Virat Kohli, Indias captain, made the most of an easy-paced surface to score his 13th Test ton that guided his side to an impressive 267 for 3 at stumps on day one of the third Test against New Zealand in Indore on Saturday.The curator at Holkar Stadium produced a surface laden with cracks and Kohli, after winning his seventh successive toss in Tests, said that the pitch would aid batsmen on the first two days of the Test.Kohlis prediction was spot on, as he joined forces with Ajinkya Rahane to propel the hosts to a commanding total against a team strengthened by the return of their captain, Kane Williamson, who had missed the second Test in Kolkata due to illness. Williamson introduced spin in the fifth over after his seamers failed to extract early bite. The move paid off as Jeetan Patel struck in his first over to dismiss opener Murali Vijay for 10. India went to lunch at 75 for 2 with Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli at the crease.Mitchell Santner accounted for a well-set Pujara after the hosts had reached the 100-run mark. His dismissal was to be the last of Indias setbacks on the first day, as Kohli and Rahane dropped anchor.Kohli came into the Test with scores of 44, 3, 4, 9, 18, 9 and 45 in his last seven Test innings. He needed to find form and he did. In Indore, he was solid in defence and used the depth of the crease well against the spinners. What helped him was that he avoided playing extravagant shots that cost him his wicket in the earlier Tests. He didnt offer any clear chances, and the two times he edged the ball, it eluded the fielders.He brought up his 50 from 108 balls, shortly after tea. Kohli and Rahane added 167 runs in the 54 overs they batted together. Kohlis unbeaten 103, that came from 191 balls, included ten fours. His partner, Rahane, ended the day with an unbeaten 79.The 18,000-strong crowd, present at Holkar Stadium, hosting its first ever Test match, were treated to an impressive batting display from Indias top order - led by Kohli. India will now look to further compound New Zealands woes, on the second day, by adding to the already sizeable first-innings total.
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Custom Roger Clemens Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears rebuilt their front seven on defense. They gave their offensive line a makeover, too. And they also got hit with a rash of injuries.Between players going down and poor play in general, it was a rough preseason for a team trying to pick itself up after finishing last in the NFC North at 6-10.On the positive side for the Bears? Teams have a history of making big jumps in their second season under coach John Fox.Carolina did it. So did Denver. And the Chicago is hoping the pattern holds.The Bears have been plagued by injuries and at least two important players might be limited or unavailable for the opener at Houston on Sept. 11: star right guard Kyle Long (shoulder) and outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, who had offseason knee surgery.There are also concerns in the secondary, and the offense is missing two of its top contributors from last season after Chicago parted with running back Matt Forte and tight end Martellus Bennett.Besides all that, they released Robbie Gould and ended an 11-year run with the most accurate kicker in franchise history while upgrading their offensive line by signing three-time Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton on Sunday night.Here are some things to look for this season:CATCHING UP: The Bears will finally get to see just how just how dynamic a receiving tandem Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White can be. They never got that chance last season.The 6-foot-3, 216-pound White missed his rookie season because of a stress fracture in his left shin after being drafted with the seventh overall pick. But with his size and physical skills, Chicago is counting on big things from the West Virginia product.Hes an explosive guy, Cutler said. You can see hes a physical specimen. So well just find ways to get him the ball in space and kind of let him catch and run and use that speed and that burst hes got.Jeffery led the team in receiving, but there are questions about his ability to stay healthy, not to mention his future with the club.Calf, hamstring, groin and shoulder problems limited the former Pro Bowl receiver to nine games last season after he played in all 16 the previous two years. A strained hamstring in training camp only raised more questions.Jeffery is also playing under the franchise tag after he and the Bears were unable to agree to a long-termm contract extension.ddddddddddddINING UP: Quarterback Jay Cutler should be happy after the Bears signed Sitton. After all, Chicago now has two elite guards.With Sitton at left guard, rookie Cody Whitehair could slide to center. Veteran Ted Larsen, who took over when Hroniss Grasu tore the ACL in his right knee in early August, is another option.A healthy and effective Long would also take some pressure off new right tackle Bobby Massie as well as the center. Long is back at guard, the position he played his first two seasons, after filling in at right tackle last year.UP FRONT: While the defense made strides in its first year under Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio, the Bears were inconsistent and lacked playmakers. They tied for 22nd against the run, 22nd in sacks and 30th in interceptions.Chicago is hoping that changes with the additions of 336-pound defensive end Akiem Hicks, inside linebackers Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan, and No. 9 overall draft pick Leonard Floyd at outside linebacker.PROVING TIME: With two-time Pro Bowler Forte and the colorful Bennett gone, the Bears are banking on players who are unproven or have injury histories to fill the voids.Jeremy Langford, who had 537 yards rushing and 279 receiving as a rookie, leads a committee that includes KaDeem Carey, Jacquizz Rodgers and fifth-round pick Jordan Howard.At tight end, the Bears are counting on Zach Miller staying healthy -- no sure thing given his history. The veteran earned a two-year contract after he re-established himself last season by catching 34 passes for 439 yards and a team-leading five touchdown receptions. Miller also missed the 2012, `13 and `14 seasons because of injuries and spent much of the preseason in the NFLs concussion protocol.SMOOTH TRANSITION: The Bears maintained some continuity for Cutler when offensive coordinator Adam Gase took the Miami Dolphins coaching job by promoting quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains. That was hardly a surprise.Cutler had one of his best seasons for Chicago, posting a career-high 92.3 rating and cutting his interceptions from 18 to 11 in 15 games.---AP NFL website:
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