Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara leaves to a standing ovation in their last ODI on home soil. #SLvENG
India vs Australia – Match preview – Test Series
Reschedule of test series may just be boon for India
The tragic death of Phillip Hughes at Sydney called for the reschedule of the four-test series between India and Australia. As per the rescheduled fixture by Cricket Australia (CA), Adelaide Oval will host the first test from 9-13 Dec, with the second match to be played at with Brisbane from 17-21 Dec. The last two test matches will be held at MCG (26-30 Dec) and SCG (6-10 Jan), respectively.
Resurgent Indian side may outwit Australia
Aussies will take on the might of a resurgent Indian side led by Virat Kohli in the first test match. MS Dhoni, ruled of the first match due to injury, is expected to lead the team afterwards. Reschedule might just be a blessing in disguise for the Indian batsmen who would relish the batting friendly conditions at Adelaide. If things go as per the script, India might just turn the tide in their favour as it is being observed whenever the batters scored runs on past overseas trips, the team did well. India of today is full of options in all three departments of the game, batting, bowling and fielding. Shikhar, Murli, Pujara and Kohli will steer the team to over 400 run scores, while the tall lanky paceman Ishant Sharma will hold key to India’s chances of winning series with ball. Other pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Sami, Varun Aron and Umesh Yadav are going add to more arsenal to the bowling attack.
Pak defeat, Hughes loss may haunt Kangaroos
Just recently, Australia had to swallow 2-0 whitewash at the hands of Pakistan in the recently concluded test series at Dubai. Plus, with the departure of Phill Hughes, things are not looking rosy for the Kangaroos having an enviable record at home. Time now for India to capitalize on the fragilities of the Aussies to maneouvre the series in their direction. If India put up a good show and go on to the win the opening test, then it will set the tone for the remaining matches.
Need to guard against complacency
India needs to take a cue from the 3-1 test series loss to England during the summer, when they squandered away the lead after the historic win at Lords. Hope they learn from their mistakes committed in England and perform better display of cricket down under.
PS – This article is written by Intern Vikas Das.
Captain of team India: Is Virat Kohli ready to replace MS Dhoni
It is going to be probably the 3rd series where Virat Kohli will be full time captain of the Indian cricket team. Virat is the captain of the Indian team during the ongoing test series in Australia.
By ow, he has led the team I all formats of the game except tests. He has led he team to victory in both one days and t20s. Now is the time for him to prove his captaincy in tests. If he is successful at that, he will for sure become a tried d tested alternative to M S Dhoni without a doubt about his ability to lead the team in all formats of the game.
The question that still remains is that, is he ready to become the full time captain of the Indian side.
Ajmal’s New Action
Ajmal attempts to drill in new action
Saeed Ajmal had delivered 18887 balls in his 2251-day long international career before he was banned for an illegal action. Forced to undertake remedial work, Ajmal has been rigorously practising bowling with a straight elbow to get his arm used to it, and by his own admission, has repeated a drill around 7000 times in the last three weeks. ESPNcricinfo observed the drill at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where Ajmal has been working with Saqlain Mushtaq to remodel his action. Bowling with a slightly side-on action, Ajmal rolls his arm over but does not release the ball. The idea is to swing his arm and reduce the flexion of the elbow. The routine has been followed for two sessions every day, with two cameras recording the movements from the front and the back and a speed gun installed to measure his arm speed. Ajmal is likely to continue working at the NCA with Saqlain for the next three weeks before he is sent to England for an independent bio-mechanical assessment and further remedial work. Based on the results, Ajmal can apply to the ICC for a reassessment. Although the ICC ban does not stop Ajmal from bowling in domestic cricket, the bowler had skipped the start of the season to focus on reworking his action.
Micromax Cup – India vs Srilanka – Match Preview
Ind, SL start on an even keel, a good test before WC 2015
After West Indies called off the tour mid way, India looks to start afresh with the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, a team that has been on a roll with the triumphs in Asia Cup, T-20 World Cup, as well as ODI series against England and Pakistan. The series is on an even keel with Lasith Malinga and Mohammad Shami ruled out of the competition due to injuries. However, the Indians will miss the presence of MS Dhoni who has been rested in the ODI series, with the first one kicking off in Cuttack today.
Batting Paradise
The pitch at Barabati Stadium is expected to be full of runs with no real grass on the surface, encouraging batsmen to go for the onslaught in the first 15-20 overs. On one side, Sri Lanka will be counting on the likes of Angelo Matthews Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Dilshan and power hitters like Thisara Parera and Nuwan Kulasekara to see them seal the ODI series. On the other side, Indians will look to capitalize on their batting arsenal boasting of big names like Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan to maintain their dominance over Sri Lanka in their backyard. Besides all rounders Jadeja and Ashwin are going to add more bite towards the end of the innings with useful contributions from bat. Expect a lot of fireworks to light up the cracking encounter between these two sub-continent giants.
Bowling at the death crucial
Bowling at the death will be the key to win the ODI series as both teams despite having strong batting line-ups will continue to grapple with the thought of finding bowlers who can stop the batsmen from going to the rampage in the final overs. Onus would be on Nuwan Kulasekara and Umesh Yadav to shoulder out this massive responsibility for their respective sides in the absence of Lasith Malinga and Mohammad Shami. The Cuttack ODI and the matches to follow will be a good chance for the bowlers to prove their prowess bowling at the death.
Good preparation before WC 2015
With barely three months to go for the quadrennial showpiece WC 2015 down under, the series presents an excellent opportunity for both teams to assess their strengths and weaknesses so that they can prepare in real earnest for the mega event. Remember these two sides featured in the final during WC 2011 and given the form they are in, one can expect them to be the fierce contenders for the upcoming World Cup.
PS – This article is written by Intern Vikas.
CLT20 2014 – Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Match Preview
CHEENAI SUPER KINGS VS KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
Two IPL Rivals met in CLT20 Final.
Will Kolkata continue their winning streak of 15 consecutive wins?
Last time both the teams met in the Indian Premier League, when Kolkata defeated Chennai by 5 wickets. Now its Champions League T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
There is a bad news for Kolkata Knight Ridders player, Sunil Narine will not be eligilble to bowl in the CLT20 Final following a report on his suspected illegal bowling action. Narine was reported for second time in as many matches during semi-final game against Hobart Hurricanes at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad.
The rise of Kuldeep Yadav as a viable option has given them great depth in their spin bowling resources. As a result, they haven’t missed someone like a Shakib Al Hasan. And, Yadav has Piyush Chawla and Yusuf Pathan to back him, who has also bowled well. With Narine out, Pat Cummins will be considered as Fast Bowling option and Andre Russell, Jacque Kallis and Ryan Tan Doeschate will back him up.
Shah Rukh Khan’s team though boasts up batsman such as Gambhir, Uthappa, Manish Pandey and Jacque Kallis, all of whom who have lots of experience and are in good form as well.
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
Opener Dwayne Smith has been disappointing in the CLT20 with his partner Brendon McCullum has been inconsistent. Where as Suresh Raina in a superb form with his all-round performance matching his feet with Dwayne Bravo, who has proved his performance with both bat and ball in the tournament.
The Spin bowling attack of Chennai is strong as Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Negi will handle it. Fast bowlers like Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Bravo can trouble most teams.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
The Chennai Super Kings have a 9-6 win-loss record against the Kolkata Knight Riders, though the latter hold a 2-1 edge in meetings this season.
Both teams retained their respective home matches in the IPL season – CSK won in Ranchi while KKR won in Kolkata, following which KKR trounced CSK in the opening game of this tournament.
SQUADS
Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (c), Robin Uthappa, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan, Sunil Narine, Jacques Kallis, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Manish Pandey, Ryan ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav, Andre Russell, Manvinder Bisla (wk), Pat Cummins, Kuldeep Yadav.
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c&wk), Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishwar Pandey, Ashish Nehra, Mithun Manhas, Pawan Negi Mohit Sharma, John Hastings, Samuel Badree.
PS: This article is written by Aakash Arora.
CLT20 2014 – KKR vs Hobart Hurricanes – Players to watch out for
KKR
Robin Uthappa
After a great IPL season , Robin Uthappa has continued making merry at the CLT20 with 154 runs in 3 matches at a staggering average of 77.0. Blessed with a fine technique and a range of strokes, Uthappa has been amazingly consistent ever since he has opened the batting for KKR. Uthappa is certainly one of the keys of success for KKR and they would be expecting a good solid start from him in the all important Semi Final.
Sunil Narine
11 wickets in 4 matches at an economy of 5.12 makes Sunil Narine the player every captain would like to have in his side. His variations, skills and accuracy have made him an asset for the KKR side over the years and he continues to be one bowlers to watch out in Today’ s big match.
Hobart Hurricanes
Aiden Blizzard
Hobart Hurricanes would be heavily dependent on their number 3 Aiden Blizzard who has scored 188 runs in 4 matches at a strike rate of around 140 . His two half centuries have been match winning knocks .Known as one of the cleanest hitters in the Australian Domestic circuit, KKR would love to see his back early.
Ben Hilfenhaus
The Big Tasmanian swing bowler has got many batsmen struggling against his pace and accuracy this CLT20 . With 8 wickets in this tournament at an economy of 6.5 , Hilfenhaus would be expected make early inroads in the KKR batting line up .
CLT20 2014 – Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab – Match Preview
Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab – Semi Final 2 – Hyderabad – October 2
Raina ! Dhoni ! Smith ! Jaddu ! Viru ! Miller ! Maxwell ! Bailey ! The names of
these giants symbolize a terrific emblem of excitement. Oh Yesss !!! Hyderabad ,
Are you ready for this double header !!! Today these two monsters will be
challenging each other in Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Mostly
Chennai Super Kings will be the favourites in this venue as they hold a very
good past record. But on the other hand Kings XI Punjab will be ready to thrash
their exceptions. Last time when these two teams played, Sehwag scored a ton,
followed by a sparkling innings from Raina (87 off 25 balls).
So far the tournament is concerned, Kings XI Punjab will have an advantage as
they have won all their games and have topped the table against the mighty
Hobarts, Barbados, Cobras and the Knights. Though none of the players proved
to be the stand out , still they managed a four on four wins in the league stage.
The Indian youngsters are proving their worth especially Akshar Patel and
Karanveer Singh with the ball. The lights of Sehwag, Miller, Maxwell and Bailey
are encouraging the young talents like Manan Vohra to prove their worth in the
Team.
On the other hand, Dhoni’s men will be all ready to showcase their talent against
the team from Punjab. Batting will be their main strength so they would like to
chase a particular target rather than defending it. Raina is all set to fire again
against the inexperienced bowling attack. Ashwin will be the key to CSK’s bowling
against a batting line up which is known for its mighty hitting.
The stadium will be really electrifying. The crowd will be expecting a bang for the
buck. Lets hope that the best team qualifies to the semis.
Chennai Expected XI : Dwayne Bravo, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis,
MS Dhoni (c) (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin,
Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Pawan Negi.
Punjab Expected XI : Virender Sehwag, Manan Vohra, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Glenn
Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey(c), Thisara Perera, Akshar Patel, Anureet
Singh,Parvinder Awana, Karanveer Singh.
PS: This article is written by Intern Anurag Nayak.
CLT20 2014 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Hobart Hurricanes – Match Preview
Kolkata Knight Riders V/S Hobart Hurricanes
1st Semi Final, Hyderabad
With the tournament nicely warmed up, The IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders will
take on the Hobart Hurricanes in the first Semi Final of the Champions League 2014 at
Hyderabad. The Gambhir led KKR are in red hot form with 13 consecutive wins and have
been unbeaten in this Tournament . On the other hand the Hobart Hurricanes have
done reasonably with 3 wins out of 4 matches.
Pitch and Conditions
The Uppal track is a good T20 track with something in it for the spinners. Teams
batting second have fared better at the Uppal in this tournament. The side winning the
toss is likely to field first as the match is a 4pm start and the dew factor may play a
role during the second half of the match.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR have been the side to beat in this tournament notching up 4 wins in as many
matches.KKR have a good opening pair in Gambhir and Uthhapa, the latter being very
consistent at the top of the order. Suryakumar Yadav, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan
and Andre Russell all have played their part at some point in the tournament except
the experienced Kallis who is yet to fire.
The bowling is well balanced with the spin trio of Chawla, Narine and the young Kuldeep
Yadav foxing the opponents with their variations .The pace bowling doesn’t play much
of a part in the KKR strategy with Russell,Yadav and Kallis making up for the seamers .
Also Yusuf Pathan has chipped in with his economical off spin at crucial junctures.
Hobart Hurricanes
The batting is a worry for the Hurricanes as only Blizzard and Malik have been
consistently among the runs. Dunk has had one good innings while skipper Paine has been
unable to make an impact with the bat.
The seam bowling seems well covered with Hilfenhaus, Laughlin, Bollinger and Mennie
bowling well. Doherty will have to bowl exceptionally well as he is the lone recognised
spinner along with the part time spin of Malik.
PS: This preview is written by intern Nipun Vinod Desai
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Dolphins
Match 18, Group A, September 30
Kolkata Knight Riders (187/2) beat Dolphins (151/8) by 36 runs #KKR Last 13 Matches WWWWWWWWWWWWW 13th Consecutive Wins by KKR Which is now Most Consecutive Wins by Indian Domestic team in T20 History
Robin Uthappa: ‘It was a good wicket and I wanted to stay there till the end. Initially we needed to get the calling right, but it became easy once we were in (when asked about the mix-ups with Pandey). Manish (Pandey) has been hitting the ball well in the last two weeks. After losing two wickets, I had to anchor the innings and knew that Manish (Pandey) will play freely. It was a very good wicket and the ball was coming on nicely. Yes, I am enjoying my keeping.’
Robin Uthappa is the Man of the Match for his unbeaten 55-ball 85.