear, joining fellow quick bowler Josh Hazlewood on the sidelines.&nbsp;

Veteran seamer Peter Siddle, fast bowler Billy Stanlake and allrounder Shaun Marsh were dropped, which has opened the door for pacemen Kane Richardson and Nathan Coulter-Nile, and hard-hitting batsman Ashton Turner.&nbsp;

With Hazlewood out, Pat Cummins was named co-vice captain alongside Alex Carey.&nbsp;

Opener D'Arcy Short was included as cover for Shaun Marsh as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Short is expected to play in the two T20s with Marsh joining the squad following the birth of his second child.&nbsp;

For India KL Rahul was recalled for the one-day and T20 but the selectors dropped Dinesh Karthik while picking rookie leg-spinner Mayank Markande as the new face.

Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India A to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test.

The omission of Karthik is an indicator as to who among Rishabh Pant and the Tamil Nadu player will board the Heathrow-bound flight as a specialist-batsman-cum-second-wicketkeeper for the World Cup.

Pant has found a place in both the squads.&nbsp;

<hr />
<hr />
Here is the complete schedule:

(All timings in IST)

Australia vs India 
Twenty20 Internationals 
1st T20I | Feb 24, Sun | Dr&nbsp;YS&nbsp;Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam | 7:00 PM

2nd T20I | Feb 27, Wed | M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:00 PM

Australia vs India 
One-Day Internationals 
1st ODI | Mar 2, Sat | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 1:30 PM

2nd ODI | Mar 5, Tue | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur | 1:30 PM

3rd ODI | Mar 8, Fri | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | 1:30 PM

4th ODI | Mar 10, Sun | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 1:30 PM

5th ODI | Mar 13, Wed | Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi | 1:30 PM

<hr />
<hr />
Here is the squad list of both the teams:

India's squad:

For 1st and 2nd ODIs: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), <s>Hardik Pandya</s>, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohamed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Siddharth Kaul, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja.&nbsp;

For remaining three ODIs: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), <s>Hardik Pandya</s>, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.&nbsp;

For T20I series: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), <s>Hardik Pandya</s>, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande.

Australia's squad:

For T20I series: Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, D Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Handscomb, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa&nbsp;

For ODIs series: Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, D Arcy Short, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa

Aaron Finch-led team Australia will tour India to play two T20 Internationals and five One-Day Internationals. The tournament, which will start from February 24, is considered as part of an important build-up to Australia's World Cup title defence in England this year.

Aaron Finch-led team Australia will tour India to play two T20 Internationals and five One-Day Internationals. The tournament, which will start from February 24, is considered as part of an important build-up to Australia's World Cup title defence in England this year. Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been ruled out of Australia's Twenty20 and one-day tour with a "substantial" muscle tear, joining fellow quick bowler Josh Hazlewood on the sidelines. Veteran seamer Peter Siddle, fast bowler Billy Stanlake and allrounder Shaun Marsh were dropped, which has opened the door for pacemen Kane Richardson and Nathan Coulter-Nile, and hard-hitting batsman Ashton Turner. With Hazlewood out, Pat Cummins was named co-vice captain alongside Alex Carey. Opener D'Arcy Short was included as cover for Shaun Marsh as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Short is expected to play in the two T20s with Marsh joining the squad following the birth of his second child. For India KL Rahul was recalled for the one-day and T20 but the selectors dropped Dinesh Karthik while picking rookie leg-spinner Mayank Markande as the new face. Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India A to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test. The omission of Karthik is an indicator as to who among Rishabh Pant and the Tamil Nadu player will board the Heathrow-bound flight as a specialist-batsman-cum-second-wicketkeeper for the World Cup. Pant has found a place in both the squads. Here is the complete schedule: (All timings in IST) Australia vs India Twenty20 Internationals 1st T20I | Feb 24, Sun | Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam | 7:00 PM 2nd T20I | Feb 27, Wed | M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:00 PM Australia vs India One-Day Internationals 1st ODI | Mar 2, Sat | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 1:30 PM 2nd ODI | Mar 5, Tue | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur | 1:30 PM 3rd ODI | Mar 8, Fri | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | 1:30 PM 4th ODI | Mar 10, Sun | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 1:30 PM 5th ODI | Mar 13, Wed | Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi | 1:30 PM Here is the squad list of both the teams: India's squad: For 1st and 2nd ODIs: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohamed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Siddharth Kaul, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja. For remaining three ODIs: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja. For T20I series: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande. Australia's squad: For T20I series: Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, D Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Handscomb, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa For ODIs series: Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, D Arcy Short, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa

India vs Australia 2019: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue

A rejuvenated Martin Guptill wound back the clock with his second century in as many games as a clinical New Zealand clinched their one-day series against Bangladesh in Christchurch on Saturday.

The long-serving opener, who had a disappointing recent series against India, rated his 118 as a more satisfying knock than the unbeaten 117 when he returned to form in the first match against Bangladesh.

"There was a lot of flow and rhythm in that one," he said after New Zealand comfortably knocked off their 227-run target for the loss of two wickets and with 13.5 overs to spare.

"It felt like I got back to where I was a couple of years ago."&nbsp;

Guptill cut, drove and pulled the Bangladesh attack apart as New Zealand cruised to victory and went 2-0 up in the three-match series.

With the World Cup looming, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was pleased to see his side had taken lessons from the 4-1 drubbing inflicted by India.

"It was what we were wanting," he said.

"That was a really tough series and (the) guys got taught some harsh lessons and it's important you learn from those.

"Today and in the last game there were a couple of nice performances obviously led by Martin Guptill."

Against India's tight bowling, Guptill was restricted to a top score of 15.

But against a less confining Bangladesh attack, he scored freely, with 14 fours and four sixes from the 88 deliveries he faced.

After rolling Bangladesh for 226, Guptill made a flying start in New Zealand's reply as they passed through 10 overs at 59 for one while Bangladesh were 32 for two at the same stage.

Mustafizur Rahman claimed the early wicket of Henry Nicholls for 14, leaving Kane Williamson to partner Guptill in a 143-run stand for the second wicket.

When Guptill went in similar fashion to Nicholls, caught on the boundary by Liton Das off Mustafizur Rahman in the 29th over, New Zealand were 188 for two.

Williamson and Ross Taylor then guided the home side to the finish with Williamson not out 65 and Taylor on 21.

Slopping fielding

After Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl under cloudy skies, the Bangladesh top order again failed to fire.&nbsp;

They were in trouble at 93 for five after 21 overs before Mohammad Mithun and Sabbir Rahman provided some backbone for the innings, putting on 75 for the sixth wicket.

Mithun again played the anchor role, as he did with his hard-fought 62 in the first match.

In game two, he scored 57 off 69 deliveries before he was bowled by Todd Astle, while Sabbir contributed 43 off 65.&nbsp;

New Zealand assisted the Bangladesh cause with 23 extras and some sloppy fielding while Rahman had fortune on his side when an edge off a Todd Astle delivery nicked the stumps but the bails stayed on.&nbsp;

Colin de Grandhomme had an eventful first over that lasted 11 deliveries, included five wides and also produced the wicket of Soumya Sarkar who was caught by Ross Taylor for 22.

But Taylor dropped two catches in the following overs.

Ferguson finished as the most successful New Zealand bowler with three for 43.

The third and final ODI is in Dunedin next Wednesday, followed by three Test matches.

A rejuvenated Martin Guptill wound back the clock with his second century in as many games as a clinical New Zealand clinched their one-day series against Bangladesh in Christchurch on Saturday.

A rejuvenated Martin Guptill wound back the clock with his second century in as many games as a clinical New Zealand clinched their one-day series against Bangladesh in Christchurch on Saturday. The long-serving opener, who had a disappointing recent series against India, rated his 118 as a more satisfying knock than the unbeaten 117 when he returned to form in the first match against Bangladesh. "There was a lot of flow and rhythm in that one," he said after New Zealand comfortably knocked off their 227-run target for the loss of two wickets and with 13.5 overs to spare. "It felt like I got back to where I was a couple of years ago." Guptill cut, drove and pulled the Bangladesh attack apart as New Zealand cruised to victory and went 2-0 up in the three-match series. With the World Cup looming, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was pleased to see his side had taken lessons from the 4-1 drubbing inflicted by India. "It was what we were wanting," he said. "That was a really tough series and (the) guys got taught some harsh lessons and it's important you learn from those. "Today and in the last game there were a couple of nice performances obviously led by Martin Guptill." Against India's tight bowling, Guptill was restricted to a top score of 15. But against a less confining Bangladesh attack, he scored freely, with 14 fours and four sixes from the 88 deliveries he faced. After rolling Bangladesh for 226, Guptill made a flying start in New Zealand's reply as they passed through 10 overs at 59 for one while Bangladesh were 32 for two at the same stage. Mustafizur Rahman claimed the early wicket of Henry Nicholls for 14, leaving Kane Williamson to partner Guptill in a 143-run stand for the second wicket. When Guptill went in similar fashion to Nicholls, caught on the boundary by Liton Das off Mustafizur Rahman in the 29th over, New Zealand were 188 for two. Williamson and Ross Taylor then guided the home side to the finish with Williamson not out 65 and Taylor on 21. Slopping fielding After Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl under cloudy skies, the Bangladesh top order again failed to fire. They were in trouble at 93 for five after 21 overs before Mohammad Mithun and Sabbir Rahman provided some backbone for the innings, putting on 75 for the sixth wicket. Mithun again played the anchor role, as he did with his hard-fought 62 in the first match. In game two, he scored 57 off 69 deliveries before he was bowled by Todd Astle, while Sabbir contributed 43 off 65. New Zealand assisted the Bangladesh cause with 23 extras and some sloppy fielding while Rahman had fortune on his side when an edge off a Todd Astle delivery nicked the stumps but the bails stayed on. Colin de Grandhomme had an eventful first over that lasted 11 deliveries, included five wides and also produced the wicket of Soumya Sarkar who was caught by Ross Taylor for 22. But Taylor dropped two catches in the following overs. Ferguson finished as the most successful New Zealand bowler with three for 43. The third and final ODI is in Dunedin next Wednesday, followed by three Test matches.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets to win series

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been dropped from India's One-Day International (ODI) squad while batsman KL Rahul has returned to both ODI and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-t20i-leg-spinner-mayank-markande-picked-kuldeep-yadav-rested-197608">T20 International squads</a> for the home series against Australia.&nbsp;

KL Rahul has been called back after the unsavoury comments on women in a TV talk show, following which he was asked to regain his form by concentrating on domestic cricket.&nbsp;

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the 15-member squad on Friday for upcoming India vs Australia series for both T20 and ODI format.&nbsp;

India and Australia will play two T20Is and five ODI matches and the tournament will kick off from February 24.&nbsp;

Khaleel Ahmed, Shubhman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Siraj - all of whom were part of the squad in the recent tour of New Zealand, have also been left out.&nbsp;

The 21-year-old Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India A to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test.&nbsp;

The pace attack includes Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami; Bhuvneshwar Kumar will join the squad from the third ODI onwards. Bhuvi has been rested for the first two ODIs.&nbsp;

Kuldeep Yadav has been dropped from the T20 squad but he will return to ODI with his spin action.&nbsp;

Rishabh Pant has found a place in both the squads.&nbsp;

India’s squad for 1st and 2nd ODI against Australia: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohamed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Siddharth Kaul, KL Rahul.&nbsp;

India’s squad for remaining three ODIs: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant.&nbsp;

India's squad for T20I series against Australia: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been dropped from India's One-Day International (ODI) squad while batsman KL Rahul has returned to both ODI and T20 International squads for the home series against Australia.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been dropped from India's One-Day International (ODI) squad while batsman KL Rahul has returned to both ODI and T20 International squads for the home series against Australia. KL Rahul has been called back after the unsavoury comments on women in a TV talk show, following which he was asked to regain his form by concentrating on domestic cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the 15-member squad on Friday for upcoming India vs Australia series for both T20 and ODI format. India and Australia will play two T20Is and five ODI matches and the tournament will kick off from February 24. Khaleel Ahmed, Shubhman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Siraj - all of whom were part of the squad in the recent tour of New Zealand, have also been left out. The 21-year-old Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India A to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test. The pace attack includes Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami; Bhuvneshwar Kumar will join the squad from the third ODI onwards. Bhuvi has been rested for the first two ODIs. Kuldeep Yadav has been dropped from the T20 squad but he will return to ODI with his spin action. Rishabh Pant has found a place in both the squads. India’s squad for 1st and 2nd ODI against Australia: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohamed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Siddharth Kaul, KL Rahul. India’s squad for remaining three ODIs: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant. India's squad for T20I series against Australia: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande.

India vs Australia, ODI: Dinesh Karthik dropped, KL Rahul recalled

The "josh" is definitely high in the Indian cricket squad as the Men in Blue claimed their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/5th-odi-india-beat-new-zealand-by-35-runs-win-series-4-1-194799">biggest series win on New Zealand soil</a>, overcoming a disastrous start to earn a hard-fought 35-run win in the in the fifth and final match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.&nbsp;

The 4-1 scoreline is the best that India have achieved in New Zealand across formats since they started touring the country in 1967.&nbsp;

After winning the series, team India mentioned the famous phrase of recently released and highly successful Vicky Kaushal-starrer Bollywood movie 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'.&nbsp;

The film is based on the 2016 Indian Army`s surgical strikes in Pakistan following the attacks in Jammu and Kashmir`s Uri town.

In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Indian cricket team was asked - "How's the josh?"

"High Sir!" replied the jubilant players.&nbsp;

Watch the video here:

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Looks like the "JOSH" in the squad is "HIGH SIR" 🗣️ 📢 
'HOWS THE JOSH' - <a href="https://twitter.com/vickykaushal09?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vickykaushal09</a> 😉😉<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/bzsB5EelBd">pic.twitter.com/bzsB5EelBd</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1092024431717875712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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At 18 for four, India were heading towards another sub-100 total before the middle-order batsmen fought back to post a fighting total of 252. The 98-run stand for the fifth wicket between Ambati Rayudu (90 off 113) and Vijay Shankar (45 off 64) was the highlight of the middle-order fight back.&nbsp;

Hardik Pandya's 45 off 22 balls also went a long way in India posting a challenging target and his two wickets later on showed why he is such an important member of the team.&nbsp;

The "josh" is definitely high in the Indian cricket squad as the Men in Blue claimed their biggest series win on New Zealand soil, overcoming a disastrous start to earn a hard-fought 35-run win in the in the fifth and final match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.

The "josh" is definitely high in the Indian cricket squad as the Men in Blue claimed their biggest series win on New Zealand soil, overcoming a disastrous start to earn a hard-fought 35-run win in the in the fifth and final match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium. The 4-1 scoreline is the best that India have achieved in New Zealand across formats since they started touring the country in 1967. After winning the series, team India mentioned the famous phrase of recently released and highly successful Vicky Kaushal-starrer Bollywood movie 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. The film is based on the 2016 Indian Army`s surgical strikes in Pakistan following the attacks in Jammu and Kashmir`s Uri town. In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Indian cricket team was asked - "How's the josh?" "High Sir!" replied the jubilant players. Watch the video here: Looks like the "JOSH" in the squad is "HIGH SIR" 🗣️ 📢 'HOWS THE JOSH' - @vickykaushal09 😉😉#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/bzsB5EelBd — BCCI (@BCCI) February 3, 2019 × At 18 for four, India were heading towards another sub-100 total before the middle-order batsmen fought back to post a fighting total of 252. The 98-run stand for the fifth wicket between Ambati Rayudu (90 off 113) and Vijay Shankar (45 off 64) was the highlight of the middle-order fight back. Hardik Pandya's 45 off 22 balls also went a long way in India posting a challenging target and his two wickets later on showed why he is such an important member of the team.

'How's the josh?' Team India is asked after winning New Zealand series. Answer of course is 'High sir!'

Virat Kohli bowed out of the New Zealand tour with India in an unbeatable position after they won the third one-day international by seven wickets in Mount Maunganui on Monday.&nbsp;

With India up 3-0, world player of the year Kohli is to be rested for the remaining two matches and the following Twenty20 series.

Kohli's 60 off 74 deliveries and a 113-run partnership with Rohit Sharma saw India chase down their 244-run target with seven overs to spare.&nbsp;

It gave the tourists back-to-back series wins against Australia and New Zealand and ensured they will be a force to be reckoned with in the World Cup later this year.&nbsp;

With an unassailable lead in the five-match series, Kohli signed off his tour Down Under on a high with a first ODI series win in New Zealand in 10 years.&nbsp;

However, it is to be noted that prior to this, India played just one series here since the one in 2009.&nbsp;

Sharma top-scored with 62 while Ambati Rayudu was unbeaten on 40 and Dinesh Karthik on 38.&nbsp;

New Zealand, batting first, posted their highest score and longest innings in the three matches so far but they still fell short of 50 overs, their last wicket falling with six balls remaining.&nbsp;

Ross Taylor (93) and Tom Latham (51) gave the innings credibility but proved no challenge for the visitors.&nbsp;

Sharma's first wicket partnership of 39 ended when Shikhar Dhawan edged Trent Boult to the lone slip Taylor to be gone for 28.

Kohli then joined Sharma and the pair swatted the attack around the ground in their century stand for the second wicket.&nbsp;

New Zealand, taking a leaf from the India playbook, brought two spinners into the match after the tourists' spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal took the bulk of the wickets in the first two matches.&nbsp;

Ish Sodhi proved expensive but Mitchell Santner was tight and cleverly deceived Sharma to finish with one for 45.

Santner sensed Sharma was ready to dance down the wicket and served up a slower ball that deceived the opener, who was stumped by Latham.&nbsp;

Kohli, who averages a century every 5.6 innings, was due a big knock in New Zealand after posting 45 and 43 earlier in the series, but his attempt to drive Boult to the cover boundary was well caught by a leaping Henry Nicholls.&nbsp;

Boult proved the most economical of the New Zealand bowlers with two for 40.

Virat Kohli bowed out of the New Zealand tour with India in an unbeatable position after they won the third one-day international by seven wickets in Mount Maunganui on Monday.

Virat Kohli bowed out of the New Zealand tour with India in an unbeatable position after they won the third one-day international by seven wickets in Mount Maunganui on Monday. With India up 3-0, world player of the year Kohli is to be rested for the remaining two matches and the following Twenty20 series. Kohli's 60 off 74 deliveries and a 113-run partnership with Rohit Sharma saw India chase down their 244-run target with seven overs to spare. It gave the tourists back-to-back series wins against Australia and New Zealand and ensured they will be a force to be reckoned with in the World Cup later this year. With an unassailable lead in the five-match series, Kohli signed off his tour Down Under on a high with a first ODI series win in New Zealand in 10 years. However, it is to be noted that prior to this, India played just one series here since the one in 2009. Sharma top-scored with 62 while Ambati Rayudu was unbeaten on 40 and Dinesh Karthik on 38. New Zealand, batting first, posted their highest score and longest innings in the three matches so far but they still fell short of 50 overs, their last wicket falling with six balls remaining. Ross Taylor (93) and Tom Latham (51) gave the innings credibility but proved no challenge for the visitors. Sharma's first wicket partnership of 39 ended when Shikhar Dhawan edged Trent Boult to the lone slip Taylor to be gone for 28. Kohli then joined Sharma and the pair swatted the attack around the ground in their century stand for the second wicket. New Zealand, taking a leaf from the India playbook, brought two spinners into the match after the tourists' spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal took the bulk of the wickets in the first two matches. Ish Sodhi proved expensive but Mitchell Santner was tight and cleverly deceived Sharma to finish with one for 45. Santner sensed Sharma was ready to dance down the wicket and served up a slower ball that deceived the opener, who was stumped by Latham. Kohli, who averages a century every 5.6 innings, was due a big knock in New Zealand after posting 45 and 43 earlier in the series, but his attempt to drive Boult to the cover boundary was well caught by a leaping Henry Nicholls. Boult proved the most economical of the New Zealand bowlers with two for 40.

India beat New Zealand in 3rd ODI, seal series

Hit hard by an unexpected controversy after the high of the Test triumph, India will look to fine-tune their World Cup preparations in the three-match ODI series against an under-fire Australia, beginning here on Saturday.&nbsp;

On the eve of the opening game, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-sends-suspension-notes-to-hardik-pandya-over-misconduct-and-indiscipline-189663">BCCI suspended Hardik Pandya</a> and KL Rahul pending an inquiry for their inappropriate remarks on women during a TV show, effectively ruling them out of the series.&nbsp;

While Pandya was a certainty in the playing XI, an out-of-form Rahul was not in contention to play on Saturday.&nbsp;

Skipper Virat Kohli on Friday condemned the comments made by his two teammates and said the team does not align with the "individual opinions".&nbsp;

"The two concerned players (have) felt what has gone wrong and they have understood the magnitude of what's happened," he said in the pre-match press conference.&nbsp;

Rahul was unlikely to get a go owing to both his poor form and the presence of a well-settled opening pair in Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. More significant is Pandya's absence as the all-rounder provides crucial balance to the ODI side with his ability to bowl 10 overs as well as bat in the middle order.&nbsp;

Pandya's absence means that India will have to rejig their attack. Jasprit Bumrah has already been rested for this series, as well as the tour of New Zealand, and this allows the think-tank to conduct one final experimentation with their bowling attack.&nbsp;

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It's time for ODI cricket. Who do you reckon will lift this trophy after the end of the 3rd game.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/ESskDamvDj">pic.twitter.com/ESskDamvDj</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1083559455332098048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a shoe-in, and thereafter it depends if Kohli wants to go in with a three-man pace attack to compensate for Pandya's loss.&nbsp;

In such a scenario, Mohammed Shami and Khaleel Ahmed are expected to get the nod, as India continue zeroing on the pace quartet for the World Cup squad. There is a sprinkling of grass on the SCG pitch and it could push the Indian skipper to opt for a three-pacer and two-spinner combination.&nbsp;

Kohli also stated that, in Pandya's absence, Ravindra Jadeja would step up as the all-rounder. He would partner up with left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav as India's five-pronged attack, with Kedar Jadhav fulfilling any part-time bowling duties if needed.&nbsp;

With the two openers, and Kohli at number three, the remaining batting line-up picks itself. Jadhav, MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu will form the middle order, and there will be keen interest in the latter duo's form here.&nbsp;

Dhoni had an off-colour 2018, managing 275 runs in 20 ODIs at average 25 without a half-century. While this is a meagre return for a batsman of his stature, the worrying aspect is Dhoni's strike-rate of 71.42, which is remarkably lower than his ODI career strike-rate of 87.89.&nbsp;&nbsp;

India brought in Rayudu for the all-important number four role, and since the Asia Cup last September, have given him a long run in the middle order. In this interim, Rayudu scored 392 runs in 11 ODIs in the Asia Cup and against West Indies at average 56 including a hundred and three half-centuries.&nbsp;

While he put in a more consistent showing than any of the other previously tried contenders, this run came in conditions different from those in England.

As such, how Rayudu fares on this twin tour of Australia and New Zealand will be a closer representation of whether the Indian team has finally cracked the number four quandary.&nbsp;

Similar middle-order issues plagued the visitors when they last toured here for an ODI contest, losing 4-1 in January 2016 when Dhoni was still captain. Sharma and Kohli topped the charts with 441 and 381 runs in the five-match series, respectively, while Dhawan also scored 287 runs.&nbsp;

But there were no sizeable contributions from the middle, and only Manish Pandey's fighting hundred in the final ODI had saved India from a 5-0 scoreline.&nbsp;

India's ODI record in Australia is quite poor. Apart from the 1985 World Championship and 2008 CB Series wins, they have lost 35 out of 48 ODIs played against Australia on their home soil.&nbsp;

The absence of David Warner (220 runs in three matches in 2016) and Steve Smith (315 runs in five matches in 2016) might help them again though, as also the absence of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, with the trio rested from this series.&nbsp;

Australia have named their playing eleven ahead of the first ODI, with Nathan Lyon featuring as the lone spinner and Peter Siddle returning to this format for the first time since 2010. Keeper-batsman Alex Carey will open in ODI cricket for the first time, and will pair up with skipper Aaron Finch, while Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb will form the middle order.&nbsp;

The hosts bat deep with Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell lined up at numbers six and seven, albeit their pace attack seems weak on paper. With Siddle returning to the format after eight years, left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff will make his ODI debut on Saturday.&nbsp;

Hit hard by an unexpected controversy after the high of the Test triumph, India will look to fine-tune their World Cup preparations in the three-match ODI series against an under-fire Australia, beginning here on Saturday.

Hit hard by an unexpected controversy after the high of the Test triumph, India will look to fine-tune their World Cup preparations in the three-match ODI series against an under-fire Australia, beginning here on Saturday. On the eve of the opening game, the BCCI suspended Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul pending an inquiry for their inappropriate remarks on women during a TV show, effectively ruling them out of the series. While Pandya was a certainty in the playing XI, an out-of-form Rahul was not in contention to play on Saturday. Skipper Virat Kohli on Friday condemned the comments made by his two teammates and said the team does not align with the "individual opinions". "The two concerned players (have) felt what has gone wrong and they have understood the magnitude of what's happened," he said in the pre-match press conference. Rahul was unlikely to get a go owing to both his poor form and the presence of a well-settled opening pair in Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. More significant is Pandya's absence as the all-rounder provides crucial balance to the ODI side with his ability to bowl 10 overs as well as bat in the middle order. Pandya's absence means that India will have to rejig their attack. Jasprit Bumrah has already been rested for this series, as well as the tour of New Zealand, and this allows the think-tank to conduct one final experimentation with their bowling attack. It's time for ODI cricket. Who do you reckon will lift this trophy after the end of the 3rd game.#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/ESskDamvDj — BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2019 × Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a shoe-in, and thereafter it depends if Kohli wants to go in with a three-man pace attack to compensate for Pandya's loss. In such a scenario, Mohammed Shami and Khaleel Ahmed are expected to get the nod, as India continue zeroing on the pace quartet for the World Cup squad. There is a sprinkling of grass on the SCG pitch and it could push the Indian skipper to opt for a three-pacer and two-spinner combination. Kohli also stated that, in Pandya's absence, Ravindra Jadeja would step up as the all-rounder. He would partner up with left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav as India's five-pronged attack, with Kedar Jadhav fulfilling any part-time bowling duties if needed. With the two openers, and Kohli at number three, the remaining batting line-up picks itself. Jadhav, MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu will form the middle order, and there will be keen interest in the latter duo's form here. Dhoni had an off-colour 2018, managing 275 runs in 20 ODIs at average 25 without a half-century. While this is a meagre return for a batsman of his stature, the worrying aspect is Dhoni's strike-rate of 71.42, which is remarkably lower than his ODI career strike-rate of 87.89. India brought in Rayudu for the all-important number four role, and since the Asia Cup last September, have given him a long run in the middle order. In this interim, Rayudu scored 392 runs in 11 ODIs in the Asia Cup and against West Indies at average 56 including a hundred and three half-centuries. While he put in a more consistent showing than any of the other previously tried contenders, this run came in conditions different from those in England. As such, how Rayudu fares on this twin tour of Australia and New Zealand will be a closer representation of whether the Indian team has finally cracked the number four quandary. Similar middle-order issues plagued the visitors when they last toured here for an ODI contest, losing 4-1 in January 2016 when Dhoni was still captain. Sharma and Kohli topped the charts with 441 and 381 runs in the five-match series, respectively, while Dhawan also scored 287 runs. But there were no sizeable contributions from the middle, and only Manish Pandey's fighting hundred in the final ODI had saved India from a 5-0 scoreline. India's ODI record in Australia is quite poor. Apart from the 1985 World Championship and 2008 CB Series wins, they have lost 35 out of 48 ODIs played against Australia on their home soil. The absence of David Warner (220 runs in three matches in 2016) and Steve Smith (315 runs in five matches in 2016) might help them again though, as also the absence of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, with the trio rested from this series. Australia have named their playing eleven ahead of the first ODI, with Nathan Lyon featuring as the lone spinner and Peter Siddle returning to this format for the first time since 2010. Keeper-batsman Alex Carey will open in ODI cricket for the first time, and will pair up with skipper Aaron Finch, while Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb will form the middle order. The hosts bat deep with Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell lined up at numbers six and seven, albeit their pace attack seems weak on paper. With Siddle returning to the format after eight years, left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff will make his ODI debut on Saturday.

India vs Australia: After Test high, India begin final preparations for World Cup

India have the quality and confidence in their batting ranks to master the extra pace and bounce on Australian wickets and excel across formats, batsman Rohit Sharma said on Monday.

India have never won a Test series Down Under but fancy their chances against an Australian team yet to recover from a ball-tampering scandal that led to bans for former captain Steve Smith, opener David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft.

"This is one place we want to leave our mark on and do well as an unit," Rohit told reporters in Brisbane where the three-match Twenty20 series kicks off on Wednesday.

"The last time we came here there were a few close games. We want to make it count this time around. There is real good feeling in the group across all three formats. The motive of the team is to try and seize all the moments and try and win.

"When you do well in places like Australia you feel good as a team. Thinking about the World Cup ahead it can only give you confidence winning in places like Australia."

The Twenty20 Internationals will be followed by a four-Test series beginning in Adelaide on Dec. 6.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-2018-19-schedule-teams-time-and-venue-177740">India vs Australia 2018-19: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

Gabba, which Rohit considers to be Australia's fastest surface, does not host any Test but Perth, known for assisting the quicks, is the venue for the second match while Melbourne and Sydney host the last two Tests.

"India have always played either at Perth or Brisbane," Rohit said. "This time around we are playing at Perth and not Brisbane. Last time we played at Brisbane but not Perth.

"Those two conditions are obviously very challenging and Australia specially have tall bowlers who extract bounce and use it to their advantage. Indian batsmen generally are not that tall. It's not that easy for us.

"But all the guys are determined to change things around this time. It will be a challenge but we are ready to accept the challenge."

Rohit has scored heavily in the limited-overs matches in Australia and his strong backfoot play earned him a place in India's Test squad after being dropped following modest returns in South Africa earlier this year.

The elegant right-hander said the extra bounce would suit his batting as he seeks to cement his place in the Test squad.

"The good bounce allows me to play my game because I have grown up playing on cement pitches back home," Rohit added.

"I have done well in limited overs, but the challenge obviously is red ball cricket, which right now I am not thinking of, just want to do well in the T20 format and take it from there."

India have the quality and confidence in their batting ranks to master the extra pace and bounce on Australian wickets and excel across formats, batsman Rohit Sharma said on Monday.

India have the quality and confidence in their batting ranks to master the extra pace and bounce on Australian wickets and excel across formats, batsman Rohit Sharma said on Monday. India have never won a Test series Down Under but fancy their chances against an Australian team yet to recover from a ball-tampering scandal that led to bans for former captain Steve Smith, opener David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft. "This is one place we want to leave our mark on and do well as an unit," Rohit told reporters in Brisbane where the three-match Twenty20 series kicks off on Wednesday. "The last time we came here there were a few close games. We want to make it count this time around. There is real good feeling in the group across all three formats. The motive of the team is to try and seize all the moments and try and win. "When you do well in places like Australia you feel good as a team. Thinking about the World Cup ahead it can only give you confidence winning in places like Australia." The Twenty20 Internationals will be followed by a four-Test series beginning in Adelaide on Dec. 6. India vs Australia 2018-19: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue Gabba, which Rohit considers to be Australia's fastest surface, does not host any Test but Perth, known for assisting the quicks, is the venue for the second match while Melbourne and Sydney host the last two Tests. "India have always played either at Perth or Brisbane," Rohit said. "This time around we are playing at Perth and not Brisbane. Last time we played at Brisbane but not Perth. "Those two conditions are obviously very challenging and Australia specially have tall bowlers who extract bounce and use it to their advantage. Indian batsmen generally are not that tall. It's not that easy for us. "But all the guys are determined to change things around this time. It will be a challenge but we are ready to accept the challenge." Rohit has scored heavily in the limited-overs matches in Australia and his strong backfoot play earned him a place in India's Test squad after being dropped following modest returns in South Africa earlier this year. The elegant right-hander said the extra bounce would suit his batting as he seeks to cement his place in the Test squad. "The good bounce allows me to play my game because I have grown up playing on cement pitches back home," Rohit added. "I have done well in limited overs, but the challenge obviously is red ball cricket, which right now I am not thinking of, just want to do well in the T20 format and take it from there."

'Want to leave our mark on and do well as an unit' in Australia, says Rohit Sharma

India are yet to shed their "poor travellers" tag but head coach Ravi Shastri feels that it's unfair to pick on one particular side when most of the nations have fared poorly on away tours.&nbsp;

India have lost two away Test series in 2018, against South Africa (1-2) and England (1-4). This was after both tours were seen as best chance for Virat Kohli's men to set the poor overseas record straight.&nbsp;

Asked how important it is for India to win the series in Australia, Shastri said: "You have got to learn from your mistakes. When you go overseas and when you look at teams that travel around now, there aren't too many sides (that travel well).&nbsp;

"Australia did for some time in the 90's and during the turn of century. South Africa did it for a while and other than these two,in the last five-six years, you tell me which team has travelled well. Why pick on India?" questioned Shastri.&nbsp;

Questioned whether he or skipper Kohli has spoken to the team as to why they lost in South Africa and England, Shastri said that it was all about "seizing big moments".&nbsp;

"We have spoken about seizing the big moments. If you look at the Test matches, the scoreline really doesn't tell you the real story. There were some real tight Test matches and we lost some big moments badly, which cost us the series at the end of it.&nbsp;

"It could have been an hour in a session over four days whether it was SA or England. Either as a batsman or a bowler and see what happens after that," the coach said in his team's defence.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-2018-19-schedule-teams-time-and-venue-177740">India vs Australia 2018-19: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

Shastri refused to believe that Australian team has lost its aura after what all happened during the past few months.&nbsp;

"I don't think so. I think once you have a sporting culture in you, you will always have that. I have always believed that no team is weak at home. We might have three or four players not playing when a team comes to India God forbid but if anyone thinks it's a weak team, you will be surprised.&nbsp;

"Similarly, we are taking no prisoners and we want to go out and put our best foot forward, focussing on our game rather than focussing outside," he sounded cautious.&nbsp;

He is confident that his pacers will enjoy bowling on Australian pitches.&nbsp;

"I think they (pacers) should enjoy bowling on these pitches if it's like the pitches we have seen in the past. It's important to stay fit as a unit."

Shastri broadly dropped a hint that injured Hardik Pandya's absence robs them a chance to play an extra bowler. Even former Australian batsman Mike Hussey recently spoke about how Pandya's absence can hurt India.&nbsp;

"One player we will miss is Hardik Pandya, who has had an injury. He gave us that balance as a bowler as well as batsman, which allowed us to play that extra bowler. Even now we have got to think twice.&nbsp;

Hopefully, he will get fit soon and if fast bowlers do well, we might not miss him then," the former all-rounder said.&nbsp;

Asked if this is the best chance for India's fast bowlers, Shastri said it will depend on if they can maintain "sustained intensity" for a long period of time.&nbsp;

"It doesn't matter what line-up they play as long as they are consistent. In the past, we have had one or two bowlers doing well in spells, but bowling as a unit for three, four or five hours with sustained intensity, if that comes into play, no matter which batting line-up you are playing against, you will be tested," he added.&nbsp;

India are yet to shed their "poor travellers" tag but head coach Ravi Shastri feels that it's unfair to pick on one particular side when most of the nations have fared poorly on away tours.

India are yet to shed their "poor travellers" tag but head coach Ravi Shastri feels that it's unfair to pick on one particular side when most of the nations have fared poorly on away tours. India have lost two away Test series in 2018, against South Africa (1-2) and England (1-4). This was after both tours were seen as best chance for Virat Kohli's men to set the poor overseas record straight. Asked how important it is for India to win the series in Australia, Shastri said: "You have got to learn from your mistakes. When you go overseas and when you look at teams that travel around now, there aren't too many sides (that travel well). "Australia did for some time in the 90's and during the turn of century. South Africa did it for a while and other than these two,in the last five-six years, you tell me which team has travelled well. Why pick on India?" questioned Shastri. Questioned whether he or skipper Kohli has spoken to the team as to why they lost in South Africa and England, Shastri said that it was all about "seizing big moments". "We have spoken about seizing the big moments. If you look at the Test matches, the scoreline really doesn't tell you the real story. There were some real tight Test matches and we lost some big moments badly, which cost us the series at the end of it. "It could have been an hour in a session over four days whether it was SA or England. Either as a batsman or a bowler and see what happens after that," the coach said in his team's defence. India vs Australia 2018-19: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue Shastri refused to believe that Australian team has lost its aura after what all happened during the past few months. "I don't think so. I think once you have a sporting culture in you, you will always have that. I have always believed that no team is weak at home. We might have three or four players not playing when a team comes to India God forbid but if anyone thinks it's a weak team, you will be surprised. "Similarly, we are taking no prisoners and we want to go out and put our best foot forward, focussing on our game rather than focussing outside," he sounded cautious. He is confident that his pacers will enjoy bowling on Australian pitches. "I think they (pacers) should enjoy bowling on these pitches if it's like the pitches we have seen in the past. It's important to stay fit as a unit." Shastri broadly dropped a hint that injured Hardik Pandya's absence robs them a chance to play an extra bowler. Even former Australian batsman Mike Hussey recently spoke about how Pandya's absence can hurt India. "One player we will miss is Hardik Pandya, who has had an injury. He gave us that balance as a bowler as well as batsman, which allowed us to play that extra bowler. Even now we have got to think twice. Hopefully, he will get fit soon and if fast bowlers do well, we might not miss him then," the former all-rounder said. Asked if this is the best chance for India's fast bowlers, Shastri said it will depend on if they can maintain "sustained intensity" for a long period of time. "It doesn't matter what line-up they play as long as they are consistent. In the past, we have had one or two bowlers doing well in spells, but bowling as a unit for three, four or five hours with sustained intensity, if that comes into play, no matter which batting line-up you are playing against, you will be tested," he added.

Targeting team India for poor overseas record is unfair, says coach Ravi Shastri

Following a huge 224-run victory in the fourth ODI against the West Indies, India will aim to seal the last match of the five-match series with a win in Thiruvananthapuram.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The Virat Kohli and Co, who are leading 2-1 in the five-match series that also witnessed a tie, will look to register their eighth straight series win over the Windies in a bilateral ODI series.

The last time the Windies won was back in 2006 at home.

For India, top-order batsmen Rohit Sharma, skipper Virat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu are in red-hot form. While Kohli smashed three consecutive centuries, Rohit slammed his second and Rayudu registered his 3rd ODI hundred during the ongoing five-ODI match series. &nbsp;

With scores of 140, 157 not out and 107 in the first three games, Kohli became the first Indian to score three consecutive hundreds in the 50-over format.

The only problem India have is southpaw Shikhar Dhawan, who has not capitalised on the starts, while veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD), who is going through one of the worst phases in his international cricket career.

Meanwhile, Jason Holder's men will look to seek inspiration from their illustrious predecessors and level the series.

Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope have impressed the most, having logged a century each while underlining their abilities. Captain Holder has shown his capability to handle the pressure.&nbsp;

The two teams will lock horns on Thursday, before they set the stage for three T20s.&nbsp;

Following a huge 224-run victory in the fourth ODI against the West Indies, India will aim to seal the last match of the five-match series with a win in Thiruvananthapuram.

Following a huge 224-run victory in the fourth ODI against the West Indies, India will aim to seal the last match of the five-match series with a win in Thiruvananthapuram. The Virat Kohli and Co, who are leading 2-1 in the five-match series that also witnessed a tie, will look to register their eighth straight series win over the Windies in a bilateral ODI series. The last time the Windies won was back in 2006 at home. For India, top-order batsmen Rohit Sharma, skipper Virat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu are in red-hot form. While Kohli smashed three consecutive centuries, Rohit slammed his second and Rayudu registered his 3rd ODI hundred during the ongoing five-ODI match series. With scores of 140, 157 not out and 107 in the first three games, Kohli became the first Indian to score three consecutive hundreds in the 50-over format. The only problem India have is southpaw Shikhar Dhawan, who has not capitalised on the starts, while veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD), who is going through one of the worst phases in his international cricket career. Meanwhile, Jason Holder's men will look to seek inspiration from their illustrious predecessors and level the series. Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope have impressed the most, having logged a century each while underlining their abilities. Captain Holder has shown his capability to handle the pressure. The two teams will lock horns on Thursday, before they set the stage for three T20s.

5th ODI: India eyes eighth straight ODI series win against Windies

Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place.

Finch, who led his country's Twenty20 side to an 11-run defeat to Pakistan in Dubai on Friday to go 2-0 down in the series, will be supported by twovice-captainss in Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey, echoing the Test structure.

Carey replaces Tim Paine as wicketkeeper in&nbsp;the 14-man squad for the three-match series which begins in Perth on Nov. 4 and also includes matches in Adelaide and Hobart.

"We expect Aaron, Josh and Alex to lead the side through a big Australian summer ... they'll also be driving our standards and values as we prepare&nbsp;our defence of the World Cup, which is only seven months away," chief selector Trevor Hohns said in a news release.

"We believe the squad we have selected will give us a great opportunity to not only be competitive at home this summer, but it also allows us to start to build continuity leading into next year's tournament."

Hazlewood returns to action for his country along with fellow quick Pat Cummins after both skipped the Test series against Pakistan because of injury.

The third member of Australia's much-vaunted pace attack, Mitchell Starc, returns to white ball cricket after missing the series in England earlier this year and despite an injury scare during the Pakistan Test series.

Steve Smith and David Warner are still banned for their part in the ball-tampering scandal during the Test series against the Proteas in March, giving the batting line-up an unfamiliar feel.

Finch, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis look set to be the first three names on the list with Shaun Marsh retained at number four despite his poor Test form.

Changes to the squad from the England tour include the inclusion of quick Nathan Coulter-Nile and top order batsman Chris Lynn, who will get a chance to earn his second ODI cap nearly two years after his first.

Mitchell Marsh, the Test vice-captain, and off-spinner Nathan Lyon were omitted from the squad but Hohns said they had been rested.

"We have made the decision to manage Mitch Marsh and Nathan Lyon carefully to ensure they are in the best condition possible to put their hand up for selection either later in the summer or for the World Cup next year," he said.

Squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Alex Carey (vice-captain), Josh Hazlewood (vice-captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Darcy Short, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place.

Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place. Finch, who led his country's Twenty20 side to an 11-run defeat to Pakistan in Dubai on Friday to go 2-0 down in the series, will be supported by twovice-captainss in Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey, echoing the Test structure. Carey replaces Tim Paine as wicketkeeper in the 14-man squad for the three-match series which begins in Perth on Nov. 4 and also includes matches in Adelaide and Hobart. "We expect Aaron, Josh and Alex to lead the side through a big Australian summer ... they'll also be driving our standards and values as we prepare our defence of the World Cup, which is only seven months away," chief selector Trevor Hohns said in a news release. "We believe the squad we have selected will give us a great opportunity to not only be competitive at home this summer, but it also allows us to start to build continuity leading into next year's tournament." Hazlewood returns to action for his country along with fellow quick Pat Cummins after both skipped the Test series against Pakistan because of injury. The third member of Australia's much-vaunted pace attack, Mitchell Starc, returns to white ball cricket after missing the series in England earlier this year and despite an injury scare during the Pakistan Test series. Steve Smith and David Warner are still banned for their part in the ball-tampering scandal during the Test series against the Proteas in March, giving the batting line-up an unfamiliar feel. Finch, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis look set to be the first three names on the list with Shaun Marsh retained at number four despite his poor Test form. Changes to the squad from the England tour include the inclusion of quick Nathan Coulter-Nile and top order batsman Chris Lynn, who will get a chance to earn his second ODI cap nearly two years after his first. Mitchell Marsh, the Test vice-captain, and off-spinner Nathan Lyon were omitted from the squad but Hohns said they had been rested. "We have made the decision to manage Mitch Marsh and Nathan Lyon carefully to ensure they are in the best condition possible to put their hand up for selection either later in the summer or for the World Cup next year," he said. Squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Alex Carey (vice-captain), Josh Hazlewood (vice-captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Darcy Short, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia drop Tim Paine, name Aaron Finch as ODI captain

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja praised Indian skipper Virat Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma while addressing the media after India's comfortable <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-odi-ton-up-rohit-kohli-give-india-8-wicket-win-over-windies-172676">eight-wicket win</a> against West Indies in the first one-day match on Sunday.

Jadeja went gaga over both the batsmen who shared a massive 246-run partnership for the second wicket.

The left-arm spinner said that is very difficult to dismiss Virat and Rohit when they are batting in full flow.

"If they are set, it's tough to get them out. They can hit groundstrokes and in the air with equal ease. It becomes tough against such batters," said Jadeja.

"They played proper cricketing shots. They did not take any chances, they were just playing according the situation."

Virat completed his 36th ODI century and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-breaks-tendulkar-record-becomes-fastest-cricketer-to-score-60-tons-172687"> broke cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's record</a> by becoming the faster cricketer to score 60 international hundreds.

Rohit too played magnificently and slammed an unbeaten ton to inspire India towards victory.

"Wicket was also very good to bat on. It was not spinning or swinging much. The ball was coming nicely to bat. It was an ideal condition for the batsmen," Jadeja added.

"After they scored 320-plus, we did not know how it will behave in the second half. But after the start we got following (Shikhar) Dhawan's wicket we thought we could chase it down. Overall it stayed true through out the game," he said.&nbsp;

Jadeja said India decided against fielding three spinners because of the uncertainty factor of the wicket. 
&nbsp; 
"We didn't know how the wicket would behave, this being the first ODI here. We thought three seamers will help to contain the batsmen in the powerplay," he said.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja praised Indian skipper Virat Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma while addressing the media after India's comfortable eight-wicket win against West Indies in the first one-day match on Sunday.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja praised Indian skipper Virat Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma while addressing the media after India's comfortable eight-wicket win against West Indies in the first one-day match on Sunday. Jadeja went gaga over both the batsmen who shared a massive 246-run partnership for the second wicket. The left-arm spinner said that is very difficult to dismiss Virat and Rohit when they are batting in full flow. "If they are set, it's tough to get them out. They can hit groundstrokes and in the air with equal ease. It becomes tough against such batters," said Jadeja. "They played proper cricketing shots. They did not take any chances, they were just playing according the situation." Virat completed his 36th ODI century and broke cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's record by becoming the faster cricketer to score 60 international hundreds. Rohit too played magnificently and slammed an unbeaten ton to inspire India towards victory. "Wicket was also very good to bat on. It was not spinning or swinging much. The ball was coming nicely to bat. It was an ideal condition for the batsmen," Jadeja added. "After they scored 320-plus, we did not know how it will behave in the second half. But after the start we got following (Shikhar) Dhawan's wicket we thought we could chase it down. Overall it stayed true through out the game," he said. Jadeja said India decided against fielding three spinners because of the uncertainty factor of the wicket. "We didn't know how the wicket would behave, this being the first ODI here. We thought three seamers will help to contain the batsmen in the powerplay," he said.

It's 'tough' to dismiss Virat and Rohit when they are set: Ravindra Jadeja

Rishabh Pant is all set to make his One-Day International debut as he has been named&nbsp;in the 12-man squad for the series opener announced by the BCCI today.

The 21-year-old will make his debut against West Indies in the first ODI of five-match series in Guwahati on October 21.

The ODIs will be played in Guwahati (October 21), Indore (October 24), Pune (October 27), Mumbai (October 29) and Thiruvananthapuram (November 1).&nbsp;

He has added as a&nbsp;batsman to fill number five spot with MS Dhoni playing as the wicket-keeper.

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Announcement: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> announce the 12 for the 1st ODI in Guwahati against West Indies <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvWI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvWI</a> <a href="https://t.co/j32SXgSFTT">pic.twitter.com/j32SXgSFTT</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1053540002888593408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Pant took to Twitter to reveal his excitement, he wrote, "Always ready to give my 100 per cent on a cricket field. Cannot wait to take on the West Indies in the first ODI on Sunday!."

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Always ready to give my 100 per cent on a cricket field. Cannot wait to take on the West Indies in the first ODI on Sunday! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaVsWestIndies?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaVsWestIndies</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/comingup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#comingup</a> <a href="https://t.co/cTyXnLEGuj">pic.twitter.com/cTyXnLEGuj</a>
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabPant777) <a href="https://twitter.com/RishabPant777/status/1053287097375821824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In the previous two months, Pant has played some impressive innings which why he has been given this chance.

KL Rahul is not included in the squad.

In bowling unit, three spinners, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, are there.

Also, three pacers, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Khaleel Ahmed, have been selected for the upcoming ODI series against Werst Inmdies.

India's 12-man shortlist: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed

Rishabh Pant is all set to make his One-Day International debut as he has been named in the 12-man squad for the series opener announced by the BCCI today. The 21-year-old will make his debut against West Indies in the first ODI of five-match series in Guwahati on October 21.

Rishabh Pant is all set to make his One-Day International debut as he has been named in the 12-man squad for the series opener announced by the BCCI today. The 21-year-old will make his debut against West Indies in the first ODI of five-match series in Guwahati on October 21. The ODIs will be played in Guwahati (October 21), Indore (October 24), Pune (October 27), Mumbai (October 29) and Thiruvananthapuram (November 1). He has added as a batsman to fill number five spot with MS Dhoni playing as the wicket-keeper. Announcement: #TeamIndia announce the 12 for the 1st ODI in Guwahati against West Indies #INDvWI pic.twitter.com/j32SXgSFTT — BCCI (@BCCI) October 20, 2018 × Pant took to Twitter to reveal his excitement, he wrote, "Always ready to give my 100 per cent on a cricket field. Cannot wait to take on the West Indies in the first ODI on Sunday!." Always ready to give my 100 per cent on a cricket field. Cannot wait to take on the West Indies in the first ODI on Sunday! #IndiaVsWestIndies #comingup pic.twitter.com/cTyXnLEGuj — Rishabh Pant (@RishabPant777) October 19, 2018 × In the previous two months, Pant has played some impressive innings which why he has been given this chance. KL Rahul is not included in the squad. In bowling unit, three spinners, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, are there. Also, three pacers, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Khaleel Ahmed, have been selected for the upcoming ODI series against Werst Inmdies. India's 12-man shortlist: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed

Rishabh Pant set for ODI debut against West Indies in Guwahati

Team India ended their South African tour with a thrilling win in the third and final T20I match at Newlands and with it, also sealed the series 2-1. The team was without its star performers &ndash; Virat Kohli and wrist-spin &#39;twins&#39; Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. But stand-in captain Rohit Sharma handled his troops brilliantly to take India to a 7-run win and completed India&rsquo;s limited overs double whammy.&nbsp;

After having lost the Test series 2-1, Team India have staged a remarkable turnaround to win both the ODI and T20I series and will now leave the South African shores with their heads held high and with hopes of a better tomorrow on future overseas tours.

India was asked to bat first yet again on a slowish sort of a surface and courtesy contrasting 40s from Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan and a cameo at the end by Hardik Pandya, the visitors were able to post a decent 172-7.

It wasn&rsquo;t a daunting total by any means but the Indian seam bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, began beautifully. They bowled nagging lines and in the first 6 overs, South Africa could only manage 25-1. They were always behind after that and looked certain for a heavy defeat after being reduced to 114-5 in 16.3 overs with all the big names back in the hut. However, a brilliant 49 off 24 balls by debutant Christiaan Jonker pulled things back for the Proteas. He smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes and brought South Africa within striking distance. Despite this stunning effort, however, South Africa could not manage to seal the game as Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar held their nerves to hold the surge. Jonker fell on the last ball of the innings and gave India a famous T20I victory.

What was laudable about India&rsquo;s performance was that they did not let the intensity dip. On such a long away tour, by the time the last games arrives, the visiting teams generally are so exhausted that they simply go through the motions. But this Indian team has shown that they are different. They have the gumption to fight and never give up, come what may. They showed that in the Test series after losing the first two Tests and coming back hard to clinch the last Test in emphatic fashion.&nbsp;

No one expected India to stage such an incredible performance in the limited overs series to follow. But led by a determined captain Virat Kohli and an exceptional show by the bowlers, India pegged the hosts back and achieved series victories in both the ODIs and the T20Is.

Another thing to note here is that Team India wasn&rsquo;t even at its best. Their middle-order has some serious issues and needs to be sorted out in earnest. But despite their flaws, India stuck together and played as a complete unit. This holds them in good stead for the 2019 World Cup.

For South Africa, a lot of questions need answering. Their bench strength isn&rsquo;t strong enough and they are too reliant on their previous stars to bail them out. The selectors and the team management have to work closely together and sort a cohesive plan to brood the team for the World Cup next year.

All in all, this was an entertaining and memorable tour for Team India. Never before has a visiting Indian side to South Africa returned with so much success. Virat Kohli and his men deserve all the accolades coming their way and should pat themselves on the back for this commanding performance.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Though the star performers Virat Kohli and wrist-spin 'twins' Chahal and Yadav were not on the pitch, India pulled off the T20I series against South Africa with a stunning win.

Team India ended their South African tour with a thrilling win in the third and final T20I match at Newlands and with it, also sealed the series 2-1. The team was without its star performers – Virat Kohli and wrist-spin 'twins' Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. But stand-in captain Rohit Sharma handled his troops brilliantly to take India to a 7-run win and completed India’s limited overs double whammy. After having lost the Test series 2-1, Team India have staged a remarkable turnaround to win both the ODI and T20I series and will now leave the South African shores with their heads held high and with hopes of a better tomorrow on future overseas tours. India was asked to bat first yet again on a slowish sort of a surface and courtesy contrasting 40s from Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan and a cameo at the end by Hardik Pandya, the visitors were able to post a decent 172-7. It wasn’t a daunting total by any means but the Indian seam bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, began beautifully. They bowled nagging lines and in the first 6 overs, South Africa could only manage 25-1. They were always behind after that and looked certain for a heavy defeat after being reduced to 114-5 in 16.3 overs with all the big names back in the hut. However, a brilliant 49 off 24 balls by debutant Christiaan Jonker pulled things back for the Proteas. He smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes and brought South Africa within striking distance. Despite this stunning effort, however, South Africa could not manage to seal the game as Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar held their nerves to hold the surge. Jonker fell on the last ball of the innings and gave India a famous T20I victory. What was laudable about India’s performance was that they did not let the intensity dip. On such a long away tour, by the time the last games arrives, the visiting teams generally are so exhausted that they simply go through the motions. But this Indian team has shown that they are different. They have the gumption to fight and never give up, come what may. They showed that in the Test series after losing the first two Tests and coming back hard to clinch the last Test in emphatic fashion. No one expected India to stage such an incredible performance in the limited overs series to follow. But led by a determined captain Virat Kohli and an exceptional show by the bowlers, India pegged the hosts back and achieved series victories in both the ODIs and the T20Is. Another thing to note here is that Team India wasn’t even at its best. Their middle-order has some serious issues and needs to be sorted out in earnest. But despite their flaws, India stuck together and played as a complete unit. This holds them in good stead for the 2019 World Cup. For South Africa, a lot of questions need answering. Their bench strength isn’t strong enough and they are too reliant on their previous stars to bail them out. The selectors and the team management have to work closely together and sort a cohesive plan to brood the team for the World Cup next year. All in all, this was an entertaining and memorable tour for Team India. Never before has a visiting Indian side to South Africa returned with so much success. Virat Kohli and his men deserve all the accolades coming their way and should pat themselves on the back for this commanding performance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: India hold nerve to pull off stunning win, clinch T20I series against South Africa

This is the moment of king Kohli. He is just decimating bowling attack mercilessly. When he scored his third century in the recent ODI series with South Africa, eminent commentator Harsha Bhogle quipped on TV &ldquo;when did you last see a batsman dominating to such an extent&rdquo;. I know the most obvious answer; it was Sachin Tendulkar during 1998 and I am sure that each cricket freak of my generation must have thought the same. Later in the day, Bhogle himself tweeted that the Kohli&rsquo;s dominance nowadays is akin to Tendulkar&rsquo;s in 1998.

Exactly twenty years back in the calendar year of 1998, Sachin Tendulkar was on a roll, he was dominating, scoring runs at will and routing each and every bowling attack in the world.

First look at the numbers. Tendulkar played in 34 ODIs in 1998 and scored 1894 runs at a colossal average of 65.3 and with the whopping strike rate of 102. He smashed 40 sixes in all, but the most impressive fact is that he scored 9 ODI centuries and 7 ODI half-centuries in a single calendar year of 1998. In 5 Test matches, Sachin scored around 650 runs with an average of 80 plus and with 3 centuries.

You must be in awe of these unbelievable numbers, but trust me, it&#39;s just the tip of the iceberg as far as the splendor of Sachin-1998 is concerned. The main essence of Tendulkar&rsquo;s heroic in 1998 is the way he pulverized best of bowling attacks and the consistency with which he pulled matches for his country and bailed his side out of the crunch situation.

So what happened in 1998? What or who triggered this onslaught?

Well, there is a bit of story behind it. Tendulkar replaced Azhar as Indian captain in 1996. He was the heir apparent for years before he got the baton from Azhar. Sachin&rsquo;s success as captain, however, was rather tepid. India lost the Test series in South Africa and in West Indies. In a Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo, Sri Lanka scored 950 runs in a single Test inning.

Tendulkar was sacked from the captaincy towards the end of 1997. Tendulkar was taken aback; he was disappointed the way selectors snubbed him, hurriedly.

Years later Tendulkar confessed his disappointment unequivocally in his biographical film Sachin: A Billion Dreams. Sachin was hurt, pained and all that was vented out through his bat during 1998. Moreover, he was free from the pressure of captaincy.

Sachin Tendulkar in 1998 is all about larger than life performances by him, spellbound Cricket fraternity and interesting anecdotes which created a bona fide cult around the great man. &nbsp;

Australians were first, who has fallen prey to the Tendulkar&rsquo;s juggernaut when Australia visited India for a Test series (3-Test) after a gap of close to 12 years. Tendulkar was prepared. He toiled hard at the net and on rough pitches to counter hyper leg breaks of Warne. At Chennai during the first Test, Tendulkar pivoted the Indian victory by scoring a swashbuckling 155 in the third inning of Test. During that time, Shane Warne had been troubling best of world&rsquo;s batsmen with his insane turn after pitching the ball way outside the leg-stump. Warne was awestruck when Tendulkar dispatched similar deliveries into the stands during that knock. &nbsp;

Warne later confessed that he used to see Sachin in dreams, hitting him ruthlessly. That was the time when fraternity was indulged in a discussion &ldquo;Brain Lara vs Sachin Tendulkar, who is best among them&rdquo;. Warne endorsed that Tendulkar is a notch above Lara.

In April 1998, Tendulkar smashed two ODI centuries at Sharjah against Australia in a span of three days, which unarguably are among the finest ODI innings by an Indian. The first century put India into the final from a gloomy situation and second won the final for India.

It was ruthless hitting at Sharjah. I remember how Tony Grieg was going bonkers in the commentary box every time Tendulkar dispatched ball over the rope.

Tendulkar was so dominant in 1998 that Sir Don Bradman commented that he found Tendulkar&rsquo; batting pretty close to his own. In the same year 1998, Don celebrated his 90th birthday and Tendulkar along with Warne was the special invitee at his residence in Adelaide.

Later, Dennis Lillee told something very interesting about that carnage at Sharjah. Australian fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz went to the great Lillee for some tips to get Tendulkar out early in the innings. Lillee told him point-blank &ldquo;Dude, the kind of form Tendulkar is in, you shouldn&rsquo;t even think of getting him out. You just plan to save some runs against him&rdquo;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Ajay Jadeja once narrated a very interesting incident about Tendulkar in 1998. During a triangular series at Sharjah during November 1998 in a match against Zimbabwe, Tendulkar was rattled by a short pitch delivery of fired up young pace bowler Henry Olanga. When Tendulkar came back in the pavilion, Jadeja smirked and insinuated his failure. Tendulkar smiled and replied, &ldquo;Buddy, wait till the next match&rdquo;.

The very next match was the final against Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe scored 196 runs in the first inning. India scored 197 in just 30 overs without losing a single wicket. Tendulkar scored 124 not out at the strike rate of 135. Olanga learned some lesson on pace bowling from Tendulkar as he went for 50 runs in 6 overs.

A few years later in an interview, Indian coach during 1998 Anshuman Gaikwad spoke about Tendulkar in 1998. He said that in Chennai Test when India started his third inning, Anshuman told the team that a quick hundred from any of the batsmen would bring India back in the game. Tendulkar immediately reverted &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry coach; I will do the job for you&rdquo;.

Similarly, in Sharjah in April 1998 when India was struggling in the last league match against Australia, Tendulkar again told Anshuman that he would do the job.

So, in 1998, Tendulkar has not only scored runs, he also knew that he was going to score runs. That was the level of his self-confidence.

1998 was undoubtedly Tendulkar&rsquo;s year in the Cricket. The impact was so deep that even today if in any discussion 1998 is referred; I recall that it was the year when our master blasters blitzed. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Watching Virat Kohli scoring centuries one after another reminds us of Sachin Tendulkar who played like a beast during 1998.

This is the moment of king Kohli. He is just decimating bowling attack mercilessly. When he scored his third century in the recent ODI series with South Africa, eminent commentator Harsha Bhogle quipped on TV “when did you last see a batsman dominating to such an extent”. I know the most obvious answer; it was Sachin Tendulkar during 1998 and I am sure that each cricket freak of my generation must have thought the same. Later in the day, Bhogle himself tweeted that the Kohli’s dominance nowadays is akin to Tendulkar’s in 1998. Exactly twenty years back in the calendar year of 1998, Sachin Tendulkar was on a roll, he was dominating, scoring runs at will and routing each and every bowling attack in the world. First look at the numbers. Tendulkar played in 34 ODIs in 1998 and scored 1894 runs at a colossal average of 65.3 and with the whopping strike rate of 102. He smashed 40 sixes in all, but the most impressive fact is that he scored 9 ODI centuries and 7 ODI half-centuries in a single calendar year of 1998. In 5 Test matches, Sachin scored around 650 runs with an average of 80 plus and with 3 centuries. You must be in awe of these unbelievable numbers, but trust me, it's just the tip of the iceberg as far as the splendor of Sachin-1998 is concerned. The main essence of Tendulkar’s heroic in 1998 is the way he pulverized best of bowling attacks and the consistency with which he pulled matches for his country and bailed his side out of the crunch situation. So what happened in 1998? What or who triggered this onslaught? Well, there is a bit of story behind it. Tendulkar replaced Azhar as Indian captain in 1996. He was the heir apparent for years before he got the baton from Azhar. Sachin’s success as captain, however, was rather tepid. India lost the Test series in South Africa and in West Indies. In a Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo, Sri Lanka scored 950 runs in a single Test inning. Tendulkar was sacked from the captaincy towards the end of 1997. Tendulkar was taken aback; he was disappointed the way selectors snubbed him, hurriedly. Years later Tendulkar confessed his disappointment unequivocally in his biographical film Sachin: A Billion Dreams. Sachin was hurt, pained and all that was vented out through his bat during 1998. Moreover, he was free from the pressure of captaincy. Sachin Tendulkar in 1998 is all about larger than life performances by him, spellbound Cricket fraternity and interesting anecdotes which created a bona fide cult around the great man. Australians were first, who has fallen prey to the Tendulkar’s juggernaut when Australia visited India for a Test series (3-Test) after a gap of close to 12 years. Tendulkar was prepared. He toiled hard at the net and on rough pitches to counter hyper leg breaks of Warne. At Chennai during the first Test, Tendulkar pivoted the Indian victory by scoring a swashbuckling 155 in the third inning of Test. During that time, Shane Warne had been troubling best of world’s batsmen with his insane turn after pitching the ball way outside the leg-stump. Warne was awestruck when Tendulkar dispatched similar deliveries into the stands during that knock. Warne later confessed that he used to see Sachin in dreams, hitting him ruthlessly. That was the time when fraternity was indulged in a discussion “Brain Lara vs Sachin Tendulkar, who is best among them”. Warne endorsed that Tendulkar is a notch above Lara. In April 1998, Tendulkar smashed two ODI centuries at Sharjah against Australia in a span of three days, which unarguably are among the finest ODI innings by an Indian. The first century put India into the final from a gloomy situation and second won the final for India. It was ruthless hitting at Sharjah. I remember how Tony Grieg was going bonkers in the commentary box every time Tendulkar dispatched ball over the rope. Tendulkar was so dominant in 1998 that Sir Don Bradman commented that he found Tendulkar’ batting pretty close to his own. In the same year 1998, Don celebrated his 90th birthday and Tendulkar along with Warne was the special invitee at his residence in Adelaide. Later, Dennis Lillee told something very interesting about that carnage at Sharjah. Australian fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz went to the great Lillee for some tips to get Tendulkar out early in the innings. Lillee told him point-blank “Dude, the kind of form Tendulkar is in, you shouldn’t even think of getting him out. You just plan to save some runs against him”. Ajay Jadeja once narrated a very interesting incident about Tendulkar in 1998. During a triangular series at Sharjah during November 1998 in a match against Zimbabwe, Tendulkar was rattled by a short pitch delivery of fired up young pace bowler Henry Olanga. When Tendulkar came back in the pavilion, Jadeja smirked and insinuated his failure. Tendulkar smiled and replied, “Buddy, wait till the next match”. The very next match was the final against Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe scored 196 runs in the first inning. India scored 197 in just 30 overs without losing a single wicket. Tendulkar scored 124 not out at the strike rate of 135. Olanga learned some lesson on pace bowling from Tendulkar as he went for 50 runs in 6 overs. A few years later in an interview, Indian coach during 1998 Anshuman Gaikwad spoke about Tendulkar in 1998. He said that in Chennai Test when India started his third inning, Anshuman told the team that a quick hundred from any of the batsmen would bring India back in the game. Tendulkar immediately reverted “Don’t worry coach; I will do the job for you”. Similarly, in Sharjah in April 1998 when India was struggling in the last league match against Australia, Tendulkar again told Anshuman that he would do the job. So, in 1998, Tendulkar has not only scored runs, he also knew that he was going to score runs. That was the level of his self-confidence. 1998 was undoubtedly Tendulkar’s year in the Cricket. The impact was so deep that even today if in any discussion 1998 is referred; I recall that it was the year when our master blasters blitzed. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Today's Virat Kohli bears resemblance of Sachin during 1998

&quot;It will eventually happen if I am destined to do it,&quot; Sachin Tendulkar had told Virender Sehwag once about getting a double hundred in ODI cricket.

Even Sachin, perhaps, would have no inkling that within months of saying these words he would go on to actually achieve this historic feat. That he managed to do in the 37th year of his life and against one of the better sides in international cricket, is testimony to the champion batsman that Tendulkar was.

February 24, 2010, would hence remain a momentous day in international cricket history. It was the day when a master batsman, at the twilight of his career, went on to become the first ever man in ODI cricket to score a double hundred.&nbsp;

The Sachin masterclass&nbsp;

It was the second game of the 3-match ODI series between India and South Africa being played at a jam-packed Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior. Opting to bat first on a placid surface, India was looking to seal the series after having already won the first game. 
The home team lost the wicket of opener Virender Sehwag early, but their other opener, Sachin Tendulkar, was in the mood for a big one. Opening his account with a boundary towards mid-off of Wayne Parnell, Sachin perhaps knew it was his day.&nbsp;

Even though South Africa had Dale Steyn in their ranks, Sachin was unperturbed and went about his business briskly. The ball was coming nicely on to the bat and Sachin struck some fluent drives to get things going. He reached his half-century off just 37 balls that included nine hits to the fence. Sachin settled down after this and his next fifty came off 53 balls. He reached his hundred &ndash; his 46th one in the format &ndash; in the 28th over by taking a single towards point off JP Duminy. Meanwhile, he had also formed a dominant 194-run stand with Dinesh Karthik (79) to pull things back for the team.

After reaching his hundred, Sachin had assessed the pitch completely and knew he could go on to get a massive score if he kept his patience. He opened up and unleashed a flurry of boundaries in the next 10 overs to reach his 150 in just 117 balls &ndash; reaching his landmark courtesy a superb boundary towards mid-wicket off Wayne Parnell. He had taken merely 27 balls to reach from 100 to 150. 
The capacity crowd at the stadium was now being treated to the full range of Sachin&rsquo;s genius as he cut, pulled, played on the up and drove down the ground, with great flourish. He showed no mercy to any bowler and punished them all with equal disdain. What was even more striking about this innings was the eagerness with which Sachin ran his singles and twos.&nbsp;

As the innings progressed, Sachin began to get cramped up and dehydrated a bit. However, he did not let his intensity dip and kept cracking the boundaries. At the other end now was Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Realizing that Sachin was tiring, Dhoni took the attack to the opposition himself.

As Sachin surpassed his previous best ODI score of 186 (also the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in ODIs then), the anticipation in the crowd began building to a crescendo. However, Dhoni was farming most of the strike at this time, screaming the South African bowlers all over the park, leading to frustration among the people who wanted to see their darling at the crease. &nbsp; 
With a flick off Parnell in the third ball of the 45th over, Tendulkar collected two runs and arrived at the score of 195 &ndash; thus reaching the highest score in ODIs by a batsman. He had overtaken the previous record of 194, held jointly by Pakistan&rsquo;s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Charles Coventry.&nbsp;

It was yet another feather in the master&#39;s illustrious cap. But one more milestone awaited him now. And this one was even bigger. 
Battling cramps and exhaustion, Sachin kept taking singles as marauding Dhoni at the other end went completely berserk. The crowd was becoming restless and desperate and finally, in the third ball of the last over, Sachin took a single towards point off Charl Langeveldt to reach his 200 &ndash; the first man on the planet to achieve the feat. The crowd went delirious with joy and Sachin, in his usual style, took off his helmet, simply looked up at the skies and thanked his stars. Sachin had scored his 200 off 147 balls and struck 25 fours along with 3 glorious sixes in his magnificent innings. He remained unbeaten till the end.

Courtesy this majestic effort, India posted a mammoth 401-3 in their 50 overs and went on to comfortably win the match by 153 runs.

What followed&nbsp;

The next day, the media was flooded with news of Sachin&rsquo;s incredible achievement and he dominated headlines everywhere. Cricketers and other sportspersons from the world over showered their praises on the great Indian batsman&rsquo;s phenomenal accomplishment.

Sachin&rsquo;s innings also opened the floodgates for the other batsmen. Until then, the 200-run barrier had looked quite unattainable for a batsman to reach in ODI cricket. Since the inception of ODIs in 1971, several great batsmen had come very close to the mark but had failed to cross the final hurdle. Sachin finally broke the shackles and paved the way for others to follow. And to date, six more ODI double hundreds have been scored.

The genius of Sachin shall always be cherished throughout the sporting world. And this remarkable feat will rank among the very best in his glittering career.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

February 24, 2010 remains a momentous day in international cricket history as Sachin Tendulkar became the first ever man in ODI cricket to score a double hundred.

"It will eventually happen if I am destined to do it," Sachin Tendulkar had told Virender Sehwag once about getting a double hundred in ODI cricket. Even Sachin, perhaps, would have no inkling that within months of saying these words he would go on to actually achieve this historic feat. That he managed to do in the 37th year of his life and against one of the better sides in international cricket, is testimony to the champion batsman that Tendulkar was. February 24, 2010, would hence remain a momentous day in international cricket history. It was the day when a master batsman, at the twilight of his career, went on to become the first ever man in ODI cricket to score a double hundred. The Sachin masterclass It was the second game of the 3-match ODI series between India and South Africa being played at a jam-packed Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior. Opting to bat first on a placid surface, India was looking to seal the series after having already won the first game. The home team lost the wicket of opener Virender Sehwag early, but their other opener, Sachin Tendulkar, was in the mood for a big one. Opening his account with a boundary towards mid-off of Wayne Parnell, Sachin perhaps knew it was his day. Even though South Africa had Dale Steyn in their ranks, Sachin was unperturbed and went about his business briskly. The ball was coming nicely on to the bat and Sachin struck some fluent drives to get things going. He reached his half-century off just 37 balls that included nine hits to the fence. Sachin settled down after this and his next fifty came off 53 balls. He reached his hundred – his 46th one in the format – in the 28th over by taking a single towards point off JP Duminy. Meanwhile, he had also formed a dominant 194-run stand with Dinesh Karthik (79) to pull things back for the team. After reaching his hundred, Sachin had assessed the pitch completely and knew he could go on to get a massive score if he kept his patience. He opened up and unleashed a flurry of boundaries in the next 10 overs to reach his 150 in just 117 balls – reaching his landmark courtesy a superb boundary towards mid-wicket off Wayne Parnell. He had taken merely 27 balls to reach from 100 to 150. The capacity crowd at the stadium was now being treated to the full range of Sachin’s genius as he cut, pulled, played on the up and drove down the ground, with great flourish. He showed no mercy to any bowler and punished them all with equal disdain. What was even more striking about this innings was the eagerness with which Sachin ran his singles and twos. As the innings progressed, Sachin began to get cramped up and dehydrated a bit. However, he did not let his intensity dip and kept cracking the boundaries. At the other end now was Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Realizing that Sachin was tiring, Dhoni took the attack to the opposition himself. As Sachin surpassed his previous best ODI score of 186 (also the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in ODIs then), the anticipation in the crowd began building to a crescendo. However, Dhoni was farming most of the strike at this time, screaming the South African bowlers all over the park, leading to frustration among the people who wanted to see their darling at the crease. With a flick off Parnell in the third ball of the 45th over, Tendulkar collected two runs and arrived at the score of 195 – thus reaching the highest score in ODIs by a batsman. He had overtaken the previous record of 194, held jointly by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry. It was yet another feather in the master's illustrious cap. But one more milestone awaited him now. And this one was even bigger. Battling cramps and exhaustion, Sachin kept taking singles as marauding Dhoni at the other end went completely berserk. The crowd was becoming restless and desperate and finally, in the third ball of the last over, Sachin took a single towards point off Charl Langeveldt to reach his 200 – the first man on the planet to achieve the feat. The crowd went delirious with joy and Sachin, in his usual style, took off his helmet, simply looked up at the skies and thanked his stars. Sachin had scored his 200 off 147 balls and struck 25 fours along with 3 glorious sixes in his magnificent innings. He remained unbeaten till the end. Courtesy this majestic effort, India posted a mammoth 401-3 in their 50 overs and went on to comfortably win the match by 153 runs. What followed The next day, the media was flooded with news of Sachin’s incredible achievement and he dominated headlines everywhere. Cricketers and other sportspersons from the world over showered their praises on the great Indian batsman’s phenomenal accomplishment. Sachin’s innings also opened the floodgates for the other batsmen. Until then, the 200-run barrier had looked quite unattainable for a batsman to reach in ODI cricket. Since the inception of ODIs in 1971, several great batsmen had come very close to the mark but had failed to cross the final hurdle. Sachin finally broke the shackles and paved the way for others to follow. And to date, six more ODI double hundreds have been scored. The genius of Sachin shall always be cherished throughout the sporting world. And this remarkable feat will rank among the very best in his glittering career. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Master batsman Sachin scored double 100 in ODI exactly 8 years ago

The Indian women cricket team is on a roll. Their limited-overs tour to South Africa has been one of their most successful ones in recent times. After defeating the hosts 2-1 in the ODI series under Mithali Raj&rsquo;s captaincy, they now have an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20Is as well. With the fifth and last game of the T20I series set to be played today at Newlands, Cape Town, India now stands a rare chance of double limited-overs whammy on this high-profile tour. Clinching the T20Is series would ensure that their tour ends on a complete successful note.&nbsp;

India has been thoroughly dominant in their performances here and barring a couple of occasions have looked like a well-balanced side. However, there are some causes of worry that captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her girls would like to address before the final T20I. After winning the first two games comfortably, they let the intensity dip and have not been up to their standards. The inclusion of bowlers Rumeli Dhar and Deepti Sharma in the last game, seen as a measure to strengthen their bowling unit, hasn&rsquo;t really paid rich dividends. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who was so successful in the ODI series, has been rather expensive in the two games she has played and has gone at an expensive economy rate of 8.50. &nbsp;

Clearly, India&rsquo;s spin bowling department is a cause for concern and that is something that the team management would need to work on before the Women&#39;s World T20 in November in West Indies.

Another issue that needs to be worked on is India&rsquo;s lower order which hasn&rsquo;t been able to contribute successfully. They have failed to capitalize on the robust starts provided by the Indian top-order, who has been in sensational form. The lower order has not been tested enough and in the third ODI India lost their last five wickets for nine runs.

The wicket at Cape Town for the final T20I is likely to be a high-scoring one and the Indian team would be banking on their batswomen to bail them through again. Star batswoman Mithali Raj and opener Smriti Mandhana have been India&rsquo;s top two run-getters of the series and would continue to provide India with solid starts. They would also seek solid contributions from Veda Krishnamurthy, who was excellent in the ODI series, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

And since South Africa has been handling India&rsquo;s spinners rather well, perhaps the inclusion of another pacer, Shikha Pandey, would not be a bad idea as well.

The T20I series in South Africa was an important one for the Indian women&rsquo;s team. With the World T20 just a few months away now, they need to look at their best possible combinations. They have been poor in the format and have suffered first-round exits in each of the last three editions of the World T20. This time, however, they have the team to make a difference and their performance in the first two T20Is against South Africa in this series certainly reflects that.

This final T20I against South Africa is hence of immense significance to India. Last year, the Indian women&rsquo;s team had made the nation proud by reaching the finals of the 50-over World Cup in England in emphatic fashion. The sport has gained a lot of attention and momentum in the country post the success of the World Cup and a win here would not only mean a successful T20I series victory against a top side away from home but will also hold Team India in good stead for the challenge of the World T20 later this year and will come as another shot in the arm for women&rsquo;s cricket in India. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Indian women cricketers look to round off successful tour to South Africa with T20I series win. However, lower order and spinners need to be sorted before Women's World T20 in November in West Indies arrives.

The Indian women cricket team is on a roll. Their limited-overs tour to South Africa has been one of their most successful ones in recent times. After defeating the hosts 2-1 in the ODI series under Mithali Raj’s captaincy, they now have an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20Is as well. With the fifth and last game of the T20I series set to be played today at Newlands, Cape Town, India now stands a rare chance of double limited-overs whammy on this high-profile tour. Clinching the T20Is series would ensure that their tour ends on a complete successful note. India has been thoroughly dominant in their performances here and barring a couple of occasions have looked like a well-balanced side. However, there are some causes of worry that captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her girls would like to address before the final T20I. After winning the first two games comfortably, they let the intensity dip and have not been up to their standards. The inclusion of bowlers Rumeli Dhar and Deepti Sharma in the last game, seen as a measure to strengthen their bowling unit, hasn’t really paid rich dividends. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who was so successful in the ODI series, has been rather expensive in the two games she has played and has gone at an expensive economy rate of 8.50. Clearly, India’s spin bowling department is a cause for concern and that is something that the team management would need to work on before the Women's World T20 in November in West Indies. Another issue that needs to be worked on is India’s lower order which hasn’t been able to contribute successfully. They have failed to capitalize on the robust starts provided by the Indian top-order, who has been in sensational form. The lower order has not been tested enough and in the third ODI India lost their last five wickets for nine runs. The wicket at Cape Town for the final T20I is likely to be a high-scoring one and the Indian team would be banking on their batswomen to bail them through again. Star batswoman Mithali Raj and opener Smriti Mandhana have been India’s top two run-getters of the series and would continue to provide India with solid starts. They would also seek solid contributions from Veda Krishnamurthy, who was excellent in the ODI series, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur. And since South Africa has been handling India’s spinners rather well, perhaps the inclusion of another pacer, Shikha Pandey, would not be a bad idea as well. The T20I series in South Africa was an important one for the Indian women’s team. With the World T20 just a few months away now, they need to look at their best possible combinations. They have been poor in the format and have suffered first-round exits in each of the last three editions of the World T20. This time, however, they have the team to make a difference and their performance in the first two T20Is against South Africa in this series certainly reflects that. This final T20I against South Africa is hence of immense significance to India. Last year, the Indian women’s team had made the nation proud by reaching the finals of the 50-over World Cup in England in emphatic fashion. The sport has gained a lot of attention and momentum in the country post the success of the World Cup and a win here would not only mean a successful T20I series victory against a top side away from home but will also hold Team India in good stead for the challenge of the World T20 later this year and will come as another shot in the arm for women’s cricket in India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Indian bats-women Mithali Raj again a star in South Africa T20I, but what about lower order?

Team India is on a high at present. Having beaten South Africa 5-1 in the recently concluded ODI series and has also won the first T20I with comfort, they are on a wave of euphoria like very few visiting Indian teams have been in South Africa. One must bear in mind, however, that India&rsquo;s success in the recent ODI series against South Africa has been largely achieved through a combination of great bowling and outstanding batting by the top three.

The story of India&rsquo;s middle-order, however, is a cause for concern. Barring the second T20I, where Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni rescued India, the team&rsquo;s middle-order has struggled in the limited overs matches. Even coach Ravi Shastri has expressed his concerns over this and said that there is a lot of work to be done in this area. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an area that requires work to be done. The top-order has batted beautifully and our bowlers were phenomenal but the fifth, sixth and the seventh slot in the batting order needs to be worked upon. Once we&rsquo;re done with this series, we&rsquo;ll have to sit down and weigh all options once again very carefully,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying recently.

Indeed, a lot of work has to be done to bolster India&rsquo;s middle-order, especially for ODIs. &nbsp;Of late, the numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 have been moved around too much and hence the Indian middle-order gives off an unsettled look. Players like Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav have all been used around in the middle-order with mixed results. Time and time again the top three Indian batsmen have laid the foundation only to find the middle-order botch things up. They have failed to capitalize on the solid starts that the top order has been providing regularly and have been finishing poorly.

Perhaps the first thing the Indian management can do is assign specific positions to the batsmen in the middle-order and let them thrive in it for some time.

India also needs to find a proper finisher. Hardik Pandya, after flourishing for a little while, seems to have fizzled out. In the ODI series against South Africa, Pandya managed just 26 runs at a very poor strike-rate of 74.28. These are discouraging numbers and right now India is in dire need of a hard-hitting finisher who can close the games for the team.&nbsp;

The Dhoni dilemma, too, needs to be addressed. India&rsquo;s veteran wicket-keeper batsman is not the batsman he once used to be and save for a few instances here and there, he generally struggles lower down the order. MS Dhoni flourishes the most in the No.4 or 5 positions and that is where he should be utilized now with the wealth of experience he has. At No.4 and 5, Dhoni averages above 50 and has 5 centuries along with 26 &nbsp;half centuries. Clearly, those are slots that he needs to be given more chances in.

Lastly, the team management should give more opportunities to talented young batsmen like KL Rahul who has been treated rather poorly by the team. He is a class player and has excelled for India in all the formats. He needs to be given more chances. Also, trying out youngsters like Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, who have been knocking on the doors for a while, along with the 2018 U-19 World Cup stars, Prithvi Shaw and Shubhnam Gill, can be a good idea as well.

The 2019 World Cup is not very far now. India&rsquo;s top order and bowling unit looks pretty solid and settled. The only chink in their armour is their sagging middle-order. The time for team India to experiment and sort out their middle-order woes is now.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India Needs to sort its middle order before the World Cup of 2019 arrives. Young players like K.L. Rahul and Prithvi Shaw should be given the chance.

Team India is on a high at present. Having beaten South Africa 5-1 in the recently concluded ODI series and has also won the first T20I with comfort, they are on a wave of euphoria like very few visiting Indian teams have been in South Africa. One must bear in mind, however, that India’s success in the recent ODI series against South Africa has been largely achieved through a combination of great bowling and outstanding batting by the top three. The story of India’s middle-order, however, is a cause for concern. Barring the second T20I, where Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni rescued India, the team’s middle-order has struggled in the limited overs matches. Even coach Ravi Shastri has expressed his concerns over this and said that there is a lot of work to be done in this area. “It’s an area that requires work to be done. The top-order has batted beautifully and our bowlers were phenomenal but the fifth, sixth and the seventh slot in the batting order needs to be worked upon. Once we’re done with this series, we’ll have to sit down and weigh all options once again very carefully,” he was quoted as saying recently. Indeed, a lot of work has to be done to bolster India’s middle-order, especially for ODIs. Of late, the numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 have been moved around too much and hence the Indian middle-order gives off an unsettled look. Players like Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav have all been used around in the middle-order with mixed results. Time and time again the top three Indian batsmen have laid the foundation only to find the middle-order botch things up. They have failed to capitalize on the solid starts that the top order has been providing regularly and have been finishing poorly. Perhaps the first thing the Indian management can do is assign specific positions to the batsmen in the middle-order and let them thrive in it for some time. India also needs to find a proper finisher. Hardik Pandya, after flourishing for a little while, seems to have fizzled out. In the ODI series against South Africa, Pandya managed just 26 runs at a very poor strike-rate of 74.28. These are discouraging numbers and right now India is in dire need of a hard-hitting finisher who can close the games for the team. The Dhoni dilemma, too, needs to be addressed. India’s veteran wicket-keeper batsman is not the batsman he once used to be and save for a few instances here and there, he generally struggles lower down the order. MS Dhoni flourishes the most in the No.4 or 5 positions and that is where he should be utilized now with the wealth of experience he has. At No.4 and 5, Dhoni averages above 50 and has 5 centuries along with 26 half centuries. Clearly, those are slots that he needs to be given more chances in. Lastly, the team management should give more opportunities to talented young batsmen like KL Rahul who has been treated rather poorly by the team. He is a class player and has excelled for India in all the formats. He needs to be given more chances. Also, trying out youngsters like Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, who have been knocking on the doors for a while, along with the 2018 U-19 World Cup stars, Prithvi Shaw and Shubhnam Gill, can be a good idea as well. The 2019 World Cup is not very far now. India’s top order and bowling unit looks pretty solid and settled. The only chink in their armour is their sagging middle-order. The time for team India to experiment and sort out their middle-order woes is now. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Dhoni and Indian middle order need revamping before World Cup 2019

India on Tuesday scripted history by winning a One Day International (ODI) series on the South African soil.

The visitors defeated the Proteas by 73 runs in the fifth ODI at the St George&#39;s Park in Port Elizabeth, to take a 4-1 lead in the six-match series.

Indian bowlers Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya bowled South Africa out for 201 in 42.2 overs after claiming 4 wickets for 57 and 2 for 30 runs respectively.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma&#39;s first ton in the series helped India set a challenging 275-run target.&nbsp;

South Africa lost their last four wickets for five runs to the spin duo as India claimed a historic maiden series win.

Yuzvendra Chahal also took two wickets for India, while Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with a wicket.&nbsp;

Hashim Amla top-scored for the hosts with 71 off 92 balls.

After a good start in their chase, South Africa lost three wickets in quick succession - AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Aiden Markram. Markram was in good nick and scored 32 off 32 balls which included a six and four boundaries.&nbsp;

The Proteas skipper also put on 52 runs for the opening wicket with Amla, before giving a simple catch to his counterpart Virat Kohli at mid-off off Bumrah.

Indian openers gave India a good start with Dhawan and Rohit adding 48, before Kagiso Rabada got the better of the left-hander in the eighth over.&nbsp;

Dhawan hit eight boundaries during his 34-run cameo off 23 balls.

Rohit and Kohli then maintained the early momentum and took India to 100-mark in 17.1 overs.&nbsp;

After a cautious start, Rohit opened up by hitting two sixes, one each off Rabada and Ngidi, as he reached his first fifty (off 50 balls) of the series.

The Mumbai batsman stabilised the innings and reached his 17th hundred off 107 balls.

Ajinky Rahane again failed to perform and was run out at just 8 runs by Morne Morkel and Klaasen. 
&nbsp;

The visitors defeated the Proteas by 73 runs in the fifth ODI

India on Tuesday scripted history by winning a One Day International (ODI) series on the South African soil. The visitors defeated the Proteas by 73 runs in the fifth ODI at the St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, to take a 4-1 lead in the six-match series. Indian bowlers Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya bowled South Africa out for 201 in 42.2 overs after claiming 4 wickets for 57 and 2 for 30 runs respectively. Rohit Sharma's first ton in the series helped India set a challenging 275-run target. South Africa lost their last four wickets for five runs to the spin duo as India claimed a historic maiden series win. Yuzvendra Chahal also took two wickets for India, while Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with a wicket. Hashim Amla top-scored for the hosts with 71 off 92 balls. After a good start in their chase, South Africa lost three wickets in quick succession - AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Aiden Markram. Markram was in good nick and scored 32 off 32 balls which included a six and four boundaries. The Proteas skipper also put on 52 runs for the opening wicket with Amla, before giving a simple catch to his counterpart Virat Kohli at mid-off off Bumrah. Indian openers gave India a good start with Dhawan and Rohit adding 48, before Kagiso Rabada got the better of the left-hander in the eighth over. Dhawan hit eight boundaries during his 34-run cameo off 23 balls. Rohit and Kohli then maintained the early momentum and took India to 100-mark in 17.1 overs. After a cautious start, Rohit opened up by hitting two sixes, one each off Rabada and Ngidi, as he reached his first fifty (off 50 balls) of the series. The Mumbai batsman stabilised the innings and reached his 17th hundred off 107 balls. Ajinky Rahane again failed to perform and was run out at just 8 runs by Morne Morkel and Klaasen.

India clinch maiden series win in South Africa

Jos Buttler&#39;s magnificent century brought England a 16-run win and a one-day international series victory against Australia in Sydney on Sunday.&nbsp;

The hosts struggled and managed only 286 runs while chasing a huge target of 303.

The result gave England an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series, a remarkable turnaround after Australia had trounced the tourists 4-0 in the recently concluded Ashes Tests.&nbsp;

Australia&#39;s hopes largely rested with Steve Smith (45) and Mitchell Marsh (55), but both were dismissed at a crucial stage of the chase, with Smith falling to a contentious low-down catch by Buttler off the bowling of Mark Wood (2-46). &nbsp;

Marcus Stoinis made a late attempt to lift Australia with a punishing 56, but England managed to hold on despite losing pacemen Liam Plunkett to a leg injury early in the Australian innings.

Buttler, 27, was the only batsman from either team really to get to grips with a slightly slow pitch, and his late surge enabled England to reach a total which had seemed out of their reach until the final few overs.

Several English batsmen got promising starts, but it was wicketkeeper-batsman Buttler who helped them post an imposing 302 for six from their 50 overs.

Buttler notched his five one-day international century from the last ball of the innings, as England helped themselves to 38 off the last two overs.

The hosts struggled and managed only 286 runs while chasing a huge target of 303.

Jos Buttler's magnificent century brought England a 16-run win and a one-day international series victory against Australia in Sydney on Sunday. The hosts struggled and managed only 286 runs while chasing a huge target of 303. The result gave England an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series, a remarkable turnaround after Australia had trounced the tourists 4-0 in the recently concluded Ashes Tests. Australia's hopes largely rested with Steve Smith (45) and Mitchell Marsh (55), but both were dismissed at a crucial stage of the chase, with Smith falling to a contentious low-down catch by Buttler off the bowling of Mark Wood (2-46). Marcus Stoinis made a late attempt to lift Australia with a punishing 56, but England managed to hold on despite losing pacemen Liam Plunkett to a leg injury early in the Australian innings. Buttler, 27, was the only batsman from either team really to get to grips with a slightly slow pitch, and his late surge enabled England to reach a total which had seemed out of their reach until the final few overs. Several English batsmen got promising starts, but it was wicketkeeper-batsman Buttler who helped them post an imposing 302 for six from their 50 overs. Buttler notched his five one-day international century from the last ball of the innings, as England helped themselves to 38 off the last two overs.

3rd ODI: England beat Australia by 16 runs to clinch series

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first in tri-nation ODI series at Mirpur on Friday.

The hosts picked pacer Saifuddin in place of Sunzamul Islam with Sri Lanka dropping Mathews for Dickwella and bringing back Nuwan Pradeep in place of Chameera.

&nbsp;Zimbabwe is the other team in the tournament.

Bangladesh team:

Mashrafe Mortaza(captain), Anamul Haque, Tamim Iqbal,Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim(wk), Nasir Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, 
Sabbir Rahman

Sri Lanka team:

Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Thisara Perera, &nbsp;Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Wanindu Hasaranga, Nuwan Pradeep. 
&nbsp;

The hosts picked pacer Saifuddin in place of Sunzamul Islam

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first in tri-nation ODI series at Mirpur on Friday. The hosts picked pacer Saifuddin in place of Sunzamul Islam with Sri Lanka dropping Mathews for Dickwella and bringing back Nuwan Pradeep in place of Chameera. Zimbabwe is the other team in the tournament. Bangladesh team: Mashrafe Mortaza(captain), Anamul Haque, Tamim Iqbal,Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim(wk), Nasir Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Sabbir Rahman Sri Lanka team: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Wanindu Hasaranga, Nuwan Pradeep.

Tri-nation ODI series: Bangladesh win toss, elect to bat first against Sri Lanka

New Zealand completed a clean sweep of the West Indies in their one-day series with a 66-run victory in the third and final match in Christchurch on Tuesday.

The rain-affected match was reduced to 23-overs-a-side. The West Indies were set a revised target of 166 in reply to New Zealand&#39;s 131.

The Windies slumped to 9-5 flirting with the lowest-ever score in an ODI before finishing 99-9.

The pace-spin duo Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner, bowled out a hapless West Indian line-up once again.

Santner took 3-15 from five overs and Boult had 3-18. &nbsp;

New Zealand elected to bat first, and were 83 for three after 19 overs when rain forced the players from the field. They added 48 in the four available overs after the resumption.&nbsp;

Ross Taylor ended unbeaten on 47 while Tom Latham made 37.&nbsp;

The Proteas will now be looking to inflict yet another whitewash in the T20I series, before their tour with Pakistan in January.

The West Indies were set a revised target of 166 in reply to New Zealand's 131.

New Zealand completed a clean sweep of the West Indies in their one-day series with a 66-run victory in the third and final match in Christchurch on Tuesday. The rain-affected match was reduced to 23-overs-a-side. The West Indies were set a revised target of 166 in reply to New Zealand's 131. The Windies slumped to 9-5 flirting with the lowest-ever score in an ODI before finishing 99-9. The pace-spin duo Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner, bowled out a hapless West Indian line-up once again. Santner took 3-15 from five overs and Boult had 3-18. New Zealand elected to bat first, and were 83 for three after 19 overs when rain forced the players from the field. They added 48 in the four available overs after the resumption. Ross Taylor ended unbeaten on 47 while Tom Latham made 37. The Proteas will now be looking to inflict yet another whitewash in the T20I series, before their tour with Pakistan in January.

3rd ODI: New Zealand beat West Indies by 66 runs, sweep series 3-0

Indian cricket team&#39;s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first for the third and final ODI at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav replaced Washington Sundar in the playing XI, while Sadeera Samarawickrama replaced Lahiru Thirimanne for Sri Lanka.

In the 2nd ODI, Rohit Sharma&#39;s unbeaten 208 helped the hosts level the series with 1-1, after they put up a total of 392-4, and in turn, restricted Sri Lanka to 251-8 in 50 overs.

India has not lost a series at home since their loss to South Africa in October 2015.

Kuldeep Yadav replaced Washington Sundar in the Indian playing XI

Indian cricket team's stand-in captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first for the third and final ODI at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. For India, Kuldeep Yadav replaced Washington Sundar in the playing XI, while Sadeera Samarawickrama replaced Lahiru Thirimanne for Sri Lanka. In the 2nd ODI, Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 208 helped the hosts level the series with 1-1, after they put up a total of 392-4, and in turn, restricted Sri Lanka to 251-8 in 50 overs. India has not lost a series at home since their loss to South Africa in October 2015.

3rd ODI: India wins toss, to bowl first in series decider against Sri Lanka

India on Sunday clinched the three-match ODI series by 2-1 against visitors Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam, after registering a thumping 8 wicket win in the series decider.

After India&#39;s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma&#39;s early departure, batsman Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan struck a 135-run partnership to take the game away from Lanka&rsquo;s hands.

Dhawan&#39;s unbeaten 100 off just 85 balls, and Iyer&#39;s 65 off 63 balls turned the game with their majestic partnership.&nbsp;

While, Kuldeep Yadav was declared the man of the match for the three crucial wickets he took today, Shikhar Dhawan was announced as the man of the series. &nbsp;

This is the first bilateral series win for Rohit Sharma as captain of Indian Cricket Team.&nbsp;

India bowled out the visitors for 215 runs as the hosts took the upper hand in the third and final ODI.

India had won the toss and opted to bowl first in the series decider at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. 
&nbsp;

Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan struck a 135-run partnership to take the game away from Lanka?s hands.

India on Sunday clinched the three-match ODI series by 2-1 against visitors Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam, after registering a thumping 8 wicket win in the series decider. After India's stand-in captain Rohit Sharma's early departure, batsman Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan struck a 135-run partnership to take the game away from Lanka’s hands. Dhawan's unbeaten 100 off just 85 balls, and Iyer's 65 off 63 balls turned the game with their majestic partnership. While, Kuldeep Yadav was declared the man of the match for the three crucial wickets he took today, Shikhar Dhawan was announced as the man of the series. This is the first bilateral series win for Rohit Sharma as captain of Indian Cricket Team. India bowled out the visitors for 215 runs as the hosts took the upper hand in the third and final ODI. India had won the toss and opted to bowl first in the series decider at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

Shikhar Dhawan's century helps India clinch ODI series by 2-1 against Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan skipper Thisara Perera on Wednesday won the toss and chose to bowl against India in the second ODI of the three-match series.&nbsp;

After the toss, stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma said that he too would have opted to bowl first, had he won the toss.

Rohit, leading the side in Virat Kohli&#39;s absence, had promised to bounce back after their humiliating loss in the 1st ODI in Dharamsala.

The loss was not just a danger signal for the one-day series but also raised questions about the upcoming series in South Africa, where the conditions won&#39;t be great for the batsmen.

For India, Tamil Nadu offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar received his maiden ODI cap. He replaced Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI.&nbsp;

On the other hand, confident Sri Lanka fielded an unchanged side. 
&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar received his maiden ODI cap

Sri Lankan skipper Thisara Perera on Wednesday won the toss and chose to bowl against India in the second ODI of the three-match series. After the toss, stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma said that he too would have opted to bowl first, had he won the toss. Rohit, leading the side in Virat Kohli's absence, had promised to bounce back after their humiliating loss in the 1st ODI in Dharamsala. The loss was not just a danger signal for the one-day series but also raised questions about the upcoming series in South Africa, where the conditions won't be great for the batsmen. For India, Tamil Nadu offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar received his maiden ODI cap. He replaced Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI. On the other hand, confident Sri Lanka fielded an unchanged side.

Sri Lanka win toss, ask India to bat first in 2nd ODI

As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to taste a win after the Test series loss.

Though the Indian side &#39;run machine&#39; and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in &quot;fresh air&quot;.

Recalling the past, the last time Lanka played ODIs in India, it was Rohit Sharma who displayed an excellent show with the bat to accumulate 264 runs.

It is good time for India to play Sri Lanka as they have been struggling in the ODIs. The Lankan Lions struggle is confirmed by the fact that they have been whitewashed 5-0 three times this year.

Sri Lanka&#39; record against India in particular is also quite poor as they have lost eight of the so far nine bilateral ODI series in India.

On the other hand, India have always enjoyed a good show in the home conditions. They had defeated Australia 4-1 and triumphed New Zealand 2-1 in recent months.

Sharma-led side will thus aim to continue the winning streak and end the year on a high note.

The hosts are likely to open with Shikhar Dhawan and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma, whereas Kohli&#39;s no. 3 spot is expected to be taken by Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane will aim to break the jinx to regain his form as the right-handed batsman had been patchy in the Test format.

The no. 4 spot, which has been a game of musical chairs lately, could go either to Dinesh Karthik or Manish Pandey. Shreyas Iyer can also be not ruled out for the spot.

Meanwhile Hardik Pandya, who had been rested ahead of the South Africa tour, is back in the squad.

Pandya surely has fond memories of playing in Dharamsala, as the all-rounder had made his ODI debut for the national side here in 2016.

Kedar Jadhav has been ruled out of the ODI series with Washington Sundar coming in.

Meanwhile, Punjab&#39;s medium-pacer Siddarth Kaul has earned a maiden call-up in the national squad to complement the pace-bowling duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.

Sir Lanka will be playing the ODI and the T20I series under Thisara Perera, who has taken over from Upul Tharanga.

However, Dhananjaya de Silva, who has hit a match saving century in Delhi Test, has been ruled out of the series opener due to an injury.

India squad (Probable): Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Washington Sundar.

Sri Lanka squad (Probable): Upul Tharanga (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama/Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Asela Gunaratne, Thisara Perera (c), Chathuranga de Silva/Sachith Pathirana/Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dhananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep.

Sri Lanka' record against India, in particular, is also quite poor as they have lost eight of the so far nine bilateral ODI series in India.

As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to taste a win after the Test series loss. Though the Indian side 'run machine' and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in "fresh air". Recalling the past, the last time Lanka played ODIs in India, it was Rohit Sharma who displayed an excellent show with the bat to accumulate 264 runs. It is good time for India to play Sri Lanka as they have been struggling in the ODIs. The Lankan Lions struggle is confirmed by the fact that they have been whitewashed 5-0 three times this year. Sri Lanka' record against India in particular is also quite poor as they have lost eight of the so far nine bilateral ODI series in India. On the other hand, India have always enjoyed a good show in the home conditions. They had defeated Australia 4-1 and triumphed New Zealand 2-1 in recent months. Sharma-led side will thus aim to continue the winning streak and end the year on a high note. The hosts are likely to open with Shikhar Dhawan and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma, whereas Kohli's no. 3 spot is expected to be taken by Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane will aim to break the jinx to regain his form as the right-handed batsman had been patchy in the Test format. The no. 4 spot, which has been a game of musical chairs lately, could go either to Dinesh Karthik or Manish Pandey. Shreyas Iyer can also be not ruled out for the spot. Meanwhile Hardik Pandya, who had been rested ahead of the South Africa tour, is back in the squad. Pandya surely has fond memories of playing in Dharamsala, as the all-rounder had made his ODI debut for the national side here in 2016. Kedar Jadhav has been ruled out of the ODI series with Washington Sundar coming in. Meanwhile, Punjab's medium-pacer Siddarth Kaul has earned a maiden call-up in the national squad to complement the pace-bowling duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. Sir Lanka will be playing the ODI and the T20I series under Thisara Perera, who has taken over from Upul Tharanga. However, Dhananjaya de Silva, who has hit a match saving century in Delhi Test, has been ruled out of the series opener due to an injury. India squad (Probable): Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Washington Sundar. Sri Lanka squad (Probable): Upul Tharanga (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama/Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Asela Gunaratne, Thisara Perera (c), Chathuranga de Silva/Sachith Pathirana/Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dhananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep.

Kohli rested, India all set to take Lanka in ODI series opener

India won by 190 runs against New Zealand in the final one-day international series 3-2 in India&#39;s southern Visakhapatnam on Saturday.&nbsp;

Indian leg spinner Amit Mishra was declared man of the match and player of the series, he claimed five wickets on Saturday and overall 15 wickets. New Zealand&#39;s innings lasted for 23.1 overs.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli clinched the deal with half-centuries leading to a 269.&nbsp;

According to Indian news agency, the Press Trust of India, Mishra helped maintain the win.&nbsp;

&quot;Mishra&#39;s beauty is he bowls slow, so as a keeper you have time to recover the ball to stump batsmen. And in tandem with Axar, who bowls flat and quick, it was very good,&quot; said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.&nbsp;

New Zealand pacer Trent Boult and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi pulled back India from scoring a bigger point by taking two wickets each.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Amit Mishra was judged the man of the match and the player of the series

India won by 190 runs against New Zealand in the final one-day international series 3-2 in India's southern Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Indian leg spinner Amit Mishra was declared man of the match and player of the series, he claimed five wickets on Saturday and overall 15 wickets. New Zealand's innings lasted for 23.1 overs. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli clinched the deal with half-centuries leading to a 269. According to Indian news agency, the Press Trust of India, Mishra helped maintain the win. "Mishra's beauty is he bowls slow, so as a keeper you have time to recover the ball to stump batsmen. And in tandem with Axar, who bowls flat and quick, it was very good," said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. New Zealand pacer Trent Boult and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi pulled back India from scoring a bigger point by taking two wickets each. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Cricket: India wins ODI series against New Zealand

Mandeep Singh blasted a quick-fire unbeaten half-century as India crushed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to level the Twenty20 series on Monday. 
 
The result sets up a series decider in the third and final game that will also be played at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday. 
 
Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, but could only muster 99 for nine in their 20 overs as the Indian bowlers strangled the run-rate. 
 
The tourists made short work of their reply, racing to their victory target off 13.1 overs as Mandeep Singh (52 from 40 balls) and fellow opener Lokesh Rahul (47 from 40 balls) put on a century stand. 
 
All the Zimbabwe batsmen struggled to score quick runs in their innings with none managing more than a run a ball. Peter Moor (31 from 32 balls) was the only one to muster any sort of resistance. 
 
Debutant seamer Barinder Sran took for wickets to lead the Indian charge, while fellow paceman Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets in his four overs. 
 
India also handed a debut to seamer Dhawal Kulkarni, though he was by far the most expensive of the bowlers as his one wicket cost 32 runs. 
 
(Reuters)

None of the Zimbabwean batsmen managed more than a run a ball

Mandeep Singh blasted a quick-fire unbeaten half-century as India crushed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to level the Twenty20 series on Monday. The result sets up a series decider in the third and final game that will also be played at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday. Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, but could only muster 99 for nine in their 20 overs as the Indian bowlers strangled the run-rate. The tourists made short work of their reply, racing to their victory target off 13.1 overs as Mandeep Singh (52 from 40 balls) and fellow opener Lokesh Rahul (47 from 40 balls) put on a century stand. All the Zimbabwe batsmen struggled to score quick runs in their innings with none managing more than a run a ball. Peter Moor (31 from 32 balls) was the only one to muster any sort of resistance. Debutant seamer Barinder Sran took for wickets to lead the Indian charge, while fellow paceman Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets in his four overs. India also handed a debut to seamer Dhawal Kulkarni, though he was by far the most expensive of the bowlers as his one wicket cost 32 runs. (Reuters)

India beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in 2nd T20, level series 1-1

Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first in the crucial second T20 of the three-match series at Harare Sports Club today. 
 
As far as Playing XI is concerned, India have roped in Dhawal Kulkarni and Barinder Sran in place of Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan for the must-win match while the hosts have replaced Mutumbami with Peter Moor.Having lost the first T20 in a thrilling encounter, India will have to win the second match in order to keep the series alive. 
 
Meanwhile, the hosts, who suffered a whitewash in the ODI series, will aim to seal the series.Zimbabwe are currently leading the series 1-0 following their two-run win in the opening T20. 
 
India Playing XI: KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (captain), Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal.Zimbabwe Playing XI: Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Sikandar Raza, Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura, Peter Moor, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Graeme Cremer, Neville Madziva, Taurai Muzarabani, Donald Tiripano. 
 
(ANI)

Dhawal Kulkarni and Barinder Sran make their debuts, replace Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan

Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first in the crucial second T20 of the three-match series at Harare Sports Club today. As far as Playing XI is concerned, India have roped in Dhawal Kulkarni and Barinder Sran in place of Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan for the must-win match while the hosts have replaced Mutumbami with Peter Moor.Having lost the first T20 in a thrilling encounter, India will have to win the second match in order to keep the series alive. Meanwhile, the hosts, who suffered a whitewash in the ODI series, will aim to seal the series.Zimbabwe are currently leading the series 1-0 following their two-run win in the opening T20. India Playing XI: KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (captain), Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal.Zimbabwe Playing XI: Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Sikandar Raza, Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura, Peter Moor, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Graeme Cremer, Neville Madziva, Taurai Muzarabani, Donald Tiripano. (ANI)

Zimbabwe win toss, ask India to bowl first in second T20

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