Thursday, 11 July 2013
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Report : India Reaches the Final | Tri-Nation Series 2013
PORT OF SPAIN : Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept up his first spell exploits as India trumped Sri Lanka by 81 runs (D-L method) to enter the final of the ongoing ODI Tri-Nation series in the Caribbean islands.
The young swing bowler’s unbelievable figures of 6-1-8-4 halted Lanka’s pursuit of a revised target of 178 in 26 overs, an initial collapse leading to full-blown devastation and concluding in a bonus point win for Virat Kohli’s team.
But like the one that preceded it, this match too appeared to be heading into a reserve day after rain restricted India’s first innings 119/3 in 29 overs.
Two in two
India had to restrict Lanka to 167 to win with the bonus point and get ahead of the Windies' Net Run Rate. They began in right earnest with dismissals off successive balls. Bhuvneshwar's angle consumed the left-hander Upul Tharanga.
On the next ball, the Meerut lad trapped Kumar Sangakkara leg before, although replays indicated a borderline decision with reference to height. Bhuvneshwar then beat Dinesh Chandimal’s outside edge on the hat-trick delivery as the injured MS Dhoni looked on proudly from the dressing room.
More drama unfolded when Yadav bruised Chandimal’s right elbow with devilish pace, recreating the torrid time Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews had given to Rohit Sharma when India batted.
Mahela goesBhuvneshwar took his third as Mahela Jayawardene (11) backed away and chopped the bowler to third man and his fourth when Lahiru Thirimanne (0) slapped him straight to Kohli at cover.
Lanka were 40/4 after ten overs and the spinners, R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, completed the formalities. The chase ended on 96 in 24.4 overs.
Rohit battered
It was Rohit’s laborious, unbeaten 48 that formed the bulk of his team’s total after Mathews elected to field in helpful conditions for seam bowling.
The Lankan captain bowled five overs for just five runs while Malinga’s three included a maiden to Kohli and went for a total of seven runs.
Rohit was nailed on the box, rapped on the gloves and dropped by Jeevan Mendis at point. But he battled through it all even as the in-form Shikhar Dhawan (15) gave Mathews the charge and edged to slip for India's first wicket.
Slow going
The going was slow and just 37 came off the mandatory Powerplay. Skipper Kohli (31) looked out of sorts as he struggled to gauge the length of deliveries.
One such misjudgment cost him dear: trapped on the backfoot by a Rangana Herath slider. Dinesh Karthik (12) was done in in similar fashion, his particular case involving the ball crashing into the stumps.
By the time Rohit sought to make the most of his time spent in the middle, clouds had gathered and the impetus, besides a six off the left-arm spinner, never came.
Good Fortune
The weather left time enough only for Sri Lanka to bat. And India's modest total was lent a veneer of fight and respectability, thanks to the mysterious ways of the Duckworth-Lewis equation.
By virtue of being the top two sides in the fray respectively, India and Sri Lanka will contest the final on Thursday.
[ Via : YahooCricket ]
Saturday, 6 July 2013
Friday, 5 July 2013
14th ODI Hundred For Virat | Champion's Knock
PORT of Spain :
Virat Kohli
Age : 25
ODI Centuries : 14
Seriously Awesome!Modern day Great!
This guy is born to Rule The world...
Take a bow VK! Gem of an Innings..
His aggression shows his hunger and his commitment to do well for his country India..
-- 1st ODI TON as Captain...
Good Wishes! Captain Knock!
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Loss to Sri Lanka a reality check for us, says Virat Kohli | Tri Nation Series 2013
Kingston : India's captain Virat Kohli, who is leading the side in place of injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has admitted that it was a "tough day" for him at the office after Sri Lanka thrashed his team by 161 runs in an ODI tri-series match here.
Sent in to bat, Sri Lanka first rode on Upul Tharanga's career-best unbeaten 174 and Mahela Jayawardene's 107 to pile up a mammoth 348 for one on Tuesday and then shot out the Indians for a paltry 187 in 44.5 overs.
"It was a tough day at the office. We were not up to the mark with the ball. The Sri Lankans batted really well, and we did not. To chase down 349, you need a quick start, we were not able to do that, that did not give us momentum," he said at the post-match press conference.
Asked about the necessity of sending a pinch-hitter while chasing the total, Kohli said, "The way we have been batting, don't think we needed to consider that option. It didn't happen today."
"It was a reality check for us, we have to analyse what we did wrong. We have two more games to go. This is going to hurt the guys a little bit."
"We needed that, especially after losing the toss, we were on the back foot. Mahela showed his class. Upul struggled a bit initially but batted through and was brilliant later.We needed to get that 250, bowlers never let us down if we score 250. Hats off to Mahela and Upul. I am doing my bit the way I can," he said.
"We needed to get a start because we lost the toss on a sticky wicket.The first 10 overs were crucial. They (India) bowled well upfront. So we had to ride that, and then we put the pressure back on them," he said.
Despite the forgettable performance from the team, it was a memorable day for Kohli as he took the field as India's captain.
Win or Loss, We are with Virat and Team India!
Coz we know we are the Champions.
Be Brave and Go Ahead...
ChakdeIndia!
Tri Nation Series 2013 | Virat Kohli says, you win and lose as a team
Kingston : On a day when many records tumbled, India set one of their own, plunging to their biggest defeat in terms of runs (161) after winning the toss and electing to field. Sri Lanka hit 200 runs in the last 20 overs - which is when the match really got away from India. a
Virat Kohli, leading India in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's absence, rued the opportunities missed in the field for failing to put a lid on Sri Lanka's scoring.
"They didn't lose any wickets and it's very difficult to control the runs especially with the powerplay as well. They say, "Catches win you matches" and we couldn't grab on to the chances we had," said Kohli, adding that the game "would have been completely different" if India had held on to their chances.
"We dropped two set batsmen and they went on to get 160-170 runs [between them] after that," he said.
Kohli thought India could have restricted Sri Lanka to a manageable 260-270 runs.
During the Champions Trophy, Dhoni declared India the best fielding side, but the team that turned up in Sabina Park on Tuesday (July 2) didn't bear any resemblance to that one, dropping multiple catches, missing run-outs and being generally sloppy with their ground fielding. Kohli did not point fingers at any one player for the shoddy performance and was still bullish about the tag Dhoni had given.
"I wouldn't point fingers at anyone. It's a team game. You win as a team and lose as a team. Even Jonty Rhodes dropped catches in his career. I think we are among the top fielding sides in the world. We have that much confidence in our fielding and in our abilities," said Kohli, describing the match as a one-off day. "You are going to have days where you will miss catches, you will misfield the ball. Last game, we were quite good in the field. It's a new day tomorrow. Sun is going to rise again. The tag is not taken away from us at all. One bad performance doesn't count you out as a good fielding side."
India needed a quick start after Sri Lanka had piled up 348 for 1, but that is not what they got from Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. Even more muddled was the promotion of Murali Vijay in Kohli's usual No. 3 spot, against an opposition that the captain had made his very own bowling machine.
"We would have loved a great start initially and take the momentum forward which you need in chasing a big total" said Kohli, while defending the move to send Vijay ahead of himself. "We wanted to give someone who has not played for a while a good chance right at the top of the order. So suddenly putting him at No. 5 or No. 6 would have been difficult for him. It was about giving him time in middle and hoping he gets some runs and will be confident in the games [going] forward. Unfortunately, the plans didn't work."
Kohli put down the all around miserable performance to "just one of those days" where his team was "not on the button" at all. There isn't much to take away from a complete shellacking like this, unlike the previous game where India ran West Indies close. "If you lose a close game, at least you know you have given a good effort and executed most things right but today was one of those days where we were outplayed by Sri Lanka."
Despite the forgettable performance from the team, it was a memorable day for Kohli as he took the field as India's captain. He had captained in the IPL before but, as he found out, captaining India is a different kettle of fish. "It is tough to be honest. This game teaches you a lot and I just learnt a big lesson today on how you should handle yourself, how you should control yourself on the field when a team is smashing you since you are playing against 11 international players. It's not the IPL... When you have 11 international players [in the opposition], they are not going to give you much chance to come back in to the game."
One of the traits that Kohli has shown repeatedly is how well he rises up to a challenge. The situation India finds itself in, on the brink, is tailor-made for him and he hoped his team-mates felt the same way. "I personally love this kind of a challenge where you have to win two games convincingly to go on to the final. I hope the ten other guys in the team can think like that. After winning the Champions Trophy, you want to top it by doing well, because you want to be a consistent, top side. I hope everyone has the mindset of taking up this as a challenge and put in strong performances."
[Via : Sports.NDTV]
Monday, 1 July 2013
Under pressure we missed Dhoni's calmness : Stand-in skipper Virat Kohli
Kingston, Jamaica : India's stand-in captain Virat Kohli conceded that the calming presence of regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was missed during the high-pressure ODI tri-series match against West Indies which the hosts won by a solitary wicket after a nail-biting chase.
Dhoni, who suffered from cramps while batting didn't come out to field and it was Kohli who led the side in the match, which saw the Caribbeans huff and puff to a modest 230-run target.
"There were times when you are under pressure and you miss him (Dhoni) because he remains calm under pressure," a disappointed Kohli admitted at the post-match presentation ceremony here.
Kohli assessed that there was marked change in the behaviour of the wicket when West Indies batted.
"The way the wicket played in the second innings, the score wasn't enough, but it was completely different in the morning, it was damp, it became better for batting later on," he said.
Kohli praised his bowlers for keeping them in the game but felt they were unlucky as a few edges didn't carry to the fielders.
"We tried to take as many wickets as possible, one or two edges going to the fielders would have been different, we were close to winning it.
"There was a bit of spongy bounce in the morning and Narine was getting some turn. It was just a matter of one wicket. It was a great fight by us and good entertainment. West Indies had a great game," the young captain said.
West Indies' stand-in captain Kieron Pollard wasn't happy that the match went down to the wire.
"We find ways to get into these positions, but we won in the end. Teams of the past could have just fallen, that shows the belief of everyone in the team, victories such as these bring us together," a visibly satisfied Pollard said.
Pollard said the main goal was to go to Trinidad with two wins and he is happy that the team has been able to achieve that.
"We wanted to go to Trinidad with two wins, does not matter how we have done it, but we have. We should not be overconfident though, should win these sort of games easily. Thanks to the crowd for the support.
"(Dwayne) Bravo (sitting out) was precautionary, we have Pakistan coming up, he has five or six days to get ready, hopefully he should be taking the mantle in Trinidad, with Ravi we are not sure."
Man-of-the-match Johnson Charles, who struck an attractive 97, was happy that he could make amends after his struggle against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament.
"This was a good innings as in the previous game, I struggled a bit. Myself and (Darren) Bravo have always batted well together as I enjoy batting alongside him," Charles said.
The 24-year-old opener admitted that the pitch flattened out in the second half.
"Wicket improved a bit as it got flatter and was more of a batting pitch. I would have liked to get a three-figure mark and carry my team to victory. I am a bit disappointed about it," he concluded.
[ Via : SPORTS.NDTV ]
Can't win everything, says Virat Kohli after loss to West Indies
Kingston, Jamaica : It was a match with more than a few unexpected turns, not least injuries to Dwayne Bravo (available to play in Trinidad) and Ravi Rampaul (out for three weeks) that kept them away from playing, and to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian captain who will be evaluated after an MRI on Monday.
Both sides were led on the field by players who weren't really expecting it, but put on a very creditable show and give their sides great chances at victory. Stand-in skipper Virat Kohli's handling of his bowlers, initially thinking the match wouldn't go past 45 overs but then recalibrating to bring on Suresh Raina towards the end, was impressive even though he couldn't pull off victory.
Kohli explained his logic behind bringing Raina on. "(Sunil) Narine was batting and I thought Raina is good to left-handers and when he bowls around the wicket, he sort of skids it on. I thought he might hit the pad or force them on to the front foot." He also had all the fielders inside the 30-yard circle for Narine, which eventually pressured him to play a risky stroke and get caught at mid on.
Kohli wasn't too disheartened by the defeat, choosing instead to look at the positives to come of out it, especially the bowling unit pulling the game back and putting themselves in a position where just one wicket stood between India and victory. "You can't be too disappointed with these kinds of games," said Kohli. "We won seven in a row in England and in cricket, you can't win everything. The way the guys fought was very pleasing to see. Everyone was hungry to win."
Johnson Charles, the man of the match who counterattacked even as India took three early wickets, was a completely different batsman from the one that played in the previous match against Sri Lanka. "The last game was harder because my hand-eye coordination wasn't there. This game, I came out with a bit more intent and knew exactly where my scoring areas were and did my thing," he said. He added that the pitch aided strokeplay as the ball came on nicely in the afternoon.
Kohli was impressed by and happy for Charles. "The way Johnson Charles batted really impressed me," he said. "He is someone who's done well for (West Indies). It's a good thing for them. It's good to see a young player from West Indies coming through and play the match-winning knock. We were putting pressure on him and he really stood up."
With the finish line so close, Charles gifted his wicket away, thereby missing out on a certain third century in One-Day Internationals. "When you get out on 97, it's always a disappointing feeling but I must say well played to (Kemar) Roach and (Tino) Best for getting us across the line. When we got across the line, it was a huge pressure off my shoulders."
Kieron Pollard, who stood in for West Indies in Bravo's absence, had a much easier job than Kohli, feeling the pressure only as West Indies lost a few wickets as they closed in on the target. "It wasn't much pressure (leading Wet Indies for the first time), but there was pressure at the end of the game. At the start, there wasn't any pressure. We have experienced guys in the team who have captained West Indies before."
Charles as well as Darren Sammy attacked the Indian bowlers even as West Indies found themselves in a precarious position, and Pollard defended that approach by saying it is their brand of cricket. "We are West Indian cricketers. This is how we play the game. We attack. If we get in to a shell and get out, people ask, 'Why we are not playing our natural game?' At the end of the day, you just have to back yourself, back the players and that's how we play our cricket. That's our brand of cricket."
Ottis Gibson, the coach, had said that he wanted his wards to put together two good games. West Indies did almost everything right for the second time in three days but ended up cutting it too close. However, Pollard wasn't going to let that take the sheen off this win against India. "We are going to feel very proud. At the end of the day, we won the match. We have done some good things. We have to sit down and think about things we haven't done well. You have to be happy for victories, because victories do not come easy."
[ Via : SPORTS.NDTV ]
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