Saturday, December 26, 2009
Home » News England wrest control from SA with triple strike
Durban: England grabbed three wickets after tea to wrest control from South Africa on the first day of the second Test at Kingsmead on Saturday.
South Africa were 175 for five when bad light stopped play with 29 overs remaining to be bowled.
The host nation looked firmly in command when their two most experienced batsmen, captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, put together a third wicket stand of 150. But both batsmen were out for 75 in quick succession after teaSehwag batsman of the decade, says Pringle
London: Highly impressed with Virender Sehwag's pyrotechnics, former England cricketer Derek Pringle has rated the dashing Indian opener as the greatest batsman of the decade.
"Dashing openers have always been with us, and Chris Gayle may yet take violence against the new ball a step further, but nobody yet has managed to do it with the audacity and frequency of Sehwag," Pringle said.
"To many, the choice will appear controversial. Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Jacques Kallis, Sachin Tendulkar, have all excelled over the past 10 years. They all announced their brilliance in the 90s, so were discounted," he added.
The Delhi batsman, who has over 6,248 Test runs to his credit from 72 matches, has cracked two triple hundreds and four double centuries so far.
According to Pringle, Sehwag scores over other candidates Ricky Ponting and Kevin Pietersen over the way he had redefined the role he plays. "Statisticians and the government policy-makers trust figures, wise men, facts, but I'm going to apply another measure: that of redefining the role they play, something Virender Sehwag has done for opening the batting in Test matches," Pringle wrote in his column for 'The Telegraph'.
"While Ricky Ponting and Kevin Pietersen, the other candidates for best player of the decade, have not really changed perceptions as the Delhi-born Sehwag has," Pringle wrote5th one-dayer to be abandoned
A dangerous pitch has caused the final one-day international between India and Sri Lanka to be abandoned.
Sent in to bat first after losing the toss Sunday, Sri Lanka was 83-5 in 23.3 overs when a delivery from India's rookie paceman Sudeep Tyagi rose dangerously and flew past the face of batsman Thilina Kandamby.
Players left the field after Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara complained to match referee Alan Hurst and onfield umpires Marais Erasmus and Shavir Tarapore.
Discussions continued between match officials and local organizers outside the boundary as spectators shouted slogans against the organizers.
Police began clearing the stands before the official announcement of abandonment was made.
Bangladesh Captain Mortaza Set For Return
Mashrafe Mortaza is set to return to Bangladesh's side as captain for their One-Day International tri-series with India and Sri Lanka provided he passes a fitness test.
The fast bowler underwent knee surgery after injury ruled him out of the majority of his country's tour of the West Indies, after which Shakib Al Hasan assumed captaincy duties for the rest of the tour and two subsequent series against Zimbabwe.
Mortaza had surgery on both knees in Australia and has recently returned to training ahead of the tri-series which begins on 4th January when Bangladesh play Sri Lanka.
We will aim for a 4-1 series win: Dhoni
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni ruled out wholesale changes in the playing XI and said the home team would go for the jugular in the inconsequential fifth and final One-dayer against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Back in the side after serving a two-match ban for his team's slow overrate in the second ODI, Dhoni and his men go into the match with an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Dhoni said Sri Lanka should not expect any concession on Sunday as India would put their best foot forward.
"There will not be too many experiments with the side," Dhoni told reporters after the team's net session at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
"Of course one or two players might be changed but we will go into the match with a strong team. Yes, we have won the series but 4-1 always looks better," Dhoni said.
Refusing to disclose the playing XI, Dhoni said both S Sreesanth and Ashok Dinda were available for the match, as was Sachin Tendulkar, who opted out of Saturday's practice.
Back in the saddle after missing the last two matches, Dhoni said the team looked in good rhythm.
"I think everything went perfect. We got the wickets when we needed them and had partnerships when we required. We did drop a few catches but fielding still looked better than the first two matches. Intensity was there and I think overall everything went fine," the Indian skipper said.
Dhoni patted Virender Sehwag for leading India to convincing victories in the last two ODIs saying, "He has done a great job, won both matches and we are now playing the last match without any pressure.”
The star stumper-batsman said the team needed to lift its fielding standards and already he was seeing improvements.
"See, fielding is something that cannot improve overnight or in a week's time. We have to work on our basics and then it would start improving, gradually. We dropped catches in the Twenty20 matches and in this series. It's important not to spill chances and I can already see slight improvements," Dhoni said.
The skipper was particularly happy with the way youngsters like Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli had made their mark in the series.
"We never doubted their (Jadeja and Kohli's) talents. It was just a matter of getting exposure and making the most of it. We always knew they would do well.
"In long series we are certain to miss some regular players. While we would miss them individually, it's for the youngsters to come and perform to ensure that the team doesn't miss anyone on the field," Dhoni said2009 was a good year overall, says skipper Dhoni
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni ruled out wholesale change in the playing XI and said the home team would go for the jugular in the inconsequential fifth and final one dayer against Sri Lanka in New Delhi on Sunday.
Back in the side after serving a two-match ban for his team's slow overrate in the second ODI in Nagpur, Dhoni and his men go into the match with an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Dhoni said Sri Lanka should not expect any concession on Sunday as India would put their best foot forward.
"There would not be too much of experimentations with the side," Dhoni told reporters after the team's net session at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.
"Of course one or two players might be changed but we will go into the match with a strong team. Yes, we have won the series but 4-1 always looks better," Dhoni said.
Refusing to disclose the playing XI, Dhoni said both S Sreesanth and Ashok Dinda were available for the match, as was Sachin Tendulkar, who opted out of Saturday's practice.
Back in the saddle after missing the last two matches, Dhoni said the team looked in good rhythm.
"I think everything went perfect. We got the wickets when we needed them and had partnerships when we required. We did drop a few catches but fielding still looked better than the first two matches, intensity was there and I think overall everything went fine," he said.
Dhoni also patted Virender Sehwag for doing an excellent job as the stand-in skipper and guiding India to victory the last two ODIs.
"I'm not going to give him marks; that's your job. But he has done a great job, won both matches and we are now playing the last match without any pressure," Dhoni said.
The star stumper-batsman said the team needed to lift its fielding standards and already he was seeing improvements.
"See, fielding is something that cannot improve overnight or in a week's time. We have to work on our basics and then it would start improving, gradually. We dropped catches in the Twenty20 matches and in this series also. It's important not to spill chances and I can already see slight improvements," Dhoni said.
The skipper was particularly happy with the way youngsters like Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli had made their mark in the series.
"We never doubted their (Jadeja and Kohli's) talents. It was just a matter of getting exposure and making the most of it. We always knew they would do well. In long series we are certain to miss some regular players. While we would miss them individually, it's for the youngsters to come and perform to ensure that the team doesn't miss anyone on the field," Dhoni said.
"It was great to see them doing so well. They are the youngsters who lift the fielding standard. Their basics are correct and you have the luxury of fielding 4-5 brilliant fielders inside the circle. Even at death, it's great to have such agile fielders manning the boundary," Dhoni explained.
Looking back at the series, Dhoni reckoned India's superior middle order made all the difference.
"For us, Sehwag and for them, (Tillakaratne) Dilshan -- all depends on what kind of start they give to their team. More often than not, it depended on whichever opener lasts long. But when both failed, it's the middle order which mattered. Even when Sehwag got out, we scored 300-plus. Take the openers out and we have a better middle order," Dhoni said.
Asked to sum up India's ODI performance this year, Dhoni said he was happy even though it could have been better. "It was a good year. Of course we did not do well in the Champions Trophy and the (home) series against Australia but we did well both at home and abroad. Individually also, we did well and I would say it was a good year overall," he said.
India will be without Sachin Tendulkar in Bangladesh
Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the tri-series in Bangladesh starting on January 4. He will be replaced by Rohit Sharma in the 16-man squad. Yuvraj Singh has also been included despite a finger injury scare that kept him out of four ODIs in the five-match series against Sri Lanka.
Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar have been dropped and replaced by Sreesanth and Ashok Dinda, who made his Twenty20 debut for India earlier this month. Amit Mishra displaced Pragyan Ojha in an inexplicable game of musical chairs for the back-up spinner's role. Ravindra Jadeja retained his spot as the lone allrounder.
Sreesanth, who did not play a role in the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka due to swine flu, has recovered and been named in the squad. The rookie Sudeep Tyagi, a part of the current ODI squad, has kept his place despite not playing a game. Dinesh Karthik has been named as the second wicketkeeper in the squad to Bangladesh.
Rohit, 22, who was dropped from India's ODI squad after an extended run of disappointing scores in limited-overs cricket, last played in the West Indies in July and was pushed aside by Virat Kohli in the batting line-up. Kohli took his chances with both hands, scoring half-centuries in the Champions Trophy and against Sri Lanka before hitting his maiden ODI century to seal the series win against Sri Lanka. Rohit paved his way back through a triple-century in the last round of Ranji Trophy league matches.
Ishant, who was dropped for the first two ODIs against Sri lanka, failed to impress on his return - thanks to Sreesanth's illness - for the later half of the series. In 14 overs in those two matches, he went for 130 runs, and failed to keep up the pressure along with Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. He managed just two wickets at an average of 65.00 and an economy rate of 9.28. Before that, during the series against Australia at home, he managed five wickets in four matches at 30.00 each. Praveen, who played the first two matches of the Sri Lanka series, managed just one wicket and went at 6.76 runs per over.
India play their first match in Bangladesh in Dhaka on January 5, against Sri Lanka, followed by fixtures on January 7, 10 and 11. The finals will be held on January 13.
Meanwhile, the selectors named the squad for the final ODI against Sri Lanka to be played in Delhi on December 27. MS Dhoni, who missed the last two matches due to ban over slow over-rates, has returned alongside Dinda for the last game. Virender Sehwag, who stood in for Dhoni and oversaw two consecutive wins, has been named vice-captain. He has earlier stressed on the need for the selectors to groom a younger leader.
Squad for tri-series: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh, Sudeep Tyagi, Dinesh Karthik, Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Amit Mishra
Squad for final ODI v Sri Lanka: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Sudeep Tyagi, Dinesh Karthik, Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha.
