Cricket

2228 days ago

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World Cup 2019: Stats And Records

World Cup 2019 has been one of the finest in the history of the tournament. England's team who was playing their 4th final finally got their hands on the cup. It was the heartbreak for New Zealand who lost the second consecutive final after losing to Australia in 2015.## A round-up of World Cup 2019 -## 1 - It is the maiden World Cup title for England in 50-overs cricket in 4 attempts.## England in the final of the World Cups YEAROPPOSITIONRESULTMARGIN 1979 West Indies Lost 92-runs 1987 Australia Lost 7-runs 1992 Pakistan Lost 22-runs 2019 New Zealand Won Won in super over ## Top 5 run-getter of the World Cup 2019 SNBatsmanINNRUNSAVG10050SR 1. Rohit Sharma (IND) 9 648 81.00 5 1 98.33 2. David Warner (AUS) 10 647 71.89 3 3 89.36 3. Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 8 606 86.57 2 5 96.04 4. Kane Williamson (NZ) 9 578 82.57 2 2 74.97 5. Joe Root (ENG) 11 556 61.78 2 3 89.53 ## - India's opener and vice-captain Rohit Sharma is now on the 3rd in the list of the highest run-getter in a World Cup series. Top 5 run scorer in a World Cup series SNBatsmanINNRUNSAVG10050SRYEAR 1. Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 11 673 61.18 1 7 89.25 2003 2. Matthew Hayden (AUS) 10 659 73.22 3 1 101.07 2007 3. Rohit Sharma (IND) 9 648 81.00 5 1 98.33 2019 4. David Warner (AUS) 10 647 71.89 3 3 89.36 2019 5. Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 8 606 86.57 2 5 96.04 2019 ## 7 - In this World Cup, there were 7 instances batsmen scoring 500+ runs. In the previous 11 edition, only 8 batsmen had scored 500+ runs.## 5 - Rohit Sharma now holds the record for the most number of centuries in a single World Cup series. He surpassed Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara's 4 centuries in 2015.## 6 - Rohit Sharma has now the joint most 100s in World Cup history along with the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar. Rohit took just 17 innings to reach there while Tendulkar took 44 innings.## 556 - Joe Root is now the highest run-getter for England in a single World Cup edition. He went past Graham Gooch's 471 runs in 1987.## 11 - England put 11 hundred plus runs partnerships in this World Cup, which are the most by a team in an edition of the World Cup.## 6 - England scored (6) 300+ totals, which is a record in a World Cup. Previous best was 5 by Australia in 2007.## - Bangladesh's all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan scored 606 runs and took 11 wickets. He is the only player to achieve the rare double of 500+ runs and 10+ wickets in single World Cup series.## - New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is now the highest run-getter in a World Cup series as a captain.## Top 5 run scorer in a World Cup series as captain SNBatsmanINNRUNSAVG10050SRYEAR 1. Kane Williamson (NZ) 9 578 82.57 2 2 74.97 2019 2. Mahela Jayawardene (SL) 11 548 60.88 1 4 85.09 2007 3. Ricky Ponting (AUS) 9 539 67.37 1 4 95.39 2007 4. Aaron Finch (AUS) 10 507 50.70 2 3 102.01 2019 5. AB de Villiers (SA) 7 482 96.40 1 3 144.31 2015 ## Top 5 wicket-taker of the World Cup 2019 SNBOWLERMATCHWICKETSAVGBBIECO5-WKTS 1. Mitchell Starc (AUS) 10 27 18.59 5/26 5.43 2 2. Lockie Ferguson (NZ) 9 21 19.47 4/37 4.88 0 3. Jofra Archer (ENG) 11 20 23.05 3/27 4.57 0 4. Mustafizur Rahman (BAN) 8 20 24.20 5/59 6.70 2 5. Jasprit Bumrah (IND) 9 18 20.61 4/55 4.41 0 ## - Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is now the highest wicket-taker in a World Cup series. He went past Glenn McGrath. Top 5 wicket-taker in a World Cup series SNBOWLERMATCHWICKETSAVGBBIECO5-WKTSYEAR 1. Mitchell Starc (AUS) 10 27 18.59 5/26 5.43 2 2019 2. Glenn McGrath (AUS) 11 26 13.73 3/14 4.41 0 2007 3. Chaminda Vaas (SL) 10 23 14.39 6/25 3.76 1 2007 4. Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) 10 23 15.26 4/19 4.14 0 2007 5. Shaun Tait (AUS) 11 23 20.30 4/39 5.52 0 2007 ## 1 - Australia had played 7 World Cup semi-finals before this year and they won all of them. This was the first time when they lost in the semi-final.## - This was the only third time when neither of the top two teams (India and Australia) in points table of the league stage couldn't qualify for the finals. Previously this happened in 2011 when Pakistan and South Africa couldn't make it to the finals.## 20 - Jofra Archer has now the highest wickets for England in a World Cup series. In fact, the top 3 of 5 came in this World Cup for England. Mark Wood (18), and Chris Woakes (2016).## 1 - It was the first instance in World Cup and third in ODIs when the final gets Tied. First time in 38 tied ODIs, the winner decided in super over. ## Follow for more...

Cricket

2254 days ago

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Top 5 Fastest Centuries In ODI World Cup History

England captain Eoin Morgan slammed a 57-ball hundred against Afghanistan in match number 24 of World Cup 2019 at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester on Tuesday (June 18). This is the 4th fastest hundred in World Cup history. His innings was cut short by Gulbadin Naib after hammering 148 off just 71 balls.## Here is the list of TOP 5 fastest centuries in World Cup ## 1. Kevin O'Brien (IRE, 50 balls) - Ireland's all-rounder Kevin O'Brien has a record for the fastest century in World Cup. In 2011 against England, O'Brien smashed a 50-ball century and helped Ireland to chase down 328 with 5 balls to spare. He smashed 113 off 63 balls including 13 fours and 6 sixes against the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Graeme Swann.## 2. Glenn Maxwell (AUS, 51 balls) - Australian hard hitter Glenn Maxwell took Sri Lankan bowlers apart in Sydney in 2015. Australia scored 376 batting first and beat Sri Lanka convincingly at the end by 64 runs. But it was Maxwell who was the architect of his side's big win. He got out after smashing 102 off 53 balls including 10 fours and 4 sixes.## 3. AB de Villiers (SA, 52 balls) - South African star and one of the greats of the game, AB de Villiers pummeled West Indies in a group match in 2015 when he blasted 162 off just 66 balls including 17 fours and 8 gigantic sixes in Sydney. Windies bowlers had no idea what was happening to them. South Africa scored a huge total of 408 in 50 overs and West Indies could only manage 151 in 33.1 overs and suffered a massive 257-runs defeat.## 4. Eoin Morgan (ENG, 57 balls) - It was England's skipper Eoin Morgan's day at Old Trafford, Manchester. He created a new world record for maximum sixes in an ODI inning as he hit 17 sixes en route to his breathtaking 148 off just 71 balls against hapless Afghanistan. It was another example of England's aggressive brand of cricket that make them favourites to win this year's World Cup. Hot favourites and hosts England eventually piled up 397/6 in 50 overs after opting to bat first and Afghanistan started their innings with a lot of pressure of huge total and hence, they could never recover from that and lost by 150-runs.## 5. Matthew Hayden (AUS, 66 balls) - Australian legend Matthew Hayden slammed a 66-balls hundred against South Africa in 2007. It was the fastest hundred at that time in the World Cup history. Australia piled 377 on after opting to bat first. Hayden scored 101 off 68 balls including 14 fours and 4 sixes. South Africa started their chase with a bang as Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers added 160 for the first wicket in just 21 overs. But once AB got out, Africa lost the momentum and bundled out on 294 in 48 overs and lost by 83-runs.## Follow for more...

Cricket

2273 days ago

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World Cup 2019 Stats and Records: World Cup's First

Here are the first things happened in World Cup 2019. Who faced the first ball in World Cup 2019? Who took the first wicket in World Cup 2019? Who took the first hat trick in World Cup 2019? Who bowled the first maiden in World Cup 2019? Who faced the first free hit in World Cup 2019? Who bagged the first Golden Duck in World Cup 2019? Who hit first six in World Cup 2019? Who hit first four in World Cup 2019? ## Here is everything about that occurred very first in World Cup 2019! ## First Match – England vs South Africa (May 30) ## First Venue – Kennington Oval, London ## First Toss won – South Africa ## First Match won - England (By 104 runs vs South Africa) ## Batting in World Cup 2019 ## First Run – Jason Roy off the 1st ball in World Cup 2019 ## First Four – Joe Root off Lungi Ngidi ## First Six – Eoin Morgan off Lungi Ngidi ## First Batsman Dismissed – Jonny Bairstow off Imran Tahir ## First Duck – Jonny Bairstow ## First Golden Duck – Jonny Bairstow (ENG vs SA) ## First Free hit faced – Wahab Riaz (PAK) vs WI ## First Batsman Caught – Jonny Bairstow by Quinton de Kock ## First Batsman Bowled – Jos Buttler off Lungi Ngidi ## First Batsman Run Out – Dwaine Pretorius by Stokes/Morgan ## First Batsman LBW – Shadab Khan (PAK) vs WI ## First Batsman Stumped – Hashmatullah Shahidi (AFG) vs AUS ## First 50 – Jason Roy (ENG, 54) vs SA ## First 100 – Joe Root (ENG, 107) vs PAK## First 150 – Jason Roy (ENG, 153) vs BAN## Bowing in World Cup 2019 ## First Delivery – Imran Tahir to Jason Roy ## First Wicket – Imran Tahir, dismissed Jonny Bairstow ## First Maiden – Jofra Archer ## First 3 wicket haul – Lungi Ngidi (SA, 3/66) vs ENG ## First 4 wicket haul – Oshane Thomas (WI, 4/27) vs PAK ## First 5 wicket haul – Mitchell Starc (AUS, 5/46) vs WI ## First Hat Trick – Mohammed Shami (IND, 4/40) vs AFG## Extras in World Cup 2019 ## First Extra – Wide by Lungi Ngidi ## First Wide – Lungi Ngidi ## First No Ball – Oshane Thomas ## Partnerships in World Cup 2019 ## First, 50 runs Partnership in World Cup 2019 – Quinton de Kock & Rassie van der Dussen (SA, 85) vs ENG ## First, 100 runs Partnership in World Cup 2019 – Jason Roy & Joe Root (ENG, 106) vs SA ## First, 150 runs Partnership in World Cup 2019 – Aaron Finch & Steve Smith (AUS, 173) vs SL## First 200 runs Partnership in World Cup 2019 – None ## Teams in World Cup 2019 ## The first team to score 300 runs in a match – England (311/8) vs South Africa ## The first team to score over 300 runs while chasing – South Africa (309/8) vs Bangladesh ## The first team to chase a target of 300 or more – BAN (322/3) vs WI (321/8)## Matches in World Cup 2019 ## The first match to be tied – Final (ENG vs NZ)## The first match won by 1 run – None## The first match won by 1 wicket – None## The first match won by 2 wickets – NZ vs BAN ## The first match won by 10 wickets – NZ vs SL ## The first match won by a team at the last ball while chasing – None## Fielding in World Cup 2019 ## First Catch – Quinton de Kock ## First Run Out – Stokes/Morgan to dismiss Dwaine Pretorius ## First fielder to take 3 Catches in a match – Faf du Plessis vs ENG ## First fielder to take 4 Catches in a match – Shai Hope (WI) vs PAK ## Awards in World Cup 2019 ## First Man of the Match – Ben Stokes ## DRS in World Cup 2019 ## First successful DRS - WI vs PAK ## First unsuccessful DRS - AFG vs AUS ## For more and the latest news about World Cup 2019, stay tuned to us.

Cricket

2274 days ago

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Top 5 Fastest Fifty In World Cup History

The ODI World Cup 2019 finally begins on May 30 with the encounter between the host England and South Africa. World Cup is a tournament which comes in every 4 years and therefore, everyone wants to do something special whenever they get an opportunity.## In previous World Cups, there have been many brilliant performances in both the batting and bowling department. As a batsman, it is always nice to score runs and when they come quickly it becomes even more special. Scoring fastest fifty is one such thing that gives a batsman immense pleasure as well as confidence.## Here are the top 5 fastest 50s in World cup cricket:## 1. Brendon McCullum (NZ, 18 balls) - Former New Zealand's captain and one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world holds the record of the fastest fifty in World Cup history. The knock came against England in the World Cup 2015 when he battered his own record with a sizzling 18-ball fifty in the group stage. England set a target of 124 which New Zeland chased down in just 12.2 overs with 8 wickets in hand. Brendon McCullum was the chief architect in that assault as scored 77 off just 25 balls including 8 fours and 7 sixes.## 2. Angelo Mathews (SL, 20 balls) - Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews hit the second fastest fifty in World Cup when he took on Scotland at Hobart in 2015. Mathews slammed a 20-ball fifty as Sri Lanka set a target of 364 for the helpless Scotland who couldn't offer any challenge as lost the match by a massive margin of 148 runs. Mathews scored 51 off 21 balls including one four and 6 sixes.## 3. Brendon McCullum (NZ, 20 balls) - Brendon McCullum batted down the order to provide the much-needed finishing touch to New Zeland and he did exactly same against Canada in Gros Islet in 2007. New Zeland, though scored massive and put a total of 363 with the help of century from Lou Vincent and a quick fire 52 off 21 balls from McCullum. McCullum's fifty came in just 20 balls with the help of 5 sixes and a four. New Zeland won the match comprehensively by 114-runs.## 4. Mark Boucher (SA, 21 balls) - One of the finest wicketkeeper-batsman of all-time, Mark Boucher hit a 21-ball fifty against the Netherlands in the same match in which Herschelle Gibbs hit 6 sixes in an over and became the first batsman to do in ODIs. Though Gibbs was adjudged man of the match Boucher played a blinder knock of 75 off 31 balls including 9 fours and 4 sixes. South Africa won that match by 221 runs.## 5. Brendon McCullum (NZ, 22 balls) - In the 1st semi-final, South Africa set a target of 298 (DLS) in 43 overs for New Zeland to reach the final for the first time. It was a tricky target and also the pressure of the big match was there but such was McCullum's carnage who came out to bat with all guns and smashed the third fastest fifty of the tournament in just 22 balls. He smashed 25 runs off Dale Steyn's over. However, McCullum got out in the 7th over after scoring 59 off 26 balls Grant Elliott (84*) and Corey Anderson (58) made sure McCullum's effort doesn't go in vain. New Zeland won the match by 4-wickets with just one ball remaining and booked their ticket for the final for the first time.## Note - Mark Boucher also scored 22-ball fifty against West Indies in the World Cup 2007.## Follow for more...

Cricket

2279 days ago

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Top 5 Leading Wicket-Takers In ODI World Cup History

Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga becomes the 5th highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cup history after he produced a match-winning spell of 3 for 39 against Afghanistan on Tuesday (June 4) at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. His brilliant spell of fast bowling along with Nuwan Pradeep helped Sri Lanka to beat Afghanistan by 34-runs in a low scoring encounter. Malinga now has 46 wickets in 24 matches.## Here are the TOP 5 leading wicket-takers in ODI World Cup history:## 1. Glenn McGrath (AUS) - The leading wicket-taker among the pacers in combined Tests and ODIs with the tally of 949 wickets, Glenn McGrath has been one of the greatest fast bowlers cricket has ever seen. The former Australian pacer has equally been successful in the World Cup as well where he has taken 71 wickets in 39 matches and has been the part of the Australian side in 4 World Cup. McGrath has grabbed those wickets with an average of 18.19 and economy rate of 3.96 which is remarkable. Australia have won 3 out 4 World Cup McGrath has played.## 2. Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) - The leading wicket-taker in both Tests (800) and ODIs (534), Muttiah Muralitharan is arguably the greatest spinner. In 5 World Cup series, he has taken 68 wickets in 40 matches with an average of 19.63 and the economy of 3.88 (the best among the top 5). In 5 World Cups, he played, Sri Lanka emerged as champion in 1996 while they were the runner-ups in 2007 and 2011.## 3. Lasith Malinga (SL) - Sri Lanka's one of the all-time greats, Lasith Malinga bid adieu from World Cup as the third highest wicket-taker in the tournament's history. He surpassed Pakistan's Wasim Akram who has 55 wickets in 38 matches. Malinga sing-off with 56 wickets in 29 matches with an average of 22.87 and economy of 5.51.## 4. Wasim Akram (PAK) - Wasim Akram was a bowler with short run-up who could produce a lot of pace in his bowling. He is the second highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 502 wickets. He has featured in 5 World Cups and taken 55 wickets in 38 matches with an average of 23.83 and economy of 4.04. In Pakistan's successful campaign in 1992, Akram played and a vital role and helped Pakistan to lift the only World Cup till date.## 5. Chaminda Vaas (SL) - Another Sri Lankan in the list who wasn't that fast but very effective with his left-arm medium pace bowling. Vaas' specialty was his accurate line and length and ability to move the ball around both inside and outside. He played 4 World Cups for Sri Lanka and taken 49 wickets in 31 matches with an average of 21.22 and economy of 3.97.## Note - Data as of 6 July, 2019## Follow for more...

Cricket

2282 days ago

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This Is Probably The Most Challenging World Cup Of My Career - Virat Kohli

Before departing to England for the World Cup 2019, team India captain Virat Kohli addressed media along with the coach Ravi Shastri on Tuesday (May 21). During the press conference, Virat stressed the importance of the intensity and focus throughout the tournament and confirmed the same 15-member squad that had been picked earlier. He also believes that this World Cup is the most challenging World Cup of his career.## "Personally, I think this is probably the most challenging World Cup of all the three that I've been a part of, because of the format. "Everyone has to be at their best intensity from the first match onward and we don't have any room for complacency".## "That's why it's the World Cup, that's why it's the most important tournament in the world. We expect that kind of pressure from the first second. We're not even going to let ourselves think that maybe the first week onward we'll get into it," Kohli said.## In recent times, England's pitches have flat up and high scores can be expected during the tournament. However, the Indian captain believes that despite the high scoring expectations, "scores of 260-270 can be defended".## "White-ball cricket, playing in England, playing an ICC tournament - the conditions are not that different or that difficult I would say, compared to Test cricket. The pressure is the most important thing in the World Cup, and not necessarily the conditions," Kohli said.## "Secondly, all the bowlers in the squad, even during the IPL they were bowling themselves to be in the zone for 50-over cricket. And we saw the guys bowling. No one looked tired or fatigued after bowling four overs. They were fresh. The ultimate goal is to be fit for the 50-over format and not let their fitness come down and that was communicated before the IPL," he added.## One of the main focus in the press conference was on intensity which can be difficult to maintain in 46-days long tournament but Kohli pointed to the football clubs who do the same over a ten-month league in a season.## "This is the challenge. If you look at all the top-class clubs in the world, like in football, they maintain their intensity for three-four months in the Premier League, or in the La Liga. So if we get on a roll and if we maintain consistency then we should be able to do it for the length of the tournament.## "The good thing is that every game has a decent gap between each other. From that point of view, I don't think that the players will burn out even if we have intense games. We will always have time to regroup and go for the next. So the best thing is that we'll have four tough games straight up and that will set the tone nicely for us."## In recently concluded Indian Premier League, one of India's key bowlers Kuldeep Yadav looked completely off-colour during the tournament and could manage to take only 4 wickets in 9 games he played. However, Kohli reiterated his faith in Kudeep and said he will be crucial in the middle overs along with Yuzvendra Chahal.## "Someone like Kuldeep, it is important to see a period where things don't go your way also. We are glad it happened during the IPL rather than happening during the World Cup. So Kuldeep has time to reflect, correct things and come into the World Cup even stronger. We know the kind of skill set he possesses along with Chahal. They are really two pillars of our bowling line-up," Kohli said.## There have been a lot of talks about the importance of MS Dhoni who is going to play probably his last World Cup. The former India captain looked in really good touch during the IPL and hence Indian coach Ravi Shastri believes that he will be crucial for India in World Cup.## "Mahendra Singh Dhoni is someone who'll be right there. His communication with Virat has been fantastic," Shastri said. "There is no one better than him when it comes to keeping and also dealing with those tight situations in matches. It was great to see the way he was moving in this IPL. He will be a big player in this World Cup."## India will start their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5 in Southampton. Before that, the men in blues are scheduled to play two warm-up matches against New Zealand (May 25) and Bangladesh (May 28).## Follow for more...

Cricket

2284 days ago

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Virat Just Keeps Improving, Keeps Getting Better: Rahul Dravid

Former India captain and currently the coach of India A and U-19 team, Rahul Dravid heap praised senior team India captain Virat Kohli for taking his game to another level. Dravid credited Kohli for setting the bar to levels so high that were previously thought impossible.## Keep in mind, Virat Kohli is the fastest batsman to reach 10,000 runs in ODI cricket and also have 41 centuries. He is now just 8 centuries short from all-time leading century getter Sachin Tendulkar and hence, Dravid cited the rapid rate at which Kohli has been shattering records in the ODI format.## "Virat just keeps improving, keeps getting better. He is setting bars and standards that possibly we thought would never be achieved," he said. "Sachin scored 49-50 [49] hundreds in one-day cricket. People thought that this would take a lot of time to achieve, will it be ever achieved? And now Virat is 10 [eight] away from it or close to it.## The India A and U-19 coach also praised Kohli for coming out as a better player every time from the bad patches which have been the hallmark of Kohli's career so far.## "One of the things about Virat is that even if he has a bad tour - it is not that he hasn't had bad tours, he had a disappointing tour of England in 2014, he wasn't as successful in Australia the first time around, but every time he goes back, he goes back as a better player. He sort of reinvents his game to a point where he is constantly improving."## Virat Kohli is currently the number one batsman in both ODI and Test in ICC's ranking. He will lead India in the upcoming ICC World Cup in England and Wales which will start from May 30 with the fixture of the host England and South Africa.## Follow for more...

Cricket

2288 days ago

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Our Performances Over The Last Few Years Speak For Us: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

One of the pleasing sights as an Indian Cricket fan is that our bowlers doing well rather than the batsmen. In the last couple of the years, India's bowling has gone through another level and is considered as one of the best in the world currently and Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of India pace attacks who have played an important role in that transition.## Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the seven players in India's current World Cup squad who were part of the World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand where India reached to the semi-final. To bring that experience, he is supposed to play an important role in the upcoming edition of the World Cup in England and Wales. In an exclusive chat with TOI, he spoke about the challenges in the upcoming World Cup, the experience of bowling with Bumrah and Shami, the role of IPL in preparation for the World Cup and many more.## Excerpts:## This will be your second ODI World Cup. How have you evolved as a bowler since the last World Cup in 2015?## There has definitely been an improvement in my bowling in terms of pace and variations like the slower ball and knuckleball. To add to that, I have improved fitness-wise.## With the likes of Shami and Bumrah for company, do you feel this is India's best ever pace attack?## I don't want to comment on whether we are the best or not because our performance on the field is what will define our attack. Our performances over the last few years speak for us. The Indian bowling attack has grown from strength to strength. Today, we can say that our pace attack can make an impact on any surface.## How do you see your competition with Shami and Bumrah who have done well recently? Do you reckon you have work to do to catch up with them when it comes to getting the nod for the first XI?## Each one of us has our own strengths that we bring to the bowling unit. It is always a good thing that whoever is getting a chance in the playing XI has been performing well. As a bowling unit - we back ourselves to do well in any conditions.## You have been hit by injuries in the last 12 months and missed a lot of cricket. Has it taken a toll on your bowling?## Injuries are part and parcel of a player's career. When you are injured and are undergoing rehabilitation, it is important to stay positive and not allow negative thoughts to creep in. During those times that you are away from the game, it is important to work harder and come back stronger.## Your ability to bowl at the death overs remains one of your major plus points. Do you feel you have struggled to match up to those high standards in recent times?## I don't think so. If you see in the last few games of the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad - I was able to execute my plans and that's a very good sign. I am happy with the way things are going at the moment.## Do you feel IPL was the right kind of preparation before the World Cup?## IPL has definitely given players the much-needed match practice before the World Cup. Once you have wickets and runs under your belt, the confidence levels automatically go up. For me, it was important to be in a good rhythm and be among wickets which I was able to do for Sunrisers Hyderabad.## What's your take as a player when it comes to workload management for those featuring in the World Cup?## I think each player is aware of what he needs to do to be in the best shape for the World Cup. The IPL gave players crucial time on the field playing competitive cricket that should stand them in good stead ahead for the big event.## With pitches in England becoming flattered over the years, how do you assess Indian bowlers' chances in the World Cup?## I agree that pitches in England in the last few years have been flat, but teams will be wary of India's bowling unit since we can be potent both at the start and at the death. It will all boil down to how we execute the plans on the given day.## Going to the World Cup, who do you think are the most difficult batsmen to bowl to?## Going by IPL, Andre Russell was superb while my SRH teammate - David Warner - too was in great touch. They are the kind of players who can take the game away from you and it's imperative that you are at your best while bowling to them.## Follow for more...

Cricket

2388 days ago

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Tendulkar Backs India To Win The World Cup 2019

What needs to be the favorite to win the biggest tournament? a perfectly balanced side that can compete in every condition in every part of the world, well, India is certainly that side and master blaster and legendary Sachin Tendulkar thinks the same as well.## After demolishing New Zealand by 4-1 in their own backyard, the batting maestro did not hesitate calling India as favorites to win the tournament for the third time in England and Wales this year.## "I have gone on record saying that we have a perfect balance in the team where we will be competitive in any part of the world or on any surface. As far as our chances are concerned, I will not hesitate in saying that we are the favorites," Tendulkar told PTI.## India's overseas form in last one year especially in limited overs cricket has been quite phenomenal. They beat South Africa in both ODIs and T20Is, beat England in T20Is, beat Australia in all three formats, and now the outplayed New Zealand in recently concluded 5-match series.## Just like New Zealand was outplayed in their own conditions, England too faced one of their biggest defeats in the Test series against a number 8 side (West Indies) in West Indies. However, despite England's poor showing, the master blaster certainly believes that England will be the toughest competition while New Zealand will be the dark horses.## "It’s all about getting the early momentum. My judgment on the toughest contenders would be England, while New Zealand would be the dark horse," he said. "I know New Zealand have struggled in this series but it’s a good unit, one needs to be on their toes."## Sachin Tendulkar also thinks that the inclusion of Steve Smith and David Warner will make Australia a formidable side. "I think Australia at full strength will be a formidable side. With Smith and David Warner back in the team and their other bowlers coming back into the ODI squad, it will be a competitive side," Tendulkar said.## The World Cup 2019 will kick start from May 30 with the host England and South Africa fixture at The Oval, London. The final of the tournament will be played on 14 July at the iconic Lord's cricket ground, London.## Follow for more...