World Record Maker

Incredible Shahzad Made World Record!!

Afghanistan's opener stormed his way to a unique world record in the Desert T20 tournament.

Afghanistan cricket icon Mohammad Shahzad has set a new world record that will take some beating: the first cricketer to score fifties in two separate international matches, on the same day.

Making the record all the more sweet, Shahzad's run-scoring feats lead his country to triumph in the Desert T20 tournament, an eight-team event featuring ICC Associate nations held in the United Arab Emirates.

Shahzad took his chance to create history during the finals of the Desert T20, with both semi-finals and the final played on the one day at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Shahzad blasted 80 runs from 60 balls as Afghanistan chased down Oman's 150 in the first semi-final, as the Afghanistan team cruised to an eight wicket win with nine balls to spare.

In the second semi-final, Ireland posted 6-211, spurred by Gary Wilson's unbeaten 65 from 29 balls, then bowled out Scotland for just 113 in 15.1 overs to claim a 98-run win.

With the final played under lights, thoughts of a unique world record were far from Shahzad's mind when Ireland were skittled for just 71 in 13.2 overs. But the rambunctious opener steamrollered the opposition, blasting his way to a 40-ball half-century as Afghanistan chased down the target in just the eighth over.

Shahzad finished the tournament with 207 runs at 51.75 and a strike rate of 121. He sits seventh on the list of all-time T20 international run scorers with 1656 to his name, just one behind India's Virat Kohli.

Shahad drew universal acclaim during last year's ICC World T20 event as much for his antics as his ability (though he did impress with the latter as well) as Afghanistan surged into the Super 10s stages for a shot at the world's best.

Far from cowed by the company, the rather rotund 'keeper-batsman maintained the rage.

Sports News Jan 24, 2017

Major League Baseball players die in separate car crashes

The authorities in the Dominican Republic say that Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and former major leaguer Andy Marte both have died in separate traffic accidents.

Highway patrol spokesman Jacobo Mateo says Ventura died on a highway leading to the town of Juan Adrian, about 40 miles northwest of Santo Domingo.

He says it's not clear if Ventura was driving.

Metropolitan traffic authorities say Marte died when a car he was driving his a house along the highway between San Francisco de Macoris and Pimentel, about 95 miles north of the capital.

India vs England, 3rd ODI

Jadhav 90, ENG clinch last-ball thriller to avoid whitewash

Kedar Jadhav smashed 90 but India lost by five runs in the third ODI. England clinched a last-ball thriller as they secured their first win in Eden Gardens and avoided getting whitewashed 3-0.

Kedar Jadhav blasted a magnificent 90 but India fell short by five runs. India won the series 2-1 as England registered their first win in Eden Gardens. The visitors have also avoided getting whitewashed 3-0 as they won their first match on this tour.

India v England, 2nd ODI, Cuttack

India win series with Yuvraj and Dhoni tons

India 381 for 6 (Yuvraj 150, Dhoni 134, Woakes 4-60) beat England 366 for 8 (Morgan 102, Roy 82, Moeen 55, Root 54, Ashwin 3-65) by 15 runs

Remember the time chasing was hard in ODIs? A second match of this series assumed heart-stopping proportions as a flat track, a fast outfield, short boundaries and batsmen with self-belief the size of a small planet came together. India put up 381, fuelled by a career-best 150 from Yuvraj Singh and a 10th hundred from MS Dhoni. But they only just came away the victors of the match, and the series, as Eoin Morgan responded with one of the great innings by a batsman in England colours.

Beyond the runs Morgan made [102 off 81], beyond his ball-striking and the weird areas he exploited with those whiplash wrists - his composure under pressure was unreal. There were over 40, 000 people in Cuttack bellowing against him. The Indian spinners had done well despite the dew to complicate matters. The required run-rate had nudged over 10 at the end of the 36th over but, since England had lost half their side by then, Morgan had to wait. He was the set batsman - 46 off 48 balls - and his team needed him to last till the end. To that effect, he would defend his way through an R Ashwin over because after that it would be him against the Indian quicks. Morgan was gambling, and it was even paying off for a while.

In the end, a match that featured 747 runs, 19 sixes and 81 fours went down to the penultimate over when Jasprit Bumrah held his nerve to run Morgan out while he was backing up to get back on strike.

To get to that stage took a huge effort from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing his first ODI in a year. He began his second spell in the 42nd over, conceding just eight runs. He could have had a wicket, too, had Ravindra Jadeja been able to take a skier from Moeen Ali at long-on. In his next over, he gave away only three singles and bowled Moeen, who had hammered back-to-back fours to reach a half-century mere minutes ago. The wicket was the result of a little sleight of hand. With the required rate - two runs a ball - suffocating him, the batsman never saw the offcutter coming. As a result, instead of two well-set hitters at the crease, India had the comfort of aiming at England's lower order.

The other big play came in the middle overs, when Jadeja bowled the dangerous Jason Roy for 82 and Ashwin took care of Joe Root for 54. The offspinner then befuddled both Ben Stokes for 1 and Jos Buttler for 10 to rob England of a majority of their firepower, with the side 176 runs adrift of the target and nearly 20 overs left in the chase. Jadeja was remarkable. In a game where runs were scored at more than seven runs an over, he kept an economy rate of 4.5 by bowling wicket-to-wicket. And Ashwin went back to his old ways of deceiving batsmen in flight - Root top-edged a sweep, probably thinking the trajectory was flatter than it was. That broke a partnership of 100 between him and Roy at over run-a-ball. The crowd at Barabati stadium breathed easier.

They had spent the first innings in pure nostalgia with each ball that Yuvraj and Dhoni sent their way during a partnership of 256 in 230 balls. At one end, there were flowing drives with scintillating timing and from the other came brutal swats. No one was safe. Not Stokes, who was winded when Dhoni whacked a ball back at his chest. Not Alex Hales, who was wringing his fingers after trying to get under a pull from Dhoni. Not even the Spidercam was spared damage.

Yuvraj wasn't quite as murderous, or maybe he was and was just a little bit kinder to things both living and non-living on the ground. He came in at the end of the third over, enjoyed England trying to bounce him out on a pitch that barely had any in the first place, and bedded in to make his first hundred since the 2011 World Cup. It came off his 98th delivery and the celebrations made it clear how much the innings meant to him. He looked skyward, with his hands aloft. Then the bat handle thumped into his chest and he may even have become misty-eyed. At 35 years, having spent three years nowhere near the ODI team, wondering what would become of his career, coming back with his highest score had to be sweet.

There was no place for such emotion with Dhoni. He was what the situation made him. When he came in at the fall of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket in the fifth over, he blocked 14 straight deliveries from Chris Woakes, who was the sole reason India were 25 for 3. The next time those two faced each other, the ball was muscled over the midwicket boundary. Dhoni finished on 134 off 122 balls - having been 6 off 22 once - and became the first Indian to hit 200 sixes in ODIs. The shot that took him there - eerily similar to the one that won India the World Cup in 2011 - hit the top tier behind long-on. There was another reminder of that night in Mumbai; the final was the last time Yuvraj and Dhoni had put on 50 runs or more together.

But the clear-headed England that made all the early breakthroughs happen by bowling full and keeping a tight line on off stump fell into a trap. They bowled too short at Yuvraj, who eventually realised there was nothing in the pitch to make him fear such a line of attack. It is true that extreme pace has unsettled him regardless of conditions but he didn't have to face any on Thursday. A one-bounce pull for four got him going, drives through mid-off and cover showcased his timing and a pristine punch down the ground told the crowd they were in for something special. With Dhoni concentrating on staying at the crease to such a point that he barely even thought about runs early in his innings, and a severe lack of wickets, the middle overs became party time.

India hammered 94 runs in the 10 overs between the 30th and the 40th and finished with 73 off the last five. Also responsible for the late flourish were Kedar Jadhav, who belted three fours and a six in 10 balls, Hardik Pandya ,who began his innings with a four and six, and Jadeja, who helped take 14 runs off the final over.

South Africa news

South Africa news

De Villiers not picking and choosing Tests

AB de Villiers will not be able to pick and choose the Tests he wishes to play, according to CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat. And once de Villiers does return to the format, Lorgat said, he will not have the luxury of taking time off when he wanted.

On Tuesday, de Villiers said he would not be available for selection for the Test series in New Zealand in March, and that limited-overs cricket was a priority for him in order to play the 2019 World Cup. De Villiers said he was not retiring from Test cricket but was not yet ready to return to the format. Having been out of action since August last year because of an elbow injury, he said he was fit again and going to play the third T20I against Sri Lanka on January 25.

"This is a plan that we had six months ago. It's just a case of when he starts or when he returns," Lorgat said. "Because once he starts, there's no stopping and no time off. When you play, you play continuously. So he's not picking and choosing. These are deliberate discussions that we're having and which will continue.

"ODI cricket is the focus because he's the captain. Test cricket is different. We've got a settled team, we've got the resources to go through. If he was not the captain of the ODI team it might have been different. Same with T20s - we've got enough talent there and he's not leading the side. But with respect to ODIs, he will play every ODI because he's the captain."

Lorgat said de Villiers' decision to not play the Tests in New Zealand was no surprise because of the discussions they had been having in which the 2019 World Cup was a top priority.

Under Faf du Plessis' leadership and in de Villiers' absence, South Africa won their two most recent series - first in Australia and then at home against Sri Lanka. That form will also shape the nature of de Villiers' return.

"I'm most satisfied by the kind of conversations we're having with him," Lorgat said. "He's clear about when he's going to be ready and when he's not ready. His clarity is important because then selectors are aware and we move on. You've seen what's happened in the last few months. We've built the team without AB, and that's a very big positive. The absence of AB has allowed others to step up, and we've developed other players. It's fantastic from my point of view that we have more than 11 that can take the field and be a winning formula."

Lorgat was confident that de Villiers would be ready to play the Tests in the summer in England, but said that his return would be dependent on the form of the players in the squad at the time. "If the selectors and the team feel that they have a winning team going, AB is fully aware that it's the selectors that will determine whether he comes back into the team or not."

BBL Clash

Streakers Hit the BBL Clash

For the first time in the history of Big Bash League (BBL), two streakers ran in the playing area during the match with shorts in their hand and interrupted the ongoing Sydney Derby. Sydney Thunders were hosting the Sixers in the 25th league match on this Saturday. 

These streakers identified as Josh Hudson and Chad Sharp, both 27-years old and are cousins. They dodged several security persons and ran naked in the field in front of 39,756 audiences. But soon, guards caught them and take them off the field.

Both of them have been fined $5500 by Cricket Australia for breaching the code to enter in playing area without authorization. Moreover, they have been handed the ban for two years to not enter in the SCG and Sydney Football Stadium. They will also face charges in the Waverley Local Court on March 1 and there is a possibility of additional charges to be pressed on them.

Neymar most valuable player in Europe - CIES Football Observatory study

Neymar most valuable player in Europe - CIES Football Observatory study

Neymar is the most valuable player in Europe - worth about £216m - according to a new study which values 10 players at more than 100m euros.

The Barcelona striker is ahead of team-mate Lionel Messi, who is valued by academics at £149m.

The only England players in the top 10 are Tottenham duo Harry Kane (worth £122m) and Dele Alli (£96m). Paul Pogba, who joined Manchester United for a record £89m in the summer, is worth £136.4m. The study has been carried out by a team of academics from the CIES Football Observatory, using a transfer value algorithm. They have calculated the value using criteria that includes player performance and characteristics, such as age and length of contract.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Ballon d'Or winner and Fifa's world's best player, is seventh on the list at £111m, with Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale 14th and valued at £73.8m, less than the £85.3m he cost the La Liga side in 2013. Pogba is the only player in the top five not based in Spain, with Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann third at £132m and Barcelona's Luis Suarez fifth (£127m).

There are 42 Premier League players in the top 100 including Chelsea's Eden Hazard (£89m), Manchester United's Anthony Martial (£81m), Manchester City's Raheem Sterling (£75m) and Leicester City's Jamie Vardy (£45m).

West Ham midfielder Michail Antonio makes the list at 100, with a value of £31m.

India v England, 1st ODI, Pune

Kohli, Jadhav tons set up 351 chase

India 356 for 7 (Kohli 122, Jadhav 120) beat England 350 for 7 (Root 78, Roy 73, Stokes 62) by three wickets

England brought their heavy artillery to the MCA Stadium in Pune but still they were outgunned. They posted 350 and then had India 63 for 4 but could not finish the job. They removed Virat Kohli, the king of the chase, but others stepped into the breach. They saw off Kedar Jadhav, who scored a 65-ball hundred, but could not see off the rest. A match that aggregated more than 700 runs was finally settled in India's favour with the 23rd six of the night. This could be some series.

Kohli extended the imperious form that saw him reign in all formats in 2016 to score his 27th ODI hundred and he was ably supported by Jadhav, 31 years old and playing his 13th ODI, during a partnership of exactly 200 that set up India to achieve their joint second-highest successful chase. Victory was completed with 11 balls to spare as Hardik Pandya followed up his two wickets with a cool-headed and inventive 40 not out to guide India home.

Kohli was visibly anguished to be dismissed with 88 still needed and Jadhav, struggling with cramp, fell shortly after to give England hope of pulling the match back. In the end, defending the short boundaries was too difficult a task, with only Jake Ball - who took 3 for 67 - and Chris Woakes going at fewer than India's required rate of seven an over.

Half-centuries of varying tempo from Jason Roy, Joe Root and Ben Stokes took England to what seemed a formidable total - the seventh time they had touched 350 since the 2015 World Cup - but, crucially, none of their early successes with the ball included Kohli. Stokes finally induced an error after Kohli and Jadhav had raised the double-century stand - India's second-highest for any wicket in ODIs - and Jadhav was then reduced to standing and swinging as cramp prevented him from running.

Stokes, with the fastest fifty by an Englishman against India, had provided the high-velocity finish England needed to set a challenging target. Their innings had threatened to subside after the dismissal of Root for 78 but Stokes hit the pedal in response, going from 14 off 19 to a 33-ball fifty in a starburst of sixes, as 105 runs flowed from the last eight overs to give England their highest ODI total in India - surpassing the 338 made in Bangalore at the 2011 World Cup (which also wasn't good enough for victory). Only twice had India chased as many, during their 2013-14 series with Australia.

Kohli, in his first match since succeeding MS Dhoni as ODI captain, may have been frustrated with his bowlers at halfway but he set about making up for it himself. He wanted to bat second and showed his relish for the chase, cracking his fourth ball into the stands and taking every opportunity to put pressure on England as the bowlers sought wickets. Five sixes rained from his bat in all, along with numerous more subtle dissections.

Jadhav made an ODI century against Zimbabwe in 2015 but has had to bide his time with India, despite a List A average approaching 50. With Kohli looking as regal as ever, he just needed someone to stay with him, but Jadhav did more than that. He outscored Kohli during their partnership and was particularly severe on Adil Rashid, one of the stars of England's white-ball revival, who was twice hit out of the attack. At 262 for 4 with 14 overs to go, India were favourites and late strikes from Stokes and Ball could not derail them.

The outcome had been less certain after David Willey removed both openers, then India's veteran middle-order pairing of Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni also fell cheaply. Yuvraj, playing his first ODI in more than three years, sent his first scoring shot over the rope at deep midwicket, a throwback to his days of youthful marauding, but was caught tamely down the leg side off Stokes; Dhoni departed in the next over, top-edging a misbegotten pull to midwicket off Ball to leave India in trouble.

This England one-day side have come to India as both a curiosity and a threat. Their pumped-up approach has made them the fastest-scoring side in ODIs since a dismal showing at the last World Cup and subject of genuine interest in a country that knows more about limited-overs success than most - and one where England have tended to fail in coloured clothing. Eoin Morgan's side have got into the habit of breaking records and you can now throw in the highest ODI total England have failed to defend.

Some of that spark was provided by England's daring run to the final of last year's World T20 in India. Roy was one of the breakout stars of that tournament and he continued to show a liking for the conditions after Kohli chose to insert England. Roy played several crisp drive and flicks, either side of overturning an lbw decision after being given out on 18, to give the innings its early impetus.

His endeavour allowed Alex Hales to settle in, as is his preferred method, but the partnership was broken on 39 when Jasprit Bumrah's flat throw from deep-backward square leg caught Hales millimetres short. Roy's blade continued to flash, the pick of his fours a beautifully timed straight drive off Bumrah, during a 36-ball half-century as England ended the opening Powerplay on 67 for 1 (Roy with 52 of them). Then came the challenge of spin.

Root took his time to adjust and was mostly content to deal in dabs and deflections, although he did clear the ropes with a lofted sweep off Jadeja after reaching his fifty, from 72 balls. England played the spinners intelligently, with only Ravindra Jadeja taking a wicket, although Roy had a life on 66 when top-edging a reverse-swipe off R Ashwin to short third man, where Umesh Yadav couldn't hold on. He was finally removed in the following over, walking past a non-turning delivery from Jadeja to be stumped.

Morgan, back to lead England after opting out of the tour to Bangladesh, came into his first ODI since England lost to Pakistan at Cardiff in September having made scores of 3 and 0 in the warm-ups. After watchfully accruing four off 12 balls, he struck the first six of the innings, slog-sweeping over midwicket as Ashwin's spell turned expensive, but just when he appeared set for some steady middle-overs accumulation a thin edge behind - undetected by the umpire but confirmed by DRS - ended his stay

Graham Taylor: Football to pay tribute to former England manager

Taylor, who enjoyed success with Watford, Wolves, Aston Villa and Lincoln City, died aged 72 on Thursday.

A minute's applause will be held before the weekend's English Football League matches.

Watford, whom he managed for 15 years over two spells, will commemorate Taylor before their game against Middlesbrough on Saturday.






The EFL said it was also giving clubs the option of letting their players wear black armbands during this weekend's fixtures.

The Premier League will leave the decision of whether to pay tribute to individual clubs. Its executive chairman Richard Scudamore said Taylor's "insight, wit and self-deprecating humour" would be missed.

"You will struggle to find a more decent individual in football - one who cared passionately about all levels and aspects of the English game," he said.

Meanwhile, Watford supporters have been laying tributes to Taylor outside their stadium, where a stand is named after their former manager, chairman and, more recently, honorary vice-president.

As a club manager, Taylor led Watford from the Fourth Division to runners-up in the old First Division in five years, and to the 1984 FA Cup final.

He took Aston Villa to second in the First Division, returning to Watford and Villa after his spell in charge of the national side, and also managing Wolves.

Wolves meet Aston Villa in a Championship game at Molineux on Saturday.

Taylor became England boss in 1990 but resigned in 1993 after the team failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

He later became a respected pundit for BBC Sport.

He leaves behind his wife Rita and daughters Joanne and Karen.

Love you Dhoni

*धोनी तू कधी स्वता:साठी असं काहीच मागितलं नाहीस..!!*

कपिल देवला सर्वाधिक विकेट मिळवण्याचा विक्रम करायचा होता म्हणून सहकारी गोलदांजाकडून बाॅल हिसकवताना पाहिलं. सौरव गांगुलीला वर्चस्वाच्या लढाईत भांडताना व शेवटी टीमवापसीसाठी भांडताना पाहिलं. सचिनला शंभर शतके करता यावीत म्हणून मॅनेजमेंटने सर्वाना धारेवर धरताना पाहिलं. परंतु, धोनी तू कधी स्वतासाठी असं काहीच मागितलं नाहीस. कधी डिमांड नाही की हेकेखोरी नाही. तसं बघायला गेल तर तुझ्यासाठी कोणी काही खास केलं नाही. तुझ्यासाठी कोणी बाजू घेतलेलं पाहिलं नाही. तरीसुध्दा तू तुझं वैयक्तिक बॅटिंग करियर कर्णधारपदाच्या जबाबदारीसाठी आणि आम्हा भारतीयांना 'वर्ल्डकप' मिळवून देण्यासाठी त्यागलसं.

तू देशहिताला प्रथम प्राधान्य देऊन जगज्जेता संघ बांधलास. त्याला योग्य आकार देऊन जग जिंकलसं. तुझ्यातला स्फोटक फलंदाज हा रिचर्डस् आणि ख्रिस गेल पेक्षाही घातक होता. तू स्वतासाठी खेळला असतास तर आज तुझे ही कित्येक शतके, कितीतरी मॅन आॅफ द मॅच, कितीतरी रेकाॅर्ड्स असते. ऐन फाॅर्मात असताना तू कॅप्टन झालास आणि एक कर्णधार, एक यष्टीरक्षक आणि संकटकाळातील भरवशाचा फलंदाज म्हणून कितीतरी जबाबदाऱ्या पार पाडल्यास. एवढं करुनही तुझ्यात ती उपकार केल्याची किंवा अहंभावाची कुठलीही छटा नाही की विजयाचा उन्माद नाही की दु:खाचा शोक नाही.

मला वाटते की तू खऱ्या अर्थाने निर्वाण मिळवले आहेस. तू या सुख-दु:खाच्या फेऱ्यातून मुक्त झाला आहेस. तू स्वता म्हणाला होतास की नेतृत्व करणाऱ्या व्यक्तीचे मित्र नसावेत. कारण नेतृत्व करताना कर्तव्यापासून दूर जाण्याची चूक होऊ शकते. परंतु, तू घेतलेला प्रत्येक निर्णय काळाने योग्य ठरवलेला आहे. तुझ्यावर गर्व आहे. तुझा अभिमान आहे. जाताजाता ही एक गोष्ट शिकवून गेलासं ती अशी... हरल्यानंतर आपल्याला थांबावं लागणार हे माहित असतं. परंतु, जिंकल्यानंतर कुठे थांबायचं हे कुणाला माहित नसतं. तू आम्हाला शिकवलसं की जिंकल्यानंतर कुठे थांबायचं.'

Rayudu ton, Dhoni, Yuvraj fifties in vain

Sam Billings spoils MS Dhoni's farewell as skipper

England 307 for 7 (Billings 93, Roy 64, Kuldeep 5-60) beat India 304 for 5 (Rayudu 100 retd out, Dhoni 68*) by three wickets

Sam Billings' sweep-laden 93 helped England to their first win of the tour Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh scored half-centuries, and the relatively less-heralded Ambati Rayudu scored a hundred. But, the magic the crowd thirsted for had to be conjured by the man they had assembled in large numbers for at the Brabourne Stadium. MS Dhoni was in a mood to oblige and belted out a crackling assortment of his show-stopping strokes on the way to an unbeaten 40-ball 68.

This was billed as Dhoni's last match as captain of an Indian side, and his knock was meant to be the appetizer to a victorious sign-off. England, and in particular Sam Billings (93 off 85 balls), however, were determined to hijack the plot. A strong start, a rickety middle-phase engineered by India's spinners and a nervy finish ensued, and at the end, England sneaked to their first victory of the tour in a game they they looked to win in a canter.

England's chase of 305 got the impetus it needed at the top to insure against any collapses later on. Alex Hales and Jason Roy rattled along to 95 at more than six runs an over. Roy set the template for the innings in the first delivery of the innings - a full, inswinging delivery from Ashish Nehra was driven straight down the ground for four. Four balls later, he drove a similar delivery through the covers. Whenever the bowlers compensated by pitching it short, Roy and Hales leant back to punish.

Hardik Pandya conceded 16 just from his first five overs. As has been the case for the most part of Dhoni's limited-overs captaincy, he leant on his spinners for control. After Kuldeep Yadav struck with his third delivery - Hales slapped a short delivery to cover - he went on to prise out Roy, who attempted to slog a wrong-un and top-edged a catch to deep midwicket.

Yuzvendra Chahal had up to that point leaked 24 runs in three overs, but caught a break when captain Eoin Morgan reverse-swept him to first slip where Dhawan pouched a one-handed stunner. Buttler and Billings, though, revived the chase with a 79-run stand for the fourth wicket. For the most part, they either swept or stepped out of the crease to negate the flight and turn. Kuldeep, however, halted their progress with another double-strike in the 31st over - Buttler hit one to Mohit Sharma at long off and three balls later Moeen Ali was lbw after having missed a sweep.

England were rescued by another robust partnership of 99 runs as Billings and Liam Dawson (41 off 47) took them within striking distance. Despite their dismissals late in the piece, England had little trouble going over the line.

India would apportion a large part of the blame to their catching: three catches were dropped. Mandeep Singh put down Buttler in the 25th over, and Billings was dropped on 44 and 84 by Sanju Samson and Yuvraj respectively.

Much of England's hardwork was done in the afternoon by their fast bowlers after India were asked to bat. Their bowling appeared to be at its most menacing in the first half of the afternoon as Shikhar Dhawan and Mandeep Singh struggled to find fluency.

The first truculent shot - it would become an increasingly common feature as the afternoon wore on - made an appearance in the fifth over when Dhawan hammered a pull over the head of Adil Rashid at fine leg, after he had walked in a few paces too many from the boundary. He then charged at Willey in the next over and flayed one over covers, but Willey wouldn't be denied for much longer.

During the course of their 111-run partnership, Ambati Rayudu and Dhawan compulsively swept the spinners, and when they shortened their length, took runs off them with cuts and pulls. Ball, however, pulled one back for his team after he found Dhawan's outside edge in the 29th over. No sooner had Yuvraj Singh walked in, Ball decided to examine his skills against the short ball. Yuvraj held his hand up awkwardly against one such delivery, and later played a clumsy pull. Yuvraj was comfortable against spin though. In the 34th over, he lofted Rashid for two sixes, first over long off and then over the bowler's head.

Rayudu, meanwhile, was jumping out of the crease almost every other delivery and reached his century via a collection of heaves and thumps. His job done, he retired out a couple of deliveries later to give the crowd what they wanted - an opportunity to watch Dhoni bat. Dhoni began scratchily as he was hit on the thigh pad and missed a pull that ricocheted off his body and landed dangerously close to the stumps. But, after a rasping pull played like a top-spin forehand that hinted at rhythm, Dhoni went into overdrive after two successive boundaries in the 44th over.

From thereon, amid wickets at the other end and a pitch-invasion, Dhoni shuffle-flicked, cut and thrashed his way to a half-century. In the last over, Dhoni walloped Woakes for two sixes and two fours. There was the full package of Dhoni treats - the wristy heavd over backward square leg, an uppish cut, a miscued pull and a primal slog over deep midwicket - as India ransacked 23 runs in the final over. A win for India A would have been sweeter, but the fans will take this.

Djokovic Sets the Record Straight Against Murray in Doha Final

If the Doha final was a taste of what’s to come in the 2017 tennis season then it is going to be one hell of a year. Djokovic got his revenge over Murray 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in maybe their best match yet.

Djokovic appeared nervous at the beginning which was understandable after what happened in London but he soon found his rhythm from the ground and he went through a stretch where he won 16 consecutive points on serve which put pressure on Murray’s serve.

The pressure eventually got to Murray as Djokovic broke in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. Djokovic continued to exert pressure on Murray in the second set with that incredible baseline consistency and broke serve again at 3-3 after a Murray double fault.

At 5-4 he was serving for the match which looked like it would be a masterclass win but Murray saved three match points in the game and broke back. I didn’t feel like Djokovic choked but he wasn’t quite convincing in putting Murray away either.

I’d rather give Murray the credit for how well he played in that game as he took break point with a tremendous inside out forehand winner. The momentum was now with him as he held serve and broke Djokovic again to win the second set.

Going into the third set, the commentator said that Djokovic could tire after the match with Verdasco but I wasn’t quite buying it. Becker also tweeted that the momentum was now with Murray and I wasn’t quite buying that either.

How many times have we seen Djokovic smash a racquet after losing a set and coming back to win the next set? Many times and that is exactly what he did after losing the second set. Djokovic was playing like his old self even though Murray found a way back and I was confident that he would bounce back.

Cristiano Ronaldo receives the Ballon d'Or award again

For the 4th time, Cristiano Ronaldo - Footballer who is probably the greatest football player that ever played the game received the prestigious Ballon d'Or award this year. Millions of football lovers around the world see Cristiano as the most successful player in history. Ronaldo bags the Ballon d'Or this 2016 making it one award short from Lionel Messi who had five. The two famous players in the previous years were given the award for their talent and hard work that led their teams to the top.

The award

The Ballon d'or is a reputable annual award from FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) which is given to the most outstanding football players that showed exemplary ways of playing the game according to votes from coaches, international journalists and team captains. The award which was also known as European Footballer of the Year award was granted by the French publication, France Football since 1956.This the most prestigious honor that a player can have in the world of football. The award was given through 2010 to 2015 for male football players and now, Cristiano Ronaldo gets the 2016 award. Only two dominant players, award rivals, namely Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo so far received the award. No other player since 2010 has been given the Ballon d'Or honor.

The player

Cristiano Ronaldo is a forward player from the Real Madrid football team. Born on the 5th of February 1985, now 31, Cristiano is living the life of the most popular player football has ever produced. Ronaldo from Real Madrid is a Portuguese professional football player who started his club career as a player for Sporting CP and signing for Manchester United at the age of only 18. At a young age the talented player was seen by others as a very brilliant player of the game. At the age of 14, Ronaldo along with his mother decided he should leave school to pursue a football career for the boy.

Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo was diagnosed with a heart problem called "Tachycardia," a condition of the heart pace that exceeds the normal resting rate. The young player underwent an operation. A laser was used to cauterise the area of his heart that was affected. Because of his strength and determination he was discharged after a few hours from the hospital and resumed his football training just a few days later. The Cristiano Ronaldo really had the heart of a champion even at young age, even though he was struck with a heart condition. He rose to the occasion and made it to the top until this day.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a part of the famous team Real Madrid Club de Futbol. This is a professional football team which is based in Madrid, Spain. The team was founded 114 years ago in 1902. The football club showed themselves to be a powerful force in football in both the Spanish and European football during the 1950's. Today, the Real Madrid football club is a force to reckon with in terms of the game. Backed-up with the most talented player in the world - Cristiano Ronaldo the famous Footballer, Real Madrid would be very difficult to defeat.

Young people today who love to play football fantasize about growing up to be like Cristiano Ronaldo who can kick the ball with amazing speed and accuracy towards the goal. Thanks to the likes of Ronaldo kids today are into sports and not into bad habits that destroy their future. Playing the most entertaining sport in the world makes young people grow with good manners and right conduct as they are learning sportsmanship through play and making friends wherever they go.

About Football

Football or Association Football, or soccer is a very famous sport that is played by 2 teams composed of eleven players each. The game was first played on December 19, 1863, in London, England. The objective of the game is to score a goal by kicking the ball past the goalkeeper and between the goalposts. The game is played in a large football field or a soccer field.

Cristiano Ronaldo - People’s Sexiest Man Alive

Cristiano Ronaldo - People’s Sexiest Man Alive

He is unquestionably handsome, he’s been smartly building his career on more than his look.

Cristiano Ronaldo being named the Sexiest Man Alive makes his girlfriend the luckiest Woman Alive?

Ronaldo also dished that his sexy body and muscles just come with the job. " I don't do special exerice to get a six-oack," he said. "I train to be strong for the whole season.

World Best Tennis Player Maria Sharapova refuse for 2 years

Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion and one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes, was suspended for two years Wednesday when an International Tennis Federation tribunal ruled that she unintentionally committed a doping violation.

Sharapova announced in March that she tested positive for meldonium on Jan. 26 at the Australian Open and began serving a provisional suspension. Meldonium, a heart medication that is said to improve blood flow and allow athletes to recover faster, was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list on Jan. 1 after the agency monitored its use for a year.

MS Dhoni saved him from getting dropped many times

Not just a leader, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also a saviour for his successor Virat Kohli, who revealed that the talismanic former skipper prevented his ouster from the Indian team many a times.

Kohli has played his entire international cricket under Dhoni's captaincy since his ODI debut in Sri Lanka back in 2008.

In his initial days both in ODIs and Tests, Kohli didn't show consistency and his place wasn't secure but Dhoni had immense faith in his talent and abilities.

Dhoni explains decision to retire

Dhoni decision to "Retire"

MS Dhoni's surprise decision to retire seems to have divided people into one of two camps: those who cheer the selfless pragmatism of choosing to retire in the middle of an important series, and those who struggle to comprehend exactly what the **** Dhoni was thinking by choosing to retire midway through an important series.

Thankfully, Dhoni has decided to put his newfound extra time to good use by explaining his actions himself. Turns out there was more than just one good reason to retire the way he did.