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SPORTS SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2013
‘Jadeja is coming good’
Says captain Dhoni as he emultes Ganguly’s feat of 76th wins under his captaincy in One-day internationals with victory at his hometown. Kohli second only to Vivian Richards in scoring 4,000
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tatistical highlights of the third one-day international between India and England. Virat Kohli has become the 12th Indian player to complete 4,000 runs or more in ODIs - 4028 at an average of 50.35 in 96 games. Virat (77 not out off 79 balls) has posted his 22nd fifty in ODIs - his 25th innings of 50-plus in a winning cause (12 centuries and 13 fifties). Kohli has averaged 60.46 while chasing in ODIs, amassing 2600 in 53 innings. This includes eight hundreds and 14 fifties. Kohli has been adjudged the Man of the Match 13th times in ODIs. His previous award against England was for posting an unbeaten 112 at Feroz Shah Kotla on October 17, 2011. India won the game with 131 balls to spare – their biggest in terms of balls remaining against England in ODIs, obliterating their victory by four wickets with 123 balls remaining at Jaipur on October 15, 2006. India’s well-deserved seven-wicket victory is their 45th in 84 matches against England - success per cent 56.79. Joe Root (39) has posted his highest score in ODIs. England (155) have registered their third lowest total against India in ODIs - their lowest is 125 at Jaipur on October 15, 2006. Ravindra Jadeja (3/19) has registered his second best bowling figures against England in ODIs,next only to the four for 33 at Eden Gardens on October 25, 2011. Virat Kohli, during his match-winning knock, has completed his 4,000 runs in 93 innings - the second quickest in ODIs, next only to 88 by West Indian, Vivian Richards. Ranchi has become the 42nd ODI venue in India.
RANCHI: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said the team had found a “perfect” bowling all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja (above), who once again produced a spirited show to help the hosts comfortably beat England by seven wickets in the third ODI here. Dhoni said India were struggling for a bowling all-rounder with the only option being Irfan Pathan, but in Jadeja the team had found a suitable answer. “He (Jadeja) is definitely someone who is giving us that balance. In that way, Jadeja is the perfect person to have,” Dhoni said. “We have been struggling with the bowling all-rounder. Irfan is the only one that we have got. “Before the new rules were introduced, we used to rely on Yuvraj Singh and other part timers to get over with the 10 overs. But with the new rule, Yuvi will need a bit more time to settle down as a bowler.” Dhoni, however, refused to put extra pressure on Jadeja as a batsman and said the team’s top-order needs to perform. “He can bat a bit, but at the same time, we don’t want to expose him too much right now. The top-order needs to perform and he bats at No 7 for us. “We have seen glimpses of him who
Cook rues absence of DRS RANCHI: England captain Alastair Cook today rued the absence of Decision Review System (DRS) in the ongoing tour of India after Kevin Pietersen fell to an umpiring blunder in the third cricket ODI here today, which the visitors lost by seven wickets. A poor umpiring decision by Indian official S Ravi gave India the prized scalp of Kevin Pietersen, who was wrongly adjudged caught behind off Ishant Sharma’s bowling. “It is frustrating when decisions don’t go your way but that happens in cricket, especially without DRS,” he said of the decision as India took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. can really take on the bowlers. It does not matter if you’re quickie or a spinner,” he said. Dhoni further said the team’s support staff was working on Jadeja’s batting. Terming him as a good prospect, Dhoni said: “We just need to keep faith in him and hope he will get better and PTI better.
NZ win by one wicket PAARL, SOUTH AFRICA: James Franklin (pic) batted skillfully with the tail to secure a tense one-wicket upset win for New Zealand in the first one-day international against South Africa at Boland Park on Saturday. Franklin hit 47 not out as
Scoreboard South Africa 208 All out (C Ingram 29, F du Plessis 57,R McLaren 33, R Kleinveldt 26,McClenaghan 4/20, Franklin 1/44, Williamson 4/22) New Zealand 209/9 (B Watling 45, J Franklin not out 47, K Mills 26,Tsotsobe 2/43, Kleinveldt 2/37, McLaren 4/46) Result: Kiwis won by 1 wicket Man of the match: James Franklin (NZL)
the last three New Zealand wickets added 104 runs in a low-scoring match after South Africa had been bowled out for 208. He put on 35 for the eighth wicket with Nathan McCullum (24) and 47 for the ninth wicket with Kyle Mills.
When Mills was bowled by Ryan McLaren for 26 there were still 22 runs needed but Franklin successfully farmed the strike before hitting McLaren through the covers for the winning boundary. “It was incredibly satisfying to come up against the top side in the world, be under pressure and come through,” said New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. Franklin, whose runs came off 61 balls, added: “We were trying to bat as deep as we could. We know these (lower order) guys are no mugs with the bat.” It was a heartening result for New Zealand at the start of the three-match series after they lost both Test matches by AFP an innings.
We will dig up pitches: ABVP BHUBANESWAR: A day after Bajrang Dal asserted it was opposed to participation of Pakistani women cricketers in the World Cup, BJP student wing, ABVP, today threatened to dig up pitches ahead of the team’s matches at Cuttack next month. Opposition to Pakistani players gained momentum with a number of organisations coming forward to oppose the women cricketers from the neighbouring country. Cuttack MP Bhartuhari Mahtab of Naveen Patnaik’s BJD too disapproved the idea of allowing Pakistani cricketers to play matches in his constituency. “This is a sensitive issue. Pakistani soldiers have beheaded our jawans along the LOC. Despite having committed such a heinous act, Pakistan have no regret for this. Under such circumstances, players from that country should not be allowed here,” Mahtab told reporters. While ABVP activists demonstrated here opposing the Odisha Cricket Association’s decision to welcome Pakistani players, the youth wing of Utkal Bharat, a fringe party, pledged to ensure that the women squad did not touch the soil here. “The law and order situation will deteriorate further if OCA sticks to their plans to inviting Pakistani players to play.”
‘Short man’ has big plans
KARACHI: A towering man of seven feet one inch, fast-rising Pakistan pacer Mohammad Irfan often struggles to find bowling shoes that fit and a comfortable bed. But on the pitch, the 30year-old former factory worker is more than comfortable with a new ball, cleverly using his height to unsettle some of the best batsmen with bounce, pace and variation.
Pakistan tagged Irfan a “surprise package” on their tour of India; despite taking just three wickets, he plagued the opposition’s much-vaunted batting. “We jokingly call him the short man,” Pakistan Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez told AFP. “We knew he would be a surprise package and with his determination and hard work I hope that he can go a long way in international cricket.” It is only now that officials accept him to be 7’1’’. In the past, his height has been purportedly measured at 6’8” and 6’10”. “My height was measured at the US embassy when I applied for visa in 2010,” Irfan said, boasting of being the tallest ever international cricketer, surpassing West Indian Joel Garner and Australian Bruce Reid who stood AFP at 6’8”.