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Hugh Grant’s stolen movie script (Photo Credit – Instagram)

So here’s the deal—Hugh Grant, the British heartthrob and movie icon, had a bit of a nightmare in 2019. Some thief broke into his car and swiped his bag, which was no big deal; he just happened to have weeks of work on his latest script inside. Yeah, talk about a plot twist.

Grant hopped on Twitter and shared his plea to get the script back. “In the unlikely chance that anyone knows who broke into my car tonight and stole my bag, please try and persuade them to at least return my script,” he wrote, adding that it had a ton of notes and ideas. Oh, and they also snagged his kids’ medical cards—chaos.

We don’t know exactly which script it was, but Grant was juggling The Undoing with Nicole Kidman and Toff Guys, a Guy Ritchie flick at the time.

Virat Kohli Has Been A Part Of Royal Challengers Bengaluru Since 2008(Photo Credit –Facebook/Twitter)

Virat Kohli is without a doubt one of the best cricketers in the world right now. With millions of fans worshipping him, professional cricketers and colleagues consider him one of the best. His association with the Indian Premier League goes back to 2008 when he was fresh off his Under 19 World Cup win. Since, then Kohli has become the face of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, proving his loyalty over the years. But did you know Ipl fans had once lashed out at the team for retaining Kohli and letting Rahul Dravid go?

We will have to turn the pages on this bit of Ipl history back to 2010, two years after the Ipl started. As the league was gaining momentum, so was Kohli. Still fresh and young to the world of Ipl, Kohli was beginning his run machine phase.

London, July 29 (Ians) Veteran India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik said England skipper Ben Stokes falling to Australia off-spinner Todd Murphy on Day Three of the fifth and final Ashes Test was an example of the all-rounder’s mantra of ‘living and dying by the sword’ in the longest format of the game.

Stokes took his familiar aggressive option in a bid to take on Murphy, but he miscued the shot and holed out to mid-on, to fall for 42 off 67 balls.

During his innings, Stokes broke the record for the greatest number of sixes hit in an Ashes series, hitting his 15th maximum to go past Kevin Pietersen’s previous record of 14 hits over the fence.

“If you look at it generally, it’s a poor shot. But the way England have been batting, it’s a case of ‘you live by the sword, you die by the sword’. The way Stokes...

New Delhi, July 24 (Ians) Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has identified Ben Stokes’ unexpected declaration on the opening day of the First Test at Edgbaston as a big mistake that England will lament following their failure to reclaim the Ashes at Old Trafford.

With a 2-1 lead, Australia will enter the final Test commencing on Thursday. Although the Ashes trophy has already been secured, they still have an opportunity to achieve their first series victory in England in 22 years.

England declared their first innings at 393/8 after just 78 overs, making it the earliest first-innings declaration in Ashes history.

‘I think they will regret the fact that they declared. I think they’ll regret how hard they went with the bat in the second innings. A 280-run lead having been bowled out in the second innings, I think if you had’ve asked straight after losing the toss, you’re going to...

London, June 30 (Ians) Australian batter Steve Smith has revealed his pre-match rituals, saying that he struggles to sleep before the first innings of a Test match and visualises about the approach and plan of the opposition bowlers.

In the ongoing Ashes 2023 series against England, the Australian didn’t have a great outing in the opening Test. However, he redeemed himself in the first innings of the second Test at Lord’s Test by scoring his 32nd century.

With his historic century, the right-hander batter achieved a couple of notable milestones. He became the fastest player to score 9,000 runs in Test cricket and also crossed 15,000 international runs.

“Before the first innings, I really struggle to sleep. I visualize all the bowlers coming at me, what they are going to do, and how I am going to try and score. It is not ideal, but yeah, got a bit of sleep last night,...

New Delhi, June 30 (Ians) Former England pacer Steve Harmison has criticised ex-captain Kevin Pietersen for slamming Ben Stokes’ side for being friendly with the Australians after Day 1 of the Lord’s Test match.

Pietersen expressed his displeasure with England’s lethargic approach, notably the time it took for the players to get onto the field and the slow pace at which they bowled.

Following the conclusion of day one of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, Pietersen launched a scathing critique against England after they elected to bowl first against Australia. The visitors ended the day 339/5 in favourable bowling conditions.

Before the start of play on Day 2, Pietersen took to Twitter expressing his desire for England to show more aggression and determination.

“Come on, @englandcricket! Stand tall today and take it to the Australians. Stop being so nice and get some mongrel in you! Take those 5 wickets quickly and bat well!

London, June 29 (Ians) Australia were dealt with a major injury scare on Thursday when premier off-spinner Nathan Lyon limped off the field while fielding during day two of the second Ashes Test against England at Lord’s.

Lyon, who is playing in his 100th consecutive Test, was running in to take a catch of Ben Duckett off the bowling of Cameron Green in the leg-side after tea, when he pulled up sharply while running towards the ball.

The injury looked so serious that Lyon had to go off the field by taking the support of a member of the Australian team medical staff and shook off in pain while clutching the calf region of his right leg.

A statement from Cricket Australia confirmed Lyon has suffered a right calf injury and would be further assessed after the close of day’s two play. “A further update, if available, will be shared in the morning,...

London, June 29 (Ians) Former captains Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan tore into the England team after Australia hammered them for 339/5 on the opening day of the second Test of the 2023 Ashes series at Lord’s here with the former blasting them being ‘shambolic’ and hoped that coach Brendon McCullum gave them their “biggest hammering”.

David started the carnage with an 88-ball 66 and Steve Smith (85 not out) built on it while Travis Head blasted them all over the ground while scoring 77 off 73 balls on Wednesday as Australia made a strong start after winning the first Test at Birmingham a few days back.

England’s approach to the game came in for severe criticism as they made a mess of winning the toss and electing to bowl on a cloud-covered, rain-dotted day which ought to have been right up their pacemen’s street.

Ben Stokes’ team was careless with its catching, toothless...

Birmingham, June 19 (Ians) On Day Four of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Joe Root started by attempting to reverse scoop off Australia skipper Pat Cummins, which he couldn’t do so. But nailed the shot a short while later, hitting a six and four off seamer Scott Boland to set the ball rolling for an entertaining 55-ball 46.

Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen was in awe of Root’s knock helping England extend their lead to 162 runs at lunch on Day Four. “Root owned the game, he ran the game, he was pure quality. He made Australia do everything he wanted them to do, like spreading the field. It was a masterclass.”

“The sky is the limit for Root with the brain he has and also his work ethic, which is like none other. With 11,000 Test runs, he could be, ‘I’ve got enough, I could swan around, get a hundred,...

Birmingham, June 17 (Ians) Former cricketers have been very critical of defensive tactics from Australia during day one of the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston. At stumps on day one, Australia were 14/0 after England declared their first innings on 393/8, thanks to 118 not out from Joe Root as well as fifties from Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley.

Zak Crawley began Ashes 2023 by crunching Pat Cummins’ first ball of the day to the boundary rope. But it was the field placements from Cummins which left onlookers surprised, like placing a deep point in the first over and when Nathan Lyon was introduced into the attack, there were four fielders on the boundary ropes.

“They’ve gone defensive straight away. I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of that deep backward point as a starting option … if the scoreboard continually ticks over, batsmen never feel under pressure at all,” said...

Birmingham, June 17 (Ians) England’s surprising decision to declare their first innings on 393/8 has brought out a mixed reaction amongst their former players. While Kevin Pietersen didn’t like the adventurous declaration, Nasser Hussain called it a brilliant move.

England stuck to its ultra-attacking and bold approach of playing Test cricket by making a surprise declaration at 393/8 in 78 overs after Joe Root slammed his 30th Test century to be 118 not out on a rousing Ashes opening day at Edgbaston.

Though Pietersen admitted the declaration reflected England’s new approach of playing Test cricket, he was not a fan of the decision citing a flat pitch giving chance to Australia’s batters to score runs in coming days.

“We were talking about the declaration, we were thinking about the declaration, but two or three years ago there would not have even been a hint of a declaration. But with this team,...

New Delhi, May 22 (Ians) Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has suggested talismanic batter Virat Kohli to join Delhi Capitals and move on from the Royal Challengers Bangalore after the franchise was knocked out of Ipl 2023 post a six-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

“Time for Virat to make the move to the capital city…! #Ipl”, wrote Pietersen on his Twitter account after Kohli’s quest to win an Ipl trophy ended despite him making his second consecutive century through an unbeaten 101.

Kohli, who entered the Indian team after playing for Delhi in domestic cricket, has been a part of the Bangalore franchise since the tournament’s inception in 2008. Interestingly, Delhi had picked left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan over Kohli during the first-ever Ipl player auction, held shortly after the right-handed batter had led India to U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy in Malaysia.

“There...

London, April 6 (Ians) Former India captain M.S. Dhoni, his teammates Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh along with women internationals Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami were on Wednesday awarded the Honorary Life Membership of the prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club (McC).

M.S. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were both integral parts of the India side which won the 2007 Icc Men’s World T20 and the 2011 Icc Men’s World Cup, and Suresh Raina scored over 5,500 Odi runs across a 13-year career.

The custodians of the game’s rules have also picked England’s World Cup-winning captain Eion Morgan and Kevin Pietersen, South African Dale Stein and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor among the honorary life members.

Pakistan’s former all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez and Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza were also included in the list released by the McC on Wednesday.

“McC awards Honorary Life Membership of the Club to some of the world’s finest cricketers.

Mumbai, March 21 (Ians) Star Sports, the official television broadcaster of the Ipl 2023, on Tuesday announced a star-studded panel of commentators that features some of the most decorated players to have graced the 22 yards.

Cricket aficionados can tune in to watch two T20 World Cup winning captains Paul Collingwood and Aaron Finch, the latter having played for nine Ipl franchises, providing a captain’s perspective.

Joining them will be former England and Ipl legend Kevin Pietersen, whose extensive knowledge of the sport and colourful personality has made him a fan favourite over the years.

Another fan favourite – Danny Morrison – will be seen in his elements on Star Sports’ coverage of Ipl 2023. One of the greatest all-rounders ever and a former Ipl coach Jacques Kallis makes his debut on Star Sports’ panel.

Former Australia batters David Hussey, who was also Kkr mentor and Matthew Hayden, Csk legend, will join Kallis and Pietersen.

New Delhi, March 3 (Ians) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen, who is India for Raisina Dialogue, has shared a picture from his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Sharing a photo of his meeting with Pm Modi on social media, he said: “An honour to speak so passionately and warmly about the release of cheetahs on your birthday, Sir @narendramodi. Thank you for your infectious smile and a firm handshake. I really look forward to seeing you again, Sir”

Pietersen was invited as a guest at the three-day Raisina Dialogue event in India, organised by the Ministry of External affairs.

“So extremely excited to be going to India next week to share the stage at the below geo-political conference. An honour to be invited! Travelling to India is always something that excites me!” he tweeted after getting an invitation to the three-day event.

Pieterson had met Home Minister Amit Shah...

New Delhi, Jan 7 (Ians) Viacom18 announced an expert panel of Suresh Raina, Rp Singh, Pragyan Ojha, and Aakash Chopra for their coverage of inaugural edition of SA20, which they will be broadcasting in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu.

The Hindi feed will feature cricketer-turned-expert Aakash Chopra, India’s highest wicket-taker of the 2007 Icc World Twenty20 campaign, Rp Singh, former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and former England international Owais Shah.

Tamil viewers will hear cricketers Abhinav Mukund and Anirudha Srikkanth while Telugu coverage will be headlined by former India international Venkatapathy Raju, who will be joined by Akshath Reddy, Sandeep Bavanaka and R J Hemanth.

The SA20 English commentary team has Ab De Villiers making his debut as a commentator, joined by his former South Africa team teammates Mark Boucher, Ashwell Prince, Shaun Pollock, Herschelle Gibbs, Chris Morris and Vernon Philander.

The experienced Mark Nicholas will join former England internationals Kevin Pietersen and Darren Gough.

New Delhi, Jan 4 (Ians) Former South Africa captain Ab de Villiers is looking forward to his commentary debut during the inaugural SA20 starting from January 10. De Villiers headlines a stellar team of commentators and presenters who will call the exciting action of South Africa’s anticipated new league.

Known as ‘Mr 360’ during his playing days where he enthralled the fans, de Villiers will bring all the flair and innovation to the commentary booth.

“I am a cricket fan at heart and I can’t wait to be behind the mic to watch the brilliant performances from the world’s best cricketers during the SA20. I am looking forward to joining some of my past teammates and cricketing legends for this exciting opportunity,” De Villiers said in an official statement.

The SA20 commentary team has reunited the legendary Proteas slip cordon with de Villiers joined by his former national team teammates Mark Boucher,...

New Delhi, Dec 31 (Ians) Injured India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant will be shifted to New Delhi for further treatment, especially for plastic surgery resulting from the burn injuries he suffered in the car accident in which he was involved on Friday morning.

Delhi and District Cricket Association (Ddca) president Rohan Jaitley said if needed and medically advisable, his organisation will airlift Pant from Dehradun to New Delhi for his plastic surgery.

“If medically advisable, we’ll airlift Rishabh Pant to Delhi for plastic surgery. We are in constant touch with Max Hospital Dehradun,” Ddca president Rohan Jaitley told Ians on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the results of Pant’s Mri of the brain and spine are normal, said a medical bulletin, after the cricketer suffered in a serious car accident near Roorkee, Uttarakhand on Friday morning.

The 25-year-old has also undergone plastic surgery to manage his facial injuries, lacerated wounds and abrasions...

The former Indian captain knows a thing or two about a terrific win, as he was part of the history-making Indian team which won the Cricket World Cup at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in 1983 under the leadership of Kapil Dev, a win which would change the face of cricket in the country.

It was a final which was an absolute thriller, with six goals scored in 120 minutes, a late fightback from France, not once but twice and then the penalty shoot-out which decided the title winner.

Nearly four decades back Gavaskar and his teammates were rank outsiders against the then high and mighty West Indies, but they pulled off one of the sensational wins in the low-scoring final over the Caribbean cricketers.

The win on Sunday was a thriller albeit on a football field.

The Mumbai-born ‘Little Master’ took sheer delight in the matches of the football showpiece event...

London, Oct 19 (Ians) India opening batter Kl Rahul figures on top in Kevin Pietersen’s list of players who will excel in the Icc T20 World Cup in Australia, with the former England cricketer predicting the 30-year-old will score tons of runs, though he doesn’t think India will win the global event.

Rahul has been in sublime form, with the batter making 62 against Afghanistan in India’s last Super Four match of Asia Cup 2022. He has smashed three fifties in five bilateral matches against Australia and South Africa at home.

Rahul has continued his good showing since India landed in Australia in early October, making a patient 74 in the second practice match against Western Australia XI in Perth and followed it up with 57 in a warm-up match against Australia at The Gabba, Brisbane.

In his column for betway.com, Pietersen expressed confidence Rahul will be a class apart with the bat.

Dubai, Sep 4 (Ians) Star India batter Virat Kohli on Sunday equalled the record for most fifties in T20Is against Pakistan with a half-century during the Super Four phase of Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium, here.

Kohli dropped anchor for India from No.3, compiling his 32nd T20I fifty (60 off 44) to lead India to 181/7 in 20 overs.

After Rohit Sharma and K.L Rahul put on a blazing fifty-stand for the opening wicket, Kohli walked in and started positively, moving to 15 off 10 balls despite India losing Rahul shortly after Rohit’s wicket.

With Suryakumar Yadav also falling cheaply, Kohli resorted to a more restrained approach, running quickly between the wickets and keeping the scoreboard ticking. He reached his half-century with a six off Mohammad Hasnain and finished on 60 after he was run out by a direct hit from Asif Ali in the final over.

The fifty was Kohli’s fourth against Pakistan in T20Is.

London, Sep 3 (Ians) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was critical of the decision to omit out-of-form opener Jason Roy from the squad for the Men’s T20 World Cup, saying that the right-hander’s experience was something which the side should have been taking into a huge showpiece event.

On Friday, Roy was left out of England’s Men’s T20 World Cup squad, the three T20Is trip to Australia and from the upcoming seven T20Is tour of Pakistan as well. He has struggled to get going in England’s home summer, scoring just 78 runs in six T20Is, averaging 12.66.

Roy had been an integral part of England’s unit in white-ball cricket since 2015 and played a good role in the side winning the 2019 Odi World Cup at home. His ‘The Hundred’ campaign in 2022 for the Oval Invincibles was horrendous, with three ducks in four innings and his...

London, July 9 (Ians) During day three of the rescheduled fifth Test between England and India at Edgbaston, Kevin Pietersen had criticised the way skipper Ben Stokes batted for his 25 in the first innings, where he was dropped twice while trying to slog. Eventually, Stokes fell to a slog off Shardul Thakur, which Pietersen […]...

Birmingham, July 3 (Ians) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen slammed current skipper Ben Stokes for the way he batted in the first innings against India on day three of rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston, saying it was reckless batting and the left-handed batter had brain fade moments thrice in ten minutes. Stokes was out for […]...

London, May 7 (Ians) Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has asked the England and Wales Cricket Board (Ecb) to hand Test debut to Liam Livingstone, who has been doing remarkably well for Indian Premier League (Ipl) franchise Punjab Kings this season. As the England Test team makes the transition from Joe Root to Ben Stokes, […]...

Mumbai, May 7 (Ians) Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen wants the Board of Control for Cricket in India (Bcci) to immediately blood Sunrisers Hyderabad pace sensation Umran Malik into the Test side, as there is “no point waiting around”. Umran bowled the fastest delivery of Ipl 2022 when he clocked 157 kmph during his team’s […]...

New Delhi, May 5 (Ians) Four Ipl franchises – Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals — and a consortium led by former England captain Kevin Pietersen have shown interest in buying teams in South Africa’s new T20 league. The tournament, scheduled for January next year, is set to include six privately […]...

Mumbai, May 3 (Ians) Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has compared former India skipper and Royal Challengers Bangalore stalwart Virat Kohli with Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of greatness, and added that both are at the top of their game. Following a prolonged lean patch for Rcb in Ipl 2022, Kohli finally broke […]...

London, April 30 (Ians) Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen believes Ben Stokes “has the personality” to captain the Test side, but added that the 30-year-old all-rounder will need a leadership group which can complement him as he aim to bring back the side’s glory days back. Stokes was made England captain after Joe Root stepped […]...

London, April 30 (Ians) Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen is willing to wager on Gujarat Titans to go all the way in the current edition of the Indian Premier League, saying that the newbies are “consistently finding ways to win”, even from hopeless situations. The Hardik Pandya-led side is currently leading the Ipl table with […]...

Pune, April 26 (Ians) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen said that he is running out of adjectives and superlatives to describe the swashbuckling performances of Rajasthan Royals opener Jos Buttler in the ongoing Ipl 2022. Buttler has been in blazing form, slamming three tons against Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals to make […]...

Mumbai, April 23 (Ians) Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has praised country-mate Jos Buttler for his array of shots, saying that the 31-year-old’s “array of shots” and his “execution of shot” is unmatched, adding that India’s Kl Rahul is another cricketer who “has those skills”. Rajasthan Royals’ Buttler has emerged the Indian Premier League’s (Ipl) […]...

London, March 28 (Ians) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has lashed out over people pointing fingers at Joe Root’s future as Test captain after the 1-0 series loss to West Indies, saying that the cricketing setup in the country ‘stinks’. He added that the current state of England’s Test cricket is down to the quality […]...

Melbourne, Dec 24 (Ians) Former England cricketer-turned-commentator Kevin Pietersen has suggested to Joe Root’s team that a score of 150 playing bold strokes is much better that being bowled out cheaply defending and getting caught behind the stumps. The opening Ashes Test at The Gabba was a classic example of Australian quicks bowling a nagging […]...

New Delhi, Sep 23 (Ians) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen made a tall claim after Sunrisers Hyderabad lost to Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in their Ipl game in Dubai. Following David Warner’s dismissal for a duck on Wednesday, Pietersen said that he knew that the Srh opener would truggle against the pace duo of […]...

New Delhi, March 21 (Ians) All-rounder Ben Stokes has to bat higher up in the order for England in T20Is, said former England captain Kevin Pietersen.

Stokes batted at No.5 or No.6 throughout England's five-match T20I series in India which ended in a 2-3 defeat for the visitors.

He ended up not batting in the first and third matches while scoring 24, 46 and 14 in the other games.

"Ben Stokes is completely wasted at No. 6 as a batter and bowling part time. Bairstow in T20's is an opener. If he doesn't open, Stokes bats 4!" Pietersen tweeted.

India scored an imposing 224/2 on Saturday, buoyed by captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's 94-run opening partnership. Kohli ended the innings unbeaten on 80 off 52 balls. In reply, England looked capable of challenging the total during opener Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan's 130-run partnership for the second wicket.

However, fast bowler Shardul Thakur...

Ahmedabad, March 13 (Ians) Rishabh Pant's reverse scoop for a six off the bowling of Jofra Archer earned the India wicketkeeper-batsman accolades in a match where nothing else went right for India.

Pant, who had walked in at No. 4 to replace skipper Virat Kohli, was facing the seventh ball of his innings in Archer's second over. Pant moved away to his leg and scooped an Archer good-length ball over the wicketkeeper to get six runs for himself and the team. India were eight for two at that time and the audacity so early in his innings is what surprised everyone.

"Holy smokes! Pant has just played the greatest shot that's ever been played in cricket. Reverse sweeping/lifting Archer with a brand new white ball at 90mph for 6," tweeted former England batsman Kevin Pietersen while giving in to hyperbole.

Former India batsman Vvs Laxman too tweeted his admiration for the shot.

Johannesburg, Feb 21 (Ians) South African fast bowling great Dale Steyn threw his weight behind England's controversial rotation policy. Steyn said that the rotation policy is leading to more England players getting exposed to international cricket.

"England's rotation policy is slowly building army of amazing cricketers. We may criticize it now, but with 8 Icc tournaments scheduled for the next 8 years they really not gana struggle for international experience when picking teams. #goals," tweeted Steyn on Saturday.

"I may also be completely wrong with the tournament's schedule, but that's what I was told. Regardless, I think it's pretty genius,' he said in another tweet.

Former captains like Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen have criticised England for giving their regular players intermittent rest periods during the ongoing Test series in India. While England's management have defended the policy, they have also received support from other quarters like West Indies limited overs captain Kieron Pollard.

Chennai, Feb 16 (Ians) All-rounder Moeen Ali has opted out of the remainder of the series and decided to return home. He won't play the last two Test matches.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and fast bowler Mark Wood have, meanwhile, joined England's 17-man squad for the third Test against India, the squad for which was announced on Tuesday.

"Moeen chose to go back home. It has obviously been a very tricky tour for him. As mentioned at the start, if players feel they need to get out of the bubble, they have that option. It is important that we stand by that. That decision has been made. Hopefully he feels better," said skipper Joe Root after the match while speaking to the media.

The off-spinner tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Sri Lanka and had to miss the two Test matches there. He was available for the first Test against India...

Chennai, Feb 11 (Ians) Debate around whether India should stick with Virat Kohli as Test captain will continue because the team has lost its last four Tests and due to the presence of Ajinkya Rahane, says former England captain Kevin Pietersen.

"I absolutely don't expect things to change, but it is impossible to avoid the continuing debate around the Indian Test match captaincy. Virat Kohli has now lost four consecutive Test matches as skipper, and has Ajinkya Rahane, who just led India to a famous series win in Australia, in his side," Pietersen wrote in his blog for Betway.

Under Kohli, India lost two Tests in New Zealand early last year, the first Test against Australia in Adelaide in December and their first Test against England in Chennai this week.

On the other hand, Rahane led the team to a remarkable 2-1 win in Australia after their heavy defeat in Adelaide.

Sydney, Feb 11 (Ians) Australian cricket journalist Chloe-Amanda Bailey has become the toast of Indian cricket fans on Twitter. Chloe-Amanda has expressed her love for India and the Indian cricket team multiple times on her Twitter handle and aims to "visit India" and "have chole bhature".

"Why did everyone start calling me their bhabhi," she tweeted on Thursday.

She has also made a number of tweets in Hindi, even replying to former England captain Kevin Pietersen's "warning" to the Indian team to not overdo their celebrations after their 2-1 Test series win over Australia.

"India - yeh aitihaasik jeet ka jashn manaye kyuki yeh sabhi baadhao ke khilaap hasil hui hai. Lekin, Asli Team toh kuch hafto baad a rahi hai jisse aapko harana hoga apne ghar mein. Satark rahe, 2 saptaah mein bahut adhik jashn manaane se saavadhaan rahen," Pietersen had tweet in January.

In her reply Chloe-Amanda tweeted: "Bhai,...

Chennai, Feb 10 (Ians) Joe Root's men came out with a "perfect performance" against India in the first Test, which they won by 227 runs at the Ma Chidambaram Stadium, says former England captain Nasser Hussain.

Hussain, however, believes that England should expect India to "come back at them" in the remaining matches of the four-Test series, the second of which begins from Saturday at the same venue.

"People were writing England off, saying this series could be 4-0 to India. No one really gave this side much of a chance. India had been on top of their game. Had won in Australia, Virat Kohli was back and India is a very difficult place to go and win in Test match cricket," wrote Hussain in his latest column for Sky Sports.

"So, this win for England has to be right up there, especially away from home. They put in the perfect performance.

Chennai, Feb 9 (Ians) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Tuesday pointed out a tongue-in-cheek warning he gave to India through a Hindi tweet before the England series, rubbing salt into host India's wounds after they lost the first Test by 227 runs at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium.

"India, yaad hai maine pehele hi chetawani di thi ke itna jasn na manaye jab aapne Australia ko unke ghar pe haraya tha" Pietersen tweeted in Hindi.

Pietersen had earlier congratulated India for their historic series win in Australia while reminding them that they still have to face England at home.

"India - yeh aitihaasik jeet ka jashn manaye kyuki yeh sabhi baadhao ke khilaap hasil hui hai. Lekin, Asli Team toh kuch hafto baad a rahi hai jisse aapko harana hoga apne ghar mein. Satark rahe, 2 saptaah mein bahut adhik jashn manaane se saavadhaan rahen," Pietersen had tweet in January.

India were...

Chennai, Feb 8 (Ians) As India need 381 more runs, with nine wickets in hand, to win on the fifth and final day of the first Test against England here, it won't be surprising if the Indian camp would dig out the video of India's famous six-wicket win against the same opponents in 2008, made memorable by Virender Sehwag's swashbuckling 68-ball 83 that set up play on the fifth and final day.

Chasing a target of 420, India on Monday lost Rohit Sharma (12) at the Ma Chidambaram Stadium here. Shubman Gill (15) and Cheteshwar Pujara (12) are at the crease.

In 2008, the Kevin Pietersen-led England had set India a target of 387 in the fourth innings. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave the team a rousing start with their 117-run opening-wicket stand. Gambhir (66 off 139 balls) took a backseat and let his senior partner take the opponents by the scruff of their neck.

Having endured a poor 2007, Sehwag looked hungry for runs.

Chennai, Feb 6 (Ians) England all-rounder Ben Stokes heaped praise on his captain Joe Root after he scored his second double century in three matches on the second day of the first Test against India here on Saturday.

"He makes us all feel pretty rubbish, how he makes batting look. I was quite surprised when he ran down the wicket and smashed a six for the double," said Stokes after play.

"He is in phenomenal form. Makes it look very, very easy, the way he plays spin and dominates spin. Is incredible to watch. I don't think we have had an England batsman ever play spin the way he does. He's got an answer and option for everything thrown at him. He is such a delight to watch," he said.

Root batted for nearly six full sessions for his 218, scored off 377 balls, before falling to left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.

Stokes, who...

Chennai, Feb 6 (Ians) England's past successes over India in India have come with the aid of sweep shots and they used the same stroke to grind the Indian slow bowlers on a flat, batting-friendly Ma Chidambaram wicket here on Saturday.

Skipper Joe Root got to his fifth double century, becoming the first player to get to the figure in his 100th Test. On Friday, he had waited for 50 balls before employing the sweep which he had used quite successfully during the tour of Sri Lanka. But once in and settled, he used it to great effect trying to spoil the line and length of India bowlers.

Ben Stokes joined in and swept quite a few balls to the boundary as the Indian bowlers struggled.

Former India wicket-keeper Kiran More tweeted on Saturday, "Saw #GrahamGooch sweeping @RaviShastriOfc and #ManinderSingh during the 1987 @cricketworldcup semi-final. Then @KP24 used reverse sweep quite effectively in...

Chennai, Feb 5 (Ians) Joe Root on Friday became the 15th England cricketer to play 100 Test matches for his country. He achieved the feat during the first Test of the four-match series against India here at the Ma Chidambaram Stadium.

Before the start of the first Test where England opted to bat, Root had scored 8,249 runs in 99 Test matches, including 19 hundred and 49 half-centuries. He is the fourth-highest Test scorer for England, only behind Alastair Cook, Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart.

Incidentally, Root became only the third cricketer to play both his first and 100th Test match in the same visiting country. Root had made his debut in India in 2012 in a series which England won 2-1.

Karl Hooper and Kapil Dev are the other two cricketers to make their Test debut and 100th Test in the same visiting country. While Kapil made his debut and played his 100th Test both in Pakistan,...

Chennai, Feb 4 (Ians) The first Test against India, beginning here on Friday, will mark the 100th Test for England captain Joe Root, who will reach the milestone ahead of the other members of the 'Big Four' Test batsmen -- Virat Kohli (87 Tests), Steve Smith (77), and Kane Williamson (83).

Root, who will become England's 15th batsman to play a century of Tests, is just 214 runs behind Alec Stewart's career aggregate of 8,463 runs and this series will most probably see him overtake the former England captain to become the third highest run-getter for his country.

The right-handed batsman is coming off a successful series in Sri Lanka where he scored 426 runs in two Tests and England's chances, if they are to do well in India, will hinge on him once again.

The 30-year-old called his debut Test the best moment of his life, something he recalls when he needs an inspiration.

"Walking...

Chennai, Jan 30 (Ians) The England and Wales Cricket Board (Ecb) clarified that wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow will join the squad only after the second Test against India and not after the first Test as was earlier stated by England batting coach Graham Thorpe.

"To clarify, the plan is still for Jonny Bairstow to return for the third and fourth Test and not the second Test. Along with Sam Curran and Mark Wood," said the Ecb in its statement.

Thorpe, during an interaction with the media on Friday, said that Bairstow will be joining the team after the first Test.

England's decision to rest Bairstow for the first two Tests was criticised by a number of former players. He was England's second-highest run scorer behind captain Joe Root during their last series in Sri Lanka which they won 2-0. Bairstow had scored 139 runs across four innings in the two-Test series at an average of 46.33.

Bairstow,...

London, Jan 26 (Ians) Jonny Bairstow says he will be "raring to go" against India after completing his rest period. Bairstow is one of three players who have been rested for the first two Tests in India and are presently in England.

"If they hadn't given me the break now, then when? It's the way of the world at the moment. There's no one who plays all three formats who is doing the whole tour," Bairstow was quoted as saying by Evening Standard.

England's decision to rest Bairstow for the first two Tests in India had been criticised by former captains Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen.

While Vaughan said that Bairstow was the only player in England's top order who is "playing the sub-continent conditions with any control or calmness," Pietersen urged England to not be "disrespectful" to India and their own fans by not picking their best players for the tour.