India takes on Kiwis in second ODI today

Staff Report

NEW DELHI: After beating New Zealand in the first ODI comprehensively with a second string side, India will be looking to impose itself on the Kiwis even more to ensure that no resurgence happens.

India has rested regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and senior players, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Zahir Khan,

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori and his deputy Brendon McCullum, who missed the first match, are likely to feature in the 2nd ODI.

Teams:

India (From): Gautam Gambhir(c), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, S Sreesanth, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Jaidev Unadkat, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Saurabh Tiwary, Vinay Kumar

New Zealand (From): Jamie How, Brendon McCullum(w), Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Kane

India batsmen take control of deciding test

NAGPUR: Half-centuries from each of India’s top-order batsmen gave the hosts control of the third and final test after their bowlers had dismissed New Zealand for 193 on the second day on Sunday.

At the close, India had reached 292 for two for a lead of 99 runs, with the experienced duo of Rahul Dravid (69) and Sachin Tendulkar (57) at the crease.

Dravid, with his 60th fifty in tests, and Tendulkar, who needed 43 more for his 50th test hundred, have already added 100 runs for the unbroken third-wicket partnership.

Virender Sehwag (74) and Gautam Gambhir (78) combined for a quickfire opening stand of 113 after paceman Ishant Sharma and spinner Pragyan Ojha picked up the final three New Zealand wickets in the morning.

Sehwag flayed the New Zealand bowlers and brought up a run-a-ball half-century — his 26th in tests, with 12 boundaries and a six before

Bowlers put India on top in third New Zealand Test

NAGPUR: India rode on some fine performances by their under-fire bowlers to restrict New Zealand to 189 and seize early control of the series-deciding third and final Test.

India reached 89 runs for no loss at lunch on the second day of the third and final test against New Zealand on Sunday.

Scores: New Zealand 193 (J. Ryder 59; I. Sharma 4-43) v India 89-0 (V. Sehwag 55 not out).

Earlier on first day of the third test on Saturday, new-ball bowlers Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (2-20) and Ishant Sharma (2-32) provided early breakthroughs before the spinners got in on the act on a lively wicket at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.

Brendon McCullum, who came in to bat at number eight after injuring his back on the morning of the match, was unbeaten on 34 when stumps were drawn on the opening day.

Tim Southee (seven) was the other

New Zealand opt to bat first in final test v India

NAGPUR: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bat first in the third and final test against India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.

Ishant Sharma replaced the injured paceman Zaheer Khan in the Indian team while left-arm seamer Andy McKay will debut in place of Brent Arnel for New Zealand.

A wet outfield delayed the start of play by three hours.

The series is tied at 0-0 after two drawn matches.

New Zealand – Tim McIntosh, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Daniel Vettori (captain), Gareth Hopkins, Tim Southee, Andy McKay, Chris Martin.

India – Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

Tendulkar and Sehwag left out of ODI squad

MUMBAI: India left Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and five other frontline players out of their squad for the three-match one-day series against Australia.

Tendulkar, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, fast bowler Zaheeer Khan and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha have been rested, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma are undergoing treatment for minor injuries and have therefore not been included,” Srinivasan said.

Gambhir and Sharma are nursing knee injuries that ruled them out of the current second test.

Shikhar Dhawan is expected to partner Murali Vijay at the top of the order.

Australia have also named a weakened squad led by Michael Clarke, with regular captain Ricky Ponting, fast bowler Mitchell Johnson and all-rounder Shane Watson all left out.

The one day

Laxman guides India to thrilling victory

MOHALI: Venkatsai Laxman defied a back injury to make an unbeaten 73 as India snatched a remarkable one-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat in the opening Test against Australia on Tuesday.

Needing 216 to win, India were facing defeat at 124-8 before Laxman came to his team’s rescue with a brave knock under pressure on the fifth and final day, guiding his side to a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Batting with a runner because of a stiff back, Laxman was well supported by tail-ender Ishant Sharma, who made a defiant 31 in an 81-run stand for the ninth wicket before being trapped leg-before by Ben Hilfenhaus (4-57).

Australia’s last chance of winning the match came when left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson began his 17th over to last-man Pragyan Ojha, with India requiring six runs to win.

Ojha survived a confident appeal for leg-before and then an

India trounces Australia in first Test

VVS Laxman battled severe back pain to single-handedly take India to a memorable victory over Australia with a gritty unbeaten 73 in a nail-biting first Test on Tuesday.
Laxman, who reserved his best for the Australians, played almost a lone hand in India’s run chase of 216 as his experienced colleagues fell to poor shot selection and umpiring error as he guided India to one of its most memorable Test victories. Sachin Tendulkar was the second highest Indian scorer with 38 while young Ishant Sharma contributed an invaluable 31 in the Test which went down the wire. With the victory today, India took an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series and retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy with their seventh highest run chase in history. The two sides now move to Bangalore for the second and final Test starting in Bangalore from October 9. Laxman, who used runners in both of India’s innings, and Ishant shared an 81-run stand for the ninth wicket from 131 balls and that ensured India achieve what looked impossible when they were looking down the barrel at 124 for eight at one stage.
However, with Ishant given a debatable leg before decision by umpire Ian Gould, it was a tense last 15 minutes for the Indian supporters at the PCA Stadium before Laxman and Pragyan Ojha (five not out) took India to the magic score of 216. India sealed victory with two leg byes got by Pragyan Ojha off Johnson to the wild celebrations at the dressing room and the stands.
Laxman faced just 79 balls for his unbeaten 73 which he made with the help of eight fours while Ishant consumed 92 balls for his 31. It was indeed a ‘Very Very Special’ knock from a man who who was not even being able to walk properly for the last two days due to back spasms. Each and every of those 73 runs he scored has worth its weight in gold. Laxman batted only in the manner he is capable of. The backfoot punches through the cover, the short-arm pulls, extra second he takes while hitting those silken boundaries, those supple wrists and egging the Ishant Sharmas and Pragyan Ojhas to run the singles and twos was worth a sight. But for Ishant, Laxman would not have completed the magnificent win. Having bowled 14 no-balls, being down with a hamstring injury, Ishant may have scored the most significant 31 runs in his career. When some of the top-order batsman lacked stomach for fight, Ishant concentrated like a saint to give Laxman the necessary support that he needed to pull off a Herculean act.

Sharma grabs 3 quick top Australian wickets in opening test

MOHALI: Ishant Sharma grabbed three big wickets in two overs to end Australia’s early flourish in the opening Test against India on Monday.

The tourists were strongly placed at 87 for no loss after an attractive half-century from opener Shane Watson (56), but slipped to 100-3 in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day for an overall lead of 123.

Opener Simon Katich completed 4,000 Test runs during his unbeaten 24, while Michael Hussey had yet to open his account at the break.

India were bowled out for 405 in their first innings on Sunday in reply to Australia’s 428.

Fast bowler Sharma removed Watson and skipper Ricky Ponting (four) in his first over of the second spell and nearly got a third wicket when he had Michael Clarke caught by Virender Sehwag at short mid-wicket.

But it was declared a no-ball after on-field umpire Billy Bowden

Sri Lanka choose to bat v India

DAMBULLA: Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first in the one-day tri-series final against India on Saturday.

Sri Lanka fielded an unchanged side. India made one change with Rohith Sharma replacing Ravindra Jadeja.

Teams:

India: MS Dhoni (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohith Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Suraj Randiv, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thisara Perera. AGENCIES

Sehwag leads India fightback in final test

COLOMBO: Virender Sehwag led India”s bold reply to Sri Lanka”s first innings of 425 with an unbeaten 97 on the second day of the third and final test on Wednesday.

Sehwag cracked 17 fours, 11 of them off left-arm pacer Chanaka Welegadara, as India reached 180 for two. Sachin Tendulkar, making a record 169th test appearance, is unbeaten on 40.

Earlier, Thilan Samaraweera eased to a 12th test hundred and was unbeaten on 137 when Sri Lanka”s final wicket fell.

Lasith Malinga gave Sri Lanka the breakthrough in the 11th over when Murali Vijay lofted an easy catch to mid-on with his score on 14.

Angelo Mathews then got rid of Rahul Dravid for 23 trapping him leg before, but in his next over he put down a hot return catch offered by Sehwag with his score on 52. Sehwag and Tendulkar have so far added 88 for the third wicket.

Samaraweera had reached his century in the final over before lunch, moving from 99 to 104 courtesy of an overthrow as he pushed the ball for a single to square leg but the return to the bowler”s end ricocheted off the stumps and sped to the boundary.

Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for 44 runs after lunch with Ishant Sharma ending the innings with the wickets of Ajantha Mendis and Chanaka Welagedara.

Sri Lanka lead the series 1-0.

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