India Cricket News
India vs Sri Lanka Cricket Series 2008
IND vs SL, 2nd ODI, Dambulla: India may shuffle batting line up to counter Lankans
Aug 19, 2008
India may opt to shuffle their struggling batting line-up as they go into the second cricket one-dayer against Sri Lanka at Dambulla tomorrow hoping to find a way to regain their winning touch.
After losing the Test series, the Indians made a poor start to the one-dayers by losing the first game here by eight wickets and it will need a far more inspiring performance by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men to reverse their fortunes.
The absence of Virender Sehwag, who has been ruled out of the series because of an injury, has come as a big blow for the Indians who have been forced to have a re-look at the batting order.
The Indian think tank is now toying with the idea of shuffling the batting order for the crucial second game of the five-match series.
But with an average age of around 24 years, Dhoni and his men will have to move mountains to get a stranglehold of the on-going series and this may force the skipper to move himself and other seniors up the batting order.
However, Dhoni will be missing the fire power of his most experienced batsman Sehwag who can really be destructive on his day.
In that scenario, vice-captain Yuvraj Singh, who hit an explosive 172 in the lone practice match before the start of the ODI series, opener Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni himself will have to take the responsibilty on their shoulders to guide the relatively junior batsmen of the team.
Sri Lanka team (from): Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Malinda Warnapura, Jehan Mubarak, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara.
India team (from): M.S. Dhoni (capt. & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, S. Badrinath, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, R.P. Singh, Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha.
Injured Sehwag out of Sri Lanka one-day series
Aug 19, 2008
India’s opener Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the ongoing one-day series against Sri Lanka due to an ankle injury, a top official said at Dambulla on Monday.
“He (Sehwag) is out of the series,” said Indian manager Sanjay Desai. Sehwag missed the opening one-dayer of the five-match series at Dambulla on Monday after failing to recover from the injury, sustained during a practice session on Sunday evening. India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said they would miss the in-form batsman, especially after the team’s eight-wicket defeat in the first match. “He was the batsman in top form. It (injury) was quite bad yesterday and he is still in the hotel,” Dhoni said during the post-match press conference.
“That’s the way it goes in cricket. You can’t really think about the guys you are missing. Instead, you must fill that space. That’s the only way the team can win.” Sehwag was the top scorer in the recent three-Test series against the hosts as he made 344 runs, including an unbeaten 201 in his team’s victory in the second match in Galle. India eventually lost the series 2-1. He has made 5,810 runs in 191 one-day internationals with nine hundreds and 29 half-centuries.
IND vs SL, 1st ODI, Dambulla: Sri Lanka beat India by eight wickets
Aug 18, 2008
Sri Lanka thrashed India by eight wickets Monday in the first one-day international with captain Mahela Jayawardene scoring an unbeaten 61.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, India was dismissed for 146 runs in 46 overs - its worst one-day international total in Sri Lanka.
In reply, Sri Lanka scored 147-2 with 15 overs to spare in the opening match of the five-match series.
India's innings was 17 runs lower than its previous worst batting performance in Sri Lanka - 163 all out in 1998.
Young spinner Ajantha Mendis, who took 3-21, was named man of the match.
Despite its poor score, seam bowler Munaf Patel raised India's hopes with two early wickets. He dismissed opener Sanath Jayasuriya for 10 runs with India on 18. Jayasuriya stepped out to hit Patel only to sky the ball for a catch by Irfan Pathan.
Kumar Sangakkara (19) tried to force the ball through the on-side but instead gave a simple return catch to Patel to leave Sri Lanka at 45-2.
However, the dismissal brought Jayawardene and Chamara Kapugedera together who guided their team to victory with an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 102.
The second one-day match takes place Wednesday.
Sri Lanka Team: Jayasuriya, Sangakkara, M Jayawardene, Kapugedera, Silva, Dilshan, Vaas, Thushara, Kulasekara, Mendis, Muralitharan
India Team: Kohli, Gambhir, Raina, R Sharma, Yuvraj, Dhoni, I Pathan, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Ojha, Patel
IND vs SL, 1st ODI, Dambulla: Sri Lanka 147 for 2 (34.5 overs) beat India 146 all out (46.0 overs) by eight wickets
IND vs SL XI, Warm up Match, Colombo: Yuvraj fires India to easy win in warm-up match
Aug 11, 2008
Yuvraj Singh geared up for the one-day series against Sri Lanka with an explosive 172 to power India to a comfortable 92-run victory in a practice match at Colombo on Friday.
The left-hander smashed 13 sixes and eight fours in his 121-ball knock as the tourists posted a challenging 342-5 before restricting a Sri Lankan XI to 250-6 in a 50-over clash.
The five-match one-day series starts in Dambulla on Monday.
Yuvraj went on the rampage after completing his century, hitting four successive sixes off spinner Jehan Mubarak. He was caught at deep mid-wicket by Mahela Udawatte while attempting a big hit off seamer Chanaka Welegedara.
"The knock gave me a lot of confidence. I had prepared well before coming here and hope to maintain my form. My intention was to spend time in the middle because I haven't played for a while. Then I played my strokes," said Yuvraj.
"The conditions will be different in Dambulla, so we tried to have partnerships to make a good total. It's important we play according to the conditions and that's what we will try there."
Yuvraj was involved in three valuable stands, adding 77 for the third wicket with Suresh Raina (45), 85 for the next with Rohit Sharma (24) and 99 for the sixth wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (20 not out).
The hosts never looked like reaching the stiff target despite impressive half-centuries from middle-order batsman Mubarak (60) and left-handed opener Upul Tharanga (50).
Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan was the most successful Indian bowler, taking 2-48, while off-spinner Harbhajan Singh claimed 1-38 off 10 tight overs.
Sri Lanka won the recent Test series with India 2-1.
IND vs SL XI, Warm up Match, Colombo: India 342-5 in 50 overs beat Sri Lankan XI 250-6 in 50 overs by 92 runs
Kumble blames it on batsmen
Aug 11, 2008
India captain Anil Kumble has blamed their defeat in the Test series in Sri Lanka on his side's batting. Only Virender Sehwag registered a century for India in the series - an unbeaten 201in the second Test, which India won. Indian batsmen handed Sri Lanka a 2-1 series win.
| Tests |
1st Test
Colombo |
2nd Test
Galle |
3rd Test
Colombo |
Avg. |
Total |
|
Batsman / Innings
|
I
|
II
|
I
|
II
|
I
|
II
|
|
V Sehwag
|
25
|
13
|
201
|
50
|
21
|
34
|
68.80
|
344
|
|
G Gambhir
|
39
|
43
|
56
|
74
|
72
|
26
|
51.66
|
310
|
|
R Dravid
|
14
|
10
|
2
|
44
|
10
|
68
|
24.66
|
148
|
|
S Tendulkar
|
27
|
12
|
5
|
31
|
6
|
14
|
15.83
|
95
|
|
S Ganguly
|
23
|
4
|
0
|
16
|
35
|
18
|
16.00
|
96
|
|
VVS Laxman
|
56
|
21
|
39
|
13
|
25
|
61
|
43.00
|
215
|
|
D Karthik
|
9
|
0
|
7
|
20
|
DNP
|
DNP
|
9.00
|
36
|
|
P Patel
|
DNP
|
DNP
|
DNP
|
DNP
|
13
|
1
|
7.00
|
14
|
|
A Kumble
|
1
|
12
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
9
|
4.83
|
29
|
|
H Singh
|
9
|
15
|
1
|
11
|
3
|
26
|
10.83
|
65
|
|
Z Khan
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
32
|
0
|
8.60
|
43
|
|
I Sharma
|
13
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
17
|
0
|
11.66
|
35
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
India Total
|
223
|
138
|
329
|
269
|
249
|
268
|
-
|
-
|
|
Sri Lanka Total
|
600/6
|
-
|
292
|
136
|
396
|
123/2
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Result
|
SL won by an innings and 239 runs
|
IND won by 170 runs
|
SL won by 8 wickets
|
SL won the Series 2-1
|
Italics are not out
Injured Tendulkar out of Sri Lanka one-dayers
Aug 11, 2008
Ace Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar will miss the upcoming one-day series in Sri Lanka due to an elbow injury, an Indian official said at Colombo on Monday.
Tendulkar, the world's leading scorer in one-day internationals with 16,361 runs in 417 matches, sustained the injury while attempting a catch on Saturday during the third and final Test against Sri Lanka here.
He had returned for the Tests after missing a triangular one-day series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan recently due to injuries.
Indian team manager T. C. Mathew said Tendulkar would be leaving for home soon.
Sri Lanka, who won the Test series 2-1 on Monday, will now take on the tourists in a five-match one-day series starting in Dambulla on Aug 18.
IND v SL, 3rd Test, Day 4, Colombo: Sri Lanka clinch India Test cricket series (2:1)
Aug 11, 2008
Sri Lanka survived early blows to clinch the series against an injury-ridden India with a comfortable eight-wicket victory on the penultimate day of the third and final Test at Colombo on Monday.
The hosts lost Michael Vandort and Kumar Sangakkara in the opening seven overs before reaching a 122-run target in the closing session, thanks to Malinda Warnapura (54 not out) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (50 not out).
Sri Lanka had won the opening Test by an innings and 239 runs and India the second match by 170 runs.
India, trailing by 147 runs, were bowled out for 268 in their second innings despite gutsy half-centuries from a struggling Rahul Dravid (68) and an injured Venkatsai Laxman (61 not out).
The tourists were without paceman Ishant Sharma, who batted with a runner but was unfit to bowl after falling on his follow-through on Saturday.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh shared the new ball with Zaheer Khan and struck with his fourth delivery when he bowled out-of-form opener Vandort (eight), who finished the series with just 39 runs.
Zaheer claimed a big wicket in his fourth over when he removed Sangakkara, who drove straight to Gautam Gambhir at mid-off. Sangakkara, who made a solid 144 in the first innings, contributed only four.
There were no more hiccups for Sri Lanka as Jayawardene and left-handed Warnapura made the most of India's depleted attack, adding 101 for the unfinished third-wicket stand.
Mendis was named man of the series and Sangakkara man of the match for his brilliant hundred.
IND v SL, 3rd Test, Day 4, Colombo: Sri Lanka 396 & 123 for 2 beat India 249 & 268 by 8 wickets
Harbhajan Singh back in India one-day squad
Aug 07, 2008
India has recalled ace spinner Harbhajan Singh to its squad for this month's five-match limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, while resting pace spearhead Ishant Sharma.
India's selectors Thursday elected to bring Singh back to the limited-overs squad after his five-match suspension for slapping fellow national squad player Shantakumaran Sreesanth during a domestic twenty20 tournament in April.
Singh, who is currently playing in the test series in Sri Lanka, missed a Bangladesh tri-series and the Asia Cup in Pakistan due to the five-match ban imposed on him by Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Also recalled to the one-day squad were star batsman Sachin Tendulkar and pace bowler Zaheer Khan, who had been sidelined with injuries but are both featuring in ongoing test series in Sri Lanka.
The Indian cricket board's secretary, Niranjan Shah said Mahendra Dhoni will be back to lead the team against Sri Lanka and the biennial Champions Trophy, after missing the tests against Sri Lanka. Dhoni was rested after playing nonstop cricket for a couple of years.
Shah said India will send 16 players for the one-dayers in Sri Lanka, and the squad will be reduced to 15 for the Champions Trophy in September. Paceman Munaf Patel and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel will be omitted and Sharma brought back in.
The selectors also brought in rookie middle-order batsman Virat Kohli, while dropping batsman Robin Uthappa, allrounder Yusuf Pathan and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla from the squad that lost the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka.
India Team:
Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Pragyan Ojha; Ishant Sharma (to miss Sri Lanka series); Munaf Patel and Parthiv Patel (to be omitted ahead of Champions Trophy).
Indian Cricket Players
Mahendra Dhoni to be conferred Khel Ratna
Aug 04, 2008
India's one-day and Twenty20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Monday chosen for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, country's highest honour for a sportsperson.
An expert committee, chaired by Milkha Singh, met on Monday in New Delhi to discuss the nominees and they decided to confer the award on Dhoni for leading India to the Twenty20 World Cup triumph -- making him only the second cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to get the honour.
Sources in the Sports Ministry, however, informed that an official announcement would follow only after August 20.
Meanwhile, BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty hailed the decision.
"On two occasions, we felt let down when Rahul Dravid didn't get Khel Ratna and Yuvraj (Singh) was denied Arjuna. Dravid was in good form, we had won 16 ODIs on the trot and the team was on a high -- still he did not get the award.
"Yuvraj too was unlucky not to get Arjuna after two years of consistent performance. We are happy Dhoni got it," he told a news channel.
Shetty said what impressed him most about Dhoni was the way he conducted himself.
"What I like most about Mahi, apart from his cricket, is the way he leads. He is a cool customer and never gets agitated. I'm also impressed by his clarity of thought. He speaks his mind even if it may not be seen in the right sense," he added.
India vs Sri Lanka Cricket Series 2008
IND v SL, 2nd Test, Galle, Day 4: India win by 170 runs to level series (1:1)
Aug 03, 2008
Offspinner Harbhajan Singh bagged a 10-wicket match haul Sunday as India claimed the last five Sri Lanka wickets for just six runs to win the second Test and square the series.
After a humiliating innings defeat in the series opener, India salvaged its reputation with a strong performance with the ball and will go into Friday's deciding Test in Colombo with momentum.
Chasing a target of 307 runs to win in the second innings, Sri Lanka lost their way early, losing four top-order wickets for 37 runs on the fourth day.
Opener Virender Sehwag who hammered an unbeaten 201 and followed it up with a 50 in the second innings was named man of the match.
A 76-run partnership between Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan looked to resurrect the innings as they went for tea at 109-4, but Singh struck soon after tea when he had Dilshan (38) lbw, triggering a precipitous collapse by the tail.
Thilan Samaraweera's unbeaten 67 was the only highlight for the hosts who capitulated meekly against some aggressive Indian bowling.
Samaraweera faced 126 balls and hit eight boundaries as he watched wickets tumble at the other end.
India, which had a 37-run lead on first innings, was bowled out for 269 in its second innings in Sunday's opening session, giving Sri Lanka an achievable chase.
However India immediately savaged the top order, quickly reducing Sri Lanka to 10-3.
Ishant Sharma found the edge of Malinda Warnapura's bat, with V.V.S. Laxman snapping up the catch to dismiss the opener for a duck, with the score on 4.
Zaheer Khan nailed the dangerous Kumar Sangakkara (1) in the next over, also caught by Laxman, before captain Mahela Jayawardene (5) slashed at Sharma and was taken by Rahul Dravid at cover-point.
Resuming after lunch at 24-3, Sri Lanka soon lost an out-of-form Michael Vandort (10) trapped lbw by Singh.
After Dilshan's departure early in the final session, Sri Lanka could not find a tailender who was able to hang in and support Samaraweera.
Singh finished with 4-51 for the innings to record his fifth ten-wicket match haul.
That matched the effort of young Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis, who also claimed 10 match wickets in only his second Test.
IND v SL, 2nd Test, Galle, Day 4: India 329 & 269 beat Sri Lanka 292 & 136 by 170 runs
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