Cricket: India Clean Sweep Zimbabwe 5-0, Complete Hattrick Of Tournament Wins!

First, the ICC Champions Trophy-2013 with Team India remaining unbeaten throughout, second being the Celkon Mobile Cup Triangular Series in West Indies where Team India fought back from the brink of elimination to win the title and now the bilateral five-match ODI Series in Zimbabwe with Team India white washing the hosts 5-0 most emphatically and convincingly and winning the second Celkon Mobile Cup within a month. The latest Indian sweep and the completion of a hattrick assumes some significance considering the fact it was almost a junior Team India that basically and later most effectively tested India’s bench strength. There is not much to write home about the hapless Zimbabwe team with the Indian media mostly discussing the utter lack of cricket funds in that country and the contrast between Indian and Zimbabwean cricketers in terms of money. In the absence of Indian captain MS Dhoni vice-captain Virat Kohli did a commendable job leading from the front and never failing to inspire the young players—particularly the bowlers. Amit Mishra—after almost two months of exile—came back strongly to capture 18 wickets in 5 matches and achieving a six-wicket haul in the last ODI played yesterday. Pervaz Rasool, spinner from the state of Jammu and Kashmir, could have become the first ever cricketer from the state to play for the Indian eleven, but he could not get a chance which attracted political comments. Skipper Kohli defended the decision saying that Rasool did not fit the team’s bowling plans and that he would soon get to play lot of cricket as he figures in India A team visiting South Africa in near future.

 

Ravindra Jadeja

New updates of the ICC ODI Rankings were announced last evening after the Indian sweep. Team India continues to dominate as the number one ODI team although just one point was gained after the latest triumph. More significantly, flourishing all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja became the number one ODI bowler with 38 wickets from the last 22 matches. He thus becomes the first Indian bowler to have this honor after Anil Kumble in 1996, and the fourth ever Indian bowler to do so.

Team India thoroughly deserves about two months rest after its triumphant return home. Australia is scheduled to visit India for seven one-day matches in October-November. Of course, in between there will be a Champions League T20 Tournament to be played in India in September where some IPL teams would be participating. Take a break from cricket for the moment! 

WI Tri-Series Cricket: India Win The Celkon Mobile Cup!

The Dhoni Assault!

The World Champions, the Champions of Champions Trophy India have added one more tournament win to their bag of achievements by defeating Sri Lanka in the final of the West Indies Tri-Nation ODI Cricket Series on Thursday and taking home the Celkon Mobile Cup. Captain Cool MS Dhoni who with a hamstring injury keeping him out of the Series came back to play this match only and in a low-scoring thriller hit Sri Lanka’s almost unplayable bowler of the match Eranga for 16 runs needed to win in four balls of the last over of the match. With 45 not out Dhoni became the worthy player of the match while seamer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar was adjudged the player of the Series. Just imagine Kumar was dropped or rested or whatever in a crucial match against Sri Lanka that put India almost out of the tournament. Anyway, the Champions came back from the brink of elimination, won two matches with bonus points and finally won the Cup.

The track was a tricky and treacherous one helping both seam and spin and also having uneven bounce. The ball often tended to keep low too. These factors probably influenced Dhoni to field first after winning the toss. Kumar delivered two vital blows eliminating the openers who tormented India with a double hundred partnership in a match earlier. But Sri Lanka came back into the match and at 171 for 2 in the 38^th over they were cruising. Maybe Dhoni’s decision to under bowl his three seamers made things a little easier for Sri Lanka.  However, thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s lethal spin (4 for 23) Sri Lanka uncharacteristically collapsed for 201 all out with their 8 wickets falling for just 30 runs. It seemed to an easy target for a powerful batting side.

India started uncharacteristically too with Dhawan and Rohit struggling for runs. Maybe the over defensive approach backfired with wickets falling. The painful proceedings continued as Karthick took 11 balls to get of the mark and still could not last long. Rohit labored on  in a determined way and his partnership with Raina--the fastest one of the innings--got India to 139 in the 32^nd over and at that point India looked to be cruising. Rohit completed his 17^thODI half century, but could not last long as one unplayable low or almost grassing ball from Herath (4 for 20 runs) bowled him. From 139/3 India were reduced to 167/8 in the 42^ndover and Sri Lanka stormed back into the match. Dhoni still refused to take quick singles obviously due to his injury and grimly kept his end going. Perhaps he planned a final assault on a Sri Lankan bowler he would finally face to settle the match that already seemed to be over for India. That happened in the last over with Eranga being the bowler. And India won by 1 wicket with just two balls to spare.
The Scorecard:

Celkon Tri-Series ‘Rain’ Cup: India In Final, West Indies Out!

This is incredible cricket mixed lethally with persistent rains. After the first round in Kingston the West Indies Tri-Series ODI Cricket Celkon Mobile Cup tournament was in a most intriguing stage with all the three teams having a chance to play in the final. India yet to open their account had the hardest chance having to win both remaining matches ideally with bonus points to stay alive and sail into the finals as the venue shifted to Port of Spain where the rain became a sort of the ‘fourth umpire’. The hosts, West Indies were sitting pretty with 9 points from two wins in the first round having just to stave off big defeats if not win. Incredibly enough, India did win both matches with bonus points and ensured their place in the final yesterday crushing Sri Lanka by 81 runs in a match reduced by rains to 26 overs and the D/L method setting a target of 178 for Sri Lanka. Thanks to Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s scintillating bowling (4 wickets for just 8 runs) Sri Lanka was shot out for only 96 yielding India the much wanted bonus point. West Indies lost both their matches in Round-2 with big margins and got edged out on better net run-rate of Sri Lanka. Therefore, it’s again India Vs Sri Lanka Final Tomorrow in Port of Spain and the buzz is that injured Indian captain MS Dhoni might as well play. 

The Scorecard:

The rains interfered in every match in Port of Spain and yet the chasing team suffered every time losing the match with big margins. Yet, the toss winning team kept on choosing to field first, so powerful might have been the uncertainty or fear of batting first on a damp or moist wicket with some green patches. Finally, all factors including a spirited performance, the rains and the D/L method helped India to get geared up for one more tournament win.

WI Tri-Series Cricket: Virat Ton Helps India Beat West Indies With A Bonus Point!

Virat In Full Flow

Team India kept its chances alive for a place in the final of the West Indies Tri-Nation ODI Cricket Series-2013 by crushing West Indies by 102 runs in the last league match between the two in Port of Spain, Trinidad yesterday. West Indies won the toss again and following the Kingston ‘trend’ elected to field first. But this time Team India was ready and did not bother about the ‘trend’ already demolished by Sri Lanka at their cost only the other day, though there were the usual scares and hiccups before stand-in captain Virat Kohli unleashed a breathtaking batting display. The opening duo Shikhar Dhawan (69) and Rohit Sharma (46) staged a rollicking partnership of 123 runs and after Dhawan was the first out wickets fell in regular intervals letting WI come back into the game with Indiaat 168/4. This was a crucial juncture as India had to win the game possibly with a bonus point to stay afloat.

Virat Kohli proved to be the inspiration behind a regrouped India as he led from the front. Starting cautiously Virat opened out with a brilliant array of effortless shot all around the ground and got out only in the last ball bowled notching up his 14^thODI century in just 81 balls. He made exactly 102 runs—exactly the margin of victory for Indiafinally. Team India finally set a mammoth target of 312 in fifty overs for the hosts amassing more than 80 runs in the last seven overs. 

Correcting the mistake made in the encounter with Sri Lanka Bhuvaneshwar Kumar was taken back to open the Indian attack and the seameer immediately justified his place by capturing 3 crucial wickets. West Indies started their batting shakily and just when they achieved a postion of relative strength at 56/2 a heavy downpour disrupted the proceedings. Duckworth and Lewis rules came into play thereafter setting a target of 274 runs in 39 overs for WI. The hosts suffered their usual habit of losing wickets in heaps maybe due to rain interruption or the D/L or an inspired Indian attack. They got all out for 171 in the 34^thover rewarding Indiawith a desperately needed bonus point. Although costly at first Umesh Yadav chipped in with 3 wickets too, and Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja evenly shared the others wickets to fall. 

The Scorecard:  

If Sri Lanka win their match against the hosts tomorrow they will have 9 points (10 with a bonus point) and will sail into the final provided they defeat Indiain the last league match on Tuesday. If they lose tomorrow Sri Lanka would still remain in contention on an Indian defeat and be eliminated otherwise. With 9 points WI will the top team to qualify on a victory over Sri Lanka and on a defeat all three teams will be in with a chance. A short tournament deadlocked in a big way! 

In a virtual final before the Final India with 5 points have to beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday, bonus point or not, to be in with a chance to qualify. Back with a vibrant team spirit and winning ways the ICC Champions Trophy winner Team Indiais set to be a huge challenge for Sri Lanka to overcome. 

West Indies Tri-Series Cricket: India On The Brink!

Sri Lanka on Tuesday achieved the unique feat of losing just one wicket to post a huge 300+ total while put into bat and India suffered one of its worst defeats in one-day cricket while chasing. Sri Lanka outplayed the ICC Champions Trophy-2013 winner in all departments of the game to win by whopping 161 runs in the third match of the West Indies Tri-Nation ODI Cricket Series being played in Jamaica and Trinidad. It was a rank bad day for India with nothing clicking for them including the changes done in the team. Shami Ahmed coming into the team out of nowhere and replacing Bhuvaneshwar Kumar—consistently the main strike bowler for India in recent matches—was a huge surprise as it was illogical. With captain MS Dhoni out of the Series due to injury selection of specialist opener Murali Vijay was another surprise because the hit Shikhar-Rohit opening duo could not at all be disturbed. As it turned out these changes in a crucial match like this contributed profusely for the Indian humiliation. For a change stand-in Captain Virat Kohli won the toss and easily succumbing to the Kingston ‘trend’ put Sri Lanka in.

Man of the Match Upul Tharanga

The Kingston ‘trend’ was set by the fact that the pitch normally remained damp helping the quickies and then easing out in the afternoon. In the first match West Indies won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to bat first. Sri Lanka got all out for 208 in less than fifty overs and West Indies won with tremendous ease in the 38^th over. In the second match too toss winning West Indies put India in and restricted them to 229/7 in fifty overs. But for a flash of West Indian harakiri tendency they would’ve won the match with tremendous ease again rather than the thrilling one wicket margin. What Kohli perhaps missed was the fact that in both matches the ‘trend’ helped only the West Indies quickies who are naturally enjoying the home advantage too. It took a spectacular batting display from Sri Lanka with Upul Tharanga (174 not out) in full flow to thoroughly demolish this myth. Opening with captain Mahela  Jayawardene (107)  Tharanga had a double century partnership and then a century partnership with Angelo Mathews (44) coming in to bat at No.3. The mammoth target of 249 was beyond India as they huffed and puffed to 187 all out. The best fielding side in the Champions Trophy got totally disoriented on the field this time with various lapses crowning their defeat.

Now for a berth in the final India must win its both remaining matches and yet hope West Indies defeat Sri Lanka. Assuming India win next two matches, a Sri Lanka victory over West Indies would still allow both Sri Lanka and West Indies go into the final thanks to one bonus point earned by each. It is highly optimistic at this moment to hope India earn two bonus points too which would increase their chances in case Sri Lanka defeat West Indies but fail to earn a bonus point.

Points Table As Of Now

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
West Indies	2	2	0	0	0	9	+0.765	439/85.3	437/100.0
Sri Lanka	2	1	1	0	0	5	+1.051	556/100.0	396/87.5
India	2	0	2	0	0	0	-1.758	416/100.0	578/97.4

India meet West Indies tomorrow in a do or die encounter as the action shifts from Kingston, Jamaica to Port of Spain, Trinidad. Fortunately there will be no ‘trend’ or ‘myths’ to haunt Virat Kohli this time and the toss might be relatively less significant.