Indian Cricket Team Updates

The 95-run loss to Australia in the semi-final halted India’s ICC Cricket World Cup, 2015 campaign. Chasing 329, the MS Dhoni-led side were bowled out for 233 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.   ( Also Read:  "Only one team can win": MS Dhoni ) Despite Umesh Yadav's four-wicket haul and some miserly bowling by Mohammed Shami and the spinners, Steven Smith's century followed by James Faulkner and Mitchell Johnson’s (27 off 9) cameos ensured that they set India a formidable target.   Although Shikhar Dhawan's brisk 45 helped India to a decent start, the defending champions faltered after the opener’s departure and were reduced to 108 for four. India faced an uphill task from there on and couldn’t recover from the early loss. While Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni added 70 until the former was dismissed, India couldn’t keep pace with the creeping run rate and also lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out by the Mitchell Starc-led attack.   E...

With a comprehensive 109-run win over Bangladesh in the quarter-final clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground India advanced into the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup, 2015. Rohit Sharma, who had been in patchy form on the tour, lifted India to a formidable total in the all-important knock-out game against Bangladesh. The stylish opener, who last scored a century (138 vs Australia) at the same venue, chose the big occasion to come good again. He held the innings together with a stoically compiled 137 as wickets fell at other end. He bided his time at the crease as he shaped the innings and changed gears later to capitalise on the start. He found an able ally in Suresh Raina (65 off 57) and their 122-run stand for the fourth wicket helped India set Bangladesh a 303-run target.   The Umesh Yadav (four for 31), Mohammad Shami-led attack then bowled the opponents out for 193 to take India into the next round.   Earlier, after beginning the game with a beautif...

India galloped into the quarter-finals with a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in their last game of the league phase of the ICC Cricket World Cup, 2015. Left struggling on 92 for four, Suresh Raina (110*) and MS Dhoni (85*) scripted India's reply with well crafted unbroken 196-run partnership to chase down the 288-run target. Brendon Taylor's last century for Zimbabwe went in vain as the batsmen to follow failed to capitalise on the platform he had laid with a magnificent 138. After Dhoni Elected to field in Auckland, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma put up a disciplined performance as they struck early blows and later reined the opposition in after the spinners had been bludgeoned by Brendon Taylor and co. Although Zimbabwe looked set for a 300-run total, the Indian pacers returned to bowl them out with seven balls to spare.   Earlier, Yadav took the edge off Hamilton Masakadza's bat through to Dhoni to deal the first blow. In the next, Chamu Chibhabha edg...

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma shared a record 174-run opening stand to help India register an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Ireland in ICC World Cup 2015 Pool B match on Tuesday. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on 44 and 33 respectively to take India to the victory target of 260 in just 36.5 overs. The openers - Dhawan and Rohit bettered Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja's 163-run stand against Kenya in 1996 to set India's highest opening stand in World Cups. Rohit scored 64 and en route his half century the right-hander completed 4,000 runs in ODIs (132nd match). This was Rohit’s 25th ODI fifty. Shikhar went on to score a hundred – his second in World Cup 2015. The right and left-handed combination of Rohit and Shikhar scored in quick time to pile up 174 runs in 23.2 overs. Also, the duo’s 174-run partnership is the highest at ICC World Cup 2015 so far, surpassing Moeen Ali and Ian Bell's 172 against Scotland. In the chase, Shikhar Dh...

With a four-wicket win over West Indies at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground in Perth, India strengthened their position at the top of the Group B table in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. ( Also Read:  Dhoni wants Jadeja to be more responsible with the bat ) Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav generated a lot of pace while the West Indies batsmen added to the agony by playing some poor shots and getting bundled out for 182. The three-pronged pace attack used the bounce to their advantage and complemented by the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, they had the opposition tottering on 85 for 7 in the 25th over. However, Jason Holder (57 off 64) put up some resistance to give his side something to bowl at. Chasing 183, India lost wickets at regular intervals, but coming in to bat at 78 for 4, MS Dhoni (45*) patiently overhauled the target.  Earlier, after WI opted to bat Shami and Yadav, complemented by good fielding had the West Indies totterin...

With a nine-wicket against the United Arab Emirates at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground in Perth, India continued their winning streak in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. This is the first time that India have won their first three matches in a World Cup. After UAE elected to bat, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed the openers to leave them on 13 for two. Ravichandran Ashwin then wrecked the middle-order to put India in commanding position. The off-spinner returned with his best ODI figures, 4 for 25, Yadav claimed 2 for 15 and Ravindra Jadeja picked 2 for 23 to help wrap up the opposition for a meager 102 runs. Rohit Sharma (57*) then took India across the line with a 75-run unbroken stand with Virat Kohli.  Yadav hit the deck hard from the word go and struck in his first over to send back opener Andri Raffaelo. The bouncer took the top edge of the bat through to the wicketkeeper. In his next, the pacer would have had Amjad Ali back in the pavilion to...