Rajasthan Royals, the winner of Indian Premier League&#39;s inaugural edition, have marked an exciting return after a two-year ban with a very special and important cricketer, Shayne Warne, not as a player but as a mentor.

On his return, he said, &quot;I am very happy and excited to be back with the Rajasthan Royals who I believe hold a very special place in my cricketing journey.

In the year 2015, Rajasthan Royals was found guilty in an illegal betting and match-fixing probe along with another IPL giant, Chennai Super Kings. The panel also suspended Royals co-owner Raj Kundra from all cricket-related activities for life.

Now, the franchise is owned by Manoj Badale along with Aditya Chellaram, Lachlan Murdoch, Ryan Tkalcevic and Suresh Chellaram.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-squad-analysis-of-ms-dhonis-yellow-brigade-35660">IPL 2018: Squad analysis of MS Dhoni&#39;s &#39;Yellow Brigade&#39;</a>

If we talk about the team, Rajasthan Royals had retained an aggressive and intense Australian batsman Steve Smith before entering the auctions and used Right To Match card (RTM) to purchase calm and composed Ajinkya Rahane.

During the auction, they had shown an intent of structuring a well-balanced team by purchasing a variety of players. They made the most expensive buys of all time in the form of England&#39;s all-rounder, Ben Stokes for an amount of 12.5 cr.

Steve Smith-led Royals look alike another Pune Super Giants as most of Pune&#39;s talent have landed in Rajasthan.

They are definitely banking upon more overseas players especially all-rounders, who can provide options to the team but they do have a tangy Indian obscure flavour.

Foreigners like, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, D&#39;Arcy Short, are some crucial investments along with Indian talents Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat.

Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane will probably open for Rajasthan&nbsp;and there is&nbsp;a depth of batting in&nbsp;line up in the form of Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2018-all-teams-and-their-squad-list-653#photo-36184">IPL 2018: All teams and their squad list</a>

Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny have a good IPL record and can provide a winning essence to the team.

Jayadev Unadkat, the best purchase when it comes to bowling along with Dhawal Kulkarni, Jofra Archer but the team lacks in spin department as spinners Dushmantha Chameera and K Gowtham need to prove their talents in a larger extent.

All in all, Rajasthan Royals is a team whose playing XI is massive in terms of variety but if any player misfires or suffers an injury then the option of replacement is less as the bench is comparatively inexperienced.

Here is the complete squad of the Rajasthan Royals:&nbsp;Steve Smith,&nbsp;Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Rahul Tripathi, D&#39;Arcy Short, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Ankit Sharma, Anureet Singh, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Shreyas Gopal, MS Midhun, Prashant Chopra, Ben Laughlin, Mahipal Lomror, Aryaman Birla, Jatin Saxena, Dushmantha Chameera

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From Dhoni to Kohli, here&#39;s a list of all the leading run-scorers in IPL. Number 1 rank might surprise you (Zee News Network)
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Steve Smith-led Royals look alike another Pune Super Giants as most of Pune's talent have landed in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Royals, the winner of Indian Premier League's inaugural edition, have marked an exciting return after a two-year ban with a very special and important cricketer, Shayne Warne, not as a player but as a mentor. On his return, he said, "I am very happy and excited to be back with the Rajasthan Royals who I believe hold a very special place in my cricketing journey. In the year 2015, Rajasthan Royals was found guilty in an illegal betting and match-fixing probe along with another IPL giant, Chennai Super Kings. The panel also suspended Royals co-owner Raj Kundra from all cricket-related activities for life. Now, the franchise is owned by Manoj Badale along with Aditya Chellaram, Lachlan Murdoch, Ryan Tkalcevic and Suresh Chellaram. IPL 2018: Squad analysis of MS Dhoni's 'Yellow Brigade' If we talk about the team, Rajasthan Royals had retained an aggressive and intense Australian batsman Steve Smith before entering the auctions and used Right To Match card (RTM) to purchase calm and composed Ajinkya Rahane. During the auction, they had shown an intent of structuring a well-balanced team by purchasing a variety of players. They made the most expensive buys of all time in the form of England's all-rounder, Ben Stokes for an amount of 12.5 cr. Steve Smith-led Royals look alike another Pune Super Giants as most of Pune's talent have landed in Rajasthan. They are definitely banking upon more overseas players especially all-rounders, who can provide options to the team but they do have a tangy Indian obscure flavour. Foreigners like, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, D'Arcy Short, are some crucial investments along with Indian talents Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat. Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane will probably open for Rajasthan and there is a depth of batting in line up in the form of Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler. IPL 2018: All teams and their squad list Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny have a good IPL record and can provide a winning essence to the team. Jayadev Unadkat, the best purchase when it comes to bowling along with Dhawal Kulkarni, Jofra Archer but the team lacks in spin department as spinners Dushmantha Chameera and K Gowtham need to prove their talents in a larger extent. All in all, Rajasthan Royals is a team whose playing XI is massive in terms of variety but if any player misfires or suffers an injury then the option of replacement is less as the bench is comparatively inexperienced. Here is the complete squad of the Rajasthan Royals: Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Rahul Tripathi, D'Arcy Short, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Ankit Sharma, Anureet Singh, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Shreyas Gopal, MS Midhun, Prashant Chopra, Ben Laughlin, Mahipal Lomror, Aryaman Birla, Jatin Saxena, Dushmantha Chameera From Dhoni to Kohli, here's a list of all the leading run-scorers in IPL. Number 1 rank might surprise you (Zee News Network) ×

IPL 2018: Squad analysis of Rajasthan Royals, the prodigal son returns

South African seamer Vernon Philander has said his Twitter account was hacked after an inflammatory message was posted suggesting Australian captain Steve Smith could have avoided an incident that resulted in Kagiso Rabada being suspended.

Fast bowler Rabada made contact with Smith&#39;s shoulder after dismissing him in the first innings of their six-wicket victory in the second test in Port Elizabeth.

He was later found guilty of &quot;inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player&quot; by the International&nbsp;Cricket&nbsp;Council (ICC) and will miss the rest of the four-match series.

The 22-year-old, who took 11 wickets in the match, has appealed the decision.

The tweet, which had a video clip of the incident attached, said Smith was equally guilty and had milked the incident.

&quot;Haven&#39;t really seen the footage of this incident but by the looks of this ... Steve Smith gave KG (Rabada) the shoulder,&quot; it said.

&quot;He could have avoided any contact but to me, he is just as guilty. Trying some football skills to get a penalty??? Pity he didn&#39;t dive to top it off.&quot;

Early on Thursday, however, Philander distanced himself from the comment, saying someone else had posted to his 185,000 followers.

&quot;Waking up this morning to a lot of twitter craziness as my acc got hacked and someone posted a nice little article on my behalf,&quot; he posted after deleting the original message.

&quot;Sorry for all the drama or entertainment caused by the looks of it.&quot;

The episode is the latest twist in a tempestuous test series that has seen five players punished by the ICC.

In the first test in Durban, security cameras captured a heated argument between Warner and South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock after the teams left the field for tea on the fourth day.

Warner said the wicketkeeper had made &quot;vile and disgusting&quot; comments about his wife.

Warner was fined 75 percent of his match fee, while de Kock was fined 25 percent. Both were given demerit points.

Rabada was handed three demerit points for the shoulder bump in Port Elizabeth, taking him to eight within a two-year period, which triggered an automatic two-match suspension.

He was also given another demerit point for a send-off of Warner in the second innings.

Australians Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh are the other players to receive fines and demerit points in the series.

The third match in the series, which is level at 1-1, starts in Cape Town on March 22.

Vernon Philander deleted the tweet which had a video clip of the incident attached and captioned as Smith was equally guilty and had milked the incident

South African seamer Vernon Philander has said his Twitter account was hacked after an inflammatory message was posted suggesting Australian captain Steve Smith could have avoided an incident that resulted in Kagiso Rabada being suspended. Fast bowler Rabada made contact with Smith's shoulder after dismissing him in the first innings of their six-wicket victory in the second test in Port Elizabeth. He was later found guilty of "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player" by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and will miss the rest of the four-match series. The 22-year-old, who took 11 wickets in the match, has appealed the decision. The tweet, which had a video clip of the incident attached, said Smith was equally guilty and had milked the incident. "Haven't really seen the footage of this incident but by the looks of this ... Steve Smith gave KG (Rabada) the shoulder," it said. "He could have avoided any contact but to me, he is just as guilty. Trying some football skills to get a penalty??? Pity he didn't dive to top it off." Early on Thursday, however, Philander distanced himself from the comment, saying someone else had posted to his 185,000 followers. "Waking up this morning to a lot of twitter craziness as my acc got hacked and someone posted a nice little article on my behalf," he posted after deleting the original message. "Sorry for all the drama or entertainment caused by the looks of it." The episode is the latest twist in a tempestuous test series that has seen five players punished by the ICC. In the first test in Durban, security cameras captured a heated argument between Warner and South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock after the teams left the field for tea on the fourth day. Warner said the wicketkeeper had made "vile and disgusting" comments about his wife. Warner was fined 75 percent of his match fee, while de Kock was fined 25 percent. Both were given demerit points. Rabada was handed three demerit points for the shoulder bump in Port Elizabeth, taking him to eight within a two-year period, which triggered an automatic two-match suspension. He was also given another demerit point for a send-off of Warner in the second innings. Australians Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh are the other players to receive fines and demerit points in the series. The third match in the series, which is level at 1-1, starts in Cape Town on March 22.

Vernon Philander denies making Smith remarks, says account hacked

Kagiso Rabada is appealing the guilty verdict handed to him by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching their code of conduct in a last-ditch bid to be able to play in the rest of the gripping test series against Australia.

Fast bowler Rabada was found guilty of &quot;inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player&quot; after leaning with his shoulder into Steve Smith when he dismissed the Australia captain in the first innings of South Africa&#39;s six wicket win in the second test in Port Elizabeth. The result levelled the four-match series at 1-1.

The 22-year-old, who took 11-150 in the game, was fined 50 percent of his match fee and given three demerit points, which took him past the tally of eight that triggers an automatic two-game suspension.

&quot;ICC confirms that Kagiso Rabada has appealed against the level two breach following the incident with Steve Smith during the Port Elizabeth Test. ICC will now appoint a Judicial Commissioner at the earliest opportunity and hearing details will be confirmed in due course,&quot; the governing body said on Wednesday.

The ICC have 48 hours to appoint a commissioner and a hearing will be heard within a seven day period. Rabada will remain suspended unless the commissioner takes a decision to allow him to play in the third test in Cape Town starting on March 22.

Although there was contact made with Smith, Rabada maintains that it was accidental and at the time he was not even aware he had brushed against his opponent.

&quot;If I knew I did it deliberately, I wouldn&#39;t have gone to contest (the charge),&quot; Rabada told reporters after the game. &quot;I didn&#39;t even feel contact in that moment because I was so pumped up.&quot;

Smith has suggested the Australian team wanted Rabada to play the remainder of the series as the seamer rose to the top of the test bowling rankings following his performance in Port Elizabeth.

&quot;He&#39;s a world class bowler and you always want to come up against the best, that&#39;s for sure,&quot; Smith said. &quot;He&#39;s right up there. He&#39;s unbelievable the way he&#39;s been bowling.

&quot;If he&#39;s there, he&#39;s there... if he&#39;s not, he&#39;s not. It&#39;s our job to try and play some better cricket.&quot;

Rabada is the fifth player to be punished by the ICC in what has been a tempestuous test series so far along with Australians David Warner, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh, and South African Quinton de Kock. 
&nbsp;

The 22-year-old, who took 11-150 in the game, was fined 50 percent of his match fee and given three demerit points, which took him past the tally of eight that triggers an automatic two-game suspension.

Kagiso Rabada is appealing the guilty verdict handed to him by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching their code of conduct in a last-ditch bid to be able to play in the rest of the gripping test series against Australia. Fast bowler Rabada was found guilty of "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player" after leaning with his shoulder into Steve Smith when he dismissed the Australia captain in the first innings of South Africa's six wicket win in the second test in Port Elizabeth. The result levelled the four-match series at 1-1. The 22-year-old, who took 11-150 in the game, was fined 50 percent of his match fee and given three demerit points, which took him past the tally of eight that triggers an automatic two-game suspension. "ICC confirms that Kagiso Rabada has appealed against the level two breach following the incident with Steve Smith during the Port Elizabeth Test. ICC will now appoint a Judicial Commissioner at the earliest opportunity and hearing details will be confirmed in due course," the governing body said on Wednesday. The ICC have 48 hours to appoint a commissioner and a hearing will be heard within a seven day period. Rabada will remain suspended unless the commissioner takes a decision to allow him to play in the third test in Cape Town starting on March 22. Although there was contact made with Smith, Rabada maintains that it was accidental and at the time he was not even aware he had brushed against his opponent. "If I knew I did it deliberately, I wouldn't have gone to contest (the charge)," Rabada told reporters after the game. "I didn't even feel contact in that moment because I was so pumped up." Smith has suggested the Australian team wanted Rabada to play the remainder of the series as the seamer rose to the top of the test bowling rankings following his performance in Port Elizabeth. "He's a world class bowler and you always want to come up against the best, that's for sure," Smith said. "He's right up there. He's unbelievable the way he's been bowling. "If he's there, he's there... if he's not, he's not. It's our job to try and play some better cricket." Rabada is the fifth player to be punished by the ICC in what has been a tempestuous test series so far along with Australians David Warner, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Marsh, and South African Quinton de Kock.

Cricket: Rabada to appeal guilty verdict and keep series hopes alive

Australia is currently on the tour of South Africa to play a four-match Test series. Australia currently lead the highly controversial and dramatic series by 1-0.

After <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-de-kock-fined-for-bringing-the-game-into-disrepute-35164">David Warner and Quinton de Kock</a> row, now Kagiso Rabada has faced a level two charge by the match referee&nbsp;Jeff Crowe and&nbsp;now might miss the last two Tests of the ongoing series.

The level 2 charge&nbsp;has been implied due to&nbsp;the incident when Rabada made a shoulder contact with Australian skipper Steve Smith after sending him off&nbsp;on the first day of the opening Test.

Watch the video here:

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvAUS</a> This nudge between Rabada and Smith will no doubt be reviewed by the match referee <a href="https://t.co/2ln0tmTOln">pic.twitter.com/2ln0tmTOln</a>
&mdash; Michael Sherman (@Golfhackno1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Golfhackno1/status/972089842237607936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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An aggressive send off to steven smith by kagiso rabada. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvsAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvsAUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/F9gHKVGTOQ">pic.twitter.com/F9gHKVGTOQ</a>
&mdash; Alauddin Khilji (@AlauddinKhilj10) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlauddinKhilj10/status/972088511703625728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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If a player receives four or more demerit points within a two-year period, these are converted into suspension points. A suspension point amounts to a ban from one test or two ODIs, or two T20s, whichever come first.

Though, Rabada said that he will contest all the allegations as the charges related to the incident is false. The contact was accidental not deliberated.

In just one game, a lot of things has happened already and the ugly side of cricket is visible. Recently, Australian <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bowler-nathan-lyon-fined-for-disrespecting-ab-de-villiers-34801">off-spinner Nathan Lyon</a> was booked by ICC for disrespecting former South African skipper <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bowler-nathan-lyon-fined-for-disrespecting-ab-de-villiers-34801">AB de Villiers</a>.

Also, ICC has charged <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-de-kock-fined-for-bringing-the-game-into-disrepute-35164">David Warner</a> with 75 per cent of match fee from the first test and given three demerit points for a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-de-kock-fined-for-bringing-the-game-into-disrepute-35164">level two charge</a> of bringing the game into disrepute because of an ugly verbal <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-de-kock-fined-for-bringing-the-game-into-disrepute-35164">confrontation with De Kock</a>.

Quinton de Kock was fined 25 percent of his match fee and given one demerit point for the heated off-field exchange.

&nbsp;

Kagiso Rabada has faced a level two charge by the match referee Jeff Crowe on the incident when Rabada made a shoulder contact with Australian skipper Steve Smith after sending him off on the first day of the opening Test

Australia is currently on the tour of South Africa to play a four-match Test series. Australia currently lead the highly controversial and dramatic series by 1-0. After David Warner and Quinton de Kock row, now Kagiso Rabada has faced a level two charge by the match referee Jeff Crowe and now might miss the last two Tests of the ongoing series. The level 2 charge has been implied due to the incident when Rabada made a shoulder contact with Australian skipper Steve Smith after sending him off on the first day of the opening Test. Watch the video here: #SAvAUS This nudge between Rabada and Smith will no doubt be reviewed by the match referee pic.twitter.com/2ln0tmTOln — Michael Sherman (@Golfhackno1) March 9, 2018 × An aggressive send off to steven smith by kagiso rabada. #SAvAUS #SAvsAUS pic.twitter.com/F9gHKVGTOQ — Alauddin Khilji (@AlauddinKhilj10) March 9, 2018 × If a player receives four or more demerit points within a two-year period, these are converted into suspension points. A suspension point amounts to a ban from one test or two ODIs, or two T20s, whichever come first. Though, Rabada said that he will contest all the allegations as the charges related to the incident is false. The contact was accidental not deliberated. In just one game, a lot of things has happened already and the ugly side of cricket is visible. Recently, Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon was booked by ICC for disrespecting former South African skipper AB de Villiers. Also, ICC has charged David Warner with 75 per cent of match fee from the first test and given three demerit points for a level two charge of bringing the game into disrepute because of an ugly verbal confrontation with De Kock. Quinton de Kock was fined 25 percent of his match fee and given one demerit point for the heated off-field exchange.

Kagiso Rabada faces suspension for disrespecting Steve Smith

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-de-kock-fined-for-bringing-the-game-into-disrepute-35164" target="_blank">Australian skipper Steve Smith</a> won the toss and opted to bat on the opening day of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bowler-nathan-lyon-fined-for-disrespecting-ab-de-villiers-34801" target="_blank">second test against South Africa</a> at St George&rsquo;s Park on Friday.

Australia have picked the same team for the seventh successive test.

Despite being a bowling pitch, Smith took the long view of not having to bat last on a pitch that aids reverse swing.

&quot;There is a little bit of grass on it and it might do a little bit this morning, but if we can get through that and post a big first innings total then reverse swing becomes important later on,&quot; said Smith&nbsp;

The Invincibles have won the first test by 118 runs in Durban and can end South Africa&rsquo;s hopes of a series victory with another win in Port Elizabeth in the four-match series.

&quot;It was a nice start (in Durban), we played some really good cricket. We want to keep up the pressure this week,&rdquo; the skipper added.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, South African captain Faf du Plessis said he was relieved that the decision to bat or bowl was taken out of his hands.

&quot;I was extremely happy to lose the toss,&quot; Du Plessis said.&nbsp;

&quot;I was 50-50, we probably would have gone with bowling first. With the conditions today and the forecast over the next five days, it won&rsquo;t get too hot so the pitch won&rsquo;t deteriorate much.&quot;

The home side has made one change to their line-up, bringing in seamer Lungi Ngidi for the more experienced Morne Morkel, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket after this series.&nbsp;

Australia have picked the same team for the seventh successive test

Australian skipper Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat on the opening day of the second test against South Africa at St George’s Park on Friday. Australia have picked the same team for the seventh successive test. Despite being a bowling pitch, Smith took the long view of not having to bat last on a pitch that aids reverse swing. "There is a little bit of grass on it and it might do a little bit this morning, but if we can get through that and post a big first innings total then reverse swing becomes important later on," said Smith The Invincibles have won the first test by 118 runs in Durban and can end South Africa’s hopes of a series victory with another win in Port Elizabeth in the four-match series. "It was a nice start (in Durban), we played some really good cricket. We want to keep up the pressure this week,” the skipper added. Meanwhile, South African captain Faf du Plessis said he was relieved that the decision to bat or bowl was taken out of his hands. "I was extremely happy to lose the toss," Du Plessis said. "I was 50-50, we probably would have gone with bowling first. With the conditions today and the forecast over the next five days, it won’t get too hot so the pitch won’t deteriorate much." The home side has made one change to their line-up, bringing in seamer Lungi Ngidi for the more experienced Morne Morkel, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket after this series.

2nd Test: Steve Smith wins toss, opts to bat against South Africa

Kagiso Rabada produced a sublime spell of bowling to take five wickets as Australia were dismissed for 243 in their first innings on the opening day of the second test on Friday.

Rabada began expensively before lunch, conceding 47 runs, but then returned to claim five wickets for the loss of just 13 runs on either side of tea and effectively turn the game around.

South Africa were 39 for one wicket in reply at the close, losing Aiden Markram for 11 runs.

Rabada completed a fine day&#39;s performance coming in as the nightwatchman and scoring an unbeaten 17 runs off 14 balls. He will resume with Dean Elgar, who is 11 not out, on Saturday.

Rabada finished with bowling figures of 5-96 while the 21-year-old Lungi Ngidi, who was a surprise pick ahead of Morne Morkel, took 3-51 including bowling David Warner for 63.

Warner, who was also slow to get going, found some flow late in the morning and reached 50 at lunch.

The Australian opener had been the focus of much of the build-up to the second test after an ugly spat last Sunday with South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock in the first test in Durban, which the tourists won by 118 runs.

Warner was eventually bowled for 63 on Friday as Australia reached 117-3 but it was only when Rabada trapped captain Steve Smith lbw for 25 that the wickets began to tumble.

Five went down for just for 21 runs as Rabada also dismissed the Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitchell, and then Pat Cummins for a golden duck after tea.

Mitchell Starc (8) was Rabada&#39;s fifth victim, clean bowled to leave Australia reeling on 182-8.

But Tim Paine scored 36 runs as Australia added 61 runs for the last two wickets to the frustration of home side. Paine was the last wicket to fall when Ngidi bowled him.

Rabada began expensively before lunch, conceding 47 runs, but then returned to claim five wickets for the loss of just 13 runs on either side of tea and effectively turn the game around

Kagiso Rabada produced a sublime spell of bowling to take five wickets as Australia were dismissed for 243 in their first innings on the opening day of the second test on Friday. Rabada began expensively before lunch, conceding 47 runs, but then returned to claim five wickets for the loss of just 13 runs on either side of tea and effectively turn the game around. South Africa were 39 for one wicket in reply at the close, losing Aiden Markram for 11 runs. Rabada completed a fine day's performance coming in as the nightwatchman and scoring an unbeaten 17 runs off 14 balls. He will resume with Dean Elgar, who is 11 not out, on Saturday. Rabada finished with bowling figures of 5-96 while the 21-year-old Lungi Ngidi, who was a surprise pick ahead of Morne Morkel, took 3-51 including bowling David Warner for 63. Warner, who was also slow to get going, found some flow late in the morning and reached 50 at lunch. The Australian opener had been the focus of much of the build-up to the second test after an ugly spat last Sunday with South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock in the first test in Durban, which the tourists won by 118 runs. Warner was eventually bowled for 63 on Friday as Australia reached 117-3 but it was only when Rabada trapped captain Steve Smith lbw for 25 that the wickets began to tumble. Five went down for just for 21 runs as Rabada also dismissed the Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitchell, and then Pat Cummins for a golden duck after tea. Mitchell Starc (8) was Rabada's fifth victim, clean bowled to leave Australia reeling on 182-8. But Tim Paine scored 36 runs as Australia added 61 runs for the last two wickets to the frustration of home side. Paine was the last wicket to fall when Ngidi bowled him.

South Africa vs Australia, 2nd Test: Rabada grabs five to leave Australia reeling

Australia maintains its winning streak by claiming an innings victory over England in fifth Ashes Test and whitewashed England by completing a 4-0 series.

Nathon Lyon took three wickets for 54 off 35 overs.&nbsp;Pat Cummins struck twice just after the lunch break. He took&nbsp;Jonny Bairstow leg before wicket for 38 and having Stuart Broad caught behind off a short ball for four. For his outstanding performance, he got Man of the Match also he was the leading wicket-taker in the series by taking 23 wickets.

&quot;To get through the five Tests and end the series here at home. I couldn&#39;t&nbsp;ask&nbsp;for much more,&quot; said Cummins.

Australian captain Steve Smith seemed exponentially happy after&nbsp;winning the series and receiving the honour of Man of the Series on which he said,&nbsp;&quot;It has been a great couple of months. The cricket that we have played in the last couple of months has been outstanding&quot;

&quot;We have just been able to get on top and win those key moments and not let them back in the game which is crucial,&quot; he added.

England finished at 180 for nine off 88.1 overs as Australia won by an innings and 123 runs.&nbsp;

Joe Root did not come out to bat after lunch as he continued to experience discomfort after his overnight stomach bug.

England&#39;s remote chances of saving the Test disappeared when Root failed to appear at the crease after lunch.

Australian bowlers struck hard, Aussie took a grip on the final Test with a massive 303-run innings lead and then reduced the battle-weary tourists to 93 for four at the close on the fourth day.

Scoreboard:

England first innings 346 (J. Root 83, D. Malan 62; P. Cummins 4-80)

Australia first innings 649 for 7 declared (U. Khawaja 171, S. Marsh 156, M. Marsh 101; M. Ali 2-170)

England second innings (overnight 93 for 4)

A. Cook&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; b Lyon&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10

M. Stoneman&nbsp; lbw b Starc&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0

J. Vince&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;c Smith b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;18

J. Root&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; retired ill&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;58

D. Malan&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;lbw b Lyon&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5

J. Bairstow&nbsp; lbw b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 38

M. Ali&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;lbw b Lyon&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;13

T. Curran&nbsp; &nbsp; not out&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23

S. Broad&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;c Paine b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4

M. Crane&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;c Paine b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2&nbsp;

J. Anderson&nbsp; c Paine b Hazlewood&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2&nbsp;&nbsp;

Total (all out; 88.1 overs)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 180

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Stoneman), 2-15 (Cook), 3-43 (Vince), 4-68 (Malan), 5-121 (Ali), 6-144 (Bairstow), 7-148 (Broad), 8-156 (Crane), 9-180 (Anderson)

Bowling: Starc 16-4-38-1, Hazlewood 17.1-6-36-1, Lyon 35-12-54-3, Cummins 17-4-39-4, Smith 2-0-6-0, M. Marsh 1-1-0-0

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Australians took a grip on the final Test with a massive 303-run innings lead and then reduced the battle-weary tourists to 93 for four at the close on the fourth day.

Australia maintains its winning streak by claiming an innings victory over England in fifth Ashes Test and whitewashed England by completing a 4-0 series. Nathon Lyon took three wickets for 54 off 35 overs. Pat Cummins struck twice just after the lunch break. He took Jonny Bairstow leg before wicket for 38 and having Stuart Broad caught behind off a short ball for four. For his outstanding performance, he got Man of the Match also he was the leading wicket-taker in the series by taking 23 wickets. "To get through the five Tests and end the series here at home. I couldn't ask for much more," said Cummins. Australian captain Steve Smith seemed exponentially happy after winning the series and receiving the honour of Man of the Series on which he said, "It has been a great couple of months. The cricket that we have played in the last couple of months has been outstanding" "We have just been able to get on top and win those key moments and not let them back in the game which is crucial," he added. England finished at 180 for nine off 88.1 overs as Australia won by an innings and 123 runs. Joe Root did not come out to bat after lunch as he continued to experience discomfort after his overnight stomach bug. England's remote chances of saving the Test disappeared when Root failed to appear at the crease after lunch. Australian bowlers struck hard, Aussie took a grip on the final Test with a massive 303-run innings lead and then reduced the battle-weary tourists to 93 for four at the close on the fourth day. Scoreboard: England first innings 346 (J. Root 83, D. Malan 62; P. Cummins 4-80) Australia first innings 649 for 7 declared (U. Khawaja 171, S. Marsh 156, M. Marsh 101; M. Ali 2-170) England second innings (overnight 93 for 4) A. Cook b Lyon 10 M. Stoneman lbw b Starc 0 J. Vince c Smith b Cummins 18 J. Root retired ill 58 D. Malan lbw b Lyon 5 J. Bairstow lbw b Cummins 38 M. Ali lbw b Lyon 13 T. Curran not out 23 S. Broad c Paine b Cummins 4 M. Crane c Paine b Cummins 2 J. Anderson c Paine b Hazlewood 2 Total (all out; 88.1 overs) 180 Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Stoneman), 2-15 (Cook), 3-43 (Vince), 4-68 (Malan), 5-121 (Ali), 6-144 (Bairstow), 7-148 (Broad), 8-156 (Crane), 9-180 (Anderson) Bowling: Starc 16-4-38-1, Hazlewood 17.1-6-36-1, Lyon 35-12-54-3, Cummins 17-4-39-4, Smith 2-0-6-0, M. Marsh 1-1-0-0

Ashes: Oz beat England in final Test, seal series by 4-0

Australian skipper Steve Smith gave one of the hilarious moments of the summer by screaming in panic at Shaun and Mitchell Marsh&nbsp;to get back in their creases.

Marsh hit a ball punched a drive through cover off to bring up his second Test match hundred on day four at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

During a second run, Mitch grabbed Shaun for a mid-pitch hug, forgetting that completing the run and reaching their respective crease was required

But, it was the response of captain Smith that stole the show for viewers.

Smith sitting with teammates in the stands, rose for a standing ovation for Mitch, before going blank in the face as the potential for a run out became clear.

The worried Smith had put his hands on his head and appeared to mouth something as teammates around laughed hysterically at their animated captain. 
&nbsp;

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Steve Smith&#39;s reaction ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> <a href="https://t.co/C3uIDPwver">pic.twitter.com/C3uIDPwver</a>
&mdash; cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/949805286977560576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Social media went into overdrive after Smith&#39;s footage became viral, with many agreeing it was a classic moment of the summer. &nbsp;

Mitch grabbed Shaun for a mid-pitch hug, forgetting that completing the run and reaching their respective creases was required

Australian skipper Steve Smith gave one of the hilarious moments of the summer by screaming in panic at Shaun and Mitchell Marsh to get back in their creases. Marsh hit a ball punched a drive through cover off to bring up his second Test match hundred on day four at the Sydney Cricket Ground. During a second run, Mitch grabbed Shaun for a mid-pitch hug, forgetting that completing the run and reaching their respective crease was required But, it was the response of captain Smith that stole the show for viewers. Smith sitting with teammates in the stands, rose for a standing ovation for Mitch, before going blank in the face as the potential for a run out became clear. The worried Smith had put his hands on his head and appeared to mouth something as teammates around laughed hysterically at their animated captain. Steve Smith's reaction ???????? #Ashes pic.twitter.com/C3uIDPwver — cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 7, 2018 × Social media went into overdrive after Smith's footage became viral, with many agreeing it was a classic moment of the summer.

Steve Smith's reaction to Mitchell Marsh's century is the best thing in the Ashes so far

England&#39;s maligned tail piled on runs before the tourists were bowled out for 346 in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the final Ashes Test here today.

Newcomer Tom Curran smacked 39 off 65 balls and Stuart Broad clubbed two sixes in his 31 off 32 balls as England lashed out late in the extended morning session.

Steve Smith pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Dawid Malan for 62, but the Australians were guilty of two embarrassing dropped catches to give England a helping hand. 
The Australian skipper made an athletic diving catch to end the dangerous batsman&#39;s innings inside the opening half- hour&#39;s play. 
Smith, who had dropped his previous three chances over the last two Tests, flung out his left-hand at second slip to make the catch off Mitchell Starc.

Malan, who was dropped by Smith at slip on Thursday&#39;s opening day on 34, was not so fortunate this time to end his four-hour stay off 180 balls.

Malan, who hit a century in the third Perth Test, has scored 378 runs at 47.25 in the series, second only to Alastair Cook for England. 
It was another outstanding catch by Australia in the innings following Mitchell Marsh&#39;s flying effort to dismiss Joe Root for 83 yesterday.

But Australia then dropped two regulation catches in the space of four balls nearing drinks.

Pat Cummins put down Curran on 21 at mid-on off Nathan Lyon than in Cummins&#39; next over Josh Hazlewood made a dreadful hash of a skied catch at mid-on from Moeen Ali on 22.

It was the 11th dropped catch by Australia&#39;s fielders in the series, with five coming off Lyon&#39;s bowling.

But Cummins made partial amends when he had Moeen caught off his glove to a lifter for 30, giving wicketkeeper Tim Paine his fourth catch of the innings.

Broad and Curran hit out late in the session with Broad clubbing Cummins for two sixes to the delight of England&#39;s Barmy Army supporters.

He finally fell to a bat-pad catch by Cameron Bancroft for 39 off 65 balls to give Cummins his fourth wicket.

Broad went for another heave on 31, only to top-edge behind the wicket for Smith to take the catch and give spinner Lyon his only wicket.

Debutant Mason Crane was the last man out, run out for four.

Australia has already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Australia has already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

England's maligned tail piled on runs before the tourists were bowled out for 346 in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the final Ashes Test here today. Newcomer Tom Curran smacked 39 off 65 balls and Stuart Broad clubbed two sixes in his 31 off 32 balls as England lashed out late in the extended morning session. Steve Smith pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Dawid Malan for 62, but the Australians were guilty of two embarrassing dropped catches to give England a helping hand. The Australian skipper made an athletic diving catch to end the dangerous batsman's innings inside the opening half- hour's play. Smith, who had dropped his previous three chances over the last two Tests, flung out his left-hand at second slip to make the catch off Mitchell Starc. Malan, who was dropped by Smith at slip on Thursday's opening day on 34, was not so fortunate this time to end his four-hour stay off 180 balls. Malan, who hit a century in the third Perth Test, has scored 378 runs at 47.25 in the series, second only to Alastair Cook for England. It was another outstanding catch by Australia in the innings following Mitchell Marsh's flying effort to dismiss Joe Root for 83 yesterday. But Australia then dropped two regulation catches in the space of four balls nearing drinks. Pat Cummins put down Curran on 21 at mid-on off Nathan Lyon than in Cummins' next over Josh Hazlewood made a dreadful hash of a skied catch at mid-on from Moeen Ali on 22. It was the 11th dropped catch by Australia's fielders in the series, with five coming off Lyon's bowling. But Cummins made partial amends when he had Moeen caught off his glove to a lifter for 30, giving wicketkeeper Tim Paine his fourth catch of the innings. Broad and Curran hit out late in the session with Broad clubbing Cummins for two sixes to the delight of England's Barmy Army supporters. He finally fell to a bat-pad catch by Cameron Bancroft for 39 off 65 balls to give Cummins his fourth wicket. Broad went for another heave on 31, only to top-edge behind the wicket for Smith to take the catch and give spinner Lyon his only wicket. Debutant Mason Crane was the last man out, run out for four. Australia has already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Ashes 2017-18: Tail wags as England all out for 346 in Sydney Test

Australian skipper Steve Smith&#39;s century took Australia to safety as the fourth test match ended in a draw at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday

Tormenting England, Smith displayed phenomenal batting and scored unbeaten 102 runs off 275-balls, taking Australia&nbsp;to 263 for four and a lead of 99 runs before the captains called it off midway through the final session.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with his captain, Mitchell Marsh scored 29 from 166 balls to shut down England&#39;s hope of a consolation win in the five test match series.

England had a hope of victory when David Warner and Shaun Marsh fell in the space of six runs to leave Australia 178-4, only 14 ahead.

Given the conditions and the pitch, this was England&#39;s best opportunity to get a win in the series. &nbsp;

Alastair Cook&#39;s return to form with 244 runs did not bear fruit for the team, as the tourists will have to head into the fifth and final test 3-0 down in the series.

With the draw, England ended an eight-match losing streak, while&nbsp;Australia&#39;s chances of earning a second successive home whitewash, and third in 11 years are also over.

Mitchell Marsh scored 29 from 166 balls to shut down England's hope of a consolation win in the series

Australian skipper Steve Smith's century took Australia to safety as the fourth test match ended in a draw at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday Tormenting England, Smith displayed phenomenal batting and scored unbeaten 102 runs off 275-balls, taking Australia to 263 for four and a lead of 99 runs before the captains called it off midway through the final session. Standing shoulder to shoulder with his captain, Mitchell Marsh scored 29 from 166 balls to shut down England's hope of a consolation win in the five test match series. England had a hope of victory when David Warner and Shaun Marsh fell in the space of six runs to leave Australia 178-4, only 14 ahead. Given the conditions and the pitch, this was England's best opportunity to get a win in the series. Alastair Cook's return to form with 244 runs did not bear fruit for the team, as the tourists will have to head into the fifth and final test 3-0 down in the series. With the draw, England ended an eight-match losing streak, while Australia's chances of earning a second successive home whitewash, and third in 11 years are also over.

Ton-up Smith takes Australia to safety as fourth test ends in draw

Getting whacked on the hand by a Cameron Bancroft shot would not keep Steve Smith from the Boxing Day test against England, the Australia captain said on Monday.

Smith was struck on the right hand by a Bancroft shot while standing at the back of the batting nets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday ahead of the fourth test in the series.

The 28-year-old said he had been in pain on Sunday and again on Monday when he was batting during training but it would not affect him when he leads his side out on Tuesday as they continue their push for a series whitewash.

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&quot;It was a little bit sore today playing a few different shots&quot; he told reporters. &quot;But I&#39;ll be able to deal with it and I&#39;ll get on with it.

&quot;Maybe I&#39;ll just have to use a bit more of my top hand throughout the game, a bit less wristy.

&quot;I copped a few (on the right hand) in the nets in Perth and a few more in the game. It just seems to be whenever you&#39;re getting hit in a spot - it just continually gets hit.&quot;

Australia have already regained the Ashes after an innings and 41-run victory in the third test in Perth last week gave them an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Smith said that Bancroft had apologised profusely for the incident.

&quot;I didn&#39;t give him much (initially). He kept coming up ... it&#39;s all good, accidents happen,&quot; Smith said.

The Australians had been forced to make one change from the side that hammered England in Perth to seal the series with Mitchell Starc ruled out due to a heel injury and replaced by Jackson Bird.

While Starc had been instrumental in regaining the trophy with his express pace, late swing and aggression, Bird was more than capable of stepping into fill his shows, Smith said, even if the pitch was not expected to be overly helpful to the bowlers.

&quot;It looks pretty flat. It doesn&#39;t look like there will be great deal of sideways movement, maybe a bit of reverse swing as the game goes on,&quot; he said.

&quot;Hopefully we can get the ball reversing and hopefully there&#39;s a little bit of spin for Nath (Nathan Lyon).

&quot;We&#39;ve been able to get results here in the last couple of years. We&#39;re going to have work hard, first-innings runs are going to be crucial again.

&quot;We&#39;ve now got an opportunity to keep winning. That&#39;s been my message to the boys, don&#39;t worry about 5-0 at this stage.

&quot;You&#39;ve got to win this one first.&quot;

Steve Smith was struck on the right hand by a Cameron Bancroft shot while standing at the back of the batting nets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday

Getting whacked on the hand by a Cameron Bancroft shot would not keep Steve Smith from the Boxing Day test against England, the Australia captain said on Monday. Smith was struck on the right hand by a Bancroft shot while standing at the back of the batting nets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday ahead of the fourth test in the series. The 28-year-old said he had been in pain on Sunday and again on Monday when he was batting during training but it would not affect him when he leads his side out on Tuesday as they continue their push for a series whitewash. Maybe I'll just have to use a bit more of my top hand throughout the game, a bit less wristy' × "It was a little bit sore today playing a few different shots" he told reporters. "But I'll be able to deal with it and I'll get on with it. "Maybe I'll just have to use a bit more of my top hand throughout the game, a bit less wristy. "I copped a few (on the right hand) in the nets in Perth and a few more in the game. It just seems to be whenever you're getting hit in a spot - it just continually gets hit." Australia have already regained the Ashes after an innings and 41-run victory in the third test in Perth last week gave them an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Smith said that Bancroft had apologised profusely for the incident. "I didn't give him much (initially). He kept coming up ... it's all good, accidents happen," Smith said. The Australians had been forced to make one change from the side that hammered England in Perth to seal the series with Mitchell Starc ruled out due to a heel injury and replaced by Jackson Bird. While Starc had been instrumental in regaining the trophy with his express pace, late swing and aggression, Bird was more than capable of stepping into fill his shows, Smith said, even if the pitch was not expected to be overly helpful to the bowlers. "It looks pretty flat. It doesn't look like there will be great deal of sideways movement, maybe a bit of reverse swing as the game goes on," he said. "Hopefully we can get the ball reversing and hopefully there's a little bit of spin for Nath (Nathan Lyon). "We've been able to get results here in the last couple of years. We're going to have work hard, first-innings runs are going to be crucial again. "We've now got an opportunity to keep winning. That's been my message to the boys, don't worry about 5-0 at this stage. "You've got to win this one first."

4th Ashes Test: Hand hurt but no worries, says Australia captain Steve Smith

England fast bowler James Anderson expects Australia to continue peppering the touring tailenders with short-pitched deliveries in the remaining two Ashes tests and says he has no problems with that.

Former England captain Michael Atherton has urged umpires to invoke cricket`s laws and protect England`s tailenders from Australia`s relentless &quot;bodyline&quot; bowling Down Under.

Anderson was struck on the side of his helmet in the third test, which Australia won convincingly to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, and was seen talking to umpires after the game.

&quot;I have actually chatted to the umpires about it during this series and they say at test level you should be able to handle short balls. That is a clear message to get in the nets and practice against bouncers,&quot; Anderson wrote in his column for the Telegraph.

&quot;I was not quizzing the umpires or asking them to stop it happening. I was just interested in their opinion. I guess we just need to get better at playing them. I have no problem with that. It is part and parcel of the game.&quot;

&quot;We have bounced tailenders in this series and at other teams. The only time I think umpires should step in is if it is clear that a player cannot cope with them. Then the umpires should step in more.&quot;

Australia captain Steve Smith and paceman Pat Cummins have defended their team`s strategy and warned that the bouncer barrage will continue in the final two tests at Melbourne and Sydney.

&quot;We know it will not stop in this series and playing the short ball better is one challenge for the final two tests when we need to show some pride and prove to people we are not a walkover as a team,&quot; Anderson added.

England will expect some relief after Australia`s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was ruled out of the Melbourne test with a heel injury.

England will expect some relief after Australia`s Mitchell Starc was ruled out of the Melbourne test with a heel injury

England fast bowler James Anderson expects Australia to continue peppering the touring tailenders with short-pitched deliveries in the remaining two Ashes tests and says he has no problems with that. Former England captain Michael Atherton has urged umpires to invoke cricket`s laws and protect England`s tailenders from Australia`s relentless "bodyline" bowling Down Under. Anderson was struck on the side of his helmet in the third test, which Australia won convincingly to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, and was seen talking to umpires after the game. "I have actually chatted to the umpires about it during this series and they say at test level you should be able to handle short balls. That is a clear message to get in the nets and practice against bouncers," Anderson wrote in his column for the Telegraph. "I was not quizzing the umpires or asking them to stop it happening. I was just interested in their opinion. I guess we just need to get better at playing them. I have no problem with that. It is part and parcel of the game." "We have bounced tailenders in this series and at other teams. The only time I think umpires should step in is if it is clear that a player cannot cope with them. Then the umpires should step in more." Australia captain Steve Smith and paceman Pat Cummins have defended their team`s strategy and warned that the bouncer barrage will continue in the final two tests at Melbourne and Sydney. "We know it will not stop in this series and playing the short ball better is one challenge for the final two tests when we need to show some pride and prove to people we are not a walkover as a team," Anderson added. England will expect some relief after Australia`s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was ruled out of the Melbourne test with a heel injury.

England tail ready for more bouncer barrage, says James Anderson

Australian captain Steve Smith has paid tribute to some bold selections after his team regained the Ashes in Perth today.

The home team took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series with an innings victory over the English at the WACA Ground, despite rain delays and a damaged pitch.

Smith said the comprehensive result, which has Australia on track for its third Ashes whitewash in four home series, was vindication for the national selectors for making some imaginative selections.

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was not even keeping for his state side Tasmania when he was named for the first Test at the Gabba, while the recall of 34-year-old Shaun Marsh raised plenty of eyebrows.

Then batsman Peter Handscomb was dropped for the third Test, with underachieving all-rounder Mitchell Marsh getting a surprise recall.

Paine has responded with polished performances behind the stumps and 130 runs at 43.33, while Shaun Marsh produced a crucial century in the second Test in Adelaide and has 224 runs at 74.66.

Mitchell Marsh took his chance in the third Test, notching his maiden Test century in making 181.

&quot;I thought they were really good selections,&quot; Smith said.

&quot;Painey has been mentioned as the best keeper in the country for a long period of time and the way he has kept has been exceptional.

&quot;The way he has batted has been exceptional as well, we have had some very valuable runs from him at seven.

&quot;Shaun Marsh as well, he&#39;s come in and done a terrific job.&quot; 
 
Smith credited his bowling attack&#39;s firepower for providing the difference between the sides, with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins all capable of bowling considerably quicker than their English counterparts.

He said the success of the trio was reward for extended planning to ensure they were at their prime for the Ashes.

&quot;Here in Australia it certainly makes a difference on the flatter tracks where there isn&#39;t much sideways movement, that extra air speed can make a big difference,&quot; he said.

&quot;We&#39;ve worked really hard to ensure we had these three big quicks were on the park and ready for this series.

&quot;A couple of them skipped the one-day series in India as we knew what was coming up, we were preparing for this series and we wanted the big three on the park to do what they&#39;ve done the last three Test matches.&quot;

Pace bowler Starc battled a bruised heel in Perth, but the captain said he was keen to play in Melbourne.

&quot;I just saw him and he just said &#39;I&#39;m playing&#39;,&quot; Smith said.

&quot;Whether he has a choice in the matter I am not sure but he wants to play.&quot;

Australian have named an unchanged side for the Boxing Day Test, starting on December 26 at the MCG

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was not even keeping for his state side when he was named for the first Ashes Test.

Australian captain Steve Smith has paid tribute to some bold selections after his team regained the Ashes in Perth today. The home team took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series with an innings victory over the English at the WACA Ground, despite rain delays and a damaged pitch. Smith said the comprehensive result, which has Australia on track for its third Ashes whitewash in four home series, was vindication for the national selectors for making some imaginative selections. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was not even keeping for his state side Tasmania when he was named for the first Test at the Gabba, while the recall of 34-year-old Shaun Marsh raised plenty of eyebrows. Then batsman Peter Handscomb was dropped for the third Test, with underachieving all-rounder Mitchell Marsh getting a surprise recall. Paine has responded with polished performances behind the stumps and 130 runs at 43.33, while Shaun Marsh produced a crucial century in the second Test in Adelaide and has 224 runs at 74.66. Mitchell Marsh took his chance in the third Test, notching his maiden Test century in making 181. "I thought they were really good selections," Smith said. "Painey has been mentioned as the best keeper in the country for a long period of time and the way he has kept has been exceptional. "The way he has batted has been exceptional as well, we have had some very valuable runs from him at seven. "Shaun Marsh as well, he's come in and done a terrific job." Smith credited his bowling attack's firepower for providing the difference between the sides, with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins all capable of bowling considerably quicker than their English counterparts. He said the success of the trio was reward for extended planning to ensure they were at their prime for the Ashes. "Here in Australia it certainly makes a difference on the flatter tracks where there isn't much sideways movement, that extra air speed can make a big difference," he said. "We've worked really hard to ensure we had these three big quicks were on the park and ready for this series. "A couple of them skipped the one-day series in India as we knew what was coming up, we were preparing for this series and we wanted the big three on the park to do what they've done the last three Test matches." Pace bowler Starc battled a bruised heel in Perth, but the captain said he was keen to play in Melbourne. "I just saw him and he just said 'I'm playing'," Smith said. "Whether he has a choice in the matter I am not sure but he wants to play." Australian have named an unchanged side for the Boxing Day Test, starting on December 26 at the MCG

Australian skipper Smith praises bold selectors after Ashes win

Australia regained its Ashes urn after defeating England in the third Test match in Perth on Monday.&nbsp;

Skipper Steve Smith&#39;s team won the match by an innings and 41 runs on day five of the third test match to take an unassailable 3-0 lead. Two Tests are still to be played.

The poms reluctantly resumed at 132/4, clinging to hope that wet weather could keep the five test series alive.&nbsp;

England had scored 403, with centuries from Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow. Australia replied strongly with a double century from Smith and a century from Mithcell Marsh and scored a mammoth 662 for 9. The team was later declared.

England had to score 259 to make Australia bat again. But Australian bowlers led by Josh Hazlewood, (5 for 48) scuttled England&#39;s chances by bundling them out for 218.&nbsp;

England lost the first Test by 10 wickets and second by 120 runs.&nbsp;

Australian bowlers led by Josh Hazlewood scuttled England's chances by bundling them out for 218.?

Australia regained its Ashes urn after defeating England in the third Test match in Perth on Monday. Skipper Steve Smith's team won the match by an innings and 41 runs on day five of the third test match to take an unassailable 3-0 lead. Two Tests are still to be played. The poms reluctantly resumed at 132/4, clinging to hope that wet weather could keep the five test series alive. England had scored 403, with centuries from Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow. Australia replied strongly with a double century from Smith and a century from Mithcell Marsh and scored a mammoth 662 for 9. The team was later declared. England had to score 259 to make Australia bat again. But Australian bowlers led by Josh Hazlewood, (5 for 48) scuttled England's chances by bundling them out for 218. England lost the first Test by 10 wickets and second by 120 runs.

3rd Test Day 5: Australia beat England by an innings and 41 runs, regain Ashes

England was battling to save the Ashes at 132 for four in their second innings when play was abandoned due to rain on the fourth day of the third Test in Perth on Sunday.

Needing to avoid defeat to stay alive in the series, the tourists still trailed by 127 runs after Australia declared their first innings at 662 for nine in reply to England`s 403.

It is Australia&#39;s highest ever Ashes total at home, with captain Steve Smith finally dismissed for 239 from 399 balls.

Dawid Malan was on 28 and Jonny Bairstow on 14, with Josh Hazlewood claiming two wickets.

England&#39;s top-order once again crumbled under sustained pressure from an Australian blue chip attack honing in on a widening crack down the pitch.

At 2-0 down in the series, England must not lose at a ground where they have not won since 1978 to avoid surrendering the urn at the earliest.

Australia declared their first innings at 662 for nine in reply to England`s 403.

England was battling to save the Ashes at 132 for four in their second innings when play was abandoned due to rain on the fourth day of the third Test in Perth on Sunday. Needing to avoid defeat to stay alive in the series, the tourists still trailed by 127 runs after Australia declared their first innings at 662 for nine in reply to England`s 403. It is Australia's highest ever Ashes total at home, with captain Steve Smith finally dismissed for 239 from 399 balls. Dawid Malan was on 28 and Jonny Bairstow on 14, with Josh Hazlewood claiming two wickets. England's top-order once again crumbled under sustained pressure from an Australian blue chip attack honing in on a widening crack down the pitch. At 2-0 down in the series, England must not lose at a ground where they have not won since 1978 to avoid surrendering the urn at the earliest.

Australia inch closer to Ashes victory as England end 4th day at 132/4 after heavy downpour

With his chanceless double-century dominating day three of the third Ashes test on Saturday, Australia captain Steve Smith proved once again that bowlers&#39; plans are something for other batsmen to worry about.

Smith strode off the WACA with an unbeaten 229, his highest test score anchoring an epic 301-run stand with Mitchell Marsh (181 not out) and driving Australia to 549 for four at stumps and a 146-run lead.

Having scored an unbeaten 141 in the series-opening win at the Gabba, Smith&#39;s masterclass put England on the brink of another Ashes surrender with two matches to spare in the five-test series.

Seven English players rolled over their arm on day three at the WACA. None looked remotely capable of dismissing the skipper.

&quot;I told the boys when I got back in last night (on day two) that I was just getting started,&quot; Smith said before exiting the ground to raucous applause.

&quot;Luckily it came off today and (we&#39;re) getting ourselves in a nice position.&quot;

For England captain Joe Root and his senior bowlers, there was a horrible feeling of deja vu at the WACA, where Smith scored a century in the corresponding test four years ago.

Alastair Cook&#39;s team crashed out in that match, handing over the urn before going on to suffer the humiliating whitewash.

England assistant coach Paul Farbrace admitted England had no answers for Smith, their bowlers too slow to trouble him on a flat WACA wicket.

&quot;(He&#39;s) in the form of his life and playing fantastically,&quot; said Farbrace.

As in Brisbane, Smith pulled his side from a position of uncertainty at 55 for two on day two, and he finished day three with a clutch of fresh honours.

He became the second fastest batsman to score 14 hundreds as captain, the 29 tests he took bettered only by Don Bradman&#39;s 24.

Smith also became the second player after former Australia opener Matthew Hayden to score 1,000 test runs in a calendar year four times in succession.

He worked off-spinner Moeen Ali to mid-on for a single to bring up his second test double-hundred after torching England for 215 at Lord&#39;s in the 2015 Ashes.

He offered no chances during his 390-ball vigil, with three outside edges failing to carry to the slip cordon.

With frustrations boiling over, England reviewed twice to try to remove him lbw.

But the first showed the ball sliding well down the leg side and the second was cancelled by paceman James Anderson overstepping his mark.

There was nothing England could do to remove him.

&ldquo;I love scoring big runs for my country,&quot; Smith said simply.

&ldquo;We wanted to be out in the middle and just keep batting.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Smith strode off the WACA with an unbeaten 229, his highest test score anchoring an epic 301-run stand with Mitchell Marsh (181 not out) and driving Australia to 549 for four at stumps and a 146-run lead

With his chanceless double-century dominating day three of the third Ashes test on Saturday, Australia captain Steve Smith proved once again that bowlers' plans are something for other batsmen to worry about. Smith strode off the WACA with an unbeaten 229, his highest test score anchoring an epic 301-run stand with Mitchell Marsh (181 not out) and driving Australia to 549 for four at stumps and a 146-run lead. Having scored an unbeaten 141 in the series-opening win at the Gabba, Smith's masterclass put England on the brink of another Ashes surrender with two matches to spare in the five-test series. Seven English players rolled over their arm on day three at the WACA. None looked remotely capable of dismissing the skipper. "I told the boys when I got back in last night (on day two) that I was just getting started," Smith said before exiting the ground to raucous applause. "Luckily it came off today and (we're) getting ourselves in a nice position." For England captain Joe Root and his senior bowlers, there was a horrible feeling of deja vu at the WACA, where Smith scored a century in the corresponding test four years ago. Alastair Cook's team crashed out in that match, handing over the urn before going on to suffer the humiliating whitewash. England assistant coach Paul Farbrace admitted England had no answers for Smith, their bowlers too slow to trouble him on a flat WACA wicket. "(He's) in the form of his life and playing fantastically," said Farbrace. As in Brisbane, Smith pulled his side from a position of uncertainty at 55 for two on day two, and he finished day three with a clutch of fresh honours. He became the second fastest batsman to score 14 hundreds as captain, the 29 tests he took bettered only by Don Bradman's 24. Smith also became the second player after former Australia opener Matthew Hayden to score 1,000 test runs in a calendar year four times in succession. He worked off-spinner Moeen Ali to mid-on for a single to bring up his second test double-hundred after torching England for 215 at Lord's in the 2015 Ashes. He offered no chances during his 390-ball vigil, with three outside edges failing to carry to the slip cordon. With frustrations boiling over, England reviewed twice to try to remove him lbw. But the first showed the ball sliding well down the leg side and the second was cancelled by paceman James Anderson overstepping his mark. There was nothing England could do to remove him. “I love scoring big runs for my country," Smith said simply. “We wanted to be out in the middle and just keep batting."

Steve Smith double-century leaves England bereft of answers

Australian skipper Steve Smith on Wednesday said they might bring in all-rounder Mitchell Marsh for the third Ashes test against England, adding the team will not be named until the toss on Thursday morning.

The hosts, 2-0 up in the five-match series, could reclaim the coveted urn in Perth.&nbsp;

Smith said that Marsh would be included, probably for Peter Handscomb, if the WACA track was not quick enough.

&quot;We`re going to have another look at the wicket in the morning and decide if we need that extra bowling option. The stats suggest over the last couple of years the bowlers have had a pretty heavy workload on this wicket, so we&#39;re probably leaning that way at the moment.&quot; Smith told a news conference.

26-year-old Marsh underwent a shoulder surgery earlier this year, returned for Western Australia in October and smashed a total of 680 runs in all forms of cricket at an average of nearly 68.

Meanwhile, Smith hoped that the wicket would be different from the drawn 2015 test against New Zealand when 1,672 runs were scored over five days.

Marsh would be included, probably for Peter Handscomb, if the WACA track was not quick enough.

Australian skipper Steve Smith on Wednesday said they might bring in all-rounder Mitchell Marsh for the third Ashes test against England, adding the team will not be named until the toss on Thursday morning. The hosts, 2-0 up in the five-match series, could reclaim the coveted urn in Perth. Smith said that Marsh would be included, probably for Peter Handscomb, if the WACA track was not quick enough. "We`re going to have another look at the wicket in the morning and decide if we need that extra bowling option. The stats suggest over the last couple of years the bowlers have had a pretty heavy workload on this wicket, so we're probably leaning that way at the moment." Smith told a news conference. 26-year-old Marsh underwent a shoulder surgery earlier this year, returned for Western Australia in October and smashed a total of 680 runs in all forms of cricket at an average of nearly 68. Meanwhile, Smith hoped that the wicket would be different from the drawn 2015 test against New Zealand when 1,672 runs were scored over five days.

Ashes 2017: Australia's Mitchell Marsh may replace Peter Handscomb in 3rd test against England

Australian captain Steve Smith thinks England will struggle to get back into the Ashes series after losing in Adelaide to trail 2-0 heading into next week&#39;s third test in Perth.

Smith admitted to some nerves when the tourists mounted a comeback after he decided not to enforce the follow-on in the second test but said it would now be a long road back for England in the five-match series after a 120-run defeat.&nbsp;

&quot;It`s always tough coming back from 2-0 down, particularly when you`re away from home,&quot; Smith said.

&quot;You`re really only one or two bad sessions away from the series, really. That can really play on people`s minds when you`re behind.&nbsp;

&quot;We have to be confident, we have to continue what we`re doing, doing the basics really well, getting big first innings runs is crucial as we`ve seen, and just backing up day in and day out.&quot;

Four reasons for Australian confidence were occupying row 13 of flight QF 740 from Adelaide to Sydney on Thursday with quicks Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins on one side of the aisle and off-spinner Nathan &quot;Gazza&quot; Lyon on the other.

Although suggestions that the bowling attack is the best to have ever donned baggy green caps are probably wide of the mark, they have done their job by dismissing England twice in both the first two tests. 
 
&quot;I think the exciting thing is our bowling group can only get better,&quot; Starc told reporters on arrival at Sydney airport.

&quot;Obviously we`ve taken 40 wickets over the last couple of weeks and done some really good things but there`s still room for improvement.&quot;

Starc took 5-88 after mopping up the England tail with the new pink ball on Wednesday, while Hazlewood snuffed out hopes of an England win with two wickets, including that of captain Joe root, in the first three overs of the day.

Cummins crucially pegged the English back with the wicket of Dawid Malan on Wednesday night, while Lyon is the leading wicket-taker in tests this year and his captain described his bowling in Adelaide as &quot;exceptional&quot;.

&quot;Paddy, Josh and I have grown up together -- Gazza`s a bit older -- we`ve been around each other for a long time and we`re really close mates,&quot; Starc added.&nbsp;

&quot;I think that shows in the way we play our cricket and we`re gelling really nicely and complementing each other really well.

&quot;Gazza`s bowling the house down at the moment and that allows the other three of us to just do what we do at the other end. Josh does what he does and allows Pat and I to bowl as fast as we want.&quot; 
Smith said he was keen for his bowlers and batsmen to get some rest before the Perth test starts next Thursday.

&quot;There`s a reasonable break between now and Perth so the bowlers can freshen up and the batters can freshen their minds, and we can come back and hopefully win the Ashes back in Perth,&quot; he added.

The test will be the last at the WACA and Starc said he was hoping to be presented with a bowling surface that harked back to the days when the likes of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson terrorised English batsmen in Perth.

&quot;Hopefully we see a nice fast, bouncy wicket, the WACA of old, and get stuck into that as a bowling group,&quot; he said.

'It's always tough coming back from 2-0 down, particularly when you're away from home,' said Smith.

Australian captain Steve Smith thinks England will struggle to get back into the Ashes series after losing in Adelaide to trail 2-0 heading into next week's third test in Perth. Smith admitted to some nerves when the tourists mounted a comeback after he decided not to enforce the follow-on in the second test but said it would now be a long road back for England in the five-match series after a 120-run defeat. "It`s always tough coming back from 2-0 down, particularly when you`re away from home," Smith said. "You`re really only one or two bad sessions away from the series, really. That can really play on people`s minds when you`re behind. "We have to be confident, we have to continue what we`re doing, doing the basics really well, getting big first innings runs is crucial as we`ve seen, and just backing up day in and day out." Four reasons for Australian confidence were occupying row 13 of flight QF 740 from Adelaide to Sydney on Thursday with quicks Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins on one side of the aisle and off-spinner Nathan "Gazza" Lyon on the other. Although suggestions that the bowling attack is the best to have ever donned baggy green caps are probably wide of the mark, they have done their job by dismissing England twice in both the first two tests. "I think the exciting thing is our bowling group can only get better," Starc told reporters on arrival at Sydney airport. "Obviously we`ve taken 40 wickets over the last couple of weeks and done some really good things but there`s still room for improvement." Starc took 5-88 after mopping up the England tail with the new pink ball on Wednesday, while Hazlewood snuffed out hopes of an England win with two wickets, including that of captain Joe root, in the first three overs of the day. Cummins crucially pegged the English back with the wicket of Dawid Malan on Wednesday night, while Lyon is the leading wicket-taker in tests this year and his captain described his bowling in Adelaide as "exceptional". "Paddy, Josh and I have grown up together -- Gazza`s a bit older -- we`ve been around each other for a long time and we`re really close mates," Starc added. "I think that shows in the way we play our cricket and we`re gelling really nicely and complementing each other really well. "Gazza`s bowling the house down at the moment and that allows the other three of us to just do what we do at the other end. Josh does what he does and allows Pat and I to bowl as fast as we want." Smith said he was keen for his bowlers and batsmen to get some rest before the Perth test starts next Thursday. "There`s a reasonable break between now and Perth so the bowlers can freshen up and the batters can freshen their minds, and we can come back and hopefully win the Ashes back in Perth," he added. The test will be the last at the WACA and Starc said he was hoping to be presented with a bowling surface that harked back to the days when the likes of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson terrorised English batsmen in Perth. "Hopefully we see a nice fast, bouncy wicket, the WACA of old, and get stuck into that as a bowling group," he said.

England will struggle to get back into Ashes series, says Steve Smith

Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara jumped a couple of rungs to second, while skipper Virat Kohli held on to the fifth spot in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, issued here today.

Pujara trails Australian captain Steve Smith, who has extended his lead at the top but the next four batsmen are separated by just 11 points in the latest rankings, the ICC said in a statement.

Pujara has returned to number-two ranking after scoring 143 in his side&#39;s huge victory by an innings and 239 runs against Sri Lanka in Nagpur.

He had first peaked to second following the Ranchi Test against Australia in March, while the last time he was second was following his 133 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August.

Pujara has been rewarded with 22 points, lifting him from fourth to second on a career-high 888 points.

The 29-year-old now leads his fifth-ranked captain Kohli by 11 points. Kohli has vaulted from 817 points to 877 points after scoring his fifth career double-century in 62 Tests.

Smith, on the other hand, stroked an unbeaten 141, his 21st century in his 57th Test, which was the cornerstone of Australia&#39;s 10-wicket victory over England in the first Ashes Test.

For his performance, Smith has gained five points to rise to 941 points, making him joint-fifth in terms of the highest points tally in batting history in Tests behind Sir Don Bradman (961), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs (942) and Ricky Ponting (942), and at par with Peter May (941).

England captain Joe Root is sitting third and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is occupying the fourth spot, while sixth-ranked David Warner of Australia is another 51 points behind Kohli.

India opener Murali Vijay and middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma, who were the other centurions in the just-concluded Test, have also made impressive gains. Vijay has risen eight places to 28th position, while Rohit has shot up seven places to 46th spot.

Some of the leading batsmen heading in the wrong direction include KL Rahul (ninth, down by one), Ajinkya Rahane (15th, down by two), Dimuth Karunaratne (18th, down by one), and Shikhar Dhawan (29th, down by one).

In the bowlers&#39; rankings, Ravindra Jadeja has reclaimed the second position following his match figures of five for 84, while Mitchell Starc has returned to the top 10 in 10th position after his match figures of six for 128 helped him to gain three places.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who became the fastest man to 300 wickets in Tests, has consolidated his fourth position by gaining nine points, which helped him to be on 849 points.

The India off-spinner is now 42 points behind number-one ranked James Anderson, who has dropped five points after claiming two wickets in the Brisbane Test.

Other bowlers to improve their rankings include Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma, who have moved up one place each to 28th and 30th respectively.

In the all-rounders&#39; rankings, Ashwin has returned to third place in the list which is headed by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Australia captain Steve Smith was at the no. 1 spot

Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara jumped a couple of rungs to second, while skipper Virat Kohli held on to the fifth spot in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, issued here today. Pujara trails Australian captain Steve Smith, who has extended his lead at the top but the next four batsmen are separated by just 11 points in the latest rankings, the ICC said in a statement. Pujara has returned to number-two ranking after scoring 143 in his side's huge victory by an innings and 239 runs against Sri Lanka in Nagpur. He had first peaked to second following the Ranchi Test against Australia in March, while the last time he was second was following his 133 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August. Pujara has been rewarded with 22 points, lifting him from fourth to second on a career-high 888 points. The 29-year-old now leads his fifth-ranked captain Kohli by 11 points. Kohli has vaulted from 817 points to 877 points after scoring his fifth career double-century in 62 Tests. Smith, on the other hand, stroked an unbeaten 141, his 21st century in his 57th Test, which was the cornerstone of Australia's 10-wicket victory over England in the first Ashes Test. For his performance, Smith has gained five points to rise to 941 points, making him joint-fifth in terms of the highest points tally in batting history in Tests behind Sir Don Bradman (961), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs (942) and Ricky Ponting (942), and at par with Peter May (941). England captain Joe Root is sitting third and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is occupying the fourth spot, while sixth-ranked David Warner of Australia is another 51 points behind Kohli. India opener Murali Vijay and middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma, who were the other centurions in the just-concluded Test, have also made impressive gains. Vijay has risen eight places to 28th position, while Rohit has shot up seven places to 46th spot. Some of the leading batsmen heading in the wrong direction include KL Rahul (ninth, down by one), Ajinkya Rahane (15th, down by two), Dimuth Karunaratne (18th, down by one), and Shikhar Dhawan (29th, down by one). In the bowlers' rankings, Ravindra Jadeja has reclaimed the second position following his match figures of five for 84, while Mitchell Starc has returned to the top 10 in 10th position after his match figures of six for 128 helped him to gain three places. Ravichandran Ashwin, who became the fastest man to 300 wickets in Tests, has consolidated his fourth position by gaining nine points, which helped him to be on 849 points. The India off-spinner is now 42 points behind number-one ranked James Anderson, who has dropped five points after claiming two wickets in the Brisbane Test. Other bowlers to improve their rankings include Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma, who have moved up one place each to 28th and 30th respectively. In the all-rounders' rankings, Ashwin has returned to third place in the list which is headed by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.

ICC Test rankings: Pujara climbs to 2nd spot, Kohli stays at 5th

Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team&#39;s character.

Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England&#39;s agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day.

Warner finished unbeaten on 87 off 119 balls with newcomer Bancroft hitting the winning runs to remain 82 not out off 182 balls in Australia&#39;s 173 without loss.

In the process, they broke an 87-year-old Test record for the all-time highest unbeaten opening partnership in a successful Test chase.

&quot;We had to show some really good character throughout. Obviously losing the toss, and the wicket was a lot slower than we anticipated it would be. We had to work really hard,&quot; said Australian captain Steve Smith.

&quot;I&#39;m pleased with the way we have played. Bowling first at The Gabba, it&#39;s hard. The bowlers had to be on. The way we pulled it back to win the position we were in it&#39;s extremely pleasing. I&#39;m proud of the way the boys fought.&quot;

The Australians only needed 56 runs on the final morning go one up after England imploded on Sunday&#39;s fourth day.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-australia-on-brink-of-victory-after-england-crumble-25171" target="_blank">Also read: Australia on brink of victory after England crumble</a>

England captain Joe Root said the result did not tell the full story.

&quot;For three days we were excellent. Bar Steve&#39;s knock we were right in it,&quot; he said, referring to Smith&#39;s battling first innings century.

&quot;It&#39;s frustrating. We have to move on quickly and make sure we don&#39;t make the same mistakes in Adelaide.&quot;

It was Warner&#39;s 25th Test fifty and ninth in the Ashes, while debutant Bancroft posted his first half-century in only his second Test innings.

&quot;It was good fun, to share a good partnership was nice. To get the win, in the end, was good,&quot; said Bancroft, who was allegedly headbutted by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow in a late-night altercation in Perth earlier in the tour.

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement confirmed team management have asked Bairstow about the alleged incident. Warner said it was great to get the win without losing a wicket.

&quot;That&#39;s what we cherish, coming out being disciplined to try and get the job done as best as possible,&quot; he said.

England&#39;s doleful defeat was played to the background sounds of the traveling Barmy Army supporters singing &#39;We&#39;ll Take the (Ashes) Urn Home&#39; in the sparsely-populated Gabba ground.

It was an attritional battle between the traditional rivals over the first three days of the Test, raising England&#39;s hopes of a first win at the ground in just over three decades.

But skipper Smith&#39;s match-defining unbeaten 141 over eight-and-a-half hours to give Australia a 26-run innings lead and Josh Hazlewood&#39;s two late wickets on Saturday swung the momentum firmly Australia&#39;s way.

England were knocked over for 195 off 71.4 overs, losing their last six wickets for 82, to set Australia an unthreatening target to chase down in the remaining four sessions of play.

Australia stretched their unbeaten record at their Gabba fortress to 29 years since their last defeat to Viv Richards&#39; West Indies team in 1988.

England have not won in Brisbane in 31 years, a stretch of eight Ashes Tests.

The five-Test series heads to Adelaide Oval for the first-ever Ashes day-night Test, starting on Saturday.

'I'm pleased with the way we have played. Bowling first at The Gabba, it's hard,' Australian captain Steve Smith said

Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team's character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England's agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day. Warner finished unbeaten on 87 off 119 balls with newcomer Bancroft hitting the winning runs to remain 82 not out off 182 balls in Australia's 173 without loss. In the process, they broke an 87-year-old Test record for the all-time highest unbeaten opening partnership in a successful Test chase. "We had to show some really good character throughout. Obviously losing the toss, and the wicket was a lot slower than we anticipated it would be. We had to work really hard," said Australian captain Steve Smith. "I'm pleased with the way we have played. Bowling first at The Gabba, it's hard. The bowlers had to be on. The way we pulled it back to win the position we were in it's extremely pleasing. I'm proud of the way the boys fought." The Australians only needed 56 runs on the final morning go one up after England imploded on Sunday's fourth day. Also read: Australia on brink of victory after England crumble England captain Joe Root said the result did not tell the full story. "For three days we were excellent. Bar Steve's knock we were right in it," he said, referring to Smith's battling first innings century. "It's frustrating. We have to move on quickly and make sure we don't make the same mistakes in Adelaide." It was Warner's 25th Test fifty and ninth in the Ashes, while debutant Bancroft posted his first half-century in only his second Test innings. "It was good fun, to share a good partnership was nice. To get the win, in the end, was good," said Bancroft, who was allegedly headbutted by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow in a late-night altercation in Perth earlier in the tour. An England and Wales Cricket Board statement confirmed team management have asked Bairstow about the alleged incident. Warner said it was great to get the win without losing a wicket. "That's what we cherish, coming out being disciplined to try and get the job done as best as possible," he said. England's doleful defeat was played to the background sounds of the traveling Barmy Army supporters singing 'We'll Take the (Ashes) Urn Home' in the sparsely-populated Gabba ground. It was an attritional battle between the traditional rivals over the first three days of the Test, raising England's hopes of a first win at the ground in just over three decades. But skipper Smith's match-defining unbeaten 141 over eight-and-a-half hours to give Australia a 26-run innings lead and Josh Hazlewood's two late wickets on Saturday swung the momentum firmly Australia's way. England were knocked over for 195 off 71.4 overs, losing their last six wickets for 82, to set Australia an unthreatening target to chase down in the remaining four sessions of play. Australia stretched their unbeaten record at their Gabba fortress to 29 years since their last defeat to Viv Richards' West Indies team in 1988. England have not won in Brisbane in 31 years, a stretch of eight Ashes Tests. The five-Test series heads to Adelaide Oval for the first-ever Ashes day-night Test, starting on Saturday.

Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test

A captain&#39;s century hewn from granite and two wickets in a fiery pace assault after tea saw Australia wrest the momentum away from England by the end of an enthralling day three of the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Saturday.

Josh Hazlewood snared two victims to leave England 33 for two at stumps and clinging to a seven-run lead after skipper Steve Smith inspired the hosts with a brilliant, unbeaten 141 in front of a grateful crowd of 33,474 at the Gabba.

Opener Mark Stoneman, on 19 not out, and Joe Root on five survived a furious pace examination in the final overs as the pitch grew appreciably quicker.

With Australia teetering at 76 for four on day two and their nearly 30-year unbeaten record at the Gabba seemingly in peril, Smith dragged his side back from the brink over eight-and-a-half hours of steely application.

By the time tail-ender Nathan Lyon edged to Alastair Cook in the slips, marking the end of Australia&#39;s innings of 328, Smith strode off to a hero&#39;s ovation, having pushed his side 26 runs in front of England&#39;s first innings 302.

&quot;It&#39;ll be up there definitely, obviously with the team in a bit of trouble,&quot; Smith told reporters when asked if was the most satisfying ton of his career.

&quot;I had to bat some time and dig really deep ... I think it was my slowest hundred, someone told me, had to work hard and be really disciplined and resilient.&quot;

Smith&#39;s team mates inspired and his pacemen hitting the deck hard, Cook was soon out cheaply for a second time in the test.

Caught behind for two off Mitchell Starc in the first innings, Cook was caught for seven by the paceman in the deep when he tried to hook a short ball from Josh Hazlewood away to safety.

Hazlewood then had an uneasy James Vince out for two with a rearing delivery that sent an edge to Smith in the slips.

Moments later, Starc struck Root in the helmet with a venomous delivery and took turns with Cummins to pepper Stoneman with short balls.

Root and Stoneman will face more of the same in the morning, but Stuart Broad felt England were in the best position they had been at a Gabba test in over 30 years.

&quot;Actually we&rsquo;re in a lot of control of this game after three days,&quot; he said. &quot;It&rsquo;s in our hands to bat big tomorrow.&quot;

Cummins Cameo

Cummins earlier provided fine support to Smith with a knock of 42 in a 66-run partnership, surviving for all but 10 minutes of the middle session until he was finally caught at slip off all-rounder Chris Woakes.

Smith, who began the day on 64, moved slowly but purposefully towards his century and soaked up eight successive dot balls when on 97 before Broad finally gave an opening.

The skipper pounced on a fuller, wide delivery, smashing a drive past mid-off for four, triggering a huge roar from the sell-out crowd.

Having completed his sixth Ashes ton, Smith tore off his helmet, raised his arms in triumph and beat his chest twice in a fired-up celebration, one of the most ardent of his 21 test hundreds.

It helped swing the match back into balance after England&#39;s veteran pacemen had dominated the morning.

A fired-up Broad had captured two wickets and broken a 99-run stand between Smith and Shaun Marsh, with fellow seamer James Anderson chipping in with another.

The Australian number six lasted five overs in the morning before being dismissed softly for 51, spooning a slower delivery from Broad straight to Anderson at mid-off.

Tim Paine, who replaced Matthew Wade in part due to his better form with the bat, managed 13 before falling to Anderson with the fourth delivery of the new ball.

Starc smashed Broad over the long-off rope for six but the England paceman turned the tables on his fellow quick two balls later with a caught and bowled.

A captain's century hewn from granite and two wickets in a fiery pace assault after tea saw Australia wrest the momentum away from England by the end of an enthralling day three of the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Saturday

A captain's century hewn from granite and two wickets in a fiery pace assault after tea saw Australia wrest the momentum away from England by the end of an enthralling day three of the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Saturday. Josh Hazlewood snared two victims to leave England 33 for two at stumps and clinging to a seven-run lead after skipper Steve Smith inspired the hosts with a brilliant, unbeaten 141 in front of a grateful crowd of 33,474 at the Gabba. Opener Mark Stoneman, on 19 not out, and Joe Root on five survived a furious pace examination in the final overs as the pitch grew appreciably quicker. With Australia teetering at 76 for four on day two and their nearly 30-year unbeaten record at the Gabba seemingly in peril, Smith dragged his side back from the brink over eight-and-a-half hours of steely application. By the time tail-ender Nathan Lyon edged to Alastair Cook in the slips, marking the end of Australia's innings of 328, Smith strode off to a hero's ovation, having pushed his side 26 runs in front of England's first innings 302. "It'll be up there definitely, obviously with the team in a bit of trouble," Smith told reporters when asked if was the most satisfying ton of his career. "I had to bat some time and dig really deep ... I think it was my slowest hundred, someone told me, had to work hard and be really disciplined and resilient." Smith's team mates inspired and his pacemen hitting the deck hard, Cook was soon out cheaply for a second time in the test. Caught behind for two off Mitchell Starc in the first innings, Cook was caught for seven by the paceman in the deep when he tried to hook a short ball from Josh Hazlewood away to safety. Hazlewood then had an uneasy James Vince out for two with a rearing delivery that sent an edge to Smith in the slips. Moments later, Starc struck Root in the helmet with a venomous delivery and took turns with Cummins to pepper Stoneman with short balls. Root and Stoneman will face more of the same in the morning, but Stuart Broad felt England were in the best position they had been at a Gabba test in over 30 years. "Actually we’re in a lot of control of this game after three days," he said. "It’s in our hands to bat big tomorrow." Cummins Cameo Cummins earlier provided fine support to Smith with a knock of 42 in a 66-run partnership, surviving for all but 10 minutes of the middle session until he was finally caught at slip off all-rounder Chris Woakes. Smith, who began the day on 64, moved slowly but purposefully towards his century and soaked up eight successive dot balls when on 97 before Broad finally gave an opening. The skipper pounced on a fuller, wide delivery, smashing a drive past mid-off for four, triggering a huge roar from the sell-out crowd. Having completed his sixth Ashes ton, Smith tore off his helmet, raised his arms in triumph and beat his chest twice in a fired-up celebration, one of the most ardent of his 21 test hundreds. It helped swing the match back into balance after England's veteran pacemen had dominated the morning. A fired-up Broad had captured two wickets and broken a 99-run stand between Smith and Shaun Marsh, with fellow seamer James Anderson chipping in with another. The Australian number six lasted five overs in the morning before being dismissed softly for 51, spooning a slower delivery from Broad straight to Anderson at mid-off. Tim Paine, who replaced Matthew Wade in part due to his better form with the bat, managed 13 before falling to Anderson with the fourth delivery of the new ball. Starc smashed Broad over the long-off rope for six but the England paceman turned the tables on his fellow quick two balls later with a caught and bowled.

Centurion Smith ushers Australia to safety

Australian captain Steve Smith on Saturday left his country&#39;s tour of India because of a shoulder injury, the team announced.

The 28-year-old batsman&#39;s injury is a new blow to Australia as they lost the one-day series in India and are preparing for a key Ashes series against England in two months.

They play their first T20 against the Indians in Ranchi on Saturday.

&quot;Smith landed awkwardly on his right shoulder whilst diving in the field during the fifth ODI against India last Sunday,&quot; the team doctor Richard Saw said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;Subsequently he has had an MRI scan which has excluded serious injury, but we believe the best course of action is for him to not continue to aggravate his shoulder and allow it to recover.&quot;

Australia said all-rounder Marcus Stoinis will take Smith`s place in the T20 squad for the three-match series and David Warner will captain the side.

 
&nbsp;

Australian captain Steve Smith on Saturday left his country's tour of India because of a shoulder injury, the team announced

Australian captain Steve Smith on Saturday left his country's tour of India because of a shoulder injury, the team announced. The 28-year-old batsman's injury is a new blow to Australia as they lost the one-day series in India and are preparing for a key Ashes series against England in two months. They play their first T20 against the Indians in Ranchi on Saturday. "Smith landed awkwardly on his right shoulder whilst diving in the field during the fifth ODI against India last Sunday," the team doctor Richard Saw said in a statement. "Subsequently he has had an MRI scan which has excluded serious injury, but we believe the best course of action is for him to not continue to aggravate his shoulder and allow it to recover." Australia said all-rounder Marcus Stoinis will take Smith`s place in the T20 squad for the three-match series and David Warner will captain the side.

Australia captain Steve Smith leaves India tour over injury

Opening batsman Aaron Finch marked his return to the Australia side with a defiant century in the third one-day international against India but the thrill was tempered by another loss for Steve Smith&#39;s struggling side.

Finch, a member of Australia&#39;s 2015 World Cup-winning team, can scarcely remember a tougher run playing for his country in the short format.

Australia&#39;s five-wicket defeat in Indore on Sunday saw them fall 3-0 behind in the five-match series. The defeat was their 11th in their last 13 ODIs away from home, while the other two matches were rain-affected no results.

Finch, who scored 124 in Indore after missing the defeats in Chennai and Kolkata with a calf problem, said Australia had failed to take their chances against India but conceded there was a clear difference between the sides.

&quot;You have to play well but I think you also have to go in with the right attitude and make sure that when you do get an opportunity to win a game, you don&#39;t let that slip,&quot; Finch said in comments published on Cricket Australia&#39;s website (cricket.com.au)

&quot;We&#39;ve been in a couple of good positions in the first few games and as soon as you give India a sniff, they&#39;ll beat you nine times out of 10.

&quot;You have to play 100 per cent to beat (India) in these conditions,&quot; Finch said. &quot;If you play 90 percent, it&#39;s not good enough here.

&quot;There&#39;s obviously a gap between the sides at the moment and they&#39;re proving that.

&quot;They&#39;re 3-0 up, they&#39;re the number one side in the world and there&#39;s just a few things we need to tinker with as players to bridge that gap and get the results going our way.&quot;

Australia were whitewashed 5-0 away to South Africa last year and Finch said the mounting losses were not helping with confidence.

&quot;Whenever you&#39;re losing, it&#39;s never easy,&quot; said the 30-year-old, who struck his eighth ODI ton in Indore.

&quot;Winning away from home is what every side strives to achieve and I think whenever you start losing, you can lose a little bit of confidence in yourself and in the way you&#39;re playing.&quot;

Finch was understandably glad to score some runs, especially after going to lengths to convince the team&#39;s physiotherapist of his fitness to play.

&quot;If (the calf) had have gone again last night, I might have been in a bit of strife,&quot; he said.

&quot;So it was nice for that to hold up.&quot;

The fourth ODI is in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Australia's five-wicket defeat in Indore on Sunday saw them fall 3-0 behind in the five-match series. The defeat was their 11th in their last 13 ODIs away from home, while the other two matches were rain-affected no results

Opening batsman Aaron Finch marked his return to the Australia side with a defiant century in the third one-day international against India but the thrill was tempered by another loss for Steve Smith's struggling side. Finch, a member of Australia's 2015 World Cup-winning team, can scarcely remember a tougher run playing for his country in the short format. Australia's five-wicket defeat in Indore on Sunday saw them fall 3-0 behind in the five-match series. The defeat was their 11th in their last 13 ODIs away from home, while the other two matches were rain-affected no results. Finch, who scored 124 in Indore after missing the defeats in Chennai and Kolkata with a calf problem, said Australia had failed to take their chances against India but conceded there was a clear difference between the sides. "You have to play well but I think you also have to go in with the right attitude and make sure that when you do get an opportunity to win a game, you don't let that slip," Finch said in comments published on Cricket Australia's website (cricket.com.au) "We've been in a couple of good positions in the first few games and as soon as you give India a sniff, they'll beat you nine times out of 10. "You have to play 100 per cent to beat (India) in these conditions," Finch said. "If you play 90 percent, it's not good enough here. "There's obviously a gap between the sides at the moment and they're proving that. "They're 3-0 up, they're the number one side in the world and there's just a few things we need to tinker with as players to bridge that gap and get the results going our way." Australia were whitewashed 5-0 away to South Africa last year and Finch said the mounting losses were not helping with confidence. "Whenever you're losing, it's never easy," said the 30-year-old, who struck his eighth ODI ton in Indore. "Winning away from home is what every side strives to achieve and I think whenever you start losing, you can lose a little bit of confidence in yourself and in the way you're playing." Finch was understandably glad to score some runs, especially after going to lengths to convince the team's physiotherapist of his fitness to play. "If (the calf) had have gone again last night, I might have been in a bit of strife," he said. "So it was nice for that to hold up." The fourth ODI is in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Cricket: India showing they are a class above, says Finch

Royal Challengers Bangalore led by India captain Virat Kohli has become the&nbsp;first team to be thrown out of contention for play-offs after a humiliating 61-run defeat against Rising Pune Supergiant in the&nbsp;Indian Premier League today.

Skipper Steven Smith who was embroiled in a long drawn battle with Virat Kohli during Australia&#39;s tour to India finally extracted some &quot;revenge&quot;.

Although the RCB bowlers managed to keep the Pune batsmen under a tight leash restricting them to 157 for three but another shoddy batting performance saw them finish at a dismal 96 for 9 after 20 overs.

While Pune kept themselves in contention with their fifth win in nine games, RCB are practically out of the tournament with their seventh defeat in 10 games and only five points in their kitty.

Pune bowlers rose to the occasion defending a sub-par total with a controlled bowling performance.&nbsp;Imran Tahir was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/18 from four overs, while Lockie Ferguson claimed 2/7 in four overs to claim the Man of the match award.

Jaydev Unadkat, Daniel Christian and Washington Sundar took one wicket each.&nbsp;This is one of the rarest occasions when a team has been bundled out below 100 runs twice in the Indian Premier League.

RCB were shot out for 49 by KKR in an earlier game in the tournament.

Chasing a modest 158, Bangalore just kept losing wickets despite skipper Kohli holding his ground at one end.&nbsp;Apart from Kohli, who came up with an uncharacteristic 48-ball-55, studded with four boundaries and a six, none of the other RCB batsmen could reach the double-digit mark.

Though not in his usual aggressive self, Kohli single-handedly tried his best to bail the team out of trouble but just did not find an able partner at the other end.&nbsp;The highest partnership of just 21 runs tells the dismal saga of a vaunted batting line-up.&nbsp;The visitors were gasping at 48 for five in the 10th over and there was no time when RCB showed any signs of revival. 
Kohli only reduced the margin of defeat with a gritty knock.

Earlier, RCB bowlers dominated the proceedings from the word go after inviting the Pune outfit to take first strike, with left-arm spinner Pawan Negi returning with impressive figures of 1/18 from his 4 overs.

Stuart Binny (1/17) and Samuel Badree (1/31) chipped in with wicket apiece.

Despite losing just three wickets, Pune batsmen could not upped the ante even though the pitch was reasonably batting- friendly.

Skipper Steven Smith top-scored with 32-ball-45 that included five boundaries and a six, while Manoj Tiwary (44 no, 35 balls) and opener Rahul Tripathi (37) also made important contributions. 
However, Pune could bring up 100 runs only in the 14th over.

Even Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who hit a huge six and a boundary during his unbeaten 21 off 17 failed to increase the tempo in the final overs. Dhoni and Tiwary could put up only 46 runs in the last five overs.

Despite three 40-plus partnerships, Pune batsmen simply failed to get going, even as the bowlers maintained a consistent line and length to tightened the noose.

Having lost Ajinkya Rahane (6) early, opener Tripathi and Smith stitched 40 runs for the second wicket, before the skipper joined hands with Tiwary for a 50-run stand for the third wicket. 
Tiwary then couple with Dhoni for an unbroken fourth- wicket partnership of 49.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Royal Challengers Bangalore led by India captain Virat Kohli has become the?first team to be thrown out of contention for play-offs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore led by India captain Virat Kohli has become the first team to be thrown out of contention for play-offs after a humiliating 61-run defeat against Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League today. Skipper Steven Smith who was embroiled in a long drawn battle with Virat Kohli during Australia's tour to India finally extracted some "revenge". Although the RCB bowlers managed to keep the Pune batsmen under a tight leash restricting them to 157 for three but another shoddy batting performance saw them finish at a dismal 96 for 9 after 20 overs. While Pune kept themselves in contention with their fifth win in nine games, RCB are practically out of the tournament with their seventh defeat in 10 games and only five points in their kitty. Pune bowlers rose to the occasion defending a sub-par total with a controlled bowling performance. Imran Tahir was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/18 from four overs, while Lockie Ferguson claimed 2/7 in four overs to claim the Man of the match award. Jaydev Unadkat, Daniel Christian and Washington Sundar took one wicket each. This is one of the rarest occasions when a team has been bundled out below 100 runs twice in the Indian Premier League. RCB were shot out for 49 by KKR in an earlier game in the tournament. Chasing a modest 158, Bangalore just kept losing wickets despite skipper Kohli holding his ground at one end. Apart from Kohli, who came up with an uncharacteristic 48-ball-55, studded with four boundaries and a six, none of the other RCB batsmen could reach the double-digit mark. Though not in his usual aggressive self, Kohli single-handedly tried his best to bail the team out of trouble but just did not find an able partner at the other end. The highest partnership of just 21 runs tells the dismal saga of a vaunted batting line-up. The visitors were gasping at 48 for five in the 10th over and there was no time when RCB showed any signs of revival. Kohli only reduced the margin of defeat with a gritty knock. Earlier, RCB bowlers dominated the proceedings from the word go after inviting the Pune outfit to take first strike, with left-arm spinner Pawan Negi returning with impressive figures of 1/18 from his 4 overs. Stuart Binny (1/17) and Samuel Badree (1/31) chipped in with wicket apiece. Despite losing just three wickets, Pune batsmen could not upped the ante even though the pitch was reasonably batting- friendly. Skipper Steven Smith top-scored with 32-ball-45 that included five boundaries and a six, while Manoj Tiwary (44 no, 35 balls) and opener Rahul Tripathi (37) also made important contributions. However, Pune could bring up 100 runs only in the 14th over. Even Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who hit a huge six and a boundary during his unbeaten 21 off 17 failed to increase the tempo in the final overs. Dhoni and Tiwary could put up only 46 runs in the last five overs. Despite three 40-plus partnerships, Pune batsmen simply failed to get going, even as the bowlers maintained a consistent line and length to tightened the noose. Having lost Ajinkya Rahane (6) early, opener Tripathi and Smith stitched 40 runs for the second wicket, before the skipper joined hands with Tiwary for a 50-run stand for the third wicket. Tiwary then couple with Dhoni for an unbroken fourth- wicket partnership of 49. (PTI)

IPL: Steven Smith's Pune has the last laugh, Kohli's RCB fails again

Robin Uthappa made a mockery of Rising Pune Supergiant&#39;s bowling attack to anchor Kolkata Knight Riders closer towards a play-off berth with a convincing seven-wicket win in an IPL match, here tonight. 
 
The India discard right-hander struck a match-winning 87 off just 47 balls balls and was ably supported by skipper Gautam Gambhir, who made 62 off 46 deliveries, as two-time champions KRR regained their spot in top of the standings with six wins from eight games. 
 
While Uthappa decorated his knock with seven boundaries and six hits over the fence, Gambhir innings was laced with six fours and one six. 
 
The duo stitched 158 runs off just 85 balls for the second wicket to help KKR chase down the 183-run target with 11 balls to spare. 
 
Earlier, Steven Smith led from the front with an unbeaten 51 to lift Pune to a challenging 182 for five. 
 
Smith&#39;s half-century came off 37 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. 
 
Besides Smith, Ajinkya Rahane (46 off 41 balls), Rahul Tripathi (38 off 23), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23 off 11) and Daniel Christian (16 off 6) also made useful contributions for the home team. 
 
Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for KKR with figures of two for 31. 
 
Chasing the target, Sunil Narine (15 off 9 balls) once again got KKR off to a brisk start before he was run out in the third over. 
 
Then Uthappa and Gambhir joined hands and took control off the chase with a bit of luck on their favour. 
 
Uthappa was lucky to have survived a close LBW call when he was yet to open his account and later when Jaydev Unadkat made a mess of a chance at deep midwicket off Imran Tahir&#39;s bowling with the batsman on 12. 
 
The stylish right-hander grabbed the opportunities with both hands and thereafter opened his arms to struck boundaries and sixes at will. 
 
Uthpappa did not spare a single Pune bowler with young Washington Sundar and Unadkat facing the maximum wrath. 
 
Uthappa brought up his half-century in just 26 balls in the 11th over. 
 
Gambhir, on the other hand, was content to play one and twos with occasional boundaries in between. 
 
Gambhir too got a life at the personal score of 32, dropped by Sundar off Daniel Christian&#39;s bowling. 
 
The duo, however, could not finish off the chase as both departed while trying to get over the line as quickly as possible but not before doing the job for their side. 
 
Earlier sent into bat, Pune made a brisk start, courtesy opener Tripathi&#39;s aggressive strokeplay. 
 
Tripathi was at his aggressive best while his experienced partner Rahane played the second fiddle. 
 
Tripahi went about his shots and luck favoured him as he got two reprieves -- first an outside in the fifth delivery of the innings which went just over wicketkeeper Uthappa&#39;s reach and then Yusuf Pathan spilled a chance at long-on in the seventh over while running backwards. 
 
During his stay at the crease Triptahi dealt mainly in boundaries and struck Narine (1/34) for three boundaries to pick up 15 runs in the sixth over. 
 
However, Triptahi&#39;s luck ran out shortly as he under- edged a Piyush Chawla (1/36) googly on to his stumps soon. 
 
Tripathi&#39;s dismissal hardly had any effect on Pune Supergiant&#39;s scoring rate as Rahane and skipper Smith struck a boundary each in every over thereafter. 
 
But Rahane fell four runs short of his second IPL 10 fifty when he was stumped by Uthappa off Narine&#39;s bowling. 
 
Rahane&#39;s wicket brought in Dhoni who made his intentions clear from the onset. 
 
Dhoni struck Chawla to the midwicket boundary in the third ball of the 15th over and then followed it up with a huge hit over long-off boundary off the next ball. 
 
Dhoni continued his onslaught and clobbered Kuldeep Yadav for another six in the next over. 
 
But a brilliant 18th over from Kuldeep Yadav and some fine glove work by Uthappa derailed Pune Supergiant&#39;s surge. 
 
Kuldeep Yadav foxed Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary with two beautiful googlies and Uthappa was quick to whip off the bails to dismiss the batsmen. 
 
Just when it seemed KKR had managed to pull things back, Smith and Christian stepped on the accelerator and accumulated 30 runs off the last two overs, that included consecutive sixes by the latter off Chris Woakes, to take Pune beyond the 180-run mark.

(PTI)

Robin Uthappa struck a match-winning 87 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to the top of the league table

Robin Uthappa made a mockery of Rising Pune Supergiant's bowling attack to anchor Kolkata Knight Riders closer towards a play-off berth with a convincing seven-wicket win in an IPL match, here tonight. The India discard right-hander struck a match-winning 87 off just 47 balls balls and was ably supported by skipper Gautam Gambhir, who made 62 off 46 deliveries, as two-time champions KRR regained their spot in top of the standings with six wins from eight games. While Uthappa decorated his knock with seven boundaries and six hits over the fence, Gambhir innings was laced with six fours and one six. The duo stitched 158 runs off just 85 balls for the second wicket to help KKR chase down the 183-run target with 11 balls to spare. Earlier, Steven Smith led from the front with an unbeaten 51 to lift Pune to a challenging 182 for five. Smith's half-century came off 37 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. Besides Smith, Ajinkya Rahane (46 off 41 balls), Rahul Tripathi (38 off 23), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23 off 11) and Daniel Christian (16 off 6) also made useful contributions for the home team. Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers for KKR with figures of two for 31. Chasing the target, Sunil Narine (15 off 9 balls) once again got KKR off to a brisk start before he was run out in the third over. Then Uthappa and Gambhir joined hands and took control off the chase with a bit of luck on their favour. Uthappa was lucky to have survived a close LBW call when he was yet to open his account and later when Jaydev Unadkat made a mess of a chance at deep midwicket off Imran Tahir's bowling with the batsman on 12. The stylish right-hander grabbed the opportunities with both hands and thereafter opened his arms to struck boundaries and sixes at will. Uthpappa did not spare a single Pune bowler with young Washington Sundar and Unadkat facing the maximum wrath. Uthappa brought up his half-century in just 26 balls in the 11th over. Gambhir, on the other hand, was content to play one and twos with occasional boundaries in between. Gambhir too got a life at the personal score of 32, dropped by Sundar off Daniel Christian's bowling. The duo, however, could not finish off the chase as both departed while trying to get over the line as quickly as possible but not before doing the job for their side. Earlier sent into bat, Pune made a brisk start, courtesy opener Tripathi's aggressive strokeplay. Tripathi was at his aggressive best while his experienced partner Rahane played the second fiddle. Tripahi went about his shots and luck favoured him as he got two reprieves -- first an outside in the fifth delivery of the innings which went just over wicketkeeper Uthappa's reach and then Yusuf Pathan spilled a chance at long-on in the seventh over while running backwards. During his stay at the crease Triptahi dealt mainly in boundaries and struck Narine (1/34) for three boundaries to pick up 15 runs in the sixth over. However, Triptahi's luck ran out shortly as he under- edged a Piyush Chawla (1/36) googly on to his stumps soon. Tripathi's dismissal hardly had any effect on Pune Supergiant's scoring rate as Rahane and skipper Smith struck a boundary each in every over thereafter. But Rahane fell four runs short of his second IPL 10 fifty when he was stumped by Uthappa off Narine's bowling. Rahane's wicket brought in Dhoni who made his intentions clear from the onset. Dhoni struck Chawla to the midwicket boundary in the third ball of the 15th over and then followed it up with a huge hit over long-off boundary off the next ball. Dhoni continued his onslaught and clobbered Kuldeep Yadav for another six in the next over. But a brilliant 18th over from Kuldeep Yadav and some fine glove work by Uthappa derailed Pune Supergiant's surge. Kuldeep Yadav foxed Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary with two beautiful googlies and Uthappa was quick to whip off the bails to dismiss the batsmen. Just when it seemed KKR had managed to pull things back, Smith and Christian stepped on the accelerator and accumulated 30 runs off the last two overs, that included consecutive sixes by the latter off Chris Woakes, to take Pune beyond the 180-run mark. (PTI)

IPL: Kolkata's Uthappa blitz pummels Pune bowlers into submission

A day after the Australian tabloid the Daily Telegraph called Virat Kohli the &quot;Donald Trump of world sport&quot;, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan came to the cricketer&#39;s defence. .

&quot;... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT,&quot; Bachchan tweeted.&nbsp;

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T 2471 - Aussi media calls Virat, Donald Trump of sports !! ... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT !! <a href="https://t.co/ZOoNtuhtC2">pic.twitter.com/ZOoNtuhtC2</a>
&mdash; Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/844266813961596929">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Virat Kohli has become the Donald Trump of world sport,&quot;&nbsp;the Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph had said on Tuesday.

&quot;The Indian captain is a law unto himself with no one &ndash; not even the ICC or his own board &ndash; holding him accountable for his continual perpetuation of fake news,&quot; it added.&nbsp;

The newspaper had taken umbrage to Kohli accusing the Australian captain Steve Smith of mocking him after he was given out.&nbsp;

Kohli said Smith clutched his shoulder when he (Kohli) was given out.

Kohli had hurt his shoulder earlier.

The Telegraph went on to say &quot;television footage clearly showed it was a teammate&rsquo;s hand on Smith&rsquo;s shoulder as players embraced to celebrate the fall of Kohli&rsquo;s wicket.&quot;

There often tends to be bad blood between Australia and India but thankfully, cooler heads prevail too.&nbsp;

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Friends in Australia tell me they are perturbed by the toxicity this series has generated. Cricket lovers in India saying so too.
&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/844055451247427584">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful.
&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/844055698929467392">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I am particularly perturbed by the fact that some of us in the media are promoting this divisiveness and taking sides to spread ill-will.
&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/844056018292105216">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had this to say: &quot;If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful.&quot; &nbsp;

Plus, it might also help to remember the Daily Telegraph is a tabloid.&nbsp;

(WION)

'... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT,' Bachchan tweeted

A day after the Australian tabloid the Daily Telegraph called Virat Kohli the "Donald Trump of world sport", Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan came to the cricketer's defence. . "... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT," Bachchan tweeted. T 2471 - Aussi media calls Virat, Donald Trump of sports !! ... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT !! pic.twitter.com/ZOoNtuhtC2 — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) March 21, 2017 × "Virat Kohli has become the Donald Trump of world sport," the Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph had said on Tuesday. "The Indian captain is a law unto himself with no one – not even the ICC or his own board – holding him accountable for his continual perpetuation of fake news," it added. The newspaper had taken umbrage to Kohli accusing the Australian captain Steve Smith of mocking him after he was given out. Kohli said Smith clutched his shoulder when he (Kohli) was given out. Kohli had hurt his shoulder earlier. The Telegraph went on to say "television footage clearly showed it was a teammate’s hand on Smith’s shoulder as players embraced to celebrate the fall of Kohli’s wicket." There often tends to be bad blood between Australia and India but thankfully, cooler heads prevail too. Friends in Australia tell me they are perturbed by the toxicity this series has generated. Cricket lovers in India saying so too. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 21, 2017 × If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 21, 2017 × I am particularly perturbed by the fact that some of us in the media are promoting this divisiveness and taking sides to spread ill-will. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 21, 2017 × Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had this to say: "If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful." Plus, it might also help to remember the Daily Telegraph is a tabloid. (WION)

Bachchan to rescue after Oz tabloid calls Virat 'Trump of world sport'

Resolute rearguard action by Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh helped Australia escape with a remarkable draw against India on the final day of the third test on Monday.

Having conceded a 152-run first innings lead, the tourists were reeling when skipper Steve Smith departed, leaving his team at 63-4 with more than two sessions to go and the hosts confident of a win.

But Handscomb and Marsh battled on through the entire second session to first erase the deficit and then ensure Australia were safe by the time they were separated.

Handscomb made 72 not out, his third test fifty, to help Australia finish on 204 for six before the players shook hands.

Marsh made 53, the duo frustrating India for nearly four hours with a dour 124-run stand to shatter the hosts&#39; chances of going 2-1 up in the four-test series.

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India, buoyant after making 603 in their first innings and with Ravindra Jadeja having taken a couple of late wickets the previous evening, came out hard at the Australians in the morning.

Overnight batsmen Smith and Matt Renshaw resumed with Australia on 23 for two and denied the hosts for about 21 overs before falling in quick succession.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja relentlessly attacked the rough outside Renshaw&#39;s off-stump, while Ishant Sharma bowled to Smith with a seven-two off-side field.

Pumped up after an altercation with Renshaw, Sharma earned the breakthrough for India when he trapped the opener leg-before for 15 with a fuller delivery.

A bigger blow awaited Australia in the next over when Jadeja, who claimed nine wickets in the match to go with an unbeaten fifty with the bat, spun one past Smith&#39;s advancing pad and uprooted the off-stump. Smith managed 21.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann had asked his team on Sunday to learn from the focus and application shown by India&#39;s Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha whose 199-run partnership gave the hosts their commanding position.

Handscomb and Marsh certainly did, thwarting the Indian bowlers for 62 overs on a fifth day wicket at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium.

Ravichandran Ashwin nearly got Marsh stumped in the final session, while Handscomb survived a review after being hit on the pad by a ball that, replays suggested, would have hit the top of the middle stump.

Jadeja eventually dismissed Marsh and Ashwin sent back Glenn Maxwell but Australia were safe by then.

The teams now move to Dharamsala for the final match from Saturday.

(Reuters)

Resolute rearguard action by Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh carried the Australians to safety

Resolute rearguard action by Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh helped Australia escape with a remarkable draw against India on the final day of the third test on Monday. Having conceded a 152-run first innings lead, the tourists were reeling when skipper Steve Smith departed, leaving his team at 63-4 with more than two sessions to go and the hosts confident of a win. But Handscomb and Marsh battled on through the entire second session to first erase the deficit and then ensure Australia were safe by the time they were separated. Handscomb made 72 not out, his third test fifty, to help Australia finish on 204 for six before the players shook hands. Marsh made 53, the duo frustrating India for nearly four hours with a dour 124-run stand to shatter the hosts' chances of going 2-1 up in the four-test series. Having conceded a 152-run first innings lead, the tourists were reeling when skipper Steve Smith departed, leaving his team at 63-4 with more than two sessions to go and the hosts confident of a win × India, buoyant after making 603 in their first innings and with Ravindra Jadeja having taken a couple of late wickets the previous evening, came out hard at the Australians in the morning. Overnight batsmen Smith and Matt Renshaw resumed with Australia on 23 for two and denied the hosts for about 21 overs before falling in quick succession. Left-arm spinner Jadeja relentlessly attacked the rough outside Renshaw's off-stump, while Ishant Sharma bowled to Smith with a seven-two off-side field. Pumped up after an altercation with Renshaw, Sharma earned the breakthrough for India when he trapped the opener leg-before for 15 with a fuller delivery. A bigger blow awaited Australia in the next over when Jadeja, who claimed nine wickets in the match to go with an unbeaten fifty with the bat, spun one past Smith's advancing pad and uprooted the off-stump. Smith managed 21. Australia coach Darren Lehmann had asked his team on Sunday to learn from the focus and application shown by India's Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha whose 199-run partnership gave the hosts their commanding position. Handscomb and Marsh certainly did, thwarting the Indian bowlers for 62 overs on a fifth day wicket at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium. Ravichandran Ashwin nearly got Marsh stumped in the final session, while Handscomb survived a review after being hit on the pad by a ball that, replays suggested, would have hit the top of the middle stump. Jadeja eventually dismissed Marsh and Ashwin sent back Glenn Maxwell but Australia were safe by then. The teams now move to Dharamsala for the final match from Saturday. (Reuters)

Ranchi Test ends, Australia escape with draw

Under-fire skipper Steve Smith cracked a gritty century as he combined with the recalled Glenn Maxwell to give Australia the opening day honours in the third Test against India in Ranchi Thursday.

The visitors were 299 for four at stumps after electing to bat first in their 800th Test at a venue which is hosting its first ever five-day international, with Smith unbeaten on 117 and Maxwell on 82.

Smith, at the centre of a major row after being accused by India of systematically abusing the decision review system (DRS) in the last Test, put on 159 runs with Maxwell to lift Australia from 140-4.

Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav claimed two wickets while spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took one each.
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The 27-year-old Smith&nbsp;brought up his 19th Test century with a boundary off Murali Vijay, raising his bat to the acknowledge the generous applause of the home crowd.

Smith, who crossed the 5,000-run mark in his 52nd Test, became the first Australian captain to score two hundreds in a series in India. He hit 109 in the opener in Pune.

West Indies&#39; Clive Lloyd (1974-75 and 1983-84) and England&#39;s Alastair Cook (2012-13) are the only other international captains to have scored two or more centuries during a series in India.

At the other end Maxwell, who was drafted into the XI in place of injured Mitchell Marsh, changed gears after reaching his fifty with a six off Ravindra Jadeja.

Maxwell, playing his fourth Test, smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes as he took the attack to the opposition in the final session of play.&nbsp;

The stand between Smith and Maxwell is Australia&#39;s best for the fifth wicket in India, surpassing the 145-run partnership between Michael Clarke and Matthew Wade during the second Test of the 2013 series.

Meanwhile India skipper Virat Kohli injured his right shoulder while fielding and went off the field in the 40th over, leaving Ajinkya Rahane to lead the side for the rest of the day.

Kohli fell&nbsp;awkwardly while trying to save a boundary at long-on and instantly left the field while clutching his shoulder. He was seen putting on ice packs in the dressing room.

Earlier Smith, who hit 13 boundaries in an otherwise sedate knock, put on 51 runs for the fourth wicket with Peter Handscomb (19) after Australia lost three wickets in the morning.

Opening batsman Matt Renshaw (44) gave the visitors a brisk start before undoing his hard work by edging a wide Yadav delivery, with Kohli taking the catch at first slip.

Renshaw and David Warner had put on 50 runs for the opening wicket before left-arm spinner Jadeja struck in his first over to get Warner (19) trudging back to the pavilion.

The four-match series is tantalisingly poised at 1-1 with India needing at least a draw to have any chance of winning back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

(AFP)
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Skipper Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell have put on an unbeaten 159-run stand for the fifth wicket

Under-fire skipper Steve Smith cracked a gritty century as he combined with the recalled Glenn Maxwell to give Australia the opening day honours in the third Test against India in Ranchi Thursday. The visitors were 299 for four at stumps after electing to bat first in their 800th Test at a venue which is hosting its first ever five-day international, with Smith unbeaten on 117 and Maxwell on 82. Smith, at the centre of a major row after being accused by India of systematically abusing the decision review system (DRS) in the last Test, put on 159 runs with Maxwell to lift Australia from 140-4. Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav claimed two wickets while spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took one each. The 27-year-old Smith brought up his 19th Test century with a boundary off Murali Vijay, raising his bat to the acknowledge the generous applause of the home crowd. Smith, who crossed the 5,000-run mark in his 52nd Test, became the first Australian captain to score two hundreds in a series in India. He hit 109 in the opener in Pune. West Indies' Clive Lloyd (1974-75 and 1983-84) and England's Alastair Cook (2012-13) are the only other international captains to have scored two or more centuries during a series in India. At the other end Maxwell, who was drafted into the XI in place of injured Mitchell Marsh, changed gears after reaching his fifty with a six off Ravindra Jadeja. Maxwell, playing his fourth Test, smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes as he took the attack to the opposition in the final session of play. The stand between Smith and Maxwell is Australia's best for the fifth wicket in India, surpassing the 145-run partnership between Michael Clarke and Matthew Wade during the second Test of the 2013 series. Meanwhile India skipper Virat Kohli injured his right shoulder while fielding and went off the field in the 40th over, leaving Ajinkya Rahane to lead the side for the rest of the day. Kohli fell awkwardly while trying to save a boundary at long-on and instantly left the field while clutching his shoulder. He was seen putting on ice packs in the dressing room. Earlier Smith, who hit 13 boundaries in an otherwise sedate knock, put on 51 runs for the fourth wicket with Peter Handscomb (19) after Australia lost three wickets in the morning. Opening batsman Matt Renshaw (44) gave the visitors a brisk start before undoing his hard work by edging a wide Yadav delivery, with Kohli taking the catch at first slip. Renshaw and David Warner had put on 50 runs for the opening wicket before left-arm spinner Jadeja struck in his first over to get Warner (19) trudging back to the pavilion. The four-match series is tantalisingly poised at 1-1 with India needing at least a draw to have any chance of winning back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. (AFP)

Smith, Maxwell unbeaten partnership nullifies Indian attack

Cricket&#39;s governing body said Wednesday they would bring together the captains of India and Australia to clear the air after the dramatic second Test was marred by accusations of cheating.

The International Cricket Council said &quot;no further action&quot; would be taken against the skippers in the wake of India&#39;s 75-run victory over Australia in Bangalore earlier this week that was overshadowed by a spiralling war of words.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli`s accused Steve Smith of abusing the decision review system (DRS) after he was seen looking to the Australian dressing-room while considering appealing against his dismissal for lbw.

The rules forbid players from consulting with anyone off the pitch about whether to seek a review from the umpires.

Smith admitted he had been at fault but put it down to a one-off &quot;brain-fade&quot; but an angry Kohli said it was far from an isolated incident, suggesting it had been happening for the entire Test.

The ICC said neither skipper had violated the council`s code of conduct but the match referee would bring both captains together ahead of the next Test &quot;to remind them of their responsibilities to the game&quot;.

&quot;We have just witnessed a magnificent game of Test cricket where players from both teams gave their all and emotions were running high during and after the match,&quot; ICC chief executive David Richardson said in a statement.

&quot;We would encourage both teams to focus their energies on the third Test in Ranchi next week.&quot;

India won the Test after Australia crashed to 112 all out on the fourth-day, bringing the world`s top-two sides into a 1-1 draw in the four-match series. 
 
(AFP)

BCCI had asked the International Cricket Council to probe the cheating allegations against the Australian skipper

Cricket's governing body said Wednesday they would bring together the captains of India and Australia to clear the air after the dramatic second Test was marred by accusations of cheating. The International Cricket Council said "no further action" would be taken against the skippers in the wake of India's 75-run victory over Australia in Bangalore earlier this week that was overshadowed by a spiralling war of words. Indian skipper Virat Kohli`s accused Steve Smith of abusing the decision review system (DRS) after he was seen looking to the Australian dressing-room while considering appealing against his dismissal for lbw. The rules forbid players from consulting with anyone off the pitch about whether to seek a review from the umpires. Smith admitted he had been at fault but put it down to a one-off "brain-fade" but an angry Kohli said it was far from an isolated incident, suggesting it had been happening for the entire Test. The ICC said neither skipper had violated the council`s code of conduct but the match referee would bring both captains together ahead of the next Test "to remind them of their responsibilities to the game". "We have just witnessed a magnificent game of Test cricket where players from both teams gave their all and emotions were running high during and after the match," ICC chief executive David Richardson said in a statement. "We would encourage both teams to focus their energies on the third Test in Ranchi next week." India won the Test after Australia crashed to 112 all out on the fourth-day, bringing the world`s top-two sides into a 1-1 draw in the four-match series. (AFP)

No action against Virat Kohli, Steve Smith in DRS row: ICC

Australia beat India by 333 runs on Saturday in an outstanding victory that ended the hosts&#39; winning streak of 19 Tests in the opening match of the series in Pune.

Chasing a daunting 441, the world&#39;s top side crashed to 107 all out early in the final session after left-arm spinner Steve O&#39;Keefe&#39;s match haul of 12 wickets, handing number-two ranked Australia the upset win inside three days.

O&#39;Keefe&#39;s heroics enabled Australia to register their first Test win on Indian soil since 2004 as they took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

The visitors last won a Test at Nagpur in October 2004, clinching the four-match series 2-1 under the then captain Ricky Ponting.

Second-ranked Australia also registered their first win in Asia after nine losses including their 3-0 thrashing in Sri Lanka last year.

Australia skipper Steve Smith rated the win as &quot;right up there&quot;, saying: &quot;Coming to India, we haven&#39;t won a game here 4502 days. I have been told those facts.&quot;

&quot;So it&#39;s been an incredibly long time...You know it&#39;s a great challenge and in this game the boys were up to the challenge,&quot; Smith told reporters.

The 32-year-old returned with impressive figures of 6-35 as he got good support from off spinner Nathan Lyon, who bagged six wickets at India&#39;s newest Test venue.

Lyon got the final wicket of Jayant Yadav (55) as the second-ranked Australian side got into a celebratory huddle.

O&#39;Keefe made India falter twice on a turning track as another 6-35 in the first innings saw the hosts bundle out for 105.

&quot;O&#39;Keefe was outstanding. We&#39;ve got some good players (batsmen) of spin and good spinners,&quot; said Smith.

A wily O&#39;Keefe got the big wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli as he bowled the star batsman for 13, stunning the home crowd into silence.

It was a rare failure for Kohli, who was out for a duck in the first innings, after scoring double hundreds in four successive series since July.

&quot;They exploited it (the pitch) better than us. They put us under pressure throughout and deserved to win this game,&quot; said Kohli.

&quot;We&#39;ve had two really bad sessions and to pull it back against a quality side is very difficult. No excuses.&quot;

&#39;A bit of luck&#39;&nbsp;

Earlier on Saturday Australian skipper Steve Smith struck his first century in India before the visitors were bowled out for 285 in an extended morning session.

Smith made 109 to compound India&#39;s misery after O&#39;Keefe had put the visitors on top on day two at Pune&#39;s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

&quot;Rode my luck throughout the innings. Had a few lives but you need a bit of luck on a wicket like that and. I was pleased with myself to score a second innings hundred in India,&quot; said Smith.

Mitchell Starc also played a big part after scoring 61 in Australia&#39;s first innings of 260 after the visitors won a crucial toss.

Starc then took two wickets in India&#39;s first essay, getting Kohli out for nought. Starc also hit a breezy 30 in the second innings.

Young opener Matt Renshaw&#39;s gritty 68 on day one also signalled Australia&#39;s intent of putting up a show on India&#39;s home turf.

The 20-year-old Renshaw fought an upset stomach to score crucial runs in challenging conditions.&nbsp;

The teams now head to Bangalore for the second Test starting March 4. The final two games are scheduled in Ranchi and Dharamsala.

(AFP)

O'Keefe's 12-wicket haul ended India's 19-match unbeaten streak in the first Test of the four-match series

Australia beat India by 333 runs on Saturday in an outstanding victory that ended the hosts' winning streak of 19 Tests in the opening match of the series in Pune. Chasing a daunting 441, the world's top side crashed to 107 all out early in the final session after left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe's match haul of 12 wickets, handing number-two ranked Australia the upset win inside three days. O'Keefe's heroics enabled Australia to register their first Test win on Indian soil since 2004 as they took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The visitors last won a Test at Nagpur in October 2004, clinching the four-match series 2-1 under the then captain Ricky Ponting. Second-ranked Australia also registered their first win in Asia after nine losses including their 3-0 thrashing in Sri Lanka last year. Australia skipper Steve Smith rated the win as "right up there", saying: "Coming to India, we haven't won a game here 4502 days. I have been told those facts." "So it's been an incredibly long time...You know it's a great challenge and in this game the boys were up to the challenge," Smith told reporters. The 32-year-old returned with impressive figures of 6-35 as he got good support from off spinner Nathan Lyon, who bagged six wickets at India's newest Test venue. Lyon got the final wicket of Jayant Yadav (55) as the second-ranked Australian side got into a celebratory huddle. O'Keefe made India falter twice on a turning track as another 6-35 in the first innings saw the hosts bundle out for 105. "O'Keefe was outstanding. We've got some good players (batsmen) of spin and good spinners," said Smith. A wily O'Keefe got the big wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli as he bowled the star batsman for 13, stunning the home crowd into silence. It was a rare failure for Kohli, who was out for a duck in the first innings, after scoring double hundreds in four successive series since July. "They exploited it (the pitch) better than us. They put us under pressure throughout and deserved to win this game," said Kohli. "We've had two really bad sessions and to pull it back against a quality side is very difficult. No excuses." 'A bit of luck' Earlier on Saturday Australian skipper Steve Smith struck his first century in India before the visitors were bowled out for 285 in an extended morning session. Smith made 109 to compound India's misery after O'Keefe had put the visitors on top on day two at Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. "Rode my luck throughout the innings. Had a few lives but you need a bit of luck on a wicket like that and. I was pleased with myself to score a second innings hundred in India," said Smith. Mitchell Starc also played a big part after scoring 61 in Australia's first innings of 260 after the visitors won a crucial toss. Starc then took two wickets in India's first essay, getting Kohli out for nought. Starc also hit a breezy 30 in the second innings. Young opener Matt Renshaw's gritty 68 on day one also signalled Australia's intent of putting up a show on India's home turf. The 20-year-old Renshaw fought an upset stomach to score crucial runs in challenging conditions. The teams now head to Bangalore for the second Test starting March 4. The final two games are scheduled in Ranchi and Dharamsala. (AFP)

O'Keefe, Lyon spin web around India to help Australia win big

Australia skipper Steve Smith will replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the Rising Pune Supergiants captain in this year&#39;s Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise said on Sunday.

Former India captain Dhoni led the now-suspended Chennai franchise to Twenty20 league title victories in 2010 and 2011 but under his captaincy Pune finished second last in their maiden IPL season last year.

&quot;I have the highest regard for MS Dhoni as a leader and a person. Dhoni will continue to be an important part of our team,&quot; Pune franchisee owner Sanjiv Goenka said in a statement.

&quot;He is supportive of the decision keeping the franchisee&#39;s best interests in mind.&quot;

Dhoni, who quit test cricket in 2014, stepped down as India&#39;s limited-overs captain last month, having led the team to World Cup triumphs in both the 20-overs and 50-overs format.

Smith&#39;s Australia team mate and fast bowler Mitchell Starc has pulled out of this year&#39;s IPL which begins on April 5.

&quot;After a long summer and with a big tour of India still ahead I think it is in my best interests, both physically and mentally, for me to have a break, spend time with my family and take the opportunity to work on getting back to full fitness,&quot; Starc said.

(Reuters)

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has pulled out of this season's lucrative Indian Premier League

Australia skipper Steve Smith will replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the Rising Pune Supergiants captain in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise said on Sunday. Former India captain Dhoni led the now-suspended Chennai franchise to Twenty20 league title victories in 2010 and 2011 but under his captaincy Pune finished second last in their maiden IPL season last year. "I have the highest regard for MS Dhoni as a leader and a person. Dhoni will continue to be an important part of our team," Pune franchisee owner Sanjiv Goenka said in a statement. "He is supportive of the decision keeping the franchisee's best interests in mind." Dhoni, who quit test cricket in 2014, stepped down as India's limited-overs captain last month, having led the team to World Cup triumphs in both the 20-overs and 50-overs format. Smith's Australia team mate and fast bowler Mitchell Starc has pulled out of this year's IPL which begins on April 5. "After a long summer and with a big tour of India still ahead I think it is in my best interests, both physically and mentally, for me to have a break, spend time with my family and take the opportunity to work on getting back to full fitness," Starc said. (Reuters)

IPL: Steve Smith replaces Dhoni as Pune skipper

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