India vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Live Cricket Score of India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Day 1

India skipper Virat Kohli would not like to make too many changes in the playing eleven after winning the first Test match convincingly against Sri Lanka. KL Rahul is all set to make a comeback in the playing eleven in place of Abhinav Mukund while the rest of the team is likely to remain the same. Cheteshwar Pujara will be playing his 50th Test match and India would look to gain the early advantage on the first day of the second Test match with the hosts really struggling to get their team combination right. For India, both the new ball bowlers had fared well in the last Test and with the spinners coming to the party in the second innings of the Galle Test, the visitors have pretty much all bases covered.

Live Cricket Score

Live updates of Sri Lanka vs India 2nd Test, Day 1, straight from Colombo

12:54 IST: Captain Virat Kohli is the new man at the crease.
12:52 IST: WICKET! KL Rahul (57) run out (Chandimal/Dickwella). India 109/2 in 30.4 overs. 

12:46 IST: Pujara sends Perera towards deep mid wicket. He will get three runs. India 107/1 in 29.1 overs.

12:40 IST: Welcome back! KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara are making their way to the middle. Rangana Herath to kick-start the second session.

12:01 IST: That's LUNCH in Colombo. India 101/1 in 28 overs.

KL Rahul 52*

Cheteshwar Pujara 14*

11:57 IST: FIFTY! KL Rahul brings up his 8th Test half-century. This is his sixth consecutive Test half-century. He becomes third Indian after Gundappa Vishwanath and Rahul Dravid to achieve the feat (6 consecutive fifties).

11:54 IST: A huge stumping appeal from wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella. He is confident and celebrating with his team. Umpire has asked for a reply. NOT OUT is the call.

11:44 IST: India 95/1 in 24 overs. Pujara 14*, Rahul 46*

11:42 IST: Deep point comes inside the ring for Pujara.

11:37 IST: KL Rahul defends with a straight bat towards mid-on to end Pradeep's over. India 94/1 in 22 overs.

11:33 IST: Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal brings Nuwan Pradeep back into the attack. A slip, gully, leg gully and a short mid-wicket in place.

11:28 IST: Cheteshwar Pujara slaps this powerfully but the ball hits Kusal Menis' helmet at forward short leg. Pujara checks whether the player is fine. 

11:23 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul sends Rangana Herath towards deep mid wicket for a boundary. India 90/1 in 19 overs.

11:19 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul goes on back-foot and slaps the ball towards deep mid wicket. Powerful shot from the right-hander. India 84/1 in 18 overs.

11:12 IST: FOUR! Excellent shot from KL Rahul. The right-hander comes down the track and sends the ball towards deep extra cover for a boundary. India 74/1 in 15.2 overs.

11:10 IST: FOUR! Cheteshwar Pujara comes down the track and smashes the ball towards long on for a boundary. India 70/1 in 14.5 overs.

11:08 IST: Cheteshwar Pujara plays this towards square of the wicket. He will get 2 runs.

10:51 IST: Cheteshwar Pujara is the new batman at the crease. This is his 50th Test match.

10:48 IST: WICKET! A loud LBW appeal from Dilruwan Perera. Umpire is not interested. Sri Lanka have asked for a review. It is pitching in line, And, it's OUT. Shikhar Dhawan departs for 35 runs. India lose their first wicket. India 56/1 in 10.1 overs.

10:40 IST: A loud LBW appeal from Dimuth Karunaratne. Umpire has given OUT. Wait! Rahul has asked for a review. And, it's NOT OUT. Umpire has to reverse his decision. India 52/0 in 9.1 overs. 

10:37 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul uses the pace and sends the ball towards fine leg. Nuwan Pradeep isn't happy with this shot. India 52/0 in 8.4 overs.

10:36 IST: FOUR! Shikhar Dhawan drives Nuwan Pradeep towards deep extra cover. India 47/0 in 8.3 overs.

10:26 IST: FOUR! India are dealing in boundaries now. Shikhar Dhawan takes long stride and drives the ball through covers. Beautiful shot from the left-hander. India 36/0 in 6.3 overs.

10:25 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul stuns mid-wicket firleder and manages to get another boundary. Great use of fit from the right-hander. India 32/ in 6 overs.

10:24 IST: FOUR! First boundary for KL Rahul. The right-hander cuts the ball towards mid wicket.

10:19 IST: FOUR! Shikhar Dhawan waits till the end and plays a pull shot towards backward square leg. Third boundary for him. India 22/0 in 4.4 overs.

10:11 IST: FOUR! Short and outside the off-stump from Nuwan Pradeep. Shikhar Dhawan goes on back-foot and smashes Pradeep towards backward point. India 18/0 in 3 overs.

10:09 IST: SIX! Shikhar Dhawan comes forward and smashes the ball towards long on region. Excellent shot from the opener. First six of India innings. India 14/0 in 2 overs.

10:07 IST: Dhawan gets an edge and the first slip misses the chance. Sri Lanka missed out on second chance to dismiss Dhawan.

10:06 IST: Rangana Herath starts the proceedings from the other end.

10:04 IST: FOUR! Dhawan gets an outside edge and the ball races towards third man.

10:00 IST: KL Rahul's last 7 Test innings:

64 (97), 10 (9), 90 (205), 51 (85), 67 (102), 60 (124), 51 (76)*

09:57 IST: Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul are making their way to the middle. Sri Lanka team are in a huddle.

09:36 IST: PLAYING XIs:

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Nuwan Pradeep.

India vs West Indies 2017 Live Cricket Score

Team India is all set to shrug off the disappointment of losing the Champions Trophy final and begin afresh as they gear up to take on West Indies in the first of the five-match ODI series.

Virat Kohli and his team sweat it out in the middle at the Queen's Park Oval ahead of the opening fixture. Kohli had said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday that the team will look to do the basics and play their 'boring' brand of cricket in order to maintain consistency.

The likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were seen practicing in the nets ahead of the match. Rahane will look to make the most of this opportunity as regular opener Rohit Sharma has been rested for the tour. Kohli made it clear that it will be Rahane who will open in all the five matches alongside Shikhar Dhawan.

India is expected to whitewash the Windies, who have a cumulative squad experience of 213 matches between the 13 players. Skipper Jason Holder is the highest capped player in the side, having played 58 matches.

Squads: 

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli(c), Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni(w), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Kuldeep Yadav, Dinesh Karthik

West Indies: Evin Lewis, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope(w), Kesrick Williams, Jason Mohammed, Jonathan Carter, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder(c), Ashley Nurse, Alzarri Joseph, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins

Cricket News India vs Pakistan

Pakistan has won the Champions Trophy cricket final after beating their arch-rivals India by 180 runs at the Oval ground in Britain's capital, London.

Title-holders India, set 339 to win, collapsed after Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir removed the top three batsmen - Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and captain Virat Kohli. They were eventually dismissed for 158, with 19.3 overs to spare.

Al Jazeera’s Lee Wellings, reporting from South London, said that only a few people saw this result coming.

"This is absolutely remarkable. Pakistan fans cannot believe the journey their team has taken," he said.

"Pakistan is celebrating their biggest victory against their archrival."

Amir finished with three for 16 in six overs and Hasan Ali, who kick-started Pakistan's revival in their group win over top-ranked South Africa, ended the match when he had Jasprit Bumrah caught by the gleeful captain and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Left-arm fast bowler Amir, whose career was almost ended on the other side of London's River Thames by a ban and jail term he received for his part in a spot-fixing scam during a 2010 Test against England at Lord's, finished with three for 16.

He dismissed Rohit Sharma (nought), India captain Virat Kohli (five) and Shikhar Dhawan (21) in a stunning new-ball spell.

Earlier, Pakistan made 338 for four after losing the toss with opener Fakhar Zaman's 114 his maiden one-day international hundred in just his fourth match at this level.

India had thrashed Pakistani side by 124 runs in their tournament opener at Edgbaston on June 4.

Live Cricket Score India vs Pakistan

Mumbai:- India have scored 1098 runs at a per-batsman average of 91.50 in the tournament, which makes them the best batting outfit on display. Now what do you have to say Pratik? Also, three of India's top five batters averages more than 43 against Pakistan. I think Pakistan bowlers are in for some serious stick today. 

India are favourites to retain the Champions Trophy on Sunday but they would probably have preferred to face different opponents than arch-rivals Pakistan in what is sure to be a highly-charged final.

The neighbouring countries have moved on from years of political conflicts but emotions will run high as millions of supporters around the world watch the first major cricket final between the teams since the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup.


TEAMS: 

India Squad (From): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami

Pakistan Squad(From): Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(c), Imad Wasim, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Haris Sohail, Fahim Ashraf, Ahmed Shehzad

India Vs Pakistan, Champions Trophy 2017 Final Live Cricket

India's remarkable consistency will be up against Pakistan's legendary volatility when the fierce rivals clash in what is expected to be an exciting finale to the ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday. The often tense political relations between the neighboring nations add color to the bitter yet intense rivalry, which has nowadays been confined only to global events due to the Indian government's refusal to allow bilateral contests. Defending champions India had got the better of the rivals in the league stage of the ongoing tournament. And captain Virat Kohli has already declared that nothing extra is needed to get the same result despite the turnaround by Sarfraz Ahmed's men since then. It is nonetheless a battle of attrition, where one needs to hold the nerve till the very end.

What's the big deal about this final?
The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is one of the most intense in all of sport. There is a history of conflict between the two countries, and the cricket rivalry, which stems from the political one, has its own eventful past. With cricket being the most popular sport in both nations, when India and Pakistan play each other in important games, the television audience is often close to one billion - 988 million viewers were estimated to have watched their clash in the 2011 World Cup semi-final.

So what, where, and when is it?
India and Pakistan will meet in the final of the Champions Trophy, a major global cricket tournament, on Sunday, June 18. The match is being played at The Oval cricket ground in London and will begin at 10:30 local time (9:30 GMT, 15:00 Indian Standard Time and 15:30 Pakistan Standard Time).

Is this a rare event? This is the first major final between India and Pakistan since 2007, when India beat Pakistan in the World T20 tournament. The hype around this game is also magnified by a paucity of matches between the two teams in the past 10 years, a result of political tensions.

What is the origin of the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry?
Before 1947, the regions now known as India and Pakistan were both part of British India. When British rule in India ended, two separate countries - India and Pakistan - were created principally along religious lines, and many people were killed as millions moved home in an attempt to live in the country where they would be part of the religious majority. Since then, India and Pakistan have fought four official wars and have been involved in other conflicts.

So the cricket rivalry is an extension of the political conflict?
While political tension was certainly the origin of the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry, it has, over the years, forged a history of its own. There have been several periods during which the teams have been evenly matched, leading to hard-fought matches, close series and exciting moments.

What is the attitude of the fans towards each other?
While there are India and Pakistan fans who feel animosity towards the other team, there are many who have tremendous respect for the opposition. This is evidenced by the popularity of several Pakistan cricketers in India, and Indian cricketers in Pakistan. Some might even say that at times cricket has helped people from both countries transcend the political climate, communicate with each other, and appreciate the many cultural similarities they share. Cricket tournaments have sometimes been thought of as part of the attempts by the countries to make peace with each other.

Part of the history of this rivalry are many tales of people treating those coming from across the border for a cricket series with warmth and hospitality, incidents of fans applauding opposition players at stadiums and of players making respectful gestures to their rivals. Recently, for example, when the famous Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi retired, the entire India team signed a T-shirt and sent it to him as a gift

India vs Bangladesh Live Cricket Score, Champions Trophy 2017

India won the toss and chose to bowl in the second semi-final against Bangladesh in Edgbaston. This is the first encounter between these two sides in the tournament and Virat Kohli’s side are unchanged. Yuvraj Singh is playing his 300th ODI. The winner of this match will play Pakistan in the final. Catch live cricket score of India vs Bangladesh semi-final here.

18:20 hrs IST: Bangladesh end on 264/7 in 50 overs

18:16 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar is down! He has hurt his leg in his follow through in the last over. Bangladesh, meanwhile, has crossed 260.

18:11 hrs IST: FOURS! Turning out to be a costly over for India as MOsrtaza goes after Bumrah. BAN 258/7 in 49 overs

18:10 hrs IST: FOUR! Lucky there! Tasking edges to Bhuvneshwar as the flies away to boundary. BAN 248/7 in 48 overs

18:04 hrs IST: FOUR AGAIN! Bumrah Yorker is edged by Mortaza and goes left of Dhoni to boundary. BAN 244/7 in 47 overs

18:01 hrs IST: FOUR! Mortaza gets some crucial runs as his mistimed pull gets the ball over Dhoni’s head towards four. BAN 231/7 in 46 overs

17:57 hrs IST: WICKET! Mahmudullah (21) out. BAN 229/7 (45)

Bumrah strikes again! He comes up with a gem of a yorker and rattles Mahmudullah stumps.

17:51 hrs IST: FOUR! Mashrafe Mortaza goes for the big one against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. BAN 226/6 in 44 overs

17:46 hrs IST: WICKET! Mosaddek Out, BAN 218/6 (42.3)

Bumrah gets his first wicket as Mosaddek mistimes pull is caught y the bowler himself.

17:42 hrs IST: FOUR! Now Mahmudullah reverse sweeps Ashwin for a boundary.

17:38 hrs IST: Bumrah is back in the attack and gets hit for a four by Mosaddek Hossain at mid-off. BAN 212/5 in 41 overs

17:35 hrs IST: Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain have handled the collapse pretty well. BAN 206/5 in 40 overs

17:30 hrs IST: DROPPED! Mahmudullah is let off by Ashwin at third man off Pandya. BAN 197/5 in 39 overs

17:26 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja now has 16 wickets . Most by any Indian bowlers in ICC Champions Trophy. BAN 191/5 in 38 overs

17:24 hrs IST: FOUR! Mosaddek cuts Jadeja to ease the pressure a bit. BAN 188/5 in 37 overs

17:19 hrs IST: WICKET!Rahim (61) out! BAN 179/5 in 35.2 overs

Bangladesh feels the heat as Jadhav gets his second. Rahim tries to take the spinner through mid-wicket but is caught by Kohli, who is excited and is not shy of expressing it. he makes a funny face and the crowd the love it.

17:13 hrs IST: WICKET! Shakib (15) departs! BAN 177/4 in 34.2 overs

Jadeja gets his first wicket as Shakib tries got for a cut against the spinner and is caught behind by Dhoni. A brilliant attempt.

17:10 hrs IST: FOUR! A boundary after a long time for Bangladesh. Shakib slashes Jadeja for a four. BAN 175/3 in 33 overs

17:07 hrs IST: Jadhav continues from the other end. He has essayed the role of the third spinner pretty well. But Bangladesh have a deep batting line-up. BAN 167/3 in 32 overs

17:04 hrs IST: Jadeja has been miserly so far. He has given 33 runs in seven overs so far. BAN 164/3 in 33 overs

17:00 hrs IST: The drying up of boundaries mounted the pressure on Bangladesh. Still, Tamim looked set but a wild drive did him in. Shakib Al Hasan is the new batsman at the crease. BAN 161/3 in 30 overs

16:57 hrs IST: WICKET! Tamim Iqbal (70) departs! BAN 154/3 in 28 overs

The set batsman goes a wild drive but misses Kedar Jadhav’s line. He tried to take him over mid-wicket but is bowled.

16:54 hrs IST: The Edgbaston is basking in sunlight after a long time. No boundary for Bangladesh in the last three overs.

16:50 hrs IST: Rahim scores 26th half-century as Bangladesh reach 150-run mark in 26.2 overs

16:46 hrs IST: Jadeja bowls his fourth over as Mushfiqur Rahim is just four runs short of his half-century. BAN 142/2 in 25 overs

16:42 hrs IST: Tamim and Rahim’s stand has now crossed 100 run mark. They have handled the spin duo Ashwin and Jadeja pretty well. BAN 137/2 in 24 overs

16:37 hrs IST: THREE STRAIGHT FOURS! Tamim is on fire! He goes after Ashwin. First the left-hander cuts four a boundary, then hits through the covers and then flicks towards leg. BAN 123/2 in 22 overs

16:34 hrs IST: HUGE APPEAL! Rahim goes for a slog sweep and misses the line of the delivery as Dhoni removes the bails. Replays show he was inside the line. BAN 110/2 in 21 overs

16:32 hrs IST: Ashwin gives away just one run! BAN 105/2 in 20 overs

16:31 hrs IST: FOUR! Tamim gets to his 38th half-century with a reverse sweep off Jadeja. BAN 104/2 in 19 overs

16:26 hrs IST: Raviundra Jadeja into the attack now.

16:24 hrs IST: Ashwin continues from the other end. This partnership is like a thorn for India. The earlier they get one of them out, the better for Kohli’s men. BAN 96/2 in 18 overs

16:20 hrs IST: It’s the drinks break. Both teams have something to take from the first hour of play. Bangladesh have shown the confidence and playing to a plan.

16:18 hrs IST: SIX! Tamim Iqbal takes Pandya over square leg. He has moved to his 40s. BAN 90/2 in 17 overs

16:16 hrs IST: FOUR! Tamim directs Ashwin delivery towards third man!. This is intelligent batting by Bangladesh’s most senior batsman. BAN 83/2 in 16 overs

16:12 hrs IST: Ashwin starts his second over on a poor note as he bowls a wide. He covers quickly and goves away just three more runs. BAN 66/2 in 14 overs

16:08 hrs IST: Meanwhile, India’s squad for West Indies limited overs series has been announced. Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant included in the squad while Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested.

16:04 hrs IST: Hardik Pandya gets an inside edge off Tamim, as the ball hits the stumps. No danger, however, as it’s called a no ball. Tough luck! BAN 62/2 in 13 overs

16:02 hrs IST: Hardik Pandya comes from the other end. His no ball gives Bangladesh a free-hit. Only two runs from it .  

16:00 hrs IST: First bowling change for India! R Ashwin comes in to bowl the 12th over and gives away two runs. BAN 49/2 in 12 overs.

15:58 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar continues from the other end and gives away just one run. BAN 47/2 in 11 overs

15:57 hrs IST: Bumrah bowls another tight over. He is keeping up the pressure from one end. BAN 46/2 in 10 overs

15:48 hrs IST: RAHIM ON FIRE! The ex-skipper continues his attack as he gets straight fours. First he produces an elegant cover drive and then cuts through point. BAN 45/2 in 9 overs

15:47 hrs IST: THAT WILL HURT! Rahim goes for a wild heave against Bhuvneshwar, the ball gets an inside edge but misses the stumps and goes past Dhoni for a boundary.

15:41 hrs IST: Mushfiqur Rahim is the new batsman. This partnership will be crucial for Bangladesh. The duo is their most in-form batsmen. Bumrah gives away just one run in the eighth over. BAN 32/2 in 8 overs

15:39 hrs IST: WICKET!Sabbir (19) gone! BAN 31/2 in 6.5 overs

Bhuvneshwar strikes again! Sabbir goes for a cut against a wide delivery and is caught by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point.

15:35 hrs IST: A Maiden over after a long time. Bumrah’s over will give Kohli’s India breathing space after the mayhem by Sabbir. BAN 31/1 in 6 overs

15:33 hrs IST: Bangladesh have so far got boundaries in every over except the first one. Indian pacers need to find a quick answer to their onslaught.

15:31 hrs IST: FOUR! Bhuvneshwar gets a leading edge off Tamim. But the ball flies away from the fielder at second slip. Bangladesh fans are rejoicing. BAN 31/1 in 5 overs

15:27 hrs IST: FOUR AGAIN! Sabbir is ripping apart the Indian pacers. He is taking full advantage of the powerplay overs as there are no fielders in the outfield. This time he hits over long off against Bumrah. BAN 26/1 in 4 overs

15:22 hrs IST: MORE FOURS! Rahman is essaying his pinch-hitting role pretty well. First he lofts Bhuvneshwar over mid-off and then gets another boundary with a beautiful cover drive. BAN 21/1 in 3 overs

15:16 hrs IST: FOURS! Bangladesh makes a strong comeback Tamim and No.3 Sabbir Rahman goes after Jasprit Bumrah. First Tamim directs the ball towards square leg and then Rahman gets off the blocks with an elegant square drive and then BAN 11/1 in 2 overs

15:14 hrs IST: WICKET! Soumya Sarkar gone. BAN 1/1 in 1 over

Bhuvneshwar Kumar rattles Soumya stumps.

15:12 hrs IST: Bangladesh get off the mark as Tamim Iqbal takes a single off Bhuvneshwar. The Indian pacer is bowling a tight line!

15:11 hrs IST: Action starts!

15:03 Time for the national anthems. India and Banglesh, both anthems composed by Rabindranath Tagore. Huge moment for Bangladesh and their legions of fans.

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni(w), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah

India vs South Africa, Where to Watch Live Score Star Sports

Mumbai: Big guns and title favorites India and South Africa will face each other in a knockout clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Having suffered defeats in their previous matches, India and South Africa face a do-or-die battle in their quest for a semi-final spot when they meet in a Group B contest at The Oval on Sunday. India suffered an unexpected seven-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their last group match while Pakistan got the better of South Africa via the Duckworth-Lewis method. Virat Kohli and his men got a reality check against Sri Lanka and will now look to iron out their concerns in the bowling department. India's batting has done well in the tournament so far but it was their bowling which flopped against Sri Lanka. For South Africa, neither their batting not bowling looked to have clicked after a 19-run defeat against Pakistan. The Proteas will look to heavily improvise in both the departments to give their side any chance of a win against India.

Discord and defeat, or amity and victory? Which way will perceptions sway after the virtual quarterfinal against South Africa?
Indian cricket's English summer has been a tumultuous one so far, but Sunday's knockout game also provides Virat Kohli's men a chance to maintain their excellent record in do-or-die situations.
In the past four years, India have won three out of four knockout games, the lone blip coming against the Australians in Sydney in the 2015 World Cup semifinal. Two out of those three victories came in the last Champions Trophy, a tournament in which India have a spotless 3-0 record against South Africa.
So the Indians in recent times have inspired plenty of confidence in pressure situations, better than the South Africans anyway, whose reputation as perennial chokers seems to have dogged them for an eternity.
This time, though, that tiny psychological edge may not be cushion enough: South Africa are the world's No. 1 ODI side. Since the loss to Bangladesh in July 2015, they have won 7 out of 9 ODI series, including beating India in India. Conditions at the Oval are likely to suit them more. They have a settled lineup. On current form, the only opponent more formidable than South Africa would be England on home soil.

Having landed themselves in a mess following the disclosure of differences between Kohli and coach Anil Kumble, and also coming off a shock loss to Sri Lanka, India need to win this one to reaffirm a bit of faith. "You need to have a good balance of being competitive, being passionate, but at the same time not getting overexcited," said Kohli about India's approach to knockout games. Tactical superiority wouldn't hurt either, and to that end India seem to be turning to the card they missed in the Sri Lanka game: Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ashwin has only sporadically been part of India's ODI setup, having played only 9 and missed 18 games since the 2015 World Cup. His economy rate in this period has been marginally higher, 5.55, than his career average of 4.91. However, he also has 12 wickets from those 9 games, and India sorely missed a wicket-taker against the Lankans.

The offie came into the tournament proclaiming a new weapon he had worked on, but has only been allowed to watch from the sidelines so far. On match eve, he was made to bowl for nearly two hours, meaning India had taken cognizance of the three left-handers in the SA lineup - De Kock, David Miller, and JP Duminy.

Will Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who didn't have much of a bowl in the nets, set out to enable India to play two spinners in Ashwin and Jadeja and two pacers in Yadav and Bumrah? Kohli, true to tradition, was suitably cryptic, saying, "Yes, there are all kinds of possibilities. We definitely have looked at the last game and where we can make a bit of a change."

That "last game" saw India losing out in spite of posting 321 on the board, and South Africa have one of the most dangerous batting lineups around, even though they may have imploded against Imad Wasim and Co in the game against Pakistan. "The temptation is definitely there to change the XI. We have 15 world-class players in the side," said captain AB de Villiers, adding: "We also expect to see Ashwin on their side. He's taken many wickets against us."

AB too agreed it was important to "stay calm". "Don't get overexcited, the tendency will be there. We all live for these kinds of moments. I'm expecting intensity and hunger but with a relaxed kind of mindset."

If that sounds contradictory, Kohli wouldn't know. "The team that treats the game as normal as possible will win," he said.

The question is, is it possible to stay normal with everything on the line?

Squads of India and South Africa for ICC Champions Trophy 2017:

INDIA SQUAD: Virat Kohli(Captain), MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammed Shami

SOUTH AFRICA SQUAD: AB de Villiers (Captain), Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris, David Miller, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Hashim Amla, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Morne Morkel.

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Indian Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2017

15-man India squad, for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, announced on Monday (May 8) - a day after the BCCI gave the all-clear to participate in the tournament.

Mohammed Shami, who hadn't played a One-Day International since the World Cup 2015 semifinal, was recalled to the 15-man Indian squad, for the Champions Trophy.

It was also the first time that standbys were named.

Rohit Sharma, the opening batsman, too, returns to the set-up after having been ruled out for four months in November last year due to a thigh injury. He has played all of Mumbai's games so far this season in the IPL after returning to competitive cricket in March.

While KL Rahul hasn't sufficiently recovered from his shoulder injury, Ravichandran Ashwin, the ace offspinner, who missed the ongoing IPL with a sports hernia injury, was named, along with Ravindra Jadeja, with the duo to share spin responsibilities.

Ashwin, who played a crucial role in helping India hoist the Champions Trophy in 2013, picking up eight scalps at an average of 22.62, was rested for the duration of the IPL - something that was confirmed by MSK Prasad. "Ashwin's selection was not a difficult decision. He's had rest, isn't out of form. We've been preparing him for the Champions Trophy" said MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors after the announcement.

One of the major talking points prior to the announcement was whether Ajinkya Rahane would retain his place in the set-up. The elegant batsman has been in average form in the ongoing IPL, evidenced by the fact that he has compiled just 248 runs at an average of 20.66. However, the Prasad-led selection panel showed their faith in the veteran batsman by naming him for England as the backup opener (Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan being the primary ones), along with Yuvraj Singh, whose one-day career was revived after being picked for the series against England in January.

Manish Pandey was also named in the 15-member squad. The enterprising batsman hasn't played for the national side in the 50-over format since the series against New Zealand in October last year despite being selected for the subsequent ODI series against England.

MS Dhoni was the lone wicketkeeper named in the squad. When asked about the decision and concerns with his form, Prasad didn't stop short of lavishing praise on the former Indian skipper saying that the experienced campaigner has been a fine performer for India under pressure situations in the abridged versions of the game, also commending his glovework.

"We all believe that MSD is still the best wicketkeeper in the world," said Prasad. "Focussing on his batting form, he is an invaluable asset to the team when it comes to crunch situations. His inputs... and he has got one of the best brains. He is the best person to guide Virat. Not many people realise that in the last 10-12 years that MS has played, he has never had a bad day as far his gloves are concerned. We always treat him as a batsman but the phenomenal stuff that he does behind the wickets, not many people appreciate."

Rishabh Pant, the dashing wicketkeeper-batsman, was also considered for selection but missed out. The 19-year-old had plundered 972 runs at an average of 81 to go with an astonishing strike rate of 107 in the 2016-17 Ranji season.

"We are completely impressed with Rishabh Pant. But he missed out because of squad combination. We will groom him for the future," noted Prasad. The former wicketkeeper-batsman also pointed out that the selectors had pondered over whether to select Kuldeep Yadav, the slow left-arm unorthodox bowler, who he said "missed out narrowly".

The chinaman bowler took a four-wicket haul on his Test debut against Australia in Dharamsala. He has also picked up nine wickets at an average of 31.22 in the IPL 2017.

In addition, apart from Pant and Kuldeep, the others who were considered and will be kept as stand-by options are Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina and Shardul Thakur, for who visas are being sorted out. They will, in the meantime, train at the NCA in Bangalore.

Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami will form a formidable pace attack. The team, as Prasad stressed, had been picked on the basis of "performances in the last year or so and not just the IPL".

The Indian selectors went in with a tried and tested side, banking on the right mix of experience and youth, playing it safe with no surprise inclusions. Virat Kohli will lead the side that will kickstart their title defence against Pakistan on June 4 in Edgbaston.


Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit, Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami.