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Harbhajan Singh’s take on Rohit Sharma-Hardik Pandya equation in new Mumbai Indians’ set-up | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: 'Amazing leader' - that's how former India spinner Harbhajan Singh hailed captain Rohit Sharma who led a young Team India to a 4-1 Test series win against England in the recently-concluded five-match Test series.In the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami, Rohit shepherded his young batallion to bag a remarkable series win.Harbhajan not only hailed Rohit the captain, but the off-spin legend also lauded Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal who were phenomenal in the series.TimesofIndia.com caught up with Harbhajan, who played 103 Tests, 236 ODIs, and 28 T20Is, and spoke about Rohit's leadership, Virat in the T20 World Cup, Yuzvendra Chahal's absence, and much more...On Rohit Sharma the captain...Rohit Sharma is a human being the entire dress...
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On this day in 2001, VVS Laxman & Rahul Dravid scripted one of the greatest comebacks in Test history | Cricket News – Times of India

By the end of third day of the Kolkata Test against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001, India were down and all but out. Following on, the hosts were 232/4 in second innings, still 42 runs behind the visitors and had just six more wickets left. That's when VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid started writing a rising-from-the-ashes story that became one of the most incredible comebacks in the history of Test cricket. Laxman was batting on 109 and Dravid on 7 at the start of day four. But when the stumps were drawn, India hadn't lost a wicket in the entire day's play and Laxman had moved to 275 and Dravid to 155. The beauty of Laxman's knock, which ultimately ended at an epic 281, overshadowed what actually was an equally priceless innings played by Dravid, who went on to score 180. The duo ad...
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‘Virat didn’t…’: Harbhajan Singh’s massive comment on Virat Kohli’s World Cup ‘luck’ | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that the star batsman Virat Kohli remains eager to secure another World Cup triumph, having missed out on the prestigious title on three previous occasions.Virat, who missed the recently-concluded five-match series against England that India won 4-1, marked his World Cup debut in 2011, where he clinched the trophy, ending India's 28-year wait for the coveted prize.Despite participating in eight World Cups since then, Virat has yet to claim a title victory in the tournament. Amidst this journey, he has shattered numerous records, surpassing batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most centuries in ODIs and securing the highest run tally in a single edition of a World Cup.Despite these achievements, Harbhajan Singh suggests...
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‘Virat Kohli’s greatness reduced…’: Harbhajan Singh’s warning for RCB megastar ahead of IPL 2024 opener | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Despite being an unstoppable run-machine in the IPL, Virat Kohli has yet to conquer the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai while representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).Kohli holds a significant lead over other players in the IPL, amassing 7263 runs from 237 matches with an impressive seven centuries and a striking rate of 130. However, this dominance takes a dip at the Chepauk, where his average is just 30, and his strike rate is 111.In light of these statistics, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh emphasised the importance of Kohli producing a stronger performance when the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) face the defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the inaugural match of this year's IPL at the Chepauk on March 22."The greatness of Virat has been redu...
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Ravichandran Ashwin not afraid of trying new things, that’s why he has survived so long: Cheteshwar Pujara | Cricket News – Times of India

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories...
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As R Ashwin gears up for 100th Test, a statistical breakdown of his remarkable career

Ashwin Ravichandran has a fondness for scaling rare peaks. Come Thursday, India’s premier spinner will walk into another ballroom of legends during the fifth Test against England at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.Ashwin is set to become the 14th Indian and the first Tamil Nadu cricketer to feature in 100 Test matches, a remarkable milestone for a man who loves every facet associated with his sport to the hilt. A constant pathbreaker across his 13-year journey in whites, Ashwin could also be joined by three more of his contemporaries – Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson and Tim Southee – to be featuring in their respective 100th Tests at the same time on the cricketing calendar – a first in Test history. Emerging on the scene during the void left by Anil Kumble’s retirement and the waning p...
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Watch: Fun, banter and a sprint race between Shoaib Akhtar & Harbhajan Singh | Cricket News – Times of India

The on-field rivalry between Shoaib Akhtar and Harbhajan Singh during their playing days is well documented in a number of India vs Pakistan matches over the years. But the Indo-Pak duo's off-the-field camaradarie as co-commentators nowadays is equally engrossing for viewers across the globe. Some of those scenes are seen on the latest vlog posted by Shoaib Akhtar on his YouTube channel, which captures moments from the ex-Pakistan pacer's commentary stint at ILT20, alongside Harbhajan, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram and a few others. Did Shoaib Actually Beat Harbhajan??? | Shoaib AkhtarOne of those moments shows Akhtar and Harbhajan trying to beat each other in a sprint race, while some of the other clips show them, along with Akram, involved in a friendly banter in Punjabi. Beside...
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Watch: How Ashwin ended wait for his 500th Test wicket | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday joined the elite club of Indian bowlers, following in the footsteps of former skipper Anil Kumble, as he reached the remarkable milestone of 500 Test wickets during the third Test against England in Rajkot.In accomplishing this feat, Ashwin also distinguished himself as only the third off-spinner in history to achieve such a remarkable record.Currently, he holds the position of being India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, trailing behind the legendary Anil Kumble, who concluded his illustrious career with a total of 619 wickets.The 37-year-old achieved this milestone on the second day of the ongoing Test match. His pursuit of the milestone required just one more wicket, and it was opener Zak Crawley who became the...
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Watch: When Anil Kumble took all 10 wickets to script India’s famous win against Pakistan | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: On this day, February 7, in 1999, India spin legend Anil Kumble became only the second bowler and the first Indian to claim all 10 wickets in an innings of a Test match. Kumble achieved the historic feat in the Delhi Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground (now Arun Jaitley Stadium) against arch-rivals Pakistan.Prior to Kumble, England's Jim Laker held the record of dismissing all 10 batsmen in an innings of a Test match, achieving the incredible feat against Australia in 1956.Kumble bowled 26.3 overs, including 9 maidens, and swept the Pakistan batting line-up in front of a jam-packed stadium. He conceded just 74 runs in his spell.BCCI shared the video of all the ten dismissals on X to mark the day:Batting first, India posted 252 on the board. In reply, Pakistan could manage onl...
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India vs England: Harbhajan Singh picks Sarfaraz Khan for Test debut in Vizag | Cricket News – Times of India

Sarfaraz Khan's consistent run in the domestic circuit finally earned him a call-up to the national team ahead of the second Test of the five-match series against England in Visakhapatnam, where the home team will try to rally after losing the opener.While Virat Kohli will continue to remain absent having withdrawn himself from the first two Tests of the series due to personal reasons, injuries to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have further depleted the squad.But it resulted in Sarfaraz, Sourabh Kumar and Washington Sundar's inclusion in the squad. Earlier, Rajat Patidar had been brought in after Kohli's withdrawal. Rahul's unavailability opens up another batting slot in the playing XI for the second Test, for which there will likely be a toss-up between Patidar and Sarfaraz, and former I...
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Ashwin-Jadeja duo surpass Kumble-Harbhajan as India’s most successful bowling pair in Tests | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja became the most successful bowling pair for India in Test cricket. During the opening day of the first Test against England in Hyderabad on Thursday, they scalped four wickets together, surpassing the legendary partnership of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.Scorecard: IND vs ENG, 1st TestAshwin and Jadeja now boast a remarkable record of 504* wickets in 50 Tests, surpassing the previous milestone of 501 wickets in 54 Tests held by the iconic Kumble-Harbhajan duo. This remarkable feat solidifies their place as one of the most prolific bowling combinations in Indian cricket history.Harbhajan Singh and pacer Zaheer Khan occupy the third spot with 474 wickets in 59 Tests. Overall, the list is led by England's pace duo of Jam...
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Former India spinner weighs in on Axar Patel vs Kuldeep Yadav debate ahead of England Test series | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Kuldeep Yadav, who has played only eight Tests since his debut against Australia in 2017, is considered one of the unluckiest Indian cricketers in recent times. However, with the upcoming England series starting on January 25 and the potential use of "rank turner" pitches by the Indian team management under Rahul Dravid, Kuldeep might find himself on the bench, at least initially, in the five-match series.Harbhajan Singh, the former India spin great known for his candid opinions, believes that while Kuldeep may have the edge in skill and quality over the Gujarat left-arm spinner, if the pitches turn out to be extremely challenging, there is no better choice than Axar Patel for the team."Look, the way I look at it is that when both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are in the playi...
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India vs England: Harbhajan Singh on Why ‘Bazball’ Strategy Won’t Succeed in India | Cricket News – Times of India

DUBAI: England have almost changed the face of Test cricket with their aggressively-styled ‘Bazball’ strategy. However, it remains to be seen whether they will opt for this gameplan in the forthcoming series against India starting next week. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, for one, feels ‘Bazball’ will not work in India. “Bazball is not going to work. The conditions are going to be very difficult for England. There will be turn from the very first delivery and spinners from both sides will get purchase,” he said. The former India spinner is hopeful of India’s chances. “England will be able to dominate only if they get a pitch which has nothing to offer to spinners,” he said. ‘No better leg-spinner than Chahal in India’ Harbhajan also recommended at least three spinners in the side...
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Wishing you the best of health and happiness: Sachin Tendulkar, others wish Rahul Dravid as he turns 51

As Rahul Dravid turned 51 on Thursday, wishes poured in from all around social media from cricketers and other eminent personalities.The iconic Sachin Tendulkar wished his one-time teammate a very happy birthday. posting on X, “Happy birthday to my teammate and friend, Rahul Dravid. Wishing you the best of health and happiness. May this year bring lots of joy and success.” Happy birthday to my teammate and friend, Rahul Dravid. Wishing you the best of health and happiness. May this year bring lots of joy and success. pic.twitter.com/KNAdvYegSs — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 11, 2024 The BCCI also lauded Dravid and posted a birthday wish highlighting his laurels. “509 intl. matches, 24,208 intl. runs, 8 intl. hundreds. Here’s wishing Rahul Dravid – Former #TeamIndia Captain and...
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‘Tum sabke liye mai akela hi kafi hoon’: Virender Sehwag’s epic banter with Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former India batter Virender Sehwag has had numerous face offs against the legendary Pakistan pace trio of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar on the field. However, this time around, these cricketing legends will reunite not on the field but in the commentary box for the upcoming season of ILT20.The star-studded commentary panel was unveiled via a video on social media recently which also features former India spinner Harbhajan Singh.Sehwag and Akhtar were seen having engaged in a fun banter.It was Akhtar who initiated the conversation by hilariously calling Sehwag a "gentle off-spinner".Akhter went on to continue: "Don't be afraid, Veeru. The last time the three of us (Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar) were playing, you were cleaning your spectacles on th...
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Nikhil Chaudhary: Know all about second Indian-born cricketer to play in BBL | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian-born all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary has been making waves in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) with his blazing exploits with the bat and ball while turning up for the Hobart Hurricanes.Nikhil also became the second Indian-born cricketer to play in the BBL after India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand.The right-handed batter instantly caught the attention of the crowd with his blistering knock of 40 that came in 31 balls before chopping onto left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff in his debut match against the Perth Scorchers.The leg-spinner also made his entry in the wickets column by picking two wickets against Sydney Thunder on New Year's Day.The 27-year-old Nikhil, who was born in New Delhi, moved to Punjab with his parents at a very young age. Displaying his agg...
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‘I feel Ashwin should play but…’: Harbhajan Singh on Boxing Day Test against South Africa – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In making his selection for India's upcoming Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion, former star spinner Harbhajan Singh favoured Ravichandran Ashwin over all-rounder Shardul Thakur.Harbhajan crafted his preferred playing XI for the crucial match, emphasising the need for a formidable batting performance to improve India's historically challenging record on South African soil.With only four victories and 12 defeats in 23 Tests since 1992, Harbhajan suggested the importance of posting a competitive score of over 400 and thus opted for a star-studded batting lineup. "According to me Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open. Shubman Gill would come in at number three and the fourth spot will be for Virat Kohli. The fifth and sixth spots belong to Shreyas Iyer and K...
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‘Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma should be there in…’: Harbhajan Singh | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh on Thursday advocated for senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to take place in West Indies and USA next year.Rohit and Virat have been absent from India's T20I team since the 10-wicket loss to England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semifinals in Australia last November.In their absence, young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been given opportunities as part of the team's preparation for the future."I think both Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma) should be there in the World Cup...I think a good combination would be possible only when you have good senior players too with the youth. Virat and Rohit have a lot of mettle in them...I...
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Harbhajan Singh reacts to Sreesanth-Gambhir LLC controversy in Shah Rukh Khan style | Cricket News – Times of India

SURAT: The controversy surrounding the spat between World Cup winners S Sreesanth and Gautam Gambhir continued to hog the limelight on the eve of the 2023 Legends League Cricket (LLC) final, where Suresh Raina's Urbanrisers Hyderabad will take on Harbhajan Singh's Manipal Tigers for the trophy on Saturday.Harbhajan, who himself was involved in the infamous 'slapgate' with Sreesanth during their stint in the Indian Premier League, was seemingly ready for the most expected question."Bade bade shehro mein chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain (in big cities, small things keep happening)," Harbhajan replied using the famous dialogue from a Bollywood movie starring Shah Rukh Khan, much to the amusement of the attending media.When reminded about the controversial IPL incident involving him an...
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S Sreesanth: A two-time World Cup winner who courted trouble with slap-gate, then IPL spot fixing and now an on-field spat with Gautam Gambhir

The seam. The grimace at release. The headband. The misbehaving hair. The motor mouth. Time spent in Tihar Jail post IPL spot-fixing charges. S Sreesanth’s journey was mercurial but flawed. Once again in his career, the former seamer is in the news for his on-field antics rather than his perfect seam release. S Sreesanth has accused his former team-mate Gautam Gambhir of calling him a “fixer” during a Legends League match in Surat. The tiff between former India players S Sreesanth and Gautam Gambhir took a worse turn on Thursday after the former commented on the latter’s Instagram post, calling the batter “an arrogant and utterly classless individual.” Gambhir had earlier in the evening posted a picture of him smiling in an Indian jersey with the caption, “Smile when the world is all a...