Andrew Strauss quits from all forms of cricket

London: Andrew Strauss has retired from all forms of competitive cricket following England’s 2-0 loss against South Africa, which led to the team losing the No. 1 Test ranking. Strauss made the announcement at Lord’s on Wednesday, where it was announced that Alastair Cook would take over the leadership of the team.

"After much thought over the last few weeks, I have decided to step down as England Test captain and announce my retirement from all forms of cricket," said Strauss. "It has clearly been a tough decision to make, but I believe that it is both in the best interests of the England cricket team and myself to step down at this stage."

Following the loss to South Africa, in which his highest score was 37, Strauss had said he wanted time to ponder his career and talk with England's team director Andy Flower. Strauss struggled against South Africa’s battery of quick men, managing just 107 runs in six innings, and had to contend with the situation surrounding Kevin Pietersen and his omission from the final Test at Lord’s.

This brought to a close a 100-Test career in which Strauss, 35, scored 7037 runs at 40.91, inclusive of 21 Test centuries – one shy of the all-time England record. In a 15-year first-class career which started at Durham MCC University in 1998, Strauss scored 17046 runs. He played all his county cricket for his home side, Middlesex.

"No one can play international cricket for any length of time without having an incredibly strong support network around them, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family for going through it all alongside me over the course of my England career," said Strauss at the ECB office at Lord's.

"I am extremely proud of everything I have achieved as a cricketer, and I have found myself very fortunate to play in an era when some of English cricket's greatest moments have occurred. I have loved every minute of it. All that remains is for me to wish Andy, Alastair and the rest of the team the very best for the coming months. I will be an interested spectator."

Strauss took over the England captaincy at the age of 31 in in February 2009 after the Pietersen-Peter Moores saga and led England in 50 Tests, including 24 wins, 11 losses and 15 draws. He oversaw two Ashes victories, home and away, as well as Test series wins over India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies (twice) and Bangladesh as well as a series draw in South Africa.

1st Test: Ashwin spins India to an innings win against New Zealand

Hyderabad: R Ashwin's 12 wicket-haul helped India humble New Zealand by an innings and 115 runs in Hyderabad on Sunday to win the first Test and take 1-0 lead in their two-match Test series. Ashwin took 6 for 54 in the second innings after his 6 for 31 in the first, as the visitors were dismissed for just 164. Ashwins' fellow spinner, left-armer Pragyan Ojha, finished with figures of 3 for 48.

Following on, Kruger van Wyk and Doug Bracewell took New Zealand's second innings score to 146 for 6 at tea on the penultimate day. But Ashwin and Ojha continued with their magical spell after tea as they claimed the last four Kiwi wickets in the span of 6.5 overs to power India to a crushing victory.

India had a frustrating first session as the overnight duo of Brendon McCullum (42) and Kane Williamson (52) put up a brave front after resuming at 44 for 1, following on in the second innings.

But after Umesh Yadav (1 for 32) broke the 72-run second wicket partnership, New Zealand lost their remaining nine wickets in 34.4 overs with more than a day left for the match. This was also India's first Test win in nine months following a 0-4 thrashing at the hands of Australia.

India got their first breakthrough of the day after lunch, thanks to a poor decision by Steve Davis ruled McCullum out. McCullum got an inside edge before the ball hit the pads but umpire Davis ruled the batsman out.

Ross Taylor's poor form continued as he came to the middle for a short time. He left Ashwin's delivery alone on a turning pitch and found his off stump unsettled. Kane Williamson and Daniel Flynn consolidated and put on a partnership of 33 runs but Williamson edged Ojha to Sehwag at slip for 52.

Ashwin took two wickets in two overs in the form of Flynn and James Franklin as with spin at both ends, it was just a matter of time for the Indians to take an unassailable 1-0 lead. Sehwag took a diving catch at first slip to dismiss Franklin off Ashwin.

Ashwin was simply unplayable as the Indian offspinner completed his 10-wicket haul in the match with the wicket of of van Wyk.

Earlier, India began day-4 proceedings straight away with the spin duo of Ojha and Ashwin, but there was little assistance in the morning as the Kiwi batsmen played them out sensibly.

India and New Zealand will now travel to Bangalore for the second Test.

Team India is U-19 World Cup champion

Townsville: India lifted the ICC Under-19 World Cup for the third time in the tournament's history with a six-wicket win over hosts Australia on Sunday, with skipper Unmukt Chand yet again showing his big-match temperament with an unbeaten century.

Australia had been kept to 225 for 8 after Sandeep Sharma took four wickets, and the win was completed with Unmukt carrying his bat for 111 off 130 deliveries, his fourth century in a knock-out match this year. He was ably assisted by Baba Aparajith (33) and wicketkeeper Smit Patel (62 not out), who hit the winning runs with a boundary as India won with 14 balls remaining. 

It was a captain’s innings from Unmukt, in all manner of speaking. The 19-year-0ld came into the final with scores of 31, 0, 4, 78 and 22 in the tournament and looked on from the nonstriker’s end as his opening partner Prashant Chopra was dismissed for 0 in the second over. He took his time to build his innings, hitting only one four in the first eight overs. But in the ninth Unmukt opened up with a boundary and a six off Gurinder Sandhu, and the timing of his shots only got better.

Aparajith played some pretty drives during his innings, but his dismissal in the 15th over – caught at extra cover while driving on the rise – gave Australia an opening. Hanuma Vihari came and went for 4 and Vijaz Zol could only manage 1, but dropping Chand on 38 cost Australia dearly. A second six off Sandhu was followed by a boundary that brought Chand his half-century off 66 balls.

Australia briefly pulled things as Patel took his time to get going, but once he did there was no stopping India and a match-winning alliance of 130 was forged. The pair ran well between the wickets and were quick to pounce on anything even fractionally short. A sluggish batting Powerplay left India needing 61 from the final ten overs, and they did it with ease thanks to Unmukt and Patel. Unmukt's fifth century at this level came off 126 balls with his fifth six, and he collected another before Patel swung Ashton Turner for four over midwicket in the 48th over to cue mad scenes from the Indian camp.

Earlier, after Unmukt opted to field, Sandeep's 4 for 54 had played a big role in keeping Australia to an achievable total. His early strikes helped reduce the hosts to 38 for 4, after which Australia captain William Bosisto (87 not out) forged two half-century stands with Travis Head (37) and Turner (43). Sandeep struck in the first two overs of an fine opening spell(5-2-8-2) to get the previous match’s centurion Cameron Bancroft (2) and Jimmy Peirson (0), and Australia then lost two wickets with the score on 38.

Bosisto batted well for his innings, hitting six fours in a 120-ball effort, and crucially scored 59 off his last 50 balls faced. Sandeep came in for stick at the end, conceding 46 in his final five overs, but in the end Bosisto's unbeaten innings was trumped by an even better one from his opposite number.

Australia Vs Afghanistan First Ever ODI Match: Australia defeat Afghanistan by 66 runs

Sharjah: Former world champions Australia defeated a battling Afghanistan team by 66 runs in the first-ever limited overs international between the two sides on Saturday. Australia did well to reach 272 for 8 in their 50 overs despite some hiccups in the middle overs before overcoming a tough mid-innings resistance by Afghanistan who in the end were bowled out for 206 in 43.5 overs.

Michael Clarke hit a 94-ball 75 while Matthew Wade also made 75 off 108 balls to take Australia to a fighting total on a dry Sharjah Stadium pitch in sultry 35-plus degree heat. The match, which started at 6pm local time to avoid the heat and ended early Sunday, was Afghanistan's second against a full Test-playing side after they met Pakistan in February this year.

New Zealand trail India by 238 runs following on

Having asked to follow on, New Zealand were restricted to 41 for 1 in their second innings by India before the bad light and rain stopped play on day three of the first Test in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Martin Guptill (16) was the only man to get out when he adjudged lbw to a Pragyan Ojha delivery that skidded after pitching around off stump and the batsman did the mistake of not offering a shot. Brendon McCullum (16) and Kane Williamson (3) were at the crease when umpires took the players off the field and decided to call off the remaining day's play.

Earlier, an inspired spell by offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin helped India wrapping New Zealand's first innings for 159, thus enforcing the follow on after taking a commanding 279-run lead.

Ashwin, who was brought into the attack by skipper MS Dhoni only later in the morning session, took the last three Kiwi wickets - Jeetan Patel (10), Trent Boult (4) and Chris Martin (0) - by giving away just a single run to finish with the overall figures of 6 for 31 after the rain delayed start of the first session of play by an hour.

Dhoni's strategy to start the day's proceedings with team's speedsters Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav brought an instant result, with the latter trapping the overnight not out batsman Kruger van Wyk (0) leg before. The short ball kept low and hit van Wyk's thigh pad and it would have hit the top of off stump if it had continued its path.

Doug Bracewell showed some intent to stay but was done in by a well-flighted delivery from Ojha. He came down the pitch to tonk Ojha over the top, missing the ball altogether and thus giving Dhoni enough time to shatter the stumps.

Ashwin had taken the wicket on the very first delivery he bowled on Friday, and it was his third ball that fetched him a wicket on Saturday. Jeetan Patel couldn't keep his lofted drive down and gave a return catch to Ashwin who dived to his left to take a good catch.

Ashwin's craft was too difficult to understand for Boult and Martin, the No. 10 and 11 for New Zealand, as he folded the visitors' innings at the stroke of lunch.

James Franklin, who looked most confident among all the New Zealand batsmen, remained unbeaten on 43.

Brief Score:

India 1st innings: 438 all out (Cheteshwar Pujara 159); New Zealand: 159 (James Franklin 43*; R Ashwin 6 for 31) & 41 for 1 (f/o) in 18 overs

India 438, limit NZ to 106/5 on Day 2

An expected tale once again unfolded in Hyderabad when the Indian spinners stamped their supremacy after their batsmen posted a good score on a worn-out Uppal wicket on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand on Friday.

After an impressive 159 by Cheteshwar Pujara and solid half-centuries by MS Dhoni (73) and Virat Kohli (58) that took India's first innings total to 438, it was the duo of Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin who reveled in the spin-friendly conditions, picking up two and three wickets respectively.

New Zealand ended the day at 106 for 5, still 332 runs shy of the India’s total, with James Franklin (31) and Kruger van Wyk (0) at the wicket. The visitors, who began their innings after tea, lost wickets in a heap as none of their batsmen could gauge the nature of the pitch to match the craft of the Indian spinners.

Brendon McCullum (22) paid the price of being ultra-aggressive, throwing his wicket away in the very first over bowled by the Indian spinners. Ojha drew McCullum forward, making him play a rash stroke on the up and was taken neatly by Virat Kohli in the covers. It was the first of the three catches that Kohli took.

Before Martin Guptill (2) could understand how much the wicket is turning, he was caught by Kohli at backward short leg while trying to defend a tossed-up delivery on the middle and leg from Ashwin. Ross Taylor (2) was also caught at the same place but to a more difficult attempt by Kohli, who dived full length after Taylor tried to flick it. It was referred to the TV umpire who gave him out after watching the replays from every possible angle. Daniel Flynn played across the line and was trapped lbw by a flatter delivery by Ashwin.

Kane Williamson (32) and Franklin, although scoring runs at a snail’s pace, prevented India taking any more wicket until Ojha struck again with Williamson edging a fuller one to Virender Sehwag at first slip.

Earlier, after setting up a launch pad for a big score without losing any wickets in the morning session, the Indian batsmen faltered in their approach in the afternoon and lost five wickets in the second session to get all out for 438.

Jeetan Patel got rewards for his persistence as he tempted the settled Indian batsmen, Pujara (159) and Dhoni (73), to play false strokes, thus picking up crucial wickets.

Pujara's impressive knock ended when his miscued hoick off Jeetan Patel found Franklin who back-pedalled from mid-on to take a good catch. Dhoni too didn't last long as his attempt to clear mid-off failed as Doug Bracewell leaped up to snap a fine catch.

Zaheer Khan got out to a snorter from Trent Boult whose length delivery on the off stump got a top edge from Zaheer's bat before being taken neatly by the diving van Wyk behind the wickets.

Ashwin, meanwhile, looked extremely confident, showing the technique and temperament of a top-order batsman. He was nicely behind the line against the pacers and hit the offspinner Patel for runs through the covers. But his vigil ended when he came down the track but missed a full-length delivery from Patel and was stumped for 37.

Umesh Yadav was the last man to go when he got run out to an unnecessary single attempted by Ojha.

Pujara ton guides India to 307 for 5 on Day 1

Cheteshwar Pujara made a memorable comeback to Test cricket as he scored his maiden century and remained unbeaten to take India to 307 for 5 at stumps on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Hyderabad on Thursday.

The classical right-hander, who has been touted to replace Rahul Dravid at the now-vacant No. 3 spot for quite some time now, played with aplomb against both the pacers and spinners. The 24-year-old stroked 15 fours and a six in his 226-ball knock.

Electing to bat first, India although were given a rousing start by Virender Sehwag - scoring 47 runs off just 41 balls, they were reduced to 125 for 3 when Sachin Tendulkar (19) was bowled by Trent Boult. The veteran batsman was done in by the ball that swung in after pitching on good length.

Virat Kohli joined Pujara as the two youngsters shared a 125-run stand for the fourth wicket to take India to a safer zone until they lost two back-to-back wickets. First, it was Kohli who tried to cut a Chris Martin delivery despite being cramped for room, giving a straight forward catch to Martin Guptill at second slip. And then Raina tried to glide a well outside leg stump delivery from Jeetan Patel to fine leg which was neatly taken by wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk. Kohli hit eight fours in his 58-run knock, while Raina making just three.

With five down on 260, skipper MS Dhoni took the attack to the Kiwis, hitting a couple of boundaries and a maximum to ease the nerves. Pujara, along with Dhoni, saw off the second new ball and took India to a comfortable total.

Both Sehwag and Gambhir made full use of New Zealand's wayward bowling in the first hour of play, scoring boundaries with relative ease before the latter edged a good length delivery from Boult to van Wyk. The left-hander shared 49 for the opening wicket with Sehwag.

India added 85 runs to their score to reach 182 for 3 at tea, with Pujara and Kohli still at the wicket. The hosts added 125 for the loss of three wickets in the last session of play.