Asia Cup 2016: Onus lies on Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma to provide solid platform for India

 

Shikhar and Rohit have found the confidence as a pair for India upfront and that has been the reason for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to find success in the shortest format of the game. Shikhar's transition in form has been a positive factor for India in Australia and against Sri Lanka at home recently.

The left-hander had a miserable time with the bat against South Africa in 2015 and struggled prior to that series too. But since then his approach should be lauded and he seems to make the chances count when he sets out to bat.

Rohit missed out against Sri Lanka apart from the 43 runs in Ranchi and the slow Bangladeshi pitches will test his approach and patience.

With the coveted Asia Cup in Bangaldesh, Dhawan will hope to get India ticking alongside Rohit Sharma who had a dream ODI and T20 series against Australia. With Rohit likely to take his time and look to finish games, the onus lies on Dhawan in setting the attack mode from the very beginning.

The understanding and running between the wickets between the duo has been notable. India will want the two batsmen to continue their surge at the top of the order. India who face Bangladesh in the first game will need to be wary of their bowlers who have made a mark at home. The challenge against Mustafizur Rahman and the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed will test the opening duo.

Shikhar and Rohit's application has provided a cushion to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and their performances will be the key again in Asia Cup to give India the platform for the rest of the team.

 

 

Pakistan Super League can't produce players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma right away, says Waqar Younis

The Pakistan Super League is having its inaugural year as a competition which is being held in Dubai.

Waqar said that expectations shouldn't be very high from the PSL in the first year itself and that it will take 3-4 years.

"I think we shouldn't keep our expectations high from the PSL in its first year. It will take time say three to four years before we can expect this league to also give us the Virat Kohli's or Rohit Sharma's like the IPL did for India," he said.

The Indian Premier League is into its ninth season and has produced several youngsters who have shone in the cash-rich tourney. The IPL has also helped to shape up Kohli and Rohit over the years and the investment is now being returned. The duo have taken T20 and ODI cricket by storm and Waqar feels PSL needs time to produce international material players.

"But we need to be patient and give it atleast three to four years before we can expect the PSL to mould our young talent into international material players," he said.

"But we need to be patient and give it at least three to four years before we can expect the PSL to mould our young talent into international material players," he said.

With the Asia Cup and ICC World Twenty20 coming up next month some of the players chosen in the squads haven't been given much chances by the PSL franchises.

"I am a bit surprised that Babar Azam is not playing in all matches and Muhammad Irfan is not being tested out fully,'' he opined.

India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I: Dhawan, Ashwin star as clinical hosts hit back to level series 1-1

After losing the first match at Pune, Shikhar Dhawan and Ravinchandran Ashwin played stellar roles to help India register a convincing 69-run win at Ranchi to level the series 1-1.

Chasing India's 196/6, the visitors could managed only 127 from the stipulated 20 overs with the loss of nine wickets.

Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and invited India to bat first on a seemingly dry top. Unlike the pitch in Pune, the pitch at JSCA International Stadium Complex was a typical sub-continental one, with limited assist to new ball bowlers.

India started their innings in a confident note with Rohit Sharma hitting the very first delivery of the match for a four over the covers. The Mumbai batsman was, however, soon overshadowed by a brilliant Dhawan.

The Delhi batsmen went onto registered his first fifty of the format. He reached the mini-milestone off just 22 deliveries. His batting efforts earned him the Man of the Match award, eclipsing Thisara Perera's brilliant hat-trick.

He was ably supported by a Rohit, who made 43 off 36 deliveries. Their 75-run opening stand laid the foundation for India to post a good total. Besides the openers, Indian top-order batsmen produced runs even as skipper Dhoni promoted rookie Hardik Pandya ahead of himself and Yuvraj Singh.

Ajinkya Rahane, batting at no.3, contributed with 25 valuable runs off 21 deliveries, while Suresh Raina and Pandya played two superb innings to get India to a good total.

Raina scored 30 off 19 balls, and he took some to time to get into the T20 mood. But it was altogether a different story for Pandya, who scored 27 off 12.

If it was not for Perera's hat-trick, India could have ended up scoring more than 210. The Sri Lankan bowler got the wickets of Raina, Pandya and Yuvraj in the penultimate over to restrict the Indian innings.

Dhoni started the defence with Ashwin opening the bowling. And his tactics showed results with spinner getting the better of Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan in the second ball. Ashwin's superb start was responded by Ashish Nehra, by taking the wicket of Seekkuge Prasanna in the very next over.

From that double-blow, the visitors never recovered with Indian spinners taking over the reigns in the middle overs.

Ashwin returned with an impressive figures of 4-0-14-3, while Nehra was bit expensive for his 3-0-26-2.

Jedeja contained the middle order batsmen, taking two wickets by conceding 24 runs in his four-overs spell.

Skipper Dhoni himself got into act with a super-fast stumping to dismiss rival skipper, who made 31.

Chamara Kapugedera was the top scorer for Sri Lanka with 32 off 27.

But towards the end, youngster Jasprit Bumrah showed his guile once again, taking two wickets to clean up the Lankan tail.

Third and final match of the series will be played at Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

ICC World Twenty20: Pawan Negi surprise inclusion in India's 15-man squad; Manish Pandey, Umesh Yadav left out

There weren't many surprises as the Sandeep Patil-led committtee, more or less retained the same squad that played three-match T20I series against Australia recently.

The only new face in the side was left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, while pacer Umesh Yadav and hero from India's 5th ODI against Australia Manish Pandey failed to make the cut.

BCCI secretary announced the squad at a press conference:

Here is the complete 15-man squad:

MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinjkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Shami

Team India upbeat after warm-up

The WA bowlers kept pegging things back with regular wickets and Rahane's departure once again spelt trouble for the Men in Blue. 

Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey sparkled with half-centuries but rest of India's batsmen put up a lacklustre performance before the bowlers came good to hand the team a 64-run win over a second string Western Australia XI in the warm-up one-day cricket match on Saturday.

Electing to bat, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side did not have the best of starts, losing two quick wickets but Rohit Sharma (67) and Ajinkya Rahane (41) stitched an 88-run third-wicket partnership to help the visitors put up a respectable score. 

Shikhar Dhawan (4) and Virat Kohli (7), who were top-scorers in the first warm-up T20 game on Friday, failed to get going as they fell to new-ball bowler Drew Porter, who bagged a five-wicket haul. 

The WA bowlers kept pegging things back with regular wickets and Rahane's departure once again spelt trouble for the Men in Blue.

Barring Tests, Shikhar Dhawan, who has had a decent record Down Under will look to provide that opening start to establish a stern foundation. 

Although Virat Kohli failed to shine in the WACA encounter, his performance will prove vital going into the series that gets underway on January 12.  

Post the matches, members of the Indian cricket team were seen signing autographs. Dhawan seen signing a few for his fans.  

Mumbai star cricketer Ajinkya Rahane didn't miss out the opportunity to click a few selfies along with his fans.

Newly-married Rohit Sharma too obliged to his fans signing autographs and T-shirts for his fans.