Thursday, February 27, 2014

India Winning Start for Asian Cup -2014

After flounder in South Africa and New Zealand, India returned to their relieve zone the slow, low wickets of Asia. A match with the Asia Cup Series hosts was just the confidence-boosting workout India needed after being routed in South Africa and New Zealand. India Captain Kohli led the plan with a near-perfect 139 while adding a match-winning 213 runs for the 3rd wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (73), as India chase down 280 with an over to spare.

The score was set up by Mushfiqur Rahim’s excellent 117 and his 133-run stand with the wicket keeping opener Anamul Haque, who made a stroke-filled 77 taking the attack to India’s bowlers.

CAPTAIN’S Rocks

the pitch at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium was as slow, low. There was no turn, no seam movement, just a hint of swing that irregularly caused deliveries to move sharply, but enough to considerably trouble batsmen.

Mohammad Shami (4 for 50) produced edges off the bat that flew through vacancies in the slips. Bangladesh could easily have been 50-5 had India grabbed those chances. Yet, Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar ensured a miserly start (36-1 in 10 overs) that you no longer associate with Indian bowlers. It helped that the opponent posed a lesser challenge.

Despite these theatrics, Anamul Haque went after Ashwin and Aaron in a fast ride to 50 runs. Aaron had a terrible day. Welcomed to the crease with 2 boundaries, he continued to bleed runs through the day. Anamul swung him for 2 sixes over long-on. Mushfiqur then hit the shot of the day – an easy pick-up over midwicket for six in an over that went for 19.

Aaron followed that six with a beamer to the Bangladesh captain who took it completely on the ribs. It was Aaron’s second waist-high full-toss of the day and he had to be taken off. Just to round off a bad day, Aaron hurt himself going for the catch that dismissed Ziaur Rahman.

Anamul slowed down after his fifty while Mushfiqur started to speed up. Their 133-run stand was full of clean hits: down the ground, through the covers, over the leg-side arc. But it always gave the feeling it wasn’t going to be enough.

Bangladesh-279/7(50)

M Rahim (C, †)-117(113)

A Haque -77(106)

India-283/4(49)

V Kohli (C)-136(122)

A Rahane -73(83)

India Won the Match by Six Wickets

Men of the match-Virat Kohli (India)

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Raina out Pujara in Action for the Asia Cup series announced

India will play against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the Asia Cup to be hosted in Dhaka and Fatullah from February 25 to March 8-2014. Ishant Sharma has been dropped from the Asia Cup and World T20 squads. Yuvraj and Raina have been named in the World T20 squad only.

Raina has paid the price for his patchy form in ODI, as the left-hander has been out of India’s squad for the forth coming Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh. Pujara has come in the squad instead of Raina, while Ishant has been axed not only from the Asia Cup but also from the World Twenty20 squad.

Yuvraj and Suresh Raina are however, part of the World Twenty20 squad that was named on Tuesday. Stuart Binny, who played in only one ODI in New Zealand, finds a place in both the squads.

Suresh Raina and Ishant Sharma were part of the India squad that was thrashed 0-4 by New Zealand in the ODI series that preceded the ongoing Test series, but surprisingly, they are the only casualties of that humiliation.

Raina, who has scored just one half-century in his last 24 ODI innings, was dropped from the last 2 ODIs against New Zealand, after scores of 18, 35 and 31 in the first 3 games. Ishant Sharma had figures of 9-0-72-1 and 6-0-46-1 in the first 2 ODIs, after which he warmed the bench for the remainder of the series. Ishant Sharma has taken 37 wickets in his last 24 ODIs, but they have come at an average of 30.02 and a high economy rate of 5.81.

Pujara has played only two ODIs, both against Zimbabwe in August 2013, where he had scores of 13 and 0 at the top of the order. Pujara, however, has an impressive List a record with 2947 runs (9 centuries and 18 half-centuries) at an average of 54.57 in 68 matches.

India played only one T20 International in 2013 - against Australia at Rajkot on October 10. Yuvraj blazed his way to a 35-ball 77* as India chased down the stiff target of 202 for the loss of 4 wickets and with 2 balls to spare.

India won the inaugural edition of the World Twenty20 in 2007, but hasn’t progressed beyond the Super 8 stage in the last 3 editions.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men will stay back in Bangladesh for the World T20 that opens on March 16. India has been drawn alongside Pakistan, Australia, West Indies and a qualifier in group two.