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All-round Hafeez sets up big win

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Pakistan continued their winning streak in Zimbabwe with a crushing victory in the first Twenty20

The Report by Firdose Moonda16-Sep-2011
Live Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCharles Coventry pulled off a catch and a run out, but the rest of the Zimbabwe side struggled in the field•Associated Press

Pakistan continued their winning streak in Zimbabwe with a crushing victory in the first Twenty20 international. Their batsmen treated the opposition attack with utter disdain and smashed Zimbabwe for the highest total they have ever conceded in a Twenty20. Pakistan bowled with precision, fielded with energy and commitment, and skittled Zimbabwe out in the 16th over to register a comprehensive win. Mohammad Hafeez stole the headlines in both departments, scoring 71 with the bat and taking four wickets.By contrast, Zimbabwe slumped into a greater state of haplessness, first with their lacklustre display with the ball and then with an uninspiring chase. Their three frontline bowlers were wayward and unconvincing, and their fielding sub-standard which left them with too much to do with the bat.Pakistan’s smash-and-grab innings started when Asad Shafiq tore into Zimbabwe’s senior fast bowler Chris Mpofu, who made every mistake in the book, mostly by bowling too short. Shafiq scored four boundaries off his second over and brought up the first six of the innings, with a pull off Elton Chigumbura. Hafeez was happy to take a back seat in the early stages of the innings but took over when Shafiq was run out by a sharp piece of groundwork from Charles Coventry at short fine leg.Hafeez took a special liking to Hamilton Masakadza’s medium pacers, and showed off the lap sweep in extravagant style, getting to his half-century in 34 balls. Zimbabwe could have prevented him from reaching the landmark when Hafeez pulled to deep midwicket on 45, but Mpofu parried the ball over the boundary for six instead of catching it.Zimbabwe’s fielding was not up to standard again and they let go of too many chances. Jarvis mistimed a catch off Rameez Raja at mid-on and Vusi Sibanda did the same thing in the next over, giving Hafeez another lifeline. Coventry was the only one with a solid pair of hands and he held on to a cross-batted shot from Hafeez that just did not have enough on it to go all the way.Rameez Raja did not live up to the hype. His 23 runs came mostly in singles and he struggled to time his shots. He was out lbw to Ray Price in the 17th over, allowing Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik the opportunity to finish strongly.Both were dropped, Umar by Tatenda Taibu behind the stumps and Malik by Mpofu in his followthrough. Mpofu’s day only got worse when Umar slapped him for 15 runs in his penultimate over. Malik made little impact but Sohail Tanvir was destructive at the end. He was almost caught in the deep, but Sibanda had to abandon the catch when he was pushed over the boundary by his momentum. The mistake cost Zimbabwe 18 runs in the last over.With a massive task looming over them, Zimbabwe were overwhelmed but showed signs of greater intent than they have done previously in the series. Vusi Sibanda started with a stunning drive but his second aggressive stroke, off a length ball, saw him caught magnificently by Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-on. Misbah ran backwards and took the catch over his shoulder, with both hands. Sohail Khan could not take the credit for that wicket but he deserved the next one, which came two balls later when newcomer Cephas Zhuwao hung his bat out and got an edge through to Umar.Brendan Taylor, Chamu Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza tried to build momentum but Taylor and Masakadza fell trying to play big shots and Chibhabha became the second of Hafeez’s victims when he was trapped lbw. Charles Coventry was the only Zimbabwe batsmen who was able to get more than a start. He thumped four fours and a six before top-edging off Saeed Ajmal.Hafeez, fittingly, finished things off when he bowled Price with a flat, straight delivery, extending Price’s poor day. Price had sent down six wides while bowling and strayed too far down the leg side. Hafeez, however, was bang on target and finished with his best figures in T20s to continue his golden run in Zimbabwe.

Kolkata matches switched to Bangalore, Hyderabad

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Heavy rain in Kolkata has forced the Champions League Twenty20 governing council to move the four scheduled matches at Eden Gardens to Hyderabad and Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2011Heavy rain in Kolkata has forced the Champions League Twenty20 governing council to move the four scheduled matches at Eden Gardens to Hyderabad and Bangalore, subject to approval from the local authorities.The Group B matches scheduled for September 25 and 27 will now take place in Hyderabad, while the match on September 29 involving Royal Challengers Bangalore and a team from the current qualifier will be played in Bangalore.”With regret and in the best interests of the tournament, CAB [Cricket Association of Bengal] and CLT20 have reluctantly agreed to moving its four scheduled Group B matches away from Eden Gardens due to the heavy rains that have deluged Kolkata,” Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of CAB, said in a statement.”We’re disappointed that we’re not able to host the matches, but this decision was unavoidable and taken out of our hands due to the current weather conditions. We wish CLT20 luck for the tournament and hope CAB will have the chance to host the event in the coming years.”

Cooper hundred earns Redbacks victory

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A superbly-paced century from Tom Cooper delivered victory to South Australia in their first match of the domestic season as New South Wales were left to regret a sluggish finish to their innings

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2011
ScorecardTom Cooper was the star for South Australia•Getty Images

A superbly-paced century from Tom Cooper delivered victory to South Australia in their first match of the domestic season as New South Wales were left to regret a sluggish finish to their innings. Usman Khawaja made his second one-day hundred and Phillip Hughes posted 96 to give the Blues a dream start, but they needed more than their 3 for 261 to prevent the Redbacks succeeding in their chase.Cooper struck the winning runs with an over to spare, timing his dash to triple-figures perfectly, as the final drive past mid-on from the bowling of Trent Copeland brought up his century and the victory. It was his second hundred in one-day cricket for the Redbacks, and he had solid support in the end from Cameron Borgas, who ended up unbeaten on 30.Callum Ferguson made 53 at better than a run a ball, until he was caught at deep midwicket trying to smash Moises Henriques out of the ground, and the captain Michael Klinger set the chase off to a bright start with 75. Mitchell Starc began perfectly, with Daniel Harris lbw first ball to a beautiful inswinger, but the young New South Wales fast men struggled to contain South Australia.Josh Hazlewood, in his first match for his state since February 2010, following a long lay-off due to a stress fracture in his back, battled to find his rhythm. However, the real problem for the Blues was that the target should have been closer to 300 after Hughes and Khawaja put on 212 for the first wicket.Hughes started slowly and while he lifted his tempo later, he still finished at well below a run a ball, with 96 from 129 deliveries, while Khawaja’s 116 used up 137 balls. The Blues passed their 200 with nearly ten overs to go and ten wickets in hand, but some good bowling at the death from Gary Putland and Kane Richardson was crucial in preventing a blowout.Khawaja fell from the final ball of the innings, when he flicked Putland in the air to deep square leg, the second wicket for Putland. But while Khawaja was the star of the first half of the game, Cooper was Man of the Match for his match-winning effort.

'Six months is a lot for a kid'

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The families of the three players react with sadness and defiance to their sentencing

Umar Farooq03-Nov-2011The night before he was sentenced to six months in a juvenile correctional institute, Mohammed Amir called his family from England and asked them to pray for him. Amir’s brother Saleem told the media gathered outside the house that they hoped the sentence would not involve jail time. The phone call from their brother, though, had become an intimation of what was about to happen in less than 24 hours. “The entire family prayed all night,” Saleem said, “trying not to think the worst thoughts.”Amir and Butt’s families spent all day watching the news on television. Once the verdict was announced Amir’s father broke down outside the family bungalow in Lahore’s Defence neighbourhood and was unable to speak. Amir’s brother Saleem consoled him and called on the Pakistani government to help in the case. “Amir is a kid, he can’t understand things. These six months are a lot for an immature kid.” Amir’s mother was not in Lahore at the time of the sentencing but in the family’s old home in Gujjar Khan near Rawalpindi. Amir’s sister said he had spoken to the family before being sentenced to six months in Feltham Young Offenders’ Institute.Salman Butt’s family, which should have been celebrating the birth of his second child, responded angrily to his two-and-a half year sentence. Butt’s businessman father Zulfiqar said he would soon be calling a press conference to “reveal” some hidden facts. “A lot of things have remained secret … My son is innocent,” he said. “Our own friends conspired against us.” Zulfiqar did not identify these friends or explain the conspiracy but added that the Butt family was not wealthy. “You can check our bank balance. We weren’t even able to build our own house.”Butt’s two sisters Khadija and Rubab spoke to reporters outside their home in the fairly comfortable Johar Town area, about 10kms south-west of the Gaddafi Stadium. Khadija said: “We know our brother is innocent and we firmly believe that. Right from the start, and through the past 14 months, he didn’t make one deviation from his first statement.” She said the family was not able to speak to Butt before he was led away to holding cells under the Southwark Crown Court and on to Wandsworth prison. “We know Salman has been praying all night yesterday. His mistake was to be at the wrong place with the wrong people. This is his only mistake.” Rubab’s wedding has now been postponed.Mohammed Asif’s family is still based in his hometown of Sheikhupura, north of Lahore. His father, Hasan Deen, a dairy farmer, had spoken to reporters after Tuesday’s verdict. When asked about the possibility of a jail sentence for his son, Hasan Deen said: “It is human beings after all who go to jail. He hasn’t committed a murder. We haven’t made any great money from cricket. I know Asif will return home one day.”

Pakistan spinners seal clean sweep

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Bangladesh had an opportunity to end a losing streak against Pakistan that has lasted 12 years, but the visiting spinners were good enough to put the target of 178 far out of their reach

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran06-Dec-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Hafeez overpowered Bangladesh with 3 for 27•AFP

Smart stats

  • Pakistan’s win is their 28th in 29 matches against Bangladesh. Their only loss came in the 1999 World Cup game in Northampton.

  • This is the 17th time that Pakistan have won all the matches in a bilateral series of three or more matches. This is the fourth such series win against Bangladesh.

  • Saeed Ajmal’s economy rate of 0.85 is the third-lowest on the list of lowest economy rates for Pakistani bowlers in an innings where they have bowled a minimum of five overs. Wasim Akram is on top with an economy rate of 0.54 against India in Sharjah.

  • The 439 balls bowled by spinners in the game is second on the list of matches where spinners have bowled the most deliveries. The Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe game at the SSC in 1998 is on top with 456 balls bowled by spinners.

  • Mohammad Hafeez became only the third player to achieve the double of 1000 runs and 30 wickets in a calendar year. While Sanath Jayasuriya was the first to do so in 1997, Jacques Kallis achieved the feat twice in 2000 and 2002.

  • Bangladesh lost their last eight wickets for 50 runs. The aggregate of 50 runs for the last eight wickets is the third-lowest for Bangladesh in ODIs.

  • Mushfiqur Rahim became the second Bangladesh wicketkeeper after Khaled Mashud and the 24th overall to aggregate 100 dismissals in ODIs.

  • The target of 178 is the lowest ever successfully-defended by Pakistan against Bangladesh. The previous lowest was 203 in Chittagong in 2002.

Bangladesh had an opportunity to end a losing streak against Pakistan that has lasted 12 years, but the visiting spinners were good enough to put the target of 178 far out of their reach. The track was tailored to suit Bangladesh’s strength – spin – but it backfired since they didn’t have the batsmen capable of sticking it out long enough to entertain thoughts of earning a consolation win.Pakistan took the series 3-0, but not without some sweat. Their batsmen too were found wanting against spin, losing nine wickets to the slower men and failing to bat out 50 overs. In the context of the struggles faced by the batsmen from both sides, the stand of 94 between Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal proved the difference. Bangladesh had a similar foundation going between Shahriar Nafees and Mahmudullah, but a floodlight failure disturbed the concentration of the well-set pair and brought about a power-shift towards Pakistan’s spinners. Bangladesh crumbled quickly from then, losing their last nine wickets for 50 runs.Having lost Tamim Iqbal first ball, the pressure was on Bangladesh, with a slip and short leg and the new balls turning and bouncing. The pair of Nafees and Mahmudullah were watchful but importantly, ensured they didn’t go scoreless for lengthy periods – a factor in Bangladesh’s previous defeats this series. Mahmudullah slogged Mohammad Hafeez in the third over to get the first boundary bogey off the team’s back.The pair gave Bangladesh the edge with a stand of 69, essayed with sweeps off Abdur Rehman and cuts off Shahid Afridi, who in his urgency to break an unusual wicketless-streak – which has lasted two matches – fired the ball too flat.The interruption after the 15th over, caused a downturn in Bangladesh’s fortunes. Saeed Ajmal trapped Nafees lbw playing down the wrong line, before Rehman caught Mushfiqur Rahim in front while trying to sweep. Bangladesh lost their third wicket in as many overs when Hafeez got one to turn sharply and trap Mahmudullah on the backfoot. Both Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain were out cheaply , spooning catches as the chase fell off the rails.The lower order had no respite. The parsimonious Saeed Ajmal, bowling round the wicket, was scoreless off the bat for 28 successive deliveries. He was lucky, though, to get Farhad Reza lbw, off a thick inside edge. Bangladesh had a semblance of a recovery with a stand of 34 between Reza and Alok Kapali, but the howler cut short their hopes.The pitch wasn’t exactly a minefield, as Misbah and Umar showed. The ball gripped, turned, bounced and forced the visitors to concentrate more than they’ve had to so far in the series. They had their anxious moments with the ball keeping low, some sliding past the outside edge and the stumps. It wasn’t easy for the wicketkeeper Mushfiqur, who by the 15th over had already conceded 12 byes, a Bangladesh record.Coming in at 39 for 3, Misbah and Umar steadied the innings with a watchful approach against spin. Misbah opened up against Elias Sunny, hammering boundaries to midwicket and down the ground. He also tried disturbing the bowler’s rhythm by moving across his stumps to paddle, at times bringing out the reverse sweep. Umar used his feet well, though it was one of his more patient knocks as he regularly came forward to smother the spin and defend. Umar fetched two sixes off Nasir, using his feet for both.The tide turned when Misbah departed, making room and spooning a catch to short extra cover off Razzak. The wickets started to tumble, leaving Umar with greater responsibility than he would have expected. However, he too trooped off to the pavilion, beaten for turn and bounce by Sunny. Mahmudullah triggered an early end to the innings, assisted by Mushfiqur, who by then was seeing the ball like a football in fading light.Bangladesh walked off after wrapping up Pakistan a more confident unit. Unfortunately, they couldn’t counter the most penetrative spin attack in the world.

Southee, Marshall shine in Northern Districts' win

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Northern Districts put in a fine all-round performance against Central Districts in the HRV Cup match in Mount Maunganui, to ease to an eight-wicket win with 25 balls to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-2012
ScorecardA day after their loss to Wellington, Northern Districts put in a fine all-round performance against Central Districts in the HRV Cup match in Mount Maunganui, to ease to an eight-wicket win with 25 balls to spare.After choosing to bat, Central Districts could not quite get going – they were kept in check by tidy spells from Tim Southee, Kane Williamson and Daniel Vettori. Southee and Vettori claimed five wickets between them, as none of the Central Districts batsmen went past No. 8 Doug Bracewell’s unbeaten 35. Central Districts finished with 126 for 8.Northern Districts lost Vettori early in their chase, but a stand of 74 from Brad Wilson and Hamish Marshall put them on the right track. After Wilson fell for 43, Scott Styris built another solid partnership with Marshall, to help Northern Districts to a comfortable win.

England frustrated by lower-order rally

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England were given a good workout in the field on the opening day of their first warm-up match of the tour as the tail wagged for the ICC Combined XI

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2012
Scorecard
Stuart Broad took three wickets in his first three overs but ICC XI fought back on day one in Dubai•Getty Images

England were given a good workout in the field on the opening day of their first warm-up match of the tour as the tail wagged for a ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI. First-class best innings from Christi Viljoen and Boyd Rankin revived the innings after England made a rampant start.Stuart Broad claimed three wickets in his first three overs as England took command at lunch but Namibian allrounder Viljoen and Warwickshire bowler Rankin rallied in the lower order with a partnership of 96 to give England a testing final session.Viljoen’s 98 from 189 balls prevented the ICC XI from being blown away. Broad’s wickets were followed by two for Graeme Swann and a wicket for Steven Finn – playing because of Chris Tremlett’s eye infection and an elbow injury to Tim Bresnan.At 91 for 6 at lunch, it was a gentle introduction to the tour for England. But Viljoen added 32 with Afghanistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad, whose half century was the first resistance for the ICC XI. His counter-attacking innings came from 55 balls and included seven fours.The second act of resistance came through Viljoen after James Anderson had Shahzad caught behind after lunch. Viljoen struck 13 fours and a six to take his side to tea on 182 for 8. But Warwickshire’s Rankin also made a useful score after tea to provide another partnership for ICC XI.Broad returned to wrap up the innings by having Viljoen caught by James Anderson two short of a maiden first-class hundred. He finished with 4 for 46 before Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook safely negotiated four overs to close on 16 for 0.The day had begun with Strauss winning the toss after which England used the new ball to good effect. Broad enjoyed his return to an England shirt for the first time since September by removing the ICC XI top three. William Porterfield tried to flick a full ball to leg and edged behind for one before Paul Stirling played on trying to pull. Kyle Coetzer also fell for single figures as he tried to force off the back foot and edged to Steve Davies – keeping wicket in place of Matt Prior who injured a finger in training yesterday.Finn produced an edge from Majid Haq’s loose drive outside off stump, pouched by Swann low at second slip. Swann was introduced into the attack and was struck down the ground for six by Craig Williams before he pushed forward and edged behind to Davies. Swann then lured Mohammad Nabi out of his crease and he missed with a wild hack to be bowled for a second-ball duck.The fightback arrived before Anderson claimed his second wicket having Rankin caught by Finn at point to break the main stand of the innings. Broad then took his fourth as ICC XI were bowled out for a far higher score than might have been expected.

Rampant New Zealand overwhelming favourites

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ESPNcricinfo previews the first Twenty20 between New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Auckland

Firdose Moonda10-Feb-2012

Match facts

February 11, Auckland
Start time 1900 (0600 GMT)Colin de Grandhomme could debut but will have to contest with Kane Williamson or one of the seamers for a spot•Getty Images

Big Picture

How does a boxer find motivation to keep throwing punches when his opponent is cowering, bleeding and just about begging for mercy? New Zealand may soon know the answer to that as they continue to hammer away at an already ground down Zimbabwe side.The series ends with two Twenty20 matches. In most years that would be only an afterthought, but with a World Twenty20 to be contested later in September, they do have some importance. As the best performing non-subcontinent team at the 2011 World Cup, New Zealand will want to repeat their strong showing in Sri Lanka in the 20-overs showcase event. They have a rather new look side and will use these matches to incorporate more uncapped players and complete their unit.Brendon McCullum spoke about the importance of keeping the intensity up. If the one-day series is anything to go by, New Zealand know how to do that. Not content with merely proving they are a better side than Zimbabwe, they have imposed their dominance brutally and seem to have their minds set on continuing to do that.Zimbabwe are an inexperienced and unsuccessful Twenty20 side. It’s not a format they have played in great quantities at any international level, but the popularity of their domestic tournament has meant that all of the national squad have some recent 20-overs game-time. Already the gulf between what they have been doing at local level and what is required to be done on the international stage has proven wide and deep. Perhaps too wide and too deep. While shorter formats are thought to increase the competitiveness between sides, it may not be true in this case.Demoralised and weary, Zimbabwe will have to feed off their desperation to do well. They certainly have the desire to prove themselves but they have to multiply that a few times to be able to compete with a rampant New Zealand side.

Form guide

New Zealand WWLWW (most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLLLL

In the spotlight

There’s always a bit of needle when a county plays against a team with one of their countrymen in it and Colin de Grandhomme can expect much of the same. The Harare-born New Zealand allrounder even played for Zimbabwe Under-19s but moved to New Zealand in 2006 and has now qualified for his adopted country. He has performed well in the domestic leagues and gets his chance at the highest level, but will have to brace for some hostility from a severely wounded Zimbabwe side.Twenty20 is Elton Chigumbura‘s format, the one where he has the freedom to pay in the carefree manner he appears most comfortable with. With Zimbabwe as down and out as it gets, they may as well give their players the liberty to enjoy the last two matches of the series and play without limitations. If there is one player who will enjoy this sort of approach, it will be Chigumbura. With absolutely nothing but another match to lose, if he decides to make it his day, it could well be.

Team news

New Zealand have two injury concerns – Martin Guptill has a slight groin strain and Jacob Oram experienced tightness in the calf. Both left the field in the last ODI in Napier but Brendon McCullum said he expects both to be fit to play. In particular, he hopes Guptill can continue because he has found a rich vein of form. Andrew Ellis was added to the squad after Dean Brownlie was ruled out with a finger injury and coach John Wright indicated that he would be given an opportunity. The other two uncapped players, Colin de Grandhomme and Ronnie Hira could debut but will have to contest with Kane Williamson and one of the seamers for a spot.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Rob Nicol 4 Colin de Grandhomme 5 James Franklin/Kane Williamson 6 Andrew Ellis 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Doug Bracewell/Ronnie Hira, 11 Kyle MillsAfter axing Hamilton Masakadza for the third ODI, Zimbabwe will likely open with Stuart Matsikenyeri and Regis Chakabva. The last time they played Twenty20s Tatenda Taibu was injured, but he will play. It still allows Zimbabwe to accommodate three allrounders in Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura and Keegan Meth. If both Prosper Utseya and Ray Price play, one of the three seamers will have to sit out.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 2 Regis Chakabva, 3 Brendan Taylor, 4 Tatenda Taibu, 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Keegan Meth 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Ray Price, 10 and 11 Kyle Jarvis/Brian Vitori/Shingi Masakadza

Pitch and conditions

A fair strip, offering plenty for the batsmen is likely to be prepared. Weather in Auckland on Saturday evening should be clear and mild.

Stats and trivia

  • Zimbabwe have only played 18 Twenty20s and have won just three, all away from home. Their last victory came in February 2010 against West Indies.
  • Martin Guptill was the top scorer in New Zealand’s HRV Cup with 504 runs at an average of 72.00. Ronnie Hira and Michale Bates were the highest wicket-takers, with 14 scalps each.

Quotes

“The gap between two teams is always narrowed, the shorter the game. So it means we will have to be more efficient in all areas.”

India under pressure in marquee clash

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ESPNcricinfo previews the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan, in Mirpur

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran17-Mar-2012

Match facts

March 18, 2012
Start time 1400 (0800 GMT)Pakistan look more settled overall, with a superior bowling attack•AFP

Big Picture

If India had beaten Bangladesh, their match against Pakistan would have been a preview to the final. Thanks to their inept bowling in the dying stages of their previous match, and some fearless Bangladesh batting, this tournament is still open. No team has bowed out of the tournament yet, including Sri Lanka, who are yet to open their account. If India and Bangladesh win their remaining games with bonus points, it will leave three teams tied on nine points, meaning the finalists will be decided on net run-rate. If the same two teams win without bonus points, then Bangladesh will go through because they beat India in the head-to-head. A win, tie, no-result, or even a loss without conceding a bonus point, for Pakistan tomorrow will guarantee them a place in the final.Bangladesh’s stunning turnaround has given tomorrow’s clash greater context. However, a downpour at the Shere Bangla Stadium the day before the game means the groundstaff will have to work to ensure the match goes ahead as scheduled. Should weather intervene, there is a reserve day on Monday.The encounter promises to live up to the tournament’s top-billing because these teams have hardly played each other, due to political reasons. India trumped Pakistan in the semi-final of the World Cup, so Pakistan have a score to settle. Despite being drubbed by England in the one-day series in the UAE, they still look a far more settled unit than India.The gulf between the two teams lies in the bowling. Both attacks are spin-heavy, but Pakistan’s is a league ahead in terms of experience and penetration, with the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi. Ajmal’s doosras derailed Sri Lanka in the batting Powerplay and from that point on Sri Lanka were playing catch-up. India failed to run through the Bangladesh batting but they were still well-placed to defend 290. Swinging yorkers from Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan gave India a sniff, but the consistency was lacking. Yorkers made way for length deliveries and full tosses, which were either muscled over the ropes or sliced over point.India’s top order looks more reliable than Pakistan’s, with their top three each having scored a century in the tournament. Sachin Tendulkar may well play with the kind of freedom missing over the last 12 months, after getting the monkey off his back. The Pakistan top order didn’t look fluent against Sri Lanka, and the slow run-rate early led them to throw away their wickets.

Form Guide

(most recent first)
Pakistan WWLLL
India LWWLL

In the spotlight

Ravindra Jadeja is yet to justify the US$2million contract he earned from Chennai Super Kings with performances on the field. He underperformed in the Commonwealth Bank series with both bat and ball, though his fielding remains an asset. He was not used much as a bowler and failed to convert his opportunities with the bat, struggling to clear the bigger Australian grounds. There have been calls for the big-hitting Yusuf Pathan to replace him. However, Jadeja offers the variety of left-arm spin, to go with three offspinners.Fifteen, 5, 12, 2 – scores you would not normally associate with Younis Khan. His last ODI half-century came against Afghanistan, and he has struggled against quality opposition. His shot-selection against Sri Lanka was poor; he attempted an extravagant flick to midwicket and ended up chipping it to mid-on. With Asad Shafiq in the reserves, Younis will have to justify his place with a big score. He is too experienced to endure a prolonged slump.Misbah-ul-Haq’s calm presence is the reason for Pakistan’s upswing, and they would not want to lose his services for a crucial game because of a slow over-rate. The Pakistan captain will be suspended for one game if his side makes another transgression in the next 12 months after the team fell two overs short of the target against Sri Lanka. For tips on how to ensure a quick over-rate, Misbah would rather not consult his counterpart MS Dhoni, who has already been banned for a Test and ODI in recent months for the same offence.

Pitch and conditions

Despite the rain on Saturday evening, the forecast for Sunday suggests a full game will be possible. Both captains will be unsure of how the rain would have affected playing conditions, in particular the usually lightning-quick outfield. In general, the pitches have become better for batting in the evening, and the team defending a target will also have to watch out for possible dew. After Bangladesh’s heist, the captains may back their teams to chase down any target.

Teams

Ashok Dinda was all over the place against Bangladesh, going for 38 off 5.2 overs, so India could consider bringing back Vinay Kumar, if he recovers from injury. There’s still no indication that Manoj Tiwary, who has warmed the bench for so long he may have set it on fire, will get a game.India 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 MS Dhoni, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja/Yusuf Pathan, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Ashok Dinda/R Vinay Kumar, 11 Praveen KumarWith Shahid Afridi not in the best of form with the bat, Pakistan are likely to play an extra batsman, with Umar Akmal taking the wicketkeeping gloves.Pakistan 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Umar Akmal (wk), 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Hammad Azam, 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema

Stats and Trivia

  • The head-to-head record between the two sides in the Asia Cup stands at 4-4.
  • India have the better head-to-head record in matches played in Bangladesh, winning five and losing three.

Quotes

“You cannot take revenge on anyone, but we will try to give our supporters the joy we could not give during that game.”
Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Sehwag keeps Delhi Daredevils at No. 1

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Delhi Daredevils strengthened their reputation as the team to beat in IPL 2012 and marched to a convincing victory over Pune Warriors

The Report by Firdose Moonda 24-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirender Sehwag guided the chase with an unbeaten 87•AFP

Delhi Daredevils strengthened their reputation as the team to beat in IPL 2012 and marched to a convincing victory over Pune Warriors at the Subrata Roy Stadium, with four overs to spare. Warriors had won both previous matches at their new home stadium but were unable to collect a third success after posting too few runs with the bat despite a third-wicket stand of 145 between Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa.Warriors bowlers had few answers for Virender Sehwag and struggled to keep him quiet as they were unable to find the right lines, despite a stern team talk by Allan Donald at the innings break. Their only success came with the run-out of Mahela Jayawardene and wicket of Kevin Pietersen, who top-edged to mid-on. Warriors’ batsmen were made to rue a slow start and an inability to get going despite plundering 47 runs off the last four overs.Irfan Pathan and Morne Morkel did early damage to Warriors and removed Jesse Ryder and Sourav Ganguly in the first two overs. Ryder was guilty of a lazy push in front and was bowled by Irfan’s second ball, which kept low and snuck through him and Ganguly sliced Morkel to third man. Warriors were 2 for 2 and needed a quick recovery.Pandey and Uthappa put up a solid resistance and balanced caution with the need to attack fairly well early on. Pandey opened the boundary count with a confident pull over mid-on off Irfan and a superb drive on the up off Umesh Yadav.Just as the pair started to break the shackles, Daredevils left-arm spin duo of Pawan Negi and Shahbaz Nadeem made sure they were restrained again. They gave away just 33 runs in the six overs they bowled in tandem. Negi should also have had the wicket of Pandey to his name. Pandey hit a full ball straight to Kevin Pietersen at long-on but Pietersen seemed to think it would not carry to him and allowed it fall safely.Nadeem also had a chance to claim Pandey’s wicket, when the batsmen hit a delivery straight back to him in his final over. The ball was hit hard and Nadeem got his hands up in time but could not hold on. Despite putting down both chances Pandey offered them, Daredevils were still able to keep a lid on Warriors.Pandey looked to go bigger in the last six overs and started by smacking Irfan for a four down the ground to reach his half-century off 40 balls. He could not get away though, as Negi’s final over kept the pressure on, although he too dropped a return catch which would have sent Pandey back.The only option was to target the quicks at the end. Pandey used Umesh Yadav’s extra pace to his advantage, hitting him over long-on and past third man while Uthappa tried the same off Morkel. He inside-edged a yorker four four and smacked a ball to long-on before scooping a ball over short fine leg to bring up his half-century. Both batsmen played fine knocks but Sehwag’s proved better.Daredevils’ captain started with a mix of fortune and fury as he was involved in the mix-up which saw Jayawardene run out and inside edged Ashish Nehra for four. In between those, he pulled Nehra in front of square to show some measure of control and seized the rest of it against Luke Wight. He helped a ball to fine leg for four and smashed a slower one over long-on for six. He also won the battle of the captains when he too two boundaries off Ganguly’s only over.With Kevin Pietersen at the other end, Sehwag took Daredevils halfway to their target by the time the time out was called after seven overs. When Pietersen was caught by Ryder for 27, Daredevils needed just 36 more to win. Ross Taylor got some much needed time at the crease and accompanied Sehwag for the last rites. Sehwag continued to pepper the boundary rope and won the match with a six over long-on to create some distance between Daredevils and their rivals at the top of the table.