Indian Cricket Team Updates

The match-schedule of Under 19 ACC Asia Cup 2013/14 is as follows: India will open their campaign against the hosts (UAE) on December 28 while the much awaited contest against the arch-rivals Pakistan will take place on December 31. (Also Read:  India U-19 Squad for ACC Asia Cup 2013/14 ) Group A – India, Pakistan, UAE, Nepal Group B – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Malaysia December 28 (Saturday):   India vs UAE , Sharjah Cricket Stadium;  Pakistan vs Nepal , ICC Global Cricket Academy Ground 1;  Bangladesh vs Malaysia , Abu Dhabi Oval 1;  Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan , Abu Dhabi Oval 2. December 29 (Sunday):   India vs Nepal , ICC Global Cricket Academy Ground 1;  Pakistan vs UAE , Sharjah Cricket Stadium;  Bangladesh vs Afghanistan , Abu Dhabi Oval 1;  Sri Lanka vs Malaysia , Abu Dhabi Oval 2. December 30 (Monday): Rest day. December 31 (Tuesday):  India vs Pakistan , Dubai International Stadium;  Nepal vs UAE , Sharjah Cricket Sta

Maharashtra batsman Vijay Zol has been named captain of the India Under-19 squad for the ACC Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, which will begin on December 28.  (Also Read:  ACC U-19 Asia Cup 2013-14: Schedule and Fixtures ) Kerala wicketkeeper Sanju Vishwanadh, who was part of the Under-19 team for the Asia Cup in 2012, has been appointed Zol's deputy. "The All-India Junior Selection Committee met in Delhi on 27th November to pick the Indian team for the ACC U-19 Asia Cup to be played in the UAE in December 2013-January 2014," said a statement from Anurag Thakur, Joint Secreatry, BCCI. Zol shot into limelight when he scored an unbeaten 451 during a domestic U-19 match in 2011. During the U-19 World Cup last year, he scored 151 runs in six matches at an average of 25.16. The tournament will also feature teams from Pakistan, UAE, Nepal (Group A) and Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Malaysia (Group B). India will open their campaign against th

West Indies finished their forgettable India tour with yet another loss, a five-wicket drubbing in the third ODI in Kanpur. With that, they conceded the series 2-1 to India. After the game, West Indies captain, Dwayne Bravo, listed out the flaws and some positives in his team’s performance during the ODI series. (Also Read:   Stats Highlights: India vs West Indies - 3rd ODI, Kanpur, 2013 ) “The average score on this wicket is 230-235 but we did really well to get 260-plus. But the wicket did get better to bat in the afternoon the strong Indian line-up got a very good start. We were outplayed with the bat and we need to give credit where it is due,” Bravo said.    (Also Read:   Report: India vs West Indies - 3rd ODI, Kanpur, 2013 ) “At times we were inconsistent with the ball and we paid for it. We did a lot of things right but unfortunately just didn’t win the game. We are disappointed because this was our best opportunity to win a series in India. We just have to regroup an

A 187 on Test debut, Player of the Tournament in the Champions Trophy and five ODI centuries so far – Shikhar Dhawan has had a year he will never forget in his life. The left-handed opener concluded India’s home season with an authoritative century (119 off 95 balls) in the last ODI against West Indies to give India a 2-1 series win in Kanpur. (Also Read:   Zaheer Khan exudes confidence ahead of South Africa tour ) The Man of the Match of India’s five-wicket win, Dhawan looked back fondly at the ‘beautiful’ 2013 and focused on the huge last month of the year ahead of him. (Also Read:   Zaheer Khan’s presence will help: Umesh Yadav ) “I am thankful for being blessed with such a beautiful year and I am really happy that I have formed the habit of scoring centuries. It’s a good habit and I want to continue with that,” Dhawan said. “It’s good to end on a high note and this century will do a lot for my confidence when I go to South Africa. “It also adds to my confidence that t

Statistical Highlights from the 3rd ODI between India and West Indies in Kanpur: # For the first time vs West Indies in ODIs, India have won five bilateral series - 3-1 in 2006-07, 2-1 in 2009, 3-2 in 2011, 4-1 in 2011-12 and 2-1 in 2013-14. # India have won six successive series for the second time in ODIs - the first instance between August 2008 and September 2009. # India have won 50 and lost 59 out of 112 ODIs played vs West Indies (NR 2 and Tied 1) - winning % 45.90. # West Indies have lost their first game out of three played at Green Park, Kanpur in ODIs (won one each vs India on October 30, 1994) and Sri Lanka on October 21, 1987). # Ravi Rampaul (100 at an average of 29.29 in 80 matches) has become the 14th West Indian bowler to complete 100 wickets in ODIs. # India (266/5) have posted their highest successful chase at Green Park, Kanpur, eclipsing the 259 for four vs England on October 25, 1989. # West Indies (263/5) have recorded their highest

Along with veteran India pacer Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav has made his way back into the national Test squad for the much-awaited tour of South Africa. The nine-Test-old bowler will be hoping to make an impactful comeback, much like the ones the senior left-arm pacer is known for. (Also Read:  Zaheer Khan exudes confidence ahead of South Africa tour ) Before heading off to South Africa, Umesh will be playing against Zaheer at Wankhede Stadium in a four-day domestic Ranji Trophy match from November 28 to December 01. Although he last played a Test in November 2012 before being laid off due to injury, he has since played one Duleep Trophy match and two games in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. Prior to that, the pacer had also played in the shorter formats of the game in tournaments like the Champions Trophy in England and in the Tri-nation series in the West Indies. (Also Read:   India Squad for South Africa Series 2013 ) While speaking to the media after practice at Wankhede Stad

Ace pacer Zaheer Khan is back in the national side as India embark on their tour of South Africa in December. Having led Mumbai to two victories in three games so far in the Ranji Trophy 2013-14, the left-arm pacer is in the thick of things and raring to go. (Also Read:   India Squad for South Africa Series 2013 ) “I am looking forward to joining the team (India). I will be playing this Ranji game [against Vidarbha]. It is going to be good to get some overs under the belt,” he said while speaking to the media in Mumbai ahead of the Ranji Trophy game scheduled to start on November 28 . (Also Read:  India Tour of South Africa Schedule and Fixtures 2013 ) Speaking about the upcoming tour, he said, “I have had some good memories of South Africa. My last comeback was there, so I am looking forward to it.” Speaking about making his way back into the national side, Khan, who last played a Test in December 2012, said, “I was expecting that. Last year when I sat down and was thinking

With a five-wicket win over West Indies in Kanpur, India claimed the three-match ODI series 2-1. Facing the 264-run target, India opener Shikhar Dhawan led the chase with a fluent 119, while Yuvraj Singh scored a half-century to set India firmly on the victory path. MS Dhoni then took India across the line with an unbeaten 23.   Earlier, put in to bat on a foggy morning at Green Park Stadium, three half-centuries from the top order helped the visitors to 263 for five, despite a shaky start and the lack of acceleration by the batsmen in the latter stage of the innings – except for the last three overs, which yielded 41, courtesy Darren Sammy’s 29-ball 37-run cameo. Although they were kept on their toes by the Indian seamers early on, the West Indies batters continued to score steadily at over five runs-per over to set a competitive target for India.  After his captain opted to bowl first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India their first breakthrough by uprooting Johnson Charles leg-s

The All-India Senior Selection Committee met in Vadodara earlier today, to pick the Indian teams for the ODI series and Test series against South Africa, respectively. The teams are as follows: INDIAN TEAM – ODI SERIES Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane. INDIAN TEAM – TEST SERIES Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, R. Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Zaheer Khan, Ambati Rayudu, Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja. Related Links: India tour of South Africa - 2013 Schedule and Fixtures

With 8-0-39-1 in Kochi followed by 10-0-60-4 in Vizag, Ravi Rampaul has emerged as the best pace bowler on both sides in the ODI series so far. It is not only the numbers though but how he picked those wickets and the form of the batsmen he dismissed that makes one think, ‘Why wasn’t this guy part of the West Indies team in the Test series?’ Part of the reason is that he was recovering from his ankle injury.     (Also Read:  Report: India vs West Indies - 2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam, 2013 ) But in the second ODI in Vizag, Rampaul looked fit as a fiddle. And his four scalps were inclusive of India’s most in-form batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. You could see there was a plan in place and the batsman was being set up. As the plan unraveled, the sturdy Windies pacer bowled his team to their first win of the tour – a two-wicket win to level the series 1-1. (Also Read:  Stats Highlights: India vs West Indies - 1st ODI, Visakhapatnam, 2013 ) In a chat with  bcci.tv  Rampaul revea

Sometimes, in cricket, the uncontrollable plays a significant role in deciding the fate of a match. Something similar happened in Vizag when the dew played the 12 th  man for West Indies. As the wet ball slipped and skidded all around, West Indies batsmen showed patience and fight to chase down India’s 288 to win the second ODI and level the series 1-1 with a game to spare. (Also Read:  Report: India vs West Indies - 2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam, 2013 ) Indian skipper, MS Dhoni, who has always considered the dew as a deciding factor in a day-night match, said it gave the team chasing an undue advantage. (Also Read:  Stats Highlights: India vs West Indies - 1st ODI, Visakhapatnam, 2013 ) “I think it was a very bad toss to lose,” Dhoni said. “We knew there will be some dew at this time of the year but we didn’t know it would start so early. There was plenty of dew right from the first over of the second innings. “Once the ball went in the outfield, it became so wet that there was n

MS Dhoni was leading India for the 150 th  time in an ODI. He became the second Indian after Mohammad Azharuddin (174) and only the seventh captain overall to lead his side in 150 or more games.   (Also Read:  Report: India vs West Indies - 2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam, 2013 ) Lendl Simmons was playing his 50 th  match. He became 51 st  player from West Indies to do so. Virat Kohli became the leading run-scorer in ODIs in 2013, surpassing fellow teammate Rohit Sharma’s tally of 1155 runs. At the end of this match, Kohli has aggregated 1218 runs in 30 matches (avg 58.00). Kohli, while on 39, completed his 2000 runs in ODIs on Indian soil. He became 11 th  player to do so. Kohli is also the second-quickest to accomplish this feat in terms of innings (46), after Sourav Ganguly (45). Kohli became the fifth Indian to suffer the misfortune of getting dismissed on 99 in ODIs, after Krish Srikkanth, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar (thrice). In addition, Virender Sehwag re

Chasing 289, West Indies pulled off a nerve-racking two-wicket win to level the three-match ODI series against India 1-1. A late onslaught by Darren Sammy (63*) in a 82-run partnership with Lendl Simmons, after Kieran Powell and Darren Bravo laid the platform with half-centuries, ensured that the West Indies made a match of it. Holding his own in trying conditions, even as he lost partners at the other end towards the end of the innings, Sammy helped achieve the challenging target with three balls to spare at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. Opting to bowl first in the must-win match at Vizag, West Indies got off to a good start by sending back Rohit Sharma for 12. The in-form India opener edged Ravi Rampaul to Sammy at second slip. And 48 runs later, Shikhar Dhawan too was back in the dressing room, trapped lbw by Veerasammy Permaul. En route to his 35, the destructive opener became the third Indian batsman to score 1000 runs in 2013 behind Virat Kohli

Whoever has first laid their eyes on young Darren Bravo, has earmarked him for greatness. It is, therefore, that he is judged by a yardstick that is higher than what some his other colleagues are measured on.   (Also Read:  Report: India vs West Indies - 1st ODI, Kochi, 2013 ) While his performance in Test cricket has been pretty decent with an average of 42 and a fifty per-cent conversion rate (he has four centuries and eight fifties), in the ODIs, he has been found wanting in that regards. After 66 matches, Bravo has a solitary hundred and 13 half-centuries – the last of which he scored in the first match of the series against India in Kochi. (Also Read:  Stats Highlights: India vs West Indies - 1st ODI, Kochi, 2013 ) He got out stumped for 59 and West Indies lost by eight wickets with 88 balls to spare. After the match, Bravo spoke to bcci.tv  about his ODI batting, the areas that need improvement and the team’s performance on the whole. A little relieved to get your fi