Sports News

Team India finally on top down under

Saturday, 04 February 2012 09:12

A victory would have seldom tasted sweeter. A sense of relief in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and opener Gautam Gambhir — the two men in the middle — and the rest of the team in the dugout was palpable.

When Gambhir whipped paceman Clint McKay through widish mid-on in the final over, India had won its first game overseas in 16 matches (including all formats) after suffering defeats in 13 of them. The Indians, lifting their game and successfully chasing 132, had finally broken a spell of setbacks.

Vibrant fielding

Vibrant fielding — the mercurial Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged Man-of-the- Match — and steady bowling set up India's convincing eight-wicket win in the second KFC Twenty20 international at the MCG here on Friday before a mammoth crowd. The two-match series ended in a 1-1 draw.

The left-handed Gambhir made the right moves with his unbeaten 60-ball 56. He worked the ball around, found the gaps, and displayed the footwork and finesse of an accomplished stroke-maker.

He was also involved in partnerships.

India requires a sound start from its openers

Friday, 03 February 2012 09:10

India has to find that elusive spark of inspiration to end a nightmarish sequence of overseas setbacks. It needs a victory — in any format — like oxygen.

The side's 31-run defeat in the first KFC Twenty20 International at Sydney's Olympic Stadium on Wednesday meant India had now lost eight Tests, three ODIs, and two Twenty20 games in its last 15 matches on foreign soil.

During this period, an ODI ended in a no-result while another was a tie (both in England) but India failed to get the better of its opponent even once.

Losing has become a dangerous habit. Belief — confidence is its off-shoot — has been a missing attribute in the Indian team.

Indeed, confident sides win more and Australia, presently, oozes belief. Pushed to the wall, India has to fight back.

Under the circumstances, the second Twenty20 International at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday assumes significance.

If Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men can level the series 1-1, they will enter the gruelling triangular ODI competition, where the versatile Sri Lanka is the third side, in a much better frame of mind. In troubled times, a win is a wonderful elixir.

This has not been the best of phases for Dhoni. The skipper battled, put a price on his wicket on Wednesday, but the collapse of the top and middle-order meant his effort ended in vain.

'The boys are ready and motivated'

Tuesday, 31 January 2012 09:06

Middle-order batsman Suresh Raina, unfazed by the Test debacle, said India would play “different cricket” and give a better account of itself in the shorter formats of the game.

“We won the ODI series here last time. We have also won the World Cup. It's almost the same set of players, and you will see different cricket from India,” said Raina.

The disappointing show in the Test series would have little effect on the young team, and Raina took pains to stress the point. “The Australians played better cricket in the Test matches. They executed their plans well, and bowled in the right areas.

“Unfortunately, we didn't bat well in pairs. Hopefully, we will do well in the next series,” he added.