Sports

  Australia surprise India in ODI series opener

 

Pune: Australia raised their game to beat India by 72 runs in the opening game of the seven match ODI series at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here Sunday.
Aaron Finch (72 off 79 balls) and captain George Bailey (85 off 82) set up Australia's 304 for eight before their bowlers did a brilliant job to stop India at 232 all out in 49.4 overs. James Faulkner struck thrice while other pacers Shane Watson and Clint Mckay picked up two wickets each.
It was a good comeback from the visitors who were outplayed in the one-off T20 Thursday. The second ODI takes place in Jaipur Wednesday.
Australian bowlers learnt their lessons from the Rajkot tie and bowled a much better length, using the odd short and slower ball to good effect.
The stylish opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan (7) and Rohit Sharma (42) found it tough to push the scoring rate.
Faulkner had Dhawan caught behind with an away going ball. The left-arm pacer's celebrations went awry as he ended up hitting wicketkeeper Brad Haddin in the eye while going for a high-five.
After the opener's departure, Virat Kohli (61 off 85) and Suresh Raina (39 off 45) too did not get many loose deliveries from the opposition attack. They put up 71 runs together but were not able to find the boundaries needed to keep up with the asking rate.
Their fall along with the in-form Yuvraj Singh (7) meant Indian were struggling at 166 for five in the 35th over, needing another 139 off 92 balls.
It was time for another Mahendra Singh Dhoni special but when the Indian captain was bowled by Mckay, the target seemed out of reach for the hosts. The ball did just enough to disturb his off-stump.
Australia, just like the India innings, made a cautious start on a pitch assisting the fast bowlers.
Openers Phil Hughes (47 off 53) and Finch went for their strokes after getting their eye in.
Finch as expected was the aggressor in the 110-run stand, smashing the spinners and pacers alike.
Ravindra Jadeja made the much needed breakthrough by removing Hughes. Yuvraj had the dangerous Watson (2) caught at long on in the next over, making it 113 for two in the 19th over. Watson played a bad shot and lofted it straight into Jadeja's hands, gifting Yuvraj his first ODI wicket since the 2011 World Cup.
His second scalp was Finch, who hit straight to Kohli at long off ending an innings that included three cracking sixes and eight boundaries. His back brought relief to the Indian camp as the Victoria born cricketer looked in ominous touch and had made a blistering 89 in the one off T20 in Rajkot.
Yuvraj then showed again that he was back to full fitness, getting Adam Voges run out with a spectacular direct hit, leaving the Aussies 172 for four with 18 overs to spare.
Bailey played a captain's knock to take his team to a competitive total and was aided by a timely cameo from Glen Maxwell (31 off 23).

BCCI set to grant Sachin Tendulkar's wish

 Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar's wish to play his 200th and final Test on his home ground is all set to be granted when the BCCI's Programmes and Fixtures committee meets on Tuesday to chalk out the detailed schedule of next month's West Indies tour.

The committee, headed by Rajiv Shukla, will finalise the schedule of the hastily-arranged series comprising two Tests and three one-dayers.
While doing so, the committee will also grant Tendulkar's wish to play his last Test at the venue where he made his debut in first class cricket -- the Wankhede Stadium.
The Mumbai Cricket Association president Ravi Savant has already stated that the BCCI has agreed to allot Tendulkar's farewell Test to MCA.
The Caribbean outfit is set to play two Tests, from November 6-10 and November 14-18, as well as three ODIs, on November 21, 24 and 27, during its short tour.
The first Test is likely to be played in Kolkata, while the venues for the three subsequent ODIs will be decided on Tuesday.
The BCCI is also planning a grand farewell for Tendulkar. The board had squeezed in the home series against the West Indies to give Tendulkar an opportunity to retire in front of his home fans.
Tendulkar last week announced his decision to retire from Test cricket after playing his landmark match, bringing an end to the intense speculation about his future.

Ferguson replaces Clarke in India squad

Callum Ferguson has been recalled to the Australian ODI squad for the India tour after the captain Michael Clarke formally withdrew due to his chronic back condition. Nic Maddinson has also been added to the squad for the Twenty20 match that precedes the seven 50-over matches.

ESPNcricinfo reported last month that Clarke was set to be taken out of the squad in order to ensure his back recovers fully from its most recent flare up in time for the start of the home Ashes series against England. His absence means that George Bailey will again lead the ODI team, with wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as his deputy.

Alex Kountouris, the Australia team physio, said Clarke's back had been slow in responding to daily treatment since his return home from England. "Michael Clarke has a longstanding low back injury that requires ongoing management," he said. "During the recent England ODI series his injury flared up again and has been slow to improve with his regular treatment regime.

"Michael will therefore not be available to play the upcoming India ODI series and will require a more extensive rehabilitation period before returning to competitive cricket."

Ferguson possesses a handsome limited-overs record for Australia but has been used only sparingly since a serious knee injury curtailed a successful run in the team in 2009. The national selector John Inverarity said Ferguson had backed up those performances with a strong domestic limited-overs season in 2012-13.

"Michael was very keen to captain the ODI team to India but unfortunately he hasn't progressed enough to be available for selection," Inverarity said. "His replacement is Callum Ferguson, whose form in 50-over cricket during the last Australian summer was impressive, scoring 271 runs at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 70 in the Ryobi Cup, along with an additional three matches for Australia A against the England Lions in February, scoring 149 runs in three innings at 49.66 with a strike rate of 91."

Maddinson's selection for the T20 fixture follows strong showings for Australia A on tours of the British Isles and southern Africa earlier this year. His powerful, free-swinging approach impressed national team coach Darren Lehmann in particular. "Nic showed some sparkling form on Australia A tours during the winter," Inverarity said. "He will be in strong contention to open the batting with Aaron Finch in the T20."