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Showing posts with label SPORTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPORTS. Show all posts

India may not have won U-17 World Cup but Indian youngsters have won hearts: PM Modi

October 29, 2017
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The Indian team may not have won the cup but the youngsters have won the hearts of everyone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, 29 October, about the FIFA Under-17 World Cup which ended in Kolkata on Saturday, 28 October.

He congratulated England for winning the World Cup while stating that all teams had displayed their best talent during the tournament held in India for the first time.

In his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Modi referred to some other recent sports events like the Asia Cup (hockey) and Denmark Open (badminton) and hailed India’s victory in these competitions.

India won the Asia Cup after 10 years, while K Srikanth won the Denmark Open after emerging victorious in Indonesia Open and Australia Open, he noted.

Turning to FIFA Under-17, he said there was excitement among the players as well as spectators during such a big tournament.

Narendra Modi, Prime MinisterThe World Cup was hosted successfully and all the teams displayed their best talent. India may not have won the cup but the Indian youngsters have won the hearts of everyone.
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FIFA U-17 World Cup: Brazil vs England semifinal moved to Kolkata (Salt Lake Stadium) from Guwahati due to pitch concerns

October 23, 2017
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The FIFA U-17 World Cup encounter between Brazil and England has been rescheduled from Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium to Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan due to pitch concerns. The game will now take place in Kolkata on October 25 at 5pm.

“England said they didn’t have a problem, but Brazil weren’t willing to play in this pitch. Efforts were made to improve the condition, but the match has now been shifted. The teams will leave Guwahati today evening itself,” Assam Football Association president Hemendra Nath Brahma told Hindustan Times.

FIFA and Assam government officials held a meeting on Monday afternoon to decide on the possibility of Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium hosting the semi-final on Wednesday. But they left it to the two teams – Brazil and England – to take a call.

According to the officials, Brazil declined to play on the soggy field, which had taken a beating after the Ghana-Mali quarterfinal match on October 21 that was played in rain. Mali had adapted to the conditions but Ghana later lodged a complaint about the field.

Ghana coach Paa Kwesi Fabin was not impressed by the ground conditions and in the post-match press conference, he said, “We’ve not encountered anything like this before. I thought the game should have been abandoned and played at some another time but those who are organising said we have to play so we played.”

To make matters worse, the drainage system of the field was clogged leading to water-logging affecting more than 30% of the field. FIFA officials led by tournament director Javier Ceppi tried to find a way out, but it was all in vain.

“It is shining, and rain is unlikely now. We have two more days to go to make the field ready,” Sanjib Gohain Baruah, secretary of the sports department told HT earlier in the day.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal too had Pawan Hans involved for drying up the field. A helicopter hovered over the field for 45 minutes but the rotor could not do the job.

“Everyone tried their best but nature reigned. After four days of continuous rain, the soil became soft. The two teams arrived in the morning but are leaving for Kolkata tonight,” Anand Prakash Tiwari, a key member of the World Cup organising committee said.

Whatever hopes the officials had of conducting the match evaporated after forecast of rain from the meteorologists. The weathermen underlined the possibility of rain on Tuesday night and 60% precipitation on Wednesday morning, the scheduled day of the semifinal.

England reached the semifinals after thrashing USA 4-1 thanks to a hattrick from striker Rhian Brewster while Brazil came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in the other quarterfinal.

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India may break a record at FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017

October 20, 2017
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The attendance for matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 breached the million mark in the final match of the Round of 16.

The cumulative total as of now stands at 1,007,396.

The last set of pre-quarterfinal matches involved Ghana against Niger and Brazil versus Honduras on Wednesday.

At the last U-17 World Cup in 2015 in Chile, the total attendance was less than 500,000.





Tournament director of the local organising committee, Javier Ceppi said it would be an understatement to say that they are overwhelmed by the response from across the country.

"We really feel that football has taken over the country and the craze that the tournament has generated is one of a kind. The fans have been fantastic and now India 2017 is on track to become the most attended FIFA U-17 World Cup in the history of the event," Ceppi said.

To ensure that as many seats as possible are utilised, the LOC is "recalling" some of the complimentary tickets given so far.

Keeping that in mind, we have recalled some of the complimentary tickets given in Goa, Guwahati, Kochi and Navi Mumbai and will be opened today so that all football lovers in those cities can have an opportunity to watch the last matches.

"For that to happen, we appeal to all football fans and spectators to get their tickets and fill up the stadiums on the next matches, so that India 2017 can leave its mark and have the record of attendance for a FIFA U-17 World Cup." The final is slated for 28 October and over the remaining nine days, the LOC would like to make this tournament the biggest FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The previous record of 1,230,976 was set in the very first edition in China in 1985.
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FIFA has confirmed 8 top-seeded teams in World Cup finals draw

October 16, 2017
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FIFA has confirmed the seven highest-ranked nations joining host Russia as top-seeded teams in the World Cup finals draw.

France rises one place to No. 7 to edge out Spain, as defending champion Germany heads an unchanged top six.

After a busy qualifying program last week, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium and Poland are also top-seeded for the Dec. 1 draw in Moscow.

FIFA uses October rankings to decide all four seeding pots despite nine places in the 32-team World Cup finals lineup to be decided in November.

Russia is top-seeded for the World Cup despite being ranked No. 65.

Chile at No. 9 is the highest-ranked team eliminated from the World Cup.

Mexico at No. 16 heads CONCACAF teams. The eliminated United States is No. 27.

Tunisia at No. 28 is Africa’s best, and No. 34 Iran leads Asia.
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Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock create records with Bangladesh

October 16, 2017
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South Africa openers Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla shared a record 282-run partnership as hosts registered a ten-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first ODI on Sunday at Kimberley. With a modest target of 279, both openers gave very less to Bangladesh bowlers as they chased down the total with 43 balls remaining.

De Kock, who played some great cricketing shots, scored 168 runs from 145 balls which included 21 fours and two maximums. The 24-year old left-handed batsman scored his 13th ODI ton, however, felt 10-run short of his career best score. Amla, on the other end, too remained steady with his innings and scored his 26th ODI century. The right-handed batsman hit eight boundaries on course of his 110-run knock. Amla has now taken fewest innings (154) to 26 ODI hundreds, whereas Indian skipper Virat Kohli took 166.

As hosts took 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, Amla-de Kock partnership powered South Africa to chase down the target without losing a wicket, surpassing England’s 255 against Sri Lanka in 2016. Their 282-run stand also became the third highest opening wicket partnership. Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya-Upul Tharanga hold the record for 286 runs against England, which is followed by David Warner-Travis Head’s 284-run stand against Pakistan in 2016.

Bangladesh also entered the record books – but for all the wrong reasons. They have now lost 11 ODI matches by 10 wickets, the most any team.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, visitors were off to a steady start before Kagiso Rabada dismissed both openers. Bangladesh batsmen could not hold on to their resistance as wickets kept falling at regular intervals. But, captain Mushfiqur Rahim’s knock of 110 runs and partnerships with Shakib Al Hasan (59), Mahmudullah (69) and a 42-run stand with Sabbir Rahman took their score to 278/7 in 50 overs. Rabada was the pick of the bowlers as he finished his 10-over spell for 4/43 while Dwaine Pretorius claimed two wickets.
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First Indian woman to sign for WWE

October 16, 2017
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Kavita Devi, formerly a powerlifter, became the first Indian woman to sign up for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). After The Great Khali and Jinder Mahal became the two male wrestlers to be snapped up the largest wrestling company in the world, it is now the turn of Kavita to take India’s flag into the ring. The news was confirmed by Mahal on his visit to the country to promote the WWE India tour which will take place on December 8 and 9.

Devi who hails from Haryana underwent training to become a professional wrestler under the guidance of The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) at his training academy in Punjab. She shot to fame after her video, where she competed against a fellow wrestler B B Bull Bull went viral. She was later invited to be part of the Mae Young Classic women’s tournament after competing in the WWE tryouts in Dubai. Her appearance in the Mae Young tournament made her the first Indian woman to compete in a WWE ring. Even though Devi failed to beat Dakota Kai in her match in the tournament, she has earned herself a massive shot with the contract with the WWE. Her training is slated to begin at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in January.

“It was a privilege to be the first Indian woman to compete in WWE,” said Devi to Hindustan Times. “Participating in the Mae Young Classic with some of the best female performers in the world was a great learning experience. Now I am looking forward to pursuing my dream of becoming the first WWE Women’s Champion from India,” she added.

“I’m extremely proud to welcome Kavita to WWE where she now has a great opportunity to become India’s first female WWE Superstar. She is an inspiration to the youth of India and I wish nothing but success for her” said Jinder Mahal. Mahal is the current WWE champion on Smackdown Live brand and The Great Khali had been a champion during his time inside the ring as well.

In more power to women wrestlers in Asia, WWE announced Shadia Bseiso from Jordan has become the first Arab woman from the Middle East to sign a WWE developmental contract.
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Here is how Virat Kohli and Co. celebrated Independence Day 2017

August 15, 2017
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It is a historic day for Indians living all around the world. Today, 15th of August marks India's independence from the British, which was attained in 1947. This year represents 71st year of Indian independence.

The national flag of India was hoisted earlier in the morning in New Delhi by PM Narendra Modi, and the same has been witnessed all around the country by other prominent politicians on other regions as well. However, the unfurling of India flag was not only limited to India as the national cricket team also celebrated, hoisting the flag in Sri Lanka, where they are currently touring.

After the flag was hoisted the members of the Indian team also sung the national anthem in a glorious sunny morning in Kandy.

The BCCI even posted a video of the players, signing the national anthem, with the tweet captioned, "#TeamIndia gathered at Kandy to hoist the tricolour on the occasion of Independence Day #IndependenceDayIndia"



Such kind of special flag hoisting ceremony might only have been made possible after India beat Sri Lanka within three days of the 3rd Test on Monday. Had Sri Lanka played well, India players would have to take to the field on Tuesday, which would then act as the fourth day of the final Test.

As a result of some absolute dominance, Virat Kohli and his men demolished the island nation in the Test series, winning 3-0. The first two Tests victory also proved to be a cakewalk for Team India. No wonder, India are ranked world number one in Test cricket.

It is time for India players to change gears and their approach as they prepare for a five-match ODI series and one-off T20. They will start both the formats as favourites despite resting some of their key bowlers for the limited overs series.

Specialists such as MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah have been included in the squad.
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Ekta does a 'High Five' as India rout Pakistan by 95 runs

July 02, 2017
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Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht came to the fore with a stellar show as India crushed arch- rivals Pakistan by 95 runs in a low-scoring encounter to record their third successive victory in the ICC Women's World Cup here today.

After a couple of impressive outings by the batswomen, it was the turn of Bisht (10-2-18-5) and Co. to defend a meagre total of 169, skittling the opposition out for a lowly 74 in 38.1 overs.

India now have six points from three games and are at the top of the table.

It was a sweet revenge for the Indian eves, who were beaten at home when the two teams met in the ICC World T20 in Delhi, last year.

What looked like a sub-par score turned out to be a challenging one for Pakistani batters, who have never successfully chased more than 134 in a 50-over World Cup game.

They were all at sea against Ekta's arm balls. She removed Ayesha Zafar (1), Sidra Nawaz (0) and Iram Javed (0) in her first four overs to wreak havoc.

All three deliveries were almost identical where the batters played for the turn but it didn't turn much after pitching. She later came back to get a couple of wickets more.

Pakistan never recovered from that setback. Seamers Jhulan Goswami (1/12 in 5 overs) and young Mansi Joshi (2/9 in 6.1 overs) were also on target. Deepti Sharma (1/21) and Harmanpreet Kaur (1/6) were economical as all the batswomen struggled to get going.

Opener Nahida Khan (23 off 62 balls) and skipper Sana Mir (29) were the only ones to reach double figures for Pakistan.

Indian skipper Mithali Raj praised Ekta for her performance.

"I am proud of Ekta's performance. Whenever she has been handed the new ball, she has performed. There were some anxious moments when we lost the top-order (while batting). The partnership between Sushma Verma and Jhulan Goswami towards the end was also important. When we got to a total of 169, I knew that if we could bowl well, it could be anybody's game," said Mithali.

Man-of-the-Match Ekta said: "The plan was to pile on dot balls, because we were confident of the target we set."

She said that she never had any problems bowling with the new ball.

"I don't face much of a problem bowling with the new ball. The track spun more than it had during our game against England. Irrespective of how the pitch is, my job is to bowl and take wickets and I hope I can continue doing that for my team."

Earlier, Indian batters had a disappointing day as they could only manage a paltry 169 for 9 after electing to bat.

The Indian innings never gained momentum in their innings once in-form Smriti Mandhana (2) was dismissed cheaply. Worse, skipper Raj (8) and her deputy Harmanpreet Kaur (10) could not also score too many runs, making it difficult for the other players to accelerate.

Opener Poonam Raut (48) consumed 72 balls while Deepti Sharma fared no better playing 63 balls for a sedate 28.

It was keeper Sushma Verma (33 off 35 balls), who used the long handle to get the team near 170-run mark.

One of the main reasons for India not being able to get past 200-run mark was because of a very slow fifth wicket partnership between Mona Meshram (6, 35 balls) and Harmanpreet (10, 23 balls). They were together for 8 overs (between 26.3 and 34.3) which yielded only 13 runs.

While Harmanpreet was finding it difficult to hit big as she is playing with a finger injury, Meshram just could not pick the singles.

This was the time when Pakistan's spinners were in operation.

Left-arm spin duo of Nashra Sandhu (4/26 in 10 overs) and Sadia Yousuf (2/30 in 10 overs) inflicted the maximum damage, taking 6 wickets for 56 runs in the 20 overs that they bowled.

The final six overs of the innings turned out to be productive for India as Sushma's attacking display fetched 41 runs during that phase.
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Women's World Cup: SA bowler Dane van Niekerk picks up 4 wickets for no runs to create ODI record

July 02, 2017
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South Africa women's cricket team crushed West Indies by 10 wickets in their league match in the league match of the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup 2017 here on Sunday (July 2).

South Africa women first folded the West Indies innings for 48, the second-lowest in their history and sixth lowest total of the tournament, and registered an easy win.

Marizanne Kapp (4/14 off 7 overs) and Shabnim Ismail (2/16 off 6) reduced West Indies to 5 for 16, but the best performance for the day was reserved for the Proteas' skipper.

Dane van Niekerk, the captain, became only the first bowler in ODI cricket history to take four wickets in a match without conceding a single run.

From her feiry spell of 3.2 overs van Niekerk, a right-handed legspinner, ensured WI were reduced within 50 runs. She bowled 3 maiden overs.

Two women cricketers have earlier taken three wickets for no loss, but van Niekerk's effort is simply amazing.

This was third successive defeat for the West Indies and the runners-up of the 2013 edition are looking to heading closer to elimination.

Asked to bat, Windies were bundled out in 25.2 overs and SA openers achieved the total in 6.2 overs.
Only one West Indies batter Chedean Nation managed to get into double digits, such was a ferocity of SA bowlers.

Marizanne Kapp was adjudged the player of the match for her impressive bowling effort.

Brief scores:

 West Indies Women 48 in 25.2 overs (Chedean Nation 26, Hayley Matthews 4; Dane van Niekerk 4 for 0) lost to South Africa Women 49 for 0 in 6.2 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 19*, Lizelle Lee 29*; Deandra Dottin 0 for 23) by 10 wickets with 262 balls to spare.
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Interview for Team India coach on July 10: Sourav Ganguly

July 01, 2017
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Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) member Sourav Ganguly today said that the interview to select the new India coach will be held on July 10 in Mumbai.

The former India captain is one of the three members of the CAC, along side Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.

"The interview will be held on July 10 in Mumbai," Ganguly told reporters at CAB before leaving for London to attend MCC's World Cricket committee meeting at the Lord's on July 3 and 4.

July 9 is the deadline to apply for the coach's job, which has been reopened for the second time to seek more applications after Anil Kumble stepped down.

Former India team director Ravi Shastri has emerged as a front runner for the top job, for which the likes of Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus and Dodda Ganesh have also applied.
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Match fixing in India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy final? This union minister wants inquiry

July 01, 2017
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Pakistan bagged one of the most memorable victories in their cricket history when they defeated India in the ICC Champions Trophy final 2017 on June 18. However, was there match fixing involved?

That needs to be enquired, mentioned Ramdas Athawale, an Indian union minister from Maharashtra.

"With a coach like Anil Kumble, players like Kohli, Yuvraj and several others who batted so well in the entire tournament, how could we lose to a team like Pakistan?" Athawale, who holds the portfolio of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Narendra Modi government, raised the points.

"It is a shameful thing for our country," he said.

"They [India] hit so many centuries in this tournament. What happened to them during the final match?" he asked.

Pakistan's 180-run win over India as well as Fakhar Zaman's exploits with the bat were even congratulated by Indian cricket fans. Athawale, however, feels something is fishy.

"It seems that this match was fixed. I demand an inquiry into it," the Indian politician added.
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Ravi Shastri applies for India coach job: Virat Kohli finally happy?

June 27, 2017
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Several reports have emerged on Tuesday June 27 that former India cricket team director Ravi Shastri is throwing his hat for the post of the India cricket team coach. Shastri, as we know, is one candidate Virat Kohli is very keen of having on board.

With Anil Kumble 'humilated' to quit from his position last week, Shastri got the perfect opportunity to rekindle his ambitions.

The writing might be on the wall now, with the next coach of Team India being decided before the Sri Lanka vs India 2017 cricket series.

Shastri acted as the team director from August 2014 to April 2016, before Kumble took over as the chieftain of the side.

"Yes, I have decided to apply for the job," Shastri has been quoted as saying by The Indian Express on Tuesday.
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ICC Champions Trophy: Triumphant Pakistan cricketers given heroes' welcome back home

June 20, 2017
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Lahore, June 20: Pakistan cricket team were given heroes' welcome when they arrived home after winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England.

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed and his boys were welcomed by a sea of supporters gathered outside Lahore and Karachi airports.

Fans cheered their cricket team which came out victorious in the high-voltage final against arch-rivals India at The Oval on Sunday (June 18).

Sarfraz has become a national hero for a nation which is crazy just like India, when it comes to cricket.

Fans welcomed their heroes with chants of 'Pakistan Zindabad' and showered petals upon the cricketers' cavalcade when they headed towards their respective houses.

A sea of supporters gathered outside the residence of skipper Sarfraz in Karachi to congratulate him for leading the Pakistan cricket team to its maiden Champions Trophy win. The well-wishers thronged the neighbourhood with Pakistan flags and climbed on rooftops and balconies to get a glimpse of their hero.

A spirited Pakistan defeated defending champions and title favourites India by 180 runs in the final, to register a historic win. Chasing a daunting target of 339, India witnessed a rare batting collapse to be outclassed by Pakistan in the one-sided match.

Promising young opener Fakhar Zaman slammed a superb century to guide Pakistan to a challenging total against India after being invited to bat first.

Zaman, however, had his share of luck when he was got a breather at 3 after Jasprit Bumrah got him caught behind on a no-ball. The 27-year-old never looked back from then on and went on punishing Indian bowlers for Bumrah's folly.

Star Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir then produced a fiery spell to push India on the back foot as Men In Blue couldn't recover from their early losses.
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5 reasons for India's shambolic defeat against Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy final

June 20, 2017
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Defending champions and title favourites India were badly bruised and battered by a spirited Pakistan as they were defeated by 180 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy final on Sunday (June 18).

Chasing a daunting target of 339, India witnessed a rare batting collapse to be outclassed by Pakistan in the high-voltage game that became one-sided.

Promising young opener Fakhar Zaman slammed a super century to guide Pakistan to a challenging total against arch-rivals India after being invited to bat first.

Zaman, however, had his share of luck when he was got a breather at 3 after Jasprit Bumrah got him caught behind on a no-ball. The 27-year-old never looked back from then on and went on punishing Indian bowlers for Bumrah's folly.

Mohammad Amir then produced a fiery spell to push India on the back foot as Men In Blue couldn't recover from their early losses.

Barring Hardik Pandya, no Indian batsman managed to challenge Pakistan bowler and kept losing wickets at regular intervals to be bundled out for 158 in 30.2 overs.

Luck also seemed to have evaded the Indian cricket team as they never managed to pose any threat to Pakistan all through the match.

Here are 5 reasons for India's shambolic defeat against Pakistan in the final:

1. Decision to chase backfired

India skipper Virat Kohli's decision of inviting Pakistan to bat after after winning the toss backfired.

Ideally, India should have stuck to the plan of batting after winning the toss because Pakistan is a really bad side when it comes to chasing.

Pakistan have always struggled to chase a total past 250 and a score past 300 could have helped given India the psychological advantage while defending the target.

Even in the previous game between the two teams, Pakistan won the toss and invited India to bat first. Team India posted a total past 300 and registered a 124-run win via Duckworth-Lewis Method against Pakistan in that game. Team India should have stuck to the same plan.

India, perhaps, became over-confident about their chasing skills and misread the pressure of a final game. Adding up to India's woes, Pakistan batsmen went on posting a mammoth 338/4 in the stipulated 50 overs.

Chasing a target past 300 is never easy and Team India succumbed to the pressure of chasing a daunting total.


 2. Playing two spinners proved costly for India

 The biggest set back that India faced in this tournament was the inability of their spinners to pick up wickets. Indian spinner were seen troubling against every opponent in this tournament and their story in the final against Pakistan was no different.

Indian spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja proved very costly against Pakistan and failed to take wickets.

Ashwin and Jadeja together leaked 137 runs from 18 overs against Pakistan and accounted for just 1 wicket.

The failure of Jadeja as well as Ashwin to take wickets and bowl economically further put pressure upon Indian pacers who also went for runs. Ashwin's 0/70 against Pakistan at The Oval is the worst performance from the off-spinner in the ODIs.

Therefore, India should have picked up an extra pacer instead of playing Ashwin for a simple reason that Pakistani batsmen play spinners better.

Kohli, therefore, should have gone with either Umesh Yadav or Mohammed Shami in the finals for Pakistan batsmen could have been troubled by pacers.


 3. Jasprit Bumrah's No-Ball against Fakhar Zaman

 Wickets on no-balls have always cost India in big matches. To freshen up your memories remember R Ashwin's no-ball against Lendl Simmons in last year's ICC World T20 semi-final.

Ashwin overstepped to give Simmons a reprieve when he wasn't settled at the crease. Having got a breather, Simmons then made India pay for their no-ball and knocked them out of the tournament.

Something similar happened during the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan and pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the culprit this time. Bumrah got Pakistan's in-form opener Fakhar Zaman caught behind the stumps when he was batting at 3 but Jasprit Bumrah had over stepped to be called a no ball.

The 27-year-old left-handed batsman made the most of the breather he got and made India pay for it as he added another 111 runs to his individual total from there on.

Bumrah has always had a penchant for bowling no-balls for he bowled a couple of them against Pakistan as well.


4. Mohammad Amir's fiery spell

 Pakistan pace spearhead, Mohammad Amir was coming back into side after missing out the previous game due to spasm. But the left-arm pacer justified his skipper's decision of preferring him over Rumman Raees, who was particularly effective against England in the semi-final, with his superlative bowling spell.

Amir rattled the Indian top-order as he took the first three wickets to push India on the backfoot in the first powerplay. Pakistan came into the driver's seat as Amir scalped the big fishes in Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan.

Amir removed dangerous Rohit Sharma in the first over, got rid of Virat Kohli in his second over to push India to the wall. He looked very upset as Kohli was dropped at slip on the third ball of his second over, but the southpaw came back strongly and got rid of Kohli for (5) on the very next delivery to put his team in a commanding position.

Amir, later, claimed another in-form India batsman Shikhar Dhawan for 21. India could never recover from the three big jolts caused by the southpaw.


5. Kohli didn't think out of the box after top-order collapse

 As India lost three wickets within ten overs, the skipper should have come up with an out of the box thinking in the run chase.

After the top order's rare blip, Kohli should have promoted Hardik Pandya or Kedar Jadhav in the powerplay above Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.

Yuvraj and Dhoni's presence should have kept the Pakistani bowlers at the tenterhooks while Pandya and Jadhav's aggressive batting could have helped the team to recover from the early jolts.

Understanding the gravity of the matter the skipper as well as team management should have taken a bold move instead of sticking to a predictable line-up.

Kohli should have taken a leaf out of Dhoni's book from the 2011 WC final, when the skipper promoted himself above in-form Yuvraj to counter Muttiah Muralitharan's spin.
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Despair in cricket, delight in hockey

June 19, 2017
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The much anticipated India-Pakistan showdown in cricket proved to be a heart-breaker for the country on Sunday but solace arrived in the form of a thumping win in hockey over the arch-rivals.

In London, the Indian cricket team failed to rise to the occasion in the Champions Trophy final, losing by 180 runs. In another corner of the great city, the hockey team were winners by a rousing 7-1 margin in the World League Semifinals, lessening the pain somewhat.

At the Oval, Pakistan, put into bat, rode on Fakhar Zaman's 114 to reach 338 for four in 50 overs, setting India a record target to chase in a Cup final.

Virat Kohli's men then stumbled against an incisive opening spell from Mohammad Amir, losing three wickets early to the left-arm paceman. They never recovered from those setbacks and were bowled out for 158, handing Pakistan their first Champions Trophy success in their maiden appearance in the final. It was also Pakistan's first global triumph since their World T20 victory in 2009.

India, the defending champions, were fancied to repeat their win over Pakistan in the league phase but the men in green shirts seemed a transformed side after notching up some impressive wins en route to the final. They showed it on the field, adopting a confident and aggressive approach from the start. India had a chance to make early inroads when Zaman, who was on three then, nicked a Jasprit Bumrah delivery to wicket-keeper M S Dhoni. But replays showed Bumrah had overstepped and the no-ball hurt India badly as the opener smashed the bowling around for his first ODI century.

On a flat pitch, the Indian bowlers didn't show the required discipline and they were punished by the Pakistan batsmen as they pushed the score past 330. Against a daunting target, India needed a strong start but Rohit Sharma (0) and Kohli (5) were dismissed in quick succession by Amir and when he sent back Shikhar Dhawan for 21, the task looked far beyond India's reach. Hardik Pandya applied some balm on their wounds with a quickfire 76 off 43 balls but his run-out extinguished the flickering hopes.

A couple of hours earlier at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, the hockey team had handed an embarrassing defeat to Pakistan.

The 7-1 win was India's biggest-ever against them, with the former world champions unable to mount any serious offensive against India's domination.
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Live Champions Trophy 2017: India wins toss; elects to bowl

June 18, 2017
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It is India's fourth Champions Trophy final and Pakistan's first.

India will look to win its third Champions Trophy title when it plays Pakistan in Sunday's final at the Oval. Recent history and form at the big events suggested Kohli's men start favourites.

Pakistan has had the better of the rivalry overall, with a 72-52 head-to-head record. But the momentum has swung towards India of late.

Live updates

Sarfraz Ahmed said "We would also have bowled first. I am proud of my boys. Amir is fine and is fit to play in the finals."

Virat Kohli and Sarfraz Ahmed are ready for the toss. David Boon is the match referee. India won the toss and elected to bowl first. "We are used to this before. It's a good wicket and will be good throughout the match, " Indian captain Virat Kohli said. No change in the Indian team.

All set for the toss for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 finals. Interesting finals on the cards....  Average first innings score in the last six games at The Oval is 267.
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Virat Kohli wishes Indian hockey team ahead of HWL clash against Pakistan

June 17, 2017
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On Sunday (June 18) while all eyes will be on the ICC Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan at The Oval, a few kilometres away at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, the arch-rivals will be seen battling it out in a Group Stage ongoing Hockey World League (HWL) Semi Final.

Cricket captain Virat Kohli, who is leading the men-in-blue for the first time in a major International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament, wished his hockey counterparts the best ahead of the marquee clash.

Addressing the pre-match press conference, Kohli said he had never tried his hand at hockey but is confident that the Indian team will come out with flying colours.

'I wish our hockey team all the best. I have never tried my hand in it but they are pretty good, so they will be fine,' Kohli said.

Applauding the hockey stars for their guts, the 28-year-old cricketer also revealed his fear of getting hit in the face in a hockey match.

'I played with synthetic hockey balls in indoors but never tried (field) hockey. I feel its very scary.

Getting hit in the face, I don't know how those guys do it from the penalty corner.

'It needs a lot of guts to do that,' he said.

The Indian cricket team will head into Sunday's final against Pakistan as the defending champions, having won the title in 2013.
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Champions Trophy: MS Dhoni gets clicked with Sarfraz Ahmed's son

June 17, 2017
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Ahead of the high tension Champions Trophy 2017 final between rivals India and Pakistan, former Indian captain MS Dhoni got clicked with Pakistani captain Sarfraz Ahmed's baby son.

This is the second time, the two rivals are coming face to face in this tournament. They had locked horns in a Group B match on June 4.

On the eve of the grand final, the players from both sides were seen in a jolly mood. One such example was the photograph of former Indian captain MS Dhoni with the baby son of Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed. Sarfraz's son was born in February this year.

The Pakistani captain had revealed that he is a great admirer of Dhoni and also idolises him.

Here is the photograph of Dhoni and Sarfraz's son tweeted by Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.

As soon as the photograph was posted on Twitter, it went viral and several fan reacted to it.
Here are some fan reactions on the photo

MS Dhoni with Sarfraz Ahmed's son Class act from Dhoni
A fan hailed MS Dhoni as a class act.

MS Dhoni with Sarfraz Ahmed's son
'Perfect Gentleman'
A fan hailed MS Dhoni as the perfect gentleman.

MS Dhoni with Sarfraz Ahmed's son
MS Dhoni with Sarfraz's son
MS Dhoni clicked with Sarfraz Ahmed's son.

MS Dhoni with Sarfraz Ahmed's son
Dhoni with Safraz's son.
An example of how to unite the two nations.

MS Dhoni with Sarfraz Ahmed's son
Enemies on the field, not off the field
MS Dhoni got clicked with Sarfraz Ahmed's son.
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ICC Champions Trophy: Pakistan stun England, enter final for the first time

June 14, 2017
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Pakistan delivered an inspired all-round performance to rout a ragged England team by eight wickets in a one-sided Champions Trophy semi-final on Wednesday. (England vs Pakistan: MATCH BLOG)
Pakistan bowled and fielded tightly to restrict the hosts to a paltry total of 211 all out and the lowest-ranked team in the tournament knocked off the runs in style with a massive 12.5 overs to spare.

(England vs Pakistan: SCORECARD)

It was a major disappointment for England, who won all three group matches in their bid to claim a first global 50-over title and had beaten Pakistan in 12 of their last 14 one-day internationals.

They collapsed, however, on a sluggish pitch from 128 for two in sunny conditions which normally favour batsmen and the bowlers failed to repair the damage as Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali shared a stand of 118 to lead Pakistan to their target.

"One thing we didn't do was adapt to conditions, which I thought Pakistan did extremely well," England captain Eoin Morgan said.


"Full credit to them, they outplayed us on this wicket. 211 wasn't a good score. 250/270 would have been."
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and England openers Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow, replacing the out-of-form Jason Roy, made a solid enough start.

Hitting boundaries proved difficult, however, and a clearly frustrated Hales, on 13, spooned Rumman Raees to cover with a loose drive.

Bairstow, dropped twice, accumulated 43 runs through good shot placement and quick running between the wickets before he pulled seamer Hasan Ali to Mohammad Hafeez at deep square leg.

Joe Root and Morgan continued to score at about five runs an over but Root, on 46, nicked leg-spinner Shadab Khan to wicketkeeper Sarfraz and Morgan (33) aimed an expansive drive at the lively Hasan and gave Sarfraz another catch to leave England in trouble at 141 for four.


Jos Buttler (4), Moeen Ali (11) and Adil Rashid (7) fell quickly and Ben Stokes, one of the most destructive batsmen in the world, failed to hit a boundary in a scratchy 34 as the Pakistan bowlers dominated.

Fakhar hit Mark Wood for the first six of the match in the opening over of Pakistan's innings and he and Azhar played some delightful strokes in a fluent partnership.

Fakhar reached his 50 off 49 balls before being stumped by Buttler off Rashid for 57 but Azhar and Babar Azam calmly continued to milk runs all around the ground as England's bowlers ran out of ideas.

Azhar, on 76, dragged a delivery from Jake Ball on to his stumps before Babar (38 not out) and Hafeez (31 not out) guided Pakistan home.


"Credit goes to the bowlers and the batters who finished it very well," Sarfraz said. "We adapted to the conditions, we knew if we restricted them we could easily chase it down.
"Every game is a knockout game and I told my boys to play their game and not worry about the result."
India play Bangladesh in the second semi-final in Birmingham on Thursday.
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Champions Trophy: Can't take 'dangerous' Bangladesh side for granted, says Virat Kohli

June 14, 2017
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On the eve of the high-octane ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against Bangladesh at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground here on Thursday (June 15), India skipper Virat Kohli hinted at retaining the same playing XI which trounced South Africa in their final Group B game at The Oval on Sunday.

In the run-up to the ICC Champions Trophy, India thrashed Bangladesh by 240 runs in a warm-up match, thanks to three-wicket hauls from the pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar but Kohli on Wednesday backed off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's inclusion in the playing XI.

'We gave a lot of people chances in the practice games and everyone bowled well in that game but that does not mean that you will necessarily play against that particular opposition. Ashwin was brilliant in the last game, I don't see any good reason to change that,' Kohli told reporters here.

'The team played really well, it was a complete performance and I certainly don't feel that there is any need to change.'
Asked whether past results will boost the morale of the men-in-blue in the high pressure game, Kohli quickly pointed out that the team's mindset does not change from game to game.

'We are not going to go with what past results have done going into a big game like this. We are going to treat it like how we treated the last game and our mindset does not differ,' he said.

'We have been in these kinds of games quite a few times before but there are no guarantees in this sport. We have seen during the league stages itself that a lot of teams have surprised the opposition.'

'We are not, certainly not, taking anything for granted. We will use whatever momentum we have gained in the tournament to execute in the match,' he added.

Terming Bangladesh a 'very dangerous' side, the 28-year-old Kohli credited the opposition with rising to the challenge in big matches.

Bangladesh outplayed New Zealand in their final Group A tie to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, their first appearance in the last-four stage of any major ICC tournament.

'It's no surprise that they are doing really well and have improved their cricket. Credit to their set-up and the kind of players who are taking more responsibility.'

'They are a very dangerous side on their day. No one can take their opposition for granted and Bangladesh have taken huge strides,' Kohli said.

Asked whether the lack of exposure to the lower order batting will affect the side in case of a crisis situation, Kohli said: 'No, that's not a concern, obviously as a batsman you want to finish off games.

Everyone has batted well in the practice games and we know Kedar (Jadhav) and Hardik (Pandya) are playing really well at the moment.'

'So we are not bothered at all. Rather they are looking for an opportunity, if the team is in a sort of trouble, I am sure those two guys are going to step up along with Jadeja (Ravindra) and Ashwin.'
Kohli also congratulated veteran batsman Yuvraj Singh, who will play his 300th One-day International (ODI) on Thursday and hoped that the southpaw will contribute in a special way in the big match.
'I congratulate him and wish him all the very best and hopefully he can play a lot more for us and get in those match-winning performances all over again and I hope tomorrow is a special one for him.'
'Yuvraj's contribution to Indian cricket has been outstanding. He has been a total match winner for India, won us so many big tournaments and series and this is just a testimony to the kind of talent he possess,' he added.
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