The Indian cricket board will donate Rs 10 crore to the Indian Olympic Association(IOA) to support Indian athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games next month, it was decided at an emergent meeting of its apex council.
The summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in Tokyo from 23rd July to 8th August 2021. The BCCI has decided to support Indian athletes in every form and manner it can. In that spirit, based on the request received from the IOA/MYAS, the Apex Council of BCCI has decided to extend support to the Indian Olympic Association and has pledged a monetary gesture of Rs. 10 crores.
The support to the IOA has come as a bit of surprise, particularly considering some lingering doubts about the Olympic Games actually taking place due to Covid-19 situation around the world and its impending third wave. Certain people and organizations have called for the postponement/cancellation of the July-August Games, which were scheduled for last year but were postponed due to the pandemic. The apex council also decided to constitute a committee to suggest measures to give compensation to domestic cricketers for domestic season 2020 and 2021. The BCCI didn’t organize several men’s and women’s tournaments, largely due to the Covid-19 situation, in the two
seasons despite huge demand to organize them.
“Yes, BCCI will be helping out the Olympic contingent. An amount of Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned by the Apex Council,” a senior BCCI official told PTI.
“It(fund) will be used for the preparation and other contingency purpose of our elite athletes who have qualified for the Tokyo Games. The modalities of the payment will be finalized after talking to Sports ministry and Indian Olympic Association(IOA)”.
The Tokyo Olympic Games will begin from July 23. It is understood that post the departure of LiNing as the kit sponsor, the amount donated by the BCCI will certainly help in multiple ways for the contingent in covering various costs which includes training and preparation.
“The BCCI has always believed in helping the development of Olympic Sports and this is not the first that a big amount is being donated,” he said. The BCCI hoped the Indian athletes would “return with more medals than ever before.”
Happy that there was no rain to affect the match except the last 30 mins. We had a lot of cricket yesterday in the day-3 of World Test Championship Final- India Vs New Zealand. The day was planned for 98 overs. This blog is to summarize the day of cricket clash. India started the innings at 146-3 with Kohli(44*) and Rahane(29*) at the crease. As a shock to all the fans, Virat Kohli departed at his overnight score without scoring any runs in day-3. Kyle Jamieson bowled a perfect fuller-length delivery to dismiss Kohli in a lbw. Then came Rishabh Pant. The 23-year old was expected to play a vital innings for the team and take the score big. But to all our disappointment, Pant was dismissed at 4 runs by Kyle Jamieson. Rahane remained at the crease with no one to support him. Then Jadeja join him and they made a quite good partnership of 26 runs. These 2 were expected to take the game long. But Niel Wagner dismissed Rahane when he was at 49 runs. The vice captain went off the field without scoring a half century. Then, as everyone know, came Ravi Ashwin. But the surprise point is he didn’t come to play a supporting role to Jadeja. He started hitting boundaries, giving India a hope of scoring 270+ runs. But he was dismissed at 22 runs by Tim Southee. He scored 3 boundaries in his quick innings of 27 balls. Then the tail-enders started to come one after other. Nothing gone in favour of India in the 1st innings of batting. India was all-out at 217. Rahane was the highest scorer(49 runs). Then it was the Indian bowlers’ duty to restrict the New Zealanders for a low total as much as possible.
NZ – 1st Innings:
Tom Latham and Devon Conway opened the innings for New Zealand. The pair played a patient cricket without taking any risks. The run rate was just 1+ for the first 20 overs. Credits must be given to Indian bowlers to bowl with control. Bowlers never lost their patience. NZ batsmen struggled against the fast bowlers but luck was at their side. The pair made a long opening partnership of 34 overs. When the energy of the crowd was down, Indian players were fighting with patience. Ashwin took the wicket of Tom Latham at 35th over. The left hander was dismissed scoring 30 runs off 114 balls. Then the captain Kane Williamson joined hands with Decoy Conway. The pair looked comfortable. Kane batted comfortably keeping his partner without pressure. The pair batted for next 14 overs and made a 31 runs partnership. Ishant Sharma took the wicket of Devon Conway before the end of the day. He was dismissed scoring 54 runs off 153 balls. Then Ross Taylor came to the crease. He played 3 balls and then the play was stopped at 11 PM IST due to bad light and was announced that the play will resume on day-4. New Zealand scored 101-2 at the end of the day.
The run-rate of this final match(2.27 rpo) is the slowest in any test played in England this century.
Jwala Gutta is born and bought in Wardha, Maharashtra. Born on 7th September 1983, she was an ace shuttler. Jwala is a left-handed Badminton player, and began her career in late 1990’s. She represented India in International events, both mixed and woman’s double. She has a total of 316 match wins in both the disciplines- the most by any Indian – and peaked at no. 6 in the world ranking. Gutta has won medals at numerous tournaments on the BWF circuit including a silver at the 2009 Super series Masters Finals and a bronze at the 2011 World Championships.
Early Life
Jwala was born on 7 September 1983 in Wardha, Maharashtra and brought up in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, to a Telugu Indian father and a Chinese mother. Jwala’s father, Kranti Gutta, hailed from a family of freedom fighters and Leftists. Her mother language r, Yelen Gutta, was born in Tianjin, and is a granddaughter of a Gandhian named Tseng. Yelen first came to India in 1977 with her grandfather to visit the Sevagram ashram, where she translated Gandhi’s autobiography and other works into Chinese.
Career
Jwala was inclined to play tennis, but later on she shifted to Badminton at the insistence of her mother. She was introduced to the Nation coach S.M Arif, by his father at the age of four. She was told to take up gymnastics or swimming for a few years before training. Jwala later started the training with Arif, at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium.
Jwala started playing badminton at the age of six years, and her biggest achievement was winning the Under-13 Girls Mini National Badminton Championship held at Thrissur, Kerala. During the same period, she also won the Women’s Doubles Junior National Championship and the Senior National Badminton Championship, both in partnership with Shruti Kurien.
Her main journey of Badminton started nearly in 2002, and in the early phase she was paired with Shruti Kurien for women’s double competition. The duo reached the semi-final round of their second international tournament itself, the India Asia Satellite tournament 2002. They also reached the semi-final round of the same tournament in the year 2004, and finished runner-up at the Le Volant d’Or Tournament, known as Toulouse Open the same year.
In 2010 Commonwealth games Jwala was paired up Ashwini Ponnappa from Bangalore. She and Ponnappa then went on to win the sensational gold medal in the women’s doubles at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games making history of winning the first gold medal for India in the event. They beat much higher ranked Singaporean pair of Shinta Mulia Sari and Yao Lei in the finals 21–15, 21–19 in front of the cheering home crowd and set the stadium ablaze with their win. In 2011, they came up with one of their finest performances when the pair etched their names in history books becoming the first Indian pair to ensure a medal at the World Badminton Championships. The pair defeated 12th seeds Vita Marrisa and Nadya Melati of Indonesia 17–21, 21–10, 21–17 to storm into the women’s doubles semifinal before losing out to the Chinese fifth seeds in the semi-finals in London, thereby winning a bronze in the Badminton World Championship. She played women’s doubles as well as mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics becoming the first and the only Indian to qualify in two events in the entire history of the game. Gutta pairing with Ashwini Ponappa lost their opening women’s doubles match against the Japanese duo of Mizuki Fuji and Reika Kakiiwa. They then went on to beat the much higher ranked Cheng wen- hsing and Chein Yu-Chin of Chinese Taipei 25–23, 16–21, 21–18 to register their first win in the group stages.
In January 2013, Gutta announced her comeback to the game and partnered Prajakta Sawant since Ponnappa was partnering with Pradnya Gadre and had committed to continue her partnership with Gadre so went on play with Sawant, who at that time was going through a battle against national coach Pullela Gopichand. Indian Badminton League (IBL) was announced the same year. In 2014 Gutta and Ashwini won the bronze medal at Asian Championships in April defeating 3rd seeded Thai pair of Kunchala Voravichitchaikul and Duanganong Aroonkesorn 21–11, 21–18 en route losing out to Chinese twins Luo Ying and Luo Yu at the semi-final stage. Gutta and Ashwini kicked started 2015 with a semi-final appearance at 2015 India Open Grand Prix Gold held at Lucknow. They next appeared in the prestigious All England Open reached the 2nd round losing out to the top seeds Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei in straight games. The pair of Gutta and Ponnappa also re-entered the Top-20 rankings after All England. Gutta began her 2016 with the Premier Badminton League, where she represented Hyderabad Hunters alongside Lee Chong Wei and Parupalli Kashyap. She played in the mixed doubles alongside Indonesian Markis Kido and Danish Carsten Mogensen. The team couldn’t qualify for the knock-out stage, finishing fifth in the standings.
In May, Gutta was part of the Indian team for the 2016 Thomas & Uber Cup held at Kunshan, China. The Indian women’s team was put into Group- D alongside Japan, Germany and Australia. The India team beat Germany and Australia 5–0 before losing out to Japan to finish second in the group. In the quarter-finals they came back from a 0–1 deficit after Saina Nehwal lost the first singles to beat Thailand 3–1. Gutta and Ponnappa won their match in straight sets to secure a semifinal berth and the team’s second consecutive bronze medal. The Indian team was however beaten by eventual champions China in the semifinal stage.
The Indian men’s national cricket team, also known as Team India and Men in Blue, is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and is a Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test, One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) status.
Cricket was introduced to India by British sailors in the 18th century, and the first cricket club was established in 1792. India’s national cricket team did not play its first Test match until 25 June 1932 at Lord’s, becoming the sixth team to be granted test cricket status. From 1932 India had to wait until 1952, almost 20 years for its first Test victory. In its first fifty years of international cricket, India was one of the weaker teams, winning only 35 of the first 196 Test matches it played. The team, however, gained strength in the 1970s with the emergence of players such as batsmen Gavaskar, Viswanath, Kapil Dev, and the Indian spin quartet.
Traditionally much stronger at home than abroad, the Indian team has improved its overseas form, especially in limited-overs cricket, since the start of the 21st century, winning Test matches in Australia, England and South Africa. It is second cricket team to win World Cup after West Indies. It has won the Cricket World Cup twice – in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev and in 2011 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. After winning the 2011 World Cup, India became only the third team after West Indies and Australia to have won the World Cup more than once, and the first cricket team to win the World Cup at home. It also won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. It was also the joint champions of 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, along with Sri Lanka. The team has also won the Asian Cup seven times, making them one of the most successful cricket team in both Asia and the world. They are also one of the only four teams to win all major ICC tournaments. India have also won the ICC Test Championship, ICC ODI Championship, ICC T20I Championship and the World Championship of Cricket in 1985.
The Indian cricket team has rivalries with other Test-playing nations, most notably with Pakistan, the political arch-rival of India. However, in recent times, rivalries with nations like Australia, South Africa and England have also gained prominence.
As we do have our favourite cricketer, we all have different tastes but mine is MS Dhoni (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) he’s the beat no one can’t beat him but as we see our current Indian team so these are the players:
1. Virat Kohli.
2. Rishabh pant.
3. Kl Rahul.
4. Subhman gill.
5. Rohit Sharma.
6. Ravichandran Ashwin.
7. Jasprit B.
8. Yuzvindra chahal.
9. Umesh Yadav.
10. Ravendra Jadeja.
11. Kedar Jadhav.
And so on there’s alot of players in our Indian cricket team. And our Indian cricket team is doing so well. And is considered as one of the best teams.
Very happy!! We got to see some cricket yesterday after a very long wait since IPL. It’s India Vs New Zealand, the second day of the World Test Championship Final at Southampton, England. The day 1 was already vanished out completely due to rain. Thanks to ICC to plan a reserve day on June 23. Cricket missed in the five preplanned days will be played on the reserve day.
Toss:
It was bright and shiny in the morning yesterday. Though there was cloud. Captains went for toss. New Zealand won the toss and they decided to bowl first. The decision from New Zealand skipper may be because of the conditions. It was cloudy and the conditions are overcast. So it would assist the swing of the ball.
New Zealand – Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling(wk), Kyle Jamieson, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Niel Wagner.
Toss insights:
New Zealand opted to have 5 fast bowling options. They don’t even pick a spinner in their eleven. This might be because of the conditions that they might have picked a team that is best suited to play in this English conditions. Also they are having Colin to bat at no.8 now. He gave stability to the team in terms of batting. There might be also a reason that they might have thought Indians are very good players of spin. They have shown their class against Nathon Lynn in Australia and against Dom Bess and Jack Leach in India. Whatever may be the reason, New Zealand surprised us by this move.
India- 1st innings:
Rohit and Gill really gave a very good start. Gill looked uncomfortable at the beginning but he soon adapted to the situation better. Rohit was good and runs flown at regular intervals from his bat right from the start. They made a good partnership but not so long. Both got out when team’s score was around 62 with Gill scoring 28 and Rohit scoring 34. Jamieson and Wagner bagged their wickets. Then came Pujara,the man. We were fortunate to see him bat as he always does. He played 35 dot balls before scoring his first run. He scored two boundaries in his very short innings and got dismissed by Boult when he was on 8(54). Momentum slightly turned towards New Zealand side. But Kohli and the later joined Rahane didn’t let that go away. They played a 50 run partnership in this tough swinging conditions going on and off the field. Yes, the play was constantly interrupted by the weather conditions. It was not rain this time. It’s bad light. Play was stopped for the third time when Rahane was at 29 runs and Kohli at 44 runs. Then no play resumed. Just 64.4 overs bowled last night. We lost nearly a session of play. Hope there is no such interruptions in the day-3 game. Stay home!! Stay safe!!
Milkha Singh, popularly known as “The Flying Sikh,” was a renowned Indian sprinter who began competing while serving in the Indian Army. On November 20th, 1929, Milkha Singh was born. He came from a Rathore Rajput Sikh household. Govindpura is a settlement in Punjab Province, British India, that is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Muzaffargarh city (now in Pakistan).
Singh competed in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games in the 200m and 400m sprints for India. Due to his lack of experience, he did not go past the heat stages, but a meeting with Charles Jenkins, the 400m winner at those Games, encouraged him and gave him valuable information about training techniques. Singh won gold medals in the 200m and 400m in the National Games of India in Cuttack in 1958, He also won gold medals in the 200m and 400m at the Asian Games in 1958. With a time of 46.6 seconds, he won a gold medal in the 400m at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. This performance earned him the position of first gold medallist from independent India in the Commonwealth Games. Singh won gold in the 400m and the 4 x 400m relay at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Following his victory in 1958, Singh received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor. In 2001, he declined the Indian government’s offer of the Arjuna Award, claiming that it was designed to honor young athletes, not adults like him. Singh’s medals have all been donated to the country. They were first displayed in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, then relocated to a sports museum in Patiala, where they were paired by a pair of running shoes he wore in Rome. In 2012, he gave the Adidas sneakers he used in 1960 400m final to be auctioned off by actor Rahul Bose for charity.
Milkha Singh, a renowned Indian sprinter, died on June 18 as a result of post-Covid problems. At the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, he was receiving treatment. The 91-year-old Milkha Singh tested positive for COVID-19 on May 19 but was placed in home isolation after indicating that he was asymptomatic at his Chandigarh house. However, on May 24, the renowned athlete was taken to the Fortis hospital’s ICU in Mohali owing to “COVID pneumonia.” On June 3, he was transferred to PGIMER in Chandigarh. He was cremated with full state honors.
Nirmal Kaur, who was a former national volleyball captain and also the wife of Milkha Singh, also died due to post-Covid problems. The couple died with a mere gap of 5 days.
In a statement, his family confirmed, “It is with extreme sadness that we would like to inform you that Milkha Singh Ji passed away at 11.30 pm. on the 18th of June 2021.”
Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, paid tribute to the renowned sprinter. In his tweet, PM Modi wrote, “In the passing away of Shri Milkha Singh Ji, we have lost a colossal sportsperson, who captured the nation’s imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians. His inspiring personality endeared himself to millions. Anguished by his passing away.”
Milkha Singh, a legend in the history of Sports and Athletics was an Indian track and field sprinter born on 20th November, 1929. He was born in a Sikh family in Govindpura, a village 10 km from Muzaffargarh city in Punjab Province. He had 14 other siblings, eight of them died during the partition of India. Milkha was orphaned during the partition, when his parents were killed by a Muslim mobs in violence. He witnessed the killings.
After seeing the deadly situation in Punjab, he decided to escape and came to Delhi, India in 1947 and lived with the family of his married sister for a short period of time. He was imprisoned in Tihar Jail for travelling in Train without ticket. His sister, Ishvar helped him in getting released. He spent his further some time at Refugee Camp , at Purana Quila and at a resettlement colony in Shahdara, both in Delhi.
Milkha was discontented with his life and decided to become a dacoit, but was instead persuaded by his brother, Malkhan, to attempt to the recruitment to the Indian Army. He successfully gained entrance on his fourth attempt, in 1951, and while stationed at the Electrical Mechanical Engineering Centre in Secunderbad he was introduced to athletics. He had run the 10 km distance to and from school as a child and was selected by the army for special training in athletics after finishing sixth in a compulsory cross-country run for new recruits. Singh has acknowledged how the army introduced him to sport, saying that “I came from a remote village, I didn’t know what running was, or the Olympics”.
International Career
He was introduced to athletics and sports when he was recruited in Indian Army, at the Electrical Mechanical Engineering Centre in Secundarbad. He represented India in the 200 and 400 m competitions held in Olympics at Melbourne in 1956. In 1958, Singh set records for the 200m and 400m in the National Games of India, held at Cuttack, and also won gold medals in the same events at the Asian Games. He then won a gold medal in the 400m (440 yards at this time) competition at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games with a time of 46.6 seconds. This latter achievement made him the first gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games from independent India. Before Vikas Gowda won the gold in 2014, Milkha was the only Indian male to have won an individual athletics gold medal at those Games.
Jawaharlal Nehru tried to convince Milkha Singh to set aside his memories of his past during the Partition era, to focus on the to race successfully in 1960 against Abdul Khaliq in Pakistan, where a post-race comment by the then General Ayub Khan led to him acquiring the nickname of The Flying Sikh. At the 1962 Asian Games, held in Jakarta, Singh won gold in the 400m and in the 4 x 400m relay. He attended the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he was entered to compete in the 400m, the 4 x 100m relay and the 4 x 400m relay. He did not take part in either the 400m or the 4 x 100m relay and the Indian team of Milkha Singh, Makhan Singh, Amrit Pal and Ajmer Singh were eliminated when they finished fourth in the heat stages of the 4 x 400m.
There have been claims that Singh won 77 of his 80 races, but these are spurious. The number of races in which he participated is not verified, nor is the number of victories, but he lost a 400m race at the 1964 National Games in Calcutta to Makhan Singh and he did not finish first in any of his four races at the 1960 Olympic Games or the aforementioned qualification races at the 1956 Olympics.
Singh’s time in the 1960 Olympics 400m final, which was run on a cinder track, set a national record that stood until 1998 when Paramjit Singh exceeded it on a synthetic track and with fully automatic timing that recorded 45.70 seconds. Although Singh’s Olympic result of 45.6 seconds had been hand-timed, an electronic system at those Games had determined his record to be 45.73.
Later Life
Milkha was promoted from the rank of sepoy to junior commissioned officer in recognition of his successes in the 1958 Asian Games. He subsequently became Director of Sports in Punjab Ministry of Education, a post he retired from in 1998.
Milkha was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, following his success in 1958. In 2001, he turned down an offer of the Arjuna Award from the Indian government, arguing that it was intended to recognize young sports people and not those such as him. He also thought that the Award was being inappropriately given to people who had little notable involvement as active sports people at all. He said that “I have been clubbed with sportspersons who are nowhere near the level that I had achieved” and that the award had become devalued. While sharing his wealth of experience in a college in Goa on 25 August 2014, he also said, “The awards nowadays are distributed like ‘prasad’ in a temple. Why should one be honored when he or she has not achieved the benchmark for the award? I rejected the Arjuna I was offered after I received the Padma Shri. It was like being offered an SSC [secondary school] certificate after securing a Masters degree.”
All of Singh’s medals have been donated to the nation. They were displayed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi and later moved to a sports museum in Patiala, where a pair of running shoes that he wore in Rome are also displayed. In 2012, he donated the Adidas shoes that he had worn in the 1960 400m final to be sold in a charity auction organized by actor Rahul Bose.
Milkha was admitted to the intensive care unit at Fortis Hospital in Mohali on 24 May 2021 with pneumonia caused by COVID-19. His condition was, for a while, described as stable, but he died on 18 June 2021 at 11:30 PM IST. His wife, Nirmal Kaur, had died a few days earlier on 13 June 2021, also due to COVID-19.
Oops!! Lot’s of expectations and lot’s of predictions. But no game today. Don’t worry, we have 5 days left. Yes, 5 days. The reserve day, June 23 is available to compensate any loss in time occured in the pre-scheduled dates. In this blog, we will discuss the squad of New Zealand for the World Test Championship Final 2021.
Let’s see the squad of New Zealand first. Kane Williamson (C), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling and Will Young.
Batting analysis:
Openers would be Tom Latham and Devon Conway. Conway recently scored a double century against England in the away soil. He will definitely be a big threat to face. Then comes the captain Kane Williamson at no.3. As everyone know, he is the current best Test cricketer around the world. The stability and balance he provides for his team is remarkable and will be a crucial factor influencing the result of the game. Taylor comes at No.4 after him for support and uphold the innings. Both Williamson and Taylor are always calm and composed and scores boundaries in regular intervals. Breaking their partnership will be a definite tough task for the Indian bowlers. Then comes Henry Nicholls/BJ Watling at no.5.
“Kane and BJ have certainly benefitted from their week of rest and rehabilitation and we expect them to be fit and available for the final,” Stead said at a press conference after the team’s arrival
According to his statement, there is a possibility for the experienced contender BJ Watling to get a chance in the playing 11. Then comes their Wicket-Keeper batsman Tom Blundell at no.6. At no.7, the definite pick would be their all-rounder Kyle Jamieson.
So as batting is concerned, they have no boxes to fill. Every peice fits perfect. The result depends completely on their execution in the field.
Bowling analysis:
When it comes to bowling, we can’t exclude the three giants, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Niel Wagner. Kyle Jamieson will be their 4th fast bowling option. This may be the best Test bowling attack that New Zealand have ever had. Each 4 of them are wicket-takers and can bring the confidence up for the team from any situation of the game. At last, one position is vacant for Colin de Grandhomme/Matt Henry/Ajaz Patel. Selection of one among the three would be dependent on the conditions of play. If there is overcast cloud, then Henry would be a better pick since he can bowl in the new ball. If they consider for variety, Ajaz Patel may come in. He performed well against England last week. If the pitch gets rough on day 4 or day 5, he could turn the ball then. That would be an advantage. If they need an all-rounder who can bat at no.8 and still can bowl 12 to 15 overs per day, then Grandhomme would be a choice. All these would be talked about in their team analysis.
We hope tomorrow we’ll watch fabulous cricket from home. Stay safe!!
Amidst the unpredictable English weather, New Zealand and India fight for the most coveted title after near misses in their recent ICC campaigns
The two talismanic captain are waiting for ICC World Test Championship to begin
The WTC final will be taking place in spite of the global pandemic at the now-famous Ageas Bowl, cricket’s original bio-secure venue, which in 2020 showed the cricketing world how to ensure that the show can go on in these tough times. The contest will also feature, indisputably the best two Test teams in the world- India and New Zealand who are taking on each other on 18th of June, 2021.
The Indian team announced their playing XI on the eve of the final where it was confirmed that Rohit Sharma is going to open with Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal failed to make the cut. India is going with two spinners as Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
ICC WTC was played in two years cycle and the two teams at the top of the points table qualified for the final. India finished at the top of the points table with 12 wins in 17 matches while New Zealand won 7 out of 7 matches it played.
Here’s all you need to know about WTC 2021 Final
Start date – June 18, 2021
End date – June 22, 2021
Reserve day – June 23, 2021
Match starting time – 3:30 pm IST
Live broadcast on TV – Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD and Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports 1 Hindi HD
Online streaming – Disney+Hotstar
Venue – Ageas Bowl, Southampton
Prize money – The winner of the ICC World Test Championship 2021 will get a purse of $1.6 million and the runners-up will receive a prize money of $800,000.
Playing Conditions –
Follow on-rule for WTC final
According to playing conditions of the five-day game, one team needs to have a lead of 200 runs, to enforce the follow-on. However, if the first day’s play has been washed out then the lead for follow-on rule is reduced to 150. But ICC has made a clarification in the rule stating that there is a reserve day for the WTC final thus if the first days is washed out then reserve day will come into play. Thus, to enforce a follow India and New Zealand need to have a lead of 200 or more runs.
What if final ends in a draw?
There has been talk that who will be declared the winner if final match ends in a draw or tie. Ahead of the start of WTC in 2018, ICC has said that if final end a draw or tie, the the trophy will be shared and in its latest media statement, it maintained the same stance.
Pitch Report – As informed by the head groundsman, Simon Lee, the pitch for WTC final will have pace, bounce and carry due to ‘a lot of sun’ in Southampton. It is likely to favor swing bowling for the initial two days and might assist the spinners on the final two days of the test match.
India Vs New Zealand!! The final of the World Test Championship. What an event that’s gonna happen in just 2 days. A country with a population of 136.64 crores Vs a country with a population of 49.2 lakhs. No doubt,the whole cricketing world is waiting for this big clash. Just 1 day in between to count. June 18,2021, the day marked in the calendars of millions is not far away. Both the teams are getting ready for this grand finale in South Amptom,England. As a fan,I am going to discuss about the strengths and weaknesses of both the teams.
India:
Major positives:
1) Bowling:
India have an exceptional bowling attack that can perform incredibly well in any tough conditions. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Suraj and Umesh Yadav are the 5 Pacers in the 15-member squad. With conditions overcast, everyone of the 5 are capable of swinging the ball in and out. That’s gonna be a big threat for New Zealanders. Also, if the ball gets old and a bit of rough in the surface can help the spinners Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. They are probably the best spin combination that any team dream to have. With any 3 pacers picked from the 5 and these 2 spinners added, the bowling attack is completely set with not point to make a question.
2) Experience in batting:
With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, the batting order looks experienced and balanced. With the addition of Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill to the line up, anyone from the top 6 can score a century and even a double century. Both Gill and Pant had a very successful series in Australia at the start of this year. They tend to continue and take that confidence in upcoming matches. Not stopped with that. India still have Jadeja at No.7 and R.Ashwin at No.8. These 2 stable all-rounders provide a great balance to the team in both batting and bowling.
Negatives:
Hard to find that. But to mention, there is one thing – Opening Partners. Both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill haven’t opened in red ball cricket for even a single time in England. This may be a harsh statement. But right, Rohit has a pretty good experience and we can’t forget his 5 centuries in World cup,2019 in England. But he struggled against left arm seamers at the start of his innings. New Zealand have Boult and Wagner to bring into attack. Also, Gill comes from an average season of IPL. This may not affect the performance in longer format though.
Final note:
During this lockdown period, people in India are really happy to watch this match along with family, without going out for unnecessary reasons. Some find cricket to be a reason to stay at home. Covid-19 cases in India is gradually reducing day-by-day. Happy to hear all these positive news in such a tough period. Let’s all enjoy the match with mind full of energy and positivity. Let this match make us forget about all our negative feelings. Let’s all dive deep into the ocean of cricket craze. Thank you.
After dozens of titles, hundreds of goals and countless records, Lionel Messi’s spectacular career at Barcelona could be coming to an abrupt end. There has been a controversy about Lionel Messi leaving his childhood football club. There is a lot of reasons that has been stated behind this, but there has not been any clarity on what is the actual reason to leave the Barcelona club. Messi joined the club when he was 14 years old. He has helped the club to 10 league titles and four Champions Leagues, scooping a record six Ballons d’Or for his personal contributions along the way. Articles says that the departure of the player is uncertain, but his lawyers have sent a fax outlining the desire to depart. Back in July, it was understood that Messi did not want to leave Barcelona, but it is true that the Argentina international has spoken in the past of potentially joining another club.
Messi is soon expected to reveal the reasons and clarity for leaving Barcelona in the upcoming days.
Ronald Koeman said, if Argentine striker Lionel Messi decides to leave, then he is not sure as to who will score goals for the club. Messi’s contract is set to end this season. “For my part and the club, let’s hope he stays with us”, he added. Rafael Nadal, a tennis player also breaks his silence on the contract leak controversy and said, “Messi is one of the best in the history of the game and if the club is willing to pay him what he wants – there is no problem. “In the end there is a player who is undoubtedly one of the best in history and he charges what the club has been willing to pay him. From there, there is no debate I think,” Nadal as quoted by Tennis World USA.
Lionel Messi has confirmed for now that he will remain at Barcelona for another season having previously stated his intentions to leave the club. Messi’s decision, however, seems forced more than out of choice. In an Interview with Goal.com, Messi said, “I wasn’t happy and wanted to leave. I haven’t been allowed this in any way and I will stay at the club so as not to get into a legal dispute”. A 2-1 loss against Celta Vigo at Camp Nou on Sunday meant Barcelona will not win the LaLiga title this year but seems like the loss would hurt the Catalans more – as it could be the end of Lionel Messi at the Spanish club. In what seems to be the clearest hint ever, Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has said that it would be impossible to play with Messi and he still hopes the Argentine does not leave Camp Nou.
“We hope he will not leave because he is still the best player in the world and he has shown today. It is impossible to play without him,” Koeman told a post-match interview with Marca.
Copa America 2021 is all set to begin on Monday early morning IST where Brazil and Venezuela are scheduled to kick off at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brazil.
Copa America 2020 was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic and recently, Brazil got the nod to host the Copa America 2021. But Brazil have reported approximately more than 17.3 million cases of COVID-19 which includes at least 486,000 deaths, the second-highest number in the world.
Why Brazil is hosting Copa America 2021?
Earlier Colombia and Argentina were scheduled to host Copa America 2020 which got postponed due to Corona virus pandemic. Argentina was not given the nod this year due to increased rising cases of COVID-19 in the country while Colombia was rejected to host the tournament following the protests against President Ivan Duque.
What is up with the national side?
It seems Brazil as a team is not happy with the decision of Copa America being played in their country. However, they hesitantly agreed to participate in the tournament despite concerns over the late decision to host the tournament in their home country.
Brazilian players on social media published a message saying they are “unsatisfied” with South American football’s governing body, CONMEBOL, which decided to move the tournament to Brazil. They didn’t wanted this tournament to become a result of political debate although.
How is the public responding to the tournament ?
A poll was set based on 1000 interviews which was conducted between June 7 to June 10. The poll showed nearly two-third of Brazilian population opposed the country hosting the event amidst rising cases of COVID-19 in Brazil.
How many players tested COVID-19 positive ?
Eight Venezuelans and three Bolivian players has been tested positive even before the tournament started. Venezuela which is playing their first match on Sunday has called for 15 other players in their squad to enhance their bench strength. Along with those eight players, three of their coaching staff are also infected with COVID-19 virus.
Bolivia is playing their first match against Paraguay on Monday.
In response to the rising cases, South American soccer body CONMEBOL issued a statement which stated “the matches will be played as scheduled”.
How many teams are participating in Copa America 2021?
Earlier, the tournament was scheduled to play with 12 nations with Qatar and Australia coming in as guest nations. However, both of the teams pulled off from the tournament due to their prior commitments in the World Cup qualifier.
As of now, only 10 teams are participating in the tournament.
Group A: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela Group B: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
What is the tournament format?
After completion of the round matches, the top four teams of each group will qualify for the quarter finals.
Dates to remember
Copa America 2021 is starting from June 14 as early as 2:30 am IST. The knockout phase will be starting from July 3 and the finals will be played on 11th of July.
Where you can watch Copa America 2021?
Copa America 2021 will be telecast live on Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 2 HD, Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD TV channels in India. Live streaming of Copa America 2021 in India will be available on SonyLIV and Jio TV respectively.
Indian cricket team on 18th June are set to play the historic test match of all time. After all it is the inaugural World Test Championship final faceoff between India and New Zealand.
Indian team have already named their squad for the finals and currently they are practicing in England ahead of the final match. Team India has got the perfect balance in all the departments mixed with experience and it seems all good so far.
But Virat Kohli’s men still have lot to work on the team combination before they meet the Blackcaps in Southampton. The pace bowling department of Indian team comprised of some skillful and experienced players with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj accompanied by two world class spinners – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. So it’s going to be a headache for Virat Kohli and Indian management to pick the final eleven before the Test match.
Whereas, former India cricket opener Virendra Sehwag feels India needs to play both Jadeja and Ashwin in the final as the team needs to play to its potential. He feels India should go with 5 bowlers strategy with 3 pacers and 2 spinners as it will also strengthen their lower middle order batting.
“I don’t have any idea about how the wicket would look like on June 18th but one thing I have always believed is that you need to play to your strengths. If India can play with five specialist bowlers that will be great thing because I still believe that two spinners will come into effect on fourth and fifth day. The rough which will be created because of the foot marks, that can be utilized when two spinners are bowling in tandem to generate turn from the pitch,” Sehwag told PTI in an interview.
“Two spinners will be good for India because both Ashwin and Jadeja are capable all-rounders. That also adds depth to your batting. You don’t need a sixth batsman with both of them around.”
He further added, the contest between two IPL mates – Rohit Sharma and Trent Boult would be mouth watering and it will further spice up the finale in Southampton.
Sehwag who himself was a swash-buckling opener in his hey-days, is more eager to watch Rohit Sharma and he feels, according to Rohit’s technique and style he surely would be successful in this summer not only against the blackcaps but also against the England team in the test match series.
“Boult vs Rohit Sharma will be a contest that I would be looking forward to. If Rohit gets set and see off Boult’s opening spell, it will be a treat to watch,” feels Virender Sehwag .
He also warns the Indian batsmen against the New Zealand pacers – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner. All of them are accustomed to the English conditions and it will be a great contest between their bowlers and the Indian batsmen.
We don’t know what strategy Virat Kohli is going to apply in the historic finale but we can surely say, it is going to be one of the greatest Test match of all time.
physical exercise is so important because it provides us with N number of benefits. There are some of the benefits that are being described below.
Improve your life longing
Numerous studies have shown that regular physical activity increases life yearning and reduces the risk of early mortality. There’s not a magic formula that translates hours of physical activity into hours of life increased, but research suggests that more effective people tend to be healthier and tend to live longer.
Lessen your risk of destruction
Regular exercise and physical activity increase muscle strength, bone density, flexibility, and stability. Physical fitness can reduce your risk for and strength to accidental injuries, especially as you get older. For example, stronger muscles and better balance mean that you’re less likely to slip and fall, and stronger bones mean that your less likely to undergo bone injuries should you take a fall.
Enhance your quality of life
An inactive lifestyle and a lack of physical activity can take a toll on a person’s body. Physical inactivity is associated with an increased risk for certain types of cancer, numerous chronic diseases, and mental health issues. Exercise, however, has been shown to improve mood and mental health and provides numerous health benefits. Of course, physical fitness also allows you to do things that you may not otherwise be able to do.
Stay effective
Staying effective and healthy allows you to do activities that require a certain level of physical fitness. For example, hiking to the top of a mountain is a rewarding experience that instils a sense of accomplishment and provides spectacular scenery, but some people cannot experience this due to fitness restrictions.
But even walking around a park with your family or playing on the playground with your children can be challenging for those who disregard physical activity for extended periods. Being active means that it’s easier to stay active as you get older.
Improve your health
There are various health advantages to physical fitness. Regular exercise and physical activity promote strong muscles and bones. It improves respiratory, cardiovascular health, and overall health. Staying active can also help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and reduce your risk for some cancers.
In other words, staying effective is a significant part of conserving good health and wellness.
Hey there, I am Disha Mitra, currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Bioinformatics from the University of Calcutta. I did my graduation in Microbiology and am a keen lover of the subject biology. I like reading and writing during my past-time.
I am totally an introvert and like to pen down my thoughts whenever I feel down. I love singing which actually lights up my mind when things go wrong. Writing on various enthusiastic topics by gaining in-depth knowledge on them and conveying them to others through my writing skills is what I enjoy a lot.
I’m here to gain and explore new experiences on writing and to challenge my own writing and blogging skills.
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