Indian Cricket Team Updates

Everything went according to plan for India at the WACA. The bowlers worked as a unit, put pressure on the Windies batsmen and bundled them out for 182. In the run-chase though on what was thought of as a cake walk, India stuttered. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and finally for the first time in the tournament, India were under the pump. It required a disciplined batting effort to take India through and it came from their captain who led India to a close four-wicket victory scoring an unbeaten 45. There was a time in the innings when India had lost its top five and wanted Ravindra Jadeja the batsman to show character and play a supporting role to his captain. Jadeja instead lived dangerously, flashed a few and ultimately mistimed a pull and gave away his wicket at a crucial juncture of the match. “I think he needs to improve,” Dhoni said, reviewing Jadeja’s performance of late. “He needs to step up because we have a lot of faith in him. But at the end of the day you...

On a wicket that offered a lot of bounce, it was R Ashwin who made optimum use of the conditions at the WACA, registering career best figures of 4 for 25 against the UAE. With three wins in as many games, India next meet West Indies at the WACA on Friday. For Ashwin though, preparations remained the same irrespective of the opposition. “In terms of approach or preparation towards the game it is going to be the same because we are prepared for every other team the way we have prepared for the big teams,” Ashwin said. “It is not going to be very different and I am pretty confident about executing my skill tomorrow.”  When asked if he had any specific plans to keep Gayle quiet, Ashwin was of the view that his main motive was to take wickets against batsmen who have been a dominating force in international cricket. “It is not just about Chris Gayle, it is about any other hard-hitting batsman when it comes to my bowling. As far as I am concerned I will look to get their wicket and g...

Two months back, when the five wise men of Indian cricket were jotting down names for the 15-man World Cup squad, Mohit Sharma was sweating it out in a Ranji Trophy fixture for Haryana in Lahli. In fact, that very morning he took a hat-trick against Delhi and ended up with a four-wicket haul in the match. He would later find out that he would have to take a flight for Australia to be a part of the ODI tri-series. To his disappointment though, he did not find his name on the World Cup squad list.  ‘Never mind’ Mohit, told himself. Work ethics won’t change, the hunger would remain a constant and with time he would find meaning to the saying ‘Hard work pays’. Injury concerns to the Indian pace battery would mean Mohit would stay back with the Indian squad as for cover. In restless times, assurance would comfort him and as luck would have it, he was named as a replacement for Ishant Sharma who was flown back home due to a knee injury.  RELATED LINK: Video: Mohit Sharma hat-...

The match was the 50th between India and West Indies on Indian soil. Only Australia (51) have played India more often in India.    (Also Read:  Report: India vs West Indies, 4th ODI ) MS Dhoni was playing his 250th ODI. He became first Indian and only the fourth wicketkeeper after Kumar Sangakkara, Mark Boucher and Adam Gilchrist to reach this mark. Virat Kohli (127) scored his 20th ODI hundred – his third against West Indies. Kohli took 133 innings to score 20 ODI hundreds, which makes him the quickest to reach this mark. Sachin Tendulkar held the previous record taking 197 innings. The hundred was Kohli’s eighth on Indian soil. This takes him ahead MS Dhoni’s tally of seven hundreds in India. Now only Sachin Tendulkar (20) has scored more ODI hundreds on Indian soil. Kohli on 17, completed his 1000 runs against West Indies. He became the fourth Indian to do so after Sachin Tendulkar (1573), Rahul Dravid (1348) and Sourav Ganguly (1142). By taking 21 inni...

After Virat Kohli (127), complemented by Ajinkya Rahane (68) and Suresh Raina (71). guided India to a formidable 330/6, India bowled West Indies out for 271 to post a 59-run win and claim the curtailed ODI series 2-1.     (Also Read:  Virat’s 20th ODI ton gets him more mentions in record books ) Capitalising on the start provided by the openers, the Kohli-Raina pair set up the game in the hosts’ favour with a 138-run stand in Dharamsala. Kohli’s watchfully compiled knock the was cynosure of all eyes as India piled on runs. In reply, Marlon Samuels too posted a valiant hundred in an effort to salvage the West Indian innings even as he lost partners at regular intervals at the other end. After the new-ball bowling pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav kept the WI on a tight leash and built on the pressure, Samuels kept the team afloat with a 112-run knock, but with the lack of support from the other end his effort couldn’t keep the side from losing the fourth ODI. F...

BCCI shocked and surprised at WICB’s decision to cancel the ongoing tour of India The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has informed the BCCI of its decision to cancel the rest of its ongoing tour to India because of a dispute with its players, and has advised the BCCI that its players will return home immediately.  The BCCI is shocked and extremely disappointed at the decision taken by the WICB. The WICB’s inability to resolve internal issues with its players and allowing the same to affect an ongoing bilateral series does not reflect well on any of those involved. The withdrawal gives little thought to the future of the game, the players and the long standing relations between the BCCI and the WICB. The BCCI wishes to inform all its stakeholders, especially ardent fans of the Indian cricket team, that this is a unilateral decision taken by the WICB and its players, in spite of several appeals to the WICB to honour its commitment and complete the series. The BCCI will pursue al...

The All-India Senior Selection Committee met in Mumbai earlier today, to pick the following squads: The team for the three-day game between the Board President’s XI and the West Indies, to be played at Kanpur from 25 October to 27 October. Board President’s Squad for the three-day game against the West Indies, to be played at Kanpur from 25 October to 27 October: Suresh Raina (Captain), Jiwanjot Singh, K.L. Rahul, Naman Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha, Karun Nair, Parvez Rasool, Pankaj Singh, Ishwar Pandey, Jasprit Bumrah, Karn Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav. source: bcci.tv

The All-India Senior Selection Committee met in Mumbai earlier today, to pick the following squads: Indian team for the Royal Stag Cup India vs West Indies T20 2014, to be played at Cuttack on 22 October: M.S. Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Stuart Binny, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Sanju Samson, Manish Pandey, Umesh Yadav source: bcci.tv

The All-India Senior Selection Committee met in Mumbai earlier today, to pick the following squads: The Indian team for the last two games of the Micromax Cup India vs West Indies ODI Series 2014, to be played at Dharamshala and Kolkata on 17 October and 20 October respectively.  The matches will be played at Dharamsala and Kolkata on 17 October and 20 October respectively. Indian team for the last two matches of the Micromax Cup India vs West Indies ODI Series 2014: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay, Kuldeep Yadav, Akshar Patel

The third game of the Micromax Cup India vs West Indies ODI series 2014, which was to be played at Vishakhapatnam on 14 October, has been cancelled as a result of the natural calamity that has impacted the city. The last two matches of the ongoing ODI series will be played as per schedule, at Dharamshala and Kolkata on 17 October and 20 October respectively. source: bcci.tv

The wicket of Shikhar Dhawan was 100th for Jerome Taylor in ODIs. He became the 15th West Indies bowler and 122nd overall to take 100 or more ODI wickets.    (Also Read:  Report: India vs West Indies, 2nd ODI ) Only three West Indies bowlers have reached the 100-wicket mark in fewer matches than 68 taken by Taylor. They are: Curtly Ambrose (61), Ian Bishop (61) and Joel Garner (67).  (Also Read:  Death bowling - Mohammad Shami’s new forte ) Virat Kohli (62) made his 50th fifty-plus score in ODIs (19 hundreds and 31 fifties). He became eighth Indian to do so after Sachin Tendulkar (145), Rahul Dravid (95), Sourav Ganguly (94), Mohammad Azharuddin (65), MS Dhoni (65), Yuvraj Singh (64) and Virender Sehwag (53). Kohli is the second quickest in ODI annals to score 50 fifty-plus scores taking 140 matches to accomplish this feat. Only Viv Richards (136 matches) did so in fewer matches than Kohli. India’s total of 263 for seven was their highest in a day-night matc...