Virat Kohli's Indian team still has a long way to go before it is spoken of in the same breath as Australia of 2000s, feels former India pacer Ashish Nehra. Under Kohli's leadership, India earned its maiden series victory in Australia in 2018-19, achieving the feat after trying for seven decades. However, it can't be discounted that absence of Steve Smith and David Warner due to ball tampering ban turned out to be an important factor.

"This Indian team has to still cover a lot of distance in order to match up with that Australia team (led by Steve Waugh and then Ricky Ponting)," Nehra said during an interaction with ex-player Aakash Chopra on his show 'Aakash Vani'. "You are talking about an Australian team which won three consecutive World Cups and before that reached the final in 1996, won 18-19 Test matches in home and away conditions," Nehra added. He also did not appreciate the fact that every now and then team combination is being tinkered with. "It's not like this Indian team can not reach there but I believe the core group is very important. A person gets confused after watching many dishes on the table and so it's important to have fewer but better dishes," Nehra made his displeasure clear. He the went on to cite how team management had handled Rishabh Pant's career so far.

"KL Rahul is playing on the fifth position and Pant, the person you were preparing to succeed M.S. Dhoni, is serving drinks," the left-arm fast bowler, known for his straight forward views, said. Thanks to his inconsistency, Pant had lost his place in the Indian team in white-ball cricket to Rahul. "I know he (Pant) has missed his chances and there is no doubt about it but then you have kept him in the team because you saw the potential in him at 22-23 years," Nehra said.

Ashish Nehra

"There are a lot of talented players but they should be backed for a longer duration. Today also when we talk about the number five and six slots in Indian ODI side, then we are not sure about it," Nehra said. Nehra, who played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs and 27 T20 Internationals, feels Kohli's captaincy is still a work in progress. "Virat Kohli as a player needs no recognition as his career graph tells the entire story. Kohli as a player has done amazingly well. In captaincy, I still feel he is a work in progress. I can say he is a little bit of an impulsive captain," said the 41-year-old.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Drinking 12 ounces of sugary drinks more than once a day is associated with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or good cholesterol,

Caffeine may raise your ability to problem-solve, but it won't boost your creativity, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal iConsciousness and Cognition/i.

Fruit drinks' labels marketed to children, do not help parents and other consumers differentiate among fruit juice and sugar-laden, artificially flavored

Unfiltered brew coffee was linked to higher death risk than a filtered brew, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the iEuropean Journal of Preventive Cardiology/i.

Drinking safe water may be the first priority to live a disease-free life. A team of researchers identified new toxic byproducts of disinfecting drinking water.

Any level of alcohol consumption is linked to lower levels of a protein involved in bone formation in people living with HIV, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Exports (Bop) - Bottled Water, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Ice in Canada decreased to 45.20 CAD Million in March from 51.70 CAD Million in February of 2020. Exports (Bop) - Bottled Water, Carbonated Soft Dri in Canada averaged 20.38 CAD Million from 1988 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 51.70 CAD Million in February of 2020 and a record low of 0.60 CAD Million in October of 1988. This page includes a chart with historical data for Canada Exports of (bop) - Bottled Water, Carbonated Soft.

Harmful drinking is on the rise among young people and women in many OECD countries, partly due to alcohol becoming more available, more affordable and more effectively advertised, according to a new OECD report.

As young people turn their backs on alcohol, Simon Kuper asks if it is time for their elders to follow suit

Sales rise but company warns revenues will decline as bar and restaurant closures hit beverages

Under lockdown, communities are finding new ways to voice their defiance, anger and support

Meals are lavish affairs at Downton Abbey - and even more so when the King and Queen come to stay in the film. Here's how to dine, and drink, just like the Crawleys. Pictured, Champagne jelly.

Monique Belovukovic, 21, tested positive to cocaine when police pulled over her black Mercedes G-Class wagon on Oxford Street in Sydney on November 11.

Olympian is enjoying life after years of training and restrictive diets.

The former Coronation Street star, 32, appears in the new comedy-drama opposite Joe, 35, with Michelle playing his friend's girlfriend Erin.

The show premieres in April

Ryan Lochte may check in to rehab he said on |Monday, shortly after he was dropped by three of his four major sponsors. He said that he first needs to see his family and talk with them.

Chaos ensued at a lavish party at a nearby venue with most of the team drinking from the trophy, Justin Rose dancing with pop star Niall Horan and Thomas Bjorn's squad singing 'American Pie'.

Townsend has warned exile Russell that he will have to make the same 'sacrifices' as every other Scotland player - or be banished from his squad for the duration of the Six Nations.

She recently revealed in her upcoming memoir Open Book that she was sexually abused as a child, which was one of the factors that led to an addiction to alcohol and pills.

Proponents of its use claim it can cure insomnia, aches and anxiety - and now Brisbane company Fiji Kava is hoping to bring its benefits to Australia.

Scott Morrison was acting as a 'water boy' during the Kangaroos friendly match against Fiji at ANZ Stadium in Suva on Friday when he knocked back the drink in the stands.

People in Sheffield spend the least when they're out on a date - paying a measly £29 for dinner and drinks for two, a UK-wide study has found but in Cardiff they splash out a generous £79.

She recently jetted back into Sydney after debuting her romance with millionaire Hollywood agent, Patrick Whitesell. 

The husband of Home and Away icon Kate Ritchie has been caught drink driving by police five times, court documents have revealed - as he jumps back behind the wheel.

Celebrities such as Madonna and Demi Moore guzzle coconut water by the gallon while cosmetic companies are also promoting its benefits.

Police said the 23 year old victim Matthew Denice was still alive when he became trapped in the wheel arch of Guaman's truck.

The law breaking men were caught at a rented rest house in Al-Farouq area of Buraidah and accused of holding a party with women who were unrelated.

Nicola Sturgeon is alleged to have issued the edict after concerns were raised at staff meetings about Derek Mackay's behaviour.

Cops claim Ty Kelley, 55, stuffed the bottle of $6.98 Barefoot brand Riesling down the front of his pants while he was inside a franchise in Pinelas Park on Wednesday.

A witness began recording the vile race rant when a suited passenger, who admitted he had previously been drinking, began ranting a foreign man for drinking a beer on the train to Essex from London.

The Bachelor's Sogand Mohtat was completely blindsided when Matt Agnew sent her home on the show last year. 

Vicky Pattison, 31, woke up feeling a little worse for wear after binging on white wine during the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday.

Danny Drinkwater's FoodWell restaurant has received rave reviews since opening its doors in March 19, but that hasn't stopped it from racking up losses of nearly £2m over the past year.

Madonna claimed she was drinking urine as she showed off her toned legs and an unsightly bruise after using an ice bath on her Madame X tour.

He's the Australian-born rocker currently wowing fans with two new singles Healing Hands and Come Clean.

The cast of Cats and director Tom Hooper decided to look on the funny side, as they took part in a skit on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Thursday.

She has been isolating at home with her three cats. And Taylor Swift revealed the ways so is keeping herself busy while staying inside.

An unnamed 33-year-old woman allegedly tried to kill her young child at a children's hospital in Odesa, Ukraine. She was in the middle of a drinking session when her son woke up crying.

Rudy Giuliani (right), President Trump's personal attorney, slammed George Soros (left) by questioning his Judaism - even though the Hungarian-born billionaire is a Holocaust survivor.

Robert Hyde, whose messages feature in a new document release from the House Intel committee, says he was drinking when he sent used WhatsApp to contact Giuliani associate Lev Parnas.

Katy Perry believes her body is grateful to her for 'treating it nice' now that she's pregnant.

Katy Perry has confessed she misses drinking alcoholic beverages during her pregnancy.

The TV and radio presenter, who is married to NRL player Benji Marshall, made the startling revelation in an Instagram post on Monday

The adult male, which roams freely at Zimanga Nature Reserve in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, was spotted having a slurp at a man-made dam designed to blend into the environment.

NHS Digital data released today showed more than half (53 per cent) of adults spent money on betting in the last year in England. One in 10 men and one in 20 women admitted to drinking nearly every day.

Kourtney Kardashian took to Instagram on Friday evening to share a video fo son Reign, three, bringing her a special drink he made for 'when you are sick.' The mystery drink turned out to be soap.

'In my whole career there's only one person I interviewed who I didn't like and was rude to me,' Gaby Roslin says, before anticipating the next question. 'And no, I won't tell you who it was!'