Cricket, India: A history (2024)
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India tour of Zimbabwe, 2024
T20s
1st T20 Zimbabwe wins
July 7, 2024: The Times of India
From: July 7, 2024: The Times of India
Harare : An inexperienced yet spirited Zimbabwe pulled off an upset of massive proportions when they stunned an Indian team brimming with an array of Next-Gen stars by 13 runs in the first T20I of the fivematch series.
India, who were recently crowned champions in the T20 World Cup albeit with a different set of players, were expected to trot past an unfancied Zimbabwe and the script followed that line when the hosts were restricted to 115 for nine.
But from there, Zimbabwe wrote their own narrative, reducing India to 28 for four in the Power Play and then eventually bowled them out for 102 in 19.5 overs. Pacer Tendai Chatara (3/16) and skipper Sikandar Raza (3/25) led the home side bowling with aplomb.
It was India’s first defeat in T20Is in 2024 and first against Zimbabwe in eight years. The second match of the series is slated on Sunday. India’s stutter began in the first over itself, losing Abhishek Sharma, one of three T20I debutants along with Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, for duck.
Sharma’s almighty cross-batted heave off Brian Benett was caught easily by Wellington Masakadza in the outfield. But what was perceived as an initial scratch soon turned into a deep gash as India kept losing wickets. Ruturaj Gaikwad (7) could not negate a slightly bouncier offering from pacer Blessing Muzarabani, edging it to Innocent Kaia at the floating first slip.
Soon, pacer Tendai Chatara dealt a double blow to India, dismissing Parag (2) and Rinku Singh (0) in the space of three balls in the fifth over. Parag’s over-enthusiastic loft over mid-off could not clear substitute Brandon Mavuta, while Rinku did not have the necessary space to execute pull off a climbingup delivery.
However, skipper Shubman Gill kept India in the chase with a sensible knock (31, 5x4), but Sikandar Raza accounted for his counterpart with a delivery that skidded past his bat to rattle the stumps.
Avesh Khan (16, 12b) and Washington Sundar (27, 34b) added 23 runs for the eighth wicket to take India to 84 but a full-blooded smash off a Masakadza full-toss was accepted by Raza at long-off. At 84 for eight and then at 86 for nine, the fight was well and truly over.
India needed 16 runs off the last over and despite Washington being there, they could only manage just two runs as Zimbabwe celebrated a famous win with all fervour.
Before their batters faltered, the Indian bowlers led by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, performed admirably on a pitch that had a hint of extra bounce and sufficient carry.
Bishnoi returned with a careerbest 4/13 and received adequate support from off-spinner Washington (2/11) as Zimbabwe struggled to stitch any meaningful partnership.
However, Zimbabwe made a rather brisk start to their innings, reaching 40 for two in the Power Play segment even though their batters were not always convincing.
After the early dismissal of Kaia, who dragged a Mukesh Kumar delivery onto his stumps, Wessly Madhevere (21, 22b) and Bennett (22, 15b) added 34 runs in quick time.
The highlight of their alliance was the fifth over in which they plundered 17 runs off left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed. PTI
2nd T20: India wins
July 8, 2024: The Times of India
From: July 8, 2024: The Times of India
Harare : Young Abhishek Sharma announced his arrival on the big stage with a breathtaking 46-ball century as India pummelled Zimbabwe by a whopping 100 runs in the second T20I to restore parity in a resounding fashion here Sunday. This is India’s biggest margin of victory in terms of runs against Zimbabwe in T20Is.
The young Indian side didn’t carry the baggage of a shock-13-run defeat in the series-opener as lefthanded opener Abhishek blended power with grace for a scintillating 100-run knock that propelled India to a massive 234 for two on a track where batting wasn’t exactly easy.
The ask was already stiff and Indian bowlers got breakthroughs at regular intervals to bowl out Zimbabwe for 134 in 18.4 overs to set the record straight.
Pacers Mukesh Kumar (3/37) and Avesh Khan (3/15) removed the top order inside the Powerplay to kill the contest which became a formality after that.
The day certainly belonged to Abhishek, who mixed grace and power in equal measure in an innings, embellished with eight sixes and seven fours. It made a normally stylish Ruturaj Gaikwad (77 not out off 47 balls) look pale in comparison during their 137-run stand for the second wicket.
His innings would also increase the headache for skipper Shubman Gill and stand-in coach VVS Laxman, who would need to take a tough call when Yashasvi Jaiswal is available from the third game.
After his century, there is no way that the Sunrisers Hyderabad opener can be dropped from the playing XI. Having endured the disappointment of a four-ball duck on debut, Abhishek never looked under pressure on a track which his senior partner and current CSK partner Gaikwad found “difficult to feel set”.
The hallmark of his innings was fearlessness as he took calculated risks which paid off and allowed Gaikwad at the other end to get into the groove after playing and missing for the better part of his innings.
Abhishek got a reprieve on 27 when Wellington Masakadza dropped a regulation skier off Luke Jongwe. He never looked back after that. His fifty came off a pulled six behind square off medium pacer Dion Myers, whose 28-run over actually opened the floodgates during the back-10 for the visitors. The shot that was most pleasing to the eye was his inside out six off rival skipper Sikandar Raza, lofting his off-break with the turn over extra cover boundary.
If that was elegance personified, the manner in which he muscled left-arm spinner Masakadza into the orbit with back-to-back sixes was a testimony to his brute power.
He raised his milestone hundred when he guided a wayward full-toss on leg-stump behind the square for a maximum before being dismissed off the very next delivery.
On return to the dug-out, he was congratulated by his skipper and best friend Shubman Gill, who once again had an indifferent outing.
The poor fielding effort also hurt Zimbabwe as they also dropped Gaikwad’s catch, who took off from where Abhishek had left, creaming off 87 runs off 36 balls for the third wicket with Rinku Singh (48 not out off 22 balls), who also made merry with five huge sixes.
The total was India’s highest against Zimbabwe in T20 Internationals, surpassing previous best of 186, a fitting comeback after an inexplicable batting collapse in the opening game.
The Indian pacers despite the usage of long handle by No. 3 Bennett (26 off 9 balls) were on target as Mukesh cleaned up two batters with slightly back of the length off-cutters.
Avesh’s nasty snorter was something that opposition skipper Sikander Raza least expected while trying to fend being hit on the helmet. Once Ravi Bishnoi (2/11 in 4 overs) and Washington Sundar (1/28 in 4 overs) came into operation, the Zimbabwe batters weren’t able to hit them. PTI
3rd T20: India wins
July 11, 2024: The Times of India
Harare : Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad produced highquality knocks before the bowlers did their part as India outplayed Zimbabwe by 23 runs in the third T20.
Gill (66 off 49), Yashasvi Jaiswal (36 off 27) and Gaikwad (49 off 28) propelled India to 182 for four against Zimbabwe after the visitors opted to bat on a fresh pitch.
Zimbabwe were never really in the r un chase despite an entertaining effort from number four Dion Myers (65 not out 49), ending at 159 for six in their stipulated 20 overs.
Washington Sundar, who is likely to play a bigger role in India's T20 set-up after the retirement of Ravindra Jadeja, struck thrice while Avesh Khan took a couple of wickets. The fourth T20 of the five-match series will be staged here on Saturday, July 13. After a loss in the series opener, India have restored normal service with back-to-back victories.
After Avesh Khan bounced out opener Wessly Madhevere in the second over, the wickets kept falling for the home team. However, Zimbabwe did well to stead the ship after losing their first five wickets for 39 runs. The 77-run stand off 57 balls between Myers and Clive Madande (37 off 26) put much needed life into the game.
Earlier, Gill-led India made some interesting selection calls. They duly inducted World Cup winners Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (12 not out off 7) and Shivam Dube into the playing eleven, leaving out the likes of Riyan Parag in the middle order.
Sanju came to bat at n umber five with four specialist openers Jaiswal, Gill, Abhishek Sharma (10 off 9) and Gaikwad occupying the top four positions respectively.
Jaiswal, who did not get a game in India's triumphant campaign in the T20 World Cup, was happy to be back in the middle and went for his shots from the get go. The southpaw collected couple of fours and a six over deep-midwicket in the opening over bowled by off-spinner Brian Bennett to set the tone.
Gill began with a gorgeous on drive off left-arm pacer Richard Ngarava before pulling him for a six over fine-leg. Zimbabwe were poor in the field to say the least, conceding extra runs and grassing regulation catches throughout the innings. Pacer Blessing Muzarabani (2/25) once again got the extra bounce from length and was the pick of the bowlers. After racing to 49 for no loss in four overs, India could not maintain that tempo reaching 55 in the powerplay with both openers in the centre. PTI
Brief scores: India 182 for 4 (Gill 66, Gaikwad 49, Jaiswal 36, Raza 2-24, Muzarabani 2-25) beat Zimbabwe 159 for 6 (Myers 65*, Madande 37, Washington 3-15, Avesh 2-39) by 23 runs
India tour of Sri Lanka 2024
ODIs
Colombo: Sri Lanka wins
August 5, 2024: The Times of India
Colombo : Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay’s magical six-wicket haul robbed the roar from Rohit Sharma’s brutal fifty as Sri Lanka etched an emotional 32-run win over India in the second ODI.
Sri Lanka now lead the three match series 1-0 after the first match ended in a tie.
India were asked to chase down 241 on a pitch that had plenty of assistance for the spinners, and they ended up at 208 all out in 42.2 overs with Vandersay wrecking them with a haul of six for 33. A different result loomed as long as skipper Rohit was at the crease, creaming the Lankan bowlers enroute to his 64 off 44 balls (5x4, 4x6).
Unmindful of the nature of the pitch, Rohit cut, swept and pulled spinners Dunith Wellalage and Akila Dananjaya and pacer Asitha Fernando to all parts of the ground in the company of a compact Shubman Gill (35, 44b) as India waltzed to 97 in just 13.3 overs.
But a fatal reverse sweep off Vandersay that was taken by a diving Pathum Nissanka snapped Rohit’s stay, and it also put the Indian batting unit in a tailspin.
The 97 for one became 116 for two in 17.1 overs and it transpired into even trickier 116 for three four balls later. But more shocks were in store for the Indians as they tumbled to 123 for four, 133 for five and eventually to 147 for six. That was six wickets for 50 runs in the span of 10 overs, and the dance of destruction was performed by one man -Vandersay --who came in as a replacement for injured Wanindu Hasaranga.
Gill drove away from his body for Kamindu Mendis to take a screamer at first slip, Shivam Dube (0) failed to pick a ripping leg-break, Virat Kohli (14) did not read a wrong’un and Shreyas Iyer was defeated by a slider.
Dube, Kohli and Shreyas were adjudged leg before, indicating the indecisiveness in their feet and mind. KL Rahul lasted just two balls before dragging Vandersay’s delivery that pitched outside the channel onto his stumps.
Axar Patel (44, 44b) played smart cricket and milked 38 runs for the seventh wicket with Washington Sundar to keep India ticking. Axar took 14 runs off Charith Asalanka’s first over (6, 4, 4) and later moussed Akila Da- nanjaya for a six over mid-off.
But even that feeble lifelinehalted when Axar slapped a catch back to Asalanka (3/20) and the rest was a mere formality. Earlier, Indian spinners led by Washington put the Lankan batters through a test of skill, but the hosts found enough fight from their late order to make an acceptable 240 for nine.
Washington (3/30) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/33) were at their smartest as the home batters found the going tough. It required a 72-run association for the seventh wicket between Wellalage (39) and Kamindu (40) for them to wriggle out of a stifling 136 for six.
The first blow was landed by Mohammed Siraj when he had Nissanka caught by Rahul behind the wicket. But a recovery phase followed as Avishka Fernando (40, 62b, 5x4) and Kusal Mendis (30, 42b, 3x4) used the freshness of the new ball to add 74 for a rather fluent second wicket stand. PTI
Colombo: Sri Lanka wins ODI series
August 8, 2024: The Times of India
Colombo : A clueless Indian batting unit was strangled by crafty Sri Lankan spinners, led by five-wicket man Dunith Wellalage, as Rohit Sharma’s men crashed to an embarrassing 110-run defeat in the third and final ODI.
Sri Lanka won the three-match series 2-0 after the first match ended in a tie, and this is the Islanders’ first bilateral ODI series victory over India since 1997.
Chasing a competitive 249 on a sharp turner at Premadasa, India were bowled out for a woeful 138 in 26.1 overs, and the new head coach Gautam Gambhir will have a few hard points to ponder early into his stint. The left-arm spinner Wellalage, who hurt India with the bat till now, chose to bruise the visitors by ball taking five for 27 after opener Avishka Fernando made a well-paced 96 to carry Lanka to 248/7.
However, India had a rather good beginning, despite the early departure of Shubman Gill, to their chase, courtesy Rohit Sharma’s breakneck 35 off 20 balls that included an 18-run over off Maheesh Theekshana.
The runs cascaded through a sequence of 6, 4, 4, 4 in the fourth over of the innings.
But sweep, one of the favoured shots of Rohit, brought the downfall of the Indian skipper. His attempt to play it off Wellalage ended in the hands of Kusal Mendis behind the stumps.
Once Rohit walked back, the rest of the Indian batters submerged into a whirlpool of confusion.
Virat Kohli (20) p layed for turn when there was none and was adjudged leg before to Wellalage.
Rishabh Pant, who was playing his first ODI after his comeback from that horrific car crash, trotted down the track and was beaten in the air by Theekshana to eventually get stumped by Kusal. Riyan Parag, who made his ODI debut while coming in place of Arshdeep Singh, offered no shot to a straight one from leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay to get bowled. In between, Shreyas Iyer also fell leg before to Wellalage, taking the total number of lbw and clean bowled dismissals in this Indian innings to seven, and no other crumb of statistics will offer a clearer picture of the muddled Indian minds than that. PTI
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 248 for 7 (Avishka 96, Mendis 59, Parag 3-54) beat India 138 (Rohit 35, Wellalage 5-27) by 110 runs
