Cricket Zelo

A crisp T20I series in Florida was perhaps the best way to terminate India's tour to the West. The host team, West Indies, is ranked No. 3 on the ICC T20I rankings. India, on the other hand, is just one place above them at No. 2. When it comes to the paper, West Indies looks way hefty than India. The presence of all-rounders who fancy the shortest format of the game along with their depth in batting is their principal might. One of the reasons for them being the current 'Champions' of the format.The last time West Indies played a T20I was close to five months ago. The current team is somewhat similar to the one that played in the World Cup. However, the focal point will be Carlos Brathwaite. The 28-year old and 8 T20I's experienced all-rounder is the new captain of the team which obviously means that Darren Sammy will no longer lead the side. The fact that he has been handed the axe as a player as well is hard to digest.
The universal boss, Chris Gayle, would be looking…

The Indian domestic season 2016-17 will kick-start with the Duleep Trophy being played in the Greater Noida International Cricket Stadium tomorrow. The tournament has been remoulded from it's original structure which incorporated five teams which represented five different zones of the country respectively. This year the tournament will be played amongst three teams, namely India Blue, India Green and India Red. Every team will get a chance each to lock horns against the other teams which will eventually lead to the final.
Apart from the change in format, the focal point of this tourney is that it will be played with a pink ball under lights. The transmogrification the ball in cricket's ancestral format will happen for the second time in India. Earlier this year, the final of the Division 1 tournament between Mohun Bagan and Bhawanipore in West Bengal was played with the pink ball.
The heart of the tournament also lies in the captains of the three teams. Cricket addicts acros…

After winning two out of three test matches, India has already gained an indomitable lead in the series. Some 15,000+ km away, an Australian white wash has gifted India the No. 1 ranking in test cricket. There are times in life when things look well in place but the question which arises is that are things really in place?
As a captain, Virat Kohli might not ask for more from his boys. The latter has become the first Indian captain to register two test wins in a series in West Indies. But the combination ahead of the fourth test will still be a 'sweet headache' for him. India included Rohit Sharma at the expense of a solid top order in St. Lucia. The experiment failed big time in the first innings as the visitors were reduced to 126-5 on the first day itself. The second innings fared comparatively better but quick runs were the need of the hour at that moment. The calibre which remained untouched was solidarity.


The time where the captain wants Rohit Sharma to fit into the India…

Before the onset of the match, Indian skipper Virat Kohli hinted at playing two out of the three openers which for most people meant that Cheteshwar Pujara would retain his place. Came the toss and Kohli announced that he will send in the same opening pair (Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul) from the last match.
The catch was that Rohit Sharma was included in the squad at the expense of Pujara. Sharma, 29, who is not tailor-made to bat at No. 3 in test matches was brought in at No. 5. His inclusion in the team came at the outlay of the whole middle order being shuffled. Someone of the value of Murli Vijay was also not included in the test eleven, which baffles everyone. Even Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were included in place of Amit Mishra and Umesh Yadav.
Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl. Their U-19 star, Alzarri Joseph was handed debut. Leon Johnson, and not Shai Hope, was incorporated to partner Kraigg Brathwaite at the top of the order. The out of form Devendra Bi…

Do conditions really change the ambiance of a cricket match? Some might say yes, some might say no, and the argument has it in it to continue throughout the day.
Imagine the result of a contest between the No. 1 team and the No. 7 team? Now, imagine the same with respect to home conditions in the game of cricket.
Visualize the result of a test match between Australia (No. 1) and Sri Lanka (No. 7) being played in Australia? But this day and age are watching the match being played in Sri Lanka. Chance of a turnaround? Big time yes!
Sri Lanka exchanged blows in England without much of a positive result. Their homecoming was expected to provide them some relief, only some because the touring team was the mighty Australia. Came the first test in Pallekele and the No. 1 team was thrashed by 106 runs. Australia was expected to raise the bar of their batting in Galle but getting bundled out on a paltry 106 was nowhere closer to anyone's imagination. The end result being the increase in the m…