London: Defending champions Australia will have to put David Warner's bar brawl controversy and questions surrounding their team culture behind them when they take on Sri Lanka in their final league fixture here on Monday to decide the last of the remaining ICC Champions Trophy semi-final places.
It will be a virtual quarter-final clash between the two sides at Kennington Oval but a lot will depend on the outcome of the Group A match between England and New Zealand in Cardiff to decide the equations.
If New Zealand win, Australia will have to beat Sri Lanka but if England triumph, they must beat the Islanders by a huge margin to surpass Black Caps' net run-rate, currently the best in the Group.
A win will seal Sri Lanka's place in the last four while a defeat will see them go home. Sri Lanka's recent success against Australia will provide a psychological edge to them -- in the last 10 ODIs played between the two sides, Sri Lanka have won six while they drew the ODI series 2-2 earlier this year in Australia....
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12:24 PM, Jun 16, 2013
London: Australia all-rounder Shane Watson says the team's last tour of India, where it was whitewashed 0-4, was the lowest point of his cricket career. "Whatever happened throughout India, certainly for me personally, was the lowest point in my cricket career, there's no doubt about that." he said. "The decisions that were made were made for a reason and we certainly have to move forward as a team because we've...
05:19 PM, Jun 02, 2013
Cricketnext goes through a list of some of the best batting performances of the 2013 season which changed the course of the tide. Chris Gayle (175 v Pune Warriors India): The single most memorable innings of this year's IPL was provided by none other than Christopher Henry Gayle. Royal Challengers Bangalore had an incredible run during the first half of the tournament in their backyard and when Pune Warriors went...
05:11 PM, May 28, 2013
Mumbai Indians all-rounder Kieron Pollard's over-the-top celebration to send off Rajasthan Royals batsman Shane Watson in an IPL match here has invited strong criticism from visiting team's skipper Rahul Dravid who termed it as an "act of cowardice". "One of the things that I find when you send off batsman after you have got him out is that it is an act of cowardice. That is my opinion. Batsman can...
02:37 PM, May 16, 2013
That Rajasthan Royals would join IPL heavyweights Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as this season's first play-off entrants with two matches still to play is an achievement not entirely expected at the start of IPL 6. Lacking superstar power - their No. 1 player is Australian allrounder Shane Watson - and led by a retired 40-year-old expert technician in Rahul Dravid, the Jaipur-based franchise have defied the odds to...
08:04 AM, May 16, 2013
New Delhi: Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland Wednesday backed the team management that had axed four players, including then vice-captain Shane Watson, ahead of the Mohali Test against India in March on ground of breach of discipline. Speaking for the first time on the issue which became a talking point during Australia's disastrous series, Sutherland said he has "in-depth" understanding of what had happened at that time. Coach Mickey Arthur...
05:55 PM, May 15, 2013
Mumbai: The Wankhede Stadium is all set to once again witness fireworks as two of the top-notch teams lock horns in what is expected to be a battle of the behemoths. Both Mumbai and Rajasthan have made it to the top four, and with nothing to lose, both teams would expect nothing less than a stiff test before their IPL 6 play-off campaign gets underway. There is nothing to choose...
07:48 PM, May 14, 2013
Jaipur: Terming Shane Watson's 70-run knock off just 34 balls as "extraordinary", Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said that the Aussie all-rounder changed the complexion of the game in just four to five overs. Chasing 142 for a win, Rajasthan lost three wickets inside five overs before Watson played a smashing knock to help Rajasthan Royals register a dramatic five-wicket victory over table-toppers Chennai Super Kings with 17 balls...
01:46 PM, May 13, 2013
Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid heaped praise on Shane Watson, saying the Australian is a genuine match winner and his 34-ball 70 was one of the "finest" knocks, which reminded him of David Miller`s hurricane century. Watson butchered Chennai Super Kings bowlers in a sensational batting display as Rajasthan Royals scored a comprehensive five-wicket win in their Pepsi IPL match here on Sunday night. "We had hoped that he...
01:45 PM, May 13, 2013
After pulling his team out of the abyss, Rajasthan Royals' batsman Shane Watson produced a gem of an innings to allow Rajasthan maintain their winning streak at home. The Aussie allrounder's 34-ball 70 took the game away from Chennai Super Kings, especially after Rajasthan managed 23 runs off the 11th over bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin. Watson said it was one of those innings where everything you dream of, comes out...
12:50 PM, May 13, 2013
Jaipur: Shane Watson once again stamped his authority with 70 off 34 balls to propel Rajasthan Royals to an impressive five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings that took them to number two in the IPL 6 points table. The victory helped Rajasthan touch the magical figure of 20 points after 14 matches. Chennai's openers - Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay - were subdued in their approach as the pitch was...
11:11 PM, May 12, 2013
Mohali: Rajasthan Royals moved closer to sealing a place in the IPL 6 play-offs after emphatically brushing aside Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets at the PCA Stadium on Thursday. The visitors came to Mohali chasing two points to move nearer to 20 and did just that, keeping Punjab to 145 and then having Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson to thank for a breezy chase. Crucial to Rajasthan's win was...
07:23 PM, May 09, 2013
Jaipur: Shane Watson on Tuesday spoke reverently of the influence and guidance of Rahul Dravid, stating that the former India skipper was a constant source of inspiration for him and Rajasthan Royals. "Rahul as a person is one of the most amazing people whom I have met in my life. He has got utmost respect from all the players, from all the support staff. He is doing an amazing job...
10:45 PM, May 07, 2013
Jaipur: If it's the Sawai Mansingh Stadium opposing teams are pretty much facing an uphill battle. That truism of IPL 6 was again evident on Tuesday as Rajasthan Royals chased down a target of 155 with nine wickets and 13 deliveries in hand to all but secure their progression to the IPL 6 play-offs and confirm Delhi Daredevils' elimination. Rajasthan came into the game tied on second spot with three...
07:16 PM, May 07, 2013
Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals maintained their perfect record at home in IPL 6 with a spirited chase against Pune Warriors India who despite setting the hosts a challenging 179 to chase ended up on the losing side yet again on Sunday. Skipper Rahul Dravid (58 off 40) and Ajinkya Rahane (67 off 48) scored brilliant half-centuries to set up the chase with a 98-run opening stand but Rajasthan faced a mini...
09:42 AM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: The most vital cog in the Rajasthan Royals line-up, allrounder Shane Watson has earned accolades from skipper Rahul Dravid, who says the Aussie is one sportsman who "truly embodies daring spirit". "Shane Watson is one sportsman who truly embodies the daring spirit and has the ability to execute his skills under pressure-cooker situations," Dravid said of the Australian. Watson has been prolific with the bat this season of...
01:54 PM, May 02, 2013
