3rd ODI: India Outclass West Indies To Take 2-0 Unassailable Lead In Series

Agencies
July 1, 2017

North Sound (Antigua), Jul 1: Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the bowlers fashioned India's 93-run win over a lacklustre West Indies in the third ODI, giving the visitors an unassailable lead in the five-match series here.

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India overcame a bad start to post 251 for four on a slowish surface, largely due to the efforts of Dhoni (78 no off 79), Kedar Jadhav (40 no off 26) and Ajinkya Rahane (72 off 112).

The Indian bowlers then proved too good for the inexperienced West Indies' batting line-up, dismissing the hosts for 158 in 38.1 overs.

Hardik Pandya (2/32) used the short ball effectively while chinaman Kuldeep Yadav (3/41) was impressive again, foxing the opposition with his wrong ones. Offie Ravichandran Ashwin (3/28), on a comeback trail after injury, troubled the batsmen with his accuracy.

India now lead the series 2-0 after the series opener was washed out. The fourth ODI will also take place at the Sir Vivian Richards here on Sunday.

The West Indies had a good opportunity to prove their mettle after a decent effort with the ball. However, the batting let them down again as it found the going tough against both pacers and spinners.

Umesh Yadav (1/32) swung the ball beautifully in his opening spell. It took him just two balls to strike as he bowled left-hander Evin Lewis with a fast inswinger.

Hope brothers, Shai (24) and debutant Kyle (19), then added 45 runs for the second wicket before falling to the short-pitch tactics of Pandya.

With five down for 87 in the 20th over, it looked all but over for the home team.

The consolation for the West Indies was the 54-run stand for the sixth wicket between Rovman Powell (30) and Jason Mohammed (40). But the remaining slim hopes were dashed with Kuldeep getting Powell caught at deep midwicket off a wrong one.

Earlier, Indian batsmen found the run-scoring tough before Rahane and Dhoni took India past the 250-run mark. Jadhav too played his part well while batting alongside Dhoni as India amassed 100 off the last 60 balls.

It was not a surprise that West Indies captain Jason Holder chose to put the opposition in to bat after overnight rain left moisture in the pitch, also delaying the match start by 45 minutes.

The wicket offered spongy bounce early on and its slowness made batting difficult. The heavy rain last night also made the outfield slow.

The conditions led to India feeling the heat for the first time in the series with the in-form Shikhar Dhawan (2) and skipper Virat Kohli (11) back in hut by the 10th over, leaving the visitors at 34 for two.

Dhawan was caught while trying to guide a short ball off Miguel Cummins over the third man boundary.

Kohli was out to a brilliant catch by debutant Kyle Hope at gully after the premier batsman poked at a Holder delivery that rose off the pitch sharply.

Last match's centurion Rahane then resurrected the innings alongside Yuvraj Singh (39 off 55) as the duo shared a 66-run stand.

However, with the odd ball stopping on the batsmen, run scoring did not get any easier as the innings progressed.

When Yuvraj fell lbw to leggie Devendra Bishoo (1/38) after a successful review, India were 100 for three in 26.2 overs.

What followed was a 70-run stand between Rahane and Dhoni.

Rahane, playing in place of the rested Rohit Sharma, continued from where he left off at Port of Spain.

Strokemaking was tough but the Mumbai batsman still found a way to score his 18th ODI half century, and his third 50-plus score in as many games.

His innings comprised just four boundaries, showing it was all hard work out in the middle.

Dhoni took the innings forward after Rahane perished to a spectacular running catch from Bishoo in the deep, making it 170 for four in 42.2 overs.

The onus was on Dhoni to provide the final flourish and he did that in his trademark style .

He completed his 63rd ODI half century with a single.

The former India captain had hit only three fours until then but need of the hour was the big hits from his bat.

He finally cut loose in the 47th over, smashing Holder for consecutive sixes, one over the bowler's head and the other over square leg after picking it from outside off.

Jadhav too supported him well in the death overs, smashing four boundaries and a six.

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Agencies
June 7,2020

Mumbai, Jun 7: The Mumbai airport became home for a 23-year-old Ghanaian footballer for 74 days after he got stranded there due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown that led to cancellation of flights.

The ordeal of Randy Juan Muller reminded people of Tom Hank's character in the Hollywood film "The Terminal", and it ended after Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, reached out to help him.

Muller has now shifted to a local hotel and is waiting for airlines to resume operations so that he can fly home.

The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) also provided him all help, including food, and allowed him to use the airport WiFi network to make calls, an official said.

Muller, a Ghana national who used to play for a club in Kerala, was scheduled to fly home by Kenya Airways flight when the lockdown was announced and he found himself stranded at the Mumbai airport.

"He would spend his time at the airport's fancy artificial gardens and somehow buy food from stalls and pass his time with the airport staff. Muller told me the airport staff was very helpful," Yuva Sena office-bearer Rahul Kanal said.

A security officer at the airport gave him mobile phone to call his family back home.

A Twitter user brought Muller's plight to the notice of Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray following which Kanal reached out to the footballer and helped him move into a hotel.

On Saturday, Muller thanked Thackeray and Kanal for their help.

"Thank you Aaditya Thackeray, Rahul Kanal. Thank you very very so much. I appreciate what you have done. Salute," he said.

Kanal in a tweet said when he met Muller at the airport, the latter cried with happiness.

"Have no words to salute his willpower and fight for survival in such circumstances at this age," Kanal said.

An official at the Mumbai International Airport Ltd said the footballer was provided all help.

"All personnel at the airport, including from MIAL and CISF, gave him every possible help during his stay at the airport. Besides food, he was also allowed to use the airport WiFi network to make calls. Airport staff would recharge his phone at their own expense," the official said.

The 2004 film "Terminal" of Steven Spielberg was about a man stranded at a US airport after being denied entry into the country and a military coup back home.

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Agencies
August 1,2020

Colombo, Aug 1: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his interest in playing the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), scheduled to start from August 28.

Pathan is among 70 foreign players to have shown interest in playing the LPL, ESPNcricinfo reported.

It is believed that Pathan has taken permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take part in the competition. 

BCCI doesn't allow active players to participate in other T20 leagues but Pathan announced his retirement in January this year.

Former swashbuckling all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also played in a foreign league last year. He played for Maratha Arabians in the T10 League in Abu Dhabi.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Pathan will now be put in a player draft unless one of the five franchises choose him to be a marquee player. The details of the draft, and the franchise owners, are yet to be finalised and announced. 

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is also waiting on some government clearances even as it decides on franchise owners. The five franchises will represent Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna.

On Monday, SLC Executive Committee granted approval for the tournament.

"The 23 match League will be played on the four international venues of R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium. Five teams named after the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna will participate in the League," SLC said in a statement on Monday.

Sri Lanka has controlled the spread of COVID-19 better than many other cricket-playing nations.

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Agencies
January 16,2020

New Delhi, Jan 16: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Thursday dropped from the BCCI's list of centrally contracted players, raising fresh doubts on the future of the former India captain who has not played since the World Cup semifinal loss to New Zealand last year.

The BCCI announced the central contracts for the period of October 2019 to September 2020. Dhoni was in the A category, which fetches a player Rs 5 crore, until last year.

Skipper Virat Kohli, his deputy Rohit Sharma and top pacer Jasprit Bumrah were retained in the highest A+ bracket of Rs 7 crore.

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