ChinmayC Blog

Glenn Maxwell Australia showed today the difference between a top professional side and a disillusioned listless disgruntled side. Australia were in a similar situation put into bat first in the final of the Carlton Mid Triangular Cricket tournament played in Australia today like India were in the virtual semifinal against England on 30 th January. While India starting well engineered the first batting collapse to be reduced 136/5 Australia starting shakily were reduced to 60/4 in the 18 th over. While India managing another batting collapse with the tail not wagging enough could give just 200 runs as the target Australia not only recovered from that crisis but succeeded in setting an imposing target of 279 runs for England thanks to their middle order batsmen and the great tail. That target proved to be a match winning one as Australian bowlers responded with spirit and England just crumbled. It is also to be observed that all matches prior to the final had been won by the side cha...

England have entered the final of Carlton Mid Triangular Cricket Series played in Australia beating a listless India by 3 wickets with 19 balls to spare in the 4 th ODI of the Series in Perth today. England now face unbeaten Australia in the Final to be played in same city on Sunday, the 1 st of February 2015. For a change a better performance by Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan (38) and a half century by Ajinkya Rahane (73) gave India a good start and with Virat Kohli coming at No.3 for the first time in this Series India looked to be in a sound position to push for a formidable total. But, the ‘Calypso’ collapses that seem to have become a part of Team India reduced the team to 136 for 5 from 102 for 1 and then 165 for 9. Mohammed Shami, the last man standing, hit a lusty 25 to make India reach 200 at least; else India would have done exactly the same as they did last time against England. This is despite the presence of two confirmed all-rounders in the team. The famed batting line-u...

If Team India is proven third time lucky tomorrow then they will definitely play Australia in the Carlton Mid Tri-Series Cricket Final on 1 st February 2015. India got what they wanted on 23 rd January when Australia defeated a resurgent England overcoming a huge 300+ target with three wickets in hand and just a ball to spare. India proved lucky again on India’s Republic Day, 26 th January, when they got hold of two precious points through the backdoor as their crucial match against undefeated Australia got washed out due to persistent rains. India did not look to be in a sound position to hope vanquishing a dangerous Australia in that match. Now, with these two points, India just needs to defeat England who have 5 points from the match against India including a bonus point straight and simple without bothering about bonus points or run rate pressures. Their two injured players, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma, have come back into the team and this could be crucial in the Perth en...

Defending World Cricket Champions India supposedly embarked into the Carlton Tri-Series played in Australia with an overwhelming concern for the bowling department and perhaps finding a solution before the ICC World Cup-2015 begins in Australia and New Zealand. But in the very first two matches against Australia and England respectively India had all the concerns possible for its batting only. In the Melbourne ODI against Australia Indian batsmen failed to capitalize on the Rohit Sharma ton and fell short of another at least 20 runs to hope to put some pressure on the strong home side. In the Brisbane ODI today India recorded its lowest ever all-out ODI total against England and crashed to a humiliating defeat in a horribly one-sided match. On both occasions the Indian tail did not wag at all maybe to welcome MS Dhoni back into captaincy.   Rather than writing a report about these one day encounters it will be much better to just note down the questions… and questions emerging out...

Australia The Deserving Winners of Border-Gavaskar Trophy Overcoming a mini batting collapse in the middle India have clung on to saving the fourth and final Test match against Australia in Sydney today and have finally settled for a nail-biting draw. In the first Test in Adelaide India were 2 down needing 159 runs for victory at Tea with Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay at the crease. From there they crashed to a 48 run defeat while not giving up the chase. It was similar in Sydney today as India were 160 for 2 at the Tea interval again with Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli at the crease needing another 189 runs for victory. Rahane Holds Firm India looked to be sitting pretty at Tea in Sydney today for a safe draw while not going for the chase outright since the morning session. At that moment draw was the most likely result and an Australian win was least expected. However, with a superior bowling attack and a never-say-die attitude Australia triggered a mini Indian collapse from 160/2 to 2...