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India have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when they defeated Bangaladesh by one run in the WC T20 match at Bangalore. Until the last over, Bangla Desh had the match well and truly in their control but they lost their nerves in in the last 3 balls of their innings. Needing just 11 runs in the last over to win the match but lost 3 quick wickets in the process. They needed just two runs of the last three balls when all hell broke loose and they could not score one run. Hritik Pandya was the bowler of that fruitful over. (more…)

Yusaf Pathan steered India to an improbable victory at Bangalore in their fourth ODI against New Zealand on Tuesday. Gautam Gambhir won the toss and put New Zealand in to bat bat who laid down a huge score of 315 runs. Chasing this mammoth score, India, at one stage were 188 for 5 having lost the top five batsmen. But Yusuf Pathan was was on a different pedestal altogether. He struck with confidence and stamped authority with his each shot. His 97 ball 123 runs were ample proof that Pathan has given a notice to the selection committee for the forthcoming World Cup.  

His century overshadowed a superbly-crafted 98 from James Franklin that had allowed New Zealand to reach a daunting total.

It rained for about an hour and when play resumed again, India needed 113 runs from 14 overs a difficult task which was made easy by Yusuf Pathan.  Yusuf launched a Daniel Vettori delivery into the stands beyond long-on and shot a delivery from Kyle Mills over the roof. 

In the  43rd over Pathan smashed Mills for three fours and slammed a six over midwicket. And when he brought up his maiden hundred with a pulled six, off Andy McKay in the next over, the game was almost over.  (more…)

Daniel Vittori won the toss and opted to field in the 1st ODI between India and New Zealand played at Nehru Stadium at Gawhati today. Virat Kolhi slammed a thrilling century, the second in a row, to take India to 276 runs all out.

Virat Kohli

India were however biting their nails in the last few overs when the ninth wicket pair of McCullum and Mills slammed 67 precious runs and at one stage looked set to overhaul India’s score. At one stage, only 41 runs were needed off 31 balls, when McCullum was out caught. 

Virat Kohli completed his century with ten boundaries and Yuvraj Singh contributed 42 runs. Murli Vijai struck boundaries at ease and was ably supported by Gautam Gambhir who was in his usual self.

Murli Vijai scored 44 runs and when Gambhir was out, India were 92 for the loss of two wickets. Then it was Yuvraj’s turn to give suppport to Virat Kohli and both plodded along smoothly.

In their 88-run stand for the third wicket, Kohli was compact in rotating the strike while Yuvraj looked to score in boundaries before he edged one behind the stumps. (more…)

Hyderabad. The second test between India and New Zealand ended in a draw on the fifth day on Tuesday. New Zealand had given India a target of 327 runs with not enough time left in the game to achieve it. India batted for 17 overs after tea wherein Sehwag was able to delight the crowd with a 50. Thereafter the two teams decided to call off the match.

Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum reaped rewards for his hard work and got third-highest score  in Tests in India. The game was headed for a draw the moment Zaheer Khan left the field again after bowling just three overs in the morning session.

New Zealand has now held India, the No. 1 side, to four consecutive draws.

India  had their chances to wrap up this match.  On one occassion, Cheteshwar Pujara dropped McCullum at forward short leg when the batsman was 148. Another chance India got to have a result in the match, was when  Kane Williamson was given out lbw erroneously to an off break which was sure to miss the leg stump but could not pressurize the New Zealanders later. (more…)

Bangalore:  After a tight finish in Mohali a week ago, it was a one-sided game in Bangalore as India comfortably beat Australia by seven-wickets on day five of the second Test to win the two-match series 2-0 on Wednesday and register their first win here in 15 years.

Cheteshwar Pujara

India won the first Test at Mohali, thanks to VVS Laxman who played a splendid knock there to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In the second test it was Sachin Tendulkar’s herioc 214 in the first innings and 53 not out in the second innings which spelt doom for Australia.

Earlier in the day, the Australians added 21 runs to their overnight score and ended up being dismissed for 223 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Requiring 206 runs to win on the last day, India began the run chase from the word go and lost Sehwag early in the second innings. But Cheteshwar Pujara and Murli Vijay ensured building the foundation of India’s victory at Bangalore in front of a jam-packed Stadium. Pujara slammed chancelesss 72 on Test debut was bowled by Nathan Hauritz. He seems to have sealed his place as the one-down batsman for the Indian Team. (more…)

 No T20  match nor an ODI will give so much thrill to spectators within the stadium and Cricket lovers around the world as this Mohali Test match did. It was a  nail-biting atmosphere as India requiring 216 to win the match in the last innings, pulled off a spectacular victory to beat Australia by one wicket. 

VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman, despite, his backache remained unbeaten on 73 runs took India to a one-wicket win against Australia in the Mohali Test which ended like a live-wire. 

India has now taken a 1-0 lead in the series. It was Laxman and Ishant Sharma who put up a match winning partnership of 81 runs. 

Yesterday, India were 55 for the loss of four wickets and it was expected that Australia would finish the formalities by noon today and win the match, but that was not to be. India had struggled to reach 162-8 at lunch on the fifth day after resuming their second innings at 55-4. 

Zaheer Khan was caught by Michael Clarke for 10 runs at first slip off the bowling of Hauritz.  (more…)

Sri Lanka beat India by 74 runs in the final of the Triangular Series between Sri Lanka, New Zealand and India played at the Dambulla Stadium on Saturday

Kumar Sangakara

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.  They made full use of the track and Tilakratne Dilshan slammed a chanceless century to maintain the hold of Sri Lanka on the match.

Though embroiled in the no-ball controversy in depriving Sehwag of a century in the previous encounter with India, he had saved his best performance for the last.

He was ably supported by Mahila Jayawardne who rotated the strike very well. These two batsmen posted an opening wicket partnership of 121 runs. This was Dilshan’s third century against India. (more…)

Though Cricket has always been a game of glorious uncertainities and predictions are extremely difficult, India should win the triangular Series Cup against Sri Lanka in the final to be played on Saturday at Sri Lanka.

No, I did not ask Octopus Paul, but they have the capacity to do it even though India’s batsmen, apart from M S.Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, have so far failed in their performance in this tournament.

As of now Dinesh Kartik, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can be said to be the failures of this tournament as they do not have any worthwhile contribution in the matches which have been played so far. Yuvraj Singh’s performance is also under the scanner, even though he had scored a paltry 38 in the match against Sri Lanka.

They are, however getting lot of support and encouragement from their seniors. (more…)

M.S.Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first on a newly laid pitch at the Dambulla Stadium on Wednesday.  New Zealand tried their best to reach the final of the tri-Series, but India were in a victory mode and never relented all through the game, and India beat New Zealand by 108 runs. Batting first they amassed 223 runs, almost half of which were scored by Virendra Sehwag, and then the Indian pacers wrecked havoc on their batsman and budled them out in a meager score of 118 runs. 

Virendra Sehwag

After the loss of four quick wickets, M.S.Dhoni gave Sehwag  the required support by rotating the strike and played the sheet anchor role at the other end, while Sehwag plundered his century. Dhoni and Sehwag put on a 107 runs partnership. Once Sehwag was out, the Indian tail was wiped out quickly by the New Zealand bowlers.

 Sehwag  also managed to hit his 1000th ‘four’ in ODI cricket. New Zealand bowlers bowled very well and took the wicket of Dinesh Kartik with India at no score and Virat Kohli also gave the faintest of nick to the wicket-keeper. Both these batsmen were caught fishing outside the off stump. 

Even though the New Zealand bowlers had managed to capture 4 quick wickets by sheer bounce and quick bowling, it was Sehwag alone duly supported by Dhoni, who gave India a fighting score.  (more…)

The Controversial Six
  
Virender Sehwag  helped India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets and also secure a bonus point to leave each of the three sides with a win at the end of the first round of matches in a cricket tri-series match at Dambulla on Monday.

MS Dhoni lost the toss again, but Kumar Sangakkara’s decision to bat first gave India the chance to bowl under the overcast weather at Dambulla and their bowlers cashed in with their swing on a wicket which had bounce also. Sehwag then manage to save his skin during the early Lankan attack and later slammed which would have been a classic century, but for the controversial six, which sealed victory.

Virendra Sehwag

The start of the game was no less dramatic as the end.  Praveen Kumar rattled the timber of Upul Tharanga with an out swinger off the first ball off the day. Sri Lanka found it difficult to adjust to the attack of Praveen as well as Ishant Sharma under cloudy skies and the batsmen struggled against the swing and deviation off the pitch and the  batsmen found it difficult to negotiate the swing in the damp weather at Dambulla.

Mahela Jayawardene had a brief stay at the crease and was trapped leg before by a Praveen in-swinger that moved back in late. Samaraweera and Sangakara also looked good in patches but went wayward in their application to the task.

Extra pace accounted for Sangakkara who was caught in the deep. Damaraweera was caught at short midwicket off a mis-timed pull. (more…)