New Delhi: The Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) cricket is scheduled in India from Sep 23 to Oct 9.
The tournament returns to India this year with matches in Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata, as well as a qualifying event in Hyderabad from September 19-21.
The tournament will have 10 teams competing. Seven teams have already qualified for the event. A six-team qualifying event will be held for the first time to determine the final three participants.
The teams will be divided into two pools and the top team from each pool qualifies for the group stage, and the third would be the next highest ranked team based on points and then net run rate.
In the group stage, 10 teams have been divided into two groups for a round robin phase. The top two teams from each group would progress to the semifinals.
The group stage matches will be held in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, and M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Bangalore will host the first semifinal (Oct 7) while the other semifinal (Oct 8), and the final (Oct 9) will be held in Chennai.
Chennai Super Kings, the defending CLT20 Champions, have been drawn in Group A along with Cape Cobras (South Africa's Pro20 Series Champions), 2009 Champions NSW Blues and Mumbai Indians. The fifth team from the group will be the team that finishes top of Pool B in the qualifier.
Group B contains Royal Challengers Bangalore (IPL runners-up), Warriors of South Africa (2010 CLT20 runner-up), and South Australian Redbacks (Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash Champions). The remaining two places will come from the Qualifiers (the top of pool A and the next highest qualifier).
The tournament starts in Bangalore with a group B clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Warriors at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. — IANS
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Ishant takes two on half-day
West Indies 98 for 5 (Ishant 3-31) trail India 201 by 103 runs
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Regular showers and fading light allowed only 25.3 overs on the second day in Bridgetown, but there was enough time for Ishant Sharma to extend his domination of Ramnaresh Sarwan, and for Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to show discipline and prevent an impressive Praveen Kumar from inflicting even more telling blows. Ishant also removed the nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo before taking Sarwan out for a third time in 24 deliveries in this series.
Early-morning showers meant there was moisture in the pitch; the ball was only 12-overs old, and the bowlers fresh. It was always going to be a tough first session - shortened by 45 minutes - and it showed in how Ishant had both Sarwan and Bishoo edging through, and just over, a catching cordon that could have been more alert.
Sarwan's nick flew not too far over Suresh Raina's head at third slip, Bishoo's went not too far to the left of M Vijay at third slip, but neither man went for the catch. MS Dhoni provided for the second contingency by crowding the cordon so much there was no gap left between him and the gully. The bounce that Ishant extracted was too much for Bishoo, and soon enough he steered one straight to gully, ending the 23-run fourth-wicket partnership. Sarwan, not at all at ease with the bounce and the movement, found himself caught at the crease to a full inswinger two balls later, the second time he has been trapped by Ishant's inward movement.
With his accuracy and swing either way, Praveen was in the middle of an even better spell, beating both edges of the bat, making batsmen play regularly. That West Indies could still think of a first-innings lead was down to good defensive batting from Samuels and Chanderpaul, who batted 19.3 overs for just 41 runs. They both played as late as possible - if they had to - and even when Samuels edged Praveen once he did so with soft hands, just teasing the cordon.
Runs mainly come in nudges, deflections and no-balls (five of them), but Samuels was also alert to loose deliveries. There weren't too many of them on offer, but the two times he got short and wide deliveries, he cut them away from fours. One of them was the last ball before lunch, after which only 8.3 overs of play was possible. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Raina fined 25% of match fee
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Suresh Raina has been fined 25% of his match fee for his reaction after being given out caught by umpire Asad Rauf on the first day of the second Testbetween West Indies and India. The incident took place during the 56th over when a Devendra Bishoo delivery struck Raina on the thigh pad before lobbing to forward short leg.
Replays were inconclusive about whether the ball had brushed Raina's glove on its way to the fielder. Raina shook his head to indicate that he did not hit the ball which, the ICC said, seemed to be an attempt to influence the umpire's decision. "On being given out, he looked to the sky in disgust and after picking his bat up from the ground swung it at the dirt as well as shaking his head again," the ICC said.
Raina's actions were found to constitute a Level 1 breach of Article 2.1.3 of the ICC code of conduct which relates to "showing dissent at an umpire's decision by action or verbal abuse". He pleaded guilty and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Chris Broad.
"What Suresh did was a clear breach of the code, something the player himself has accepted," Broad said. "There is a fine line between showing disappointment at a dismissal and demonstrating dissent but on this occasion Suresh was well over that line and his behaviour was unacceptable."
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50% of a player's match fee. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Honours even after 13 wickets on first day
West Indies 30 for 3 (Ishant 1-8, Praveen 1-15, Mithun 1-7) trail India 201 (Laxman 85, Raina 53, Rampaul 3-38, Bishoo 3-46, Edwards 3-56) by 171 runs
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The first day of the first Test nearly replayed itself on the first day of the second Test, albeit on a much truer and bouncier pitch. Ravi Rampaul ran through the top order again, with figures of 8-5-4-3 at lunch. Suresh Raina was again involved in a middle-session comeback, only this time the dominating partner in that partnership was the soothing VVS Laxman. It would have been too much to keep him from runs on difficult tracks for the third time in a row. Once again West Indies roared back in the final session through Devendra Bishoo's big wickets and Fidel Edward's sharp pace. To add more to an eventful day, Indian bowlers got rid of the openers for next to nothing in the last hour.
There was a lot of pace, a lot of bounce, bouncers, yorkers, some turn, there were lovely wristy flicks and whips, there were cover-drives. It went 38 for 4 to 155 for 4 to 201 all out, and then 30 for 3. You'll have trouble fitting in more twists and action in one day of cricket.
This was without doubt the closest pitch to what West Indies would have desired. True and high bounce, some moisture, and they won the toss and asked India to face the music. Rampaul's tune wasn't quite music for India, though. For the fourth time out of seven this season, he began an innings with a wicket in his first over. Abhinav Mukund was the unlucky one this time, falling to one that jumped off a length and took the shoulder of his bat. Once he committed to playing a delivery just outside off and angling away, that extra bounce was always going to get him.
Edwards was almost like a kid in a toy store, bowling bouncer after bouncer, getting carried away, making the batsmen play only 10 times in his first four overs. Captain Darren Sammy brought himself on early, and with his seventh delivery removed the man he had famously dropped in Jamaica. This was also perhaps the ball of the session: pitching on off, kicking at Rahul Dravid, leaving him, taking the glove.
M Vijay showed a mix of restraint and indiscipline in his 75-ball stay for 11, and with Edwards being ineffective even in his second spell India seemed on their way to recovery. Around 15 minutes before lunch, though, Rampaul came back with telling impact. With the first ball he got Vijay caught down the leg side, with the third he made Kohli look worse than he has in his young and promising international career. The ball angled in to him, left him after pitching, bounced high, and even as Kohli was preparing to play it, the ball hit the glove and lobbed off. As Jeff Dujon said, "The ball played him."
Laxman, no stranger to scores such as 38 for 4, showed up after having gone AWOL in Jamaica. It was business as usual for him. With others around him in shackles, Laxman scored fluently and yet non-violently. First he pulled the bouncers for boundaries to put an end to the short-pitched stuff. In the last over before lunch, he smacked Bishoo through midwicket.
He feasted on Rampaul immediately after the break. He whipped the first ball he faced in the second session past mid-on for two. The next he punched past point for four, and then glanced another for four more. If West Indies were not worried yet, Raina pulled out a couple of unorthodox shots, and we now had a sweeper-cover to allow them the singles.
When Edwards worked up some pace in the afternoon, Laxman was good at dropping his wrists under a 92mph bouncer. The sucker ball he flicked away fine of fine leg to reach his fifty out of a score for 93 for 4. There were signs that West Indies backed off too soon, as displayed by the presence of the sweeper-cover early on in the partnerships. Singles came, Raina's fifty came, the partnership's 100 came, tea came, but West Indies search for inspiration bore no result.
And then Bishoo found extra bounce, into Raina's thigh pad, getting him caught bat-pad. Raina's reaction suggested he hadn't hit it. Front-on replays backed Raina's claims, but one of the angles didn't entirely rule out a touch of the glove. Had the DRS been employed in this series without the Hot Spot, it would have proved useless.
Be that as it may, nothing should take away from an entertaining Edwards spell. There were two sets of five wides over the head, there were no-balls, and there was serious pace and bounce. MS Dhoni fell to one that stopped, Harbhajan Singh found out he would need to fend at a bouncer to protect his face, Abhimanyu Mithun lost his leg stump while trying to save his legs.
At the other end, Laxman became the fourth Indian to 8000 Test runs overall and 1000 in the West Indies, but with wickets falling at the other end, runs dried up. Having scored just 12 off the previous 32 deliveries, Laxman went for the cut, the Bishoo legbreak got big on him, and was caught at cover-point.
With the ball swinging and bouncing, India added the final touches of evenness to the day's proceedings by taking three wickets before stumps. Adrian Barath played a strange shot, guiding a rising Ishant Sharma delivery to gully, right off the middle of the bat. Lendl Simmons fell to Praveen Kumar's late away swing. In the last over of the day, Mithun produced a caught-behind verdict against Darren Bravo, who wasn't impressed, but again he would have struggled to prove the umpire wrong, so inconclusive were the replays.
Another four-day finish was on the cards. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Monday, June 27, 2011
ICC abolishes runners, makes tweaks to ODIs
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The abolition of runners, the usage of new balls from each end in one-dayers, and regulation of when the batting and bowling Powerplays can be taken are among the key recommendations the ICC Chief Executives' Committee has made after its meeting in Hong Kong. The suggestions, if approved by the ICC Executive Board, will come into effect from October 1. The other major decision taken was of making a modified version of the Decision Review System mandatory in Tests and ODIs.
Runners have been an established part of cricket for more than a century, though there have been several recent disagreements over their usage. In the 2009 Champions Trophy, Andrew Strauss had denied the cramping Graeme Smith a runner leading to controversy. Earlier this year, Michael Clarke had also questioned the need for runners for batsmen suffering from cramps.
The committee also made a series of proposals to spruce up the one-day game, foremost among them being the decision to use new balls at each end. The white ball loses colour as the innings progresses, making it hard to sight for the batsman, a problem the ICC had tried to address by replacing the ball after 34 overs. The most high-profile occasion so far where two new balls were used was the 1992 World Cup. The new ruling means bowlers will be able to get the ball to swing for longer periods, giving them more of a say in an increasingly uneven battle with batsmen.
The other major decision regarding the one-day game was to allow teams to take the batting and bowling Powerplays only between the 16th and 40th over. While the idea of introducing Powerplays are generally seen to have added an element of unpredictability to the format, bowling sides usually stuck to taking their Powerplay between the 11th and 15th over, while the batting team saved theirs for late in the innings. This meant the Powerplays didn't address the familiar criticism of the middle overs of one-day game being predictable, something the new proposal aims to correct.
The committee also decided to impose tougher penalties against slow over-rates. While captains were previously suspended for three over-rate breaches within a year, they will now be docked after only two offences.
The changes at a glance |
ICC chief Haroon Lorgat backed the changes suggested. "Even though the success of 50-over cricket played during the World Cup 2011 was universally acknowledged, the CEC rightly supported the enhancements recommended by the ICC Cricket Committee to strengthen the format further, including encouraging Members to trial some specific innovations in their domestic cricket."
Some ideas the committee recommends for domestic trials include changing the maximum number of overs a bowler is allowed, increasing the number of bouncers permitted in an over from one to two, making it optional to have close-in catchers and restricting the number of fielders outside the circle to four in non-Powerplay overs.
One major item on the agenda which remained unresolved was the format of the 2015 World Cup, with the committee recommending a qualification process for the tournament but not specifying how many teams would participate in the event. The announcement is, nevertheless, a crucial development since it revives the hopes of the Associate nations over participating in the tournament.
Another big issue to be addressed when the full council meets on Thursday is whether to continue with the rotational system of choosing ICC presidents. Pakistan and Bangladesh - the two members who are to put up the next candidates for president and vice-president - are both believed to be opposed to changing the current procedure. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
India accepts modified version of DRS
HONG KONG: India agreed Monday to a modified version of the controversial Umpire Decision Review System, bringing to an end a damaging row which threatened to tear apart international cricket.
The International Cricket Council said its chief executives' committee (CEC) had unanimously agreed at its Hong Kong conference to make DRS mandatory in all international Tests and one-day matches, India's cricket authorities announced.
"The agreed standards will include infra-red cameras and audio-tracking devices," the ICC said in a statement on its website.
"The CEC also agreed that further independent and expert research will be carried out into ball-tracking technology and its accuracy and reliability.
"The continued use of ball-tracking technology as a decision-making aid will depend on bilateral agreement between the participating members."
The ground-breaking deal means that India will, for the first time, agree to using the DRS in a Test series when they tour England from July. But the world champions released a statement after the meeting insisting that the Hawkeye ball-tracking system remained "unacceptable".
"The BCCI has always expressed its willingness to embrace technology, for the betterment of the game," said Narayanaswami Srinivasan, the president-elect of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, in a statement posted on its website.
Hot Spot, the "thermal imaging" technology now available and made mandatory in the DRS, will mostly be used for close catches and edges.
But the committee decided that the use of Hawkeye, which tracks the trajectory of the delivery, would continue to depend on agreement between both teams in any match.
Lbw decisions will continue to be governed by the on-field umpires.
Under the agreement, teams will be allowed to make one incorrect challenge to an on-field umpire's decision before all their referrals for that innings are used up.
A two-challenge system, broadly accepted by most of cricket's leading nations, was in use at the recent World Cup in the subcontinent, which India won.
The BCCI had questioned the accuracy of the technology involved in the DRS and Monday's deal marks a significant concession from the world champions, who have been opposed almost from the moment of the system's inception in 2009.
India had been adamant they wanted no part of DRS in their four-Test tour of England and a controversial lbw decision during the rivals' tied World Cup match, where England's Ian Bell was given not out even though replays suggested he was in fact lbw, seemed to have hardened their stance.
But Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager for cricket, had said following a two-day meeting of the ICC's cricket committee at Lord's in May he was confident of changing India's mind.
India, whose financial clout in world cricket gives them huge bargaining power among the Test-playing nations, have often drawn criticism for what has been seen as their unhealthy influence on the global game.
"Making DRS mandatory is a move that has huge consequences for the game, and we can't talk enough before implementing it," said ESPNcricinfo assistant editor Sidharth Monga, in an opinion piece on the website.
The mandatory terms and conditions for the DRS have been recommended to the executive board for approval on Tuesday, seen as a formality now that India's crucial backing has been secured. — AFP
Results of ICC Chief Executives’ Committee meeting
The ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) meeting began the ICC Annual Conference week in Hong Kong and concluded today. The key recommendations it has made to the ICC Executive Board are:
Decision Review System
The CEC today unanimously recommended universal standards for the usage of technology in decision-making (Decision Review System) in all Test matches and One-Day Internationals subject to availability and commercial considerations. The agreed standards will include infra-red cameras and audio-tracking devices.
The CEC also agreed that further independent and expert research will be carried out into ball-tracking technology and its accuracy and reliability. The continued use of ball-tracking technology as a decision-making aid will depend on bilateral agreement between the participating Members.
CEC, which also approved the Cricket Committee’s recommendation to reduce the number of unsuccessful reviews in ODIs from two to one, believed that this was a step forward as the game embraces the principles of technology.
Format of ODI Cricket
CEC agreed with the ICC Cricket Committee’s recommendations for the further enhancement of international 50-over cricket with the restriction of the elective powerplays to between the 16th and 40th overs of each innings and also to the use of two new balls per innings – one from each end. This will come into effect from 1 October.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “Even though the success of 50-over cricket played during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was universally acknowledged, the CEC rightly supported the enhancements recommended by the ICC Cricket Committee to strengthen the format further, including encouraging Members to trial some specific innovations in their domestic cricket.”
These innovations include a review of the maximum number of overs that a bowler can bowl; an increase from one to two for the number of short balls permitted per over; no compulsory requirement for close catchers; and a maximum of four fielders outside the 30-yard circle during non-powerplay overs.
Runners
CEC agreed with the Cricket Committee’s recommendation to abolish runners in international cricket.
Over-rates
The CEC, like the ICC Cricket Committee, was concerned at the slow over-rates in Test match cricket and agreed on stricter sanctions against captains for over-rate breaches. A captain will now be suspended for two over-rate breaches in a 12-month period in any one format of the game rather than the current position which is three breaches prior to suspension.
Other ICC Cricket Committee recommendations including the continued research into the use of different colour balls to facilitate day/night Test matches and the directive that batsmen can be given out for obstructing the field if they change their direction when running between the wicket to block a run-out chance, were also approved.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
The CEC recommended that there should be a qualification process for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 but did not make a recommendation to the ICC Executive Board on the number of teams that should compete in the event to be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Reliance ICC Rankings
CEC gave its unanimous support to the present Reliance ICC Rankings system following a presentation by statistician David Kendix, who devised and operates the system for the ICC.
Mr Lorgat said: “There was agreement and a great deal of satisfaction that we have a robust and reliable rankings system that presents a true reflection of the quality and standing of the performances of international teams and that this system will be used for qualification and/or promotion and relegation purposes.
“It was also noted that the system is recognised by players, officials and supporters who are becoming more familiar and referring to the Reliance ICC Rankings to measure their teams’ progress.”
Context and Content for International Cricket
CEC agreed and recommended the Future Tours Programme (FTP) 2012-2020 to the ICC Executive Board for adoption.
The ICC Executive Board will meet in Hong Kong on 28 and 29 June 2011.
Agreement on DRS after Hot Spot is made mandatory
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The ICC's chief executives' committee has unanimously agreed to make a modified version of the Decision Review System (DRS) mandatory in all Tests and one-day internationals. The mandatory terms and conditions for the DRS that have now been recommended to the Executive Board for approval on Tuesday will now consist of infra-red cameras and audio-tracking devices with the "ball-tracker" having been removed from the ICC's original compulsory list of DRS technologies.
This means that India will, for the first time since 2008, be agreeable to using the DRS in a bilateral series when it tours England from July onwards.
However the DRS used in the England-India series will be without the aid of ball-tracking technology, which means line decisions for lbw appeals cannot be referred. For example, if the ball pitches outside leg stump and the batsman is given out lbw, the batsman can appeal against the verdict but the third umpire will not have the benefit of the ball-tracking technology to ascertain where the ball pitched. On the other hand, if a batsman is given out lbw and he thinks there is an inside-edge involved, the Hot Spot will resolve whether there was an edge or not.
While Hot Spot is the only infrared, thermal imaging camera available on cricket, audio tracking, an ICC official confirmed, referred to the high quality 'clean and real time" replays from the stump microphones, not the Snicko.
The committee, which also approved the Cricket Committee's recommendation to reduce the number of unsuccessful reviews in ODIs from two to one, decided that the continued use of the ball-tracking technology as a decision-making aid will depend on the bilateral arrangement between the participating teams. Further independent and expert research will be carried out into ball-tracking technology and its accuracy and reliability
A decision about how the cost of using the DRS technology would be divided will be taken later. Last week, BCCI vice-president Niranjan Shah had said that the cost of using the DRS was as high as $60,000 per match. According to the ICC, however, that figure is close to $5000 per day, with a maximum of $25,000 being spent on DRS per Test. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saina loses Indonesia Open Final
JAKARTA: India's Saina Nehwal went down to Chinese Yihan Wang 21-12, 21-23, 14-21 in a gruelling tussle in the final of the Indonesia Open Super Series badminton on Sunday.
Fourth-seed Saina was a point away from clinching her third successive Indonesia Open title but she squandered a matchpoint at 20-19, Wang roared her way back into the match that lasted a little over an hour.
Nevertheless, the runners up position will give much-needed boost to Saina, 21, who has not had a good run recently and has been toubled by her knee.
She lost in the quarterfinals in the Thailand Open and then made a second round exit in teh Singapore Open, where she was the defending champion.
On Sunday, World No. 4 Saina, egged on by a vociferous crowd, began the final with a flourish. She kept herself ahead of the World No.3, who beat the Indian in the Uber Cup this year.
Saina was patient in constructing the points and clinical with the finish. She kept Wang guessing with her change of pace and moved her all around the court.
Saina used the cross-court shots to perfection. She opened up a 9-6 lead, but Wang levelled. Saina kept the pressure on Wang. From 12-12, the Indian surged ahead to take the lead.
Wang engaged Saina in long ralies in the second game and that paid off. The Chinese established a 10-7 lead.
Saina did not allow the gap to widen and made a strong return to level 19-19 much to the surprise of Wang.
The Indian could not convert the match point and Wang was quick to pounce on the opportunity and level the match in her second game point.
Wang grew in confidence in the third game and stroked with precision. Her down the line shots were effective.
Saina initially led 7-4 before Wang twice won six points at a stretch. Down 6-9, the Chinese moved ahead to lead 12-9.
When Saina caught up with her, she again reeled off six points to lead 18-12 and crossed the finishing line.
The title was Wang's second Super Series Premier title of the year. She had earlier won the Korea Open.
Saina's only title this year has been the Swiss Open Grand Prix with two runners up finishes at Malaysia and now Indonesia.
Saina got her touch back on her favourite turf. She beat Tine Baun in the quarterfinal which was her first win over the Dane in three meetings.
She then defeated giant-killer Cheng Shao Chieh in the semifinal. The Chinese Taipei player had upset top seed Shixian Wang of China in the second round and also defeated Saina in the Singapore Open last week.
Fourth-seed Saina was a point away from clinching her third successive Indonesia Open title but she squandered a matchpoint at 20-19, Wang roared her way back into the match that lasted a little over an hour.
Nevertheless, the runners up position will give much-needed boost to Saina, 21, who has not had a good run recently and has been toubled by her knee.
She lost in the quarterfinals in the Thailand Open and then made a second round exit in teh Singapore Open, where she was the defending champion.
On Sunday, World No. 4 Saina, egged on by a vociferous crowd, began the final with a flourish. She kept herself ahead of the World No.3, who beat the Indian in the Uber Cup this year.
Saina was patient in constructing the points and clinical with the finish. She kept Wang guessing with her change of pace and moved her all around the court.
Saina used the cross-court shots to perfection. She opened up a 9-6 lead, but Wang levelled. Saina kept the pressure on Wang. From 12-12, the Indian surged ahead to take the lead.
Wang engaged Saina in long ralies in the second game and that paid off. The Chinese established a 10-7 lead.
Saina did not allow the gap to widen and made a strong return to level 19-19 much to the surprise of Wang.
The Indian could not convert the match point and Wang was quick to pounce on the opportunity and level the match in her second game point.
Wang grew in confidence in the third game and stroked with precision. Her down the line shots were effective.
Saina initially led 7-4 before Wang twice won six points at a stretch. Down 6-9, the Chinese moved ahead to lead 12-9.
When Saina caught up with her, she again reeled off six points to lead 18-12 and crossed the finishing line.
The title was Wang's second Super Series Premier title of the year. She had earlier won the Korea Open.
Saina's only title this year has been the Swiss Open Grand Prix with two runners up finishes at Malaysia and now Indonesia.
Saina got her touch back on her favourite turf. She beat Tine Baun in the quarterfinal which was her first win over the Dane in three meetings.
She then defeated giant-killer Cheng Shao Chieh in the semifinal. The Chinese Taipei player had upset top seed Shixian Wang of China in the second round and also defeated Saina in the Singapore Open last week.
Friday, June 24, 2011
India brush aside West Indies
India 246 (Raina 82, Harbhajan 70, Edwards 4-56) and 252 (Dravid 112, Sammy 4-52, Bishoo 4-65) beat West Indies 173 (Barath 64, Ishant 3-29) and 262 (Praveen 3-42) by 63 runs
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In another demonstration of their improving record overseas, a weakened India eased to only their fifth Test win in the Caribbean. The resistance from West Indies was disappointingly limp at Sabina Park as they lost six of the seven remaining wickets in the morning session. Praveen Kumar, sporting a buzz cut, snapped the home side's resolve by removing both overnight batsmen, Darren Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in the first half hour. There were some big hits from Darren Sammy and Ravi Rampaul, but they merely delayed an Indian victory.
Smart stats |
The resolve the West Indian batsmen showed on the third evening didn't make an appearance on Thursday. The Indian bowlers weren't particularly threatening early on, regularly providing harmless leg-side deliveries. One of those broke the stand that had frustrated India for nearly two hours, with Bravo losing his leg stump after walking across to try and guide the ball to fine leg. In Praveen's next over, he had Chanderpaul chipping a catch to cover as the ball, after causing a cloud of dust on pitching, came on slower than the batsman expected.
West Indies' chances evaporated with those two strikes, and Harbhajan Singh made it worse, removing birthday boy Carlton Baugh for a duck. Sammy wasn't going to give up, though. He was struck on the forearm by a kicker from Harbhajan, which prompted him to attack. Some blacksmith-swings sent the final three deliveries of the over for leg-side sixes, with the last two flying into the second tier at least. The entertainment ended with Amit Mishra's first delivery, a tossed-up, over-pitched ball that Sammy wanted to send out of the ground but sent only as far as extra cover.
Brendan Nash, the vice-captain who has been desperately short of runs over the home summer, restricted himself to defensive nudges. When he attempted one of his first enterprising strokes, a pull off a short ball from Mishra, he was horrified to see the ball scoot through impossibly low to be trapped plumb lbw.
Ravi Rampaul gave the few fans that turned up something to cheer about with a series of swept and driven boundaries, the highlight of which was an inside-out six over extra cover off Harbhajan. Like Nash, he too was done in by a ball of unpredictable bounce, from Ishant: it took off from a length and had him gloving it to MS Dhoni, who leapt acrobatically to take a one-handed catch over his head.
The last pair kept out the final seven deliveries before lunch, and then kept India waiting for half an hour after the break. With the specialists unable to finish things off, Dhoni turned to the part-time offspin of Suresh Raina, who needed only two deliveries to bowl Bishoo and secure a 1-0 series lead. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Dravid masterclass puts India on top
West Indies 173 and 131 for 3 need another 195 runs to beat India 246 and 252 (Dravid 112, Sammy 4-52, Bishoo 4-65)
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On a Sabina Park track with plentiful turn and unpredictable bounce Rahul Dravid gave a resounding reminder of his value to the side with his 32nd Test century that put India on top in Jamaica. After his painstakingly constructed innings left West Indies an exacting target of 326, the home side's openers began the pursuit with an exhilarating flurry of strokes before a pair of superb catches slowed West Indies' charge. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo resisted for the final hour to keep the home side's hopes alive.
Dravid, the oldest active Test cricketer, put together a masterclass reminiscent of his 2006 heroics, silencing any murmurs about his place in the side being in doubt after a barren South African tour and the emergence of a slew of youngsters. Darren Sammy captured four wickets, but he will probably still be regretting the simple slip chance he put down when Dravid had made just 6.
In an innings where the next highest scorer was No. 10 Amit Mishra with 28, Dravid prospered with the method that has worked so well for him over the past 150 Tests: playing old-school defensive cricket, shelving the fancy strokes and grinding down the opposition.
India got an early sign of the troubles ahead for the batsmen when the second ball of the day shot through, barely rising off the ground. Later in the day, a delivery from legspinner Devendra Bishoo bounced viciously, forcing the wicketkeeper to jump and try to collect it overhead.
Dravid was patient as ever in the morning session, making only 23 in two hours, even his defensive shots ending with an exaggerated freeze of the bat. A couple of milestones came up through fours past gully, both controlled glides - the first brought up his half-century, and the next pushed India's lead past 200.
His overnight partner Virat Kohli didn't last long on the third morning, gloving a short ball down the leg side to the keeper. Suresh Raina, confident after his first-innings 82, hung around longer. He wasn't at his most assured though, edging one between second slip and gully, as the West Indies bowlers kept probing away.
A sore knee delayed the introduction of Bishoo, who made an immediate impact, inducing Raina to swipe at a ball spinning down the leg side. It was unclear whether there was any bat or glove involved but umpire Daryl Harper was convinced there was after the ball ricocheted off the wicketkeeper's thigh pad to leg slip.
That brought in MS Dhoni, who seemed a man in a hurry, clouting Bishoo for a straight six. He had moved to 16 off 15 balls before slashing Bishoo to point moments before lunch. Replays showed that Bishoo had cut the return crease when delivering the ball.
Soon after lunch, India lost a third batsman to a dicey decision, when Harbhajan Singh was given lbw with the ball likely to have sailed over the stumps. Expect more UDRS headlines.
When Praveen Kumar was bowled by Sammy for a second-ball duck, India were eight down with the lead 256; a quick end to the innings would have raised West Indies hopes. Instead they were flattened by a dogged Dravid, who added 56 vital runs with Mishra for the ninth wicket. Dravid shielded the tailender at times though Mishra was rarely in too much discomfort.
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Soon after Dravid reached his century with a single to the off side, Mishra swung a few boundaries before holing out to third man attempting a flamboyant hit. A rare sight then followed, a six from Dravid in Tests - only his 19th in 261 innings. Another Dravid attempt to mow the ball only reached mid-on, closing the innings and giving Bishoo his fourth wicket.
India were in command at that stage, but instead of being demoralised by the large target, West Indies' openers, Adrian Barath and Lendl Simmons, unleashed a counterattack that would have pleased the onlooking Chris Gayle. Barath was the leader, crashing two sixes in an over that ended Ishant Sharma's spell. Simmons was unbothered by being beaten by a perfect Praveen outswinger, powerfully square cutting the next ball for four.
With the boundaries flowing, the pair sprinted past 50 in the 10th over. Soon after, Praveen induced an edge off Barath to the vacant third slip. Dhoni strengthened the cordon and in the same over another nick flew to third slip where Raina plucked a sharp, overhead catch. Three deliveries later, Virat Kohli latched on to an even tougher chance, throwing himself to his left at gully to extend Ramnaresh Sarwan's miserable run.
When Ishant cleaned up Simmons with a terrific delivery that straightened, West Indies had slid from 62 for 0 to 80 for 3. Another familiar collapse seemed to have begun, but Bravo and Chanderpaul scrapped till stumps. Both had some anxious moments - Bravo chancing his luck by cutting deliveries too close to his body and Chanderpaul facing some loud lbw shouts - but the pair persevered, adding 51 runs to set up an intriguing fourth, and likely final, day. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Injury haunts Sania's Wimbledon
Sania Mirza's Wimbldeon campaign rests on MRI scans she will undergo to know the extent of damage to her left knee.
Sania lost her singles first round match to Virginie Razzano of France on Tuesday and is schedule to play the doubles with Russian Elena Vesnina and mixed doubles with compatriot Rohan Bopanna.
"The doctor wants to get her to do an MRI today before allowing her to play in doubles and mixed at Wimbledon. The main concern will be that she should not damage the knee further," Sania's father and coach Imran said.
"As for the pain, she is ready to fight through that, provided the doctor gives her the clearance that the injury will not deteriorate."
The knee was troubling Sania even before the match got going as she came out on to the court with a heavily-strapped left lower leg.
She put up a good show winning the second set after conceding the first but Razzano dominated the final set to advance.
Sania's career has been troubled with consistent back and wrist injuries and she had recently announced her delight at being completely fit.
She had been playing constant tennis since the last 12 months and had also risen over 50 places to be ranked 60 going into the Wimbledon.
If the injury is serious, it will be a bitter blow to the Indian's chances of pushing higher up in the rankings this year.
Whatever the results of the scans, Sania has already decided to take a break from tennis for a short period after Wimbledon.
Ranji Trophy Elite Group matches begin from Nov 3
India's domestic cricket season begins with the BCCI Corporate Tournament from September 1 while the league stage of Ranji Trophy elite competition will be held from November 3 to December 24, the Cricket Board announced today.
The BCCI Corporate Tournament for the Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy will be played from September 1-8 in Vishakhapatnam, Chennai and Bengaluru. Jaipur will host the Irani Cup game between Ranji Trophy winners Rajasthan and the Rest of India from October 1-5. The next tournament, decided by BCCI Tour, Programmes and Fixtures Committee at its recent meeting in Mumbai, is the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, to be played at Nagpur from October 10-13.
For Ranji Trophy first division, eight teams -- Rajasthan, KSCA, Mumbai, Railways, UPCA, Punjab, Saurashtra and Orissa -- have been placed in Group A. Group B comprises of seven teams in Baroda, TNCA, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Bengal and MPCA. The knockout matches of Ranji Trophy Elite Group will be played from January 2-23 next year.
Ranji Trophy Plate group matches will be played from November 3 to December 9. The semifinals will be played from December 21-24. The winners of the semifinals will qualify for the knockout stage of the Ranji Trophy Elite Division.
In Ranji Trophy Plate Division -- Andhra, Services, Kerala, Vidarbha, HPCA and Tripura -- have been placed in Group A, while Maharashtra, Goa, Hyderabad, Jharkhand, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir will make up Group B. — PTI
The BCCI Corporate Tournament for the Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy will be played from September 1-8 in Vishakhapatnam, Chennai and Bengaluru. Jaipur will host the Irani Cup game between Ranji Trophy winners Rajasthan and the Rest of India from October 1-5. The next tournament, decided by BCCI Tour, Programmes and Fixtures Committee at its recent meeting in Mumbai, is the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, to be played at Nagpur from October 10-13.
For Ranji Trophy first division, eight teams -- Rajasthan, KSCA, Mumbai, Railways, UPCA, Punjab, Saurashtra and Orissa -- have been placed in Group A. Group B comprises of seven teams in Baroda, TNCA, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Bengal and MPCA. The knockout matches of Ranji Trophy Elite Group will be played from January 2-23 next year.
Ranji Trophy Plate group matches will be played from November 3 to December 9. The semifinals will be played from December 21-24. The winners of the semifinals will qualify for the knockout stage of the Ranji Trophy Elite Division.
In Ranji Trophy Plate Division -- Andhra, Services, Kerala, Vidarbha, HPCA and Tripura -- have been placed in Group A, while Maharashtra, Goa, Hyderabad, Jharkhand, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir will make up Group B. — PTI
India move ahead on wicket-filled day
India 246 and 91 for 3 (Dravid 45*) lead West Indies 173 (Barath 64, Praveen 3-38, Ishant 3-29) by 164 runs
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On another bowlers' day in Kingston, India swooped into a strong position after yet another West Indian batting failure, and finished 164 ahead in what is shaping up as a low-scoring Test. On a Sabina Park track that had so much turn that the spinners were wondering how to keep the ball on the stumps, the Indian fast bowlers - debutant Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma - knocked West Indies over for 173. Adrian Barath played his shots in a battling half-century but there was little from the rest of the top order.
Praveen was India's star in the morning session, though it was Ishant who made the first breakthrough, removing Ramnaresh Sarwan with his first ball of the day. With Harbhajan Singh getting the ball to spin and bounce, more early wickets looked likely but two of West Indies' emerging batting stars - Barath and Darren Bravo - defied the bowling for over an hour.
Initially the runs weren't easily available as Ishant cranked up the pace, but Barath broke free with a bunch of boundaries. Bravo too seemed to settle in, with an impressive on-the-up cover drive off Ishant, but followed it up with two nervy moments in the same over: Suresh Raina dropped a dying edge at third slip, and the next delivery reared up and nearly took the the edge.
The pair survived some more close calls, and with the first hour of the day negotiated, Barath decided to open out. Amit Mishra, the most impressive Indian bowler in the one-dayers, was greeted with a loft over long-on to bring up Barath's fifty, and the next delivery was launched into the stands in the same direction.
A change of ends for Praveen, though, transformed the session. In his first over from the Michael Holding End, he produced the ball of the morning - slanting in towards off before bouncing and jagging away, forcing Barath to play, and nick to the keeper. For a bowler who has had a long wait to make the Test grade, it was a maiden wicket to savour.
That was only the start of a spell in which he bagged three wickets in 14 deliveries. The other settled batsman, Bravo, was the next to go, with the off-stump line and the movement again resulting in a catch behind. West Indies still had two of their most adhesive batsmen at the crease, but Praveen separated them with a straight delivery to Brendan Nash, that took the leading edge to slips.
Praveen's day was blotted a touch as he was suspended from bowling soon after lunch, on getting his third warning for running on the danger area. India had started the second session poorly, sending down too many leg-side deliveries. Praveen's exit and Shivnarine Chanderpaul's presence at the crease gave West Indies fresh hope.
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The three Indian specialist bowlers, however, stepped up in Praveen's absence. Ishant harried the batsmen with his accuracy, and the variable bounce and generous turn kept the batsmen wary against the spinners. Still, Carlton Baugh and Chanderpaul put on 45 before Harbhajan had Baugh tentatively poking to silly point. He removed Chanderpaul for the first time in Tests soon after, getting him to inside-edge onto the pads for an easy catch at short leg. There was some resistance from the tail-enders, though their efforts weren't enough to prevent West Indies from conceding a hefty lead.
India's batsmen then set about stretching that lead, and led the side to a comfortable position despite ducks for two of their top four. M Vijay was lbw to a short Ravi Rampaul delivery that was unplayable, rising little above knee-high. VVS Laxman had a rare double failure as his attempt to get off the mark by punching Darren Sammy down the ground ended up as a return catch.
Sammy latched on to that one, but put down one he will regret. He fluffed a simple chance at second slip - nice height, close to his body - to give Rahul Dravid a life on 6. Dravid went on to play his second important innings of the match. While these may not be in the league of 2006 Jamaican masterclasses that secured the series for India, Dravid again showcased his patience, judgment and tenacity, to finish unbeaten on 45.
In difficult conditions, he and Abhinav Mukund added 56 for the second wicket. Mukund played a cautious hand, rarely trying anything extravagant as he looked to make an impact on debut. It was slow progress, but having negotiated the bowling for nearly two hours, he lost his concentration soon after a drinks break in the final session, feathering Bishoo behind.
The other Indian debutant Virat Kohli had flopped in the first innings, and didn't have the most comfortable of times in the hour he had till stumps. With a barrage of bouncers coming his way, he was involved in a tussle with Fidel Edwards. Kohli blew a mock kiss whenever Edwards stared him down after sending down a short ball.
With Dravid at his unyielding best and the pitch remaining a brute, India will be thrilled at the quick turnaround in the fortunes after the top-order collapse on the first morning. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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