BCCI increases age limit of match officials, coaching staff

VVS Laxman to travel with Indian team for U19 World Cup

Former India batsman VVS Laxman is set to take over the position of NCA chief on December 13 with the other coaches. Apart from Laxman, Troy Cooley has also been roped in as the bowling coach. The general body at the BCCI AGM had ratified the appointments were ratified by in Kolkata on Saturday. "Laxman's contract has been signed already. His last media assignment is the second Test between New Zealand and India," a senior BCCI officer bearer told PTI. "He will be joining in Bengaluru from December 13." The former India batsman will have the responsibility to look after the preparations of the U19 World Cup slated to take place in West Indies in January-February as his first assignment. As per a PTI report, Laxman will also be travelling with the team to Caribbean islands along with either Hrishikesh Kanitkar or Sitanshu Kotak. Kotak is presently with the India ‘A’ side which is touring South Africa. There were a few changes at the helm after Rahul Dravid took over as the head coach of the Indian team while Rohit Sharma was appointed as the new skipper for the T20I squad. The duo had a brilliant start to the proceedings after India completed a 3-0 clean sweep win against New Zealand at home. The Indian team is presently locking horns with the Kiwis in a two-match Test series.

BCCI confirms delayed start of India's tour of South Africa, postponement of T20I series

Hours after Secretary Jay Shah hinted at a curtailed and delayed start the tour of South Africa, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that men in blue will travel to the rainbow nation for a three-match long Test and an equally long ODI series. The board also confirmed that the T20I series planner between the side will take place at a later date in its statement post its 90th Annual General Meeting. The tour will now commence on December 26, nine days later than the earlier schooled start on December 17. All the uncertainties surrounding the tour started to deepen once South Africa reported cases of a new variant of Covid-19 which the World Health Organisation termed a “variant of concern”. There were flight banS from South Africa leading to the Netherlands cancelling their ODI series in South Africa but the BCCI asked the India A players to stay put in the country and finish the tour. Later, Cricket South Africa assured the BCCI of a safe and secure biosecure bubble during the tour and a go-ahead from the BCCI was always expected.

IND vs NZ | 2nd Test: Siraj rejoices 'dream delivery for any fast bowler' to dismiss Ross Taylor

Mohammed Siraj was at the top of his game with the new ball on the second day of the second Test as he wiped out the New Zealand top order in a sensation spell of seam bowling. There was help for him from the surface and he bowled in the perfect channel to dismiss Tom Latham, Will Young and Ross Taylor in his first spell. While the dismissal of Young and Latham was due to planning and set up, the dismissal of Taylor, who was bowled neck and crop by an away going delivery from the line of the off-stump was an idea of his own. He said that batsmen were expecting him to bowl inswingers on the basis of field setting and hence he tried to vary his plan of attack and produced a delivery that he rated “dream delivery for any fast bowler”. He bowled his heart out and troubled New Zealand batters both with pace and line of attack. He said that the intensity was always high as he was aware that his opportunity with the ball will be limited considering it was a spin-friendly pitch in Mumbai. "The plan was that we had set the field for an inswing delivery and to hit the pads, but the way I was building my rhythm, I thought why not bowl an outswing. It was a dream delivery for any fast bowler." "I wanted to pitch it on stumps and hit one area consistently as it creates a problem for batters. The batters start leaving deliveries if you start bowling outside the off-stump," he said. "I knew I would get 3-4 overs of spell and wanted to bowl with full intensity.” Mohammed Siraj has added another dimension to an already strong Indian pace attack and his prowess and intensity to bowl good deliveries to some of the best batsmen in the world would serve India well in the years to come.

T10 League Final: Deccan Gladiators crowned champions, courtesy Andre Russell's carnage

Deccan Gladiators captain Wahab Riaz gave a hug to Andre Russell in delight at the end of the final Abu Dhabi T10 League and why not. After all, it was Russell’s ruthless display of batting that had anchored the team to the title win. Deccan defeated Delhi Bulls by 56 runs to be crowned as champions. Riding on Russell and Cadmore’s unbeaten stand of 159 runs for the first wicket, the Gladiators got themselves in front right from the beginning. While the two batters chipped in with individual fifties, the bowlers did their job pretty well too and restricted Delhi Bulls to 103/7 in 10 overs. Dre Russ derails Delhi Bulls’ bowling Carnage. The word that probably depicts Andre Russell’s knock against Delhi Bulls perfectly. Russell, who hadn’t really been running barring a couple of games in the competition, chose the perfect occasion to get some in his kitty. Coming out to bat with Kohler-Cadmore, the two batters didn’t really waste much time and began the onslaught soon. Both the batsmen and especially Russell were in such great touch with the bat that nothing really worked against them. The Yorkers were converted into full tosses while the shorter ones were pulled away to get dispatched for maximums. The right-hander remained unbeaten at 90 off 32 deliveries, a knock that included seven maximums and nine fours during the course. While Russell scored the majority of runs, Kohler-Cadmore also looked in a brilliant knick. He chipped in with a 28-ball 59*, courtesy five sixes and three fours. Wahab Riaz’s captaincy The Gladiators’ skipper Wahab Riaz showed his experience not with the ball but with his captaincy. The left-handed bowler unleashed some good work with the way he used the services of his bowlers. The Delhi Bulls lost their first wicket in the second over itself after Odean Smith removed Gurbaz for 14 and then followed it with the dismissal of Rutherford on the very next delivery. Wahab then got in Wanindu Hasaranga in the middle overs to negotiate the likes of Eoin Morgan and the spinner responded in the perfect manner of what the doctor ordered. Hasaranga first scalped the wicket of Morgan (13 off 8) after he played one in the air to give a catch to Wiese and then got rid off Hemraj who was looking dangerous at one end. Hemraj was dismissed for a well-compiled 42 off 20. To add to this, Riaz saved Tymal Mills’ overs for the end and only brought him in the attack in the seventh over. The left-arm pacer was on song as he just gave 4 runs in two overs and picked up a couple of wickets. ‘The no-strategy’ from Bulls’ batting line up The way Russell and Cadmore batted, the Gladiators had already stamped their authority but there were some lapses from Delhi Bulls’ batting unit as well. Barring Hemraj, none of the batsmen tried to stay at the crease. Ofcourse, the ever mounting asking rate also put them under pressure but the early loss of wickets had pushed them on the back foot. Captain Wahab Riaz lavished praise on Andre Russell for the kind of innings that he played after the match. “The big man, Dre Russ stood up in the final. The way the team responded was very good,” he said.