India crashed to a humiliating 200-run defeat in the first match of the triangular ODI series against New Zealand with a pathetic bowling and batting display on Tuesday.
After the Kiwis put up a competitive 288 on the board, riding on skipper Ross Taylor (95) and Scott Styris (89), India suffered an inexplicable batting collapse to bundle out for a paltry 88 in just 29.3 overs, reports PTI.
In what turned out to be a totally lop-sided contest, only three Indian batsmen could score double figures as the Kiwis ripped through the young batting line-up to launch their campaign on a high.
It was a commanding show by the New Zealanders who relied on a 190-run stand for the fourth wicket between Taylor and Styris before Daryl Tuffey (3-34) and Kyle Mills (2-26) and Jacob Oram (2-15) shot out India to complete a convincing win.
Chasing 289 to win, openers Dinesh Karthik (14) and Virender Sehwag (19) made a watchful start but New Zealand struck twice in as many deliveries to get rid of the openers and reduce India to 39 for two in 7.1 overs.
Sehwag was the first to go when he failed to negotiate a short ball aimed at his body by Mills as the ball kissed his glove and landed safely at wicketkeeper Gerath Hopkins' hands.
Karthik then followed suit when he played Tuffey's delivery down the wrong line and missed the ball, which struck on his pads in front of the wicket.
Rohit Sharma (4) then joined Yuvraj Singh (5) but the former was sent packing in the 10th over by Tuffey and two overs later New Zealand dealt India another blow, removing Suresh Raina to leave India tottering at 50-4 in 11.2 overs.
Sharma, brought in to bolster the middle order, ended up giving catching practice to first slip of Tuffey's outside off-stump delivery.
Raina also followed his partner and edged one straight to second slip to award Tuffey his third wicket of the day.
The 32-year-old seamer came to haunt India again in the 14th over when his direct throw found skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni short of wicket as India looked down the barrel at 53-5.
Yuvraj and Ravindra Jadeja tried to stem the rot but Andy Mckay removed the former in the 17th over and eight balls later Praveen Kumar was also sent packing by Jacob Oram as India stared at an impending defeat.
Earlier, New Zealand had a disastrous start, collapsing to 28 for three in 6.5 overs but Taylor (95) and Styris (89) rescued the innings and helped New Zealand to reach 288 in 48.5 overs.
New-ball bowlers Praveen Kumar (3-43) and Ashish Nehra (4-47) shared seven wickets between them to strangle the New Zealand top and lower order and helped India bowl out their rivals inside 300.
The triangular series continues on Aug 13 when New Zealand take on hosts Sri Lanka at the same venue.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Waterboy Yuvraj Singh
Three youngsters, aged between 24 and 25, were detained by the police for allegedly heckling Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh here on Tuesday.
Yuvraj, who did not figure in the Indian XI, was carrying drinks to the cricketers during a break on the first day of the third Test when the youngsters, seated close to the pavilion, allegedly taunted the player by calling him "Waterboy."
Yuvraj subsequently complained to the Indian team management. Indian team manager Ranjib Biswal said the team would take up the issue with the local authorities.
He said "The crowd was trying to misbehave with the player in question. The police was asked to intervene and the situation was brought under control. Yuvraj was not at fault, he did not try to provoke the crowd at all. I was sitting next to Yuvraj when this happened and I can tell you they were trying to provoke the player."
Mr. Biswal added, "It’s a basic human tendency to react to situations when you are being repeatedly provoked but Yuvraj was quite restrained. The police have taken the spectators out and we will definitely lodge a complaint with the police."
There have also been allegations that Yuvraj pointed a finger at the youngsters in question.
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article550005.ecePakistan make Yousuf U-turn
Four months after being banned for damaging team morale, Mohammad Yousuf was recalled to a Pakistan side simply desperate for his experience and batting prowess.
Without Yousuf or Younis Khan in their line-up, the Pakistanis were bowled out for 80 by England to slump to a crushing 354-run defeat on Sunday in the first Test of a four-match series.
It exposed the inability of Pakistan's raw batting line-up to cope with the swinging ball in overcast English conditions and hours after the match ended Yousuf was recalled from the international wilderness.
Yousuf and Younis, Pakistan's two most experienced batsmen, were each given indefinite bans this year for their part in alleged infighting within the team.
Younis had his ban overturned on appeal and made himself available for the tour but was overlooked.
Yousuf, who has scored 7,431 runs in 88 Tests including 24 centuries, did not challenge his ban and retired, but he has since changed his mind.
CHASTENING DEFEAT
New Pakistan captain Salman Butt could do little more than reiterate his faith in the young players after the chastening defeat by England but he must be delighted by the recall of Yousuf.
"Under my captaincy we have won one, lost one," Butt said.
"I can't be that impatient. What do you expect from (the youngsters) - win every game? That will not happen.
"This is the time when you back your players. It is just a matter of putting up a performance, whether it is bowling, fielding, batting. I know they can make a comeback."
Coach Waqar Younis offered a similar upbeat assessment.
"What I have seen over the last two or three months is a big improvement (in the team) Waqar told reporters.
"I want to make a good unit out of them. It might take a few more losses, though."
Matches against South Africa later this year on the featherbed pitches of Abu Dhabi would be better venues for the development of the youngsters.
For now, Pakistan are crying out for Yousuf, who showed on the 2006 England tour that the swinging ball was not to be feared but could be countered through hard work and application.
Butt pointed out that in 2006 Pakistan did not win a Test when Yousuf and Younis were in the team along with the great Inzamam-ul-Haq but they did not then possess such a strong bowling attack.
Mohammad Asif, 18-year-old Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul form a formidable seam unit and with Yousuf back to provide backbone for the batting order, England should face a much sterner test in the next match in Birmingham starting on Friday.
Without Yousuf or Younis Khan in their line-up, the Pakistanis were bowled out for 80 by England to slump to a crushing 354-run defeat on Sunday in the first Test of a four-match series.
It exposed the inability of Pakistan's raw batting line-up to cope with the swinging ball in overcast English conditions and hours after the match ended Yousuf was recalled from the international wilderness.
Yousuf and Younis, Pakistan's two most experienced batsmen, were each given indefinite bans this year for their part in alleged infighting within the team.
Younis had his ban overturned on appeal and made himself available for the tour but was overlooked.
Yousuf, who has scored 7,431 runs in 88 Tests including 24 centuries, did not challenge his ban and retired, but he has since changed his mind.
CHASTENING DEFEAT
New Pakistan captain Salman Butt could do little more than reiterate his faith in the young players after the chastening defeat by England but he must be delighted by the recall of Yousuf.
"Under my captaincy we have won one, lost one," Butt said.
"I can't be that impatient. What do you expect from (the youngsters) - win every game? That will not happen.
"This is the time when you back your players. It is just a matter of putting up a performance, whether it is bowling, fielding, batting. I know they can make a comeback."
Coach Waqar Younis offered a similar upbeat assessment.
"What I have seen over the last two or three months is a big improvement (in the team) Waqar told reporters.
"I want to make a good unit out of them. It might take a few more losses, though."
Matches against South Africa later this year on the featherbed pitches of Abu Dhabi would be better venues for the development of the youngsters.
For now, Pakistan are crying out for Yousuf, who showed on the 2006 England tour that the swinging ball was not to be feared but could be countered through hard work and application.
Butt pointed out that in 2006 Pakistan did not win a Test when Yousuf and Younis were in the team along with the great Inzamam-ul-Haq but they did not then possess such a strong bowling attack.
Mohammad Asif, 18-year-old Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul form a formidable seam unit and with Yousuf back to provide backbone for the batting order, England should face a much sterner test in the next match in Birmingham starting on Friday.
England unchanged for second Pakistan Test
England named an unchanged 12-man squad on Monday for the second Test against Pakistan following their emphatic 354-run victory in the series opener that concluded on Sunday.
Seamer Tim Bresnan is again included having been called up for the first Test to replace Yorkshire team mate Ajmal Shahzad after he suffered an ankle injury but the same 11 are likely to play at Edgbaston in the match starting on Friday.
Both men bowled eight overs for their County in Sunday's 40-over match against Netherlands but Bresnan retained his place.
"Clearly we were delighted with the performance in the first Test but the key to consistency is building on that success throughout the rest of the series," national selector Geoff Miller said in a statement.
"We saw a number of outstanding performances at Trent Bridge not only with bat and ball but also in the field and the challenge is to maintain those standards over the next three Test matches."
Seamer Tim Bresnan is again included having been called up for the first Test to replace Yorkshire team mate Ajmal Shahzad after he suffered an ankle injury but the same 11 are likely to play at Edgbaston in the match starting on Friday.
Both men bowled eight overs for their County in Sunday's 40-over match against Netherlands but Bresnan retained his place.
"Clearly we were delighted with the performance in the first Test but the key to consistency is building on that success throughout the rest of the series," national selector Geoff Miller said in a statement.
"We saw a number of outstanding performances at Trent Bridge not only with bat and ball but also in the field and the challenge is to maintain those standards over the next three Test matches."
Most capped players in Test cricket
Sachin Tendulkar - 169
Steve Waugh - 168
Allan Border - 156
Ricky Ponting - 146
Shane Warne - 145
Steve Waugh - 168
Allan Border - 156
Ricky Ponting - 146
Shane Warne - 145
Stumpy' name of 2011 WC mascot
With 200 days to go before the first ball is bowled in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the event mascot's name was unveiled in a simple but impressive ceremony at P Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo on Monday ahead of the third Test between Sri Lanka and India.
The mascot, an elephant, has been named 'Stumpy' after an online selection process that drew proposals from thousands of cricket fans around the world, according to media reports.
The lucky winner will receive a cricket bat signed by the all-star quartet of India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, all of whom attended the launch to express their excitement about the flagship event.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "This is another milestone in the build-up to our flagship event and it's great to see the game's best players like Mahendra, Kumar, Sachin and Mahela looking forward to the ICC Cricket World Cup with such enthusiasm.
"As the excitement builds over the coming 200 days, we will see Stumpy throughout the cricket world, promoting the event and generating enthusiasm. I'm grateful to the thousands of cricket fans who showed their passion for our great sport and took part in the naming competition. I encourage all fans to start making plans to attend a spectacular event."
The mascot, an elephant, has been named 'Stumpy' after an online selection process that drew proposals from thousands of cricket fans around the world, according to media reports.
The lucky winner will receive a cricket bat signed by the all-star quartet of India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, all of whom attended the launch to express their excitement about the flagship event.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "This is another milestone in the build-up to our flagship event and it's great to see the game's best players like Mahendra, Kumar, Sachin and Mahela looking forward to the ICC Cricket World Cup with such enthusiasm.
"As the excitement builds over the coming 200 days, we will see Stumpy throughout the cricket world, promoting the event and generating enthusiasm. I'm grateful to the thousands of cricket fans who showed their passion for our great sport and took part in the naming competition. I encourage all fans to start making plans to attend a spectacular event."
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