Virat Kohli and Co embarrass Bangladesh with a stunning 240-run victory

May 31, 2017

London, May 31: A supremely assertive India today humiliated Bangladesh by 240 runs in a warm-up game and geared up for the ICC Champions Trophy in an emphatic fashion, sounding a warning for arch-rivals Pakistan.dk

Playing in their second warm-up match, defending champions made short work of their sub-continental neighbour bowling them out for 84 in 23.5 overs at the Oval after piling up a commanding 324 for 7.

An all-win record in warm-up games is the ideal preparation ahead of the marquee clash on June 4. It was an all-round performance with some solid batting backed up by hostile opening spell from Umesh Yadav (3/16 in 5 overs) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/13 in 5 overs).

Among batsmen, Dinesh Karthik made a strong case for a middle-order slot with a stylish 94 off 77 balls. Shikhar Dhawan (60) got runs under his belt against a quality Bangladesh attack comprising Mustafizur Rahaman (1/53), Rubel Hossain (3/50) and Taskin Ahmed (0/45).

Hardik Pandya showed his utility as an all-rounder with an equally impactful unbeaten 80 off 54 balls, which was laced with six boundaries and four huge sixes in the arc between mid-wicket and long-on.

When their turn to bat came, Bangladesh surrendered meekly in the face of some outstanding bowling by the Indian pacers.

The pace duo of Umesh and Bhuvneshwar posed tough questions by relentlessly bowling just outside the off-stump. Yadav, who can also hit the deck hard, bowled a lethal first spell, tormenting the clueless Bangladeshi batsmen.

While India put themselves in a strong position by notching up 324, the match was as good as over when the Men in Blue reduced Bangladesh to 22 for six in only the eighth over of the innings.

Yadav provided the first breakthrough when he had Soumya Sarkar, slashing away from the body, caught behind with one that swung away.

Three balls later, Bangladesh were 11 for two as Yadav went through the meek defence of Sabbir Rahman. And they lost their third wicket too, without disturbing the scoreboard, when Imrul Kayes' mistimed pull off a Bhuvneshwar short delivery was taken by Yadav at mid-on.

Bangladesh went from bad to worse when Bhuvneshwar bounced out Shakib. Bhuvneshwar then induced an edge from Mahmudullah to leave his team reeling at 21 for five in the seventh over, Karthik completing a good one-handed catch on that occasion.

Things deteriorated further as Yadav came back to send back Mosaddek Hossain with a terrific away going delivery.

A brief partnership ensued, but that could only help in delaying the inevitable.

Earlier, courtesy of Hardik's big hits towards the end, India crossed 300-run mark.

Skipper Virat Kohli and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not bat, giving others an opportunity to get a good hit before the big-ticket Pakistan game.

With Yuvraj Singh not coming out to bat, indicating that he is yet to get fit, Karthik, after his failure against New Zealand, grabbed the second opportunity.

He hit eight boundaries and a six and, in the process, also sent feelers to the team management that he is also a candidate for a middle-order slot.

He added 100 runs with Dhawan for the third wicket after Rohit Sharma (1) and Ajinkya Rahane's (11) lack of footwork saw them getting played on.

Rohit was dismissed by Rubel while Mustafizur got the better of Rahane. But Karthik showed composure during his innings under mostly overcast conditions.

His first boundary was a cut shot off Taskin followed by a superb straight drive off Mustafizur. He was severe on off-spinner Mossadek Hossain and left- arm spinner Sunzamul Islam, cutting and pulling anything that was short. Sunzamul was pulled for a four and a six in one of the overs and he also ran the singles well.

Dhawan hit seven fours -- mostly through off and cover -- and was more patient than Karthik, waiting for the loose balls. He faced 67 balls before holing out at mid-wicket off Sunzamul, who went for 74 in his nine overs.

Kedar Jadhav (31) also got some batting time while Ravindra Jadeja (32) chipped in with useful contribution.

Comments

Add new comment

  • 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

  • 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 3,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: The finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 will be played on November 20, the sources within the BCCI confirmed on Sunday.

The IPL's governing council met earlier today, and it has also been decided that the evening matches will start at 7:30 pm, half an hour earlier than usual.

Jay Shah, the secretary of BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and Arun Dhumal, treasurer of BCCI did not attend the IPL's governing council meeting.

"The tournament will run for 51 days, usually the IPL should go on for 49 days as per the constitution, however in the meeting it has been decided that we will go to Supreme Court for conducting the IPL in 51 days," sources within the BCCI said.

"As the tournament is running for 51 days, we will get the chance to play fewer doubleheaders, there would be just 10 double headers, evening matches will start at 7:30 and the afternoon matches will start at 3:30. 

The matches will be played across three venues at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah as travelling here by road is easier and bio-secure environment can be maintained," he added.

The IPL's governing council also confirmed that Women's IPL will also go on and four teams would be participating in it.

"When it comes to women's IPL, there would be four teams and the matches would be played at the time of playoffs for men's IPL," the source said.

The source within the BCCI also said that the governing council would be meeting again to discuss the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all the franchises that need to be followed in the IPL.

The governing council meeting discussed the quarantine measures along with the standard operating procedures (SOP), bio bubble training facilities, stay and travel of the players.

Issues related to the broadcaster, shifting, and scheduling of the tournament, and DXB app to be downloaded for players and other officials were also discussed as well.

A few days earlier, the IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel had confirmed that the 13th edition of the mega event will commence on September 19 in the UAE.

This year's IPL was slated to commence from March 29 but the tournament was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had also confirmed receiving the official Letter of Intent from the BCCI to host the 2020 edition of the IPL.

Comments

Add new comment

  • 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
January 5,2020

Mumbai, Jan 5: All-rounder Irfan Pathan on Saturday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending an injury-ridden career that prevented him from realising his true potential.

The 35-year-old's retirement was on expected lines, considering he last played a competitive game in February 2019 during the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy for Jammu and Kashmir.

He did not even put himself in the IPL auction pool, last month.

The left-arm seamer's bowling was like a breath of fresh air when he made his India debut against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2003.

He never had express pace but his natural ability to swing the ball into the right-handers got him instant success, also drawing comparisons with the great Kapil Dev.

It seemed India had found the all-rounder they were looking for since Kapil left the scene. Pathan, who last played for India in October 2012, featured in 29 Tests (1105 runs and 100 wickets), 120 ODIs (1544 runs and 173 wickets) and 24 T20 Internationals (172 runs and 28 wickets).

He was part of the victorious Indian team at the 2007 World Twenty20 and was the man-of-the-match in the final against Pakistan.

One of his best performances came on the tour of Pakistan in 2006 when he became the second Indian after Harbhajan Singh to take a Test hat-trick, removing Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yusuf during the Karachi game.

He also played a big role in India winning a Test match against Australia on a tough Perth wicket, which offered steep bounce.

Injuries and lack of form troubled him thereafter and his ability to swing the ball deteriorated.

Comments

Add new comment

  • 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.