Cricket, India: A history (2022)
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Australia vs. India
T20 I
2nd T 20 I: India wins Nagpur match
Pratik Siddharth, Sep 24, 2022: The Times of India
NAGPUR: India skipper Rohit Sharma didn’t put a foot wrong. Right from bringing in Axar Patel in the Powerplay to driving his team’s chase, the skipper aced it all. Sharma displayed a range of shots as he creamed Australian attack and carried his bat as India defeated Australia by six wickets at the VCA stadium.
After losing Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over from Pat Cummins, Rohit (46 not out) played a magnificent square-cut that meant India needed just 10 runs from the last over. Once again, Dinesh Karthik displayed his finishing act with a six and a four to level the series.
India scored 94 for 4 while chasing a 91-run target in a truncated match of 8-over a side.
Rohit was in his elements which provided the stability India desperately needed going into the World Cup. He pulled a six in front of square, another one behind it and delicately chopped Daniel Sams to keep India on track.
India started off with three sixes in the first over to launch their chase in style with the skipper going all out. However, the fall of three big wickets — KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav — in the span of 10 balls by the fifth over kept the game evenly poised
Earlier, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah were India’s bright spots during the Australian innings. Rohit used them wisely. While Axar was given the new ball to bowl the second and fourth overs, Bumrah handled the onus of death overs, where India have been struggling lately.
It was yet another bad day in office for Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel, as they both were taken to the cleaners. Matthew Wade targeted Patel as he hit 43 off 20 balls to take his side to a fighting total.
The brave call from Sharma to introduce Patel in the second over, the last over of the Powerplay, jolted the Aussies. The left-arm spinner went wide of the crease and angled the balls in with a slower pace to castle Glenn Maxwell and Tim David to reduce the visitors to 31 for 3.
The efforts of Axar were well complemented by Bumrah, who was playing the shortest format after 73 odd days. He was right on the money and bowled his peculiar toe-crushers in both his overs. Other than sending out Aaron Finch with a full-paced in-swinging delivery, Bumrah's presence was the much-needed incentive for the home side.
3rd T 20 I: India wins Hyderabad match, series
Solomon.Kumar, Sep 26, 2022: The Times of India
From: Solomon.Kumar, Sep 26, 2022: The Times of India
Hyderabad: It all boiled down to the last three overs. The Australians, who were 140 for six at the end of the 17th over, had got 46 in the final three. The Indians, who had set the chase up very nicely needing just 32 in the last three for a 2-1 series win, overcame some spirited fightback to post a thumping six-wicket win in the third and final T20I match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Virat Kohli struck a 48-ball 63 (4x3, 6x4) and though he fell with just five needed off five balls, the former India skipper had done enough to ensure a victory. Hardik Pandya remained unbeaten on 25 as the Indians replied with 187 for four with a ball to spare. In the end, the difference between the teams was the steady show of the Indian batters in the middle overs. But the win was really set up by a Mumbaikar for whom the sky is no limit. Suryakumar Yadav stole the thunder from the Australians. Coming into bat with India, chasing a tricky 188 and delicately placed at 30 for two, Suryakumar and Kohli strung a match-winning 104-run partnership off 62 balls for the third wicket. The Indians didn’t get the start they wanted as KL Rahul (1) and skipper Rohit Sharma (12) fell with j ust 30 on the board. But Kohli and Suryakumar took up the challenge as they slowly clawed their way back. Kohli did the bulk of the scoring initially before Suryakumar j oined the party.
The Australians, who till that time looked on top, began to wilt under pressure. After 10 overs, the Indians were 91 for two — five runs more than the Australians at that stage of their innings.
Once Suryakumar warmed up, Kohli played the second fiddle. The Indians opened up after the seventh over as runs came in a steady flow. Suryakumar raced to his half-century off 29 balls with four fours and three sixes. When he departed in the 14th over, he had got himself 69 off 36 balls with five fours and an equal number over the fence. Kohli went on to complete his half-century off 37 balls with three fours and three sixes.
Earlier, the Australians were off to a blazing start with Cameron Green hitting a swashbuckling 21- ball 52 with seven fours and three sixes as the visitors got 66 in the powerplay. After his departure, the Australians lost their way as the Indians clawed back. From a strong 62 for two, the visitors collapsed to 84 for four in the 10th over. At the half-way mark, they were 86 — adding just 24 in the last six overs.
Glenn Maxwell (6) didn’t last long as he was run out by Axar Patel when trying to steal a second. Steve Smith (8) too failed to contribute much as he was stumped by Dinesh Karthik off Yuzvendra Chahal.
Josh Inglis (24) and Tim David repaired the damage with a 31-run stand for the fifth wicket before Patel struck twice in his last over to put the Indians on top again. It was left to David and Daniel Sams to take the visitors to a respectable total. David raced to a 27-ball 54 with two fours and four sixes, while Sams remained unbeaten on 28 off 20 balls.
India’s death-overs woes continued as Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 21 in the 18th over, Jasprit Bumrah 18. If not for Harshal Patel’s stingy last over in which he gave only seven runs, the Australians would have got more on the board.
Bangladesh vs. India
ODIs
Bangladesh wins Dhaka ODI
Dec 5, 2022: The Times of India
From: Dec 5, 2022: The Times of India
Dhaka : Mehidy Hasan Miraz hit an unbeaten 38 and put on a record tenth-wicket stand as Bangladesh edged out India by one wicket in a thrilling opening One-day International.
Chasing 187 for victory, the hosts fell to 136-9 before Mehidy and Mustafizur Rahman put together a 51-run partnership -Bangladesh’s best ever for the final wicket -to achieve their target with 24 balls to spare in Dhaka.
Bangladesh lead the three match series 1-0 with the second match at the same venue. Mehidy, coming in to bat at number eight, hit four fours and two sixes and survived a dropped catch by wicketkeeper KL Rahul on 17 to turn the match on its head. Mehidy hit the winning runs in his 39-ball knock to trigger wild celebrations as the players came running onto the field and the home crowd erupted. Mustafizur scored 10 off 11 balls as he and Mehidy stood firm to record a memorable win.
Shakib Al Hasan set up victory after his impressive bowling figures of 5-36 helped bowl out India for 186 in 41. 2 overs despite Rahul’s 73 after Bangladesh elected to field first. Bangladesh collapsed after a few good partnerships including a 48-run stand between skipper Liton Das and Shakib, who made 29. Spinner Washington Sundar got Das out for 41 and then Shakib to a stunning one-handed catch at extra cover by Virat Kohli.
Bangladesh suffered a double blow in successive balls when Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim fell after a 33-run stand for the fifth wicket. Bangladesh looked to be cruising at 128-4 in the 35th over, but lost their way after Mahmudullah fell. AFP
Bangladesh wins Dhaka match series 2: 0
Dec 8, 2022: The Times of India
Dhaka : Mehidy Hasan Miraz hit his maiden One-day International century and took two key wickets as Bangladesh prevailed in a 5-run win over India that clinched the series on Wednesday. The allrounder made an unbeaten 100 and put on 148 runs for the seventh wicket alongside Mahmudullah to pull Bangladesh out from a precarious 69-6 and post 271-7. India skipper Rohit Sharma batted at number nine with an injured thumb and hit an unbeaten 51 off 28 balls to give Bangladesh a scare as India ended on 266-9 in 50 overs. Bangladesh, who took an unassailable 2-0 lead with the final match on Saturday, won their second successive series against India after they got past them in their previous meeting at home in 2015. Rohit, who hit five sixes in his blitz and needed a six to win on the final ball when MustafizurRahman held his nerve, had gone for scans after he took a hit while attempting a catch at slip in Bangladesh’s innings. Mehidy, who opened the bowling with his off spin, returned figures of 2-46 as he struck with the wickets of KL Rahul, out lbw for 14, and Shreyas Iyer, who top-scored with 82.
Fast bowler Ebadot Hossain stood out with three wickets including Virat Kohli bowled for five and later cut short the lefthanded Axar Patel’s knock on 56.
But Mehidy and former captain Mahmudullah set up victory with the highest seventh-wicket stand against India by any team in 50-over matches as thwarted an inspired bowling attack.
AFP Brief scores:
Bangladesh 271/7 in 50 overs (Mehidy Hasan Miraz 100 not out, Mahmudullah 77; Washington Sundar 3-37) vs India 266-9 in 50 overs (Shreyas Iyer 82, Axar Patel 56; Ebadot Hossain 3-45)
Tests
1st- Chattogram
Dec 19, 2022: The Times of India
From: Dec 19, 2022: The Times of India
Chattogram : Shakib Al Hasan provided brief entertainment for Bangladesh but India kept their cool to win the first Test by 188 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the two match series in Chittagong.
The result and first-placed Australia’s convincing win over South Africa in Brisbane on Sunday moves India up to second in the ICC Test Championship rankings.
The top two sides will lock horns when Australia tour India in early 2023.
Set an enormous 513 to win, Bangladesh put up dogged resistance with Zakir Hasan scoring a century on debut in a record opening partnership for the hosts against India with Najmul Hossain. Skipper Shakib made a marauding 84 that included six sixes but he was bowled by Kuldeep Yadav on day five and the hosts quickly folded for 324 all out after an hour’s play. Needing an academic 241 runs with four wickets remaining, Mehidy Hasan signalled an attacking intent , hitting Mohammed Siraj for four. Siraj came back in the next over to force Mehidy to give a catch to Umesh Yadav. Kuldeep dismissed Shakib and Ebadot Hossain in successive overs, finishing with figures of 373 while Axar Patel claimed the final wicket of Taijul Islam to return with 4-77.
Kuldeep, who claimed 5-40 in the first innings, was named man of the match.
AFP
England vs. India
ODIs
The Oval: India wins
Gaurav Gupta, July 13, 2022: The Times of India
With Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Joe Root featuring in an ODI XI together for the first time since England’s epic triumph in the 2019 World Cup final, this was supposed to be one big English batting party. Known for batting in ODIs and even Tests in cavalier fashion these days, England looked set to churn out the latest version of ‘Bazball’ when India won the toss and asked them to bat first in the first ODI at The Oval. Except that the hosts didn’t account for a ‘perfect storm’ in Jasprit Bumrah, which made a mockery of their ambitions and techniques against the moving ball. On a cloudy afternoon, on an unusually greenish pitch, which perhaps had been prepared to test India’s batsmen, ‘Boom Boom’ Bumrah came down like a ton of bricks on England, and they had nowhere to hide but surrender to his class. Returning career-best figures of six for 19 in 7. 2 overs of top-class fast bowling, Jasprit Bumrah, with fine support from new-ball partner Mohammed Shami (3-31), sent England crashing to 110 all out in 25. 2 overs. The old, reliable firm of skipper Rohit Sharma (76 not out, 58b, 7x54, 5x6) and Shikhar Dhawan (31 not out, 54b, 4x4) then completed the demolition job, crossing the puny target in just 18. 4 overs to ensure a 10-wicket romp for India. This is the first time that they have beaten England by that big a margin in an ODI.
England now just have a day to recover from this bruising defeat before the second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday. Rohit and Dhawan’s unbeaten 114-run opening stand was their 18th 100-run alliance in ODIs, and they have now also crossed 5,000 runs as a pair.
However, the game and the day belonged to Bumrah, who made the ball talk and the batsmen dance to his tunes. In a lethal first spell which read 5-1-9-4, the fast bowler, unleashing thunderbolts from wide of the crease, dislodged the entire England top-order -Jason Roy (0), Joe Root (0), Jonny Bairstow (7) and Liam Livingstone (0) — to send them tottering at 26 for five in the eighth over.
While Roy succumbed to an expansive cover drive off a ball outside the off stump which grazed his bat on its way to the stumps, Root was done in by extra bounce and edged the ball behind, where Rishabh Pant dived in front of first slip to pull off a fine catch. Bairstow edged behind a beauty which moved in just a bit outside off stump, and Livingstone, realizing he doesn’t have the technique to cope with this level of fast bowling, charged down the wicket, miles away from an inswinging yorker which uprooted his stumps.
Bumrah then returned to take two more wickets to finish the job.
Four of the top six English batsmen were out for ducks, a rare occurrence indeed. When they were in complete tatters at 68 for eight in the 17th over, England looked in danger of being bowled out for their lowest ODI total ever — 86 against Australia in Manchester in 2001. However, they avoided that ignominy and scraped past 100 thanks to a 35-run stand for the ninth wicket between David Willey (21) and Brydon Carse (15).
Lord’s: India loses ODI
Gaurav Gupta, July 15, 2022: The Times of India
If ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah took 6/19 to shape India’s 10-wicket thumping win over England at the Oval in the first ODI, it was the turn of seamer Recce Topley to return the compliment in the second ODI at Lord’s, as he took 6/24 in 9. 5 overs to fire the hosts to a dominating 100-run victory in the second ODI. These are now the best ODI figures by an England bowler against India.
England’s superb comeback, after being hammered in the opener, has helped them tie the score 1-1 and set up an exciting finale, with the ODI series decider to be played on July 17 at Old Trafford.
Like England saw their batting implode in the first ODI, India too suffered a horrible top-order collapse which saw them crash to 31 for four in the 12th over. Chasing 247, the visitors folded for 146 in 38. 5 overs. Making things difficult for India with his high point of release due to his tall frame, Topley sent back both India’s openers, skipper Rohit Sharma (0 off 10 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (9 off 26 balls), before getting the in-form Suryakumar (27 off 29 balls), Shami (23), Chahal (3) and Krishna (0).
Brydon Carse dismissed Rishabh Pant (0, 5b) and David Willey took out an out-of-form former captain Virat Kohli (16, 25b, 3x4) as England’s pacers breathed fire on a pitch which had a bit of extra bounce. Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya each scored 29 off 44 balls, but both perished to England’s spinners. While Pandya holed out to deep mid-wicket off Moeen Ali, Jadeja played all over a simple delivery from Liam Livingstone.
The poor show by India’s batsmen would’ve left the bevy of former India cricketers at Lord’s on Thursday, including Sachin Tendulkar, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina disappointed.
Rohit was trapped LBW off one that came in, while Dhawan was caught down the leg-side, as India’s famed openers, after putting on an unbeaten 114-run stand in the first ODI, suffered completely contrasting fortunes in the second game of the series. India’s post start became worse when Pant, having advanced from his crease, spooned a full toss from Brydon Carse to substitute fielder Phil Salt mid-on, becoming the second Indian batsman after Rohit to get out for a duck.
Having unleashed three glorious drives, Kohli looked to be finding his long-lost Midas touch, but succumbed to his tendency to play a ball that he could’ve left alone outside the off-stump, a typical leftarm seamer’s delivery leaving him. ‘Sky’ looked good, before chopping one onto his stumps.
Earlier, England threatened to implode for the second time in a row, before their lower-order batsmen Moeen Ali (47, 64b, 2x4, 2x6), David Willey (41, 49b, 2x4, 2x6) and Liam Livingstone (33, 33b, 2x4, 2x6) rallied to help them finish at a respectable 246 in 46 overs. If Bumrah tormented England on Tuesday, it was the turn of the wily leggie Chahal, who took four for 47, the best figures by an Indian bowler in an ODI at Lord’s.
SCOREBOARD
England: J Roy c Yadav b Pandya 23, J Bairstow b Chahal 38, J Root lbw b Chahal 11, B Stokes lbw b Chahal 21, J Buttler b Shami 4, L Livingstone c sub (Iyer) b Pandya 33, M Ali c Jadeja b Chahal 47, D Willey c sub (Iyer) b Bumrah 41, C Overton not out 10, B Carse lbw b Krishna 2, R Topley b Bumrah 3; Extras (lb4, nb1, w8): 13; Total (49 Ov; RR 5. 02): 246; FoW: 1-41, 2-72, 3-82, 4-87, 5-102, 6-148, 7-21, 8-237, 9-240, 10-246; Bowling: Shami 10-0-48-1, Bumrah 10-1-49-2, Pandya 6-0-28-2, Krishna 8-0-53-1, Chahal 10-0-47-4, Jadeja 5-0-17-0 India: R Sharma lbw b Topley 0, S Dhawan c Buttler b Topley 9, V Kohli c Buttler b Willey 16, R Pant c sub (Salt) b Carse 0, S Yadav b Topley 27, H Pandya c Livingstone b Ali 29, R Jadeja b Livingstone 29, M Shami c Stokes b Topley 23, J Bumrah not out 2, Y Chahal b Topley 3, P Krishna c Buttler b Topley 0; Extras (lb7, w1): 8; Total (38. 5 Ov; RR: 3. 75): 146; Fow: 1-4, 2-27, 3-29, 4-31, 5-73, 6-101, 7-140, 8-140, 9-145, 10-146; Bowling: Topley 9. 5-2-24-6, Willey 9-2-27-1, Carse 7-0-32-1, Overton 7-0-22-0, Ali 4-0-30-1, Livingstone 2-1-4-1 Result: England won by 100 runs
T20Is
Edgbaston: India wins match, series 2-1
Gaurav Gupta, July 10, 2022: The Times of India
Left hurting after the defeat in the rescheduled fifth Test against England, India have now found solace. Producing a clinical show at Edgbaston, ironically the same venue where they lost the last Test, India outplayed England by 49 runs in the second T20I on Saturday to clinch the series 2-0, reducing the third and final game in Nottingham to a dead rubber.
Having won the opening game in Southampton by 50 runs, India thus beat England for the fourth consecutive time in a T20I series. India have, in fact, never lost a series to England in this format. This was India’s 14th T20I win on the trot under Rohit Sharma, and most importantly, this solid performance will help the team gain big confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year in Australia. Almost a week after he stroked a hundred in the Test match, Ravindra Jadeja, walking in with an ultra-aggressive India in trouble at 89/5 in the 11th over, rescued his team with a timely, unbeaten 46 (29b, 5x4) that took the Men in Blue to a competitive 170/8. Player of the Match Bhuvneshwar Kumar then once again swung the ball like a banana (3/15 in three overs), prising out England’s dangerous opening pair of Jason Roy (0) and skipper Jos Butler (4), who he got out cheaply for the second time in a row, to reduce the hosts to 11/2 in the third over. Returning to the T20 side, pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2/10) cleaned up Liam Livingstone (15) with a superb off-cutter. With leggie Yuzvendra Chahal (2-10) too getting among the wickets, England, despite Moeen Ali (35; 21b, 3x4, 2x6) and David Willey (33; 22b, 3x4, 2x6) using the long handle, crashed to 121 all out in 17 overs. Unleashing their brand new, all-out attacking approach, India, riding on their latest opening pair in skipper Rohit Sharma (31; 20b, 3x4, 2x6) and Rishabh Pant (26; 15b, 4x4, 1x6), enjoyed a brisk, pulsating start, racing away to 49 off the first 29 balls. In a bold move which may yet yield results, Pant was asked to open for the first time. However, the same bangbang approach seemed to backfire at one stage, as India lost five wickets for 40 runs in 35 balls. England pacers Chris Jordan (4-27) and Richard Gleeson (3-15) fought back superbly before Jadeja helped India plunder 55 off their last five overs.
Nottingham: England wins match; India wins series 2-1
Gaurav Gupta, July 11, 2022: The Times of India
Is Suryakumar Yadav the true successor of AB de Villers? Like the South African genius, ‘Sky’ too has a ‘360 degree’ range of shots, which can leave the bowlers tearing their hair in frustration.
Leaving everyone mesmerized with his magical strokeplay, ‘Surya’, playing the lone ranger on a burning deck, blasted his maiden international century (117, 55b, 14x4, 6x6), but couldn’t prevent India from going down to England by 17 runs in a high-scoring third T20I against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Sunday. The visitors still finished the series as 2-1 winners, with the tour moving to its final leg-the three match ODI series which kicks off. When Yadav walked in, India, chasing 216, were 13 for two in the third over, with Rishabh Pant (1) and out-of-form former India captain Virat Kohli (11) back in the hut. The score soon became 31 for three in five overs as skipper Rohit Sharma (11) too succumbed to English seamer Recce Topley, who finished with superb figures of 3-22 on a flat track.
However, unleashing some unbelievable, mind-boggling strokeplay while galloping away to become the fifth Indian batsman to score a T20I hundred, Yadav added 119 for the fourth wicket off just 61 balls, with fellow Mumbaikar Shreyas Iyer (28, 23b, 2x4), before the latter again succumbed to the short ball, edging Topley behind the stumps after making room.
It was just the foot in the door that England needed, as Dinesh Karthik (6) and Ravindra Jadeja (7) both fell lbw in quick time. With India needing 42 off two overs, ‘Sky’ gave them the hope of pulling off a miracle when he creamed Moeen Ali for two fours and a six of the off-spinner’s first three balls. However, his captivating knock, and India’s challenge in the game, ended when he slammed Moeen down the throat of Phil Salt off the fifth ball of the 19th over. With Chris Jordan bowling a fine last over, India eventually finished at 198 for nine.
Having just witnessed one of the finest hundreds in a T20I game, the English crowd, and the Indian dressing room, with Kohli prominent there, were generous in their applause of Yadav’s phenomenal innings, which saw him blast off to a 48-ball hundred.
Even as they ponder over the T20I future for Kohli, India would be delighted that they have probably the most dangerous middle-order batsman in this format in ‘Sky,’ who loves to dispatch the bowlers to all corners of the ground with ridiculous ease. As he has done in the IPL over the years, the 31-yearold swept both the pacers and spinners with little fuss, but his best shot was a shot that fetched him a six over cover off a Richard Gleeson ball that pitched on the leg stump, as he opened the face of the bat. In the next over, he hit another six off Chris Jordan, leaving the bowler flabbergasted.
Though it ended up in a losing cause, Yadav’s phenomenal century put to shade Dawid Malan’s magnificent 77 (39b, 6x4, 5x6) and Liam Livingstone’s quickfire 42 not out (29b, 4x6), which helped England score an imposing 215 for seven after the hosts chose to bat first.
Let off in the sixth over by Harshal Patel off his own bowling when he was yet to get off the mark, Malan made India pay dearly for the costly lapse, taking the bowlers to the cleaners on a belter while smashing his 12th T20I half-century. When Malan and Livingstone, who both play for Punjab Kings in the IPL, joined forces, the hosts were delicately placed at 84 for three in the 19th over, but the duo launched a blistering onslaught on India’s bowlers during their 84-run blitzkrieg of a fourth wicket partnership which took merely 42 balls.
India’s woes were best reflected by Kohli, usually an excellent fielder, dropping a sitter at deep mid-wicket to provide a reprieve to Livingstone, who was then batting on 36, in the penultimate over, with Harshal being the unlucky bowler again. Struggling with the bat, Kohli had earlier misfielded a ball at the point boundary, allowing Malan a four off Bishnoi.
Tests
Edgbaston: India lost
Gaurav Gupta, July 18, 2022: The Times of India
It’s a win which will be cherished by Team India fans for ages. It’s a century which will be celebrated for years to come. It’s a partnership which will be rated amongst the best in Indian ODI cricket history.
Rishabh Pant ended India’s 2022 England tour like he began. Except that while his 146 & 57 failed to prevent India from defeat in the fifth Test at Edgbaston, the 24-year-old’s brilliant, unfinished 125 (113b, 16x4, 2x6), along with Hardik Pandya’s outstanding allround show (71, 55b, 10x4, and 4-24 in seven overs) helped the Men-in-Blue pull off a heist, as they beat England by five wickets, with 47 balls to spare, in the third and deciding ODI at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Pant and Pandya’s magic enabled India to win the ODI series 2-1, which meant that after losing the Test, they bounced back superbly to beat England in the white ball leg of the tour-having won the T20Is 2-1 too. India’s fabulous win on Sunday ended their horror run against England in ODIs at Old Trafford in Manchester – this is now their first win over the hosts here since the 1983 World Cup semifinal.
Few would have given India a chance when they suffered another top-order collapse and slipped to 38 for three in the ninth over as Shikhar Dhawan (1), skipper Rohit Sharma (17) and the terribly out-of-form Virat Kohli (17) all succumbed to England leftarm pacer Recce Topley. While Dhawan sliced the ball to point, Rohit edged Topley to first slip, and Kohli rounded off a career-threatening tour for him by nicking behind a typical left-arm seamer’s ball angled across him.
It was 72 for four in the 16th over when Pant and Pandya j oined forces and the duo led the team’s unbelievable fightback.
The match-winning 133-run partnership in just 115 balls for the fifth wicket between the two completely changed the course of the game in the visitors’ favour.
In the end, Pant was a man in a hurry, as he smashed 75 of his last 42 balls, including five consecutive fours off David Willey in the 42nd over.
England skipper Jos Buttler would find it hard to forgive himself after missing a simple chance off a sharply turning Moeen Ali delivery to stump Pant when the batsman was on just 18, in the 16th over. The mistake cost England both the game and the series.
Pandya joined a rare group of five players who’ve taken four wickets and scored a fifty in an ODI for India. Thriving on the hard length, Pandya took an career-best haul with his incisive medium-pace bowling, before leggie Yuzvendra Chahal (3-60) mopped up the tail, but England still clawed their way to a decent 259 all out in 45. 5 overs. Finding generous bounce on a hard pitch, India’s pacers, missing their ‘leader’ Jasprit Bumrah due to back spasms the world No 1 bowler suffered just before the game, unleashed the barrage of short-pitched deliveries.
SCOREBOARD
ENGLAND: J Roy c Pant b Pandya 41, J Bairstow c sub (Iyer) b Siraj 0, J Root c Sharma b Siraj 0, B Stokes c & b Pandya 27, J Buttler c Jadeja b Pandya 60, M Ali c Pant b Jadeja 34, L Livingstone c Jadeja b Pandya 27, D Willey c Yadav b Chahal 18, C Overton c Kohli b Chahal 32, B Carse not out 3, R Topley b Chahal 0; Extras: (w13, nb2, lb2) 17; Total: (45. 5 overs) 259; FoW: 1-12, 2-12, 3-66, 4-74, 5-149, 6-198, 7-199, 8-247, 9-257; Bowling: Shami 7-0-38-0, Siraj 9-1-66-2, Krishna 9-0-48-0, Pandya 7-3-24-4, Chahal 9. 5-0-60-3, Jadeja 4-0-21-1. INDIA: R Sharma c Root b Topley 17, S Dhawan c Roy b Topley 1, V Kohli c Buttler b Topley 17, R Pant not out 125, S Yadav c Buttler b Overton 16, H Pandya c Stokes b Carse 71, R Jadeja not out 7; Extras: (b1, lb3, w3) 7; Total: (5 wkts, 42. 1 overs) 261; FoW: 1-13, 2-21, 3-38, 4-72, 5-205; Bowling: Topley 7-1-35-3, Willey 7-0-58-0, Carse 8-0-45-1, Ali 8-0-33-0, Overton 8-0-54-1, Stokes 2-0-14-0, Livingstone 2-0-14-0, Root 0. 1-0-4-0.
Ireland away tour
T20I
Malahide: India wins
June 27, 2022: The Times of India
Malahide: Favourites India coasted to a seven-wicket victory over Ireland in the first T20I. Needing 109 in 12 overs in the rain-hit match, the visitors reached the target in just 9. 2 overs. Deepak Hooda, who was sent in as opener in a surprise move, scored an unbeaten 47 (29 balls, 6x4, 2x6) while Ishan Kishan (26 off 11 balls) and skipper Hardik Pandya (24 off 12) played breezy cameos to make it easy for the Men in Blue. Earlier, young Harry Tector’s belligerent unbeaten 64 (33 balls, 6x4, 3x6) took Ireland to a fighting 108/4 in the 12-o versa-side game after rain delayed the start of the match. Tector took the fight to the visitors with some audacious strokeplay and flayed almost every Indian bowler except Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were the best Indian bowlers on the day with figures of 3-0-11-1 and 3-1-16-1, respectively.
The rain played hide and seek as the toss was also delayed due to the same re ason. During a brief period without rain, Pandya won the toss in his first match as India captain and opted to bowl first, considering the weather forecast. Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav got their p laces back in the Indian side in place of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, who are in England with the Test squad. Meanwhile, young pacer Umran Malik was handed his India cap. He is playing in place of Harshal Patel. On the other hand, Conor Olphert made his debut for Ireland. However, the rain showed up again after the toss and the covers were out and as a result, the start of the game was delayed. "A dream come true moment!! Congratulations to Umran Malik who is all set to make his T20I debut for #TeamIndia He gets No. 98," BCCI tweeted a head of the match. The young team defied the likes of South Africa on Indian soil despite the visitors taking a 2-0 lead. India will be riding high on the momentum that they managed to garner after the fourth T20I against South Africa where they turned around the game on its head, courtesy of a blitzkrieg from Dinesh Karthik while Avesh Khan cleaned up the South African resistance. AGENCIES
Brief scores: Ireland 108/4 in 12 overs (H Tector 64 not out) vs India 111/3 in 9. 2 overs (D. Hooda 47 not out). India win by 7 wickets.
Dambulla: Sri Lanka wins
June 28, 2022: The Times of India
Dambulla: Skipper Chamari Athapaththu struck a counter-attacking 48-ball 80 as Sri Lanka outplayed India by seven wickets in the third and final T20I to avoid a whitewash. The 32-year-old Chamari smashed 14 boundaries and one six and in the process became the only cricketer from the island nation to get to the 2000-run mark in T20Is. Chasing a modest 139 to avoid a clean sweep by the Indians, Sri Lankan batting finally came good as the hosts hunt down the target with three overs to spare to claim a consolation win. The threematch T20I series thus ended 2-1 in favour of India. PTI
Brief scores:
India 138/5 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 39 not out, Jemimah Rodrigues 33; O Ranasinghe 1/13) lost to Sri Lanka 141/3 in 17 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 80 not out, Nilakshi de Silva 30; Renuka Singh 1/27) by seven wickets.
Malahide: India wins again
June 29, 2022: The Times of India
Malahide: The Ireland batting exposed India’s second line of white-ball bowlers as it fell just four short of the 226run target set by India. In the end, Deepak Hooda’s pulv erising knock of 104 off 57 balls provided enough cushion for the Indian bowlers to defend the total and take the series 2-0.
Ireland’s skipper led the charge with a 37-ball 60 followed by Paul Stirling’s is 18-ball 40 and George Dockrell’s unbeaten 16-ball 34.
Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umran Malik conceded 1/54, 1/46, and 1/42 r espect ively. Ravi Bishnoi, plauying in place of Yuzvendra Chahal went for 1/41.
Hooda produced a masterclass knock, becoming only the fourth Indian to hit a T20 International century, as the visiting side posted a mammoth 227 for 7 against Ireland in the second and final match here on Tuesday. During his maiden T20I ton (104 off 57 balls), Hooda showed he belonged to the big stage with his scin tillating stroke play, both off the front and backfoot.
While Hooda was elegant and at ease on the frontfoot, he was equally good on the backfoot, dispatching the ball over the midwicket boundary for a few sixes. Hooda decorated his knock with nine fours and six hits over the fence.
He was ably supported by Sanju Samson, who, opening the batting in place of inju red Ruturaj Gaikwad, played second fiddle but grabbed his opportunity with both hands. Samson made 77 off 42 balls with the help of nine boundaries and four sixes.
Both Hooda and Samson’s strokeplay down the ground were a treat for the eyes. But India did not have the best of starts as they lost Ishan Kishan (3) early. The left-handed opener once again wasted an oppor tunity, nicking a Mark Adair delivery to Lorcan Tucker behind the stumps in the third over.
AGENCIES Brief scores: India 225/7 (D Hooda 104, S Samson 77; M Adair 3/42) beat Ireland 221/5 (A Balbirnie 60, Stirling 40, Dockrell 34*) by four runs.
New Zealand vs. India
T20s
Napier match tied; India wins series
Nov 23, 2022: The Times of India
Napier: New Zealand and India shared a rare tie Tuesday when the third Twenty20 cricket international was stopped by rain with the teams perfectly level under the Duckworth Lewis system. India won the rain-affected series 1-0.
Half centuries by Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips allowed New Zealand to overcome a late batting collapse to reach 160 batting first. India was 75-4 after nine overs, perfectly level with New Zealand, when rain — which had delayed the start of play by an hour — returned and ruled out any further possibility of play.
There have been 25 ties in the history of T20 cricket internationals but most have been resolved by super overs. Only one, between Malta and Gibraltar last year, had resulted in a tie under the Duckworth Lewis system with the team batting second on par with its opponent.
For a moment, the rain eased and the umpires hoped to squeeze in one over per side to decide the match.
But the rain returned just as the covers were being lifted and stumps were called. The match was heading for a fine finish when rain intervened.
Tim Southee, captain in the absence of Kane Williamson, chose to bat after winning the toss and New Zealand was in a strong position at 146-3 after Conway and Phillips put on 86.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 160 (Conway 59, Phillips 54, Siraj 4-17, Arshdeep 4-37) tied with India 75 for 4 (Pandya 30*, Southee 2-27) via DLS method. AP
South Africa vs. India
ODI
1st ODI: India loses
Oct 7, 2022: The Times of India
Lucknow : Below-par death bowling, coupled with ordinary fielding and batting except for Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer, hurt a second-string Indian team as it slumped to a nine-run defeat against South Africa in the rain-truncated first ODI.
Opting to bowl in the rain hit 40-over-a-side game, India started on the right note reducing South Africa to 110/4 in 22. 4 overs before David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen hit strokeful half-centuries to guide South Africa to 249/4. Struggling at 110/4, Miller (75 not out off 63 balls) and Klaasen (74 not out off 65 balls) added 139 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to take the visitors to close to 250-run mark. Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 2/35 from eight overs. The Indian bowlers struggled in the death overs, conceding 54 runs in the last five overs.
If that was not enough, the Indian fielders dropped as many as four catches in the outfield to help South Africa’s cause. Chasing a stiff target of 250, Samson (86 not out off 63 balls) and Iyer (50 off 37 balls) struck fifties, while Shardul Thakur (33 off 31 balls) used the long handle to good effect towards the end but it was not enough.
India endured a disastrous start to their chase, losing both Shubman Gill (3) andskipper Shikhar Dhawan (4) cheaply to be reduced to 8/2 inside six overs. While Kagiso Rabada cleaned up Gill in thethird over, Dhawan inside-edged one on to his stumps from a Wayne Parnell delivery in the sixth over. Ishan Kishan and debutant Ruturaj Gaikwad then tried to stabilise the innings with a 48-run partnership for the third wicket, before the latter was stumped by Quinton de Kock off the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi.
In the reserves for the T20 World Cup squad, Iyer helped his cause with a 37-ball 50 and together with Sanju Samson shared 67 runs for the fifth wicket to keep India in the hunt. Iyer decorated his innings with eight hits to the fence before handing a simple catch to Rabada at mid-on off Lungi Ngidi’s bowling. But Samson and Thakur kept India going with an attacking 93-run partnership of just 64 balls for the sixth wicket.
With India needing 45 off the last three overs, Ngidi struck twin blows, dismissing Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav in successive balls to hand South Africa the upper hand. Needing 30 off the last over, Samson tried his best, smashing one six and three fours but to no avail. Earlier, sent in to bat, South Africa made a relatively slow start, reaching 41 for no loss after 10 overs.
PTI75*
Unbeaten knock played by David Miller, his highest against India in ODIs, bettering his only other fifty-plus knock: 56 not out off 34 balls in Centurion on Dec 11, 2013. 74* Heinrich Klaasen’s unbeaten innings is his highest score away from home in ODIs, his second highest overall behind the 123* vs Australia in Paarl on Feb 29, 2020. His fourth fifty is his first vs India.
2nd ODI, Ranchi: India wins
Sourav M, Oct 10, 2022: The Times of India
Ranchi : With most of his much-fancied and illustrious India teammates busy warning up in Perth in the lead-up to the upcoming T20 World Cup Down Under, homeboy Ishan Kishan grabbed the opportunity to hog the limelight at the floodlit JSCA International Stadium here on Sunday. Chasing 279 on a track that was a bit on the slower side, but without any demon in it, the southpaw started off patiently and, once his hand and eyes were set, took to the flying mode, blazing 93 off 84 balls with four boundaries and seven sixes.
Shreyas Iyer started where he had left off in the last match (50) and played the anchoring role to perfection to take India home to a serieslevelling seven-wicket win with 25 balls to spare. In the process, the Mumbai cricketer notched his second ODI century. Earlier in his innings, Iyer brought his fifth fifty in the last six ODI innings.
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain took only the grounded route on Sunday to score 17 fours and no six. Together with the Patna-born wicketkeeper-batter, Iyer stitched a 161-run stand off 155 balls for the 3rd wicket to steady the ship for India, who were down to 48/2 in 8. 5 overs. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan played a reckless shot comingdown the crease losing his off stump to left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell. Shubhman Gill played a swift 28-run innings before being unlucky to offer a very low catch to pacerKagiso Rabada, who went down in a flash to take a smart catch in his follow-through.
There onwards, it was the Iyer-Kishan show. Both made sure there were no furtherhiccups in the chase and though Kishan fell only seven runs short of his maiden international hundred, India reached home easily as Sanju Samson joined the party. Earlier, Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks scored steady half-centuries to add run-a-ball 129-run stand for the 3rd wicket as South Africa reached 278/7 in 50 overs.
T20I
Indore: South Africa wins
Gaurav Gupta, Oct 5, 2022: The Times of India
Indore : South Africa, powered by Rilee Rossouw’s 48-ball, unbeaten 100, feasted on some listless bowling to record a morale-boosting 49-run win in the third T20I. Even though it was a dead rubber with India having already bagged the series, the convincing defeat, in what is the hosts’ final T20I going into the T20 World Cup in Australia, will leavethe Men in Blue sweating over the form of their pace bowlers.
How badly India’s seam bowling department is grappling with injuries and consistency at the moment was evident at the toss when skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that Arshdeep, who had been ‘recuperating’ at the National Cricket Academy during the Australia series, had a slight niggle in the back and would sit out.
Making merry on a featherbed at a small ground, the Proteas plundered 16 sixes and 15 fours, going all guns blazing to race away to 227/3. While Rossouw was the damager-in chief, the back-intouch Quinton de Kock (68; 43b, 6x4, 4x6) and Tristian Stubbs (23; 18b, 2x4, 1x6) played the support act well, before David Miller (19 not out, 5b, 3x6) played the role of a destructive finisher in somestyle, smoking a clueless Deepak Chahar for three consecutive sixes in the final over. Playing a batsman short afterdeciding to ‘rest’ both Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for this match, India were never in the hunt once skipper Rohit Sharma inside-edged Kagiso Rabada onto his stumps to be out for a rare two-ball duck. Almost five years ago, Rohit had smashed a record 35-ball century against Sri Lanka at this venue, but this time, he endured contrasting fortunes.
The returning Shreyas Iyer (1) was trapped LBW by Wayne Parnell. Dinesh Karthik (46; 21b, 4x6, 4x4) and Rishabh Pant (27; 14b, 3x4, 2x6) and later Deepak Chahar (31; 17b, 2x4, 3x6) provided some entertainment, but India were bowled out for 178 in 18. 3 overs.
For someone who was yet to get off the mark in the series, Rossouw staged a magnificent comeback, showing his mettle by taking on India’s bowlers during a stunning knock which contained seven fours and eight huge sixes. The 32-year-old had left South Africa to sign a Kolpak deal, but his return to the side augurs well for the Proteas ahead of the T20 World Cup. Rossouw’s blazing knock also acts as a solid advertisement for his case in the IPL2023 auctions, tentatively scheduled for December 16.
Asked to bat first, the visitors lost their out-of-form skipper Temba Bavuma (3) early, but Rossouw and de Kock added 90 in 48 balls for the second wicket to give the SA innings momentum.
In a bid to give more game time to the young and exciting Stubbs, South Africa sent him ahead of Miller. With Rossouw batting in fourth gear, the left-hander and Stubbs put on 87 in just 43 balls for the third wicket.
SCOREBOARD
South Africa: Q de Kock run out 68, T Bavuma c Rohit b Umesh 3, R Rossouw not out 100, T Stubbs c Ashwin b Chahar 23, D Miller not out 19; Extras (lb4, nb2, w8): 14; Total (20 Ov; RR: 11. 35): 227/3; FoW: 1-30, 2-120, 3-207; Bowling: Chahar 4-0-48-1, Siraj 4-0-44-0, Ashwin 4-0-35-0, Umesh 3-0-34-1, Harshal 4-0-49-0, Axar 1-0-13-0. India: R Sharma b Rabada 0, R Pant c Stubbs b Ngidi 27, S Iyer lbw b Parnell1, D Karthik b Maharaj 46, S Yadav c Stubbs b Pretorius 8, A Patel c de Kock b Parnell 9, H Patel c Miller b Ngidi 17, R Ashwin c Rabada b Maharaj 2, D Chahar c Miller b Pretorius 31, U Yadav not out 20, M Siraj c Miller b Pretorius 5; Extras (lb2, nb1, w9): 12; Total (18. 3 Ov; RR: 9. 62): 178; FoW: 1-0, 2-4, 3-45, 4-78, 5-86, 6-108, 7-114, 8-120, 9-168, 10-178; Bowling: Rabada 4-0-24-1, Parnell 4-0-41-2, Ngidi 3-0-51-2, Maharaj 4-0-34-, Pretorius 3. 3-0-26-3 Result: South Africa won by 49 runs.
Sri Lanka home series
T20I
Lucknow: India wins
Hindol Basu, February 25, 2022: The Times of India
From: Hindol Basu, February 25, 2022: The Times of India
See graphic:
Scoreboard, T20Is-Sri Lanka home series, Lucknow, 2022
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer may notbe certainties in India’s first-choice T20eleven yet, but the duo threw their hatsin the ring with explosive knocks in thefirst T20 International Sri Lanka at Lucknow’s Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Bolstered by the duo’s stirring show, India gave the Lankans a total of 200 to chase,which as expected proved to be a tall orderfor the Islanders. Charith Asalanka (unbeaten 53 off 47b; 5x4) got some welcome runsand Chamika Karunaratne (21 off 14b; 2x6)and Dushmantha Chameera (24 off 14; 2x4,1x6) hit a few lusty blows towards the endbut the die had been cast by then. Sri Lankafell short by 62 runs. For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar got things going with a wicket off thefirst ball of the Lankaninnings. The in-for mPathum Nissanka was castled by a delivery that keptlow. Bhuvi got anotherwicket in his next over,having Kamil Misharacaught at midwicket whiletrying to pull a good lengthball. The Lankans couldn’trecover after the poorstart and kept losing wickets at regular intervals, finishing at 137/6. Kishan was back to his belligerent bestafter a below-par series against West Indies. The diminutive southpaw got off the blocksas if he had to catch a train, taking a specialliking for Karunaratne in the third over. He smashed three back-to-back boundariesand took 15 runs off the over that got Indiarolling. Lahiru Kumara was given a similartreatment by Kishan with the fourth overyielding 14 runs. In the Powerplay overs, Kishan had fiveboundaries and two sixes to his name, while his opening partner Rohit Sharma had hita solitary boundary. But that changed afterthe Powerplay as Rohit, who struggled initially, got into his groove and took leg-spinner Jefferey Vandersay to the cleaners. In between, Kishan got a lucky breakwith Janith Liyanage dropping a catch atdeep midwicket off Vandersay. Soon after,Kishan brought up his second T20I half-century off mere 30 deliveries. A back-of-the-hand slower delivery byKumara ended Rohit’s (44 off 32b; 2x4, 1x6)innings as the ball kept low and crashedinto the stumps, while the Indian captainwent for an aerial shot down the ground. The opening wicket partnership produced111 runs to give India the initiative. Three overs of calm ensued Rohit’s dismissal, butthe 16th over off Kumaragot India back on track. Kishan powered a six andtwo fours off three deliveries to take 17 runs and alsogot closer to a century. The next over, however,Kishan’s (89 off 56b; 10x4,3x6) knock came to an endas Lankan skipper DasunShanaka’s banged-in delivery got too big on him anda pull shot was spooned upin the air which Liyanage,rushing from midwicket, managed to catch. After Kishan’s departure, it was aShreyas Iyer (unbeaten 57 off 28b; 5x4, 2x6)show. An authoritative pull off Chameerafor a boundary got him going. In the nexttwo overs – off Karunaratne (19th) and Chameera (20th) – Iyer clobbered 18 and 16 runsto propel India to a total of 199/2. Iyer usedthe crease well and deposited a six each offthe first ball in both overs. The two bowlerserred in their lines thereafter, and Iyer gotsome boundaries going – eventually reaching his fourth T20I fifty off just 25 balls.
India wins match, series
From: February 27, 2022: The Times of India
See graphic:
Scoreboard, 2nd T20I- India vs Sri Lanka, Dharamshala, 2022
India wins match; series 3-0
Tridib Baparnash, February 28, 2022: The Times of India
From: Tridib Baparnash, February 28, 2022: The Times of India
The script remained the same as in the previous game at Dharamsala. Shreyas Iyer came up with a third straight half-century in the series to help India brush aside Sri Lanka by six wickets and register a hat-trick of clean sweeps in white-ball cricket. With the win, India extended their unbeaten streak in T20Is to 12 matches. The home side went into Sunday’s affair with a batsman short, and lost skipper Rohit Sharma in the second over of the innings. The onus once again fell on Shreyas to anchor the chase. Iyer accepted the challenge wholeheartedly, slamming a 45-ball unbeaten 73, laced with nine hits to the fence and once over it, to help the team race to the target 0f 147 with 19 balls to spare. Ravindra Jadeja gave him good support with a 15-ball undefeated 22. Iyer announced his arrival with an exquisite cover drive off Binura Fernando, before welcoming Lahiru Kumara with three classy boundaries to get things going. Like the previous outing, he launched leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay
over the midwicket boundary to raise his fifty in grand style.
Rohit (5) fell for the sixth time to his nemesis Dushmantha Chameera after trying to heave a length ball but ended up slicing it to Chamika Karunaratne. His opening partner Sanju Samson failed to capitalize on a promising start and fell for a 12-ball 18. Deepak Hooda looked in fine touch during his brief 27-ball 22, but Venkatesh Iyer (5) had an off day with the bat.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s torrid run with the willow continued as a relatively inexperienced Indian bowling attack restricted the visitors to a below-par 146 for 5, built mostly around skipper Dasun Shanaka’s 38-ball unbeaten 74. Shanaka’s late flourish helped the side accumulate 68 runs in the last five, after India’s new ball pair of Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan had the opposition on the mat straightway by removing the top three for just 11 runs on the board.
The skipper changed the complexion of the game in the final four overs by launching an all-out attack to get to his highest T20I score, and take the side to some sort of respectability with a 86-run sixth wicket stand with Karunaratne (12 not out).
Earlier, Siraj and Avesh ensured a nightmarish start for the visitors, who crawled to 18 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. On a track that offered a bit of bounce for the pacers, Siraj removed Danushka Gunathilaka for a duck, after cramping the southpaw with a short ball, before the batter dragged it back onto his own stumps. Avesh then secured his maiden T20I wicket in the form of the other opener Pathum Nissanka.
Tests
India beats Sri Lanka in 3 days
Arani Basu, March 7, 2022: The Times of India
STAR TURN BY ASHWIN, JADEJA
Ravindra Jadeja followed up his 175 n. o. with the bat with a 9-wicket match haul to bag the MoM award. He took 5-41 and 4-46 as India won in just 3 days to register their 2nd biggest Test win against Sri Lanka
Playing his 85th Test, Ravichandran Ashwin took a match haul of 6 wkts & went past Kapil Dev’s 434 Test scalps (in 131 games). At 436, Ashwin is now India’s 2nd most successful Test bowler behind Anil Kumble (619 wkts in 132 Tests)
India wins test and series at Bengaluru
Manuja Veerappa, March 15, 2022: The Times of India
From: March 15, 2022: The Times of India
See graphic:
In brief- India vs. Sri Lanka- Test- Bengaluru, 2022
Bengaluru: An improbable target of 447, nine wickets in hand and pride at stake. It was a question of how long Sri Lanka could hold off a resurgent India. In the final innings of what has been a forgettable tour for the Islanders, they put up their best show, which helped them reduce the margin of defeat. At the M Chinnaswamy stadium here on Monday, the home team had to put the champagne on ice for a while as skipper Dimuth Karunaratne (107; 174b, 15x4) and Kusal Mendis (54; 60b, 8x4) decided not just to grind it out but also take on the Indian bowling attack led by the inform Jasprit Bumrah (3/23). With 35 minutes remaining for the dinner break on Day 3, spin ace R Ashwin’s (4/55) tossed-up delivery to Vishwa Fernando was top-edged to Mohammed Shami, who collected the catch at mid-off, signalling India’s 238-run victory and a 2-0 series triumph. The win marked Rohit Sharma’s first series win as Test skipper and head coach Rahul Dravid’s second series win at home in the longer format. The series turned out to be a six-day affair as both matches ended on the third day. Having lost out on eight ICC Championship points in the 0-1 loss to South Africa earlier this year, India regained ground with 24 points coming from the two-match series. This helped them climb to the fourth spot on the championship table. Also, India finished the home season unconquered in four Tests, three ODIs and nine T20s. In the afternoon, it was Karunaratne and Mendis’ turn to entertain the sizeable crowd. The 97-run association between the two batsmen was marked by aggression and fearless striking of the ball. With Ravindra Jadeja opening the day’s proceedings, Karunaratne took on the spinner in the first ball, which he flicked through midwicket. That was only an appetiser as the duo found the gaps against Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar. They also benefited from some poor fielding from the hosts. For 228 minutes, Karunaratne showed his teammates what it takes to take on a quality bowling attack. The 33-year-old brought up his century with a fine flick to the backward square leg boundary off Bumrah. Bumrah ended the left-hander’s resistance with a good length ball which Karunaratne tried to drive but left a huge gap between the bat and the pad for the ball to crash into his middle stump. But the first wicket to fall on the day was that of Mendis. Having proved to be an able ally to his skipper, the 27-year-old needlessly stepped out against Ashwin and was way out of the crease when Rishabh Pant disturbed the timber to break Sri Lanka’s best partnership of the series. With the turn and variable bounce probing the batsmen, the middle and lower-order didn’t offer much in terms of resistance. Axar Patel (2/37) helped India speed up the formalities.
THE LAKMAL GESTURE
It is one thing to play to the best of your ability and another to exhibit sportsman spirit. In a stirring display of character, Bumrah, who signalled the end of Suranga Lakmal’s international career with a fullish delivery which hit the leg stump, was the first one to run up, shake hands and hug the 35-year-old. The rest of the Indian players followed and in cue with the team’s gesture, the Bengaluru crowd accorded the former Sri Lanka skipper a standing ovation.
Sri Lanka vs. India
ODIs
Guwahati: India wins
Sourav M, January 11, 2023: The Times of India
From: Sourav M, January 11, 2023: The Times of India
Guwahati : Coming back into the team refreshed following a break after the ODI series against Bangladesh, ‘King Kohli’ has started the New Year from where he left off. That normal sight of jubilatio n, punching his fist and jumping in the air, was back as Kohli completed his 45th century in ODIs, just four short of Sachin Tendulkar’s record 49.
The path to the century wasn’t smooth as he got two lives on 52 and 81, but he made the visitors pay dearly for those misses as India’s road to the 50-over World Cup began on a thumping note with a comprehensive 67-run win over Sri Lanka. Kohli’s second consecutive ODI ton helped India post a massive 373/7. The Mohammed Shami-led bowling attack then restricted the Lankans to 306/8 in the first game of the three-match series here at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Chasing 374, the visitors were never in contention as they were down to 23/2 inside 6 overs and lost wickets at regular intervals. Skipp er Dasun Shanaka’s sublime unbeaten 108 off 88 balls, his second ODI ton, went in vain as he didn’t get much support. Opener Pathum Nissanka had a steady start himself, sco ring 72 off 80 balls but that was too slow while chasing a tall task.
Umran Malik was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking 3/57 runs from his 8 overs. Asked to bat first o n a placid track by Shanaka, Rohit Sharma led from the front with a 143-run opening stand with Shubman Gill, who was preferred over last match’s record-breaking double centurion Ishan Kishan. The Sri Lankan bowling was pedestrian and their poor catching andoutfield fielding didn’t help.
The Indian skipper played the role of aggressor in his 67-ball 83 as Gill completed his fifth half-century in 16 ODIs, playing an innings full of grace and fluidity until he played across the line to get caught in front of the stumps by Shanaka after scoring 70 off 60 balls with 11 fours.
In came Kohli, greeted with the loudest cheers from the crowd. His 113-run innings off 87 balls, studded with 12 fours and a six, also had two blips as wicketkeeper Kushal Mendis and skipper Shanakadropped two catches. On both occasions, medium pacer Kasun Rajitha was the unlucky bowler.
After getting the first reprieve following an outside edge in the 37th over, Kohli rubbed insult to injury , hitting two consecutive fours in the last two balls of the over. The young bowler was third-time lucky as Kohli fell to him skying one to be caught by Mendis in the penulti mate over. Rohit missed a possible century as he inside edged a length ball from Madushanka. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer got starts but failed to convert.
SCOREBOARD
India: R Sharma b Madushanka 83, S Gill lbw b Shanaka 70, V Kohli c Mendis b Rajitha 113, S Iyer c Fernando b de Silva 28, KL Rahul b Rajitha 39, H Pandya c Hasaranga b Rajitha 14, A Patel c Fernando b Karunaratne 9, M Shami not out 4, M Siraj not out 7; Extras (lb1, w5): 6; Total (50 Ov; RR: 7. 46): 373/7; FoW: 1-143, 2-173, 3-213, 4-303, 5-330, 6-362, 7-364; Bowling: Rajitha 10-0-88-3, Madushanka 6-0-43-1, Hasaranga 10-0-67-0, Karunaratne 8-0-54-1, Wellalage 8-0-65-0, Shanaka 3-0-22-1, de Silva 5-0-33-1Sri Lanka: P Nissanka c Patel b Malik 72, A Fernando c Pandya b Siraj 5, K Mendis b Siraj 0, C Asalanka c Rahul b Malik 23, D de Silva c Rahul b Shami 47, D Shanaka not out 108, W Hasaranga c Iyer b Chahal 16, D Wellalage c Gill b Malik 0, C Karunaratne c Sharma b Pandya 14, K Rajitha not out 9; Extras (lb3, w9): 12; Total (50 Ov; RR: 6. 12): 306/8; FoW: 1-19, 2-23, 3-64, 4-136, 5-161, 6-178, 7-179, 8-206; Bowling: Shami 9-0-67-1, Siraj 7-1-30-2, Pandya 6-0-33-1, Malik 8-0-57-3, Chahal 10-0-58-1, Patel 10-0-58-0 Result: India won by 67 runs
Kolkata: India wins
Archiman Bhaduri, January 12, 2023: The Times of India
Kolkata : The last time India played an ODI at the Eden Gardens, Kuldeep Yadav got a hattrick against Australia in 2017. On Thursday, he got a look-in only after Yuzvendra Chahal had to sit out with a sore right shoulder. But the Chinaman bowler is used to being in and out of the playing XI, and like always, grabbed the opportunity with both hands, claiming 3/51 in his 10 overs to help India bowl Sri Lanka out for a below-par 215 runs in 39. 4 overs.
India made heavy weather of the chase before winning by four wickets with 40 balls left, ending with 219/6 in 43. 2 overs to seal the three-match series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.
The hosts made a fluent start but Lanka hit back, picking up both the openers in consecutive overs. Lahiru Kumara, who replaced Dilshan Madushanka, then got one cut back sharply to clean bowl Virat Kohli. India were in a spot of bother at 86/4 but then KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya took it upon themselves to steady the ship. Without going for any heroics, they kept going with singles and twos. With no scoreboard pressure, the asking rate never climbed as the duo stitched together a 75-run fifth-wicket stand off 119 balls. Rahul re-established his credentials by staying unbeaten on 64 off 103 balls. India still needed 55 runs off 95 balls when Pandya (36; 53b) departed, but the wicketkeeper-batter soaked in the pressure and stayed till the end. Earlier, the introduction of spin in the 17th over changed everything. Kuldeep trapped Mendis in front, Dhananjaya de Silva fell to Axar, Nuwanidu Fernando and Shanaka fell cheaply as India seized control.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka: A Fernando b Siraj 20, N Fernando run out Gill 50, K Mendis lbw Kuldeep 34, D de Silva b Axar 0, C Asalanka c & b Kuldeep 15, D Shanaka b Kuldeep 2, W Hasaranga c Axar b Malik 21, D Wellalage c Axar b Siraj 32, C Karunaratne c Axar b Malik 17, K Rajitha not out 17, L Kumara b Siraj 0; Extras (1lb, 1nb, 5w): 7; Total (39. 4 overs): 215; FoW: 1-29, 2-102, 3-103, 4-118, 5-125, 6-126, 7-152, 8-177, 9-215, 10-215; Bowling: Shami 7-0-43-0, Siraj 5. 4-0-30-3, Pandya 5-0-26-0, Malik 7-0-48-2. Kuldeep 10-0-51-3, Axar 5-0-16-1 India: R Sharma c Mendis b Karunaratne 17, S Gill c Fernando b Kumara 21, V Kohli b Kumara 4, S Iyer lbw Rajitha 28, L Rahul not out 64; H Pandya c Mendis b Karunaratne 36, Axar c Karunaratne b Dhananjaya 21, K Yadav not out 10; Extras (3lb, 2nb, 13w): 18; Total (43. 2 overs): 219-6; FoW: 1-33, 2-41, 3-62, 4-86, 5-161, 6-191; Bowling: Rajitha 9-0-46-1, Kumara 9. 2-0-64-2, Karunaratne 8-0-51-2, Hasaranga 10-0-28-0, Wellalage 2-0-12-0, Shanaka 2-0-6-0, de Silva 3-0-9-1
Result: India won by 4 wickets (with 40 balls remaining)
Thiruvananthapuram: India wins
Prasanth Menon, January 16, 2023: The Times of India
From: Prasanth Menon, January 16, 2023: The Times of India
Thiruvananthapuram : The Greenfield stadium here in Thiruvananthapuram has a history of producing low-scoring one-sided contests. On Sunday, the trend of one-sided contests at the venue didn’t change but an exhibition of top-quality batting from Indians altered the pattern of low scores produced at the stadium.
And the lead protagonists in India’s sublime batting show were Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. The duo helped themselves to classy hundreds against a hapless Sri Lankan bowling attack to help India pile up 390 for five in 50 overs in the inconsequential third ODI of the series.
Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI centuries on home soil with his 21st hundred in India and remained unbeaten on 166 (110 balls, 13x4, 8x6). Gill made 116 (97 balls, 14x4, 2x6) with some exquisite strokeplay. If anyone thought it was a placid batting wicket seeing how well India batted, that theory was quickly put to rest by Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj who ran through the rival batting line-up with an inspired opening spell to help bundle out the Sri Lankans for a paltry 73.
India’s emphatic 317-run win was the highest margin of victory inODIs and displayed the gulf in class between both teams. The victory also handed the hosts their fourth ODI series whitewash against the Sri Lankans. The modest crowd that turned out for the third ODI here must be thanking Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for winning the toss and opting to bat as they got to see India’s batting might.
The openers didn’t find runs easy to come in the first three overs as the ball tended to stop on the wicket after pitching. But the sixth over of the innings, bowled by Lahiru Kumara, opened the floodgates. Rohit deposited the first ball over the mid-wicket fence to bring his first six of the match before taking a single. Gill smashed the next four deliveries for fours to fetch 23 runs from the over. There was no stopping India after that as the Indian batsmen pierced the gap at will and found the fence when desired.
Rohit must be kicking himself for the manner in which he got out with the bowlers at his mercy. He pulled a Chamika Karunaratne delivery straight into the hands of Avishka Fernando at deep square leg to be dismissed for 42.
Kohli joined Gill and started with a boundary off the second ball he faced. In the next over of Jeffrey Vandersay, Kohli smashed two successive fours, the first a delightful cover drive and when the bowler pitched the next ball short, he cut it to backward point for a four. Kohli was up and running and he didn’t stop till the last ball of the Indian innings.
Though Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka kept rotating his bowlers, it hardly made an impression on Kohli or Gill. The pitch wasn’t completely batting-friendly as some balls kept low. While the Indian pair adapted to conditions skilfully, the Lankan bowlers failed to exploit it.
The two put together a 131-run stand for the second wicket off just 84 balls. Gill matched Kohli stroke for stroke and looked at ease against the pacers and spinners. He hit some sweetly-timed drives of the backfoot and also some delightful cover drives. Gill brought up his second international hundred of 89 balls but was out bowled by Rajitha in the 34th over.
The stage was set for Kohli to take over. Shreyas Iyer played a cameo off 38 but it was Kohli who took the score close to 400 as India smashed 116 runs in the last 10 overs with Kohli contributing 84 of those.
T20Is
Mumbai: India wins
Gaurav Gupta, January 4, 2023: The Times of India
Mumbai : Making a sensational debut, young pacer Shivam Mavi took 4/22 as India launched the ‘Hardik Pandya era’ in their T20I cricket on a winning note. In a very close game, they edged out a spirited Sri Lanka by the narrowest of margins, a mere two runs, in a thriller at the Wankhede Stadium. India now take a 1-0 lead in the series.
The second game will be played in Pune.
After impressing everyone five years back by emerging as one of India’s key performers in their Under-19 World Cup triumph in New Zealand, Mavi took his time to find his feet in senior cricket. An impressive performance in domestic cricket this time, however, saw him rewarded with a spot in the Gujarat Titans team, who paid Rs 6 crore for him in the IPL auction. It was followed by a maiden call-up into India’s T20I side for this series.
There was an element of luck too. The 24-year-old fast bowler found a place in the XI only afterArshdeep Singh was ruled out due to illness. Making the most of the opportunity and justifying the faith reposed in him by skipper Pandya, who will also be his captain at Titans, the youngster ran through the Lankan batting lineup, cleaning up the stumps of opener Pathum Nissanka (1) with one that jagged back in viciously in his very first over. He went on to take the wickets of Dhananjaya de Silva (8), the dangerous-looking Wanindu Hasaranga (21; 10b, 1x4, 2x6) and Maheesh Theeksana. With skipper Dashun Shanaka (45; 27b, 3x4, 3x6) leading the charge, the visitors bounced back superbly after looking out of the game at 68/5 in the 11th over. However, Mavi ended Shanaka and Hasaranga’s 40-run 23-ball stand for the sixth wicket.
A cameo by Chamika Karunaratne kept Lanka’s fight going. They needed 13 off the last over but Axar Patel delivered a couple of handy dot balls. Axar played a big role with the bat too earlier, giving India’s total respectability in the company of Deepak Hooda.
SCOREBOARD
India: I Kishan c de Silva b Hasaranga 37, S Gill lbw b Theekshana 7, S Yadav c Rajapaksa b Karunaratne 7, S Samson c Madushanka b de Silva 5, H Pandya c Mendis b Madushanka 29, D Hooda not out 41, A Patel not out 31, Extras (lb 1, w 4): 5; Total (20 overs; RR: 8. 10): 162/5; FoW: 1-27, 2-38, 3-46, 4-77, 5-94; Bowling: Rajitha4-0-47-0, Madushanka 4-0-35-1, Theekshana 4-0-29-1, Karunaratne 3-0-22-1, de Silva 1-0-6-1, Hasaranga 4-0-22-1 Sri Lanka: P Nissanka b Mavi 1, K Mendis c Samson b Harshal 28, D de Silva c Samson b Mavi 8, C Asalanka c Kishan b Malik 12, B Rajapaksa c Pandya b Harsal 10, D Shanaka c Chahal b Malik 45, W Hasaranga c Pandya b Mavi 21, C Karunaratne not out23, M Theekshana c Yadav b Mavi 1, K Rajitha run out 5, D Madushanka run out 0; Extras (lb1, nb1, w4): 6; Total (20 Ov; RR: 8. 00): 160; FoW: 1-12, 2-24, 3-47, 4-51, 5-68, 6-108, 7-129, 8-132, 9-159, 10-160; Bowling: Pandya 3-0-12-0, Mavi 4-0-22-4, Malik 4-0-27-2, Chahal 2-0-26-0, Harshal 4-0-41-2, Axar 3-0-31-0 Result: India won by 2 runs
Rajkot: India wins
From: Gaurav Gupta, January 8, 2023: The Times of India
See graphic:
Scoreboard, India vs Sri Lanka, Rajkot- T20is, 2023
West Indies, home tour
ODIs
India wins at Ahmedabad
Nitin Naik, February 7, 2022: The Times of India
From: Nitin Naik, February 7, 2022: The Times of India
In 15 ODIs before Sunday, the West Indies had been bowled out before their full quota of overs nine times. Sunday, India’s historic 1000th ODI at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad turned out to be the 10th. For a team that was coming from a high of beating England in the T20 series at home, it was a disappointing performance as there were too many soft dismissals as they crashed to 176 all out in 43. 5 overs. That total too was possible largely to the skill of the highly dependable Jason Holder and the application shown by Fabian Allen, who rescued them with a 78-run stand from a perilous 79 for 7, on a dryish but decent surface.
The hosts, led by a breezy 60 from Rohit Sharma, who did everything right, including winning the toss, got home in 28 overs with six wickets to spare.
Apart from a chaotic four-ball spell where a hyper-aggressive Virat Kohli got two boundaries, and got bounced once before miscuing a hook to deep square-leg off the pacy Alzarry Joseph, who had dismissed Rohit earlier in the over by trapping him leg-before off a delivery that hurried him, the chase never looked out of control. Ishan Kishan could not make good use of the chance to bat up the order and contributed just 28 before throwing his hand away. Debutant Deepak Hooda 26* (32) and Surya Kumar Yadav 34* (36) then took the team home with a 62-run stand off 63 balls after Rishabh Pant was run out at the non-striker’s end as a straight drive from Yadav was deflected onto the stumps by Joseph with Pant backing up too far. Yadav batted with characteristic flair and even endured a few witty barbs from his Mumbai Indians teammate, Kieron Pollard.
The win though was credit to the bowlers. Offie Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal grabbed seven wickets between them and made good use of a helpful pitch and an opposition that was unwilling to graft and played with hard hands. Both bowled with skill and control though. Chahal’s dismissal of Pollard with a googly and getting Shamarh Brooks caught behind with a delivery that drifted in, dipped and spun, showed his class. India though would be happier with the shift that their two main pacers put in, especially in the first powerplay where India bowled 46 dot balls. Bowling hard lengths, the Mohammed Siraj castled Shai Hope with a scrambled seam delivery. Prasidh Krishna also bowled the heavy ball regularly and picked two wickets, including that off the well-set Holder for 57.
West Indies, who have gone back to some of their Test players, even in their ODI set-up, as they need players who can bat out time, have serious issues to ponder when it comes to their approach and attitude towards games that last longer than 120 deliveries, if they are to make the remaining two games in the series, competitive.
India will be happy that the start of the Rohit-era has ended a run off four successive defeats.
India wins 2nd Ahmedabad ODI, and series
From: February 10, 2022: The Times of India
See graphic:
Scoreboard- India vs West Indies, ODI-II, Ahmedabad, 2022
India wins third ODI; series 3-0, a rare ‘double sweep’
Saibal Bose, February 21, 2022: The Times of India
From: Saibal Bose, February 21, 2022: The Times of India
Kolkata: Rain stayed away throughout the day, so did the sun. But Suryakumar Yadav joined the party under the Eden Gardens floodlights here on Sunday with all guns blazing. The rather gloomy Kolkata day turned into an evening of fireworks as Suryakumar, along with Venkatesh Iyer, guided India to 184 for five in the third and final T20 International against the West Indies.
The total eventually proved adequate, with the West Indies being stopped in their tracks at 167 for 9. Nicholas Pooran continued his defiance with a 47-ball 61. Rovman Powell and Romario Shephard blazed briefly, but those weren’t enough. Like the ODIs, the T20I series was a clean sweep for India with this 17-run win.
West Indies, meanwhile, will have a lot to introspect. For the record, India had beaten New Zealand 3-0 too, in their previous T20I series at home. The major talking point during the West Indies innings was injury to Deepak Chahar, who pulled a muscle before the last ball of his second over, the third of the innings. Having already dismissed the West Indies openers, Chahar’s walking off the ground was a blow to India, although in the context of the match it did not matter much. The Sunday show-stopper was a great effort by India’s fifth-wicket pair of Yadav and Iyer, considering that the 100th run came in the 16th over of the innings. The partnership was worth 91 runs, coming in only 37 balls, with the last five overs fetching 86. A crowd of around 20,000 watched and roared as all this unfolded.
Suryakumar scored 65 off just 31 deliveries, which had seven sixes. His only boundary, a brilliant cover drive, had even the West Indians applauding. He perished on the innings’ last ball, going for maximum again.
Venkatesh remained unbeaten on 35 and had two sixes too in his 19-ball stay. He also snapped up two wickets.
It was to be a day of experiments for India, who started off with h four changes, two forced and two by choice, handing medium-pacer Avesh Khan his debut. While Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad came in for Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur and Avesh replaced the rested Bhuvneswar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Twenty20I
Kolkata: India beats West Indies
From: [ The Times of India]
See graphic:
Scoreboard, T20s, West Indies vs. India- Kolkata, 2022
Zimbabwe vs. India
ODIs
1st, Harare: India wins
August 19, 2022: The Times of India
Harare: Pacer Deepak Chahar made an impressive comeback to international cricket with an incisive spell and the opening batsmen maintained their consistency as India outclassed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in the opening One-day International.
Donning the blue jersey for the first time in six months after a long injury layoff, Chahar hit the straps right away with figures of 3/27, which was instrumental in India restricting Zimbabwe to a sub-par 189 in just 40. 3 overs.
With very little scoreboard pressure, it was a walk in the park for the Indians as the in-form opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan (81 not out) and Shubman Gill (82 not out) knocked off the target in just 30. 5 overs.
With skipper KL Rahul foregoing his spot at the top of the order to let the in-form pair maintain its momentum, Dhawan and Gill scored their third half-centuries in last four games. Not to forget that it was also their third century-plus stand from the start of the West Indies series. Their lowest opening partnership had yielded 48 runs in second ODI in Caribbean.
On a track that had something for the bowlers, the Indian openers did start in a sedate fashion but with very little on the board, it did not take them much time to accelerate. Dhawan played his signature square cuts off seamers and lofted shots off the slow bowlers during his 113-ball knock while Gill played within himself for the first 30 deliveries before starting to chance his arms and surpassed his senior partner in terms of strike-rate, facing only 72 balls. He played some eye-catching strokes on either side of the wicket, including a huge six over deep mid-wicket off Wessly Madhevere. Between them, they hit 19 boundaries in all.
Chahar sets up win
It didn’t take long for Chahar to find his rhythm on a Harare Sports Club track that offered steep bounce. The balmy morning conditions aided quality swing bowling.
He was well supported by Mohammed Siraj (1/36), who worked up brisk pace while bowling the ideal ‘Test match length’.
Prasidh Krishna (3/50) and Axar Patel (3/24) also got their share of middle and lower-order victims while Kuldeep Yadav (0/36) was restrictive despite going wicket-less.
It was the record ninth-wicket stand of 70 runs between Brad Evans (33) and Richard Ngarava (32) that took Zimbabwe close to the 200-run mark.
None of the Zimbabwe batters looked comfortable during those opening overs as Chahar got a lot of deliveries to dart back late while some straightened after pitching.
Opener Innocent Kaia (4 off 20 balls) saw a ball climb up from back of length and Sanju Samson caught it on second attempt. His left-handed partner Tadiwanashe Marumani (8 off 22 balls) drove a fuller-length delivery that swung late and Samson had an easy catch.
Chahar’s best delivery was the one that got Wessly Medhevere (5) which seemed like drifting on pads but swung away late squaring up the right-hander, who was found plumb in-front. Once Siraj had Sean Williams caught at first slip by Shikhar Dhawan, there wasn’t much resistance left in the Zimbabwean batting although skipper Regis Chakabva (35 off 51 balls) tried to put up a brief fight before Axar castled him.
Just at the start of his spell, Chahar was struggling a bit with his run-up but once he got his first wicket, he got going. The banana inswing was back and he was getting to move the ball late.
While Chahar has been kept on stand-by for the Asia Cup with Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the first 15, the tables could turn once India touch base in Australia. This is because there will be at least one spinner less in the final squad for pitches Down Under.
PTI
2nd, Harare: India wins again
August 21, 2022: The Times of India
Sanju Samson produced a responsible, unbeaten 43 after a clinical bowling display, led by pacer Shardul Thakur, as India sailed to a five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the threematch series.
It was not quite a domination unlike the first ODI, but the paltry 162-run target meant that the KL Rahul-led side did not have to sweat much despite a surprising mid-innings jolt.
Sent into bowl, comeback man Thakur (3/38 in seven overs) brilliantly set it up and became the wrecker-in-chief as the Indian bowlers once again came out on top to skittle out Zimbabwe for 161. In the absence of Deepak Chahar, who missed out after his exploits in the last ODI, Thakur made his presence felt and rocked the Zimbabwe top-order with his double blow in the 12th over.
Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill then showed their flair and authority, even as the duo batted in different positions this time, posting identical scores of 33. But they could not steer the team home as India endured anxious moments in the middle following Dhawan’s departure.
Luke Jongwe (2/33) produced a double blow, dismissing Ishan Kishan (6) and a well-set Shubman Gill in successive overs, to reduce India to 97/4 at the drinks break. But with just 65 runs needed from 36 overs, Deepak Hooda and Samson produced a sensible 56-run stand to seal the fate of the match.
With nine runs to win, Hooda was yorked by Sikandar Raza but Samson remained unbeaten on 43 (39 balls; 2x4, 4x6) and wrapped it up with a six off legspinner Innocent Kaia in the 26th over.
The shuffle in the batting order was because of KL Rahul’s desire to open the innings alongside Dhawan. However, lacking match practice, the captain was out LBW early to pacer Victor Nyauchi. This was Rahul’s first international match since his 49-run outing against the West Indies in an ODI in Ahmedabad on Feb 9.
After Rahul’s brief stay, it was once again business as usual for Dhawan and Gill as the duo started from where they left off in the first ODI.
Earlier, Sean Williams played a counter-attacking knock and top-scored for the hosts with a run-a-ball 42 (3x4, 1x6) after his side was reduced to 31/4 in the 13th over.
India brought in part-time off-spinner Deepak Hooda to provide the much-needed breakthrough in the form of Williams. Ryan Burl made a 47-ball 39* with three boundaries and one six but he ran out of partners. Zimbabwe’s last three wickets fell in just eight balls and included the run-outs of Nyauchi and Tanaka Chivanga.
It would have been worse for the hosts had India not been sloppy on the field. ’Keeper Samson missed a stumping and dropped a difficult catch against Axar Patel, while Kuldeep Yadav missed a sitter off his own bowling.
PTI
