India eye lead in Dhoni’s homeland

January 19, 2013

dhonihomelandRanchi, Jan 19: There was a certain amount of expectancy that Mahendra Singh Dhoni would address the pre-match press conference, what with this match being the maiden international match at his home venue.

Instead, the skipper deputed last-match hero Ravindra Jadeja to do the job. But the scribes covering the third match here were more anxious to find out the status of the Indian skipper after he was hit on his right thumb by bowling coach Joe Dawes’ snorter during Friday’s ‘nets’. Dhoni walked off the field immediately, but it turned out to be a minor scare and he didn’t even need a scan to know the extent of the damage.

Given that this was his first opportunity to play an international game in front of his home crowd, Dhoni would have made all the effort to turn up on Saturday noon. More so because the five-match series is poised delicately with India and England having shared the first two matches.

Both India and England know how crucial Dhoni is to Indian team’s fortunes. Both teams understand the importance of clinching this tie as it will leave the victorious side needing just one win from the next two games to claim the series.

On form Dhoni is India’s most prolific batsman by some distance, having accumulated over 300 runs in the last five ODIs, and in making impact he is their best. With their backs to the wall following the loss in the opening match, India needed certain things to fall in place.

The first hint of it came when Ravindra Jadeja lived up to the tag of all-rounder with a bruising half-century and a two-wicket effort. The new-ball bowlers, especially, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, provided the ideal start while spinners competently exploited the turning conditions.

India would have loved to maintain the same template for the rest of the series but the lack of familiarity of the conditions at this newest venue might force the hosts to change their tried and trusted win-toss-and-bat-first policy. Jadeja made it clear in as many words when he said bowling first on this virgin surface would be the ideal strategy to adopt.

While the emphatic 127-run win did provide some breathing space to the battered Indian side, some concerns remained unresolved and probably will remain unaddressed. Gautam Gambhir’s form at the top of the order continues to be a big worry while Virat Kohli, who was also hit on his hand by Ishant Sharma during practice, isn’t making it any easier for himself.

The right-hander, on a mini-slump, appeared to set things straight in Kochi but threw it all away in a moment of indiscretion. Though the quicker bowlers by and large were impressive in Kochi, Ishant was profligate once again. Consistency, or the lack of it, should be a cause for concern for the Delhi seamer.

England’s bowling, too, came in for severe punishment at the death that wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by the team management. Having done a brilliant job of restricting the Indians to mere 21 runs in the batting Power Play with an assortment of slower ones, yorkers and widish yorkers, England lost it all in the final few overs as Dhoni and Jadeja went hammer and tongs. The bowlers’ profligacy was followed by English batsmen’s age-old problems with the turning ball.

There is, of course, a different look to this English one-day side than the one they fielded in the Test series but at the first hint of a turn, the visiting middle-order cracked under pressure. Skipper Alastair Cook will be mindful of that. Like most teams, England too thrive on the good start and that responsibility lies with Cook who has formed a potent combination at the top with Ian Bell.

Their cheap dismissals in the second ODI set the rot in and Kevin Pietersen’s cameo proved to be too little to alter the course of the game.

England will be smarting under the defeat but India will be determined not to let the visitors spoil Dhoni’s bash in his own backyard.

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April 15,2020

New Delhi, Apr 15: Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday urged people to beat coronavirus by staying at home and by maintaining social distancing. He termed the virus 'mother of all World Cups' and asked people to combat this disease together and win the World Cup of humanity.

Taking to Twitter, Shastri shared a video post where he cited cricket examples to aware people about the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. "As I would know, sports teaches you life lessons that can be applied to just about anything you want to pursue in rest of your life.

Today the COVID-19 has put us in a situation where we got our backs to the wall. To combat this coronavirus is like chasing a World Cup where you give your everything in trying to win it. What's staring you at the face is no ordinary World Cup. This is the mother of all World Cups where not just eleven are playing but 1.4 billion are in the playing arena and competing. Guys we can win this. For that, we have to observe the basics. You have got your Prime Minister leading from the front ahead of the curve like other countries have farmed out," Shastri said.

"You have to obey the orders that come from the top: be it centre, state or the frontline workers who are risking their lives. Two orders that stand out: staying home and maintaining social distancing. It is not easy but to win the game you got to go through the pain to break the chain and see the gain. Come on, guys! let's do it together. Let us get out there in a bruit force of 1.4 billion and beat this corona and get your hands on the World Cup of humanity. Let's do it," he added.

With 1,076 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 11,439, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

Out of the total tally, 9,756 cases are active while 1,306 patients have been cured/discharged and migrated. With 38 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll rises to 377.

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March 2,2020

Christchurch, Mar 2: India captain Virat Kohli on Monday said the under-fire Rishabh Pant has got a "lot of chances" but the team is not looking to try someone else in the youngster's place just yet as one player can't be singled out in a collective failure.

Pant has been under the scanner for the past one year because of his inconsistent run. His tally of 60 runs across four innings in the 0-2 Test series loss to New Zealand, which concluded here on Monday, has only amplified the debate whether it was prudent to leave out a keeper of Wriddhiman Saha's calibre and back Pant.

"...we have given him (Pant) a lot of chances in the home season as well starting from Australia. Then he was not playing for a bit. In turn he really worked hard on himself," Kohli came to Pant's defence after the series here.

"You need to figure out when is the right time to give someone else a chance. If you push people too early, they can lose confidence," he added.

"...collectively, we didn't perform. I don't believe in singling him out. We take the hit together as a group whether it's the batting group or as a team."

When asked if he believes Pant has taken his place in the side for granted, Kohli made it clear that the culture of this team doesn't encourage anyone to think along those lines.

"I don't see anyone taking his place for granted in this team. That's the culture we have set. People are told to take responsibilities and work hard. Whether it happens or not is a different thing. Then you can have a conversation with the players," he said.

"But no one has come here thinking I am going to play every game or I am indispensable," he added in no uncertain terms.

Kohli, just like head coach Ravi Shastri, made it clear that Pant can make a difference in overseas conditions and he won't like to deviate during future tours.

"The time that he didn't play, he really worked hard on his game. So we thought this is the right time because of his game and the way he plays because he can make a difference lower down the order.

"That was our planning behind it. We can't really fluctuate when it comes to what we planned," he added.

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June 2,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 2: Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal has said that he was ashamed on seeing the training regime of Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

Iqbal said that the incident happened two-three years back as he thought to himself that why he cannot do the same even when he is the same age as Kohli.

"I must say this, it is not because I am talking to an Indian commentator, India is our neighbour so whatever things they do, it affects Bangladesh as well. We follow what is happening in India, when India changed its approach towards fitness, it impacted Bangladesh the most," Iqbal told Sanjay Manjrekar in a videocast hosted by ESPNCricinfo.

"I have no shame in admitting this, when I saw Virat Kohli running around two-three years ago, I was ashamed of myself, I thought this is a guy who is probably my age, but he is training so much and I have not doing even half of it. We have a great example in our team as well, Mushfiqur Rahim manages himself well regarding fitness," he added.

During his initial days of international cricket, Kohli was fond of chicken which he has admitted several times during media interaction.

But in 2013, the 31-year-old batsman intentionally shifted his focus to fitness, diet, and training.

Now he has become punctual about his diet which has given him a different character on and off the field.

The comparisons between Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have also kept on growing and many have picked the current Indian skipper to break the records set by Tendulkar.

Tendulkar managed to call time on his career after registering 100 international centuries, while Kohli currently has 70 centuries across all formats.

Currently, Kohli is ranked at the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings while he is in the second place in Tests rankings.

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