Sports

Sydney, Jan 1: The touring Indian cricketers and their home team counterparts were today hosted by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott for an afternoon tea at his official residence on the New Year's Day here today. Players from both sides posed for the official photo session with Abbott at Kirribilli House, his second official residence. Dressed in their casual Team India T-Shirts and trousers

Mumbai, Jan 1: Former India Test skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni initially wanted to dribble, or be the custodian, standing between the woodwork. But things took a turn when Keshav Ranjan Banerjee – one of his coaches in MECON ground in Ranchi – spotted a wicket-keeper in the aspiring goalkeeper. “He caught my eye in 1991 when he was a footballer. I shifted his focus to cricket and turned him into a

Dec 31: MS Dhoni, always known as 'Captain Cool,' got a touch emotional when he announced his decision in the dressing room. His teammates hugged him and took pictures with the departing skipper. BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said: "Someone who was present in the dressing room told me that he (Dhoni) was a bit emotional while announcing his decision." Team director Ravi Shastri told a website, "When

Melbourne, Dec 31: Team director Ravi Shastri has expressed his surprise at skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to walk away from Tests. “When he walked into the dressing-room, got the team together and said what he had to, he caught all of us off guard,” the former India captain said. “There were no dramas, he just said, very openly, ‘I can’t play all formats any more so I’m announcing my

Melbourne, Dec 30: Australia today regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the third cricket Test ended in an exciting draw with a jittery India just about managing to avoid an embarrassing defeat here. Set an improbable target of 384 in 70 overs courtesy Shaun Marsh's 99, India's batting frailty was again exposed and they survived some anxious moments before salvaging a draw. It ensured that

Melbourne, Dec 30: Middle-order batsman Shaun Marsh missed his maiden Test century on home soil, getting run out on 99 runs, but steered Australia to 318 for nine declared at lunch, an overall lead of 383 runs, on the fifth and final day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here Tuesday. India were set a 384-run target in 70 overs. Ran Harris, unbeaten on eight overnight, was first

Melbourne, Dec 29: Australia put themselves in a comfortable position by taking an overall lead of 326 runs by the end of the fourth day as the third cricket Test headed for an exciting finish, with India needing to go for a all-out win to keep themselves afloat in the series. India's first innings folded for 465, adding just three runs to their overnight score, with Mitchell Johnson polishing off

New Delhi, Dec 29: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar Sunday denied planning a cricket academy and seeking land from IIT Delhi to build it, adding he was "appalled" by reports suggesting so. "I am appalled to read the stories that suggest some land has been asked from IIT-D for academy in my name," Tendulkar said in a tweet. "I have not even planned any academy neither do I want any piece of land for

Melbourne, Dec 28: Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane struck fluent centuries and stitched a record 262-run fourth-wicket partnership as India fought back bravely before a late-order slide allowed a sloppy Australia to claw back in the third cricket Test, here today. Resuming the day on 108 for one in response to the hosts' first innings score of 530, India lost their overnight batsmen early but Kohli

Melbourne, Dec 27: Skipper Steven Smith slammed his highest score of 190, as Australia were all out for 530 just before tea on day two of the third Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. Smith scored his seventh Test century, his third successive hundred in the series, and in the company of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (55) Mitchell Johnson ( 28) and Ryan Harris ( 74) took the