Upbeat Ind ready for WI challenge
24 March 2014 4:26 AM IST
A victory against Pakistan was just the kind of shot in the arm that was required before facing a team that has world’s most devastating T20 batsman in Gayle.While a rampaging Gayle can take away the game at any point of time with his blazing bat, the Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja will definitely pose a few problems for the ‘Jamaican Marauder’.
Gayle has minimum footwork as he believes in stand and hit technique. With Ashwin successfully employing a round the wicket technique to bottle up batsman and Mishra inviting him to come out by flighting his deliveries, it will be a challenge for Gayle to devise a counter strategy.
While spinners will hold the key, Dhoni would also expect that Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami don’t bowl length balls to Gayle as it has a chance of consistently landing in the stands.
However, Indian bowlers will also have to deal with an attacking batsman like Dwayne Smith, who has the ability to hit over the in-field consistently during Powerplay overs.
Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels are also capable enough to destroy any bowling attack on their day.
While Samuels might take some time to settle down, he can effortlessly shift gears as he had shown some 18 months ago during the last edition’s final at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The Indian batsmen had an easy day in office against Pakistan with a smaller target to chase. But both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma would also do well to get a big score under their belt. The two openers got good starts Saturday but failed to convert them into big scores. Therefore one can expect Yuvraj to play the whole tournament unless something goes horribly wrong. It also doesn’t make sense to select a senior like him and not play him.
It will be interesting as to how Indians will counter Sunil Narine. But it will probably be ‘attack is best defence’ policy. Dhawan who gave Ajmal the charge hitting three boundaries in one over and Mohammed Hafeez had to take him out of the attack. Ravi Rampaul, Krishmar Santomie, Bravo and Narine make up for a good line up and one can expect an engaging contest between bat and ball.
Sri Lanka fight back to tame S Africa by 5 runs
NEW DELHI: Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara held their nerve in the death overs with miserly fast bowling as Sri Lanka beat South Africa by five runs in their World Twenty20 opener at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Saturday.
South Africa had the upper hand chasing 166 for victory in their Group One super 10 match and needed 19 runs off the last two overs with five wickets in hand. But Kulasekara gave away just four runs and picked up the wicket of Farhaan Behardien (five) to leave South Africa needing 15 runs off limited-overs specialist Malinga’s final over.
Dale Steyn (zero) and the dangerous David Miller (19) were run out off the first two deliveries and although Imran Tahir (eight not out) managed a last-ball six, the chase had already gone out of South Africa’s reach. JP Duminy (39) top-scored for the Proteas, who ended on 160 for eight, and off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake was the most successful Sri Lankan bowler with figures of two for 22.
Miandad, Yousuf want Afridi as Pakistan captain
Karachi: Pakistan’s loss to India in their World Twenty20 opener has sparked massive criticism of skipper Mohammed Hafeez with former captains such as Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf demanding that he be replaced by flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi. Hafeez should have used his bowlers more proactively,’ Miandad said. ‘With better captaincy and the right pressure we could have made this total of 130 like 160 for India but this didn’t happen,’ Yousuf added. Both said they felt that Shahid Afridi was a better choice to lead the team in limited overs cricket. ‘Afridi is more aggressive and proactive and the responsibility could also force him to raise his own game,’ Miandad said.
Gayle has minimum footwork as he believes in stand and hit technique. With Ashwin successfully employing a round the wicket technique to bottle up batsman and Mishra inviting him to come out by flighting his deliveries, it will be a challenge for Gayle to devise a counter strategy.
While spinners will hold the key, Dhoni would also expect that Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami don’t bowl length balls to Gayle as it has a chance of consistently landing in the stands.
However, Indian bowlers will also have to deal with an attacking batsman like Dwayne Smith, who has the ability to hit over the in-field consistently during Powerplay overs.
Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels are also capable enough to destroy any bowling attack on their day.
While Samuels might take some time to settle down, he can effortlessly shift gears as he had shown some 18 months ago during the last edition’s final at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The Indian batsmen had an easy day in office against Pakistan with a smaller target to chase. But both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma would also do well to get a big score under their belt. The two openers got good starts Saturday but failed to convert them into big scores. Therefore one can expect Yuvraj to play the whole tournament unless something goes horribly wrong. It also doesn’t make sense to select a senior like him and not play him.
It will be interesting as to how Indians will counter Sunil Narine. But it will probably be ‘attack is best defence’ policy. Dhawan who gave Ajmal the charge hitting three boundaries in one over and Mohammed Hafeez had to take him out of the attack. Ravi Rampaul, Krishmar Santomie, Bravo and Narine make up for a good line up and one can expect an engaging contest between bat and ball.
Sri Lanka fight back to tame S Africa by 5 runs
NEW DELHI: Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara held their nerve in the death overs with miserly fast bowling as Sri Lanka beat South Africa by five runs in their World Twenty20 opener at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Saturday.
South Africa had the upper hand chasing 166 for victory in their Group One super 10 match and needed 19 runs off the last two overs with five wickets in hand. But Kulasekara gave away just four runs and picked up the wicket of Farhaan Behardien (five) to leave South Africa needing 15 runs off limited-overs specialist Malinga’s final over.
Dale Steyn (zero) and the dangerous David Miller (19) were run out off the first two deliveries and although Imran Tahir (eight not out) managed a last-ball six, the chase had already gone out of South Africa’s reach. JP Duminy (39) top-scored for the Proteas, who ended on 160 for eight, and off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake was the most successful Sri Lankan bowler with figures of two for 22.
Miandad, Yousuf want Afridi as Pakistan captain
Karachi: Pakistan’s loss to India in their World Twenty20 opener has sparked massive criticism of skipper Mohammed Hafeez with former captains such as Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf demanding that he be replaced by flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi. Hafeez should have used his bowlers more proactively,’ Miandad said. ‘With better captaincy and the right pressure we could have made this total of 130 like 160 for India but this didn’t happen,’ Yousuf added. Both said they felt that Shahid Afridi was a better choice to lead the team in limited overs cricket. ‘Afridi is more aggressive and proactive and the responsibility could also force him to raise his own game,’ Miandad said.
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