India qualified for the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup after defeating South Africa by 14 runs in a group C match at Beausejour stadium.
Suresh Raina became the first Indian batsman to hit a Twenty20 International hundred and powered the team to 186 for five against South Africa in Group C World Cup match here today.
Raina is only third batsman to score a hundred in T20 internationals with the first two centuries coming from Chris Gayle, WI and Brendon McCullum of New Zealand.
India had made 2 changes from the squad that played against Afghanistan yesterday. While, Gautam Gambhir had to sit out due to upset stomach, Zaheer Khan was rested for the match. India had a bad start as they lost in form Murali Vijay in first over itself. The team were in the woods at 32 for two in the sixth over, before Raina (101) and Yuvraj Singh (37) reconstructed the staggering innings.
An Indian surrender seemed imminent but Raina and Yuvraj rose to the challenge, smashing the ball around the park, occasionally scattering the crowd in the mid-wicket stands with huge sixes.
Diminutive Raina matched Yuvraj's power, clearing the boundary with effortless ease. He hit clean and hard and found the gaps in the outfield with uncanny precision.
The third-wicket pair had raised 88 runs when Yuvarj, who had struck three fours and two sixes in his 30-ball 37, was snared by Graeme Smith off Rory Kleinveldt.
Raina stepped on the gas pedal during his brief association with Yusuf Pathan, accounting for 18 of the 25 runs that Kleinvedlt conceded in the 18th over. He hit the Protea bowler for three fours and a six in that over.
He lofted Albie Morkel over mid-wicket to complete his superb century. He got out next ball trying to take the score further.
Skipper MS Dhoni finished the innings in style hitting six in the last ball.
Proteas failed to build momentum in early part of their innings and never looked in hunt for the target. Infact, the score card doesn't give a correct picture as India never was threatened by South African batsmen. A late flurry of shots made sure that match result looked closer than it actually was.
Brief Scores:
India: 186 for five in 20 overs.(Suresh Raina 101, Yuvraj Singh 37; Rory Kleinveldt 2/48).
South Africa: 172 for five in 20 overs. (Jaques Kallis 73, Greame Smith 36; Yusuf Pathan 2/42).
India and South Africa will go into the match hoping to win and thus to firm up their claim to World T20 title. Expect lot of guile and tactics being played out when South Africa is on field. On the other hand, Indians have become more flamboyant with their cricketing success in last few years.
On the evidence available so far, the pitches are not the batting-fests that people got used to during most of the IPL, and the boundaries are over 80 m. That has, so far, provided for a compelling battle, where 140 is a good score, and 160 a match-winning one in all probability.
India did win against Afghanistan less than 24 hours before they will take on South Africa, but they will not bank too much on that win, though it would have been good for them in terms of easing into the tournament. However, all easing is done with and dusted, with South Africa being anything but easy opponents.
From India's point of view, amongst the positives from the Afghanistan match was that Yuvraj Singh spent some time at the crease and remained undefeated. A free-flowing Yuvraj is essential to India's fortunes, and the only way he will regain his touch is by spending time at the crease. The bowling was not too inspiring, even though Afghanistan were restricted to 115/8, but considering that India got to bowl first on an early morning pitch that had something in it for the bowlers, India should have been aiming to keep them below 100. Against the likes of Albie Morkel in the death overs, loose bowling will be severely punished.
South Africa have been traditionally better on faster pitches, so the slow ones in the West Indies won't be wholly to their liking, but they are no mugs on slow surfaces. The fact that the game will require less outright hitting from the start, should suit Jacques Kallis, who showed in the IPL that he is at his best when allowed to construct an innings at a reasonable strike-rate in Twenty20s. Of their top-order batting though, not too many impressed in the IPL. AB de Villiers was strangely off-colour, JP Duminy was decent enough in the chances he got but not outstanding, and Herschelle Gibbs was disappointing. Graeme Smith, of course, did not take part in most of the tournament, while Boucher and van der Merwe had to watch from the sidelines. Dale Steyn was impressive though, as was Langeveldt in the limited chances he got. The Indians had come a cropper against the short ball in the last Twenty20 World Cup, and Steyn is certain to pepper the batsmen with the short stuff. Since South Africa have both Kallis and Albie Morkel who can bowl at decent pace, they will consider including both Roelof van der Merwe and Johan Botha in the line-up, which would mean that Rory Kleinveldt and Morne Morkel would miss out.
Both teams carry big expectations with them, and both are part of the pre-tournament front-runners pack. Although this match is not likely to have any impact on qualifying for the next round, there is no question that both teams will want the confidence of a win against a major opposition before the Super Eights.
India scored a comprehensive seven-wicket win against debutants Afghanistan in their opening ICC World T20 match at Gros Islet (St Lucia).
Chasing a modest total of 116, the champions of the 2007 T20 WC reached home with more than 5 overs to spare.
A 55-run third wicket stand between Murali Vijay (48) and Yuvraj Singh (23 not out) ensured the Indian team went about their business in a clinical manner.
Vijay's 46-ball knock included two 4s & 3 6s. He went down trying to hit another one to boundary. Yuvraj remained unbeaten on an almost run-a-ball knock.
When Vijay was dismissed by Hamid Hassan, India needed just 15 more runs. In came captain MS Dhoni (15*) and he ensured an early end, smashing successive sixes off his Afghanistan counterpart Nowroz Mangal.
Earlier, a calculated half century by Noor Ali Zadran helped Afghanistan to a respectable total of 115.
Noor Ali's 48-ball 50, inclusive of four hits to the fence, was the most signnificant contribution in the Afghan innings with the batsman playing the sheet anchor's role to perfection. His 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Asghar Stanikzai (30) was the highlight of the innings. Stanikzai's 33-ball innings included 3 sixes.
Ashish Nehra was the most successful bowler for India with figures of three for 19. He was named Man of the match for his performance. The left-armer gave India a perfect start when he had Karim Sadiq (0) caught by MS Dhoni in the second over of innings.
Afghanistan's measured and technically correct approach earned them accolades from Indian captain. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was full of praise for Afghanistan, who put up an impressive performance in their maiden World Twenty20 match.
“I am happy to see this side. They are a good team. After losing wickets early, they played well. Their middle order batting looks strong.”
“They were not letting anything go. I am sure they will improve from here,” Dhoni said.
It is that kind of fairy tale which puts minnows Afghans name before mighty Indians. However, India will surely be eyeing to register a big win when they meet the new outfit in the World of Cricket.
India is surely the better team going into this match but Afghanistan has also shown a great progress in the International circuit. The Cricket Federation of Afghanistan was formed in 1995 and they became an affiliate member of ICC in 2001 followed by the member of Asian Cricket Council in 2003. They have already won many trophies that includes the likes of ACC Trophy, 2010, ACC Twenty20 Cup, 2009, ICC Twenty20 Cup Qualifier, Middle East Cup, World Cricket League and the defeated Canada by chasing down 494 runs in the Intercontinental Cup.
Afghanistan will be heavily depended on their Captain Nowraz Mangal who is being rated highly by his domestic circuit peers in Pakistan. Wicket Keeper Mohammad Shahzad who scored a brilliant double century against Canada in the Intercontinental Cup that helped them to reach their winning mark. The likes of Shabir Noori and Mohammad Nabi will also be very important to their team. Nabi is an all-rounder and his team will surely be boosted by his inclusion.
In the bowling department Hamid Hassan and Dawlat Ahmadzai will also play an important role.
India needs no introduction as we all know what they are capable of doing to their opponents. Murli Vijay, the new face who will probably play today had a grreat run in this year’s IPL. Gambhir and the top order will surely provide a good start for them and I expect to see some big hitting from Yusuf Pathan today.
Surely, at this point more words are written for Afghans than for the Indians.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
11:08 AM
