1. Home
  2. India extend domination with 9-wicket win in rain-marred tie

India extend domination with 9-wicket win in rain-marred tie

Agencies
October 8, 2017

New Delhi: Rain almost ruined the effort of Indian bowlers before letting up just in time to allow the hosts an easy nine-wicket win by D/L method in the first T20I of the five-match series in Ranchi on Saturday.

Clouds opened up when India had crippled Australia, leaving them at 118/8 in the 18.4 overs. But the rain gods showed mercy five minutes before cut-off time to allow India chase a re-worked target of 48 in 6 overs.

India achieved the mark in the last over of their shortened innings in an exciting finish, where they needed six runs to win in six balls. But captain Virat Kohli (22* off 14) didn't allow Australia to take it to the last ball, finishing in style with a boundary off Dan Christian.

Shikhar Dhawan remained unbeaten on 12. Rohit Sharma (11) was the only wicket India lost. He was bowled by Australia's lone wicket-taker Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Earlier, led by Kuldeep Yadav's 2/16 and Jasprit Bumrah's toe-crushing spell of 2/17, India reduced the visitors from 76/3 in 9.5 overs to 114/8 in 18.1.

Barring Aaron Finch's 42 in 30 balls, none of the Australian batsmen could get the measure of either the pitch or the Indian bowlers after Kohli opted to bowl due to overcast conditions.

India welcomed left-handed opener Dhawan back into the eleven, while replacing Axar Patel - who played the fifth ODI - with chinaman spinner Yadav. Dhawan took Rahane's place.

Australia received a blow ahead of the series opener when their regular skipper Steve Smith was ruled out for the rest of the tour with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by David Warner as skipper.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India the perfect start when, after being hit for two consecutive boundaries, he castled Warner (8) who chopped an outswinger onto his stumps.

Finch and a scratchy Glenn Maxwell then added 47 runs for the second wicket. That partnership was ended by the introduction of Chahal, who dismissed the dangerous Australia allrounder for the fourth time on this tour.

Maxwell (17 off 16) hit a rank short ball straight into the hands of Bumrah at short mid-wicket, bringing a wry smile on Chahal's face.

Finch was then joined by Travis Head but the two could take the score only to 76 in the 10th over when Yadav outfoxed Finch with a straight delivery that beat the opener's bat to rattle the stumps.

The innings was then reduced to a procession of batsmen as Moises Henriques (8) and Head (9) fell within the space of two runs.

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine showed some spark hitting a six and a four in his 16-ball 17 but didn't have an answer to death-over specialist Bumrah, who cleaned him up and followed that by Coulter-Nile's (1) wicket.

The two wickets also made him the second highest Indian wicket-taker in T20Is, after off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

In all, six of the eight Australian batsmen were bowled.

Bhuvneshwar, Hardik Pandya and Chahal took a wicket each and Australia had Adam Zampa (4*) and Andrew Tye (0*) at the crease when the umpires signalled for the covers to be brought on.

The second T20I will be played on Oct 10 in Guwahati.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
August 4,2020

New Delhi, Aug 4: Former India women's team captain Anjum Chopra firmly believes that the BCCI has a plan for women's cricket but she wants the Board to communicate its ideas more specifically.

Speaking to news agency, Chopra, who is now a successful broadcaster, said the BCCI is thinking in earnest about the progress of women's cricket.

"It's not that the BCCI is not thinking about women's cricket. I only think they need to be more specific in communication about women's cricket," Chopra said.

"I firmly believe that they must be thinking about women's cricket but the communication all this while has been very specific to men's cricket."

The latest trigger for criticism of BCCI was India's withdrawal from a tour of England in September owing to logistical issues arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chopra concedes it was "not nice" but Indian players' participation in the women's IPL, in November, will still be useful preparation for next year's ODI World Cup.

"It is heartening to see women's cricket making headlines. They should have been a part of that England tour and it did not feel nice initially but the women's IPL, irrespective of the format, will be helpful for World Cup preparations. Any form of cricket is good preparation," Chopra said.

"Missing out on a tournament is not nice, but logistically there may have been issues. And you can't send an under-prepared team."

"If you see in isolation we may have missed out on an opportunity to play in England. The more the girls play the better it is, before playing a tournament of the stature of World Cup. The assurance from the president is a very good thing."

Chopra welcomed the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI's decision to hold the women's event in the UAE alongside the IPL, which will run from September 19 to November 10. The women's IPL will coincide with the business end of the men's league.

"I am definitely happy, it's always nice to be part of any cricket anywhere across the world.

"They should have been nearing the final stages of the preparation for the World Cup by now, but because of the pandemic things did not go as planned," she added.

Chopra had a successful international career spanning over 17 years, during which she represented India in a record six World Cups and became the first woman cricketer to appear in 100 One-day Internationals.

She also felt that the pandemic would not have much impact on the women's game that has gained momentum in recent times.

"...Cricket was on pause button...Once cricket resumes and players are back on the park, everything is going to get picked up. It might take some time to get started as everything starts from zero...

"The awareness the women's game has created, I hope it stays. They will just restart, not start after the pandemic."

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 1,2020

Melbourne, May 1: Reclaiming the top spot in Test cricket has brought smiles back on their faces but Australia coach Justin Langer says beating India in their own den remains the ultimate test and their numero uno status will be put to test when they clash with the Virat Kohli-led team.

After a tumultuous transition phase post the ball-tampering scandal, Australia on Friday displaced India as number one side in Test format but Langer is aware that it does not take long for the situation to change.

"We recognise how fluid these rankings are, but at this time it was certainly nice to put a smile on our faces," Langer told Cricket Australia website. "We've got lots of work to do to get to be the team that we want to be, but hopefully over the last couple of years not only have we performed well on the field, but also off the field," Langer added.

The former left-handed opener underlined what he felt will be the ultimate test of character.

"Certainly a goal for us has been the World Test Championship ... but ultimately, we have to beat India in India and we've got to beat them when they come back (to Australia).

"You can only judge yourself as being the best if you beat the best and we've got some really tough opposition to come," Langer put his priorities in place. The team he insists needs to get better as now others will come gunning for them.

"Getting to No.1 is a great thing, but when you're No.1, you're always the hunted," Langer said. "We've been the hunters for a while, now we're the hunted and we need to get better and better."

Langer also hoped that white ball team under Aaron Finch will win the World Cup. "I know how hard it is to win World Cups ... everything has to go right. One day, I'd love to see Aaron Finch with all his mates lift that T20 World Cup above his head."

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 15,2020

New Delhi, May 15: Former England skipper David Gower feels Sourav Ganguly has the right "political skills" to lead the ICC one day and he has already displayed that as BCCI president, which is a "far tougher job".

The elegant left-hander is very impressed with Ganguly's leadership abilities and believes that he has what it takes to head the global body in the future.

"One thing I have learnt over the years is that if you are going to run BCCI, you need to be many, many things. Having a reputation like he (Ganguly) has is a very good start, but you need to be a very deft politician.

"You need to have control of a million different things," Gower said ahead of "Q20", a unique chat show for the fans presented by 'GloFans'.

Gower reckons being president of the BCCI is the toughest job imaginable in world cricket.

"And of course, you need to be responsible for a game that is followed by, I mean, should we say a billion people here in India," he said.

"We all know about the immense following for cricket in India. So it is indeed a wonderful thing to behold. Sourav has the toughest task imaginable in charge of BCCI, but so far I would say the signs are very good.

"He has listened, given his own opinion and has pulled strings gently," he said.

Political skills are a must in administration and that's where Gower finds his fellow left-hander ticking all the boxes.

"He is a very, very good man and has those political skills. He has the right attitude and can keep things together and will do good job. And if you do a good job as BCCI chief in the future, who knows?

"But I would actually say the more important job, to be honest, is running BCCI. Being head of ICC is an honour, there is a lot that can be done by ICC, but actually look at the rankings, look at where the power is heading up. BCCI is definitely the bigger job," he said.

On the cricketing front, Gower believes World Test Championship has given the format much-needed context.

"The idea of this World Test Championship has come about for one very simple reason that people are worried about the survival of Tests. Back in the seventies, eighties, I don't think we needed context to be fair.

"Test cricket was very much more obviously the most important format and if there was anything to be judged by, it was the performances in Test matches both as an individual and as a team.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.