Revision as of 15:17, 3 April 2021

India’s 2018-19 tour of Australia

NOTE:

For the remaining part of India’s 2018-19 tour of Australia, you may see Australia vs. India, cricket

Test matches

Sydney: Draw (rain affected)

Highlights

The Sydney test- highlights
From: January 8, 2019: The Times of India

Scoreboard- Test match- Sydney: Australia vs India, cricket
From: January 7, 2019: The Times of India

See graphics:

The Sydney test- highlights

Scoreboard- Test match- Sydney, 2018, Australia vs India, cricket

India win first-ever Test series in Australia

India vs Australia: India make history, win first-ever cricket Test series in Australia, January 7, 2019: The Times of India

India record maiden test series win in Australia- 2018-19; A timeline- 1947-48- 2018-19
From: India vs Australia: India make history, win first-ever cricket Test series in Australia, January 7, 2019: The Times of India

Indian cricket got its new seminal moment after talismanic Virat Kohli led the country to a maiden series victory on Australian soil, ending a 71-year wait to script a golden chapter in the game's history.

The fourth and final Test match at the SCG petered to a barren draw due to inclement weather but not before providing India with a 2-1 series win and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It is a rare first Down Under for India since Lala Amarnath's side visited the country back in 1947-48 months after independence to face Sir Don Bradman's 'Invincibles'.

"Firstly, I want to say I've never been more proud of being part of a team, than this one right here. The culture we've built... our transition began right here, where I took over as captain, and I can't believe that after four years we've won here. Just one word to say, 'proud', to lead this team and it's an honour and privilege. The boys make the captain look good," an elated skipper Virat Kohli said after the mission was accomplished.

Things turned out to be a bit of anti-climactic in the end as India had a fair chance of adding insult to the injury with a 3-1 victory margin as they got the home team to follow-on in their den for the first time in 30 years after scoring 622 in their only innings.

It was a 'freeze the frame' as the Indian team took a 'Lap of Honour' of the SCG with the both Indian and Australian fans cheering them.

"This is history and a terrific moment for Indian cricket," said country's greatest opener Sunil Gavaskar.

Top-performers

Such was the fragility of the Australian batting, a full day's play possibly could have been enough to win a record three Test matches in a single series in Australia had the heavens not opened up.

While Australian batting was severely handicapped due to the suspensions of their premier batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner but it can take nothing away from the heady achievement of Kohli's men, who have conquered an unchartered frontier with a lion-hearted display.

If this victory is put into perspective with some of Indian cricket's famous away series wins, it will be right up there both in terms of novelty as well as quality.

Alongside Ajit Wadekar's side's twin triumph in the West Indies and England in 1971, Kapil's Devils or Rahul Dravid's sides' winning the 1986 or 2007 series in England, the members of the current side have now successfully etched their names in record books.

Skipper Kohli, who has always focussed on the endeavour to make his team the best travelling side, has been finally able to walk the talk after the disappointments in South Africa and England where poor batting let the team down during some of the defining sessions.

In Australia however, it was a near flawless team effort from India, especially the bowling unit which has set it up for its batsmen for the better part of last year.

While skipper Kohli hit the best hundred of the series in terms of sheer class on a difficult Perth Stadium track, the unflappable Cheteshwar Pujara (521) and the unconventional Jasprit Bumrah (21 wickets) were the heroes of the memorable 'first'.

With their full focus on how to decode Kohli's genius, Australian team led by an out of depth Tim Paine realised late that Pujara has struck from the 'blind side' with his near perfect defensive technique and three hundreds.

However it was their batting that let them down and a one piece of statistic will scare the die-hard Aussie fans.

The highest score by an Australian batsman in the just-concluded four-match series is 79 by rookie opener Marcus Harris.

Leave alone a three-figure score, none of the Australian batsman could even cross the 80-run barrier, something that legends like Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Mike Hussey, Ian Chappell found difficult to fathom.

Whether it was the awkward angles along created by Bumrah along with some incisive movements, Mohammed Shami getting it to rip on occasions, Ishant Sharma hitting the right length over after over, India never had it so good in terms of consistency in overseas conditions.

Ravichandran Ashwin before he got injured and Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav also played their part to perfection as Indian bowlers put up relentless pressure on the home team batsmen.

While young Prithvi Shaw missed out due to an ankle injury, Mayank Agarwal made most of his chances after an eternal wait for the India cap with two half centuries.

Rishabh Pant with 350 runs and a sparkling hundred at the SCG with a record number of dismissals in an away series has now established himself as India's No 1 wicketkeeper in the Test format.

For Kohli, this series was more about his leadership choices rather than his insane batting efforts which was comparatively muted by his lofty standards.

His bowling changes were spot on and while team selection in Perth came under scanner, no one can question the intent of the Indian skipper, who has shown that he only plays to win a Test match.

No other Asian captain leave alone Indian captain has won four away Test matches in South Africa, England and Australia in a single calender year.

While India now gear up to switch format, Kohli's biggest takeaway will be the confidence before they start their preparations for the ODI World Cup.

How India won a historic Test series in Australia

Amit Kumar, January 7, 2019: The Times of India

Continuous rain in Sydney denied India a 3-1 series victory, but it couldn’t stop captain Virat Kohli from becoming the first ever Indian captain to guide India to a Test series victory on Australian soil. Customary hand-shakes were followed by leaps, fist pumps, hugs and high-fives – all this was captured in one frame after the Border-Gavaskar trophy was handed to Kohli and his boys. India ending a 71-year-old wait to win their first Test series in Australia. India played their maiden Test series against Australia in 1947 and were handed a 4-0 drubbing in the five-match series. In total, India have toured Australia 12 times (including the 2018-19 tour) and finally managed to lift the Test series trophy under Kohli’s captaincy.

India were dominant in all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding. India’s slip cordon, which always becomes a hot topic of discussion after almost every overseas tour also played a pivotal role in the team’s historic win.

Kohli in England, Pujara in Australia

If Kohli was the batsman to watch out for in the England tour last year, Pujara didn’t leave a single stone unturned to send the Australians on a leather hunt. The Saurashtra batsman was the highest run-getter in the four-match series with 521 runs in 7 innings at an average of 74.42, including three centuries to his name. With a highest-score of 193, Pujara signed off the series, reclaiming the tag of ‘The Indian Wall’. Pujara was awarded the Man of the Match and Man of the Series trophies.

Fantastic Bumrah

India's bowling coach Bharat Arun said Jasprit Bumrah's unconventional bowling action makes him one of the most difficult bowlers to read in the world and the unorthodox pacer proved that with an impressive show on Australian soil. Once touted as an injury-prone bowler, due to his unorthodox bowling action, Bumrah claimed 21 wickets in the 4 Tests at an average of 17.00, including one five-wicket haul.

With his second overseas century (after his first vs England), the Delhi lad has cemented his place in the Indian side in a short period of time. After Dhoni’s sudden retirement from Tests, the Indian team experimented with many options but nothing worked in their favour. Wriddhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik were tried, but they couldn’t do much for the team. When the opportunity knocked on the door of young Pant, the wicket-keeper batsman grabbed it with both hands. The 21-year-old finished the Test series as the second-highest run-getter, scoring 350 runs in 7 innings at an average of 58.33, including a brilliant unbeaten 159 in the Sydney Test.

Time for a new opener?

Mayank Agarwal’s long wait to don the Indian Test jersey finally came to end when he was called-up for the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Agarwal was thrust into the squad following the failures of KL Rahul and Murali Vijay and the youngster had an impressive maiden outing. The Karnataka batsman scored a brilliant 76 runs off 161 balls, sorting out India's opening woes to some extent and gave India a solid platform in the Melbourne Test. The 27-year-old kept his sublime touch intact in the SCG Test as well when he scored a magnificent 77 at the SCG. In two Tests, Agarwal scored 195 runs at an average of 65.00.

The Top Indian players

Pujara, Bumrah performance headline India's epic triumph in Australia, January 7, 2019: The Times of India

The Top Indian players
From: January 8, 2019: The Times of India

Cheteshwar Pujara's finest hour of glory in overseas conditions was complemented by Jasprit Bumrah's superb skill-set, the duo standing taller than the rest in India's maiden Test series win on Australian soil.

What made their performance more special was that they were able to overshadow even Virat Kohli, who has always stood head and shoulders above his peers in adverse conditions.

Pujara, who didn't have a lot of noteworthy performances outside the sub-continent, finished with 521 runs in four Tests, which included three hundreds with a top score of 193 and an average of 74.42.

No one deserved the 'Man of the Series' award more than the dependable No. 3 from Saurashtra, whose dogged hundreds at Adelaide and Melbourne made it easy for the likes of Bumrah (21 wickets) and Mohammed Shami (16 wickets) to press home the advantage against a below-par Australian batting line-up.

Such has been Pujara's dominance, that skipper Kohli's aggregate of 282 runs paled in comparison.

Top performers who led India to historic series win-Infographic-TOI

However, if a threadbare analysis is done on the quality of the five hundreds that Indian batsmen struck during the series, Kohli's century on a virgin Optus Stadium track, rated "average" by the International Cricket Council, was the best.

Rishabh Pant, with his 159 not out did his case no harm, emerging as the second highest run-getter with 350 runs to his credit.

One of the biggest takeaways from the series was rookie opener Mayank Agarwal (195 runs) holding his own at the biggest stage with half-centuries at the MCG and SCG.

On the bowling front, Bumrah's emergence as a force to reckon with in red-ball cricket has been one of the reasons that India starts on even keel in any Test series across SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries.

Bowling from a eight-step run-up with a slinging action, Bumrah was lethal as he rocked the Aussies in their own den with raw pace and incisive movement off the pitch, creating all sorts of confusion in the minds of the batsmen.

With a workhorse like Ishant Sharma (11) and Mohammed Shami, who can every now and then produce a wicket-taking delivery, the Indian pacers accounted for 50 out of the 70 Australian wickets during the series.

Ravindra Jadeja came back for the last two Test matches of the series, picking seven wickets and scoring a half-century, again giving proof of his all-round utility.

Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav shrugged off the disappointment of his inauspicious performance at the Lord's during the England series, with a maiden five-for outside India, prompting coach Ravi Shastri to call him a serious option for Test matches in all conditions.

Mayank and Kuldeep's emergence as potent Test weapons could certainly be ominous signs for the Tamil Nadu duo of Murali Vijay and Ravichandran Ashwin.

While skipper Kohli made it clear that Ashwin's regular fitness breakdowns in foreign conditions is a cause for concern but the burly off-spinner will still be a handful when India start playing in familiar terrains at the end of this year.

But it could well be the end of the road for Vijay, a veteran of 61 Tests and nearing 35 years of age.

After a nightmarish series in England, Australia was no better for the right-hander, who till 2017 was India's most technically accomplished opener.

With only 49 runs in four innings, Mayank playing a stellar hand and Prithvi Shaw waiting in the wings, it is bad news for Vijay.

KL Rahul, with 57 runs from five innings, has also had an extended run of bad patch but age is on his side and the talent is unquestionable.

One of the batsmen who have had modest returns is vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 217 runs in four games at an average of 31, with two half-centuries.

While his place may not be under imminent threat, Hanuma Vihari's gritty show and ability to bowl occasional off-breaks would force the Mumbaikar to keep his guard up.

What worked for India

January 8, 2019: The Times of India

1 INDIA’S SRI LANKAN IMPORT

The temporary hiring of former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer Nuwan Seneviratne as a left-arm throwdown specialist — the opposite number of right-arm throwdown specialist Raghu — proved to be a shot in the arm for the team. Initially hired to help the One-day team to counter the Pakistan attack at the Asia Cup, Seneviratne travelled to Australia with a one-point responsibility — help India prepare against Mitchell Starc who finished his series without a single fifer.

2 ‘CHE’ GETS HIS SPACE

Ahead of the series, as India prepared to get their batting order right, a team meeting was called to take stock of the options at hand. Prithvi Shaw had been ruled out and India found themselves one step forward, two steps back. Skipper Kohli and coach Shastri then handed the task of seeing off the shine to Cheteshwar Pujara. “Just go out there and meditate. You’ll have to be the last batsman getting out. Runs are secondary. Play time,” is what Shastri said and Pujara did what he does best — facing a total of 1258 deliveries for his 521 runs, a good 52.4 overs per Test.

3 MAYANK’S LONG-AWAITED DEBUT

Following India’s win, Ravi Shastri ‘thanked the media for its support’ and no one could miss the sarcasm in his tone.

But if it was not for the media questioning Mayank Agarwal’s non-inclusion at every step, it could have been a different story. Agarwal finally got his moment under the sun when India had no choice after KL Rahul and Murali Vijay kept flopping. Agarwal became the first Indian opener to get a half-century on debut in Australia.

4 BHARAT ARUN, 12TH MAN!

The bowling coach, who has worked behind the scenes for a full year now, hardly sat in the dressing room during the last two Tests. Constantly talking to the pacers fielding in the deep, Arun ensured the bowlers got enough feedback on how the spells were going. Chats to pump up the adrenaline, a ringside view of the wicket and a lowdown of the Aussie batting order came in handy as India’s pace attack — for the first time — looked more threatening than Australia’s on Australian soil.

5 JADEJA, THE ‘CAPABLE’ ALL-ROUNDER

The thinktank didn’t quite trust his services on a juicy Perth deck, on which Nathan Lyon picked a bagful of wickets. But come the next Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the ever-capable Ravindra Jadeja sprang into action, from picking up crucial wickets to scoring utility half-centuries, throwing in from the deep and bringing a great amount of positive energy to the side. A five-wicket haul in Melbourne and a half-century in Sydney – the all-rounder was back in his elements. The sword dance in Sydney after completing his half-century seemed well-deserved.

ODIs

Indian batsmen with 1,000 runs or more in ODIs in Australia- Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne: 2019
From: January 19, 2019: The Times of India

MS Dhoni's average over 2009-19; highest average in successful chases- MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers
From: January 19, 2019: The Times of India

See graphics:

Indian batsmen with 1,000 runs or more in ODIs in Australia- Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne: 2019

MS Dhoni's average over 2009-19; highest average in successful chases- MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers

Sydney: Australia wins

January 13, 2019: The Times of India

Scoreboard, ODIs-Sydney, India vs Australia, 2019
From: January 13, 2019: The Times of India

ROHIT CENTURY IN VAIN AS OZ SEAMERS ENSURE 34-RUN DEFEAT FOR INDIA IN FIRST ODI

Paceman Jhye Richardson took 4/26 as Australia finally gave their fans something to smile about with a 34-run victory over India in the first ODI on Saturday despite a magnificent 133 from Rohit Sharma. It was only Australia’s fourth win in 20 ODIs going back to June 2017. The home batsmen, spearheaded by Peter Handscomb’s 73, posted a competitive 288/5 off their 50 overs and when India stumbled to 4/3 inside four overs, it looked like being a rout.

Rohit, who missed the final Test to go home for the birth of his first child, celebrated his return to the tour with a 138-run partnership with MS Dhoni (51) to get the innings back on track, however, and while he was batting, India had a chance.

Left-arm finger spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 2-54 but it was the Australian seamers who were to leave the most decisive mark on the contest. Debutant Jason Behrendorff removed Shikhar Dhawan in the first over and Richardson drove home the advantage by sending Virat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu back inside three balls.

Rohit, though, would not be cowed and he clubbed a huge six — one of six in his 129-ball innings — high into the member’s stand to move into the seventies before reaching the hundred mark for the 22nd time with two runs behind square. His celebration of a seventh ton against Australia was subdued as there was still plenty of work to do and once he holed out to Glenn Maxwell in the deep off Stoinis, the match was effectively over. Richardson also removed Ravindra Jadeja and Dinesh Karthik for his best bowling figures in ODIs and the tourists finished on 254-9.

“I’m very pleased,” said Finch. “The youngster Jhye is full of confidence and he’s got some pace.”

“We’re not very pleased with the way we played,” said Kohli. “That wicket was about 300-plus par. Rohit played outstandingly well and MS supported him but I thought we could have done better with the tempo of the game and we fell short.” The series resumes in Adelaide.

Adelaide: India won

January 16, 2019: The Times of India

Scoreboard, ODIs- Adelaide, India vs Australia, 2019
From: January 16, 2019: The Times of India

Just like old times, MS Dhoni pulled off a tight finish for India to silence his critics after captain Virat Kohli laid the foundation for a series-levelling six-wicket win against Australia with his 39th ODI hundred here on Tuesday. Chase master Kohli could not take his team to the finishing line this time but Dhoni (55 off 54) and Dinesh Karthik (25 off 14) rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 57-run stand off 34 balls, taking India home with four balls to spare. Australia scored 298-8 after opting to bat.

Man of the match Kohli was dismissed in the 44th over after making 104 off 112 balls with five fours and two sixes. Dhoni, who has been coping a lot of criticism for his waning finishing skills, turned back the clock and took India past the finish line with a final over six.

The third and final ODI will be played in Melbourne.

India got off to a frenetic start with Shikhar Dhawan hitting five boundaries in his 28-ball 32. He put on 47 runs for the opening wicket with Rohit Sharma (43). The latter had another strong outing, adding 54 runs with Kohli for the second wicket as India crossed 100 in the 18th over. But just when things were going smoothly, he mishit a pull off Marcus Stoinis (1-46) to be caught in the deep.

Ambati Rayudu (24) then came to the crease, and while he added 59 runs with Kohli for the third wicket, it was obvious that the number four batsman struggled for timing.

Kohli, meanwhile, was in cruise mode, rotating strike and picking the odd boundary with ease as he reached fifty in 66 balls. The star batsman stayed in the same mode as the asking rate climbed. But it was Rayudu who tried attacking the bowling and perished instead, caught in the deep off Glenn Maxwell (1-16) in the 31st over.

Dhoni then joined Kohli, and the duo put on 82 runs for the fourth wicket, with clever rotation of strike as India crossed 200 in the 37th over to keep pace with the asking rate. Kohli changed gears as he hit two immaculate sixes through pure timing, and reached his hundred off 108 balls. It was his sixth ODI hundred against Australia.

The turning point came in the 44th over though, when Australia masterminded Kohli’s dismissal through some clever field placement in the deep. He holed out to Maxwell off Jhye Richardson (1-59).

Dhoni then took over and put on a match-winning partnership with Karthik. In doing so, he turned back the clock to lead India to a tense finish, and completed his second consecutive halfcentury in as many matches, 69th overall, off 53 balls.

The veteran’s running between the wickets, laced with two sixes as the only boundaries, finished things off in style for India. Earlier, Shaun Marsh scored his seventh ODI hundred to take Australia to a challenging total. Marsh arrived at the crease at 26-2 and scored 131 runs and added 94 runs off 65 balls with Glenn Maxwell (48 off 37 balls).

India brought in debutant Mohammed Siraj in place of Khaleel Ahmed. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-45) and Mohammed Shami (3-58) exerted themselves on proceedings with the new ball, and didn’t let the Australian openers get away quickly.

299/4

India’s total is the second highest successful ODI chase by a team in Adelaide, behind the 303/9 by Sri Lanka vs England on Jan 23, 1999.

4/45

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s figures, his best ODI bowling performance vs Australia. This is his first four-wicket haul in SENA countries (SA, Eng, NZ and Aus) in ODIs.

Melbourne: India wins ODI and ODI series

Melbourne: India won the ODI (and ODI series) against Australia
From: January 19, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

Melbourne- India won the ODI (and ODI series) against Australia

Australia tour

Commentaries

Kohli's on-field antics angered Langer

When Virat Kohli's aggressive celebrations during 2018-19 tour made Justin Langer feel like a punching bag, March 18, 2020: The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Australian coach Justin Langer has revealed that he felt like a "punching bag" after Virat Kohli's aggressive celebrations during India's 2018-19 tour while also calling out the "double standards" when it comes to sledging in cricket.

India, led by Kohli, enjoyed an unprecedented summer Down Under, winning the Border Gavaskar Trophy 3-1, their first-ever Test series win on the Australian soil. It was followed by a 2-1 victory in the ODIs, while the T20 series ended in a 1-1 draw.

During the series, Australia, who were determined to patch up their severely dented image in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal, had decided to not engage with the Indian captain verbally during the series.

However, Kohli's on-field antics angered Langer but he could not be expressive about it.

"I remember that afternoon (feeling) like a punching bag. We can't fight back because it felt like we had our hands behind our backs and we just had to take it," Langer said in Amazon's recently released docu-series titled 'The Test'.

"You must be feeling the double standards the way their captain is carrying on and we sort of have to be careful. Imagine if we behaved two out of ten (of) that," he said.

Langer asked his players to take on Kohli but warned the hosts not to cross the line between banter and abuse.

"There is a difference between abuse and banter. There is no room for abuse. We don't need to abuse him but there is banter where you stick up for your mate."

On day four of the second Test at Perth, Kohli and his Australian counterpart Tim Paine were involved in a verbal spat. That was time Paine thought he had enough.

"I sort of just had enough and thought you also have to stand up for yourself and your teammates and that was one of the reasons I thought, 'no, I'm the captain, it's my turn, I have to stand up and show him we're here for the fight'," Paine said.

Paine was at the receiving end just after he had gone out to bat. "If he messes it up, it's 2-0. Who's gonna talk then?" Kohli was caught saying by the stump microphones.

Paine did not hold himself back and replied "You've got to bat first, big head”.

India’s 2019 tour of the West Indies

T20Is

Lauderhill: India beat the West Indies

August 4, 2019: The Times of India

India made heavy weather of a modest run chase after debutant pacer Navdeep Saini led an impressive bowling display but still managed to beat West Indies by four wickets in their first T20 International match here on Saturday. Chasing 96 for a win, India huffed and puffed before reaching the target with 2.4 overs to spare. None of the batsmen contributed big with opener Rohit Sharma top-scoring with 24 while captain Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey making 19 each.

Man of the Match Saini claimed three wickets for 17 while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets to restrict West Indies to 95 for 9 after they were put in to bat.

India struggled in their run chase too, and they were reduced to 32 for 2 in the seventh over with opener Shikhar Dhawan (1) and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant (0) dismissed cheaply. Rohit’s 24 came from 25 deliveries with the help of two fours and two sixes on a pitch which was not easy to bat on.

Veteran off-spinner Sunil Narine (2/14) did not allow India to get off to a good start by removing Rohit and Pant in consecutive deliveries in the seventh over. Pant was out the first ball he faced while playing an irresponsible shot.

Manish Pandey was out in the 12th over and Kohli followed him two overs later as India found themselves in a spot of bother at 69 for 5 in the 14th over with 27 runs still needed.

Krunal Pandya (12) added 19 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (10 not out) before he was out in the 16th over. But the target proved too small in the end as Washington Sundar (8 not out) hit a six to take India to 98 for 6 to wrap it up the match in 17.2 overs.

Earlier, Saini claimed three wickets in an impressive spell as India restricted a reckless West Indies to a paltry 95 for 9. PTI

India beat the West Indies again

August 5, 2019: The Times of India

Scoreboard, West Indies vs India, Lauderhill (Florida), 2019- II T20I match
From: August 5, 2019: The Times of India

India beat West Indies by 22 runs under the DLS method in the second T20 International to seal the threematch series here on Sunday.

Batting first, India scored 167 for five and then had West Indies struggling at 98 for four in 15.3 overs when thundershowers struck. The DLS par score was 120. Earlier, batting first, Rohit Sharma topscored with 67 off runs off 51balls, setting India up for a challenging total before Krunal Pandya (20 off 13 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja propped up the innings by smashing 20 runs in the final over, which was bowled by Keemo Paul.

In the process, Rohit became T20 internationals' most prolific six-hitter, going past Chris Gayle with 106 maximums. He struck six fours and three sixes in the match.

Sent into bat, India were off to a quick start as they reached 50-run mark in the seventh over, with Rohit doing the bulk of scoring. Rohit found the gaps with ease, clipping Paul off his pads for a six over deep midwicket. The World Cup highest scorer then swept him for a four as the Indians upped the tempo.

Keemo Paul gave West Indies their first breakthrough when he bowled Shikhar Dhawan with the Indian scorecard reading 67 for one in the eighth over.

Two quite overs followed as Indian captain Virat Kohli joined Rohit, who broke the shackles with a six over deep midwicket, Sunil Narine being the bowler, and then brought up his 17th half-century in this format with a single to long-off.

Nicely getting underneath the flight of left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, Kohli got going with a neat six.

Well settled at the other end, Kohli's deputy Rohit then smashed Carlos Brathwaite for a six and four as India's hundred came up in the 13th over. PTI

India win match; bag T20I series 3-0

August 7, 2019: The Times of India

Rishabh Pant silenced his critics by scoring a 42-ball 65 which helped India thrash West Indies by 7 wickets in the final T20 International here. He was ably-supported by skipper Virat Kohli, who hit an authoritative 59 off 45 balls. With the win, India clean swept the T20I series 3-0. Earlier, Deepak Chahar’s incisive swing bowling was countered by Kieron Pollard’ attacking half-century and Rovman Powell’s cameo as West Indies put up a fighting 146/6 against India in the third T20 International here on Tuesday. Rajasthan seamer Deepak (3-1-4-3) made full use of his only opportunity on this tour, taking three wickets his first two overs to leaving West Indies tottering at 14/3. He got the ball to swing both ways as he removed pinchhitter Sunil Narine (2), Evin Lewis (10) and Shimron Hetmyer (1).

However, Pollard counterattacked with great gusto, hitting as many as half-a-dozen sixes in his 45-ball-58, his first half-century for the West Indies in seven years. Along with Nicholas Pooran (17), who played the second fiddle, Pollard added 67 for the fourth wicket as the Caribbeans looked to have recovered from their initial slump.

However, Navdeep Saini came back for his second spell to first dismiss left-hander Pooran with an off-cutter (legcutter for the batsman) which was edged to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps. Saini (2/34 in 4 overs), who had trapped Pollard leg-before with a dipping full-toss in the first game, then bowled a slower delivery that pegged back the middle stump, breaching through his bat and pad.

However Powell smashed his way to an unbeaten 32 off 20 balls to prop up the Windies total. PTI

ODIs

First ODI rain- hit; India wins the second

August 13, 2019: The Times of India

Wickets a byproduct of tight bowling, says Bhuvi

Port of Spain:

India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar said dot balls, and not wickets, were on his mind in the second ODI against the West Indies as he believes that an economical spell never goes unrewarded. Bhuvneshwar scalped four wickets for 31 runs in India’s 59-run win over the Caribbeans, which gave the tourists a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after a washed-out opener.

“When I came to bowl I was just thinking I have to bowl economically, get more dot balls. I feel getting wickets is a byproduct of bowling tightly. I wasn’t thinking much about the result because we knew if we get one or two wickets we will be back in the game,” Bhuvneshwar said of the rain-curtailed match.

‘Virat badly wanted the hundred’

India skipper Virat Kohli laid the foundation of the triumph with his 42nd ODI hundred. Kohli ended his 11-innings century drought with a 120-run knock off 125 balls to help India to 279 for 7. Shreyas Iyer also chipped in with a fine knock of 71.

“From Virat’s expression you could see that he badly wanted to score a hundred not because he was out form but because he was getting out in the 70s and 80s and he’s always known for scoring big runs,” Bhuvneshwar said. Kohli’s last hundred was against Australia in March. Since then the Indian skipper was among the runs, notching up five half centuries in the World Cup, but failed to reach a ton. “The wicket wasn’t easy, when Virat came back to the dressing room he said after the ball gets old it’s not easy to score runs,” Bhuvneshwar added.

West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals but looked well within sight of the target with Nicholas Pooran (42) and Rostan Chase (18) in the middle. However, Bhuvneshwar changed the complexion of the game in just one over.

In the 35th over, he first dismissed Pooran and then leapt to pull off a stunning catch to send Chase back. “I just caught it. I wasn’t expecting it. Pooran’s wicket was the main wicket for us because we all know he can change the game.” PTI

Brief scores: India 279/7 in 50 overs: (V Kohli 120, S Iyer 71; Brathwaite 3/53) beat West Indies 210 in 42 overs (revised target 270 in 46 overs): (E Lewis 65, N Pooran 42; Kumar 4/31).

Result: India won by 59 runs on DL method

Third ODI also hit by the rains

August 15, 2019: The Times of India

Chris Gayle may have played his last international game given the theatrics by cricket's showman and the send-off accorded by the Indian players at the end of a typically thunderous innings here on Wednesday. Playing the way he always does, Gayle smashed 72 runs off 41 balls, punishing the Indian bowlers with five sixes and four boundaries in the third ODI.

After hitting one off Khaleel Ahmed straight to visiting skipper Virat Kohli, Gayle smiled as Indian players shook hands with him, even doing his typical jig with him. Gayle threw his bat in the air, put his helmet on top of it and walked off the field. He then hurled the helmet up in the air and caught it while approaching the boundary ropes.

West Indies reached 158 for two off 22 overs before rain brought the match at the Queen's Park Oval to a halt. Gayle, 39, went into the match having become the West Indies leading scorer in One-dayers in the second game at the weekend. He and fellow opener Evin Lewis (43) put on 115 for the first wicket.

India hold an unassailable 1-0 lead following the 59-run win via the DLS method in the second ODI at the same venue on Sunday. Rain forced the abandonment of the first match in Guyana as a no-result last week.

The 114 West Indies scored in the first ten overs is a record for them in the first powerplay in ODIs. It's also a record by any team in the first powerplay against India. AGENCIES

Test series

North Sound, Antigua: India won

August 26, 2019: The Times of India

Scoreboard- West Indies vs India, Test series, North Sound, Antigua- India won, 2019
From: August 26, 2019: The Times of India

Bumrah scalps five as India romp to easy victory

North Sound, Antigua:

A devastating burst of precision pace bowling by Jasprit Bumrah fast-tracked India to a ridiculously easy win over West Indies in the first Test. Needing to score an improbable 419 for victory, the hosts folded for a paltry 100 runs to lose by 318 uns. Bumrah proved umplayable for the technically inept West Indies batsmen and retunred figures of 8-4-7-5 to lead the rout.

Supporting him well were Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami who grabbed three and two wickets respectively as the match finished with more than a day to spare.

The capitulation by the Caribbeans was shocking and left their supporters at the North Sound stadium embarrassed. The highest score in the innings was scored by number nine Kemar Roach who managed 32. In fact, his last-wicket stand with Miguel Cummins produced 50 runs, by far the biggest of the innings.

Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane scored his first Test century in two years while Hanuma Vihari hit a fluent 93 as India tightened their grip over the series opener.

Vihari and Rahane (102) raised a 135-run partnership for the fifth wicket after India lost skipper Virat Kohli. India declared on 343/7, an hour after lunch on Day Four, setting the hosts a stiff target.

Rahane, who scored 81 in the first innings, had not scored a Test hundred since his 132 against Sri Lanka in August 2017. The relief on his face was obvious when he brought up his century. He fell soon after completing his hundred, trying to accelrate the scoring. Rishabh Pant too fell to a sweep shot off Roston Chase for seven. Vihari, in pursuit of quick runs, was caught behind off Jason Holder.

Resuming at 185 for three, India lost Kohli (51) when his leading edge off Roston Chase flew to John Campbell, who took the catch on second attempt. That ended the fourth-wicket partnership between Kohli and Rahane that yielded 106 runs for India.

The other overnight batsman Rahane was joined by Vihari, who easily worked the ball around in gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Holder now made it all-spin attack by introducing John Campbell from the other end.

As soon as the new ball was available, pacers Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel operated in tandem but before that West Indies parttimers had bowled 41 overs in this innings alone. While Roach and Gabriel bowled a few testing deliveries, it largely remained an untroubled stay for both Rahane and Vihari. AGENCIES

The best batsmen, bowlers, as in Feb

Top five Indian batsmen in T20Is

Top 5 Indian batsmen in T20Is, 2018-19
From: February 6, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

Top 5 Indian batsmen in T20Is, 2018-19

Top five Indian bowlers in T20Is

Top five Indian bowlers in T20Is, 2019
From: February 6, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

Top five Indian bowlers in T20Is, 2019

Indian bowlers vs Australia and New Zealand in 2018-19 ODIs

Indian bowlers vs Australia and New Zealand in 2018-19 ODIs
From: Dwaipayan Datta, With the World Cup stretch looming, talk on the Indian squad, middle-order, key slots and their back-ups gains momentum, February 5, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

Indian bowlers vs Australia and New Zealand in 2018-19 ODIs

Select batsmen at no. 6 after 2015 WC in ODIs

Select batsmen at no. 6 after 2015 WC in ODIs
From: Dwaipayan Datta, With the World Cup stretch looming, talk on the Indian squad, middle-order, key slots and their back-ups gains momentum, February 5, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

Select batsmen at no. 6 after 2015 WC in ODIs

Select batsmen at no. 5 after 2015 WC in ODIs

Select batsmen at no. 5 after 2015 WC in ODIs
From: Dwaipayan Datta, With the World Cup stretch looming, talk on the Indian squad, middle-order, key slots and their back-ups gains momentum, February 5, 2019: The Times of India

See graphic:

Select batsmen at no. 5 after 2015 WC in ODIs

Logos, insignias on sportswear

ICC on Dhoni’s military insignia

K ShriniwasRao, June 8, 2019: The Times of India

ICC’s clothing and equipments
From: K ShriniwasRao, June 8, 2019: The Times of India

MS CANNOT WEAR LOGO, SAYS ICC

Rules Do Not Permit It; Dhoni Had Agreed To Change Gloves If Norms Were Flouted

Mumbai:

Cricket’s world governing body (ICC) put a lid on the raging controversy over the logo on MS Dhoni’s gloves at the World Cup by saying regulations do not permit the India wicketkeeper to sport such insignia.“ICC has responded to the BCCI to confirm the logo displayed by MS Dhoni in the previous match is not permitted to be worn on his wicketkeeping gloves at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

“The regulations for ICC events do not permit any individual message or logo to be displayed on any items of clothing or equipment. In addition to this, the logo also breaches the regulations in relation to what is permitted on wicketkeeper gloves,” ICC said in a release sent to the media.

Earlier in the day, Dhoni had conveyed to the BCCI that should the insignia of the regimental dagger on his wicketkeeping gloves be perceived as breach of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rulebook, he would “happily” take them off in the matches to follow. The ICC had earlier “requested” the BCCI to look into the matter after television cameras captured the insignia on Dhoni’s gloves in the match against South Africa on Wednesday. The governing body’s underlined rule on the matter states that players cannot wear any logo or a written word on their accessories that carries a personal message.

While Dhoni certainly deserves to wear the ‘Balidaan’ logo with pride, considering he went through a rigorous training with the elite para regiment four years ago to earn it, the wicketkeeper-batsman cannot wear it in a tournament such as the World Cup.

Soon after the controversy broke, Dhoni remained in touch with officials at the BCCI who alerted him about what the rules say. In line with it, Dhoni told the board that he “does not want any further stress” on the matter in the middle of such an important tournament and will therefore follow the written word.

If not for the personal message that the ‘Balidaan’ logo carries, the BCCI has found no other violation on Dhoni’s part because the insignia – that means ‘sacrifice’ – is neither commercial, religious or military in nature.

However, the ICC thinks otherwise.

Sources in the Indian team said they stand behind Dhoni’s decision to wear the emblem considering how closely they’ve seen their former captain involved with the elite para regiment after he was conferred the title of lieutenant colonel. However, the same team members added that ‘Mahi bhai will be the first to understand and not wear it, should it not be under the rules of the tournament”.

In an interview to a news agency on Friday, BCCI’s court-appointed administrator Vinod Rai said that “BCCI stands behind Dhoni in the matter” and added that the insigna was neither religious nor commercial in nature.

“It is not the paramilitary regimental dagger that is embossed in his gloves. So, Dhoni is not in breach of ICC regulations,” Rai was quoted as saying. However, the BCCI officials left the chief of COA misinformed about all rules that surround this subject.