backhander from in close for his third of the season.That was a

Virat Kohlis strengths - and weaknesses - come to the fore, more disappointment for Ben Duckett and dog stops play as India triumph over England in the second Test. Ravichandran Ashwin and Adil Rashid also exploited the conditions superbly on a pitch that offered turn and increasingly variable bounce as the match went on.Ultimately though, the England leg-spinners efforts were in vain as India took a 1-0 lead in the series after an intriguing five days in Visakhapatnam. Kohlis mixed bagThe India skipper showed his class with the bat once again, taking full advantage of favourable conditions for batting on the first day to score a brilliant 167. And then, in Indias second innings, with other batsmen scratching around on a rapidly deteriorating surface, he cruised his way to 81 - his innings finally brought to an end by a stunning catch from Ben Stokes. India vs England November 26, 2016, 3:30am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass However, while pundits fell over themselves in a clamour to praise his batting prowess, his captaincy during Englands second innings - particularly on day four - drew a very different reaction.Staggeringly bad was Bob Willis assessment on The Verdict and Nasser Hussain was equally unimpressed by his field settings and the ends at which he used his bowlers during Englands stubborn resistance on the fourth afternoon and evening.You can lead by example, as Kohli does with the bat, you can show a lot of passion which Kohli does in abundance, he said. But tactically I think he is pretty naive. Virat Kohli batted superbly but his captaincy was less impressive There was at least an improvement on the final day as India wrapped up victory, Hussain acknowledged.Hes been better today, he told Sky Sports. He hasnt been as noticeable; sometimes he interferes a bit too much but what he did today was not move the field as much and not tinker as much. But that doesnt take away from the fact that he was poor yesterday.Should England gain the upper hand by winning the toss in Mohali, Kohlis marshalling of his troops will come under scrutiny once more though and it remains to be seen how he will respond to that pressure.Rashid steps upBob Willis is not a man shy of offering his opinion and after Rashids unconvincing displays in the Bangladesh Tests, plenty were in full agreement with his typically frank judgement that the leg-spinner should be on the next flight back to the UK.Two Tests and 13 wickets later, Rashid has delivered a most eloquent riposte on the pitch. After seven wickets in Rajkot, another six in Visakhapatnam proved that his opening-Test effort was no fluke. Alastair Cook praised the improved bowling of Adil Rashid in the 2nd Test That he was capable of producing deliveries of supreme quality was never in doubt; but it was the full tosses and long-hops that came with along them which drew criticism. Saqlain Mushtaqs arrival as Englands spin coach for the first three Tests in India seems to have helped to eradicate those aberrations and Rashid is now bowling with a previously unseen control and confidence. So much so that Alastair Cook had no reservations about throwing him the ball just five overs into Indias second innings.His faith was rewarded with four wickets in the innings and Rashids resurgence is such that even his biggest critics are beginning to be won round… Test Cricket: The Verdict November 21, 2016, 3:00pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Hes getting better and better, isnt he? Willis told The Verdict. Hes shoving my words right back down my throat when I said he should be on the plane back to Leeds-Bradford airport - thats come back to haunt me!Hes fast becoming Englands leading spin bowler and making a case for Moeen Ali to bat high up the order and be a second spinner.Ashwin up and runningHe was the man England were told to fear most ahead of the series. Ashwin had risen to the top of the Test bowling rankings after a succession of stunning performances in the past two years. Not least, his 20 wickets at just 21.05 against New Zealand in October.However, against England it has been a different story. The 30-year-old had struggled to make any real impact in his previous encounters with Indias opponents in this five-match run and he fared little better in the first Test. 3-230 in 69.3 overs his rather underwhelming match figures. Indias Ravichandran Ashwin says experimenting with his bowling in Tests will help him improve still further as a spinner He spoke ahead of the Visakhapatnam Test about his desire to improve and that is exactly what he did, taking his 22nd five-wicket haul in Tests - his first against England - as the tourists succumbed to 255 all out in their first innings.Ashwin quickly found his rhythm and his threat was amplified by the additional drift that he was able to find compared to Rajkot and, after a further three wickets in the visitors second innings, he looks to have overcome his England hoodoo.Duckett in the doldrumsOne man who struggled more than most against Ashwins off-spin was Duckett. Having been heralded as Englands bright new hope following his exploits during the ODI series and an entertaining half-century in Bangladesh, the left-hander has been found wanting in India thus far. Ian Botham believes England need to drop the struggling Ben Duckett His frailties against off-spin, on turning tracks, have been cruelly exposed with Ashwin dismissing him in each of his three innings in the series to date, leading his defensive technique to be called into question.It is amazing how quickly the game at the highest level presents challenges, Michael Atherton remarked. In his very first innings in Chittagong in Test cricket, he showed the off-spinner his stumps and paid the price, and he has done that twice here now.Hes got to look at that defensive technique to the off-spinner. At the moment he is showing too much of his stumps and with two quality off-spinners, Ashwin - the No 1 bowler in the world - and Jayant Yadav, thats going to be a problem. In a rare return to the nets, David Gower has some batting tips for struggling fellow left-hander Ben Duckett Duckett tried to address the issue ahead of his second knock in Visakhapatnam and looked to go on the attack against Ashwin. The result though was the same, Duckett gone cheaply and after only 18 runs in three innings, it seems unlikely that hell make the XI for Mohali.Dog stops play!Over the years we have seen all manner of creatures enter the field and hold up proceedings. From bees in Zimbabwe earlier this year to the Brisbane piglet, with Botham emblazoned on one side, in a 1983 World Series match between Australia and England. A stray dog brings play to a shuddering halt on day one of the second Test Crickets latest unexpected pitch invader arrived shortly before tea on the first day as a stray dog brazenly scampered onto the outfield as Stuart Broad readied himself to bowl to Cheteshwar Pujara. An early tea was called on day one thanks to the unexpected appearance of a dog on the outfield!! Stadium stewards were quickly sent onto the pitch to try and remove the canine but, with Broad and Cook allowing themselves a chuckle at the incident, the dog toyed with his would-be captors, evading their grasp and then trotting off the pitch… only to return moments later!Eventually, the decision was made to call for a slightly early tea and allow the stewards a full 20 minutes to shepherd the pesky pooch from the field of play.Watch the third Test between India and England at Mohali live on Sky Sports 2 from 3.30am on Saturday. Also See: England slump to heavy defeat WATCH: Day five highlights Rashid has made huge strides India v England: Story of 2012 Bruno Fernando Hawks Jersey . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Evan Turner Jersey . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. https://www.thehawkslockerroom.com/Mike-Bibby-City-Edition-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Dikembe Mutombo Hawks Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Custom Atlanta Hawks Jerseys . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. WASHINGTON -- New York rookie Jimmy Vesey says hes getting more comfortable. The same cant be said of defenses that face the Rangers.Vesey scored the tying and go-ahead goals 3 minutes apart in the second period to lead the Rangers to their latest high-scoring victory, a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.Im still figuring out how to score goals in this league, said Vesey, who spent last season as a college hockey standout at Harvard. Its the best league in the world. So just trying to learn every day and get better. Tonight was big for me I think.Rick Nash had a late empty-net goal and an assist for New York, which has scored four or more goals in all three of its victories.Brandon Pirri also scored in a three-goal second period that began the Rangers comeback from two goals down.Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves for New York, including 19 in a row after Alex Ovechkin gave Washington a 2-0 lead late in the first.We just stuck with it and made some plays that we needed to make with the puck, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said of his teams comeback. And in the third period, we did everything we could to shut them down. Hank made some big saves. Well take the two points and well go home.New York has now won six of its last eight games in Washington.Lars Eller added his first goal with the Capitals, who had a three-game win streak snapped and failed to earn at least a point for the first time this season.Washington still led 2-1 when it failed to put a shot on goal during a four-minute power play, its only man advantage of the evening.We was so casual, Ovechkin said. We couldnt stay in the zone. So obviously its blame on us, and we cant play like that.After Pirris goal early in tthe second period cut the deficit in half, Veseys two goals put New York up 3-2 with 5:38 left.ddddddddddddn the first, Nash took a rebound off Holtbys pads in front of the crease and found Vesey on the right for a simple wrist shot. It was New Yorks first power-play goal in three attempts on the night, and third in 17 chances this season.Vesey did most of the work himself on the second, taking Mats Zuccarellos pass on the left, circling around defender Karl Alzner and then beating Holtby with a backhander from in close for his third of the season.That was a power move from a young player that everybody can see has got a lot of potential, Vigneault said.Washingtons best chance to tie came just before the midpoint of the third period, when Lundqvist denied T.J. Oshie and Ovechkin in quick succession from in close.I loved the way we win this game, Lundqvist said. The way we battled back. The way we believe in ourself and our system. . Being down two after the first, it was tough, but I think we all thought we could do it.Game notes Washington has now scored first in all five of its games this season. ... New York D Dan Girardi (groin strain) and LW Pavel Buchnevich (back spasms) were scratched again Saturday and remain day-to-day. ... Eller scored his first goal since joining the Capitals from Montreal in an offseason trade. ... Referee Kelly Sutherland officiated his 1000th game.UP NEXTCapitals: At Edmonton on Wednesday night in the opener of a four-game trip against Canadian teams.Rangers: Host Arizona on Sunday to complete its first back-to-back set of the season. ' ' '