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India play their 1000th ODI when they take the field against West Indies on Sunday, becoming the first side to reach the landmark. ESPNcricinfo looks back at some of the iconic moments in India's ODI history, with their first match in the format having come back in 1974.

Eleven weeks ahead of the third men's ODI World Cup, India's ODI record made for bleak reading: 11 wins in 38 matches. And although six of those wins had come outside India, only one happened to be in a World Cup, when they beat East Africa in 1975.

"It's this particular win that helps convince many of us that we may well be able to pull our weight together as a team," Kapil would write in his autobiography Straight From The Heart.

And against Zimbabwe, the pressure told: the wheels had come off less than an hour into the match. After deciding to bat, India's top five were all gone with the total at 17, as Peter Rawson and Kevin Curran did the early damage. And it was after this that Kapil cracked 175* off 138 balls, single-handedly taking India all the way to 266.

Quite possibly, it was the most important innings in Indian cricket history, arguably one of the finest ever in limited-overs cricket and certainly the greatest knock for which there is no footage available anywhere.

Zimbabwe had been defeated, Australia were brushed aside in a virtual quarter-final and England were eliminated in the semi-finals. Yet, no one gave India a chance in the final, as they stepped onto Lord's to take on West Indies for the third time in the tournament.

Less than two years after the 1983 World Cup triumph, another ODI crown was up for grabs - this time the World Championship of Cricket in Australia. The reigning world champions lived up to their billing with an unblemished group-stage display, earning comfortable wins over Pakistan, England and Australia, before overcoming New Zealand in their semi-final to set up a title clash with Pakistan.

Less than two weeks later, the arch-rivals were locking horns in another multi-team tournament, all the way across from Melbourne to Sharjah. Pakistan seemed headed for instant redemption when Imran Khan's stunning 6 for 14 saw India dismissed for just 125.

But Kapil - clearly the man for rainy days - wasn't giving up so easily, and with spinners Sivaramakrishnan and Shastri providing admirable company, India bowled Pakistan out for just 87. No lower total had been successfully defended in men's ODIs at the time; only once has the mark been bettered since.

Before this match, India had only ever posted 300-plus twice in ODIs, and only once in the history of ODIs had a target of 300-plus been successfully chased down.

With 65 required from the last ten overs - the match had been reduced to 48 overs each - a mini-collapse ensued, and it boiled down to three to win off the last two balls. That is when, in the fading Dhaka light, Hrishikesh Kanitkar swatted Saqlain Mushtaq for four and made himself a pop-quiz favourite for the ages.

And this one also had Kanitkar applying the final touch with a boundary.

The trophy cabinet had started to run dry post the 1998 high - after winning five out of six multi-team tournament finals in 1998 alone, India had lost nine successive finals from 1999 to 2001. There was a loss in the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2000, there were maulings to sub-continent rivals, there were tough defeats to higher-ranked teams, there were unexpected losses to lower-ranked teams it was becoming an unwanted specialty.

With this backdrop, cut to the halfway stage of the second innings at Lord's: chasing 326, India were 146 for 5 after 24 overs, Tendulkar had just walked back to the pavilion, and at the crease were two youngsters with less than 60 matches between them.

Twenty-three years on from their World Championship of Cricket triumph, India hadn't won another final in Australia. In three attempts, they had failed to take any of the best-of-three finals to even a third game. This time, they were up against an Australian outfit that might have been on their final legs, but were still three-time defending ODI world champions. India, starting their own transition, faced an early test in their three-year plan towards world domination with a new captain at the helm.

A little over three years later, and almost exactly eight years on from the day Australia demolished their World Cup dream in Johannesburg, India ended the longest reign in the history of the competition.

While they didn't quite have the same aura as earlier, this was still an Australia that hadn't lost a World Cup knockout game since 1996, and Ricky Ponting wasn't done: the Australia captain's century took his team to 260.

The vision from 2008 came to fruition in 2011. No team had won a world title on home soil until then, and the ride had been far from smooth for India: they lost to South Africa and tied with England after scoring 338 in the group stages before the aforementioned quarter-final win against Australia, and then defended 260 against Pakistan in the semi-finals.

Mahela Jayawardene's majestic 103* led a late onslaught that took Sri Lanka to 274; no team had ever chased more than 250 to win a World Cup final. And when Tendulkar exited the World Cup stage with India 31 for 2, the nerves were beginning to fray.

Read this article:
India's greatest wins - From 1983 to 2011, and everything in between - ESPNcricinfo

Midfielder reviews Watford victory

- Ben Midgley discusses wearing the Captains armband- Young Terrier delighted with teams progression- Midfielder on B Teams professional performance

Huddersfield Towns B Team midfielder Ben Midgley expressed his pride in wearing the Captains armband during the Young Terriers 0-3 Premier League Cup win over Watford.

The 19-year-old deputised as Captain after Ben Jackson was loaned out to League One Doncaster Rovers for the rest of the season.

Having been the skipper of some of the younger age groups, Midgley explained what it means to represent his boyhood club in this way.

I have grown up watching the First Team and I see them every day.

Thats where I want to be, and wearing that Captains armband is an honour.

Id love it to be for the First Team one day.

My dad has taken me to games since I was a little kid and I hope I am making him proud.

You see Jonathan Hogg and what he does for the badge thats something that I look up to.

The passion he has is phenomenal and that is something I want to put into my game.

I just keep the lads going, but they dont really need encouraging because they believe in themselves and are ready to play for the rest of the team.

When a game is scruffy, then you need to pull it by the scruff of the neck and, as a Captain, you just need to lead the lads and I felt I did that.

I know every single one of them and I have good relationships with them, and it is so much easier when you have that relationship there.

You may need to pull them aside if theyre lacking in concentration and I feel like I can do that with every single one of them.

Reflecting on the game, Midgley believes his side put in a good display after showing great patience to break down a resolute Hornets backline.

I thought it was a great performance; it was professional from us.

We only needed a point to go through, but we knew that we werent just going for a point, we came here for three and thats what we got.

We knew that because we beat them 6-0 last time, they would come out wanting to prove a point.

In training, we worked on breaking down the deep block, which is what they were in.

It was a bit frustrating in the first half because we werent creating loads of chances as it was hard to break them down, but, in the end, we got the first goal and that set the tempo for the rest of the game.

The win saw the B Team progress into the knockout stages of the Premier League Cup with a game to spare, something that Midgley stressed as important to show what the Young Terriers are capable of.

It is a great feeling.

That was the aim after going through a knockout game to get into the group stages.

Weve proved our point and we have shown the tournament what were all about with the 6-0 win and progressing with one game to spare.

Everyone as a team has, collectively, worked hard for it and qualifying with one game to spare is just brilliant.

We didnt know what to expect coming into the tournament, but we have given it everything and it has worked out and were all buzzing in the changing room.

Hopefully, we can kick on and try to win the tournament now.

More here:
BEN MIDGLEY ON 'HONOUR' OF WEARING CAPTAIN'S ARMBAND - htafc.com

The current England Under-19 players were not even born the last time their team lifted the trophy. Three from the squad of 1998 - Owais Shah, Rob Key and Graeme Swann - have gone on have illustrious careers in the game. The last of them had retired by 2016, and now all of them are established names in coaching or broadcasting. That's how long it's been.South Africa was supposed to be tricky, but England laid down a marker by not only chasing 212 comfortably, but doing so in a manner - inside 31.2 overs - that sent a signal to every other semi-finalist - England mean business.The man doing the leading, not only on the field but also with the bat, is Tom Prest. Prest is a right-handed, middle-order batter who possesses strong arms and a clean bat swing. When he hits them, they stay hit. Ask UAE, against whom he hammered an unbeaten 154 in 119 balls. Or Canada, against whom he scored 93.And he's already shown an aptitude for the big occasion. In his very first knockout game for Hampshire, the T20 Blast quarter-final against Nottinghamshire last August, Prest's 44 from 34 balls dragged them to a winning first-innings total, and ultimately into Finals Day, after D'Arcy Short and James Vince had both failed before him. Prior to that, in only his third first-team appearance for the club, against Gloucestershire in July, he smacked a match-winning 59 not out from 42 balls.

He's a man of many talents too. He grew up enjoying Coventry City's football and Rafael Nadal's forehand, and so football and tennis competed with cricket for Prest's attention. Hockey was another favourite, and as it did for Tom Banton and Eoin Morgan, the sport also helped him develop a love for the sweep and reverse-sweep.

"Morgan is pretty calm under pressure," Prest tells ESPNcricinfo. "I am probably not the loudest member of the team, but kind of a quiet leader. Not someone like Virat Kohli who is very passionate on the pitch. I try to think about things logically and stay calm in the key moments of the game.

"What [Morgan's] done with bowling changes, like using Adil Rashid at the end, it's not something teams have done before. It's considered unorthodox, but he does whatever is needed on the pitch, he thinks quickly and clearly under pressure. From the outside, it looks like he does it very well."

"Tom is a very modest guy, and fits in with the group. He hasn't been seen as a prodigy, instead he's seen as a good young cricketer who has come through the system. Whenever he steps up a level, he seems to do that in a seamless way and looks comfortable"

Hampshire director of cricket Giles White

"The pitches are obviously quite different to England," Prest says. "Quite spin-friendly and tricky in the opening period. New-ball spin bowlers are tricky too, because some balls skid and some spin. The 9am start can be tricky batting first, since the ball obviously does a bit.

"But I am probably quite attacking. I like playing my shots. But with that, I like batting for long periods of time as well. I sometimes take my time to get in, but I like to score quickly after that. Watching T20 cricket and the Hundred last summer has reinforced the fact that scoring quickly... everyone loves watching it really. Good entertainment."

But England are far from being a one-dimensional side. Batting alone cannot inspire a team to win a championship. England have also taken ten wickets in every game thus far.

So the team is well-rounded, the players are in form. But does the captain have the temperament to see the side through the high-octane moments that lie ahead? Hampshire's director of cricket Giles White sums up Prest's credentials.

"Sometimes in England, when you're a young player like Prest that's got a lot of talent, you tend to play above yourself [in age groups] and there are captains in place so you can't lead much yourself," White says. "But Prest is good with his peers and has a good feel for the game. The England U-19s have toured Sri Lanka before, so they have practice on surfaces that turn.

"Tom is a very modest guy, and fits in with the group. He hasn't been seen as a prodigy, instead he's seen as a good young cricketer who has come through the system. Whenever he steps up a level, he seems to do that in a seamless way and looks comfortable."

Despite not winning a World Cup in over two decades and not even making it out of the group stage in the last edition, Prest's Under-19 England team is aiming for the stars. However, he's aware there are some factors, particularly at this late stage of the competition, that are not in one's control.

"We've all come with the intention of winning the whole competition," he says. "Without a doubt. To play those three group games and win every one convincingly, it's given us a lot of confidence. But from here, we can only take it game by game from here, since we haven't played the other opponents."

Standing in England's way for a final spot, though, lies their biggest challenge yet - Afghanistan. They have the most revered spin combination of the competition, with two bowlers already on the radar for IPL teams. Against Bangladesh, chasing 98 meant that England were not really put under the pump by a good spin-bowling unit, and the other teams so far have not offered much to dent the confidence of England's batters. Will the lack of a prior spin challenge, or the lack of pressure in their previous fixtures, come back to bite England?

That is the big unknown when they step out at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Tuesday. A 100-over match, against a team that is high on morale after winning an epic quarter-final against Sri Lanka, could very well send them out of contention.

If it does, however, it will be an anti-climactic end for a team that's been one of two countries to have a 100% win record so far. That's been the impact England have had on the 2022 U-19 World Cup, and for that alone, it has been a memorable campaign under Prest's captaincy.

Sreshth Shah is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @sreshthx

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No pressure for Tom Prest as high-flying England target their final berth - ESPNcricinfo

Jan 28, 2022

Ed DoveSpecial to ESPN

After a group stage and Last 16 characterised by narrow score lines, the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals could see a couple of shock results emerge this weekend, with the action continuing as scheduled despite the Stade d'Olembe tragedy.

On the field, the tournament brought drama, excitement, and no shortage of controversy as the group stage unravelled and gave way to the gripping Last 16. Almost every game has provided tension and intrigue -- even if referees and VAR have been a little too prominent in the discussions.

Even the questionable interventions, the suspicious oversights, the speed at which red cards have been whipped out haven't (completely) detracted from the fairytale stories, the unexpected results, and the edge-of-your-seat thrill of elimination football.

On paper, two of the quarterfinals appear to be mismatches, but the tournament has demonstrated that the big boys can come unstuck against would-be minnows, and while individual talent alone can get you so far, the strength of the collective has been apparent to Ghana, Algeria and Nigeria.

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Gambia's achievement in reaching the tournament alone was remarkable, while their performances in Cameroon -- victories over Mauritania, Tunisia and Guinea, drawing with Mali -- have represented the all-time greatest moments in the nation's sporting history.

There's no doubt that Saturday's quarterfinal against Cameroon is the biggest match Gambia have ever contested, but their mentality, tactical approach, and the sterling work of head coach Tom Saintfiet leave them perfectly placed to give the hosts a run for their money and perhaps even register an almighty AFCON shock.

After a troubled build-up to their clash against Guinea, with the Gambia camp complaining about their accommodation and the way they had been left to deal with their coronavirus cases, they've reported a clean bill of health heading into this one...

Can Saintfiet's strategy -- inspired by the team's Scorpions nickname -- to remain coiled, compact, conservative until the dying embers of the game, then strike late with a sting in the tail, see the tiny West African minnows through yet past another major challenge?

2:32

Ed Dove discusses whether there is concern from other teams that there is more favoritism with the Cameroon team in AFCON.

They'll be hoping that Cameroon's defensive failings -- they've conceded in every game so far, including against a Comoros side without a goalkeeper -- can be exploited, although the Indomitable Lions have the kind of attacking options to hurt Gambia that none of their opponents so far have been able to call upon.

With Vincent Aboubakar in the form of his life and dovetailing well with Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting, with Collins Fai providing width on the right, and with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa providing thrust from the midfield, Cameroon have the quality to end the minnows' historic campaign.

On the field of play, however -- and particularly on the maligned turf at the Stade Japoma in Douala -- things may not be so straightforward for the Afcon hosts.

These two limped into the knockout stages after underwhelming and unconvincing group-stage displays, with Tunisia labouring their way through Group F, with a thumping victory over Mauritania the only thing saving them from elimination.

However, after a sense of injustice fuelled their early performances in the competition, both will feel they're picking up momentum heading into this fairly even quarterfinal.

After their losses against Mali -- overshadowed by Janny Sikazwe's referreeing and the touchline fury of their coaching staff -- and Gambia, it was a surprise when Tunisia were able to ride out Nigeria's early onslaught in their Last 16 meeting in Garoua and ultimately see off the Super Eagles.

Defensive resiliency, midfield neutralisation, and a control of emotions were all central to that triumph against much-fancied Nigeria, and with veterans Youssef Msakni and Wahbi Khazri both likely to be available from the off against the Stallions, the Carthage Eagles should have some bite as well.

That match in Garoua was only the second knockout game Tunisia have won in regulation time at the Nations Cup since defeating Morocco to win the title on home soil in 2004, and it will give them a major boost as they look to advance to the final four for the second consecutive campaign.

Burkina Faso, like Tunisia, were also motivated by a sense of injustice in the group stage, with Bertrand Traore denouncing as 'scandalous' the side's coronavirus testing treatment ahead of their opener with Cameroon.

Their lack of experience showed during their opener against the hosts, but after they got the better of Gabon in their exhausting, exhilarating Second Round bout, there will be a sense of momentum about the Stallions.

Can captain Traore, so clearly a cut above his teammates but yet so prone to costly lapses, harness his undeniable talent and inspire the Burkinabe to their third semifinal in five editions?

The pick of the quarterfinals is this absolute blockbuster bout between North African giants Egypt and Morocco at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, where one side with genuine title ambitions will fall by the wayside.

The Atlas Lions -- despite encountering injuries and coronavirus cases during the early days of the tournament -- have been overt about their aims of winning the big one, and despite not having gone beyond the quarterfinals in 18 years, they've become increasingly convincing.

In the likes of Sofiane Boufal and Achraf Hakimi - who's netted magnificent free kicks in their last two matches - they have genuine match-winners, and it's surely only a matter of time before an attacking unit containing Ayoub El Kaabi, Youssef En-Nesyri and Ryan Mmaee finds more precision in their finishing.

Despite the absence of Hakim Ziyech, the Lions are creating no shortage of chances, and while they may not have been made to pay for missing them against Comoros or Malawi, the same may not be said against Egypt.

After a fairly stodgy group stage -- and an opener in which they were blown away by Nigeria -- the Pharaohs hit a different gear in their Last 16 victory over the Ivory Coast.

Helped, doubtless, by Franck Kessie's early exit due to injury, the Pharaohs took 21 shots throughout the course of the contest -- not bad for a team supposedly over-reliant on Mohamed Salah -- and held their own against a stacked Ivorian midfield.

Both Carlos Queiroz and Vahid Halilhodzic have notable achievements in knockout competitions, and both are managing the rigours and routines of tournament football with expertise as their sides grow into the AFCON so expect an engrossing tactical battle.

Morocco may have greater quality in almost every area on the pitch, but this is Egypt, and this is Salah, so nothing can be taken for granted.

Both of these two survived - albeit bruised - from Last 16 bouts against Cape Verde and Mali respectively, with Senegal talisman Sadio Mane replaced early after a collision with goalkeeper Vozinha, and Equatorial Guinea's match being the subject of a formal complaint by the Eagles.

The Equatoguineans can indeed count themselves lucky that VAR appeared to decree in their favour in their last match, although their ascent to the quarterfinals has been down to much more than luck.

Ranked outside the FIFA top 100 in December, their performance at the Nations Cup shouldn't come as a massive surprise to anyone who witnessed their encouraging World Cup qualifying campaign -- they defeated Tunisia in November -- and they're benefiting from an influx of players playing in the lower leagues of France, Spain and Italy.

READ: Everything you need to know about AFCON

The likes of Jose Machin and Pablo Ganet allowed them to hold their own in a battle against Brighton & Hove Albion's Yves Bissouma and Mohamed Camara of Red Bull Salzburg in the Mali game, and expect a similar story against Senegal.

Senegal's decision to allow Mane to initially play on against Cape Verde has been criticised -- even if he did break the deadlock -- but the Teranga Lions will be desperate for him to be back at 100 percent and firing on all cylinders for their Last Eight clash.

The West Africans have lots of speedy dribblers, and players who can strike at goal, but they lack guile and creativity, placing immense burden on Mane's shoulders.

When he plays on the left - as he did against Cape Verde - Senegal's play is funnelled through him and they can become easy to neutralise, but Aliou Cisse's seeming unwillingness to sacrifice any of his three defensive midfielders means that you shouldn't expect anything too different from the Lions.

What they do have is defensive resiliency, and a unit containing Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, protected by that midfield, makes them favourites to go the distance in the competition.

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AFCON quarterfinals are wide open, shocks are on the cards - ESPN

West Ham reportedly rejected the opportunity to sign Aaron Ramsey during the January Transfer Window, according to Joe.co.uk.

Throughout the transfer window, West Ham were linked with the likes of Duje Caleta-Car, Kalvin Phillips and Jesse Lingard. And Aaron Ramsey is the latest name to have been linked with a move to the London Stadium.

The Welshman was reportedly keen on a return to the Premier League to pick up regular playing time ahead of Wales upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

He was offered to Brentford, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Wolves as well as a return to Arsenal, however, they all turned down the opportunity. He went on to join Rangers on a six-month loan. Sadly, he will not be ready to make his debut in Wednesdays Old Firm derby against Celtic.

Prior to his move to the Serie A giants in 2019, he was at Arsenal for more than ten years. During his time at the Gunners, he made 262 appearances and scored 40 goals. Ramsey has also won the FA Cup three times, including in 2014 when he scored a 109th-minute winner against Hull.

The 31-year-old has struggled for regular game time since signing for Juventus, making just 49 appearances. He has not featured since October due to recurring injury problems as well as catching Coronavirus.

David Moyes side failed to make a single signing in the January transfer window, despite their best efforts. This left many fans angry, with many taking to Twitter to express their views at the lack of ambition as the club mount a serious top-four challenge.

It is unknown why West Ham rejected the opportunity to sign Ramsey. His experience fighting for Champions League football in the Premier League would have been key.

The Welshman has amassed more than 50 European appearances, more than any current West Ham player. Although Moyes preference for signing players is those eager to play at the highest level, there is no doubt that European experience would have been beneficial.

West Ham breezed through the group stage of the Europa League. However, big game players such as Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are waiting in the wings to join the competition in the knockout stages. These are the types of teams Ramsey has a plethora of experience playing against.

The Hammers also have a paper-thin squad as it is. Angelo Ogbonna is out with a season-ending injury, while his defensive partner Kurt Zouma is only just coming back from a spell on the sideline. Michail Antonio has also struggled for form in recent weeks and is the clubs only recognised striker.

Things may look good for the Hammers as it stands. Fifth in the league, still in the FA Cup and preparing for their first-ever Europa League knockout game. However, the games will start to come thick and fast once the Premier League winter break comes to an end. And the West Ham hierarchy may soon regret that lack of investment in the January transfer window.

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Report: West Ham turned down the opportunity to sign three-time FA Cup winner - TBR - The Boot Room - Football News