WTC final | Kyle Jamieson picks up five-wicket haul, blows India away

R Ashwin credits all his success to 'always aspiring to be perfect' attitude

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has credited all of his achievements to his ‘always aspiring to be perfect’ attitude and said that he has always looked at the areas of improvement to settle at nothing but ‘excellence’ on the cricket field. Saying that the endevour of improvements holds the key in his career, Ashwin said that the day he would not get the same energy to learn something new and try different things, he would wakh away from the game. "The beauty about Test cricket is you are always aspiring to be perfect but you can settle for excellence, so that's pretty much I think I do. I think whatever I have achieved so far in my career is because of that attitude, did not settle for anything, constantly looking to improve. I maintained that if I don't like doing different things and if I lose the patience to do something new or get satisfied then I might not play the sport anymore," ," Ashwin said in an ICC video released during the ongoing World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand in Southampton. However, he said that he never looks at himself with excess admiration and relishes the ‘wonderful’ opportunity of playing the sport which gves him a lot of happiness and good space. "I don't really read or dwell on my performances to be very honest. To be brutally honest I just hate the fact that I am who I am because of what I do. In India you get a lot of adulation but I am just another normal person who finds peace and happiness playing the sport," he said. "It is just absolutely wonderful that I can ply my trade and feed my family and I get paid so well. This is a sport that gives meaning for me to live. I am too excited about it. I don't time for people rating me or not rating me, it's just another person's opinion and that's just brutally how I live my life." R Ashwin was included in the playing XI along side Ravindra Jadeja although tere were bowling conditions favourable for seamers in Southampton. He used his bat to steer India past the 200-run mark but could not extend his contributions with the bat beyond 22 on the third day of the final against New Zealand.

Virat Kohli completes decade in Test cricket

Currently leading the Indian team in the final of the first ICC World Test Championship against New Zealand, Virat Kohli has completed a decade in the longest format after making his debut against West Indies in 2011 at Sabina Park, Jamaica. Kohli played the game batting at number six in the batting lineup that was without Sachin Tendulkar in the middle order. He could not cash in on the opportunities in the three-match series against West Indies and was dropped from the next Test series against England. He cemented his place in the Indian Test team with series of good knocks including his maiden Test hundred on the tour of Australia at the end of that year and has not looked back since. In the 91 matches he has played so far before the WTC final, he has amassed 7,490 runs at a staggering average of 52.37 runs per innings with 27 centuries and 25 half-centuries. He also took over the reins of captaincy from MS Dhoni after his retirement mid-series on the tour of Australia in 2013-14 and has gone on to become the most-capped Indian skipper in Tests. One decade into his Test career, Kohli has established his position among the greats of the game and certainly one of the best this generation has produced.

WI vs SA | 2nd Test | Day 2: West Indies batting woes continue as visitors take mammoth lead

West Indies batting woes continued against South Africa in the first innings of the second Test at St Lucia after they were bundled out for 149 in reply to the visitors’ 298 and now trail by 149 runs. The hosts had a terrible start after they lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite for a golden duck and South African bowlers took full advantage of the early breakthrough to rip apart the West Indies batting. The home side was left tottering at 97/5 before getting bundled out. Jermaine Blackwood and Shai Hope showed some resistance. Blackwood top-scored with 49 while Hope notched up 41 before getting out. For South Africa, it was Wiaan Mulder who scalped a three-wicket haul while Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj picked up a couple of wickets apiece. Anrich Nortje had one to his name. Earlier, Quinton de Kock who had struck a century in the first match missed out on a consecutive ton after he was undone for 96 by Mayers. South Africa eventually put up 298 before they were bowled out. Kemar Roach and Mayers shared a total of 6 wickets for West Indies. Hope later admitted that the batsmen didn’t really apply themselves well. “Pretty average (day) for us. We want to be in a better position than this obviously. We worked very hard yesterday to limit them to that score overnight. And to undo all that hard work with the bat .... unfortunate position we are in at the moment. I must commend the bowlers for the job they have done. We worked very hard yesterday, it was nice to see the bowlers finish the job today. But the batsmen didn't do the job today. I have been spending so much time in the field, obviously would want to have a stretch, probably an ice bath if you can, but that's the way cricket goes,” Hope said after the day’s play. West Indies trail the two-match series 0-1.

One-off Test between India & Eng brilliant advertisement for longer format: Heather Knight

England captain Heather Knight has said that the one-off Test against India is a “brilliant advertisement” for the longer format. The match might have ended in a draw but there were some brilliant performances from the two sides. While India opener Shafali Verma scored twin fifties in the game, Sneh Rana and Taniya Bhatia anchored the side to a draw after the visitors were en-forced to follow-on. England captain Knight was also among runs as she fell short of a hundred by five runs while opener Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley notched up individual half-centuries. "What a brilliant game of cricket," Knight said. "It was unfortunate it didn't have the dramatic and exciting finish that it could have done but what a game of cricket. I think it's almost a shame that today it fizzled out a little bit. It was set up to be very good and very exciting, but I think it's been a brilliant advert,” Knight said. The captain also lauded Sophie Ecclestone who bowled over 60 overs in the match and picked up 8 wickets. "Credit to the bowlers. Soph bowling 60-odd overs and the seamers on what was a very dour surface, not much in it for them. They were able to run in and try and force things but unfortunately weren't able to. India held on,” she added.