Lionel Messi injury absence threatens Argentina World Cup hopes

October 13, 2016

Oct 13: Lionel Messi, having reversed his decision to quit international football with a view to playing at another World Cup, could miss out on Russia 2018 if Argentina continue their downward spiral.

messi

Argentina played poorly in their last three qualifiers without the injured Messi and languish in fifth place in the South American group with Paraguay and Chile hot on their tails.

Only four countries are guaranteed a place at the finals.

Midfield general Javier Mascherano was under no illusions when he said: “It’s clear the team need to react, and it’s not their attitude — there’s plenty of that — but in terms of their game.”

Unable to compensate for Messi’s absence despite a pool of players with big reputations in European club football, Argentina were jeered and whistled by their fans after Tuesday’s humiliating 1-0 home defeat by Paraguay in Cordoba.

It is the first time Argentina have lost two home matches in a qualifying campaign, having also started on the wrong foot with a 2-0 defeat by Ecuador in Buenos Aires a year ago.

“We lost (on Tuesday) because the team never found answers in either of the two matches,” said Mascherano, referring to both the Paraguay defeat and last week’s 2-2 draw with Peru in Lima.

“The (poor) football ends up affecting your state of mind. I’m very worried.”

Argentina face a tough double-header next month, playing away to a fast-improving Brazil, who lead the group after a run of four wins, before hosting Colombia. And they will need their talisman if they are to stop the rot.

Argentina have picked up more points in the three qualifiers that Messi played — all wins — than in the other seven.

They have 16 points, five behind Brazil, four adrift of Uruguay and one short of Ecuador and Colombia with eight matches to go.

‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ AGUERO

Paraguay are one point behind and Chile two, in a tight group of seven teams vying for the four qualifying places for the Russia finals and the fifth-place playoff berth currently occupied by Argentina.

Sergio Aguero, in good form for Manchester City, embodies Argentina’s malaise, missing a penalty that would have levelled the score and apparently uncomfortable in a withdrawn attacking role behind Gonzalo Higuain.

However, coach Edgardo Bauza, who inherited the team from Gerardo Martino and started out with a 1-0 home win over Uruguay in Messi’s last qualifier on Sept. 1, said he had faith in his players.

“This squad has shown me they have a lot of desire. We must keep working within the squad we have (and) see which players are in the best shape,” Bauza said.

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Agencies
March 15,2020

Chennai, Mar 15: Wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni has left the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) training camp following the postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) amidst the coronavirus scare.

The former India skipper had joined the CSK's camp earlier this month in order to practice for the upcoming IPL season.

CSK's official handle tweeted a video of Dhoni and captioned the post as: "It has become your home sir!" Keep whistling, as #Thala Dhoni bids a short adieu to #AnbuDen".

Thirty-eight-year-old Dhoni has been currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.

Dhoni had to face criticism for his slow batting approach during India's matches in the tournament.

Earlier this year, Dhoni did not find a place for himself in the BCCI's centrally contracted players list.

BCCI had released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

On Friday, BCCI decided to postpone the IPL until April 15 as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday, all the IPL franchises met in Mumbai to discuss as to how to go on with the tournament in the future.

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News Network
February 12,2020

Mount Maunganui, Feb 12: India captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday berated his bowlers for their mediocre performance as he tried to explain the team's first ODI series whitewash in over three decades, saying that the visitors lacked composure all through.

The five-wicket defeat here meant that India lost the series 0-3 to an injury-plagued New Zealand that had been deflated by a 0-5 whitewash of its own in the T20 format just last week. It was India's first whitewash in 31 years in an ODI series in which all matches have been played.

"The games were not as bad as the scoreline suggests. It boils down to those chances that we didn't grab. I don't think it was not enough to win games in international cricket," Kohli said in the post-match presentation.

"With the ball, we were not able to make breakthroughs, we were not at all good on the field. We haven't played so badly but when you don't grab those chances, you don't deserve to win," he added.

"Batsmen coming back from tough situations was a positive sign for us, but the way we fielded and bowled, the composure wasn't enough to win games," he asserted.

The ineffectiveness of Indian bowlers can be gauged from the fact that the team's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah finished the series without a wicket and the attack couldn't dismiss the complete rival line-up even once.

Kohli lauded New Zealand for bouncing back after the T20 hammering.

"New Zealand played with lot more intensity. We didn't deserve to win because we did not show enough composure," he said.

The batting mainstay is looking forward to the Test series, which begins on February 21, to make amends for the disappointment.

"I think because of the Test Championship, every match has that more importance. We have a really balanced Test team and we feel we can win the series here, but we need to step on to the park with the right kind of mindset," he said.

His opposite number Kane Williamson, who missed the first two games due to injury, was lavish in his praise for the home team's grit.

"An outstanding performance, very clinical. India put us under pressure, but the way the guys fought back with the ball and kept them to a par total. The cricket in the second half was outstanding to see," he said referring to the side's effortless chase of a 297-run target.

"We know how good they (India) are at all formats but for us the clarity about the roles the guys had was the most important thing. Outstanding effort against a brilliant India side," he added.

Player of the Match Henry Nicholls, who scored 80 on Tuesday, said his team benefitted from good batting starts during the series.

"To come back and win 3-0 after the T20Is is nice. The way (Martin) Guptill played today allowed us to get ahead. We got a 100-run stand, but we were fortunate enough to get good starts this series," he said.

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News Network
February 13,2020

Feb 13: Veteran India batsman Suresh Raina feels Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the best captain India ever had.

Raina and Dhoni play for the same IPL franchise -- the Chennai Super Kings --, which is also led by the latter.

"I think we have the best captain who has changed the Indian team like anything. Now we have that same aura in our dressing room," Raina said on 'The Super Kings show' on Star Sports Tamil.

The 38-year-old Dhoni has retired from Test cricket but his future in the limited overs formats is a subject of intense speculation.

The two-time World Cup-winning former captain took a break from cricket after India's exit from the 2019 World Cup in England. He is set to be back in action at the IPL, where he will captain the CSK, starting March 23.

With three restricted stands at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai finally being reopened, Raina urged the fans to fill the venue in every CSK home game.

"We have all the seats available. Hopefully, we'll have more fans now so that there is it will be more energy on the field," the 33-year-old Raina, a former India batsman, said.

Raina, who last played for India in 2018, also expressed his excitement about the prospect of playing with CSK's latest acquisitions.

"This year we have a lot of new talent in our team. Piyush (Chawla) is there, then we have Hazelwood, Sam Curran, Sai Kishore from Tamil Nadu, he has been bowling really well for them. So, I think we have a lot of mixture of youngsters and seniors."

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