Disciplinary Action

Most Powerful squad for India tour

Preparation for South Africa Series

Kohli preparations for Sri Lanka Tour

India's Test Squad for SriLanka series

Teenager destroyed most experienced Batting lineup

Spin Master beats Swing Master

Probable Aussies in IPL 2015

Australians in IPL8:

Retained players by IPL teams: Nathan Coulter-Nile (Delhi), George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh (KXIP), Chris Lynn, Pat Cummins (KKR), Josh Hazlewood (Mumbai), Shane Watson, Ben Cutting, James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith (Rajasthan), Mitchell Starc, Nic Maddinson (RCB), David Warner, Moises Henriques (Hyderabad).

Released players by IPL teams: Ben Hilfenhaus, John Hastings, David Hussey (CSK), Michael Hussey, Ben Dunk (Mumbai), Brad Hodge (Rajasthan), Aaron Finch (Hyderabad).

Bell makes history

35 – Number of fifty-plus scores for Ian Bell in One Day Internationals, the most by a batsman from England. Bell has three centuries and 32 fifties.

He trumped Kevin Pietersen, who had 34 fifty-plus scores (nine hundreds and 25 half-centuries). The 32-year-old Bell is also now just five runs away from becoming only the second English batsman -  after Paul Collingwood – to make 5,000 ODI runs.

Finn's five fires

Almost a year to the day after leaving Australia a shattered man, Steven Finn returned career-best one-day international figures to inspire England's nine-wicket romp over India in Brisbane on Tuesday night.

Finn (5-33) claimed his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, combining with fit-again James Anderson (4-18) to rout India for 153 within 40 overs.

England then cruised to a bonus point victory when Ian Bell (88 not out off 91 balls) and James Taylor (56 not out off 63 balls) shared an unbroken 131-run second wicket stand to reach 1-156 with a staggering 22.3 overs to spare.

Finn claimed man of the match honours barely a year after leaving the Ashes tour with a huge question mark over his career.

He wrapped up the innings with three wickets in eight balls.

When Anderson bowled Bhuvneshwar Kumar for five he notched wicket No.38 against India - a new record in India-England one-day clashes.

He then claimed India's top scorer Stuart Binny (44) and Mohammed Shami in consecutive balls to bring an end to their innings.

England lost Moeen Ali for eight before the break.

 

Bell and Taylor both went for ducks in England's opening Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series loss to Australia but looked in top form against India.

Bell clocked his first ODI half-century in 10 innings, while Taylor registered a third 50 in six matches.

England's thumping victory ensured India are winless in eight matches on tour in Australia.

England meet Australia in the next tri series clash in Hobart on Friday.

James Anderson is back

England's fast bowler include in playing XI in the today's match against India for the 3rd match of Tri-series. Both team get defeat from the Australia side.

George Bailey suspended for slow over-rate

Australia will need a new one-day captain for their third Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series match after George Bailey was suspended for his side’s slow over-rate in yesterday’s tense win over India.

International Cricket Council match referee Andy Pycroft ruled that Australia were one over short of their target at the conclusion of India’s innings when time allowances were taken into consideration, and in doing so suspended Bailey from Australia’s next ODI in Hobart on Friday.

It was Bailey’s second slow over-rate offence in the last 12 months after he was fined in the first ODI in Perth against South Africa on November 14, and pleaded guilty to the offence, accepting the sanction without the need for a formal hearing.

Australia comfortable victory in tri-series opener

David Warner’s first one-day international century in almost three years has guided Australia to a three-wicket, bonus point win over England in the first Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series match at the SCG.

Warner’s 127 from 115 balls was his first since March 2012 as Australia chased down England's 234 all out with 61 balls to spare to secure five competition points.

The win was set up by Australia’s new ball attack which ripped the tourists’ top order apart, with Mitchell Starc picking up two wickets in the first three balls of the match to finish with figures of 4-42 from 8.5 overs.

England recovered from the horror start thanks to Eoin Morgan’s first hundred as the full-time 50-over captain, scoring 121 off 136 balls to give his bowlers a respectable total to bowl to.

England’s leading ODI run-scorer in 2014 Joe Root lasted 15 balls before a thick outside off the pace of Pat Cummins found Shane Watson’s safe hands at first slip to reduce the visitors to 3-12 inside four overs.

More trouble would follow when Moeen Ali succumbed to George Bailey’s trap at deep point to go for 22 from 21 balls and sink England to 4-33.

Amidst the carnage, Morgan established a steely presence at the crease, and in tandem with Ravi Bopara saw England through the mandatory 10-over power play the drinks break.

With the players rehydrated and the lacquer all but gone from the pair of white kookaburras, Bailey turned to his specialist spinner Doherty, who wasted no time in removing Bopara at backward point to continue the visitors’ decline.

Morgan found an ally in wicketkeeper Jos Buttler as the pair worked singles, ran hard for twos and defied Bailey’s attempts to break through and expose England’s lengthy tail.

It would be more than 14 overs in between boundaries for the tourists, but the six that broke the dought brought up Morgan’s fifty in the first over of the batting powerplay.

The batting powerplay is designed to provide batsmen a five-over block to hit out before the obligatory final stages blitzkrieg, but invariably produces wickets. That trend continued when England’s rear guard partnership of 67 was broken by James Faulkner who removed Buttler to a good catch by David Warner at deep point.

As Morgan pushed England towards 200 and his own century, Woakes offered Steve Smith arguably the easiest catch of his blossoming career at mid-wicket, and the 25-year-old obliged to send the fast bowler on his way for eight.

Twelve runs off Glenn Maxwell’s sixth over had Morgan within one blow of reaching his seventh ODI ton, and two overs later a lofted drive over cover for four got him to triple-figures from 127 deliveries.

Another fifty-run stand came in flash between Morgan in Jordan before the fast bowler picked out Maxwell in the deep to go for 17, and two lusty blows and 10 runs later, Morgan’s valiant knock came to an end to give Starc his third wicket, before wrapping up the innings with Steve Finn first ball.

While Warner’s Test form has reached new heights over the past 18 months, his form in the 50-over format has been forgettable.

But the dynamic left-hander set about fixing his one-day dilemma in the first match of 2015 by launching at the English attack with the fearless stroke play that’s made him one of the most feared batsman in Test cricket.

Six boundaries in the first 10 overs had Warner on his way, but his opening partner Aaron Finch failed to match his partner’s exuberance, chopping Woakes on for 15 off 18 balls.

Warner was joined by the broad shoulders of Watson in the middle, and after a clip and cut for four each, Watson’s uneasy time with the blade was prolonged when he top edged Jordan to be caught short of the square leg boundary for 16.

At one stage the 25-year-old was nine off 26 balls, but in a blink of an eye, the blond batsman was 33 off 40 and had Australia in the box seat to take out game one of the seven-match tri-series.

But as Warner closed in on his hundred, an uncharacteristic rush of blood by Smith saw him run past an Ali off-break to be bowled for 37.

Skipper Bailey survived a strong appeal for lbw that on replay was proven adjacent, but his luck ran out on 10 when he skied Woakes to Buttler when 36 runs were needed with 82 balls remaining.

The rub of the green went England’s way three balls later when Maxwell was judged to have edged Woakes behind, but this time it was Hot Spot that found the Victorian not guilty of hitting the ball.

However, any hope of a miracle England victory was dashed when Brad Haddin belted three consecutive boundaries to have not only the win secured, but a bonus point in their sights.

Striving for the necessary quick finish for the extra competition point, Warner hit Woakes for a brace of boundaries before the hunt for a third found Bell at point to end his blockbuster knock on 127.

A mix up saw Haddin run out for 16, leaving Faulkner – Australia’s modern Michael Bevan – to ice the game and deliver the bonus point.

Australia’s next match is against India on Sunday in Melbourne, while England travel to Brisbane to take on MS Dhoni’s men on Tuesday.

Australia XI: George Bailey (c), Aaron Finch, David Warner, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty.

England XI: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Joe Root, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Stuart Broad, Steve Finn.

Team India’s new ODI kit

The members of the Indian team led by captain MS Dhoni and Team India kit sponsor, Nike, unveiled the team’s new ODI kit at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.

The new kit, as Dhoni said, “Is an improvement over the previous one” in many ways. When creating it, the Nike designers spent several hours taking inputs from the players in terms of their requirements and preferences.

The most significant aspect of the new kit is that it is made out of 100 per cent recycled polyester, giving the fabric enhanced stretchability and moisture releasing qualities. Hence it not only serves to the players’ comfort but also plays a role in conserving the environment.

Specifying his own contribution in the design, Dhoni said, “The front part – the strands that are drawn in the front are out of our national flag (the 24 lines in the Ashok Chakra) and it gives a bit of a feel to it.

With the new shade of blue, the Men in Blue embark on the journey of the defense of their World Champions in ICC 2015 World Cup.

India name their World Cup squad

Indian selectors have named their squad for the Tri-series against Australia and England to be played in Australia from January 18 - and also their ICC Cricket World Cup squad.

MS Dhoni, who retired from Test cricket after the recent Commonwealth Bank Boxing Day Test against Australia, will lead India with new Test skipper Virat Kohli named as his deputy.

Dhoni, Kohli, Suresh Raina and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin are the only players returning from the successful 2011 squad.

Indian squad for the ICC CWC – 2015

MS Dhoni (Captain), Virat Kohli (V Captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (see below smashing record ODI score), Stuart Binny, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Md. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma.