<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-win-maiden-odi-series-against-australia-down-under-191245">India win maiden ODI series against Australia Down Under</a>

India on Friday won their maiden bilateral One-day International (ODI) series against Australia down under on Friday.

The win came after the Virat Kohli-led team defeated the host in the third and final one-day international by seven wickets. India won the three-game series 2-1.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ec-may-announce-lok-sabha-poll-schedule-in-march-first-week-sources-191262">Election Commission may announce Lok Sabha poll schedule in March first week: Sources</a>

The dates for the Lok Sabha elections are likely to be announced in the first week of March, sources indicated on Friday.

The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-elections-near-ram-temple-back-as-electoral-agenda-191280">As elections near, Ram temple back as electoral agenda</a>

RSS general secretary Bhaiya Ji Joshi has again brought the Ayodhya temple issue to the fore.

Weeks after the issue receded from the news headlines, he told the press that the Ram temple should be built before the next Kumbh, which is set six years from now. Asked about the time gap, he said, ”if construction starts immediately, then the temple would be ready by 2025.”

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-aims-top-50-rank-next-year-in-ease-of-doing-business-pm-modi-191242">India aims 'Top 50' rank next year in ease of doing business: PM Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said India is aiming at being in the list of top 50 countries next year in the 'ease of doing business' category.

The country's ranking has jumped 75 places in the World Bank's ease of doing business rankings, Modi said. India is now ranked 77th in the list.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/two-grenade-attacks-on-security-forces-in-kashmir-191226">Two grenade attacks on security forces reported in Kashmir</a>

Militants carried out two grenade attacks on security forces in Kashmir on Friday but there were no reports of any casualty, police said.

The terrorists lobbed a grenade at a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) bunker at Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) in Lal Chowk this afternoon, a police official said.

India win maiden ODI series against Australia Down Under India on Friday won their maiden bilateral One-day International (ODI) series against Australia down under on Friday.

India win maiden ODI series against Australia Down Under India on Friday won their maiden bilateral One-day International (ODI) series against Australia down under on Friday. The win came after the Virat Kohli-led team defeated the host in the third and final one-day international by seven wickets. India won the three-game series 2-1. Election Commission may announce Lok Sabha poll schedule in March first week: Sources The dates for the Lok Sabha elections are likely to be announced in the first week of March, sources indicated on Friday. The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3. As elections near, Ram temple back as electoral agenda RSS general secretary Bhaiya Ji Joshi has again brought the Ayodhya temple issue to the fore. Weeks after the issue receded from the news headlines, he told the press that the Ram temple should be built before the next Kumbh, which is set six years from now. Asked about the time gap, he said, ”if construction starts immediately, then the temple would be ready by 2025.” India aims 'Top 50' rank next year in ease of doing business: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said India is aiming at being in the list of top 50 countries next year in the 'ease of doing business' category. The country's ranking has jumped 75 places in the World Bank's ease of doing business rankings, Modi said. India is now ranked 77th in the list. Two grenade attacks on security forces reported in Kashmir Militants carried out two grenade attacks on security forces in Kashmir on Friday but there were no reports of any casualty, police said. The terrorists lobbed a grenade at a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) bunker at Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) in Lal Chowk this afternoon, a police official said.

News brief: Big stories of the day

India on Friday won their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-ms-dhoni-is-the-roger-federer-of-cricket-191251">maiden bilateral One-day International (ODI) series against Australia</a> down under on Friday.

The win came after the Virat Kohli-led team defeated the host&nbsp;in the third and final one-day international by seven wickets. India won the three-game series 2-1.&nbsp;

Chasing&nbsp;231, MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav established a partnership of over 100 runs, with both scoring a half-century, to give India their historic win. Both the players remained unbeaten and contributed 87 and 61 respectively.&nbsp;

Earlier, skipper Virat Kohli fell four short of his half-century. He scored&nbsp;46 in 62 balls which included just three boundaries before being dismissed by Jhye Richardson.

India lost opener Rohit Sharma early in the third and final ODI at the Melbourne cricket ground on Friday. Minutes later,&nbsp;Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli were also dismissed with India's India's reaching score reaching 113/3 at a point.

In bowling, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal displayed a fiery spell of bowling to clinch six wickets and restrict Australia for a mere 230 runs in the third and final ODI against India on Friday.&nbsp;

The legspinner picked up 6 for 42 and was well supported by Bhuvi and Shami, who picked two each.&nbsp;

Just when the hosts recovered from the early losses, Chahal clinched three wickets in quick intervals - of two set batsmen and another - to make India dominate the game.&nbsp;

Both Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh were dismissed off Chahal while trying to hit a shot. While Marsh was stumped by MS Dhoni, Khawaja caught and bowl by the bowler. &nbsp;

Marcus Stoinis was the third player to be dismissed by the right-arm leg spinner. 
&nbsp; 
However, it was Peter Handscomb crucial 58 runs that helped Australia revive their inning. He too was dismissed by Chahal at a point when he was all set to take the game away from the Men in Blue. &nbsp;

Handscomb is also the highest scoring player with the bat as the rest nine failed to reach the fifty digit mark. Marsh contributed 39 runs and Khwaja made 34 before giving away their wickets. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar too struck twice after the rain break to dismiss Australian openers Alex Carey and Aaron Finch early. &nbsp;He also took a brilliant catch of Glenn Maxwell to hand Shami his first wicket of the game.&nbsp;

Apart from Kumar, Mohammed Shami also clinched two wickets and gave away 47 runs in his 9.4 overs bowled.

India on Friday won their maiden bilateral One-day International (ODI) series against Australia down under on Friday. The win came after the Virat Kohli-led team defeated the host in the third and final one-day international by seven wickets.

India on Friday won their maiden bilateral One-day International (ODI) series against Australia down under on Friday. The win came after the Virat Kohli-led team defeated the host in the third and final one-day international by seven wickets. India won the three-game series 2-1. Chasing 231, MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav established a partnership of over 100 runs, with both scoring a half-century, to give India their historic win. Both the players remained unbeaten and contributed 87 and 61 respectively. Earlier, skipper Virat Kohli fell four short of his half-century. He scored 46 in 62 balls which included just three boundaries before being dismissed by Jhye Richardson. India lost opener Rohit Sharma early in the third and final ODI at the Melbourne cricket ground on Friday. Minutes later, Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli were also dismissed with India's India's reaching score reaching 113/3 at a point. In bowling, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal displayed a fiery spell of bowling to clinch six wickets and restrict Australia for a mere 230 runs in the third and final ODI against India on Friday. The legspinner picked up 6 for 42 and was well supported by Bhuvi and Shami, who picked two each. Just when the hosts recovered from the early losses, Chahal clinched three wickets in quick intervals - of two set batsmen and another - to make India dominate the game. Both Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh were dismissed off Chahal while trying to hit a shot. While Marsh was stumped by MS Dhoni, Khawaja caught and bowl by the bowler. Marcus Stoinis was the third player to be dismissed by the right-arm leg spinner. However, it was Peter Handscomb crucial 58 runs that helped Australia revive their inning. He too was dismissed by Chahal at a point when he was all set to take the game away from the Men in Blue. Handscomb is also the highest scoring player with the bat as the rest nine failed to reach the fifty digit mark. Marsh contributed 39 runs and Khwaja made 34 before giving away their wickets. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar too struck twice after the rain break to dismiss Australian openers Alex Carey and Aaron Finch early. He also took a brilliant catch of Glenn Maxwell to hand Shami his first wicket of the game. Apart from Kumar, Mohammed Shami also clinched two wickets and gave away 47 runs in his 9.4 overs bowled.

India win maiden ODI series against Australia Down Under

Indian skipper Virat Kohli fell four-run short of his half-century and was dismissed for 46 by Jhye Richardson.

Kohli's inning came in 62 balls and included just three boundaries.&nbsp;

Earlier, India lost opener Rohit Sharma early in chase of 231 set by Australia in the third and final ODI at the Melbourne cricket ground on Friday.

With Shikhar Dhawan skipper Virat Kohli on the crease, India's score stands at 26 for the loss of one wicket after 10 overs.

Earlier, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal displayed a fiery spell of bowling to clinch six wickets and restrict Australia for a mere 230 runs in the third and final ODI against India on Friday.&nbsp;

The legspinner picked up 6 for 42 and was well supported by Bhuvi and Shami, who picked two each.&nbsp;

Just when the hosts recovered from the early losses, Chahal clinched three wickets in quick intervals - of two set batsmen and another - to make India dominate the game.&nbsp;

Both Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh were dismissed off Chahal while trying to hit a shot. While Marsh was stumped by MS Dhoni, Khawaja caught and bowl by the bowler. &nbsp;

Marcus Stoinis was the third player to be dismissed by the right-arm leg spinner. 
&nbsp; 
However, it was Peter Handscomb crucial 58 runs that helped Australia revive their inning. He too was dismissed by Chahal at a point when he was all set to take the game away from the Men in Blue. &nbsp;

Handscomb is also the highest scoring player with the bat as the rest nine failed to reach the fifty digit mark. Marsh contributed 39 runs and Khwaja made 34 before giving away their wickets. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar too struck twice after the rain break to dismiss Australian openers Alex Carey and Aaron Finch early. &nbsp;He also took a brilliant catch of Glenn Maxwell to hand Shami his first wicket of the game.&nbsp;

Apart from Kumar, Mohammed Shami also clinched two wickets and gave away 47 runs in his 9.4 overs bowled.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli fell four-run short of his half-century and was dismissed for 46 by Jhye Richardson. Kohli's inning came in 62 balls and included just three boundaries.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli fell four-run short of his half-century and was dismissed for 46 by Jhye Richardson. Kohli's inning came in 62 balls and included just three boundaries. Earlier, India lost opener Rohit Sharma early in chase of 231 set by Australia in the third and final ODI at the Melbourne cricket ground on Friday. With Shikhar Dhawan skipper Virat Kohli on the crease, India's score stands at 26 for the loss of one wicket after 10 overs. Earlier, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal displayed a fiery spell of bowling to clinch six wickets and restrict Australia for a mere 230 runs in the third and final ODI against India on Friday. The legspinner picked up 6 for 42 and was well supported by Bhuvi and Shami, who picked two each. Just when the hosts recovered from the early losses, Chahal clinched three wickets in quick intervals - of two set batsmen and another - to make India dominate the game. Both Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh were dismissed off Chahal while trying to hit a shot. While Marsh was stumped by MS Dhoni, Khawaja caught and bowl by the bowler. Marcus Stoinis was the third player to be dismissed by the right-arm leg spinner. However, it was Peter Handscomb crucial 58 runs that helped Australia revive their inning. He too was dismissed by Chahal at a point when he was all set to take the game away from the Men in Blue. Handscomb is also the highest scoring player with the bat as the rest nine failed to reach the fifty digit mark. Marsh contributed 39 runs and Khwaja made 34 before giving away their wickets. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar too struck twice after the rain break to dismiss Australian openers Alex Carey and Aaron Finch early. He also took a brilliant catch of Glenn Maxwell to hand Shami his first wicket of the game. Apart from Kumar, Mohammed Shami also clinched two wickets and gave away 47 runs in his 9.4 overs bowled.

IND vs AUS, 3rd ODI: Virat Kohli's wicket bumps India's 231 chase

Buoyant and self-assured in equal measure, India would be eyeing a maiden bilateral ODI series triumph on Australian soil after the path-breaking Test conquest when they take on the home team in the tour finale here Friday.&nbsp;

The three-match series is level at 1-1 after Australia won the first ODI in Sydney by 34 runs and India won the second in Adelaide by six wickets.&nbsp;

The Men in Blue have never won a bilateral ODI contest on Australian soil, and their only two series' wins in this format have come in 1985 (World Championship of Cricket) and 2008 (CB Series).&nbsp;

In fact, this is only the second bilateral ODI series India have played in Australia, losing 4-1 in 2016 when they toured here last.&nbsp;

Also, by winning this third ODI in Melbourne, India will finish the current 2018-19 tour without having lost a series here. They have previously drawn the T20I series 1-1, and then went on to record a historic first-ever Test series win here by a 2-1 margin.&nbsp;

While India will take winning momentum into this third ODI, their only worry at the moment is the fifth bowling option.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Watch:&nbsp;

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So far in the series, senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami have been impressive, while the two left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have provided control and breakthroughs in the middle overs.&nbsp;

In the absence of Hardik Pandya, India have used a full-time seamer as their fifth bowling option both at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval.&nbsp;

Khaleel Ahmed (0-55) and Mohammed Siraj (0-76) though failed to impress in their singular outings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It becomes a particularly crucial aspect considering that India will go in with the same batting line-up as in the first two matches. With Virat Kohli not keen on bowling Ambati Rayudu again in the series, they need to get their five-bowler attack right on the money.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> looking in great touch here at the nets session ahead of the 3rd and final ODI against Australia. 
 
What's your prediction for the game? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/WLbZP78Lii">pic.twitter.com/WLbZP78Lii</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1085763649027723264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Seam bowling all-rounder Vijay Shankar and leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal are in contention and both had a rigorous workout during the optional training session on Thursday at the MCG.&nbsp;

Shankar provides the third seam bowling option, and as an extra batsman, elongates the batting line-up. However, the argument against Shankar is whether the Indian team management can trust him enough to deliver 10 overs on ODI debut.&nbsp;

Siraj struggled to do so and Kohli was left wondering how he would bowl him for a last three-over spell. This is where Chahal might prove to be a more reliable option, even if India have to play two pacers and three spinners.&nbsp;

The bigger boundaries at the MCG, and Chahal's ability to bowl economical and attacking spells as well as use the new ball within the first 10 overs, might be a factor in his favour.&nbsp;

If Kohli does pick Shankar for his ODI debut, it would disturb the set batting line-up and make space for Kedar Jadhav. The fifth bowler's 10 overs can then be divided between Jadhav and Shankar. This move would mean one of Ambati Rayudu or Dinesh Karthik will be left out.&nbsp;

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It's time for the series decider tomorrow here at the 'G. 
 
Will <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> clinch the series? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/dLx7fg2qUp">pic.twitter.com/dLx7fg2qUp</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1085733479961128960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Karthik was handy in finishing the second ODI, while Rayudu has been rusty but seen as India's favoured number four option, making this a tough decision for the Indian captain.&nbsp;

Rayudu was part of the small group that took part in optional training on Thursday, along with Shankar, Chahal, Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan.&nbsp;

Dhoni's form, which has been a constant concern for a while now, has been decent so far and he has two consecutive half centuries to draw confidence from.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Australia, on the other hand, will be worried about lack of runs from their opening duo, Finch and Alex Carey, with their middle-order having to do the bull work in the last two matches.&nbsp;

The home team made two changes from Adelaide. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa came in for off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who couldn't pick a wicket in the first two ODIs, while pacer Jason Behrendorff was ruled out owing to a sore back.&nbsp;

Billy Stanlake is his replacement, while all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been ignored again.&nbsp;

Finch said even though he was dropped, Lyon has been impressive in the manner he bowled in the first two games.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The way Lyon bowled has been really impressive. Adelaide has a short square boundary, but he was quite impressive. His role was pretty important. He will get rewarded eventually," he said.&nbsp;

Australia have won nine out of the 14 ODIs played against India at the MCG, and it should inspire them on Friday as they are still on the cusp of winning their first ODI series since January 2017.&nbsp;

Palying XI:

India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Vijay Shankar.&nbsp;

Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.&nbsp;

Buoyant and self-assured in equal measure, India would be eyeing a maiden bilateral ODI series triumph on Australian soil after the path-breaking Test conquest when they take on the home team in the tour finale here Friday.

Buoyant and self-assured in equal measure, India would be eyeing a maiden bilateral ODI series triumph on Australian soil after the path-breaking Test conquest when they take on the home team in the tour finale here Friday. The three-match series is level at 1-1 after Australia won the first ODI in Sydney by 34 runs and India won the second in Adelaide by six wickets. The Men in Blue have never won a bilateral ODI contest on Australian soil, and their only two series' wins in this format have come in 1985 (World Championship of Cricket) and 2008 (CB Series). In fact, this is only the second bilateral ODI series India have played in Australia, losing 4-1 in 2016 when they toured here last. Also, by winning this third ODI in Melbourne, India will finish the current 2018-19 tour without having lost a series here. They have previously drawn the T20I series 1-1, and then went on to record a historic first-ever Test series win here by a 2-1 margin. While India will take winning momentum into this third ODI, their only worry at the moment is the fifth bowling option. Also Watch: × So far in the series, senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami have been impressive, while the two left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have provided control and breakthroughs in the middle overs. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, India have used a full-time seamer as their fifth bowling option both at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval. Khaleel Ahmed (0-55) and Mohammed Siraj (0-76) though failed to impress in their singular outings. It becomes a particularly crucial aspect considering that India will go in with the same batting line-up as in the first two matches. With Virat Kohli not keen on bowling Ambati Rayudu again in the series, they need to get their five-bowler attack right on the money. .@msdhoni looking in great touch here at the nets session ahead of the 3rd and final ODI against Australia. What's your prediction for the game? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WLbZP78Lii — BCCI (@BCCI) January 17, 2019 × Seam bowling all-rounder Vijay Shankar and leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal are in contention and both had a rigorous workout during the optional training session on Thursday at the MCG. Shankar provides the third seam bowling option, and as an extra batsman, elongates the batting line-up. However, the argument against Shankar is whether the Indian team management can trust him enough to deliver 10 overs on ODI debut. Siraj struggled to do so and Kohli was left wondering how he would bowl him for a last three-over spell. This is where Chahal might prove to be a more reliable option, even if India have to play two pacers and three spinners. The bigger boundaries at the MCG, and Chahal's ability to bowl economical and attacking spells as well as use the new ball within the first 10 overs, might be a factor in his favour. If Kohli does pick Shankar for his ODI debut, it would disturb the set batting line-up and make space for Kedar Jadhav. The fifth bowler's 10 overs can then be divided between Jadhav and Shankar. This move would mean one of Ambati Rayudu or Dinesh Karthik will be left out. It's time for the series decider tomorrow here at the 'G. Will #TeamIndia clinch the series? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/dLx7fg2qUp — BCCI (@BCCI) January 17, 2019 × Karthik was handy in finishing the second ODI, while Rayudu has been rusty but seen as India's favoured number four option, making this a tough decision for the Indian captain. Rayudu was part of the small group that took part in optional training on Thursday, along with Shankar, Chahal, Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan. Dhoni's form, which has been a constant concern for a while now, has been decent so far and he has two consecutive half centuries to draw confidence from. Australia, on the other hand, will be worried about lack of runs from their opening duo, Finch and Alex Carey, with their middle-order having to do the bull work in the last two matches. The home team made two changes from Adelaide. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa came in for off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who couldn't pick a wicket in the first two ODIs, while pacer Jason Behrendorff was ruled out owing to a sore back. Billy Stanlake is his replacement, while all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been ignored again. Finch said even though he was dropped, Lyon has been impressive in the manner he bowled in the first two games. "The way Lyon bowled has been really impressive. Adelaide has a short square boundary, but he was quite impressive. His role was pretty important. He will get rewarded eventually," he said. Australia have won nine out of the 14 ODIs played against India at the MCG, and it should inspire them on Friday as they are still on the cusp of winning their first ODI series since January 2017. Palying XI: India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Vijay Shankar. Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

India vs Australia, 3rd ODI: India eye perfect finish to historic tour

Australia captain Aaron Finch Thursday declared that he will return to his "natural" aggressive game in the series-deciding third ODI against India here after being left "frustrated" by a cautious approach while searching for runs. Finch has been going through a bad patch for a long time and the sword is literally hanging over his head.&nbsp;

After a below-par showing in the Test series, Finch's struggle with the bat continued in the ODIs as he scored just 12 runs in the first two games.

"I am little bit frustrated. I am trying to bat a little bit longer for one thing. When you are searching for runs, you can be searching for the right recipe, and over the last couple of days, I have had a look at footage. I have seen things that have worked out when I got a hundred for Australia last, and what didn't," Finch said ahead of Friday's final ODI.&nbsp;

"I want to give myself the best chance. Maybe, I have been too tentative in the last couple games and letting pressure build up."

Finch, who scored just 97 runs in six innings in the Test series against India before being dropped for the final game, has admitted that he has spent the last few days in reminding himself he is "still a very good player".&nbsp;

"That's always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there, waiting for the right time to be aggressive and take on the opposition. I still feel I am a very good player," he said.&nbsp;

"I think 13 international hundreds suggest I do know what is required. It is about seeing through the initial part and putting pressure back on the bowlers. It is just about going back to my natural game, letting it flow and finding the right rhythm."&nbsp;

Finch, however, had words of praise for his opening partner Alex Carey and said Australia are looking to cover as many bases as possible before the World Cup to be held in the United Kingdom, starting May 30.&nbsp;

"It's about giving him (Carey) opportunity to perform. He has been shuffled around a lot, but we want to have some consistency and allow him to play a game that he is pretty comfortable with, opening the batting in ODIs and T20s. We will have to wait and see how (David) Warner and (Steve) Smith shape up," he said.&nbsp;

"We want to try and have as many bases covered in India and Pakistan series ahead of the World Cup. If we can have 3-4 guys in opening, middle and finishing, that will give us a lot of flexibility in the batting."&nbsp;

Finch said the evolution of Australia's batting line-up has been a stand out point for him, especially in light of the absence of David Warner and Steve Smith, who are serving 12-month bans for their role in the infamous ball-tampering episode.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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"There has been a lot of talk about the middle overs, and the way we have played their spin so far, 3-115 from 22 overs in Sydney, 1-115 in Adelaide. There has been a lot of improvement," the skipper said.&nbsp;

"The mindset in particular from the last couple months has been really good. To be able to get 286 and 298 back-to-back on slow wickets in Sydney and brutal conditions in Adelaide was good. Shaun Marsh has been outstanding. It is good how we have stuck to our game plans and executed them," he added.&nbsp;

With the series evenly poised at 1-1, Finch said Australia are keen to come out victorious on Friday to register their first ODI series triumph since January 2017. "We are very keen to win the series. It has been a while since we have won one," he said.&nbsp;

"Coming up against a real powerful Indian line-up, there have been some positives particularly with the bat and there has been a lot of improvement in the last 8-10 months to be really proud of in the two games. It's 1-1 also because our bowlers have been outstanding.

"A lot of improvement can be made but a lot to be proud of in this series as well. Winning the series is our main focus," he signed off.

Australia captain Aaron Finch Thursday declared that he will return to his "natural" aggressive game in the series-deciding third ODI against India here after being left "frustrated" by a cautious approach while searching for runs.

Australia captain Aaron Finch Thursday declared that he will return to his "natural" aggressive game in the series-deciding third ODI against India here after being left "frustrated" by a cautious approach while searching for runs. Finch has been going through a bad patch for a long time and the sword is literally hanging over his head. After a below-par showing in the Test series, Finch's struggle with the bat continued in the ODIs as he scored just 12 runs in the first two games. "I am little bit frustrated. I am trying to bat a little bit longer for one thing. When you are searching for runs, you can be searching for the right recipe, and over the last couple of days, I have had a look at footage. I have seen things that have worked out when I got a hundred for Australia last, and what didn't," Finch said ahead of Friday's final ODI. "I want to give myself the best chance. Maybe, I have been too tentative in the last couple games and letting pressure build up." Finch, who scored just 97 runs in six innings in the Test series against India before being dropped for the final game, has admitted that he has spent the last few days in reminding himself he is "still a very good player". "That's always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there, waiting for the right time to be aggressive and take on the opposition. I still feel I am a very good player," he said. "I think 13 international hundreds suggest I do know what is required. It is about seeing through the initial part and putting pressure back on the bowlers. It is just about going back to my natural game, letting it flow and finding the right rhythm." Finch, however, had words of praise for his opening partner Alex Carey and said Australia are looking to cover as many bases as possible before the World Cup to be held in the United Kingdom, starting May 30. "It's about giving him (Carey) opportunity to perform. He has been shuffled around a lot, but we want to have some consistency and allow him to play a game that he is pretty comfortable with, opening the batting in ODIs and T20s. We will have to wait and see how (David) Warner and (Steve) Smith shape up," he said. "We want to try and have as many bases covered in India and Pakistan series ahead of the World Cup. If we can have 3-4 guys in opening, middle and finishing, that will give us a lot of flexibility in the batting." Finch said the evolution of Australia's batting line-up has been a stand out point for him, especially in light of the absence of David Warner and Steve Smith, who are serving 12-month bans for their role in the infamous ball-tampering episode. × "There has been a lot of talk about the middle overs, and the way we have played their spin so far, 3-115 from 22 overs in Sydney, 1-115 in Adelaide. There has been a lot of improvement," the skipper said. "The mindset in particular from the last couple months has been really good. To be able to get 286 and 298 back-to-back on slow wickets in Sydney and brutal conditions in Adelaide was good. Shaun Marsh has been outstanding. It is good how we have stuck to our game plans and executed them," he added. With the series evenly poised at 1-1, Finch said Australia are keen to come out victorious on Friday to register their first ODI series triumph since January 2017. "We are very keen to win the series. It has been a while since we have won one," he said. "Coming up against a real powerful Indian line-up, there have been some positives particularly with the bat and there has been a lot of improvement in the last 8-10 months to be really proud of in the two games. It's 1-1 also because our bowlers have been outstanding. "A lot of improvement can be made but a lot to be proud of in this series as well. Winning the series is our main focus," he signed off.

India vs Australia: Aaron Finch promises natural aggressive game in 3rd ODI

Virat Kohli has no peers in ODIs but he has a priceless message for youngsters, a sole focus on limited overs formats shouldn't be an "excuse" for not being able to cope with the challenges of Test cricket.&nbsp;

World's No 1 batsman with 25 Test hundreds warned that youngsters will have mental problems if they don't embrace the pristine form of five-day cricket.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"If we focus too much on shorter formats - yes, they're important - but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there will start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up," Kohli was quoted as saying by Star Sports.&nbsp;

The Indian skipper, who has played a few defining knocks against world class bowlers like Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mitchell Starc during the past year spoke about the hard work that goes into the making of a quality Test player.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"As long as you're willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work - if you're willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team - I think that is what people should prepare (youngsters) (for)."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kohli said the current batch of Indian Test cricketers are trying to set an example for the younger generation.&nbsp;

"That (vision) will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following. So (when) the next lot that comes in, they have to maintain that vision and then the people coming in will follow."&nbsp;

Virat Kohli has reaffirmed his commitment towards Test cricket, saying he wants India to become a superpower in the game's longest format. 
Number-one ranked India recently won their maiden Test series in Australia under Kohli's leadership.&nbsp;

"I wouldn't say goal but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come."&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world."&nbsp;

Kohli was made India captain for the first time in the middle of the 2014-15 Test series in Australia with MS Dhoni announcing a shock retirement.&nbsp;

He credited coach Ravi Shastri for making his job easier.&nbsp;

"Ever since 2014, I think he's (Shastri) one person who's given me honest feedback whenever things required to be altered.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I remember we sat down (last year). I'd scored a Test century and a fifty in the same game in England, so he called me and he said, as far as batting is concerned, I'm not going to discuss anything with you now because you've done some something which I am proud of and everyone is proud of.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"But as a captain, I need to start thinking how to get the best out of this team and how to tactically be spot on. And that really hit me because I felt like, you know, there's so much more to captaincy than you sometimes think."&nbsp;

Before departing for the Australia tour, Kohli had dismissed the perception that Shastri was "yes-man" to him. He explained again what Shastri brings to the table.&nbsp;

"He one person, because he's done so much commentary, and he's seen the game so much and has played so much himself - just watching the game - he knows where the game is heading.&nbsp;

"So just get getting feedback from him constantly has been the biggest help for me, in terms of moulding my own personality into captaincy. He's someone who has never tried to change me just to be able to fit into the captaincy mode," Kohli added.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli has no peers in ODIs but he has a priceless message for youngsters, a sole focus on limited overs formats shouldn't be an "excuse" for not being able to cope with the challenges of Test cricket.

Virat Kohli has no peers in ODIs but he has a priceless message for youngsters, a sole focus on limited overs formats shouldn't be an "excuse" for not being able to cope with the challenges of Test cricket. World's No 1 batsman with 25 Test hundreds warned that youngsters will have mental problems if they don't embrace the pristine form of five-day cricket. "If we focus too much on shorter formats - yes, they're important - but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there will start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up," Kohli was quoted as saying by Star Sports. The Indian skipper, who has played a few defining knocks against world class bowlers like Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mitchell Starc during the past year spoke about the hard work that goes into the making of a quality Test player. "As long as you're willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work - if you're willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team - I think that is what people should prepare (youngsters) (for)." Kohli said the current batch of Indian Test cricketers are trying to set an example for the younger generation. "That (vision) will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following. So (when) the next lot that comes in, they have to maintain that vision and then the people coming in will follow." Virat Kohli has reaffirmed his commitment towards Test cricket, saying he wants India to become a superpower in the game's longest format. Number-one ranked India recently won their maiden Test series in Australia under Kohli's leadership. "I wouldn't say goal but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come." "I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world." Kohli was made India captain for the first time in the middle of the 2014-15 Test series in Australia with MS Dhoni announcing a shock retirement. He credited coach Ravi Shastri for making his job easier. "Ever since 2014, I think he's (Shastri) one person who's given me honest feedback whenever things required to be altered. "I remember we sat down (last year). I'd scored a Test century and a fifty in the same game in England, so he called me and he said, as far as batting is concerned, I'm not going to discuss anything with you now because you've done some something which I am proud of and everyone is proud of. "But as a captain, I need to start thinking how to get the best out of this team and how to tactically be spot on. And that really hit me because I felt like, you know, there's so much more to captaincy than you sometimes think." Before departing for the Australia tour, Kohli had dismissed the perception that Shastri was "yes-man" to him. He explained again what Shastri brings to the table. "He one person, because he's done so much commentary, and he's seen the game so much and has played so much himself - just watching the game - he knows where the game is heading. "So just get getting feedback from him constantly has been the biggest help for me, in terms of moulding my own personality into captaincy. He's someone who has never tried to change me just to be able to fit into the captaincy mode," Kohli added.

Youngsters focussing solely on shorter formats could have problems playing Test: Virat Kohli

Australia coach Justin Langer compared Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar and said the Indian captain's balance while playing 360 degree shots in all formats of the game is "unbelievable".

After his 39th ODI hundred helped India to a series' levelling win in Adelaide, Langer heaped praise on Kohli, saying the India skipper is currently having the same impact on international cricket as Tendulkar.&nbsp;

"I would like to have them both in my team. Sachin was an incredible cricketer. I used to watch him and it was like he was meditating. He was so calm and that's why his record is peerless," Langer said after Australia's six-wicket loss in the second ODI here.&nbsp;

"Virat is doing the same thing. He is so calm and so competitive, and technically his balance is unbelievable. For him to play 360-degree shots in all formats of the game, his balance is unbelievable."&nbsp;

Langer said it is a blessing in disguise for the young Australian cricketers to play against class players like Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.&nbsp;

"He (Kohli) is a great competitor and his concentration is extraordinary and for someone to make so many runs as he has it is incredible like all the great players," he said.&nbsp;

"Sachin and Virat, and MS Dhoni, who averages 50-plus in 340 games, they are all-time great players and our guys are in the best seats at the moment, playing some of the best all-time great ODI players and they will be better from the experience," Langer added.&nbsp;

Dhoni slammed an unbeaten 55 off 54 balls after Kohli laid the foundation for India's series-levelling victory in the second ODI with a fluent 104.&nbsp;

Langer said the inexperience of his side showed as first Kohli marshalled the middle overs and then Dhoni turned back time to finish the chase with four balls to spare.&nbsp;

"We were playing against three all-time great one-day international players (also referring to Rohit Sharma at the SCG). We saw it in the first one, and class always come to the top, and we have seen that with India so we must respect that," he said.&nbsp;

"The way Virat and MS batted today, you hate losing but when you see that - it's amazing. That's why they are such great players so we will gain great experience from it.&nbsp;

"In big tournaments like the World Cup, I like to see our guys under pressure like they were tonight so it will be much better for the experience. And it's still one-all in the series, and it means it's alive and well. The MCG game is going to be huge, and we can't wait for that," he added.&nbsp;

Shaun Marsh's seventh ODI hundred helped Australia set up a tall score of 289 for 9, but India overcame easily riding on the experience of Kohli and Dhoni.&nbsp;

Langer was full of praise for Marsh, who has been Australia's best ODI batsman in recent times.&nbsp;

"I thought Shaun Marsh's innings was absolutely brilliant. We had some good 50-run partnerships but we talked about getting big hundreds, Shaun did that.&nbsp;

"We probably lost those two wickets just at the end with Shaun and Glenn Maxwell getting out just at the end. It might have cots us 15 or so runs which obviously in the context of this game it would have been handy," said Langer.&nbsp;

"He's turning into a great one-day international player, four hundreds in eight games. You'd like to see him get hundreds and win. It would have been a perfect day for him," he signed off.

Australia coach Justin Langer compared Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar and said the Indian captain's balance while playing 360 degree shots in all formats of the game is "unbelievable".

Australia coach Justin Langer compared Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar and said the Indian captain's balance while playing 360 degree shots in all formats of the game is "unbelievable". After his 39th ODI hundred helped India to a series' levelling win in Adelaide, Langer heaped praise on Kohli, saying the India skipper is currently having the same impact on international cricket as Tendulkar. "I would like to have them both in my team. Sachin was an incredible cricketer. I used to watch him and it was like he was meditating. He was so calm and that's why his record is peerless," Langer said after Australia's six-wicket loss in the second ODI here. "Virat is doing the same thing. He is so calm and so competitive, and technically his balance is unbelievable. For him to play 360-degree shots in all formats of the game, his balance is unbelievable." Langer said it is a blessing in disguise for the young Australian cricketers to play against class players like Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "He (Kohli) is a great competitor and his concentration is extraordinary and for someone to make so many runs as he has it is incredible like all the great players," he said. "Sachin and Virat, and MS Dhoni, who averages 50-plus in 340 games, they are all-time great players and our guys are in the best seats at the moment, playing some of the best all-time great ODI players and they will be better from the experience," Langer added. Dhoni slammed an unbeaten 55 off 54 balls after Kohli laid the foundation for India's series-levelling victory in the second ODI with a fluent 104. Langer said the inexperience of his side showed as first Kohli marshalled the middle overs and then Dhoni turned back time to finish the chase with four balls to spare. "We were playing against three all-time great one-day international players (also referring to Rohit Sharma at the SCG). We saw it in the first one, and class always come to the top, and we have seen that with India so we must respect that," he said. "The way Virat and MS batted today, you hate losing but when you see that - it's amazing. That's why they are such great players so we will gain great experience from it. "In big tournaments like the World Cup, I like to see our guys under pressure like they were tonight so it will be much better for the experience. And it's still one-all in the series, and it means it's alive and well. The MCG game is going to be huge, and we can't wait for that," he added. Shaun Marsh's seventh ODI hundred helped Australia set up a tall score of 289 for 9, but India overcame easily riding on the experience of Kohli and Dhoni. Langer was full of praise for Marsh, who has been Australia's best ODI batsman in recent times. "I thought Shaun Marsh's innings was absolutely brilliant. We had some good 50-run partnerships but we talked about getting big hundreds, Shaun did that. "We probably lost those two wickets just at the end with Shaun and Glenn Maxwell getting out just at the end. It might have cots us 15 or so runs which obviously in the context of this game it would have been handy," said Langer. "He's turning into a great one-day international player, four hundreds in eight games. You'd like to see him get hundreds and win. It would have been a perfect day for him," he signed off.

Justin Langer praises chase master Virat Kohli, says his balance is unbelievable

From Virat's ton to Dhoni's winning run: Major takeaways from 2nd India vs Australia ODI

Australia lost its third&nbsp;wicket in the form of Usman Khawaja, who was run-out by Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth damage was caused after&nbsp;Peter Handscomb was dismissed by Dhoni off&nbsp;Jadeja only.

After 29 overs, Australia's&nbsp;score stands at 136 for the loss of four wickets with Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb at the crease.

Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat.&nbsp;

Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs.

After 10 overs, Australia's score stands at 38 for the loss of two wickets.

Earlier, Finch won the toss and opted to bat first as India take on the hosts in a do-or-die second ODI, in their bid to keep the three-match series alive.

The Kohli-led team lost the first ODI by 34 runs despite a remarkable century and slow half-century by Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni respectively.&nbsp;

Australia lost its third wicket in the form of Usman Khawaja, who was run-out by Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth damage was caused after Peter Handscomb was dismissed by Dhoni off Jadeja only.

Australia lost its third wicket in the form of Usman Khawaja, who was run-out by Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth damage was caused after Peter Handscomb was dismissed by Dhoni off Jadeja only. After 29 overs, Australia's score stands at 136 for the loss of four wickets with Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb at the crease. Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat. Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs. After 10 overs, Australia's score stands at 38 for the loss of two wickets. Earlier, Finch won the toss and opted to bat first as India take on the hosts in a do-or-die second ODI, in their bid to keep the three-match series alive. The Kohli-led team lost the first ODI by 34 runs despite a remarkable century and slow half-century by Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni respectively.

IND vs AUS: Australia 136/4 after 29 overs, Shaun Marsh reaches fifty

Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat.&nbsp;

Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs.

After 10 overs, Australia's score stands at 38 for the loss of two wickets.

Earlier, Finch won the toss and opted to bat first as India take on the hosts in a do-or-die second ODI, in their bid to keep the three-match series alive.

The Kohli-led team lost the first ODI by 34 runs despite a remarkable century and slow half-century by Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni respectively.&nbsp;

Speaking after the toss, Finch said, " We are gonna bat first mate. Looks like a good wicket to bat, don't think it'll change much throughout. We played a really good game the other day. I think it's a good chance to put some pressure on with a good score. It's always good to play against a world class outfit and improve as a team leading into the next phase of the year."

Dhoni's 51 off 96 balls and failing to rotate the strike has brought to focus the rejigging that skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will have to fret upon.

With Dhoni being slotted at No 5 even though vice-captain Rohit wants the veteran to bat a notch higher but cues from India's training session made it clear that the team is unlikely to tinker with the batting order.

Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said, "the conditions are going to be a big factor for us. We were a bit scratchy at Sydney. We can't take Australia lightly in Australia. Mohammad Siraj makes his debut today, Khaleel Ahmed makes way for him."

Teams: 
India (Playing XI):&nbsp;Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami

Australia (Playing XI):&nbsp;Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey(w), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff

Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat.

Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat. Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs. After 10 overs, Australia's score stands at 38 for the loss of two wickets. Earlier, Finch won the toss and opted to bat first as India take on the hosts in a do-or-die second ODI, in their bid to keep the three-match series alive. The Kohli-led team lost the first ODI by 34 runs despite a remarkable century and slow half-century by Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni respectively. Speaking after the toss, Finch said, " We are gonna bat first mate. Looks like a good wicket to bat, don't think it'll change much throughout. We played a really good game the other day. I think it's a good chance to put some pressure on with a good score. It's always good to play against a world class outfit and improve as a team leading into the next phase of the year." Dhoni's 51 off 96 balls and failing to rotate the strike has brought to focus the rejigging that skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will have to fret upon. With Dhoni being slotted at No 5 even though vice-captain Rohit wants the veteran to bat a notch higher but cues from India's training session made it clear that the team is unlikely to tinker with the batting order. Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said, "the conditions are going to be a big factor for us. We were a bit scratchy at Sydney. We can't take Australia lightly in Australia. Mohammad Siraj makes his debut today, Khaleel Ahmed makes way for him." Teams: India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey(w), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff

IND vs AUS: Bhuvneshwar, Shami strike to dismiss Australia openers, are 38/2 after 10 overs

The Russian Premier League is set to restart on June 21, the country’s football association announced on Friday. The Russian Premier League, like every other major European league, was postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which has disrupted the entire sporting calendar.

"The Russian Premier League season will resume on June 21," a statement said following a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Russian football association.

The final eight games of the remainder of the season will be played between June 21 to July 22 with four of the scheduled round of matches taking place in the midweek.&nbsp;

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Matches will be played behind closed doors without spectators with the new rules of five substitutions coming into play in every match.&nbsp;

Along with Russian Premier League, the Olympic Russian Cup is also set for a restart with the final scheduled to take place on July 25.

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As things stand, Russia are atop the league standings with 50 points off 22 matches whereas Lokomotiv Moscow are second with 41 points to their name. Krasnodar are sitting third with 41 points with FK Rostov and CSKA Moscow sitting fifth and sixth respectively. Orenburg, Rubin Kazan, FK Krylya Sovetov Samara and Akhmat Grozny are involved in a tight relegation battle, and it would be interesting to see how things pan out once the league is brought back to life again.

<h2>The preliminary fixture schedule</h2>

23rd round: 21 June

Cup QF: 24 June

24th round: 28 June

25th round: 1 July

26th round: 5 July

27th round: 8 July

28th round: 12 July

29th round: 15 July

Cup SF: 18-19 July

30th round: 22 July

Cup Final: 25 July 25

The Russian Premier League is set to restart on June 21, the country’s football association announced on Friday. The Russian Premier League, like every other major European league, was postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which has disrupted the entire sporting calendar.

The Russian Premier League is set to restart on June 21, the country’s football association announced on Friday. The Russian Premier League, like every other major European league, was postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which has disrupted the entire sporting calendar. "The Russian Premier League season will resume on June 21," a statement said following a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Russian football association. The final eight games of the remainder of the season will be played between June 21 to July 22 with four of the scheduled round of matches taking place in the midweek. ALSO READ: Lionel Messi accepts 'risk' of possible La Liga return Matches will be played behind closed doors without spectators with the new rules of five substitutions coming into play in every match. Along with Russian Premier League, the Olympic Russian Cup is also set for a restart with the final scheduled to take place on July 25. ALSO READ: US sport edges back from virus shutdown with golf, auto events As things stand, Russia are atop the league standings with 50 points off 22 matches whereas Lokomotiv Moscow are second with 41 points to their name. Krasnodar are sitting third with 41 points with FK Rostov and CSKA Moscow sitting fifth and sixth respectively. Orenburg, Rubin Kazan, FK Krylya Sovetov Samara and Akhmat Grozny are involved in a tight relegation battle, and it would be interesting to see how things pan out once the league is brought back to life again. The preliminary fixture schedule 23rd round: 21 June Cup QF: 24 June 24th round: 28 June 25th round: 1 July 26th round: 5 July 27th round: 8 July 28th round: 12 July 29th round: 15 July Cup SF: 18-19 July 30th round: 22 July Cup Final: 25 July 25

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.

MS Dhoni, who was criticised for his slow-run rate in the first ODI, hit a crucial half-century, which includes the winning runs, to level the three-match series. &nbsp;

The former Indian skipper along with Dinesh Karthik at the other end remained unbeaten as Indian registered their victory. While Dhoni made 55 runs off 54 balls, Karthik contributed &nbsp;25 in 14 balls.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli also converted his fifty into his 39th ODI hundred while chasing a target of 299 runs set by the hosts Australia.

Kohli, with MS Dhoni at the other end, played a patient inning to lift his side back into the game, especially after India lost both its openers. &nbsp;

His 104 runs inning included five boundaries and two sixes. He lost his wicket while trying to hit a big shot off Jhye Richardson.

The 'Men in Blue' lost both its openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan - after the two gave India the required start. The two established a partnership of 47 runs before Dhawan fell off Jhye Richardson while trying to hit a big shot. &nbsp;

Dhawan made 32 runs, which included five boundaries. While Rohit, who slammed a brilliant century in the first ODI, lost his wicket at 43.

For Australia, Shaun Marsh slammed a patient century to lift Australia while wickets kept falling at the other hand in the second ODI against India on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Playing at an economy of 106.5, Marsh hit 131 runs in123 balls to set India a target of 299 runs. The 35-year-old, however, lost his wicket by giving an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja while trying to hit a six off Bhuneshwar Kumar. &nbsp;

Marsh found an ally in Glenn Maxwell, who got lucky twice but was finally dismissed for 48 runs off Bhuneshwar. Australia, who stood at 218 for the loss of five wickets at 42 overs, lost four more wickets in the following eight overs.&nbsp;

In bowling, Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami shared a total of seven wickets between them.&nbsp;

Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Aaron Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs.

Bhuvneshwar, who is a death-over specialist, ended his 10 overs with four wickets and giving away 45 runs. Mohammed Shami too clinched three wickets and gave away 58 runs in his 10 overs.&nbsp;

For Australia, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell took one wicket apiece.&nbsp;

The two teams will next face each other on Friday to decide the winner of the ODI series.&nbsp;

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. MS Dhoni, who was criticised for his slow-run rate in the first ODI, hit a crucial half-century, which includes the winning runs, to level the three-match series.

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. MS Dhoni, who was criticised for his slow-run rate in the first ODI, hit a crucial half-century, which includes the winning runs, to level the three-match series. The former Indian skipper along with Dinesh Karthik at the other end remained unbeaten as Indian registered their victory. While Dhoni made 55 runs off 54 balls, Karthik contributed 25 in 14 balls. Indian skipper Virat Kohli also converted his fifty into his 39th ODI hundred while chasing a target of 299 runs set by the hosts Australia. Kohli, with MS Dhoni at the other end, played a patient inning to lift his side back into the game, especially after India lost both its openers. His 104 runs inning included five boundaries and two sixes. He lost his wicket while trying to hit a big shot off Jhye Richardson. The 'Men in Blue' lost both its openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan - after the two gave India the required start. The two established a partnership of 47 runs before Dhawan fell off Jhye Richardson while trying to hit a big shot. Dhawan made 32 runs, which included five boundaries. While Rohit, who slammed a brilliant century in the first ODI, lost his wicket at 43. For Australia, Shaun Marsh slammed a patient century to lift Australia while wickets kept falling at the other hand in the second ODI against India on Tuesday. Playing at an economy of 106.5, Marsh hit 131 runs in123 balls to set India a target of 299 runs. The 35-year-old, however, lost his wicket by giving an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja while trying to hit a six off Bhuneshwar Kumar. Marsh found an ally in Glenn Maxwell, who got lucky twice but was finally dismissed for 48 runs off Bhuneshwar. Australia, who stood at 218 for the loss of five wickets at 42 overs, lost four more wickets in the following eight overs. In bowling, Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami shared a total of seven wickets between them. Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Aaron Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs. Bhuvneshwar, who is a death-over specialist, ended his 10 overs with four wickets and giving away 45 runs. Mohammed Shami too clinched three wickets and gave away 58 runs in his 10 overs. For Australia, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell took one wicket apiece. The two teams will next face each other on Friday to decide the winner of the ODI series.

Virat Kohli's ton, MS Dhoni's 50 help India beat Australia by six wickets in 2nd ODI

Indian skipper Virat Kohli converted his fifty into his 39th ODI hundred while chasing a target of 299 runs set by Australia in the second ODI on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Supported by MS Dhoni at the other end, Kohli played a patient inning of 104 runs to lift his side back into the game but was&nbsp;dismissed while trying to hit a six&nbsp;off Jhye Richardson.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Earlier, a partnership was developed between Kohli and Ambati Rayadu before the current No 4 batsman gave a simple catch to Marcus Stoinis off Glenn Maxwell.

The 'Men in Blue' lost both its openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan - after the two gave India the required start. The two established a partnership of 47 runs before Dhawan fell off Jhye Richardson while trying to hit a big shot. &nbsp;

Dhawan made 32 runs, which included five boundaries. While Rohit, who slammed a brilliant century in the first ODI, lost his wicket at 43.

For Australia, Shaun Marsh slammed a patient century to lift Australia while wickets kept falling at the other hand in the second ODI against India on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Playing at an economy of 106.5, Marsh hit 131 runs in123 balls to set India a target of 299 runs. The 35-year-old, however, lost his wicket by giving an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja while trying to hit a six off Bhuneshwar Kumar. &nbsp;

Marsh found an ally in Glenn Maxwell, who got lucky twice but was finally dismissed for 48 runs off Bhuneshwar. Australia, who stood at 218 for the loss of five wickets at 42 overs, lost four more wickets in the following eight overs.&nbsp;

Australia lost its third wicket in the form of Usman Khawaja, who was run-out by Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth damage was caused after Peter Handscomb was dismissed by Dhoni off Jadeja only

Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat.&nbsp;

Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs.

Bhuvneshwar, who is a death-over specialist, ended his 10 overs with four wickets and giving away 45 runs. Mohammed Shami to clinched three wickets and gave away 58 runs in his 10 overs.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli converted his fifty into his 39th ODI hundred while chasing a target of 299 runs set by Australia in the second ODI on Tuesday. Supported by MS Dhoni at the other end, Kohli played a patient inning of 104 runs to lift his side back into the game but was dismissed while trying to hit a six off Jhye Richardson.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli converted his fifty into his 39th ODI hundred while chasing a target of 299 runs set by Australia in the second ODI on Tuesday. Supported by MS Dhoni at the other end, Kohli played a patient inning of 104 runs to lift his side back into the game but was dismissed while trying to hit a six off Jhye Richardson. Earlier, a partnership was developed between Kohli and Ambati Rayadu before the current No 4 batsman gave a simple catch to Marcus Stoinis off Glenn Maxwell. The 'Men in Blue' lost both its openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan - after the two gave India the required start. The two established a partnership of 47 runs before Dhawan fell off Jhye Richardson while trying to hit a big shot. Dhawan made 32 runs, which included five boundaries. While Rohit, who slammed a brilliant century in the first ODI, lost his wicket at 43. For Australia, Shaun Marsh slammed a patient century to lift Australia while wickets kept falling at the other hand in the second ODI against India on Tuesday. Playing at an economy of 106.5, Marsh hit 131 runs in123 balls to set India a target of 299 runs. The 35-year-old, however, lost his wicket by giving an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja while trying to hit a six off Bhuneshwar Kumar. Marsh found an ally in Glenn Maxwell, who got lucky twice but was finally dismissed for 48 runs off Bhuneshwar. Australia, who stood at 218 for the loss of five wickets at 42 overs, lost four more wickets in the following eight overs. Australia lost its third wicket in the form of Usman Khawaja, who was run-out by Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth damage was caused after Peter Handscomb was dismissed by Dhoni off Jadeja only Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat. Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs. Bhuvneshwar, who is a death-over specialist, ended his 10 overs with four wickets and giving away 45 runs. Mohammed Shami to clinched three wickets and gave away 58 runs in his 10 overs.

IND vs AUS, 2nd ODI: Kohli departs after making 104; India 242/4 after 44 overs

Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit a crucial fifty to put India in the driver's seat in their mammoth chase of 298 runs in the second ODI on Tuesday.

Kohli along with Ambati Rayadu were going strong before the current No 4 batsman gave a simple catch to Marcus Stoinis off Glenn Maxwell.

The 'Men in Blue' lost both its openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan - after the two gave India the required start. The two established a partnership of 47 runs before Dhawan fell off Jhye Richardson while trying to hit a big shot. &nbsp;

Dhawan made 32 runs, which included five boundaries. While Rohit, who slammed a brilliant century in the first ODI, lost his wicket at 43.

For Australia, Shaun Marsh slammed a patient century to lift Australia while wickets kept falling at the other hand in the second ODI against India on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Playing at an economy of 106.5, Marsh hit 131 runs in123 balls to set India a target of 299 runs. The 35-year-old, however, lost his wicket by giving an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja while trying to hit a six off Bhuneshwar Kumar. &nbsp;

Marsh found an ally in Glenn Maxwell, who got lucky twice but was finally dismissed for 48 runs off Bhuneshwar. Australia, who stood at 218 for the loss of five wickets at 42 overs, lost four more wickets in the following eight overs.&nbsp;

Australia lost its third wicket in the form of Usman Khawaja, who was run-out by Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth damage was caused after Peter Handscomb was dismissed by Dhoni off Jadeja only

Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat.&nbsp;

Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs.

Bhuvneshwar, who is a death-over specialist, ended his 10 overs with four wickets and giving away 45 runs. Mohammed Shami to clinched three wickets and gave away 58 runs in his 10 overs.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit a crucial fifty to put India in the driver's seat in their mammoth chase of 298 runs in the second ODI on Tuesday. Kohli along with Ambati Rayadu were going strong before the current No 4 batsman gave a simple catch to Marcus Stoinis off Glenn Maxwell.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit a crucial fifty to put India in the driver's seat in their mammoth chase of 298 runs in the second ODI on Tuesday. Kohli along with Ambati Rayadu were going strong before the current No 4 batsman gave a simple catch to Marcus Stoinis off Glenn Maxwell. The 'Men in Blue' lost both its openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan - after the two gave India the required start. The two established a partnership of 47 runs before Dhawan fell off Jhye Richardson while trying to hit a big shot. Dhawan made 32 runs, which included five boundaries. While Rohit, who slammed a brilliant century in the first ODI, lost his wicket at 43. For Australia, Shaun Marsh slammed a patient century to lift Australia while wickets kept falling at the other hand in the second ODI against India on Tuesday. Playing at an economy of 106.5, Marsh hit 131 runs in123 balls to set India a target of 299 runs. The 35-year-old, however, lost his wicket by giving an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja while trying to hit a six off Bhuneshwar Kumar. Marsh found an ally in Glenn Maxwell, who got lucky twice but was finally dismissed for 48 runs off Bhuneshwar. Australia, who stood at 218 for the loss of five wickets at 42 overs, lost four more wickets in the following eight overs. Australia lost its third wicket in the form of Usman Khawaja, who was run-out by Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth damage was caused after Peter Handscomb was dismissed by Dhoni off Jadeja only Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami on Tuesday struck early to dismiss Australian openers Aaron Finch and Alex Carey respectively, not allowing them to cause much damage with the bat. Bhuvneshwar drew the first blood for his side as he bowled skipper Finch for just 6 runs. In the next over of Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Carey was sent back to the pavilion for 18 runs. Bhuvneshwar, who is a death-over specialist, ended his 10 overs with four wickets and giving away 45 runs. Mohammed Shami to clinched three wickets and gave away 58 runs in his 10 overs.

IND vs AUS, 2nd ODI: Kohli makes 50, Rayudu falls; India 180/3 after 34 overs

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's inability to set the pace during middle overs will remain a major cause of concern when India take on Australia in a do-or-die second ODI on Tuesday in their bid to keep the three-match series alive.

Hardik Pandya's sudden suspension on disciplinary grounds has badly affected the balance of the batting order, which was apparent during team's 34-run defeat in the opening match despite vice-captain Rohit Sharma's 22nd hundred in 50-over format.

Dhoni's 51 off 96 balls and failing to rotate the strike has brought to focus the rejigging that skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will have to fret upon.

With Dhoni being slotted at No 5 even though vice-captain Rohit wants the veteran to bat a notch higher but cues from India's training session made it clear that the team is unlikely to tinker with the batting order.

India's batting order did come under the spotlight at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The top three (Rohit, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli) have enjoyed a fairly consistent run since 2016.&nbsp;

But it was a rare occasion when Dhoni had to come out in the fourth over of the innings.

Dhoni averages 52.95 while batting at number four, which is higher than his current career-average of 50.11 over 333 games.&nbsp;

It is even higher than his favoured batting positions of number five (50.70) and six (46.33) but batting lower down the order, strike-rate becomes paramount.&nbsp;

Yet, Dhoni's career strike-rate at number four is 94.21 is higher than his overall career strike-rate of 87.60, or at number five (86.08) and number six (83.23).

When India last played ODIs in Australia in January 2016, Dhoni batted at number four in two matches but only scored 18 runs.&nbsp;

In fact, since that series, Dhoni has batted at number four in only eight ODIs, with the last instance in the 2018 Asia Cup.&nbsp;

He averages 24.75 in this interim, with a strike-rate of 77.34 and a highest of 80 against New Zealand in October 2016.

This presents a quandary, which the Indian team management might not be in a mood to sort out at present.&nbsp;

Rayudu did well enough in the Asia Cup and in the home series against West Indies, and both batsmen merit a longer run in their respective positions to help settle this batting line-up in the run-up to the English summer.

No pre-match short-list has been announced for this second ODI, and all-rounder Vijay Shankar only arrived late Monday afternoon in Adelaide, thus might not be available for selection.&nbsp;

In Hardik's continued absence, any forthcoming changes will be to find a better balance between bat and ball.&nbsp;

While India coped in the Asia Cup and against West Indies when he was out injured, playing three spinners in sub-continental conditions helped. In overseas conditions, Pandya's absence restricts the team's capability with both bat and ball.

Despite his suspect action, Rayudu is free to continue bowling in international cricket, but it remains to be seen if the team management would want him to.

Kedar Jadhav provides an alternative option in that light, and he could come into the playing eleven at Dinesh Karthik's expense.&nbsp;

There is every chance that the same bowling composition as in the first ODI will be retained, despite Khaleel Ahmed being off-colour. He batted in the nets along side Yuzvendra Chahal on Monday.

Out of the three fast bowlers, Mohammed Shami was most impressive in the first match and given the delicate situation of this series, he will certainly not be left out.

The team management also banks on Ravindra Jadeja's all-round skills, and as such Chahal's chances of an immediate return to the side looks doubtful.

Mohammed Siraj had a long bowling stint though, under the watchful eyes of coach Ravi Shastri, and he could be in contention for Ahmed's place.

However, onus will be on the top three batsmen to come good once again and deflect any undue pressure on the middle order for a second game running.&nbsp;

Kohli averages 73.44 at the Adelaide Oval across all formats, while in ODIs alone, he still averages an impressive 46.66.&nbsp;

While he would definitely strive to score runs again at his favourite venue, Dhawan's form will be in limelight.

Along with Dhoni and Rayudu, he is the third batsman in the top six who didn't play any domestic cricket while the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was being contested.&nbsp;

While Dhoni is retired from Test cricket, and Rayudu announced his First-Class retirement before the Ranji season began, Dhawan had no such excuse and spent his time holidaying in Melbourne instead of playing in the 2018-19 Ranji season.&nbsp;

While he was in good form before this chosen break, it remains to be seen if his first-ball duck in Sydney was more than a slight blip.

Australia didn't announce their playing eleven for the second ODI either, but it is expected that they will field the same team as in the first match.&nbsp;

Their biggest concern at the moment is if Glenn Maxwell is batting at his best position at number seven.&nbsp;

Teams: 
India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Vijay Shankar.

Australia: Aron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa.&nbsp;

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's inability to set the pace during middle overs will remain a major cause of concern when India take on Australia in a do-or-die second ODI on Tuesday in their bid to keep the three-match series alive.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's inability to set the pace during middle overs will remain a major cause of concern when India take on Australia in a do-or-die second ODI on Tuesday in their bid to keep the three-match series alive. Hardik Pandya's sudden suspension on disciplinary grounds has badly affected the balance of the batting order, which was apparent during team's 34-run defeat in the opening match despite vice-captain Rohit Sharma's 22nd hundred in 50-over format. Dhoni's 51 off 96 balls and failing to rotate the strike has brought to focus the rejigging that skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will have to fret upon. With Dhoni being slotted at No 5 even though vice-captain Rohit wants the veteran to bat a notch higher but cues from India's training session made it clear that the team is unlikely to tinker with the batting order. India's batting order did come under the spotlight at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The top three (Rohit, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli) have enjoyed a fairly consistent run since 2016. But it was a rare occasion when Dhoni had to come out in the fourth over of the innings. Dhoni averages 52.95 while batting at number four, which is higher than his current career-average of 50.11 over 333 games. It is even higher than his favoured batting positions of number five (50.70) and six (46.33) but batting lower down the order, strike-rate becomes paramount. Yet, Dhoni's career strike-rate at number four is 94.21 is higher than his overall career strike-rate of 87.60, or at number five (86.08) and number six (83.23). When India last played ODIs in Australia in January 2016, Dhoni batted at number four in two matches but only scored 18 runs. In fact, since that series, Dhoni has batted at number four in only eight ODIs, with the last instance in the 2018 Asia Cup. He averages 24.75 in this interim, with a strike-rate of 77.34 and a highest of 80 against New Zealand in October 2016. This presents a quandary, which the Indian team management might not be in a mood to sort out at present. Rayudu did well enough in the Asia Cup and in the home series against West Indies, and both batsmen merit a longer run in their respective positions to help settle this batting line-up in the run-up to the English summer. No pre-match short-list has been announced for this second ODI, and all-rounder Vijay Shankar only arrived late Monday afternoon in Adelaide, thus might not be available for selection. In Hardik's continued absence, any forthcoming changes will be to find a better balance between bat and ball. While India coped in the Asia Cup and against West Indies when he was out injured, playing three spinners in sub-continental conditions helped. In overseas conditions, Pandya's absence restricts the team's capability with both bat and ball. Despite his suspect action, Rayudu is free to continue bowling in international cricket, but it remains to be seen if the team management would want him to. Kedar Jadhav provides an alternative option in that light, and he could come into the playing eleven at Dinesh Karthik's expense. There is every chance that the same bowling composition as in the first ODI will be retained, despite Khaleel Ahmed being off-colour. He batted in the nets along side Yuzvendra Chahal on Monday. Out of the three fast bowlers, Mohammed Shami was most impressive in the first match and given the delicate situation of this series, he will certainly not be left out. The team management also banks on Ravindra Jadeja's all-round skills, and as such Chahal's chances of an immediate return to the side looks doubtful. Mohammed Siraj had a long bowling stint though, under the watchful eyes of coach Ravi Shastri, and he could be in contention for Ahmed's place. However, onus will be on the top three batsmen to come good once again and deflect any undue pressure on the middle order for a second game running. Kohli averages 73.44 at the Adelaide Oval across all formats, while in ODIs alone, he still averages an impressive 46.66. While he would definitely strive to score runs again at his favourite venue, Dhawan's form will be in limelight. Along with Dhoni and Rayudu, he is the third batsman in the top six who didn't play any domestic cricket while the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was being contested. While Dhoni is retired from Test cricket, and Rayudu announced his First-Class retirement before the Ranji season began, Dhawan had no such excuse and spent his time holidaying in Melbourne instead of playing in the 2018-19 Ranji season. While he was in good form before this chosen break, it remains to be seen if his first-ball duck in Sydney was more than a slight blip. Australia didn't announce their playing eleven for the second ODI either, but it is expected that they will field the same team as in the first match. Their biggest concern at the moment is if Glenn Maxwell is batting at his best position at number seven. Teams: India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Vijay Shankar. Australia: Aron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa.

India vs Australia: MS Dhoni's poor form a worry as India look to restore parity in 2nd ODI

Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is currently on tour in Australia, has not been in good form of late.&nbsp;

In the first ODI, he made three runs.&nbsp;In the Sydney Test, which ended in a draw due to incessant rain, he scored 23 runs.

His poor form has also upset his fans... and they showed it.&nbsp;

After India's loss in the first ODI, Kohli spent some quality time with his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. He put up a picture with her on Twitter.&nbsp;

The picture was&nbsp;taken at a countryside location and Kohli captioned it with a heart emoticon.&nbsp;

The picture however did not go down well with some of his fans, who asked Kohli to focus instead on his game:&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
♥️ <a href="https://t.co/uLa7UwLvMX">pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1084435848240590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
♥️ <a href="https://t.co/uLa7UwLvMX">pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1084435848240590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
♥️ <a href="https://t.co/uLa7UwLvMX">pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1084435848240590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
♥️ <a href="https://t.co/uLa7UwLvMX">pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1084435848240590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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♥️ <a href="https://t.co/uLa7UwLvMX">pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1084435848240590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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India won the Test series 2-1, their first win against Australia down under in 71 years.&nbsp;

After losing the Test series, Australia clinched the first ODI by 34 runs. The two sides will now face each other Tuesday.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is currently on tour in Australia, has not been in good form of late. In the first ODI, he made three runs. In the Sydney Test, which ended in a draw due to incessant rain, he scored 23 runs.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is currently on tour in Australia, has not been in good form of late. In the first ODI, he made three runs. In the Sydney Test, which ended in a draw due to incessant rain, he scored 23 runs. His poor form has also upset his fans... and they showed it. After India's loss in the first ODI, Kohli spent some quality time with his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. He put up a picture with her on Twitter. The picture was taken at a countryside location and Kohli captioned it with a heart emoticon. The picture however did not go down well with some of his fans, who asked Kohli to focus instead on his game: ♥️ pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 13, 2019 × ♥️ pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 13, 2019 × ♥️ pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 13, 2019 × ♥️ pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 13, 2019 × ♥️ pic.twitter.com/uLa7UwLvMX — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 13, 2019 × India won the Test series 2-1, their first win against Australia down under in 71 years. After losing the Test series, Australia clinched the first ODI by 34 runs. The two sides will now face each other Tuesday.

IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli shares picture with wife Anushka, fans ask him to focus on 2nd ODI

Richardson's 4-wicket haul to Dhoni's comeback: Major takeaways from 1st India vs Australia ODI

Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul will be sent home on the first available flight from Australia as the BCCI suspended them Friday for their outrage-evoking comments on women, hours after the duo's on-field leader Virat Kohli expressed his disapproval.

The under-fire players have been suspended pending an inquiry into their sexist comments on a TV show, ruling them out of the three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning Saturday in Sydney.

"Both Pandya and Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry," the Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai told PTI.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-sends-suspension-notes-to-hardik-pandya-over-misconduct-and-indiscipline-189663">BCCI sends suspension note to Hardik Pandya over sexist remarks made on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-sends-suspension-notes-to-hardik-pandya-over-misconduct-and-indiscipline-189663">TV</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-sends-suspension-notes-to-hardik-pandya-over-misconduct-and-indiscipline-189663"> show</a>

A few hours later it was confirmed that a decision has been taken to send them home from Australia.

"It's confirmed. The duo is being sent back. If they can book tickets then tomorrow they will be leaving (for India) or latest by day after," a senior BCCI official said.

He added that at this point their chances of making the squad for the New Zealand tour is also "bleak".

The suspension letter, as per clause 41 (6) of BCCI, states: "CoA suspends Pandya, Rahul from participating in 'any match or function or event or activity that is authorized, organized, sanctioned, recognized or supported in any way by the BCCI, the ICC or any State Association, until final adjudication of the matter'."

The 'Koffee with Karan' episode featuring the cricketers has since been taken down by the channel's online platform.

On the show, Pandya had boasted about hooking up with multiple women and being open about it with his parents. Rahul was, however, a shade more restrained in his responses on relationships and women.

A source in the BCCI said the two will be issued fresh show-cause notices before a formal enquiry begins.

"Whether it will be an internal committee of the BCCI or an ad hoc ombudsman who will conduct an inquiry, is yet to be ascertained," the official said.

Pandya has regretted his comments twice since the show went on air on Sunday -- first on his official Twitter page and then in response to the BCCI show cause notice on Wednesday.

Rahul, on the other hand, is yet to react to the controversy.

The decision to hand them suspensions came after Rai's CoA colleague Diana Edulji recommended the same till further action against the two. This was after the BCCI's legal team refused to declare the comments a violation of the code of conduct.&nbsp;

The copy of the legal opinion, in possession of PTI, states: "We feel that present matter doesn't fall under the ambit of Code of Conduct and procedure of Code of Conduct can't be invoked in present circumstances."

Edulji had initially suggested a two-match suspension for the duo but referred the matter to the legal cell after Rai agreed with her and recommended the same.

"It is imperative that players be put under suspension till the further course of action is decided for this misconduct as was done in case of (BCCI) CEO (Rahul Johri) when he was sent on leave on sexual harassment matter," read Edulji's response to the legal opinion.

In Sydney, on the eve of the ODI series, captain Kohli condemned the two for what he termed "inappropriate" comments but said he was not too stressed about the possibility of a ban on the all-rounder.

"...It's good that we have someone like (Ravindra) Jadeja who can do the all-rounder's role if a scenario like that occurs," Kohli said. 
Days after their historic maiden Test series triumph, Kohli asserted that the side does not stand by the "individual opinions", which have triggered a social media storm.

The likes of Rishabh Pant and Manish Pandey will now be in contention to be their replacements. While Pandya was a certainty in the playing XI, an out-of-form Rahul was not in contention to play on Saturday.

It is speculated that the BCCI might bar players from appearing on entertainment shows owing to the ongoing furore.

Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul will be sent home on the first available flight from Australia as the BCCI suspended them Friday for their outrage-evoking comments on women, hours after the duo's on-field leader Virat Kohli expressed his disapproval.

Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul will be sent home on the first available flight from Australia as the BCCI suspended them Friday for their outrage-evoking comments on women, hours after the duo's on-field leader Virat Kohli expressed his disapproval. The under-fire players have been suspended pending an inquiry into their sexist comments on a TV show, ruling them out of the three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning Saturday in Sydney. "Both Pandya and Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry," the Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai told PTI. Also read: BCCI sends suspension note to Hardik Pandya over sexist remarks made on TV show A few hours later it was confirmed that a decision has been taken to send them home from Australia. "It's confirmed. The duo is being sent back. If they can book tickets then tomorrow they will be leaving (for India) or latest by day after," a senior BCCI official said. He added that at this point their chances of making the squad for the New Zealand tour is also "bleak". The suspension letter, as per clause 41 (6) of BCCI, states: "CoA suspends Pandya, Rahul from participating in 'any match or function or event or activity that is authorized, organized, sanctioned, recognized or supported in any way by the BCCI, the ICC or any State Association, until final adjudication of the matter'." The 'Koffee with Karan' episode featuring the cricketers has since been taken down by the channel's online platform. On the show, Pandya had boasted about hooking up with multiple women and being open about it with his parents. Rahul was, however, a shade more restrained in his responses on relationships and women. A source in the BCCI said the two will be issued fresh show-cause notices before a formal enquiry begins. "Whether it will be an internal committee of the BCCI or an ad hoc ombudsman who will conduct an inquiry, is yet to be ascertained," the official said. Pandya has regretted his comments twice since the show went on air on Sunday -- first on his official Twitter page and then in response to the BCCI show cause notice on Wednesday. Rahul, on the other hand, is yet to react to the controversy. The decision to hand them suspensions came after Rai's CoA colleague Diana Edulji recommended the same till further action against the two. This was after the BCCI's legal team refused to declare the comments a violation of the code of conduct. The copy of the legal opinion, in possession of PTI, states: "We feel that present matter doesn't fall under the ambit of Code of Conduct and procedure of Code of Conduct can't be invoked in present circumstances." Edulji had initially suggested a two-match suspension for the duo but referred the matter to the legal cell after Rai agreed with her and recommended the same. "It is imperative that players be put under suspension till the further course of action is decided for this misconduct as was done in case of (BCCI) CEO (Rahul Johri) when he was sent on leave on sexual harassment matter," read Edulji's response to the legal opinion. In Sydney, on the eve of the ODI series, captain Kohli condemned the two for what he termed "inappropriate" comments but said he was not too stressed about the possibility of a ban on the all-rounder. "...It's good that we have someone like (Ravindra) Jadeja who can do the all-rounder's role if a scenario like that occurs," Kohli said. Days after their historic maiden Test series triumph, Kohli asserted that the side does not stand by the "individual opinions", which have triggered a social media storm. The likes of Rishabh Pant and Manish Pandey will now be in contention to be their replacements. While Pandya was a certainty in the playing XI, an out-of-form Rahul was not in contention to play on Saturday. It is speculated that the BCCI might bar players from appearing on entertainment shows owing to the ongoing furore.

Suspended Pandya, Rahul to be sent home; Kohli condemns comments

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

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

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

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

Indian cricket&nbsp;team captain&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=virat+kohli">Virat Kohli</a> has retained the top position for the celebrity brand valuation as per the rankings released by *Duff &amp; Phelps (D&amp;P). In 2018, Virat's brand value rose by 18 per cent to US$ 170.9 million. He endorsed 24 brands as of November.&nbsp;

The report provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts.&nbsp;

Virat is followed by Bollywood actress <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Deepika+Padukone">Deepika Padukone</a>, whose valuation is US$ 102.5 million. She endorsed 21 brands as of November 2018.&nbsp;

Virat and Deepika are the only celebrities with a valuation of over US$ 100 million.&nbsp;

The top ten list also features Akshay Kumar (US$ 67.3), Ranveer Singh (US$ 63.0), Shah Rukh Khan (US$ 60.7), Salman Khan (US$ 55.8), Amitabh Bachchan (US$ 41.2), Alia Bhatt (US$ 36.5), Varun Dhawan (US$ 31.6) and Hrithik Roshan (US$ 31.0).&nbsp;

Apart from the individual brand value, the report noted the rising trend of power couples, as brands can target each partner's unique following and voice by tapping into a power couple's reach and impact.&nbsp;

A power couple is a relationship consisting of two individuals who are both successful and influential.&nbsp;

With many star couples tying the knot recently, advertising agencies are trying to pull out all the stops to get the couples to share screen space. In a country where people are star struck by film stars and sportsmen, Bollywood couples have been a big hit in the advertising space.&nbsp;

During the wedding of the power couples, the number of social media mentions have spiked with #DeepVeer having 0.56 million mentions and #Virushka having 0.72 million mentions in the last year.&nbsp;

"The coming together of a power couple creates a larger platform that brands want to leverage to target the youth. This year, power couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have endorsed around 40 brands together such as Head and Shoulders, Manyavar, Pepsi, Celkon, Boost, Audi, Fastrack, Goinee, Wrogn and Polaroid," it said.&nbsp;

*Duff &amp; Phelps is a US-based global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients in the areas of valuation, corporate finance, investigations, disputes, cybersecurity, compliance and regulatory matters, and other governance-related issues.&nbsp;

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has retained the top position for the celebrity brand valuation as per the rankings released by *Duff & Phelps (D&P). In 2018, Virat's brand value rose by 18 per cent to US$ 170.

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has retained the top position for the celebrity brand valuation as per the rankings released by *Duff & Phelps (D&P). In 2018, Virat's brand value rose by 18 per cent to US$ 170.9 million. He endorsed 24 brands as of November. The report provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts. Virat is followed by Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, whose valuation is US$ 102.5 million. She endorsed 21 brands as of November 2018. Virat and Deepika are the only celebrities with a valuation of over US$ 100 million. The top ten list also features Akshay Kumar (US$ 67.3), Ranveer Singh (US$ 63.0), Shah Rukh Khan (US$ 60.7), Salman Khan (US$ 55.8), Amitabh Bachchan (US$ 41.2), Alia Bhatt (US$ 36.5), Varun Dhawan (US$ 31.6) and Hrithik Roshan (US$ 31.0). Apart from the individual brand value, the report noted the rising trend of power couples, as brands can target each partner's unique following and voice by tapping into a power couple's reach and impact. A power couple is a relationship consisting of two individuals who are both successful and influential. With many star couples tying the knot recently, advertising agencies are trying to pull out all the stops to get the couples to share screen space. In a country where people are star struck by film stars and sportsmen, Bollywood couples have been a big hit in the advertising space. During the wedding of the power couples, the number of social media mentions have spiked with #DeepVeer having 0.56 million mentions and #Virushka having 0.72 million mentions in the last year. "The coming together of a power couple creates a larger platform that brands want to leverage to target the youth. This year, power couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have endorsed around 40 brands together such as Head and Shoulders, Manyavar, Pepsi, Celkon, Boost, Audi, Fastrack, Goinee, Wrogn and Polaroid," it said. *Duff & Phelps is a US-based global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients in the areas of valuation, corporate finance, investigations, disputes, cybersecurity, compliance and regulatory matters, and other governance-related issues.

Virat Kohli tops 2018's celebrity brand valuation report list

Retired cricketers plying their trade in T20 leagues might be a global trend right now but India captain <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/search?q=virat+kohli">Virat Kohli</a> says he wouldn't even be "seen around the scene" the day he is "totally spent" to pick up the bat again.&nbsp;

Responding to a query on whether he would consider playing in the Australian Big Bash league after retiring or if the BCCI lifts the bar on its players, Kohli said he would certainly not be around for such a stint after retirement.&nbsp;

"Look I don't know whether that stance is going to change in the future. As far as I am concerned, playing more cricket when I am done, I don't think I am in that zone to be honest," the 30-year-old said ahead of the opening ODI against Australia on Saturday.&nbsp;

Retired cricketers such as AB de Villiers and Brendon McCullum are regularly seen playing in T20 leagues such as the IPL and Big Bash but Kohli says he isn't interested in joining the bandwagon.&nbsp;

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What's India Captain <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a>'s retirement plans? 😁😁😁 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/xGxBOxMSdE">pic.twitter.com/xGxBOxMSdE</a>
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"I have played enough cricket in the last five years and I cannot comment on even the first thing I do when I retire because I don't feel like I am going to pick up the bat again," he said.&nbsp;

"I will be spent, the day I finish I will be totally spent and that's the reason I am going to stop playing cricket. So I don't see myself coming back and playing again. Once I am done, I will be done, and I won't be seen around the scene," Kohli said.&nbsp;

The skipper was all praise for his team's batting line-up and said the line-up looks strong heading into the ODI World Cup starting May 30 in England.&nbsp;

"In the last 12 months, our ODI batting has been very strong and openers are a very big factor in that. There was a phase in the middle when we addressed the issue of middle overs and from 25-40 overs we tried to change our batting style," he said.&nbsp;

"Where our batting is at the moment, the team management and I are very comfortable because we have results in ODI cricket and performances have been very good as well."

In fact, Kohli felt the Indian team is perfectly balanced in every aspect.

"The bowling has been balanced too. In one-day cricket, any team can beat you on any given day. But as a team you have to give your best and take your strongest eleven. And we feel as a one-day team we are on the right track, and are on our full strength," he said.&nbsp;

Retired cricketers plying their trade in T20 leagues might be a global trend right now but India captain Virat Kohli says he wouldn't even be "seen around the scene" the day he is "totally spent" to pick up the bat again.

Retired cricketers plying their trade in T20 leagues might be a global trend right now but India captain Virat Kohli says he wouldn't even be "seen around the scene" the day he is "totally spent" to pick up the bat again. Responding to a query on whether he would consider playing in the Australian Big Bash league after retiring or if the BCCI lifts the bar on its players, Kohli said he would certainly not be around for such a stint after retirement. "Look I don't know whether that stance is going to change in the future. As far as I am concerned, playing more cricket when I am done, I don't think I am in that zone to be honest," the 30-year-old said ahead of the opening ODI against Australia on Saturday. Retired cricketers such as AB de Villiers and Brendon McCullum are regularly seen playing in T20 leagues such as the IPL and Big Bash but Kohli says he isn't interested in joining the bandwagon. What's India Captain @imVkohli's retirement plans? 😁😁😁 #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/xGxBOxMSdE — BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2019 × "I have played enough cricket in the last five years and I cannot comment on even the first thing I do when I retire because I don't feel like I am going to pick up the bat again," he said. "I will be spent, the day I finish I will be totally spent and that's the reason I am going to stop playing cricket. So I don't see myself coming back and playing again. Once I am done, I will be done, and I won't be seen around the scene," Kohli said. The skipper was all praise for his team's batting line-up and said the line-up looks strong heading into the ODI World Cup starting May 30 in England. "In the last 12 months, our ODI batting has been very strong and openers are a very big factor in that. There was a phase in the middle when we addressed the issue of middle overs and from 25-40 overs we tried to change our batting style," he said. "Where our batting is at the moment, the team management and I are very comfortable because we have results in ODI cricket and performances have been very good as well." In fact, Kohli felt the Indian team is perfectly balanced in every aspect. "The bowling has been balanced too. In one-day cricket, any team can beat you on any given day. But as a team you have to give your best and take your strongest eleven. And we feel as a one-day team we are on the right track, and are on our full strength," he said.

Won't pick up bat again after retirement: Virat Kohli

India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-issues-showcause-notice-against-hardik-pandya-k-l-rahul-for-comments-on-women-in-tv-show-189173">sexist comments</a> made by his teammates KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya are "inappropriate" from Indian cricket team's the point of view.&nbsp;

He further added, "we definitely, as the Indian cricket team, do not support views like that and that has been communicated."&nbsp;

Team India scripted history in the recently concluded Test series after clinching the series for the first time on Australian soil.&nbsp;

But ahead of the one-day series, India have been hit by an unsavoury off-field controversy due to Pandya and KL Rahul's controversial comments on women on a TV show. The two are facing the prospect of being banned for a couple of matches.&nbsp;

"The two concerned players felt what has gone wrong and they have understood the magnitude," Kohli told reporters.

Virat Kohli said he was not aware of any sanctions being handed down but as per the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/coa-recommends-suspension-pending-inquiry-against-hardik-pandya-kl-rahul-189549">latest reports</a>, Committee of Administrators member Diana Edulji Friday recommended "suspension till further action" against both the players. Edulji had initially suggested a two-match suspension for the duo but referred the matter to the legal cell after CoA chief Vinod Rai agreed with her and recommended the same.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sincerely-regretful-says-hardik-pandya-after-bcci-show-cause-notice-for-sexist-comments-189276">'Sincerely regretful,' says Hardik Pandya after BCCI show cause notice for sexist comments</a>

"From the combination and team balance point of view, yes, you'll have to think about the combination you'll need now," Kohli said.

"We played in India against the West Indies with a finger spinner and a wrist spinner. So it's good that we have someone like Jadeja who can do the all-rounder's role if a scenario like that occurs," Kohli said on the eve of the first ODI against Australia.&nbsp;

"So we are not too stressed as a team (about the Pandya situation) because you'll always have things that you can do in terms of creating that balance for the side. And hence, we keep players who can provide balance with bat and ball as a backup anyway," he added.&nbsp;

"I don't think we will have too much of trouble if we have to change our combinations. We are pretty comfortable as a side and any combination that we go in with," he said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the sexist comments made by his teammates KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya are "inappropriate" from Indian cricket team's the point of view.

India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the sexist comments made by his teammates KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya are "inappropriate" from Indian cricket team's the point of view. He further added, "we definitely, as the Indian cricket team, do not support views like that and that has been communicated." Team India scripted history in the recently concluded Test series after clinching the series for the first time on Australian soil. But ahead of the one-day series, India have been hit by an unsavoury off-field controversy due to Pandya and KL Rahul's controversial comments on women on a TV show. The two are facing the prospect of being banned for a couple of matches. "The two concerned players felt what has gone wrong and they have understood the magnitude," Kohli told reporters. Virat Kohli said he was not aware of any sanctions being handed down but as per the latest reports, Committee of Administrators member Diana Edulji Friday recommended "suspension till further action" against both the players. Edulji had initially suggested a two-match suspension for the duo but referred the matter to the legal cell after CoA chief Vinod Rai agreed with her and recommended the same. Also Read: 'Sincerely regretful,' says Hardik Pandya after BCCI show cause notice for sexist comments "From the combination and team balance point of view, yes, you'll have to think about the combination you'll need now," Kohli said. "We played in India against the West Indies with a finger spinner and a wrist spinner. So it's good that we have someone like Jadeja who can do the all-rounder's role if a scenario like that occurs," Kohli said on the eve of the first ODI against Australia. "So we are not too stressed as a team (about the Pandya situation) because you'll always have things that you can do in terms of creating that balance for the side. And hence, we keep players who can provide balance with bat and ball as a backup anyway," he added. "I don't think we will have too much of trouble if we have to change our combinations. We are pretty comfortable as a side and any combination that we go in with," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Virat Kohli says, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya comments not supported by teammates

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday congratulated Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his team for their historic test series win in Australia.&nbsp;

Imran, who is also the World Cup winning captain for Pakistan, took to his Twitter handle to extend his wishes to the Indian team and cricket fans.

"Congratulations to Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team for the first ever win by a subcontinent team in a test series in Australia," Imran tweeted.

Virat Kohli-led side ended a 71-year wait for a Test series victory Down Under. Their 2-1 victory was confirmed when the rain-affected fourth and final test ended in a draw at Sydney Cricket Ground early on Monday afternoon. 
&nbsp; 
In the fourth and final test, India opted to bat and scored a mammoth 622-7 declared total in the first innings.&nbsp;

The hosts were duly dismissed for 300 and Kohli did not hesitate to go for the jugular by enforcing the follow-on -- the first time in 30 years Australia had suffered such ignominy on home soil.

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Congratulations to Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team for the first ever win by a subcontinent team in a test series in Australia
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1082518483756298240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ultimately, it was the Sydney weather that saved Australia from a 3-1 humiliation with no play possible after tea on day four, when they had mustered up six runs without loss in their second innings.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday congratulated Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his team for their historic test series win in Australia. Imran, who is also the World Cup winning captain for Pakistan, took to his Twitter handle to extend his wishes to the Indian team and cricket fans.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday congratulated Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his team for their historic test series win in Australia. Imran, who is also the World Cup winning captain for Pakistan, took to his Twitter handle to extend his wishes to the Indian team and cricket fans. "Congratulations to Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team for the first ever win by a subcontinent team in a test series in Australia," Imran tweeted. Virat Kohli-led side ended a 71-year wait for a Test series victory Down Under. Their 2-1 victory was confirmed when the rain-affected fourth and final test ended in a draw at Sydney Cricket Ground early on Monday afternoon. In the fourth and final test, India opted to bat and scored a mammoth 622-7 declared total in the first innings. The hosts were duly dismissed for 300 and Kohli did not hesitate to go for the jugular by enforcing the follow-on -- the first time in 30 years Australia had suffered such ignominy on home soil. Congratulations to Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team for the first ever win by a subcontinent team in a test series in Australia — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 8, 2019 × Ultimately, it was the Sydney weather that saved Australia from a 3-1 humiliation with no play possible after tea on day four, when they had mustered up six runs without loss in their second innings.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan congratulates Virat Kohli and team India for 'first ever win' in Test series in Australia

While <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Virat+Kohli">Virat Kohli</a>'s historic success in Australia has been greeted with jubilation in India, it has also sparked a feverish debate: is he even better than the nation's cricket god <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Sachin+Tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</a>?

Kohli, the world's top-ranked batsman in all three formats of the game, on Monday led India to their first-ever Test series win in Australia, after seven decades of trying.

Already known as "King Kohli" before the tour, there are those who say the Indian captain deserves promotion.

But his Test teammates Hardik Pandya and Lokesh Rahul were mercilessly trolled on Indian social media after saying on a TV chat show that Kohli was a better batsman than Tendulkar.&nbsp;

Watch: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-by-far-my-best-achievement-says-kohli-after-maiden-test-victory-in-australia-188699">'By far my best achievement,' says Kohli after maiden Test victory in Australia</a>

The pair were blasted for being "pathetic" and "cringeworthy" by Twitter users in a mass tirade.&nbsp;

While Tendulkar has maintained a god-like status in the Indian public's eye since his retirement in 2013, he never managed to guide India to a Test series win in Australia.&nbsp;

Kohli, 30, was born a year before Tendulkar made his India debut in 1989. He is the run machine of modern cricket with more 19,000 runs in Test, one-day and T20 games. He last year became the fastest to reach 10,000 runs in 50-over internationals -- beating Tendulkar's record.

Kohli's biographer Vijay Lokapally said there should not be a comparison between players of different generations, but hailed Kohli's achievements.

"As a captain he sets an example with his fitness, his batting and his leadership," Lokapally told AFP.

"His batting is absolutely top class. He doesn't need a certificate from anyone. And there is no better person to lead the Indian team in any format."

He added: "As far as comparisons go, I think it's unfair to disregard the efforts of former players like Vijay Hazare or Sunil Gavaskar and compare eras.

"Gavaskar was a star of his times, Tendulkar ruled his era and Kohli is the new generation star. So they are all champions in their own place."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pandya and Rahul set off hostilities with Tendulkar fans in their off-the-cuff comments on Indian television aired Sunday.

Tendulkar had been named as the best batsman by a string of luminaries including Don Bradman, Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar, one Twitter user noted in response. "Every true cricket fan knows who is best!"

Praise from Pakistan

Few doubt however that Kohli has given the world's number one Test nation an even stronger dominance by completing the 2-1 series win in Australia.

World Cup-winning Kohli rated the triumph his "best achievement" so far, and Indian papers hailed the captain for his "Thunder Down Under".

The Times of India newspaper headlined its report "The Reign Men", while the Hindustan Times said "This win will make India invincible", headlining the opinion of their columnist Ian Chappell.

Even Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan congratulated India on their historic achievement.&nbsp;

"Congratulations to Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team for the first ever win by a subcontinent team in a test series in Australia," the former cricketer wrote on his party's Twitter account.

India coach Ravi Shastri said Kohli's leadership skills had "made all the difference" but sought to shoot down all references to deities.

"This is not a team of gods and demigods, seniors or juniors. This is an Indian cricket team that will readily jump off a cliff to win a match for the country," said Shastri.

While Virat Kohli's historic success in Australia has been greeted with jubilation in India, it has also sparked a feverish debate: is he even better than the nation's cricket god Sachin Tendulkar?

While Virat Kohli's historic success in Australia has been greeted with jubilation in India, it has also sparked a feverish debate: is he even better than the nation's cricket god Sachin Tendulkar? Kohli, the world's top-ranked batsman in all three formats of the game, on Monday led India to their first-ever Test series win in Australia, after seven decades of trying. Already known as "King Kohli" before the tour, there are those who say the Indian captain deserves promotion. But his Test teammates Hardik Pandya and Lokesh Rahul were mercilessly trolled on Indian social media after saying on a TV chat show that Kohli was a better batsman than Tendulkar. Watch: 'By far my best achievement,' says Kohli after maiden Test victory in Australia The pair were blasted for being "pathetic" and "cringeworthy" by Twitter users in a mass tirade. While Tendulkar has maintained a god-like status in the Indian public's eye since his retirement in 2013, he never managed to guide India to a Test series win in Australia. Kohli, 30, was born a year before Tendulkar made his India debut in 1989. He is the run machine of modern cricket with more 19,000 runs in Test, one-day and T20 games. He last year became the fastest to reach 10,000 runs in 50-over internationals -- beating Tendulkar's record. Kohli's biographer Vijay Lokapally said there should not be a comparison between players of different generations, but hailed Kohli's achievements. "As a captain he sets an example with his fitness, his batting and his leadership," Lokapally told AFP. "His batting is absolutely top class. He doesn't need a certificate from anyone. And there is no better person to lead the Indian team in any format." He added: "As far as comparisons go, I think it's unfair to disregard the efforts of former players like Vijay Hazare or Sunil Gavaskar and compare eras. "Gavaskar was a star of his times, Tendulkar ruled his era and Kohli is the new generation star. So they are all champions in their own place." Pandya and Rahul set off hostilities with Tendulkar fans in their off-the-cuff comments on Indian television aired Sunday. Tendulkar had been named as the best batsman by a string of luminaries including Don Bradman, Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar, one Twitter user noted in response. "Every true cricket fan knows who is best!" Praise from Pakistan Few doubt however that Kohli has given the world's number one Test nation an even stronger dominance by completing the 2-1 series win in Australia. World Cup-winning Kohli rated the triumph his "best achievement" so far, and Indian papers hailed the captain for his "Thunder Down Under". The Times of India newspaper headlined its report "The Reign Men", while the Hindustan Times said "This win will make India invincible", headlining the opinion of their columnist Ian Chappell. Even Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan congratulated India on their historic achievement. "Congratulations to Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team for the first ever win by a subcontinent team in a test series in Australia," the former cricketer wrote on his party's Twitter account. India coach Ravi Shastri said Kohli's leadership skills had "made all the difference" but sought to shoot down all references to deities. "This is not a team of gods and demigods, seniors or juniors. This is an Indian cricket team that will readily jump off a cliff to win a match for the country," said Shastri.

Is Virat Kohli really better than Sachin Tendulkar? Nation wants to know

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Watch: Virat Kohli says, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya comments not supported by teammates

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Is Virat Kohli really better than Sachin Tendulkar? Nation wants to know