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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…)

History was made at Lords by Kapil Dev and his men in 1983 and repeated after 28 years at  Wankhade Stadium, Mumbai on Apr 2nd 2011, by M.S.Dhoni and company. Kumar Sangakara won the toss at Wankhade and chose to bat Sunday in the final of the World Cup 2011 against India. In the end India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to clinch the coveted trophy.

M. S. Dhoni

It was the determined effort from Gautam Gambhir who scored 97 runs and a chanceless 91* from M.S.Dhoni which paved the way for India’s victory over Sri Lanka. This helped India overhaul the score of 274 set by Sri Lanka for India to win the title and it is the highest ever run chase in the World Cup final. 

For Sri Lanka Jayawardane scored 103* and Sangakara 48 runs.  (more…)

Virender Sehwag slammed the highest score by an Indian against Bangla Desh in the inaugural match of the ICC World Cup match played at Mirpur. Bangla Desh won the toss and elected to field first keeping the dew factor in mind which might fall in the second part of the game so also that they find run chasing easier.

Sehwag started the tournament with the usual flurry of shots. He sent the first ball of the match to the long-on boundary. Shafiul offered Sehwag width again and watched the final ball speed to the cover boundary. In his second over, Shafiul erred by offering Sachin Tendulkar two deliveries on the pads: both were flicked to the boundary. 

In between those overs, Rubel Hossain had conceded two boundaries as well, and India raced to 36 after four overs. That  forced Shakib to turn to his premier spinner, Abdur Razzak, in the fifth. (more…)

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat in the 4th ODI on Friday against India being played at Port Elizabeth. South Africa piled up a score of 266 for the loss of seven wickets thanks to the half centuries by JP Duminy and Hashim Amla.

JP Duminy

South Africa were cruising along comfortably at 100 for 1 after which they lost four quick wickets, two of which were needless run-outs. Then came JP Duminy to the crease who, alongwith Botha steadied the SA ship and added 70 runs along with him.

Amla took his time to settle down in the early overs, but soon unfurled his full range of strokes to pick up plenty of boundaries. All the three Indian pacers Zahir Khan, Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra were punished by Amla.

Harbhajan Singh also strayed in line and length and Amla capitalised by working him through the gaps in the leg side. A slash to third man off Yuvraj Singh brought Amla his 12th half-century. (more…)

Gautam Gambhir won the toss at Vadodra Cricket Stadium on Saturday and asked New Zealand to make first use of the pitch. But it was Zahir Khan and Munaf Patel who utilised the moist morning conditions. New Zealand could pile up only 224 runs and it was by no stretch of imagination a fighting score.

Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir made the chase look ridiculously easy and maintained his captaincy record also as he produced a Captain’s knock of 126 not out to wipe out the New  Zealand total of 224  runs for 9 wickets with more than ten overs to spare. He cracked his second century on the trot, to power India to a series-clinching nine-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third ODI at Vadodara today.

India  have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.

Gambhir, who smashed 16 boundaries with his flicks and drives in the 117 balls he faced, put on 115 runs for the opening wicket with Murali Vijay who made a slow 30 in 50 balls before being run out.

Kohli remained unbeaten on 63 in 70 balls with six fours and two sixes. He also hit the winning runs, a six over long on. (more…)

Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to field at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium at Jaipur in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday. India managed to restrict New Zealand to a score of 258 runs for 8 wickets  with Sreesanth doing most of the damage, who took 4 wickets for 47 runs. The bowlers having done their job, Gambhir replied with a chanceless 138* to guide India home. He was ably supported by Virat Kohli who got out at 64 and now has two centuries and a half-century on the trot. 

Gautam Gambhir

This was Gambhir’s first century in almost a year and it was decorated with 18 boundaries to the fence and a six. Gambhir was timing the ball to perfection and was well supported by an in-form Kohli at the other end, India’s hundred was up in the 20th over. 

Earlier, Sreesanth consumed Howe but Williamson and Guptill stood ground to produce a half-century stand and Munaf Patel then removed Williamson. Guptill played very well for his 70 runs but New Zealand did not get a rocking start and so could not reach the desired 300 run target. Ross Taylor was out to a ball which he misread from Yusuf Pathan and later R Ashwin removed Guptill. 

Styris powered his way to a breezy 59 off 56 balls with the help of five fours and a huge six, while Vettori contributed 31 off 32, an innings that included four hits to the fence.  (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…)

India proved their dominance in Cricket by defeating Australia by 5 wickets in the second ODI match played at the flood-lit Stadium at Vishakapatnam. Captain M.S.Dhoni won the toss and elected to field at the YSR Reddy Stadium on Wednesday. Australia  lost two quick wickets as both openers were consumed by Ashish Nehra. This victory follows their win over Australia in the recently concluded Test series. 

Virat Kohli

Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey later saved the innings with a fine 144 run stand and after 45 overs Australia were 205 for 3. Australia looted 84 runs in the final five overs and Cameron White slammed 70 runs in his last 24 deliveries. 

Some big hitting by Cameron White (89 from 49 balls) was at display including a straight drive which went through umpire Billy Bowden. It took Bowden a fraction of a second to duck out of the line of the shot otherwise Bowden would have been history had the shot hit him on the head. 

Skipper Clarke and Hussey did the repair work, building their innings brick by brick. In the end Cameron White’s big hitting helped Australia in reaching a fighting total of 289 runs. 

Both White and Clarke were in a rampaging mood. Nehra, who had an impressive first spell, had his figures destroyed towards the end as he returned with 57 runs from his 10 overs. (more…)

Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 7 wickets in an exciting match where 55,000 spectators enjoyed a thrilling display of hard hitting shots at the Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore on Thursday.  Adam Gilchrist won the toss for Deccan Chargers and put the Royal Challangers Bangalore to bat.

Jacques Kallis and Manish Pandey opened the innings for Bangalore and Pandey was bowled by Ryan Harris for 1 run. The Royal Challangers lost wickets at regular interval and were 68 for 4 at the 10th over mark. Then Kallis, with the adequate support of Virat Kohli steaded the innings for Bangalore. (more…)

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in the fourth ODI against India played at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Thursday.

A superb catch by Virat Kohli  brought the end of Dilshan as Sri Lanka lost their first wicket for 31 after 8 overs. Jayasuriya also looked in fine nick in his  15 runs before he edged Zaheer in the first slip.

For the Sri Lankan’s, Upul Tharanga hit his seventh ODI century and participated in a 126-run partnership with  Kumar Sangakkara (60) as Sri Lanka posted 315 for six, the highest score at the venue till India overhauled it. (more…)