Indian Cricket Team Updates |
- Preview: India vs South Africa - CT2013
- India receives Reliance ICC ODI Championship Shield and cheque
- Champions Trophy 2013 warm-up: Australia skittled out for 65 as India post 243-run win
- Champions Trophy 2013 warm-up: Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik take India to 5-wicket win over Sri Lanka
| Preview: India vs South Africa - CT2013 Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:49 PM PDT  What The first match of Champions Trophy 2013, between India and South Africa When June 6, 2013 Where Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, England The Teams India All Indian players have flown to England after two hectic months of the IPL. Back in national colours, they will look to take fresh guard and further consolidate India's top ranking in ODIs. If their performance in both their warm-up matches (against Sri Lanka and Australia) is anything to go by, MS Dhoni and his men look in tremendous form going into the main tournament. Thanks to the resurgent Dinesh Karthik – who scored centuries in both warm-ups – the batting department looks as plush as ever despite the patchy form of some of the regular members of the playing XI. Karthik is a sure starter against South Africa and the only question is who will sit out to accommodate him. If Dhoni persists with Karthik in the middle order, Rohit Sharma might have to sit out due to his indifferent performance in the warm-ups. However, there is another possibility whereby Karthik could join either of the two out-of-form openers – Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay – to lend solidity to the top order. After being thrashed by the Lankan batsmen for 333 runs, the Indian bowling attack made a stunning comeback against the Aussies by skittling them out for 65. The fast bowling pack, led by Umesh Yadav, provided a beacon of hope to the Indian team and their supporters who wondered if India had the firepower to make the most of England's pace-friendly conditions. South Africa The Proteas' loss against Pakistan in their only pre-tournament warm-up match might have been an aberration, but concerns over Dale Steyn's fitness ahead of the opening game could get South Africa off to a dodgy start in the Champions Trophy. Already missing Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis in the squad, the Proteas cannot afford to lose their best bowler. However, all is not grey in the Proteas camp. JP Duminy, making an ODI comeback after injury, scored 150 against the Netherlands and followed it up with a 43 in the practice game against Pakistan. Lest it is forgotten, AB de Villiers and David Miller are coming off a successful IPL season and both are capable of winning matches singlehandedly. And even if Steyn does not take the field on Thursday, South Africa have enough quality in their bowling line-up to trouble Indian batsmen in English conditions. Key Players India Karthik has forced one and all to take notice of him with sheer weight of runs and has given opposition bowlers something extra to think about when facing India. Others on the opposition radar will be the two men with whom Karthik allied to take India past 300 in both practice games. Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni can be nightmare-inducing for bowlers in the 50-over format. While Umesh Yadav, with his pace and five wickets against the Aussies, has put himself at the helm of India's bowling attack, the contribution and potential of Bhuvneshwar Kumar cannot be understated. His ability to move the ball both ways and hit the length accurately, make him an asset in seam-friendly conditions. South Africa AB de Villiers is going to be a busy man this tournament, juggling different the hats of leadership, wicketkeeping and batting mainstay that have been thrust upon his head. Expect him to balance all these roles just as well as he balances his body while playing those outrageous sweeps and scoops. Trivia
Stats Result summary at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff:
Head-to-head:
This is the first time India and South Africa will play an ODI at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Form guide (most recent listed first): India: Lost, Won, Won, Won, Lost (3 wins, 2 losses) South Africa: Won, Won, Lost, Won, Lost (3 wins, 2 losses) Squads India: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Amit Mishra, Vinay Kumar South Africa: AB de Villiers (capt/wk), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleindveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Morne Morkel, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| India receives Reliance ICC ODI Championship Shield and cheque Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:31 PM PDT  India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday received the prestigious Reliance ICC ODI Championship Shield and a cheque of US$175,000 for leading his side to the top of the Reliance ICC ODI Championship table on the annual 1 April cut-off date. This is the first time since the current ranking system was introduced in 2002 that India has finished as the number-one ranked ODI side on the 1 April cut-off date. David Morgan, former President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), presented the Shield to Dhoni, who also collected the cheque of US$175,000 from Pramod Garg, Financial Controller – Reliance GlobalCom Europe (VP), after India's training session at the Cardiff Wales Stadium in Cardiff. A happy Dhoni said: "I am very proud of this huge achievement, as being number-one is a reward for all of us, but hopefully it is just the beginning. "Being number-one in the world brings with it a certain respect for the game itself and for the way in which we play the game and conduct ourselves on the field. "You have to be consistent to be ranked number-one and I think we have reached that level of consistency over a period of time. We have performed very well and I am very proud of what the guys have achieved,'' said Dhoni. India had claimed the number-one spot from England after winning the series 3-2 in January, and, in the 12-month period between 1 April 2012 and 1 April 2013, it won eight out of 13 ODIs while losing five ODIs. Former ICC President Mr David Morgan said: "This ODI Shield is recognition of excellence. This is the first time that India has been the top ODI side at the 1 April cut-off date. I want to congratulate India for its dedication and for the ability to entertain us all. I wish the team all the best for the coming year. "The importance of the Reliance ICC ODI Shield should be celebrated as this is the ICC Cricket World Cup format. To finish as the number-one ranked ODI side in addition to being the defending champion of ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, is a wonderful achievement. "India will no doubt, therefore, enter the ICC Champions Trophy as one of the sides to watch out for. There could not have been a better fillip for India as it heads into the tournament featuring the eight best ODI sides. I'm sure that Mahendra and his team will be looking forward to maintaining their rank at the top of this format." Gurdeep Singh, President & CEO, Wireless Business, Reliance Communications, said: "We congratulate MS Dhoni and his boys for claiming the number-one slot on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table. "The team has put in tremendous effort to succeed in this format of the game and gain the top position in the rankings. Reliance Group wishes the Indian team the very best for the ICC Champions Trophy, and we look forward to other teams coming back strong, making the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table even more competitive and entertaining." source: bcci.tv | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champions Trophy 2013 warm-up: Australia skittled out for 65 as India post 243-run win Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:38 PM PDT  This warm-up match at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff was a tale of two power plays. The India XV (only XI could bat or field) stuttered to 39 for 4 from their first ten overs. When it was their turn to bat, Australia's side managed a feeble 28 for 5. India finished with a massive 308 for 6 after Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni added 211 for the sixth wicket from just 191 balls. Australia, who tried out Shane Watson – centurion in the previous warm-up against West Indies – at No.7, managed a paltry 65 in response. Umesh Yadav, bowling at full throttle for the most part, took each of the first five wickets to fall. Matthew Wade and Phil Hughes both inside-edged attempted pulls on to their stumps, while David Warner slashed one to R Ashwin at slip. George Bailey, who led the side with Michael Clarke nursing a back injury, was looking to China as the ball went toward Europe, and Mitchell Marsh was given out caught behind when the ball appeared to miss the inside edge. Watson made just four before inside-edging Ishant Sharma on to the stumps, leaving only Adam Voges (23) to emerge with anything like credit from the wreckage of an innings. The Indian innings had been in similar disarray, with Mitchell Starc and Clint McKay sharing the first four wickets. When Shikhar Dhawan followed after a scratchy 17, Karthik and Dhoni were left to assess a situation as bleak as the one Karthik and Virat Kohli had found themselves in during the warm-up against Sri Lanka. They built steadily, never letting the run-rate stall, but the acceleration in the second half of the innings was just astonishing. Dhoni whacked six fours and four sixes, one of them a monster over midwicket, in a 77-ball 91, while Karthik timed the ball magnificently at times during his innings of 146. Australia shelled catch after catch, and missed at least three run-out chances in a below-par fielding display. Starc finished with 2 for 73, as Karthik took 33 off the 19 balls he faced from him, while McKay escaped with the impressive figures of 2 for 39. Just to add insult to considerable injury, Ravindra Jadeja came in after Dhoni's exit to add 42 with Karthik from just 21 balls. The Australian innings lasted just 23.3 overs. With the experienced core gone and Clarke struggling for fitness, the defence of the title will be an arduous task. As for the Indians, a much improved bowling display will keep them in good heart ahead of Thursday's tournament opener against South Africa. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champions Trophy 2013 warm-up: Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik take India to 5-wicket win over Sri Lanka Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:38 PM PDT  With both sets of players enjoying themselves on a bright and sunny day in Birmingham on Saturday (June 1), Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik made the difference with stroke-filled centuries to lead India to a comfortable five-wicket win over Sri Lanka with an over to spare in their ICC Champions Trophy 2013 warm-up game. Kohli (144) and Karthik (106 not out) made up for a shoddy Indian bowling performance with a 186-run stand for the fifth wicket that helped India chase down the 334-run target. The two got together at 110 for 4 in the 21st over, and batted with a lot of composure and poise even as the asking rate touched almost ten runs an over with 20 overs to spare. Karthik, slow to begin with, gained confidence and composure as the innings progressed. He blasted 12 fours and two sixes even as the Sri Lankan bowlers failed to stop a rampaging Kohli at the other end. Kohli, who brought up his century in the 37th over, didn't drop guard even after getting to the landmark. He was eventually dismissed in the 44th over, but by then the damage had been done. However, it wasn't entirely smooth sailing for India as the bowlers struggled for consistency after Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to field. The new ball bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Irfan Pathan – failed to make early inroads. But credit for that should be given to Kushal Perera, who threw the bowlers out of gear with an aggressive approach. With Tillakaratne Dilshan (retired not out on 84) at the other end, Kusal batted without any hint of pressure and eventually retired on 82 to make way for the middle-order batsmen to get a hit. Apart from Vinay Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja, who beat the batsmen on a number of occasions, none of the other Indian bowlers were able to make a mark. Mahela Jayawardena (30), Kumar Sangakkara (45) and Dinesh Chandimal (46) all had productive stints in the middle before being dismissed. And in the end, an unbeaten 16-ball 26 from Thisara Perera lifted them to their imposing total. While the batsmen made merry, the bowling attack that missed the spearhead – Lasith Malinga – was handled with ease by Kohli. After the initial burst with the new ball that saw Shikhar Dhawan (1), Murali Vijay (18) and Rohit Sharma (5) dismissed cheaply, Sri Lanka came under Kohli's wheel before Karthik finished it off with a boundary. Suresh Raina (34) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (18 not out) too chipped in with useful knocks. India plays its second and final warm-up game against Australia in Cardiff on June 4 before the tournament opener against South Africa at the same venue on June 6. |
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