#batting-artistry

#batting-artistry

9th over: Australia 81-0 (Voll 63, Mooney 18) Sree Charani comes into the attack with her left arm orthodox spin. Mooney takes a single and Voll decides it's time for another slog sweep, this time for the first six of the match. There's an appeal for lbw next ball, but there's a clear inside edge from Voll. Australia are applying some serious pressure to India here it's much improved batting from Sunday's match.

If they come along more regularly even than British general elections to which Brenda produced her timeless reaction in 2017 they at least have more interesting results: the past five have had five different winners and the past three six different finalists. What's more, though not much time has passed since the last one ended with India beating South Africa in Barbados, it seems to have been long enough for the game to shift into a fresh and exhilarating new gear.

If I look back at my whole journey, then it is nothing short of a dream-come-true for me, Kohli said after being named Player of the Match in Vadodara. I have always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard to get where I am today. God has blessed me with far more than I could ever ask for. I look back at my journey with a lot of grace and gratitude, and I feel really proud of it.

After Pakistan announced their boycott of the forthcoming T20I World Cup match against India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was quick to lament the position the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had put fans in. [Pakistan's] decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, the ICC said in a release, before going on to make special mention of millions in Pakistan, who will now have no India fixture to anticipate.

The reversal late on Monday brought relief to millions of fans on both sides of the countries' shared border as well as tournament organisers and coaches. The Indian camp said it would be delighted to play against a quality side. It's great that the game is back on. We kind of never changed the preparation, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Tuesday.

India's form over the last two years has made them the most feared side in world cricket but for a while as they got their World Cup campaign under way the only dread was being experienced by their own fans as the USA threatened a humiliating upset. But for some missed chances, a hugely unfortunate injury and the brilliance of Suryakumar Yadav it might well have happened.