India overcame a shaky start to register their first win over Zimbabwe on the current tour as they beat the hosts by six wickets in the first Twenty20 International cricket match here on Saturday.
Chasing a modest 112 to win, India overhauled the target with five overs to spare with Yusuf Pathan (36) and Virat Kohli (27) finishing off the game for the visitors, who were shocked by the African minnows twice in the one-day tri-series.
Earlier, shaking off the tri-series rust, Indian bowlers showed discipline and restricted Zimbabwe to a meagre 111 for nine at Harare Sports Club here on Saturday.
Paceman R Vinay Kumar (3/24) was the most successful bowler with three wickets while Ashok Dinda (2/27) and Pragyan Ojha (2/11) accounted for two victims apiece.
During India's chase, big-hitting Pathan and youngster Kohli shared an unbeaten 64-run stand for the fifth wicket to rescue India from a precarious 48 for 4.
Pathan's 23-ball knock contained two fours and three sixes while Kohli faced 22 balls with three fours and a six.
India, like their opponents, began poorly as they lost openers -- Murali Vijay (5) and Naman Ojha (2) to paceman Chris Mpofu by the third over.
Skipper Suresh Raina (28) played a good hand in the middle order to re-build the innings with Rohit Sharma (10).
However, both of them returned to the dug out in the eighth over with spinner Ray Price (2/24) getting rid of them in the eighth over.
It became jittery for India but Pathan and Kohli ensured that their side do not end up facing more humiliation.
Earlier, Chamu Chibhabha (40) and Craig Ervine (30) stood tall amid ruins for the hosts, as their middle and lower order collapsed after a sound start.
Opting to field, Vinay Kumar gave India a perfect start and landed the first blow to the hosts as early as in the fourth ball of the match when he got rid of Hamilton Masakadza (1), caught by skipper Suresh Raina at extra cover.
Vinay was hit for a four and two sixes in his next over by Chibhabha and Brendan Taylor (15) but the paceman got his revenge when he caught the latter plumb in front of the wicket in the last ball of the same over.
Despite two setbacks, the hosts were off to a flier with Dinda and Vinay Kumar leaking 41 runs off the first four overs.
With runs flowing freely from the pacers, Raina introduced R Ashwin into the attack and the off-spinner responded instantly with the wicket of Tatenda Taibu (4), who found Rohit Sharma at mid-on while attempting a big shot.
After the early onslaught, runs were difficult to come by with Raina pressing into service another spinner -- Pragyan Ojha, but Chibhabha, somehow, managed to find the odd boundary.
With spinners ruling the roost in the low and slow Harare Sports Ground pitch, Raina got tempted to use more of slow bowlers and the decision paid off well with Piyush Chawla trapping dangerous-looking Chibhabha, who entertained with five fours and a six during his 30-ball stay.
Ojha then dismissed rival skipper Elton Chigumbura (3) and Greg Lamb (0) in space of three deliveries to leave the hosts gasping at 81 for six.
Dinda then did an Ojha by scalping Ervine and Raymond Price in the penultimate over of the innings.
Showing posts with label wins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wins. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Srilanka wins the Tri-Series
Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a commanding century to help his side win the Tri-Nation series final against Zimbabwe in Harare.
Dilshan (108 not out) shared a 160-run opening stand with Upul Tharanga (72) as the hosts lost just one wicket to overcome Zimbabwe's below-par total of 199, which largely came on the back of former captain Tatenda Taibu's 71.
Dilhara Fernando took three wickets, while spin duo Ajantha and Jeevan Mendis snared two apiece to bowl out the hosts and justify their skipper's decision of fielding first.
In reply, Dilshan and Tharanga gave their side a flying start.
Dilshan was more aggressive and blasted two fours off Chris Mpofu in the fifth over as the visitors posted 34 for no loss.
The duo continued to play attacking strokes and looked in complete control in the following overs.
Dilshan raced to his half century with a square cut in the 16th over and Tharanga hit a towering six in the next to bring 100 runs up for his side.
Tharanga too reached 50 soon after with a four off Graeme Cremer in the 18th over.
He along with Dilshan took the score to 155 at the end of the 25th over, but became a victim of bad running between the wickets in the next.
Dinesh Chandimal (16no) joined his captain in the middle and made sure Sri Lanka were home without any further damage.
Earlier, Sri Lanka's bowlers kept a tight leash on Zimbabwe's batsmen right from the start, and their efforts were rewarded in the fifth over when Hamilton Masakadza (four) nicked a Nuwan Kulasekara outswinger to wicketkeeper Chandimal.
Brendan Taylor (19) tried to break the shackles and smashed a boundary off Kulasekara in the ninth over and added another off Fernando in the next.
But the bowler had the last laugh when he sent Taylor packing in the same over, thanks to a brilliant diving catch by Thilan Samaraweera at slips.
Craig Ervine (nine) too ran himself out in the 17th over after struggling against a good old-fashioned spin bowling by Ajantha Mendis.
Taibu and Greg Lamb played patiently in the middle overs to help the hosts recover from the early jolts.
Taibu blasted two fours off Suraj Randiv in the 24th over and completed his well-paced half-century four overs later.
He celebrated the achievement with a stylish reverse sweep off Dilshan in the 30th over as Zimbabwe reached 107 for three.
But the batsman fell to Fernando in the 36th over after adding 21 more runs to his account.
Skipper Elton Chigumbura (10) too lost his wicket soon after when he failed to read a Jeevan Mendis flipper and hit it straight to Dilshan at covers.
Lamb (37) followed his skipper back to the pavilion as well when Jeevan Mendis clean bowled him in the 42nd over and Charles Coventry (18) lost his wicket to Jeevan Mendis in the next.
Cremer, Ray Price and Chris Mpofu did not last long either and followed the procession as the hosts were bowled out with an over to spare.
Teams
Zimbabwe: Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Charles Coventry, Elton Chigumbura (C), Tatenda Taibu (W), Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Chris Mpofu, Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan (C), Dinesh Chandimal (W), Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews, Thilan Samaraweera, Jeewan Mendis, Ajantha Mendis, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando
Dilshan (108 not out) shared a 160-run opening stand with Upul Tharanga (72) as the hosts lost just one wicket to overcome Zimbabwe's below-par total of 199, which largely came on the back of former captain Tatenda Taibu's 71.
Dilhara Fernando took three wickets, while spin duo Ajantha and Jeevan Mendis snared two apiece to bowl out the hosts and justify their skipper's decision of fielding first.
In reply, Dilshan and Tharanga gave their side a flying start.
Dilshan was more aggressive and blasted two fours off Chris Mpofu in the fifth over as the visitors posted 34 for no loss.
The duo continued to play attacking strokes and looked in complete control in the following overs.
Dilshan raced to his half century with a square cut in the 16th over and Tharanga hit a towering six in the next to bring 100 runs up for his side.
Tharanga too reached 50 soon after with a four off Graeme Cremer in the 18th over.
He along with Dilshan took the score to 155 at the end of the 25th over, but became a victim of bad running between the wickets in the next.
Dinesh Chandimal (16no) joined his captain in the middle and made sure Sri Lanka were home without any further damage.
Earlier, Sri Lanka's bowlers kept a tight leash on Zimbabwe's batsmen right from the start, and their efforts were rewarded in the fifth over when Hamilton Masakadza (four) nicked a Nuwan Kulasekara outswinger to wicketkeeper Chandimal.
Brendan Taylor (19) tried to break the shackles and smashed a boundary off Kulasekara in the ninth over and added another off Fernando in the next.
But the bowler had the last laugh when he sent Taylor packing in the same over, thanks to a brilliant diving catch by Thilan Samaraweera at slips.
Craig Ervine (nine) too ran himself out in the 17th over after struggling against a good old-fashioned spin bowling by Ajantha Mendis.
Taibu and Greg Lamb played patiently in the middle overs to help the hosts recover from the early jolts.
Taibu blasted two fours off Suraj Randiv in the 24th over and completed his well-paced half-century four overs later.
He celebrated the achievement with a stylish reverse sweep off Dilshan in the 30th over as Zimbabwe reached 107 for three.
But the batsman fell to Fernando in the 36th over after adding 21 more runs to his account.
Skipper Elton Chigumbura (10) too lost his wicket soon after when he failed to read a Jeevan Mendis flipper and hit it straight to Dilshan at covers.
Lamb (37) followed his skipper back to the pavilion as well when Jeevan Mendis clean bowled him in the 42nd over and Charles Coventry (18) lost his wicket to Jeevan Mendis in the next.
Cremer, Ray Price and Chris Mpofu did not last long either and followed the procession as the hosts were bowled out with an over to spare.
Teams
Zimbabwe: Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Charles Coventry, Elton Chigumbura (C), Tatenda Taibu (W), Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Chris Mpofu, Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan (C), Dinesh Chandimal (W), Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews, Thilan Samaraweera, Jeewan Mendis, Ajantha Mendis, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando
Friday, March 26, 2010
Delhi Dare Devil wins over Banglore
Stand in Delhi skipper Dinesh Karthik could not contain his glee after his side defeated Bangalore on Thursday.
Gautam Gambhir’s return from Sri Lanka after a successful ayurvedic treatmemt was an icing on the cake for a team that was in desperate need of a win.
"I am very, very happy," Karthik said after the game. "We worked very hard for the win."
"The wicket we knew would turn as it did, since it was a bit dry and a score of 180 would always be challenging.
David Warner has been a great asset. He has done well for Australia and he is doing well for us. It is a blessing to have him, since he takes the pressure off Virender Sehwag."
"We fielded extremely well and the run outs were a great boost. We really needed to bounce back with a win and that is what we did."
Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble was naturally a little downcast but given that his side is in a great position, he wasn't overly bothered with the loss.
"Naturally, we would have loved to win, but full credit to Delhi, they played really well," the veteran said.
"After the kind of start Delhi got off to, I think we did really well to pull them back.
"We began our batting well but a couple of run outs and some poor shot selection cost us," he added.
Asked if fielding first after winning the toss was the right decision, Kumble said: "It was always going to be a slow track, but our batsmen are in good form and we were expecting to win. It just didn't work out that way."
"I am very, very happy," Karthik said after the game. "We worked very hard for the win."
"The wicket we knew would turn as it did, since it was a bit dry and a score of 180 would always be challenging.
David Warner has been a great asset. He has done well for Australia and he is doing well for us. It is a blessing to have him, since he takes the pressure off Virender Sehwag."
"We fielded extremely well and the run outs were a great boost. We really needed to bounce back with a win and that is what we did."
Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble was naturally a little downcast but given that his side is in a great position, he wasn't overly bothered with the loss.
"Naturally, we would have loved to win, but full credit to Delhi, they played really well," the veteran said.
"After the kind of start Delhi got off to, I think we did really well to pull them back.
"We began our batting well but a couple of run outs and some poor shot selection cost us," he added.
Asked if fielding first after winning the toss was the right decision, Kumble said: "It was always going to be a slow track, but our batsmen are in good form and we were expecting to win. It just didn't work out that way."
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