Filled calendar for India till 2020

India, the top-ranked face in the world, would clash with Australia in 20 Tests, from December this year till 2020.

India is scheduled to visit Australia later this year for a four-Test series, starting with the Boxing Day Test on December 26 in Melbourne.

India are also set to play 18 Tests against England and 12 matches each against South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka during this period, as per the Future Tours Programme chalked out by the International Cricket Council.

Overall, the country would play 95 Tests, beginning from the three-match home rubber against the West Indies this October-November through April, 2020.

In the same period, India would cross swords with arch-rivals Pakistan in only three Tests, all scheduled at home in March-April 2012, while taking on Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in one two-match rubber each, both away from home.

The time frame also includes the conduct of the World Test Play-Off Championship in England in May-June 2013.

India would also be playing 170 bilateral or triangular one-day internationals during this phase besides 31 bilateral T20 internationals, as per the ICC FTP.

There would be more ODIs and T20Is featuring India within this period that includes the organization of two ICC World Cups - in February-March, 2015 in Australia and New Zealand and in June-July, 2019 in England - and three World T20 championships - September-October, 2012 in Sri Lanka, April 2014 in Bangladesh and March-April, 2016 in India.

Read more »

Mendis make T20 history in Sri Lanka win

Ajantha Mendis became the first bowler to bag six wickets in a Twenty20 international as Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0 against Australia with an eight-run win in the second match Monday.

The nonconformist spinner ended with 6-16 off four overs as Australia lost their way after an volatile start provided by Shane Watson, who hammered a 24-ball 57 with five sixes and six fours.

Australia, who lost the first match by 35 runs, was finally restricted to 149-9, after the hosts made 157 at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Sri Lanka were grateful to opener Mahela Jayewardene (86 off 63 balls) for posting a spirited total before Mendis ended Australia's early thrive.

Angelo Mathews also wedged the eye for Sri Lanka with his key role in David Warner's dismissal off Mendis as he held a excellent catch in the deep, but was about to step over the boundary line before relaying the ball to Jayawardene.

Watson dominated a 71-run stand for the opening wicket with Warner, but his dismissal in the sixth over trigger a collapse which saw Australia lose four wickets in the space of four runs.

Sri Lanka were earlier powerfully placed at 121-3 after 14 overs before paceman John Hastings rallied his team to ultimately finish with 3-14 off four tight overs.

Fast bowler Brett Lee was the other main wicket-taker with 3-39, including two wickets in the last over.

Jayawardene dominated Australia's attack with thrilling stroke play, smashing one six and 12 fours in his sixth half-century in Twenty20 internationals.

He survived on 82 when he was wedged off a Lee full-toss in the last over, but it was ruled a no-ball as it was above the waist. He fell in the same over, caught in the deep going for a big shot.

Sri Lanka, electing to bat after winning the toss, lost skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan in the third over before being steady by Jayawardene.

Dilshan, who hit a winning century in the opening match, contribute just four runs this time before being trapped leg-before by Lee.

Jayawardene then added 43 for the second wicket with Dinesh Chandimal (13) and 46 for the fourth with Kumar Sangakkara, who made a 16-ball 24.

Read more »

Bopara prepared for England recall

England's Ravi Bopara insist he was a "more rounded player," as he ready for a Test recall against India.

The 26-year-old Essex all-rounder has been call up as cover for the upset Jonathan Trott, ruled out with a take on injury, for the third Test against India at Edgbaston starting here on Wednesday.

Bopara played the last of his 10 Tests two years ago, managing just one and naught in a crushing innings and 80-run beat by Australia at Headingly that saw the tourist’s level that season's Ashes at 1-1.

Trott was bringing in England's next Test, the series finale at The Oval, where he made a century on debut as the hosts regained the Ashes.

Since then the South Africa born batsman has barely look back, with Trott scoring nearly 2,000 runs in 23 Tests at a hugely inspiring average of 57.79 with six hundreds.

But his injury has given Bopara, who once scored three hundreds in three consecutive Tests against the West Indies before stressed against Australia, the chance to revive his career in the five-day format.

"I think I'm a more rounded player, I know my game a little bit more," Bopara told Sky Sports at Edgbaston on Monday.

"It's amazing what you can be taught in two years about yourself. Just when you think you've got it cracked, you suddenly realize that you haven't and that you've got a lot to learn.

"I've learned a lot over the last pair of years and I'm sure I've got a lot to learn over the next five, with any luck 10, years."

Bopara, also a medium-pace seamer, said there had been moment when he consideration his chance might have come and gone.

"If I was to say there was no self-doubt creep in then I would be lying," he said.

"I think every cricketer has some self-doubt at some stage in their careers - some have it all the way throughout.

"I backed my aptitude, I definitely know more about myself now than I ever have and I'm just looking onward to the challenge," added Bopara, who said he still hoped to have a "good" England career lasting some 10 years.

Even though Trott usually bats number three, Bopara -- if selected from a 13-man squad -- may not come in at first wicket down after Ian Bell made a excellent century in that position during England's thumping 319-run second Test win at Trent Bridge.

Not that Bopara, who earlier this season lost out to Eoin Morgan in the race to be England's number six after Paul Collingwood's Test retirement, was concerned about where he batted.

"Whether I bat at three, four, five or six my job is at a standstill to go and get runs for England," he said.

England, already 2-0 up in the four-match series after enormous victories at both Lord's and Trent Bridge, will replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table if they win at Edgbaston.

Read more »

Record breaking Mendis stuns Australia Sri Lanka to 2-0 win

Sri Lanka 157 for 9 (Jayawardene 86, Hastings 3-14, Lee 3-39) hit Australia 149 for 9 (Watson 57, Mendis 6-16) by eight runs

Ajantha Mendis puzzled the Australians with a amazing spell of spin bowling to help Sri Lanka win the 2nd T20I by 8 runs and confirm the series 2-0.

The Aussies had no answer to Mendis who ended up with wonderful figures of 6/16 to record the best ever bowling presentation in a Twenty20 International.

Mendis is now the only bowler to have taken 6 wickets in T20I match while better the figures of 5/6 by Umar Gul and 5/18 by Tim Southee.

Read more »