Cricket, India: A history (2020)
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This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
BCCI Annual Awards
January 13, 2020: Outlook India
Jasprit Bumrah on Sunday headlined the BCCI Annual Awards function, grabbing the prestigious Polly Umrigar award apart from annexing the Dilip Sardesai honour for his exploits in international cricket in the 2018-19 season
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah said he is 'grateful and honoured' after bagging prestigious Polly Umrigar Award (2018-19) for being the best international cricketer at the BCCI Annual Awards.
Bumrah was also bestowed with Dilip Sardesai Award for taking the highest number of wickets in Test cricket 2018-19.
Bumrah, currently top-ranked ODI owler, had made his Test debut during India's tour of South Africa in January 2018.
He has picked up five-wicket hauls in South Africa, England, Australia and the West Indies to become the first and only Asian bowler to achieve the milestone.
The 26-year-old has 62 wickets to his name in the longest format of the game and 103 scalps from 58 ODIs.
ICC teams
January 15, 2020: The Times of India
Virat named skipper for ICC teams; Rohit, Chahar win too Dubai:
Swashbuckling opener Rohit Sharma was on Wednesday named the ICC’s ‘2019 ODI Cricketer of the Year’ for his incredible run of form, while English allrounder Ben Stokes walked away with the overall honours.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli was named captain of both the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of the year besides winning the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ award for his gesture of trying to stop the fans from booing Steve Smith during a World Cup match. Smith was returning to international cricket from a oneyear suspension for ball-tampering at that time.
India seamer Deepak Chahar won the T20 International Performance of the Year, Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne was named as Emerging Cricketer of the Year, while Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer was declared the Associate Cricketer of the Year. The 32-year-old Rohit hit a purple patch in the World Cup amassing 648 runs in nine games at an average of 81.00 with five hundreds and a half-century. In the United Kingdom, he became the first batsman in World Cup history to score five centuries in a single edition.
ODI TEAM OF THE YEAR: Rohit Sharma, Shai Hope, Virat Kohli (captain), Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav TEST TEAM OF THE YEAR: Mayank Agarwal, Tom Latham, Marnus Labuschagne, Virat Kohli (captain), Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, BJ Watling (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Neil Wagner, Nathan Lyon.
OTHER WINNERS Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) Associate Cricketer of the Year: Kyle Coetzer (Scotland); Spirit of Cricket Award: Virat Kohli stopping the fans booing Steve Smith at the Oval David Shepherd Trophy for Umpire of the Year: Richard Illingworth. PTI
New Zealand tour
T20I
India fined for slow over-rate
The Indian cricket team has been fined 20 per cent of its match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against New Zealand in the fifth and final Twenty20 International in Mount Maunganui. India stand-in captain Rohit Sharma pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
Wellington: India beat NZ
February 1, 2020: The Times of India
From: February 1, 2020: The Times of India
A nervous New Zealand threw it away yet again as a perseverant India prevailed in the Super Over for the second successive time to take a 4-0 lead in the T20I series. Needing just 11 runs off the last two overs with seven wickets in hand, New Zealand dug a hole for themselves yet again, taking the game to a Super Over two nights after doing the same in Hamilton.
New Zealand managed 13 runs in six balls and India got there effortlessly. “What’s happened in last two T20 games is unbelievable. We are very proud of how we went about our business today,” said India captain Virat Kohli, who struck the winning four.
KL Rahul smashed 10 runs off the first two balls before he was caught. Then, a fired-up Kohli and Sanju Samson finished the game in style. This was after New Zealand won a fourth consecutive toss and opted to field. Their regular captain Kane Williamson didn’t sat out owing to a shoulder niggle. The Indians weren’t off to a great start but Manish Pandey proved his value to the team with an unbeaten 50 off 35 balls, taking the visitors to 165 for eight from 88 for six in the 12th over.
India’s total wasn’t enough considering the batting-friendly conditions but the hosts made life a lot tougher for themselves from a commanding position before succumbing to pressure. The entertaining knocks from Colin Munro (64 off 47) and Time Seifert went in viain (57 off 39).
Mohammed Shami, who was rested, had bowled a brilliant 20th over and Man of the Match Shardul Thakur was up to the task this time, conceding just six runs when the opposition needed seven for victory. With the series already in the bag, India gave opportunity to Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar and Navdeep Saini for the first time in the fivematch series, resting Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Shami. However, none of them was able to make an impact in the game.
Chasing 165, New Zealand lost Martin Guptill early. But Munro and Seifert put on 74 runs for the second wicket. Munro scored a half-century off 38 deliveries but was out against the run of play as Kohli’s direct hit surprisingly found the target after a relay throw from the deep. It was the turning point as New Zealand lost regular wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled Tom Bruce (0), but Seifert found a partner in Ross Taylor as they pushed the score past 150 in the 18th over.
Seifert scored a half-century off 32 balls, including four fours and three sixes. But the great choke was yet to come again. Needing 18 off 18, the Black Caps lost four wickets in the last over bowled by Thakur. Taylor holed out of the first ball, while Seifert was run out two balls later. Daryl Mitchell (4) was caught next and Mitchell Santner (2) couldn’t steal two runs off the last ball. PTI
ODIs
Hamilton: NZ beat India’s 347
TAYLOR-MADE CHASES, February 12, 2020: The Times of India
From: TAYLOR-MADE CHASES, February 12, 2020: The Times of India
Veteran’s Unbeaten Ton Helps NZ Overhaul Huge Target
Hamilton:
An unbeaten century from veteran batsman Ross Taylor powered New Zealand to a stunning four-wicket win over India in the first Oneday International in Hamilton.
The hosts completed the second highest run chase in their history to finish on 348 for four and overhaul the imposing target set by India. It was a morale-boosting victory for the Black Caps, who went into the match as underdogs after a 5-0 whitewash in the recent Twenty20 series, when they repeatedly squandered winning opportunities.
The roles were reversed at Seddon Park, with India posting a mammoth total of 347 for four after losing the toss, including a maiden century to Shreyas Iyer and half-centuries for skipper Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. But the tourists’ bowling attack failed to prevent a match-turning innings from Taylor, who scored a 73-ball century, his 21st in ODIs, and ended the match on 109 not out.
He was supported by a quickfire 69 from captain Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls’ hard-fought 78, although three late wickets gave India hope of rescuing the match. New Zealand started their chase well, reaching 147 for two after 25 overs as Taylor and Nicholls developed a promising partnership.
It took a piece of fielding brilliance from Kohli to break it with India’s skipper swooping on a stay ball and tossing it underarm with skill in mid-air to run-out a diving Nicholls.
But Taylor continued his assault with Latham to take New Zealand to 292 for three with 10 overs remaining and the 35-year-old remained at the crease to hit the winning run. While Iyer’s 103 from 107 balls was the highlight of India’s innings, debutant opening batsmen Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw also performed solidly, bring up an opening partnership of 50.
Iyer rode his luck at times --dropped on nine and 83 -- but earned praise from VVS Laxman for the way he set about dismantling New Zealand’s attack.
“I really enjoyed the way he paced his innings, a very mature knock,” the Indian batting legend said in commentary. Laxman’s praise for Rahul, who scored an unbeaten 88, was even more fulsome, saying the wicketkeeper-batsman had cemented his spot in the Indian side after recovering from a form slump.
“He’s a special talent, I’d put him in the league of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli,” he said.
The ever-reliable Kohli cruised to his 58th ODI half-century in a 102-run partnership with Iyer that ended when spinner Ish Sodhi clean bowled him on 51 with a deceptively flighted ball. It was a rare highlight for the New Zealand bowlers, whose inaccuracy proved expensive on the small ground. AFP
Auckland: NZ win match, series
February 9, 2020: The Times of India
From: February 9, 2020: The Times of India
New Zealand exorcised the ghost of a nightmarish T20 International series whitewash with a series-clinching 22-run victory against India in the second ODI as the visitors paid the price for poor shot selection.
Revenge as they say is a dish best served cold and on a chilly Auckland night, New Zealand defended a total of 273 by restricting India to 251 in 48.3 overs, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The victory also completed a hat-trick of ODI wins for the Black Caps starting from their World Cup semifinal win in Manchester last year. The win was more creditable as regular skipper Kane Williamson along with top bowlers Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson were unavailable. New Zealand’s 6 foot 8 inch debutant Kyle Jamieson (2/42 and 25 off 24 balls) got the player-of-thematch award for his all-round show. “I’m impressed with how we finished. We let things slip away from 197-8 to 270 plus in the first half but came back strongly with the second half of our batting. We were in trouble with the bat, but Saini and Jadeja played really well, as did Shreyas,” skipper Virat Kohli said at the post-match presentation. In fact the skipper felt that ODIs are less relevant in a T20 World Championship year.
“ODIs aren’t too relevant this year compared to Tests and T20s, but to find people who can play that way under pressure is a big revelation for us and a big plus.” Ravindra Jadeja (55 off 73 balls) along with Navdeep Saini (45 off 49 balls) raised visions of pulling off an improbable win with a 76-run partnership, which ended in vain.
Tim Southee despite running temperature (2/41 in 10 overs) was brilliant with the new ball as his incutter got rid of Virat Kohli but it was poor shot selection from a set Shreyas Iyer (52) and Kedar Jadhav (9) in the middle overs that cost India dear after the inexperienced pair of Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw had a second successive poor day.
Earlier, the in-form Ross Taylor produced a rearguard act with an unbeaten half century to rescue New Zealand to a competitive 273 for eight in 50 overs. Taylor scored 73 not out (74 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes) — his 51st half-century — and put on 76 off 51 balls for the ninth wicket with Jamieson to lift the hosts from 197-8 to a competitive score.
Opener Martin Guptill smashed a run-a-ball 79 to give the Black Caps a good start but they lost seven wickets for 55 runs to look down the barrel at one stage. Put in to bat, New Zealand got off to a positive start as Guptill (79) and Henry Nicholls (41) put on 93 runs for the first wicket.
Guptill’s innings contained eight fours and three sixes, as their cautious start meant India were searching for wickets early on. The breakthrough came only in the 17th over as Yuzvendra Chahal trapped Nicholls LBW. Chahal had earlier dropped Nicholls in the 15th over as India started nervously in the field again. But things came together after the first wicket with the visitors piling on the pressure. Shardul Thakur (2-60) got rid of Tom Blundell (22) and then came the turning moment. Guptill set off for a suicidal run and was duly caught short of his crease by Thakur’s throw.
The Kiwis were suddenly down to 157 for 3 and India made good use of the opening. Ravindra Jadeja (1-35) got into the action, first dismissing Tom Latham (7) and then running out Jimmy Neesham (3). Colin de Grandhomme (5) holed out off Thakur, with Chahal returning to gleefully accept a return catch from Mark Chapman (1). New Zealand were in danger of not crossing 200 when Tim Southee (3) was caught off Chahal too. The leg spinner finished with 3-58. Taylor scored his half-century off 61 balls, while Jamieson smacked a four and two sixes to bring up their 50-partnership off 35 balls. PTI
Mt. Maunganui: NZ win match, sweep series
February 12, 2020: The Times of India
After Suffering T20 Whitewash, Kiwis Blank India 3-0 In One-Day Series
Mt. Maunganui (New Zealand):
An underwhelming India suffered their first ODI series whitewash since 2006-07 as New Zealand completed a 3-0 sweep with a five-wicket victory in the third match.
It is also the first whitewash for India in 31 years in a series in which all matches have been played. They were beaten 5-0 by the West Indies back in 1989 in an away assignment.
Henry Nicholls scored 80 in 103 balls and Martin Guptill made 66 off 46 as the Black Caps scored 300 for five in 47.1 overs. Colin de Grandhomme smacked 58 not out off 28 balls at the end to help seal the win with 17 deliveries to spare.
India had scored 296 for seven after being put into bat, thanks to KL Rahul’s (112) fourth ODI ton. Chasing a sub-par 297, New Zealand got off to a flying start as Guptill and Nicholls put on 50 off just 40 balls. Overall, they added 106 for the first wicket. Guptill smacked six fours and four sixes as the Indian new ball bowlers faced an onslaught. Shardul Thakur (1-87) and Navdeep Saini (0-68) struggled to find their rhythm and were taken for runs, while Jasprit Bumrah finished the series wicket-less.
Yuzvendra Chahal (3-47) provided the breakthrough, bowling Guptill in the 17th over. At the other end, Nicholls scored a half-century off 72 balls and anchored the innings.
He added 53 runs with Kane Williamson (22), but Chahal struck twice and Ravindra Jadeja (1-45) removed in-form Ross Taylor (12) cheaply. New Zealand were reduced to 189 for four in the 33rd over at that stage. De Grandhomme took centre stage then and smashed a half-century off only 21 balls. His explosive knock included six fours and three sixes, as his fifth wicket partnership with Jimmy Neesham (19) came off only 31 balls. India’s fielding was lax and failed to build pressure on the Black Caps, an apt representation of their struggles in this series. This was after Rahul’s first hundred at No. 5 helped anchor India’s innings. He hit nine fours and two sixes, and rescued India from a precarious 62 for three. He put on 100 runs with Shreyas Iyer (62 off 63 balls) for the fourth wicket, and later on another 107 runs with Manish Pandey (42 off 48 balls) for the fifth wicket. Hamish Bennett finished with 4-64 from his ten overs.
India made another poor start. Kyle Jamieson (1-53) bowled Mayank Agarwal (1), who has suffered a torrid tour of New Zealand thus far. The big blow came when Virat Kohli (9) was out caught at third man in the seventh over. Prithvi Shaw provided the initial flourish with 40 off 42 balls, but he was runout going for a suicidal second run in the 13th over.
Iyer and Rahul then anchored the Indian innings. The former batted steadily and reached his half century off 52 balls, his third 50-plus score in this series. PTI
Tests
Christchurch: NZ wins match, series
Dwaipayan Datta, March 1, 2020: The Times of India
From: Dwaipayan Datta, March 1, 2020: The Times of India
Even though they are still top of the World Test Championship table, India’s 7-wicket loss in the second Test on Monday — and the series whitewash — has highlighted numerous worrying chinks in their armour. TOI analyses where things went awry for Kohli’s men in New Zealand...
India’s loss to New Zealand was their most humiliating since the 1-4 drubbing against England in 2018. The World No. 1 Test team failed miserably as a unit and were beaten in all departments by a gritty New Zealand team which made the most of home conditions. India, though, stay on top of the World Test championship race and the fact that there’s no five-day match for Kohli’s men before November — when they tour Australia for a four-Test series — means this loss may well be forgotten soon. Still, the comprehensive defeat shows that India are far from the formidable outfit that it tries to project itself to be, especially when it comes to Tests away from home. TOI takes a look at the reasons behind the debacle in New Zealand...
An out-of-sorts Kohli
Kohli endured one of his worst patches in recent memory with 38 runs from four innings. The Indian captain, who looked brilliant in England against the moving ball in 2018, went back to his past struggles trying to deal with the same movement on New Zealand’s pitches. The Indian captain isn’t known to commit the same mistake twice, but in the second Test he was dismissed by the same delivery, albeit from a different bowlers — a ball which came back just a bit off the seam and caught him plumb in front. With Kohli fumbling, the rest didn’t have the weapons to launch a counter-attack and it became a bit of a one-way traffic.
Rahane’s steady decline
Ajinkya Rahane has ceased to be the dependable player that he once was. There could be different reasons behind the dramatic decline, but in New Zealand his technique looked inadequate. He was completely at sea in the second innings of the second Test and Neil Wagner almost teased him to throw his wicket away. It’s been a while since he has got big runs away from home against meaningful opposition, and the team management’s patience may soon run thin. The likes of KL Rahul and Shubhman Gill are waiting in the wings and Rahane may have a fight on his hands in trying to hold on to his slot.
Lack of a solid opening partnership
Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw did get some runs individually, but they failed to click together. The difference that a solid opening partnership makes was shown by the Kiwi duo of Tom Latham and Tom Blundell as they chased 132 on a difficult pitch on Monday. They put on 103 together and the match was done, something that India could never do in the series. If they are to stay competitive in Australia later in the year, it’s an area that they need to sort out.
Absence of a genuine swing bowler
The Indian pacers were the bright spot for the team, but the team lacked somebody like a Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Deepak Chahar, who can really move the ball around in the air. Trent Boult and Tim Southee did just that, making life miserable for India. India’s pace arsenal of Bumrah, Ishant and Shami are more hit-thedeck bowlers and did their best. But it was the lack of variation that probably hurt India a bit, even though the bowlers can’t really be blamed for the defeat.
Musical chairs with the ’keeper’s slot
We have seen different wicketkeepers for different formats used by many countries, but different ’keepers for different venues is the brainchild of the current Indian team management! Needless to say, it isn’t exactly yielding results. Virat Kohli, despite accepting that Wriddhiman Saha is the better wicketkeeper, is playing Rishabh Pant abroad for his batting abilities, but the left-hander seems to be woefully short of ability against the moving ball. In addition to that, he isn’t exactly brilliant behind the stumps yet, yileding 20 byes in the first innings of a tight Test match in Christchurch.
South Africa home ODI series
1st ODI: rain washes out match
The official attendance was not released since the match was called off without a ball being bowled. The officials here claim that 16,000 of the 23,000 tickets were sold. There were around five thousand people braving the rain and threat of coronavirus all day.
Series called off
The series was called off because of Covid 19 (virus) fears.
