“I have to admit that I am very fortunate I have got this skill. It’s more of reading the batsman’s mind, especially in the powerplays because every six balls, they will be looking to hit you out.

nament with an impressive economy rate of 5.87 runs an over -- surprisingly 11 of his 16 overs have been bowled in the powerplay.

While Sundar admitted that it is a challenge for a spinner to

Washington Sundar bowl in the powerplay, but the key to success is to face those challenges and overcome them.

“It is definitely a challenging thing but that is what you play cricket for. When you get an opportunity to represent your country you need to face those challenges. When you win those challenges you get a lot of satisfaction,” he said.

“I have to admit that I am very fortunate I have got this skill. It's more of reading the batsman's mind, especially in the powerplays because every six balls, they will be looking to hit you out. So it's important to read the mind. I myself being a batsman to an extent I can at least suspect what he is thinking or where he is going to hit me,” Sundar said at the press conference. NEW DELHI:THE ugly battle between the two-member Committee of Administrators (COA) and the three principal BCCI office bearers got murkier with the Vinod Rai-led panel deciding to take away all functioning powers of acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary and treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry.

Having already sought their removal in the seventh Status Report filed in Supreme Court last week, the COA has gone a step further by issuing the diktat to stop the office-bearers from taking any decision unilaterally.

It also stopped Board officials from using the BCCI funds to meet legal expenses in connection to the Lodha Panel related cases. The officials now can not plan their travel and accommodation for various meetings without Coa's permission.

It has been learnt that sitting on central contracts of the Indian players irked COA chief Vinod Rai as insurance policies of the Indian players was about to lapse.

The matter became worse after secretary Amitabh questioned the manner in which COA made certain appointments including that of a former Page 3 journalist and currently associated with a film production company as GM (Marketing) for a whopping salary of Rs 1.65 crore per annum.

The 12-point diktat effectively takes away all the powers from executive functionaries.

“The COA is ready to throw the principles of governance out of window. They want to take away the rights of the office bearers,” a BCCI office-bearer said. When told that COA is peeved that they sat on players' contracts and certain appointments, he retorted: “Were we even kept in the loop when the contracts were being chalked out? You want people to sign it blindly when they don't even know the terms of reference used for certain appointments. Where in Lodha Panel's report was recommendation for GM (marketing)? Are we serious that we need to market Indian cricket?”in its diktat, the COA has instructed: “Any employee/ retainer/ consultant of BCCI who receives a communication from any office bearer and finds that the same is not copied to the CEO and/or the COA, shall immediately forward the same to the CEO and/or the Committee of Administrators, as the case may be.” COLOMBO: A place in the final at stake, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would expect their batsmen to fire as they lock horns in a virtual semifinal of the Nidahas Twenty20 tri-series, here on Friday.

While Bangladesh batting line-up has been bolstered by return of their premier allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, hosts Sri Lanka still have to do the job without their regular skipper Dinesh Chandimal, who is serving a two-match suspension.

Thisara Perera will continue as skipper in Chandimal's absence.

Shakib had missed the previous matches of the series due to a finger injury.

The winner will play India in the title-clash on Sunday.

Both teams have two points with a victory each. Sri Lanka had surprised India in the tournament-opener while Bangladesh convincingly chased down a massive target of 215, set by the hosts, last week.

In case of a washout, Sri Lanka will proceed to the final, courtesy their better net runrate. Save last week's defeat, Sri Lanka's recent record against Bangladesh has been impressive. They beat Bangladesh in an away Test and in a T20 series VADODARA: The Southern Stars from Australia reasserted their supremacy with a comprehensive 60-run victory against Indian women as they sealed the three-match series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead, here on Thursday.

After cruising to an eightwicket victory in the opening game, India were outplayed in all departments as Australia scored a healthy 287 for 9 and then bowled out Mithali Raj's brigade for 227 in 49.2 overs.

Indian team never appeared to be competitive with batters letting the team down on both occasion. A target of 288 in women's cricket is a tall order but pint-sized opener Punam Raut's lack of power hurt the Indian team badly as she undid all the hardwork done by her opening partner Smriti Mandhana (67 off 53 balls). While Mandhana hit 12 boundaries and a straight six, Raut was not even able to rotate the strike. Her 27 off 61 balls was a major factor in India losing the match. Her ultra defensive batting put so much pressure on Mandhana, that her attempted slog sweep off left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen. COLOMBO: England will tour Sri Lanka for the first time in over six years to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a one-off Twenty20 match, organisers said on Thursday.

The tour will begin on October 10 with a day-night ODI at Dambulla, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. There will be three day-night ODI matches in all while the T20 will also be a day-night game. The First Test will be at the picturesque Galle International Stadium while the other two tests are slated for Pallekele stadium in Kandy and in the capital Colombo.

The Third Test is scheduled to be played from November 23 to 27.