Gayle Return To Australia ODI Series-Said Sammy

Canberra: The West Indies captain Darren Sammy is predicting talismanic opener Gayle return to form during the upcoming 5-match ODI series against Australia. Gayle recent Played Australia Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder, managing just 137 runs from 7 innings as his side complete the preliminary round winless.

However, the left-hander blasted scores of 85 and 122 not out in his only 2 outings in the just completed Caribbean Twenty20, and Sammy said on Sunday he was expecting great things from the prolific batsman as the West Indies ready to take on the Prime Minister XI in Tuesday warm-up fixture at Manuka Oval.

I remember Chris Gayle hitting the ball all over the park, Sammy said, recalling the last time Gayle lined up against the PM XI 2 years ago at the same venue. We played well that day and entertained the crowd. It’s a good fixture whenever we tour here and good to play the Prime Minister match to start our tourism expecting Chris Gayle to have a good tour on a whole and I also wait for the team to play well in these conditions.

Then, Gayle lashed 146 from 89 balls as the West Indies piled up 399 for 5 off 45 overs. Last week, he set the St Lucia leg of the CT20 alight with a brutal show of power-hitting, form Sammy said was hopeful ahead of the Aussie showdown. When he came back home he looked really good and I think he almost had the most runs in the Caribbean T20 tournament after just a couple of match, Sammy explained.

We all know what he competent of, but the power for us is the way the team has performed together. We are getting stronger as a unit. The West Indies will open the series with a doubleheader in Perth next weekend.

India Won England Series 3-1

Mohali: A rejuvenated India clinched the ODI series against England as the hosts rode on the batting heroics of Rohit Sharma 83 and Suresh Raina 89 not out to fashion a comfortable 5-wicket victory in the last but one game and take an unassailable 3-1 lead here on Wednesday.

The Indians 1st restricted the visitors to 257 for 7 and then overcame some anxious moments before overhaul the target with 15 balls to spare in played in cold conditions at the PCA stadium. Though the hosts had the game in control after putting England into bat, they conceded as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs Joe Root 57 not out off 45 balls and Kevin Pietersen 76 providing the late spark with some lusty hits.

It was Rohit Sharma, rated as very talented but one who has seldom delivered, who turned the spotlight on himself as he grab with both hands an unexpected chance to feature in the playing eleven as an opener in place of Ajinkya Rahane. Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs by taking 3 off Jade Dernbach to trigger off scenes of wild celebrations in the galleries and the Indian dressing room where the players hugged each other.

India lost opener Gambhir early but the left- hander, who has been out of form for quite a while, was clearly unlucky to have been adjudged caught behind by umpire Steve Davis as replays suggested that there was no edge. Gambhir tried to poke at an outside-the-off stump delivery off Tim Bresnan and the England fielders appealed for a caught behind which was upheld by the umpire. Gambhir was shocked and was seen shaking his head while walking to the pavilion.

Sharma and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a 52-run partnership for the 2nd before James Treadwell struck for his team in his very 1st over by evicting Kohli for 26.Mohali hero Yuvraj, who joined the action after Kohli dismissal, did not survive long as he fell prey to Treadwell, who trapped him leg before as he went for a pre-meditated sweep shot.

Sharma, who came into the team in place of an out-of-form Rahane, found an able ally in Raina who scored at a brisk race to put the pressure back on the visitors. The pair scored 50 runs off just 37 balls. Rohit Sharma 83 came off 93 balls and contained 11 boundaries and 1 six.

Earlier, put into bat, England lost 3 wickets in fast succession in the middle of the innings after a logically good start, but the young Root unleashed a stunning counter attack to steer the total past the 250 mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered 8 boundaries and one six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England's recovery.

England Score-257/7

Highest Score

Alastair Cook -76

Kevin Pietersen-76

Joe Root-57*

India Best Bowlers

Ishant and Ashwin each 2 wickets

Ravindra Jadeja-3 wickets

India Score-258/5

Highest Score

Suresh Raina-89

Rohit Sharma-83

England Best Bowlers

James Tredwell-2 wickets

England won all the way-Series Lead

RAJKOT-Confident batting and off-spinner James Tredwell's timely strikes structured England 9-run win over India in the 1st ODI at the brand new Saurashtra Cricket Stadium here, on Friday. England posted a grand 325 on the back of a big opening stand between Ian Bell -85 and skipper Alastair Cook -75 after choosing to bat and then controlled India to 316/9 as a mounting asking rate took its toll in the chase.

Tredwell, who is touring as a substitute of the rested Graeme Swann, claimed 4/44, ensuring that the excellent work of Samit Patel when England batted was not wasted. Patel had clubbed an unbeaten 44 in just 20 balls at the far end of the visitors' innings, as 38 came off the last 2 overs. Although India looked in the chase for the most part, England got breakthrough at crucial times. Gautam Gambhir -52, Ajinkya Rahane -47, Yuvraj Singh -61 and Suresh Raina -50 all contributed. But once MS Dhoni -32 was out in the 45th over after striking a run of sixes, the task proved to be outside India's lower order.

India had to complete their biggest chase on home soil to take the series lead. They began well and openers Gambhir and Rahane were entirely untroubled as they piled on 96. Gambhir was the more exploratory of the 2. He stole several boundaries between slip and gully against some wayward pace bowling, reaching his 50 in 48 balls. Both gave up their wickets in successive overs by Tredwell, against whom they never looked comfortable. An upset Rahane holed out to long off and Gambhir’s casual flick was held by Bell at mid-wicket. Kohli-15 stepped out to blaze Tim Bresnan.

Yuvraj and Raina got together at 138/3 and added 60 in nine overs. Yuvraj was in his element and needed just 38 balls to complete his half-century, which included a six off Bresnan. His was a needless dismissal. One ball before the Batting Power play, Yuvraj paddle-scooped a Tredwell long hop straight to short fine leg. Raina was dropped on 46 by Bresnan at third man after replays indicated that the ball had touched the ground as the fielder dived. Raina could add just four more to his score before he lobbed the ball back to Tredwell for his fourth wicket. The asking rate had now begun a steady climb towards the 10 mark as Dhoni went on a six-hitting spree, but his luck - and India's - eventually ran out.

Of the 15 losses that England have endured in their last 16 ODIs in India, none was more humiliate than the 158-run shellacking in Rajkot some 5 years ago. That was a different stadium, and England made a strong charge towards correct their lop-sided record at the spanking new venue. Bell and Cook added 158 in their opening alliance after choosing to bat on the flattest of pitch. The innings reached an increase in the last couple of overs, as samit Patel and Craig Kieswetter thrashed India principal pacers, Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, for 38runs.

Bell appeared to be the most fluent of England batsmen’s. Although he had scored 91 and 108 in the practice games at Delhi, Bell took some time to get his eye in. He edge Bhuvneshwar through the vacant 1st slip region, neither Dhoni nor R. Ashwin moving a muscle from their particular stations. Then began a series of drives. Straight down against Bhuvneshwar, leaning towards off against a wayward Ishant Sharma as England went along happily at just under 6runs-per over. Bell brought up his half-century in 60 balls with a tight reverse paddle against Jadeja, who justified his place ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara by bowling carefully while everybody else was getting the stick.

the first wicket fell –and justifiably so – to a run out, when Ajinkya Rahane’s direct hit from short well leg found Bell short. Cook went to a top-edged slog-sweep off Suresh Raina, caught by Rahane in the circle, as another fruitful alliance began. Pietersen and Eoin Morgan added 76 in just under 11 overs as Dhoni mixed and matches his bowling combinations. Morgan looked mainly dangerous when he carted Sharma and Dinda for sixes, but was out when he drove loosely at a slower delivery from the latter for a catch that Dinda clasped to his chest as he went down.

India would have hoped to arrest England after Pietersen fell in the 44th over. But Patel and Kieswetter smashed 76 in 37 balls. Patel, who had come ahead of debutant Joe Root, wreaked havoc with six fours and a six, his blitz culminating in 20 runs off Bhuvneshwar last over of the innings. The seven bowlers that Dhoni tried out were – aside from Jadeja and Raina – all clobbered. Ishant leaked runs at almost nine-an over as England posted a winning total on a lightning quick outfield.

Score Details

England-325/4

Highest Score

Ian Bell -85

Alastair Cook -75

India Score-316/9

Highest Score

Yuvraj Singh-61

Gautam Gambhir -52

Best Bowling

James Tredwell 

10 Over-44 runs 4 wickets

Ind Squad Announced Against Eng-Sehwag out

Indian team selectors gave a hint of things to come for the national team that’s going through one of its poorest runs in international cricket. Senior batsman and one of the mainstays of the team in all formats, Virender Sehwag was dropped from the ODI squad for the first 3 one day international against England series beginning January 11.

 

India had been persisting with their jaded, out-of-form veterans while denying opportunity to young players in prime fitness and form. Sachin Tendulkar retirement and Sehwag’s axing has signaled that the status quo would change although through one change at a time.

Coming into the squad at Sehwag’s expense is India new broad-blade in the standard mould, Cheteshwar Pujara. Pujara The 24-year-old scored a surprising double hundred against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy.

Pujara is known more for his ability to play the long knock, something India desperately needs at the top of their batting order. In the 3 ODIs against Pakistan, they had starts of 29-5, 103-6 and 111-6. In the last 2 games, they were bowled out in the 160 runs.

Since his comeback from a shoulder surgery in 2011, Sehwag has produced one ODI innings of note – his 219 against the West Indies. After that innings, he has passed 50 just once in 11 innings.

Interestingly, the Sandeep Patil has also retained Rohit Sharma, who has had a horror run in limited overs cricket. He made 2, 4* and 4 in the 3 outings against Pakistan. His played last 5 ODI innings read 0, 0, 4, 4 and 4.

He has been persist with, as has been Gambhir who failed to come to tackle the inquiring Pakistani pace attack. Against Pakistan, Gambhir made scores of 8, 11 and 15 in the ODIs and 43 and 21 in the T20s runs.

One thing that will be tough to change is MS Dhoni’s captaincy. After helping the team scale unprecedented heights in the distant past, Dhoni has presided over 3 of their gravest Test series defeats against England and Australia, and then in the ODIs against Pakistan at home.

One thing going for Dhoni is his well form with the bat. Since the World Cup win, Dhoni averages a Bradmanesque 88.50 in 28 innings, making 1062 runs. In the first ODI against Pakistan, he bent one of his top knocks, creation an unbeaten 113 when it looked like India will fold for less than a hundred runs.

1ST 3 ODIs INDIA SQUAD AGAINST ENGLAND
MS Dhoni(CA/WIK)	Ajinkya Rahane	Gautam Gambhir
Virat Kohli	Cheteshwar Pujara	Rohit Sharma
Yuvraj Singh	Suresh Raina	Ravindra Jadeja
Ravichandran Ashwin	Ishant Sharma	Ashok Dinda
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	Shami Ahmed	Amit Mishra

India A Team Squad

INDIA A SQUAD
Abhinav Mukund	Murali Vijay
Robin Bist	Kedar Jadhav
Ashok Menaria	Rohit Motwani
Jalaj Saxena	Akshay Darekar
Ishwar Pandey	S Sreesanth
Rishi Dhawan	Paras Dogra
Mohit Sharma	Rasool Parvez

Gavaskar tells Dhoni take a break

NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for the present captain MS Dhoni to take a break from helming the side in all 3 formats and named the young batsmen Virat Kohli as a likely replacement.

It's still early days as far as 2015 World Cup is worried but I think that a break in captaincy will do wonder for MS.Dhoni. I am not saying that it has to happen during the middle of a series but may be after the Australia series or later part of 2013. We need to have a look at that, Gavaskar said.

The break might be an unpaid one or an enforced break. But he needs time to reflect on his game and come back in a better way. I am very impressed in the manner he remnants cool and unlike other skipper doesn't clap and all but a little break won't be bad. Captain India is a high freedom but the demands and pressures that come with it are incredible, he added.

Gavaskar went a step further, likening the 24-year-old Kohli to the deceased Mansur Ali Khan – India’s youngest Test captain at 21 – saying the Delhi batsman could bring the flair of Tiger Pated in his captaincy.

I could be wrong but Virat Kohli might bring the flair of Tiger Pated in his captaincy. If he knows that he will be appointed for long term, he has the dynamism, the aggression, panache and class. I like all about him apart from his mouthing abuses when he reaches a highlight. I don't want him to change something else as he can bring a lot of dynamism.

Asked if Dhoni was good enough to justify a place on the team as only a player, Gavaskar answered, Why not? He can be part of the team for the next couple of years as he is a match-winner.

The veteran Indian opener was of the opinion that an Indian should coach the national team, now that Duncan Fletcher's contract was unlikely to be changed after the Australia series. He also hinted that the man in the hot seat should be a former cricketer with vast experience.

I would like it to be an Indian coach or somebody who is like Gary Kirsten. Kirsten had scored lots of runs in ODI and Tests and bring along a sure work ethic as he had done it all. If you have a winner cricketer, he can help you get better.

Darren Sammy Helped. WI Won 4th match

Dhaka: Darren Sammy hit a fighting half-century and then grabbed three early wickets to help the West Indies beat Bangladesh by 75 runs in the fourth one-day international in Dhaka on Friday.

The 28-year-old scored an unbeaten 60 to take the tourists, after they were put into bat, to 211-9, and his impressive bowling was central to an attack that saw the home team out for 136 in 34.1 overs at Shere Bangla stadium.

The victory meant the five-match series is now level at 2-2, setting up a high-stakes final showdown on Saturday. Sammy rocked the home team by dismissing Anamul Haque (1) with the fourth delivery of the second over and then had Nadeem Islam (nought) caught out on the next ball to leave the home team reeling at 3-2.

Pace partner Kemar Roach (2-29) then struck further blows on the home team by bowling Tamim Iqbal (1) and Nasir Hossain (2) in the third over. Sammy then piled on the pain, taking the wicket of Mominul Haque (1) in the sixth over to leave the hosts at 13-5.

Mohammad Mahmudullah, who remained unbeaten on 56, added an invaluable 74 runs for the sixth wicket with captain Mushfiqur Rahim (27) but once the partnership was broken by Sunil Narine all was lost for the home team.

Mahmudullah hit seven boundaries in his fighting 78-ball stay at the crease. Veerasammy Permaul and Dwayne Smith also chipped in with 2 wickets apiece. Earlier, Bangladeshi spinners Mahmudullah (3-46), Elias Sunny (2-21) and Abdur Razzak (2-47) derailed the West Indian innings in the middle overs after the tourists were cruising along well at 71-1.

Dashing West Indian opener Chris Gayle once again failed dismissed for 16 after he looked set for a big score when he hit paceman Mashrafe Mortaza for a six and four in the sixth over.He fell in the same over, caught by Sohag Gazi.

Kieran Powell (26) and Marlon Samuels (27) took the score to 71 when the Bangladeshi spinners struck thrice in as many overs, with Sunny taking wickets of both the batsmen in his successive overs.

Off-spinner Mahmudullah then took over dismissing Kieron Pollard (2), Devon Thomas (10) and Permaul (1) to derail the West Indies. In between these three wickets, Sammy and Bravo added an invaluable 43 for the seventh wicket.

Bangladesh won the first 2 matches by 7 wickets and 160 runs respectively - both in Khulna while the West Indies clinched the third in Dhaka by 4 wickets.