cricket

[johnypowas]

Disappointments to delight - a chequered journey



In 1947-48, despite individual brilliance from Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad and Dattu Phadkar, India could not challenge Australia.
Australia had always been one of the toughest peaks to conquer for the Indian team. The Aussies played an aggressive brand of cricket, had punishing batsmen, hostile pacemen and some very good spinners.
The Aussies hustled the opposition on pitches with bounce. And, after the 70s, unsettled those facing them with sledging. Simply put, they were ferocious competitors.
Forgettable maiden voyage
India’s maiden campaign in Australia, in 1947-48, ended in a 4-0 defeat. India was up against a legendary Australian team with giants such as Don Bradman, Arthur Morris and Ray Lindwall.
Despite individual brilliance from Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad and Dattu Phadkar, India could not challenge Australia.
The 1960s and 70s
In 1967-68, India was led by the attack-minded Tiger Pataudi. India pressed hard but Australia took the series 4-0. With his deception and turn, Erapalli Prasanna scalped 25 in the series, was involved in stirring duels with the fleet-footed Ian Chappell.
The Bishen Bedi-led India had a wonderful chance to defeat Australia — the host’s biggest stars were roped in by Kerry Packer — in 1977-78.
Australia brought back an ageing Bob Simpson from retirement as captain and managed to hold on to fast bowler Jeff Thomson. With the series 2-2 — Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath and B.S. Chandrasekar shone for India — the visitor lost the decider in Adelaide.

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The 1980s
In 1980-81, India dramatically levelled the series against a strong Greg Chappell-led Australian side in the third Test at the MCG with an injured Kapil Dev’s five for 28 ambushing the host.
Then, India missed a gilt-edged opportunity to floor a rebuilding Australian team in 1985-86. All the three Tests were drawn although Australia barely escaped in Sydney.
The 1990s and new millennium
India was brushed aside 4-0 in 1991-92 despite Kapil’s brilliance and Sachin Tendulkar’s spirit-lifting hundred at Perth.
In 1999-2000 Australia’s strong batting and the combination of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Shane Warne saw India being blown away 3-0.
In the subsequent series in 2003-04, the Sourav Ganguly-led Indians forced a sensational four-wicket win in Adelaide with Ajit Agarkar’s six for 41 derailing the Aussies in a match Rahul Dravid dominated with innings of 233 and 72 not out.
That was a series in which Laxman batted brilliantly and Anil Kumble was outstanding with the ball.
India was poised to win the decider at Sydney when Steve Waugh, in his final Test appearance, and Simon Katich, saved the day for the host.
Debacles continue
In the infamous, ill-tempered, Monkeygate series of 2007-08, India roared back from 2-0 for an outstanding win at Perth made possible by pacemen. Australia held on to win the series.
In 2011-12, India was blanked 4-0 in the four-Test series; Michael Clarke and Ben Hilfenhaus excelled. Then, in 2014-15, despite Virat Kohli’s brilliance, India went down 2-0.
Now, Kohli, learning from the past, has enabled India take the final step.

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Rohit Sharma’s century goes in vain as India loses ODI series opener against Australia



Three of India’s top four batsmen could not reach double-digit and lasted a mere 11 balls.
Rohit Sharma’s individual brilliance was not enough to make up for a floundering top and middle order as India suffered a 34-run defeat at the hands of a resilient Australia in the first One-day International, in Sydney on Saturday.
Sharma conjured up a magnificent 133 of 129 balls for his 22nd ODI hundred but eventually it only helped in reducing the defeat-margin as India ended up at 254 for nine while chasing a 289-run target.
Three of India’s top four batsmen could not reach double-digit and lasted a mere 11 balls.
With 10 fours and six sixes, Sharma reached his hundred off 110 balls, equalling Sourav Ganguly’s record of 22 ODI centuries and is now behind only Sachin Tendulkar (49) and Virat Kohli (38).
India were gasping after losing three batsmen at a single-digit score of four before Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (51) combined to stitch together a 137-run stand for the fourth wicket.

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Dhoni crosses 10,000 runs
Debutant Jason Behrendorff broke the partnership by sending back Dhoni, who became only the fifth Indian batsman to complete 10,000 runs in ODI cricket during the course of his knock that came off 96 balls.
Tendulkar, Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Kohli are the other batsmen to achieve the feat.
Collective batting effort
The hosts owe their 1-0 lead in the three-match series to a collective batting effort by their middle-order batsmen, specially Peter Handscomb, who switched gears in time to steer his side to 288 for five with his 73-run knock.
Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis (47 not out) grabbed the momentum with their 68-run stand for the fifth wicket as Australia scored 93 runs in the last 10 overs.
Usman Khawaja (59) and Shaun Marsh (54) also scored half-centuries for the hosts who lost skipper Aaron Finch (6) in a slow start after electing to bat.
Top-order collapses
Young paceman Jhye Richardson (4/26) rocked the Indian middle order by dismissing India skipper Virat Kohli (3) and Ambati Rayudu (0) in space of three balls and later added wickets of Dinesh Karthik and Ravindra Jadeja in a career-best performance.
First, Behrendorff (2-39) trapped Shikhar Dhawan lbw for a first-ball duck before Richardson swung into action. Kohli was caught at short square leg, and then two balls later Rayudu (0) was trapped plumb lbw, as the Indian top-order was destroyed.
It put huge brakes on the scoring even as Sharma and Dhoni struggled to get going. So much so, India managed only a paltry 21-3 in the first ten overs.
Their 50-stand came off 82 balls, while they took India past 100 in the 26th over even as Australia started to feel the pressure.
Sharma reached his half-century off 62 balls, while Dhoni reached his 68th ODI half-century off 93 balls.
Thanks to the initial caution, India were only placed at 141-4 in the 32nd over, when Dhoni was trapped lbw by Behrendorff.

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Ran out of partners
Sharma was starting to run out of partners thereafter as Richardson castled Dinesh Karthik in the 40th over.
The run-chase came to an informal end by the 46th over as Ravindra Jadeja (8) and Sharma holed out in the space of ten balls.
Marcus Stoinis (2-66) dismissed Sharma, and India’s hopes perished with him for there was too much for the remaining tail-enders to do.
Indian spinners strike
Earlier, India spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2/54) and Jadeja (1/48) shared three wickets between them while pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/66) accounted for two batsmen.
Kumar bowled Finch (6) in the third over, an inswinger slipping in through the gate.
Alex Carey (24) made a good start and was looking set for a longer innings, when Yadav outfoxed him in his very first over, caught at slip off a quicker top-spinner. Australia only managed 41-2 in the first 10 overs.
It brought Khawaja and Marsh together, and they put on 92 runs off 111 balls for the third wicket. In doing so, they pushed India to make changes in the middle overs.
Khaleel Ahmed (0/55) had an off day as he struggled with this front-foot and control over line and length.

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Crucial breakthrough
Khawaja-Marsh pair added 50 in 61 balls as Australia crossed 100 in the 23rd over. Khawaja brought up his fifth ODI half-century off 70 balls, and opened up a bit more to play some attractive sweeps.

But he perished in that manner as Jadeja trapped him lbw in the 29th over, providing a crucial breakthrough for India. Marsh carried on though, and reached his 13th ODI half-century off 65 balls. He put up 53 runs off 55 balls with Handscomb for the fourth wicket.

Their 50-run stand came off only 49 balls as Australia started to show a little more urgency. Australia finally managed to cross 200 in the 42nd over, but had lost Marsh in the process as he holed out off Yadav in the 38th over.

Stoinis’ arrival at the crease had helped press matters as both he and Handscomb opened up with a couple sixes and upped the run-rate.

Handscomb reached his second ODI half-century off 50 balls, helping push Australia past 250 in the 48th over.

Scoreboard
Australia Innings: Alex Carey c R Sharma b K Yadav 24; Aaron Finch b B Kumar 6; Usman Khawaja lbw b R Jadeja 59; Shaun Marsh c M Shami b K Yadav 54; Peter Handscomb c Dhawan b B Kumar 73; Marcus Stoinis not out 47; Glenn Maxwell not out 11. Extras (B-4, LB-2, NB-2, WD-6) 14

Total (For 5 wickets in 50 overs) 288

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-41, 3-133, 4-186, 5-254.

India bowling: B Kumar 10-0-66-2, K Ahmed 8-0-55-0, M Shami 10-0-46-0, K Yadav 10-0-54-2, R Jadeja 10-0-48-1, A Rayudu 2-0-13-0.

India innings: Rohit Sharma c Maxwell b Stoinis 133; Shikhar Dhawan lbw b Behrendorff 0; Virat Kohli c Stoinis b Jhye Richardson 3; Ambati Rayudu lbw b Jhye Richardson 0; MS Dhoni lbw b Behrendorff 51; Dinesh Karthik b Jhye Richardson 12; Ravindra Jadeja c Shaun Marsh b Jhye Richardson 8; Bhuvneshwar Kumar not out 29; Kuldeep Yadav c Khawaja b Siddle 3; Mohammed Shami c Maxwell b Stoinis 1. Extras: (lb-7, w-6, nb-1)

Total: 254/9 in 50 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-4, 3-4, 4-141, 5-176, 6-213, 7-221, 8-247, 9-254

Australia bowling: Jason Behrendorff 10-2-39-2, Jhye Richardson 10-2-26-4, Peter Siddle 8-0-48-1, Nathan Lyon 10-1-50-0, Marcus Stoinis 10-0-66-2, Glenn Maxwell 2-0-18-0.

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Ind vs Aus ODI: Dhoni anchors, Kedar effects India's maiden bilateral series win against Aussies


M.S. Dhoni plays a shot during the third and final ODI against Australia in Melbourne on January 18, 2019.   | Photo Credit: AFP


Virat Kohli’s men became the first country to return from Australia without losing a single series.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni rekindled his love affair with final flourishes, anchoring India to their maiden bilateral ODI series triumph in Australia for a perfect finish to a historic trip Down Under in Melbourne on Friday.
Virat Kohli’s men became the first country to return from Australia without losing a single series having won the Test series 2-1 and drawn the T20 Internationals 1-1.
From a dasher, to a finisher to finally the anchor in the last leg of his career, Dhoni 3.0 was in full flow during India’s successful chase of 231 on a sluggish Melbourne pitch after Yuzvendra Chahal set it up with a career-best 6 for 42.
Dhoni’s unbeaten 87 off 114 balls was a testimony to his high quality match awareness as the street-smart Kedar Jadhav (61 no, 57 balls) donned the role of a finisher.
The former India skipper’s role going into the business end of his illustrious career is that of an anchor, who takes the game deep.
He performed his role to perfection with world class exhibition of running between the wickets in what could well be his last match on theAustralian soil.
Not to forget the ‘Man of the Series’ award for a hat-trick of half-centuries and two coming in winning causes.
While Dhoni was lucky to be dropped on 0 and 74 but Australian bowling never had the sting to unsettle the Indian batsmen despite skipper Virat Kohli (46) being dismissed with more than 100 runs left.
Chasing 231, India got off to a slow start as well. Australia created some good pressure with the new ball, in particular Jhye Richardson (1-41) who tied down Rohit Sharma (9).
It worked as the right-handed opener was caught at slip in the sixth over. Despite Kohli coming to the crease thereafter, India struggled in the first powerplay and only scored 26-1 in the first ten overs.
Kohli added 44 runs with Shikhar Dhawan (23) for the second wicket, but it was a slower partnership than usual thanks to some tight bowling and fielding by Australia in this passage of play.
The duo tried to cut loose, as Peter Handscomb dropped Kohli (on 10) at first slip off Billy Stanlake (0-49) in the 12th over. But things turned around for Australia when Dhawan lobbed a return catch to Marcus Stoinis in the 17th over.
While Kohli and Dhoni added 54 runs off 82 balls for the third wicket, it was an uncharacteristic partnership. There were two incidents of confusion between the wickets — first in the 21st over when Kohli was stranded and was saved for a lack of a direct hit.
The Dhoni-Jadhav (121 runs) partnership then took some time in getting going. In the meantime, Dhoni reached his 70th ODI half-century off 74 balls.
Jadhav then soothed Indian nerves as he scored his fourth ODI half-century off 52 balls, as the equation came down to 14 needed off 12. He struck two fours in the penultimate over off Peter Siddle (1-56) to close in on the match.
Earlier, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up 6-42 as Australia were bowled out for 230 runs (48.4 overs).
Chahal matched Ajit Agarkar’s 6-42 in 2004 as he recorded the joint best-ever ODI figures on Australian soil. In doing so, he also improved on his previous best of 5-22 against South Africa at Centurion in January 2018.
Chahal varied the pace of his deliveries and also used the deception in his flight to make life miserable for Australian batsmen.
For Australia, Peter Handscomb (58) scored a fighting half-century and took them to a respectable total after they were reduced to 161-6 at one stage.
Play was delayed by ten minutes because of rain and, after the first two balls in the Australian innings there was a further 20-minute delay before weather improved. The hosts faltered under cloudy skies though as Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-28) and Mohammed Shami (2-47) bowled excellent opening spells

[johnypowas]

Scoreboard
Australia Innings: Alex Carey (wk) c Kohli b Bhuvneshwar 5; Aaron Finch © lbw b Bhuvneshwar 14; Usman Khawaja c & b Chahal 34; Shaun Marsh st Dhoni b Chahal 39; Peter Handscomb lbw b Chahal 58; Marcus Stoinis c Rohit b Chahal 10; Glenn Maxwell c Bhuvneshwar b Shami 26; Jhye Richardson c Kedar Jadhav b Chahal 16; Adam Zampa c Vijay Shankar b Chahal 8; Peter Siddle not out 10; Billy Stanlake b Shami 0. Extras: (LB-2, W-8) 10
Total: (all out in 48.4 Overs) 230
Fall of Wickets: 1-8, 2-27, 3-100, 4-101, 5-123, 6-161, 7-206, 8-219, 9-228, 10-230.
India bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 8-1-28-2, Mohammed Shami 9.4-0-47-2,Vijay Shankar 6-0-23-0, Kedar Jadhav 6-0-35-0, Ravindra Jadeja 9-0-53-0, Yuzvendra Chahal 10-0-42-6.
India innings: Rohit Sharma c Shaun Marsh b Siddle 9; Shikhar Dhawan c & b Stoinis 23; Virat Kohli © c Alex Carey b Jhye Richardson 46; MS Dhoni (wk) not out 87; Kedar Jadhav not out 61. Extras: (LB-1,W-7) 8
Total: (for 3 wickkts in 49.2 Overs) 234
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-59, 3-113.
Australia bowling: Jhye Richardson 10-1-27-1, Peter Siddle 9-1-56-1, Billy Stanlake 10-0-49-0, Glenn Maxwell 1-0-7-0,Adam Zampa 10-0-34-0, Marcus Stoinis 9.2-0-60-1.

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Mohammed Shami is the fastest Indian bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets

Mohammed Shami beat Irfan Pathan's record. File   | Photo Credit: Getty Images


The fast bowler got there in 56 matches
Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian bowler to claim 100 ODI wickets, during the first one-dayer against New Zealand at Napier on Wednesday. Shami reached the milestone in his 56th match, with the wicket of opener Martin Guptill.
The Indian record was previously held by Irfan Pathan, who got there in his 59th match, against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2006. The world record is currently held by Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who needed only 44 games to reach the mark. Shami is joint-sixth with New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult, who is also playing this match.
Shami finished with 3 for 19, adding the wickets of Colin Munro and Mitchell Santner to his tally.

Some of the other Indians in the list include Zaheer Khan (65 matches), Ajit Agarkar (67 matches) and Javagal Srinath (68 matches).
Shami is part of arguably India's best ever fast bowling attack in Test matches. In 2018, Shami picked up 47 wickets in 12 games with two five-wicket hauls. He is also an integral part of the one-day squad.

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New Zealand crash to 157 in 38 overs
India beat New Zealand by eight wickets in the first ODI at Napier on Wednesday. New Zealand were bundled out for 157 in 38 overs, before India coasted home in the 35th over. Shikhar Dhawan was the top scorer with an unbeaten 75.

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Back in the swing: Hardik Pandya’s presence will lend solidity and balance to the Indian side.  


Focus on Hardik Pandya’s inclusion as he comes back from provisional suspension
India captain Virat Kohli will be aiming to seal the five-match series when his team squares off against a confused New Zealand in the third ODI here Monday.
Kohli has been given a break as part of BCCI’s workload management programme and he would like to finish his assignment down under on a high after the maiden Test and ODI victories in Australia.
An unassailable 3-0 lead would be a fitting revenge to India’s abject 0-4 humiliation during the 2014 limited-over series.
One of the primary focus of Monday’s encounter could be inclusion of Hardik Pandya who is coming back from provisional suspension for his loose talk on a TV chat show.
Hardik’s presence would lend solidity and balance to the side and he could replace Vijay shankar.
New Zealand, on the other hand, has looked clueless against India’s wrist-spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal who accounted for 12 of the 20 wickets in the last two ODIs.
Seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami also have done their job well, getting crucial breakthroughs.
India’s batting too has complemented the bowlers, looking rock solid in both the games with Shikhar Dhawan’s return to form lending the team the much-needed fillip at the top.
Vice-captain Rohit Sharma, who had flopped in the first ODI, too entertained the spectators here with a strokeful 87 en route to his 14th century stand with opening partner Dhawan.
In good nick
Skipper Kohli also looked in good nick in both the matches, while Ambati Rayudu seemed to have found his mojo back with a 49-ball 47 on Saturday.
M.S. Dhoni too continued his rampaging run with an unbeaten 33-ball 48 to take India across the 300-mark, while Kedar Jadhav has also grabbed the role of a finisher with both hands.
For Black Caps, captain Kane Williamson, who had top-scored in the first ODI, looked good during his short stay in the second ODI, while all-rounder Doug Bracewell tried to take the game to the wires with a 46-ball 57 but none of the other batters could convert their starts.
“There’s two games in a row now where we’ve not had control at any stage, but we need to take small steps,” Williamson said.
The teams (from):
India: Virat Kohli (Capt.), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, M.S. Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar, Shubman Gill, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (Capt.), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Colin de Grandhomme, Trent Boult, Henry Nicholls, Doug Bracewell, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Colin Munro, Ish Sodhi, Micthell Santner and Tim Southee.

[johnypowas]

NZ vs Ind: We wanted to test ourselves after heavy Hamilton loss, says Rohit Sharma



Stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday said his side wanted to test themselves in tough conditions after the Hamilton loss and lauded his team for showing character in the fifth ODI which India won to clinch the series 4-1 against New Zealand.
India suffered a heavy defeat in the fourth ODI after they were dismissed for just 92 runs but the visiting side bounced back in the fifth match Sunday to score 252 before winning by 35 runs.
“The Hamilton loss, the way we lost was big. We need to get together as a team. I knew there was some moisture on the pitch. If the series was alive, we would have chased but we wanted to test ourselves today,” Rohit said after India beat the home side by 35 runs.
Ambati Rayudu (90) and Vijay Shankar (45) shared a 98-run partnership to resurrect the Indian innings, before Hardik Pandya (45 off 22) and Kedar Jadhav (35) powered them to a competitive total.
Rohit heaped praise on Rayudu and Shankar, saying their partnership was the turning point of the match.
“After we lost four wickets, all we needed was somebody to show application. Rayudu and Vijay Shankar did that. The partnership between them turned the game for us and the way Hardik and Kedar played in the end was magnificent. We showed a lot of character,” said Rohit who contribute just 2 runs.

[johnypowas]

He also lauded the efforts of the bowlers for producing crucial breakthroughs.
“The wicket got flat at the end, but at one point it looked an easy chase, but the bowling unit came together. Lot of people put their hands up and got us through,” he said.
“Wasn’t easy after losing four wickets at the start. Thought 250 was a very good score on that pitch. Bowlers got crucial breakthroughs at critical times. I couldn’t ask for more,” he added.
Rohit said the ODI series here helped them to have a look at how the bowling combination work out without Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the series following the Australia tour.
“When you want to win games, you need a right balance, especially when Bumrah is not here. Coming here and beating NZ at home is never easy and they are a good travelling team as well. 4-1 is a great achievement.”
Rayudu, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, said it was tough to face a good attack and his idea was to preserve wickets and take the match to the end.
“It was tough against a quality attack. I was thinking we should take the game to the 30th over without losing a wicket. Me, Vijay and Kedar batted...People who bat at 4,5,6 get a chance only when it’s tough,” he said.
“It’s important to stay prepared. The game in Hamilton was one-off. Great effort by our bowlers to defend it.”
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson admitted his team crumbled under constant pressure while chasing a tricky total.
“First of all a different surface. They got to a par total, maybe a few more. We knew it would be tricky, but we did not take it further. We just lost wickets at the wrong time. They did it very well,” Williamson said.
“Rayudu played well with 90. Then they put the pressure back on us — it’s a lesson for us. Their accuracy was great. Tommy Latham and me could have taken it further. Credit to India, they showed us a lesson and they deserve the series win.
“I suppose as batsmen we need to soak that pressure up and take those decisions. Throughout the series, they got us under more pressure. We were able to revert the pressure but not long enough and often enough.”
Mohammed Shami was adjudged the Player of the Series for taking nine wickets in the series, including the two-wicket haul in the fifth ODI.
India will now take on New Zealand in the three-match T20I series, starting here on Wednesday.

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India squares T20I series against New Zealand


Rohit Sharma bats, fielded by New Zealand's Tim Seifert during the Twenty20 cricket international at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.   | Photo Credit: AP


The series is now tied 1-1 with the deciding match in Hamilton on Sunday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni watched from the 22 yards distance as his heir apparent Rishabh Pant showed spunk in a tricky situation, guiding India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory against New Zealand in the second T20 International in Auckland on Friday.
The chase was set up by skipper Rohit Sharma (50 off 29 balls) in company of Shikhar Dhawan (30, 31 balls) with a 79-run stand after Krunal Pandya got three wickets to restrict the hosts to 158/8. With whirlwind fifty, Rohit also became the top run-getter in the format, surpassing Martin Guptill.
Dhoni, the original master finisher couldn’t have been happier as he saw Pant control what could have been a tricky 159-run chase chase with an unbeaten 40 off 28 balls. The series is now tied 1-1 with the decider in Hamilton on Sunday.
With the former India captain (20 no off 17 balls) playing the role of a mentor at the other end, the 44-run stand was very significant as Indian cricket slowly moves towards a change of guard in coming days.
Pant’s one-handed six off Tim Southee or the bowler’s back drive off Scott Kuggeleijn to finish off the match were reminiscent of Dhoni’s best days. He hit four boundaries and a six in all.

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The flicked six off Kuggeleijn over backward square leg was treat for the eyes but their dismissal along with Vijay Shankar’s did create a bit of unrest but Pant ensured that they didn’t press the panic button.
The innings would certainly help him make a strong case for being included in the World Cup squad.
Earlier, Krunal enhanced his already growing reputation as a steady short format bowler with three important breakthroughs as India restricted New Zealand to a below-par 158/8.
The parsimonious Krunal (3/28 in 4 overs) dismissed Colin Munro (12) and skipper Kane Williamson (20) to peg the Black Caps back early in the innings.
In between, Krunal also got the controversial wicket of Daryl Mitchell (1), who fell pray to an umpiring howler, when ‘Hotspot’ showed a clear inside edge onto the pads.
However, Colin de Grandhomme, who has played for KKR in the IPL, then counter-attacked, scoring a blistering 50 off 28 balls, adding 77 runs with Ross Taylor (42 off 36 balls) for the fifth wicket.
Once De Grandhomme was sent back to the dug-out by Hardik Pandya (1/36 in 4 overs) and Taylor was run-out, New Zealand’s chances of a big total went up in smoke.
It was a much-improved performance by the Indian bowlers with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/29 in 4 overs) removing Tim Seifert (12) in the very third over with a fuller delivery, inducing an inside edge to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.
However, it was Krunal, who really applied the brakes after being brought inside the Powerplay overs.
The elder Pandya quickly found the ideal length, bowling his usual wicket to wicket deliveries with a flatter trajectory.
Both Munro and Williamson got skidders. While the left-handed opener Munro hit one straight to the cover, Williamson was caught plumb in-front.
However, it was the dismissal of Mitchell that once again raised the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ debate even though it was a clear case of an umpiring howler by TV umpire Shaun Haig.
Krunal angled one into Mitchell, who got an inside edge onto the pads. The on-field umpire adjudged him leg before and he promptly asked for DRS.
As the giant screen showed that a faint edge could be detected by Hotspot, to everyone’s dismay, TV umpire Shaun Haig pressed the red button to signal out.
After that, it was left to India captain Rohit Sharma to call the player back but he didn’t do so.
At 50 for 4, it was De Grandhomme, who took charge as he attacked Yuzvendra Chahal (0/37 in 4 overs), hitting him for a couple of sixes.
When he was just about threatening to take the game away, De Grandhomme smacked one straight to covers in skipper Rohit’s hands.
India bowled 35 dot balls, which could well be decisive in the final context of the match.
Young Khaleel Ahmed (2/27) polished off two wickets in the end. He and Bhuvneshwar also bowled 18 dot balls between them.

[johnypowas]

India eye series-saving win over Australia in second T20I


With the series on the line, it remains to be seen if Dhawan is brought back into the side to open alongside Rohit Sharma or the team retains the opening combination which featured in Vizag
The focus remains firmly on the 50-over World Cup but India would also be desperate to ensure that a home series does not slip out of their grip when they take on Australia in the second and final T20 International here on Wednesday.
India are 0-1 down after an inexplicably poor batting performance led to a three-wicket loss in the opener in Visakhapatnam.
The below-par 126 with the bat on Sunday denied bowlers a decent shot at securing a win even though the Jasprit Bumrah-led attack did all it could to keep the home team in the game till the final over of the match.
India skipper Virat Kohli has already said that his squad composition for the World Cup in May-July is “more or less sorted” but has not ruled out rewarding standout performances over the course of two T20s and five ODIs.
Considering the captain’s current frame of mind, both KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are likely to feature in most of the games against Australia.
India rested opener Shikhar Dhawan to give game time to Rahul, who grabbed the opportunity with both hands by smashing 50 off 36 balls in his comeback game.
He had a disastrous Test tour of Australia before he and Hardik Pandya were provisionally suspended for their comments during a TV show.
The ban was later revoked though they still face an inquiry.
With the series on the line, it remains to be seen if Dhawan is brought back into the side to open alongside Rohit Sharma or the team retains the opening combination which featured in Vizag.
“Anything is possible now. We want to give game time to Rahul and Pant to figure out what we need to do in the World Cup,” Kohli said after the first T20.
While Bumrah showed his class after coming back from a break, the other pacer in Umesh Yadav leaked runs and was not able to defend 14 in the final over.
India could replace Umesh with Siddarth Kaul or bring in all-rounder Vijay Shankar to beef-up the batting department.
The hosts played with a long tail in Vizag and that impacted their final total following an inexplicable batting collapse from 69 for one in the ninth over.
Pant, a strong contender for a World Cup berth, will be itching to perform after getting out cheaply on Sunday, and so will be Dinesh Karthik, who is left with just one game to make a compelling contribution before the World Cup.
All eyes will once again also be on Mahendra Singh Dhoni the batsman who struggled to an unbeaten 29 off 37 balls as India managed 126 for seven in Vizag.
He was able to silence his critics with a solid showing in Australia and New Zealand but his rather slow innings on Sunday has got the tongues wagging again over his waning finishing abilities.
Debutant leg-spinner Mayank Markande (0/31 in four overs) did not pick up a wicket but bowled well according to Kohli. The 21-year-old might get another game.
Australia, on the other hand, will be fancying a rare series win against India in recent times, especially after losing the Test and ODI series at home to Kohli’s team.
They would be happy with their bowling on a slow surface in the first game but made a mess of the 127-run target after cruising at one stage.
Australia somehow got over the line but they know that India won’t be serving the series win on a platter and will come hard at them at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Captain Aaron Finch would love to be back among the runs and the team will be expecting another blinder from Glenn Maxwell, who hit 56 off 43 deliveries in Vizag.
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli ©, Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, M.S. Dhoni (wk), Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande.
Australia: Aaron Finch ©, D’Arcy Short, Pat Cummins, Alex Carey, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, 

[johnypowas]

BCCI names Pant, Rayudu as standbys in World Cup squad



Speedster Navdeep Saini also found a place in the list of three back-ups for the mega-event starting on May 30.
Young wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and veteran batsman Ambati Rayudu were on Wednesday named among the standbys in India’s squad for the World Cup, reigniting their dashed hopes of making the trip to the United Kingdom in case an injury setback hits the side.
Speedster Navdeep Saini also found a place in the list of three backups for the mega event that starts on May 30.
Pant and Rayudu’s exclusion from the squad of 15 created quite a stir on Monday. While Sunil Gavaskar called Pant’s omission surprising, the snub to Rayudu was questioned by Gautam Gambhir.
With the ICC (International Cricket Council) doing away with the practice of letting countries announce a probables’ list before the final squad, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) also has the option of including anyone apart from these three but it is unlikely to happen.
“Just like the ICC Champions Trophy, we have three standbys. Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu are the first and second standbys while Saini is the bowler in the list. So if anyone gets injured, as per requirement, one of the three will be going,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on Wednesday.
Rayudu took to Twitter to take a dig at his omission from the squad of 15 on Tuesday.
“Just Ordered a new set of 3d glasses to watch the world cup,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.
This was after chairman of selectors MSK Prasad justified preferring Vijay Shankar over Rayudu, citing the former’s “three-dimensional qualities”.
While Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan and Deepak Chahar will be travelling with the team purely as net bowlers, they can also be drafted in if the management feels so.
“Khaleel, Avesh and Deepak are not designated standbys. In case of bowlers, that possibility is there but when it comes purely to batsmen, it will be either Rishabh or Rayudu,” the official said.
In other developments, there will be no Yo-Yo Test for the World Cup-bound players as the IPL is going to end only on May 12, just a few days before India head to the U.K. India are scheduled to play their opening World Cup match on June 5 against South Africa in Southampton.
“The players are already in the middle of a gruelling T20 season. Once the IPL ends, they will need recovery time. It’s not like that there is a gap between two series and you are having a test. If you are tired, the results may vary,” the official explained.

[johnypowas]

2019 World Cup | England and New Zealand look to seize semi-final spot



Were England to lose in Chester-le-Street, Pakistan could leapfrog them into the top four with victory over Bangladesh.
England and New Zealand head into their final World Cup group match on Wednesday, each knowing that a win would see them into the semi-finals.
Even a defeat would not spell the end of either team’s chances of emerging as one of the top four from the 10-team round-robin phase.
Were England to lose in Chester-le-Street, Pakistan could leapfrog them into the top four with victory over Bangladesh.
Given that they play each other in their final pool match, only one of Bangladesh - who also still have to face India - or Pakistan can draw level with New Zealand in the event that New Zealand lose on Wednesday.

And, with both Asian teams well behind on net run-rate, it would take a big New Zealand loss allied to a commanding Pakistan victory or two Bangladesh wins by big margins, to deny the 2015 losing finalists a place in the last four.
But right now, England and New Zealand’s World Cup destiny is in their own hands.
England travel to the northeast buoyed by a 31-run win over an India side that were previously unbeaten.
Sunday’s success against India, the team that recently replaced England at the top of the one-day international rankings, came after back-to-back defeats by Sri Lanka and reigning champions Australia had led many pundits to question their tournament nerve and nous.
England batsmen find form
But the pleasing aspect for England, other than the result, was that the defeat of India was built on many of the factors that have been key to their ODI revival since a first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup.
Jonny Bairstow (111) and Jason Roy, who made 66 following his return from a hamstring injury, put on 160 for the first wicket before the in-form Ben Stokes hit 79, his third successive fifty, to boost the total to 337-7.
England, bidding to win their first World Cup, then kept things tight in the field, with Chris Woakes impressive and recalled paceman Liam Plunkett (3-55) once again taking wickets through the middle overs.
“Winning a game like this, under the pressure we were under, can only stand us in good stead, potentially for the New Zealand game and hopefully after that,” said Woakes.
“You don’t actually play much knockout cricket, so to put ourselves in the heat of the battle - obviously we’d rather have qualified by now - could potentially help us.”
NZ bank on pace
By contrast, New Zealand head into the match following successive losses to Pakistan and Australia that have taken the gloss off a promising campaign.
An attack led by left-arm quick Trent Boult, who took a hat-trick hero against Australia, and featuring the express pace of Lockie Ferguson is a testing proposition for any side.
New Zealand could now recall another paceman in Matt Henry at the expense of spinner Ish Sodhi, given the Riverside is not renowned for turning pitches.
But while several England batsmen have made hundreds at the World Cup, New Zealand appear dangerously over-reliant on captain Kane Williamson and fellow senior batsman Ross Taylor for runs.
Colin Munro was dropped for the Australia game, while fellow opener Martin Guptill has managed just 85 runs from six innings since his 73 not out against Sri Lanka.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham is averaging just 8.2 at this tournament.
“We’re still in charge of our destination and where we’re heading, and that’s always a nice thing to have,” said Craig McMillan, New Zealand’s batting coach.
“Obviously (Guptill and Latham) are short on runs but we’re excited by the fact that we haven’t quite clicked as a batting group yet.”

[johnypowas]

Rohit Sharma becomes leading run-getter in 2019 World Cup



With his 4th hundred in this World Cup, that came against Bangladesh, Rohit equalled Kumar Sangakkara’s record of scoring most tons in a World Cup edition
Indian opener Rohit Sharma on Tuesday surpassed David Warner (currently 516) to become the leading run-getter in the ongoing World Cup after scoring his fourth hundred of the tournament.
With his 26th ODI hundred, that came against Bangladesh, Rohit equalled Kumar Sangakkara’s record of scoring most tons in a World Cup edition.
The Sri Lankan great had slammed four centuries in the 2015 edition.
Rohit has amassed 544 runs so far in the tournament, while Warner’s tally stands at 516.

Rohit, who was dropped by Tamim Iqbal early in his innings, went on to make 104 off 92 balls including seven fours and five sixes.
On way to his back-to-back century, the 32-year-old also became the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to breach the 500-run barrier in a World Cup.
Tendulkar had amassed 500-plus runs in the 1996 and 2003 editions.
Overall, Rohit has now scored five World Cup hundreds with the first one coming in 2015.