Steve Smith dethrones Kane Williamson from top spot in Latest ICC Test rankings

Sanjay Manjrekar picks his India XI for WTC final, leaves out Ishant and Jadeja

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has picked his India playing XI for the ICC World Test Championship final slated to be played against New Zealand from 18th June (Friday). Manjrekar who is known as someone who doesnt minces his words said that his picks were based on the assumptions that India will be encountering typical English conditions where the ball is seaming and swinging around. As per the weather forecast for the match, rain is predicted fr all days and hence Manjrekarwent with a lone spinner in the form of Ravichandran Ashwin. “I’m assuming you have typical English conditions. I’m assuming there will be a mixture of sun and cloudy cover throughout the five days of the Test match if it goes the distance. So, I’m picking the team accordingly," Manjrekar was quoted as saying by the ESPN Cricinfo. Most of the picks are on expected terms but he has opted to play only one spinner leaving out Ravindra Jadeja from the XI with whom he had a verbal conflict during the 2019 World Cup. He also left out experienced campaigner Ishant Sharma from his XI and decided to play an extra batsman in the form of Hanuma Vihari. Manjrekar wants to reward Vihari for his exceptional performance against Australia in Sydney last year before he succumbed to an injury and couldn't play the final Test and the home series against England. He has also got the experience of playing County cricket very recently which might work in his favour. Meanwhile, Manjrekar went with Mohammed Siraj as the third seamer alongside Bumrah and Shami. “Going to have Hanuma Vihari to reward him for his brilliant innings before he got injured," Manjrekar said. “India will need somebody with more compact defensive technique because the guys at the top of the order, barring (Cheteshwar) Pujara, aren’t those kinds. So I will have Hanuma Vihari at number 6. (Rishabh)Pant at 7, considering India have hardly had any practice game. I just want to make sure the batting runs deep.” Manjrekar feels that while Ishant, Bumrah and Shami are like for like bowlers, Siraj is a bit different who might offer different dynamics for the team’s cause. “Want Siraj, the swing bowler to be brought into the equation, and the last time Siraj bowled overseas in Australia, got a five-wicket haul. Hard to leave a bowler like him out. You will be tempted to think of Siraj because when you look at Shami, Bumrah and Ishant, they are more seam bowlers, hit-the-deck kind of bowler. Siraj might offer something different. I would go with Siraj, but India might play Ishant for obvious reasons," he said. Sanjay Manjrekar’s WTC XI For India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

BCCI wins appeal against Arbitration Award in favour of Deccan Chargers

The BCCI has received some positive news after it won the appeal against the Arbitration Award in favour of Deccan Chargers. The board was asked to pay INR. 4800 crore, in the Bombay High Court in the case that relates to the termination of the franchise by the governing body. "It is a major relief for the BCCI. The Arbitration Award was very huge, close to Rs 5000 crore. We are thankful to the honourable court," said a BCCI office-bearer. Raju Subramaniam, the BCCI counsel, who had represented the board in the arbitration case, said, “The Arbitration Award was unsustainable. The franchise had not performed its duties and sought compensation. The award could not have been sustained.” The Deccan Chargers Holding Ltd had earlier challenged the termination in September 2012 in the Bombay High Court. Retired Justice CK Thakkar was then appointed as the sole arbitrator in the case who made the decision. A single-judge bench of Justice Gautam S Patel has now put aside the award and further said that the compensation was illegal. The dispute began when the BCCI that was headed by N Srinivasan had given the Hyderabad franchise to Sun TV, terminating Deccan Chargers contract five years into their 10-year franchise agreement. Chargers had lifted the IPL trophy in 2009 after beating RCB in the final.

Pumped to be in the WTC final: BJ Watling

New Zealand wicket-keeper BJ Watling will be featuring in his final Test when he takes the field in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship against India. Watling has said that he is excited about the match and just wants to take it as just another game. “I’m just looking forward to playing another test match. It is an exciting one, and I’m certainly pretty pumped to be in the final. I’m just going into it how I do with every other test going through the processes of trying to win a test match,” the 35-year-old was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz. “I’ve certainly enjoyed the time I have spent with this team playing cricket for New Zealand. It’s been a hell of a journey,” he added. New Zealand will lock horns with Virat Kohli’s India in Southampton beginning on June 18. Talking about the final, Watling said that it is a massive opportunity and the side would look to continue the form. “It’s obviously a massive opportunity to win a title, but I think what we’ve been doing leading into this, winning the games at home this summer, and then obviously winning a test series against England, it’s certainly been fantastic,” he said. “We’ll try and do our best and try to carry on the form that we’ve been playing in for a reasonably long period,” Watling added. The Blackcaps are coming into the title clash with a 1-0 win in two-match Test series against England away from home.

Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin should play together in WTC Final: Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is of the opinion that the Virat Kohl-led side should play both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the final XI as the spinners might get some help as the match progresses during the final of the inaugural World Test Championship against New Zealand in Southampton beginning on June 18. “In Southampton, it’s been boiling hot over the last few days so the pitch will definitely be dry and help spin as the match progresses, so yes both Ashwin and Jadeja will play,” Gavaskar told PTI in an exclusive interview. Gavaskar further added that both the players would provide depth in the batting as well. “That (Ashwin and Jadeja together) also gives depth to the batting as well as give a fine balance to the bowling attack. For the series later (vs England) much will depend on the weather and pitch conditions,” he said. The Indian team recently announced the 15-man squad for the WTC final. Shardul Thakur and Mayank Agarwal didn’t find a place for themselves in the side. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma would be opening the innings for India while Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj form the pace attack. India made a cut into the WTC final after beating Australia 2-1 in a four-match series away from home while thumped England 3-1 in a four-Test bilateral tie on home soil.