1st ODI: Hughes slams ton on Debut as Aussies crush Sri Lanka by 107 runs

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Australia beat Sri Lanka by 107 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five match ODI series. Chandimal was the highest scorer for Sri Lanka with 73 runs. Clint McKay took 4 wickets for 33 runs to push Sri Lanka on the back foot.

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Sri Lanka: Over: 40 II Score: 198/10

Sri Lanka have been folded up for 198 runs. No other batsman except Chandimal offered any resistance to the Aussies. Clint McKay was the best bowler for the Aussies with figures of 4/33.

BMAJ Mendis c Bailey b Johnson 20 (18b 1x4 1x6)

LD Chandimal c †Haddin b McKay 73 (95b 7x4 1x6)

NLTC Perera c Bailey b Johnson 4 (8b 0x4 0x6)

KMDN Kulasekara c Bailey b McKay 18 (15b 3x4 0x6)

BAW Mendis c †Haddin b McKay 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

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Sri Lanka: Over: 30 II Score: 132/5

Sri Lanka have collapsed like a house of cards. They first lost Dilshan in a desperate attempt to up the scoring rate and two more wickets have fallen since. Sri Lanka need 174 runs from 20 overs. Chandimal meanwhile has reached his half century laced with five boundaries and a six.


TM Dilshan run out 51 (70b 4x4 0x6)

AD Mathews run out 12 (14b 0x4 0x6)

HDRL Thirimanne run out 0 (0b 0x4 0x6)


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Sri Lanka: Over: 20 II Score: 82/2

Sri Lanka have managed to not lose any further wickets although runs have not come at a very brisk pace. Dilshan batting on 38* and Chandimal on 33* completed 50 runs partnership in 77 balls. Batsmen playing nice and safely but they need to accelerate if they want to make a match of this.

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Sri Lanka: Over: 10 II Score: 33/2

Sri Lanka have received a huge setback with the dismissal of Jayawardene. The bowling from Australia has been very tight and Sri Lanka are finding it tough to gets runs.

DPMD Jayawardene c Finch b McKay 5 (9b 1x4 0x6)

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Sri Lanka: Over: 5 II Score: 16/1

Sri Lanka begin this huge chase with Dilshan and Tharanga. Starc had been bowling really well and his constant questions around the corridor of uncertainty has resulted in Tharanga’s wicket. Now its upto the experienced Dilshan and captain Jayawardent to guide their team to victory.

WU Tharanga c Haddin b Starc 1 (8b 0x4 0x6)

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Australia: Over: 50 II Score: 305/5

Australia have finished with a bang. David Hussey punished the Sri Lanka bowlers with his 60* of 34 balls. His knock included six hits to the fence and a huge six. Sri Lanka have been set a very tough target and it will be interesting to see how the Lankan batsmen approach this mammoth total.

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Australia: Over: 45 II Score: 254/5

Australia have lost their centurion Hughes and also their captain Bailey. Bailey and Hughes have laid the foundation for a very good score for Australia. David Hussey is playing well now with 21 runs off 15 balls.

GJ Maxwell c BAW Mendis b Kulasekara 5 (6b 1x4 0x6)

PJ Hughes c Chandimal b Malinga 112 (129b 14x4 0x6)

GJ Bailey c BMAJ Mendis b Mathews 89 (79b 8x4 1x6)


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Australia: Over: 38 II Score: 200/2

Phillip Hughes has scored a century. This has been a gem of an innings from the debutant. This innings also makes him the first Australian to score a ton on ODI debut. He has played shots all over the wicket and has been very severe on the loose balls.

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Australia: Over: 30 II Score: 156/2

Hughes is playing a gem of an innings here. He is batting on 84* with 11 hits to the fence. Bailey, batting on 48* has hit five fours and a six so far. Australia are in the middle of a very good partnership here. Malinga has been completely ineffective and has failed to put the batsmen under any kind of pressure. Australia look all set for a big score.
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Australia: Over: 20 II Score: 90/2

Hughes is batting on 54*. His innings has been the highlight of the morning so far. He has hit seven fours in his innings. Australia have lost two wickets though and that has put them on the back-foot a little. Captain George Bailey has come out to the middle to accompany Hughes and is batting on 12*.

AJ Finch c Chandimal b BAW Mendis 16 (28b 0x4 0x6)

UT Khawaja run out 3 (11b 0x4 0x6)

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Australia: Over: 10 II Score: 52/0

Hughes and Finch have given Australia a good start. Sri-Lankan bowlers have been good with their line and length but have not managed to pick up a wicket as yet. Hughes has been very positive and has hit six boundaries in his innings of 34*. Finch batting on 16 has been comparatively subdued but has looked solid in the middle.

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Australia won the toss and elected to bat first

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India`s woes continue as they lose by nine runs in 1st ODI

 

Rajkot: India`s woeful run of losses continued after a struggling top-order failed to convert good starts even on a placid track as England drew first blood with a thrilling nine-run victory in the first cricket one dayer here on Friday.

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Chasing a stiff target of 326, India lacked the batting firepower and were restricted to a 316 for nine in a high-scoring contest to concede a 1-0 lead to visitors in the five-match series.

Opting to bat first, England rode on a record 158-run opening stand between captain Alastair Cook (75) and in-form Ian Bell (85) to post an imposing 325 for four on a batting paradise at the newly built Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium.


The Indians conceded as many as 38 runs in the final two overs with Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar giving away 20 and 18 runs respectively. The late flourish by England proved costly for the hosts.

India began the run chase in right earnest with Ajinkya Rahane (47) and an out-of form Gautam Gambhir (52) adding 96 runs for the opening stand but both were guilty of frittering away a good start.

Yuvraj Singh (61), Suresh Raina (50) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (32) were other notable scorers but again none of them could translate the start into a match-winning effort.

Off-spinner James Tredwell was te pick of the English bowlers as he scalped four for 44 while Jade Dernbach chipped in with two wickets.

It was a creditable turnaround for the visitors who came into match with back-to-back defeats in the warm-up games against India A and Delhi respectively.

The two teams will now travel to Kochi for the second one-dayer to be held on January 15.


But Raina's departure in the 42nd over followed by the successive dismissals of skipper Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the 45th over virtually sealed India's fate.

The rest of the batsmen were not up to the task of scoring the remaining runs though Ravichandran Ashwin (13) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (20 not out) brought the hosts closer to the target with a partnership of 24 for the 8th wicket but the target proved just beyond reach.

The victory is England's 14th in 41 ties between the two teams in this country.

Earlier, opting to bat first, England were powered by a record century partnership between captain Cook and Bell, who both scored impressive half centuries after the visitors chose to bat first.

Cook and Bell compiled 158 runs for the first wicket breaking a 30-year record for England against the hosts in the process to lay a fine platform on a placid track.

Left-handed Cook made 75 in 84 balls with 11 fours and a six while his right handed partner was slightly more aggressive in making 85 off 95 balls with nine fours and one six.

The duo departed in quick succession just past the halfway stage of the innings but the good work of the openers was continued by latter order batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan.

Pietersen (44 in 45 balls) and Eoin Morgan (41 in 38 balls) put on a breezy third wicket stand of 76 runs in 9.5 overs before both fell in 12 balls to Ashok Dinda.

However, Samit Patel smashed 44 not out in 16 balls, with six fours and a six, and added 70 runs in the last six overs with Craig Kieswetter who remained unbeaten on 24 off 20 balls with a four and two sixes.

The last two overs cost India 38 runs and with it the match in the final analysis. India commenced the stiff run-chase, having earlier made a winning score of 325 for 5 against the West Indies in November, 2002 at Ahmedabad - their highest at home - on a very sound note.

Openers Gambhir and Rahane batting confidently against the pace bowlers to rattle up quick runs before both perished to off spinner Tredwell in successive overs.

Both batsmen played the flick, glance and slash well to gather runs at a fast clip and Gambhir even struck fast bowler Steven Finn for three successive fours in the latter's third over in which the English bowler conceded 17 runs.

The 50 was raised in the 7th over before there was a minor scare when Gambhir narrowly made it home after sprinting for a second run to deep square leg.

But the advent of double off-spin in the form of Tredwell and Joe Root brought down the run-rate a bit and in their eagerness to up the tempo both openers fell.

Rahane was the first to go when he failed to reach the pitch of the ball after stepping out to Tredwell and lofted a catch to long off to the 57th ball he faced.

Tredwell sent back Gambhir soon after the left handed batsman had surged to his half century and the Indian 100 had come through a catch at short mid wicket when the batsman flicked the off-spinner.

From 96 for no loss, things became tougher for the hosts at 102 for 2 in the 19th over and at the end of the 20th India were 104 for 2, eight runs off their rivals' score at the same stage. By the halfway stage, the difference was nine in favour of England.

India fell further behind when Kohli departed for 15, edging one to wicketkeeper Kieswetter off Tim Bresnan leaving home team at a difficult 138 for 3. It was the Delhi batsman’s 4th failure in as many innings.

However, Yuvraj put India ahead in the next five by launching an all-out attack on Dernbach and hitting the medium pacer for three successive leg side fours in the 28th over and another in the 30th to race to his 50 in 38 balls, containing a six - a leg side heave off Bresnan - and eight fours.

At the end of the 30th over, India had moved ahead to 176 for 3 in comparison to England's 167 for 1.

Suresh Raina gave Yuvraj good support as the two left-handers kept India in the hunt by adding 60 runs in 9 overs.

But India suffered a big setback when Tredwell induced the well-set Yuvraj to paddle sweep and the top edge was caught at fine leg just inside the 30-yard circle by Dernbach. It was the off spin bowler's third wicket of the innings.

Though the home team was ahead by 10 runs after the 35th over at the start of the mandatory bowling powerplay, they had lost two extra wickets and at that stage needed 128 runs from the last 90 balls.

Raina, now the aggressor and senior partner, took 11 runs off Finn's 36th over and then slammed the wayward Dernbach for two leg side fours in the 39th.

In the 40th over there was a controversial appeal for a catch by Bresnan at third man off Raina after the ball had been dropped by the diving fielder and taken off the turf.

Third umpire Vineet Kulkarni ruled the decision in Raina's favour when the batsman was on 40. India added 33 runs in the bowling powerplay which left the hosts needing to get 95 runs in the last 10 overs. They could manage only 85 though.

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Dhawan, Milind power Delhi to fantastic win over England

 

New Delhi: Shikhar Dhawan served a timely reminder to the national selectors with a brilliant century as Delhi defeated England by six wickets to hand the visitors their second successive defeat in warm-up games here today.

Chasing a difficult 294 for five set by England, Delhi rode on skipper Dhawan`s 110 and Milind Kumar`s unbeaten 78 to overhaul the target with nine balls to spare.

Left-hander Dhawan, who last played for India in the West Indies, cracked his 110 off only 109 balls to set up a chase which initially looked difficult. He hit 13 boundaries and three huge sixes --- one each off Jade Dernbach, James Tredwell and Stuart Meaker.

If Dhawan and Unmukt Chand (37) started the chase well, adding 98 for the opening stand, unheralded youngster Milind and veteran Rajat Bhatia (45 not out) finished off the run chase with a flourish as they smashed 103 runs off 72 balls.

The day, however, belonged to Dhawan who hogged the limelight with brilliant authorative display. Time and again, he drove the pace quartet of Steven Finn, Dernbach, Meaker and Chris Woakes through the covers. The moment, the pacers dug it in short, he was quickly in a position to play the pull shot.

Dhawan completed his century off 98 balls with a big six off Tredwell over deep mid-wicket.

Credit should also be given to young Milind, who showed a lot of maturity and paced his innings to perfection. Whether it was playing the slash over deep third man or driving on the up, Milind had an answer to everything that was thrown at him.

Milind hit seven fours and three sixes in his 85-ball knock. The shot that stood out was a six over extra cover off Meaker.

Earlier, Ian Bell scored a fine century as England posted a challenging score of 294 for five after being put into bat.

Having scored 91 in the first match against India A, Bell was again in fine form as he batted with lot of responsibility scoring 108 runs with the help of 10 fours and two huge sixes.

The main feature of the England innings was Bell`s 113-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Eoin Morgan, who smashed 52 off 55 balls.

Bell hit 10 boundaries and two sixes in 125 balls while Morgan hit five fours and two sixes. Craig Kieswetter also thrashed the Delhi bowlers to finish with 41 off 27 balls which included three sixes.

Morgan-Bell duo got their runs in only 93 balls as the Delhi attack led by India discard Ashish Nehra looked pedestrian.

While Parvinder Awana bowled a good first spell, it was certainly not enough as England got off to a good start with skipper Alastair Cook (44) and Bell adding 70 runs for the opening wicket.

Cook, who opted out of the first practice match, decided to rest Kevin Pietersen today. The left-hander hit some lovely strokes during his 57-ball stay. The best of his seven boundaries was a cover drive off Awana.

While Cook was batting, Bell decided to play the role of second fiddle as he let his captain take bulk of the strike.

It was seamer Sumit Narwal, who gave Delhi their first breakthrough when he bowled Cook. Young Joe Root tried to play a sweep shot off left-arm spinner Varun Sood and the resultant skier was taken by Punit Bisht.

Samit Patel (13) was then bowled by an arm ball from Sood that kept very low.

Once Morgan joined Bell, the duo started taking on the Delhi bowlers. Bell hit Rajat Bhatia for a hige six into the middle tier of the deep mid-wicket stands. Bell`s second six was straight into the sightscreen.

Morgan also made merry as he hit Nehra for a straight six and then pulled him for a boundary.

For Delhi, young spinner Sood was the best bowler with figures of three for 45 as Nehra went for 48 in nine wicketless overs.

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MS Dhoni given Man of the Match award to boost his self-confidence

New Delhi: It seems that India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is going through one of the hardest times of his international career. Such delicately poised is his confidence at the moment that he needs a pat on his back to boost his morale. He was given exactly that in the third One Day International at Delhi against Pakistan except the pat happens to be a Man of the Match award.

Times of India on Tuesday reported that MS Dhoni was not the first choice for the MoM award given to him in the Delhi ODI played on Sunday. It was simply given to him to boost his self-esteem.

Quoting a former cricketer who was in the panel to decide the player of the match, the daily claims that since Team India isn’t faring well for quite some time, it was decided that Dhoni should be given the award.

The decision came as an unpleasant surprise to many, who thought that players like Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Saeed Ajmal had done enough to be the leading contender for MOM than the Indian skipper.

Dhoni top scored in the Indian innings with 36 and later effected two dismissals in the final ODI against Pakistan.

Among those who were expected to land the award, Jadeja chipped in with a valuable 27 and later bowled 10 overs in which he took a wicket and gave away just 19 runs. He also took a brilliant catch in the deep that ended Umar Gul’s innings. Earlier, Ajmal had the Indians on the mat as he took five wickets in just 9.4 overs to end with 5/24 – his best figures in ODIs. Young pacer B. Kumar along with Ishant Sharma, who took three wickets, also put up an impressive performance during the contest.

The daily also reported that Pakistan was unhappy with the decision to award Dhoni MoM award ahead of opener Nasir Jamshed during the first ODI in Chennai.

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Steve Finn to spearhead England attack in India ODI series

London: Fast bowler Steven Finn has been asked to spearhead the England attack in the upcoming One Day series in India.

In the absence of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann for the One Day tour, Finn has emerged as the team`s biggest weapon.

He was the most impressive bowler during One Day tour to India in 2011, and used it as a launching pad to become the third member of England`s first choice for the Test pace attack, the Mirror reports.


Bowling coach David Saker said that losing Anderson and Swann from the team means that it is a chance for someone else to stand up and take the lead, adding that Finn is the one who probably needs to take that role.

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