<p>Virat Kohli will become the tenth player to enter the 500-match club in international cricket when India face West Indies on Day One of the second and final Test at Port-of-Spain in Trinidad. Among Indians, he will become only the fourth player to reach the coveted 500-mark. Sachin Tendulkar is the most capped player (664) in international cricket whereas the likes of MS Dhoni (538) and current head coach Rahul Dravid (509) come second and third, respectively, in terms of most international caps. Thus, Kohli is set to add another feather to his illustrious hat on Thursday (July 20).</p>

<p>Ahead of his landmark international appearance, Kohli, in a video shared on BCCI's official Twitter handle,&nbsp;said, "I'm really grateful. I feel very blessed that I have had such a long journey playing for India and such a long Test career. Because I really had to work hard for it and it makes you feel happy about the hard work that you have put in to see the longevity in the game and the results over the years as well. So, I'm very grateful."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">500 &amp; Counting 😃<br />
<br />
Hear from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> Head Coach Rahul Dravid and milestone man Virat Kohli ahead of a special occasion 👌🏻👌🏻<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> <a href="https://t.co/cJBA7CVcOj">pic.twitter.com/cJBA7CVcOj</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1681915293650800640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>India's head coach Dravid also congratulated Kohli on his historic achievement and lauded him for being 'a real inspiration to so many players in the current team and boys and girls back home'.</p>

<p>As per BCCI, in a recent press conference, Dravid stated, "Virat is a real inspiration to so many players, in the team as well many players look up to him.&nbsp; Obviously, his numbers and stats speak for themselves it's all in the books. The effort and work that he puts in behind the scene when no one is watching is incredible. I think that has carried him to play 500 games, he is very fit and still going very strong. That's not easy, he has made a lot of sacrifices and put in a lot of hard work."</p>

<p>He added, "It's nice to see Virat's journey. He has come a long way. Over the last 18 months, I've got to know him personally, and I have learned a lot from him."</p>

<p>So far, Kohli has represented India in&nbsp;110 Tests,&nbsp;274 ODIs and 115 T20Is. Debuting in 2008, he soon became someone India can rely on&nbsp;across all formats and the batter has broken several records at the highest level. He has slammed 75 international tons and scored over 25,000 runs overall.&nbsp;</p>

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Virat Kohli will become the tenth player to enter the 500-match club in international cricket when India face West Indies on Day One of the second and final Test at Port-of-Spain in Trinidad.

Virat Kohli will become the tenth player to enter the 500-match club in international cricket when India face West Indies on Day One of the second and final Test at Port-of-Spain in Trinidad. Among Indians, he will become only the fourth player to reach the coveted 500-mark. Sachin Tendulkar is the most capped player (664) in international cricket whereas the likes of MS Dhoni (538) and current head coach Rahul Dravid (509) come second and third, respectively, in terms of most international caps. Thus, Kohli is set to add another feather to his illustrious hat on Thursday (July 20). Ahead of his landmark international appearance, Kohli, in a video shared on BCCI's official Twitter handle, said, "I'm really grateful. I feel very blessed that I have had such a long journey playing for India and such a long Test career. Because I really had to work hard for it and it makes you feel happy about the hard work that you have put in to see the longevity in the game and the results over the years as well. So, I'm very grateful." 500 & Counting 😃 Hear from #TeamIndia Head Coach Rahul Dravid and milestone man Virat Kohli ahead of a special occasion 👌🏻👌🏻#WIvIND | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/cJBA7CVcOj — BCCI (@BCCI) July 20, 2023 × Also read: Ashes, 4th Test: Australia will be disappointed, says Ponting after Cummins & Co. end Day 1 at 299 for 8 India's head coach Dravid also congratulated Kohli on his historic achievement and lauded him for being 'a real inspiration to so many players in the current team and boys and girls back home'. As per BCCI, in a recent press conference, Dravid stated, "Virat is a real inspiration to so many players, in the team as well many players look up to him. Obviously, his numbers and stats speak for themselves it's all in the books. The effort and work that he puts in behind the scene when no one is watching is incredible. I think that has carried him to play 500 games, he is very fit and still going very strong. That's not easy, he has made a lot of sacrifices and put in a lot of hard work." He added, "It's nice to see Virat's journey. He has come a long way. Over the last 18 months, I've got to know him personally, and I have learned a lot from him." So far, Kohli has represented India in 110 Tests, 274 ODIs and 115 T20Is. Debuting in 2008, he soon became someone India can rely on across all formats and the batter has broken several records at the highest level. He has slammed 75 international tons and scored over 25,000 runs overall. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Virat Kohli's 500th int'l game: Indian star reacts ahead of landmark appearance in WI vs IND 2nd Test - Watch

<p>India will start their Asia Cup 2023 campaign on September 2 against arch-rivals Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has posted a video of Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid on its Twitter handle. Dravid admitted to being excited at the prospect of facing Pakistan three times in the Asia Cup. Dravid said that the team will have to play good cricket to win those matches. Rahul Dravid is in Trinidad for India's ongoing multi-format series against the West Indies.</p>

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<h2>Need to play good cricket</h2>

<p>"The Asia Cup schedule is fixed and you have to play Pakistan to qualify for the Super-4s, so take it one step at a time. I can't imagine winning in advance. I am not a big believer. I want to take one game at a time," Dravid said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-womens-world-cup-record-crowd-expected-as-showpiece-event-set-for-kickoff-despite-auckland-shooting-617673">FIFA Women's World Cup: Record crowd expected at showpiece event despite Auckland shooting</a></strong></p>

<p>The team knows they have to compete against Pakistan and Nepal in the first two matches, he said. “We need to focus on that, we need to play good cricket, we need to win those matches. We also need to see where the tournament goes. If we get a chance to play him thrice, I think it would be fantastic,” Dravid said in the video posted by BCCI.</p>

<h2>IND vs PAK</h2>

<p>India, Pakistan, and Nepal are in Group A. This means India and Pakistan are likely to face each other in a Super 4 clash on September 10. Being the two dominant teams in the region, there is a chance they may meet for a third time in the final.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/honours-even-in-fourth-ashes-test-as-broad-joins-600-club-617636">Honours even in fourth Ashes Test as Broad joins 600 club</a></strong></p>

<p>While talking about the same, Rahul Dravid also stated, “We want to reach the finals and hopefully Pakistan will also reach the final. It will be a great competition and very good for us, and we aim to do that. We want to play till the final and win, but we have to take the first two steps against Pakistan and Nepal.” He also said that he doesn’t believe in counting his chicken too much and focused on taking one step at a time.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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India will start their Asia Cup 2023 campaign on September 2 against arch-rivals Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has posted a video of Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid on its Twitter handle.

India will start their Asia Cup 2023 campaign on September 2 against arch-rivals Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has posted a video of Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid on its Twitter handle. Dravid admitted to being excited at the prospect of facing Pakistan three times in the Asia Cup. Dravid said that the team will have to play good cricket to win those matches. Rahul Dravid is in Trinidad for India's ongoing multi-format series against the West Indies. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Team India (@indiancricketteam) × Need to play good cricket "The Asia Cup schedule is fixed and you have to play Pakistan to qualify for the Super-4s, so take it one step at a time. I can't imagine winning in advance. I am not a big believer. I want to take one game at a time," Dravid said. Also read: FIFA Women's World Cup: Record crowd expected at showpiece event despite Auckland shooting The team knows they have to compete against Pakistan and Nepal in the first two matches, he said. “We need to focus on that, we need to play good cricket, we need to win those matches. We also need to see where the tournament goes. If we get a chance to play him thrice, I think it would be fantastic,” Dravid said in the video posted by BCCI. IND vs PAK India, Pakistan, and Nepal are in Group A. This means India and Pakistan are likely to face each other in a Super 4 clash on September 10. Being the two dominant teams in the region, there is a chance they may meet for a third time in the final. Also read: Honours even in fourth Ashes Test as Broad joins 600 club While talking about the same, Rahul Dravid also stated, “We want to reach the finals and hopefully Pakistan will also reach the final. It will be a great competition and very good for us, and we aim to do that. We want to play till the final and win, but we have to take the first two steps against Pakistan and Nepal.” He also said that he doesn’t believe in counting his chicken too much and focused on taking one step at a time. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

'One step at a time': Rahul Dravid's mantra ahead of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup clash

<p>Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star performer for Team India in their massive win over West Indies in the two-match Test series opener in Dominica. The left-hander started his Test career with an impressive 171 to become the 17th Indian to hit a century on Test debut, 113th overall. Jaiswal started on a promising note and never looked out of sorts to make a roaring start to his international career.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ever since Jaiswal announced his arrival in style at the international level, talks are rife that he should be given a run in the white-ball formats as well. While India have only a handful of games left prior to the ODI World Cup's commencement, at home, some feel Jaiswal can still be tried in the 50-over format. Former Indian skipper and BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has backed Jaiswal to be a part of the ODI WC squad. In conversation with the Telegraph on the young player, Ganguly heaped praise on the 21-year-old and feels he is a 'must' for the ODI WC squad.</p>

<p>“Scoring a hundred on debut is always massive. I too have done it, so I know how special it is. Even technique-wise, he seems really good. A left-handed batsman’s presence in the team always helps. So, having him in the World Cup squad is a must,” Ganguly emphasised.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-ind-rohit-sharma-talks-about-role-of-seniors-in-grooming-youngsters-as-india-aims-for-smooth-transition-617310">WI vs IND: Rohit Sharma talks about role of seniors in grooming youngsters as India aims for smooth transition</a></strong></p>

<p>It is to be noted that Jaiswal is not part of India's ODI squad for the West Indies tour. His name has been announced in the India squad for the 2023 Asian Games but looks unlikely to make the cut for this year's marquee ODI event on home soil. At present, the young batter is gearing up for India's second and final Test, to be held in Port-of-Spain in Trinidad, which commences on July 20.</p>

<p>Rohit Sharma-led India will go for a series whitewash to also add vital points in their kitty in the new 2023-25 WTC cycle.</p>

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Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star performer for Team India in their massive win over West Indies in the two-match Test series opener in Dominica. The left-hander started his Test career with an impressive 171 to become the 17th Indian to hit a century on Test debut, 113th overall.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star performer for Team India in their massive win over West Indies in the two-match Test series opener in Dominica. The left-hander started his Test career with an impressive 171 to become the 17th Indian to hit a century on Test debut, 113th overall. Jaiswal started on a promising note and never looked out of sorts to make a roaring start to his international career. Ever since Jaiswal announced his arrival in style at the international level, talks are rife that he should be given a run in the white-ball formats as well. While India have only a handful of games left prior to the ODI World Cup's commencement, at home, some feel Jaiswal can still be tried in the 50-over format. Former Indian skipper and BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has backed Jaiswal to be a part of the ODI WC squad. In conversation with the Telegraph on the young player, Ganguly heaped praise on the 21-year-old and feels he is a 'must' for the ODI WC squad. “Scoring a hundred on debut is always massive. I too have done it, so I know how special it is. Even technique-wise, he seems really good. A left-handed batsman’s presence in the team always helps. So, having him in the World Cup squad is a must,” Ganguly emphasised. Also read: WI vs IND: Rohit Sharma talks about role of seniors in grooming youngsters as India aims for smooth transition It is to be noted that Jaiswal is not part of India's ODI squad for the West Indies tour. His name has been announced in the India squad for the 2023 Asian Games but looks unlikely to make the cut for this year's marquee ODI event on home soil. At present, the young batter is gearing up for India's second and final Test, to be held in Port-of-Spain in Trinidad, which commences on July 20. Rohit Sharma-led India will go for a series whitewash to also add vital points in their kitty in the new 2023-25 WTC cycle. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Having him in ODI World Cup squad is a must': Sourav Ganguly calls for THIS young Indian star's inclusion

<p>Rohit Sharma-led India thrashed West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the two-match Test series opener in Dominica on July 14. With this win, former Indian captain Virat Kohli surpassed ex-skipper MS Dhoni in an elite list. It was the 296th time when Kohli ended on the winning side for Team India, overtaking Dhoni (295) and has now closed the gap with Sachin Tendulkar (307).</p>

<p>Tendulkar, who represented India from 1989-2013, played 200 Tests, 463 ODIs and a solitary T20I. During his illustrious career, he was involved in 307 wins with the national side. Dhoni, with over 500 internationals, comes second and Kohli features in the third spot in the elite list. He is now 12 wins away from overtaking the Master Blaster and achieving the top spot.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-ind-his-biggest-quality-is-indias-batting-coach-on-virat-kohli-backs-him-to-score-a-ton-soon-616516">WI vs IND: 'His biggest quality is...' - India's batting coach backs Virat Kohli to score a ton soon</a></strong></p>

<p>Kohli has represented India in 110 Tests, 274 ODIs and 115 T20Is since making his debut in 2008. He has been India's backbone in the batting line-up and started the India-West Indies Test series&nbsp;with an impressive 76 in the opening match. In the series opener&nbsp;in Dominica, Team India rode on R Ashwin's 12-wicket haul and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal's 171 to beat Kraigg Brathwaite &amp; Co. by an innings and 141 runs to open their account in style in the 2023-25 WTC cycle.</p>

<p>Kohli will now like to add another win to his tally during the second and final Test and move closer to breaking Tendulkar's record by late 2023.&nbsp;</p>

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Rohit Sharma-led India thrashed West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the two-match Test series opener in Dominica on July 14. With this win, former Indian captain Virat Kohli surpassed ex-skipper MS Dhoni in an elite list.

Rohit Sharma-led India thrashed West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the two-match Test series opener in Dominica on July 14. With this win, former Indian captain Virat Kohli surpassed ex-skipper MS Dhoni in an elite list. It was the 296th time when Kohli ended on the winning side for Team India, overtaking Dhoni (295) and has now closed the gap with Sachin Tendulkar (307). Tendulkar, who represented India from 1989-2013, played 200 Tests, 463 ODIs and a solitary T20I. During his illustrious career, he was involved in 307 wins with the national side. Dhoni, with over 500 internationals, comes second and Kohli features in the third spot in the elite list. He is now 12 wins away from overtaking the Master Blaster and achieving the top spot. Also Read: WI vs IND: 'His biggest quality is...' - India's batting coach backs Virat Kohli to score a ton soon Kohli has represented India in 110 Tests, 274 ODIs and 115 T20Is since making his debut in 2008. He has been India's backbone in the batting line-up and started the India-West Indies Test series with an impressive 76 in the opening match. In the series opener in Dominica, Team India rode on R Ashwin's 12-wicket haul and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal's 171 to beat Kraigg Brathwaite & Co. by an innings and 141 runs to open their account in style in the 2023-25 WTC cycle. Kohli will now like to add another win to his tally during the second and final Test and move closer to breaking Tendulkar's record by late 2023. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WI vs IND: Virat Kohli closes gap with Sachin Tendulkar in elite list after surpassing MS Dhoni in Dominica

<p>Rahul Dravid-led coaching panel will get the much-required rest during the three-match Ireland T20Is, which starts on August 18 in Dublin. Along with Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour&nbsp;and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, who are currently in the Caribbean for the long tour that ends with the final two T20Is in the USA,&nbsp;will head home to rest and prepare for the Asia Cup that gets underway on August 31. In their absence, NCA head, VVS Laxman-led team will coach the Men in Blue in Ireland.</p>

<p>Looking at the packed calendar ahead, with the multi-team tournament in Asia Cup, the white-ball series against Australia and the home World Cup that begins on October 5, BCCI opting for the rotational policy with coaches&nbsp;makes sense.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-during-2023-asia-cup-seamer-jasprit-bumrah-could-return-sooner-than-expected-reports-616213">Not during 2023 Asia Cup, seamer Jasprit Bumrah could return sooner than expected - Reports</a></p>

<p>Interestingly, during last year's Ireland series also, VVS Laxman led the Indian Team as the board decided to rest Dravid &amp; Co.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, other than Laxman, two other members, each from the batting (either Sitanshu Kotak or Hrishikesh Kanitkar) and bowling (either Troy Cooley or Sairaj Bahutule) departments, will travel to Ireland for the three-match T20Is.</p>

<h2>Chief selector Ajit Agarkar to join Team India in WI soon</h2>

<p>The newly-appointed chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, is reported to be joining the squad in West Indies ahead of the second Test that starts on Wednesday, July 19, in Port of Spain, while Salil Ankola - a member of the selection committee, is already travelling with the team.</p>

<p>Ajit's purpose in travelling to the Caribbean Islands is to sit with captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid and talk about potential selections for the Ireland series and the Asia Cup that follows.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though no official word is out on how India's T20I Team in Ireland will look, earlier reports suggested all-rounder Hardik Pandya will continue to lead. Seniors, including Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, are again likely to get rested.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The big news, however, was the potential return of Jasprit Bumrah for the Ireland series. Bumrah, currently training at the NCA in Bengaluru, is said to be sending down good eight to ten overs regularly and is nearing complete fitness.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The same cannot be said about batters Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. While Iyer has resumed batting at the NCA, nothing has been said about Rahul's return to the side.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, as things stand, India is leading the two-match Test series against West Indies 1-0 after winning the first Test by a whopping margin of an innings and 141 runs.</p>

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Rahul Dravid-led coaching panel will get the much-required rest during the three-match Ireland T20Is, which starts on August 18 in Dublin. Along with Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, who are currently in the Caribbean for the long tour that ends with the final two T20Is in the USA, will head home to rest and prepare for the Asia Cup that gets underway on August 31.

Rahul Dravid-led coaching panel will get the much-required rest during the three-match Ireland T20Is, which starts on August 18 in Dublin. Along with Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, who are currently in the Caribbean for the long tour that ends with the final two T20Is in the USA, will head home to rest and prepare for the Asia Cup that gets underway on August 31. In their absence, NCA head, VVS Laxman-led team will coach the Men in Blue in Ireland. Looking at the packed calendar ahead, with the multi-team tournament in Asia Cup, the white-ball series against Australia and the home World Cup that begins on October 5, BCCI opting for the rotational policy with coaches makes sense. ALSO READ: Not during 2023 Asia Cup, seamer Jasprit Bumrah could return sooner than expected - Reports Interestingly, during last year's Ireland series also, VVS Laxman led the Indian Team as the board decided to rest Dravid & Co. Meanwhile, other than Laxman, two other members, each from the batting (either Sitanshu Kotak or Hrishikesh Kanitkar) and bowling (either Troy Cooley or Sairaj Bahutule) departments, will travel to Ireland for the three-match T20Is. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar to join Team India in WI soon The newly-appointed chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, is reported to be joining the squad in West Indies ahead of the second Test that starts on Wednesday, July 19, in Port of Spain, while Salil Ankola - a member of the selection committee, is already travelling with the team. Ajit's purpose in travelling to the Caribbean Islands is to sit with captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid and talk about potential selections for the Ireland series and the Asia Cup that follows. Though no official word is out on how India's T20I Team in Ireland will look, earlier reports suggested all-rounder Hardik Pandya will continue to lead. Seniors, including Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, are again likely to get rested. The big news, however, was the potential return of Jasprit Bumrah for the Ireland series. Bumrah, currently training at the NCA in Bengaluru, is said to be sending down good eight to ten overs regularly and is nearing complete fitness. The same cannot be said about batters Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. While Iyer has resumed batting at the NCA, nothing has been said about Rahul's return to the side. Meanwhile, as things stand, India is leading the two-match Test series against West Indies 1-0 after winning the first Test by a whopping margin of an innings and 141 runs. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Rahul Dravid-led coaching staff to be rested for Ireland series; NCA head VVS Laxman likely to fill shoes

<p>On Thursday (July 13), Virat Kohli achieved another milestone in his illustrious career. Coming out to bat after Indian captain Rohit Sharma departed for 103 on Day Two of the first Test versus West Indies, in Dominica, Kohli remained unbeaten on 36 as India strengthened their position to reach 312 for 2 in response to the Windies' 150. During his stay in the middle, Kohli attained another historic milestone as he surpassed former opener Virender Sehwag to become the fifth-highest run-getter for Team India in the red-ball format.</p>

<p>The list is spearheaded by Sachin Tendulkar, who ended his career with 15,921 runs in Test cricket. Rahul Dravid, known as The Wall, comes second. The current Indian head coach scored&nbsp;13,265 runs whereas Little Master Sunil Gavaskar returned with&nbsp;10,122 runs. VVS Laxman remains at the fourth spot with&nbsp;8,781 runs whereas Kohli's tally now reads&nbsp;8,515 runs, leaving behind Sehwag (who ended with a spectacular 8,503 runs for India). It is to be noted that Sehwag's overall tally reads 8,586 runs, however, 83 of them came for World XI versus Australia.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-ind-well-done-tendulkar-heaps-praise-on-yashasvi-jaiswal-for-scoring-century-on-test-debut-615428">WI vs IND: 'Well done' - Tendulkar heaps praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for scoring century on Test debut</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>India's top five run-getters in Tests</strong></p>

<p><strong>1) Sachin Tendulkar - 15,921</strong></p>

<p><strong>2) Rahul Dravid - 13,265</strong></p>

<p><strong>3) Sunil Gavaskar - 10,122</strong></p>

<p><strong>4) VVS Laxman - 8,781</strong></p>

<p><strong>5) Virat Kohli - 8,515</strong></p>

<p>Talking about the first Test, India are in a commanding position after stumps on Day Two in Dominica. In response to Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies' 150, India are 312 for 2 courtesy of openers Rohit (103) and Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 143.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli will aim for a big hundred -- which will be his maiden overseas ton since late 2018 -- to take India's lead beyond the 250-run mark on the third day's play on Friday (July 14). His next target would be to overtake Laxman's run-tally (8,781). At 34, Kohli continues to go strong in the red-ball format, averaging nearly 50 in over 100 Tests (110th currently).&nbsp;</p>

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On Thursday (July 13), Virat Kohli achieved another milestone in his illustrious career. Coming out to bat after Indian captain Rohit Sharma departed for 103 on Day Two of the first Test versus West Indies, in Dominica, Kohli remained unbeaten on 36 as India strengthened their position to reach 312 for 2 in response to the Windies' 150.

On Thursday (July 13), Virat Kohli achieved another milestone in his illustrious career. Coming out to bat after Indian captain Rohit Sharma departed for 103 on Day Two of the first Test versus West Indies, in Dominica, Kohli remained unbeaten on 36 as India strengthened their position to reach 312 for 2 in response to the Windies' 150. During his stay in the middle, Kohli attained another historic milestone as he surpassed former opener Virender Sehwag to become the fifth-highest run-getter for Team India in the red-ball format. The list is spearheaded by Sachin Tendulkar, who ended his career with 15,921 runs in Test cricket. Rahul Dravid, known as The Wall, comes second. The current Indian head coach scored 13,265 runs whereas Little Master Sunil Gavaskar returned with 10,122 runs. VVS Laxman remains at the fourth spot with 8,781 runs whereas Kohli's tally now reads 8,515 runs, leaving behind Sehwag (who ended with a spectacular 8,503 runs for India). It is to be noted that Sehwag's overall tally reads 8,586 runs, however, 83 of them came for World XI versus Australia. Also Read: WI vs IND: 'Well done' - Tendulkar heaps praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal for scoring century on Test debut India's top five run-getters in Tests 1) Sachin Tendulkar - 15,921 2) Rahul Dravid - 13,265 3) Sunil Gavaskar - 10,122 4) VVS Laxman - 8,781 5) Virat Kohli - 8,515 Talking about the first Test, India are in a commanding position after stumps on Day Two in Dominica. In response to Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies' 150, India are 312 for 2 courtesy of openers Rohit (103) and Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 143. Kohli will aim for a big hundred -- which will be his maiden overseas ton since late 2018 -- to take India's lead beyond the 250-run mark on the third day's play on Friday (July 14). His next target would be to overtake Laxman's run-tally (8,781). At 34, Kohli continues to go strong in the red-ball format, averaging nearly 50 in over 100 Tests (110th currently). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WI vs IND: Virat Kohli surpasses Virender Sehwag to become India's fifth-highest run-scorer in Tests

<p>Rohit Sharma-led India&nbsp;kicked off their tour of West Indies on Wednesday (July 12) on Day One of the first Test. The&nbsp;day's play was headlined by R Ashwin's five-wicket haul, 5 for 60, as the Windies were bundled out for 150 -- opting to bat first -- before Rohit (30 not out) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (unbeaten 40) took India to 80 for no loss.</p>

<p>Ahead of the two-match Test series opener, Rohit addressed the pre-match presser and revealed India's batting order. He confirmed that Shubman Gill -- who has been opening for India across formats -- will be batting at No. 3, a request he himself came up with prior to the Dominica Test.</p>

<p>Former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra opened up on Gill's request and admitted 'neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury' but feels the move might work for Team India.</p>

<h2><strong>'You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to...'</strong></h2>

<p>Chopra said on his official YouTube channel, "Shubman Gill told team management that he wanted to play at no.3. It's a very interesting thing, because you don't usually hear such things happening in Indian cricket. You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to bat in a particular position. Neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury. But the good thing is Yashasvi Jaiswal can now open."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/did-we-make-a-mistake-aakash-chopra-on-team-indias-decision-to-drop-ravichandran-ashwin-from-wtc-final-stst-615032">Aakash Chopra on Team India’s decision to drop Ashwin from WTC final</a></strong></p>

<p>He opined, "But in Test cricket, if there's one difficult job, it's that of opener. Especially away from home. No. 3 is still a challenging spot, but no. 4 is the most settled spot and you usually keep your best batter in that spot. You don't want him to bat with the tail.</p>

<p>“Shubman at no.3, I'm not surprised. I tweeted in 2020 that he would play long for India but in few years time, you would see him batting in the middle. Now, he has himself expressed that wish,” Chopra added.</p>

<p>Thus, Gill is replacing Cheteshwar Pujara at the No. 3 spot after the latter was dropped for the WI series following a streak of ordinary performances in the 2021-23 WTC cycle.</p>

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Rohit Sharma-led India kicked off their tour of West Indies on Wednesday (July 12) on Day One of the first Test. The day's play was headlined by R Ashwin's five-wicket haul, 5 for 60, as the Windies were bundled out for 150 -- opting to bat first -- before Rohit (30 not out) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (unbeaten 40) took India to 80 for no loss.

Rohit Sharma-led India kicked off their tour of West Indies on Wednesday (July 12) on Day One of the first Test. The day's play was headlined by R Ashwin's five-wicket haul, 5 for 60, as the Windies were bundled out for 150 -- opting to bat first -- before Rohit (30 not out) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (unbeaten 40) took India to 80 for no loss. Ahead of the two-match Test series opener, Rohit addressed the pre-match presser and revealed India's batting order. He confirmed that Shubman Gill -- who has been opening for India across formats -- will be batting at No. 3, a request he himself came up with prior to the Dominica Test. Former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra opened up on Gill's request and admitted 'neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury' but feels the move might work for Team India. 'You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to...' Chopra said on his official YouTube channel, "Shubman Gill told team management that he wanted to play at no.3. It's a very interesting thing, because you don't usually hear such things happening in Indian cricket. You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to bat in a particular position. Neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury. But the good thing is Yashasvi Jaiswal can now open." Also Read: Aakash Chopra on Team India’s decision to drop Ashwin from WTC final He opined, "But in Test cricket, if there's one difficult job, it's that of opener. Especially away from home. No. 3 is still a challenging spot, but no. 4 is the most settled spot and you usually keep your best batter in that spot. You don't want him to bat with the tail. “Shubman at no.3, I'm not surprised. I tweeted in 2020 that he would play long for India but in few years time, you would see him batting in the middle. Now, he has himself expressed that wish,” Chopra added. Thus, Gill is replacing Cheteshwar Pujara at the No. 3 spot after the latter was dropped for the WI series following a streak of ordinary performances in the 2021-23 WTC cycle. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Neither does anyone make such demand, nor...': Ex-India opener on Shubman Gill asking to bat at No. 3

<p>Even after England won the third Ashes Test, the debate around wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal in the second match refuses to die down. The English cricketer was dismissed by Alex Carey as he wandered out of his crease even before the ball was dead. The wicket of Bairstow sparked a controversy, igniting a debate on the spirit of the game and the rules of cricket. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has now shared an anecdote about Bairstow’s contentious manner of dismissal. The number one Test bowler revealed that India cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid had an hour-long discussion with a bartender and a waiter on the English wicketkeeper’s controversial dismissal.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What did Rahul Dravid say?</h2>

<p>"The other day, all of us were sitting on a beach, and Rahul bhai bought me a lemon juice. He had a one-hour discussion with the waiter and bartender on whether Jonny Bairstow was out or not. They spoke about everything, from the rules to the spirit of cricket in their discussion," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.</p>

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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/did-we-make-a-mistake-aakash-chopra-on-team-indias-decision-to-drop-ravichandran-ashwin-from-wtc-final-stst-615032">Aakash Chopra on Team India’s decision to drop Ashwin from WTC final</a></strong></p>

<p>Ravichandran Ashwin further revealed that an old man, who was present&nbsp;at the bar, also expressed his point of view and suggested that the officials made the right decision by ruling Jonny Bairstow out. "They are all so passionate. Then suddenly an old man came and declared, 'He Bairstow maan, he out maan!'," Ashwin added.</p>

<h2>Ashwin’s brilliance against West Indies</h2>

<p>Ravichandran Ashwin kicked off the first Test on a sublime note having begged a five-wicket haul, giving away 60 runs, against West Indies on Wednesday. The West Indies team was dismissed for 150 on the opening day of the first Test. Ashwin completed a brilliant spell against West Indies and this was the 33rd time when he managed to take five wickets in a Test innings. With this, the Indian spinner broke the record of England fast bowler James Anderson, who has a five-wicket haul to his name in 32 Test innings. Ashwin is now also the most active player to take five wickets in an innings.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-1st-test-ravichandran-ashwin-joins-elite-club-after-dismissing-chanderpaul-know-more-614967">IND vs WI 1st Test: Ravichandran Ashwin joins ELITE club after dismissing Chanderpaul | Know More</a></strong></p>

<p>Team India ended the first day’s play at 80 without losing a wicket. Opening batters skipper Rohit Sharma and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal are currently batting for Team India.</p>


Even after England won the third Ashes Test, the debate around wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal in the second match refuses to die down. The English cricketer was dismissed by Alex Carey as he wandered out of his crease even before the ball was dead.

Even after England won the third Ashes Test, the debate around wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal in the second match refuses to die down. The English cricketer was dismissed by Alex Carey as he wandered out of his crease even before the ball was dead. The wicket of Bairstow sparked a controversy, igniting a debate on the spirit of the game and the rules of cricket. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has now shared an anecdote about Bairstow’s contentious manner of dismissal. The number one Test bowler revealed that India cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid had an hour-long discussion with a bartender and a waiter on the English wicketkeeper’s controversial dismissal. What did Rahul Dravid say? "The other day, all of us were sitting on a beach, and Rahul bhai bought me a lemon juice. He had a one-hour discussion with the waiter and bartender on whether Jonny Bairstow was out or not. They spoke about everything, from the rules to the spirit of cricket in their discussion," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. × Also read: Aakash Chopra on Team India’s decision to drop Ashwin from WTC final Ravichandran Ashwin further revealed that an old man, who was present at the bar, also expressed his point of view and suggested that the officials made the right decision by ruling Jonny Bairstow out. "They are all so passionate. Then suddenly an old man came and declared, 'He Bairstow maan, he out maan!'," Ashwin added. Ashwin’s brilliance against West Indies Ravichandran Ashwin kicked off the first Test on a sublime note having begged a five-wicket haul, giving away 60 runs, against West Indies on Wednesday. The West Indies team was dismissed for 150 on the opening day of the first Test. Ashwin completed a brilliant spell against West Indies and this was the 33rd time when he managed to take five wickets in a Test innings. With this, the Indian spinner broke the record of England fast bowler James Anderson, who has a five-wicket haul to his name in 32 Test innings. Ashwin is now also the most active player to take five wickets in an innings. Also read: IND vs WI 1st Test: Ravichandran Ashwin joins ELITE club after dismissing Chanderpaul | Know More Team India ended the first day’s play at 80 without losing a wicket. Opening batters skipper Rohit Sharma and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal are currently batting for Team India.

Ravichandran Ashwin recalls Rahul Dravid’s interesting Ashes discussion at a bar

<p>Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar revealed that the current crop of Indian batters have not approached him for inputs in order to rectify their mistakes. Gavaskar, also known as the Little Master, mentioned that yesteryear superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman used to approach him during their playing days, however, the same is not the case in current times.</p>

<p>Gavaskar told&nbsp;<i>The Indian Express,&nbsp;</i>"If the batters are making the same mistakes over and over again, you need to ask what has happened with your technique. How have you tried to improve the batter? Have you tried to tell him, maybe take a different guard? Don't take a leg-stump guard, take a middle and off-stump guard."</p>

<p>Recalling how he came to former Indian opener Virender Sehwag's aid, Gavaskar stated, "I remember once calling Virender Sehwag out of the blue. He had not been scoring too many runs. I told him, 'Viru, just try the off-stump guard'. So he asked, 'Why, Sunny bhai?' So I told him, 'Look, you aren't known for great footwork. What is happening is, sometimes when you are getting out, you are reaching out for the delivery and it makes things difficult for you. So, maybe if you take the off-stump guard, you straight away know that the ball is outside the off-stump. That is where the coach can come in with his inputs."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-virat-kohlis-overseas-test-century-drought-might-end-in-west-indies-feels-ex-indian-opener-614668">IND vs WI: Virat Kohli's overseas Test century drought might end in West Indies, feels ex-Indian opener</a></strong></p>

<p>The cricketer-turned-commentator further revealed why he has kept himself away from approaching the current players.</p>

<p>He added, "No, no one has come. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman regularly came to me. And they would approach me with a specific problem and you could tell them something which you had observed. I don't have an ego about this, I could go and talk to them but since there are two coaches — Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathore – so sometimes you hold back since you don’t want to confuse them with too much information."</p>

<p>In current times, not many instances have come up where current Indian batters have revealed to have spoken to former cricketers from the country. With the presence of stalwart Dravid as India's head coach and a designated batting coach in Vikram Rathour, Indian batters mostly rely on their guidance to work on their batting.</p>

<p>Despite all this,&nbsp;the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, etc have not been in the best of form of late.</p>

<p>Thus, a lot of questions have been raised about the Indian batters' ability to apply themselves&nbsp;for a long period and not repeat their mistakes.</p>

<p>Thus, they are expected to return to their usual best in India's two-match Test series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, which kicks off on Wednesday (July 12) in Dominica.</p>

<p>The series commences India's campaign in the 2023-25 WTC cycle.</p>

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Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar revealed that the current crop of Indian batters have not approached him for inputs in order to rectify their mistakes. Gavaskar, also known as the Little Master, mentioned that yesteryear superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman used to approach him during their playing days, however, the same is not the case in current times.

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar revealed that the current crop of Indian batters have not approached him for inputs in order to rectify their mistakes. Gavaskar, also known as the Little Master, mentioned that yesteryear superstars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman used to approach him during their playing days, however, the same is not the case in current times. Gavaskar told The Indian Express, "If the batters are making the same mistakes over and over again, you need to ask what has happened with your technique. How have you tried to improve the batter? Have you tried to tell him, maybe take a different guard? Don't take a leg-stump guard, take a middle and off-stump guard." Recalling how he came to former Indian opener Virender Sehwag's aid, Gavaskar stated, "I remember once calling Virender Sehwag out of the blue. He had not been scoring too many runs. I told him, 'Viru, just try the off-stump guard'. So he asked, 'Why, Sunny bhai?' So I told him, 'Look, you aren't known for great footwork. What is happening is, sometimes when you are getting out, you are reaching out for the delivery and it makes things difficult for you. So, maybe if you take the off-stump guard, you straight away know that the ball is outside the off-stump. That is where the coach can come in with his inputs." Also Read: IND vs WI: Virat Kohli's overseas Test century drought might end in West Indies, feels ex-Indian opener The cricketer-turned-commentator further revealed why he has kept himself away from approaching the current players. He added, "No, no one has come. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman regularly came to me. And they would approach me with a specific problem and you could tell them something which you had observed. I don't have an ego about this, I could go and talk to them but since there are two coaches — Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathore – so sometimes you hold back since you don’t want to confuse them with too much information." In current times, not many instances have come up where current Indian batters have revealed to have spoken to former cricketers from the country. With the presence of stalwart Dravid as India's head coach and a designated batting coach in Vikram Rathour, Indian batters mostly rely on their guidance to work on their batting. Despite all this, the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, etc have not been in the best of form of late. Thus, a lot of questions have been raised about the Indian batters' ability to apply themselves for a long period and not repeat their mistakes. Thus, they are expected to return to their usual best in India's two-match Test series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, which kicks off on Wednesday (July 12) in Dominica. The series commences India's campaign in the 2023-25 WTC cycle. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Dravid, Sachin...'- Gavaskar on current batters not approaching him, reveals why he has restricted himself

<p>The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 qualifiers have lived up to expectations. After a lot of twists and turns, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands have made it to the next round. The two sides are set to lock horns in the summit clash but irrespective of the result, both will now travel to India for this year's ODI World Cup which will get underway on October 05.</p>

<p>Defending champions England will face New Zealand in the tournament-opener in Ahmedabad on October 05. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma-led India will open their campaign versus Australia, the five-time winners, in Chennai on October 08. They will lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 15 and also have some tough battles ahead versus England, the Black Caps, etc.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-day-in-2019-rohit-sharma-became-first-ever-to-slam-five-centuries-in-an-odi-world-cup-612649">OTD, in 2019: Rohit Sharma became first-ever batter to slam five tons in single edition of ODI World Cup</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>Here's India's full schedule at the CWC'23 after SL, NED qualify</strong></h2>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td><strong>Dates</strong></td>
			<td><strong>Fixtures</strong></td>
			<td><strong>Venues</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>08/10/2023</td>
			<td>India vs Australia (D/N)</td>
			<td>Chennai</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>11/10/2023</td>
			<td>India vs Afghanistan (D/N)</td>
			<td>Delhi</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15/10/2023</td>
			<td>India vs Pakistan (D/N)</td>
			<td>Ahmedabad</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>19/10/2023</td>
			<td>India vs Bangladesh (D/N)</td>
			<td>Pune</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>22/10/2023</td>
			<td>India vs New Zealand (D/N)</td>
			<td>Dharamshala</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>29/10/2023</td>
			<td>India vs England (D/N)</td>
			<td>Lucknow</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>02/11/2023</td>
			<td>India vs Sri Lanka (D/N)</td>
			<td>Mumbai</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>05/11/2023</td>
			<td>India vs South Africa (D/N)</td>
			<td>Kolkata</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>11/11/2023</td>
			<td>India vs Netherlands</td>
			<td>Bengaluru</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>India is the only team who will be playing in as many as nine venues, a different one for each game. Thus, the home side will have their task cut-out to meet the expectations of their ardent fans and go the distance in the tournament amid regular travel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit &amp; Co., who occupy the third spot in ICC ODI Rankings, will not play any day game. Thus, they will also have to take into consideration the dew factor at some venues. Overall, the Men in Blue are set to face a stern test in the league stage in order to enter the top four and go for their third title in the showpiece event.</p>

<p>The last time India hosted the ODI World Cup was back in 2011, when MS Dhoni-led co-hosts won the tournament. Indian fans will be desperate to see the national team replicate their 2011 success this time around as well. Given India's last ICC title win came in 2013, the pressure will be on Rohit &amp; Co.</p>

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The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 qualifiers have lived up to expectations. After a lot of twists and turns, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands have made it to the next round.

The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 qualifiers have lived up to expectations. After a lot of twists and turns, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands have made it to the next round. The two sides are set to lock horns in the summit clash but irrespective of the result, both will now travel to India for this year's ODI World Cup which will get underway on October 05. Defending champions England will face New Zealand in the tournament-opener in Ahmedabad on October 05. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma-led India will open their campaign versus Australia, the five-time winners, in Chennai on October 08. They will lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 15 and also have some tough battles ahead versus England, the Black Caps, etc. Also Read: OTD, in 2019: Rohit Sharma became first-ever batter to slam five tons in single edition of ODI World Cup Here's India's full schedule at the CWC'23 after SL, NED qualify Dates Fixtures Venues 08/10/2023 India vs Australia (D/N) Chennai 11/10/2023 India vs Afghanistan (D/N) Delhi 15/10/2023 India vs Pakistan (D/N) Ahmedabad 19/10/2023 India vs Bangladesh (D/N) Pune 22/10/2023 India vs New Zealand (D/N) Dharamshala 29/10/2023 India vs England (D/N) Lucknow 02/11/2023 India vs Sri Lanka (D/N) Mumbai 05/11/2023 India vs South Africa (D/N) Kolkata 11/11/2023 India vs Netherlands Bengaluru India is the only team who will be playing in as many as nine venues, a different one for each game. Thus, the home side will have their task cut-out to meet the expectations of their ardent fans and go the distance in the tournament amid regular travel. Rohit & Co., who occupy the third spot in ICC ODI Rankings, will not play any day game. Thus, they will also have to take into consideration the dew factor at some venues. Overall, the Men in Blue are set to face a stern test in the league stage in order to enter the top four and go for their third title in the showpiece event. The last time India hosted the ODI World Cup was back in 2011, when MS Dhoni-led co-hosts won the tournament. Indian fans will be desperate to see the national team replicate their 2011 success this time around as well. Given India's last ICC title win came in 2013, the pressure will be on Rohit & Co. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

CWC'23: India's full schedule at 2023 ODI World Cup after Sri Lanka, Netherlands enter main draw

<p>Team India will play a two-match Test series against the West Indies from July 12. The first Test will be played in Dominica. Before the start of the Test series, the players of the Indian team met West Indies cricketing legend Sir Garfield Sobers. The Board of Control of Cricket in India shared the video of Sir Garfield Sobers meeting with Indian players on social media. In the video, Sir Garfield Sobers and his wife can be seen meeting Team India’s head coach Rahul Dravid, skipper Rohit Sharma, opener Shubhman Gill, and former skipper Virat Kohli.</p>

<h2>Team India meets Sir Garfield Sobers</h2>

<p>The Indian team is currently practicing in Barbados, where Sir Garfield Sobers along with his wife came to visit the Rohit Sharma-led squad. The BCCI captioned the video as "In Barbados and in the company of greatness! Team India meet one of the greatest of the game - Sir Garfield Sobers." First Indian captain Rohit Sharma met Sir Garfield Sobers followed by head coach Rahul Dravid. Dravid also introduced Shubman Gill to Sir Garfield Sobers.Later, Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane also came and met the Caribbean legend. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Virat Kohli shook hands with Sir Garfield Sobers and both were seen having a good laugh together. Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin are also seen talking to Sir Garfield Sobers.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In Barbados &amp; in the company of greatness! 🫡 🫡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> meet one of the greatest of the game - Sir Garfield Sobers 🙌 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/f2u1sbtRmP">pic.twitter.com/f2u1sbtRmP</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1676443188482183170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/big-bash-league-unveils-new-ipl-like-format-for-season-13-all-set-to-start-on-december-7-612497">Big Bash League unveils new IPL-like format for season 13, all set to start on December 7</a></strong></p>

<h2>Legendary batsman Sir Garfield Sobers</h2>

<p>Sir Garfield Sobers is counted among the legendary all-rounders in the history of the West Indies. He played 93 Tests and one ODI for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. Sobers has 8,032 runs in 160 innings at an average of 57.78. He also scored 26 centuries and 30 half-centuries in Tests.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-leicester-city-fined-112-million-for-restricting-online-kit-sales-612423">Football: Leicester City fined $1.12 million for restricting online kit sales</a></strong></p>

<p>The International Cricket Council (ICC) also commemorates Sir Garfield Sobers' achievements through an award. The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, considered as the one of the most prestigious awards in the field, is given annually to the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. It was first awarded to Rahul Dravid in 2004. Former Australian cricketers Ricky Ponting and Mitchell Johnson and India star Virat Kohli have won the award twice. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was awarded the trophy this year.</p>


Team India will play a two-match Test series against the West Indies from July 12. The first Test will be played in Dominica. Before the start of the Test series, the players of the Indian team met West Indies cricketing legend Sir Garfield Sobers.

Team India will play a two-match Test series against the West Indies from July 12. The first Test will be played in Dominica. Before the start of the Test series, the players of the Indian team met West Indies cricketing legend Sir Garfield Sobers. The Board of Control of Cricket in India shared the video of Sir Garfield Sobers meeting with Indian players on social media. In the video, Sir Garfield Sobers and his wife can be seen meeting Team India’s head coach Rahul Dravid, skipper Rohit Sharma, opener Shubhman Gill, and former skipper Virat Kohli. Team India meets Sir Garfield Sobers The Indian team is currently practicing in Barbados, where Sir Garfield Sobers along with his wife came to visit the Rohit Sharma-led squad. The BCCI captioned the video as "In Barbados and in the company of greatness! Team India meet one of the greatest of the game - Sir Garfield Sobers." First Indian captain Rohit Sharma met Sir Garfield Sobers followed by head coach Rahul Dravid. Dravid also introduced Shubman Gill to Sir Garfield Sobers.Later, Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane also came and met the Caribbean legend. Virat Kohli shook hands with Sir Garfield Sobers and both were seen having a good laugh together. Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin are also seen talking to Sir Garfield Sobers. In Barbados & in the company of greatness! 🫡 🫡#TeamIndia meet one of the greatest of the game - Sir Garfield Sobers 🙌 🙌#WIvIND pic.twitter.com/f2u1sbtRmP — BCCI (@BCCI) July 5, 2023 × Also read: Big Bash League unveils new IPL-like format for season 13, all set to start on December 7 Legendary batsman Sir Garfield Sobers Sir Garfield Sobers is counted among the legendary all-rounders in the history of the West Indies. He played 93 Tests and one ODI for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. Sobers has 8,032 runs in 160 innings at an average of 57.78. He also scored 26 centuries and 30 half-centuries in Tests. Also read: Football: Leicester City fined $1.12 million for restricting online kit sales The International Cricket Council (ICC) also commemorates Sir Garfield Sobers' achievements through an award. The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, considered as the one of the most prestigious awards in the field, is given annually to the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. It was first awarded to Rahul Dravid in 2004. Former Australian cricketers Ricky Ponting and Mitchell Johnson and India star Virat Kohli have won the award twice. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was awarded the trophy this year.

IND vs WI: West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers meets Team India; watch

<p>On Tuesday (June 27), the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the much-awaited full schedule of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 edition, to be held in India in October-November. Defending champions England will open their campaign versus New Zealand whereas hosts India will face Australia, in Chennai, on October 08 in their opening encounter. After the schedule was out, former cricketers and experts opined on every team's chances and Kris Srikkanth, part of Kapil Dev-led India's 1983 ODI World Cup win, made a big statement.</p>

<p>Srikkanth believes India will miss Rishabh Pant's services, who is unlikely to regain full fitness after a horrific car accident on December 30, 2022. "We don't know the real truth about Rishabh Pant. Because Rishabh Pant, if he was playing, I would have straightaway said that India are the real favourites for the World Cup. But I think obviously, Rishabh Pant's fitness is questionable. Nobody knows how fit will he be before the World Cup. I doubt it. Many people doubt if he will play the 2023 World Cup. Otherwise, the Rishabh Pant factor would have been very crucial," said Srikkanth while speaking to India Today.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nothing-bigger-than-odi-world-cup-it-is-the-olympics-of-cricket-says-former-indian-opener-virender-sehwag-609316">Nothing bigger than ODI World Cup, it is the Olympics of cricket, says former Indian opener Virender Sehwag</a></strong></p>

<p>However, Srikkanth was quick to add that Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue have enough firepower to go the distance in the showpiece event in India. "So I believe guys like KL Rahul (who is recovering from a thigh injury) should be back in the middle order. KL Rahul has been fantastic. We have Rohit Sharma opening with Shubman Gill. Then we have Virat Kohli, who has been fantastic in this format and he has been in form. I believe India has got the capabilities of winning the World Cup," said Srikkanth.</p>

<p>At present, Indian players such as Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah are recovering from their respective injuries. While Pant is very much out of contention, as India would certainly not risk playing him soon even if he recovers fully, Rahul, Iyer and Bumrah are expected to regain fitness just before the ODI WC. In such a scenario, India will be in a tough spot as the trio won't be having enough game time heading into the World Cup.</p>

<p>India will open their campaign versus Australia, face Pakistan on October 15 in Ahmedabad, New Zealand on October 22 in Dharamshala, England on October 29 in Lucknow and South Africa on November 05 in Kolkata apart from also facing Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the other two teams from the qualifiers.</p>

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On Tuesday (June 27), the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the much-awaited full schedule of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 edition, to be held in India in October-November.

On Tuesday (June 27), the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the much-awaited full schedule of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 edition, to be held in India in October-November. Defending champions England will open their campaign versus New Zealand whereas hosts India will face Australia, in Chennai, on October 08 in their opening encounter. After the schedule was out, former cricketers and experts opined on every team's chances and Kris Srikkanth, part of Kapil Dev-led India's 1983 ODI World Cup win, made a big statement. Srikkanth believes India will miss Rishabh Pant's services, who is unlikely to regain full fitness after a horrific car accident on December 30, 2022. "We don't know the real truth about Rishabh Pant. Because Rishabh Pant, if he was playing, I would have straightaway said that India are the real favourites for the World Cup. But I think obviously, Rishabh Pant's fitness is questionable. Nobody knows how fit will he be before the World Cup. I doubt it. Many people doubt if he will play the 2023 World Cup. Otherwise, the Rishabh Pant factor would have been very crucial," said Srikkanth while speaking to India Today. Also Read: Nothing bigger than ODI World Cup, it is the Olympics of cricket, says former Indian opener Virender Sehwag However, Srikkanth was quick to add that Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue have enough firepower to go the distance in the showpiece event in India. "So I believe guys like KL Rahul (who is recovering from a thigh injury) should be back in the middle order. KL Rahul has been fantastic. We have Rohit Sharma opening with Shubman Gill. Then we have Virat Kohli, who has been fantastic in this format and he has been in form. I believe India has got the capabilities of winning the World Cup," said Srikkanth. At present, Indian players such as Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah are recovering from their respective injuries. While Pant is very much out of contention, as India would certainly not risk playing him soon even if he recovers fully, Rahul, Iyer and Bumrah are expected to regain fitness just before the ODI WC. In such a scenario, India will be in a tough spot as the trio won't be having enough game time heading into the World Cup. India will open their campaign versus Australia, face Pakistan on October 15 in Ahmedabad, New Zealand on October 22 in Dharamshala, England on October 29 in Lucknow and South Africa on November 05 in Kolkata apart from also facing Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the other two teams from the qualifiers. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

If he was playing, would've said India are real favourites for ODI WC: Former Indian opener on star player

<p>Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Talking about the senior men's team, they remain without an ICC title since 2013. Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. had a chance to end their trophy jinx in the recently-held WTC final versus Australia but they lost heavily by 209 runs. While team selection, injuries to key players and&nbsp;some strategies have been criticised, BCCI have also been slammed for India's busy calendar.</p>

<p>Moreover, the BCCI is yet to name the chief selector following Chetan Sharma's end of tenure in a controversial fashion early this year. At present,&nbsp;Shiv&nbsp;Sunder Das -- former Indian opener -- has been named the interim chief selector of the committee also featuring S Sharath (south), Subroto Banerjee (central) and Salil Ankola (west).&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Thursday (June 22), BCCI invited applicants from the north zone and the selected candidate is expected to be the new chairman of selectors. From north, big names such as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh can be included but only Sehwag makes the cut as per his retirement year (2012). As per reports, he had been approached for the post but the former Indian batter was set to reject it citing salary issue.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virender-sehwag-eligible-to-become-chief-selector-unlikely-to-apply-due-to-this-reason-reports-607371">Virender Sehwag eligible to become chief selector, unlikely to apply due to THIS reason - Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>As per a&nbsp;TOI report, Sehwag was asked to comment on the speculations of being offered the top post. To this, the legendary cricketer replied saying "No". It is to be noted that a chief selector gets a salary of INR 1 crore (10 million) from the BCCI but since Sehwag earns a handsome amount being an analyst on various platforms, through promotional activities and his business, he is most likely to stay away from the high-pressure job.</p>

<p>BCCI's&nbsp;search for a right candidate for the top post continues with the ICC ODI World Cup set to start in October-November in India this year.</p>

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Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Talking about the senior men's team, they remain without an ICC title since 2013. Rohit Sharma & Co. had a chance to end their trophy jinx in the recently-held WTC final versus Australia but they lost heavily by 209 runs.

Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Talking about the senior men's team, they remain without an ICC title since 2013. Rohit Sharma & Co. had a chance to end their trophy jinx in the recently-held WTC final versus Australia but they lost heavily by 209 runs. While team selection, injuries to key players and some strategies have been criticised, BCCI have also been slammed for India's busy calendar. Moreover, the BCCI is yet to name the chief selector following Chetan Sharma's end of tenure in a controversial fashion early this year. At present, Shiv Sunder Das -- former Indian opener -- has been named the interim chief selector of the committee also featuring S Sharath (south), Subroto Banerjee (central) and Salil Ankola (west). On Thursday (June 22), BCCI invited applicants from the north zone and the selected candidate is expected to be the new chairman of selectors. From north, big names such as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh can be included but only Sehwag makes the cut as per his retirement year (2012). As per reports, he had been approached for the post but the former Indian batter was set to reject it citing salary issue. Also Read: Virender Sehwag eligible to become chief selector, unlikely to apply due to THIS reason - Reports As per a TOI report, Sehwag was asked to comment on the speculations of being offered the top post. To this, the legendary cricketer replied saying "No". It is to be noted that a chief selector gets a salary of INR 1 crore (10 million) from the BCCI but since Sehwag earns a handsome amount being an analyst on various platforms, through promotional activities and his business, he is most likely to stay away from the high-pressure job. BCCI's search for a right candidate for the top post continues with the ICC ODI World Cup set to start in October-November in India this year. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag reacts to rumours of being approached for chief selector’s post

<p>Truly, Cheteshwar Pujara remains the last of the Test specialists in the modern era where batters do not hesitate to go bang-bang from the word go. In an&nbsp;era with unparallel demand&nbsp;for&nbsp;quick scoring, be it any format, Pujara remains one from the old school of cricket,&nbsp;making his presence more significant in the longer version of the game.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nonetheless, whenever questions have been raised on India's famed batters' struggle for form, Pujara has been an easy target for critics. Call it his defensive approach, fitness issues, strike-rate woes (yes, even that is taken into account in red-ball cricket in modern times) or his stature being less than big-ticket players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the Saurashtra-born batter has more often than not paid the price.</p>

<p>However, Pujara also enjoyed a lengthy rope in India's Test squad despite dwindling returns since his standout performances in the 2018/19 series against hosts Australia. Since India's first-ever Test series win in Australia, where Pujara ended with 521 runs, including three hundreds, the right-hander has struggled for consistency. He has added only one more three-figure knock under his belt, which came last December in Bangladesh (102 not out).</p>

<p>Pujara has only struck 15 fifties, in 62 innings,&nbsp;since the 2018-19 Australia tour. Thus, a long run of below-par performances have hogged his esteemed Test career. India have been unlucky to witness the fall of Rahane, Kohli, and Pujara at the same time. But, the axe has only fallen on Rahane and Pujara. Interestingly,&nbsp;the latter was offered a central contract for October-September 2022-23, while Rahane wasn't. But Rahane will board India's flight for the West Indies, where they play two Tests starting on July 12, whereas Pujara has been dropped after the squad was announced on Friday (June 23).</p>

<p>In the 16-member squad, the BCCI selectors backed a plethora of youngsters, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, and Ishan Kishan.&nbsp;Thus, the transition period has certainly kicked off in India's Test line-up after the WTC final post-mortem (where India lost the Test mace to Australia by 209 runs earlier&nbsp;this month in London).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-retains-captaincy-as-bcci-names-india-test-squad-for-wi-tour-pujara-dropped-jaiswal-ruturaj-included-607800">Rohit retains captaincy as BCCI names India Test squad for WI tour, Pujara dropped; Jaiswal, Ruturaj included</a></strong></p>

<p>Unsurprisingly, Pujara has been the first victim among batters as his twin failures in the WTC summit clash (with scores of 14 and 27) intensified his omission&nbsp;talks. We are in an era in world cricket where England's Bazball is headlining the format. Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum-led England have adopted a fearless approach, batting&nbsp;at over 4.5 runs per over (RPO), and coming up with funky field sets. With India losing the WTC final twice in a row, tough decisions were set to be made. In this aspect, Pujara's slow-burn approach has been overlooked.</p>

<p>Pujara's approach has resulted in many hard-fought and dominating wins for Team India in whites since his debut in 2010. He has stood rock solid and bailed India out of the crisis by taking body blows, concentrating hard on each ball, and trusting his defence. However, his methods have been proven outdated with the rise of young blokes (Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, etc.). Pujara has never been the quickest between wickets. Age is also not on his side&nbsp;(he is 35). On the other hand,&nbsp;Rahane's 89 and 46 and Kohli's 49 (not that his place will&nbsp;ever come under the scanner) in the WTC final coincided with&nbsp;his flop show,&nbsp;leading to his exit.</p>

<p>It is to be noted that&nbsp;Pujara's numbers versus spin aren't encouraging. He has never been comfortable against the moving deliveries but&nbsp;has also been dismissed by spinners on 19 occasions since 2019 (scoring 910 at a decent 47.89). He averaged over 70 (71.51) versus the spin bowlers from 2010-2018. One might say it is a lost battle now. However, never say never. Rahane wasn't even in India's WTC final scheme of things till Shreyas Iyer got injured. Now, he has regained the vice-captaincy tag for the West Indies series.</p>

<p>Overall, Pujara's road ahead looks extremely tough. As per reports in the Times of India, he is set to feature in this year's Duleep Trophy. His appetite for runs, hunger for batting, and love for Test cricket is second to none. Thus, Pujara's days are not over yet. He is a fighter by all means. The right-hander won't back down so easily. Nonetheless, his current omission looks like a start towards the future.&nbsp;Given his below-par returns since 2019, playing style, and fitness, it does seem&nbsp;to be the right call.</p>

<p>Thus,&nbsp;the phasing out of seniors has begun with Pujara's ouster. India will kick off their all-format tour of the West Indies on July 12. They play two Tests, on July 12 and July 20.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>TEST Squad:</strong>&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin,&nbsp;R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.</p>

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Truly, Cheteshwar Pujara remains the last of the Test specialists in the modern era where batters do not hesitate to go bang-bang from the word go. In an era with unparallel demand for quick scoring, be it any format, Pujara remains one from the old school of cricket, making his presence more significant in the longer version of the game.

Truly, Cheteshwar Pujara remains the last of the Test specialists in the modern era where batters do not hesitate to go bang-bang from the word go. In an era with unparallel demand for quick scoring, be it any format, Pujara remains one from the old school of cricket, making his presence more significant in the longer version of the game. Nonetheless, whenever questions have been raised on India's famed batters' struggle for form, Pujara has been an easy target for critics. Call it his defensive approach, fitness issues, strike-rate woes (yes, even that is taken into account in red-ball cricket in modern times) or his stature being less than big-ticket players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the Saurashtra-born batter has more often than not paid the price. However, Pujara also enjoyed a lengthy rope in India's Test squad despite dwindling returns since his standout performances in the 2018/19 series against hosts Australia. Since India's first-ever Test series win in Australia, where Pujara ended with 521 runs, including three hundreds, the right-hander has struggled for consistency. He has added only one more three-figure knock under his belt, which came last December in Bangladesh (102 not out). Pujara has only struck 15 fifties, in 62 innings, since the 2018-19 Australia tour. Thus, a long run of below-par performances have hogged his esteemed Test career. India have been unlucky to witness the fall of Rahane, Kohli, and Pujara at the same time. But, the axe has only fallen on Rahane and Pujara. Interestingly, the latter was offered a central contract for October-September 2022-23, while Rahane wasn't. But Rahane will board India's flight for the West Indies, where they play two Tests starting on July 12, whereas Pujara has been dropped after the squad was announced on Friday (June 23). In the 16-member squad, the BCCI selectors backed a plethora of youngsters, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, and Ishan Kishan. Thus, the transition period has certainly kicked off in India's Test line-up after the WTC final post-mortem (where India lost the Test mace to Australia by 209 runs earlier this month in London). Also Read: Rohit retains captaincy as BCCI names India Test squad for WI tour, Pujara dropped; Jaiswal, Ruturaj included Unsurprisingly, Pujara has been the first victim among batters as his twin failures in the WTC summit clash (with scores of 14 and 27) intensified his omission talks. We are in an era in world cricket where England's Bazball is headlining the format. Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum-led England have adopted a fearless approach, batting at over 4.5 runs per over (RPO), and coming up with funky field sets. With India losing the WTC final twice in a row, tough decisions were set to be made. In this aspect, Pujara's slow-burn approach has been overlooked. Pujara's approach has resulted in many hard-fought and dominating wins for Team India in whites since his debut in 2010. He has stood rock solid and bailed India out of the crisis by taking body blows, concentrating hard on each ball, and trusting his defence. However, his methods have been proven outdated with the rise of young blokes (Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, etc.). Pujara has never been the quickest between wickets. Age is also not on his side (he is 35). On the other hand, Rahane's 89 and 46 and Kohli's 49 (not that his place will ever come under the scanner) in the WTC final coincided with his flop show, leading to his exit. It is to be noted that Pujara's numbers versus spin aren't encouraging. He has never been comfortable against the moving deliveries but has also been dismissed by spinners on 19 occasions since 2019 (scoring 910 at a decent 47.89). He averaged over 70 (71.51) versus the spin bowlers from 2010-2018. One might say it is a lost battle now. However, never say never. Rahane wasn't even in India's WTC final scheme of things till Shreyas Iyer got injured. Now, he has regained the vice-captaincy tag for the West Indies series. Overall, Pujara's road ahead looks extremely tough. As per reports in the Times of India, he is set to feature in this year's Duleep Trophy. His appetite for runs, hunger for batting, and love for Test cricket is second to none. Thus, Pujara's days are not over yet. He is a fighter by all means. The right-hander won't back down so easily. Nonetheless, his current omission looks like a start towards the future. Given his below-par returns since 2019, playing style, and fitness, it does seem to be the right call. Thus, the phasing out of seniors has begun with Pujara's ouster. India will kick off their all-format tour of the West Indies on July 12. They play two Tests, on July 12 and July 20. TEST Squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Explained: India tour of WI | Sympathies with Cheteshwar Pujara but the right call made

<p>R Ashwin's omission from India's playing XI for the recently-held WTC final versus Australia created a huge stir on social media platforms and within the cricketing fraternity. As a result, India finished second by a huge margin, losing the coveted Test mace to Australia by 209 runs at The Oval, London.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With India missing out on winning yet another ICC title, since 2013, fans showed their frustration on the Indian players and called for the omission of some senior members. Recently, Ashwin reacted to Indian fans' outbursts while mentioning about MS Dhoni's leadership and the success India achieved under him.</p>

<p>On his Youtube channel, Ashwin began by congratulating Australia and said,&nbsp;"Congratulations Australia! It was a fantastic final and they completely deserve the win. There was a small advantage although as few players like Marnus Labuschagne played a couple of matches in county cricket. That was a small one because in a one-Test shootout you can't really say who will do what, but they thoroughly deserved it. Even in the last WTC cycle, they missed qualifying for the finals only by a whisker. They have been a consistent Test team like India."</p>

<h2><strong>'Under MS Dhoni,&nbsp;same squad of 15 and the XI will play throughput the year'</strong></h2>

<p>The veteran off-spinner highlighted Dhoni's significance as a leader and mentioned an important aspect. “It is understandable that there's a furore in India that we haven't won an ICC trophy in 10 years. I empathise with the fans. But the reaction on social media is that this player should be dropped and that player should be included. But quality of a player doesn't change overnight. Lot of us talk about MS Dhoni's leadership. What did he do? Ge kept it very simple. Under his regime, where I also played, he will pick a squad of 15. The same squad of 15 and the XI will play throughput the year. That sense of security is very important for a player,” Ashwin pointed out.</p>

<p>Under Dhoni, India won all ICC titles along with winning the Test mace.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-indian-opener-virender-sehwag-reacts-to-rumours-of-being-approached-for-chief-selectors-post-607724">Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag reacts to rumours of being approached for chief selector’s post</a></strong></p>

<p>This is not the first time when Ashwin emphasised&nbsp;on the need for sense of security among players within the dressing room. Soon after he returned to the country after WTC final snub, Ashwin talked about the "overthinker" name tag attached to him and reasoned out&nbsp;that it was&nbsp;natural for him to be "traumatised" and "overthink" knowing he has limited chances compared to a player assured of a longer run.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In&nbsp;an interaction with Indian Express, the 36-year-old Ashwin stated,&nbsp;"A lot of people marketed me and positioned me that I am an overthinker. A person who will get 15-20 matches on the go doesn’t have to be mentally overthinking. A person who knows that they will get only two games will be traumatised and will be overthinking because it’s my job. It’s my journey. So this is what suits me. If somebody is going to tell me, ‘you’re going to play 15 matches, you will be looked after, you will be this, you are responsible for players, you are in the leadership role, I won’t be overthinking. Why would I?"</p>

<p>Ashwin will now gear up for India's two-match Test series versus hosts West Indies, which will kick off Rohit &amp; Co.'s run in WTC 2023-25 cycle, starting on July 12.</p>

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R Ashwin's omission from India's playing XI for the recently-held WTC final versus Australia created a huge stir on social media platforms and within the cricketing fraternity.

R Ashwin's omission from India's playing XI for the recently-held WTC final versus Australia created a huge stir on social media platforms and within the cricketing fraternity. As a result, India finished second by a huge margin, losing the coveted Test mace to Australia by 209 runs at The Oval, London. With India missing out on winning yet another ICC title, since 2013, fans showed their frustration on the Indian players and called for the omission of some senior members. Recently, Ashwin reacted to Indian fans' outbursts while mentioning about MS Dhoni's leadership and the success India achieved under him. On his Youtube channel, Ashwin began by congratulating Australia and said, "Congratulations Australia! It was a fantastic final and they completely deserve the win. There was a small advantage although as few players like Marnus Labuschagne played a couple of matches in county cricket. That was a small one because in a one-Test shootout you can't really say who will do what, but they thoroughly deserved it. Even in the last WTC cycle, they missed qualifying for the finals only by a whisker. They have been a consistent Test team like India." 'Under MS Dhoni, same squad of 15 and the XI will play throughput the year' The veteran off-spinner highlighted Dhoni's significance as a leader and mentioned an important aspect. “It is understandable that there's a furore in India that we haven't won an ICC trophy in 10 years. I empathise with the fans. But the reaction on social media is that this player should be dropped and that player should be included. But quality of a player doesn't change overnight. Lot of us talk about MS Dhoni's leadership. What did he do? Ge kept it very simple. Under his regime, where I also played, he will pick a squad of 15. The same squad of 15 and the XI will play throughput the year. That sense of security is very important for a player,” Ashwin pointed out. Under Dhoni, India won all ICC titles along with winning the Test mace. Also Read: Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag reacts to rumours of being approached for chief selector’s post This is not the first time when Ashwin emphasised on the need for sense of security among players within the dressing room. Soon after he returned to the country after WTC final snub, Ashwin talked about the "overthinker" name tag attached to him and reasoned out that it was natural for him to be "traumatised" and "overthink" knowing he has limited chances compared to a player assured of a longer run. In an interaction with Indian Express, the 36-year-old Ashwin stated, "A lot of people marketed me and positioned me that I am an overthinker. A person who will get 15-20 matches on the go doesn’t have to be mentally overthinking. A person who knows that they will get only two games will be traumatised and will be overthinking because it’s my job. It’s my journey. So this is what suits me. If somebody is going to tell me, ‘you’re going to play 15 matches, you will be looked after, you will be this, you are responsible for players, you are in the leadership role, I won’t be overthinking. Why would I?" Ashwin will now gear up for India's two-match Test series versus hosts West Indies, which will kick off Rohit & Co.'s run in WTC 2023-25 cycle, starting on July 12. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

R Ashwin credits MS Dhoni for creating 'sense of security' in Team India after WTC final snub

<p>Indian cricket is not at its best. The senior men's team have not won an ICC title since 2013 and recently lost the WTC final to Australia by 209 runs. While a lot of questions have been raised about Indian captain Rohit Sharma&nbsp;and head coach Rahul Dravid, BCCI has also been slammed for not giving enough breaks to players between tournaments. Moreover, many have thrashed the Indian cricket board for not finding a chief selector ever since Chetan Sharma left the post vacant following his explosive remarks during a TV&nbsp;sting operation early in 2023.</p>

<p>While BCCI continues to struggle to find Chetan Sharma's successor, reports have suggested that former Indian opener Virender Sehwag&nbsp;could represent North Zone in the selection committee and also become the next chief selector. BCCI is looking for a big name to head the selection committee, and while Sehwag is eligible to take over the post, he is unlikely to apply for it due to the pay package.</p>

<h2><strong>Why big names such as Virender Sehwag may not apply for chief selector's post?</strong></h2>

<p>As per reports in the news agency PTI, the pay package isn't lucrative enough to attract big names such as Sehwag for the post of chief selector. It is to be noted that the current salary of a chief selector is INR 1 crore (10 million). A BCCI official, on condition&nbsp;of&nbsp;anonymity, spoke at length to PTI about the matter, with regards to Sehwag's name cropping up as an ideal candidate. He&nbsp;said, "During CoA's time, Viru was asked to apply for the head coach's job and then it went to Anil Kumble. It is unlikely he will apply himself and also the pay package isn't something that will be financially viable for someone of his stature. But if we talk about stature, only he makes the cut from North Zone. It is not that BCCI can't pay a chairman of selectors at least Rs 4-5 crore. It can actually solve a lot of these conflict of interest issues which prevent prominent players from even thinking of coming into selection committee."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2023-england-focused-on-entertaining-more-than-winning-1st-test-says-geoffrey-boycott-607345">Ashes 2023: England focused on entertaining more than winning 1st Test, says Geoffrey Boycott</a></strong></p>

<p>Further, the BCCI official stressed on the importance of having a significant name as the chief selector. The official added that the selector needs to take brave decisions and also stand his ground in front of the captain and coach.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"When Dilip bhai was chairman, he had to make a choice between S Badrinath and Virat Kohli. He saw a few India A games in Australia and he knew whom to back. Rest is history. He could stand his ground in front of Greg Chappell before that."</p>

<p>At present, former Indian opener Shiv Sundar Das, from the East Zone, is spearheading the selection committee. The senior men's team will be in action next month during their all-format tour of the West Indies, starting July 12. BCCI will be eager to appoint the head of the selection committee very soon with the ODI World Cup to be held later this year at home.</p>

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Indian cricket is not at its best. The senior men's team have not won an ICC title since 2013 and recently lost the WTC final to Australia by 209 runs. While a lot of questions have been raised about Indian captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid, BCCI has also been slammed for not giving enough breaks to players between tournaments.

Indian cricket is not at its best. The senior men's team have not won an ICC title since 2013 and recently lost the WTC final to Australia by 209 runs. While a lot of questions have been raised about Indian captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid, BCCI has also been slammed for not giving enough breaks to players between tournaments. Moreover, many have thrashed the Indian cricket board for not finding a chief selector ever since Chetan Sharma left the post vacant following his explosive remarks during a TV sting operation early in 2023. While BCCI continues to struggle to find Chetan Sharma's successor, reports have suggested that former Indian opener Virender Sehwag could represent North Zone in the selection committee and also become the next chief selector. BCCI is looking for a big name to head the selection committee, and while Sehwag is eligible to take over the post, he is unlikely to apply for it due to the pay package. Why big names such as Virender Sehwag may not apply for chief selector's post? As per reports in the news agency PTI, the pay package isn't lucrative enough to attract big names such as Sehwag for the post of chief selector. It is to be noted that the current salary of a chief selector is INR 1 crore (10 million). A BCCI official, on condition of anonymity, spoke at length to PTI about the matter, with regards to Sehwag's name cropping up as an ideal candidate. He said, "During CoA's time, Viru was asked to apply for the head coach's job and then it went to Anil Kumble. It is unlikely he will apply himself and also the pay package isn't something that will be financially viable for someone of his stature. But if we talk about stature, only he makes the cut from North Zone. It is not that BCCI can't pay a chairman of selectors at least Rs 4-5 crore. It can actually solve a lot of these conflict of interest issues which prevent prominent players from even thinking of coming into selection committee." Also Read: Ashes 2023: England focused on entertaining more than winning 1st Test, says Geoffrey Boycott Further, the BCCI official stressed on the importance of having a significant name as the chief selector. The official added that the selector needs to take brave decisions and also stand his ground in front of the captain and coach. "When Dilip bhai was chairman, he had to make a choice between S Badrinath and Virat Kohli. He saw a few India A games in Australia and he knew whom to back. Rest is history. He could stand his ground in front of Greg Chappell before that." At present, former Indian opener Shiv Sundar Das, from the East Zone, is spearheading the selection committee. The senior men's team will be in action next month during their all-format tour of the West Indies, starting July 12. BCCI will be eager to appoint the head of the selection committee very soon with the ODI World Cup to be held later this year at home. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Virender Sehwag eligible to become chief selector, unlikely to apply due to THIS reason - Reports

<p>MS Dhoni remains a huge name in world cricket. The Jharkhand-born Indian cricketer debuted in international cricket in late 2004 and soon became a household name. In 2007, he led a young Indian team -- sans seniors such as regular captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly -- in the T20 World Cup and went on to win the championship in South Africa. Soon after, he became India's full-time captain and ended with all three major ICC trophies under his belt.</p>

<p>Recently, Dilip Vengsarkar -- India's 1983 World Cup-winning member and former chief selector -- revealed how and why Dhoni was elevated as the white-ball captain. It is to be noted that Dravid stepped down as the Indian captain during MS Dhoni-led Men in Blue's T20 WC campaign in South Africa. Dhoni was named as the white-ball skipper before he led India to the T20 WC title. Vengsarkar, who served as the chief selector when Dravid resigned, revealed Dhoni's body language, and communication skills with other players worked in his favour to get the top post.</p>

<h2><strong>'We saw Dhoni's approach to the game...'</strong></h2>

<p>“Apart from being an automatic choice in the team, you look at the player’s cricketing acumen, body language, ability to lead from the front and man management skills. We saw Dhoni's approach to the game, body language, how he spoke to others; we got positive feedback," Vengsarkar told Hindustan Times.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/west-indies-tour-sanjay-manjrekar-calls-for-inclusion-of-3-new-batters-and-pacers-in-indias-test-line-up-607013">West Indies tour: Sanjay Manjrekar calls for inclusion of '3 new batters and pacers' in India's Test line-up</a></strong></p>

<p>It is widely known that after Dravid resigned, the BCCI urged Sachin Tendulkar to take up the Indian captaincy, which he turned down politely and suggested Dhoni's name. Good feedback, tactical acumen, body language, and man-management skills did the trick for Dhoni who took over Indian cricket in all formats by late 2008 when he became the Test captain.</p>

<p>Apart from his captaincy, Dhoni ended his international career with 17,266 runs, 108 half-centuries, 16 tons, 634 catches, 359 sixes, and 195 stumpings. He announced his international retirement on August 15, 2020, but remains active in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth title in this year's edition.</p>


MS Dhoni remains a huge name in world cricket. The Jharkhand-born Indian cricketer debuted in international cricket in late 2004 and soon became a household name.

MS Dhoni remains a huge name in world cricket. The Jharkhand-born Indian cricketer debuted in international cricket in late 2004 and soon became a household name. In 2007, he led a young Indian team -- sans seniors such as regular captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly -- in the T20 World Cup and went on to win the championship in South Africa. Soon after, he became India's full-time captain and ended with all three major ICC trophies under his belt. Recently, Dilip Vengsarkar -- India's 1983 World Cup-winning member and former chief selector -- revealed how and why Dhoni was elevated as the white-ball captain. It is to be noted that Dravid stepped down as the Indian captain during MS Dhoni-led Men in Blue's T20 WC campaign in South Africa. Dhoni was named as the white-ball skipper before he led India to the T20 WC title. Vengsarkar, who served as the chief selector when Dravid resigned, revealed Dhoni's body language, and communication skills with other players worked in his favour to get the top post. 'We saw Dhoni's approach to the game...' “Apart from being an automatic choice in the team, you look at the player’s cricketing acumen, body language, ability to lead from the front and man management skills. We saw Dhoni's approach to the game, body language, how he spoke to others; we got positive feedback," Vengsarkar told Hindustan Times. Also Read: West Indies tour: Sanjay Manjrekar calls for inclusion of '3 new batters and pacers' in India's Test line-up It is widely known that after Dravid resigned, the BCCI urged Sachin Tendulkar to take up the Indian captaincy, which he turned down politely and suggested Dhoni's name. Good feedback, tactical acumen, body language, and man-management skills did the trick for Dhoni who took over Indian cricket in all formats by late 2008 when he became the Test captain. Apart from his captaincy, Dhoni ended his international career with 17,266 runs, 108 half-centuries, 16 tons, 634 catches, 359 sixes, and 195 stumpings. He announced his international retirement on August 15, 2020, but remains active in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth title in this year's edition.

Former India chief selector reveals how MS Dhoni became India's permanent white-ball captain

<p>South African cricket legend Graeme Smith has backed under-fire India coach Rahul Dravid after the latest World Test Championship (WTC) Final slump, urging Indian cricket fans to remain patient with Dravid’s process of rebuilding a new team. After India lost the second straight WTC Final, this time against Australia by 209 runs at the Oval last week, several cricket pundits and countless fans took a dig at the team boss over the poor show and team selection.</p>

<p>Smith, regarded as one of cricket’s greatest captains, stressed the pros and cons of being in a leadership role in Indian cricket. Having led the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals before for a few seasons, Smith knows a thing or two about dealing with fans’ expectations and the disappointment that follows when the results are not met.</p>

<p>In a chat with Times of India (TOI), Smith asked the Indian fans to trust the process as Dravid is on the right course of rebuilding a team for the future.<br />
“When you get involved in a leadership role in Indian cricket, the expectation is something that you are going to have to come to terms with. There’s a huge quality of players. India can put two or three teams together,” Smith told TOI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The biggest challenge in India for a leader is balancing those squads, balancing your tour schedules, the different formats, and those are some of the biggest decisions that are coming ahead of Rahul and his selection team. What do those squads look like, how do they move those teams forward,” he added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pcb-picks-shaheen-afridi-in-16-man-squad-for-sri-lanka-tests-appoints-morne-morkel-as-teams-bowling-coach-605541">PCB picks Shaheen Afridi in 16-man squad for Sri Lanka Tests, appoints Morne Morkel as team's bowling coach</a></p>

<p>Dravid replaced Ravi Shastri as India’s head coach in 2021. And after a decent start to his new career as the boss of the senior team, Dravid’s India failed to live up to the expectations, as India lost the Asia Cup, 2022 T20 World Cup and WTC Final 2023 in the span of under one year.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Dravid is a quality leader</h2>

<p>Smith, who had played alongside Dravid in the past, showered praises on the India legend, saying he has been a quality player and has shown what he can achieve as a leader.</p>

<p>“He’s a quality man and a quality performer. He’s shown it right through as a coach. So, you’ve got to give him a fair opportunity now to kind of rebuild India,” Smith added.</p>

<p>Following the WTC Final, India has two major multi-team tournaments to participate in – Asia Cup 2023 (in Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and the home World Cup later this year. With this, Rahul Dravid will have another chance at winning an ICC trophy.</p>

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South African cricket legend Graeme Smith has backed under-fire India coach Rahul Dravid after the latest World Test Championship (WTC) Final slump, urging Indian cricket fans to remain patient with Dravid’s process of rebuilding a new team.

South African cricket legend Graeme Smith has backed under-fire India coach Rahul Dravid after the latest World Test Championship (WTC) Final slump, urging Indian cricket fans to remain patient with Dravid’s process of rebuilding a new team. After India lost the second straight WTC Final, this time against Australia by 209 runs at the Oval last week, several cricket pundits and countless fans took a dig at the team boss over the poor show and team selection. Smith, regarded as one of cricket’s greatest captains, stressed the pros and cons of being in a leadership role in Indian cricket. Having led the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals before for a few seasons, Smith knows a thing or two about dealing with fans’ expectations and the disappointment that follows when the results are not met. In a chat with Times of India (TOI), Smith asked the Indian fans to trust the process as Dravid is on the right course of rebuilding a team for the future. “When you get involved in a leadership role in Indian cricket, the expectation is something that you are going to have to come to terms with. There’s a huge quality of players. India can put two or three teams together,” Smith told TOI. “The biggest challenge in India for a leader is balancing those squads, balancing your tour schedules, the different formats, and those are some of the biggest decisions that are coming ahead of Rahul and his selection team. What do those squads look like, how do they move those teams forward,” he added. ALSO READ: PCB picks Shaheen Afridi in 16-man squad for Sri Lanka Tests, appoints Morne Morkel as team's bowling coach Dravid replaced Ravi Shastri as India’s head coach in 2021. And after a decent start to his new career as the boss of the senior team, Dravid’s India failed to live up to the expectations, as India lost the Asia Cup, 2022 T20 World Cup and WTC Final 2023 in the span of under one year. Dravid is a quality leader Smith, who had played alongside Dravid in the past, showered praises on the India legend, saying he has been a quality player and has shown what he can achieve as a leader. “He’s a quality man and a quality performer. He’s shown it right through as a coach. So, you’ve got to give him a fair opportunity now to kind of rebuild India,” Smith added. Following the WTC Final, India has two major multi-team tournaments to participate in – Asia Cup 2023 (in Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and the home World Cup later this year. With this, Rahul Dravid will have another chance at winning an ICC trophy. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Graeme Smith backs India coach Rahul Dravid after latest WTC Final slump, urges fans to remain patient

<p>Dilip Vengsarkar, India's 1983 World Cup-winning member and former BCCI chief selector, has slammed the board and its selection committee for lack of vision and cricketing sense. Vengsarkar believes India have failed to identify and groom a young skipper who can take over from Rohit Sharma. The former Indian batter has lashed out at the BCCI and past selectors for making Shikhar Dhawan the stand-in captain when tours overlapped for Team India in the past two years.</p>

<p>In 2021-22, there have been plenty of instances when Dhawan led the Men in Blue in white-ball formats with many senior players rested or involved in red-ball assignments. Thus, Vengsarkar has slammed BCCI and the selection committee for not backing a youngster to lead the charge. In addition, he raised questions about India's bench&nbsp;strength.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/r-ashwin-opens-up-on-being-denied-india-test-captaincy-after-wtc-final-snub-606066">R Ashwin opens up on being denied India Test captaincy after WTC final snub</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>'They made Shikhar Dhawan India captain'</strong></h2>

<p>Vengsarkar told Hindustan Times, "The unfortunate part is that the selectors I have seen over the last six-seven years neither have the vision, deep knowledge about the game or cricketing sense. They made Shikhar Dhawan India captain (when tours overlapped and the core players were&nbsp;not available); it is where you can groom the future captain."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-100-certain-rohit-sharma-will-remain-test-captain-says-former-indian-openers-after-wtc-final-debacle-606047">Not 100% certain Rohit Sharma will remain Test captain, says former Indian opener after WTC final debacle</a></strong></p>

<p>He added, "You talk about the richest cricket board in the world, where is the bench strength? Just having IPL, earning crores of rupees in media rights, it should not be the only achievement."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vengsarkar is among the many former Indian players who are not happy with the current operations in Indian cricket. Rohit-led India were recently seen in action in the WTC final where they lost to Australia by 209 runs as their ICC title drought continues since 2013. They will next be seen in action in their upcoming all-format tour of the West Indies starting next month.</p>

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Dilip Vengsarkar, India's 1983 World Cup-winning member and former BCCI chief selector, has slammed the board and its selection committee for lack of vision and cricketing sense.

Dilip Vengsarkar, India's 1983 World Cup-winning member and former BCCI chief selector, has slammed the board and its selection committee for lack of vision and cricketing sense. Vengsarkar believes India have failed to identify and groom a young skipper who can take over from Rohit Sharma. The former Indian batter has lashed out at the BCCI and past selectors for making Shikhar Dhawan the stand-in captain when tours overlapped for Team India in the past two years. In 2021-22, there have been plenty of instances when Dhawan led the Men in Blue in white-ball formats with many senior players rested or involved in red-ball assignments. Thus, Vengsarkar has slammed BCCI and the selection committee for not backing a youngster to lead the charge. In addition, he raised questions about India's bench strength. Also Read: R Ashwin opens up on being denied India Test captaincy after WTC final snub 'They made Shikhar Dhawan India captain' Vengsarkar told Hindustan Times, "The unfortunate part is that the selectors I have seen over the last six-seven years neither have the vision, deep knowledge about the game or cricketing sense. They made Shikhar Dhawan India captain (when tours overlapped and the core players were not available); it is where you can groom the future captain." Also Read: Not 100% certain Rohit Sharma will remain Test captain, says former Indian opener after WTC final debacle He added, "You talk about the richest cricket board in the world, where is the bench strength? Just having IPL, earning crores of rupees in media rights, it should not be the only achievement." Vengsarkar is among the many former Indian players who are not happy with the current operations in Indian cricket. Rohit-led India were recently seen in action in the WTC final where they lost to Australia by 209 runs as their ICC title drought continues since 2013. They will next be seen in action in their upcoming all-format tour of the West Indies starting next month. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

1983 World Cup winner lashes out at BCCI, past selectors for not finding Rohit Sharma's successor

<p>After India's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final loss to Australia early this month, questions were raised on Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid-led Indian think tank. Skipper Rohit and head coach Dravid were criticised for their decision to drop R Ashwin from the playing XI as India once again faltered in a big chance to lift a mega title and end their ten-year-long ICC trophy drought.</p>

<p>As India are set to kick off their campaign in the current WTC 2023-25 cycle, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra made a big claim on Rohit. Chopra is not 100 per cent confident that Rohit will continue as the Test captain in this WTC cycle.</p>

<p>"Rohit Sharma is a good captain. That is out of the question, understands the pulse of the game, doesn’t make common mistakes. He’s very decent. The question is not about Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. It’s about playing XI (for the WTC final). The next question is on the type of pitches they play at home. See, all these decisions are taken by the team management. I am sure Rohit Sharma would’ve been part of the think tank when Virat Kohli was the captain. Now Kohli will also be part of that group too. However, the responsibility lies with the one who goes for the toss. The focus now is on Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid like it was before on Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. This is the sad reality," Chopra said&nbsp;on his YouTube video.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-charges-around-1-million-per-instagram-post-net-worth-of-approximate-126-million-report-605954">Virat Kohli charges around $1 million per Instagram post, net worth approximately $126mn: Report</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>'I am not 100% certain because you have...'</strong></h2>

<p>Chopra further opined, "Rohit is a good captain, there is no doubt about that. Rohit is a good Test batter, there is no doubt about that as well, but will the future remain like this only - I am not 100% certain because you have reached the final in the last two cycles but haven't won even once, and age is not on his side, this is the reality. When you see the next two years, and another WTC cycle - 2025, Rohit Sharma could still be playing Test cricket if he really wants to play Test cricket. Six series is a lot of time."</p>

<p>"Can the selectors, by the end of 2023, when you come back from South Africa, start thinking about the next WTC final? One year will remain. There will be five Test matches against England. Then you have to go to Australia, so should they look for a change? This is going to be an interesting one," the ex-Indian batter&nbsp;added.</p>

<p>In the WTC 2023-25 cycle, India will tour West Indies, Australia, and South Africa whereas they will host England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. After ending second in the previous two WTC cycles, they will aim to win the title this time around.&nbsp;</p>

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After India's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final loss to Australia early this month, questions were raised on Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid-led Indian think tank.

After India's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final loss to Australia early this month, questions were raised on Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid-led Indian think tank. Skipper Rohit and head coach Dravid were criticised for their decision to drop R Ashwin from the playing XI as India once again faltered in a big chance to lift a mega title and end their ten-year-long ICC trophy drought. As India are set to kick off their campaign in the current WTC 2023-25 cycle, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra made a big claim on Rohit. Chopra is not 100 per cent confident that Rohit will continue as the Test captain in this WTC cycle. "Rohit Sharma is a good captain. That is out of the question, understands the pulse of the game, doesn’t make common mistakes. He’s very decent. The question is not about Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. It’s about playing XI (for the WTC final). The next question is on the type of pitches they play at home. See, all these decisions are taken by the team management. I am sure Rohit Sharma would’ve been part of the think tank when Virat Kohli was the captain. Now Kohli will also be part of that group too. However, the responsibility lies with the one who goes for the toss. The focus now is on Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid like it was before on Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. This is the sad reality," Chopra said on his YouTube video. Also Read: Virat Kohli charges around $1 million per Instagram post, net worth approximately $126mn: Report 'I am not 100% certain because you have...' Chopra further opined, "Rohit is a good captain, there is no doubt about that. Rohit is a good Test batter, there is no doubt about that as well, but will the future remain like this only - I am not 100% certain because you have reached the final in the last two cycles but haven't won even once, and age is not on his side, this is the reality. When you see the next two years, and another WTC cycle - 2025, Rohit Sharma could still be playing Test cricket if he really wants to play Test cricket. Six series is a lot of time." "Can the selectors, by the end of 2023, when you come back from South Africa, start thinking about the next WTC final? One year will remain. There will be five Test matches against England. Then you have to go to Australia, so should they look for a change? This is going to be an interesting one," the ex-Indian batter added. In the WTC 2023-25 cycle, India will tour West Indies, Australia, and South Africa whereas they will host England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. After ending second in the previous two WTC cycles, they will aim to win the title this time around. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Not 100% certain Rohit Sharma will remain Test captain, says former Indian opener after WTC final debacle

<p>Is it the right time to address the elephant in the room? Or shall we wait for another lost opportunity at an ICC tournament to start talking about it?</p>

<p>Since last winning an ICC trophy in 2013 - at a time when Facebook had seen its peak, Twitter was emerging to become a social media giant, and Instagram was probably in the earlier stages of being launched, the Indian team failed to bring home any major accolades.</p>

<p>So, where is the problem? It’s not that they are missing&nbsp;world-class players or lack&nbsp;infrastructure, or don't have a setup where youngsters thrive to succeed. Is it luck? Could be, but not entirely! So where does one find an answer to this?</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-dont-say-this-in-ipl-gavaskar-slams-rohit-sharma-for-his-latest-remarks-on-wtc-final-format-603529">'You don't say this in IPL...': Gavaskar slams Rohit Sharma for his latest remarks on WTC Final format</a></p>

<p>Maybe it's in front of everyone's eyes, and the Indian cricket fans are happy living in denial. Can happen! The big question here arises what’s stopping the Indian Men’s Team from winning an ICC trophy?</p>

<p>Having lately lost the second straight World Test Championship (WTC) Final, this time to Australia by a massive margin of 209 runs, the Indian players, let alone the fans, looked disappointed with the result and seemed eager to find solutions. With India all set to host the 50-over World Cup later this year, they would want to tick most of the boxes to avoid suffering the same fate as they did during the previous editions.</p>

<h2>Is the way how Test Cricket unfolds in India a problem?</h2>

<p>Maybe no one’s ready for this discussion.</p>

<p>How does wrapping up Test matches in India inside two, three or on the least doctored track, four days, help players across all departments, other than spinners, in any way? Honestly, they are not!</p>

<p>Providing tracks that turn from day one will neither help the batters gain any momentum nor will it see fast bowlers succeeding in Tests in this part of the world. Leave aside the touring sides, it’s a rarity to see more than two Indian pacers taking the field in any Test in these conditions – even considering the venues where they would get some assistance from the pitch.</p>

<p>Now, with spinners taking control of the game from the ball, thus dictating how things will pan out throughout the series, it doesn’t really help the team in the longer run.</p>

<p>India might, and well, have been doing this for the past ten years, to win all those Tests at home, and some even by daunting margins. But the truth is that&nbsp;such tactics are not helping other departments to get better in any way.</p>

<p>It’s understandable, for obvious reasons, why host teams tend to use the home advantage in their favour – which is to win matches and gain a lead on the points table of the WTC Cycle.&nbsp;But what’s the use of that if the same bunch of players were to suffer the old, monotonous fate of falling shy of winning the trophy outside of their home conditions?</p>

<p>India’s past two results in the WTC Finals are prime examples of that.</p>

<p>With the batters failing to score in home conditions, and for countless reasons, not being able to go outside of their bubble and train or play in different domestic leagues, in the County Championships in the UK, for example, their inability to adapt to the new conditions get exposed on the D-day.</p>

<h2>Is high-headedness killing, or has&nbsp;already killed Indian cricket?</h2>

<p>India doesn't have big-name players in the country, India has demigods - be it the great Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and so on. With the amount of love they get from the fans, they are no less than supreme powers on the field in their head, and it has had its adverse effects.</p>

<p>Though a few of the big names in the India line-up have contributed immensely throughout their career, their stubbornness not to learn from their mistakes has shockingly cost India World Cups at a stretch. What’s worse, they keep getting away every single time.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-tour-of-west-indies-2023-cwi-announce-full-schedule-jaiswal-mukesh-kumar-in-line-for-test-call-ups-603590">India’s tour of West Indies 2023: CWI announce full schedule, Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar in line for Test call-ups</a></p>

<p>The least discussed or untouched, like some taboo, in this country, the egos are now starting to take centre stage. Sure, it’s all part of the game and must have been around for hundreds of years now, but this thing has had its impact on the team environment and subsequently on the results.</p>

<h2>Can India revive?</h2>

<p>They must before it gets too late.</p>

<p>In a few months, the World Cup starts, and this is India’s best chance at glory, having last won in Asia 12 years back.</p>

<p>Sticking around as a team, working on the weaknesses, and deliberately putting in hard yards to prepare for the worst situation can only help India get ready for the biggest winter extravaganza this year.</p>

<p>Before the World Cup gets underway, India will get involved in another multi-team tournament - the Asia Cup 2023, and winning that would boost the side's chances of ending the trophy drought in the home WC.</p>

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Is it the right time to address the elephant in the room? Or shall we wait for another lost opportunity at an ICC tournament to start talking about it? Since last winning an ICC trophy in 2013 - at a time when Facebook had seen its peak, Twitter was emerging to become a social media giant, and Instagram was probably in the earlier stages of being launched, the Indian team failed to bring home any major accolades.

Is it the right time to address the elephant in the room? Or shall we wait for another lost opportunity at an ICC tournament to start talking about it? Since last winning an ICC trophy in 2013 - at a time when Facebook had seen its peak, Twitter was emerging to become a social media giant, and Instagram was probably in the earlier stages of being launched, the Indian team failed to bring home any major accolades. So, where is the problem? It’s not that they are missing world-class players or lack infrastructure, or don't have a setup where youngsters thrive to succeed. Is it luck? Could be, but not entirely! So where does one find an answer to this? ALSO READ: 'You don't say this in IPL...': Gavaskar slams Rohit Sharma for his latest remarks on WTC Final format Maybe it's in front of everyone's eyes, and the Indian cricket fans are happy living in denial. Can happen! The big question here arises what’s stopping the Indian Men’s Team from winning an ICC trophy? Having lately lost the second straight World Test Championship (WTC) Final, this time to Australia by a massive margin of 209 runs, the Indian players, let alone the fans, looked disappointed with the result and seemed eager to find solutions. With India all set to host the 50-over World Cup later this year, they would want to tick most of the boxes to avoid suffering the same fate as they did during the previous editions. Is the way how Test Cricket unfolds in India a problem? Maybe no one’s ready for this discussion. How does wrapping up Test matches in India inside two, three or on the least doctored track, four days, help players across all departments, other than spinners, in any way? Honestly, they are not! Providing tracks that turn from day one will neither help the batters gain any momentum nor will it see fast bowlers succeeding in Tests in this part of the world. Leave aside the touring sides, it’s a rarity to see more than two Indian pacers taking the field in any Test in these conditions – even considering the venues where they would get some assistance from the pitch. Now, with spinners taking control of the game from the ball, thus dictating how things will pan out throughout the series, it doesn’t really help the team in the longer run. India might, and well, have been doing this for the past ten years, to win all those Tests at home, and some even by daunting margins. But the truth is that such tactics are not helping other departments to get better in any way. It’s understandable, for obvious reasons, why host teams tend to use the home advantage in their favour – which is to win matches and gain a lead on the points table of the WTC Cycle. But what’s the use of that if the same bunch of players were to suffer the old, monotonous fate of falling shy of winning the trophy outside of their home conditions? India’s past two results in the WTC Finals are prime examples of that. With the batters failing to score in home conditions, and for countless reasons, not being able to go outside of their bubble and train or play in different domestic leagues, in the County Championships in the UK, for example, their inability to adapt to the new conditions get exposed on the D-day. Is high-headedness killing, or has already killed Indian cricket? India doesn't have big-name players in the country, India has demigods - be it the great Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and so on. With the amount of love they get from the fans, they are no less than supreme powers on the field in their head, and it has had its adverse effects. Though a few of the big names in the India line-up have contributed immensely throughout their career, their stubbornness not to learn from their mistakes has shockingly cost India World Cups at a stretch. What’s worse, they keep getting away every single time. ALSO READ: India’s tour of West Indies 2023: CWI announce full schedule, Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar in line for Test call-ups The least discussed or untouched, like some taboo, in this country, the egos are now starting to take centre stage. Sure, it’s all part of the game and must have been around for hundreds of years now, but this thing has had its impact on the team environment and subsequently on the results. Can India revive? They must before it gets too late. In a few months, the World Cup starts, and this is India’s best chance at glory, having last won in Asia 12 years back. Sticking around as a team, working on the weaknesses, and deliberately putting in hard yards to prepare for the worst situation can only help India get ready for the biggest winter extravaganza this year. Before the World Cup gets underway, India will get involved in another multi-team tournament - the Asia Cup 2023, and winning that would boost the side's chances of ending the trophy drought in the home WC. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

EXPLAINED - What's stopping India from winning ICC trophies? Lack of temperament, poor luck or something else?

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<p>Looking at the overhead conditions and the pitch underneath, Rohit Sharma’s call to bowl first after winning the toss brought a smile to almost every Indian cricket fan’s face. Unless they knew it could become the reason for their second straight loss in the World Test Championship Final. After India suffered the same fate as the last time, head coach Rahul Dravid addressed the issue.</p>

<p>Speaking to his former teammates Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh after the match, Dravid said the conditions prompted them to take that call, as after Australia got reduced to 76 for three at one stage, everything looked like it was falling&nbsp;in place.</p>

<p>"In the [first] morning, there was a lot of grass, the overhead conditions were cloudy, and, in England, we felt batting gets easier - even on the fourth and fifth day, there wasn't much happening," Dravid said. "Lot of teams win the toss and field. At 70 [76] for 3, we felt it was a good decision, but the complexion of the game changed in the two sessions after that. Had we restricted them to 300-odd, it would've been a good score, we would've still been in the game, and it would've been a tight third and fourth inning. It's one of those things in England,” the head coach added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-furious-sunil-gavaskar-comments-on-virat-kohlis-mode-of-dismissal-in-second-innings-603195">WTC Final: Furious Sunil Gavaskar comments on Virat Kohli's mode of dismissal in second innings</a></p>

<p>Meanwhile, a 285-run partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith in the first inning drifted the game away from India. Courtesy of that stand, Australia piled up 469 and had their noses in front in this one-off Test from day one.</p>

<p>"It wasn't a 469 wicket," Dravid said. "On the first day, last session, conceding 157 [for no wicket] was disappointing. We knew the lines and lengths we needed to bowl; the lengths weren't bad, but we went wide with our lines, gave a lot of room to Travis Head, he capitalised, and we fell behind.”</p>

<h2>The same players did the job before</h2>

<p>The road to WTC Final 2023 wasn’t easy for India as they had to beat a few top teams in their backyard. As most of the players who succeeded in those conditions were playing in this match, Dravid said they needed a good partnership on day five, something that didn’t happen, and India fell on the other side of things.</p>

<p>The former India captain opined that the team didn’t lose heart despite playing the chasing game.</p>

<p>"Yesterday, I felt on this wicket, we played three-four shots, we could've been a bit careful," Dravid said. "It was tough, [but] there was hope. However far behind you are, you always fight. In the two years, we've had situations where we've been behind but have made comebacks.</p>

<p>"The good thing was we were behind for two days in this Test but didn't give up and fought well. We needed an exceptional performance, a big partnership [on the final day]. We had the players, but they [Australia] had the upper hand, they bowled well, got a couple of wickets and it can happen," Dravid added.</p>

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Looking at the overhead conditions and the pitch underneath, Rohit Sharma’s call to bowl first after winning the toss brought a smile to almost every Indian cricket fan’s face.

Looking at the overhead conditions and the pitch underneath, Rohit Sharma’s call to bowl first after winning the toss brought a smile to almost every Indian cricket fan’s face. Unless they knew it could become the reason for their second straight loss in the World Test Championship Final. After India suffered the same fate as the last time, head coach Rahul Dravid addressed the issue. Speaking to his former teammates Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh after the match, Dravid said the conditions prompted them to take that call, as after Australia got reduced to 76 for three at one stage, everything looked like it was falling in place. "In the [first] morning, there was a lot of grass, the overhead conditions were cloudy, and, in England, we felt batting gets easier - even on the fourth and fifth day, there wasn't much happening," Dravid said. "Lot of teams win the toss and field. At 70 [76] for 3, we felt it was a good decision, but the complexion of the game changed in the two sessions after that. Had we restricted them to 300-odd, it would've been a good score, we would've still been in the game, and it would've been a tight third and fourth inning. It's one of those things in England,” the head coach added. ALSO READ: WTC Final: Furious Sunil Gavaskar comments on Virat Kohli's mode of dismissal in second innings Meanwhile, a 285-run partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith in the first inning drifted the game away from India. Courtesy of that stand, Australia piled up 469 and had their noses in front in this one-off Test from day one. "It wasn't a 469 wicket," Dravid said. "On the first day, last session, conceding 157 [for no wicket] was disappointing. We knew the lines and lengths we needed to bowl; the lengths weren't bad, but we went wide with our lines, gave a lot of room to Travis Head, he capitalised, and we fell behind.” The same players did the job before The road to WTC Final 2023 wasn’t easy for India as they had to beat a few top teams in their backyard. As most of the players who succeeded in those conditions were playing in this match, Dravid said they needed a good partnership on day five, something that didn’t happen, and India fell on the other side of things. The former India captain opined that the team didn’t lose heart despite playing the chasing game. "Yesterday, I felt on this wicket, we played three-four shots, we could've been a bit careful," Dravid said. "It was tough, [but] there was hope. However far behind you are, you always fight. In the two years, we've had situations where we've been behind but have made comebacks. "The good thing was we were behind for two days in this Test but didn't give up and fought well. We needed an exceptional performance, a big partnership [on the final day]. We had the players, but they [Australia] had the upper hand, they bowled well, got a couple of wickets and it can happen," Dravid added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WTC Final: Dravid backs decision to bowl first after disappointing loss at Oval, says conditions prompted us

<p>India coach Rahul Dravid defended the batters after former India skipper Sourav Ganguly grilled post-India's 209-run loss in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia. This is India's second consecutive loss in the WTC Finals. They had lost the previous WTC Final in 2021 against New Zealand.</p>

<p>Ganguly informed Dravid that the batting average of the Indian batters has fallen in the last couple of years and that the batting order needs a rework. Dravid, however, said that the fall in average is due to the result-oriented nature of pitches across the world and the competitiveness of the World Test Championship.</p>

<p>“Our top-5 is quite experienced. These players will be considered legends; the same boys won the series in Australia, the same boys won in England as well. They are good players. But I accept, and I think they will as well, that they didn't do justice to the high standards that they've set for themselves,” said Dravid to Ganguly during a chat on Star Sports.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-odi-wc-india-vs-pakistan-on-october-15-final-in-ahmedabad-as-per-draft-schedule-report-603262">ICC ODI WC: India vs Pakistan on October 15, Final in Ahmedabad as per draft schedule - Report</a></p>

<p>Dravid further explained that some of the wickets India batted on have been quite challenging and that every match in the WTC cycle is important, hence the dip in averages.</p>

<p>"We are working on it. Some of the wickets have been quite challenging. This was a good wicket, I admit, but there were many conditions which weren't quite good for batting. In the WTC cycle, every match is important. We can't play for draw anymore. We have difficult wickets in India, and result-oriented wickets are there outside India as well. So, all players have taken a hit on their averages, it's not just our players.</p>

<p>“But yes, we know that we need to score runs on the board to give our bowlers a chance. That's what we used to do,” added the coach.</p>

<p>India were asked to chase a target of 444 runs to win the WTC Final after Australia declared their innings on 270/8 on day 4. India did well to end the penultimate day on 164/3, needing 280 runs on day 5 with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane on the crease. Australia, however, struck early on the final day as Scott Boland took out Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja in the space of three balls.</p>

<p>India could never recover from that and folded out for 234 runs in their second innings with Nathan Lyon claiming four wickets.</p>

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India coach Rahul Dravid defended the batters after former India skipper Sourav Ganguly grilled post-India's 209-run loss in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia.

India coach Rahul Dravid defended the batters after former India skipper Sourav Ganguly grilled post-India's 209-run loss in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia. This is India's second consecutive loss in the WTC Finals. They had lost the previous WTC Final in 2021 against New Zealand. Ganguly informed Dravid that the batting average of the Indian batters has fallen in the last couple of years and that the batting order needs a rework. Dravid, however, said that the fall in average is due to the result-oriented nature of pitches across the world and the competitiveness of the World Test Championship. “Our top-5 is quite experienced. These players will be considered legends; the same boys won the series in Australia, the same boys won in England as well. They are good players. But I accept, and I think they will as well, that they didn't do justice to the high standards that they've set for themselves,” said Dravid to Ganguly during a chat on Star Sports. Also Read: ICC ODI WC: India vs Pakistan on October 15, Final in Ahmedabad as per draft schedule - Report Dravid further explained that some of the wickets India batted on have been quite challenging and that every match in the WTC cycle is important, hence the dip in averages. "We are working on it. Some of the wickets have been quite challenging. This was a good wicket, I admit, but there were many conditions which weren't quite good for batting. In the WTC cycle, every match is important. We can't play for draw anymore. We have difficult wickets in India, and result-oriented wickets are there outside India as well. So, all players have taken a hit on their averages, it's not just our players. “But yes, we know that we need to score runs on the board to give our bowlers a chance. That's what we used to do,” added the coach. India were asked to chase a target of 444 runs to win the WTC Final after Australia declared their innings on 270/8 on day 4. India did well to end the penultimate day on 164/3, needing 280 runs on day 5 with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane on the crease. Australia, however, struck early on the final day as Scott Boland took out Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja in the space of three balls. India could never recover from that and folded out for 234 runs in their second innings with Nathan Lyon claiming four wickets. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WTC Final: Sourav Ganguly questions coach Rahul Dravid on falling average of Indian batters

<p>After three days of play at the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, Australia are clearly ahead with a lead of 296 runs in the second innings and six wickets left. Nothing has gone right for India in the Test except winning the toss on day 1. India skipper Rohit Sharma chose to bowl after winning the toss but couldn't take advantage of overcast conditions on the first day.</p>

<p>Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali is also of opinion that India failed to capitalize and lost the game worrying about the first two hours of the match. He also said that the bowling was also not up to the Test match standard and more IPL like.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-justin-langer-recalls-why-his-chat-with-steve-waugh-about-ajinkya-rahane-raised-red-flags-stst-602809">WTC Final: Ex-Australia coach on his chat with Steve Waugh about Ajinkya Rahane</a></p>

<p>"India lost the match the moment they chose to bowl worrying about the first two hours. And the kind of bowling that was on display was just like IPL. By lunch, the Indian bowlers appeared so happy as if they'd won the match. All India can do now is hope to get them out cheaply and hope for a miracle in the fourth innings. During the 120 overs that India fielded, I could see only 2-3 players being fit - Rahane, Kohli and Jadeja. The rest looked tired," said the former Pakistan batter on his YouTube channel.</p>

<p>Ali, who played 19 Test and 50 ODIs for Pakistan, also criticized India coach Rahul Dravid, calling him a legend batsman but 'zero' as a coach.</p>

<p>"I am a huge Rahul Dravid fan, have always been and will remain. He is a class player, a legend. But as a coach, he is absolutely zero. You prepared turning pitches on India. Just answer me this. When India travelled to Australia, were there similar wickets? They had bouncy pitches, right? God knows what he was thinking. Jab upar wala akal baant raha tha toh pata nahi kaha pahaado ke peeche chhupe huye thhe (God knows where was he hiding when god was distributing brains)," added Ali.</p>

<p>Notably, India got out on 296 in reply of the Australia's first innings total of 469. Australia then scored 123 runs for the loss of four wickets in their second innings by the end of play on day 3.</p>

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After three days of play at the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, Australia are clearly ahead with a lead of 296 runs in the second innings and six wickets left.

After three days of play at the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, Australia are clearly ahead with a lead of 296 runs in the second innings and six wickets left. Nothing has gone right for India in the Test except winning the toss on day 1. India skipper Rohit Sharma chose to bowl after winning the toss but couldn't take advantage of overcast conditions on the first day. Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali is also of opinion that India failed to capitalize and lost the game worrying about the first two hours of the match. He also said that the bowling was also not up to the Test match standard and more IPL like. Also Read: WTC Final: Ex-Australia coach on his chat with Steve Waugh about Ajinkya Rahane "India lost the match the moment they chose to bowl worrying about the first two hours. And the kind of bowling that was on display was just like IPL. By lunch, the Indian bowlers appeared so happy as if they'd won the match. All India can do now is hope to get them out cheaply and hope for a miracle in the fourth innings. During the 120 overs that India fielded, I could see only 2-3 players being fit - Rahane, Kohli and Jadeja. The rest looked tired," said the former Pakistan batter on his YouTube channel. Ali, who played 19 Test and 50 ODIs for Pakistan, also criticized India coach Rahul Dravid, calling him a legend batsman but 'zero' as a coach. "I am a huge Rahul Dravid fan, have always been and will remain. He is a class player, a legend. But as a coach, he is absolutely zero. You prepared turning pitches on India. Just answer me this. When India travelled to Australia, were there similar wickets? They had bouncy pitches, right? God knows what he was thinking. Jab upar wala akal baant raha tha toh pata nahi kaha pahaado ke peeche chhupe huye thhe (God knows where was he hiding when god was distributing brains)," added Ali. Notably, India got out on 296 in reply of the Australia's first innings total of 469. Australia then scored 123 runs for the loss of four wickets in their second innings by the end of play on day 3. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WTC Final: Former Pak batter calls Rahul Dravid 'zero' and 'brainless' as India coach

In the second segment of Wion's exclusive with former Indian stumper Saba Karim, he opined on India's playing XI for WTC final vs Australia. In addition, he opened up on the Men in Blue's chances for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023, at home, and named their key player.

Exclusive | WTC Final: Former Indian stumper in favour of KS Bharat's inclusion in India's playing XI

<p>India are set to lock horns with Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which commences on June 07 (Wednesday) at The Oval, London. In the inaugural WTC cycle, Virat Kohli-led India dominated almost every series and qualified for the final where they lost to New Zealand by eight wickets. This time around, the No. 1 ranked Indian team will aim to go past their opposition and end their ten-year-long ICC title drought.</p>

<p>Ahead of the marquee battle between India and Australia, Virat Kohli is on the cusp of achieving some big milestones if he gets going in the forthcoming WTC summit clash. If the 34-year-old Kohli gets going in the mega clash and scores a ton, it will be his 29th in the longest format. Thus, he will equal Sir Don Bradman's tally.</p>

<p>Among the active cricketers, Kohli only be behind Australia's Steve Smith&nbsp;(30 tons) and join&nbsp;former England skipper Joe Root&nbsp;with 29 tons each.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/winning-the-wtc-final-will-mean-everything-to-us-indian-captain-rohit-sharma-ahead-of-australia-tie-601217"><strong>'Winning the WTC final will mean everything to us': Indian captain Rohit Sharma ahead of Australia tie</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Kohli eyes head coach Dravid's record</strong></h2>

<p>In addition, Kohli has a chance to go past head coach Rahul Dravid.&nbsp;In 24 Tests against the Aussies, he has&nbsp;1,979 runs at an average of 48.26. If he scores 188 more, Kohli will surpass&nbsp;Dravid's tally against Australia&nbsp;(who ended his career with 2,166 runs after Sachin Tendulkar's 3630&nbsp;and VVS Laxman's 2434).</p>

<p>Lastly, Kohli will also take over Virender Sehwag's run-tally in whites (8,586) with 170, or more, runs in the WTC final. At present, he has&nbsp;8416 runs in 108 Tests.&nbsp;Thus, he has a chance to become India's&nbsp;fifth-highest run-getter in Tests.&nbsp;Tendulkar (15,921), Dravid (13,288), Sunil Gavaskar (10,122), and Laxman (8,781) lead the list followed by Sehwag.</p>

<p>In his last Test inning, which came against Australia in the final match of the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, Kohli returned with a sublime 186&nbsp;in March. Thus, India will hope for another daddy hundred from him in the WTC final showdown versus Pat Cummins &amp; Co.</p>

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India are set to lock horns with Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which commences on June 07 (Wednesday) at The Oval, London. In the inaugural WTC cycle, Virat Kohli-led India dominated almost every series and qualified for the final where they lost to New Zealand by eight wickets.

India are set to lock horns with Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which commences on June 07 (Wednesday) at The Oval, London. In the inaugural WTC cycle, Virat Kohli-led India dominated almost every series and qualified for the final where they lost to New Zealand by eight wickets. This time around, the No. 1 ranked Indian team will aim to go past their opposition and end their ten-year-long ICC title drought. Ahead of the marquee battle between India and Australia, Virat Kohli is on the cusp of achieving some big milestones if he gets going in the forthcoming WTC summit clash. If the 34-year-old Kohli gets going in the mega clash and scores a ton, it will be his 29th in the longest format. Thus, he will equal Sir Don Bradman's tally. Among the active cricketers, Kohli only be behind Australia's Steve Smith (30 tons) and join former England skipper Joe Root with 29 tons each. Also Read: 'Winning the WTC final will mean everything to us': Indian captain Rohit Sharma ahead of Australia tie Kohli eyes head coach Dravid's record In addition, Kohli has a chance to go past head coach Rahul Dravid. In 24 Tests against the Aussies, he has 1,979 runs at an average of 48.26. If he scores 188 more, Kohli will surpass Dravid's tally against Australia (who ended his career with 2,166 runs after Sachin Tendulkar's 3630 and VVS Laxman's 2434). Lastly, Kohli will also take over Virender Sehwag's run-tally in whites (8,586) with 170, or more, runs in the WTC final. At present, he has 8416 runs in 108 Tests. Thus, he has a chance to become India's fifth-highest run-getter in Tests. Tendulkar (15,921), Dravid (13,288), Sunil Gavaskar (10,122), and Laxman (8,781) lead the list followed by Sehwag. In his last Test inning, which came against Australia in the final match of the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, Kohli returned with a sublime 186 in March. Thus, India will hope for another daddy hundred from him in the WTC final showdown versus Pat Cummins & Co. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Ind vs Aus, WTC Final: Virat Kohli on the cusp to equal Don Bradman's record, go past Rahul Dravid's feat

<p>India are set to take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final, which kicks off on Wednesday (June 07) at The Oval, London. While Virat Kohli-led India dominated the inaugural WTC cycle and entered the final, they lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in the summit clash. Thus, Rohit Sharma's India will be eager to get past the finish line in the second cycle.</p>

<p>Ahead of facing Pat Cummins-led Australia, who are one spot below No. 1 ranked India,&nbsp;veteran off-spinner R Ashwin revealed that head coach Rahul Dravid's speech after India's three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Dhaka Test, in late 2022, will be the highlight for him in this current WTC cycle. Unlike the first cycle, India did not dominate to reach the final but was made to work hard. They had to whitewash hosts Bangladesh in a two-match series, held last December but were staring at defeat in the final Test.</p>

<p>Dismissing Bangladesh for 227 in the first essay, KL Rahul &amp; Co. made 314 and then bundled out the Bangla Tigers for 231. In pursuit of 145, India was 74 for 7 before Shreyas Iyer (29 not out) and R Ashwin's (42*) unbeaten 71-run eighth-wicket stand took India to a 2-0 victory. Ashwin recalled Dravid's speech after the win and told the ICC, "We’ve had our moments in this last cycle, especially where we could have been knocked out quite a few times and have just held tight. I think the moment of the WTC, I don’t know irrespective of what happens in this game, would be Rahul (Dravid) bhai’s speech after the Bangladesh Test that we had at Mirpur."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-former-england-spinner-names-india-and-australias-x-factor-for-mega-clash-600873">WTC Final: Former England spinner names India and Australia's X-factor for mega clash</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>'I think WTC final&nbsp;could be lucky number two for us'</strong></h2>

<p>He opined, "I think we were just going to be knocked out of the WTC race in that particular Test, so we finished the game and I came out and was really pumped up, I don’t think we expected... nobody expected us to win, even inside the dressing room. Rahul just said, ‘It was a great game of cricket and Ash, we were never in doubt’. That is probably the moment of the WTC cycle as far as I’m concerned.</p>

<p>“Like he (Dravid) said, we were never in doubt, even though we went through the ride. I think in the last cycle we really quite dominated and got into the Final. This time we’ve had our ups and downs, and that’s probably why I think this particular game could be lucky number two for us," Ashwin concluded.</p>


India are set to take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final, which kicks off on Wednesday (June 07) at The Oval, London. While Virat Kohli-led India dominated the inaugural WTC cycle and entered the final, they lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in the summit clash.

India are set to take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final, which kicks off on Wednesday (June 07) at The Oval, London. While Virat Kohli-led India dominated the inaugural WTC cycle and entered the final, they lost to New Zealand by eight wickets in the summit clash. Thus, Rohit Sharma's India will be eager to get past the finish line in the second cycle. Ahead of facing Pat Cummins-led Australia, who are one spot below No. 1 ranked India, veteran off-spinner R Ashwin revealed that head coach Rahul Dravid's speech after India's three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Dhaka Test, in late 2022, will be the highlight for him in this current WTC cycle. Unlike the first cycle, India did not dominate to reach the final but was made to work hard. They had to whitewash hosts Bangladesh in a two-match series, held last December but were staring at defeat in the final Test. Dismissing Bangladesh for 227 in the first essay, KL Rahul & Co. made 314 and then bundled out the Bangla Tigers for 231. In pursuit of 145, India was 74 for 7 before Shreyas Iyer (29 not out) and R Ashwin's (42*) unbeaten 71-run eighth-wicket stand took India to a 2-0 victory. Ashwin recalled Dravid's speech after the win and told the ICC, "We’ve had our moments in this last cycle, especially where we could have been knocked out quite a few times and have just held tight. I think the moment of the WTC, I don’t know irrespective of what happens in this game, would be Rahul (Dravid) bhai’s speech after the Bangladesh Test that we had at Mirpur." Also Read: WTC Final: Former England spinner names India and Australia's X-factor for mega clash 'I think WTC final could be lucky number two for us' He opined, "I think we were just going to be knocked out of the WTC race in that particular Test, so we finished the game and I came out and was really pumped up, I don’t think we expected... nobody expected us to win, even inside the dressing room. Rahul just said, ‘It was a great game of cricket and Ash, we were never in doubt’. That is probably the moment of the WTC cycle as far as I’m concerned. “Like he (Dravid) said, we were never in doubt, even though we went through the ride. I think in the last cycle we really quite dominated and got into the Final. This time we’ve had our ups and downs, and that’s probably why I think this particular game could be lucky number two for us," Ashwin concluded.

Rahul Dravid's speech will be this WTC cycle's moment, says R Ashwin ahead of Australia finale

<p>India and Australia are set to meet in the forthcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 07 (Wednesday) at The Oval, London. All eyes will be on India's new sensation Shubman Gill, who has been in sublime form since August 2022. Gill has scored hundreds at regular intervals across formats&nbsp;ever since he slammed his maiden ODI ton during the Men in Blue's tour of Zimbabwe last August. Before the WTC final, India's head coach Rahul Dravid showered huge praise on Gill and also stated that Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. are very excited for the one-off Test battle versus Australia.</p>

<p>Speaking to Star Sports, Dravid said, "Really exciting for all the players to be playing this game again. There’s a lot of work that leads to this match. You play two years and a lot of Test series and results need to go your way. The opportunity to get to play this game is certainly well-deserved. Test cricket in England is always special and has great significance."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-former-england-spinner-names-india-and-australias-x-factor-for-mega-clash-600873">WTC Final: Former England spinner names India and Australia's X-factor for mega clash</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>'Shubman Gill&nbsp;has been a class player since I saw him during his Under-19 days'</strong></h2>

<p>“Shubman has always been a star player. He has been a class player when I saw him from his Under-19 days. He came into the U-19 World Cup and was already earmarked as someone who would become a very special player. He has been great, he’s had a few years with the team, he’s been in and out of the side a little bit, and he’s finding his feet in international cricket,” Dravid further added.</p>

<p>Gill was part of India's playing XI during the inaugural WTC final versus New Zealand. He will be determined to make the most of his splendid form in the upcoming WTC finale and lead India to their first-ever ICC title since 2013. Gill scored a majestic 128 in the last Test held between India and Australia, during the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, and will be confident taking on the Pat Cummins-led Aussie bowling attack.&nbsp;</p>

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India and Australia are set to meet in the forthcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 07 (Wednesday) at The Oval, London. All eyes will be on India's new sensation Shubman Gill, who has been in sublime form since August 2022.

India and Australia are set to meet in the forthcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 07 (Wednesday) at The Oval, London. All eyes will be on India's new sensation Shubman Gill, who has been in sublime form since August 2022. Gill has scored hundreds at regular intervals across formats ever since he slammed his maiden ODI ton during the Men in Blue's tour of Zimbabwe last August. Before the WTC final, India's head coach Rahul Dravid showered huge praise on Gill and also stated that Rohit Sharma & Co. are very excited for the one-off Test battle versus Australia. Speaking to Star Sports, Dravid said, "Really exciting for all the players to be playing this game again. There’s a lot of work that leads to this match. You play two years and a lot of Test series and results need to go your way. The opportunity to get to play this game is certainly well-deserved. Test cricket in England is always special and has great significance." Also Read: WTC Final: Former England spinner names India and Australia's X-factor for mega clash 'Shubman Gill has been a class player since I saw him during his Under-19 days' “Shubman has always been a star player. He has been a class player when I saw him from his Under-19 days. He came into the U-19 World Cup and was already earmarked as someone who would become a very special player. He has been great, he’s had a few years with the team, he’s been in and out of the side a little bit, and he’s finding his feet in international cricket,” Dravid further added. Gill was part of India's playing XI during the inaugural WTC final versus New Zealand. He will be determined to make the most of his splendid form in the upcoming WTC finale and lead India to their first-ever ICC title since 2013. Gill scored a majestic 128 in the last Test held between India and Australia, during the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, and will be confident taking on the Pat Cummins-led Aussie bowling attack. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

'Shubman Gill has always been...': India coach Rahul Dravid lauds young batter ahead of WTC Final vs Australia

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<p>Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid has put all concerns about winning an ICC trophy under the mat, saying India is under no pressure. As India gear up to face Australia in the second World Test Championship (WTC) Final, starting June 7th at the Oval in London, Dravid addressed the media and said while winning will be the icing on the cake, the fans and supporters must cherish the journey in this cycle.</p>

<p>India tasted tremendous success in the latest WTC Cycle (from 2021 to 2023), including beating some top teams like Australia at home and even drawing the away five-match series against England 2-2. Though they remained unbeaten at home in Tests, India’s only low point in this cycle came during the away Test series against South Africa in 2021/22, where despite winning the first game, they lost the three-match series 2-1.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2023-who-should-replace-injured-jack-leach-in-squad-liam-dawson-or-rehan-ahmad-atherton-shares-views-600940">Ashes 2023: Who should replace injured Jack Leach in squad? Liam Dawson or Rehan Ahmad? Atherton shares views</a></p>

<p>Rahul said while he is conscious of India’s track record in the ICC tournaments in the past decade, where they failed to win a single multi-team tournament, barring Asia Cups, he added the team is proud of what they achieved in this WTC cycle.</p>

<p>"Not at all; we don't feel any pressure in terms of trying to win an ICC trophy. Of course, it would be nice to do it. Nice to be able to win an ICC tournament," Dravid said during the presser ahead of the WTC Final.</p>

<p>"But also, in the context of things, you look at this, and you see this is the culmination of 2 years of work, the culmination of a lot of success that gets you here. There are a lot of positives to take from that, see where you stand in the table, winning series in Australia, drawing series here. Being very competitive, this team has played in the world over in the last 5-6 years. Those are things that will never change, just because, you don't have an ICC trophy. That's really the bigger picture," the head coach added.</p>

<p>"But, of course, it would be nice to be able to lift... any game of cricket, you want to win it. This happens to be the WTC final, and it would be nice to get on the right side of the result," Rahul said.</p>

<h2>Dravid lays a simple plan on how to win WTC Final</h2>

<p>In a very-Dravid style, the India head coach laid a simple plan on how can they beat the mighty Aussies and end their ICC trophy drought.</p>

<p>Restraining himself from falling into the ‘who’s the favourite team’ web, Dravid said such things don’t matter when both teams would take the field on Wednesday. He added India and Australia are quality sides, and without hyping this contest, he wants his players to deliver across all departments.</p>

<p>"Whatever happens, it will happen over the next 5 days. Whatever happens before that, whatever is being said before and after doesn't matter. Who is favourite, who is not... these are two good teams who are playing. Both teams have some good players. I have very good hope that if we play good cricket if we can take 20 wickets and score runs, I have confidence that we can win this. Probably, not having hype is a good thing," Dravid said.</p>

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Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid has put all concerns about winning an ICC trophy under the mat, saying India is under no pressure. As India gear up to face Australia in the second World Test Championship (WTC) Final, starting June 7th at the Oval in London, Dravid addressed the media and said while winning will be the icing on the cake, the fans and supporters must cherish the journey in this cycle.

Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid has put all concerns about winning an ICC trophy under the mat, saying India is under no pressure. As India gear up to face Australia in the second World Test Championship (WTC) Final, starting June 7th at the Oval in London, Dravid addressed the media and said while winning will be the icing on the cake, the fans and supporters must cherish the journey in this cycle. India tasted tremendous success in the latest WTC Cycle (from 2021 to 2023), including beating some top teams like Australia at home and even drawing the away five-match series against England 2-2. Though they remained unbeaten at home in Tests, India’s only low point in this cycle came during the away Test series against South Africa in 2021/22, where despite winning the first game, they lost the three-match series 2-1. ALSO READ: Ashes 2023: Who should replace injured Jack Leach in squad? Liam Dawson or Rehan Ahmad? Atherton shares views Rahul said while he is conscious of India’s track record in the ICC tournaments in the past decade, where they failed to win a single multi-team tournament, barring Asia Cups, he added the team is proud of what they achieved in this WTC cycle. "Not at all; we don't feel any pressure in terms of trying to win an ICC trophy. Of course, it would be nice to do it. Nice to be able to win an ICC tournament," Dravid said during the presser ahead of the WTC Final. "But also, in the context of things, you look at this, and you see this is the culmination of 2 years of work, the culmination of a lot of success that gets you here. There are a lot of positives to take from that, see where you stand in the table, winning series in Australia, drawing series here. Being very competitive, this team has played in the world over in the last 5-6 years. Those are things that will never change, just because, you don't have an ICC trophy. That's really the bigger picture," the head coach added. "But, of course, it would be nice to be able to lift... any game of cricket, you want to win it. This happens to be the WTC final, and it would be nice to get on the right side of the result," Rahul said. Dravid lays a simple plan on how to win WTC Final In a very-Dravid style, the India head coach laid a simple plan on how can they beat the mighty Aussies and end their ICC trophy drought. Restraining himself from falling into the ‘who’s the favourite team’ web, Dravid said such things don’t matter when both teams would take the field on Wednesday. He added India and Australia are quality sides, and without hyping this contest, he wants his players to deliver across all departments. "Whatever happens, it will happen over the next 5 days. Whatever happens before that, whatever is being said before and after doesn't matter. Who is favourite, who is not... these are two good teams who are playing. Both teams have some good players. I have very good hope that if we play good cricket if we can take 20 wickets and score runs, I have confidence that we can win this. Probably, not having hype is a good thing," Dravid said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WTC Final: Coach Rahul Dravid dismisses concern around winning ICC trophy, says India is under no pressure

<p>Virender Sehwag has called ex-Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq the best middle-order batter from Asia. Speaking his heart out on Gaurav Kapoor’s Breakfast with Champions YouTube show, the former India batter said people talk about legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, but to him, Inzamam was as good as any batter from this part of the world.</p>

<p>Sehwag said since Sachin is not counted among the rest as the India batter is the greatest-ever, Inzamam, off all the other middle-order batters from Asia, stands out as the best.</p>

<p>“Everyone talks about Sachin Tendulkar, but Inzamam-Ul-Haq is Asia’s biggest middle-order batsman,” Sehwag told Gaurav Kapoor on Breakfast with Champions.<br />
“See, Tendulkar was above the league of batsmen. So he doesn’t count. But when it comes to the most superior-middle order batsman across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, I have never seen anyone better than him (Inzamam),” Sehwag added.</p>

<p>Elaborating on what made him call Inzamam the best, Sehwag said unlike other batters or captains during the early 2000s, Inzamam was not afraid of chasing down huge totals – even if the run rate is above eight.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-pull-out-of-odi-series-in-sri-lanka-after-slc-offers-to-host-asia-cup-report-600311">Pakistan pull out of ODI series in Sri Lanka after SLC offers to host Asia Cup - Report</a></p>

<p>A World Cup winner with Pakistan, Inzamam had scored over 10,000 runs in ODIs and was instrumental in leading Pakistan to heights during that era. Speaking on the same lines, Sehwag said,</p>

<p>“In that era – 2003-04 – he used to talk about scoring eight an over. He would say, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll score easily. 80 required in 10 overs, any other players would panic, but he was always confident,” Viru said.</p>

<h2>When Sehwag asked Inzamam to make field changes</h2>

<p>Having detailed everyone on this specific incident a few times before, Sehwag again pulled attention to this hilarious incident where he being an opposition player, asked Pakistan captain Inzamam to make field changes during a Test in 2005.</p>

<p>Sehwag revealed while playing Danish Kaneria, he asked Inzamam to bring a fielder up so he could hit him for a six. Surprisingly, the Pakistan captain took that as a challenge and made the necessary field change, leading to what Sehwag had promised him.</p>

<p>“It was in 2005. Kaneria (Danish) was bowling round the wickets right at my pads. They were trying to stop me from scoring. I played an over or two defensively. I said to him, ‘Inzy bhai, it’s been a while. Now my legs are also hurting… How long should i stretch and take it on my pads?</p>

<p>“I told him to call the long-on fielder inside the circle. He asked me what I’d do then. I said that I’d hit a six. He said ‘your are joking.’ I said, ‘sent the fielder back if I don’t hit a six,” Sehwag said.</p>

<p>“He agreed and called the fielder closer. Kaneria bowled a googly. He didn’t know about this and I hit the googly for a six over long-on. Kaneria got angry. He said, ‘Inzi bhai, why did you bring the fielder up?’ Inzamam told him; ‘Be quiet, you don’t know what’s going on here…Go back and bowl. Otherwise, I’ll send you out from the ground."</p>

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Virender Sehwag has called ex-Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq the best middle-order batter from Asia. Speaking his heart out on Gaurav Kapoor’s Breakfast with Champions YouTube show, the former India batter said people talk about legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, but to him, Inzamam was as good as any batter from this part of the world.

Virender Sehwag has called ex-Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq the best middle-order batter from Asia. Speaking his heart out on Gaurav Kapoor’s Breakfast with Champions YouTube show, the former India batter said people talk about legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, but to him, Inzamam was as good as any batter from this part of the world. Sehwag said since Sachin is not counted among the rest as the India batter is the greatest-ever, Inzamam, off all the other middle-order batters from Asia, stands out as the best. “Everyone talks about Sachin Tendulkar, but Inzamam-Ul-Haq is Asia’s biggest middle-order batsman,” Sehwag told Gaurav Kapoor on Breakfast with Champions. “See, Tendulkar was above the league of batsmen. So he doesn’t count. But when it comes to the most superior-middle order batsman across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, I have never seen anyone better than him (Inzamam),” Sehwag added. Elaborating on what made him call Inzamam the best, Sehwag said unlike other batters or captains during the early 2000s, Inzamam was not afraid of chasing down huge totals – even if the run rate is above eight. ALSO READ: Pakistan pull out of ODI series in Sri Lanka after SLC offers to host Asia Cup - Report A World Cup winner with Pakistan, Inzamam had scored over 10,000 runs in ODIs and was instrumental in leading Pakistan to heights during that era. Speaking on the same lines, Sehwag said, “In that era – 2003-04 – he used to talk about scoring eight an over. He would say, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll score easily. 80 required in 10 overs, any other players would panic, but he was always confident,” Viru said. When Sehwag asked Inzamam to make field changes Having detailed everyone on this specific incident a few times before, Sehwag again pulled attention to this hilarious incident where he being an opposition player, asked Pakistan captain Inzamam to make field changes during a Test in 2005. Sehwag revealed while playing Danish Kaneria, he asked Inzamam to bring a fielder up so he could hit him for a six. Surprisingly, the Pakistan captain took that as a challenge and made the necessary field change, leading to what Sehwag had promised him. “It was in 2005. Kaneria (Danish) was bowling round the wickets right at my pads. They were trying to stop me from scoring. I played an over or two defensively. I said to him, ‘Inzy bhai, it’s been a while. Now my legs are also hurting… How long should i stretch and take it on my pads? “I told him to call the long-on fielder inside the circle. He asked me what I’d do then. I said that I’d hit a six. He said ‘your are joking.’ I said, ‘sent the fielder back if I don’t hit a six,” Sehwag said. “He agreed and called the fielder closer. Kaneria bowled a googly. He didn’t know about this and I hit the googly for a six over long-on. Kaneria got angry. He said, ‘Inzi bhai, why did you bring the fielder up?’ Inzamam told him; ‘Be quiet, you don’t know what’s going on here…Go back and bowl. Otherwise, I’ll send you out from the ground." WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Virender Sehwag calls ex-Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq 'best middle-order batter from Asia'

<p>The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India's 15-man squad for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final versus Australia, which will be held next month at The Oval, London. In the 15-member squad, Ajinkya Rahane made a comeback into the national side on the back of a decent run in the Ranji Trophy 2022/23 edition and his recent success in the ongoing IPL 2023 edition for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).</p>

<p>Rahane's comeback was mainly possible after Shreyas Iyer got injured, due to his persistent back issues, and Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. will bank on him in the English conditions given his overall experience. Many former cricketers and experts have shared their take on Rahane's return. MSK Prasad, former Indian chief selector, also joined the bandwagon and gave a thumbs up to the former Indian Test vice-captain's return.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to IndiaToday, Prasad said, "It’s a fair team, it’s the right call. Ajinkya&nbsp;with so much of uncertainty in the middle-order, I think they (selectors) were absolutely right. I am very, very happy for him. He has always been a wonderful performer for India in the away series. And I think he fits the bill perfectly. Full credit to the selectors for bringing him back."</p>

<p><iframe aria-label="Advertisement" data-google-container-id="2" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="1" id="google_ads_iframe_/1007232/IT_Teads_1x1_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/1007232/IT_Teads_1x1_0" role="region" scrolling="no" tabindex="0" title="3rd party ad content" width="1"></iframe>"Basically, his attitude is like a monk's. He is never disturbed when he is not selected. He is not over-excited when he is selected. He is that kind of a guy. His mood doesn't swing up and down, just like that. He is a very mature person. Unfortunately, because of a dip in his form, he had to sit out," he added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚨 NEWS 🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> squad for ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final announced.<br />
<br />
Details 🔽 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTC23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTC23</a> <a href="https://t.co/sz7F5ByfiU">https://t.co/sz7F5ByfiU</a> <a href="https://t.co/KIcH530rOL">pic.twitter.com/KIcH530rOL</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1650734453076148224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahane was part of India's playing XI when they faced eventual winners New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final, at Southampton, in 2021. He returned with scores of 49 and 15 and will hope to contribute with a big knock this time around and lead India to a memorable win.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-unseen-ms-dhoni-loses-cool-screams-and-gives-death-stare-to-his-csk-teammate-watch-586028">IPL 2023: UNSEEN! MS Dhoni loses cool, screams and gives DEATH STARE to his CSK teammate - Watch</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>INDIA SQUAD FOR WTC FINAL</strong></p>

<p>Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, K L Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.</p>


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India's 15-man squad for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final versus Australia, which will be held next month at The Oval, London.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Team India's 15-man squad for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final versus Australia, which will be held next month at The Oval, London. In the 15-member squad, Ajinkya Rahane made a comeback into the national side on the back of a decent run in the Ranji Trophy 2022/23 edition and his recent success in the ongoing IPL 2023 edition for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Rahane's comeback was mainly possible after Shreyas Iyer got injured, due to his persistent back issues, and Rohit Sharma & Co. will bank on him in the English conditions given his overall experience. Many former cricketers and experts have shared their take on Rahane's return. MSK Prasad, former Indian chief selector, also joined the bandwagon and gave a thumbs up to the former Indian Test vice-captain's return. Speaking to IndiaToday, Prasad said, "It’s a fair team, it’s the right call. Ajinkya with so much of uncertainty in the middle-order, I think they (selectors) were absolutely right. I am very, very happy for him. He has always been a wonderful performer for India in the away series. And I think he fits the bill perfectly. Full credit to the selectors for bringing him back." "Basically, his attitude is like a monk's. He is never disturbed when he is not selected. He is not over-excited when he is selected. He is that kind of a guy. His mood doesn't swing up and down, just like that. He is a very mature person. Unfortunately, because of a dip in his form, he had to sit out," he added. 🚨 NEWS 🚨#TeamIndia squad for ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final announced. Details 🔽 #WTC23 https://t.co/sz7F5ByfiU pic.twitter.com/KIcH530rOL — BCCI (@BCCI) April 25, 2023 × Rahane was part of India's playing XI when they faced eventual winners New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final, at Southampton, in 2021. He returned with scores of 49 and 15 and will hope to contribute with a big knock this time around and lead India to a memorable win. Also Read: IPL 2023: UNSEEN! MS Dhoni loses cool, screams and gives DEATH STARE to his CSK teammate - Watch INDIA SQUAD FOR WTC FINAL Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, K L Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.

Ajinkya Rahane has monk-like attitude, good call to pick him for WTC final: Former India chief selector

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