Ind vs Eng 5th Test: Kohli & co to play for pride in Cook's farewell test

In the backdrop of Ravi Shastri's comment on current Indian cricket team terming it the "best travelling side in last 15-20 years", Kohli would like to play is best possible playing 11.

Ind Vs Eng : Team India led by Virat Kohli will have only pride to play for after going down in the Southampton Test and losing the five-match series 1-3 against England which will see former captain Alastair Cook playing his last international match, in the fifth and final Test at The Oval in London starting today. The final match might only be of academic interest but India skipper Virat Kohli would want to finish on a high nonetheless. A scoreline of 2-3 will definitely look much better than 1-4 and India will any day take Test win. Meanwhile in the backdrop of Ravi Shastri’s comment on current Indian cricket team terming it the “best travelling side in last 15-20 years”, Kohli would like to play is best possible playing 11.

Can Prithvi Shaw make India debut in The Oval Test?

With Prithvi Shaw's inclusion in the Test squad, the Indian selectors are looking ahead to the next line of openers. And with Murali Vijay dropped, they need to firm up plans ahead as attention will soon turn to the tour of Australia in November. A school of thought suggests that Shaw should be thrown into the deep end of the pool to ascertain if he can take on the pressure of facing the best bowlers international cricket has to offer. Even if he fails to get going in this one-off Test, at age 18, Shaw still has time to climb the ladder again. Meanwhile, any success on his part will provide an easy answer to the opening conundrum ahead of the Australian tour.

The other school of thought suggests that the current opening combination of Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul ought to be retained. If the selectors are indeed looking ahead, this could prove to bthe a last chance for either of them to impress before the series against West Indies and the domestic first-class season begins back at home. Early indicators are that Shaw will have to wait for his chance, at least until the home season.

Ravindra Jadeja to replace R Ashwin?

Ravindra Jadeja looks set to play his first Test on tour, with Ravichandran Ashwin not bowling in the nets on Wednesday and moving gingerly as well. While there is no confirmation from the management, it has been reliably learnt that he has aggravated his hip strain and will miss out on the final Test.....Read More

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Ind vs Eng 3rd ODI: Virat & co will aim for 10th consecutive ODI series win

In the India vs England 3rd ODI, Virat Kohli and co will look to plug middle-order and death overs woes in Leeds. Catch live action here.

India Vs England : In the third One Day International (ODI) of the 3-match series, Virat Kohli-led India will look to plug loopholes in the field when they take on Eoin Morgan’s England at the Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds today. If India win today’s match it will be the team's 10th successive series victory.

How is the 3 match series evenly poised?

England levelled the three-match series with a convincing 86-run victory at Lord's, having been comprehensively beaten in the opening match at Trent Bridge.

Areas Indian cricket team needs to improve in the 3rd ODI

After first ODI victory, India made a couple of mistakes in the second match. First, the bowlers leaked few extra runs which helped England post a challenging total and then batsmen failed to rise to the occasion. Apart from Suresh Raina and skipper Virat Kohli no other batsman could face English bowlers perfectly. Although wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan got good starts, they failed to capitalise on them. Middle-order batsmen Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya also failed miserably. Hence, in order to give English bowlers a tough time, India's middle batting line-up needs to click in unison.

In the bowling department, Kuldeep was the only wicket-taker. He scalped three wickets but gave away 68 runs in his 10 overs. Pacers Umesh Yadav, Hardik and debutant Sidharth Kaul also proved costly. Bowlers now have to come up with something new to disturb the opponents as Root, Morgan, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow are already in form.

How England won the 2nd ODI

England, on the other hand, learned quickly from a poor display in the first match against India and especially against chinaman Kuldeep, who claimed 6 for 25. Joe Root and skipper Eoin Morgan also showed good form with the brilliant knocks of 113 and 53, respectively. Jason Roy and Bairstow also showed signs of regaining their form with disciplined batting throughout their innings. So, with a settled top-order, the only worry of the hosts is their middle and lower order. Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali could not add much to the score after a brilliant start. Had the trio clicked in the final match, it could have made things difficult for Indian batsmen. England has improved a lot in the bowling department. Bowlers are hunting in pairs. Pacers Liam Plunkett and David Willey are bowling well, while Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Mark Wood are supporting the duo superbly. Their bowling economy is not above six, which is a good sign for English players, especially when the opponents are chasing the target.

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Uruguay's Godin shall summon all defensive spirits to stop France's Mbappe

Nineteen-year-old Mbappe scored two goals in the Argentina game.

Fleet-footed France will have to find a way past the tournament’s joint-meanest defenders Uruguay in the first of two inter-continental World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.

Fifa World Cup 2018 : Uruguay will seek to summon up all their famous defensive spirit to shackle the Europeans’ lighting-fast teenage top-scorer Kylian Mbappe.

The South Americans kept Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo at bay in their 2-1 last-16 win, and that goal conceded was the only one against them so far in Russia - a defensive feat only matched by Brazil, who play Belgium later on Friday.

But France banged in four goals in their last 16 game against Argentina, and will be hoping their formidable attacking trio of Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe can turn it on again at the Nizhny Novgorod stadium.

Nineteen-year-old Mbappe scored two goals in the Argentina game, becoming the first teenager since Brazilian great Pele in the 1958 final to score two goals in one World Cup match.

But it was his amazing 70-metre sprint earlier in the match, to win France a penalty, that stunned viewers worldwide.

“I was wondering whether he was riding a scooter,” joked France midfielder Florian Thauvin of the teenager whom Uruguay’s defenders must be having nightmares about.

On the surface, though, Uruguay look relaxed and their experienced central defenders Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin are relishing the chance to foil both Mbappe and their friend and Atletico Madrid team mate Griezmann.

“We want to deny them space, stop them playing, make their strikers uncomfortable - that’s our weapon,” said midfielder Diego Laxalt at the Uruguay camp in a hotel outside Nizhny Novgorod which, oddly, is painted in the colours of Brazil.

With an impressive strike partnership of their own in Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, the Uruguayans believe they can surpass their most recent best of a semi-final in 2010 - though Cavani is sweating on a calf injury that may keep him out.

‘Les Bleus’ will be inspired by the two-decade anniversary of their only World Cup win in 1998, while double winners Uruguay’s modern generation are desperate to recreate the black-and-white-era glories of their 1930 and 1950 trophies.

The winners will play Brazil or Belgium, who meet in their quarter-final in Kazan on Friday evening, for a place in the July 15 final.

Uruguay vs France: When and Where to Watch

1st match: Uruguay vs France

When and Where to watch: Uruguay vs France

Time: 7:30 PM (IST)

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India vs England: Virat Kohli & co look to wrap up series with 2nd T20I win

India stand on the cusp of a 6th successive T20I series' win - a run stretching back to their 2-1 win over New Zealand at home in Nov 2017. Catch live updates of India vs England 2nd T20I match here.

India Vs England 2^nd T20 : Fresh from a clinical eight-wicket victory over England, India will aim to clinch the series when they lock horns with the hosts in the second Twenty-20 International(T20I) of the three-match series at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Friday. The Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli completely outclassed England in the first game, as Kuldeep Yadav's fifer followed by Lokesh Rahul's unbeaten ton guided Indian to a comfortable victory. Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be expecting another dominant show from his side to set the tone for the long England tour.

The Indian team management is likely to stick to the same playing eleven, and will not try to disturb their winning combination. In the batting department. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who failed in the first match, would like to rectify his mistakes in the second T20I against England, while in bowling department, pacers would like to display some disciplined bowling after leaking runs in the opening 10 overs of the first T20I.

On the other hand, England will be desperate to bounce back in the threematch series and would once again rely on opener Jos Buttler, who continued his purple patch of form with another half-century in the opening match. In order to put up a fight against the visitors, apart from Buttler, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, and Eoin Morgan will have to quickly learn to read India's wrist spinners. While England spinner Adil Rashid did a fair job in the first outing, Moeen Ali was expensive and will have to be economical against the spin-friendly Indian batsmen. The English camp will also miss the services of pacer Tom Curran, who has been ruled out of the remaining T20Is and the ODI series owing to a left side strain.

How a series win will affect India and England ICC T20I ranking?

In terms of ICC Rankings, a 2-0 series lead will allow India to close the gap with second-placed Australia, while a whitewash will catapult them to second position, behind top-ranked Pakistan. Australia will have to win both their next two games in the ongoing tri-series in Zimbabwe to stay above India.

A loss on Friday will see England drop down to rank seven below New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies, respectively.

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India vs England T20I: Virat Kohli & co gear up for tough English summer

India will start the English Summer with T20I series, followed by 50-over cricket and Test series in August. Catch live updates here of the first T20Is between India and England.

India Vs England T20 : After a crushing 2-0 victory over minnows Ireland, India led by Virat Kohli will be up against a formidable England in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series (T20Is) at the Old Trafford in Manchester. Indian cricket team's supremacy in shorter formats is redoubtable but India will have their task cut out against a vastly improved England in the opening T20 International in what will be a defining summer for Virat Kohli and his team.

While India has been a consistent limited-overs side over the past 6-7 years, England has of late lifted their game in coloured clothes by miles, thanks to a group of fantastic limited overs players like Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, and Ben Stokes.

Going into today’s series opener, India is expected to play around with set combinations which means Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma teaming up at the top of the order. With veteran Suresh Raina in great hitting form at No 3, and skipper Kohli at No.4, it will be interesting to see if the team management includes the in-form Lokesh Rahul in the middle order. All eyes will also be on the former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was in great touch in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for eventual champions Chennai Super Kings. While Manish Pandey is in running for the fourth spot on account of his good run in international T20 cricket. Batting late in the order, he boasts of 276 runs in 10 matches at average 92 and strike-rate 127.18. These numbers are hard to ignore.

On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah's thumb injury will be a concern as he has played a big role with his death overs bowling. It will be interesting to see whether his replacement, Deepak Chahar, gets his maiden cap even though senior pro Umesh Yadav looks a more likely replacement.

Wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have proven their worth in Ireland and look certain to play against England in the first T20Is.

England, meanwhile, made a few strategic changes by putting assistant coach Paul Farbrace in charge of the T20 team for the Australia and India series, while head coach Trevor Bayliss simultaneously took to domestic cricket scouting. England's recent ploy to promote Jos Buttler as an opener worked in fine fashion as he struck the quickest T20I half-century by an English batsman, with a 22-ball 50, that included six fours and five sixes against the hapless Kangaroos.

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