MS Dhoni has retired from Test cricket with immediate effect following the drawn Test against Australia in Melbourne. Virat Kohli will take over as India captain for the final Test of the series, which India have already lost, in Sydney.

Dhoni was batting on 24 when the Test was called off early at the MCG - four overs were left and India had four wickets in hand - and he made no mention of his retirement during the customary captain's press conference at the end of the match. The announcement was made via a BCCI press release shortly after and it cited "the strain of playing all formats" as the reason.

"One of India's greatest Test captains under whose leadership India became the No. 1 team in the test rankings, MS Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of cricket," the board said. "BCCI, while respecting the decision of MS Dhoni to retire from Test cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to Test cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India. Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian team for the fourth and final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney."

In recent months Dhoni suffered from fitness issues, missing five ODIs against Sri Lanka in November because of a hand injury, which also sidelined him from the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. In addition to the pressure of leading India in all three formats, and the Chennai Super Kings franchise, for six years Dhoni has also had to play an extraordinary amount of matches. Since the start of 2008 - taking into account international matches across formats, IPL and Champions League T20 games - Dhoni has played 398 matches, the most for any cricket during this period.Suresh Raina is second with 369 games.

Though Dhoni's place in India's Test side has not been under question, his batting form took a dip in 2014 and he averaged only 33 in 17 innings this year. His wicketkeeping has also deteriorated, in particular his ability to move laterally to take testing catches. India's overseas results have also suffered under Dhoni's leadership in recent years. Since 2011, they have won only two out of 22 away Tests and lost 13.

Dhoni, however, is India's most successful captain, having presided over 27 wins in his 60-Test tenure, which began in 2008. His first Test as captain was against South Africa in Kanpur in April that year, because of an injury to regular captain Anil Kumble, and he took over full time after Kumble retired following the Delhi Test against Australia in October. Dhoni led India to the No. 1 Test ranking in 2009, a position they enjoyed until the tour of England in 2011.

Overall, Dhoni played 90 Tests in a career that began in 2005 and scored 4876 runs at an average of 38, with a high score of 224 against Australia in Chennai in 2013. As a wicketkeeper, he effected 294 dismissals, the fifth highest in Test cricket.

Bharti Airtel Ltd dropped a plan on Monday to charge clients extra for Internet communication services such as Skype, amid a debate on allowing equal access to web content and a backlash from subscribers.

India's largest telecommunications carrier by subscribers said last week that Internet or data plans that give customers discounted rates will be valid for Internet browsing but will exclude Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

VoIP services include communications applications such as Skype, Line and Viber that typically let users make free calls through the Internet.

Australia's Nathan Lyon and Ryan Harris each claimed two vital late wickets to leave India on 462 for 8 at stumps on day three of the third Test, after Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane shared a 262-run partnership on Sunday.

India trail Australia's first-innings 530 by 68 runs after starting the day on 103 for 1. Kohli and Rahane made the most of a placed pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to put together a fluent partnership that looked like turning the Test in India's favour. They brought up India's first fourth-wicket century partnership at the MCG off 138 balls and went on to build the India's highest partnership outside Asia in 10 years.

Lyon (2 for 108) ended the long partnership when he trapped Rahane lbw attempting a sweep on 147. The offspinner then dismissed Lokesh Rahul, caught at deep backward square off a top-edged sweep, dismissing him on debut for 3. Rahul's wicket came much to the relief of substitute field Peter Siddle, who dropped Rahul at midwicket two balls earlier.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was caught behind for 11 off Harris (4 for 69), who caught and bowled Ravichandran Ashwin for a duck in the next over.

On the last ball of the day, Kohli's impressive innings came to an end on 169, fishing at a wide ball from Mitchell Johnson and edging it to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who produced his second diving catch of the day.

India will resume day four with Mohammed Shami on 9 joined by Ishant Sharma. Harris gave Australia a perfect start on Sunday by dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara for his overnight score of 25 off the second ball of the day, thanks to an athletic, one-handed catch by Haddin.

Shane Watson (1 for 65) soon after claimed opener Murali Vijay for 68, caught at backward point by Shaun Marsh.

Kohli, who scored two centuries in the first Test at Adelaide, got two reprieves in the second session when Lyon missed a clear caught and bowled opportunity with the batsman on 84, and then on 88 when Watson dropped an edge at slip off Johnson.

The early showing of Australia's pacemen soon dissipated despite setting an international cricket record of more than 328 runs without conceding a sundry.

Tempers flared before tea when Johnson threw the ball toward Kohli's wicket while the batsman was out of his crease, only to hit Kohli in the lower back and sending him to the ground. Johnson immediately apologised, but Kohli approached Johnson at the end of the over and the pair had a heated exchange before the umpires intervened.

India need to win the third Test to keep their chances alive in the four-match series. Australia can clinch reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy with a win or draw in Melbourne after a 48-run win in the first Test and a four-wicket victory last week in the second Test at Brisbane.

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Vaishali:-BJP MP Yogi Adityanath is the unity between Hindus showed Dhakr Babri Masjid. He held in Vaishali Sant intercourse "was speaking. He appealed to the Centre Yogi "homecoming" not interfere in the issue. He has called for unity of Hindus.

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of cab drivers employed with the internet-based taxi firm Uber on Friday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here demanding revocation of the ban imposed on the company's operations in the national capital.

According to the protesters, their livelihood is getting affected because of the ban imposed on the company following the alleged rape of a 27-year-old woman by one of its drivers.

Australia vs India 2014/15 -Lunch report - Vijay late wicket checks India's reply | gocricket.com

Mitchell Johnson removed Murali Vijay for a well-compiled 53 in the penultimate over before lunch on Thursday to halt India's march in the first session of day three at the Adelaide Oval, leaving them at 119/2 with a deficit of 398 runs.

Kailash Satyarthi, Malala receive Nobel peace prize - The Times of India

GUWAHATI: Meghalaya on Saturday came on the country's rail map more than six decades after Independence, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off the first train to the northeastern state and favouring privatization of railway stations. 



"Railway facilities are the same as they were 100 years back ... Privatize the railway stations and modernise them," he said after flagging off the first train linking Meghalaya. 



"I will make it in 10-12 places. Stations should be better than airports as most travellers are poor people. We can easily have trains running below and commercial properties above (floor)," Modi reasoned. 



At a time when real estate is very expensive, railways should leverage its properties by allowing private parties to build luxury hotels, restaurants and other facilities, he added. 



He said once this exercise is completed in these places, the government will carry out modernization of stations across the country. 





Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) with Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi at the NF Railway Stadium in Maligaon, Guwahati, during the flagging off of first train between Mendipathar (Meghalaya) and Guwahati. 



The Prime Minister on Saturday inaugurated the Mendipathar-Guwahati passenger train and laid the foundation stone of broad gauge conversion of Bhairabi-Sairang line in Mizoram. 



Modi said the Indian Railways have the potential to become the backbone of the country's economic activity. 



"We will not be happy in just adding one coach or upgrading one station. We want both horizontal and vertical development of the railways. It can become the engine of Indian economy," he added. 



The government has already allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment to completely modernize the railway transportation in the country, he said. 



Modi said the government has decided to open four railway universities in the four corners of the country where all aspects of railway service will be taught. 





Modi, on efforts to modernize railways, said under new rail minister Suresh Prabhu (above) things will move ahead at a very quick pace. 



He said railway can be a mode of eco-friendly mass transportation, which will be India's contribution to contain global warming. 



Talking about connectivity to northeast, Modi said: "Infrastructure is the most important factor to develop northeast. If we want to develop India, we have to develop northeast." 



Giving example of good roads in South Korea, he said India, particularly this region, should have better connectivity to leverage its potential. 



"The upper middle class in India wants to go for visiting places once or twice a year. They keep searching for good places. If we have good connectivity, then they will come to northeast as it is full of natural beauty and lovely people. 



"Once infrastructure is developed, rest all will be done by the public," Modi said. 



The Prime Minister also favoured connecting northeast digitally by installing optical fibre network so that people in remotest area can also avail all facilities of the cyber world. 



"We have to take forward 'Look Act Policy'. We have 'Look East Policy' and now we will have 'Act East Policy'. Northeast will be the centre of development," he added. 

हिसार|रामपाल हिंदू धार्मिक परंपराओं के खिलाफ था। इस लिए गुरु दीक्षा देने से पहले उसने अपने ग्यारह नियम बनाए थे। इसमें व्रत रखने से मना करने के साथ किसी की मौत होने पर पिंड भरवाने तक रोक लगा रखी थी। यहां तक घर में किसी प्रकार हवन यज्ञ और धार्मिक अनुष्ठान करने तक की रोक थी। यदि इनमें से एक भी नियम कोई साधक तोड़ता है तो उसे नाम रहित कर दिया जाता था।
रामपाल के सतलोक आश्रम में कोई भी नया व्यक्ति आता था तो उससे पहले दीक्षा ली या नहीं उसके बारे में पूछा जाता। दीक्षा लेने वाला ही आश्रम के अंदर जा सकता था। दीक्षा लेने की हां भरने के बाद वह आश्रम के अंदर जा सकता था। वहां उससे एक फार्म भरवाया जाता था। इसमें फार्म नंबर, व्यक्ति का नाम, पिता का नाम, आयु, पता, फोन नंबर देना होता था। इसमें दीक्षा लेने वाले के प्रथम उपदेश की तिथि लिखी जाती। उसके बाद हाजरी दो, तीन और चार होगी। आश्रम में आने वाले व्यक्ति को इसके बाद सरनाम की तिथि दी जाती थी। यह रिकार्ड आश्रम में आने वाले हर व्यक्ति का हैं।

अपनी बहन की शादी में सलमान पूरे रंग और जोश में थे। इस जोश में उन्होंने अपनी एक्स गर्लफ्रेंड कटरीना 

कैफ की टांग खींचने में कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ी। शादी में जब चिकनी चमेली गाना बजा तो सलमान ने माइक लिया और बोले, 'कटरीना कैफ, कटरीना कैफ तुम्हारा गाना बज रहा है। प्लीज स्टेज पर आओ।' 

World Bank approves $285 million to fight Ebola - ABP News



Washington: The World Bank has approved a grant of $285 million to finance the three west African countries hardest hit by the Ebola crisis.

Salman Khan’s younger sister Arpita Khan who is dating a Delhi based boy Aayush Sharma, is all set to tie the knot in 2015.

Though the details of their wedding are still under wraps, we hear that the families of these two love birds have agreed to this alliance. It was being said, that, parents of the two recently met up at Shimla along with the ‘to be’ bride and groom while enjoying a relaxing holiday.

Prior to this, Arpita Khan was in a serious relationship with Arjun Kapoor. Now we also hear that Aayush Sharma too plans to have a career in Bollywood.

Salman Khan's sister's wedding: Hyderabadi Biryani, Haleem on dinner - The Times of India