MELBOURNE: No one is more committed to Indian cricket than Mahendra Singh Dhoni and batting at number five is the ideal spot for him, said Virat Kohli in stout defence of the former captain.

Dhoni faced criticism for slow batting in the ODI series-opener in Sydney before redeeming his pride and reputation with match-winning contributions in the Adelaide and Melbourne ODIs.

READ ALSO: I'm ready to bat at any position, says MS Dhoni

Acknowledging Dhoni's contribution in the historic series-triumph in Australia, Kohli defended the former captain saying he should be allowed breathing space.

READ ALSO: Dhoni powers India to first-ever bilateral ODI series win in Australia

"I think firstly as a team we are very happy for Dhoni that he is amongst the runs, because it is very important to get runs under your belt to get that rhythm and confidence back. Especially when you have not been playing so much international cricket," said the India captain at the post-match press conference.

"Many things happen outside. People say a lot of things but as an individual we know that there is no one more committed to Indian cricket than Dhoni and people should let him have his space because he has contributed so much for the nation.

"They should let him figure out things on his own and what he needs to do. He is one of the most intelligent cricketers and he is not someone who is not aware about what needs to be done. As a team we are totally in sync with what he is doing and we are all very happy for him," said Kohli.

The skipper also reckons that the just-concluded Australia series has proved that number five is the most logical spot for Dhoni.

"Dhoni batted at number four in 2016 for a while. But after that he has been pretty happy playing at five and six for the team. We felt that number five was the ideal position for him. And if you saw him bat at Adelaide as well he was pretty comfortable in that position because that allows him to do a bit of both - get some game time as well as finish games off, attacking as and when required," Kohli said.

Dhoni played a crucial role in India winning the decisive third ODI with his unbeaten 87-run knock on Friday and at Adelaide too his unbeaten half-century had scripted India's win.

"He was more himself from that game (Adelaide) on, and he built onto this knock today. We are pretty happy with the batting combination that we had in Adelaide. When someone like Hardik Pandya is not there you have to balance somehow. So a lot of things vary in that regard. But we as a team, and myself as captain, we feel that Dhoni at five is the most logical. It is the ideal place for him and the team as well," Kohli said.

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OVERS 1.2: Rohit is hit on the back pad, Aussies appeal, umpire turns it down, Aussies take a review, replays show the ball was hitting the top of the bails, so the umpire's call stays

Peter Siddle bowls the second over

Jhye Richardson bowls the first over for Australia, Rohit Sharma on strike

OVERS 48.4: OUT! Stanlake edges a Shami delivery onto his stumps. AUSTRALIA 230 ALL OUT IN 48.4 OVERS

End of Chahal's spell: 10-0-42-6. There are the joint-best bowling figures by an Indian at the MCG in an ODI

OVERS 47.4: OUT! Sixth wicket for Chahal as he has Zampa (8) caught by Shankar at long-on! Australia 229/9

That's a 5-wkt haul for @yuzi_chahal 👏👏 #AUSvIND https://t.co/GReuwxIjIu

— BCCI (@BCCI) 1547791603000

OVERS 45.6: OUT! Fifth wicket for Chahal as he traps Handscomb (58) plumb in front. Australia 219/8

OVERS 43.3: OUT! Chahal has Richardson (16) caught by Jadhav at short mid-wicket. Australia 206/7

OVERS 42.5: FOUR! 200 up for Australia as Richardson pulls a Shami delivery to the square leg fence

OVERS 41.5: Fifty for Handscomb off 57 balls as he on drives a Chahal delivery for a single

Australia 190/6, ten more overs to go

OVERS 39.3: FOUR! Handscomb chips a Shankar delivery to the mid-wicket fence for his second boundary

OVERS 34.5: OUT! The bouncer works for Shami, Maxwell (26) goes for the pull again, but edges to fine leg, Bhuvneshwar comes running in and takes a brilliant catch diving forward. Australia 161/6

OVERS 34.4: FOUR! Shami bangs it in, Maxwell goes for the hook but edges it well over Dhoni and it races to the fence

Shami replaces Jadeja in the attack

OVERS 33.6: FOUR! 150 up for Australia as Maxwell hits through the covers for his fourth boundary

OVERS 33.2: FOUR! Maxwell pulls a full toss from Chahal to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 32.3: FOUR! Now Jadeja bowls short and Maxwell pulls to the mid-wicket fence again

OVERS 31.6: FOUR! Chahal pitches it short and Maxwell pulls to the mid-wicket fence for his first boundary

OVERS 29.3: OUT! Chahal induces an edge off Stoinis' (10) bat and Rohit Sharma dives to his right to take a fine catch. Australia 123/5

OVERS 27.2: FOUR! Stoinis on drives a Chahal delivery for his first boundary

OVERS 23.4: OUT! Khawaja (34) gets a soft leading edge and Chahal takes a simple return catch. Australia 101/4

OVERS 23.2: OUT! Chahal has Marsh (39) stumped by Dhoni off a wide delivery down the leg side. Australia 100/3

Yuzvendra Chahal has been introduced in the attack

OVERS 22.3: FOUR! Jadeja continues, Khawaja reverse sweeps for his second boundary

50-run stand up between Khawaja and Marsh off 64 balls

15 runs off that over by Jadhav

OVERS 19.4: FOUR! Another short ball from Jadhav and Marsh pulls to mid-wicket again

OVERS 19.2: Marsh hits through the covers for three runs

OVERS 19.1: FOUR! Jadhav bowls it really short and Marsh pulls to the mid-wicket fence, that bounced just before the boundary

18 overs gone, Ravindra Jadeja has been introduced in the attack

OVERS 16.3: FOUR! Marsh pulls to the mid-wicket fence for his first boundary

OVERS 16.1: 50 up for Australia as Khawaja flicks a Shankar delivery to fine leg for a single

OVERS 15.2: DROPPED! Jadhav induces an edge off Marsh's bat, the ball goes in and out of Dhoni's gloves

Double bowling change, Kedar Jadhav has been introduced in the attack

Ten overs gone, debutant Vijay Shankar has been introduced in the attack

OVERS 8.6: OUT! Bhuvneshwar traps Finch (14) plumb in front, so standing outside the crease didn't help the Aussie captain. Australia 27/2

OVERS 8.5: Bhuvneshwar bowls from just adjacent to the umpire, Finch pulls away, it is declared a dead ball

OVERS 6.3: FOUR! Finch edges to third man just wide of the lone slip for his first boundary

OVERS 6.2: Finch covers drives a Bhuvneshwar delivery, Jadeja gives chase, pulls it back just short of the boundary and Finch runs four

OVERS 5.3: FOUR! Khawaja square cuts a Shami delivery to the point fence to get off the mark

OVERS 2.5: OUT! Bhuvneshwar comes round the wicket, Carey (5) edges to second slip for Virat Kohli to take the catch. Australia 8/1

OVERS 1.3: Carey pulls to mid-wicket for his first boundary

Mohammed Shami bowls the second over of the match

OVER 0.6: Finch edges but the ball just falls short of Rohit Sharma at first slip

Rain stops, play resumes at the MCG

Rain stops play after just two deliveries, Australia 1/0

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls the first over the match, Alex Carey on stike

Start of the match has been delayed by 10 minutes due to rain

Yuzvendra Chahal comes in for Kuldeep Yadav and Kedar Jadhav replaces Ambati Rayudu.

Vijay Shankar has got his ODI cap, he will be making his debut at the MCG, replacing Mohammed Siraj.

For Australia, Billy Stanlake comes in for Behrendorff and Adam Zampa replaces Nathan Lyon.

Indian captain Virat Kohli wins toss, opts to bowl against Australia in overcast conditions

Toss was delayed slightly due to rain

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), MS Dhoni(w), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal

Australia (Playing XI): Alex Carey(w), Aaron Finch(c), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Peter Siddle, Adam Zampa

MUMBAI: Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said 'we should move on' from the controversy surrounding Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul's sexist comments because he is sure the two will learn from it and become better persons.

Speaking at an event here, Ganguly said he hasn't seen the 'Koffee with Karan' episode in which Pandya and Rahul's misogynistic comments on women led to a provisional suspension on them. But he offered a sympathetic view on the under-fire duo.

"People make mistakes, let's not go too far here. I am sure, whoever has done it will realise and come out a better person. We are human beings not machines that we will always be perfect. We should move on and make sure it doesn't happen again," Ganguly said on the raging controversy.

Pandya and Rahul were forced to return midway through the ongoing ODI series against Australia and India captain Virat Kohli condemned their statements on hookups with multiple women as 'inappropriate'.

They have been show caused twice by the BCCI since then and are also being put through an inquiry.

Ganguly said most cricketers are 'great guys'.

"...they (cricketers) are humble, every now and then one or two make mistakes but I know most of them personally and they are great guys," Ganguly said during the trailer launch of '22 Yards' at a suburb here.

Pandya and Rahul, pending the outcome of the inquiry, will not be a part of the Indian team. After missing the ongoing ODI series, they are set to miss the upcoming New Zealand Tour as well.

Ganguly, who has been credited with shaping Indian cricket during his captaincy stint, said it's not that modern-day cricketers are not obedient.

"Look at Virat Kohli, he is such a fantastic role model. India is a fortunate country, every generation produces players who all of us cherish, there was (Sunil) Gavaskar, then came (Sachin) Tendulkar, when Tendulkar finished people thought who's next, now it's Virat Kohli.

"A lot of these cricketers are fantastic human beings because they come from middle class backgrounds and fight their way up. Can you imagine 11 selected out of the millions play the game."

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ADELAIDE: Virat Kohli has no peers in ODIs but he has a priceless message for youngsters - sole focus on limited overs formats shouldn't be an 'excuse' for not being able to cope with the challenges of Test cricket.

World's No. 1 batsman with 25 Test hundreds warned that youngsters will have mental problems if they don't embrace the pristine form of five-day cricket.

"If we focus too much on shorter formats - yes, they're important - but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there will start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up," Kohli was quoted as saying by Star Sports.

The Indian skipper, who has played a few defining knocks against world class bowlers like James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mitchell Starc during the past year spoke about the hard work that goes into making of a quality Test player.

"As long as you're willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work - if you're willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team - I think that is what people should prepare (youngsters) (for)."

Kohli said the current batch of Indian Test cricketers are trying to set an example for the younger generation.

"That (vision) will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following. So (when) the next lot that comes in, they have to maintain that vision and then the people coming in will follow."

Virat Kohli has reaffirmed his commitment towards Test cricket, saying he wants India to become a superpower in the game's longest format.

Number-one ranked India recently won their maiden Test series in Australia under Kohli's leadership.

"I wouldn't say goal but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come,"

"I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world."

Kohli was made India captain for the first time in the middle of the 2014-15 Test series in Australia with MS Dhoni announcing a shock retirement.

He credited coach Ravi Shastri for making his job easier.

"Ever since 2014, I think he's (Shastri) one person who's given me honest feedback whenever things required to be altered.

"I remember we sat down (last year). I'd scored a Test century and a fifty in the same game in England, so he called me and he said, as far as batting is concerned, I'm not going to discuss anything with you now because you've done something which I am proud of and everyone is proud of.

"But as a captain, I need to start thinking how to get the best out of this team and how to tactically be spot on. And that really hit me because I felt like, you know, there's so much more to captaincy than you sometimes think."

Before departing for the Australia tour, Kohli had dismissed the perception that Shastri was "yes-man" to him. He explained again what Shastri brings to the table.

"He is one person, because he's done so much commentary, and he's seen the game so much and has played so much himself - just watching the game - he knows where the game is heading.

"So just getting feedback from him constantly has been the biggest help for me, in terms of moulding my own personality into captaincy. He's someone who has never tried to change me just to be able to fit into the captaincy mode," Kohli added.

SYDNEY: Virat Kohli smashed his 39th one-day international century as India claimed a dramatic six-wicket victory over Australia at a sweltering Adelaide Oval on Tuesday to level up the three-match series at 1-1.

Skipper Kohli contributed 104 of his side's runs as they successfully chased down their victory target of 299 for the loss of four wickets to send the series into a decider on Friday at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, clearly suffering in the heat, smashed a huge six to bring the scores level and reached his half-century before scoring the winning run with four balls to spare.

"Very pleased," Kohli said afterwards. "It was a really tough day. MS in the end was tired as well. We need a good day's rest, a good day's travel and then we'll recuperate and get ready for the MCG."

Shaun Marsh had earlier scored a sparkling 131, his second century in three outings in the format, to drive the hosts to 298 for nine in their 50 overs in the heat of the afternoon when temperatures soared well above the 40 degree Celsius mark.

Kohli took over under the lights on what remained a muggy evening and took his century off 108 balls, pumping his first towards the dressing room after taking two runs to square leg to reach the milestone.

In all, he hit five fours and two sixes in his 112-ball innings but left disappointed after smacking a Jhye Richardson delivery straight to Glenn Maxwell on the deep midwicket boundary in the 44th over.

Dhoni (55 not out) had played within himself as he kept Kohli company in a partnership of 82 but hit a six for his first boundary soon after his captain departed and added 57 with Dinesh Karthik (25 not out) to get the tourists over the line.

"I think we hung on really well," said Australia captain Aaron Finch. "But when you come up against a side that's in form like India ... you know you have to keep taking wickets and when the old pro Dhoni is there at the end it's tough."

Finch won the toss for the second successive match but that was as far as his luck went and he departed for six as he did on Saturday when the hosts won the series opener in Sydney by 34 runs.

The hosts have made a habit of making starts in recent matches and Usman Khawaja had put 21 runs on the board before being brilliantly run-out by a direct hit from Ravindra Jadeja at cover-point.

Marsh and Glenn Maxwell put on 94 runs off 66 balls for the sixth wicket to accelerate the scoring in a partnership that took the top order batsman to his seventh ODI century.

Maxwell blasted 48 off 37 balls before he holed out to Karthik at long off the bowling of seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished with figures of 4-45.

That triggered an Australia collapse with Marsh lasting only two more balls before becoming Kumar's third victim and the home side able to add only three more runs at a cost of four wickets.

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OVERS 6.5: FOUR! Dhawan pulls a Siddle delivery to fine leg

OVERS 5.2: FOUR! Dhawan cuts a Richardson delivery past point

OVERS 4.4: FOUR! Dhawan smashes a Behrendorff delivery through the covers

OVERS 4.1: FOUR! 4 leg byes are conceded

OVERS 3.2: FOUR! Dhawan flicks a Richardson delivery to the square leg fence

OVERS 2.4: Dhawan cuts over backward point for one to get off the mark

OVERS 1.5: FOUR! Rohit cuts behind point for his second boundary

OVERS 1.3: FOUR! Rohit pulls to mid-wicket to get off the mark

OVERS 1.1: Jhye Richardson bowls the second over, Shikhar Dhawan flicks for a single to get off the mark

Behrendorff starts with a maiden

Jason Behrendorff bowls the first over for Australia, Rohit Sharma on strike

INDIA NEED 299 RUNS TO WIN OFF 50 OVERS

AUSTRALIA 298/9 IN 50 OVERS

OVERS 49.6: BIG HIT! Lyon finishes the innings with a flourish, hits over mid-wicket into the crowd

OVERS 49.4: FOUR! Lyon hits to the fine leg fence

OVERS 49.1: OUT! Bhuvneshwar has Siddle (0) caught by Virat Kohli at deep point. Australia 286/9

OVERS 48.6: OUT! Shami has Richardson (2) caught by Dhawan at deep point. Australia 286/8

OVERS 47.5: OUT! Marsh mistimes a Bhuvneshwar slower delivery to long-off for Jadeja to take the catch. Australia 283/7

OVERS 47.2: OUT! Maxwell (48) mistimes a Bhuvneshwar delivery to long-off for Dinesh Karthik to take the catch. Australia 283/6

OVERS 46.4: FOUR! Maxwell hits a Siraj delivery between mid-wicket and long-on for his fifth boundary

OVERS 45.5: BIG HIT! Marsh pulls a Bhuvneshwar delivery over square leg into the crowd

OVERS 44.4: BIG HIT! Marsh pulls over square leg into the crowd

OVERS 44.1: 250 up for Australia as Maxwell hits a Shami delivery over covers for his fourth boundary

OVERS 43.6: FOUR! Marsh smashes it through the covers

OVERS 43.4: FOUR! Maxwell makes room and cuts to backward point

OVERS 43.1: FOUR! Maxwell pulls a Siraj delivery to the square leg fence

OVERS 42.4: BIG HIT! Marsh hits a Kuldeep delivery wide of long-off for the second six of the match

OVERS 42.2: BIG HIT! Maxwell pulls a Kuldeep delivery over mid-wicket into the crowd for the first six of the match

OVERS 40.4: Seventh ODI century for Marsh as he drives to long-off for a single. That's his second hundred against India and it has come off 108 balls

OVERS 40.2: FOUR! Marsh square cuts for his tenth boundary

OVERS 40.1: Maxwell flicks to fine leg for three runs

Australia 205/5 in 40 overs, third powerplay take, Kuldeep in the attack

OVERS 38.3: FOUR! 200 up for Australia as Maxwell edges a Shami delivery over Dhoni that races to the fence

OVERS 37.5: FOUR! Marsh pulls a Jadeja delivery to the mid-wicket fence to move into the 90s

OVERS 36.4: OUT! Stoinis (29) is cramped for room for the pull and edges a short delivery for Dhoni to take a simple catch. Australia 189/5

OVERS 36.3: FOUR! Stoinis smashes it straight down the ground

OVERS 36.2: FOUR! Shami bangs it in and Stoinis pulls to the mid-wicket fence. 50-run stand up between Marsh and Stoinis off 54 balls

OVERS 35.2: FOUR! Marsh cuts a Jadeja delivery to the backward point fence

OVERS 33.5: FOUR! Marsh hits a Kuldeep delivery straight down the ground

OVERS 30.3: FOUR! Stoinis flicks a Siraj delivery to the square leg fence

OVERS 27.2: OUT! Handscomb goes for the sweep against Jadeja, misses the ball, Dhoni knocks off the bails in a flash, the square leg umpire goes for the third umpire but Handscomb (20) is walking. Australia 134/4

OVERS 26.6: FOUR! Siraj bowls short, Marsh pulls to the mid-wicket fence, 50-run stand up between Marsh and Handscomb off 51 deliveries

OVERS 26.3: FOUR! Handscomb flicks a Siraj delivery to the fine leg fence

Siraj replaces Shami in the attack, he was expensive in his first spell

OVERS 23.5: 14th ODI fifty for Marsh as he flicks for a single, that's his fourth fifty against India, second at the Adelaide Oval and it has come off 62 deliveries

OVERS 23.4: FOUR! Marsh hits a Jadeja delivery straight down the ground

Shami replaces Kuldeep in the attack

OVERS 21.2: FOUR! 100 up for Australia as Marsh pulls a Jadeja delivery to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 20.6: FOUR! Handscomb hits a Kuldeep delivery through the covers for his first boundary

OVERS 18.3: OUT! Khawaja (21) is run out at the non-striker's end by a direct hit by Jadeja from point. Australia 82/3

Ravindra Jadeja has been introduced in the attack, he replaces Siraj

OVERS 16.6: DROPPED! Khawaja cuts a Kuldeep delivery, Dhoni drops a tough chance

OVERS 16.2: 50-run stand up between Marsh and Khawaja off 52 balls

Siraj has conceded 34 runs in his four overs

OVERS 15.6: FOUR! Siraj bangs it short, but Khawaja pulls to the square leg fence

OVERS 15.4: FOUR! Too much width from Siraj and Marsh cuts hard to the backward point boundary

Australia 61/2 after 15 overs

OVERS 13.6: FOUR! Khawaja flicks a Siraj delivery to the square leg fence

OVERS 13.3: FOUR! 50 up for Australia as Marsh pulls a Siraj delivery to the mid-wicket fence

Double bowling change, Kuldeep Yadav replaces Bhuvneshwar in the attack

OVERS 9.2: FOUR! Khawaja flicks a Siraj delivery to the square leg fence

Siraj is the 225th player to play for India in ODIs

Debutant Mohammed Siraj has been introduced in the attack, he replaces Shami

OVERS 7.4: OUT! Shami surprises Carey (18) with a bouncer who mistimes a pull high up in the air and Shikhar Dhawan take a simple catch at short mid-wicket. Australia 26/2

OVERS 7.3: FOUR! Carey drives a Shami delivery between mid-off and extra cover for his second boundary

OVERS 6.6: OUT! Bhuvneshwar pitches it up, brings the ball back in, Finch (6) edges it onto his stumps. Australia 20/1

OVERS 5.6: Finch hits a Shami delivery through the covers on the up for three runs

OVERS 1.2: FOUR! Mohammed Shami bowls the second over, Carey flicks to square leg for the first boundary of the match

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls the first over of the match, Alex Carey on strike

Australian captain Aaron Finch wins toss, opts to bat against India in the second ODI in Adelaide.

Mohammad Siraj makes his debut for India, Khaleel Ahmed makes way for him. Australia are unchanged.

India skipper Virat Kohli says that they would have batted first as well, considering the conditions which are hot and humid. Hopes that the breeze will be there continuously. Reckons it's a great opportunity for them as they are under pressure to come back in the series. Adds that they have one change to their line-up with Mohammed Siraj replacing Khaleel Ahmed.

Aaron Finch feels it is a good wicket and won't change much. Mentions that they don't want to change things too much from the previous game where they batted first and won. Informs that they do not have any changes in personnel.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami

Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch(c), Alex Carey(w), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff

MUMBAI: The controversy surrounding cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul refuses to die even as the Indian team management seeks answers to the big question doing the rounds now: Whatever the penalty, after they've served it, will the two players be available for World Cup selection?

The Indian team is close to figuring the bunch that will head to England in May for the 50-over tournament and Pandya, in particular, happens to be an important cog in the wheel given his all-round abilities.

However, controversies seem to be never ending. After a mess-up on part of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) in handing notices of suspension to the cricketers and creating confusion over the procedures that need to be followed in conducting the inquiry, there's more drama emerging now.

Senior officials in the administration, who spoke with TOI but do not want to be named given the number of slip-ups that have occurred in the administrative processes, say: "If Pandya and Rahul have to serve a suspension pending inquiry, then what about Harmanpreet Kaur? She's the captain of the Indian team at a time when she's busy being investigated for possessing a fake graduation degree. Someone wants to conveniently protect her but ban these two cricketers for a year for what? For posterity?"

T20 skipper Harmanpreet was caught on a sticky wicket earlier this year when she lost her rank as Deputy Superintendent of Police in Punjab, a position that was offered to the Arjuna Awardee for excellence in cricket.

"There's a legal process on, right? Then how is she the captain of the Indian team (T20)? If she can continue to lead the team despite the investigation - even though, she's denied her degree is fake - then why can't BCCI take a call on whether Pandya and Rahul can play the World Cup, which is four months from now?" say those tracking latest developments in the controversy surrounding the show Koffee With Karan.

"She lost her DSP rank and she's still fighting her case. Has the BCCI even tried following up on what happened," they add.

The BCCI has not put out an official statement on the matter concerning Harmanpreet and those who find several faults in the way the CoA functions right now say: "Is this a matter of convenience that one cricketer is ignored and the other is made into an example?"

For the record, the England Cricket Board (ECB) had benched all-rounder Ben Stokes ahead of the Ashes when the cricketer got involved in a late-night drunken brawl in Bristol. However, when India toured England last year, Stokes played the series even while his court proceedings were on and was crucial to England winning the series. "ECB took its time but eventually had a system in place to deal with it, right? It was such a big controversy and Stokes paid the price for it. But England also put a plan in place. And look how BCCI does things," say sources.

Pandya and Rahul took off from Sydney on Sunday morning and were midway via Singapore at the time of this report being filed. The two cricketers will fly to their respective homes - Vadodara and Bangalore - and have still not been informed by the CoA when the preliminary inquiry will begin.

"The CoA is still busy fighting who should conduct the preliminary enquiry. Both members are just exchanging e-mails for the last one week. This is a joke," sources add.

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant is a 'champion cricketer in the making', who is very much in the mix for the 2019 India's World Cup campaign for his ability to seamlessly switch formats, says chairman of selector MSK Prasad.

After being 'rested' for the ODI series against Australia and New Zealand, there have been conjectures about his place in the England-bound squad but Prasad set the record straight about selection committee's plans about talents such as Pant and Shubman Gill.

"Rishabh Pant played three T20s and four Test matches in Australia and that had an impact on his body. He needed complete rest for two weeks and then we will take a call on how many matches he will play against England Lions. Let me put it straight, he is very much in our World Cup plans. He is a champion player in the making and even he is not fully aware the kind of potential he has," Prasad said.

Prasad is happy that Pant is now understanding what skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri expect of him and Sydney was a testimony to that.

"Ravi and Virat had advised him to put his head down and respect the match situation and he did exactly that. He proved that he can switch gears seamlessly. When we picked him for Tests, experts were sceptical about his keeping but 11 catches in a Test in England, record dismissals in Australia series proves that selection committee is vindicated," the former India keeper stated.

The head of selection committee is equally excited about young Shubman Gill as he feels that the enormously talented Punjab batsman is now ready for international cricket.

"Shubman is comfortable both opening the innings as well as playing in the middle-order. For New Zealand series, we are looking at him as the reserve opener behind Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma). I won't comment if he will make it to World Cup but he was phenomenal as an opener for India A in New Zealand.

"We have discussed with Rahul (Dravid), that Shubman is ready for international cricket. The best part is the clutch of A tours which has made all these players battle ready for the biggest challenge," the eloquent Prasad said.

The likes of Hanuma Vihari, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Khaleel Ahmed have all been impressive in international cricket and that makes Prasad very happy.

"I regularly discuss the progress of the players with Ravi and Rahul. Have a look at how we have planned a player's progression from Ranji Trophy, A team to senior team. Look at Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal. They don't look intimidated when thrown into the deep end of the pool," said Prasad.

For him and his colleagues, one of the biggest plus points has been taking the risk of unleashing two wrist spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the ODI set-up, replacing Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

"We received flak when we had replaced world's No 1 and 2 spinner (as per ICC Rankings) with two young wrist spinners. One and half years down the line, they (Kuldeep and Chahal) have had contribution in at least 70 percent of India's limited overs wins," the satisfaction was evident in his voice.

While Kuldeep is now firmly in the Test team mix after his five-wicket haul in Sydney but Prasad reckons that he still has "some way to go" as Ashwin and Jadeja are still the country's premier spinners in the longest format.

The chairman of selectors also spoke about how they had to go against the popular sentiment when they rested Jasprit Bumrah for the two Tests against the West Indies.

"Trust me, had Jasprit played those two Tests against West Indies, he wouldn't have played all four Test against Australia. The support staff has really monitored him well. He is now fitter and stronger and with Bharath Arun continuously working with him, he has improved as a bowler," Prasad was all praise for him.

"But a lot of credit should go to Jasprit because Arun gave him a plan but it was up to him to make the effort to implement the plan. He has really worked hard. When we first picked him, so many were sceptical whether it was prudent to pick a white ball specialist but at the end of the year, we can all see the results."

Mohammed Shami's peak fitness during the season and his ability to bowl at the same speed during third and fourth spell could be attributed to the Bengal speedster's new-found love for following fitness regimen.

"Shami was one such bowler, who has of late started enjoying fitness routines, which wasn't the case earlier. Trainer Shankar Basu has prepared an exclusive chart for him, which he follows religiously now.

"His craft as a fast bowler was never doubted but it was his fitness that used to let him down. If you saw, he was bowling 140 plus in the last Tests in England and Australia. Shami's fitness has been the biggest plus for him," Prasad concluded.

NEW DELHI: Mayank Agarwal and Vijay Shankar will replace suspended KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya for the remainder of the ODI series against Australia.

"Mayank Agarwal for KL Rahul and Vijay Shankar for Pandya are like-for-like replacements suggested by the selectors. They will be joining the team at the earliest," a senior BCCI official told PTI.

Pandya and Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry into their sexist comments on a TV show, ruling them out of the three-match ODI series against Australia.

They will return home on the first available flight from Australia as the BCCI suspended them on Friday for their outrage-evoking comments on women, hours after the duo's on-field leader Virat Kohli expressed his disapproval.

This is the first time Agarwal has been included in India's limited-overs' squad. He made an impressive Test debut in the series against Australia, which India won 2-1, after being called in as a replacement for the injured Prithvi Shaw.

In the three innings he played, the 27-year-old Agarwal compiled 195 runs with two half-centuries at an average of 65.

The 27-year-old Vijay Shankar is a middle-order batsman from Tamil Nadu who can also bowl medium pace. He has played in five T20Is.

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OVERS 45.4: OUT! Rohit (133) pulls to mid-wicket for Maxwell to take the catch. India 221/7

OVERS 45.3: FOUR! Rohit mistimes a hit over mid-off for his tenth boundary

OVERS 44.1: OUT! Jadeja (8) cuts a Richardson delivery to deep point for Shaun Marsh to take the catch. India 213/6

OVERS 43.6: FOUR! Rohit pulls to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 43.5: BIG HIT! Rohit hits a Stoinis delivery over mid-wicket into the crowd

OVERS 42.3: BIG HIT! Lyon continues. Rohit hits over long-on for his fifth six

OVERS 41.6: Four byes are conceded

OVERS 39.5: 22nd ODI century for Rohit Sharma as he flicks behind square leg for two. WHAT A KNOCK!

OVERS 39.2: OUT! Dinesh Karthik (12) edges a Richardson delivery onto his stumps. India 176/5

OVERS 38.5: FOUR! Rohit scoops over short fine-leg to move to 98

OVERS 38.4: FOUR! Rohit pulls to the mid-wicket fence for another boundary

OVERS 38.2: FOUR! Siddle brought back, Rohit pulls to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 32.2: OUT! Behrendorff traps Dhoni (51) plumb in front. India 141/4. Replays show the ball was pitched outside leg stump, but India don't have reviews left

OVERS 31.1: FOUR! 68th ODI fifty for Dhoni as he on drives for his third boundary

OVERS 29.5: BIG HIT! Rohit comes down the pitch off Lyon and hits over long-on into the crowd

OVERS 28.6: FOUR! Rohit hits over mid-off for another boundary

OVERS 28.2: FOUR! Rohit goes down on one knee and scoops to the fine leg fence

Jason Behrendorff replaces Jhye Richardson in the attack

100-run stand up between Rohit and Dhoni off 136 deliveries

100 up for India in 25.2 overs

OVERS 23.5: FOUR! 38th ODI fifty for Rohit as cuts to the point fence. That's his sixth ODI fifty against Australia

OVERS 23.3: FOUR! Dhoni sweeps from outside off-stump to the square leg fence

Glenn Maxwell replaces Stoinis in the attack

OVERS 22.2: FOUR! Siddle continues, Rohit drives on the up through the covers

OVERS 20.1: FOUR! Siddle back in the attack, Dhoni square cuts for four

50-run stand up between Rohit and Dhoni as Stoinis replaces Siddle in the attack

OVERS 16.6: BIG HIT! Rohit charges down the pitch and hits a Lyon delivery over mid-wicket for his third six

OVERS 14.5: BIG HIT! Dhoni charges down the pitch and smashes a Lyon delivery over long-on for his first six

OVERS 13.4: BIG HIT! Siddle pitches it short and Rohit effortlessly pulls over square leg for his second six

Nathan Lyon has been introduced in the attack

10 overs gone, first Powerplay over, India 21/3

Peter Siddle replaces Jhye Richardson in the attack

OVERS 5.6: 10,000 ODI runs for Dhoni for India as he gets off the mark with a single

OVERS 4.5: BIG HIT! Rohit Sharma get off the mark off a free hit delivery which he flicks over deep square leg

India in trouble, MS Dhoni is the new man in and Rohit Sharma is yet to get off the mark

OVERS 3.5: OUT! Ambati Rayudu is trapped plumb in front by Richardson for a duck, the umpire raises his finger, he takes a review, but the replays show the ball was going to hit the stumps. India 4/3

OVERS 3.2: OUT! Virat Kohli (3) flicks to short square-leg for Stoinis to take the catch off Jhye Richardson. India 4/2

OVER 0.6: OUT! Shikhar Dhawan falls for a golden duck as he is trapped plumb in front by Jason Behrendorff. India 1/1

Jason Behrendorff bowls the first over, Rohit Sharma on strike

Australia score 288/5 in their 50 overs

OVERS 49.5: FOUR! Maxwell flicks to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 49.3: FOUR! Stoinis edges to the third man fence

OVERS 49.1: BIG HIT! Bhuvneshwar gives a juicy full toss and Stoinis pulls over mid-wicket for his second six

OVERS 48.2: FOUR! Stoinis pulls a Shami delivery to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 47.2: OUT! Handscomb (73) hits to sweeper cover for Dhawan to take the catch. Australia 254/5

OVERS 47.1: BIG HIT! Handscomb pulls a Bhuvneshwar delivery over fine leg for his third six

OVERS 45.6: FOUR! Handscomb hits a Bhuvneshwar delivery behind square leg

50-run stand up between Handscomb and Stoinis off 50 balls

OVERS 45.2: FOUR! Handscomb hits a Bhuvneshwar delivery over the covers

OVERS 43.6: BIG HIT! 50 up for Handscomb as he hits a Kuldeep delivery over long-on for another six

OVERS 43.3: BIG HIT! Stoinis goes down on one leg and hits a Kuldeep delivery over long-on for the first six of the match

200 up for Australia in 41.2 overs

Shami replaces Bhuvneshwar in the attack

OVERS 37.3: OUT! Marsh (54) hits a Kuldeep delivery to Shami at long-on. Australia 186/4

Kuldeep replaces Khaleel in the attack

50-run stand up between Marsh and Handscomb off 49 deliveries

OVERS 35.5: FOUR! Handscomb cover drives for his fourth boundary, lovely timing

OVERS 35.2: FOUR! 13th ODI fifty for Marsh as he pulls a Khaleel delivery to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 34.2: FOUR! Handscomb pulls past mid-on for his third boundary

OVERS 34.1: FOUR! Handscomb square drives a Bhuvneshwar delivery

OVERS 33.2: FOUR! Marsh hits a Khaleel delivery over point to move to 46

Khaleel replaces Shami in the attack

Bhuvneshwar replaces Jadeja in the attack

150 up for Australia in 32 overs

OVERS 30.6: FOUR! Peter Handscomb hits a Jadeja delivery through the covers for his first boundary

OVERS 28.2: OUT! Khawaja (59) goes for the sweep, is hit on the pad, Jadeja appeals, umpire gives it out, Khawaja goes for the review and the replays show Khawaja is plumb in front

OVERS 25.2: Fifth fifty for Khawaja as he taps to square leg for a single. That's his first ODI fifty in Australia and he has got it off 70 deiveries

Khaleel is back in the attack

OVERS 23.3: FOUR! Khawaja pulls another short delivery over short fine leg

OVERS 23.1: FOUR! Rayudu continues, Khawaj pulls to the fine leg boundary

OVERS 22.5: FOUR! 100 up for Australia as Khawaja reverse hits a Jadeja delivery to the point fence

Ambati Rayudu has been introduced in the attack

50-run stand up between Khawaja and Marsh off 61 deliveries

OVERS 19.4: FOUR! Marsh cuts a Kuldeep delivery to the point boundary

Jadeja concedes three runs in his first over

Ravindra Jadeja replaces Mohammed Shami in the attack

OVERS 15.6: FOUR! Kuldeep drags it short and Khawaja pulls to the mid-wicket fence

OVERS 14.2: FOUR! 4 byes are conceded, a rare error by MS Dhoni behind the stumps as the ball did not bounce

OVERS 12.4: FOUR! Shami continues, Marsh flicks through mid-wicket for his first boundary

Australia's 50 has come up in 11.3 overs

OVERS 10.4: FOUR! Khawaja hits through the covers for his first boundary

Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh have some rebuilding to do now

OVERS 9.5: OUT! Carey (24) cuts to first slip for Rohit Sharma to take the catch. Kuldeep strikes in his first over

OVERS 9.4: FOUR! Carey cuts through backward point

Double bowling change: Kuldeep Yadav replaces Khaleel Ahmed in the attack. Powerplays are still on

Shami concedes 2 runs in his first over

Mohammed Shami replaces Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the attack

OVERS 7.5: FOUR! Khaleel continues, Carey flicks through mid-wicket for his fourth boundary

OVERS 4.4: FOUR! Carey cuts through point for his third boundary, superb timing there

OVERS 3.4: FOUR! Carey cuts to the third man fence

OVERS 3.1: FOUR! FREE HIT! Carey makes room and hits over mid-on for the first boundary of the match

OVERS 3.1: Khaleel oversteps for a no-ball, that's a big one

OVERS 2.2: OUT! 100th ODI wicket for Bhuvneshwar as Finch (6) is clean bowled through the gate

OVERS 1.6: Finch hits through the covers for three runs

Khaleel Ahmed bowls the second over for India

2 runs off the first over by Bhuvneshwar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls the first over, Alex Carey on strike

Australian captain Aaron Finch wins toss, opts to bat against India in Sydney

India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed

Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch, Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff

Australia have won just 3 out of their last 24 ODIs.

The last time Australia played India in a bilateral series, they lost 1-4.

The Indians have lost just 1 out of their last one-day internationals.

Hit hard by an unexpected controversy after the high of the Test triumph, India will look to fine tune their World Cup preparations in the three-match ODI series against an under-fire Australia.