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Thursday, December 24, 2009
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Sri Lanka see opportunity in India's injuries
Thursday, December 24
Start time 14:30 (09:00 GMT)
The absence of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni gives the injury-hit visitors a chance to draw level in Kolkata
News : Sehwag urges youngsters to grab opportunities
Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India
The 2-1 scoreline is not unexpected given the way India have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink in all but one game - a Twenty20 - played in the limited-overs leg of the tour. But now, with the home team missing two match-winners, a hurting Sri Lanka have a realistic chance of leveling the series.
This will be the first time since MS Dhoni's debut in 2004 that India play an ODI without him and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni has often said that missing Yuvraj is a big blow, so how India cope with the loss of their captain and best batsman in ODIs in addition to Yuvraj will be crucial.
The tour has seen so many players succumbing to injuries it's a surprise the rest have managed to get so far. Sri Lanka have lost the services of Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando and Angelo Mathews. Nuwan Kulasekara missed the Tests but returned for the shorter versions. Yuvraj had a recurrence of his finger injury and has been indefinitely ruled out. Sreesanth is yet to feature after getting the flu, while Lasith Malinga overcame it in time for the last game. Thankfully, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag overcame minor scares.
But there is always fear - especially among bowlers - of another injury around the corner. Three of them have shouldered the burden of carrying their respective attacks: for the hosts, the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh (187.2 overs bowled so far) and comeback man Zaheer Khan (131) are in need of breaks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka thrust the rookie Chanaka Welegedara (126 overs) into the forefront on his first major series and he will be longing for a breather at the business end of a testing tour. This is the start of another busy season for India and there isn't much time to think ahead. Wrapping up the series in Kolkata will allow India to rest weary players ahead of the Bangladesh tour starting January 4. Sri Lanka also feature in the tri-series that kicks off that tour but, needing to win both their remaining matches in India, cannot afford the luxury of rotation.
The pitch, one that's expected to play slow and low in the latter half, will favour India's spinners who found rhythm and confidence in Cuttack. Chilly temperatures, the dew factor and a slow-paced track mean that the bowlers will need to produce another special performance. With bitter cold and early morning fog expected to have a telling impact in Delhi, the venue for the fifth match, India will be keen to wrap up the series here.
Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India - WLWLL
Sri Lanka - LWLLL
Watch out for...
Tillakaratne Dilshan v Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja: Sri Lanka's strength lies, keeping with tradition, at the top of the order. In Tillakaratne Dilshan they have a batsman at the height of his powers, equally adept at firing in the first over and taking charge of the slog overs. A converted opener, Dilshan has acquitted himself superbly this year and his centuries in Rajkot and Cuttack kept India sweating all the way. His ability to play unconventional shots on either side of the stumps makes it critical for the spinners to plot their modus operandi against him with care. In the first match of the series, Dilshan collected 36 runs from 23 deliveries faced against Ravindra Jadeja but was more sedate against Harbhajan Singh, who allowed just 17 from 26 balls before he bowled Dilshan for 160. In the second ODI, Dilshan took 33 runs from 27 balls faced from Harbhajan, but just 18 from the 33 Jadeja bowled at him. Dilshan didn't last long enough to face spin in Cuttack, and if the pair comes up against him tomorrow, the margin for error will be miniscule.
Lasith Malinga v Virender Sehwag: Lasith Malinga's ability to sling out top-order batsmen hasn't been evident recently on the international stage, owing largely to the injuries that have restricted him to just 10 ODIs in 2009. In the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka's most experienced bowler has to deliver early if Sri Lanka want to keep Virender Sehwag quiet. Fast bowlers have accounted for Sehwag in his last nine innings, and getting him out early in every game was crucial to Australia's recent series win in India. On his comeback in Cuttack, Malinga's first over cost 16 with Sehwag blasting three fours. Sehwag was dismissed by Chanaka Welegedara and didn't get a chance to face Malinga further, but sparks could fly if they face off in Kolkata.
Team news
Virat Kohli will step in for Yuvraj and hope to build on his impressive 54 last week.
India: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.
Sri Lanka don't have any new fitness worries but they need to address their middle-order problems. Chamara Kapugedera struggled for fluency in Cuttack before a loose shot sent him back, and Sri Lanka should really reconsider Sanath Jayasuriya over Thilan Samaraweera not least because of the left-arm spinning option he creates.
Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Sanath Jayasuriya/Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Nuwan Kulasekara, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.
Pitch and conditions
Kolkata's Eden Gardens is set to host an ODI after nearly three years. It last hosted an ODI in February 2007, when Sri Lanka toured India for a short series before the World Cup. The dew factor is expected to play a large role and with a 2.30pm start, and the sun setting fairly early, the teams could have some slippery conditions while fielding under lights.
Stats and trivia
* The highest ODI total at the Eden Gardens is Sri Lanka's 309 in 49.4 overs against Pakistan in 1997.
* Head-to-head in Kolkata, India and Sri Lanka have each won and lost a game, with the third being ruined by February rain.
* The largest margin of victory in an ODI at this venue is India's 102-run win over West Indies in in 1993.
Start time 14:30 (09:00 GMT)
The absence of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni gives the injury-hit visitors a chance to draw level in Kolkata
News : Sehwag urges youngsters to grab opportunities
Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India
The 2-1 scoreline is not unexpected given the way India have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink in all but one game - a Twenty20 - played in the limited-overs leg of the tour. But now, with the home team missing two match-winners, a hurting Sri Lanka have a realistic chance of leveling the series.
This will be the first time since MS Dhoni's debut in 2004 that India play an ODI without him and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni has often said that missing Yuvraj is a big blow, so how India cope with the loss of their captain and best batsman in ODIs in addition to Yuvraj will be crucial.
The tour has seen so many players succumbing to injuries it's a surprise the rest have managed to get so far. Sri Lanka have lost the services of Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando and Angelo Mathews. Nuwan Kulasekara missed the Tests but returned for the shorter versions. Yuvraj had a recurrence of his finger injury and has been indefinitely ruled out. Sreesanth is yet to feature after getting the flu, while Lasith Malinga overcame it in time for the last game. Thankfully, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag overcame minor scares.
But there is always fear - especially among bowlers - of another injury around the corner. Three of them have shouldered the burden of carrying their respective attacks: for the hosts, the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh (187.2 overs bowled so far) and comeback man Zaheer Khan (131) are in need of breaks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka thrust the rookie Chanaka Welegedara (126 overs) into the forefront on his first major series and he will be longing for a breather at the business end of a testing tour. This is the start of another busy season for India and there isn't much time to think ahead. Wrapping up the series in Kolkata will allow India to rest weary players ahead of the Bangladesh tour starting January 4. Sri Lanka also feature in the tri-series that kicks off that tour but, needing to win both their remaining matches in India, cannot afford the luxury of rotation.
The pitch, one that's expected to play slow and low in the latter half, will favour India's spinners who found rhythm and confidence in Cuttack. Chilly temperatures, the dew factor and a slow-paced track mean that the bowlers will need to produce another special performance. With bitter cold and early morning fog expected to have a telling impact in Delhi, the venue for the fifth match, India will be keen to wrap up the series here.
Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India - WLWLL
Sri Lanka - LWLLL
Watch out for...
Tillakaratne Dilshan v Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja: Sri Lanka's strength lies, keeping with tradition, at the top of the order. In Tillakaratne Dilshan they have a batsman at the height of his powers, equally adept at firing in the first over and taking charge of the slog overs. A converted opener, Dilshan has acquitted himself superbly this year and his centuries in Rajkot and Cuttack kept India sweating all the way. His ability to play unconventional shots on either side of the stumps makes it critical for the spinners to plot their modus operandi against him with care. In the first match of the series, Dilshan collected 36 runs from 23 deliveries faced against Ravindra Jadeja but was more sedate against Harbhajan Singh, who allowed just 17 from 26 balls before he bowled Dilshan for 160. In the second ODI, Dilshan took 33 runs from 27 balls faced from Harbhajan, but just 18 from the 33 Jadeja bowled at him. Dilshan didn't last long enough to face spin in Cuttack, and if the pair comes up against him tomorrow, the margin for error will be miniscule.
Lasith Malinga v Virender Sehwag: Lasith Malinga's ability to sling out top-order batsmen hasn't been evident recently on the international stage, owing largely to the injuries that have restricted him to just 10 ODIs in 2009. In the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka's most experienced bowler has to deliver early if Sri Lanka want to keep Virender Sehwag quiet. Fast bowlers have accounted for Sehwag in his last nine innings, and getting him out early in every game was crucial to Australia's recent series win in India. On his comeback in Cuttack, Malinga's first over cost 16 with Sehwag blasting three fours. Sehwag was dismissed by Chanaka Welegedara and didn't get a chance to face Malinga further, but sparks could fly if they face off in Kolkata.
Team news
Virat Kohli will step in for Yuvraj and hope to build on his impressive 54 last week.
India: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.
Sri Lanka don't have any new fitness worries but they need to address their middle-order problems. Chamara Kapugedera struggled for fluency in Cuttack before a loose shot sent him back, and Sri Lanka should really reconsider Sanath Jayasuriya over Thilan Samaraweera not least because of the left-arm spinning option he creates.
Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Sanath Jayasuriya/Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Nuwan Kulasekara, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.
Pitch and conditions
Kolkata's Eden Gardens is set to host an ODI after nearly three years. It last hosted an ODI in February 2007, when Sri Lanka toured India for a short series before the World Cup. The dew factor is expected to play a large role and with a 2.30pm start, and the sun setting fairly early, the teams could have some slippery conditions while fielding under lights.
Stats and trivia
* The highest ODI total at the Eden Gardens is Sri Lanka's 309 in 49.4 overs against Pakistan in 1997.
* Head-to-head in Kolkata, India and Sri Lanka have each won and lost a game, with the third being ruined by February rain.
* The largest margin of victory in an ODI at this venue is India's 102-run win over West Indies in in 1993.
Source:cricinfo.com
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sri Lanka tour of India 2009/10 / ODI Fixtures
1st ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Tue Dec 15 (09:00 local, 03:30 GMT)
Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot
2nd ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Fri Dec 18 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Andhra Cricket Association-Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium, Visakhapatnam
3rd ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Mon Dec 21 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
4th ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Thu Dec 24 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
5th ODI - India v Sri Lanka
Sun Dec 27 (09:00 local | 03:30 GMT)
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Tue Dec 15 (09:00 local, 03:30 GMT)
Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot
2nd ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Fri Dec 18 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Andhra Cricket Association-Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium, Visakhapatnam
3rd ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Mon Dec 21 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
4th ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Thu Dec 24 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
5th ODI - India v Sri Lanka
Sun Dec 27 (09:00 local | 03:30 GMT)
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Dropped catches hurt us - MS Dhoni
India v Sri Lanka, 1st Twenty20, Nagpur
Sri Lanka 215 for 5 (Sangakkara 78*, Kapugedera 47) beat India 186 for 9 (Gambhir 55) by 29 runs
MS Dhoni has said one of the reasons for the 29-run run defeat to Sri Lanka in Nagpur was because India tended to take Twenty20 internationals as a "warm-up for the one-dayers to follow". India have now lost seven of their last ten Twenty20s and two of their three wins were against Bangladesh and Ireland.
"I don't think we were in the groove for a Twenty20 game and too often we treat it as a warm-up for the one-dayers to follow," Dhoni said. "It's probably the reason for our defeats in these games."
Another, and more significant, reason for Wednesday's defeat was India's terrible fielding. They dropped five chances - two off the Sri Lankan openers before they made a start - and frequently fumbled balls in the outfield. Yuvraj dropped Sanath Jayasuriya on 4, Ishant grassed Tillakaratne Dilshan on 13 and Kumar Sangakkara as well, Rohit Sharma let off Chamara Kapugedera on 14, and Pragyan Ojha failed to reach a tough chance given by Angelo Mathews in the final over after which the batsman hit two sixes.
"The catching is a bit of concern," Dhoni said. "We are not a brilliant fielding side, but we don't drop too many catches. That also hurt us also to some extent."
Had India taken their chances, Sri Lanka would have struggled to reach 215. In the over after he was dropped, Jayasuriya hit Ashish Nehra for five consecutive boundaries and provided the acceleration after a slow start. The opening stand of 43 set the platform for Kumar Sangakkara to score 78 off just 37 deliveries. Kapugedera provided propulsion by scoring 47 off 20 while Mathews made 15 off four balls.
"What really set us up was the two openers batting for six overs, even if they didn't get a flying start," Sangakkara said. "They really applied themselves and got those 40-odd runs and we could launch our innings from there. I've been in good form, but I've been getting out cheaply because I've never really applied myself. I thought it was about time I really did something to inspire the side."
Sangakkara also described Jayasuriya's four-over spell during India's chase as "magic". Jayasuriya came on after India had raced to 88 in seven overs and brought down the scoring-rate dramatically. He conceded only 19 off his four overs and also took the wickets of MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan. Sri Lanka's bowlers were also supported by far superior fielding effort and Sangakkara acknowledged as much.
"I thought the fielding was outstanding, we were excellent in the first 16 overs and I thought we could have been a little more ruthless in the final four overs and finished the game off," he said. "Overall, everyone played really hard and they showed a lot of hunger to win.
Source: cricinfo.com
"I don't think we were in the groove for a Twenty20 game and too often we treat it as a warm-up for the one-dayers to follow," Dhoni said. "It's probably the reason for our defeats in these games."
Another, and more significant, reason for Wednesday's defeat was India's terrible fielding. They dropped five chances - two off the Sri Lankan openers before they made a start - and frequently fumbled balls in the outfield. Yuvraj dropped Sanath Jayasuriya on 4, Ishant grassed Tillakaratne Dilshan on 13 and Kumar Sangakkara as well, Rohit Sharma let off Chamara Kapugedera on 14, and Pragyan Ojha failed to reach a tough chance given by Angelo Mathews in the final over after which the batsman hit two sixes.
"The catching is a bit of concern," Dhoni said. "We are not a brilliant fielding side, but we don't drop too many catches. That also hurt us also to some extent."
Had India taken their chances, Sri Lanka would have struggled to reach 215. In the over after he was dropped, Jayasuriya hit Ashish Nehra for five consecutive boundaries and provided the acceleration after a slow start. The opening stand of 43 set the platform for Kumar Sangakkara to score 78 off just 37 deliveries. Kapugedera provided propulsion by scoring 47 off 20 while Mathews made 15 off four balls.
"What really set us up was the two openers batting for six overs, even if they didn't get a flying start," Sangakkara said. "They really applied themselves and got those 40-odd runs and we could launch our innings from there. I've been in good form, but I've been getting out cheaply because I've never really applied myself. I thought it was about time I really did something to inspire the side."
Sangakkara also described Jayasuriya's four-over spell during India's chase as "magic". Jayasuriya came on after India had raced to 88 in seven overs and brought down the scoring-rate dramatically. He conceded only 19 off his four overs and also took the wickets of MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan. Sri Lanka's bowlers were also supported by far superior fielding effort and Sangakkara acknowledged as much.
"I thought the fielding was outstanding, we were excellent in the first 16 overs and I thought we could have been a little more ruthless in the final four overs and finished the game off," he said. "Overall, everyone played really hard and they showed a lot of hunger to win.
Source: cricinfo.com
Imran Farhat limits damage after O'Brien's burst
New Zealand v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Napier
Day1 - Tea Pakistan 180 for 7 (Farhat 102*, Gul 13*, O'Brien 4-30) v New Zealand
Don't be fooled by the score. It was indeed a flat track in Napier but Iain O'Brien was on a mission to make his last Test memorable and Pakistan's top order, as ever, was in a self-destructive mood. On a lovely, warm day perfect for cricket, O'Brien scythed through the top order to leave the visitors tottering at 51 for 5 but Pakistan recovered in the afternoon through a fighting century from Imran Farhat.
It would be churlish to dismiss Farhat's effort as streaky, though there were several play and misses and a couple of curious slogs, which would have raised blood-pressure levels in the dressing room, but that's how he seems to play. There were spurts where Farhat seemed to lose concentration and went for pressure-reliving big hits and there were phases where he looked to be in control. Or something resembling it at least.
Amid nervous slashes, Farhat played a couple of off drives - the one in the seventh over against Chris Martin being the shot of the day - and two well-timed cover drives. There was a flamboyant square drive too, on a bent knee for added effect, a crunchy pull shot and he definitely got better in the second session, during which he seemed surer of where his off stump was. He grew increasingly bolder and played big shots against Daniel Vettori to reach his hundred. Farhat found support in Mohammad Aamer in the afternoon and proceeded to lead Pakistan out of shambles. The last century by a Pakistan opener outside the subcontinent was Salman Butt's effort in Sydney way back in 2005.
Farhat's knock, and perhaps more importantly Aamer's brief defiance, revealed two truths: The pitch was a true, firm surface with bounce but not much movement and the other Pakistan batsmen didn't apply themselves. Until Farhat produced his fighting innings, it was all O'Brien. At one point O'Brien's figures read: 4-2-3-3. He was hostile throughout his spell, consistently bowling over 140 kmph, and he was always accurate but, even so, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even he would have been slightly surprised by the results.
On a flat pitch, Pakistan's top order contrived to implode yet again by playing poor cricket. Only one batsman, Misbah-ul-Haq, was taken out by a difficult delivery; the rest were simply not good enough. Tim Southee claimed the initial breakthrough when Salman Butt left a gaping gap between bat and pad to lose his middle stump, after which O'Brien took over. And how.
O'Brien sussed out quickly that Faisal Iqbal was a sitting target because of his awkward feet movement and aimed one at his throat, forcing an ugly fend to the slip cordon. He tied up Yousuf with his disciplined lines and lengths before hurling one short of a length outside off stump. Yousuf thought it would be the ideal chance to break the shackles but was done in by the extra bounce and edged it to second slip.
It was the recurring theme of a bizarre morning. O'Brien tied up edgy batsmen with his discipline before he produced the knock-out blow with some thing extra. Misbah got a gem too early in his innings. The ball held its line outside off and Misbah couldn't help edging it behind.
Pakistan's debacle was exemplified by Umar Akmal's dismissal. It was a short-of-length delivery that straightened well outside off stump. It could have been left alone or it could have been cut to the point boundary but Umar just hung his bat out to guide it straight to gully. Fortunately for Pakistan, though, Farhat couldn't have chosen a better moment to resuscitate his career.
However, till Farhat did his thing, it was O'Brien who owned the morning and Ian Smith was moved enough to say on air: "Someone offer his wife a job here ... we don't wanna miss this fella here!"
Source: cricinfo.com
It would be churlish to dismiss Farhat's effort as streaky, though there were several play and misses and a couple of curious slogs, which would have raised blood-pressure levels in the dressing room, but that's how he seems to play. There were spurts where Farhat seemed to lose concentration and went for pressure-reliving big hits and there were phases where he looked to be in control. Or something resembling it at least.
Amid nervous slashes, Farhat played a couple of off drives - the one in the seventh over against Chris Martin being the shot of the day - and two well-timed cover drives. There was a flamboyant square drive too, on a bent knee for added effect, a crunchy pull shot and he definitely got better in the second session, during which he seemed surer of where his off stump was. He grew increasingly bolder and played big shots against Daniel Vettori to reach his hundred. Farhat found support in Mohammad Aamer in the afternoon and proceeded to lead Pakistan out of shambles. The last century by a Pakistan opener outside the subcontinent was Salman Butt's effort in Sydney way back in 2005.
Farhat's knock, and perhaps more importantly Aamer's brief defiance, revealed two truths: The pitch was a true, firm surface with bounce but not much movement and the other Pakistan batsmen didn't apply themselves. Until Farhat produced his fighting innings, it was all O'Brien. At one point O'Brien's figures read: 4-2-3-3. He was hostile throughout his spell, consistently bowling over 140 kmph, and he was always accurate but, even so, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even he would have been slightly surprised by the results.
On a flat pitch, Pakistan's top order contrived to implode yet again by playing poor cricket. Only one batsman, Misbah-ul-Haq, was taken out by a difficult delivery; the rest were simply not good enough. Tim Southee claimed the initial breakthrough when Salman Butt left a gaping gap between bat and pad to lose his middle stump, after which O'Brien took over. And how.
O'Brien sussed out quickly that Faisal Iqbal was a sitting target because of his awkward feet movement and aimed one at his throat, forcing an ugly fend to the slip cordon. He tied up Yousuf with his disciplined lines and lengths before hurling one short of a length outside off stump. Yousuf thought it would be the ideal chance to break the shackles but was done in by the extra bounce and edged it to second slip.
It was the recurring theme of a bizarre morning. O'Brien tied up edgy batsmen with his discipline before he produced the knock-out blow with some thing extra. Misbah got a gem too early in his innings. The ball held its line outside off and Misbah couldn't help edging it behind.
Pakistan's debacle was exemplified by Umar Akmal's dismissal. It was a short-of-length delivery that straightened well outside off stump. It could have been left alone or it could have been cut to the point boundary but Umar just hung his bat out to guide it straight to gully. Fortunately for Pakistan, though, Farhat couldn't have chosen a better moment to resuscitate his career.
However, till Farhat did his thing, it was O'Brien who owned the morning and Ian Smith was moved enough to say on air: "Someone offer his wife a job here ... we don't wanna miss this fella here!"
Source: cricinfo.com
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