India vs Ireland, 2nd T20I: India thrash Ireland by 143 runs for biggest T20I win

Agencies
June 30, 2018

Dublin, Jun 30: A ruthless India demolished Ireland by 143 runs to clinch the series 2-0 as spinners yet again tormented the hosts after authoritative batting show by the visiting batsmen in the second and final Twenty20 International, here on Friday.

India posted a massive 213 for four after being asked to take the first strike and then bundled out the hosts for a mere 70 in 12.3 overs.

It was India's biggest victory margin (by runs) as they improved on the 93-run win over Sri Lanka at Cuttack in 2017. It was also the joint second-highest margin (by runs) in T20Is with Pakistan 143-run win over West Indies in Karachi earlier this year, and second to 172 runs by Sri Lanka against Kenya in 2007.

It was also the lowest total against India in T20I cricket, with Ireland sinking lower than England's 80 at Colombo in 2012.

Ireland never got off the blocks. Unlike in the previous game, they couldn't comprehend the raw pace of Umesh Yadav (2/19) and Siddarth Kaul (1/4).

India's new pace duo reduced the opposition to 22-3 within the 4th over, with Umesh removing Ireland's experienced pairing of Paul Stirling (0) and William Porterfield (14) in successive overs.

Half-centurion from the previous game, James Shannon (2) became Kaul's maiden international wicket. Yuzvendra Chahal (3/21) and Kuldeep Yadav (3/16) routed Ireland again as the hosts crashed to a massive defeat.

Earlier, continuing their tune-up for the England tour, KL Rahul and Suresh Rainastruck attacking half-centuries. Barring the odd hiccup, it was another dominant display from the Indian batsmen as Rahul (70) and Raina (69) bossed the Irish bowling to put on 106 runs off 57 balls for the second wicket.

This was after the hosts won the toss and opted to field once again. They made one change, and brought in the experienced William Porterfield. Keeping the England T20I series in mind, India made four rotations changes.

Siddarth Kaul made his T20I debut while Umesh Yadav, Dinesh Karthik and Rahul were included in the playing eleven. Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and MS Dhoni were rested.

While the changes were all like-for-like, India opted for permutations in their batting order. Skipper Virat Kohli (9), out for a duck in the first game, opened the innings with Rahul. Again though, he fell cheaply, out caught off a skier at fine leg as George Dockrell held on impressively.

Rahul then took centre-stage and smacked the Irish bowling to all parts of the ground.

Overall, he hit three fours and four long sixes during his 36-ball stay, replicating his purple-rich form from the 2018 Indian Premier League season.

He brought up his 4th T20I half-century off 28 balls and then accelerated further thereafter as India crossed the 100-mark in the 10th over and looked comfortably set for another 200-plus total.

However, just as he was approaching his century, he played a habitual false stroke and was dismissed.

Kevin O'Brien (3-40) was the partnership breaker for Ireland, striking off his first delivery in the 13th over, accepting a simple return catch. It became a double-blow as Rohit Sharma (0) was caught at backward point two balls later, a shot that can be described lazy at best.

It deprived Dinesh Karthik of an opportunity to bat, but more importantly, the dual wickets also sucked out momentum off the Indian innings. Raina though countered with some attacking strokes and brought up his 5th T20I half-century off 34 balls.

Overall, he hit five fours and three sixes and lifted India in the latter half of the innings, adding 41 runs with Manish Pandey (21* off 20 balls) for the fourth wicket.

He fell to O'Brien too, becoming his third wicket on the day as India were placed at 169-4 in the 18th over.

Hardik Pandya (32*) had other plans though, and he played a 9-ball blitzkrieg knock, which included four towering sixes at the small Malahide Cricket Club ground.

Thanks to his efforts, wherein O'Brien's final over of the Indian innings was taken for 21 runs, India managed to surpass their total from Wednesday.

Chasing another tall order, Ireland knew they needed a stable start to have any chance of fronting up to the Indian spinners. But with an untidy start, they were never in the hunt.

Chahal struck as soon as he was introduced in the 6th over, bowling Andrew Balbirnie (9). He picked up two more wickets while Kuldeep at the other end proved to be equally lethal. Pandya also picked up 1-20 in his two overs.

If Ireland were hoping to make a step forward from the previous game, this turned out to be two steps back as their last seven wickets fell for just 40 runs in the space of 39 balls.

Ireland needed someone to bat out time and avoid a humiliating defeat, but Gary Wilson's top score of 15 runs told a futile tale. None of the Irish batsmen could cross the 20-run mark, while only four of them made it to double figures in what was a completely hapless showing.

Meanwhile, India rounded up their preparations in fine style for sterner tests ahead.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Jan 10: Australian cricketer Shane Warne’s prized 'baggy green' cap raised more than A$1 million ($686,000) on Friday for bushfire relief efforts after the former leg-spinner donated it for auction.

Twenty-seven people have been killed and thousands made homeless in recent months as huge fires scorched through more than 25.5 million acres of land, an area the size of South Korea.

The baggy green is presented to Australian players when they make their Test debut and they receive just one for their entire career. The Aussie cricketer donated the cap to an online auction site on Monday. The auction closed at 10 a.m. on Friday (2300 GMT Thursday) with a final public bid of A$1,007,500.

"Unbelievable … so generous from everyone. Totally blown away," Warne said on Twitter shortly before the auction closed.

The auction attracted global interest and the price eclipsed the A$425,000 achieved by the late Don Bradman's baggy green when it was sold in 2003.

"We have been overwhelmed and it is a fantastic result," Marc Cheah, head of marketing for auctioneers Pickles, said.

"Other baggy greens have been auctioned and Don Bradman’s got $425,000 about 15 years ago, but the Don is the Don. He’s the greatest cricketer that ever lived," Cheah said in relation to the widely held recognition Bradman was the best batsman the game has produced.

"But Shane is also right up there and that drove a lot of traffic and momentum, while the cause is also very worthwhile."

Warne, 50, is one of many local and international athletes to support the fundraising for bushfire victims with several cricketers promising to donate a sum based on the number of sixes they hit in Australia’s Big Bash Twenty20 competition.

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Agencies
May 26,2020

Some of the ICC guidelines on resumption of cricket border on the impractical and will need a review when the cricketing world is closer to action, feel former players Aakash Chopra, Irfan Pathan and Monty Panesar.

Last week, the International Cricket Council recommended a host of "back to cricket" guidelines including 14-day pre-match isolation training camps to ensure the teams are free from COVID-19.

The world body issued training as well as playing guidelines which will drastically change the way the game is played.

Among them are regular hand sanitising when in contact with the ball, no loo or shower breaks while training, minimising time spent in the changing room before and after a game, no use of saliva on ball and no handing over of personal items (cap, sunglasses, towels) to fellow teammates or the on-field umpires.

"Social distancing is very doable in individual sport but very tough in a team sport like cricket and football. If you need a slip during the game, would you not employ it?

"If the team is going through a 14-day quarantine and is being tested for COVID-19, I am fine with that process. Now, after that, if we have more guidelines for the players during the game, then you are making things complicated. Then there is no point of a quarantine period," former India pacer Pathan told PTI.

Safety cannot be compromised but regularly sanitising hands during the game will be too much to ask from the players.

"Safety is paramount but we should not make the game complicated. If a bowler or fielder has to sanitise hands every time he touches the ball, then it would be very difficult.

"You can shorten the process of giving the ball to the bowler. Instead of the usual chain (wicket-keeper to cover fielder to bowler), the keeper can straight away give the ball to the bowler but even then the bowler will have to sanitise hands six times in an over," said Pathan seeking more clarity on the guidelines.

Former India opener Chopra said it is still pre-mature to prepare a fixed set of guidelines for resumption of cricket as the situation is evolving "every day".

"That (regular hand sanitisation after contact with ball) is obviously impractical but my big question is when the game happens in a bio secure environment and everyone is quarantined and tested, do these additional measures make a difference?

"On the field, I can still understand but what happens when you go back into the dressing room? How do you practice social distancing there? So it becomes quite complicated.

"To be honest it is all very premature. Once they get closer to resumption, which will take some time, there will be more clarity," said Chopra.

International cricket is likely to resume in July with England hosting West Indies and then Pakistan.

Bundesliga football league has already begun in Germany behind closed doors and by the time cricket resumes, more sporting competitions would have restarted and Chopra feels that will help cricket decide the way forward in post COVID-19 times.

"By the time cricket resumes, more football would have started after Bundesliga. Cricket can take lessons from there, collect data and ideas and see what is practical and what is not."

Former England spinner Panesar foresees the start of the England-West Indies series making things a lot clearer for the entire fraternity than they are at the moment.

"The 14 day quarantine is very much needed and well done to the ICC for including that. I think we will see resumption of international cricket with England hosting West Indies in July. We might have some practical ideas then, the other countries would also be watching keenly and will learn how to go about it.

"But measures like regular hand sanitising is not going to be practical. May be you could sanitise every one hour but it can't be regular during the game," said Panesar.

While Pathan feels the on-field safety measures will make managing over-rate a bigger challenge for teams, Chopra said no loo or shower breaks during training won't be that much of an issue.

"Training is still controllable. You don't have to be there for a long time but you would still have to use the restroom at some stage. You may avoid taking a shower but you will have to use the restroom.

"I think the idea of these guidelines is to make cricketers more aware that you have to take care of yourself and inculcate habits which are in everyone's interest in the current scenario," added Chopra.

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News Network
July 26,2020

Chennai, Jul 26: Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand suffered his fifth straight defeat in the USD 150,000 Legends of Chess online tournament, going down 2-3 to Peter Leko of Hungry.

The former world champion got off to a good start and won the first game of the best-of-four contest. The next two games were drawn before Leko levelled by winning the fourth.

The Hungarian then claimed the Armageddon (a tie-breaker) to ensure Anand remain winless and at the bottom of the points table.

Anand, who is making his maiden appearance on the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, had earlier lost to Peter Svidler, Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik and Anish Giri.

World no. 1 Carlsen bounced back strongly to avoid an upset, beating veteran Vasyl Ivanchuk 3-2 to stay on top.

Legends of Chess is a unique event where Carlsen, Liren, Nepomniachtchi and Giri, semifinalists at the Chessable Masters (part of the Magnus Carlsen Tour), received an automatic invite and are up against six legends aged 40-52, who have been at the top of world chess at various points in their career.

The tournament is part of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. The winner of this event will qualify for the USD 300,000 Grand Final scheduled from August 9 to 20.

Results of Round 5: Peter Leko beat Viswanathan Anand 3-2; Magnus Carlsen beat Vasyl Ivanchuk 3-2: Vladmir Kramnik beat Ding Liren 2.5-1.5; Anish Giri beat Boris Gelfand 2.5-1.5; Ian Nepominiachtchi beat Peter Svidler 3-1. 

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