Few gave them any chance of mixing it with the big boys when they arrived in South Africa, but in two successive days, India, all of one game old in this format when they arrived for the ICC World Twenty20, have put it across two teams with the most experience at this version. If yesterday's win against England was built around an awesome batting display, today's was a result of significant performances in all aspects - the batting recovery from 33 for 3 was remarkable, the bowling was fiery, if sometimes erratic, while the fielding was simply sensational.
Almost the entire team played a part, but the most significant contribution came from a 20-year-old making his international debut. Rohit Sharma was a revelation. He has been spoken of highly in domestic circles, but to come out for the first time on an international stage and play with the poise and composure he did was quite remarkable. It shows he possesses an excellent temperament and isn't fazed by the big stage, qualities that are as important for an international cricketer as skill.
The skill aspect shone through as well. The conditions at Kingsmead meant this wasn't a normal Twenty20 knock: a batsman coming in at No. 5 in this format would usually be expected to be on fourth gear from the start, but with India at 33 for 3 and the ball seaming around, it was essential that the batsmen rethought their strategy. Rohit was smart enough to do that.
Add his outstanding fielding, and India seem to have found a long-term middle-order batsman who should eventually make a mark in all forms of the game
Of his first 14 balls, he only scored four runs, and was often hurried by the sheer pace of Morne Morkel - who consistently bowled at around 142 to 145 kph - and Johan van der Wath. However, the bowler-friendly conditions also demonstrated that he has the technique to cut it at this level: the stance is upright and relaxed, he doesn't commit onto the front foot too early - a quality that should help him on bouncy tracks - and he defends with a straight bat and close to his body.
In his first 20 minutes at the crease, there was evidence that he had the ability to make the grade in the longer version, but with the ball zipping around, could he transform defence into the kind of strokeplay that would give India a fighting chance in this game? The next 45 minutes answered that too, and quite emphatically.
His first two fours weren't entirely convincing, but then he played three strokes of sheer class: Albie Morkel pitched it on a good length just outside off, and Rohit leaned forward, rode the bounce, and square-drove it past backward point. Soon after that, Makhaya Ntini was elegantly flicked away, the ball bisecting quite perfectly the fielders at fine leg and square leg. Next up, when Ntini pitched it up outside off, Rohit eased into a classical cover-drive, again placing it just right. The pace of the pitch had been a problem earlier, but now that he had gauged it, the runs flowed far more freely, with his favourite shot being the cut over point, a stroke he executed more than once with flourish. Add his outstanding fielding, and India seem to have found a long-term middle-order batsman who should eventually make a mark in all forms of the game.
RP Singh impressed again with a lively spell of swing bowling With Mahendra Singh Dhoni getting into his stride too, it ensured India had a competitive total in the end, but few would have expected such an intense and high-quality performance in the field. If Pakistan had outdone Australia in the field earlier in the tournament, India did the same to South Africa today. While the South Africans missed a couple of sitters and fumbled in the field, the Indians were dervishes. Dinesh Karthik's sensational catch to dismiss Graeme Smith, and Rohit's Jonty Rhodes-like dive to run out the dangerous Justin Kemp were obviously the highlights, but there were other less noticeable moments too, when the fielders attacked the ball, picked it up cleanly, and threw quickly, and reasonably accurately.
Among the bowlers, RP Singh, with the ability to move the ball both ways and get disconcerting bounce, showed once again just how much he has developed over the last six months. Four for 13 in four overs were outstanding returns, and they didn't flatter the way he bowled. Sreesanth, when he got his direction right, was a handful, while Irfan Pathan showed once again that he has got back his rhythm and swing.
The one aspect that was a black mark on an otherwise impeccable performance was the indiscipline in bowling: the Indians gave away 15 runs in wides, and bowled 11 extra deliveries. Their excellence in other areas - and South Africa's uncanny ability to play at their worst at the big stages - allowed them to get away with it, but on Saturday against Australia such profligacy might not go unpunished.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Twenty20world cup update
India's high-octane show spurs it to semis
Rudra Pratap Singh extended a tradition of an Indian left-arm fastmedium bowler making a stunning impact in a big game at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground as Team India came up with a high-octane performance for the second night running to breeze into a semifinal date with Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 with a superb – run victory over South Africa.
For the second night running, India was able to channelise its emotions and etch a stunning victory as it raced to the top of Group E and pushed the home side out of the tournament, carrying New Zealand into the semifinals after a triple tie. There was an enormous display of self-belief as India readied itself for a clash with Australia on Saturday.
From a dismal 61 for four in the 11th over, India finished with a fighting 153 for five in 20 overs. It rallied through an 85-run partnership between a creative Rohit Sharma (50 not out, 40 balls, seven fours, two sixes) and a steady Mahendra Singh Dhoni (45, 33 balls, four four, one six). It still left the team with a much work to do when defending the score.
Led by RP Singh, the bowlers and fielders did a terrific job of that. If RP Singh finished with four for 13 in four overs, Sreesanth and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh grabbed two wickets each while Irfan Pathan was at his economical best and Joginder Sharma filled his role as the fourth seamer adequately.
Four years ago, Ashish Nehra had demolished England in an ICC World Cup game here with a fine exhibition of swing bowling at Kingsmead. He had finished with figures of six for 23 in his 10 overs. Tonight, it was 21-year-old RP Singh's turn to leave his imprint on the ground as he finished with four for 13 in his four overs.
India turned out some attacking fielding in support of the bowlers. It almost as if they were paying a tribute to the side's best fielder, Yuvraj Singh who was out of the game with a sore elbow. Karthik's catch at second slip to dismiss Graeme Smith was a stunner, flying to his left to get both his hands to the ball that was screaming past him.
Not long after, Rohit Sharma's fielding skills came to the fore. And it fetched him the man of the match award. Mark Boucher played RP Singh to the off side and set off for a single. The young Indian charged from his position on the 30-yard circle at cover, swooped on the ball and flicked it on to the stumps, catching the dangerous Justin Kemp short of his crease.
South Africa lost its way under the pressure that India mounted on it. And it was a pity that Shaun Pollock's efforts with the new ball earlier in the day went waste.He does not need much more to inspire him than a new white ball, a lively pitch and lights at his home turf, the Kingsmead Cricket Ground. The Indian cricketers have known this for a while but were served a reminder in a four-over spell.
Rohit Sharma, batting for the first time in the tournament, led India's quest for a moderate score that would give its bowlers a chance to stop South Africa. He overcame nerves to play some aggressive and innovative strokes and shared a battling stand with Dhoni (44, 33 balls, four fours, one six).
Seeking a win over the formidable home side to make the semifinal grade, India suffered a reverse even before a ball was bowled when its vice-captain Yuvraj Singh pulled out of the game with a sore left elbow. With a top finisher missing from the ranks, Dhoni held himself back to the No. 6 slot and was able to haul India back on rails to finish with 153 for five in 20 overs
Rudra Pratap Singh extended a tradition of an Indian left-arm fastmedium bowler making a stunning impact in a big game at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground as Team India came up with a high-octane performance for the second night running to breeze into a semifinal date with Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 with a superb – run victory over South Africa.
For the second night running, India was able to channelise its emotions and etch a stunning victory as it raced to the top of Group E and pushed the home side out of the tournament, carrying New Zealand into the semifinals after a triple tie. There was an enormous display of self-belief as India readied itself for a clash with Australia on Saturday.
From a dismal 61 for four in the 11th over, India finished with a fighting 153 for five in 20 overs. It rallied through an 85-run partnership between a creative Rohit Sharma (50 not out, 40 balls, seven fours, two sixes) and a steady Mahendra Singh Dhoni (45, 33 balls, four four, one six). It still left the team with a much work to do when defending the score.
Led by RP Singh, the bowlers and fielders did a terrific job of that. If RP Singh finished with four for 13 in four overs, Sreesanth and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh grabbed two wickets each while Irfan Pathan was at his economical best and Joginder Sharma filled his role as the fourth seamer adequately.
Four years ago, Ashish Nehra had demolished England in an ICC World Cup game here with a fine exhibition of swing bowling at Kingsmead. He had finished with figures of six for 23 in his 10 overs. Tonight, it was 21-year-old RP Singh's turn to leave his imprint on the ground as he finished with four for 13 in his four overs.
India turned out some attacking fielding in support of the bowlers. It almost as if they were paying a tribute to the side's best fielder, Yuvraj Singh who was out of the game with a sore elbow. Karthik's catch at second slip to dismiss Graeme Smith was a stunner, flying to his left to get both his hands to the ball that was screaming past him.
Not long after, Rohit Sharma's fielding skills came to the fore. And it fetched him the man of the match award. Mark Boucher played RP Singh to the off side and set off for a single. The young Indian charged from his position on the 30-yard circle at cover, swooped on the ball and flicked it on to the stumps, catching the dangerous Justin Kemp short of his crease.
South Africa lost its way under the pressure that India mounted on it. And it was a pity that Shaun Pollock's efforts with the new ball earlier in the day went waste.He does not need much more to inspire him than a new white ball, a lively pitch and lights at his home turf, the Kingsmead Cricket Ground. The Indian cricketers have known this for a while but were served a reminder in a four-over spell.
Rohit Sharma, batting for the first time in the tournament, led India's quest for a moderate score that would give its bowlers a chance to stop South Africa. He overcame nerves to play some aggressive and innovative strokes and shared a battling stand with Dhoni (44, 33 balls, four fours, one six).
Seeking a win over the formidable home side to make the semifinal grade, India suffered a reverse even before a ball was bowled when its vice-captain Yuvraj Singh pulled out of the game with a sore left elbow. With a top finisher missing from the ranks, Dhoni held himself back to the No. 6 slot and was able to haul India back on rails to finish with 153 for five in 20 overs
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Sri lanka beat Bangladesh by 64 run
Sri Lanka kept their ICC World Twenty20 hopes alive with a convincing 64-run win over Bangladesh at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. And while Chaminda Vaas may have stood out on the bowling front, it was once again the unheralded Jehan Mubarak who featured with the bat when Bangladesh won the toss and chose to field first. After his impressive 46 off 13 balls against Kenya in the group stages, newcomer Mubarak commented that he wasn't usually considered a big hitter.
But a quickfire 31 not out off 19 balls saw the lanky former national swimming champion once again playing a starring role for the Sri Lankans. In fact, coming in at number seven with his team seriously in trouble, Mubarak's knock in a 51-run partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan (21 not out off 16) ended up being the highest of the innings and one which gave the Sri Lankans the edge over a determined Bangladesh side eager to cause another upset.
It had been a shaky innings for the World Cup finalists before Mubarak and Dilshan got to the middle. Having scored consecutive fifties in earlier matches of the tournament, Sanath Jayasuriya failed with the bat for the second match in a row, this time going in the first over (caught by Mahmudullah Riyad off the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza) without scoring.
Upul Tharanga made 23, Kumar Sangakkara 20 and captain Mahela Jayawardena 30 but the momentum was never there and some impressive bowling from the Bangladesh side saw the Sri Lankans restricted to 147-5 in their 20 overs.The wickets were shared around five of the Bangladesh bowlers, with Riyad finishing with the best figures of 1-19 off his four overs.
A target of 148 seemed to be a modest one for Bangladesh to reach but Chaminda Vaas and Randi Dilhara Fernando set to work preventing that from happening. Vaas struck first, trapping Nazim Uddin LBW in the first over for 0 and Fernando soon followed, dismissing the other opener, Tamim Iqbal (caught Malinga for 3). Like the Sri Lankans a little earlier in the evening, Bangladesh struggled to get going from there on in with wickets falling at regular intervals as the required run rate shot up into double figures and beyond. And they eventually collapsed to 83 all out by the 16th over (Aftab Ahmed and Shakib Al Hasan finishing as the top scorers with a paltry 18 runs each), handing
Sri Lanka the 64-run win.
But a quickfire 31 not out off 19 balls saw the lanky former national swimming champion once again playing a starring role for the Sri Lankans. In fact, coming in at number seven with his team seriously in trouble, Mubarak's knock in a 51-run partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan (21 not out off 16) ended up being the highest of the innings and one which gave the Sri Lankans the edge over a determined Bangladesh side eager to cause another upset.
It had been a shaky innings for the World Cup finalists before Mubarak and Dilshan got to the middle. Having scored consecutive fifties in earlier matches of the tournament, Sanath Jayasuriya failed with the bat for the second match in a row, this time going in the first over (caught by Mahmudullah Riyad off the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza) without scoring.
Upul Tharanga made 23, Kumar Sangakkara 20 and captain Mahela Jayawardena 30 but the momentum was never there and some impressive bowling from the Bangladesh side saw the Sri Lankans restricted to 147-5 in their 20 overs.The wickets were shared around five of the Bangladesh bowlers, with Riyad finishing with the best figures of 1-19 off his four overs.
A target of 148 seemed to be a modest one for Bangladesh to reach but Chaminda Vaas and Randi Dilhara Fernando set to work preventing that from happening. Vaas struck first, trapping Nazim Uddin LBW in the first over for 0 and Fernando soon followed, dismissing the other opener, Tamim Iqbal (caught Malinga for 3). Like the Sri Lankans a little earlier in the evening, Bangladesh struggled to get going from there on in with wickets falling at regular intervals as the required run rate shot up into double figures and beyond. And they eventually collapsed to 83 all out by the 16th over (Aftab Ahmed and Shakib Al Hasan finishing as the top scorers with a paltry 18 runs each), handing
Sri Lanka the 64-run win.
Pakistan win by six wicket
Australia
Adam Gilchrist (wk), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (capt), Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Brad Hodge, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken.
Pakistan
Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Younus Khan, Shoaib Malik (capt), Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Asif.
Once again it was a crucial middle-order partnership that went a long way to earning Pakistan their second win of the super eight stage of the ICC World Twenty20 as they defeated Australia by six wickets in Johannesburg.
And once again, an impressive all-round effort from the Pakistan bowlers proved to be another decisive factor in the victory, which has put them on the verge of a semifinal spot in the tournament.
Having won the toss, Pakistan elected to field first and struck early when new kid on the block Sohail Tanvir dismissed Matthew Hayden in the second over for 1 (caught by Younus Khan). Sohail went on to claim two more crucial wickets – those of Adam Gilchrist (for 24) and Michael Hussey (for 37) in a spell that would certainly have elicited a smile on the face of the selectors.
Hussey and Brad Hodge had put together a partnership of 50 off 30 balls in the middle of the innings to steady things for the Australians but some tight bowling from Pakistan saw the mighty Aussies scoring only 14 runs from the final three overs to finish on a rather disappointing total of 164-7.
At a ground that has produced the highest totals of the tournament so far, that was always going to look a little low but Stuart Clark got the Australians in it right from the start, claiming three wickets in his first two overs. He first dismissed Imran Nazir (caught Mitchell Johnson) for 10 and Mohammad Hafeez (caught Michael Clarke) for 15 before removing the danger man from Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka on Monday, Younus Khan (caught by Brett Lee) for 4.With the Pakistan side struggling on 35 for three by the sixth over, Johnson did further damage by trapping Salman Butt LBW for 11.
So, with their top order a thing of the past, captain Shoaib Malik and Misbah Ul-Haq set about restoring the innings for Pakistan. And that they did in style, both reaching over 50 runs while notching up a partnership of 119 (off 78 deliveries), a fifth wicket partnership record in Twenty20 internationals.
As light rain sifted down on what has otherwise been a consistently sunny Wanderers, the onslaught continued and much to the clearly pro-Pakistan supporters’ delight, the duo reached their target of 165 off a wide ball from Andrew Symonds with five balls to spare. Malik finished on 52 (off 38
balls) not out while man of the match Ul-Haq was unbeaten on 66 (off 42).
Adam Gilchrist (wk), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (capt), Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Brad Hodge, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken.
Pakistan
Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Younus Khan, Shoaib Malik (capt), Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Asif.
Once again it was a crucial middle-order partnership that went a long way to earning Pakistan their second win of the super eight stage of the ICC World Twenty20 as they defeated Australia by six wickets in Johannesburg.
And once again, an impressive all-round effort from the Pakistan bowlers proved to be another decisive factor in the victory, which has put them on the verge of a semifinal spot in the tournament.
Having won the toss, Pakistan elected to field first and struck early when new kid on the block Sohail Tanvir dismissed Matthew Hayden in the second over for 1 (caught by Younus Khan). Sohail went on to claim two more crucial wickets – those of Adam Gilchrist (for 24) and Michael Hussey (for 37) in a spell that would certainly have elicited a smile on the face of the selectors.
Hussey and Brad Hodge had put together a partnership of 50 off 30 balls in the middle of the innings to steady things for the Australians but some tight bowling from Pakistan saw the mighty Aussies scoring only 14 runs from the final three overs to finish on a rather disappointing total of 164-7.
At a ground that has produced the highest totals of the tournament so far, that was always going to look a little low but Stuart Clark got the Australians in it right from the start, claiming three wickets in his first two overs. He first dismissed Imran Nazir (caught Mitchell Johnson) for 10 and Mohammad Hafeez (caught Michael Clarke) for 15 before removing the danger man from Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka on Monday, Younus Khan (caught by Brett Lee) for 4.With the Pakistan side struggling on 35 for three by the sixth over, Johnson did further damage by trapping Salman Butt LBW for 11.
So, with their top order a thing of the past, captain Shoaib Malik and Misbah Ul-Haq set about restoring the innings for Pakistan. And that they did in style, both reaching over 50 runs while notching up a partnership of 119 (off 78 deliveries), a fifth wicket partnership record in Twenty20 internationals.
As light rain sifted down on what has otherwise been a consistently sunny Wanderers, the onslaught continued and much to the clearly pro-Pakistan supporters’ delight, the duo reached their target of 165 off a wide ball from Andrew Symonds with five balls to spare. Malik finished on 52 (off 38
balls) not out while man of the match Ul-Haq was unbeaten on 66 (off 42).
Sunday, September 16, 2007
First hat-trick in twenty 20 world cup
Brett Lee claimed the first-ever hat-trick in T20 cricket as Australia dominated the tame Bangladesh batsmen in their ICC World Twenty20 Super 8 clash at the Newlands cricket ground on Sunday.
Lee dismissed Shakib al Hasan (caught behind), Mashrafe Mortaza (bowled) and Alok Kapali (leg before the wicket) in his third over to put Australia on top. Lee's previous best in this format of the game was one for 26 against New Zealand in 2004/05.
The pace spearhead ended up with three for 27 runs in his four overs as Bangladesh limped to 123 for eight in 20 overs.. In fact, twice Lee claimed wickets off free-hits which were not counted as the previous deliveries were no balls.
Lee was superbly supported by Nathan Bracken, who claimed two wickets for 14 runs in his three overs. In fact, bowling the last over of the Bangladesh innings, Bracken too was on a hat-trick!
From one extreme to the other, Bangladesh batters are sure to exasperate their supporters. While they went ballistic in their game against South Africa on Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon saw them so stubbornly preserving their wickets against Australia that they forgot that they were allowed just 20 overs to bat.Crowds flocking the Newlands cricket ground on Sunday hoping to see yet another exciting – never mind if it's suicidal at times – Bangladesh batting display were in for a disappointment.
So hell bent were the Bangladeshis on preserving the wickets in this match that they completely forget their natural game. They batted slower than they would in a normal ODI. Aftab Ahmed, who was a raging bull against South Africa the other evening, scored 31 off 34 balls with just two fours on Sunday. Tamim Iqbal scored 32, but those came off 40 balls and didn't do too much for his side.
Balance between offense and defense is the key in Twenty20, something which the inexperienced Bangladeshis have not yet learnt. Either they are Mad Max or strokeless wonders. Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided to bowl, but he didn't have to worry too much. Thanks to the strange Bangladesh attitude, none of his bowlers went for big runs. Mitchell Johnson gave away 28 runs for one wicket in his four overs, and he was the most expensive among the seamers.
Stuart Clark gave away just 13 runs in his four overs and picked up one wicket.Michael Clark's puppy left-arm spin went for 28 runs in three overs when they should have been worth much more. Clarke even had a wicket against his name.
Lee dismissed Shakib al Hasan (caught behind), Mashrafe Mortaza (bowled) and Alok Kapali (leg before the wicket) in his third over to put Australia on top. Lee's previous best in this format of the game was one for 26 against New Zealand in 2004/05.
The pace spearhead ended up with three for 27 runs in his four overs as Bangladesh limped to 123 for eight in 20 overs.. In fact, twice Lee claimed wickets off free-hits which were not counted as the previous deliveries were no balls.
Lee was superbly supported by Nathan Bracken, who claimed two wickets for 14 runs in his three overs. In fact, bowling the last over of the Bangladesh innings, Bracken too was on a hat-trick!
From one extreme to the other, Bangladesh batters are sure to exasperate their supporters. While they went ballistic in their game against South Africa on Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon saw them so stubbornly preserving their wickets against Australia that they forgot that they were allowed just 20 overs to bat.Crowds flocking the Newlands cricket ground on Sunday hoping to see yet another exciting – never mind if it's suicidal at times – Bangladesh batting display were in for a disappointment.
So hell bent were the Bangladeshis on preserving the wickets in this match that they completely forget their natural game. They batted slower than they would in a normal ODI. Aftab Ahmed, who was a raging bull against South Africa the other evening, scored 31 off 34 balls with just two fours on Sunday. Tamim Iqbal scored 32, but those came off 40 balls and didn't do too much for his side.
Balance between offense and defense is the key in Twenty20, something which the inexperienced Bangladeshis have not yet learnt. Either they are Mad Max or strokeless wonders. Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided to bowl, but he didn't have to worry too much. Thanks to the strange Bangladesh attitude, none of his bowlers went for big runs. Mitchell Johnson gave away 28 runs for one wicket in his four overs, and he was the most expensive among the seamers.
Stuart Clark gave away just 13 runs in his four overs and picked up one wicket.Michael Clark's puppy left-arm spin went for 28 runs in three overs when they should have been worth much more. Clarke even had a wicket against his name.
New Zealand clinch thriller by 10 runs
Another sunny day, and another cracking match at the Wanderers. India and New Zealand made sure the Super Eight stage of the ICC World Twenty20 got off to a thrilling start with a match that went right down to the wire in Johannesburg. In a match that really could have gone either way, it was the New Zealanders who emerged victorious, winning by 10 runs.
Having won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat, India struck early when they sent Lou Vincent packing with only 11 runs on the board.But a solid 45 off 31 balls from fellow opener Brendon McCullum meant the New Zealanders got back on track. He notched up a 50-run partnership with Peter Fulton and another vital 50-run partnership further down the order between Craig McMillan and Jacob Oram saw the Black Caps reaching a significantly improved total of 190 (compared with their disappointing 164 against Sri Lanka on Saturday), their last wicket falling off the final ball of the innings.
In fact, some impressive fielding from the Indians saw New Zealand losing captain Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, McMillan and Jeetan Patel (three of them run out) in the final over, which could otherwise have seen them eclipsing the 200-run mark.Harbhajan Singh was particularly impressive on the bowling front, conceding just 24 runs off his four overs and taking the vital wickets of McCullum (caught by Gambhir) and Fulton (LBW).
India then got off to a great start, putting on 76 runs before Virendar Sehwag was caught by Scott Styris off Oram for 40. His replacement Robin Uthappa went the very next over without scoring but Gambhir stuck it out, reaching his 50 before succumbing to Vettori for 51. At this stage, on 104-3 in the 11th over, it seemed India were in control but the wickets fell with increasing regularity after that. Vettori was in particularly devastating form as his side staged a determined fight-back, eventually finishing with figures of 4-20 off his four overs.
Set with a target of 33 off the final two overs and with just two wickets in hand, the numerous Indian fans in the stadium endured a nerve-wracking few minutes.Singh tried to speed things up with a big one but sent it straight up and eventually into the hands of Vettori, meaning the Indians needed 23 off the final over, which was bowled by Mark Gillespie, with just one wicket in hand.But the target proved just out of reach for the Indians, who eventually went down by 10 runs.
Earlier, Opener Brendon McCullum gave the initial thrust to his team - scoring a quickfire 45 from just 31 balls, until Harbhajan Singh put the brakes on New Zealand's quick scoring. India will chase a daunting task of scoring 191 – it will be the second most succesful chase of the tournament, if it happens. The best chase was by South Africa in the first match against the West Indies.
A late flourish from Oram (35) and McMillan (44) ensured New Zealand compiled a challenging total of 190 – eventually bowled out. RP Singh (2/29) and Harbhajan (2/24) were India’s best bowlers.
Jacob Oram's cameo innings included three sixes and two fours – he scored 35 runs from just 15 balls. New Zealand were in totters at 91/5 when the tall left-handed all-rounder came to the crease. Oram and McMillan put on a stand out partnership of 73 runs.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss in Johannesburg and elected to field first in the all important crunch game against New Zealand. The Subcontinent have retained the same XI which participated in the thriller against Paksitan.
Daniel Vettori and his team made just one change to the lineup - Off spinner Jeetan Patel replaced fast bowler Chris Martin.
India team
V Sehwag, G Gambhir, RV Uthappa, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, KD Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, IK Pathan, AB Agarkar, S Sreesanth, RP Singh
New Zealand team
BB McCullum, L Vincent, PG Fulton, RL Taylor, SB Styris, JDP Oram, CD McMillan, DL Vettori, SE Bond, MR Gillespie, JS Patel
Having won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat, India struck early when they sent Lou Vincent packing with only 11 runs on the board.But a solid 45 off 31 balls from fellow opener Brendon McCullum meant the New Zealanders got back on track. He notched up a 50-run partnership with Peter Fulton and another vital 50-run partnership further down the order between Craig McMillan and Jacob Oram saw the Black Caps reaching a significantly improved total of 190 (compared with their disappointing 164 against Sri Lanka on Saturday), their last wicket falling off the final ball of the innings.
In fact, some impressive fielding from the Indians saw New Zealand losing captain Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, McMillan and Jeetan Patel (three of them run out) in the final over, which could otherwise have seen them eclipsing the 200-run mark.Harbhajan Singh was particularly impressive on the bowling front, conceding just 24 runs off his four overs and taking the vital wickets of McCullum (caught by Gambhir) and Fulton (LBW).
India then got off to a great start, putting on 76 runs before Virendar Sehwag was caught by Scott Styris off Oram for 40. His replacement Robin Uthappa went the very next over without scoring but Gambhir stuck it out, reaching his 50 before succumbing to Vettori for 51. At this stage, on 104-3 in the 11th over, it seemed India were in control but the wickets fell with increasing regularity after that. Vettori was in particularly devastating form as his side staged a determined fight-back, eventually finishing with figures of 4-20 off his four overs.
Set with a target of 33 off the final two overs and with just two wickets in hand, the numerous Indian fans in the stadium endured a nerve-wracking few minutes.Singh tried to speed things up with a big one but sent it straight up and eventually into the hands of Vettori, meaning the Indians needed 23 off the final over, which was bowled by Mark Gillespie, with just one wicket in hand.But the target proved just out of reach for the Indians, who eventually went down by 10 runs.
Earlier, Opener Brendon McCullum gave the initial thrust to his team - scoring a quickfire 45 from just 31 balls, until Harbhajan Singh put the brakes on New Zealand's quick scoring. India will chase a daunting task of scoring 191 – it will be the second most succesful chase of the tournament, if it happens. The best chase was by South Africa in the first match against the West Indies.
A late flourish from Oram (35) and McMillan (44) ensured New Zealand compiled a challenging total of 190 – eventually bowled out. RP Singh (2/29) and Harbhajan (2/24) were India’s best bowlers.
Jacob Oram's cameo innings included three sixes and two fours – he scored 35 runs from just 15 balls. New Zealand were in totters at 91/5 when the tall left-handed all-rounder came to the crease. Oram and McMillan put on a stand out partnership of 73 runs.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss in Johannesburg and elected to field first in the all important crunch game against New Zealand. The Subcontinent have retained the same XI which participated in the thriller against Paksitan.
Daniel Vettori and his team made just one change to the lineup - Off spinner Jeetan Patel replaced fast bowler Chris Martin.
India team
V Sehwag, G Gambhir, RV Uthappa, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, KD Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, IK Pathan, AB Agarkar, S Sreesanth, RP Singh
New Zealand team
BB McCullum, L Vincent, PG Fulton, RL Taylor, SB Styris, JDP Oram, CD McMillan, DL Vettori, SE Bond, MR Gillespie, JS Patel
Thursday, September 13, 2007
India-Pakistan ready to battle
A new Asian derby featuring India and Pakistan will unfold at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban on Friday night when the teams square up in their maiden Twenty20 contest at the ICC World Twenty20. Despite the brevity of the contest, both sides are expected to be as intense and competitive and delight the packed crowd and TV audiences.
The match should only be of academic interest but then no India-Pakistan game can ever be of mere academic interest. It is about pressure and the ability to cope with that. Most of the 22 men who will take the field at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground on Friday will have much experience of dealing with this special pressure and may handle this challenge well.
With not much history of Twenty20 to fall back upon, it would be tough to stick one's neck out and back either side to win the inaugural contest. Typically of the teams, there is much talent in their ranks and it will boil down to which set of players cope with pressure well. In a short format, there is precious little room for error. "Of course, there is pressure," said Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. "Whenever we are playing India, there is added pressure since it is a huge game. We don't want to lose any game, irrespective of who we are playing, be it India, Scotland or Australia. We just want to give off our 100 per cent and not lose any game in any format.
"We made some mistakes in the game against Scotland and we cannot afford to commit the same mistakes a second time," Malik said. "I am satisfied with the way we bowled. We made some mistakes with our fielding but I must say we got lucky to make 171 against Scotland. We will sit together and evolve a good plan for the match against India."
India's young side does not have as much time to think about Friday's match with Pakistan since it is due to play on Thursday. "We will start looking at the game against Pakistan only after we complete the opening match with Scotland," India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "It would be foolish to dismiss Scotland as a no-hoper. Every team has a chance in Twenty20."
There have been some suggestions that this match will make up for the contest that didn't materialise at the ICC World Cup in the West Indies when Bangladesh and Ireland scripted upset victories and took up India and Pakistan's places in the Super Eights.
Dhoni and Malik have been at pains to tell anyone who cares to listen that the World Cup is water under the bridge. "We will all be better off if we forget what happened at the ICC World Cup 2007 and focus on the game on hand," Dhoni said.
Allrounder Shahid Afridi smiled when he was reminded that India had beaten Pakistan in all their World Cup encounters. "But this is the Twenty20 World Cup and anything can happen," he said. "No team can be taken lightly in this format. Our morale is high after securing a win in the opening match and the boys are all keen to secure a win in the huge game against India."
The teams:
Pakistan (from): Shoaib Malik (captain), Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Mohammed Hafeez, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Abdur Rehman, Fawad Alam and Sohail Tanvir.
India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Joginder Sharma and S Sreesanth.
The match should only be of academic interest but then no India-Pakistan game can ever be of mere academic interest. It is about pressure and the ability to cope with that. Most of the 22 men who will take the field at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground on Friday will have much experience of dealing with this special pressure and may handle this challenge well.
With not much history of Twenty20 to fall back upon, it would be tough to stick one's neck out and back either side to win the inaugural contest. Typically of the teams, there is much talent in their ranks and it will boil down to which set of players cope with pressure well. In a short format, there is precious little room for error. "Of course, there is pressure," said Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. "Whenever we are playing India, there is added pressure since it is a huge game. We don't want to lose any game, irrespective of who we are playing, be it India, Scotland or Australia. We just want to give off our 100 per cent and not lose any game in any format.
"We made some mistakes in the game against Scotland and we cannot afford to commit the same mistakes a second time," Malik said. "I am satisfied with the way we bowled. We made some mistakes with our fielding but I must say we got lucky to make 171 against Scotland. We will sit together and evolve a good plan for the match against India."
India's young side does not have as much time to think about Friday's match with Pakistan since it is due to play on Thursday. "We will start looking at the game against Pakistan only after we complete the opening match with Scotland," India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "It would be foolish to dismiss Scotland as a no-hoper. Every team has a chance in Twenty20."
There have been some suggestions that this match will make up for the contest that didn't materialise at the ICC World Cup in the West Indies when Bangladesh and Ireland scripted upset victories and took up India and Pakistan's places in the Super Eights.
Dhoni and Malik have been at pains to tell anyone who cares to listen that the World Cup is water under the bridge. "We will all be better off if we forget what happened at the ICC World Cup 2007 and focus on the game on hand," Dhoni said.
Allrounder Shahid Afridi smiled when he was reminded that India had beaten Pakistan in all their World Cup encounters. "But this is the Twenty20 World Cup and anything can happen," he said. "No team can be taken lightly in this format. Our morale is high after securing a win in the opening match and the boys are all keen to secure a win in the huge game against India."
The teams:
Pakistan (from): Shoaib Malik (captain), Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Mohammed Hafeez, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Abdur Rehman, Fawad Alam and Sohail Tanvir.
India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Joginder Sharma and S Sreesanth.
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