With an unassailable 2-0 lead, dominant Indian cricket team will be eyeing the five-game ODI series, as the hosts will lock horns with visitors Australia in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/dhoni-pavilion-to-be-inaugurated-tomorrow-ms-dhoni-refuses-to-inaugurate-201744">third ODI in MS Dhoni's hometown, Ranchi</a>, on Friday.

The Men In Blue, who lost the T20 series, won the first two ODIs held in Hyderabad and Nagpur, respectively.

However, Virat Kohli led side are facing some concerning issues with their top-order batting, considering the 2019 World Cup which is now just two months away.&nbsp;

Opener Shikhar Dhawan's poor run of form, in particular, has affected India's starts of late. To put things in perspective, Dhawan has scored only two half-centuries in the last 15 ODIs.

However, the hosts are unlikely to experiment with the winning combination in the third game also.&nbsp;

KL Rahul, who has found his form, may have to wait till India clinch the series, but the team management could well try him out at number three.

The two victories - by six wickets and eight runs - weren't exactly convincing but pulling off close matches under pressure will certainly add to team's confidence.&nbsp;

On the other hand, India's bowling has been flawless as Australia failed to reach 250 in both games. &nbsp;

Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and last game's hero Vijay Shankar have proved their worth. Considering the exposure he needs to be included in the World Cup playing XI, Shankar might be given the following three games also. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, Vice-captain and opener Rohit Sharma looked good in the first game but didn't do much damage in the next.&nbsp;

Kedar Jadhav and Dhoni shepherded India in the first match and didn't trouble the scorers in the second game.&nbsp;

Ambati Rayudu, whose only significant knock was the 90 against New Zealand in the last away series, has also been inconsistent and can be replaced by Rahul.

Australia, on the other hand, would do everthing to keep the series alive by playing their best in Friday's must-win fixture.

Australia have majorly fell behind India in run-making was the number of singles they took. The side is finding it difficult to keep the strike rotating.&nbsp;

Aaron Finch broke his batting rut, Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb looked impressive, and Marcus Stoinis essayed the finisher's role to near perfection in the second ODI. They would be expected to keep their momentum going. 
&nbsp; 
Probable Squads:

India: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rishabh Pant.

Australia: Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Lyon, Jason Behrendorff.

With an unassailable 2-0 lead, dominant Indian cricket team will be eyeing the five-game ODI series, as the hosts will lock horns with visitors Australia in the third ODI in MS Dhoni's hometown, Ranchi, on Friday.

With an unassailable 2-0 lead, dominant Indian cricket team will be eyeing the five-game ODI series, as the hosts will lock horns with visitors Australia in the third ODI in MS Dhoni's hometown, Ranchi, on Friday. The Men In Blue, who lost the T20 series, won the first two ODIs held in Hyderabad and Nagpur, respectively. However, Virat Kohli led side are facing some concerning issues with their top-order batting, considering the 2019 World Cup which is now just two months away. Opener Shikhar Dhawan's poor run of form, in particular, has affected India's starts of late. To put things in perspective, Dhawan has scored only two half-centuries in the last 15 ODIs. However, the hosts are unlikely to experiment with the winning combination in the third game also. KL Rahul, who has found his form, may have to wait till India clinch the series, but the team management could well try him out at number three. The two victories - by six wickets and eight runs - weren't exactly convincing but pulling off close matches under pressure will certainly add to team's confidence. On the other hand, India's bowling has been flawless as Australia failed to reach 250 in both games. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and last game's hero Vijay Shankar have proved their worth. Considering the exposure he needs to be included in the World Cup playing XI, Shankar might be given the following three games also. Meanwhile, Vice-captain and opener Rohit Sharma looked good in the first game but didn't do much damage in the next. Kedar Jadhav and Dhoni shepherded India in the first match and didn't trouble the scorers in the second game. Ambati Rayudu, whose only significant knock was the 90 against New Zealand in the last away series, has also been inconsistent and can be replaced by Rahul. Australia, on the other hand, would do everthing to keep the series alive by playing their best in Friday's must-win fixture. Australia have majorly fell behind India in run-making was the number of singles they took. The side is finding it difficult to keep the strike rotating. Aaron Finch broke his batting rut, Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb looked impressive, and Marcus Stoinis essayed the finisher's role to near perfection in the second ODI. They would be expected to keep their momentum going. Probable Squads: India: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rishabh Pant. Australia: Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Lyon, Jason Behrendorff.

3rd ODI: India eye series win against Australia in Dhoni's hometown Ranchi

It wasn't over till the last over: Major takeaways from 2nd India-Australia ODI

India beat Australia by eight runs in the second one-day international in Nagpur to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.&nbsp;

All-rounder Vijay Shankar picked two wickets in the final over to bowl out Australia for 242 after India made 250 off their 50 overs.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
What a game in Nagpur! 
 
India edge to victory by eight runs, with Australia bowled out for 242. Marcus Stoinis (52) threatened to take the game away from the home side, but some strong bowling at the death sees India go 2-0 up. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> SCORECARD ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/pNkv2db4Mg">https://t.co/pNkv2db4Mg</a> <a href="https://t.co/236W0cyXDK">pic.twitter.com/236W0cyXDK</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1102963629702463493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Australians needed 11 runs from the last over with two wickets in hand but Shankar, playing only his sixth ODI, kept his nerves to pick a wicket off his first and third balls in the day-night game in Nagpur.

Skipper Virat Kohli, who struck 116 in India's modest total of 250, asked Shankar to bowl the final over ahead of the regular Kuldeep Yadav, and he was rewarded amply for his move.

The Aussies were bowled out for 242 off 40.3 overs with Marcus Stoinis top-scoring with 52. &nbsp;

It was the 500th win in one-day internationals for India.

The visitors were off to a steady start with openers Aaron Finch (37) and Usman Khawaja (38) putting on 83 runs before being dismissed in successive overs.

Glenn Maxwell (18) saw his stumps being uprooted after a ball from Kuldeep Yadav sneaked from under his bat.

But it was the run-out of Peter Handscomb who looked set for a big score that hurt the visitors hard.

Handscomb, who made 48 off 59 balls, tried to take a risky single but Ravindra Jadeja made no mistake in hitting the stumps.

A double-strike by Jasprit Bumrah (2-29) turned the game around for the Indians who ensured there was no let-up in the pressure on the visitors.

Earlier Kohli smashed his 40th century on a challenging pitch that seemed to aid bowlers.

Kohli hit 10 fours in his 120-ball knock and held anchor after Australian captain &nbsp;Finch had elected to bat.

The Indians got off to a rocky start, losing openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (21) early in the innings.

Sharma (0) top-edged off Adam Zampa and Dhawan (21) was given out leg before wicket after Australia's appeal was upheld on review.

India had no such luck as Ambati Rayudu's decision to appeal against the on-field umpire's lbw decision was turned down, the hosts reduced to a shaky 75-3.

Kohli, the world's top-ranked ODI batsman, went for the counter-attack, hitting two fours off the last two balls of the 18th over by Zampa to underline his top form.

The 30-year-old skipper timed his innings perfectly, stitching a 81-run partnership with Shankar, who impressed during his 41-ball 46 before being run out by Zampa.

Zampa struck again soon after, dismissing Kedar Jadhav (11) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (0) off successive balls to stun the home crowd into silence.

But Kohli looked unfettered at the other end, reaching his 40th ODI century with a four over backward point.&nbsp;

The flamboyant captain removed his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd and the dressing room.

Kohli's innings ended when he holed a simple catch to Stoinis off Pat Cummins who picked up four late wickets.

India beat Australia by eight runs in the second one-day international in Nagpur to go 2-0 up in the five-match series. All-rounder Vijay Shankar picked two wickets in the final over to bowl out Australia for 242 after India made 250 off their 50 overs.

India beat Australia by eight runs in the second one-day international in Nagpur to go 2-0 up in the five-match series. All-rounder Vijay Shankar picked two wickets in the final over to bowl out Australia for 242 after India made 250 off their 50 overs. What a game in Nagpur! India edge to victory by eight runs, with Australia bowled out for 242. Marcus Stoinis (52) threatened to take the game away from the home side, but some strong bowling at the death sees India go 2-0 up. #INDvAUS SCORECARD ➡️ https://t.co/pNkv2db4Mg pic.twitter.com/236W0cyXDK — ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2019 × The Australians needed 11 runs from the last over with two wickets in hand but Shankar, playing only his sixth ODI, kept his nerves to pick a wicket off his first and third balls in the day-night game in Nagpur. Skipper Virat Kohli, who struck 116 in India's modest total of 250, asked Shankar to bowl the final over ahead of the regular Kuldeep Yadav, and he was rewarded amply for his move. The Aussies were bowled out for 242 off 40.3 overs with Marcus Stoinis top-scoring with 52. It was the 500th win in one-day internationals for India. The visitors were off to a steady start with openers Aaron Finch (37) and Usman Khawaja (38) putting on 83 runs before being dismissed in successive overs. Glenn Maxwell (18) saw his stumps being uprooted after a ball from Kuldeep Yadav sneaked from under his bat. But it was the run-out of Peter Handscomb who looked set for a big score that hurt the visitors hard. Handscomb, who made 48 off 59 balls, tried to take a risky single but Ravindra Jadeja made no mistake in hitting the stumps. A double-strike by Jasprit Bumrah (2-29) turned the game around for the Indians who ensured there was no let-up in the pressure on the visitors. Earlier Kohli smashed his 40th century on a challenging pitch that seemed to aid bowlers. Kohli hit 10 fours in his 120-ball knock and held anchor after Australian captain Finch had elected to bat. The Indians got off to a rocky start, losing openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (21) early in the innings. Sharma (0) top-edged off Adam Zampa and Dhawan (21) was given out leg before wicket after Australia's appeal was upheld on review. India had no such luck as Ambati Rayudu's decision to appeal against the on-field umpire's lbw decision was turned down, the hosts reduced to a shaky 75-3. Kohli, the world's top-ranked ODI batsman, went for the counter-attack, hitting two fours off the last two balls of the 18th over by Zampa to underline his top form. The 30-year-old skipper timed his innings perfectly, stitching a 81-run partnership with Shankar, who impressed during his 41-ball 46 before being run out by Zampa. Zampa struck again soon after, dismissing Kedar Jadhav (11) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (0) off successive balls to stun the home crowd into silence. But Kohli looked unfettered at the other end, reaching his 40th ODI century with a four over backward point. The flamboyant captain removed his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd and the dressing room. Kohli's innings ended when he holed a simple catch to Stoinis off Pat Cummins who picked up four late wickets.

Vijay Shankar shines with both bat & ball as India beat Australia in 2nd ODI

Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit his career's 40th One-Day International century in the second match of a five-match series at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.&nbsp;

"Men in Blue" were all out for 250 runs in 48.2 overs and the team scored 248 runs with Kohli on the pitch and just two runs without him.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli, who came at number three, smashed 10 fours in his 120-ball knock.&nbsp;

Virat is currently at number second position of all time in on the list of most ODI hundred behind India's Sachin Tendulkar. He is nine centuries away from Sachin's overall ODI centuries record of 49.&nbsp;

Against Australia, it's is Kohli's seventh ODI century. Rohit Sharma also has seven tons in his name against Australia while Sachin has scored nine.&nbsp;

After completing the century with a four over backward point, Kohli removed his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd and the dressing room. &nbsp;

Team India got off to a rocky start, losing openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (21) early in the innings but Kohli looked unfettered at the other end.&nbsp;

Kohli's innings ended when he holed a simple catch to Marcus Stoinis off Pat Cummins who picked up four late wickets.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit his career's 40th One-Day International century in the second match of a five-match series at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit his career's 40th One-Day International century in the second match of a five-match series at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. "Men in Blue" were all out for 250 runs in 48.2 overs and the team scored 248 runs with Kohli on the pitch and just two runs without him. Virat Kohli, who came at number three, smashed 10 fours in his 120-ball knock. Virat is currently at number second position of all time in on the list of most ODI hundred behind India's Sachin Tendulkar. He is nine centuries away from Sachin's overall ODI centuries record of 49. Against Australia, it's is Kohli's seventh ODI century. Rohit Sharma also has seven tons in his name against Australia while Sachin has scored nine. After completing the century with a four over backward point, Kohli removed his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd and the dressing room. Team India got off to a rocky start, losing openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (21) early in the innings but Kohli looked unfettered at the other end. Kohli's innings ended when he holed a simple catch to Marcus Stoinis off Pat Cummins who picked up four late wickets.

Virat Kohli hits ton in 2nd ODI against Australia

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli took a lot of preventive measures to keep their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-virushka-from-the-wedding-ceremony-26503">wedding in Tuscany</a> hidden from the public eye.&nbsp;

As the actress continues to do good business in lieu of her films at the box office and is seen happy both professionally and personally, she revealed in a new magazine interview that they kept pseudo-names while speaking to the wedding organisers and others, so as to keep it from coming out in the open.&nbsp;

She also spoke about her current state of affairs and told Vogue: “I’m in this space where I feel very peaceful, comfortable, self-assured and, I guess, really in touch with myself 100%. It’s something I’ve been working towards since the very beginning. All the decisions I’ve taken leading up to now have always been keeping that in mind. I base my decisions on what makes me more peaceful, and nothing else. If something makes me anxious and uncomfortable, I won’t do it, even if it’s something that I know I must do.”

On her wedding, she said, “We wanted to have a home-style wedding. There were only 42 people there, with all our friends and family present. I wanted it to be about Virat and me marrying each other, and not this big celebrity wedding. The energy at our wedding was blessed.”

On the pseudo-name that Virat adopted at the time of their wedding, Anushka said: “I think Virat’s was Rahul.”

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli took a lot of preventive measures to keep their wedding in Tuscany hidden from the public eye. As the actress continues to do good business in lieu of her films at the box office and is seen happy both professionally and personally, she revealed in a new magazine interview that they kept pseudo-names while speaking to the wedding organisers and others, so as to keep it from coming out in the open.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli took a lot of preventive measures to keep their wedding in Tuscany hidden from the public eye. As the actress continues to do good business in lieu of her films at the box office and is seen happy both professionally and personally, she revealed in a new magazine interview that they kept pseudo-names while speaking to the wedding organisers and others, so as to keep it from coming out in the open. She also spoke about her current state of affairs and told Vogue: “I’m in this space where I feel very peaceful, comfortable, self-assured and, I guess, really in touch with myself 100%. It’s something I’ve been working towards since the very beginning. All the decisions I’ve taken leading up to now have always been keeping that in mind. I base my decisions on what makes me more peaceful, and nothing else. If something makes me anxious and uncomfortable, I won’t do it, even if it’s something that I know I must do.” On her wedding, she said, “We wanted to have a home-style wedding. There were only 42 people there, with all our friends and family present. I wanted it to be about Virat and me marrying each other, and not this big celebrity wedding. The energy at our wedding was blessed.” On the pseudo-name that Virat adopted at the time of their wedding, Anushka said: “I think Virat’s was Rahul.”

Anushka Sharma reveals the pseudo names that she and Virat kept to keep their Italian wedding a secret

His stint in the IPL has made Adam Zampa realise that the best way to counter Indian batsmen is by bowling a wicket-to-wicket line.

Zampa, who has grabbed 44 wickets in 35 ODI appearances so far feels that his strength is attacking the stumps rather than bowl big loopy leg breaks outside the off-stump, which players like Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav relish hitting.

"From my IPL experience and seeing these guys play, it's not about the variety of wrong 'uns but it's about the best way to bowl to these batsmen. Particularly in ODI cricket, most leg-spinners these days are attacking the stumps and that's my strength," Zampa said on the eve of the match.

"I feel like when I get away from the stumps, guys lilke Virat and the other night (Kedar) Jadhav, I got little bit frustrated and went wide off the stumps, that is when the damage happen. It's about staying away from their strengths," said Zampa, who dismissed Kohli in the first T20 International in Visakhapatnam as well as the first ODI in Hyderabad.

Zampa is happy that he has been to get better of the world's best batsman on a few occasions recently.

"It's nice to get players like that (Virat) out. I thought the best one was the T20 here (in Visakhapatnam) and another match in Brisbane. I thought they were big wickets given the situation of the match and we ended up winning the game (Visakhapatnam).

But then Zampa also knows that getting Kohli alone won't be enough.&nbsp;

"Getting Virat is one thing, he was in at the time and it was big wicket, but then you also have to think about getting (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni out and Rohit (Sharma) out. Virat is big wicket, but there are six or seven big wickets in the Indian team,? Zampa told reporters here on the eve of the team's second ODI here against hosts India.

Kohli is always a prized catch but Adam Zampa does not intend to be too harsh on himself if the Indian captain or some of the other star batsman in the opposition ranks happen to dominate him.&nbsp;

"I don't want to think too far ahead and not be too harsh on myself. Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma) are amazing players and somehow I just need to be in the game for as long as possible. That's all I can really do," said Zampa.&nbsp;

His stint in the IPL has made Adam Zampa realise that the best way to counter Indian batsmen is by bowling a wicket-to-wicket line. Zampa, who has grabbed 44 wickets in 35 ODI appearances so far feels that his strength is attacking the stumps rather than bowl big loopy leg breaks outside the off-stump, which players like Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav relish hitting.

His stint in the IPL has made Adam Zampa realise that the best way to counter Indian batsmen is by bowling a wicket-to-wicket line. Zampa, who has grabbed 44 wickets in 35 ODI appearances so far feels that his strength is attacking the stumps rather than bowl big loopy leg breaks outside the off-stump, which players like Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav relish hitting. "From my IPL experience and seeing these guys play, it's not about the variety of wrong 'uns but it's about the best way to bowl to these batsmen. Particularly in ODI cricket, most leg-spinners these days are attacking the stumps and that's my strength," Zampa said on the eve of the match. "I feel like when I get away from the stumps, guys lilke Virat and the other night (Kedar) Jadhav, I got little bit frustrated and went wide off the stumps, that is when the damage happen. It's about staying away from their strengths," said Zampa, who dismissed Kohli in the first T20 International in Visakhapatnam as well as the first ODI in Hyderabad. Zampa is happy that he has been to get better of the world's best batsman on a few occasions recently. "It's nice to get players like that (Virat) out. I thought the best one was the T20 here (in Visakhapatnam) and another match in Brisbane. I thought they were big wickets given the situation of the match and we ended up winning the game (Visakhapatnam). But then Zampa also knows that getting Kohli alone won't be enough. "Getting Virat is one thing, he was in at the time and it was big wicket, but then you also have to think about getting (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni out and Rohit (Sharma) out. Virat is big wicket, but there are six or seven big wickets in the Indian team,? Zampa told reporters here on the eve of the team's second ODI here against hosts India. Kohli is always a prized catch but Adam Zampa does not intend to be too harsh on himself if the Indian captain or some of the other star batsman in the opposition ranks happen to dominate him. "I don't want to think too far ahead and not be too harsh on myself. Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma) are amazing players and somehow I just need to be in the game for as long as possible. That's all I can really do," said Zampa.

INDvsAUS, 2nd ODI: Bowling wicket-to-wicket is best way to counter Indian batsmen, says Adam Zampa

"We haven't ousted anyone but made use of opportunities that we got," was how young chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav responded when asked if Yuzvendra Chahal and his performances have literally shut the ODI door on veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

The wrist spinner duo of Chahal and Kuldeep have been a regular feature in India's ODI format confining finger spinner Ashwin to the sidelines and relegating Ravindra Jadeja as the third specialist spinner.

"No, no, not at all. We haven't ousted anyone. It's just that we have got the opportunities and we did well. They (Ashwin and Jadeja) have always been doing well for India. In Test matches, Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin) and Jaddu Bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) are still playing," Kuldeep said on the eve of the second ODI.

Since it was a leading question, Kuldeep made an extra effort to make it clear that the perception of wrist spinners getting preferential treatment compared to finger spinners.&nbsp;

"We learn a lot from them (Ashwin and Jadeja). They have a lot of experience. When I am in the Test squad, I learn a lot from them. Whenever we got an opportunity, for me and Chahal, we have performed for the team and that helped the team to win, so happy about it," Kuldeep waxed eloquent about the kind of relation that the duo share with the senior pair.&nbsp;

In the first game, Kuldeep bowled well and got two wickets while Jadeja despite going wicketless was very economical. With Chahal also waiting for his chance, Kuldeep is happy that all spinners are bowling well.

"To be honest, myself, (Yuzvendra Chahal) and Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) are playing really well so nothing much to worry about and we are focusing game by game," added Kuldeep.

Quizzed if he has ever felt pressure while bowling to any batsmen, he said: "No one to be very honest. There are few players, who have played me well and I am not afraid of getting hit."

However Shaun Marsh, according to Kuldeep is one batsman, who has really played him well.&nbsp;

"Shaun Marsh is a very good player of spin bowling. In Australia, Shaun Marsh was playing really well (against me) and they (team management) wanted to give me a break for a couple of games.&nbsp;

"After that, I studied Marsh's batting and saw him playing a lot of deliveries on the front-foot and it paid off. But it will be important how I bowl to him in the next game if he plays," he said.

Having already played 12 ODIs against Australia, there is a sense of familiarity about the opposition batting line-up.

"Of course, it been two years (now) I am playing international cricket and I have almost played 10-12 matches against Australia in One Day format.

Nowadays, video analysis is there, it is not very hard to pick a bowler.&nbsp;

To add another dimension to his game, Kuldeep has now started devoting extra time on his batting under the watchful eyes of assistant coach Sanjay Bangar.

"Of course, batting is important&nbsp;be it in ODI or Test cricket. I am focussing more on batting, every session I am batting for 20-odd minutes. Batting becomes important in some of the close matches and I am working with Sanjay Sir (Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar)," he signed off.

"We haven't ousted anyone but made use of opportunities that we got," was how young chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav responded when asked if Yuzvendra Chahal and his performances have literally shut the ODI door on veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

"We haven't ousted anyone but made use of opportunities that we got," was how young chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav responded when asked if Yuzvendra Chahal and his performances have literally shut the ODI door on veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The wrist spinner duo of Chahal and Kuldeep have been a regular feature in India's ODI format confining finger spinner Ashwin to the sidelines and relegating Ravindra Jadeja as the third specialist spinner. "No, no, not at all. We haven't ousted anyone. It's just that we have got the opportunities and we did well. They (Ashwin and Jadeja) have always been doing well for India. In Test matches, Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin) and Jaddu Bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) are still playing," Kuldeep said on the eve of the second ODI. Since it was a leading question, Kuldeep made an extra effort to make it clear that the perception of wrist spinners getting preferential treatment compared to finger spinners. "We learn a lot from them (Ashwin and Jadeja). They have a lot of experience. When I am in the Test squad, I learn a lot from them. Whenever we got an opportunity, for me and Chahal, we have performed for the team and that helped the team to win, so happy about it," Kuldeep waxed eloquent about the kind of relation that the duo share with the senior pair. In the first game, Kuldeep bowled well and got two wickets while Jadeja despite going wicketless was very economical. With Chahal also waiting for his chance, Kuldeep is happy that all spinners are bowling well. "To be honest, myself, (Yuzvendra Chahal) and Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) are playing really well so nothing much to worry about and we are focusing game by game," added Kuldeep. Quizzed if he has ever felt pressure while bowling to any batsmen, he said: "No one to be very honest. There are few players, who have played me well and I am not afraid of getting hit." However Shaun Marsh, according to Kuldeep is one batsman, who has really played him well. "Shaun Marsh is a very good player of spin bowling. In Australia, Shaun Marsh was playing really well (against me) and they (team management) wanted to give me a break for a couple of games. "After that, I studied Marsh's batting and saw him playing a lot of deliveries on the front-foot and it paid off. But it will be important how I bowl to him in the next game if he plays," he said. Having already played 12 ODIs against Australia, there is a sense of familiarity about the opposition batting line-up. "Of course, it been two years (now) I am playing international cricket and I have almost played 10-12 matches against Australia in One Day format. Nowadays, video analysis is there, it is not very hard to pick a bowler. To add another dimension to his game, Kuldeep has now started devoting extra time on his batting under the watchful eyes of assistant coach Sanjay Bangar. "Of course, batting is important be it in ODI or Test cricket. I am focussing more on batting, every session I am batting for 20-odd minutes. Batting becomes important in some of the close matches and I am working with Sanjay Sir (Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar)," he signed off.

We haven't ousted Ashwin, Jadeja, just made use of our opportunities: Kuldeep Yadav

Auditions for the World Cup hopefuls will continue but India will also be aiming to produce another complete performance against Australia in the second ODI here Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Virat-Kohli led team ticked all the boxes to thrash Australia by six wickets in the series opener on Saturday. It was a welcome win for India after losing the T20 series 0-2.

With only four ODIs remaining before the World Cup, the hosts will look to finalise the "two available spots" in an otherwise settled squad for the all-important tournament.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan failed in Hyderabad but he is likely to get another game as chances of K L Rahul coming in for him appear bleak. However, if given a chance Rahul will be more than willing to make optimum use of.

Vice-captain Rohit Sharma can take any attack to cleaners on his day and the Aussies would be wary of him and skipper Virat Kohli, who scored 44 on Saturday night.&nbsp;

Both Rohit and Kohli are always hungry for runs and if the duo fires in unison at the VCA stadium, then the visitors are in for a hard time.

Ambati Rayudu failed in the first game but knowing his abilities and the backing he has from the team management, his place in the playing eleven is not in danger.

Pint-sized Maharashtra batsman Kedar Jadhav, who steered the team home with an unbeaten 81 on Saturday, has more or less sealed the number six position. He is also useful with his right-arm off-breaks, making him more valuable to the side.

On Saturday, it would have been pleasing for coach Ravi Shastri to see that 37-year-old Mahendra Singh Dhoni hitting form.

His unbeaten 59 proved that his finishing skills are not on the wane. Dhoni and Jadhav now form a vital cog in India's middle order, especially when the top order fails.&nbsp;

Dhoni has been in the prime of late form and every good outing will only boost his confidence ahead of the World Cup.&nbsp;

The Indian team could bring in the young Rishabh Pant in place of all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who had an off day with the ball on Saturday.&nbsp;

India's bowling, spearheaded by death-overs specialist Jasprit Bumrah, has been impeccable and it reflected in the first ODI, when he made Aussies dance to his tunes. Along with the Gujarat pacer, Mohammed Shami is proving to be a lethal weapon in Kohli's armoury.

Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav (2-46 in the first ODI) has been leading the spin attack and is effective in the middle overs. But, it will be interesting to see if Ravindra Jadeja, who remained wicketless in his miserly effort, gets another chance or Yuzvendra Chahal comes back to the playing XI.

Australia, on the other hand, will need to pull one back to ensure that the hosts do not double their advantage early in the series.

For their coach Justin Langer, out of form skipper, Aaron Finch would be a definite concern.

Finch, who had scores of 0 and 8 in the preceding T20 series, continued his bad run in the first ODI. The 32-year old would hope for change of fortunes and get some runs under his belt on Tuesday.

Other batsmen like opener Usman Khawaja, the flamboyant Glenn Maxwell, all-rounder Marcus Stonis, threw their wickets away after getting their eye in and would be aiming for bigger scores.&nbsp;

The likes of young Peter Handscomb and wicket-keeper Alex Carey too would be keen to play their part.

On the bowling front, leg-spinner Adam Zampa troubled the Indian batsmen and will be key for the visitors. But he needs adequate support upfront from pacers Pat Cummins and Nathan Counter-Nile.&nbsp;

Australia could try Andrew Tye, who regularly plays in the IPL, ahead of Jason Behrendoff.

Auditions for the World Cup hopefuls will continue but India will also be aiming to produce another complete performance against Australia in the second ODI here Tuesday.

Auditions for the World Cup hopefuls will continue but India will also be aiming to produce another complete performance against Australia in the second ODI here Tuesday. The Virat-Kohli led team ticked all the boxes to thrash Australia by six wickets in the series opener on Saturday. It was a welcome win for India after losing the T20 series 0-2. With only four ODIs remaining before the World Cup, the hosts will look to finalise the "two available spots" in an otherwise settled squad for the all-important tournament. Opener Shikhar Dhawan failed in Hyderabad but he is likely to get another game as chances of K L Rahul coming in for him appear bleak. However, if given a chance Rahul will be more than willing to make optimum use of. Vice-captain Rohit Sharma can take any attack to cleaners on his day and the Aussies would be wary of him and skipper Virat Kohli, who scored 44 on Saturday night. Both Rohit and Kohli are always hungry for runs and if the duo fires in unison at the VCA stadium, then the visitors are in for a hard time. Ambati Rayudu failed in the first game but knowing his abilities and the backing he has from the team management, his place in the playing eleven is not in danger. Pint-sized Maharashtra batsman Kedar Jadhav, who steered the team home with an unbeaten 81 on Saturday, has more or less sealed the number six position. He is also useful with his right-arm off-breaks, making him more valuable to the side. On Saturday, it would have been pleasing for coach Ravi Shastri to see that 37-year-old Mahendra Singh Dhoni hitting form. His unbeaten 59 proved that his finishing skills are not on the wane. Dhoni and Jadhav now form a vital cog in India's middle order, especially when the top order fails. Dhoni has been in the prime of late form and every good outing will only boost his confidence ahead of the World Cup. The Indian team could bring in the young Rishabh Pant in place of all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who had an off day with the ball on Saturday. India's bowling, spearheaded by death-overs specialist Jasprit Bumrah, has been impeccable and it reflected in the first ODI, when he made Aussies dance to his tunes. Along with the Gujarat pacer, Mohammed Shami is proving to be a lethal weapon in Kohli's armoury. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav (2-46 in the first ODI) has been leading the spin attack and is effective in the middle overs. But, it will be interesting to see if Ravindra Jadeja, who remained wicketless in his miserly effort, gets another chance or Yuzvendra Chahal comes back to the playing XI. Australia, on the other hand, will need to pull one back to ensure that the hosts do not double their advantage early in the series. For their coach Justin Langer, out of form skipper, Aaron Finch would be a definite concern. Finch, who had scores of 0 and 8 in the preceding T20 series, continued his bad run in the first ODI. The 32-year old would hope for change of fortunes and get some runs under his belt on Tuesday. Other batsmen like opener Usman Khawaja, the flamboyant Glenn Maxwell, all-rounder Marcus Stonis, threw their wickets away after getting their eye in and would be aiming for bigger scores. The likes of young Peter Handscomb and wicket-keeper Alex Carey too would be keen to play their part. On the bowling front, leg-spinner Adam Zampa troubled the Indian batsmen and will be key for the visitors. But he needs adequate support upfront from pacers Pat Cummins and Nathan Counter-Nile. Australia could try Andrew Tye, who regularly plays in the IPL, ahead of Jason Behrendoff.

INDvsAUS, 2nd ODI: World Cup auditions continue as India aim for 2-0

New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson closed in on his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, having narrowed the gap with the table topper by reaching a career-best 915 rating points in the ICC rankings for batsmen in Tests.

India skipper Kohli continued to top the chart with 922 points while Cheteshwar Pujara was placed third with 881 rating points.

Williamson's 200 not out, which earned him the Player of the Match award, has lifted him from 897 points to within seven points of India captain Virat Kohli, who is perched at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings with 922 points. With two more Tests to go in the series, Williamson has a chance to regain the top spot, which he occupied briefly towards the end of 2015.

Williamson's rating points are the highest by any New Zealander in Test cricket with Richard Hadlee the only other player from his country to cross the 900-point mark with a best of 909 points in bowling.

Openers Tom Latham and Jeet Raval have also made good progress after their centuries in Hamilton. Latham's score of 161 has lifted him one place to a career-best 11th position and just three points shy of South Africa's Faf du Plessis, who is in 10th place with 702 points. Raval's maiden century, after seven fifties, has helped him gain five slots and reach 33rd position.

Among their bowlers, the pair of Trent Boult (down two places to eighth) and Tim Southee (ninth) remain in the top 10 while Neil Wagner is also moving in the right direction, gaining three places and reaching 11th position after finishing with seven wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.&nbsp;

Ravindra Jadeja too maintained his fifth position in bowling with 794 points while the out-of-favour Ravichandran Ashwin was 10th with 763 points.

New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson closed in on his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, having narrowed the gap with the table topper by reaching a career-best 915 rating points in the ICC rankings for batsmen in Tests.

New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson closed in on his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, having narrowed the gap with the table topper by reaching a career-best 915 rating points in the ICC rankings for batsmen in Tests. India skipper Kohli continued to top the chart with 922 points while Cheteshwar Pujara was placed third with 881 rating points. Williamson's 200 not out, which earned him the Player of the Match award, has lifted him from 897 points to within seven points of India captain Virat Kohli, who is perched at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings with 922 points. With two more Tests to go in the series, Williamson has a chance to regain the top spot, which he occupied briefly towards the end of 2015. Williamson's rating points are the highest by any New Zealander in Test cricket with Richard Hadlee the only other player from his country to cross the 900-point mark with a best of 909 points in bowling. Openers Tom Latham and Jeet Raval have also made good progress after their centuries in Hamilton. Latham's score of 161 has lifted him one place to a career-best 11th position and just three points shy of South Africa's Faf du Plessis, who is in 10th place with 702 points. Raval's maiden century, after seven fifties, has helped him gain five slots and reach 33rd position. Among their bowlers, the pair of Trent Boult (down two places to eighth) and Tim Southee (ninth) remain in the top 10 while Neil Wagner is also moving in the right direction, gaining three places and reaching 11th position after finishing with seven wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings. Ravindra Jadeja too maintained his fifth position in bowling with 794 points while the out-of-favour Ravichandran Ashwin was 10th with 763 points.

ICC Test rankings: Virat Kohli still on top but Kane Williamson narrows gap

His innovative range of shots allowed him to take more risks in a tricky chase while Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mere presence at the other end kept the pressure on Australia during the first ODI, feels Kedar Jadhav.

Kedar's unbeaten 81 off 87 balls saw India <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/indvsaus-1st-odi-kedar-jadhav-ms-dhoni-shine-as-india-beat-australia-by-six-wickets-200781">beat Australia by six wickets</a> with Mahendra Singh Dhoni remaining not out on 59 at the other end.

After reaching 50, Kedar suddenly changed gears while Dhoni was found suffering from cramps.

Asked if Dhoni's discomfort made him play more attacking shots, Kedar said, "Not really. Out of both of us, one had to take the risk. I have batted throughout my career at No 4, so I am more open to playing all the shots.&nbsp;

"Growing up, I've always built my batting on playing innovative shots. I feel I have a good chance of converting those innovative shots," Kedar told reporters at the post-match press conference.

The Maharashtra player feels that Dhoni's game is more about playing straight and it creates pressure.

"Mahi's natural game is hitting down the ground. As long as he's there, the other teams always feel the pressure. Whatever little bit of cramp he was having, I just told him "you stay at the wicket, gives me a lot of confidence". I could play my natural game after 50 because he was at the other end."

Like a fanboy, Kedar then spoke glowingly about the Dhoni effect on any junior player.

"Every time I spend time with him, I learn a lot. I can't put it in words but let's say when I see Mahi bhai, I feel very confident. That's the sort of aura where you feel that. I will deliver today'. He has that knack of getting best out of every player and that's what everybody loves about him.

"Credit to MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for what they have achieved in their career. If we can achieve 10 or 15 per cent of what they achieved, it will be great."

Kedar and Dhoni were in a similar situation in Melbourne during the final game of the series and also had a partnership that sealed it for them.&nbsp;

Asked about the degree of difficulty, he said, "I guess both the games were difficult in their own terms. In Australia, that was my first game on Australian soil. It was difficult to adjust to bounce and get into the groove. If I have a MS or Virat at the other end, they will be telling you things like taking the game deep.

"Now these things don't always strike you and you need somebody to tell you that unless you have played enough international cricket to understand that.

How much you practice at the nets, the best thing is learning in the middle."

His side arm off-breaks have been a trump card for Kohli but he still thinks that he is not ready mentally or physically to regularly bowl full quota of 10 overs.

"I never thought of bowling 10 overs in a game as of now. If the situation demands and the team requires, I can definitely do. But doing consistently, it will take mental adjustment and physically also," he said.

"Since I have not grown up bowling a lot of overs, my body also can't adjust immediately. I need to have that mental adjustment and physically also I need to get more fitter to bowl 10 overs in every game," he said.

He is India's man with a golden arm as he gets a breakthrough almost in every game.&nbsp;

Asked about the secret, he smiled and replied, "I guess I get lucky. I always keep it stump-to-stump. You will find it difficult. My ball doesn't bounce that much and it comes from 2-3 angles," he added.

His innovative range of shots allowed him to take more risks in a tricky chase while Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mere presence at the other end kept the pressure on Australia during the first ODI, feels Kedar Jadhav.

His innovative range of shots allowed him to take more risks in a tricky chase while Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mere presence at the other end kept the pressure on Australia during the first ODI, feels Kedar Jadhav. Kedar's unbeaten 81 off 87 balls saw India beat Australia by six wickets with Mahendra Singh Dhoni remaining not out on 59 at the other end. After reaching 50, Kedar suddenly changed gears while Dhoni was found suffering from cramps. Asked if Dhoni's discomfort made him play more attacking shots, Kedar said, "Not really. Out of both of us, one had to take the risk. I have batted throughout my career at No 4, so I am more open to playing all the shots. "Growing up, I've always built my batting on playing innovative shots. I feel I have a good chance of converting those innovative shots," Kedar told reporters at the post-match press conference. The Maharashtra player feels that Dhoni's game is more about playing straight and it creates pressure. "Mahi's natural game is hitting down the ground. As long as he's there, the other teams always feel the pressure. Whatever little bit of cramp he was having, I just told him "you stay at the wicket, gives me a lot of confidence". I could play my natural game after 50 because he was at the other end." Like a fanboy, Kedar then spoke glowingly about the Dhoni effect on any junior player. "Every time I spend time with him, I learn a lot. I can't put it in words but let's say when I see Mahi bhai, I feel very confident. That's the sort of aura where you feel that. I will deliver today'. He has that knack of getting best out of every player and that's what everybody loves about him. "Credit to MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for what they have achieved in their career. If we can achieve 10 or 15 per cent of what they achieved, it will be great." Kedar and Dhoni were in a similar situation in Melbourne during the final game of the series and also had a partnership that sealed it for them. Asked about the degree of difficulty, he said, "I guess both the games were difficult in their own terms. In Australia, that was my first game on Australian soil. It was difficult to adjust to bounce and get into the groove. If I have a MS or Virat at the other end, they will be telling you things like taking the game deep. "Now these things don't always strike you and you need somebody to tell you that unless you have played enough international cricket to understand that. How much you practice at the nets, the best thing is learning in the middle." His side arm off-breaks have been a trump card for Kohli but he still thinks that he is not ready mentally or physically to regularly bowl full quota of 10 overs. "I never thought of bowling 10 overs in a game as of now. If the situation demands and the team requires, I can definitely do. But doing consistently, it will take mental adjustment and physically also," he said. "Since I have not grown up bowling a lot of overs, my body also can't adjust immediately. I need to have that mental adjustment and physically also I need to get more fitter to bowl 10 overs in every game," he said. He is India's man with a golden arm as he gets a breakthrough almost in every game. Asked about the secret, he smiled and replied, "I guess I get lucky. I always keep it stump-to-stump. You will find it difficult. My ball doesn't bounce that much and it comes from 2-3 angles," he added.

I can play innovative shots and hence took more risk: Kedar Jadhav

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami earned praises for his performance in the first One-Day International match against Australia at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.&nbsp;

In the match, the Virat Kohli-led team <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/indvsaus-1st-odi-kedar-jadhav-ms-dhoni-shine-as-india-beat-australia-by-six-wickets-200781">defeated Australia by six wickets</a> to take a 1-0 lead in five-match series.&nbsp;

Pace spearhead Mohammed Shami made it count with figures of 2-44 to restrict Australia to 236 for seven.&nbsp;

He dismissed Stoinis (37, 53 balls) and Khawaja (50, 76 balls), who added 87 runs for the second wicket.&nbsp;

After winning the match, Kohli spoke highly of Shami. He said, "He [Shami] has wicket-taking ability and he's hungry for wickets. Heading into the WC, it's a great sign for team India."

"If he can stay hungry like this and look for wickets and he has the ability to back it up with Bumrah and Kuldeep, it's gonna be great to stand in the field and watch," Kohli added.&nbsp;

Kohli gave special mention to Shami's fitness. "The way Shami has come back into the white-ball set-up after his Test performances, have never seen him so lean before. He has lost 5-6 kgs. He's running in and bowling so well," Shami said.&nbsp;

He has lost 5-6 kgs. He's running in and bowling so well."

"The lines and length he's bowling; got Maxi on 40-odd out with a beautiful ball," added Kohli.&nbsp;

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami earned praises for his performance in the first One-Day International match against Australia at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami earned praises for his performance in the first One-Day International match against Australia at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. In the match, the Virat Kohli-led team defeated Australia by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in five-match series. Pace spearhead Mohammed Shami made it count with figures of 2-44 to restrict Australia to 236 for seven. He dismissed Stoinis (37, 53 balls) and Khawaja (50, 76 balls), who added 87 runs for the second wicket. After winning the match, Kohli spoke highly of Shami. He said, "He [Shami] has wicket-taking ability and he's hungry for wickets. Heading into the WC, it's a great sign for team India." "If he can stay hungry like this and look for wickets and he has the ability to back it up with Bumrah and Kuldeep, it's gonna be great to stand in the field and watch," Kohli added. Kohli gave special mention to Shami's fitness. "The way Shami has come back into the white-ball set-up after his Test performances, have never seen him so lean before. He has lost 5-6 kgs. He's running in and bowling so well," Shami said. He has lost 5-6 kgs. He's running in and bowling so well." "The lines and length he's bowling; got Maxi on 40-odd out with a beautiful ball," added Kohli.

Indian cricket skipper Virat Kohli praises Mohammed Shami's fitness and weight loss

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the first One-Day International of a five-match series&nbsp;at&nbsp;Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and&nbsp;take a 1-0 lead.&nbsp;

India had restricted Australia to a modest 236 for seven after the visitors opted to bat.

Virat Kohli-led team returned to overhaul the target with 10 balls to spare, scoring 240-4 in 48.2 overs.&nbsp;

India rode on an unbeaten 141-run stand between Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 59, to achieve the target in 48.2 overs and lead the five-match series 1-0.&nbsp;

For his brilliant innings, Jadhav was given Man of the Match award.&nbsp;

For Australia, fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile and leg-spinner Adam Zampa took two wickets each.

Zampa got skipper Virat Kohli's prized scalp for 44.&nbsp;

Earlier, Australia's batsmen could not really rotate the strike and were restricted to 236-7 by India's disciplined bowling attack.

Mohammed Shami began with a maiden before Jasprit Bumrah struck with his third delivery to prolong Finch's slump in form.

Bumrah's good length ball kissed the shoulder of Finch's tentative bat and nestled into Dhoni's gloves as the opener perished for a duck.

Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis shared an 87-run stand to help Australia overcome the loss of their captain.

Part-time spinner Jadhav dismissed Stoinis for 37 but Khawaja made a fluent 50 before Kuldeep Yadav sent him back.

Glen Maxwell made 40 before losing his off-stump to Shami.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey made 36 not out, adding 62 runs with Nathan Coulter-Nile (28).&nbsp;

India lost opener Shikhar Dhawan for a golden duck in the second over of their innings, but Kohli and Rohit Sharma played with characteristic ease before Australia prized out three wickets to roar back into the match.

Kohli, who added 76 runs with Rohit, raced to a run-a-ball 44 before being foxed by an Adam Zampa delivery that beat his bat and rapped him on the pad.

Australia decided to review the original not-out decision and were rewarded with the prized wicket of Kohli.

Rohit's departure for 37 compounded India's problems but Dhoni and Jadhav batted sensibly and did not panic even when the asking run rate climbed above six an over.

Dhoni sealed the victory with his sixth boundary off Stoinis.

The teams move to Nagpur for the second match of the five-game series on Tuesday.

Brief Scores:

Australia: 236 for 7 in 50 overs (Usman Khawaja 50, Glenn Maxwell 40; Mohammed Shami 2/44). 
India: 240-4 in 48.2 overs (MS Dhoni 59, Kedar Jadhav 81; Nathan Coulter-Nile 2/35).&nbsp;

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the first One-Day International of a five-match series at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and take a 1-0 lead.

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the first One-Day International of a five-match series at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and take a 1-0 lead. India had restricted Australia to a modest 236 for seven after the visitors opted to bat. Virat Kohli-led team returned to overhaul the target with 10 balls to spare, scoring 240-4 in 48.2 overs. India rode on an unbeaten 141-run stand between Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 59, to achieve the target in 48.2 overs and lead the five-match series 1-0. For his brilliant innings, Jadhav was given Man of the Match award. For Australia, fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile and leg-spinner Adam Zampa took two wickets each. Zampa got skipper Virat Kohli's prized scalp for 44. Earlier, Australia's batsmen could not really rotate the strike and were restricted to 236-7 by India's disciplined bowling attack. Mohammed Shami began with a maiden before Jasprit Bumrah struck with his third delivery to prolong Finch's slump in form. Bumrah's good length ball kissed the shoulder of Finch's tentative bat and nestled into Dhoni's gloves as the opener perished for a duck. Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis shared an 87-run stand to help Australia overcome the loss of their captain. Part-time spinner Jadhav dismissed Stoinis for 37 but Khawaja made a fluent 50 before Kuldeep Yadav sent him back. Glen Maxwell made 40 before losing his off-stump to Shami. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey made 36 not out, adding 62 runs with Nathan Coulter-Nile (28). India lost opener Shikhar Dhawan for a golden duck in the second over of their innings, but Kohli and Rohit Sharma played with characteristic ease before Australia prized out three wickets to roar back into the match. Kohli, who added 76 runs with Rohit, raced to a run-a-ball 44 before being foxed by an Adam Zampa delivery that beat his bat and rapped him on the pad. Australia decided to review the original not-out decision and were rewarded with the prized wicket of Kohli. Rohit's departure for 37 compounded India's problems but Dhoni and Jadhav batted sensibly and did not panic even when the asking run rate climbed above six an over. Dhoni sealed the victory with his sixth boundary off Stoinis. The teams move to Nagpur for the second match of the five-game series on Tuesday. Brief Scores: Australia: 236 for 7 in 50 overs (Usman Khawaja 50, Glenn Maxwell 40; Mohammed Shami 2/44). India: 240-4 in 48.2 overs (MS Dhoni 59, Kedar Jadhav 81; Nathan Coulter-Nile 2/35).

INDvsAUS, 1st ODI: Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni shine as India beat Australia by six wickets

Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni finish off in style; major takeaways from first ODI between India and Australia

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/enhance-security-government-issues-alert-to-at-all-airports-airlines-200723">Enhance security, Indian government issues alert to all airports, airlines</a>

The government on Saturday issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-india-vs-australia-1st-odi-at-rajiv-gandhi-international-stadium-200657">Live updates | INDvsAUS, 1st ODI: Dhawan out for nought, India are 4/1 after 2 overs</a>

Nathan Coulter-Nile to Dhawan, caught out by Maxwell.&nbsp;

It's no doubt a big wicket for Australia and it might create pressure on the India side.&nbsp;

Skipper Kohli comes to the crease.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/defence-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-meets-wing-commander-abhinandan-he-is-currently-undergoing-cooling-process-200730">Wing Commander Abhinandan undergoing 'cooling process', is met by Nirmala Sitharaman</a>

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Saturday.&nbsp;

Abhinandan was released from Pakistani custody on Friday night and has since then been kept at the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in Delhi.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dragon-capsule-successfully-separates-from-rocket-spacex-200705">SpaceX astronaut capsule separates from </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dragon-capsule-successfully-separates-from-rocket-spacex-200705">rocket</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dragon-capsule-successfully-separates-from-rocket-spacex-200705">, is en route to International Space Station</a>

NASA and SpaceX celebrated the successful launch Saturday of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long round trip to the International Space Station -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/samjhauta-express-services-restored-train-to-run-from-india-on-sunday-railways-200726">Samjhauta Express services restored; train to run from India to Pak to Sunday</a>

The Samjhauta Express will leave for Pakistan from Delhi on Sunday after the two neighbours agreed to operationalise services at their ends, a senior railway official told PTI.

The announcement came a day after Pakistan released Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Enhance security, Indian government issues alert to all airports, airlines The government on Saturday issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments.

Enhance security, Indian government issues alert to all airports, airlines The government on Saturday issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments. Live updates | INDvsAUS, 1st ODI: Dhawan out for nought, India are 4/1 after 2 overs Nathan Coulter-Nile to Dhawan, caught out by Maxwell. It's no doubt a big wicket for Australia and it might create pressure on the India side. Skipper Kohli comes to the crease. Wing Commander Abhinandan undergoing 'cooling process', is met by Nirmala Sitharaman Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Saturday. Abhinandan was released from Pakistani custody on Friday night and has since then been kept at the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in Delhi. SpaceX astronaut capsule separates from rocket, is en route to International Space Station NASA and SpaceX celebrated the successful launch Saturday of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long round trip to the International Space Station -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break. Samjhauta Express services restored; train to run from India to Pak to Sunday The Samjhauta Express will leave for Pakistan from Delhi on Sunday after the two neighbours agreed to operationalise services at their ends, a senior railway official told PTI. The announcement came a day after Pakistan released Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The importance of the one-day series against Australia beginning on Saturday is not lost on Virat Kohli's India as they gauge their World Cup preparations against the reigning champions in their final series before the showpiece event.&nbsp;

India capped their memorable tour of Australia, where they registered their first ever test series victory Down Under, by claiming the three-match ODI series 2-1 in January.&nbsp;

Chief selector MSK&nbsp;Prasad told reporters last month that most of the players in&nbsp;the current India side pick themselves and it was a matter of finalising a couple of slots before the World Cup in England and Wales.&nbsp;

The five-match series against Australia is naturally important for a handful of Indian players who want to nail down their places with solid performances against the tourists who have slipped to sixth in world rankings.&nbsp;

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has leapfrogged Dinesh Karthik to be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's understudy behind the stumps, but needs to prove his maturity against Australia to make the flight to England.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-2019-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-197778">India vs Australia 2019: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

"The progression of Rishabh in the last one year is phenomenal across the formats," Prasad, a former stumper himself, told ESPNcricinfo recently, describing the exciting 21-year-old's form as a "healthy headache".&nbsp;

"What we actually felt is he needs a bit of maturity now, gain more experience. That is the reason we have included him in India A series wherever possible."&nbsp;

Lokesh Rahul has been thrown a lifeline despite a slump in form and a brief suspension he incurred for inappropriate comments on a television show. The opener impressed with scores of 50 and 47 in the Twenty20 matches against Australia.&nbsp;

"I got some time off from international cricket, so I could come back here and reflect on what wasn't going right for me," said Rahul, who remains optimistic of securing a back-up role to first-choice opening pair Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.&nbsp;

Australia play an ODI series against Pakistan in United Arab Emirates later this month but coach Justin Langer will hope the series against world number two India will provide answers to many questions.&nbsp;

Finch's lack of form at the top of the batting order has been a concern for a team who eagerly await the return of Steve Smith and David Warner from ball-tampering suspensions which expire at the end of the month.

"We have just got to keep giving him plenty of care and support. We know he'll come good," Langer said, throwing his weight behind Finch.

Usman Khawaja did reasonably well in the home ODI series against India, and while he may not match the strike rate of some of his teammates, Finch's poor form means Australia will keep an eye on how the left-hander fares against India.

Among others, batsman Peter Handscomb will look to prove his prowess against spin while quick Nathan Coulter-Nile will hope to stay on his feet through the series to shed his 'injury-prone' image.

The importance of the one-day series against Australia beginning on Saturday is not lost on Virat Kohli's India as they gauge their World Cup preparations against the reigning champions in their final series before the showpiece event.

The importance of the one-day series against Australia beginning on Saturday is not lost on Virat Kohli's India as they gauge their World Cup preparations against the reigning champions in their final series before the showpiece event. India capped their memorable tour of Australia, where they registered their first ever test series victory Down Under, by claiming the three-match ODI series 2-1 in January. Chief selector MSK Prasad told reporters last month that most of the players in the current India side pick themselves and it was a matter of finalising a couple of slots before the World Cup in England and Wales. The five-match series against Australia is naturally important for a handful of Indian players who want to nail down their places with solid performances against the tourists who have slipped to sixth in world rankings. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has leapfrogged Dinesh Karthik to be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's understudy behind the stumps, but needs to prove his maturity against Australia to make the flight to England. Also Read: India vs Australia 2019: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue "The progression of Rishabh in the last one year is phenomenal across the formats," Prasad, a former stumper himself, told ESPNcricinfo recently, describing the exciting 21-year-old's form as a "healthy headache". "What we actually felt is he needs a bit of maturity now, gain more experience. That is the reason we have included him in India A series wherever possible." Lokesh Rahul has been thrown a lifeline despite a slump in form and a brief suspension he incurred for inappropriate comments on a television show. The opener impressed with scores of 50 and 47 in the Twenty20 matches against Australia. "I got some time off from international cricket, so I could come back here and reflect on what wasn't going right for me," said Rahul, who remains optimistic of securing a back-up role to first-choice opening pair Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. Australia play an ODI series against Pakistan in United Arab Emirates later this month but coach Justin Langer will hope the series against world number two India will provide answers to many questions. Finch's lack of form at the top of the batting order has been a concern for a team who eagerly await the return of Steve Smith and David Warner from ball-tampering suspensions which expire at the end of the month. "We have just got to keep giving him plenty of care and support. We know he'll come good," Langer said, throwing his weight behind Finch. Usman Khawaja did reasonably well in the home ODI series against India, and while he may not match the strike rate of some of his teammates, Finch's poor form means Australia will keep an eye on how the left-hander fares against India. Among others, batsman Peter Handscomb will look to prove his prowess against spin while quick Nathan Coulter-Nile will hope to stay on his feet through the series to shed his 'injury-prone' image.

India vs Australia, 1st ODI: Virat Kohli to evaluate World Cup plans against defending champions

Virat Kohli, the skipper of Royal Challenger's Bangalore, has responded to Jasprit Bumrah's warning ahead of the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League.&nbsp;

Jasprit Bumrah, who plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL, had challenged earlier "world's best batsman" Kohli in a promotional video that went viral.&nbsp;

Bumrah said, "World ka best bowler, nahin yaar. Abhi toh World k best batsman k dande udana baki hai."&nbsp;

"Aa raha hu cheeku bhaiya, aur iss baar aap meri team me bhi nahi rahenge," Bumrah added.&nbsp;

In response to that, Kohli said, "Cheeku bhayia? Apne captain ko sledge karega, chal...aakhir seekh hi gaya tu. Bas apne Cheeku bhaiya se koi udhari expect mat karna."&nbsp;

The English translation goes as, "Now, you will sledge your skipper, finally you have also learnt how to sledge. But do not expect any favours from your Cheeku bhaiya."&nbsp;

Watch the video here:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RCBTweets</a> Captain has a befitting response to the <a href="https://twitter.com/Jaspritbumrah93?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jaspritbumrah93</a> yorkers 😅😅 
 
Check it out 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/m9iEHq0gge">pic.twitter.com/m9iEHq0gge</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1100998555567681536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

With just days away from India's cash-rich and one of the most entertainment cricket leagues, players are busy in promoting their teams.&nbsp;

Overall in IPL, Virat has scored 4948 runs and currently sits at number two behind Chennai Super Kings' Suresh Raina.&nbsp;

Also Watch: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-chennai-super-kings-skipper-ms-dhoni-responds-to-rishabh-pants-ipl-warning-200241">Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni responds to Rishabh Pant's IPL warning</a>

IPL 2019 will start from March 23 where the defending champions Chennai Super Kings will kick off the season against Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore team.&nbsp;

While RCB will face MI on March 28 at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli, the skipper of Royal Challenger's Bangalore, has responded to Jasprit Bumrah's warning ahead of the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. Jasprit Bumrah, who plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL, had challenged earlier "world's best batsman" Kohli in a promotional video that went viral.

Virat Kohli, the skipper of Royal Challenger's Bangalore, has responded to Jasprit Bumrah's warning ahead of the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. Jasprit Bumrah, who plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL, had challenged earlier "world's best batsman" Kohli in a promotional video that went viral. Bumrah said, "World ka best bowler, nahin yaar. Abhi toh World k best batsman k dande udana baki hai." "Aa raha hu cheeku bhaiya, aur iss baar aap meri team me bhi nahi rahenge," Bumrah added. In response to that, Kohli said, "Cheeku bhayia? Apne captain ko sledge karega, chal...aakhir seekh hi gaya tu. Bas apne Cheeku bhaiya se koi udhari expect mat karna." The English translation goes as, "Now, you will sledge your skipper, finally you have also learnt how to sledge. But do not expect any favours from your Cheeku bhaiya." Watch the video here: The @RCBTweets Captain has a befitting response to the @Jaspritbumrah93 yorkers 😅😅 Check it out 👇#VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/m9iEHq0gge — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 28, 2019 × With just days away from India's cash-rich and one of the most entertainment cricket leagues, players are busy in promoting their teams. Overall in IPL, Virat has scored 4948 runs and currently sits at number two behind Chennai Super Kings' Suresh Raina. Also Watch: Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni responds to Rishabh Pant's IPL warning IPL 2019 will start from March 23 where the defending champions Chennai Super Kings will kick off the season against Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore team. While RCB will face MI on March 28 at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium.

IPL 2019: Virat Kohli vs Jasprit Bumrah, the fun banter is on, watch

Glenn Maxwell hit a six and a boundary off Siddarth Kaul's final over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/2nd-t20-virat-dhoni-power-india-to-1904-against-australia-200111">to help Australia beat India by seven wickets</a> in the second T20 international at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy&nbsp;Stadium on Wednesday.

Maxwell's unbeaten 113 in just 55 balls included nine&nbsp;sixes and and seven boundaries. He was ably supported by wicketkeeper Handscomb who remained undefeated at the other end&nbsp;on 20 as the hosts clinched the T20 series against India.

Although Australia lost two crucial wickets early in first four overs losing Stoinis and skipper Finch but Maxwell stood tall first stitching a partnership with Short who scored a quickfire 40 in 28 balls with six boundaries to peg back Virat's team.

Stoinis became Kaul's victim in the third over and skipper Finch fell in the fourth over off Shankar as Dhawan held on to a skier as Australia wobbled at the start of the innings. Australia were 22/2 in the first four overs as skipper Kohli sought to pressure the Australian batsmen.

Maxwell however had other ideas as he kept the scoreboard ticking and later accelerated to finish the game with two balls to spare.

Earlier,&nbsp;Captain Virat Kohli hit sixer off the last ball as he scored a brilliant 72 off just 38 balls as India set a 190-run target for Australia.

The Indian captain led from the front hitting Coulter-Nile for three sixes in the 16th over amassing 22 runs as India powered ahead with Dhoni giving able support to the captain. The Indian wicketkeeper hit 40 in just 22&nbsp;balls to boost India's score.

Virat was ably supported by Dhoni who&nbsp;hit&nbsp;three boundaries and three sixes to give the Indian innings fresh impetus in the later stage of the innings.

Kartick came in a played a cameo in the last five balls hitting 8 in 2 balls to provide a bit of fireworks in the end but it was clearly not enough as Australia romped home in the last over as Indian bowlers wilted under pressure.

Glenn Maxwell hit a six and a boundary off Siddarth Kaul's final over to help Australia beat India by seven wickets in the second T20 international at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Glenn Maxwell hit a six and a boundary off Siddarth Kaul's final over to help Australia beat India by seven wickets in the second T20 international at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Maxwell's unbeaten 113 in just 55 balls included nine sixes and and seven boundaries. He was ably supported by wicketkeeper Handscomb who remained undefeated at the other end on 20 as the hosts clinched the T20 series against India. Although Australia lost two crucial wickets early in first four overs losing Stoinis and skipper Finch but Maxwell stood tall first stitching a partnership with Short who scored a quickfire 40 in 28 balls with six boundaries to peg back Virat's team. Stoinis became Kaul's victim in the third over and skipper Finch fell in the fourth over off Shankar as Dhawan held on to a skier as Australia wobbled at the start of the innings. Australia were 22/2 in the first four overs as skipper Kohli sought to pressure the Australian batsmen. Maxwell however had other ideas as he kept the scoreboard ticking and later accelerated to finish the game with two balls to spare. Earlier, Captain Virat Kohli hit sixer off the last ball as he scored a brilliant 72 off just 38 balls as India set a 190-run target for Australia. The Indian captain led from the front hitting Coulter-Nile for three sixes in the 16th over amassing 22 runs as India powered ahead with Dhoni giving able support to the captain. The Indian wicketkeeper hit 40 in just 22 balls to boost India's score. Virat was ably supported by Dhoni who hit three boundaries and three sixes to give the Indian innings fresh impetus in the later stage of the innings. Kartick came in a played a cameo in the last five balls hitting 8 in 2 balls to provide a bit of fireworks in the end but it was clearly not enough as Australia romped home in the last over as Indian bowlers wilted under pressure.

2nd T20: Maxwell's ton helps Australia to clinch series against India

Captain Virat Kohli hit sixer off the last ball as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-aus-t20-umesh-yadav-dropped-siddarth-kaul-vijay-shankar-in-team-200100">he scored a brilliant 72 off just 38 balls</a> as India powered to 190/4 in the second T20 international against Australia at Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The Indian captain led from the front hitting Coulter-Nile for three sixes in the 16th over amassing&nbsp;22 runs as India powered ahead with Dhoni giving able support to the captain. The Indian wicketkeeper hit 40 in just 23 balls to boost India's score.

India hit the gas as Dhoni took over from captain Virat in the 18th over hitting two sixes and two boundaries off D'Arcy Short's over as the hosts crossed the 150-mark losing just three wickets.

Virat, meanwhile, continued the onslaught in the 19th over hitting Richardson for another six as the two Indian batsmen set about taking a toll on the Australians. The pair put on a 100-run partnership which came up in the last over as Cummins bowled a wide ball.

However, in the next ball Dhoni lost his cool and skyed the ball attempting to heave the ball over the boundary only to be caught by skipper Finch in the deep. Dhoni's 40 came with three boundaries and three sixes helping India to post a competitive target for the Aussies.

Kartick came in a played a cameo in the last five balls hitting 8 in 2 balls to provide a bit of fireworks in the end. &nbsp;

Earlier, after a brisk start, India lost opener Lokesh Rahul with the hosts on 61 as Coulter-Nile stuck in the eight over. KL Rahul scored 47(26 balls) studded with four sixes and three boundaries to give India a head start. Skipper Virat Kohli joined Dhawan at the crease with India on 70/1 in nine overs.

Dhawan fell soon after as &nbsp;Behrendorff stuck in the &nbsp;tenth over. The Indian opener managed just 14 off 24 balls.

The visitors went into the game with an unchanged squad, the hosts however, rested Rohit Sharma and brought in Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar to boost the batting line-up.

Australia chose to stick with four fast bowlers and leg-spinner Adam Zampa. India dropped Umesh Yadav and brought in Siddarth Kaul. Yadav faced the axe after giving away 14 runs in the final over as India lost by three wickets to Australia at Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Captain Virat Kohli hit sixer off the last ball as he scored a brilliant 72 off just 38 balls as India powered to 190/4 in the second T20 international against Australia at Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Captain Virat Kohli hit sixer off the last ball as he scored a brilliant 72 off just 38 balls as India powered to 190/4 in the second T20 international against Australia at Bengaluru on Wednesday. The Indian captain led from the front hitting Coulter-Nile for three sixes in the 16th over amassing 22 runs as India powered ahead with Dhoni giving able support to the captain. The Indian wicketkeeper hit 40 in just 23 balls to boost India's score. India hit the gas as Dhoni took over from captain Virat in the 18th over hitting two sixes and two boundaries off D'Arcy Short's over as the hosts crossed the 150-mark losing just three wickets. Virat, meanwhile, continued the onslaught in the 19th over hitting Richardson for another six as the two Indian batsmen set about taking a toll on the Australians. The pair put on a 100-run partnership which came up in the last over as Cummins bowled a wide ball. However, in the next ball Dhoni lost his cool and skyed the ball attempting to heave the ball over the boundary only to be caught by skipper Finch in the deep. Dhoni's 40 came with three boundaries and three sixes helping India to post a competitive target for the Aussies. Kartick came in a played a cameo in the last five balls hitting 8 in 2 balls to provide a bit of fireworks in the end. Earlier, after a brisk start, India lost opener Lokesh Rahul with the hosts on 61 as Coulter-Nile stuck in the eight over. KL Rahul scored 47(26 balls) studded with four sixes and three boundaries to give India a head start. Skipper Virat Kohli joined Dhawan at the crease with India on 70/1 in nine overs. Dhawan fell soon after as Behrendorff stuck in the tenth over. The Indian opener managed just 14 off 24 balls. The visitors went into the game with an unchanged squad, the hosts however, rested Rohit Sharma and brought in Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar to boost the batting line-up. Australia chose to stick with four fast bowlers and leg-spinner Adam Zampa. India dropped Umesh Yadav and brought in Siddarth Kaul. Yadav faced the axe after giving away 14 runs in the final over as India lost by three wickets to Australia at Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

2nd T20: Virat, Dhoni power India to 190/4 against Australia

Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first in the second T20 international match against India at Bengaluru today.

The visitors went into the game with an unchanged squad, the hosts however, rested Rohit Sharma and brought in Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar to boost the batting line-up.

Australia chose to stick with four fast bowlers and leg-spinner Adam Zampa. India dropped Umesh Yadav and brought in Siddarth Kaul. Yadav faced the axe after giving away 14 runs in the final&nbsp;over as&nbsp;India lost by three wickets to Australia at Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

After a brisk start, India lost opener&nbsp;Lokesh Rahul with the hosts&nbsp;on 61 as Coulter-Nile stuck in the eight over.&nbsp;KL Rahul scored 47(26 balls) studded with four sixes and three boundaries. Skipper Virat Kohli joined Dhawan at the crease with India on 70/1 in 9 overs.

Squad:

India:

Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (capt), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Siddarth Kaul, Jasprit Bumrah

Australia:

D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Finch (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb (wk), Ashton Turner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa

Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first in the second T20 international match against India at Bengaluru today. The visitors went into the game with an unchanged squad, the hosts however, rested Rohit Sharma and brought in Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar to boost the batting line-up.

Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first in the second T20 international match against India at Bengaluru today. The visitors went into the game with an unchanged squad, the hosts however, rested Rohit Sharma and brought in Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar to boost the batting line-up. Australia chose to stick with four fast bowlers and leg-spinner Adam Zampa. India dropped Umesh Yadav and brought in Siddarth Kaul. Yadav faced the axe after giving away 14 runs in the final over as India lost by three wickets to Australia at Visakhapatnam on Sunday. After a brisk start, India lost opener Lokesh Rahul with the hosts on 61 as Coulter-Nile stuck in the eight over. KL Rahul scored 47(26 balls) studded with four sixes and three boundaries. Skipper Virat Kohli joined Dhawan at the crease with India on 70/1 in 9 overs. Squad: India: Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (capt), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Siddarth Kaul, Jasprit Bumrah Australia: D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Finch (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb (wk), Ashton Turner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa

India vs Aus T20: Umesh Yadav dropped, Siddarth Kaul, Vijay Shankar in team

Kohli, Bumrah & Dhoni eye new records in 2nd T20 against Australia

Jasprit Bumrah defended his under-fire colleague Umesh Yadav for not being able to defend 14 runs in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-t20i-australia-beat-india-by-three-wickets-in-last-ball-thriller-lead-series-1-0-199415">final over of the T20 against Australia</a>, calling it a one-off day when his execution at the death went haywire.&nbsp;

Bumrah got India back into the match with a superb 19th over where he gave away only two runs and Yadav had defend 14 in order to stop Australia from reaching a modest target of 127.&nbsp;

Asked about Yadav's last over, Bumrah came in defence of his senior colleague. "This happens, death bowling is always difficult in any situation. It always goes both ways and it's sometimes 50-50," Bumrah said at the post-match news conference.

"You try your best, and you're clear in your execution. Some days it works, some days it doesn't. Nothing to be worried. We wanted to close the game in our favour but it's okay," Bumrah, who took 3 for 16 in four overs with 18 dot balls, said.&nbsp;

Bumrah pointed out that Australia, having won the toss, had the advantage of knowing what exactly they needed to do on a sluggish surface, while India spent their innings figuring out what a competitive total would be.

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/we-want-to-give-kl-rahul-and-rishabh-pant-game-time-virat-kohli-199430">We want to give KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant game time, says Virat Kohli</a>

"It's a little different once you know your target. It was a small target, so once you hit one boundary then you don't need to take a lot of risks. At first, we are still figuring out what is the safe total so I think that was a difference maybe. They were rotating the strikes after hitting a boundary."

Bumrah further said around 140-145 would have been a par score on this wicket.

"We almost pulled off this game. But on this wicket, around 140-145 would have been a very good score. There was low bounce and it was difficult to hit big shots. It's always difficult to chase on these kind of wickets," he said.&nbsp;

Just like his skipper Virat Kohli, Bumrah also agreed that India were 15-20 runs short of par-score.

"We were short by 15-20 runs, but we had a fighting total. Everybody could have taken a little more responsibility but this happens in the game of cricket.

We lost two-three wickets more than we wanted to, but we backed our team and wanted to execute whatever we had."

Bumrah, who perhaps has the best yorker among current bowlers conceded that it wasn't an easy wicket to bat on.

"I was just focusing on what my strengths are what the wicket was because the wicket was a little difficult to bat on. It's not easy to score heavily on this wicket," Bumrah, who returned to action after a being rested following the Test series in Australia, said.

Dhoni refused to take singles to guard Yuzvendra Chahal in the last two overs.

"We were just trying our best. He was just trying to take the game deep and trying to get us to a safe total which he tried. I think he gave us a total something we could fight for."&nbsp;

Opener KL Rahul hit a fifty on his comeback and he said it would increase the competition for the opener's slot which is good.

"It's always good when you got competition in the team. He (Rahul) looked the best batsman. He was playing with a lot of composure. He started off playing good shots and he was paying conventional shots. So it's very good when a player like him is back in form."

Bumrah was also all praise for Pat Cummins who hit the winning runs and also scored a boundary in the penultimate ball.

"He has the composure too. He played well and got an important boundary (off the second last ball). He's a pretty confident cricketer; he's backing all his skills so very good for him."

Jasprit Bumrah defended his under-fire colleague Umesh Yadav for not being able to defend 14 runs in the final over of the T20 against Australia, calling it a one-off day when his execution at the death went haywire.

Jasprit Bumrah defended his under-fire colleague Umesh Yadav for not being able to defend 14 runs in the final over of the T20 against Australia, calling it a one-off day when his execution at the death went haywire. Bumrah got India back into the match with a superb 19th over where he gave away only two runs and Yadav had defend 14 in order to stop Australia from reaching a modest target of 127. Asked about Yadav's last over, Bumrah came in defence of his senior colleague. "This happens, death bowling is always difficult in any situation. It always goes both ways and it's sometimes 50-50," Bumrah said at the post-match news conference. "You try your best, and you're clear in your execution. Some days it works, some days it doesn't. Nothing to be worried. We wanted to close the game in our favour but it's okay," Bumrah, who took 3 for 16 in four overs with 18 dot balls, said. Bumrah pointed out that Australia, having won the toss, had the advantage of knowing what exactly they needed to do on a sluggish surface, while India spent their innings figuring out what a competitive total would be. Also Read: We want to give KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant game time, says Virat Kohli "It's a little different once you know your target. It was a small target, so once you hit one boundary then you don't need to take a lot of risks. At first, we are still figuring out what is the safe total so I think that was a difference maybe. They were rotating the strikes after hitting a boundary." Bumrah further said around 140-145 would have been a par score on this wicket. "We almost pulled off this game. But on this wicket, around 140-145 would have been a very good score. There was low bounce and it was difficult to hit big shots. It's always difficult to chase on these kind of wickets," he said. Just like his skipper Virat Kohli, Bumrah also agreed that India were 15-20 runs short of par-score. "We were short by 15-20 runs, but we had a fighting total. Everybody could have taken a little more responsibility but this happens in the game of cricket. We lost two-three wickets more than we wanted to, but we backed our team and wanted to execute whatever we had." Bumrah, who perhaps has the best yorker among current bowlers conceded that it wasn't an easy wicket to bat on. "I was just focusing on what my strengths are what the wicket was because the wicket was a little difficult to bat on. It's not easy to score heavily on this wicket," Bumrah, who returned to action after a being rested following the Test series in Australia, said. Dhoni refused to take singles to guard Yuzvendra Chahal in the last two overs. "We were just trying our best. He was just trying to take the game deep and trying to get us to a safe total which he tried. I think he gave us a total something we could fight for." Opener KL Rahul hit a fifty on his comeback and he said it would increase the competition for the opener's slot which is good. "It's always good when you got competition in the team. He (Rahul) looked the best batsman. He was playing with a lot of composure. He started off playing good shots and he was paying conventional shots. So it's very good when a player like him is back in form." Bumrah was also all praise for Pat Cummins who hit the winning runs and also scored a boundary in the penultimate ball. "He has the composure too. He played well and got an important boundary (off the second last ball). He's a pretty confident cricketer; he's backing all his skills so very good for him."

Some days execution in death bowling doesn't come off: Jasprit Bumrah

India captain Virat Kohli wasn't perturbed by his team's shoddy batting performance in the first T20 International as he is looking to give more chances to youngsters KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant looking ahead at the World Cup in England.&nbsp;

Rahul made an impressive half-century on his comeback but Pant was needlessly run-out during India's three-wicket defeat against Australia in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-t20i-australia-beat-india-by-three-wickets-in-last-ball-thriller-lead-series-1-0-199415">first T20 International</a>.

Chasing a target of 127, Australia were cruising along before Jasprit Bumrah's (3/16 in 4 overs) brilliant 19th over nearly won the game for India.

"We want to give Rahul and Rishab more game-time. Rahul played a really good knock and we had a good partnership. Had we gone on, we could have got 150, which would have been a match-winning score on this pitch. But Australia played better cricket overall and deserved to win," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

However, he didn't forget to praise his bowlers for making a match of a low target like 127.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
Australia win a thriller here at Vizag 
 
Win by 3 wickets in the 1st T20I <a href="https://t.co/qKQdie3Ayg">https://t.co/qKQdie3Ayg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/hMwOZbWjY2">pic.twitter.com/hMwOZbWjY2</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1099712472775299078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 February 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"Very pleased with the bowling effort. Never thought we would be in this situation but Bumrah can do wonders when the ball is reversing. Even Mayank (Markande) bowled brilliantly (17th over), I thought," said Kohli.

Winning captain Aaron Finch also conceded that facing Bumrah in the death overs is not an easy proposition.&nbsp;

"When Bumrah has got overs up his sleeve, it's never easy. But the run-outs didn't help either. Maxwell played a hell of an innings on a difficult pitch," Finch lauded the senior batsman.

Pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with figures of three for 26, felt that the ball wasn't coming onto the bat.&nbsp;

"I thought the boys bowled really well and we scraped home. We worked out quickly that the ball was not coming on to the bat. We have been playing a bit of cricket in the BBL. Really good to have a win and hopefully we will have another one and win the series," said Coulter-Nile.

India captain Virat Kohli wasn't perturbed by his team's shoddy batting performance in the first T20 International as he is looking to give more chances to youngsters KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant looking ahead at the World Cup in England.

India captain Virat Kohli wasn't perturbed by his team's shoddy batting performance in the first T20 International as he is looking to give more chances to youngsters KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant looking ahead at the World Cup in England. Rahul made an impressive half-century on his comeback but Pant was needlessly run-out during India's three-wicket defeat against Australia in the first T20 International. Chasing a target of 127, Australia were cruising along before Jasprit Bumrah's (3/16 in 4 overs) brilliant 19th over nearly won the game for India. "We want to give Rahul and Rishab more game-time. Rahul played a really good knock and we had a good partnership. Had we gone on, we could have got 150, which would have been a match-winning score on this pitch. But Australia played better cricket overall and deserved to win," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony. However, he didn't forget to praise his bowlers for making a match of a low target like 127. Australia win a thriller here at Vizag Win by 3 wickets in the 1st T20I https://t.co/qKQdie3Ayg #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/hMwOZbWjY2 — BCCI (@BCCI) 24 February 2019 × "Very pleased with the bowling effort. Never thought we would be in this situation but Bumrah can do wonders when the ball is reversing. Even Mayank (Markande) bowled brilliantly (17th over), I thought," said Kohli. Winning captain Aaron Finch also conceded that facing Bumrah in the death overs is not an easy proposition. "When Bumrah has got overs up his sleeve, it's never easy. But the run-outs didn't help either. Maxwell played a hell of an innings on a difficult pitch," Finch lauded the senior batsman. Pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with figures of three for 26, felt that the ball wasn't coming onto the bat. "I thought the boys bowled really well and we scraped home. We worked out quickly that the ball was not coming on to the bat. We have been playing a bit of cricket in the BBL. Really good to have a win and hopefully we will have another one and win the series," said Coulter-Nile.

We want to give KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant game time: Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed after establishing a fifty run partnership with opener KL Rahul on Sunday. Kohli was sent back to the pavilion by Adam Zampa for 24 runs which included three sixes.&nbsp;

Minutes later, young batsman&nbsp;Rishabh Pant was run-out. He made just three runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The two played some phenomenal shots to help the team recover the early loss of Rohit Sharma, who departed after making just five runs.

Rohit, who opened with KL Rahul, was dismissed by Jason Behrendorff while trying to hit a cheeky paddle over short fine. Earlier, Australian skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and opted to bowl.&nbsp;

Speaking after the toss, Finch said, " &nbsp;It looks like a really nice wicket and I don't think it is going to change much. Hopefully, we can chase down the total. Peter Handscomb will make his debut and he will keep wickets too. It is very exciting for him.We play India all the time these days. Short will open the innings for us."

India, which recently ended a successful tour Down Under, will aim to demolish the team once again on home soil.

Talking about their strategy for today, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said, " We would have wanted to bowl first too. It looks like a good pitch to bat on. We are not concerned about batting first. I was switched off and didn't watch much cricket during my off period."&nbsp;

"I wanted to get away from everything and refresh myself. I am ready to go now. There are people who might be potential contenders for our World Cup squad and we want to give them more game time."

"KL Rahul will get more game time as he has been out for a while, Shikhar Dhawan has been rested. Umesh Yadav comes in place of Bhuvi. Mayank Markande will play instead of Vijay Shankar."

The seven-match series comprising two T20 Internationals and five ODIs against a struggling Australian side will be India's last international assignment before the mega event starting May 30 in England and Wales.

Teams: 
Australia (Playing XI):&nbsp;Aaron Finch(c), D Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb(w), Ashton Turner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Mayank Markande, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed after establishing a fifty run partnership with opener KL Rahul on Sunday. Kohli was sent back to the pavilion by Adam Zampa for 24 runs which included three sixes.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed after establishing a fifty run partnership with opener KL Rahul on Sunday. Kohli was sent back to the pavilion by Adam Zampa for 24 runs which included three sixes. Minutes later, young batsman Rishabh Pant was run-out. He made just three runs. The two played some phenomenal shots to help the team recover the early loss of Rohit Sharma, who departed after making just five runs. Rohit, who opened with KL Rahul, was dismissed by Jason Behrendorff while trying to hit a cheeky paddle over short fine. Earlier, Australian skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and opted to bowl. Speaking after the toss, Finch said, " It looks like a really nice wicket and I don't think it is going to change much. Hopefully, we can chase down the total. Peter Handscomb will make his debut and he will keep wickets too. It is very exciting for him.We play India all the time these days. Short will open the innings for us." India, which recently ended a successful tour Down Under, will aim to demolish the team once again on home soil. Talking about their strategy for today, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said, " We would have wanted to bowl first too. It looks like a good pitch to bat on. We are not concerned about batting first. I was switched off and didn't watch much cricket during my off period." "I wanted to get away from everything and refresh myself. I am ready to go now. There are people who might be potential contenders for our World Cup squad and we want to give them more game time." "KL Rahul will get more game time as he has been out for a while, Shikhar Dhawan has been rested. Umesh Yadav comes in place of Bhuvi. Mayank Markande will play instead of Vijay Shankar." The seven-match series comprising two T20 Internationals and five ODIs against a struggling Australian side will be India's last international assignment before the mega event starting May 30 in England and Wales. Teams: Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch(c), D Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb(w), Ashton Turner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Mayank Markande, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

1st T20I: Quick strikes hurt India, are 104/6 after 16 overs

Virat Kohli-led team has displayed diligent efforts at the nets on the eve of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/virat-kohli-led-india-look-to-put-final-touches-to-world-cup-plans-199187#india-vs-australia-199174">opening T20 International series against Australia</a>.&nbsp;

The seven-match series, comprising two T20I and five One-Day Internationals against an Australian side, will be India's last international assignment before the World Cup which will start from May 30 in England and Wales.&nbsp;

Bowler Vijay Shankar was the main focus as he bowled full steam alongside Umesh Yadav, indicating the all-rounder will have a lot to do in both the formats.&nbsp;

Shankar has been considered prominent for India's World Cup plans.&nbsp;

During the limited overs series against Australia, India will look to identify the batsman to fill a middle-order spot in an otherwise settled side.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Depart ✈ 
Arrive 🛬 
Train &amp; sweat it out 💪🏻💪🏻<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> gear up for the 1st T20I in Vizag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qv5tbFTQpw">pic.twitter.com/Qv5tbFTQpw</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1098930117949210624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
MOOD in the camp before the 1st T20I against Australia in Vizag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Paytm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paytm</a> <a href="https://t.co/eRuJSW9B8j">pic.twitter.com/eRuJSW9B8j</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1099254742771949568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

While Shankar has shown that he is a capable batsman, having scored 45 off 64 deliveries in a match-winning 98-run stand with Ambati Rayudu after the top-order collapse in the final ODI in New Zealand. &nbsp;

India will enter the series with consistent bowling options and there is not much ambiguity in India's pace attack.&nbsp;

With Jasprit Bumrah back to take charge of the pace department along with Umesh, Shankar will look to play the role of the third seamer.&nbsp;

Head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun also gave special attention to India's latest wrist spinner Mayank Markande, who has earned his maiden call-up in the national squad.&nbsp;

Earlier, India had a long fielding session with some unique, high-intensity drills under fielding coach R Sridhar.

Virat Kohli-led team has displayed diligent efforts at the nets on the eve of the opening T20 International series against Australia. The seven-match series, comprising two T20I and five One-Day Internationals against an Australian side, will be India's last international assignment before the World Cup which will start from May 30 in England and Wales.

Virat Kohli-led team has displayed diligent efforts at the nets on the eve of the opening T20 International series against Australia. The seven-match series, comprising two T20I and five One-Day Internationals against an Australian side, will be India's last international assignment before the World Cup which will start from May 30 in England and Wales. Bowler Vijay Shankar was the main focus as he bowled full steam alongside Umesh Yadav, indicating the all-rounder will have a lot to do in both the formats. Shankar has been considered prominent for India's World Cup plans. During the limited overs series against Australia, India will look to identify the batsman to fill a middle-order spot in an otherwise settled side. Depart ✈ Arrive 🛬 Train & sweat it out 💪🏻💪🏻#TeamIndia gear up for the 1st T20I in Vizag #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Qv5tbFTQpw — BCCI (@BCCI) February 22, 2019 × MOOD in the camp before the 1st T20I against Australia in Vizag #TeamIndia #INDvAUS @Paytm pic.twitter.com/eRuJSW9B8j — BCCI (@BCCI) February 23, 2019 × While Shankar has shown that he is a capable batsman, having scored 45 off 64 deliveries in a match-winning 98-run stand with Ambati Rayudu after the top-order collapse in the final ODI in New Zealand. India will enter the series with consistent bowling options and there is not much ambiguity in India's pace attack. With Jasprit Bumrah back to take charge of the pace department along with Umesh, Shankar will look to play the role of the third seamer. Head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun also gave special attention to India's latest wrist spinner Mayank Markande, who has earned his maiden call-up in the national squad. Earlier, India had a long fielding session with some unique, high-intensity drills under fielding coach R Sridhar.

India vs Australia: Focus on Vijay Shankar at India nets

Virat Kohli-led India look to put final touches to World Cup plans

India captain <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Virat+Kohli">Virat Kohli</a> feels that it would have been "more logical" if his team could have played a couple of more ODIs instead of the two T20 Internationals as a part of their World Cup preparations.&nbsp;

India are playing two T20 Internationals and five ODIs against Australia in what will be their last international assignment before the opening World Cup fixture against South Africa in Southampton on June 5. &nbsp;

"Probably, a couple of more ODIs would have been more beneficial for both the teams not just us. It would have been more ideal and logical," Kohli said on the eve of the opening T20.&nbsp;

Even though it's a T20 game, Kohli would like to treat these shortest format games also an extended preparation for the World Cup.&nbsp;

"But look we have to utilise what's in front of us as best as possible. And as I said we're going to look to get into the right kind of frame of mind as a team," the skipper added.&nbsp;

The core team for the World Cup is set but skipper didn't rule out an exceptional performer getting a look in.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-on-indo-pak-world-cup-game-we-will-respect-government-decision-199134">Virat Kohli on Indo-Pak World Cup game: We will respect government decision</a>

"We're more or less sorted. But through the course of the series you might see something which might surprise you as a team and which you might want to change immediately. But those are things that are upon how circumstances come in front of you," he said.&nbsp;

As of now, we feel pretty balanced as a side and I don't see any concerns or areas that we need to think about anymore. Everything is more or less sorted," world's No 1 batsman sounded quite assured.&nbsp;

The skipper didn't reveal whether leg-spinner Mayank Markande will be given preference over regular wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal and Krunal Pandya have been the two specialist spinners in the T20 format.&nbsp;

"Look, he (Markande) has been given an opportunity because he's done well. It's purely giving a youngster a chance, who has done well over the last couple of seasons and bowled well in the IPL and T20 cricket."&nbsp;

The Indian captain marked Marcus Stoinis as the most dangerous player in the Aussie set-up. Stoinis is set to play in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore.&nbsp;

Kohli termed Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis as a threat for the upcoming series. Stoinis scored 533 at 53.30 with a strike rate of 130.63 for his franchise Melbourne Stars in the BBL. &nbsp;

"If I had to single out one player that can make more impact, that would be Stoinis. He has come around really well during the BBL and he's making stand out performances. You can see he's grown in confidence and he's definitely going to be a very important player for them."&nbsp;

"A few of the guys have done really well in the BBL. But from the last time that we played, the games were close contests, both of them. One was washed out, but the other two were really exciting games. We obviously expect a stiff competition overall from the Australian team," he signed off.&nbsp;

India captain Virat Kohli feels that it would have been "more logical" if his team could have played a couple of more ODIs instead of the two T20 Internationals as a part of their World Cup preparations.

India captain Virat Kohli feels that it would have been "more logical" if his team could have played a couple of more ODIs instead of the two T20 Internationals as a part of their World Cup preparations. India are playing two T20 Internationals and five ODIs against Australia in what will be their last international assignment before the opening World Cup fixture against South Africa in Southampton on June 5. "Probably, a couple of more ODIs would have been more beneficial for both the teams not just us. It would have been more ideal and logical," Kohli said on the eve of the opening T20. Even though it's a T20 game, Kohli would like to treat these shortest format games also an extended preparation for the World Cup. "But look we have to utilise what's in front of us as best as possible. And as I said we're going to look to get into the right kind of frame of mind as a team," the skipper added. The core team for the World Cup is set but skipper didn't rule out an exceptional performer getting a look in. Also Read: Virat Kohli on Indo-Pak World Cup game: We will respect government decision "We're more or less sorted. But through the course of the series you might see something which might surprise you as a team and which you might want to change immediately. But those are things that are upon how circumstances come in front of you," he said. As of now, we feel pretty balanced as a side and I don't see any concerns or areas that we need to think about anymore. Everything is more or less sorted," world's No 1 batsman sounded quite assured. The skipper didn't reveal whether leg-spinner Mayank Markande will be given preference over regular wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal and Krunal Pandya have been the two specialist spinners in the T20 format. "Look, he (Markande) has been given an opportunity because he's done well. It's purely giving a youngster a chance, who has done well over the last couple of seasons and bowled well in the IPL and T20 cricket." The Indian captain marked Marcus Stoinis as the most dangerous player in the Aussie set-up. Stoinis is set to play in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kohli termed Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis as a threat for the upcoming series. Stoinis scored 533 at 53.30 with a strike rate of 130.63 for his franchise Melbourne Stars in the BBL. "If I had to single out one player that can make more impact, that would be Stoinis. He has come around really well during the BBL and he's making stand out performances. You can see he's grown in confidence and he's definitely going to be a very important player for them." "A few of the guys have done really well in the BBL. But from the last time that we played, the games were close contests, both of them. One was washed out, but the other two were really exciting games. We obviously expect a stiff competition overall from the Australian team," he signed off.

Logical would have been to play couple of more ODIs ahead of World Cup: Virat Kohli

The skipper of Indian cricket team Virat Kohli has expressed sincere condolences to the families of martyred Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=pulwama">lost their lives in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama</a> on February 14.&nbsp;

Lately, in the wake of the ghastly terror, there have been calls for a complete cricketing boycott against Pakistan.&nbsp;

While speaking on the eve of a bilateral series against Australia, Kohli&nbsp;addressed the spiralling issue. He said, "Our stand is simple. We stick by what the nation wants to do and what the BCCI decides to do and that is basically our opinion."&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/would-hate-to-give-two-points-to-pakistan-in-world-cup-sachin-tendulkar-198983">Sachin Tendulkar's comment on the Indo-Pak World Cup clash</a>

"Whatever the government and the board decide, we will eventually go by that and will respect that. So that is our stand on this particular issue," Kohli added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Virat Kohli on Ind Vs Pak in World Cup says, "Our sincere condolences to the families of CRPF soldiers who lost their lives in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PulwamaAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PulwamaAttack</a>. We stand by what the nation wants to do and what the BCCI decides to do." <a href="https://t.co/gjyJ9qDxts">pic.twitter.com/gjyJ9qDxts</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1099195076050337792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Kohli's stand is pretty similar to what chief coach Ravi Shastri echoed in an interview to a television channel where he said that the team will "accept whatever decision that the government takes."

The chief of Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) Vinod Rai decided against taking any stand on the match but urged the ICC and other nations to "sever ties" with countries from where "terrorism emanates".&nbsp;

India are scheduled to play Pakistan on June 16 during the World Cup.&nbsp;

The skipper of Indian cricket team Virat Kohli has expressed sincere condolences to the families of martyred Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who lost their lives in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14.

The skipper of Indian cricket team Virat Kohli has expressed sincere condolences to the families of martyred Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who lost their lives in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14. Lately, in the wake of the ghastly terror, there have been calls for a complete cricketing boycott against Pakistan. While speaking on the eve of a bilateral series against Australia, Kohli addressed the spiralling issue. He said, "Our stand is simple. We stick by what the nation wants to do and what the BCCI decides to do and that is basically our opinion." Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar's comment on the Indo-Pak World Cup clash "Whatever the government and the board decide, we will eventually go by that and will respect that. So that is our stand on this particular issue," Kohli added. #WATCH Virat Kohli on Ind Vs Pak in World Cup says, "Our sincere condolences to the families of CRPF soldiers who lost their lives in #PulwamaAttack. We stand by what the nation wants to do and what the BCCI decides to do." pic.twitter.com/gjyJ9qDxts — ANI (@ANI) February 23, 2019 × Kohli's stand is pretty similar to what chief coach Ravi Shastri echoed in an interview to a television channel where he said that the team will "accept whatever decision that the government takes." The chief of Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) Vinod Rai decided against taking any stand on the match but urged the ICC and other nations to "sever ties" with countries from where "terrorism emanates". India are scheduled to play Pakistan on June 16 during the World Cup.

Virat Kohli on Indo-Pak World Cup game: We will respect government decision

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

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

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

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

Indian skipper Virat Kohli retained his top spot while teammate Chesteshwar Pujara still holds No 3 in the latest ICC Test rankings.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera made a quantum leap of 58 places after he smashed an unbeaten 153 runs, in second innings, that guided his team to an improbable win against South Africa. &nbsp;

The left-handed batsman reached his career-best 40th position after 15 Tests.

Perera added 78 runs for the last wicket with Vishwa Fernando (six not out) to beat an 83-year record set by the Australians against Madras in February 1936.&nbsp;

Among the bowlers, Australian pacer Pat Cummins surpassed Kagiso Rabada to grab the top spot.&nbsp;

Cummins is the first from his country since Glenn McGrath's pole position in the list, back in February 2006.

Meanwhile, India's Ravindra Jadeja is placed at the fifth spot with 794 points. Jadeja also features in the all-rounders' list at the third position ahead of West Indies' Jason Holder and Shakib-Al Hasan.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli retained his top spot while teammate Chesteshwar Pujara still holds No 3 in the latest ICC Test rankings. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera made a quantum leap of 58 places after he smashed an unbeaten 153 runs, in second innings, that guided his team to an improbable win against South Africa.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli retained his top spot while teammate Chesteshwar Pujara still holds No 3 in the latest ICC Test rankings. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera made a quantum leap of 58 places after he smashed an unbeaten 153 runs, in second innings, that guided his team to an improbable win against South Africa. The left-handed batsman reached his career-best 40th position after 15 Tests. Perera added 78 runs for the last wicket with Vishwa Fernando (six not out) to beat an 83-year record set by the Australians against Madras in February 1936. Among the bowlers, Australian pacer Pat Cummins surpassed Kagiso Rabada to grab the top spot. Cummins is the first from his country since Glenn McGrath's pole position in the list, back in February 2006. Meanwhile, India's Ravindra Jadeja is placed at the fifth spot with 794 points. Jadeja also features in the all-rounders' list at the third position ahead of West Indies' Jason Holder and Shakib-Al Hasan.

Virat Kohli is still no1, Kusal Perera attains career-best ICC Test ranking

Star cricketer Virat Kohli has postponed the RP-SG Indian Sports Honours, which was to take place on Saturday, as a "mark of respect" to the CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama terrorist attack.

On Thursday, at least 40 CRPF paramilitary troopers were killed in a terror attack while several others are battling for their lives following what is being termed as the deadliest terrorist strike in three decades in Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian Sports Honours is an initiative of Virat Kohli Foundation and RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.

"The RP-SG Indian Sports Honours has been postponed. At this heavy moment of loss that we all find ourselves in, we would like to cancel this event that was scheduled to take place tomorrow," Kohli wrote on his twitter handle Friday night.

The sporting fraternity, including Kohli, had joined the country in condemning the dastardly attack.

The batting mainstay annually rewards excellence in sports and nurtures promising athletes through his foundation.

"The RP-SG Indian Sports Honours that was supposed to happen tomorrow night has been postponed by Virat as a mark of respect to the CRPF jawans who were martyred at Pulwama by a tragic terror attack," the foundation said in a statement.

"The who's who of entertainment and sports industry were supposed to be present for the award ceremony. Every partner and all the sportstars and delegates associated with this award have been informed and communicated with(,) stating that hosting an event was unacceptable at this moment when India is mourning the death of its jawans."

An explosive-laden SUV rammed into one of the buses in the CRPF convoy at Awantipora town in the Pulwama district.

Condolence messages have been pouring in for the family of the deceased CRPF soldiers since the news of the attack broke out.

The foundation, an organisation dedicated to assisting the underprivileged sections of society, provides scholarships to promising young athletes, as well as individuals and initiatives that have promoted sport at the grassroot level.&nbsp;

Star cricketer Virat Kohli has postponed the RP-SG Indian Sports Honours, which was to take place on Saturday, as a "mark of respect" to the CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama terrorist attack.

Star cricketer Virat Kohli has postponed the RP-SG Indian Sports Honours, which was to take place on Saturday, as a "mark of respect" to the CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama terrorist attack. On Thursday, at least 40 CRPF paramilitary troopers were killed in a terror attack while several others are battling for their lives following what is being termed as the deadliest terrorist strike in three decades in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian Sports Honours is an initiative of Virat Kohli Foundation and RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. "The RP-SG Indian Sports Honours has been postponed. At this heavy moment of loss that we all find ourselves in, we would like to cancel this event that was scheduled to take place tomorrow," Kohli wrote on his twitter handle Friday night. The sporting fraternity, including Kohli, had joined the country in condemning the dastardly attack. The batting mainstay annually rewards excellence in sports and nurtures promising athletes through his foundation. "The RP-SG Indian Sports Honours that was supposed to happen tomorrow night has been postponed by Virat as a mark of respect to the CRPF jawans who were martyred at Pulwama by a tragic terror attack," the foundation said in a statement. "The who's who of entertainment and sports industry were supposed to be present for the award ceremony. Every partner and all the sportstars and delegates associated with this award have been informed and communicated with(,) stating that hosting an event was unacceptable at this moment when India is mourning the death of its jawans." An explosive-laden SUV rammed into one of the buses in the CRPF convoy at Awantipora town in the Pulwama district. Condolence messages have been pouring in for the family of the deceased CRPF soldiers since the news of the attack broke out. The foundation, an organisation dedicated to assisting the underprivileged sections of society, provides scholarships to promising young athletes, as well as individuals and initiatives that have promoted sport at the grassroot level.

Pulwama terror attack: Kohli postpones Indian Sports Honours

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the 15-member squad for upcoming India vs Australia T20 International series.&nbsp;

Australia will tour India to play two T20Is and five O<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-odi-dinesh-karthik-dropped-kl-rahul-returns-to-squad-197613">ne-Day International series</a>.&nbsp;

Selectors have picked rookie leg-spinner Mayank Markande and rested Kuldeep Yadav and also picked batsman KL Rahul for both, ODI and T20, squads.&nbsp;

The 21-year-old Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India A to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test.&nbsp;

While battling indifferent form in Australia, the opener was called back after the unsavoury comments on women in a TV talk show, following which he was asked to regain his form by concentrating on domestic cricket.

He has also been a part of the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.&nbsp;

Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Sidharth Kaul will lead the pace attack.&nbsp;

Rishabh&nbsp;Pant has found a place in both the squads.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
India’s squad for T20I series against Australia: Virat (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1096369017785180160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

India's squad for T20I series against Australia: Virat (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the 15-member squad for upcoming India vs Australia T20 International series. Australia will tour India to play two T20Is and five One-Day International series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the 15-member squad for upcoming India vs Australia T20 International series. Australia will tour India to play two T20Is and five One-Day International series. Selectors have picked rookie leg-spinner Mayank Markande and rested Kuldeep Yadav and also picked batsman KL Rahul for both, ODI and T20, squads. The 21-year-old Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India A to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test. While battling indifferent form in Australia, the opener was called back after the unsavoury comments on women in a TV talk show, following which he was asked to regain his form by concentrating on domestic cricket. He has also been a part of the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians. Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Sidharth Kaul will lead the pace attack. Rishabh Pant has found a place in both the squads. India’s squad for T20I series against Australia: Virat (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande #INDvAUS — BCCI (@BCCI) February 15, 2019 × India's squad for T20I series against Australia: Virat (Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande

India vs Australia, T20I: Leg-spinner Mayank Markande picked, Kuldeep Yadav rested

virat-kohli

Virat Kohli, News on Virat Kohli, stories on Virat Kohli, articles on Virat Kohli, Virat Kohli stories at Wion, Virat Kohli news, Virat Kohli latest news

virat kohli