1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. England dance to Indian tune

England dance to Indian tune

January 20, 2013

kohli

Ranchi: A superlative bowling effort was equally well complemented by the batsmen as India nosed 2-1 ahead in the five-match series with a command seven-wicket win in the maiden international at the JSCA Stadium here on Saturday.

Things couldn’t have fallen any better in place for the hosts, who are now just one win away from wrapping up the series. From winning toss to executing their bowling plans to mounting their successful chase, India didn’t put a foot wrong. Having restricted England to an extremely inadequate 155 all out in 42.2 overs, the home team replied with 157/3 in 28.1 overs, skipper MS Dhoni appropriately bringing the winning runs much to the delight of 39,000 screaming home fans.

Ajinkya Rahane’s problems with incoming balls continued while Gautam Gambhir (33, 53b, 4x4), though not completely convincing during his stay, added 67 runs for the second wicket with Virat Kohli (77 n.o., 79b, 9x4, 2x6) to set a good base for the chase. After enduring a poor run of scores for a while, man of the match Kohli announced his return to form in an emphatic fashion.

Playing as authoritatively as he has during his dream run last year, the right-hander made his intentions clear by dispatching Jade Dernbach for three successive fours and setting the right tempo for the rest of his innings. Yuvraj Singh (30, 21b, 6x4) too played a little gem but much of the credit for India’s dominant win should go to their bowlers.

For the third time in the last four matches, the much-maligned attack produced a stellar performance, restricting the opposition to sub-160 total. Against Pakistan in Delhi, the home bowlers had defended a smallish total of 165 with tigerish zeal.

In Rajkot, in the first one-dayer against England, normalcy appeared to have been restored with the visiting batsmen plundering 325 runs even though Indian batsmen too managed a 300-plus total in reply.

In Kochi, the Indian bowlers regained their zing on a turning wicket after Bhuvneshwar Kumar had done the damage upfront in an excellent of display of swing bowling as England, despite a good start, collapsed to 158, conceding a massive 127-run win. On a supposedly batting surface here, England crashed to another low total with all the six Indian bowlers getting amongst wickets. Ravindra Jadeja (3/19), who used the arm-ball to devastating effect, was the pick of the bowlers but R Ashwin (2/37) and Ishant Sharma (2/29) were no less impressive.

Keeping the evening dew factor in mind, India opted to bowl first on a pitch that had a thin grass cover on it. While there was no exaggerated movement off the pitch, both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed kept the English openers – Alastair Cook and Ian Bell – quiet. Cook, though not brisk, looked fluent even as Bell, who at one stage was one off 18 deliveries, struggled to kick on. Like in Kochi, Shami gave the crucial opening breakthrough, this time catching a shuffling Cook in front as the ball straightened after pitching.

Having been choked for runs, the pressure was building on the batsmen and the first adventurous shot from Cook resulted in his fall. Changing ends, Ishant produced a peach of a delivery to beat Kevin Pietersen with the slightest of away movement to have the dangerous batsmen caught behind. Pietersen wasn’t happy with umpire S Ravi’s verdict and replays showed no contact between bat and ball.

After Pietersen’s dismissal at the total of 68, England kept losing wickets in clusters, making it extremely difficult for themselves to salvage the innings. Bell’s misery ended at the same score, Dhoni’s decision to stand up to Bhuvneshwar paying the dividends this time. A reverse sweeping Eoin Morgan fell at 97 while a run later, both Crai Kieswetter and Samit Patel handed their wickets away.

Joe Root (39, 57b, 4x4), England’s top-scorer, staged a mini recovery with Tim Bresnan, adding 47 for the seventh wicket but Ishant’s return spelt his doom. Ashwin got rid of Bresnan at the same score with a classic off-spinner’s delivery and after adding 10 more runs Steven Finn and Jade Dernbach lost their wickets.

Score board

ENGLAND

Cook lbw Shami 17

(28b, 3x4)

Bell c Dhoni b Bhuvneshwar 25

(43b, 3x4)

Pietersen c Dhoni b Ishant 17

(20b, 2x4)

Root c Dhoni b Ishant 39

(57b, 4x4)

Morgan c Yuvraj b Ashwin 10

(30b, 1x4)

Kieswetter b Jadeja 0

(3b)

Patel lbw Jadeja 0

(4b)

Bresnan b Ashwin 25

(37b, 2x4)

Tredwell (not out) 4

(18b)

Finn c Yuvraj b Raina 3

(12b)

Dernbach b Jadeja 0

(2b)

Extras (LB-6, W-9) 15

Total (all out, 42.2 overs) 155

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Cook), 2-68 (Pietersen), 3-68 (Bell), 4-97 (Morgan), 5-98 (Kieswetter), 6-98 (Patel), 7-145 (Root), 8-145 (Bresnan), 9-155 (Finn).

Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 10-2-40-1 (w-3), Shami Ahmed 8-0-23-1 (w-2), Ishant 7-0-29-2 (w-3), Jadeja 6.2-0-19-3, Ashwin 10-0-37-2 (w-1), Raina

1-0-1-1.

Runs during Power Play1: 1-10 overs: 34/1; Power Play2 (batting): 36-40 overs: 20/2.

INDIA

Gambhir c Root b Tredwell 33

(53b, 4x4)

Rahane b Finn 0

(4b)

Kohli (not out) 77

(79b, 9x4, 2x6)

Yuvraj b Tredwell 30

(21b, 6x4)

Dhoni (not out) 10

(12b, 2x4)

Extras (B-1, LB-1, W-5) 7

Total (for 3 wkts, 28.1 overs) 157

Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Rahane), 2-78 (Gambhir), 3-144 (Yuvraj).

Bowling: Finn 9.1-0-50-1 (w-2), Dernbach 5-0-45-0 (w-2), Bresnan 7-2-31-0 (w-1), Tredwell 7-1-29-2. Runs during Power Play1: 1-10 overs: 48/1.

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 7,2020

Islamabad, Aug 7: Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, known for his blistering deliveries on the cricket field, recently baffled many with a deadly off-field bouncer by claiming he is willing to eat grass if it enabled an increase in budget for his country's Army!

"If Allah ever gives me the authority, I will eat grass myself but I will increase the budget of the army," said Akhtar in an interview with ARY News.

The 'Rawalpindi Express', considered the fastest bowler in history said he does not understand why the civilian sector cannot work in collaboration with the Armed forces.

"I will ask my army chief to sit with me and make decisions. If the budget is 20 per cent, I will make it 60 per cent. If we insult each other, the loss is ours only," the once feared fast-bowler said.

Akthar had also claimed to ARY News interview that he was willing to take a bullet for his country and had turned down a county stint just because he wanted to fight the 1999 Kargil War.

Ties between India and Pakistan have been strained in the recent months over several issues, the latest being Pakistan's attempt to broach in the UNSC the issue of Kashmir on the first anniversary of the India's move to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and to split the erstwhile state into two union territories .

Pakistan also has not been in a good financial position and under prime minister Imran Khan, himself an all rounder cricketer, has added nearly USD 22 billion, that is 35 per cent to the nation's international debt pile in the last two years, according to an Asia Times report in July.

While Pakistan recently received USD 1.39 billion from the IMF to cushion the economic shocks caused due to COVID-19 outbreak, Akthar had a few months ago proposed that a joint cricket match be played between India and Pakistan to raise funds to fight the coronavirus. The suggestion that was put down by cricketers in India.

Meanwhile the 'Pindi boy' whose deadly pace and bounce was once dreaded by batsmen had recently taken to Twitter to deny former India cricketer Virender Sehwag's claim of sledging him.

Sehwag along with other Indian crickerters such as Harbhajan Singh and even Rahul Dravid had been at the receiving end of Akthar's sledging and antics during their playing days.

"Yes, totally self made story by him. Mujhe yeh bol k bach k jana kidhar tha us nay," Akthar tweeted to a report in which Sehwag claimed that he had sledged the 'Rawalpindi Express' by telling him that Sachin Tendulkar was his father.

During an awards ceremony Sehwag had recounted that fed up with Akthar's sledging and retaliated by telling him to say the same things to Tendulkar, who smashed the 'Pindi boy' for a six. Sehwag quipped that he told Akthar then that "Baap baap hota hai".

In the recent ARY interview, asked about the allegation made against him by former India cricketer Virendra Sehwag that he makes pro-India comments for greater following on social media channels, Akhtar said, "I cannot talk on the basis of hate." 

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
July 6,2020

New Delhi, Jul 6: India's cricket chief Sourav Ganguly says improved fitness standards and a change in culture have led to the country developing one of the world's best pace attacks.

Spearheads Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are part of a battery of five formidable quick bowlers that have helped change India's traditional reliance on spin bowling.

"You know culture has changed in India that we can be good fast bowlers," Ganguly said in a chat hosted on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Twitter feed.

"Fitness regimes, fitness standards not only just among fast bowlers but also among the batters, that has changed enormously. That has made everyone understand and believe that we are fit, we are strong and we can also bowl fast like the others did."

The West Indies dominated world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s led by a fearsome pace attack that included all-time greats such as Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner.

Recently Indian quicks have risen to the top in world cricket with Shami, Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a deadly arsenal.

"The West Indies in my generation were naturally strong," the former India captain said.

"We Indians were never such naturally strong... but we worked hard to get strong. But I think it is the change in culture as well that is very important."

Shami last month claimed that the current Indian pace attack may be the best in Test history.

"You and everyone else in the world will agree to this -- that no team has ever had five fast bowlers together as a package," said Shami.

"Not just now, in the history of cricket, this might be the best fast-bowling unit in the world."

Shami took 13 wickets during India's 3-0 home Test sweep over South Africa last year, while Bumrah has claimed 68 scalps in 14 Tests since his debut.

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
June 20,2020

Melbourne, Jun 20: If 15 teams can be allowed to enter Australia for the T20 World Cup then fans will not be stopped from watching live action from the stadiums, Cricket Australia's interim CEO Nick Hockley said on Saturday.

Hockley replaced under-fire Kevin Roberts, who recently got the boot from Cricket Australia, which is grappling with financial woes.

Different possibilities are being worked out for the T20 World to go ahead as scheduled later this year and one of them is to host the tournament before empty stands in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Hockley said crowds will be allowed, though, hosting 15 teams with players, officials and support staff is "complex" as of now, hinting that probably the ICC flagship event could be pushed back.

"The reality is, and we've got much more understanding about this in recent weeks, is crowds are most likely to come back before international travel. Our biggest challenge is getting 15 teams into the country," Hockley told cricket.com.au when asked if he would like to see the World Cup proceed without fans.

"If I compare it with the prospect of a bilateral tour, you're talking about bringing one team in and then playing individual matches. But the prospect of bringing 15 teams in and having six or seven teams in one city at the same time, it's a much more complex exercise."

When specifically asked whether crowds would be permitted by the time borders have opened to the point that 15 teams will be allowed to travel to Australia, Hockley replied in an affirmative.

"That's the current thinking, yes."

Hockley said it came as a shock when he was asked by Cricket Australia to replace Roberts.

"I've had very mixed emotions. I was very shocked to be asked. I didn't see it coming at all, so I probably haven't had time yet to process it. I feel very sad for Kev (Roberts). On the other hand, I feel this is a massive privilege to be asked, it's a massive responsibility and a massive opportunity even if it's only for the next few months," he said.

Hockey did not commit when asked if he would like to assume the role full time, but he did say that he would quit as CEO of the T20 World Cup Organising Committee.

"My approach throughout my entire career has been to focus on doing the best job I can with what I've been tasked with, and the future will look after itself. And I'll continue the same approach.

"That's (T20 World Cup) been a real priority over the last 48 hours. We're reasonably well progressed and we will be appointing an interim because you just can't do both," he said.

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.