Thursday, December 8, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
INDIA TAKES THE WORLD CUP IN GRAND STYLE
Twenty-eight years after Indian cricket changed forever on an English summer's day, the country's dream of enhancing its reputation as a major force in the world game found glorious realisation at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
Mahela Jayawardene lit up the World Cup final with a century (103 not out) of rare radiance, enabling Sri Lanka to score 274 for six in 50 overs. But Gautam Gambhir responded with an innings of 97 that was just as masterful. Captain M.S. Dhoni (91 not out) summoned his best under pressure and hit the winning runs — a six — to gift India and the great Sachin Tendulkar the World Cup.
India's mood had been grim when Lasith Malinga impaired it early. The Sri Lankan fast-bowler trapped Virender Sehwag ‘lbw' for a duck in the first over before having Sachin Tendulkar caught behind in the seventh. Tendulkar had looked in fine touch during his brief stay — the maestro's dismissal stunned the home crowd into silence while Sri Lanka's cricketers celebrated the big wicket that had left India at 31 for two.
Gambhir saw out the remainder of Malinga's first spell and took calculated risks against the other seamers to ensure that India kept pace with the asking rate. It was brave, intelligent batting under duress. Virat Kohli (35) applied himself to the task of rebuilding the innings, helping raise 83 for the third wicket before he fell to a brilliant one-handed return catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Dhoni promoted himself above Yuvraj Singh to join Gambhir. Together, the two batsmen set about controlling the run chase, guarding against Muttiah Muralitharan, who posed a threat despite not being fully fit, and Malinga, whose pace and unique action merited careful handling.
Whenever the opportunity presented itself — when Kumar Sangakkara brought the field up for instance or one of the bowlers erred — Gambhir and Dhoni capitalised. Dhoni also pushed a tiring Gambhir hard between the wickets, ensuring that the fielders were constantly hassled and the bowlers had to often switch line. Just when it seemed as if the pressure had been transferred to Sri Lanka, the 109-run partnership ended.
India needed 52 in 52 balls after Gambhir's departure. Dhoni and Yuvraj brought it down to 30 in the last five overs, which would span the batting Power Play, before a three-run over from Malinga made it tense. The batsmen were able to relieve the pressure in the next two overs, delivered by Nuwan Kulasekara and Malinga. It was a matter of time before the rest of the Indian team surged onto the field to celebrate the historic six-wicket win.
Saturday afternoon witnessed drama, and this was before a ball had been bowled in the match. The toss had to be staged twice after match referee Jeff Crowe said he hadn't heard Sangakkara's call the first time.
India swiftly put the disappointment of losing the toss behind it. Zaheer Khan produced an exceptional first spell, bowling three successive maidens before having Upul Tharanga smartly caught at slip by Sehwag. The ground-fielding was of a high quality as well. Yuvraj and Raina looked particularly impressive. As a result, Sri Lanka managed only 31 runs in the first ten overs.
Dilshan (33) and Sangakkara (48) looked to hasten the rate. They targeted Sreesanth, who was preferred over R. Ashwin to replace an injured Ashish Nehra in the Indian team. The pair added 43 for the second wicket before Dilshan, who became the first batsman to reach 500 runs in the 2011 edition, dragged a sweep off Harbhajan Singh onto the stumps.
Jayawardene timed and placed the ball adeptly to rotate the strike before accelerating — often with stylish, orthodox cricket strokes – in the end overs. He was involved in partnerships of 62 with Sangakkara for the third and 57 with Thilan Samaraweera for the fourth wicket.
India fought back, reducing Sri Lanka to 182 for five. But Jayawardene seemed to find the boundary at will in the batting Power Play, which came into force after the 45th over. Nuwan Kulasekara (32) and Thisara Perera (22 not out off nine balls) gave him the support he needed in punishing India's bowling. Zaheer, who had started so well, went for 35 runs in his last two overs, the 48th and 50th of the Sri Lankan innings.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sachin and such outs; After Tendulkar's brilliance, India crumbles to 296 against SA
Electing to bat, India were all out for 296 against South Africa in their group B cricket World Cup match at VCA stadium here today.
Brief Scores:
India: 296 all out in 48.4 overs. (Sachin Tendulkar 111, Virender Sehwag 73, Gautam Gambhir 69; Dale Steyn 5/50).
Saturday, March 5, 2011
India's preparation remains the same: Dhoni
Complacency will be kept at bay when India takes on Ireland at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
At a press conference laced with humour here on Saturday, M.S. Dhoni said: “We have ‘very fond' memories of getting beaten by Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup and we won't make that mistake again. There are individuals in every team who can score at an amazing strike-rate of 150 or 200 and that can change the game. Our preparation level remains the same and the intensity should remain the same.”
The Indian captain also took note of Kevin O'Brien's blazing hundred that stumped England on Wednesday night but refused to divulge strategies against the Irish big-hitter.
“It was an unbelievable innings and it was impressive to see him change gears. He got run out (against England) so we will try to get him run out,” Dhoni said.
Trend of high scores
Dhoni pointed out that the pitch for Sunday's game might continue the trend of high scores. “Close to 1400 runs were scored in the last two matches and it says what kind of a wicket it is.
“Probably it won't change much and it could still be a high-scoring game. In both the games, batting under lights has been quite easy compared to the afternoon session where the ball stops a bit and the spinners get a little bit of turn. In the second half it gets quite a bit placid,” Dhoni said but he remained non-committal on whether R. Ashwin would figure in the eleven. “Wait for tomorrow,” he quipped.
Dhoni's counterpart William Porterfield refused to be overawed by the challenge of playing the host. “We played Bangladesh in Bangladesh and it would be similar. There were some fanatical supporters and there will be a few more on Sunday. We have put Wednesday behind us, we have got bigger challenges ahead,” Porterfield said.
The Irish captain said all-rounder Andre Botha was likely to be fit though he might be tempted to field an extra batsman. “We have got so many options with the ball. Even Kevin O'Brien did not bowl an over (against England) but he gave us a 50-ball 100. We have to plan our options with the ball. If we want to chase a 300 plus total as was the case in the last game, we need depth in our batting,” Porterfield said.
Irish flair and dare could test India
Ireland's rousing display against England betokens danger for India. This Irish side has grown in belief. William Porterfield's team's palpitating three-wicket win, the side rode on archetypal big-hitter Kevin O' Brien's smashing hundred, over England has opened up Group ‘B'.
Ireland dishes out a bold and a rather direct form of the game. It relies on courage than chicanery. This is a side with flair, dare and gravitas.
India has to be on guard in the ICC World Cup day/night duel versus Ireland at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. After its giant-killing act against England, defeating India is no longer a mere chimera for Ireland.
The Indian batting has tongues of fire. Yet, will the bowling, amidst insistent pounding of the drums by the fans, rediscover rhythm?
The Indian fielding in the competition has been torpid and the team-management is chafed. It's a combination of fielding and bowling that creates stress.
SAME SURFACE
India, with good reasons, would want the surface to assist spin. The contest will be played on the pitch used for last Sunday's India versus England game that produced over 670 runs.
For the surface to change its character within seven days, the curator will have to stop watering the pitch completely to make it dry; such a surface could crumble. But then, the wicket here, even on Saturday, was watered.
The Irish batsmen are not quite the most accomplished players of spin. Bangladesh employed its four spinners, Abdur Razzak, Naeem Islam, Shakib-Al Hasan and Mohammed Ashraful for 34 overs against Ireland at Dhaka. The spinners conceded 136 runs while scalping six. Pursuing 206 on a surface that offered turn, Ireland stumbled to 178 all out.
And when Ireland astounded the cricketing world by chasing down 328 against a dumbstruck England, off-spinner Graeme Swann sent down 10 immaculate overs for 47 while scalping three batsmen. That was a night when England desperately lacked quality spin support.
Coming to its own spin attack, Ireland's left-arm-spinner George Dockrell and Paul Stirling, who can send down off-spin, are no more than steady.
A spinning surface would suit India, but the host might have to be content with a pitch that might only assist the famished spinners a tad more.
DHONI'S PREFERENCE
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has indicated that the side would continue with the seven-batsmen theory. This strategy is not without risk, particularly against the big guns.
Left-arm paceman Aashish Nehra is fit for the fray but the think-tank is likely to opt for a two plus two combination (two pacemen and two spinners). Zaheer and Munaf should team up again and spearhead Harbhajan Singh might have either Piyush Chawla or off-spinner R. Ashwin for company.
Chawla, despite going for runs, did achieve both fizz off the pitch and turn against England. He deserves another outing.
However, the team-management could also consider Ashwin's sense of equanimity during the Power Play overs and his subtle variations.
POWERHOUSE BATTING
The Indian batting is a powerhouse in these conditions. Yet, looking back at the game against England, the late collapse cost the side at lest 25 runs. And the two maiden overs India conceded during the innings did not help its cause either. The strike needs to be rotated during all times.
Apart from the destructive Kevin O' Brien, Ireland has the smooth-stroking Ed Joyce and exciting shot-maker Stirling in its ranks. The side bats deep and the likes of Alex Cussack and John Mooney can alter scripts.
The lanky Boyd Rankin, the quickest bowler in the Irish ranks, will have to provide the early breakthroughs. The Irish attack, though, has to ascend steep steps.
Chasing represents a better option for both sides.
The teams (from):
India: M.S. Dhoni (captain), S. Tendulkar, V. Sehwag, G. Gambhir, V. Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, R. Ashwin, Munaf Patel, P. Chawla, A. Nehra, S. Raina, S. Sreesanth.
Ireland: W. Porterfield (captain), P.R. Stirling, E. Joyce, N. O' Brien, G. Wilson, K. O'Brien, A. Cussack, J. Mooney, T. Johnson, G. Dockrell, B. Rankin, A. Botha, A. White, A. Van der Merwe, N. Jones.
Match starts at 2.30 p.m (IST).
Thursday, March 3, 2011
South Africa steamrolls Netherlands in Mohali
As the venue basked in sunshine, the South Africans chose the platform to make a strong statement. The thin attendance at the Punjab Cricket Stadium was in keeping with the spectator response to non-India matches at this 2011 ICC World Cup, but not A.B. de Villiers and his batting. It has been exceptionally refreshing and entertaining.
South Africa's 231-run victory against The Netherlands was never to be doubted. Some cricket lovers may have anticipated an Ireland-like motivational show but then the South Africans are made of sterner stuff than the English.
They gladly accepted the Dutch invitation to bat first and shut the opposition out through centuries by Hasim Amla and de Villiers. The Netherlands, for all its claims of learning and improving, proved nothing but a minnow.
The knocks by Amla and Man-of-the-Match de Villiers had little in common. Amla was willing to wait; de Villiers looked to grab. Amla used the book to play his shots. de Villiers relished setting his own benchmarks.
It was rocking all the way and the result was a 221-run stand for the third wicket, which, incidentally was South Africa's highest for that wicket.
Lured by conditions
Overcast conditions and overnight rains lured the Dutch into bowling first but the South Africans were prepared. The runs did not come at a canter as expected. The Dutch bowled wicket-to-wicket and the South Africans chose to eschew their desire to play shots. The initial circumspection was misleading and the Dutch came to realise it once de Villiers and Amla took charge.
Amla's eighth century in ODIs and de Villiers's 11th suited the occasion. The bowlers had no control and containment too became a challenge for the fielding side as Amla and de Villiers systematically decimated the attack and the Dutch seemed to give up quickly.
The fluency with which de Villiers moves into top gear makes him the batsman to watch at this tournament. Hitting on the rise comes so naturally that de Villiers toys with the bowling; like he did on Thursday. Even when he played across the line, he connected well and hard.
The bowlers struggled to pitch in the right areas as de Villiers explored and experimented with style with ample to spare. His three sixes off Bernard Loots gave glimpses of his awesome potential to force the pace at will.
Grinding the attack
Amla is a champion at grinding the attack in Tests. He is no different in the shorter version. Five dot balls in a row don't worry him for he can pick the sixth and collect a boundary with a delightful display of skill.
A deft flick or a controlled glide can always scatter the field and Amla revels in it. His century was the strong base on which the South African innings progressed. The two perished in succession but the Dutch had been shut out of the game by then.
The Netherlands batting lacked the character that marked its performance against England at Nagpur. Ryan ten Doeschate, the hero against England, shone with the ball here. Opener Wesley Barresi was an exception to the Dutch capitulation with a sedate 44. The rest were an embarrassment.
Scoreboard
South Africa: H. Amla c Cooper b ten Doeschate 113 (130b, 8x4), G. Smith b Loots 20 (32b, 1x4), J. Kallis c Barresi b ten Doeschate 2 (12b), A.B. de Villiers (run out) 134 (98b, 13x4, 4x6), F du Plesis (not out) 18 (14b, 1x4), J.P. Duminy c Borren b ten Doeschate 40 (2x4, 4x6), M. van Wyk (not out) 0 (0b); Extras(b-2, lb-5, nb-1, w-16): 24; Total (for five wkts. in 50 overs): 351.
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-58, 3-279, 4-283, 5-349.
The Netherlands bowling: Bukhari 10-0-44-0, Westdijk 9-0-76-0, ten Doeschate 10-0-72-3, Loots 9-0-60-1, Seelaar 10-0-74-0, Cooper 2-0-18-0.
The Netherlands: A. Kervezee c & b Kallis 10 (18b, 1x4), W. Barresi st. van Wyk b Duminy 44 (6bb, 5x4), T. Cooper c Steyn b Kallis 9 (21b, 1x4), B. Zuiderent lbw b Peterson 15 (26b,1x4, 1x6), R. ten Doeschate lbw b Steyn 11 (21b), T. de Grooth (run out) 12 (26b), P. Borren lbw b Peterson 3 (13b), M. Bukhari b Tahir 0 (4b), P. Seelar (not out) 2 (5b), B. Loots lbw b Tahir 6 (7b, 1x6), B. Westdijk lbw b Tahir 0; Extras (w-8): 8; Total (in 34.5 overs): 120.
Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-46, 3-81, 4-83, 5-100, 6-109, 7-109, 8-110, 9-120.
South Africa bowling: Steyn 6-1-26-1, Morkel 5-0-18-0, Kallis 6-0-19-2, Tahir 6.5-0-19-3, Peterson 5-0-22-2, Duminy 6-0-16-1.
New Zealand ready for Zimbabwe spin test
By any yardstick, New Zealand has the look of a more powerful outfit than its rival Zimbabwe.
Led by the bespectacled, stubble-faced, artful practitioner of left-arm orthodox spin and able stroke player Daniel Vettori, New Zealand is equipped to put up a strong performance here on Friday at the Sardar Patel Stadium and thereby get a whiff of a quarterfinal berth in the World Cup competition.
Apart from Vettori, who brings in a 268-match experience, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor and Scott Styris can be relied upon to impose themselves in pursuit of a timely second victory and bring cheer to the team and the tragedy-struck people at home.
In addition, New Zealand has a competent and skilful bowling department to bring down a motivated and determined opponent that flaunted its spin tricks against a listless Canada and regained its poise.
It's not that the less dominant of the Antipodean sides has been in control of every aspect of its game in the sub-continent's heat, dry surfaces and the turning ball.
Only the second cricketer of Samoan heritage to play for New Zealand, Ross Taylor has often been regarded as a match-winner. Very soon, he will take over the baton from Vettori.
An elegant stroke player and powerful hitter, Taylor admitted on Thursday that his form has been poor in terms of scoring only three centuries in 101 ODIs and he hopes to rectify it in the remaining part of the World Cup.
On Friday, Taylor and the batsmen who will precede him — Martin Guptill, McCullum and Ryder — will strive to succeed against the probing spin bowling of left-arm spinner Raymond Price, off-spinners Prosper Utseya and Greg Lamb and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer.
Taylor has his task cut out. His tally of 138 runs in five ODI innings and 136 runs in three Tests on Indian soil is far from impressive. “Yes, it's disappointing. On the slower wickets, I have probably struggled. I am not sure why,” he said.
Plan of action
Coach John Wright has outlined a plan of action. “He talked to the team and emphasised the need to be more consistent and clinical. As a batting unit we need to step up and score about 300-330 which is the par score in this tournament. Our whole batting order has struggled over the last 12 months or so. We need a couple of players to stand up.”
While Taylor and his fellow New Zealanders are geared up to face the spin challenge, Zimbabwe is desperate to improve its run-getting ways. Coming a cropper against Australia's pace attack, it posted a sizeable score against Canada at Nagpur.
“New Zealand is a big team. We have to get our basics right and play our best cricket. Taibu and Irvine got the runs in the last match. Hopefully, we will get better in the batting department. Cricket is a funny game. The game is not over until the last ball is bowled, just like the Ireland game yesterday,” said skipper Elton Chigumbura.
The teams (from):
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Hamish Bennett, Kane Williamson and Luke Woodcock.
Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Brendon Taylor, Charles Coventry, Tatenda Taibu, Greg Lamb, Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Regis Chakabva, Prosper Utseya, Graeme Cremer, Shingirai Masakadza, Chris Mpofu, Raymond Price, Terry Duffin and Tinashe Payangara.
Umpires: Aleem Dar and Marais Erasmus; Third Umpire: Rod Tucker; Fourth Umpire: Billy Bowden; Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama.
Match starts at 9.30 a.m.
Afridi scripts Pakistan's great escape
The tournament's highest wicket-taker Shahid Afridi scripted a great escape to pull back Pakistan from ignominy with a five-wicket haul, as the team beat Canada in a surprisingly close match here.
Refusing to be intimidated by the opponent's reputation and forgetting its current indifferent showing in this edition of the ICC World Cup, the Canadians set out to rewrite history at the R. Premadasa grounds. They nearly did.
Afridi, who broke the best partnership of the Canadian innings (60 runs) between Surkari and Hansra, and removed the dangerous Rizwan Cheema, made sure that Canada's well-begun innings stayed a half-done job.
Under the Premadasa lights, Afridi could do no wrong — he even gave the team its first direct hit at the stumps in this World Cup and sent back a lower order batsman (Balaji Rao).
Good display
In the last two matches, Canada made 122 and 123. The team which took the field on this day had no recollection of those scores; some kind of collective amnesia had gripped the team. Its members fielded like a top team, bowled well with some help from the pitch, and batted for most part with their heads down.
The Canadian 100 runs came in 201 balls, but no one was complaining. It needed a mere 85 from the remaining. But six wickets fell for 24 runs and the fairy tale came to an end.
On Wednesday Canada captain had stated that his team would win if it played well and if Pakistan played badly. Pakistan, the most unpredictable team in the tournament, nearly did it again.
Lack of application
Earlier, because of horrible lack of application and a generally indifferent performance from the top order, Pakistan set Canada a target of 185.
At 67 for four, Canada fancied its chances.
The Canadian bowlers kept a tidy line, inviting a few unorthodox strokes from the patient Pakistanis.
Pakistan had crawled to 150 for five in 35 overs. The team folded up at 184.
Canada captain, Ashish Bagai, like most sub-continent players, believes in ‘luck,' and providence. Well, it nearly was with the generous Pakistanis gifting him and Chennai boy, Balaji Rao, almost anything they asked for. Rao, who got two wickets, will celebrate his birthday in style on Friday.
The sky was overcast from the start and the ball was coming in a shade slower than the last time at the R. Premadasa. Strokemaking was a little difficult; it did not help that no one in Pakistani line-up wanted to stay long enough to put the team's total out of reach for Canada.
Shehzad fails again
Ahmed Shehzad, who has been given more chances to perform than he deserves, got off shakily yet again. He heaved Khurram Chohan, and the ball took the edge and ballooned towards third man. The catch was taken but it turned out to be a no-ball.
Even as Shehzad pushed his luck at one end, it was the consistent opener Hafeez who went first, missing the line of a Henri Osinde delivery that pitched on the off stump and moved in.
Trapped in front, he asked for a review and was unsuccessful. Shehzad disappointed again. He tried hitting over the in-field and, this time, offered a low catch to mid-on.
The loss of Hafeez meant that Pakistan progressed to a meagre 20 in 5 overs; its slowest in three matches. In 10 overs, a cautious Pakistan made 44 for two, and 50 runs came in 12 overs.
Soon after this, Younus Khan went, trapped in front of middle stump. Younis asked for a review of the decision.
Umpire Daryl Harper raised his index finger a second time inside a minute after the UDRS concurred with the umpire. Kamran Akmal then cut Cheema straight to the hands of backward point.
Steady partnership
The second Akmal, Umar, in the company of Misbah-ul-Haq built a partnership slowly and steadily, despite some uncertain running between the wickets. Umar was frustrated time and again by Misbah's slow-motion running between the wickets in their 73-run stand.
Canada got a chance to send Misbah back when Pakistan was on 76 but the bowler, Baidwan, missed picking up a ball at a very short mid-on position with Misbah nowhere in the picture.
Then on 77, a leaping Hansra, at forward of square leg, could not reach a mistimed Misbah pull. It was tantalisingly close to the outstretched palms of the fielder. Misbah stayed and Pakistan meandered to 79 for four off 20 overs.
The first six of the innings came after Balaji Rao's variety of leg-spin was introduced. Umar Akmal hoisted him over the mid-wicket fence, easing the pressure on Pakistan a bit. Afridi came in and went in quick time as he guided a low, wide full toss to the hands of backward point.
Batting power play
The bankruptcy of ideas in the Pakistan team touched a new low after the inexplicable delay in availing of the batting power play.
The Pakistani team has traditionally resorted to taking the power play in the final ten overs and this time too, even as wickets kept falling at one end, there was no move to take it earlier.
It took the power play with the score reading 181 for nine, at over number 42. And the innings promptly folded up.
Scoreboard
Pakistan: M. Hafeez lbw b Osinde 11 (12b, 2x4), A. Shehzad c Gordon b Baidwan 12 (23b, 2x4), K. Akmal c Kumar b Cheema 16 (38b, 2x4), Younis lbw b Baidwan 6 (30b, 1x4), Misbah c Bagai b Balaji Rao 37 (68b, 1x4), U. Akmal lbw b Balaji Rao 48 (68b, 4x4, 1x6), S. Afridi c Kumar b Cheema 20 (17b, 2x4), A. Razzaq lbw b Hansra 8 (8b, 1x4), U. Gul (not out) 2 (4b), W. Riaz c Balaji Rao b Hansra 0 (3b), S. Ajmal b Baidwan 0 (5b); Extras (b-4, lb-3, w-16, nb-1): 24;Total (in 43 overs): 184.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-42, 3-55, 4-67, 5-140, 6-165, 7-181, 8-181, 9-181.
Canada bowling: Chohan 3.3-0-10-0, Osinde 7-1-25-1, Gordon 0.3-0-1-0, Baidwan 8-1-35-3, Cheema 8-0-33-2, Balaji Rao 10-0-50-2, Hansra 6-1-23-2.
Canada: R. Gunasekera lbw Gul 8 (16b), Nitish Kumar b Razzaq 2 (13b), Z. Surkari lbw Ajmal 27 (67b, 2x4), A. Bagai lbw b Afridi 16 (35 b, 2x4), J. Hansra b Afridi 43 (75, 4x4, 1x6), R. Cheema b Afridi 4 (8b, 1x4), T. Gordon c Riaz b Afridi 9 (12b, 1x4), H. Baidwan b Afridi 0 (1b), K. Chohan (not out) 5 (20b), Balaji Rao (run out) 1 (7b), H. Osinde b Riaz 0 (3b); Extras: (w-19, lb-4) 23;Total (in 42.5 overs) 138.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-16, 3-44, 4-104, 5-111, 6-114, 7-114, 8-130, 9-134.
Pakistan bowling: Razzaq 7-2-16-1, Gul 7-1-20-1, Afridi 10-0-23-5, Riaz 5.5-0-23-1, Ajmal 8-0-31-1, Hafeez 5-0-21-0.
Man of the match: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan).
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Mumbai gets a state of the art and sparkling Wankhede
A semi-final and final of the local tournament would be played coming Saturday and Sunday. Sudhir Naik, former Test cricketer who is in-charge of the pitch and ground, appeared a very pleased man on Wednesday. Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s pitch consultant who has been constantly monitoring work at the stadium expressed satisfaction on the preparation of the pitch and outfield in December itself.
Built at a cost of near about Rs. 300 crore, attention has been paid to the Vijay Manjrekar dressing rooms that have now been relocated above the height of the sight screen at the South end. The present dressing rooms are around 1000 sq ft each, bigger than the previous one, but a few officials feel that more space should have been provided. However, the teams will have the benefit of seeing the match from a long veranda. The dining area will be shared by the teams.
The area above the dressing rooms -- that has a seating capacity of 200 and a well appointed lounge -- has been reserved for the guests of ICC President, BCCI President, MCA President and the MCA Managing Committee. Media in-charge Vinod Deshpande said that this arrangement is only for the World Cup matches. “The MCA has reserved 340 seats for the Test and local Ranji Trophy players. This will be on the top tier and behind the wicket. The Test and Ranji Trophy cricketers will get about 600 seats for bilateral series matches,’’ said Deshpande.
A fully air-conditioned media enclosure with a capacity of 200 in the press box has been created at the North end of the stadium. The media enclosure has a separate media centre for reporters and photographers and also a conference room. The MCA has decided to buy a golf cart to transport the captains and other players from the dressing room to the conference hall below the press box for pre-match and post-match interviews.
The cantilevered roof with ample ventilation, ergonomic bucket seats, video-matrix scoreboards and other facilities at the stadium should make it a pleasant viewing for the spectators. There will be a manual score board, six matrix score boards and replay screens. The MCA has increased the corporate boxes to 57, although all of them are not likely to be sold for the World Cup matches.
Very soon the MCA will finalise the venue agreement with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians. But for the World Cup matches, the Garware Club, the five gymkhanas, 330 odd clubs and the ICC together will get close to 30,000 odd tickets. Only around 4000 tickets will be sold over the counter.
Because of the 30 metre cantilevered roof, shadow on the west side may lengthen up to the edge of the crease at around 4.25 P M. The day-night matches are not likely to be affected at all. Since the final is scheduled to be played here, every aspect of the pitch and outfield is being supervised by Atkinson.
Pakistan recover well to reach 317 vs Kenya
Shrugging off a nervous start, Pakistan posted a good 317 for 7 against Kenya in their opening Group A match of the ICC World Cup tournament here, as the beleaguered team began its campaign to be taken seriously in the cricketing world.
After Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat, its openers, Mohammed Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad began cautiously scoring just 10 in the first five overs. The top order blaster Shehzad did not score a run off 11 balls; and eventually went for 1 off 18 balls. Shehzad was circumspect when he came in and in Odoyo’s fourth over was caught by Kamande trying to scoop the ball over mid off.
Hafeez was the first to go, caught brilliantly by Waters at short mid wicket off Otieno’s third over, and the umpires called for help in making a decision since the ball hit the diving Waters on his right and left hands and his cap before eventually settling in his right palm. The TV umpire took over two minutes to make the decision.
The devil seems to have been more in the mind of the Pakistani openers than in the field, which played true like most pitches in the sub-continent. The first boundary came in the fifth over and the next in the 10th over.
At the end of 10 overs, Pakistan managed 40 runs in all, and inched closer to the ICC World Cup 2011 average of 47 runs in the first 10 (47 for 1 is the average score) thanks to a wayward Odhiambo, who was introduced in the 10th over. He was no balled thrice, once for overstepping and, at another time for dangerous bowling and conceded 16 runs. That momentum proved crucial as Pakistan’s 50 came up in 12.2 overs, and the 100 in 22.5 overs.
Kamran Akmal and Younus Khan put on a valuable 50 runs in quick time (54 balls). Shen Ngoche's left arm spin was introduced to help tide the flow of runs. Ngoche conceded four runs in his first over, prompting captain and part-time right-arm spinner James Kamande to introduce himself. That did not stop either, they just went around rotating the strike, running the singles and twos.
A momentary lapse of concentration saw Kamran Akmal jump out to Ngoche, only to be stumped smartly by Ouma. In the very next over Ouma let go of a straight forward chance given by new batsman Misbah ul Haq. Mishbah, having hit off-spinner Steve Tikolo straight and clean for a six attempted to steer the next ball. This time the resultant edge found a part of Ouma’s glove for an agonising moment before succumbing to the laws of gravity.
Younus Khan was given out leg before to Steve Tikolo by Nigel Llong soon after reaching his 50. Khan opted for the review and the decision was confirmed.
Hoping to put pressure on the batting, captain Kamande turned to Thomas Odoyo. This time Odoyo failed, bowling a middle and leg line repeatedly, even though Keeper Ouma was standing up. The result was two huge wides that cleared the boundary – 10 runs gifted in a space of 3 balls. Odoyo was back bowling an outside the off-stump line, but the pressure tactic had not worked. Kamande brought himself on. But the scoreboard kept ticking and the 200 came off 38.4 overs, setting the stage for a late assault.
Kamran was not missed as his twin Umar (71) took off from where his brother had let off; his 50 came of 40 balls. He offered and instant prayer in the ground, bending down and touching the ground with his forehead. With Misbah, he added 118 runs and rewrote the Pakistani record for the fifth wicket in the ICC World Cup. The team’s 250 came up in 45.1 overs. Shahid Afridi did not trouble the scorers much. He went after an umpiring review. A.Hill had ruled him not out and Kenya preferred the review. Adding to the tally was the 46 extras (37 wides) that Kenya gifted Pakistan.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sehwag, Kohli take India to 370
Virender Sehwag unleashed a merciless assault on the hapless Bangladeshi bowlers to smash 175 as India piled up an imposing 370 for four in their opening World Cup group-B match here on Saturday.
Put into bat, Sehwag virtually toyed with the insipid bowling to not only notch up his 14th ODI century with a breathtaking array of strokes but also steer India to a commanding position along with Virat Kohli, who completed his century in the penultimate ball of the innings.
The Delhi duo of Sehwag and Kohli stitched a rollicking 203 runs for the third wicket on a placid track at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium.
It was a virtual carnage as Sehwag, who defied cramps and batted with a runner after completing his century, and Kohli gave a stunning exhibition of strokeplay to leave the hosts in a daze.
Sehwag hammered as many as 14 boundaries and five sixes during his 140-ball 175 while Kohli’s unbeaten 83-ball 100 contained eigtht boundaries and two sixes.
Sachin Tendulkar (28) and Gautam Gambhir (39) got the starts but could not capitalise on it, though Tendulkar was distinctly unlucky to be run out.
Bangladesh now have a daunting task of scoring at a stiff asking rate of 7.40 runs an over to pull off an upset victory like they had done in the 2007 edition in the West Indies.
Brisk beginning
Sehwag set the tempo by spanking the very first ball off paceman Shafiul Islam through cover to the boundary to begin the innings on a rousing note. He also clobbered the last ball to the boundary as the first over yielded 12 runs.
His opening partner Tendulkar also got into the act quickly by hitting Rubel Hossain’s second ball to the fence, a delectable flick to the square leg boundary.
The two Bangladeshi new ball bowlers strayed in line and length and were punished by both Sehwag and Tendulkar who gave India a flying start.
With runs coming quickly, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan introduced left arm spinner Abdur Razzak as early as the fifth over of the innings in a bid to get the breakthrough and check the run flow.
Razzak managed to stem the flow of runs as he bowled a tidy line and length initially before Sehwag and Tendulkar used their feet to attack him.
Tendulkar departs
Just when the two openers seemed to be cruising along comfortably, Tendulkar (28) was run out after a terrible mix up with Sehwag. He pushed the ball towards wide mid-on and called Sehwag for a single but the Delhi batsman did not respond.
Both the batsmen ended up on the bowler’s end as Bangladesh skipper Shakib stopped the the ball brilliantly and threw it towards the wicketkeeper, who dislodged the bails, sparking celebrations in the stands.
Gautam Gambhir was his usual confident self, and relied on singles and twos to build up his innings and soon with Sehwag he raised the 50-run partnership.
Sehwag continues to dazzle
Shakib tried all his slow bowlers but there was no stopping the Indian duo. The ploy to introduce Mahmudullah though worked as he cleaned up Gambhir (39) with a faster delivery.
Another Indian failed to convert a good start but it had no effect on Sehwag, who from the other end kept taking bowlers to task.
Virat Kohli, who has been in good form of late, joined Sehwag in the middle and the Delhi duo kept consolidating India’s position.
Sehwag took a single off Mahmuddullah to notch up his 14th ODI century and his second in the World Cup, getting a standing applause by his teammates and the support staff in the dressing room. His 100 came off 94 balls.
Sehwag, Kohli make hay
After Sehwag completed the century, both the batsmen opted for the batting powerplay and virtually plundered runs at will, picking up Shafiul Islam for special treatment by clobbering him for 18 runs in one over.
Abdur Razzak also came in for a battering as Sehwag smashed him for two boundaries and a six in one over to accelerate the pace of scoring.
While Sehwag unleashed his strokes, Kohli played orthodox shots at the other end and completed his 13th ODI half century by taking a single off Rubel Hossain.
Sehwag created many batting records during his scintillating knock. It was the highest score by an Indian batsman against Bangladesh, going past Sourav Ganguly’s 135 in 2000 and he also surpassed Tendulkar’s 141 which till date was the highest individual score in ODIs in Bangladesh.
Sehwag fell at the same score that the legendary Kapil Dev had made 28 years ago. Shakib bowled a fullish ball angling into Sehwag who got a bottom edge onto his stumps.
Kohli managed to reach his century in the penultimate ball of the innings while the last ball saw Yusuf Pathan being caught by the wicket-keeper off Shafiul Islam.
The Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c&wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, S. Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mushfiqur Rahim, Raqibul Hasan, Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Brett Lee: It’s all about peaking at the right time
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee took 11 wickets in six matches in his comeback series against England and impressed most observers; more importantly the national selectors and captain Ricky Ponting.
He also had decent results in the two warm-up games against India and South Africa. The 34-year-old will be the fulcrum of Australia’s bowling attack that’s dominated by fast bowlers and their ilk like Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, John Hastings and Shane Watson.
Before going into his team’s home stretch preparation against Zimbabwe at the Gujarat Cricket Academy facility here on Friday, Lee conceded that his team is packed with pacemen, but said that it’s also equipped with adequate men to run the spin department.
“I do agree with that (packed with fast bowlers) to a certain extent. But we have a good spinner in Jason Krejza. David Hussey can chip in and vice-captain Michael Clarke can also play a spinner’s role. Yes, we have Tait, Johnson and Bollinger making us a strong pace unit. So we have a good mix for the World Cup.’’
Lee also said that a pace bowler bowling at 150 kmph and on the right spots can be effective even on slow wickets. “That’s what New South Wales (NSW) had done when it came to India for the Champions League. We had a lot of pace bowlers and we won the competition even after playing a lot on a slow wicket in Delhi. I don’t really see any problem with the pace set we have got. At the end of the day, it’s still 150 kmph through the air,’’ said Lee.
Giving his nod to the format of the competition he said: “It’s all about peaking at the right time and doing what one can to get through to quarterfinals and semifinals and take it from there. Come Monday there will be a few anxious players in the squad. How I wish tomorrow was Monday. Hopefully two practice sessions will take us to the right areas.’’
Excerpts from a media session here on Friday:
Likely poor turn out for non-India games: Obviously, as every team, we too would like to play in front of a big crowd. But we can’t control that; hopefully a lot of fans are going to come down and watch the match (here on Monday).
On his return to competitive cricket at international-level: When I came back, I made it clear to myself that I am going to enjoy my cricket. It’s been a long road back, some 15 months away from the game. I might have surprised a few people by coming back into the game after a lengthy gap, but I am proud that I have survived (the injury). Now, I hope to lead from the front in the World Cup.
I am very happy with the way I bowled in the two practice games, especially against India where the ball was coming on nicely. In the second practice match, I bowled four overs and had to come off the pitch; that was a bit funny to bowl four overs and rest for the rest of the match. But I am really happy with the way I bowled, swung the ball quite early, cranked up a bit of pace, did well with the older ball when I came back (for a new spell). Yes, there are really good signs, and hopefully I will get a few wickets in the matches to come.
Competition among fast bowlers in the Australian team: It’s very important. It's great that Australia has got the depth. I would rather be in a situation where we can have some good options than having only 10 or 11 players to pick from. So, it’s great to have a very good squad. If we play the right kind of cricket and with a bit of luck as well, there is no reason why can’t go and win the tournament.
Toss factor: Well, it was very crucial in the practice tie against India, when the ball was spinning really square. In such conditions, toss could prove decisive. But we have to deal with it. We have to adapt and we have to learn to play spin bowling. We can also learn a lot of things from those matches and against India we were totally outclassed. Irrespective of the results in the first two warm-up games we have taken a lot of positives from them and hopefully that will stand in good stead for us on Monday (against Zimbabwe) as well as in the remainder of the tournament.
Pitch factor: Obviously the pitch would be a massive factor. But if you have a guy like Shaun Tait bowling at 160 km at batsmen’s toes, it will be still tough to negotiate even on a slow wicket.
I changed my game after being axed from team: Sehwag
Indian opener Virender Sehwag has conceded that his axing from the Indian team four years ago forced him to look inwards and make changes in his game which eventually paid him rich dividends.
“When I got dropped from the team in 2007, nobody expected the selectors to drop me but they did because of poor form. That’s when I changed my game both in terms of thinking and playing style. I started thinking on how to make my way back into the team,” Sehwag was quoted as saying in a media release.
The swashbuckling batsman, who very nearly scored a Test triple ton in a single day’s play after his comeback, was responding to a query about ‘Change the Game moment’ in his career as part of soft drinks major Pepsi’s World Cup campaign.
“I got a chance and that’s when I proved myself again; I saved a test match for India when I scored 150 not out in Adelaide against Australia.
“I had just scored 20 runs in 2 hours...can you imagine Sehwag scoring 20 runs in two hours? That was not how I played, but I changed my game just to save the Test match,” he pointed out.
Sehwag, who was dropped in early 2007 from the ODI squad and later from the Test team too before storming his way back into the team, mentions improvisation as the key to his altered game.
Sehwag, in fact, made 83 off only 68 balls with 4 sixes and 11 fours before Sachin Tendulkar scored a brilliant, unbeaten 103 and Yuvraj Singh got 85 not out that piloted India to a six—wicket victory on the final day of the first match of the two—Test series in December, 2008.
He mentions captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Tendulkar among the game changers he admires.
“M S Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir are few players who change the game beyond the ordinary. Their thinking on and off the field helps achieve success and also excel in any format of the game”.
“Change The Game for me is the self belief and self confidence that pushes one beyond the limitations. To change the game, one has to think beyond the limitations and improvise.
“I have that confidence and the self belief that I can do whatever is needed to be done and change the game on the field, especially in the crunch situations,” according to Sehwag.
The upper cut or “upar” cut, the slash that sends the ball over the slip cordon to the third man region, has been mentioned as by Sehwag as one of the game changing shots though he had not practised it in the nets.
“There are things that come naturally to you and the Upar Cut is one of them. I never practised this shot in the nets and have always gone with natural instincts while hitting the ball.
“With the Upper Cut, I could easily hit third man six off a fast ball that would surprise the bowlers. Since, it came to me naturally, that made it easier for me to perfect it. I always try to think beyond the limits and the Upar Cut, especially has been a true game changer for me”.
The India opener has also recalled the Chennai Test match against England when his pyrotechnics when chasing an imposing total of close to 400 helped India rocket off.
“I remember once we were chasing around 387 runs against England and I scored a quick—fire 85 off just 50 odd balls.
Those quick runs particularly changed the game in favour of our team. And eventually we had to chase less than 200 runs on the last day of the Test match with six—seven wickets still in hand.”
Crucial for India to start on a winning note
Bangladesh is in the midst of a cricket fever. Scores of people, not just quintessential fans but entire families, sang and danced in brightly lit streets after Thursday's opening ceremony of the ICC World Cup.
The tournament has been welcomed with undiluted passion and happiness. There are expectations from the Bangladesh team as well. Several here believe Shakib Al Hasan's men can ambush bigger teams in familiar conditions. There are whispers too that India could be in for some trouble again.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been pursued with a familiar question in the run-up to the World Cup – ‘Will India seek revenge for the defeat against Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup.’ And the smart Dhoni has answered the queries rather well. He has shown respect to the Bangladesh team even while exuding confidence about India's chances. His replies have been bereft of arrogance that often accompanies teams billed as favourites.
The inaugural clash of the 2011 edition, between India and Bangladesh at the renovated Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Saturday, will be high on emotions. While the Indian team is not talking about revenge, it is keen to erase the memories of a shock defeat to Bangladesh at Port of Spain in 2007.
This time around, India is not only up against a spirited Bangladesh side that walloped New Zealand 4-0 in a home ODI series this season, but also a vocal crowd that could lift the spirits of the host. It is crucial for India to begin its campaign on a winning note. Bangladesh might not be a fancied side but the pressures of the occasion could be huge.
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, figuring in a remarkable sixth World Cup, will be India's inspiration. Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who appears to have recovered well from niggle in his groin, could figure in the eleven. The left-arm paceman has the experience to excel even on unresponsive pitches with his accuracy and craft.
Zaheer sent down around 10 deliveries without any apparent discomfort but did not bowl a longish spell that would have confirmed his fitness for the match. Dhoni, though, was confident that Zaheer would make it. The largely sand-coloured pitch is expected to play slow. Run-making would demand application and the spinners could come into the picture.
India might be tempted to include leg-spinner Piyush Chawla as the second spinner in the eleven Harbhajan and Chawla can forge a winning partnership of contrasts – but the move is not without risk. Such a ploy, if India persists with seven batsmen and four bowlers, would mean Dhoni's team would enter the match with only two specialist pacemen. In the event of one of the pacemen picking up an injury or going for runs, the skipper might encounter serious problems managing the overs, particularly at the death.
There is a selection issue too in batting too. Bangladesh's strength is spin and its three left-arm spinners in skipper Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Suhrawadi Shuvo can both contain and strike at home. The trio often controls play in the middle overs.
The in-form Virat Kohli was the side's first choice for the No. 4 slot. However, fielding a left-hander is an effective ploy while coping with left-arm spin and this factor brings Suresh Raina in the fray. India has the option of pushing Yuvraj Singh, another southpaw, to No. 4 and include Raina to take on the Bangladesh left-arm trio. Given that dew often impacts day\night games here, India would be better off chasing. This is another factor that raises doubts over the inclusion of a second spinner.
Bangladesh is a spirited side that has jelled well this season. Skipper Shakib is a competent all-rounder while Tamil Iqbal and Shahriar Nafees are strokeful top-order batsmen. The inconsistent but talented Mohammad Ashraful and the spunky wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim could influence matches too.
Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain, he can get the ball to reverse, have progressed as pacemen. Saturday's duel has possibilities.
The teams: India (from): M.S. Dhoni (captain), S. Tendulkar, V. Sehwag, G. Gambhir, V. Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, P. Chawla, M. Patel, S. Raina, A. Nehra, S. Sreesanth, R. Ashwin.
Bangladesh (from): Shakib Al Hasan (captain), T. Iqbal, S. Nafees, I. Kayes, J. Siddque, M. Ashraful, M. Rahim, A. Razzaq, S. Shuvo, S. Islam, R. Hossain, Mahmudullah, N. Hossain, N. Islam, R. Hasan.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
As it happened - Australia batting
That just about concludes my session for today. It has been a joy, like always, to bring updates. Until next time see you all.. And remember 214.....
Piyush Chawla's spell was undoubtedly the turning point after Watson's quickfire innings at the top of the order.
Having said that, this was a very unlike Australian batting performance. Ponting hung in there for a while, which was a massive plus, but the middle and the lower-middle order just caved in against the Indian tweakers.
A magnificient fightback from team India after a very disappointing batting performance. As an aside, just how crucial were those runs at the death by the Indian tailenders. Contenders?
38th Over - Wicket - B. Lee - b. Ashwin 1
And the fightback is complete. Ashwin, who has been very unlucky to not get a few wickets, gets on the wickets tally. Pitched outside off and coming in, Lee throws the kitchen sink at it but only manages to find the inside edge which displaces the furniture. Aus - allout 176
37th Over Wicket - J. Krezja LBW b. Harbhajan 0.
If ever there was a proverbial "hitting middle of middle" this is it. Landed in a good length area and turning back in and wraps Krezja well below the knee role. Out all day long.
37th Over - Wicket - M. Johnson st. Dhoni b. Harbhajan 15
Oh dear. Johnson tries to loft Harbhajan's first ball of the new over into Sydney but misses it completely. Dhoni completing the job behind the stumps - another stumpinmg by the captain I might add. Probably game, set and match?
36th Over - Johnson, the last remaining all-rounder connects with one and dumps it into the stands. Australia hanging on by a thread. Aus 175-8
35th Over - Wicket - R. Ponting st. Dhoni b. Harbhajan 57
Big wicket. Ponting went for the slog over square leg but missed it. Dhoni was on on hand to remove the bails in a flash with Ponting, just like Hussey, a bit shot. Aus 166-7
34th Over - The last two overs have been better for Australia. They have just knocked it around here to earn themselves six more runs. Aus 160-6
33rd Over - Harbhajan back into the attack. A more productive over for Australia as four singles come off it. Aus 154-6
32nd Over - The containing Ashwin is also not giving an inch here. Just yielded a single. Aus 151-6
31st Over - Chawla is living the dream - Alas for him its only a practice game. But nonetheless.. this is a superb spell. Johnson takes the single off the last ball to retain strike. Aus 149-6
31st Over - Wicket - C. Ferguson c. Kohli b. Chawla 8
Ferguson escaped the last over but India has the las laugh. Another outside edge and this time Kohli takes it comfortably. M. Johnson is up next.
30th Over - Ferguson almost consumed. A thickish edge almost finds the diving Kohli at first slip but Ferguson escapes. It also brings a welcome boundary. No such thrills for the other balls. Living on the edge, are Australia. Aus 146-5
29th Over - All happening at Bangalore. After the double blow, Callum Ferguson survives the hat-trick ball before taking a single. In the last ball, Chawla could have easily had Ponting or effected a run-out to remove Ferguson. Australia... on the mat. Aus 139 -5
29th Over - Wicket - D. Hussey - st. Dhoni b. Chawla 0
A tossed up ball and Hussey, looking to defend misses it. What's more Dhoni caught him shot of the crease. Just, mind you. But that's enough. Chawla on a hat-trick.
29th Over - Wicket - C. White - c. Ashwin b. Chawla 4
Massive wicket this for the Indian team and they are back in with more than shout. A flighted delivery whihc pitched outside off was rammed by White straight down Ashwin's throat.
28th Over - Ponting, who has been hanging in there and getting back into form, has just reached his fifty. A very workmanlike innings but Ponting won't mind. Aus 138-3.
27th Over - Chawla is plugging away at one end. Another very tight over sees him concede just a single. Aus 134-3. Been a long time since a boundary. (Ponting took a single off the first ball)
26th Over - Ponting, who is slowly but surely regaining his touch, is looking in some touch. Although the drives are yet to appear, he is taking those singles and doubles to keep the strike turning. White also obliges by taking two singles. Aus 133-3
25th Over - Chawla is getting some very nice purchase of the surface. Ponting survives another LBW appeal before lofting it into the outfield for a couple. Aus 127-3
24th Over Cameron White is the new batsman and all of a sudden the pitch is turning and biting and grasping. Yuvraj bowls a very testing over which is handled with care by both Ponting and White. Aus 123-3
23rd Over - Wicket M. Clarke b. Chawla 0
A fightback? A leg-spinner is played on by Clarke which promptly castles the out-of-form batsman. Aus 120-3
22nd Over - Wicket. T. Paine : c. Patel b. Yuvraj 37
It looked so comfortable for Paine. Off the fourth ball, Paine lofts one to the right of long-on where Patel takes a good running catch. Clarke is the new man in. Big, Big innings even though it's only a warmup game for Clarke. Aus 119-2
21st Over - Almost a wicket but Ponting's top-edged sweep is taken by Sreesanth on the bounce. Just. Ponting, off the last ball, gets four leg byes for the team. Very, very comfortable. Aus 116-1
20th Over - Australia are now milking the bowling. 0 1 2 1 1 0 is the sequence. And it has suddenly become comfortable to face the spinners. Aus 110-1
19th Over - Harbhajan Singh's first over. But it does not bring a wicket. Australia very comfortably handle him and take two singles. Aus 105-1
18th Over A very good over was just spoiled by a Ponting boundary off the last ball. What's more the umpires signal for drinks. Australia find themselves in a VERY commanding position. Aus 103-1
17th Over - Paine, who is playing himself in nicely, and Ponting have settled down after a few dodgy overs against the spinners. They added another four singles to the kitty. Aus 95-1
16th Over - Ponting says enough is enough and dances down the wicket but does noto get hold of the shot. Luckily for him his mistimes shot falls in no mans land. Australia collected six from the over. Aus 91-1
15th Over - The spinners are doing what the fast-bowlers could not. Ashwin, on the back of two good overs, bowls another excellent one. Also, both Paine and Ponting have survived a dew close LBW shouts - Paine surviving one this over. Just a one run of this over. Aus - 85-1
14th Over - Excellent over from Chawla. Troubled Ponting on almost all occasions. Just gave away the three runs. Aus 84-1
13th Over - India already looking to tie down the Aussies down after Watson's splendid beginning. Ashwin bowls another good over, just conceding three from it. Aus 81-1
12th Over - Five wides down the leg side isn't the start Piyush Chawla was looking but since then it has been a very good over. Probing and testing both Ponting and Paine, just conceded one more run. Aus 78-1
11th Over - A more sedate over this. Ashwin, more a containing bolwer than a wicket-taking one, gives away five runs. Aus 72-1
10th Over - Just have Sreesanth and you have action. A loud appeal for a caught behind off the last bowl of the over is denied by the umpire. Sreesanth has a few words with Ponting before proceeding to show symbols with his hands. Earlier in the over, Ponting missed an attempted pull which already had Sreesanth buzzing. Very good over from the Kerala express. Replays inconclusive so far. Aus 67-1.
9th Over - A streaky four behind the keeper, one behind square on the off side before clipping one in the mid-wicket region. Ponting welcomes new bowler R. Ashwin with a variety of boundaries. Aus 64-1
8th Over Wicket. Shane Watson - c. Chawla b. Sreesanth 33 off 25.
India's best bowler on the night so far picks the prized wicket of Watson. With just two singles coming in the first four balls, a touch inferior compared to the trend of the batting so far, Watson decides to take the aeria route but is successful in finding Chawla inside the 30-yard circle.
Ponting is the new man in. And he wastes no time in getting off the mark. Aus 52-1
7th Over - Watson is orchestrating proceedings. With long-on in place, Watson bisects short third man and backward point beautifully for a boundary before smashing one past point for another four. He is enjoying it so much he decides to retain strike. Munaf again at the receiving end. Aus 49-0
6th Over - Watson opts to take a single after playing two dot balls but Paine is in no mood for such philanthropic acts. He crunches a very poor delivery past backward point for one of the simpler fours he will score in his career before playing out the last ball. Aus - 40-0
5th Over - Munaf Patel is in but he is getting the same treatment. Watson, fresh from his exploits against England, scores three boundaries before picking a single off the last ball. His third boundary just eluded the fingers of a flying R. Ashwin in the mid-on region. Dominant beginning by the Aussies, this. Aus - 35-0
4th Over - The story of Sreesanth's bowling career in one over. After Watson takes a single, Sree bowls a beautiful ball which kicked after pitching with caused some trouble to Paine. Then the Australian keeper almost gave Yuvraj a catch following a leading edge. But Sree eventually undid all the hard work by drifting one into Paine's pads which was put away in fine fashion. Aus 22-0
3rd Over - While defending small totals, four balls should be avoided at all costs. But Nehra has just gone ahead and conceded his third boundary in two overs. Paine leaning into one and stroking it through the covers. Must mention that Nehra bowled five dots in that over. Aus - 17-0
2nd Over - A very good first over from Sreesanth which also included an iffy edge which went past second slip for Paine's first boundary. Rotating the strike is important and Paine, well versed with that aspect, takes a single off the last bowl to retain the strike. Australia 13-0
Want to get involved? liveresponse@thehindu.co.in
1st Over - Oh, dear. The first ball is promptly despatched back past the bowler for a boundary. A ball later, Watson scores another boundary. This time more through mid-on rather than back past the bowler. Nehra comes back well enough to bowl three dot balls. Aus 8-0. Sreesanth will open the bowling at the other end.
Shane Watson and Tim Paine will open proceedings for Australia. Ashish Nehra gets first use of the shining white ball.
The players are coming back out on the field after the tea/dinner break.
Missed India's rather unflattering batting effect? Don't worry as everything has been properly documented by the ebullient Anand Venkateswaran.
214? I tell you, what. If India does go on to win the World Cup, 214 will go down in the annals of history as India's luckiest three-digit number since 1983. Welcome one and all for the second innings between India and Australia. Can India defend the moderate total? Or will Australia send out a strong signal and demoralise India before the showpiece event begins?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)