The One Day International series between India and South Africa is set to start.&nbsp;South Africa and India will vie for the world number one ranking again when they meet in a six-match one-day international series, starting at Kingsmead on Thursday.

The past week saw India losing to the host 2-1 and barely managing to save themselves from a series whitewash. The performance, especially the batting side was not at par but keeping the bittersweet memories of the Test series aside, team India is now looking forward to salvaging the pride in a limited overs format.

If we talk about history, India has never won an ODI match in the Kingsmead, Durban and that&#39;s an additional pressure on skipper Virat Kohli and the team but it is expected that &#39;Men in blue&#39; would start the ODI series with new energy.

Presence of former captain, MS Dhoni, might help the team, as Virat&#39;s leadership was questioned by many veteran cricketers.

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When <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> has a go at the nets <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/ex3mTby1Gb">pic.twitter.com/ex3mTby1Gb</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/958707814519754752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Although Indian top batting order failed badly during the Test matches, in some instances, few of the batsmen played really well but they were not in a position to absorb the pressure and as a result, they lost the series.

Unlike the Tests, the one-day internationals could be dominated by batsmen, with six of the world&#39;s top ten one-day batsmen in action on pitches which, unlike the Tests, should favour aggressive stroke play.

Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal might give a new boost to the team with their spinning abilities. On the other hand, Ab de Villiers has been ruled out of the first three ODIs against India with a finger injury and that&#39;s definitely a good news for team India.

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Match day Eve and we&#39;ve got the bowlers gearing up in full flow at the nets <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zn2glxhqCZ">pic.twitter.com/Zn2glxhqCZ</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/958687952338653189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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When it comes to ODI matches limited over format, India has performed exponentially well in the recent past. In the last ODI series against Sri Lanka, India won the series by 4-1.

South Africa are on top of the International Cricket Council one-day rankings by a slender one point from India. Altogether, it&#39;s a really good opportunity for team India to grab the 1st rank again.

Squad (TBC):

South Africa:

Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungisani Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Khaya Zondo

India:

Virat Kohli (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur

&nbsp;

Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal might give a new boost to the team with their spinning abilities

The One Day International series between India and South Africa is set to start. South Africa and India will vie for the world number one ranking again when they meet in a six-match one-day international series, starting at Kingsmead on Thursday. The past week saw India losing to the host 2-1 and barely managing to save themselves from a series whitewash. The performance, especially the batting side was not at par but keeping the bittersweet memories of the Test series aside, team India is now looking forward to salvaging the pride in a limited overs format. If we talk about history, India has never won an ODI match in the Kingsmead, Durban and that's an additional pressure on skipper Virat Kohli and the team but it is expected that 'Men in blue' would start the ODI series with new energy. Presence of former captain, MS Dhoni, might help the team, as Virat's leadership was questioned by many veteran cricketers. When @msdhoni has a go at the nets #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/ex3mTby1Gb — BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2018 × Although Indian top batting order failed badly during the Test matches, in some instances, few of the batsmen played really well but they were not in a position to absorb the pressure and as a result, they lost the series. Unlike the Tests, the one-day internationals could be dominated by batsmen, with six of the world's top ten one-day batsmen in action on pitches which, unlike the Tests, should favour aggressive stroke play. Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal might give a new boost to the team with their spinning abilities. On the other hand, Ab de Villiers has been ruled out of the first three ODIs against India with a finger injury and that's definitely a good news for team India. Match day Eve and we've got the bowlers gearing up in full flow at the nets #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/Zn2glxhqCZ — BCCI (@BCCI) January 31, 2018 × When it comes to ODI matches limited over format, India has performed exponentially well in the recent past. In the last ODI series against Sri Lanka, India won the series by 4-1. South Africa are on top of the International Cricket Council one-day rankings by a slender one point from India. Altogether, it's a really good opportunity for team India to grab the 1st rank again. Squad (TBC): South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungisani Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Khaya Zondo India: Virat Kohli (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur

1st ODI, India vs South Africa: Virat Kohli eyes top ODI spot

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, besides bagging the top honour for ODI players in the ICC annual awards, announced in Dubai.

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&quot;It means a lot to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017 and also the ICC ODI Player of the Year,&quot; Kohli was quoted as saying in an ICC statement.

&quot;I won that back in 2012 also but it&#39;s the first time winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy, and it&#39;s a huge honour for me. It&#39;s probably the biggest of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special,&quot; he added.

The Indian captain had a prolific 2017&nbsp;scoring three double centuries in Tests.

Kohli hit one Test double century&nbsp;against Bangladesh and two against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded home series.&nbsp;

According to ICC rules, the award lists the period between September 21, 2016 to the end of 2017 before announcing the award, in the same period Kohli scored 2,203 Test runs at an average of over 70.

In ODIs, the star batsman hit 1,818 runs at an average of 82.63 including seven centuries.

In T20s, the Indian captain scored 299 runs at a strike-rate of 153.

This is the second time in succession that an Indian won the overall cricketer of the year award. Off-spinner R Ashwin had claimed the honour last year.

It was Kohli&#39;s second gong at the 2017 ICC Awards, with the 29-year-old also being named the ODI Player of the Year.

Kohli was also named captain of the ICC Test and ODI teams of the year.

Australian captain Steve Smith claimed the Test Player of the Year honour after scoring 1875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five 50s.

This is the first instance since 2013 that the ODI Cricketer of the Year award has been won by a non-South African, with Quinton de Kock receiving the accolade for 2016 and AB de Villiers winning it in 2014 and 2015.

(With inputs from PTI)

Indian captain Virat Kohli bags top ICC award.

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, besides bagging the top honour for ODI players in the ICC annual awards, announced in Dubai. × "It means a lot to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017 and also the ICC ODI Player of the Year," Kohli was quoted as saying in an ICC statement. "I won that back in 2012 also but it's the first time winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy, and it's a huge honour for me. It's probably the biggest of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special," he added. The Indian captain had a prolific 2017 scoring three double centuries in Tests. Kohli hit one Test double century against Bangladesh and two against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded home series. According to ICC rules, the award lists the period between September 21, 2016 to the end of 2017 before announcing the award, in the same period Kohli scored 2,203 Test runs at an average of over 70. In ODIs, the star batsman hit 1,818 runs at an average of 82.63 including seven centuries. In T20s, the Indian captain scored 299 runs at a strike-rate of 153. This is the second time in succession that an Indian won the overall cricketer of the year award. Off-spinner R Ashwin had claimed the honour last year. It was Kohli's second gong at the 2017 ICC Awards, with the 29-year-old also being named the ODI Player of the Year. Kohli was also named captain of the ICC Test and ODI teams of the year. Australian captain Steve Smith claimed the Test Player of the Year honour after scoring 1875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five 50s. This is the first instance since 2013 that the ODI Cricketer of the Year award has been won by a non-South African, with Quinton de Kock receiving the accolade for 2016 and AB de Villiers winning it in 2014 and 2015. (With inputs from PTI)

Virat Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year

Amidst the gloom that has cast Indian cricket with the demoralising Test series loss to South Africa last evening, there is some ray of sunshine today. In the just-released ICC awards for the period 2016-17, Indian captain Virat Kohli has hit a jackpot and was named both cricketer and captain of the year (for both Tests and ODIs). And if this wasn&rsquo;t enough, Kohli also clinched the trophy for the ODI player of the year &ndash; an award he had won back in 2012.

&nbsp;

Given the phenomenal form that Kohli had displayed in the last couple of seasons, the bestowal of this honor hasn&rsquo;t come as a surprise. The qualification period for these awards was from September 21, 2016 through the end of 2017. In that phase, Kohli amassed a whopping 2,203 Test runs at an average of 77.80 that also included six double-hundreds, 1,818 ODI runs at an average of 82.63 including seven hundreds, and 299 T20I runs at an incredible strike-rate of 153. Clearly, these are astounding numbers and Kohli richly deserved being adjudged the cricketer of the year.

&nbsp;

Expectedly, Kohli was felt very much honoured by being conferred with these prestigious awards. &ldquo;It&#39;s probably the biggest award that we have in world cricket,&quot; Kohli was quoted as saying to the media. &ldquo;&hellip;I&#39;m really really honoured and I&#39;d like to thank the ICC for recognizing all the hard work that we all put in for our respective sides and I want to congratulate all the other winners also.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

While Kohli the batsman has been astounding, Kohli the captain, too, has blossomed during this phase. He led India to Test series wins over England, Bangladesh, Australia, West Indies, and Sri Lanka (both home and away). In ODIs, too, he has been a very successful leader and took India to series wins against England, West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka (both home and away), while also leading the team to the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy in England. Although the loss to South Africa must have come as a blow, that does not take away what Kohli has achieved as a captain in the recent past.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

More than the numbers, however, it is Kohli&rsquo;s unyielding spirit and passion, both as a batsman and a captain, which has come to the fore in this phase. Even on the tough tour to South Africa, where almost every batsman from the team has struggled, Kohli struck that magnificent 153 on an uneven track at Cape Town to show his mettle and class and keep his team in the hunt.

&nbsp;

As a captain, Kohli has been fiery and plays only to win. His never-say-die attitude is infectious and is helping the team to keep on fighting. He studies the game well and makes smart, if at times harsh, decisions, which can help his team in pursuit of victory.

There are many experts who have often raised questions about Kohli&rsquo;s ultra-aggressive behaviour, and have asked him to tone it down. However, his aggressive attitude and zeal to be the best help him stay ahead of the rest. And it is these very traits that allowed him to accumulate those bucketfuls of runs as a batsman and achieve those many victories for his team as a captain.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

At just 29 years of age, Kohli already has 53 international hundreds and close to 17,000 international runs to his name. He is an unstoppable force, who keeps improving with every game he plays and shall be considered one of the greatest ever by the time he finishes.

&nbsp;

Hence, Virat Kohli truly deserves to be awarded the ICC cricketer and captain of the year and the ICC ODI player of the year. One hopes that these awards will motivate Kohli to keep performing better in the coming days. Because there is no denying that a charged up and in-form Virat Kohli is a great sight for the cricket world.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Virat Kohli is an unstoppable force, who keeps improving with every game he plays and shall be considered one of the greatest ever by the time he finishes.

Amidst the gloom that has cast Indian cricket with the demoralising Test series loss to South Africa last evening, there is some ray of sunshine today. In the just-released ICC awards for the period 2016-17, Indian captain Virat Kohli has hit a jackpot and was named both cricketer and captain of the year (for both Tests and ODIs). And if this wasn’t enough, Kohli also clinched the trophy for the ODI player of the year – an award he had won back in 2012. Given the phenomenal form that Kohli had displayed in the last couple of seasons, the bestowal of this honor hasn’t come as a surprise. The qualification period for these awards was from September 21, 2016 through the end of 2017. In that phase, Kohli amassed a whopping 2,203 Test runs at an average of 77.80 that also included six double-hundreds, 1,818 ODI runs at an average of 82.63 including seven hundreds, and 299 T20I runs at an incredible strike-rate of 153. Clearly, these are astounding numbers and Kohli richly deserved being adjudged the cricketer of the year. Expectedly, Kohli was felt very much honoured by being conferred with these prestigious awards. “It's probably the biggest award that we have in world cricket," Kohli was quoted as saying to the media. “…I'm really really honoured and I'd like to thank the ICC for recognizing all the hard work that we all put in for our respective sides and I want to congratulate all the other winners also.” While Kohli the batsman has been astounding, Kohli the captain, too, has blossomed during this phase. He led India to Test series wins over England, Bangladesh, Australia, West Indies, and Sri Lanka (both home and away). In ODIs, too, he has been a very successful leader and took India to series wins against England, West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka (both home and away), while also leading the team to the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy in England. Although the loss to South Africa must have come as a blow, that does not take away what Kohli has achieved as a captain in the recent past. More than the numbers, however, it is Kohli’s unyielding spirit and passion, both as a batsman and a captain, which has come to the fore in this phase. Even on the tough tour to South Africa, where almost every batsman from the team has struggled, Kohli struck that magnificent 153 on an uneven track at Cape Town to show his mettle and class and keep his team in the hunt. As a captain, Kohli has been fiery and plays only to win. His never-say-die attitude is infectious and is helping the team to keep on fighting. He studies the game well and makes smart, if at times harsh, decisions, which can help his team in pursuit of victory. There are many experts who have often raised questions about Kohli’s ultra-aggressive behaviour, and have asked him to tone it down. However, his aggressive attitude and zeal to be the best help him stay ahead of the rest. And it is these very traits that allowed him to accumulate those bucketfuls of runs as a batsman and achieve those many victories for his team as a captain. At just 29 years of age, Kohli already has 53 international hundreds and close to 17,000 international runs to his name. He is an unstoppable force, who keeps improving with every game he plays and shall be considered one of the greatest ever by the time he finishes. Hence, Virat Kohli truly deserves to be awarded the ICC cricketer and captain of the year and the ICC ODI player of the year. One hopes that these awards will motivate Kohli to keep performing better in the coming days. Because there is no denying that a charged up and in-form Virat Kohli is a great sight for the cricket world. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: This is why Virat Kohli is named ICC Cricketer of the Year

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/netanyahu-meets-moshe-at-chabad-house-calls-it-a-unique-blend-of-love-and-hatred-29966">Netanyahu meets Moshe at Chabad House, calls it &#39;a unique blend of love and hatred&#39;</a>

The Chabad House is a unique blend of love and hatred towards the people of Israel, the country&#39;s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-cleared-by-the-supreme-court-in-four-states-stays-ban-29917">When Bandit Queen can release, why not </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-cleared-by-the-supreme-court-in-four-states-stays-ban-29917">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-cleared-by-the-supreme-court-in-four-states-stays-ban-29917">, says Supreme Court</a>

The Supreme Court said Thursday that the movie Padmaavat would have to be released across the country. Four states -- Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh -- had banned the release of the film.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lucknow-schoolgirl-who-attacked-class-1-boy-with-knife-had-wanted-a-holiday-29965">Lucknow: Schoolgirl who attacked class 1 boy with knife had wanted a holiday</a>

Police said Thursday that the 11-year-old girl who attacked the Class 1 boy with a sharp-edged weapon in the toilet of his Lucknow school had wanted a holiday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-named-icc-cricketer-of-the-year-29916">Virat Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year</a>

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, besides bagging the top honour for ODI players in the ICC annual awards, announced in Dubai.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/australia-lifesaving-drone-makes-first-rescue-29970">In world first, drone rescues 2 swimmers off Australian beach</a>

A pair of Australian swimmers on Thursday became the first people to be rescued in the ocean by a drone when the aerial lifesaver dropped a safety device to distressed teens caught in rough seas.

Netanyahu meets Moshe at Chabad House, calls it 'a unique blend of love and hatred' The Chabad House is a unique blend of love and hatred towards the people of Israel, the country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said today. When Bandit Queen can release, why not Padmaavat, says Supreme Court The Supreme Court said Thursday that the movie Padmaavat would have to be released across the country. Four states -- Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh -- had banned the release of the film. Lucknow: Schoolgirl who attacked class 1 boy with knife had wanted a holiday Police said Thursday that the 11-year-old girl who attacked the Class 1 boy with a sharp-edged weapon in the toilet of his Lucknow school had wanted a holiday. Virat Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year Indian captain Virat Kohli has been awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, besides bagging the top honour for ODI players in the ICC annual awards, announced in Dubai. In world first, drone rescues 2 swimmers off Australian beach A pair of Australian swimmers on Thursday became the first people to be rescued in the ocean by a drone when the aerial lifesaver dropped a safety device to distressed teens caught in rough seas.

WION Evening News brief, 18 January, 2018

Team India is on the verge of losing second Test match against the Proteas as India&#39;s top order again failed to perform and reduced to 35 for three at the close on the fourth day of the second Test but the temper of both the sides can be seen on the field.

Earlier Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, exchanged few words with South African pacer Kagiso Rabada in the first innings of the second Test when he scored 153 runs and played some handsome shots.

Frustrated Rabada, who was eyeing Kohli&#39;s wicket, couldn&#39;t refrain from sledging at the Indian batsman but his plan didn&#39;t really work out as Kohli calmly retaliated and gave words of advice to the youngster.

Kohli&#39;s problems are not ending, despite scoring a century in the first innings, India trails far behind in the second Test and might lose the series as well.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-found-guilty-of-misbehaving-with-umpires-29690" target="_blank">Recently, he was penalised 25 %</a> of match fee for &ldquo;conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.&rdquo;

Kohli also received one demerit point for his Level 1 offence, along with the fine for breaching ICC&#39;s code of conduct.

The incident occurred in the 25th over of South Africa&rsquo;s second innings. The Indian captain was seen complaining to field umpire Michael Gough about the ball being affected by a damp outfield following a shower in the third session. Kohli then threw the ball on to the ground &ldquo;in an aggressive manner&rdquo;, field umpires complained to the match referee Chris Broad.

&nbsp;

Indian skipper, Virat Kohli exchanged few words with South African pacer Kagiso Rabada in the first innings of the second Test

Team India is on the verge of losing second Test match against the Proteas as India's top order again failed to perform and reduced to 35 for three at the close on the fourth day of the second Test but the temper of both the sides can be seen on the field. Earlier Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, exchanged few words with South African pacer Kagiso Rabada in the first innings of the second Test when he scored 153 runs and played some handsome shots. Frustrated Rabada, who was eyeing Kohli's wicket, couldn't refrain from sledging at the Indian batsman but his plan didn't really work out as Kohli calmly retaliated and gave words of advice to the youngster. Kohli's problems are not ending, despite scoring a century in the first innings, India trails far behind in the second Test and might lose the series as well. Recently, he was penalised 25 % of match fee for “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.” Kohli also received one demerit point for his Level 1 offence, along with the fine for breaching ICC's code of conduct. The incident occurred in the 25th over of South Africa’s second innings. The Indian captain was seen complaining to field umpire Michael Gough about the ball being affected by a damp outfield following a shower in the third session. Kohli then threw the ball on to the ground “in an aggressive manner”, field umpires complained to the match referee Chris Broad.

2nd Test: After hitting ton, Kohli retaliated against Rabada

The 2018 U-19 World Cup, currently underway in New Zealand, is attracting a lot of attention the world over among cricket fans. With its coverage having gone bigger and more visible, there is a lot of focus and excitement on the young players performing in the event. Every good performance is being applauded and new talents being keenly observed.

&nbsp;

In India&rsquo;s first game against Australia, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, the Indian quicks, bowled with great venom and constantly clicked speeds of over 140 km/h. In a country that has been starved of decent pace bowlers, this was a sight for the tired eyes and was applauded wholeheartedly in the social media. In fact, none other than ex-Indian captain Sourav Ganguly tweeted, mentioning that these young quicks are worth keeping an eye out for.

&nbsp;

This just goes to show how much of an impact the U-19 World Cup has these days. There was a time when this tournament was barely noticed. And today, it has become a genuine launch pad for youngsters to be internationally recognized even before they have played any first-class cricket. So the question that needs to be asked now is whether the U-19 World Cup can now be considered as a stepping stone for young cricketers for an international call-up?

&nbsp;

Youngsters need to go through the rigors of first-class cricket first

&nbsp;

It is well known by now that the likes of Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Kane Williamson, and Hashim Amla, to name a few, first got recognition through their exploits in the U-19 World Cup. However, it was through the grind, toil and repeated success at the first-class level that these players got the opportunity to represent the country.

&nbsp;

The U-19 World Cup is a good platform. It allows youngsters some great exposure of playing in different conditions of the world and of facing off against cricketers of all nationalities. The experience they gather in such a high-octane and fiercely competitive tournament can be extremely helpful in molding them for the path ahead.

&nbsp;

It would be unwise, however, to take them directly from the U-19 level to the international one. The path in between those two phases must be covered by every cricketer. Getting to skip it altogether, except in some extremely rare cases, might do more harm than good to the young cricketers.

&nbsp;

The World Cup provides an experience of a very different kind to these young lads. But they also need to hone their skills and go through the toil of first-class cricket to become a proper and complete cricketer. There is and should never be an easy way to success. Rushing those kids to the world of international cricket might hamper their progress.

&nbsp;

First-class cricket allows players to be disciplined, patient, and tenacious. Without developing these traits through the rigors of domestic cricket, a youngster, who has been inducted in international cricket directly, might struggle as he grows older.

&nbsp;

So, while we should definitely be excited for young talents emerging from the U-19 World Cup, we should also be very watchful to not go overboard with it or call for their inclusion in international cricket straightaway. After all, there is a whole sea of a difference between those two levels. And that needs to be respected.

&nbsp;

For now, let us savour the young talents like Prithwi Shah, Raynard van Tonder, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shaheen Shah Afridi and, Jason Sangha, among a plethora of others featuring in the ICC U-19 World Cup. And just hope that they go on to make a name for themselves in international cricket in the years to come as better versions of themselves.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

It was through the grind, toil and repeated success at the first-class level that players, such as Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Kane Williamson, and Hashim Amla got the opportunity to represent the country.

The 2018 U-19 World Cup, currently underway in New Zealand, is attracting a lot of attention the world over among cricket fans. With its coverage having gone bigger and more visible, there is a lot of focus and excitement on the young players performing in the event. Every good performance is being applauded and new talents being keenly observed. In India’s first game against Australia, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, the Indian quicks, bowled with great venom and constantly clicked speeds of over 140 km/h. In a country that has been starved of decent pace bowlers, this was a sight for the tired eyes and was applauded wholeheartedly in the social media. In fact, none other than ex-Indian captain Sourav Ganguly tweeted, mentioning that these young quicks are worth keeping an eye out for. This just goes to show how much of an impact the U-19 World Cup has these days. There was a time when this tournament was barely noticed. And today, it has become a genuine launch pad for youngsters to be internationally recognized even before they have played any first-class cricket. So the question that needs to be asked now is whether the U-19 World Cup can now be considered as a stepping stone for young cricketers for an international call-up? Youngsters need to go through the rigors of first-class cricket first It is well known by now that the likes of Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Kane Williamson, and Hashim Amla, to name a few, first got recognition through their exploits in the U-19 World Cup. However, it was through the grind, toil and repeated success at the first-class level that these players got the opportunity to represent the country. The U-19 World Cup is a good platform. It allows youngsters some great exposure of playing in different conditions of the world and of facing off against cricketers of all nationalities. The experience they gather in such a high-octane and fiercely competitive tournament can be extremely helpful in molding them for the path ahead. It would be unwise, however, to take them directly from the U-19 level to the international one. The path in between those two phases must be covered by every cricketer. Getting to skip it altogether, except in some extremely rare cases, might do more harm than good to the young cricketers. The World Cup provides an experience of a very different kind to these young lads. But they also need to hone their skills and go through the toil of first-class cricket to become a proper and complete cricketer. There is and should never be an easy way to success. Rushing those kids to the world of international cricket might hamper their progress. First-class cricket allows players to be disciplined, patient, and tenacious. Without developing these traits through the rigors of domestic cricket, a youngster, who has been inducted in international cricket directly, might struggle as he grows older. So, while we should definitely be excited for young talents emerging from the U-19 World Cup, we should also be very watchful to not go overboard with it or call for their inclusion in international cricket straightaway. After all, there is a whole sea of a difference between those two levels. And that needs to be respected. For now, let us savour the young talents like Prithwi Shah, Raynard van Tonder, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shaheen Shah Afridi and, Jason Sangha, among a plethora of others featuring in the ICC U-19 World Cup. And just hope that they go on to make a name for themselves in international cricket in the years to come as better versions of themselves. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Should U-19 World Cup be the stepping stone for cricketers aiming international level?

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli lost his cool (somewhat) at the post-match press conference after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/2nd-test-ngidis-6-wicket-haul-helps-south-africa-beat-india-by-135-runs-clinch-series-2-0-29854" target="_blank">losing the second Test</a> to South Africa on Wednesday.&nbsp;

&quot;What is the best 11?&quot; Kohli snapped, when asked if India had played their best 11.&nbsp;

&quot;If we had won this, was this the best 11? We don&#39;t decide the 11 according to results. You are telling me that you could have played the best 11.&nbsp; 
You tell me the best 11 and we will play that,&quot; Kohli said.

India have now lost the first two Tests against South Africa, which puts the three-match series beyond them.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/batsmen-let-the-team-down-virat-kohli-on-losing-2nd-test-to-south-africa-29872" target="_blank">Batsmen let the team down, Virat Kohli says after losing 2nd Test to South Africa</a>

There had been questions asked over India&#39;s selection. The biggest being why Rohit Sharma was picked over Ajinkya Rahane, the other being why Bhuvneshesh Kumar -- one of India&#39;s best bowlers in the first Test -- was dropped for the second. &nbsp;

&quot;I am saying the loss obviously hurts but you make one decision and you got to back it. We don&#39;t sit here and say if you will fail in one game, you are not good enough to be at this level. Didn&#39;t we lose in India when we had the best 11 there?

&quot;Whoever is picked should be good enough to do the job for the team. That is why we have got such a big squad. They are good enough to be at this level but you need to do that collectively as a team. You can&#39;t pinpoint and say which is the best 11. We have played with teams in the past which have looked really strong and lost,&quot; Kohli said.&nbsp;

Kohli was also asked if the team was losing because of all the chopping and changing -- India have fielded different teams (at least one change was made) in all the Test matches played under him.&nbsp;

&quot;How many Test matches have we won out of 34? How many have we won? How many have we won? 21 wins. Two losses. How many draws? Does it matter? Wherever we play we try to do our best. I&#39;m here to answer your questions, not to fight with you,&quot; Kohli countered.

It was helpfully pointed out after the conference that Kohli has actually won 20 of the 34 Tests played under his captaincy, not 21.&nbsp;

And that while Kohli might have snapped back at the reporters asking him the questions, sports journalists said the line of questioning was &quot;provocative&quot;. And that, under the circumstances, Kohli handled himself well.&nbsp;

Having said that, Kohli had earlier been known to very often lose his cool. Most hilariously during the 2015 World Cup when he lost his shirt at a sports journalist because of a story done by someone else.&nbsp;

He&#39;d gotten the two mixed up.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

'You tell me the best 11 and we will play that,' Kohli said at the post-match press conference

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli lost his cool (somewhat) at the post-match press conference after losing the second Test to South Africa on Wednesday. "What is the best 11?" Kohli snapped, when asked if India had played their best 11. "If we had won this, was this the best 11? We don't decide the 11 according to results. You are telling me that you could have played the best 11. You tell me the best 11 and we will play that," Kohli said. India have now lost the first two Tests against South Africa, which puts the three-match series beyond them. Also read: Batsmen let the team down, Virat Kohli says after losing 2nd Test to South Africa There had been questions asked over India's selection. The biggest being why Rohit Sharma was picked over Ajinkya Rahane, the other being why Bhuvneshesh Kumar -- one of India's best bowlers in the first Test -- was dropped for the second. "I am saying the loss obviously hurts but you make one decision and you got to back it. We don't sit here and say if you will fail in one game, you are not good enough to be at this level. Didn't we lose in India when we had the best 11 there? "Whoever is picked should be good enough to do the job for the team. That is why we have got such a big squad. They are good enough to be at this level but you need to do that collectively as a team. You can't pinpoint and say which is the best 11. We have played with teams in the past which have looked really strong and lost," Kohli said. Kohli was also asked if the team was losing because of all the chopping and changing -- India have fielded different teams (at least one change was made) in all the Test matches played under him. "How many Test matches have we won out of 34? How many have we won? How many have we won? 21 wins. Two losses. How many draws? Does it matter? Wherever we play we try to do our best. I'm here to answer your questions, not to fight with you," Kohli countered. It was helpfully pointed out after the conference that Kohli has actually won 20 of the 34 Tests played under his captaincy, not 21. And that while Kohli might have snapped back at the reporters asking him the questions, sports journalists said the line of questioning was "provocative". And that, under the circumstances, Kohli handled himself well. Having said that, Kohli had earlier been known to very often lose his cool. Most hilariously during the 2015 World Cup when he lost his shirt at a sports journalist because of a story done by someone else. He'd gotten the two mixed up. (With inputs from PTI)

India lose Test, Kohli loses his cool

India&#39;s top order again failed to perform as the visitors left battling to save the second Test reduced to&nbsp;35 for three at the close on the fourth day of the second Test at SuperSport Park on Tuesday.

India lost both openers early along with the key wicket of captain Virat Kohli as India struggled to keep their hopes alive in the series.

South African debutant pacer, Lungi Ngidi struck twice to claim&nbsp;KL Rahul&nbsp;and Virat Kohli. Opener Rahul managed just 4 runs and with skipper Virat Kohli out lbw for just 5 runs.

Parthiv Patel batted defiantly to end the day with Pujara with India still needing 252 runs to win on the last day.

Earlier, Indian opener Murli Vijay lost his wicket to Rabada&nbsp;after scoring 9 runs as India struggled early in the second innings.

South Africa leading the series 1-0 did not let up, piling on the pressure as the Indian batsmen crumbled under sustained aggression.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-found-guilty-of-misbehaving-with-umpires-29690" target="_blank">Virat Kohli found guilty of &#39;misbehaving&#39; with umpires, fined</a>

The main highlight of South Africa&rsquo;s second innings was of AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar, scoring 80 and 61 respectively.

&quot;It&#39;s massive for us and I think it&#39;s massive for India, knowing he&#39;s not batting,&quot; said South Africa opener Dean Elgar.

&quot;He&#39;s a very special batsman, as we saw in the first innings. I&#39;m sitting here with a smile on my face because he&#39;s one less very competitive, extremely talented batsman we have to deal with,&quot; he added.

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A few big moments in the last two overs. First snicko picked up an edge that SA did no appeal for when Pujara was facing up to Morkel. Then there&#39;s a huge appeal for Ngidi against Patel. SA opt to rightly not review. India 28/3 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProteaFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProteaFire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/cnAZ2mY1x8">pic.twitter.com/cnAZ2mY1x8</a>
&mdash; Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialCSA/status/953293032165662720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/2nd-test-south-africa-all-out-for-258-in-2nd-innings-29737" target="_blank">Mohammed Shami&#39;s four-wicket haul had South Africa all out for 258 runs</a> in their second innings during the final session.

The Proteas managed to set India a mammoth target of 287 at the Centurion.

For India, apart from Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets and Ishant Sharma also managed to get two.&nbsp;

Shami had struck three times for his team to dismiss two set batsman AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar and one new batsman Quinton de Kock in quick succession.

Skipper Faf du Plessis and Vernon Philander were the two batsmen on the crease who generated a partnership to take South Africa&#39;s score to 173/5 at lunch.&nbsp;

Earlier on Day 3, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-kohli-century-keeps-india-in-touch-with-south-africa-29624" target="_blank">Kohli hit a masterly 153 in India`s first innings</a> of 307 to stay in touch in Centurion, even though South Africa stretched 28-run first innings lead to 118 by scoring 90 for two in their second spell at-bat on a storm-shortened afternoon.

&nbsp;

South African debutant pacer, Lungi Ngidi struck twice and claimed KL Rahul's and Virat Kohli's wicket on 4th day of the second Test

India's top order again failed to perform as the visitors left battling to save the second Test reduced to 35 for three at the close on the fourth day of the second Test at SuperSport Park on Tuesday. India lost both openers early along with the key wicket of captain Virat Kohli as India struggled to keep their hopes alive in the series. South African debutant pacer, Lungi Ngidi struck twice to claim KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. Opener Rahul managed just 4 runs and with skipper Virat Kohli out lbw for just 5 runs. Parthiv Patel batted defiantly to end the day with Pujara with India still needing 252 runs to win on the last day. Earlier, Indian opener Murli Vijay lost his wicket to Rabada after scoring 9 runs as India struggled early in the second innings. South Africa leading the series 1-0 did not let up, piling on the pressure as the Indian batsmen crumbled under sustained aggression. Also read: Virat Kohli found guilty of 'misbehaving' with umpires, fined The main highlight of South Africa’s second innings was of AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar, scoring 80 and 61 respectively. "It's massive for us and I think it's massive for India, knowing he's not batting," said South Africa opener Dean Elgar. "He's a very special batsman, as we saw in the first innings. I'm sitting here with a smile on my face because he's one less very competitive, extremely talented batsman we have to deal with," he added. A few big moments in the last two overs. First snicko picked up an edge that SA did no appeal for when Pujara was facing up to Morkel. Then there's a huge appeal for Ngidi against Patel. SA opt to rightly not review. India 28/3 #ProteaFire #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/cnAZ2mY1x8 — Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 16, 2018 × Earlier, Mohammed Shami's four-wicket haul had South Africa all out for 258 runs in their second innings during the final session. The Proteas managed to set India a mammoth target of 287 at the Centurion. For India, apart from Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets and Ishant Sharma also managed to get two. Shami had struck three times for his team to dismiss two set batsman AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar and one new batsman Quinton de Kock in quick succession. Skipper Faf du Plessis and Vernon Philander were the two batsmen on the crease who generated a partnership to take South Africa's score to 173/5 at lunch. Earlier on Day 3, Kohli hit a masterly 153 in India`s first innings of 307 to stay in touch in Centurion, even though South Africa stretched 28-run first innings lead to 118 by scoring 90 for two in their second spell at-bat on a storm-shortened afternoon.

2nd Test: Parthiv, Pujara defy South Africa after top order fails

Virat Kohli led by example with a batting showcase as India stayed in contention on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Monday.

Kohli hit a masterly 153 in India`s first innings of 307 to stay in touch in Centurion, even though South Africa stretched 28-run first innings lead to 118 by scoring 90 for two in their second spell at-bat on a storm-shortened afternoon.

India is slightly behind going into day four despite Kohli`s innings and two early wickets from opening bowler Jasprit Bumrah, but they could just feel that they were still in with a chance of levelling the three-match series following South Africa`s 72-run win in the first Test in Cape Town.

Kohli had lamented India`s poor batting in Cape Town and he could not have provided a better demonstration of how to handle South Africa`s four-pronged pace attack.

In a model of concentration, good judgement and occasional breathtaking strokes, Kohli batted for 380 minutes, faced 217 balls and hit 15 fours. It was his 21st Test century to go along with 15 half-centuries, the best conversion rate since Don Bradman of any batsman who has passed 50 more than 30 times.

He was last man out when he was caught in the deep off Morne Morkel, hitting to one of eight fielders on the boundary as he tried to squeeze some extra runs with his tailenders having shown they were ill-equipped to handle fast bowlers wielding the second new ball.

Morkel finished with four for 60, taking the last three wickets, including that of Ishant Sharma, who could only fend a vicious bouncer to short leg.

Kohli received minimal support from his team-mates, with Murali Vijay (46) and Ravichandran Ashwin (38) the only other batsmen to reach the twenties.

Ashwin helped Kohli add 71 off 87 balls for the seventh wicket but he lived dangerously after being peppered by short-pitched balls from Kagiso Rabada at the start of his innings.

India`s cause was not helped by two needless run-outs. Following Cheteshwar Pujara`s first-ball dismissal on Sunday, Hardik Pandya started off for a risky single when he played the ball to mid-on. He was sent back by Kohli and then committed the cricketing sin of failing to ground either his foot or his bat as Vernon Philander`s throw hit the stumps.

South Africa`s second innings got off to a poor start as Bumrah reduced them to three for two.

Aiden Markam was Bumrah`s first victim, falling leg before wicket as he played back to a ball which cut back and kept low. Bumrah followed up with the wicket of Hashim Amla, who was also trapped on the back foot by a similar delivery.

Both batsmen were so palpably in front of their stumps that neither sought a review.

India had opened the bowling with off-spinner Ashwin and he troubled left-handed opening batsman Dean Elgar. But Elgar survived to share an unbroken 87-run partnership with AB de Villiers, who batted confidently to be on 50 not out. Elgar was unbeaten on 36.

A thunderstorm interrupted play for an hour when South Africa were 68 for two. It resumed for another 27 minutes under gloomy skies with the floodlights on before bad light ended the day. Both batsmen survived some anxious moments, in particular Elgar, who on 29 edged Bumrah at catchable height between wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and first slip Pujara.

Kohli hit a masterly 153 in India's first innings

Virat Kohli led by example with a batting showcase as India stayed in contention on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Monday. Kohli hit a masterly 153 in India`s first innings of 307 to stay in touch in Centurion, even though South Africa stretched 28-run first innings lead to 118 by scoring 90 for two in their second spell at-bat on a storm-shortened afternoon. India is slightly behind going into day four despite Kohli`s innings and two early wickets from opening bowler Jasprit Bumrah, but they could just feel that they were still in with a chance of levelling the three-match series following South Africa`s 72-run win in the first Test in Cape Town. Kohli had lamented India`s poor batting in Cape Town and he could not have provided a better demonstration of how to handle South Africa`s four-pronged pace attack. In a model of concentration, good judgement and occasional breathtaking strokes, Kohli batted for 380 minutes, faced 217 balls and hit 15 fours. It was his 21st Test century to go along with 15 half-centuries, the best conversion rate since Don Bradman of any batsman who has passed 50 more than 30 times. He was last man out when he was caught in the deep off Morne Morkel, hitting to one of eight fielders on the boundary as he tried to squeeze some extra runs with his tailenders having shown they were ill-equipped to handle fast bowlers wielding the second new ball. Morkel finished with four for 60, taking the last three wickets, including that of Ishant Sharma, who could only fend a vicious bouncer to short leg. Kohli received minimal support from his team-mates, with Murali Vijay (46) and Ravichandran Ashwin (38) the only other batsmen to reach the twenties. Ashwin helped Kohli add 71 off 87 balls for the seventh wicket but he lived dangerously after being peppered by short-pitched balls from Kagiso Rabada at the start of his innings. India`s cause was not helped by two needless run-outs. Following Cheteshwar Pujara`s first-ball dismissal on Sunday, Hardik Pandya started off for a risky single when he played the ball to mid-on. He was sent back by Kohli and then committed the cricketing sin of failing to ground either his foot or his bat as Vernon Philander`s throw hit the stumps. South Africa`s second innings got off to a poor start as Bumrah reduced them to three for two. Aiden Markam was Bumrah`s first victim, falling leg before wicket as he played back to a ball which cut back and kept low. Bumrah followed up with the wicket of Hashim Amla, who was also trapped on the back foot by a similar delivery. Both batsmen were so palpably in front of their stumps that neither sought a review. India had opened the bowling with off-spinner Ashwin and he troubled left-handed opening batsman Dean Elgar. But Elgar survived to share an unbroken 87-run partnership with AB de Villiers, who batted confidently to be on 50 not out. Elgar was unbeaten on 36. A thunderstorm interrupted play for an hour when South Africa were 68 for two. It resumed for another 27 minutes under gloomy skies with the floodlights on before bad light ended the day. Both batsmen survived some anxious moments, in particular Elgar, who on 29 edged Bumrah at catchable height between wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and first slip Pujara.

2nd Test, Day 3: Kohli century keeps India in touch with South Africa

On the Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa at Centurion&nbsp;Indian skipper Virat Kohli was&nbsp;penalised 25 % of match fee for &ldquo;conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Kohli also received one demerit point for his Level 1 offence, along with the fine for breaching ICC&#39;s code of conduct.

According to ICC rules, four or more demerit points within a two-year period result in suspension points and two suspension points lead to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whichever comes first.

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Kohli received one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the code of conduct during third day&#39;s play of second South Africa Test <a href="https://t.co/NHEDkxMlwd">https://t.co/NHEDkxMlwd</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@icc</a>
&mdash; ICC Media (@ICCMediaComms) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICCMediaComms/status/953180888258490368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The incident occurred in the 25th over of South Africa&rsquo;s second innings. The Indian captain was seen complaining to field umpire Michael Gough about the ball being affected by a damp outfield following a shower in the third session. Kohli then threw the ball on to the ground &ldquo;in an aggressive manner&rdquo;, field umpires complained to the match referee Chris Broad.

Captain Kohli has accepted the accusation and pleaded guilty to the offence.

Level 1 breach warrants an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player&rsquo;s match fee, and one or two demerit points, according to the ICC.

Kohli threw the ball on the ground “in an aggressive manner,” was complaining about the ball being affected by a damp outfield

On the Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa at Centurion Indian skipper Virat Kohli was penalised 25 % of match fee for “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.” Kohli also received one demerit point for his Level 1 offence, along with the fine for breaching ICC's code of conduct. According to ICC rules, four or more demerit points within a two-year period result in suspension points and two suspension points lead to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whichever comes first. Kohli received one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the code of conduct during third day's play of second South Africa Test https://t.co/NHEDkxMlwd #cricket @icc — ICC Media (@ICCMediaComms) January 16, 2018 × The incident occurred in the 25th over of South Africa’s second innings. The Indian captain was seen complaining to field umpire Michael Gough about the ball being affected by a damp outfield following a shower in the third session. Kohli then threw the ball on to the ground “in an aggressive manner”, field umpires complained to the match referee Chris Broad. Captain Kohli has accepted the accusation and pleaded guilty to the offence. Level 1 breach warrants an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points, according to the ICC.

Virat Kohli found guilty of 'misbehaving' with umpires, fined

The pressure on Virat Kohli before he set foot in South Africa for the Test and limited over series was immense. He was expected to not just lead the team well but also to prove his batting mettle on difficult conditions. After all, a lot of questions had been raised on Kohli&rsquo;s Test batting after his failure to perform against Australia earlier this year and when he had been horribly unsuccessful in England in 2014. A notion had been developed that Kohli struggles against quality fast bowling and on difficult pitches in the longer format.

&nbsp;

Kohli faced twin failures with the bat in the first Test against South Africa at Cape Town. As the ball was moving around prodigiously, it made matters worse for Kohli. India lost the game and Kohli&rsquo;s poor batting show was a cause of concern among Indian fans and brought him a lot of mocking from cricket fans of other countries on social media.

&nbsp;

The task was cut out for Virat Kohli, the batsman.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Kohli&rsquo;s magnificent 153 in the second Test of the series at Centurion has yet again established the batting genius he is. It was one of the finer knocks of his Test career and showed that when he gets going, Kohli can be the best in the world.

&nbsp;

After South Africa had piled on 335 in the first innings of the match, the pressure was on India to respond with aplomb. However, apart from Kohli, hardly any of the other batsmen could manage to stay around for long.

&nbsp;

Kohli, though, seemed to be batting on a completely different pitch altogether. He played with confidence and did not let the pressure get to him. Striking the ball gorgeously through the covers and flicking and driving with &eacute;lan, Kohli brought up his 21st Test hundred in spectacular fashion.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The unevenness of the pitch and South Africa&rsquo;s posse of fast bowlers did not throttle Kohli down. Even as the wickets fell around him, Kohli kept scoring at a brisk rate and managed the strike superbly well to keep India in the hunt. Had Kohli not put his head down and shaped this beautiful knock under pressure, India would certainly have conceded more than a 100-run lead. But Kohli&rsquo;s innings ensured that India now has a chance to remain competitive in the game.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Indian captain led from the front by scoring half of India&rsquo;s runs and nullified all the plans the South African pacers had for him. They bowled tight channels outside off and tried to drag him wide. But Kohli found a way and kept milking the bowling throughout with great confidence.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Kohli&rsquo;s century was the first of the series and given the array of batting talent on display on both sides, this shows how valuable a knock this has been. He was the last man out for India and was dismissed for a glorious 153 off 217 balls with 15 sparkling hits to the fence. He single-handedly brought India from a precarious 164-5 to a very respectable 307 &ndash; just 28 runs behind South Africa&rsquo;s first innings score.

&nbsp;

It remains to be seen what course this match takes now. But Kohli&rsquo;s defining century has certainly been a game-changing one for India and has given them a sliver of a hope for a comeback win.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

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</ul>

Striking the ball gorgeously through the covers and flicking and driving with élan, Kohli brought up his 21st Test hundred in spectacular fashion.

The pressure on Virat Kohli before he set foot in South Africa for the Test and limited over series was immense. He was expected to not just lead the team well but also to prove his batting mettle on difficult conditions. After all, a lot of questions had been raised on Kohli’s Test batting after his failure to perform against Australia earlier this year and when he had been horribly unsuccessful in England in 2014. A notion had been developed that Kohli struggles against quality fast bowling and on difficult pitches in the longer format. Kohli faced twin failures with the bat in the first Test against South Africa at Cape Town. As the ball was moving around prodigiously, it made matters worse for Kohli. India lost the game and Kohli’s poor batting show was a cause of concern among Indian fans and brought him a lot of mocking from cricket fans of other countries on social media. The task was cut out for Virat Kohli, the batsman. Kohli’s magnificent 153 in the second Test of the series at Centurion has yet again established the batting genius he is. It was one of the finer knocks of his Test career and showed that when he gets going, Kohli can be the best in the world. After South Africa had piled on 335 in the first innings of the match, the pressure was on India to respond with aplomb. However, apart from Kohli, hardly any of the other batsmen could manage to stay around for long. Kohli, though, seemed to be batting on a completely different pitch altogether. He played with confidence and did not let the pressure get to him. Striking the ball gorgeously through the covers and flicking and driving with élan, Kohli brought up his 21st Test hundred in spectacular fashion. The unevenness of the pitch and South Africa’s posse of fast bowlers did not throttle Kohli down. Even as the wickets fell around him, Kohli kept scoring at a brisk rate and managed the strike superbly well to keep India in the hunt. Had Kohli not put his head down and shaped this beautiful knock under pressure, India would certainly have conceded more than a 100-run lead. But Kohli’s innings ensured that India now has a chance to remain competitive in the game. The Indian captain led from the front by scoring half of India’s runs and nullified all the plans the South African pacers had for him. They bowled tight channels outside off and tried to drag him wide. But Kohli found a way and kept milking the bowling throughout with great confidence. Kohli’s century was the first of the series and given the array of batting talent on display on both sides, this shows how valuable a knock this has been. He was the last man out for India and was dismissed for a glorious 153 off 217 balls with 15 sparkling hits to the fence. He single-handedly brought India from a precarious 164-5 to a very respectable 307 – just 28 runs behind South Africa’s first innings score. It remains to be seen what course this match takes now. But Kohli’s defining century has certainly been a game-changing one for India and has given them a sliver of a hope for a comeback win. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: What does the 100 against South Africa say about Kohli, the batsman?

Indian skipper Virat Kohli&#39;s&nbsp;21st test century helped India surpass&nbsp;the 250 runs target.&nbsp;

After 85 overs India&#39;s score stands at 280 runs for the loss of eight wickets at lunch.

Kohli&#39;s spectacular knock keeps him&nbsp;at crease unbeaten at 141 with Ishant Sharma at the other end.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Kohli&#39;s century came&nbsp;minutes after India resumed on Monday,&nbsp;after ending&nbsp;the day 2 at 183 for five.&nbsp; &nbsp;

With this century, Kohli regained his form at Centurion after drastically failing in the first Test at Cape Town.

This is Kohli&rsquo;s second century on South African soil, previously came in Johannesburg 2013, and eighth overseas, including Australia, New Zealand and England.&nbsp;

The right-handed batsman&#39;s unbeaten 85 helped him lift the struggling visitors&nbsp;on the second day of the second cricket Test at the SuperSport Park on Sunday.&nbsp;

Unfortunately, Hardik Pandya, who opened the day with Kohli, had to depart after he was run out by Philander.&nbsp;

With Ashwin coming to the crease to accompany Kohli, India&#39;s score stands at 233 for the loss of six wickets after 72 overs.&nbsp;

The team still trails by 102 runs with four wickets in hand.&nbsp;

On day 2, barring Kohli, opener Murali Vijay scored a gritty 46 off 126 before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Together Vijay and Kohli added 79 runs for the third wicket as India crossed 100 in the 33rd over. 
&nbsp;

This is Kohli’s second century on South African soil

Indian skipper Virat Kohli's 21st test century helped India surpass the 250 runs target. After 85 overs India's score stands at 280 runs for the loss of eight wickets at lunch. Kohli's spectacular knock keeps him at crease unbeaten at 141 with Ishant Sharma at the other end. Kohli's century came minutes after India resumed on Monday, after ending the day 2 at 183 for five. With this century, Kohli regained his form at Centurion after drastically failing in the first Test at Cape Town. This is Kohli’s second century on South African soil, previously came in Johannesburg 2013, and eighth overseas, including Australia, New Zealand and England. The right-handed batsman's unbeaten 85 helped him lift the struggling visitors on the second day of the second cricket Test at the SuperSport Park on Sunday. Unfortunately, Hardik Pandya, who opened the day with Kohli, had to depart after he was run out by Philander. With Ashwin coming to the crease to accompany Kohli, India's score stands at 233 for the loss of six wickets after 72 overs. The team still trails by 102 runs with four wickets in hand. On day 2, barring Kohli, opener Murali Vijay scored a gritty 46 off 126 before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. Together Vijay and Kohli added 79 runs for the third wicket as India crossed 100 in the 33rd over.

2nd Test: India 287/8 at lunch, Virat Kohli remains unbeaten at 141

Indian skipper Virat Kohli kept India afloat against South Africa on Day 2, after he smashed gritty 85 runs off 130 balls.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is standing with Kohli at the crease as India reached 183 for five in 61 overs in their first innings at stumps.&nbsp;

The Indian batsmen were struggling against the Proteas bowlers especially against Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

But Kohli, who had settled himself at the crease was heard on stump mic helping Pandya how to play Vernon Philander&#39;s ball.

In fact, when Kohli used to be at the non-striker&#39;s end, he would help Pandya figure out which way the ball would move after pitching.

As per reports, During the 60th over, the stump mic picked up an interesting conversation between the two about Philander&#39;s bowling.

&quot;Yahan pe change kiya (He changed it here),&quot; Kohli said after playing a defensive stroke off the pacer&#39;s third ball. &quot;Andar ke liye leke hi bhaagaa tha woh (He ran in with the one that would originally come in), said Pandya.

&quot;Jo leke niklega agar change karega toh uska opposite hai (The side&nbsp; 
of the ball he runs in with, if he changes, it will go the opposite way),&quot; said Kohli offering some insights.

Pandya inquired whether his captain needed help, &quot;Main bataaun aapko? (Should I tell you on spotting?)&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Nahin nahin, mujhe dikha, main bataa raha hun (No, no.. I spotted it, I am just telling you),&quot; Kohli said.

After losing 5 wickets without having a good score, Pandya and Kohli ensured that India doesn&#39;t lose any further wickets.&nbsp;

The duo added 19 runs for the unbeaten sixth wicket.

The visitors, who are down 0-1 in the three-match series, still trail South Africa by another 152 runs.

The Indian batsmen were struggling against the Proteas bowlers especially against Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli kept India afloat against South Africa on Day 2, after he smashed gritty 85 runs off 130 balls. All-rounder Hardik Pandya is standing with Kohli at the crease as India reached 183 for five in 61 overs in their first innings at stumps. The Indian batsmen were struggling against the Proteas bowlers especially against Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel. But Kohli, who had settled himself at the crease was heard on stump mic helping Pandya how to play Vernon Philander's ball. In fact, when Kohli used to be at the non-striker's end, he would help Pandya figure out which way the ball would move after pitching. As per reports, During the 60th over, the stump mic picked up an interesting conversation between the two about Philander's bowling. "Yahan pe change kiya (He changed it here)," Kohli said after playing a defensive stroke off the pacer's third ball. "Andar ke liye leke hi bhaagaa tha woh (He ran in with the one that would originally come in), said Pandya. "Jo leke niklega agar change karega toh uska opposite hai (The side of the ball he runs in with, if he changes, it will go the opposite way)," said Kohli offering some insights. Pandya inquired whether his captain needed help, "Main bataaun aapko? (Should I tell you on spotting?)". "Nahin nahin, mujhe dikha, main bataa raha hun (No, no.. I spotted it, I am just telling you)," Kohli said. After losing 5 wickets without having a good score, Pandya and Kohli ensured that India doesn't lose any further wickets. The duo added 19 runs for the unbeaten sixth wicket. The visitors, who are down 0-1 in the three-match series, still trail South Africa by another 152 runs.

Caught on stump mic: Virat Kohli's tips Hardik Pandya on reading Philander's bowling

The latest edition of the ICC Under-19 ODI World Cup has begun in New Zealand from the 13th of January amidst a lot of anticipation. After all, this is the one tournament where we get to witness the stars of tomorrow in action and it is always fascinating to observe the young plethora of talent from the world over.

While the tournament is underway, there are a lot of players who are likely to leave a mark. Here is a look at five exciting young talents who will certainly be worth keeping an eye out for in the ICC U-19 World Cup 2018.

Shubman Gill (India)

Although Indian captain Prithwi Shaw is at the centre of all attention in this tournament, another young lad from the team who is likely to leave a mark is Shubman Gill from Punjab. The stylish middle-order batsman first made news when he slammed a majestic 351 off 271 balls in the Punjab Inter-District Under-16 tournament. Carrying his form from there, Gill also scored a double hundred on his Under-16 state debut for Punjab in the Vijay Merchant Trophy soon after. Blessed with a good technique and having a great attacking game, Gill currently averages an astounding 97.76 in Under-19 ODIs. Certainly, there is something about this batsman.

Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)

The Sri Lankan captain is playing his second straight U-19 ODI World Cup and is now well-renowned for his ambidextrous spin bowling skills. Kamindu Mendis can bowl both left and right arm spin and is equally proficient with both. Ever since he first displayed this rare skill in the last World Cup, Mendis has been hot property in Sri Lankan cricket and is being looked as the future bowling star for the country. Mendis is also a solid middle-order batsman and already has four half-centuries in Under-19 ODIs. It will be interesting to see how this ambidextrous spin bowler displays his unique craft in the upcoming tournament.&nbsp;

Baheer Shah (Afghanistan)

If there is one U-19 cricketer this year who has created sensation the world over, it is Afghanistan&rsquo;s Baheer Shah. The 18-year-old commenced his career by slamming a record 256 in his maiden first-class match - the second highest debut score in the format. If one thought this was a fluke, Baheer proved it otherwise by striking a spectacular triple hundred five innings later and, thus, became the second youngest first-class triple centurion. Baheer&rsquo;s first-class average at present is a Bradmanesue 121.77 after 7 matches. With those glittering feats he has already achieved, the young Afghani batsman will surely be under a lot of focus this World Cup.

Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

Pakistan&rsquo;s ability to churn fast bowling sensations literally out of nowhere is remarkable. Shaheen Afridi seems to be another one in that burgeoning list. In his very first match in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, (Pakistan&rsquo;s first-class domestic tournament) Shaheen grabbed a stunning 8-39 &ndash; the best figures by a Pakistani bowler on first-class debut &ndash; that destroyed the opposition. A fan of Pakistani legend Wasim Akram, this left-arm pacer is clearly inspired by his hero and has modeled his action on him and Australian speedster Mitchell Starc. With an ability to bring the ball into the right-handers and getting good pace and bounce, Shaheen Afridi will definitely be a major threat to batsmen this World Cup.&nbsp;

Jason Sangha (Australia)

The Australian team captain in this tournament is a confident young batsman and is the first Indian-origin cricketer to be leading an Australian side. Sangha caught the eye of the selectors with his performance against England in the pre-Ashes tour game in 2016 where he struck a superb hundred and at 18 years and 71 days became the youngest cricketer since Sachin Tendulkar to score a first-class century against England. Sangha&rsquo;s performances throughout the 2015 season were exceptional in youth cricket and he amassed runs in whatever tournament he played in during that phase. His strokeplay is suited for all formats and he has even got a BBL contract from Sydney Thunder. How he leads the Australian side in this World Cup while focusing on his own batting will be intriguing to watch.

The ICC U-19 World Cup has produced real stars of today like Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Kane Williamson, and Hashim Amla, to name a few. With the tournament having gone bigger and attracting more attention now, the pressure to perform on the young stars in the event would be that much more.&nbsp; But the modern game having evolved so much, young cricketers today are truly fearless. The ICC U-19 World Cup 2018 will hence surely be one exhilarating tournament to watch. &nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

The ICC U-19 World Cup has produced real stars of today like Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Kane Williamson, and Hashim Amla, to name a few.

The latest edition of the ICC Under-19 ODI World Cup has begun in New Zealand from the 13th of January amidst a lot of anticipation. After all, this is the one tournament where we get to witness the stars of tomorrow in action and it is always fascinating to observe the young plethora of talent from the world over. While the tournament is underway, there are a lot of players who are likely to leave a mark. Here is a look at five exciting young talents who will certainly be worth keeping an eye out for in the ICC U-19 World Cup 2018. Shubman Gill (India) Although Indian captain Prithwi Shaw is at the centre of all attention in this tournament, another young lad from the team who is likely to leave a mark is Shubman Gill from Punjab. The stylish middle-order batsman first made news when he slammed a majestic 351 off 271 balls in the Punjab Inter-District Under-16 tournament. Carrying his form from there, Gill also scored a double hundred on his Under-16 state debut for Punjab in the Vijay Merchant Trophy soon after. Blessed with a good technique and having a great attacking game, Gill currently averages an astounding 97.76 in Under-19 ODIs. Certainly, there is something about this batsman. Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka) The Sri Lankan captain is playing his second straight U-19 ODI World Cup and is now well-renowned for his ambidextrous spin bowling skills. Kamindu Mendis can bowl both left and right arm spin and is equally proficient with both. Ever since he first displayed this rare skill in the last World Cup, Mendis has been hot property in Sri Lankan cricket and is being looked as the future bowling star for the country. Mendis is also a solid middle-order batsman and already has four half-centuries in Under-19 ODIs. It will be interesting to see how this ambidextrous spin bowler displays his unique craft in the upcoming tournament. Baheer Shah (Afghanistan) If there is one U-19 cricketer this year who has created sensation the world over, it is Afghanistan’s Baheer Shah. The 18-year-old commenced his career by slamming a record 256 in his maiden first-class match - the second highest debut score in the format. If one thought this was a fluke, Baheer proved it otherwise by striking a spectacular triple hundred five innings later and, thus, became the second youngest first-class triple centurion. Baheer’s first-class average at present is a Bradmanesue 121.77 after 7 matches. With those glittering feats he has already achieved, the young Afghani batsman will surely be under a lot of focus this World Cup. Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan) Pakistan’s ability to churn fast bowling sensations literally out of nowhere is remarkable. Shaheen Afridi seems to be another one in that burgeoning list. In his very first match in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, (Pakistan’s first-class domestic tournament) Shaheen grabbed a stunning 8-39 – the best figures by a Pakistani bowler on first-class debut – that destroyed the opposition. A fan of Pakistani legend Wasim Akram, this left-arm pacer is clearly inspired by his hero and has modeled his action on him and Australian speedster Mitchell Starc. With an ability to bring the ball into the right-handers and getting good pace and bounce, Shaheen Afridi will definitely be a major threat to batsmen this World Cup. Jason Sangha (Australia) The Australian team captain in this tournament is a confident young batsman and is the first Indian-origin cricketer to be leading an Australian side. Sangha caught the eye of the selectors with his performance against England in the pre-Ashes tour game in 2016 where he struck a superb hundred and at 18 years and 71 days became the youngest cricketer since Sachin Tendulkar to score a first-class century against England. Sangha’s performances throughout the 2015 season were exceptional in youth cricket and he amassed runs in whatever tournament he played in during that phase. His strokeplay is suited for all formats and he has even got a BBL contract from Sydney Thunder. How he leads the Australian side in this World Cup while focusing on his own batting will be intriguing to watch. The ICC U-19 World Cup has produced real stars of today like Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Kane Williamson, and Hashim Amla, to name a few. With the tournament having gone bigger and attracting more attention now, the pressure to perform on the young stars in the event would be that much more. But the modern game having evolved so much, young cricketers today are truly fearless. The ICC U-19 World Cup 2018 will hence surely be one exhilarating tournament to watch. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Why these 5 cricket stars will shine in ICC U-19 World Cup

Skipper Virat Kohli&#39;s stunning 153-run knock helped India concede&nbsp;a 28-run lead after ending first innings at 307 runs on the third day of the second Test against South Africa.&nbsp;

Starting from overnight 183/5, Kohli and Hardik Pandya (15) took their overnight sixth-wicket partnership to 45 runs and helped India cross 200 in the 65th over.

Kohli then reached his 21st hundred off 146 balls, inclusive of 10 fours, becoming the first overseas captain to score a Test hundred at Centurion.&nbsp;

The previous highest for a visiting captain at this ground was 90 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2010.

Additionally, he became only the second Indian skipper to score a Test hundred on South African soil, after Sachin Tendulkar at Cape Town in 1997.

At lunch, India&#39;s score stood at 280 runs for the loss of eight wickets after bowling 85 overs.&nbsp;

This was Kohli&rsquo;s second century on South African soil, previously came in Johannesburg 2013, and eighth overseas, including Australia, New Zealand and England.&nbsp;

On day two, India&#39;s reply was accentuated by Murali Vijay&rsquo;s 46 as he put on 79 runs with Kohli. Cheteshwar Pujara was run out for a golden duck and Rohit Sharma only made 10 runs.

South Africa won the first Test in Cape Town by 72 runs and lead the three-Test series 1-0.

Skipper Virat Kohli was the last man out after a fighting 153-run knock

Skipper Virat Kohli's stunning 153-run knock helped India concede a 28-run lead after ending first innings at 307 runs on the third day of the second Test against South Africa. Starting from overnight 183/5, Kohli and Hardik Pandya (15) took their overnight sixth-wicket partnership to 45 runs and helped India cross 200 in the 65th over. Kohli then reached his 21st hundred off 146 balls, inclusive of 10 fours, becoming the first overseas captain to score a Test hundred at Centurion. The previous highest for a visiting captain at this ground was 90 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2010. Additionally, he became only the second Indian skipper to score a Test hundred on South African soil, after Sachin Tendulkar at Cape Town in 1997. At lunch, India's score stood at 280 runs for the loss of eight wickets after bowling 85 overs. This was Kohli’s second century on South African soil, previously came in Johannesburg 2013, and eighth overseas, including Australia, New Zealand and England. On day two, India's reply was accentuated by Murali Vijay’s 46 as he put on 79 runs with Kohli. Cheteshwar Pujara was run out for a golden duck and Rohit Sharma only made 10 runs. South Africa won the first Test in Cape Town by 72 runs and lead the three-Test series 1-0.

Day 3: India all out for 307, concede 28-run lead to Proteas

We Indians are so sensitive to the game we love that we lose patience as things derail a bit. Team India and Kohli were on a roll for past couple of years as Kohli seemed to have acquired that Midas touch. Everything which Kohli was touching was turning in to gold. His every decision on and off the field was hitting the bull&rsquo;s eye.

&nbsp;

However, as India lost out at the Cape Town, for the same people, Kohli has reduced not only to a mediocre captain but an ordinary batsman too. Virender Sehwag (though he is a bit of loose cannon) even suggested Kohli drop himself.

&nbsp;

The ruckus is mainly over the final eleven players selected by Kohli. Experts frowned when they saw Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the line-up at Cape Town and KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma on the bench. As Rohit and Shikhar both failed at Cape Town, the salvo got further ammunition.

&nbsp;

Flaks continue to Centurion. Now the complaint is that why Shikhar has been dropped (Gavaskar slammed Kohli for this) and why Rohit is still in the playing eleven. However, the decision which people believe most bizarre of all is, leaving Bhuvneshwar out in the second Test and going into play Test with just one spinner. Kohli believed that the conditions at Centurian are not conducive to Bhuvi&rsquo;s style of swing bowling. Moreover, Ishant produces bounce and also Lords 2014 must be playing in Kohli&rsquo;s mind where Ishant won Test for India by his rising deliveries. As for two spinners, pitch sprung surprises and Kohli could not read it upfront.

&nbsp;

But batsman Kohli is already on track with his first innings display.&nbsp;

There is something very interesting in Cricket because of inherent uncertainties in it. Most of the time you only come to know retrospectively, whether the decision of caption was good or bad on the outcome. Thus, it is always good to go with the conviction of captain till things really get repetitively wrong and go really haywire, which certainly not the case at this moment. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

In 1992 World Cup, Imran Khan continued with out of form Inzamam-ul-Haq despite criticism. In the semi-final, Inzamam played a whirlwind knock and bailed his side out from a crunch situation. Imran was hailed but had Inzy continued with his poor form in the semi-final as well what Imran would have faced back home is anybody&rsquo;s guess.

&nbsp;

In 1990, Azhar won the toss at Lords and put England in to bat. Graham Gooch slammed triple century and England decimated India. Azhar was severely criticised. Though it is correct that Azhar misinterpreted the playing condition but had Kiran More not dropped Gooch when he was on 36, the result of the match could have been different.

&nbsp;

But that doesn&rsquo;t mean that captain is absolved of a genuinely bad decision. In 1996 World Cup semi-final, Azhar put Sri Lanka in on a semi-prepared track. Indians crumbled in the second innings on a hyper-turning track.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The captain in his judgement sometimes needs to one over the other, though they are evenly poised. Sourav Ganguly once admitted that as a caption, the toughest task for him was to tell Anil Kumble in overseas tours that Kumble was not part of playing eleven as Harbhajan had taken the only slot for the spinner in the eleven.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Notwithstanding above, Kohli also doesn&rsquo;t have the license to decide things on his whims. True, he failed to read the playing conditions in South Africa and some of his decisions are not very convincing but then I call it captain&rsquo;s privilege to take the call, particularly when it is well known that Virat Kohli is a passionate campaigner and team man. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

It is Kohli&rsquo;s first tour as captain against a formidable opponent outside the sub-continent. Moreover, India hardly got any practice game before Test series to gauge the situation and get them duly adjusted and calibrated.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

We need to appreciate that these are not easy calls to take. Kohli probably believes that Shikhar and Rohit are a kind of player, if they click, they can simply run away with the innings and game, which probably has a rationale behind it. Rohit is failing but even like of Ian Chappel believes that with little adjustment in this technique and mindset, Rohit can become worthy of a Test player. Perhaps, based on this assumption, Kohli wants to give chances to Rohit.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In 2001, in the home series against Australia, as per the experts Sourav Ganguly and team India was doing everything wrong till the third day of second Test at Kolkata. But when Dravid-Laxman built that mammoth partnership and India pulled Test, the narrative of fraternity for Ganguly took a brazen U-turn.

&nbsp;

Thus without going to the specifics in what Kohli has done, for this moment let&rsquo;s have faith in the conviction of the skipper in spite of few of his irrational decision. Who knows when table may turn and Kohli will again be at the top of the proceedings. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

It is always good to go with the conviction of captain till things really get repetitively wrong and go really haywire, which certainly not the case at this moment.

We Indians are so sensitive to the game we love that we lose patience as things derail a bit. Team India and Kohli were on a roll for past couple of years as Kohli seemed to have acquired that Midas touch. Everything which Kohli was touching was turning in to gold. His every decision on and off the field was hitting the bull’s eye. However, as India lost out at the Cape Town, for the same people, Kohli has reduced not only to a mediocre captain but an ordinary batsman too. Virender Sehwag (though he is a bit of loose cannon) even suggested Kohli drop himself. The ruckus is mainly over the final eleven players selected by Kohli. Experts frowned when they saw Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the line-up at Cape Town and KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma on the bench. As Rohit and Shikhar both failed at Cape Town, the salvo got further ammunition. Flaks continue to Centurion. Now the complaint is that why Shikhar has been dropped (Gavaskar slammed Kohli for this) and why Rohit is still in the playing eleven. However, the decision which people believe most bizarre of all is, leaving Bhuvneshwar out in the second Test and going into play Test with just one spinner. Kohli believed that the conditions at Centurian are not conducive to Bhuvi’s style of swing bowling. Moreover, Ishant produces bounce and also Lords 2014 must be playing in Kohli’s mind where Ishant won Test for India by his rising deliveries. As for two spinners, pitch sprung surprises and Kohli could not read it upfront. But batsman Kohli is already on track with his first innings display. There is something very interesting in Cricket because of inherent uncertainties in it. Most of the time you only come to know retrospectively, whether the decision of caption was good or bad on the outcome. Thus, it is always good to go with the conviction of captain till things really get repetitively wrong and go really haywire, which certainly not the case at this moment. In 1992 World Cup, Imran Khan continued with out of form Inzamam-ul-Haq despite criticism. In the semi-final, Inzamam played a whirlwind knock and bailed his side out from a crunch situation. Imran was hailed but had Inzy continued with his poor form in the semi-final as well what Imran would have faced back home is anybody’s guess. In 1990, Azhar won the toss at Lords and put England in to bat. Graham Gooch slammed triple century and England decimated India. Azhar was severely criticised. Though it is correct that Azhar misinterpreted the playing condition but had Kiran More not dropped Gooch when he was on 36, the result of the match could have been different. But that doesn’t mean that captain is absolved of a genuinely bad decision. In 1996 World Cup semi-final, Azhar put Sri Lanka in on a semi-prepared track. Indians crumbled in the second innings on a hyper-turning track. The captain in his judgement sometimes needs to one over the other, though they are evenly poised. Sourav Ganguly once admitted that as a caption, the toughest task for him was to tell Anil Kumble in overseas tours that Kumble was not part of playing eleven as Harbhajan had taken the only slot for the spinner in the eleven. Notwithstanding above, Kohli also doesn’t have the license to decide things on his whims. True, he failed to read the playing conditions in South Africa and some of his decisions are not very convincing but then I call it captain’s privilege to take the call, particularly when it is well known that Virat Kohli is a passionate campaigner and team man. It is Kohli’s first tour as captain against a formidable opponent outside the sub-continent. Moreover, India hardly got any practice game before Test series to gauge the situation and get them duly adjusted and calibrated. We need to appreciate that these are not easy calls to take. Kohli probably believes that Shikhar and Rohit are a kind of player, if they click, they can simply run away with the innings and game, which probably has a rationale behind it. Rohit is failing but even like of Ian Chappel believes that with little adjustment in this technique and mindset, Rohit can become worthy of a Test player. Perhaps, based on this assumption, Kohli wants to give chances to Rohit. In 2001, in the home series against Australia, as per the experts Sourav Ganguly and team India was doing everything wrong till the third day of second Test at Kolkata. But when Dravid-Laxman built that mammoth partnership and India pulled Test, the narrative of fraternity for Ganguly took a brazen U-turn. Thus without going to the specifics in what Kohli has done, for this moment let’s have faith in the conviction of the skipper in spite of few of his irrational decision. Who knows when table may turn and Kohli will again be at the top of the proceedings. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Skipper Kohli made bad decisions but why we need to trust him

Skipper Virat Kohli&#39;s experiment to replace opener Shikhar Dhawan with KL Rahul for the second Test against South Africa, did not bear any fruit for the team.&nbsp;

Rahul, who opened with Murli Vijay, was sent back to the pavilion after being dismissed at 10 by Morne Morkel.

Minutes later, Cheteshwar Pujara was run out by Lungi Ngidi and had to move back to the dressing room without opening his account.&nbsp;

Similiar to the first Test, South Africa has an upper hand with two dismissed for just 52 runs after bowling 15.3 overs on the second day of the second Test match.

But Ishant Sharma, who replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was proved beneficial after he took three wickets including of Faf du Plessis, who scored 63 runs for his team.

Sharma struck twice in the early hours of Day 2 to restrict Proteas to 335 runs in their first innings.&nbsp;

The Indian team management replaced wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan with Parthiv Patel and KL Rahul, after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions. 
&nbsp; &nbsp;

After Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara was also run out by the Lungi Ngidi

Skipper Virat Kohli's experiment to replace opener Shikhar Dhawan with KL Rahul for the second Test against South Africa, did not bear any fruit for the team. Rahul, who opened with Murli Vijay, was sent back to the pavilion after being dismissed at 10 by Morne Morkel. Minutes later, Cheteshwar Pujara was run out by Lungi Ngidi and had to move back to the dressing room without opening his account. Similiar to the first Test, South Africa has an upper hand with two dismissed for just 52 runs after bowling 15.3 overs on the second day of the second Test match. But Ishant Sharma, who replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was proved beneficial after he took three wickets including of Faf du Plessis, who scored 63 runs for his team. Sharma struck twice in the early hours of Day 2 to restrict Proteas to 335 runs in their first innings. The Indian team management replaced wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan with Parthiv Patel and KL Rahul, after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions.

Virat Kohli's experiment of replacing Dhawan with Rahul fails, India 52/2 after 15.3 overs

South Africa vs India day 2 of the second test match at Centurion favoured Indian bowlers. The Proteas were dismissed for 335 runs in their first innings.

Virat Kohli faced so much criticism for his strange selections and even Sunil Gavaskar had put up a question over replacing Ishant Sharma with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

But Ishant Sharma proved his worth by taking 3 wickets in the first innings of the second Test.

Faf du Plessis scored 63 runs for his team but Ishant Sharma struck twice and brought the team back in the game by seeing off Rabada and Faf du Plessis.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Innings Break! South Africa all out for 335 (Markram 94, Amla 82; Ashwin 4/113) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreedomSeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreedomSeries</a> <a href="https://t.co/EGkzljOSBv">pic.twitter.com/EGkzljOSBv</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/952478596810997760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Though, the first hour of day 2&nbsp;was full of madness when Rabada got two lifelines, one when captain Kohli dropped his catch and second when Hardik and Shami let another opportunity after the two got confused of who what take the catch.&nbsp;

The first wicket of the day was of Keshav Maharaj who scored 18 runs&nbsp;for the team and was taken by Shami. It was his 100th Test wicket.

On day 1, Ravichandran Ashwin got two wickets&nbsp;to get rid of both the openers&nbsp;Dean Elgar and&nbsp;Aiden Markram, though&nbsp;Markram missed the century&nbsp;as he got out after scoring 94 runs.

For India, the team management replaced wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan with Parthiv Patel and KL Rahul, after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions.

South Africa

Scorecard:

Dean Elgar 31, Aiden Markram 94, Hashim Amla 82, AB de Villiers 20, Faf du Plessis 63, Quinton de Kock 0, Vernon Philander 0, Keshav Maharaj 18, Kagiso Rabada 11, Morne Morkel 6 and Lungisani Ngidi not out 1.

Fall of wickets: (First Innings)

85-1 (Dean Elgar, 29.3 over), 148-2 (Aiden Markram, 47.3 over), 199-3 (AB de Villiers, 62.4 over), 246-4 (Hashim Amla, 80.5over), 250-5 (Quinton de Kock, 81.1 over), 251-6 (Vernon Philander, 83), 282-7 (Keshav Maharaj, 98.5 over), 324-8 (Kagiso Rabada, 110.3 over), 333-9 (Faf du Plessis, 112.4 over) and 335-10 (Morne Morkel, 113.5 over).

&nbsp;

The Proteas has set a total of 335 in the first innings of second Test match

South Africa vs India day 2 of the second test match at Centurion favoured Indian bowlers. The Proteas were dismissed for 335 runs in their first innings. Virat Kohli faced so much criticism for his strange selections and even Sunil Gavaskar had put up a question over replacing Ishant Sharma with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But Ishant Sharma proved his worth by taking 3 wickets in the first innings of the second Test. Faf du Plessis scored 63 runs for his team but Ishant Sharma struck twice and brought the team back in the game by seeing off Rabada and Faf du Plessis. Innings Break! South Africa all out for 335 (Markram 94, Amla 82; Ashwin 4/113) #SAvIND #FreedomSeries pic.twitter.com/EGkzljOSBv — BCCI (@BCCI) January 14, 2018 × Though, the first hour of day 2 was full of madness when Rabada got two lifelines, one when captain Kohli dropped his catch and second when Hardik and Shami let another opportunity after the two got confused of who what take the catch. The first wicket of the day was of Keshav Maharaj who scored 18 runs for the team and was taken by Shami. It was his 100th Test wicket. On day 1, Ravichandran Ashwin got two wickets to get rid of both the openers Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, though Markram missed the century as he got out after scoring 94 runs. For India, the team management replaced wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and opener Shikhar Dhawan with Parthiv Patel and KL Rahul, after they failed to play along with the bouncers and seaming conditions. South Africa Scorecard: Dean Elgar 31, Aiden Markram 94, Hashim Amla 82, AB de Villiers 20, Faf du Plessis 63, Quinton de Kock 0, Vernon Philander 0, Keshav Maharaj 18, Kagiso Rabada 11, Morne Morkel 6 and Lungisani Ngidi not out 1. Fall of wickets: (First Innings) 85-1 (Dean Elgar, 29.3 over), 148-2 (Aiden Markram, 47.3 over), 199-3 (AB de Villiers, 62.4 over), 246-4 (Hashim Amla, 80.5over), 250-5 (Quinton de Kock, 81.1 over), 251-6 (Vernon Philander, 83), 282-7 (Keshav Maharaj, 98.5 over), 324-8 (Kagiso Rabada, 110.3 over), 333-9 (Faf du Plessis, 112.4 over) and 335-10 (Morne Morkel, 113.5 over).

Day 2: Ishant Sharma strikes twice to restrict South Africa to 335

Skipper Virat Kohli scored a fighting 85 to keep India afloat on the day two of the second cricket Test against South Africa, here today.

Kohli held together India&#39;s innings with a classy unbeaten 85 which came off 130 balls and was studded with eight boundaries.

Hardik Pandya (11 not out) was giving Kohli company at the crease as India reached 183 for five in 61 overs in their first innings at stumps in reply to South Africa&#39;s 335 all out.

The duo added 19 runs for the unbeaten sixth wicket.

The visitors, who are down 0-1 in the three-match series, still trail South Africa by another 152 runs.

Barring Kohli, opener Murali Vijay scored a gritty 46 off 126 balls before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.

When rest of the Indian batsmen looked in little discomfort against the South African bowling attack, Kohli was at his positive best as he played his drives and pulls with consummate ease from the onset.

Kohli, who faced flak because of lack of runs in the first Test and his selection decisions in the ongoing match, paced his innings to perfection and attacked the Protea bowlers when opportunity came his way.

Together with Vijay, Kohli added 79 runs for the third wicket as India crossed 100 in the 33rd over.

But South Africa got the breakthrough soon when Vijay was caught behind off Maharaj (1/53).

Kohli, meanwhile, scored his 16th Test half-century off 68 balls and was inclusive of seven boundaries.

The skipper also added 25 runs with Rohit Sharma (10) for the fourth wicket.

But Rohit once again fell cheaply, out lbw to Kagiso Rabada (1/33). The batsman went for review but was given out on umpire&#39;s call with the ball clipping the top of middle stump.

Lungi Ngidi (1/26) then had Parthiv Patel (19) caught behind in the 54th over to reduce India to 164 for five.

Patel had put on 32 runs with Kohli for the fifth wicket but became Ngidi&#39;s maiden Test wicket just as the innings started to look stable.

Pandya then joined Kohli in the middle and the duo managed to see off the remainder of the session without any further loss.

Earlier in the post lunch session, Vijay and KL Rahul (10) started watchfully against South Africa&#39;s pacers. They added 28 runs for the opening stand.

Rahul had looked rusty, particularly against Morne Morkel&#39;s (1-24) bounce, and only ended up returning a catch, which the bowler grabbed in a diving effort to the left.

Immediately on the next ball, Cheteshwar Pujara was run- out for his career&#39;s first golden duck as he set off on a suicidal run and failed to beat Lungi Ngidi&#39;s throw from mid- on.

Vijay too had a couple nervy moments against Vernon Philander but managed to survive the spell. He then settled down to aid Kohli in India&#39;s recovery.

India crossed 50 in the 16th over as Kohli looked in good touch from the very start. He set off with a flurry of boundaries and quickly outscored Vijay. The duo put on 50 runs off 101 balls.

Ngidi bowled a fiery first four-over spell on Test debut, egged on by the home crowd, but he couldn&#39;t etch out a breakthrough before tea.

This was after South Africa were bowled out for 335 runs (113.5 overs) in their first innings just before lunch. R Ashwin finished with 4/113 and Ishant Sharma took 3/46 as the Proteas lost their last seven wickets for 89 runs.

Starting from overnight 269/6, Faf du Plessis (63) and Keshav Maharaj (18) took their seventh wicket stand to 31 runs.

India wasted their last DRS review early in the day as Jasprit Bumrah (0/60) looked for an early LBW call against Maharaj.

Mohammed Shami (1/58) bowled a lively spell and got the breakthrough with Maharaj caught behind in the 99th over.

India made a double howler in the 104th over. First, Kagiso Rabada (on 1) was dropped at slip off Ashwin by Kohli. On the very next ball, Rabada (on 3) was again dropped by Pandya at point as Shami obstructed him whilst running in from short third-man.

South Africa then crossed 300 in the 106th over, while du Plessis reached his 17th Test half-century off 127 balls. In doing so, he put on 42 runs with Rabada (11).

India finally got the delayed breakthrough in the 111th over as Pandya held a smart catch off Ishant in the deep. Two overs later, Ishant also bowled du Plessis to change the course of the morning session again.

Ashwin then wrapped up the South African innings as Morne Morkel (6) holed out to long off.

Hardik Pandya (11 not out) was giving Kohli company at the crease as India reached 183 for five in 61 overs in their first innings at stumps in reply to South Africa's 335 all out.

Skipper Virat Kohli scored a fighting 85 to keep India afloat on the day two of the second cricket Test against South Africa, here today. Kohli held together India's innings with a classy unbeaten 85 which came off 130 balls and was studded with eight boundaries. Hardik Pandya (11 not out) was giving Kohli company at the crease as India reached 183 for five in 61 overs in their first innings at stumps in reply to South Africa's 335 all out. The duo added 19 runs for the unbeaten sixth wicket. The visitors, who are down 0-1 in the three-match series, still trail South Africa by another 152 runs. Barring Kohli, opener Murali Vijay scored a gritty 46 off 126 balls before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. When rest of the Indian batsmen looked in little discomfort against the South African bowling attack, Kohli was at his positive best as he played his drives and pulls with consummate ease from the onset. Kohli, who faced flak because of lack of runs in the first Test and his selection decisions in the ongoing match, paced his innings to perfection and attacked the Protea bowlers when opportunity came his way. Together with Vijay, Kohli added 79 runs for the third wicket as India crossed 100 in the 33rd over. But South Africa got the breakthrough soon when Vijay was caught behind off Maharaj (1/53). Kohli, meanwhile, scored his 16th Test half-century off 68 balls and was inclusive of seven boundaries. The skipper also added 25 runs with Rohit Sharma (10) for the fourth wicket. But Rohit once again fell cheaply, out lbw to Kagiso Rabada (1/33). The batsman went for review but was given out on umpire's call with the ball clipping the top of middle stump. Lungi Ngidi (1/26) then had Parthiv Patel (19) caught behind in the 54th over to reduce India to 164 for five. Patel had put on 32 runs with Kohli for the fifth wicket but became Ngidi's maiden Test wicket just as the innings started to look stable. Pandya then joined Kohli in the middle and the duo managed to see off the remainder of the session without any further loss. Earlier in the post lunch session, Vijay and KL Rahul (10) started watchfully against South Africa's pacers. They added 28 runs for the opening stand. Rahul had looked rusty, particularly against Morne Morkel's (1-24) bounce, and only ended up returning a catch, which the bowler grabbed in a diving effort to the left. Immediately on the next ball, Cheteshwar Pujara was run- out for his career's first golden duck as he set off on a suicidal run and failed to beat Lungi Ngidi's throw from mid- on. Vijay too had a couple nervy moments against Vernon Philander but managed to survive the spell. He then settled down to aid Kohli in India's recovery. India crossed 50 in the 16th over as Kohli looked in good touch from the very start. He set off with a flurry of boundaries and quickly outscored Vijay. The duo put on 50 runs off 101 balls. Ngidi bowled a fiery first four-over spell on Test debut, egged on by the home crowd, but he couldn't etch out a breakthrough before tea. This was after South Africa were bowled out for 335 runs (113.5 overs) in their first innings just before lunch. R Ashwin finished with 4/113 and Ishant Sharma took 3/46 as the Proteas lost their last seven wickets for 89 runs. Starting from overnight 269/6, Faf du Plessis (63) and Keshav Maharaj (18) took their seventh wicket stand to 31 runs. India wasted their last DRS review early in the day as Jasprit Bumrah (0/60) looked for an early LBW call against Maharaj. Mohammed Shami (1/58) bowled a lively spell and got the breakthrough with Maharaj caught behind in the 99th over. India made a double howler in the 104th over. First, Kagiso Rabada (on 1) was dropped at slip off Ashwin by Kohli. On the very next ball, Rabada (on 3) was again dropped by Pandya at point as Shami obstructed him whilst running in from short third-man. South Africa then crossed 300 in the 106th over, while du Plessis reached his 17th Test half-century off 127 balls. In doing so, he put on 42 runs with Rabada (11). India finally got the delayed breakthrough in the 111th over as Pandya held a smart catch off Ishant in the deep. Two overs later, Ishant also bowled du Plessis to change the course of the morning session again. Ashwin then wrapped up the South African innings as Morne Morkel (6) holed out to long off.

2nd Test: Captain Kohli keeps India afloat with fighting 85

After losing two early wickets at just 28, it seemed impossible for the Indian team to cross the 100 mark.&nbsp;

But, skipper Virat Kohli&#39;s quick half-century and partnership with fellow player Murli Vijay helped the team reach 100 and provide stability to them.&nbsp;

Virat scored 51 runs in 69 balls, making it his 17th half-century in Tests.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Murli Vijay was playing steadily at 46 before being caught by de Kock off Maharaj, breaking the 79 runs partnership between the two.&nbsp;

Before tea, Rahul, who opened with Murli Vijay, was sent back to the pavilion after being dismissed at 10 by Morne Morkel.

In an experiment, Rahul was replaced with opener Shikhar Dhawan for the second Test against South Africa.

Minutes later, Cheteshwar Pujara was run out by Lungi Ngidi and had to move back to the dressing room without opening his account.&nbsp;

But Ishant Sharma, who replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was proved beneficial after he took three wickets including of Faf du Plessis, who scored 63 runs for his team.

Sharma struck twice in the early hours of Day 2 to restrict Proteas to 335 runs in their first innings.&nbsp;

South Africa leads the series 1-0 after India lost the first Test by 72 runs in Cape Town.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Murli Vijay was playing steadily at 46 before being caught by de Kock off Maharaj.

After losing two early wickets at just 28, it seemed impossible for the Indian team to cross the 100 mark. But, skipper Virat Kohli's quick half-century and partnership with fellow player Murli Vijay helped the team reach 100 and provide stability to them. Virat scored 51 runs in 69 balls, making it his 17th half-century in Tests. Meanwhile, Murli Vijay was playing steadily at 46 before being caught by de Kock off Maharaj, breaking the 79 runs partnership between the two. Before tea, Rahul, who opened with Murli Vijay, was sent back to the pavilion after being dismissed at 10 by Morne Morkel. In an experiment, Rahul was replaced with opener Shikhar Dhawan for the second Test against South Africa. Minutes later, Cheteshwar Pujara was run out by Lungi Ngidi and had to move back to the dressing room without opening his account. But Ishant Sharma, who replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was proved beneficial after he took three wickets including of Faf du Plessis, who scored 63 runs for his team. Sharma struck twice in the early hours of Day 2 to restrict Proteas to 335 runs in their first innings. South Africa leads the series 1-0 after India lost the first Test by 72 runs in Cape Town.

Virat Kohli's quick 50 takes India to 100, are 114/3 after 40 overs

It&#39;s considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow.

From Kohli to Smith, most modern-day greats have learnt the ropes in the biennial event, which has gained significance with every passing edition.

The boys not only become men here, they also become household names with millions following the live broadcast of the competition.

The event begins tomorrow with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan and hosts New Zealand facing reigning champions West Indies.

India, eager to prove themselves after their disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, open their campaign against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

The tournament&#39;s stature has risen to such an extent that a great like Rahul Dravid, the current India U-19 coach, would love to have been part of it back in the day.

&quot;We never played this tournament in my day. After 1988 they didn&#39;t hold the tournament for 10 years, so I&#39;ve no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it&#39;s a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament,&quot; Dravid had said in the lead up to the event.

Countless number of U-19 players have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level. Each edition unearths oodles of talent and makes them overnight stars, be it Rishabh Pant or Alzaari Joseph from the previous edition in 2016 when three-time champions India lost the final to the West Indies.

This edition too has created high expectations with a selected bunch already proving themselves at the first-class level.

The likes of India captain Prithvi Shaw, teammate Shubham Gill, Australia captain Jason Sangha, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, Afghanistan batting sensation Baheer Shah, they all go into the event after making a mark on the domestic circuit back home.

Shaw, Gill, Sangha and Shah already have a first-class hundred to their name while left-arm pacer Afridi hogged the limelight by taking eight for 39 in the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani on first-class debut.

 
The sensational performances of Baheer Shah too has created a buzz. The 17-year-old averages a staggering 121.77 in his seven-match first-class career, beating even the legendary Donald Bradman (95.14).

He has the highest average in the list of players with at least 1000 first-class runs, leaving behind not just Bradman but also Vijay Merchant (71.64) and George Headley (69.86).

The exploits of India captain and opener Shaw too are well-documented. After grabbing headlines with his performance in junior cricket, Shaw has graduated to the higher-level so seamlessly that he always belonged there. Therefore, it was not a surprise that he hit a match-winning hundred on Ranji Trophy debut 12 months ago.

Adding to the tournament flavour will be the sons of Steve Waugh and Makhya Ntini, Austin and Thando who will be turning up for Australia and South African respectively. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland&#39;s son Will is also in the national squad.

With the IPL auction round the corner, there is every possibility that a millionaire could from the U-19 World Cup, just like Pant had a bagged Rs 1.9 crore deal with Delhi Daredevils after his stellar showing in Bangladesh.

The 22-day tournament, featuring 16 teams and being played across seven venues in the cities of Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei, will see 20 matches being broadcast live.

Squads

India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh.

Pakistan: Hasan Khan (C), Rohail Nazir , Mohammad Ali Khan, Ali Zaryab, Ammad Alam, Arshad Iqbal, Imran Shah, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Zaid, Munir Riaz, Saad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Suleman Shafqat.

Bangladesh: Saif Hassan (C), Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Rakib, Nayeem Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Qazi Onik, Robiul Hoque, Roni Hossen , Shakil Hossain, Tipu Sultan, Towhid Hridoy.

Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis (C), Jehan Daniel, Krishan Sanjula, Ashen Bandara, Hareen Buddila, Hasitha Boyagoda, Nipun Dananjaya, Thisaru Rashmika, Nawanidu Fernando, Santhush Gunathilaka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Nipun Malinga, Kalana Perera.

Afghanistan: Naveen-ul-Haq (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Baheer Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mujeeb Zadran, Nisar Wahdat, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah, Tariq Stanikzai, Wafadar ,Waqarullah Ishaq, Yousuf Zazai, Zahir Khan.

Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh.

New Zealand: Kaylum Boshier (C), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Max Chu, Katene Clarke, Matthew Fisher, Luke Georgeson, Ben Lockrose, Callum McLachlan, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Sandeep Patel, Connor Sullivan, Todd Watson.

Canada: Arslan Khan (C), Akash Gill, Ashtan Deosammy, Emanuel Khokhar, Kavian Naress, Kevin Singh, Pranav Sharma, Randhir Sandhu, Krishen Samuel, Faisal Jamkhandi, Arshdeep Dhaliwal, Rishiv Joshi, Aran Pathmanathan, Pieter Pretorius, Rommel Shazad.

England: Harry Brook (C), Ethan Bamber, Liam Banks, Tom Banton, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Luke Hollman, Will Jacks, Tom Lammonby, Dillon Pennington, Savin Perera, Tom Scriven, Prem Sisodiya, Fin Trenouth, Roman Walker.

Ireland: Harry Tector (C), Ian Anders, Aaron Cawley, Varun Chopra, Mark Donegan, JJ Garth, Jamie Grassi, Reece Kelly, Graham Kennedy, Joshua Little, Sam Murphy, Max Neville, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Andrew Vincent.

Kenya: Sachin Bhudia (C), Maxwel Ager, Abhishekh Chidambaran, Aveet Desai, Jay Doshi, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Hirani , Jasraj Kundi, Jayant Mepani, Gerard Mwendwa, Dennis Musyoka, Thomas Ochieng, Sukhdeep Singh, Siddharth Vasudev, Rene Were.

Papua New Guinea: Sema Kamea (C), Eisa Eka, James Tau, Tau Toa Nou, Nou Rarua, Igo Mahuru, Simon Atai, Leke Morea, Vagi Karaho, Kevau Tau, Heagi Toua, Daure Aiga, Ovia Sam, Sinaka Arua, Boge Arua.

Namibia: Lohan Louwrens (C), Henry Brink, Petrus Burger, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Shaun Fouche, Jurgen Linde, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Lottering, Erich van Mollendorf, Dewald Nell, Mauritius Ngupita, Ben Shikongo, Floris Steenkamp, Ramon Wilmot, Eben van Wyk.

South Africa: Raynard van Tonder (C), Matthew Breetzke , Gerald Coetzee, Jade de Klerk, Jean du Plessism, Fraser Jones, Wandile Makwetu, Akhona Mnyaka, Andile Mokgakane, Kgaudisa Molefe, Jason Niemand, Thando Ntini, Jiveshan Pillay, Hermann Rolfes, Kenan Smith.

West Indies: Emmanuel Stewart (C), Kirstan Kallicharan, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Alick Athanaze, Cephas Cooper, Jarion Hoyte, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keagan Simmons, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young.

Zimbabwe: Liam Roche (C), Robert Chimhinya, Jonathan Connolly, Gregory Dollar, Alistair Frost, Taun Harrison, Wesley Madhevere, Tanunurwa Makoni, Donald Mlambo, Dion Myers, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Nkosilatu Nunu, Kieran Robinson, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba.

It's considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow

It's considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow. From Kohli to Smith, most modern-day greats have learnt the ropes in the biennial event, which has gained significance with every passing edition. The boys not only become men here, they also become household names with millions following the live broadcast of the competition. The event begins tomorrow with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan and hosts New Zealand facing reigning champions West Indies. India, eager to prove themselves after their disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, open their campaign against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The tournament's stature has risen to such an extent that a great like Rahul Dravid, the current India U-19 coach, would love to have been part of it back in the day. "We never played this tournament in my day. After 1988 they didn't hold the tournament for 10 years, so I've no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it's a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament," Dravid had said in the lead up to the event. Countless number of U-19 players have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level. Each edition unearths oodles of talent and makes them overnight stars, be it Rishabh Pant or Alzaari Joseph from the previous edition in 2016 when three-time champions India lost the final to the West Indies. This edition too has created high expectations with a selected bunch already proving themselves at the first-class level. The likes of India captain Prithvi Shaw, teammate Shubham Gill, Australia captain Jason Sangha, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, Afghanistan batting sensation Baheer Shah, they all go into the event after making a mark on the domestic circuit back home. Shaw, Gill, Sangha and Shah already have a first-class hundred to their name while left-arm pacer Afridi hogged the limelight by taking eight for 39 in the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani on first-class debut. The sensational performances of Baheer Shah too has created a buzz. The 17-year-old averages a staggering 121.77 in his seven-match first-class career, beating even the legendary Donald Bradman (95.14). He has the highest average in the list of players with at least 1000 first-class runs, leaving behind not just Bradman but also Vijay Merchant (71.64) and George Headley (69.86). The exploits of India captain and opener Shaw too are well-documented. After grabbing headlines with his performance in junior cricket, Shaw has graduated to the higher-level so seamlessly that he always belonged there. Therefore, it was not a surprise that he hit a match-winning hundred on Ranji Trophy debut 12 months ago. Adding to the tournament flavour will be the sons of Steve Waugh and Makhya Ntini, Austin and Thando who will be turning up for Australia and South African respectively. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland's son Will is also in the national squad. With the IPL auction round the corner, there is every possibility that a millionaire could from the U-19 World Cup, just like Pant had a bagged Rs 1.9 crore deal with Delhi Daredevils after his stellar showing in Bangladesh. The 22-day tournament, featuring 16 teams and being played across seven venues in the cities of Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei, will see 20 matches being broadcast live. Squads India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh. Pakistan: Hasan Khan (C), Rohail Nazir , Mohammad Ali Khan, Ali Zaryab, Ammad Alam, Arshad Iqbal, Imran Shah, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Zaid, Munir Riaz, Saad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Suleman Shafqat. Bangladesh: Saif Hassan (C), Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Rakib, Nayeem Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Qazi Onik, Robiul Hoque, Roni Hossen , Shakil Hossain, Tipu Sultan, Towhid Hridoy. Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis (C), Jehan Daniel, Krishan Sanjula, Ashen Bandara, Hareen Buddila, Hasitha Boyagoda, Nipun Dananjaya, Thisaru Rashmika, Nawanidu Fernando, Santhush Gunathilaka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Nipun Malinga, Kalana Perera. Afghanistan: Naveen-ul-Haq (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Baheer Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mujeeb Zadran, Nisar Wahdat, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah, Tariq Stanikzai, Wafadar ,Waqarullah Ishaq, Yousuf Zazai, Zahir Khan. Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh. New Zealand: Kaylum Boshier (C), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Max Chu, Katene Clarke, Matthew Fisher, Luke Georgeson, Ben Lockrose, Callum McLachlan, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Sandeep Patel, Connor Sullivan, Todd Watson. Canada: Arslan Khan (C), Akash Gill, Ashtan Deosammy, Emanuel Khokhar, Kavian Naress, Kevin Singh, Pranav Sharma, Randhir Sandhu, Krishen Samuel, Faisal Jamkhandi, Arshdeep Dhaliwal, Rishiv Joshi, Aran Pathmanathan, Pieter Pretorius, Rommel Shazad. England: Harry Brook (C), Ethan Bamber, Liam Banks, Tom Banton, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Luke Hollman, Will Jacks, Tom Lammonby, Dillon Pennington, Savin Perera, Tom Scriven, Prem Sisodiya, Fin Trenouth, Roman Walker. Ireland: Harry Tector (C), Ian Anders, Aaron Cawley, Varun Chopra, Mark Donegan, JJ Garth, Jamie Grassi, Reece Kelly, Graham Kennedy, Joshua Little, Sam Murphy, Max Neville, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Andrew Vincent. Kenya: Sachin Bhudia (C), Maxwel Ager, Abhishekh Chidambaran, Aveet Desai, Jay Doshi, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Hirani , Jasraj Kundi, Jayant Mepani, Gerard Mwendwa, Dennis Musyoka, Thomas Ochieng, Sukhdeep Singh, Siddharth Vasudev, Rene Were. Papua New Guinea: Sema Kamea (C), Eisa Eka, James Tau, Tau Toa Nou, Nou Rarua, Igo Mahuru, Simon Atai, Leke Morea, Vagi Karaho, Kevau Tau, Heagi Toua, Daure Aiga, Ovia Sam, Sinaka Arua, Boge Arua. Namibia: Lohan Louwrens (C), Henry Brink, Petrus Burger, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Shaun Fouche, Jurgen Linde, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Lottering, Erich van Mollendorf, Dewald Nell, Mauritius Ngupita, Ben Shikongo, Floris Steenkamp, Ramon Wilmot, Eben van Wyk. South Africa: Raynard van Tonder (C), Matthew Breetzke , Gerald Coetzee, Jade de Klerk, Jean du Plessism, Fraser Jones, Wandile Makwetu, Akhona Mnyaka, Andile Mokgakane, Kgaudisa Molefe, Jason Niemand, Thando Ntini, Jiveshan Pillay, Hermann Rolfes, Kenan Smith. West Indies: Emmanuel Stewart (C), Kirstan Kallicharan, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Alick Athanaze, Cephas Cooper, Jarion Hoyte, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keagan Simmons, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young. Zimbabwe: Liam Roche (C), Robert Chimhinya, Jonathan Connolly, Gregory Dollar, Alistair Frost, Taun Harrison, Wesley Madhevere, Tanunurwa Makoni, Donald Mlambo, Dion Myers, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Nkosilatu Nunu, Kieran Robinson, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba.

U-19 World Cup: An opportunity like never before

In what looks like Anushka Sharma&#39;s creepiest avatar till date, makers of her next film &quot;Pari&quot; released the teaser of the film and it&#39;s enough to haunt you at night when you are alone.&nbsp;

After leaving an impression with the first look of the film in the form of posters, the makers are here to intrigue you with a little more.&nbsp;

Announcing the film as &quot;Not a fairytale&quot;, Anushka Sharma can be seen in an 18-second long teaser which has the actress&#39;s face in closeup while it deforms by each passing second. Bruised and wounded, her face changes into one of a witch.&nbsp;

Watch the teaser:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tXfJOSlnd9M" width="970"></iframe>

The teaser also announced that the date of release for the movie is changed. It will no longer release on February 9 but has been shifted to March 2. It will hit the theatres with Hate Story 4 starring Urvashi Rautela and Karan Wahi.&nbsp;

Pari is the third film produced by the actress after NH-10 and Phillauri.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-this-is-how-shah-rukh-khan-and-team-zero-welcomed-anushka-sharma-back-on-set-28868" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;This is how Shah Rukh Khan and team &#39;Zero&#39; welcomed Anushka Sharma back on set</a>

Anushka is currently shooting for Shah Rukh Khan&#39;s &quot;Zero&quot;&nbsp;with Aanand L Rai. She will also begin working on &quot;Sui Dhaaga&quot;&nbsp;with Varun Dhawan soon.&nbsp;

Anushka recently returned from a long vacation and honeymoon. She got married to Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli in a private ceremony in Italy and gave a grand reception to family and friends in both Delhi and Mumbai.&nbsp;

The makers released Anushka Sharma's next film Pari's teaser that is slated for a release on March 2

In what looks like Anushka Sharma's creepiest avatar till date, makers of her next film "Pari" released the teaser of the film and it's enough to haunt you at night when you are alone. After leaving an impression with the first look of the film in the form of posters, the makers are here to intrigue you with a little more. Announcing the film as "Not a fairytale", Anushka Sharma can be seen in an 18-second long teaser which has the actress's face in closeup while it deforms by each passing second. Bruised and wounded, her face changes into one of a witch. Watch the teaser: The teaser also announced that the date of release for the movie is changed. It will no longer release on February 9 but has been shifted to March 2. It will hit the theatres with Hate Story 4 starring Urvashi Rautela and Karan Wahi. Pari is the third film produced by the actress after NH-10 and Phillauri. Also Read: This is how Shah Rukh Khan and team 'Zero' welcomed Anushka Sharma back on set Anushka is currently shooting for Shah Rukh Khan's "Zero" with Aanand L Rai. She will also begin working on "Sui Dhaaga" with Varun Dhawan soon. Anushka recently returned from a long vacation and honeymoon. She got married to Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli in a private ceremony in Italy and gave a grand reception to family and friends in both Delhi and Mumbai.

Watch teaser: Anushka Sharma in 'Pari' looks creepy as a witch

When the third day of Cape Town Test was called off on 7th January due to rain, my Cricket freak cousin called me and told: &ldquo;I have a feeling that when game resumes on fourth day, Indian pacers can wrap up South African quickly&rdquo;. His prediction was based on favourable conditions for pacers post drizzle and little tendency of imploding which South Africans carry. There seemed a merit in his views and we opined that in case Indians restrict South Africa within 200, India stands a chance.

&nbsp;

One hour after the commencement of game on the fourth day of the Cape Town Test, it looked that things were actually going the way my cousin predicted.&nbsp; South African collapsed even quicker than expectations. From 52 for no loss, they were bundled out for 130. It was a huge effort by Indians.

&nbsp;

India&rsquo;s victory at Kolkata 2001 and Adelaide 2003 started playing in my mind when South African batting line-up was collapsing in second innings.&nbsp; When India started chasing 209, the match was heavily tilted toward India. The absence of Dale Steyn added to the woes of South Africa.&nbsp; When the score was 30 for no loss, it looked that this special team of Virat Kohli will continue the winning streak.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But then they collapsed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Instead of Kolkata 2001 and Adelaide 2003, in the end, it turned out to be an imitation of Bridgetown 1997, when India chasing 120 collapsed at 81 in fourth innings.

&nbsp;

Indians per se had their moments in the Test, which was completed in less than three days (omitting the washed out day) but in the end better team won.

&nbsp;

This was a sort of reality check for number one Test side in ICC ranking and for a team who has been on a roll for quite some time now.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s simple - You piled up runs in sub-continent but what if situation upped the ante; you collapse.

&nbsp;

Indians need to fix problems very soon. Things started going wrong right from the beginning. Ravinder Jadeja ruled out for the Test, which was a blow considering the number of right-handed batsmen in the South African line-up. Remember his 6 wickets haul at Durban in 2013.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The real problem, however, was the selection of playing eleven out of the available lot. Leaving KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane on the bench and picking Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma is not at all convincing. Rahane&rsquo;s recent failures notwithstanding, you cannot take a batsman lightly who has Test hundreds at Lords and Melbourne Cricket Ground under his belt.&nbsp; Shikhar and Rohit have nothing to boast about their overseas Test credentials, and if you are playing with five batsmen only then you need to pick the five with the best records. At the top of it, Dhawan&rsquo;s abysmal slip catching has put a serious question mark on his Test credentials.

&nbsp;

Vijay&rsquo;s tentativeness at the top of the order was baffling and made things worse. He as such is a Test opener with solid temperament but looked tentative at Cape Town.

&nbsp;

Indians let South African off the hook from the pressure situation. During the first session when South Africa was 12 for 3, India was on top but then a deluge of runs by South Africa turned the situation.&nbsp;

The bottom line is that Indians need to fix glitches in the selection of playing eleven and the difficulties of its batsman in front of pace bowling.&nbsp; The ODI/T-20 mindset will not work. As Gavaskar once explained, at Test level you need to respect bowlers for what they are and for sure once you are settled, you can dictate.

&nbsp;

All is, however, not lost.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India has its takeaway from the match in form of all-round abilities of Hardik Pandya &amp; Bhuvneshwar Kumar and spirited Test debut of Bumrah. Pandya&rsquo;s blazing knock in the first knock and rock sold temperament of Bhuvi while batting in both innings is a clear silver lining. With Pandya, Ashwin, Saha and Bhuvi down the order, five batsmen strategy also looks fine. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Moreover, it is not always easy to play a Test outside the subcontinent without a warm-up match and sufficient match practise. But course correction needs to be quick as this is a Three Test series and comeback has to be immediate.

&nbsp;

Virat Kohli and boys need not have their shoulders down though.&nbsp; Winning and losing is part of the game; what really matters is that how you compete and team India can draw consolation out the fact that that they ended up better than expectations from a situation when they were&nbsp; 7 down at 92 in first innings in reply of 286 but they missed the final punch.

&nbsp;

With bowlers doing their job well, a lot would depend on how Kohli, Pujara and Vijay perform in the remaining two Test matches as these three have the proven credentials for such situation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

The bottom line is that Indians need to fix glitches in the selection of playing eleven and the difficulties of its batsman in front of pace bowling.

When the third day of Cape Town Test was called off on 7th January due to rain, my Cricket freak cousin called me and told: “I have a feeling that when game resumes on fourth day, Indian pacers can wrap up South African quickly”. His prediction was based on favourable conditions for pacers post drizzle and little tendency of imploding which South Africans carry. There seemed a merit in his views and we opined that in case Indians restrict South Africa within 200, India stands a chance. One hour after the commencement of game on the fourth day of the Cape Town Test, it looked that things were actually going the way my cousin predicted. South African collapsed even quicker than expectations. From 52 for no loss, they were bundled out for 130. It was a huge effort by Indians. India’s victory at Kolkata 2001 and Adelaide 2003 started playing in my mind when South African batting line-up was collapsing in second innings. When India started chasing 209, the match was heavily tilted toward India. The absence of Dale Steyn added to the woes of South Africa. When the score was 30 for no loss, it looked that this special team of Virat Kohli will continue the winning streak. But then they collapsed. Instead of Kolkata 2001 and Adelaide 2003, in the end, it turned out to be an imitation of Bridgetown 1997, when India chasing 120 collapsed at 81 in fourth innings. Indians per se had their moments in the Test, which was completed in less than three days (omitting the washed out day) but in the end better team won. This was a sort of reality check for number one Test side in ICC ranking and for a team who has been on a roll for quite some time now. It’s simple - You piled up runs in sub-continent but what if situation upped the ante; you collapse. Indians need to fix problems very soon. Things started going wrong right from the beginning. Ravinder Jadeja ruled out for the Test, which was a blow considering the number of right-handed batsmen in the South African line-up. Remember his 6 wickets haul at Durban in 2013. The real problem, however, was the selection of playing eleven out of the available lot. Leaving KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane on the bench and picking Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma is not at all convincing. Rahane’s recent failures notwithstanding, you cannot take a batsman lightly who has Test hundreds at Lords and Melbourne Cricket Ground under his belt. Shikhar and Rohit have nothing to boast about their overseas Test credentials, and if you are playing with five batsmen only then you need to pick the five with the best records. At the top of it, Dhawan’s abysmal slip catching has put a serious question mark on his Test credentials. Vijay’s tentativeness at the top of the order was baffling and made things worse. He as such is a Test opener with solid temperament but looked tentative at Cape Town. Indians let South African off the hook from the pressure situation. During the first session when South Africa was 12 for 3, India was on top but then a deluge of runs by South Africa turned the situation. The bottom line is that Indians need to fix glitches in the selection of playing eleven and the difficulties of its batsman in front of pace bowling. The ODI/T-20 mindset will not work. As Gavaskar once explained, at Test level you need to respect bowlers for what they are and for sure once you are settled, you can dictate. All is, however, not lost. India has its takeaway from the match in form of all-round abilities of Hardik Pandya & Bhuvneshwar Kumar and spirited Test debut of Bumrah. Pandya’s blazing knock in the first knock and rock sold temperament of Bhuvi while batting in both innings is a clear silver lining. With Pandya, Ashwin, Saha and Bhuvi down the order, five batsmen strategy also looks fine. Moreover, it is not always easy to play a Test outside the subcontinent without a warm-up match and sufficient match practise. But course correction needs to be quick as this is a Three Test series and comeback has to be immediate. Virat Kohli and boys need not have their shoulders down though. Winning and losing is part of the game; what really matters is that how you compete and team India can draw consolation out the fact that that they ended up better than expectations from a situation when they were 7 down at 92 in first innings in reply of 286 but they missed the final punch. With bowlers doing their job well, a lot would depend on how Kohli, Pujara and Vijay perform in the remaining two Test matches as these three have the proven credentials for such situation. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: What ails Indian Cricket Team? Pace bowling

Newly-married actress Anushka Sharma resumed work after getting married in a fairytale-style wedding in Tuscany, Italy with longtime-boyfriend Virat Kohli who is better known as the Indian cricket team captain.&nbsp;

Anushka recently returned from South Africa after spending&nbsp;some quality time with Virat, and we know of this, as the couple constantly shared pictures and videos of them having fun.&nbsp;

Now that the actress is back in the tinsel town, she returned to her next film with Shah Rukh Khan, &quot;Zero&quot;&nbsp;to resume shooting. What left her by surprise was the welcome she received at the set.&nbsp;

The set was decorated with flowers, pink and purple and all shades beautiful with adorable images from her wedding and. There were also makeup and brushes involved in the setup that made a perfectly coordinated scene. She also got a note that reads:&nbsp;&ldquo;Great to be back on set... Thank you for this floral welcome guys!! Lots of love.&rdquo;

The actress shared a picture of herself smiling after being received in this manner by her team.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdrgxjlgELn/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">They say - Back to one! In this case ill say - Back to Zero ????!! Happy to be back on the film and back to work with my lovely co actrors and crew !! Thank you for the beautifully decorated floral van ????????</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anushkasharma/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> AnushkaSharma1588</a> (@anushkasharma) on <time datetime="2018-01-08T07:20:24+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 7, 2018 at 11:20pm PST</time>
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According to reports, Shah Rukh, director Rai and team &lsquo;Zero&rsquo;, collectively decided to keep their shoot on hold to allow their leading lady to fully enjoy this happy period.

Khan reportedly did not even sign on any other project as he didn&rsquo;t want shooting schedules to keep him away from the &lsquo;Zero&rsquo; sets when Anushka returned

&nbsp;

Anushka recently returned from South Africa for 'Zero's' shoot after spending some quality time with husband Virat Kohli

Newly-married actress Anushka Sharma resumed work after getting married in a fairytale-style wedding in Tuscany, Italy with longtime-boyfriend Virat Kohli who is better known as the Indian cricket team captain. Anushka recently returned from South Africa after spending some quality time with Virat, and we know of this, as the couple constantly shared pictures and videos of them having fun. Now that the actress is back in the tinsel town, she returned to her next film with Shah Rukh Khan, "Zero" to resume shooting. What left her by surprise was the welcome she received at the set. The set was decorated with flowers, pink and purple and all shades beautiful with adorable images from her wedding and. There were also makeup and brushes involved in the setup that made a perfectly coordinated scene. She also got a note that reads: “Great to be back on set... Thank you for this floral welcome guys!! Lots of love.” The actress shared a picture of herself smiling after being received in this manner by her team. They say - Back to one! In this case ill say - Back to Zero ????!! Happy to be back on the film and back to work with my lovely co actrors and crew !! Thank you for the beautifully decorated floral van ???????? A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) on Jan 7, 2018 at 11:20pm PST × According to reports, Shah Rukh, director Rai and team ‘Zero’, collectively decided to keep their shoot on hold to allow their leading lady to fully enjoy this happy period. Khan reportedly did not even sign on any other project as he didn’t want shooting schedules to keep him away from the ‘Zero’ sets when Anushka returned

This is how Shah Rukh Khan and team 'Zero' welcomed Anushka Sharma back on set

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