Category: Sport

Langer sees India, rebounding from a New Zealand loss, as a tough challenge for Australia, now in Perth for the first Test…reports Asian Lite News 

Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting in Perth on November 22, former Australian cricketer and head coach Justin Langer cautioned against underestimating the Indian team, saying one should never write off champions.  

India has won its previous two Test tours of Australia by identical 2-1 margins, but heads into the upcoming marquee series on the back of a 3-0 home series defeat at the hands of New Zealand earlier this month. 

“One thing you never do is write off champions, and that’s in every sport, because they are a champion for a reason. In India, there are one and a half billion cricket-loving people, and then count all the rest around the world, they expect nothing but excellence, and the team will be under intense pressure, so how they fight back will be important. 

“And they’ll be getting written off for being too old, but people say that all the time, and I just can’t wait to see them play. I just hope, if this is the last time (Kohli) is out here, people enjoy it because he is a superstar, so is Rohit Sharma, so is (Ravi) Ashwin, so is (Ravi) Jadeja, so is (Jasprit) Bumrah. 

“It’s the same with the Australians; the bowling attack is a very senior attack now… so really enjoy it while you can; they are not going to be around forever,” said Langer to The West Australian on Sunday. 

India has to win at least four games on their Test tour of Australia if they are to enter next year’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s. Langer thinks that India, in their bid to recover from their defeat to New Zealand, could well turn out to be a dangerous opponent for Australia, who have landed in Perth on Sunday to prepare for the first Test. 

“India losing to New Zealand is a bit like North Melbourne beating Brisbane in the grand final at the moment. And not for one millisecond is that disrespect for New Zealand, because they are the great overachievers; they are brilliant. 

“I think they’d won two Test matches (in India), and to win the series 3-0, that’s an amazing achievement. They’ve just been beaten three-nil by New Zealand, so India will be humbled by that and equally determined to remedy it because the pressure on them will be intense,” he concluded. 

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Tilak was named Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series for accumulating 280 runs across four innings to top the charts…reports Asian Lite News 

India batter Tilak Varma was the standout performer of the T20I series against South Africa as he smashed back-to-back centuries in the final two matches to guide visitors to a 3-1 comprehensive win.   

After hitting his maiden century in the third T20I in Centurion, the southpaw bettered his previous performance and launched a brutal onslaught on Proteas bowlers. He smacked 10 sixes and nine fours to accumulate an unbeaten 120 off 47 balls while opener Sanju Samson hammered 56-ball 109 not out studded with nine sixes and six fours to take India to an astronomical 283 in 20 overs. 

South African batters faltered under the pressure of a daunting target and were bowled out for 148 in 18.2 overs as Arshdeep Singh clinched three scalps while Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel got hold of two dismissals each. India won the match by 135 runs to register their third biggest win in the format. Meanwhile, it was the biggest T20I defeat for South Africa by runs. 

“Actually I wanted to tell one funny thing, last year when I played here I got out first ball. This innings was very crucial for the team and the series,” Tilak said in the post-match presentation. 

“Just want to hold my shape and followed my basics as to what I did in the last game, I was calm. It’s an unbelievable feeling, I couldn’t express it right now, I never imagined, that too two 100s in South Africa in challenging conditions. Thanks to our captain Surya for this. As I said last match, I was injured in the last few games, I believe in God and my processes, that’s why I celebrated like that to God,” he added. 

Tilak was named Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series for accumulating 280 runs across four innings to top the charts. 

It was a record-making night in Johannesburg for India as they went on to create multiple feats. With 23 sixes in their innings, India registered the third-highest number of sixes in a T20I innings, and the most in a T20I between two Full Member sides. The partnership of 210* between Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma is the highest for any wicket for India in T20Is. With this total, along with their 297 against Bangladesh a couple of months ago, India now occupies the top two spots for the highest totals in a T20I between two Full Member sides. 

‘Tilak Perfect for No. 3’

Praising Tilak Varma’s recent feat of scoring consecutive T20I centuries, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said this is the correct time for a youngster like him to bat at number three, citing Virat Kohli as an example.

At the Wanderers, Varma smashed an incredible 120 not out, becoming just the fifth player to score back-to-back T20I hundreds. Along with Sanju Samson making 109 not out, his third T20I ton in the last five games, Varma ensured India made a mammoth 283/1, which set their base for a 135-run win and a 3-1 series victory.

“It was actually running in my mind that there has been a time when one man has batted consistently at number three and done wonders for India. So this was a perfect situation, perfect opportunity for a young guy and definitely someone like him, showing a lot of promise.”

“We both actually spoke to each other and said, ‘I think it’s the perfect time for someone like you to bat at number three, take that responsibility, not only now, but going forward as well’, and he just walked the talk. I mean, the way he batted at Supersport Park and also here, it was incredible and I hope he continues to do the same things, same way, not only in T20 cricket, but for all formats for India,” said Suryakumar at the conclusion of the series.

The gigantic knocks of Samson and Varma capped off an incredible year for India in T20I, where they won 24 out of 26 games, and added a T20 World Cup trophy in June. But after winning the silverware, India have shown the power-hitting and ultra-aggressive giant it can be for the foreseeable future in the shortest format.

“Even before the World Cup, we played a few T20 tournaments and we spoke about what brand and what type of cricket we want to play going forward in T20s. So we play IPL, we play for different franchises, but when we come together, I think we wanted to do the same thing,” the Indian captain said.

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In last year’s 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, PM Modi confirmed India’s interest in hosting the Olympic Games in the year 2036, claiming that 140 crore Indians are committed to staging the Games…reports Asian Lite News

In a significant step towards India’s vision of becoming a sports powerhouse, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has formally sent a Letter of Intent to the Future Host Commission, International Olympic Committee (IOC) on October 1, expressing India’s interest to host the Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2036, sources told IANS.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in India in 2036 has taken a significant step forward,” the source said.

“This monumental opportunity could bring substantial benefits, fostering economic growth, social progress, and youth empowerment across the country,” the source added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on multiple occasions expressed India’s interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics and Paralympics Games. In an interaction with the Paris Olympics athletes on the Independence Day celebrations at his residence in New Delhi, PM Modi asked them to give their inputs for the preparations of hosting the quadrennial extravaganza in 2036.

“India is preparing to host the 2036 Olympics. In this regard, the input from athletes who have played in previous Olympics is very important. You all must have observed and experienced many things. We want to document this and share it with the government so that we don’t miss out on any small details in the preparation for 2036,” PM Modi had said.

In last year’s 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, PM Modi confirmed India’s interest in hosting the Olympic Games in the year 2036, claiming that 140 crore Indians are committed to staging the Games.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the Olympics on Indian soil in the year 2036. This is the age-old dream and aspiration of 140 crore Indians. This dream has to be built with your cooperation and support,” he had said.

IOC President Thomas Bach had also supported India’s case claiming that there was a “strong case” for India to host the Olympic Games.

India is among 10 countries which have shown interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic Games. In November 2022, the IOC started discussions with these countries, including India, which have shown interest.

The 10 countries that have shown initial interest in hosting the 2036 Games include Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara-Monterrey-Tijuana), Indonesia (Nusantara), Turkey (Istanbul), India (Ahmedabad), Poland (Warsaw, Krakow), Egypt (New Administrative Capital), and South Korea (Seoul-Incheon).

The allotment of hosting rights for the Olympics will be done by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through a detailed host selection process. The IOC has a dedicated body, the Future Host Commission, which deals with this subject.

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India are scheduled to visit Australia for a five-match Test series which became very crucial after the team slipped down the World Test Championship standings…reports Asian Lite News

The disappointing performance by the Indian batters in the 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand is a cause for concern for the Indian team, said captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday. However, he said India will have to regroup from that at the earliest as they have a good opportunity to “do something really, really special in Australia”.

India are scheduled to visit Australia for a five-match Test series which became very crucial after the team slipped down the World Test Championship standings. India have won the last two editions of the Border Gavaskar Trophy and are hoping for a hat-trick of series wins.

But the batting unit’s abject surrender against New Zealand and especially the failure to score of the team’s two senior-most players — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli –has left people doubting India’s chances against India Down Under.

“Obviously it’s a cause for concern without a doubt. If you know the batters are not performing, that is a cause for concern. But what’s done is done.

“Now I think, as a player, as a captain, as the team, we all have to look forward and see how we can correct what we didn’t manage to achieve here,” said Rohit Sharma in the post-match press conference after India’s 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand on Sunday.

“There’s a good opportunity for us to go and do something really, really special in Australia. So we’ll focus on that. We’ll try and see what needs to be done there. Like I said just now, most guys have been there and few haven’t been there.

“So it’ll be a good challenge for guys who have been there also and the guys who are travelling for the first time to Australia. So yes, without a doubt we know, we do understand the importance of the series but just right now it’s just trying to understand what we didn’t do right,” he added.

He said they will have to address the mistakes they made in the New Zealand series.

“We made a lot of mistakes (in the NZ series), so I think those mistakes need to Be addressed and something that we will talk about. And then moving forward when you land in Australia, I think it’s important to just focus on that particular series, the first test match. You know, it’s a five-Test match series. So it’s important to break down those test matches, focus on one Test and then just take it from there,” said the India captain.

Asserting that the coaching staff has been very good with them, encouraging, and understanding despite the results not going in the team’s favour recently, Rohit said it was the responsibility of the players to make their job and life easier.

“It’s the players’ responsibility to make their job or make their life easier because it’s never easy for anyone to come in and start doing what they are doing because there are a lot of different individuals here and they operate slightly differently. So the players need to make sure that the thought process of the coaching staff aligns with those thought processes and take it forward. Like I said, it’s been only four or five months now. Too early to judge anything, but so far they’ve been really, really good with the players,” said the 37-year-old from Mumbai.

He said getting the Indian squad with some young players in it ready for the upcoming Australia tour is going to be challenging.

“That’s going to be very, very challenging. You know, we do talk a lot about the game and all of that, but again sitting with every individual and telling them what needs to be done or how you need to get your mindset right is something that is going to be challenging for us because they come up with a certain mindset, certain thinking about their own game, and it has given them success in the past.

“We all understand that Australia is going to be a different ballgame. But for all the young players who haven’t been there before, for us, it will be important to create that environment where they feel comfortable and don’t get intimidated by where you’re playing and who you’re playing against.

He said they are not going to a “classroom setup” and stress too much on what each individual has to do.

“But, as a group the last two times we’ve been there, we won the series, so we can take a lot of confidence from that and then keep moving ahead with that. Because we don’t want to create a classroom where we make everyone sit and talk to them about what needs to be done. They all understand, and they all are quite smart about their plans. So I expect them to, you know, come really, really good in Australia as well,” said Rohit.

About the possibility of India not having a practice game ahead of the Perth Test, Rohit said the match simulation they are going to have India A would be a better option.

“Rather than practice match, we have planned a match simulation kind of a thing with India A. I think sometimes when you play that practice match, we’re travelling with a squad of 19 players and it’s a three-day game that we are allotted and I don’t know how much workload can we get done in those three days in terms of getting everyone prepared.

“So I mean, we as management as well, we feel that rather than having that practice game (with India A), the match simulation where the batters can spend more time in the middle and the bowlers as well can bowl a lot of balls, So that is something that we as a team feel more comfortable doing rather than playing a practice game because game time is not a problem. All of us have been playing a lot of cricket, so it’s just about spending time in the middle,” said Rohit Sharma.

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