CBS - India v. Australia

Weather God Helped Whom?

The first match of the Commonwealth Bank Series between India and Australia was washed out due to rain! The match, though looked like going in favor of Australia during the middle overs of Indian batting, after the rain, the match swung in favor of India.

You never know the next moment in a rain impacted match. The team batting first may score 350 in 50 overs, but the team batting second may need to score 250 in 30 overs, but they have all the 10 wickets in hand. So, the chase could be little easy.

India won the toss and decided to bat first--a brave decision by captain Dhoni, considering the experience of the team. Shewag and Sachin opened the innings as expected and the start was good, but could have been better. Shewag's try to square cut the Bracken's delivery took in the inside edge of the bat and knocked the bails. Sachin was out strangely, the first ever time--hit wicket. Though Gambir and Rohit Sharma played well and added some score, it didn't last for long. The lower batting order also collapsed.

Rain stopped play and the overs was reduced to 45 a side leaving India with 9 overs when play started. Dhoni added few valuable runs, but Lee was demolishing with his superb bowling performance. India finished with 194 in 45 overs loosing all wickets.

Rain delayed the Australian innings and the target was revised to 141 in 26 overs.
Ishant Sharma's superb in-swinger removed Hopes's off stump and Sressanth's outswinger leavin the right hander, taking Pointings edge was the hall mark of Indian bowling. Rain stopped play when Austraia were 51 for 3 in 7.2 overs. Match was called off! Each team finished with 2 points each.

Final Score:

India 194 in 45 overs (Gambhir 39; Sharma 29; Dhoni 37; Harbhajan 27; Lee 5 for 27) match abandoned due to rain; Australia target 141 in 26 overs (D/L method) 51 for 3 in 7.2 overs (Hopes 17; Sreessanth 2 for 17)

Ricky and Australia Take Sweet Revenge in 20-20!

India lost the 20-20 match against Australia by 9 wickets and close to 9 overs spare. After winning the toss, I thought they will choose to bowl, but to my surprise, they batted first. With the inexperienced batting line up in Australian grounds, I would have bowled first. Anyway, they didn't bat well and nothing the bowlers can do.

No one except Irfan Pathan scored double digit figure. He batted sensibly and no one was there to play the full quota of 20 overs. It looked like a practice area for catching. The turning point of the match was the run out of Shewag, which of course was created by the great fielding by MJ Clarke. He should be given full credit for the wonderful fielding and direct hit at non-stricker's end when Shewag took a risk for a single.

I would advise Sreesanth to have his performance talk rather than his mouth and temperament talking. His performance should definitely improve as his experience is very less compared to the great players in the history of cricket. He is not McGrath, Lee, Akram or a Kapil to have his emotions talk rather than his performance.

The score card is given below:

Played at Melbourne Cricket Ground on 1 February 2008 - day/night (20-over match) - Toss: India; Captains: India-MS Dhoni; Australia-Ricky Pointing; Australia won by 9 wickets with 52 balls spare; Man of the Match: MJ Clarke; Umpires: BNJ Oxenford and SJA Taufel

India 73 all out in 17.3 overs (IK Pathan 26; NW Bracken 3 for 11; AC Voges 2 for 5) lost to Australia 75 for 1 in 11.2 overs (AC Gilchrist 25; MJ Clarke 37 NO; BJ Hodge 10 NO)

Hope the young and less experienced Indian team would learn from the mistakes and look for a good start in the Commonwealth Bank Series tournament that starts on February 3, 2008.

What's Happening in West Indies Cricket Team?

It is not a good series for West Indies, which once was the dangerous team to play against. They were the world champions twie in the shorter version of the game, but that glory was not maintained well by the successors!

After the 1983 world cup, I would say, West Indies team's collapse started and there was less occassions where they won comfortably--either it be a match or a series. So many captains after Lloyd lead the team--Richardson, Walsh, Lara, Jimmy Adams, Carl Hooper, Ridley Jacobs, Chandra Paul, Ramesh Sarwan, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, and Dawne Bravo.

It is indeed a bad opening in 2008 for West Indies against the mighty South African. This 5-0 white wash should be removed from the memory and just the learnings should be carried forward. The West Indies Cricekt Board and the cricket supporters in and around the world, should treated it as an investment to the future!

The Short Scores of this Series:

1st ODI:

Played at SuperSport Park, Centurion, on 20 January 2008 (36-over match) - Toss won by South Africa; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 6 wickets with 12 balls to spare; Man of the Match: JP Duminy; Umpires: DJ Harper and RE Koertzen

West Indies 175 all out in 35.5 overs (RS Morton 41; DJG Sammy 51; DW Steyn 2 for 24; A Nel 2 for 36) lost South Africa 176 for 4 in 34 overs (JH Kallis 24; JP Duminy 79 NO; MV Boucher 26 NO)

2nd ODI:

Played at Newlands, Cape Town, on 25 January 2008 - day/night (50-over match) - Toss won by South Africa; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 86 runs; Man of the Match: SMPollock; Umpires: DJ Harper and BG Jerling

South Africa 255 for 9 in 50 overs (GS Smith 86; AB de Villiers 45; JP Duminy 68; JE Jaylor 4 for 34) beat West Indies 169 all out in 48.2 overs (S Chattergoon 34; S Chandrapaul 54; M Morkel 4 for 36; SM Pollock 2 for 13; CK Langeveldt 2 for 28)

3rd ODI:

Played at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, on 27 January 2008 (50-over match) - Toss won by West Indies; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 7 wickets with 8 balls to spare; Man of the Match: JH Kallis; Umpires: DJ Harper and IL Howell

West Indies 252 for 7 in 50 overs (S Chattergoon 52; PA Browne 35; MN Samuels 98; J Botha 2 for 29) lost South Africa 256 for 3 in 48.4 overs (GC Smith 56; JH Kallis 121 NO; JP Duminy 36 NO)

4th ODI:

Played at Kingsmead, Durban, on 1 February 2008 - day/night (50-over match) - Toss won by West Indies; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 5 wickets with 13 balls to spare; Man of the Match: AB de Villiers; Umpires: DJ Harper and IL Howell

West Indies 263 for 9 in 50 overs (BA Parchment 48; S Chattergoon 48; S Chandrapaul 28; PA Browne 34; JE Taylor 43 NO; A Nel 2 for 44; M Morkel 2 for 60) lost South Africa 266 for 5 in 47.5 overs (GC Smith 50; HH Gibbs 39; AB de Villiers 77; JP Duminy 44; DJ Bravo 2 for 31)

5th ODI:

Played at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on 3 February 2008 (50-over match) - Toss won by South Africa; Captains: South Africa--GC Smith; West Indies--DJ Bravo; South Africa won by 8 wickets with 13 balls spare by D/L method; Man of the Match: HH Gibbs; Umpires: DJ Harper and BG Jerling

West Indies 295 for 7 in 50 overs (DS Smith 91; S Chandrapaul 51, PA Browne 49 NO; DJ Bravo 40; RN Lewis 28 NO; CK Langeveldt 3 for 61) lost to South Africa 211 for 2 in 28.5 overs (HH Gibbs 102; JH Kallis 74 NO; DBL Powell 2 for 39)

South Africa Won the Series - 5-0
Man of the Series: JP Duminy (South Africa) and SM Pollock (South Africa)