ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between India and England in Hyderabad

The Preview by Sidharth Monga13-Oct-2011

Match facts

India v England, October 14, Hyderabad
Start time 1430 (0900 GMT)

Big Picture

India’s winless tour of England has not been without what initially seemed like positives. At least the admen had moved on from the theme that has been the easiest way to sell an India-England series in India. Except that colonial references have now made way for war ones. “There’s no weapon deadlier than vengeance,” says one in all caps. “India takes on England. The war resumes this October.”To give the marketing machinery generous benefit of doubt, India and England haven’t exactly offered them much by the way of close series. India last beat England in England in September 2007. The corresponding date for England in India is April 2006. India have whitewashed only two Test series (longer than two matches); one of those victims was England. Four out of their seven whitewashes (in series longer than two matches) have been handed by England; the last one earlier this year now invokes the deadly weapon of vengeance.Except that this is no revenge series. For one of your three worst tours of all time, including the 4-0 Test whitewash for the then No. 1 side, is not avenged over five ODIs. It will, however, be an opportunity to know what a win feels like. India last enjoyed that feeling in June in the West Indies. It will be an opportunity to arrest a slide, stack up some victories and regain confidence before they leave for Australia, their next really big assignment. It won’t be easy, though, playing as they are without Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel. Given their schedules, though, they better get used to this, at least in limited-overs formats.It will be an opportunity for their opponents to set a record right. That they have won only one of their last 13 completed ODIs against India in India is enough to justify England’s remarkably early arrival and long preparation. Most of those defeats suggest the lack of the power game required in the subcontinent, which along with Test series wins in India and Sri Lanka stands in England’s way of their aim of all-round domination.England can’t quite claim to know the grammar of subcontinent ODIs well. They entertained in the World Cup, but their batsmen tried to win it through cute dabs and paddles. When England were sleepwalking through a 5-0 ODI series defeat in 2008-09, David Lloyd told the story through the way the respective sides’ batsmen prepared to face a delivery. The Indians, he observed, had higher back lifts, ready to impart power into the shots and also trusting the pitches, looking to play down the ground. The England batsmen didn’t lift those bats as high in preparation, they often pre-meditated, the crookedness of the face either way to run the ball behind square for a single, at times two, stood out.England, though, are in a much better mental state than their two previous trips to India. In 2008-09 the captain and the coach weren’t quite moving in the same direction; in the World Cup they were tired, injured and possibly longing for home. They will also gain from an Indian XI weakened by injuries. Still a major part of responsibility to prevent this from being yet another one-sided India-England series lies with their batsmen – crucially missing Eoin Morgan – and their response to the conditions.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
India LTLLL
England WTWWW

Watch out for …

Craig Kieswetter comes with the promise of the power game required in India. He also comes with the confidence of having done well against India in the English summer, and then in the Champions League T20. England will want positive starts from him.Gautam Gambhir will make a comeback not only to the side but also to the opening role, which he had to relinquish during the World Cup. This is the start of a defining season for him, a season he will want to get through without fitness-related layoffs, a season he will want to end with runs in Australia. Form doesn’t really apply after the various breaks, but for what it is worth Gambhir has reached double figures in 17 of his last 18 innings, averaging 58 with two centuries and six fifties.

Team news

Despite Gambhir’s comeback, both Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane are likely to be rewarded for their good work in England. As is the case with Ravindra Jadeja. The bowling, if it was possible, looks even weaker than it did in England. They will be forced to try Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav at some point in the series.India (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Parthiv Patel, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 R Ashwin, 10, 11 two out of Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Vinay KumarJonny Bairstow and Ravi Bopara have made strong middle-order statements for England, which leaves a close competition. There is a case for including all five of Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Bopara and Bairstow. There is an equally strong case for playing Samit Patel at 7, as the second-spinner-allrounder.England (likely) 1 Alastair Cook (capt.), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ravi Bopara, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Jade Dernbach, 11 Steven Finn

Pitch and conditions

The scores in the two practice games have ranged between 114 and 367, but don’t expect any favours for the bowlers, unless the pitch just turns out to be really slow. An expected high of 31 degree celsius and 61% humidity should test batsmen on the new no-runner rule. If the forecast of “scattered thunderstorms” doesn’t come to fruition, that is.

Stats and trivia

• Andrew Strauss, no longer part of England’s ODI plans, scored 445 runs in his previous five matches in India.
• If they all get picked, Kieswetter, Cook, Bairstow, Dernbach and Finn will be playing their first ODI in India.
• India have lost two of their 19 completed home ODIs, both to South Africa. Similarly they have lost just two home Tests since March 2006, both to South Africa.
  

Yuvraj Singh had asked the BCCI not to consider him for selection for the ODI series against West Indies because he has been recovering from an “illness that threatened his career”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2011Yuvraj Singh, the India allrounder, had asked the BCCI not to consider him for selection for the ODI series against West Indies because he has been recovering from what his family has called an “illness that threatened his career,” caused by an “abnormal tumour” on his lung. The tumour has been found, after tests, to be non-malignant.According to a statement released by his mother, Shabnam Singh, Yuvraj had been troubled by bouts of coughing and vomitting during the 2011 World Cup but had ignored the problem during the tournament, “assuming it was due to stress.”When the problem persisted after the World Cup, Yuvraj sought medical advice and tests revealed “a golf-ball sized” growth on his left lung, the statement said. Initial reports had suggested that Yuvraj “had what in medical terms is called an abnormal tumor called lymphoma. The danger was, we were told, that it could be malignant.”Early medical treatment and therapy led to Yuvraj feeling better than he did during the World Cup and he “was eager to resume his India duties.” However, after returning from the tour of England due to a finger injury sustained during the Nottingham Test, Yuvraj went through several rounds of tests, scans and a recent biopsy in order to ascertain the exact nature of the tumour. “Further reports have indicated that the tumour is non-malignant and non-threatening and can be treated through proper medication and therapy. In medical terms, Yuvraj is now in a much better state and on his way to a full recovery.”Yuvraj had informed the BCCI president N Srinivasan of the findings and wanted to regain his fitness. It was why he had “sought some more time … and asked not to be considered for selection in the one-dayers versus West Indies.”In the statement Yuvraj’s mother said he “did not want to rush things, wants to be 100% fit before resuming his cricket for India and has started working hard on both his fitness and his cricket. He is already preparing himself to play the one-day series in Australia.”Yuvraj was not included in the Test squad for the tour of Australia.

After bowing out to two of the more highly rated teams in the domestic circuit in the previous two years, Haryana are up against another of the heavyweights, Karnataka, in the quarter-finals this time

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore01-Jan-2012Despite making the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals three years in a row, Haryana aren’t considered among the stronger teams in the competition. One of the main reasons for that is they don’t dominate the league phase to progress, but are more likely to squeeze through by securing the final qualification place.This year they almost left it too late. Entering their final league match against Gujarat, they were in fifth place and even an outright victory wouldn’t have guaranteed their place in the quarters. They then proceeded to concede the first-innings lead to Gujarat, before finally turning things around – first with a solid batting effort and then rolling over Gujarat for 160, the lowest they have bowled out an opposition all season.The comeback win pushed Haryana a point above Baroda, who lost their final match against Bengal and with it a seemingly nailed-on place in the quarters. Haryana captain Amit Mishra says even midway through that Gujarat game, the belief was high in the squad. “We knew all our bowlers were performing well,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “If we batted well in the second innings, we knew we had a chance.”Making things even more challenging this season for Haryana were the large-scale changes to the side – astonishingly, they fielded five debutants in their opening Ranji game. The experienced professional, Hemang Badani, was left out for this campaign, and an accident to Joginder Sharma in November meant Mishra was the only well-known player in the squad.In addition to the responsibility of guiding this new-look team, Mishra also had to bounce back from the lows of the miserable tour of England which has, at least temporarily, halted his international career. “I was really disappointed to be left out of the Indian team. I just wanted to perform, whether it was for Haryana, or my company team or my club team,” he said. “I was trying to improve all aspects of my game, whether it was the bowling, the fitness or the batting.”After bowing out to two of the more highly rated teams in the domestic circuit in the previous two years – Mumbai in 2010-11, and Tamil Nadu last season – Haryana are up against another of the heavyweights, Karnataka, in the quarter-finals this time. Mishra, though, remained upbeat about Haryana’s chances of progressing further in the competition. “It is a big game for us, even more so for some of the younger players in the team,” he said. “When you reach this stage of the competition, you expect to play quality teams. We are confident of our abilities, and the main thing is being able to adapt quickly to the conditions.”Karnataka are also not at full strength as they are missing the trio of fast bowlers -Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun are in Australia with the Indian national team, and S Aravind is out with an injury – who were the bedrock of their formidable recent domestic record.

Rajasthan’s plan was to run Tamil Nadu ragged and then unleash their fresh fast-bowlers on tired batsmen. It worked, as the home side’s top order made a quick exit

The Report by Nagraj Gollapudi in Chennai21-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVineet Saxena and Robin Bist helped Rajasthan score their second-best Ranji Trophy total•K Sivaraman

Defending champions Rajasthan were criticised for crawling during the first two days of the final in Chennai, their batsmen accused of playing slow and shoddy cricket. Their critics asked why Rajasthan were adopting an extremely safe approach on a pitch that was dead. Despite being faced with such questions, their batsmen stayed patient and determined, and amassed Rajasthan’s second-highest total in the Ranji Trophy. Their best was the 641 for 7 against Maharashtra in Nasik in the 2010-11 Plate League semi-final.Rajasthan’s plan was to run Tamil Nadu ragged and then unleash their fresh fast-bowlers on tired batsmen. It worked, as the home side’s top order made a quick exit. At 24 for 3, Tamil Nadu needed rescuing and the pair of Dinesh Karthik and K Vasudevadas remained steady to deny Rajasthan any more wickets.Having been in the field for eight sessions, Tamil Nadu were mentally fragile at the start of their innings. Rajasthan’s new-ball bowlers, who have destroyed every batting line-up in their previous four matches, were once again precise. Despite the slowness of the pitch, Pankaj Singh and Rituraj Singh did not compromise on pace and bowled fuller lengths.Rituraj made the first breakthrough when he pitched a back-of-a-length delivery on middle stump and moved it in to Abhinav Mukund, who was caught in front of the wickets. Peter Hartley remained accurate in his decision-making and adjudged the batsman lbw.At the other end Pankaj was his usual self, maintaining the same lines at varying lengths. He used his biggest advantage – his height – to extract bounce by hitting the seam. There was variable bounce and S Badrinath was once beaten by a delivery that skidded past at shin height. Badrinath soon erred while driving across the line and found himself plumb lbw to an incoming delivery.M Vijay was the victim of a smart strategy. He had played fluent drives, and a clip off a fuller delivery from Rituraj that rushed to the midwicket boundary. Hrishikesh Kanitkar plugged the gap by moving Puneet Yadav from square leg to midwicket. On the penultimate delivery of that over, Rituraj hit a full length at slower pace and Vijay played pre-emptively, spooning a catch to Puneet. Tamil Nadu were 24 for 3 in ten overs; Rajasthan had been 221 for 0 after the first day, their go-slow tactics had come good.Having watched the ease with which Rajasthan’s Robin Bist scored in the morning, the Tamil Nadu batsmen went for their shots too early in their innings. The danger of such an approach was the risk of a casual stroke, which was also the cause of Bist’s dismissal.Bist had begun with a well-timed square cut against L Balaji in the second over of the morning. Though Balaji’s wicket-to-wicket line and fuller length tested him, Bist put his wrists to good use. And when Aushik Srinivas, who began with a slip and silly point, attacked off stump, Bist played a wristy flick to the midwicket boundary.He got to his fifty by glancing the offspinner Sunny Gupta in his first over. Just as he looked set for a bigger score, Bist flicked Gupta straight to Vasudevadas at square leg. He stood there stunned at his error. Not only he had forgotten his team’s plans but also missed the chance to become only the 12th batsman to score 1000 runs in a Ranji season.Bist’s dismissal meant that Vineet Saxena, who had already batted two days, had to be extra vigilant to ensure Rajasthan did not slip further. Saxena had a difficult start to the day. In its seventh over, after facing 575 deliveries, Saxena gave his first chance, flashing with hard hands at a length delivery from J Kaushik. The outside edge flew straight at Vasudevadas’ face at gully and he dropped a straightforward catch. Kaushik, wearing a wry smile on his sweat-stained face, just stood there.Thereafter Saxena watched Bist dominate at the other end and was involved in his third century partnership of the innings. But having grafted for the first two days, Saxena was bolder in his approach today. He stepped out against Srinivas, hitting the second six of the match over long-on.Immediately after lunch, though, Saxena leaned back to make room and push at a straight delivery from Srinivas. He was beaten for pace, had his off stump uprooted, and left without showing much emotion. In minutes, Saxena’s 665-ball effort was 108 fewer than the longest innings in Ranji Trophy. Himachal Pradesh’s captain Rajeev Nayyar had compiled 271 off 728 balls in 1015 minutes against Jammu & Kashmir in 1999-2000. Saxena’s wicket was a reward for Srinivas’ perseverance.Puneet and Dishant Yagnik departed quickly as Rajasthan lost three wickets in 19 deliveries and were eventually dismissed for 621. Their batsmen had done their job, and Rituraj and Pankaj began theirs effectively as well.

Colin Ingram says he would prefer to bat at No.3 if picked in the playing XI for the ODIs against Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda16-Jan-2012There are large shoes to fill and then there are boots. Colin Ingram will need feet the size of the latter if he is named in South Africa’s starting XI to play Sri Lanka in the third ODI on Tuesday in Bloemfontein.Ingram will likely slot in at No. 3, the spot previously occupied by Jacques Kallis who is being rested for the remainder of the series. Kallis played an important part in holding South Africa’s batting together in the previous two matches, with scores of 72 and 37.However, Kallis has indicated his desire to play in the 2015 World Cup and is currently being managed carefully in order to make it to the tournament. He will miss some of South Africa’s future ODIs, opening a spot for players like Ingram to fill.”I am hoping to bat at No.3. That’s the feeling I get about where my role will be,” Ingram told ESPNcricinfo. “That’s definitely my preferred spot. I used to open as a youngster but I am most comfortable at three.”Ingram’s ability to open the batting gives the selectors options at the top, which they will need as they attempt to finalise an unsettled top three. Hashim Amla will also not feature in the rest of the series as he has been given time off for paternal duties and former captain Graeme Smith is struggling for form. Alviro Petersen has also been called up, presumably to replace Amla, which leaves the No. 3 position to Ingram.Ingram has played 12 ODIs, scored two centuries and has an average of 41.55. He last featured during the 2011 World Cup, where he played one match, against Ireland in Kolkata and scored 46. The experience was a painful one for South Africa after they crashed out in the quarter-finals in an all too familiar fashion. While most of the players were badly affected by the manner of the defeat, Ingram said he escaped any serious emotional scarring.”It was a big disappointment especially because there was such a good vibe and belief in the squad. I’d say we left with some pages unwritten,” he said. “But, I didn’t play much so I got over it quite quickly. I could see it as an outsider looking in as well.”Since then, Ingram captained the Warriors franchise to the final of the 1-day cup. He was the third highest run-scorer in the competition with 505 runs at an average of 45.90. “Captaincy pushed me to a degree,” Ingram said. “It was good for my game as well. I was lucky because I had a few guys in the team who had captained before and supported me.” The Warriors franchise includes stalwarts like Nicky Boje, Arno Jacobs and Makhaya Ntini, who would have all helped Ingram develop his leadership.Always a player with a solid head on his shoulders, Ingram now has the experience to back up a sustained run in the national side. Ingram’s attitude to the game will sit well with team management that has stressed the need for cool heads as the series reaches a possible turning point. Victory in Bloemfontein will see South Africa win the series, defeat will put some pressure on them and how they deal with that will be vital.Ingram expects Sri Lanka to turn up the heat as they continue improving. “They are a very proud team and their bowling unit offers a few different things,” he said. “They are lacking a few seamers at the moment to back [Lasith] Malinga up but they will come back.”As much Sri Lanka grow in confidence, South Africa will have to on wariness and Ingram believes they will make the mental adjustments. A youthful squad, led by the feisty AB de Villiers, has shown creativity and innovation, which Ingram said will continue, despite the changes in team make-up.Although South Africa will have to juggle their line-up, they have maintained a continuity of sorts in the squad by recalling players who have been part of the set up before, such as Ingram. He’s worked with Gary Kirsten before, when Kirsten was a batting consultant at the Warriors franchise and also attended the 28-man national training camp held in late August, which was Kirsten’s first introduction to the national team. Ingram said that experience means he knows exactly what to expect from both coach and captain. “Gary and AB will promote an open, honest environment. They set high standards and expect big things.”

The flood of wickets that had begun on day one in Mombasa did not abate, and at the end of it Ireland squeaked home during an extremely tense finish, beating Kenya by ten runs

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2012
ScorecardThe flood of wickets that had begun on day one in Mombasa did not abate and at the end of it, after 40 dismissals in 165.2 overs, Ireland squeaked home during an extremely tense finish, beating Kenya by ten runs in the Intercontinental Cup. They had to overcome a defiant ninth-wicket stand between Nelson Odhiambo and Hiren Varaiya, who had resurrected the Kenya chase from 36 for 8 only to fall agonisingly short.The win consolidated Ireland’s position at the top table after they started the game with two wins from two. The 14 points gained for victory puts them 31 ahead of UAE and Afghanistan but both those sides have a game in hand. With Ireland having stated their ambition of achieving Test status it is important they performance consistently in this competition to confirm their standing in longer-form cricket.The spinners, three in particular, dominated the match. Albert van der Merwe claimed 11 for 68 and George Dockrell 9 for 87 for Ireland, while Varaiya took 12 for 73 for Kenya. All three achieved career-best match hauls. Shem Ngoche had figures of 4 for 39, taking the spinners’ share of wickets to 36 out of 40.The second day began with Ireland on 81 for 2 in their second innings, ahead by only 47. However, they were set back because Ed Joyce, who was not out on 51 off 56 balls overnight, did not resume his innings. Without his steadiness, Ireland began to slip, losing Alex Cusack and Kevin O’Brien cheaply to Varaiya. They had scraped to 142 for 5 before the rest of the wickets fell for 10 more runs. Joyce had returned at the fall of the eighth wicket but added only three more runs. Varaiya finished with 6 for 51 in the second innings and Ireland were ahead by only 118.Chasing 119, Kenya’s openers added 16 before the collapse began. The left and right-arm combination of van der Merwe and Dockrell spun through the line-up, dismissing the top eight batsmen in single digits. At one stage Kenya lost four wickets for no runs and were virtually done for at 36 for 8.Varaiya and Nelson Odhiambo began to add a few runs but it seemed like a matter of time before Ireland took the final two wickets. The partnership, however, slowly grew and a once impossible target was now within the realm of possibility. Nelson Odhiambo had contributed 32, and the stand was worth 58, when van der Merwe dismissed him.Kenya needed 25 with only a wicket in hand but Ngoche struck a four and a six to give Ireland a fright. van der Merwe, however, had the final word, dismissing Varaiya for 27 with the home side 10 runs short.

Sachin Tendulkar has scored his 100th international century, in India’s Asia Cup ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur

Siddarth Ravindran at the Shere Bangla Stadium16-Mar-2012Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to make a 100 international centuries, getting to the milestone against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla stadium in Mirpur at 5:05pm local time on March 16, 2012. It ended a year-long wait for one of the most discussed landmarks in cricket history, and was his first ODI hundred against Bangladesh, completing his set of centuries against every Full Member country in both Tests and ODIs.He reached the 100th hundred in the 44th over with a nudge behind square leg, one of his favoured strokes to reach a century. Despite the huge amount of hype surrounding the landmark, which has shown little sign of abating during the prolonged wait, there was no over-the-top celebration. The helmet came off and there was a wave of the bat, he looked up at the sky, as he usually does on reaching a hundred, and he acknowledged his team-mates by raising his helmet towards the dressing room. Several of the Bangladesh fielders congratulated him, even as the decibel-level in the packed stadium reached new highs.It was not one of Tendulkar’s most swashbuckling innings, more about efficient accumulation early on, before slowing down further as he neared the century, finally completing it off 138 deliveries. Tendulkar’s achievement might have come against one of the weaker teams and in the league game of a low-key competition, but he still had to brave a raucous and partisan crowd. Once he reached the eighties, every dot ball he faced was loudly cheered. The Bangladeshi chant expressing displeasure, Bhua bhua, also rang out from sections of the stadium as he batted.The stadium had been less than half-full when the match started, but as Tendulkar’s innings progressed, more and more people came in and by the time he completed his hundred there weren’t too many empty seats. There were frantic phone calls from reporters in the press box, back to their bosses, discussing long-ready tribute packages and whether the innings should replace the national budget as the front-page lead.Unusually cautious play from Tendulkar suggested the weight of the coming milestone was affecting him. The holiday crowd, excited at the prospect of a terrific “I was there” anecdote to boast about, was egged on further by an enthusiastic DJ. He belted out several local hits, and that familiar background sound at the cricket these days, the bugle, ensured the stadium was a cauldron of noise.The Mexican wave made its way around the ground, and the bouncing fans were rarely more thrilled than in the 34th over, a maiden by Mashrafe Mortaza. First, Tendulkar had to scramble back after attempting a single to mid-off, then a solid push towards mid-on went straight to the fielder before a slash landed just short of backward point. Sensing the batsman’s discomfort, and possible nervousness, the crowd amplified the pressure with loud roars of approval after every delivery. He was nearly run out soon after, trying to pinch a single to backward point.A lofted drive over extra cover in the 40th over and several singles took him to 99, which was when the crowd began to support Tendulkar, standing up and cheering in anticipation. Though India were past 200 with only two wickets down, Bangladesh tried to stifle Tendulkar by keeping seven fielders in the circle. The single to square leg finally brought up another mark of the longevity of the man who already has the most runs and has played the most matches in Tests and ODIs.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Neil Wagner, the South Africa-born fast bowler, is now eligible to play for New Zealand, the ICC has confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2012Neil Wagner, the South Africa-born fast bowler, is now eligible to play for New Zealand, the ICC has confirmed. Wagner had moved to New Zealand in 2008 and his inclusion in the New Zealand team has been highly anticipated, following two prolific seasons on the domestic circuit.Last month, there was some doubt over how soon Wagner would be eligible to play for New Zealand. The ICC’s regulations state that a player must reside in the relevant country for a minimum of 183 days for four consecutive years to qualify. Wagner had had two short trips out of New Zealand during his time there but received positive rulings on his applications for these two absences to be viewed as exceptional circumstances, prompting him to be declared eligible.The New Zealand board had submitted the applications on Wagner’s behalf to the ICC’s exceptional circumstances committee, who then made a recommendation to cricket committee chairman Clive Lloyd.During his run in domestic cricket, where he has represented Notherns and more recently Otago, Wagner was named the most valuable player of the Plunket Shield for 2010-11, after taking 51 wickets in nine games in the competition. That included a record five wickets in one over, against Wellington. In the 2011-12 season he had topped the wicket-takers’ list again, with 46 wickets in 10 games.New Zealand’s next international assignment is a tour of the Caribbean that begins in Florida at the end of June.

The thousands who made their maiden trip to the brand new Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in the outskirts of Pune got their money’s worth as Pune Warriors pulled off a comprehensive 22-run win against Kings XI Punjab

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran08-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMarlon Samuels helped Pune Warriors post a competitive 166•AFP

The thousands who made their maiden trip to the brand new Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in the outskirts of Pune, proudly and loyally filling the stands with blue, got their money’s worth as Pune Warriors India pulled off a comprehensive win against a struggling Kings XI Punjab. It was an all-round performance, led by an 81-run partnership for the third wicket between Robin Uthappa and Marlon Samuels which set them to a competitive 166 before a combined bowling effort sealed the game.A score of 166 is normally considered slightly above par in these conditions, but Warriors made it a winning total by creating opportunities by sound ground fielding, effecting two early run-outs and not giving Kings XI any leeway. Warriors recorded their second win in as many games and now share the top spot with Rajasthan Royals.Warriors made the right move at the start, promoting the experienced Samuels to No.3. However, some circumspect running, and a subsequent run-out of an out-of-sorts Jesse Ryder gave Kings XI early control.Samuels combined well with Uthappa to boost the scoring after Warriors were 43 for 2 after seven overs. The eighth over went for ten runs and the 10th, bowled by the left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma, went for 13.With the more experienced Praveen and Dimitri Mascarenhas proving more difficult to score off with their restrictive stump-to-stump lines, also with the keeper up to the stumps, the pair took to Bipul. Both used their feet, clearing long-off for sixes, one of which just beat David Hussey’s desperate leap at the edge of the rope. The duo also studied the field well, using the pace of the ball to fetch a couple of boundaries off deft touches to third man, with the fielder within the circle.Uthappa fetched an audacious six, off one hand, over long-off but the bowler Harmeet Singh got the better of Samuels in the same over, bowling him off a slower delivery. Harmeet’s following over yielded just a run and the wicket of Callum Ferguson, but his next was bitter-sweet. After bowling Uthappa with another slower delivery, Harmeet had to be taken out of the attack for bowling two full tosses above waist height. Bipul completed the over, which produced three massive hits over the on-side thanks to Manish Pandey and Steven Smith.The 19th over produced 27 runs, and from that point, Kings XI found it hard to bounce back. The chase never took flight for a sustained period to threaten Warriors. The short of a length deliveries from Ashok Dinda and Ashish Nehra skidded off the surface, making strokeplay difficult. Smith’s fielding created the opportunities to derail the top order with two run-outs.Paul Valthaty sacrificed his wicket for the experienced Adam Gilchrist. Following an lbw appeal, the ball deflected to the off side but Gilchrist’s anxiety to get back on strike caused a communication mishap and Valthaty helplessly ambled out of his crease before the bails were broken at the non-striker’s end. The sacrifice didn’t help as Gilchrist himself was run-out the following over, failing to beat an agile pick-up and throw from Smith at short midwicket.Kings XI were poking around at 13 for 2 after five overs, with just one boundary. The drought had extended to 26 balls before Mandeep Singh cut Rahul Sharma to the deep point rope. However, even Mandeep failed to set a base and fell for 24, nicking Ryder to the keeper in an attempt to force the pace.Kings XI also lost the game tactically by not promoting Hussey, a batsman capable of turning a game. Hussey, Abhishek Nayar and Piyush Chawla all made starts, but the fact that none of the recognised batsmen scored more than 24 summed up what was a sorry batting performance. Late hitting by Bipul only reduced the margin of defeat.Edited by Abhishek Purohit

The BCCI has begun its investigation of the corruption charges against five players, with Shalabh Srivastava deposing before its inquiry commission

Nagraj Gollapudi16-May-2012The BCCI has begun its investigation of the corruption charges against five players, with Shalabh Srivastava deposing before its inquiry commission in New Delhi.The hearing was conducted by Ravi Sawani, head of the new anti-corruption wing announced by the BCCI on Saturday. Sawani, whose last job was heading the ICC’s ACSU, has been given 15 days to carry out his investigation and report to the BCCI.Srivastava, part of the Kings XI Punjab squad before his suspension on Tuesday, was allegedly caught on tape negotiating a fee for bowling a no-ball; India TV, which carried out the sting, ran the audio of the tape and showed footage of a player bowling a big no-ball in a limited-overs match. Srivastava has since denied any such incident.No official comment was made on the hearing, which was held at the Maurya Sheraton hotel. It is believed that while Srivastava attended in person, and was seen at the hotel for more than an hour, the rest were contacted over the phone.Sawani – who forms the one-man committee – will give the players time to present their defence both in person and in writing. It is also understood that at this stage there will be no legal personnel involved on either side.This will be Sawani’s first test, less than a week after his appointment to the job and before he has had time to either become acquainted with workings of the board or assemble a team.The other players suspended by the BCCI are Mohnish Mishra, T P Sudhindra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali. Mishra remained in Pune, where he has been suspended by his IPL team Pune Warriors. However, a Warriors official said he was being given “the benefit of doubt” until his case was completely heard.Another franchise, Kings XI Punjab – which has two players, Srivastava and Yadav, implicated in the sting – issued a media release, stating that it would support the investigation and abide by any decision eventually taken by the BCCI if any player was found guilty. The statement echoed comments made to reporters by the team captain David Hussey.Meanwhile, India’s sports minister Ajay Maken said the BCCI’s probe should go deeper than just the five players. “I have already said, and I am emphasising again that BCCI should go into the root cause of the problem,” he said. “Suspension of five players is not enough. BCCI has to come out with a long-term solution to sort out this mess.”He also suggested that the BCCI should de-link itself from the IPL, citing the example of football’s English Premier League. “IPL should be at a arm’s distance from BCCI. It should not be under BCCI. IPL and BCCI should be away from each other so that there is no overlapping of interests,” he said. “If you look at English Premier League and other leagues world over, they always have distance from their parent sports federations.”