AAO KHELEIN

Image posted by Bayern Munich football club India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich bonded over Diwali, exchanging gifts. A lot of European football clubs these days go an extra mile to please the fan base in India. This Diwali too many posted wishes on their social media space. Some even posted in Hindi! But it was Bayern Munich that aced it in style. The Dutch footbal club sent a team jersey with Ajinkya Rahane's name and the number 27 which he uses for his Team India jersey. Delighted with the surprise gift, Rahane posted a video thanking the club and wishing his fans a happy Diwali. Jinks also sent a Team India jersey with his name and number on it. Bayern Munich posted an image of their forward and Dutch star Arjen Robben holding that jersey with a wide grin on his face wishing Indian fans a very happy Diwali. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2dXsHgK

Former India batting stalwart VVS Laxman on Tuesday turned 42 as cricketing greats and noted personalities wished the man with a silken touch a very happy birthday. Laxman, popularly known as the 'God of fourth innings' crafted a memorable 281 against the mighty Australians in 2001 to help India clinch a historic Test match at the Eden Gardens. That particular knock defined Laxman's hunger for runs, his grit and placed him alongside greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag. The Hyderabadi batsman known for his magical wrist work currently is donning the hat of commentator. Check out who all wished Laxman on his 42nd birthday. Happy Birthday Lachi @VVSLaxman281 , a fantastic team man, a great human being who always wanted to do something special for India! http://pic.twitter.com/qQmC89SP5h -sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 1, 2016 Happy Birthday @VVSLaxman281 . If Vanigurappa Venkata Sai ji was in Sholay,Gabbar would ha...

Image posted by Bayern Munich football club India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich bonded over Diwali, exchanging gifts. A lot of European football clubs these days go an extra mile to please the fan base in India. This Diwali too many posted wishes on their social media space. Some even posted in Hindi! But it was Bayern Munich that aced it in style. The Dutch footbal club sent a team jersey with Ajinkya Rahane's name and the number 27 which he uses for his Team India jersey. Delighted with the surprise gift, Rahane posted a video thanking the club and wishing his fans a happy Diwali. Jinks also sent a Team India jersey with his name and number on it. Bayern Munich posted an image of their forward and Dutch star Arjen Robben holding that jersey with a wide grin on his face wishing Indian fans a very happy Diwali. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2dXsHgK

Image Courtesy: WTA Ace Indian tennis star Sania Mirza will end the season as world's top women's doubles player for the second straight year. Sania finished this season with seven Women's Tennis Association, WTA titles, a Grand Slam and a semi-final finish in the year ending WTA Finals in Singapore. The ace Indian tennis star was close to being uprooted by Bethanie Mattek-Sands from the top spot, had the American won the WTA Finals doubles title. However, Bethanie lost in the final and ensured that Sania ends the year at the top once again. Sania made history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the No.1 ranking in doubles in April last year. She has gone on to hold the No.1 ranking for 81 consecutive weeks. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2fz44aI

It often happens in the game of cricket that when a cricketer is sent to the deep, he/she complains about the same citing lack of interaction with play and the long chases around the boundary as the reason. But for disabled England cricketer Liam Thomas, it is hardly a thing to worry about. Thomas, while fielding for the England Physical Disabilities (PD) team at deep backwards square leg during a Twenty20 game last week against Pakistan, made sure nothing was going to stop him from performing his fielding duties. The England Physical Disabilities cricket representative stunned the viewers when he chased after a ball running to the boundary, dived, and had his prosthetic leg pop out of place and fall onto the turf, reports news.com.au. The England cricketer would have been excused for crawling back to pick up his artificial limb, but such was his commitment that he simply hopped over to the ball and threw it back to the keeper without a hint of distress and discomfort. Impressed by...

Legendary spinner Shane Warne believes that Test cricket, game's traditional format, is "becoming boring for the fans." Adding his weight to the debate about Test cricket, which is considered as the toughest of the present three formats, Warne took to Twitter to express his concern saying, "Should we just leave Test cricket as it is & hope people start watching again? It's very sad, but Test cricket is becoming boring for the fans." "Test cricket needs - Promotion, more attacking cricket from the captains, pitches need to spin or seam, not flat & players need to entertain," he added. The leg-spin great offered his views on Test cricket on the day when one of the most memorable things happened as England were defeated by Bangladesh. Bangladesh yesterday recorded their first Test victory over England, taking all ten wickets in a single session thanks to teenage off-spin sensation Mehedi Hasan to win the second Test by 108 runs and square t...

Veteran Australian spinner Brad Hogg has made a sensational revelation saying he contemplated suicide in the wake of his retirement from international cricket and the subsequent breakdown of his first marriage. In his new autobiography 'The Wrong 'Un', Hogg details about his battle with depression and how he switched to heavy drinking. "I parked my car at Port Beach and went for a walk. I'd stare at the sea and think, I could swim out to that groyne, and if I make it back fine. If I don't make it back . well, hard luck," news.com.au quotes him writing in his book. "I was prepared to let fate decide. I was in a really dark place. I did that Fremantle drive four times. And each time I thought about doing something really drastic," he adds. In one of the chapters titles 'The Collapse', the chinaman spinner confirms that marital problems were the main reason for his shock retirement from cricket at the end of the 2007-08 summer. The leg-...

Mirpur: A stunning spin bowling performance from teenage sensation Mehedi Hasan Miraz complemented by a talismanic display by Shakib Al Hasan powered Bangladesh to a historic 108-run win over England in the second Test here on Sunday. This is the first ever Test victory over England for Bangladesh. Sunday's triumph at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium also saw them draw the two-Test series 1-1. England won the first Test in Chittagong by 22 runs, reports bdnews24.com. England were set a daunting 273-run chase. A century stand between the England openers Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett apparently put England in a comfortable position before tea. But after the break, 19-year-old Miraz tore through the England top order before Shakib grabbed three in an over to put the hosts on the brink of an epic win. Miraz then picked out Steven Finn with an lbw to seal the victory in three days to send the hosts and the boisterous home crowd in spasms of delight. Miraz finished with 6...

Northerns v KwaZulu-Natal via Cricinfo Live Scores

Leg spinner Amit Mishra who scalped a whooping 15 wickets in the ODI series that India won said that head coach Anil Kumble supported him during the lean phase, Mishra grabbed 5/18 in India's 190-run rout of New Zealand and earned the Man of the Series award for his consistent performances. "His (Anil Kumble) mental support is the biggest thing for me. I sat out for the entire Test series but he supported me mentally and told me "don't worry, your time will come"," Mishra, said at the post-match media conference. "Whenever I went to bowl in the nets, he always gave me tips on how to improve your bowling, like the seam position... He told me "you can improve batting also". He's always there to rectify your small mistakes," Mishra added. "At this stage of career, I have to perform. I am a wicket-taking bowler. It has become a sort of 'trademark' that 'Amit ayega to wicket nikalega' (Amit will always give a breakt...

The last week has seen some nail biting cricket in Bangladesh and India with matches on balance till the very end. On the other hand it was business as usual in United Arab Emirates as West Indies lost once again and now are in danger of losing all three Test matches against Pakistan. The total lack of resistance from the Caribbean boys was painful even for the opposing skipper Misbah ul Haq so just imagine what it must be like for those others who played in the champion West Indian teams and their followers. Ravichandran Ashwin and Yasir Shah are going neck and neck in reaching landmarks like 100 wickets and 200 wickets quicker than most others and it was Yasir’s ten wicket haul that spun Pakistan to another emphatic victory. This too on a pitch where there was not much turn. In Bangladesh, Mehedi Hasan made a terrific debut capturing 6 wickets to restrict England to 293 in the first innings. Bangladesh came perilously close to winning the Test but their batting didn’t quite support...

Visakhapatnam: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was fulsome in his praise for his spinners who helped India bowl out New Zealand for 79 as the hosts clinched the five-match One-Day International (ODI) cricket series 3-2 here on Saturday. India had put up 269/6 in 50 overs and in reply the visitors were floored by leg spinner Amit Mishra (5/18) and Axar Patel (2/9). "One of the best performances by the bowlers. This was one game where the spinners bowled with a lot of assistance," Dhoni said after the game. "Before this when we bowled first, the wicket was always better to bat in the first half," the captain added. "It was an exceptional performance in this game, there was a bit of dew. But the pace the spinners bowled was perfect." Dhoni also had words of encouragement for young middle and lower-middle order batsmen like Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and Axar Patel, who failed to grab the chances they got while the team was chasing in the couple of g...

United Bank Limited v Water and Power Development Authority via Cricinfo Live Scores

Lahore Whites v Federally Administered Tribal Areas via Cricinfo Live Scores

Karachi Blues v Islamabad via Cricinfo Live Scores

National Bank of Pakistan v Pakistan International Airlines via Cricinfo Live Scores

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited v Khan Research Laboratories via Cricinfo Live Scores

Karachi Whites v Rawalpindi via Cricinfo Live Scores

Visakhapatnam: India cricketers wore jerseys bearing their mother's names instead of their own in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Saturday. Live Scorecard - IND v NZ, 5th ODI This initiative -- Nayi Soch -- is part of a new campaign started by Star India in collaboration with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to highlight the importance of mothers in our lives. Commenting on the development, Chairman and CEO of Star India Uday Shankar said: "This is the first time in the world that a team jersey is being used to power social change. Star Plus has taken an unprecedented leap in its Nayi Soch or new way of thinking. We compliment the BCCI and the Indian team for such a transformational collaboration." "The Indian cricketers sporting their mothers' names make for a powerful and emotive statement and we are thankful to BCCI and the Indian Cricket team for partnering with us on thi...

Image Courtesy: BCCI India have won the toss and opted to bat first in the series-decider against New Zealand here at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Live Scorecard - IND vs NZ, 5th ODI After winning the toss, India's limited-overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, "A bit of swing because of the humidity. It's a decider, makes it more interesting and it will give plenty of experience to the youngsters. As a batting unit, we have not played up to potential." His New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson, on the other hand, said the surface looked good before adding that they need to make a strong start by bowling well. "We expect some dew. Improving is the main thing and we have done that in the ODIs after the Tests. Hopefully we can restrict India to a small total. Tough to read surfaces here, especially with the dew," he said. In the high-octane match, India will aim to showcase that they are still a dominant force ...

The 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season played at neutral venues is being watched with a lot of curiosity. The teams are into their fourth round of matches and its time for some stock-taking. The seed of neutral venues was sown by none other than Rahul Dravid and he had a valid reason: That in the name of home advantage, teams had been doctoring the pitches to suit their strengths, killing the competitive edge. The technical committee of the BCCI, headed by Sourav Ganguly, took his suggestion seriously and recommended that the Ranji Trophy matches be played at neutral venues. The Board promptly accepted this. How has it been going? The responses and reactions are mixed. Some media reports talked of teams not getting enough to eat and also that the food was not to their liking. Then, there were teams which complained of being travel-weary, going by road from the nearest airport and railroad stations. A couple of others have problems with the placid wickets or too much moisture in the pitch ...

Canterbury v Central Districts via Cricinfo Live Scores

Auckland v Otago via Cricinfo Live Scores

The fifth and final game of the one-day series promises to be a real thriller after New Zealand's magnificent fightback at Ranchi. New Zealand were not defending a big score but the manner in which their bowlers bowled and their fielders supported them it looked as if India were chasing 25 more runs than on the board. The Vizag pitch will be the key. So far in the Ranji trophy matches that have taken place there the scores haven't been great and if the pitch is going to break up, then batting is not going to be easy. The Kiwis did the smart thing including Anton Devcich as it gave them a spinning option though he bowled mostly seam up stuff at Ranchi. That could well have been because of the dew factor which does not help grip the ball. Mitchell Santner was terrific as was Ish Sodhi though both could have done with a slip fielder as the ball was spinning a fair bit. India too have used Kedar Jadhav to good effect and the unassuming Maharashtra skipper is delivering by not onl...

Visakhapatnam: After being dismissed for a duck in the fourth One-Day International against New Zealand, rookie middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav is determined to grab his chances and cement his place in the Indian team. India vs New Zealand - Complete Coverage Jadhav, who made his ODI debut in 2014, is yet to click as a batsman and admitted that he will have to learn quickly. "Obviously I have missed opportunities, specially in the last game. But these are early stages for me and Manish (Pandey). We need to grab these opportunities which are thrown at us. We need to learn quickly from the opportunities we have missed," Jadhav told reporters here on Friday. "It's all about taking this responsibility and accepting the challenge that comes at you and then, coming out of the challenge successfully," he added. "That is what international cricket is all about, delivering when it matters most for the team." The 31-year-old from Pune, who was brought in...

Former Pakistan Test off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is all set to assist England once again when he will travel to India next month as a spin-bowling consultant for the five-match Test series, starting from November 9 in Gujarat. IND vs ENG - Complete Schedule The 39-year-old will reach India on November 1 and will remain with the team for 15 days in order to help them prepare for the Test series, which is expected to be played on spin friendly pitches. Saqlain, the inventor of doosra, was previously roped in by England following their 75-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the opening match of the three-match Test series in July this year, the Dawn reported. During his short stint with England, he guided the hosts how to counter Yasir Shah's bowling attack besides also helping off-spinner Moeen Ali and leg-break spinner Adil Rashid tactically. Rated as one of the best off-spinners of modern cricket, Saqlain had also helped Saeed Ajmal in remodelling his bowling action after th...

Guwahati: Hyderabad bundled Himachal Pradesh out for a meagre 36 runs in their first innings in a Group C Ranji Trophy cricket match at the Barsapara Stadium here on Friday. As many as 15 wickets fell on Day Two as Hyderabad seamers M. Ravi Kiran and Chama Milind ran through the top order of Himachal Pradesh before leg-spinner Akash Bhandari scalped four wickets to demolish the tail-enders. The story, however, remained the same for Hyderabad as Himachal Pradesh all-rounder Rishi Dhawan hit back, grabbing six wickets to reduce Hyderabad for 99/7 at the end of the day. Anirudh (44) was at the crease at stumps on the second day. In another Group C match, D. Siva Kumar's five-wicket haul helped Andhra Pradesh to gain a 150-run first-innings lead over Haryana at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After bowling Haryana out for 103, Andhra took their lead to 245, with Hanuma Vihari and K.R. Sreekanth putting on 61-run stand for the third wicket. In a match between Goa and Tripura, Goa...

Wellington v Northern Districts via Cricinfo Live Scores

Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka via Cricinfo Live Scores

Band-e-Amir Region v Speen Ghar Region via Cricinfo Live Scores

Amo Region v Mis Ainak Region via Cricinfo Live Scores

Boost Region v Kabul Green via Cricinfo Live Scores

India v New Zealand via Cricinfo Live Scores

Sui Southern Gas Corporation v Habib Bank Limited via Cricinfo Live Scores

Bangladesh were all out for 220 in their first innings against England on the opening day of the second and final Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday. Live Scorecard - Day 1 Tamim Iqbal scored 104 for the hosts who lost their last nine wickets for 49 runs after skipper Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and opted to bat. Off-spinner Moeen Ali took five for 57 while paceman Chris Woakes took three wickets for England, who lead the series 1-0. Stay updated on the go with Sify Live Scores App. Click here to download it for your device via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2dOhrDu

Defending champions Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis defeated Chinese Taipei's Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan 7-6 7-5 to kick-off their campaign at the WTA Finals in Singapore on Friday. Playing their first match since August, the Indo-Swiss duo saw off the dangerous Chan Sisters in straight sets. Along with Mirza, Kristina Mladenovic, Caroline Garcia and Bethanie Mattek-Sands are the others in hunt for the year-end No.1 doubles ranking. Sania, the current No.1, has to defend the title with Hingis in order to keep the others at bay. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2fdmFKf

Paradise Valley (Arizona): Michael Phelps took the plunge in June, secretly marrying his longtime girlfriend two months before the Olympic great completed his last gold-medal haul. The Arizona Republic reports the 31-year-old swimmer wedded Nicole Johnson on June 13. That's a little more than a month after the former Miss California USA gave birth to their son, Boomer. The newspaper has posted a copy of a marriage license that shows Phelps and Johnson were married in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Neither Phelps nor Johnson said anything about the wedding. Johnson posted a picture of her with Phelps and Boomer on Instagram on the day of the ceremony with the caption, "Such a memorable night with my lil fambam." Phelps won five gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Games, his last coming Aug. 13 to increase his overall gold total to 23. He is the most decorated Olympian with 28 medals. Stay updated on the go with Sify Live Scores App. Click here to download it for your device ...

Kolkata: India Test skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday extended Diwali greetings to the Indian army, emphathising with the soldiers who spend the auspicious occasion on the border protecting the country. "I, Virat Kohli, want to wish on this Diwali our jawans all the best," he wrote on Twitter. "I know what it means staying away from the family. The way you protect our country is worth a lot of praise." "My brothers, keep faith that I and the entire country will always be with you," he added. He also wrote on the social networking site, "Whenever you see a jawan, salute them. We get to celebrate festivals & live in peace because of them. Jai Hind #Sandesh2Soldiers." Kohli's message comes on the back of the Uri attack which claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers in Kashmir last month. Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed responsibility for the ghastly attack which has kept relations between the squabbling nations a...

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and opted to bat in the second and final Test against England at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday. Live Scorecard The hosts have added an extra slow bowler to the side that lost the first Test in Chittagong, bringing in off-spinner Shuvagata Hom for paceman Shafiul Islam. England, who won the first Test by 22 runs, handed a debut to 24-year-old left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari while paceman Steven Finn was also drafted in. Off-spinner Gareth Batty and Stuart Broad were the two men dropped by the visitors from the opening Test. Teams: Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Sabbir Rahman, Shuvagata Hom, Mehedi Hasan, Taijul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi England: Alastair Cook (captain), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Gary Ballance, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Zafar Ansari, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Steven Finn Stay updated on the go with Sify Live Scores...

Madrid: Real Madrid's star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has said he and his arch-rival FC Barcelona's talisman Lionel Messi are not good friends. Having dominated the world footballer of the year selection over the past eight years and widely regarded as the two best players of the current generation, Ronaldo said they respect each other but can't be termed friends. "There is a big mutual respect between myself and Messi," the 31-year-old told Coach Magazine, as quoted by goal.com on Thursday. "The media like to make out like we have this big rivalry, but we don't. It is not like we are good friends, but there is a mutual respect on both sides." On his first visit to India, Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry said recently that this year also the prestigious award would decided between the two "abnormal footballers" and that he hasn't seen players of such high calibre in his lifetime. "They are abnormal footballers. I have n...

Northerns v KwaZulu-Natal via Cricinfo Live Scores

Bangladesh v England via Cricinfo Live Scores

Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday backed limited overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bat at the No.4 position while disagreeing that the team is too dependent on star batsman Virat Kohli. "Let him play at number four. He will finish from there. Finisher does not mean he has to bat from the 40th over," Ganguly said. "Virat (Kohli) bats at three and he is finishing games. It's a wrong concept that a finisher has to come lower down the order. Dhoni got India over the ropes in the other match batting at four." Dhoni scored 80 in the third One-Day in Mohali helping India chase down a target of 286 with Kohli scoring an unbeaten 154. But both Dhoni and Kohli failed to help India chase down a target of 261 runs in the fourth match at Ranchi on Wednesday, enabling New Zealand to square the five-match series 2-2. The fifth and final match is slated for Saturday in Visakhapatnam. Asked if the team is becoming too reliant on Kohli, Ganguly s...

Ranchi: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said the inexperienced middle-order needs more time to settle after India lost to New Zealand by 19 runs, failing to chase down a modest target of 261 runs in the fourth One-Day International (ODI). India vs New Zealand - Complete Coverage "Batting down the order on wickets like this when you're chasing is always going to be tough. You will have to give them time. They will find their way. After they get more and more games like this they will figure out what suits best for them to chase a total," he said after the match here on Wednesday. "On a wicket like this, when the score was not too much, you need partnerships. With two new balls, it comes on to bat better initially. The wicket slows down. It does not come on to the bat that well. It was a difficult phase and it becomes difficult to rotate," he added. The captain said the job of a batting finisher is not easy. "Batting down the order is one of the ...

Himachal Pradesh 8/2 * v Hyderabad (India) via Cricinfo Live Scores

South Australia XI v South Africa 442/7 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

Baroda 125/2 * v Punjab via Cricinfo Live Scores

Bengal 85/4 * v Railways via Cricinfo Live Scores

Jharkhand v Vidarbha 91/5 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

Rajasthan v Maharashtra 103/2 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

Andhra 89/1 * v Haryana via Cricinfo Live Scores

Services 86/3 * v Jammu & Kashmir via Cricinfo Live Scores

Dubai: India retained its numero uno spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test team rankings while premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also continued to top the bowlers' list. After completing a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand at home, India clinched the No.1 spot from arch foes Pakistan. The Virat Kohli-led side with 115 points currently lead Misbah-ul-Haq's brigade by four points. Australia with 108 points occupy the third spot followed by England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the West Indies with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe completing the list. Meanwhile, Ashwin, who during the series against New Zealand became the second fastest to grab 200 wickets, maintained his position with 900 points, with South African pace spearhead Dale Steyn (878) and England's James Anderson (861) completing the top three. Ashwin's spin partner Ravindra Jadeja was at seventh place with 805 points. Ashwin also retained his top spot among the all-rounders with 451 p...

Gujarat 115 * v Uttar Pradesh via Cricinfo Live Scores

Madhya Pradesh v Tamil Nadu 80/3 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

Assam 113/4 * v Karnataka via Cricinfo Live Scores

Delhi v Odisha 98/4 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

Chhattisgarh v Kerala 20/1 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

Goa v Tripura 78/4 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

MS Dhoni's latest move to bat higher up in the order has found yet another fan in Brendon McCullum. India vs New Zealand - Complete Coverage McCullum, who has been both an opponent and a teammate to Dhoni with Chennai Super Kings IPL team, believes the move will result in the India captain making more impact in the game. Was McCullum surprised after Dhoni silenced his critics, at least for a while, by scoring a crucial 80-run knock after promoting himself up the order to No.4 in the third ODI against New Zealand in Mohali? "I am definitely not surprised. He is a terrific leader. I think now that he doesn't play Tests and his focus is squarely on limited overs means he can have more impact in the game. That is why probably he has pushed himself up in the batting order. And he has delivered. That is what world class players do,” said McCullum. The former Kiwi skipper is accompanying New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on his four-day visit to India. Bazz also praised In...

Ranchi: New Zealand captain Kane Willamson said the fact that dew did not play a part in the game helped their cause greatly after he altered the trend at this venue by winning the toss and batting first instead of opting to field. India vs New Zealand - Complete Coverage "Coming here and not knowing whether dew will be there or not was a bit confusing. I am happy dew hasn't played a part and that worked in our favour. Besides we executed our skills to well and so won," Williamson said at the post match presentation ceremony. Martin Guptill, who was adjudged the man-of-the-match for his 72 off 84 balls, said he did not expect his score to be the highest score of the match. "I did not expect this. But in the end I think we fought till the end. We thought 260 would be defendable but could have scored a bit more. Our bowlers did a great job." India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni rued giving away 16 extras, saying it played a big factor at the end as India lost ...

Dolphins v Knights via Cricinfo Live Scores

Boland v Western Province via Cricinfo Live Scores

Easterns v South Western Districts via Cricinfo Live Scores

Free State v Border via Cricinfo Live Scores

Cape Cobras v Titans via Cricinfo Live Scores

Lions v Warriors via Cricinfo Live Scores

New Zealand beat India by 19 runs in the fourth one-day international to level the five-match series at 2-2 as the hosts suffered a mid-innings collapse at Ranchi on Wednesday. Chasing 261 for a series clinching win, India were all out for 241 with eight balls to spare. Opener Ajinkya Rahane's fluent 57 put India on course for the chase and the right-handed batsman added 79 for the second wicket with the in-form Virat Kohli (45). India looked firmly in the driver's seat when Rahane and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11) were batting but then they lost five wickets for just 39 runs which put paid to their hopes of bagging the series with a match to spare. Seamer James Neesham dismissed Rahane and Dhoni in successive overs and paceman Tim Southee (3-40) picked up two wickets in consecutive deliveries as India were reduced from 128-2 to 167-7 in the space of a few overs. Axar Patel (38) and Amit Mishra (14) added 38 for the eighth wicket while tailenders Dhawal Kulkarni (25 not...

Having lost the chance of sealing the five match ODI series in his hometown a disappointed MS Dhoni said that they need to play their best cricket in the final ODI to win the series. Chasing 261, India lost the fourth ODI by 19 runs after they were bowled out for 241. "We will have to be at our best in the decider," the Indian skipper said. Reflecting on the team's loss, Dhoni pointed that India didn't had a good start with the ball. "I think it was the first 10 where we gave away a lot of runs and the extras," Dhoni said. India's over dependence on Virat Kohli was quite evident as they once again failed to pull off a chase on a good batting surface. Kohli made a superb 45, but his dismissal triggered a collapse as India failed to recover. Speaking on the batting, Dhoni said that the loss was similar to that of New Delhi. "I think we could have still chased 260 if we had wickets in hand. Quite similar to Delhi where we kept losing wickets. The ...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has barred its players from performing push-ups as part of their celebration after winning matches. The board's executive committee chairman Najam Sethi confirmed this to a National Assembly committee on Wednesday. Reportedly, the PCB was forced to act after lawmakers raised questions during a meeting of the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee over the cricket team performing push-ups after victory in international matches. It was Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq who first started this new tradition when he completed his century on the opening day of the first Test against England in July, and the gesture was repeated by the entire team upon their victory at Lord's. "Who were Misbah-ul-Haq and other players giving a message to by doing push-ups?" asked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Rana Muhammad Afzal. The Pakistan politician also wondered why the players did push-ups when the team won and were silent when it lost. An...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has barred its players from performing push-ups as part of their celebration after winning matches. The board's executive committee chairman Najam Sethi confirmed this to a National Assembly committee on Wednesday. Reportedly, the PCB was forced to act after lawmakers raised questions during a meeting of the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee over the cricket team performing push-ups after victory in international matches. It was Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq who first started this new tradition when he completed his century on the opening day of the first Test against England in July, and the gesture was repeated by the entire team upon their victory at Lord's. "Who were Misbah-ul-Haq and other players giving a message to by doing push-ups?" asked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Rana Muhammad Afzal. The Pakistan politician also wondered why the players did push-ups when the team won and were silent when it lost. An...

Image Courtesy: BCCI Ranchi: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bat against India in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) at the JSCA International Stadium here on Wednesday. Live Scorecard - IND vs NZ, 4th ODI India made one change to their playing XI from the last match with Jaspreet Bumrah, who is unwell being replaced by Dhawal Kulkarni. New Zealand have made three changes. BJ Watling was included in place of Luke Ronchi, Jimmy Neesham made way for Anton Devcich and Ish Sodhi was drafted in place of Matt Henry. "We were looking to bowl first because of the dew factor," India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said at the toss. Stay updated on the go with Sify Live Scores App. Click here to download it for your device via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2eR8RkJ

Twitter image: MS Dhoni drives his Hummer past New Zealand team bus in Ranchi Daljit Singh, the former skipper of the Bihar Ranji Trophy team and now one of the foremost curators in the country provided the perfect one-day wicket at Mohali. It was a pitch where the ball came on to the bat nicely and batsmen could play through the line without worrying too much about any delivery keeping low or bouncing awkwardly. There was just enough grass cover that would interest the seamers and for the wrist spinner there was turn as the wily Amit Mishra showed with two classic leg-spinners that bamboozled a well set Ross Taylor and then a bit later the dangerous Luke Ronchi. At Dharamsala and the Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi, the batsmen had got themselves out in various ways and at Mohali too after a good partnership between the consistent Tom Latham and Ross Taylor the Kiwi batsmen contrived to get themselves out till Jimmy Neesham along with Matt Henry showed that there was nothing much in the p...

England have named an unchanged squad for their tour of India with their all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson not included in the initial 16-man list for the five-Test series, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday. IND vs ENG - Complete Schedule Anderson, with 463 wickets in 119 matches, is recovering from a shoulder injury and has been left out of the squad for the opening Test in Rajkot starting on Nov. 9 and is doubtful for the second Test in Visakhapatnam. A recurrence of the injury forced the 34-year-old out of the current series against Bangladesh and his availability for the remaining four Tests in India, the world's top-ranked side, will be left to medical staff.That means Jake Ball remains with the squad, which is unchanged from the two-test series in Bangladesh, after he was added to the party. England won the first test by 22 runs on Monday, with the second Test beginning in Dhaka on Friday. Squad: Alastair Cook (capt), Moeen Ali, Zafar An...

Australia head coach Darren Lehmann has said that he will have a private conversation with Usman Khawaja after the batsman publicly criticised the national selectors for dropping him during the recent Sri Lankan tour. Earlier, Khawaja had said that he and Joe Burns had been made "scapegoats" before describing the selectors "fickle" for dropping the duo after two Tests in Sri Lanka. Poking fun over Khawaja's comment, Lehmann said that his side do feature the GOAT, referring to Nathan Lyon's nickname as the 'Greatest Of All Time', ESPNcrinfo reported. "And now we have the Scapegoat. I love these nicknames ... He is not on the back foot. [But] I will chat to him privately. We would rather have these things played out between selectors and players," Lehmann added while pointing out that such matters should stay behind closed doors. Khawaja and Burns were dropped for the third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo despite the duo's impressive...

Colombo: Veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who was named Sri Lanka skipper for the two-Test series in Zimbabwe in place of the injured Angelo Matthews, is all set to become the oldest person to lead the islanders since leg-spinner Somachandra de Silva in 1983. The 38-year-old, who retired from limited-overs cricket in April this year to focus on Tests will make his captaincy debut in his 74th match. He, however, did not captain Sri Lanka in any of the 71 ODIs and 17 T20Is he had played. Herath's stint at the helm will only be the second time after de Silva when a bowler will lead the Lankans. The decision to appoint Herath came after both Mathews and his deputy Dinesh Chandimal were ruled out due to injuries. Mathews had torn his calf during the fourth One-Day International (ODI) against Australia in August and is expected to be out of action for three weeks. He is doubtful for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, also involving West Indies, that follows the Tests. No replacem...

India's limited overs skipper MS Dhoni has made it clear that a need to bat at No.4 is more out of compulsion as his game was getting affected lower down the order. India vs New Zealand - Complete Coverage "I am happy to score runs. I wanted to do this (play an innings like that) for a long time. I could express myself today. It doesn't happen at number 5 or 6. Batting lower is hampering my batting to a certain extent," said Dhoni after scoring a crucial 80-run knock in the third ODI. Dhoni's knock at Mohali was his first half century in 11 innings. MSD, who promoted himself ahead of Manish Pandey, shared a match-winning 151 runs stand with Virat Kohli. "We (in the team management) discussed this. I wasn't fluently rotating the strike (batting at five or six). When you batting down, the approach is more result-oriented and you are looking for the big strokes. I feel that has hampered my batting to a certain extent. It is good that I got runs," Dho...

Carlos Alberto holds up the golden Jules Rimet Trophy, after his team defeated Italy in the 1970 World Cup final at Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City. Photograph: Gianni Foggia / AP. Rio de Janeiro: Brazil football stalwart and captain of the country's legendary 1970 World Cup winning side Carlos Alberto has died. The 72-year-old died late on Monday night after suffering a fatal heart attack, according to Brazilian media reports. He was capped 53 times by Brazil and netted one of the most iconic goals in World Cup history, finishing off a magnificent team move involving eight different players to score Brazil's fourth in a 4-1 final win over Italy in Mexico City. The 1970 Brazil side that won the World Cup, which also contained greats Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao and Rivelino, is regarded by many as the finest in history. Alberto was named in the world team of the 20th Century in 1998 and the Fifa 100 as the greatest living players in 2004. Over the course of a twenty-year caree...

India v New Zealand via Cricinfo Live Scores

After taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series, hosts India will aim to pocket the series when they take on New Zealand in the fourth game at the JSCA International Stadium here on Wednesday. Post the six-run setback in the second ODI in Delhi, India got back to their winning ways after thumping the Kiwis by seven wickets at Mohali. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (80) and his Test counterpart Virat Kohli (154 not out) joined forces with a brilliant 151-run third wicket stand to outplay the visitors after an inspiring bowling effort by the Indians helped restrict them to a modest total. Going into the fourth game, all eyes will be on India's struggling opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, who have failed to fire in the first three outings. Rohit has so far managed just 42 runs in the first three matches with a dismal average of 14 while Rahane has got the starts with scores of 33, 28 and 5 but failed to translate his Test form in the 50-over...

New entrant in the ODI setup, Hardik Pandya heaped praise on Virat Kohli and skipper MS Dhoni and said that the duo are an inspiration for the entire team. There's a lot to learn when both (Kohli and Dhoni) of them bat. Their batting, running between wickets inspire us. It's at another level. It's fun to watch them bat together," Pandya paid glowing tributes to his seniors on the eve of their fourth ODI against New Zealand in Ranchi. A 151-run match-winning partnership between Dhoni and Kohli helped India win the Mohali encounter by seven wickets. India will now look to seal the issue in the five-match rubber at Dhoni's home ground in Ranchi.  Dhoni slammed a brilliant 80 and roared back into form and Pandya said it's exciting time for Team India. "It shows positive intent. I enjoyed his (Dhoni) batting. As batsman, whatever number I bat at, we should play according to situation. It's a job for everyone. It gives us confidence for someone who bats l...

During his illustrious bowling career, Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had bounced out many batsmen. But, having retired from the game, Shoaib, now bowled a bouncer in the social media platform that left netizens clueless. The Rawalpindi Express tweeted "Honour of meeting the first lady of Pakistan who concerned Mount Everest with her share will proud of you Samina ..like the whole country.” Shoaib not only clean bowled netizens with his grammar but also left many confused. And what followed was a series of trolls that left the former Pakistani fast bowler bemused. Surgical strike by Shoaib Akhtar on English speaking Pakistanis. No casualties till now. http://pic.twitter.com/XYY8KVzEBv -The Viral Fever (@TheViralFever) October 24, 2016 @shoaib100mph concerned share will whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? -Iqra Arif Khan (@iarakhan) October 23, 2016 @iarakhan @shoaib100mph First Lady of Pakistan i...

Wellington: Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has revealed that his compatriot Ross Taylor did not communicate or share his thoughts during team meetings, when the latter was captain of the national cricket team. In his book 'Declared', McCullum has devoted a whole chapter elaborating the tiff between him and Taylor. He also threw insights on Taylor's captaincy and the circumstances that led to the souring of their relationship. The 35-year-old also clarified that he had no role to play in the axing of Taylor as captain. "At these meetings, Mike (head coach Mike Hesson) would canvass everyone's thoughts, and then try to hand it back to Ross to synthesise what was out there, tell us the way he wanted to go forward, put his stamp on it. All Ross had to say was, 'Thanks lads, that's awesome and this is the direction we are going based on your thoughts. I'm the skipper, this is what we're doing and I need you all to buy into it," McC...

Western Australia v South Australia via Cricinfo Live Scores

Queensland v New South Wales via Cricinfo Live Scores

Victoria v Tasmania via Cricinfo Live Scores

Sri Lanka A v West Indies A 69/2 * via Cricinfo Live Scores

After taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday retained the same squad for the remaining two matches of the rubber. Senior batsman Suresh Raina, who missed the first three matches due to viral fever has been ruled out of the remainder of the series. "The All-India Senior Selection Committee has decided to retain the same 14-member squad for the remaining two matches of the five-match ODI Trophy against New Zealand," the BCCI said in a statement. "Suresh Raina is still to regain his full fitness and has been ruled out of the remainder of the series," it added. On Sunday, riding on star batsman Virat Kohli's unbeaten 154 and an equally effective 80 from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India trounced the Kiwis by seven wickets in the third match at Mohali to go 2-1 up. The Indians also won the first match at Dharamsala by six wickets before falling short ...

Paceman Ben Stokes picked up the last two wickets in three balls to give England a thrilling 22-run victory over Bangladesh in the first test at Chittagong on Monday, as the tourists maintained their perfect record against the South Asian side. It was England's ninth straight test win over Bangladesh but the hosts also had the chance to record a famous victory, requiring 33 runs when they resumed on 253 for eight on the final morning. "It was a really good test match, I didn't think we will be here on day five looking at that wicket," England captain Alastair Cook said. "Such a tight game and credit to both sides. "Actually batters played pretty well on that kind of wicket. I am really happy that we showed our character and held our nerve towards the end." Bangladesh debutant Sabbir Rahman (64 not out) and Taijul Islam (16) negotiated the first three overs safely, taking 10 runs off their target. However, Stokes trapped Taijul in front and Cook succ...

South Africa Women v New Zealand Women via Cricinfo Live Scores

Cricket's latest run machine Virat Kohli once again showed why he is the best as the India vice-captain slammed a brilliant unbeaten 154 to guide India to a seven wicket win over New Zealand. Kohli who was handed a life by Ross Taylor while batting on 1, went on to notch a match-winning century as India took a 2-1 lead at Mohali. "Bit of luck went my way, I feel sorry for Ross, it's never easy to drop a catch and the batsman carries through. I've done that, and Brendon got 300 in Wellington," an elated Kohli who won the man-of-the-match award said. India had New Zealand on the mat with the visitors struggling at 180 for the loss of seven wickets. But the Indian bowlers let the pressure off as New Zealand set India stiff target of 285 runs. "We may have given a bit too much to New Zealand, but we took it as an opportunity to chase them down, because we know we are a good chasing team," Kohli said. Kohli had the company of his skipper MS Dhoni in the m...