Ireland refuse to give up on Cup dream

Irish skipper William Porterfield still believes his team can qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals despite their five-wicket defeat to India. Ireland, who have won just one of their three matches in Group B, still have to face the West Indies, South Africa and the Netherlands in their remaining games.

"We've got three games left and there's no reason we can't beat any of the three teams we're playing," said Porterfield. Ireland are fifth in Group B with two points, two behind South Africa and West Indies with the top four teams in each pool going into the last eight.

Indian star Yuvraj Singh, who was named man of the match in Sunday's game for his brilliant all-round performance (5-31 and 50 not out), was all praise for Ireland, saying they could surprise any big team in the tournament. "At the last World Cup in the Caribbean, they beat Pakistan and in this tournament they successfully chased 327 (against England). They have been doing really well," said Yuvraj. "Their fielding was outstanding and the stand (113 runs between Porterfield and Niall O'Brien) was very good.

They can put big teams under pressure. They should be playing a lot of international cricket." Porterfield added that his team's never-say-die attitude will always make them a handful. "I am happy with the way my team fought and the way the boys fielded and bowled," Porterfield said after his side succeeded in keeping pressure on the home side in the day-night match on Sunday. Porterfield rallied Ireland with an impressive 75, steadying the innings with a 113-run stand with Niall O'Brien (46) after his side had lost two wickets for nine runs.

Ireland, who upset England by three wickets last week, bowled and fielded superbly while defending a modest total of 207 as they reduced India to 100-4 before Yuvraj guided his side home with an unbeaten 50. "Losing two wickets in three overs is not good for any team. We did well from there, but we kept losing wickets after that," Porterfield said, adding his dismissal came at the wrong time. The Irish captain fell just when his side looked set for the final onslaught after reaching 160-5 in 37 overs, caught in the covers by Harbhajan Singh off Yuvraj. "We should have kicked on from there, but we lost wickets and that set us back a bit. But we did well to keep the Indians under pressure, especially defending a small total like that," he said. "We did well.

We're fighting well and we fought right until the end. An extra 40 runs could have been interesting." Left-arm spinner George Dockrell put India in a spot when he removed batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar (38) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34) after paceman Trent Johnston had rocked India with two early wickets.

Source: http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/37774/ireland-refuse-to-give-up-on-cup-dream

Tweet

Dhoni should read rules first: ICC

The International Cricket Council on Tuesday advised India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to read the rules related to Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) before questioning the implementation of technology during the matches. Dhoni, who is not in favour of using the UDRS, had yet again posed a question mark over the system following the controversy surrounding Ian Bell's decision in the tied World Cup game with England on Sunday. "Adulteration of technology with human thinking is bad.

That's why we didn't get that wicket. Hopefully, next time it will be either technology or human intention," Dhoni had said after the match. ICC general manager, Dave Richardson, said Dhoni should be aware of the rules before commenting. "There are a set of rules along with the hawk-eye to assist in making the decision when UDRS is implemented ... Most of the time, a player is not fully aware of all the rules," Richardson said.

"If Dhoni is made aware of the specifications of these rules, then I am sure that he will accept the Bell decision," Richardson told a television channel. The TV replays had showed that the ball bowled by Yuvraj Singh would have hit stumps but umpires ruled not out even after the review of the call. "If the Hawkeye says it's going to hit the stumps, then there is no reason (why an appeal should be turned down)," Dhoni had said. UDRS is being used in the World Cup for the first time.

Source: http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/37403/dhoni-should-read-rules-first-icc

Tweet

India captain Dhoni 'rages against the machine'

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit out at the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (URDS) after a key decision went against his side in their dramatic World Cup tie with England. England, replying to India's 338 all out after Sachin Tendulkar's record-breaking fifth hundred in World Cup cricket, finished on 338 for eight following a magnificent career-best 158 from captain Andrew Strauss. Left-handed opener Strauss shared a vital third-wicket partnership of 170 with Ian Bell (69).

But their stand was worth just 52 when left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh thought he had Bell lbw on review for 17, with replays showing the ball would have hit the stumps. Bell had started to walk off but because New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden's verdict was not out, the decision was returned to him by Australian replay official

Rod Tucker and the Kiwi deemed Bell to be too far down the pitch. However, a capacity crowd of mainly passionate India fans were left bemused having seen Bell 'dismissed' on the Chinnaswamy Stadium's giant replay screens.

Bell himself clearly thought he was out, walking off the pitch before his clearly unexpected reprieve and Dhoni too couldn't understand why he was allowed to continue his innings. India have stood alone amongst major nations in refusing to use UDRS in Tests after getting on the wrong side of the system during a series away to Sri Lanka in 2008 where several reviews went against them. "The adulteration of technology with human thinking meant we didn't get that (Bell) wicket," said Dhoni.

He was unhappy with the instruction to umpires at this World Cup that says if a batsman is more than 2.5 metres down the pitch he should be given not out, unless the ball would have hit middle stump. It was not certain if Bell's middle stump would have been knocked over but Dhoni said: "If Hawkeye says it's good and going to hit middle stump, I see no reason why the distance matters. "Simon (Taufel) once gave me out (like that) in the Champions Trophy. If I can be given out, why not any other batsman? It is pretty difficult for me, what I saw was ball hitting the stumps." Dhoni praised left-arm quick Zaheer Khan for a burst of three wickets for one run in six balls, including two in two to get rid of Bell and Strauss, that swung the match back India's way when England were on course for victory. "Well you know the way they were going, I think they got off to a very good start, I think Andrew (Strauss) batted really well.

There was a time I think where it seemed they were going to chase the score in 48, 49 overs," he said. He added: "We could not win the match, but England too could not finish the game, both teams were facing defeat or victory at some point." England needed 14 off the last over, from seamer Munaf Patel, but managed just 13 despite a third ball six from tailender Ajmal Shahzad. But Dhoni said it was India's fielding, long their Achilles heel, that had cost them a second victory of this tournament to set alongside their 87-run opening win over fellow co-hosts Bangladesh. "We could have fielded better. With this tie, everyone in the team will realise that even one run is important," said the captain.

Source: http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/37253/india-captain-dhoni-rages-against-the-machine

Tweet

Tough to improve fielding, says India skipper Dhoni

India's sloppy fielding nearly cost them defeat against England but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted it would be difficult to lift standards in his ageing side. India racked up a huge score of 338 in their clash on Sunday in Bangalore, helped by a century from Sachin Tendulkar, but the match ended in a dramatic tie after England skipper Andrew Strauss hit 158. The host nation's powerful batting line-up has fired in both World Cup matches so far but there are growing concerns about their bowling and fielding after conceding 283 in their win against Bangladesh and 338 against England. Dhoni said it would be tough to boost fielding standards due to the make-up of the squad after a cumbersome fielding performance. "I don't think we can improve the fielding very much because we have got quite a few slow fielders in the side," he said. "But as far as the bowling department is concerned I think we have got a talented group so hopefully in the coming games we can improve a lot." Tendulkar is the oldest player in the squad, at 37, with Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan both 32 but a number of other players are also nearing 30. Giving his reaction to the sensational tie, Dhoni said: "I am not disappointed, not excited. I have got mixed feelings. There were times when we could have lost, and times when we could have won the match." "It was a thrilling match because both the teams were facing defeat or victory at some point. All credit to England for the way they batted," he added. Asked about his frequent discussions with Sehwag during the England innings, Dhoni said he consulted senior players for the good of the team. "There are quite a few decisions you have to make. We have some experienced guys and we are always trying to make the best decisions for the team," he said. "I always let the fast bowlers set the field when they are bowling. It's only when they don't work I set my own." Asked about the inclusion of leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, Dhoni said he was not sure whether three seamers would have given the right balance. He said paceman Ashish Nehra needed to be 100 percent fit to be considered for selection.

Source: http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/37269/tough-to-improve-fielding-says-india-skipper-dhoni

Tweet

Strauss benefits as Team India turns deaf

Bangalore: The Indian team seems to have a 'hearing problem' in addition to its bowling and fielding woes which led to its failure to defend a strong score of 338 in the World Cup match against England here last night.

Much has has been spoken and written about how poor bowling and fielding in addition to a late batting collapse that resulted in the fall of India's last seven wickets for 33 runs and nearly enabled England to win.

But two huge blunders committed by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan appear to have gone unnoticed in the debate and discussion over the tied match.

England skipper Andrew Strauss, who was the architect of India's agony by hitting his highest ODI score of 158, should have been out when he has scored a mere 13 if wicket-keeper Dhoni, Zaheer or close-in fielders had appealed for a caught behind at that point. Strauss clearly nicked a Zaheer delivery but there was no appeal by the Indians.

98 runs later, the England skipper had another stroke of luck when he again edged Zaheer to Dhoni with his score at 111 but none of the Indians on the field appealed.

Some of the television commentators, who heard the replays of the clear nicks, thought that the Indian players probably did not hear the edges because of the crowd noise -- an unconvincing argument given the fact that Indian cricketers are used to noisy, boisterous crowds everytime they set foot on the field. No cricket ground in the world has as vocal spectators as Kolkata's Eden Gardens where over one lakh fans turn out for big matches.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/strauss-benefits-as-team-india-turns-deaf/54802-13.html

Tweet

Dhoni on the cusp of greatness in this WC

New Delhi, Feb 23 (AP): Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in line to become India's most celebrated cricket captain if he wins the World Cup as fans of this cricket-crazy country of 1.2 billion hope.

Expectations have risen with a balanced team and a powerful batting lineup that give India a chance to improve on the two previous World Cups held on the subcontinent in 1987 and 1996, when it made the semifinals.

Though India has won the World Cup before, in 1983 under Kapil Dev, Dhoni stands to go one better if he can lift the trophy in Mumbai on April 2, having already won an international title for his country at the World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.

Despite the inevitable tension, Dhoni has been relaxed in his approach. And his side has responded with convincing wins in practice games over Australia and New Zealand, and a similarly impressive victory in its World Cup opener in Group B last Saturday against fellow co-host Bangladesh.

"There is pressure if you win, pressure if you lose," he said ahead of the game against Bangladesh. "I would have told you the exact figure (of pressure) if I had a machine to measure it."

Such a situation is inevitable given that India is both a co-host and a tournament favourite, when it was neither in 1983.

Dev led an unfancied team which shocked favorite West Indies in the final at Lord's, triggering a process that eventually made the country the financial epicenter of the game.

Now, Dev is bullish about the current team's prospects of hoisting the trophy again for India.

"Dhoni should do better than me," he said recently. "He is a very fine cricketer, a fantastic captain and I hope he can achieve everything he wanted."

"The Indian team for the World Cup is the strongest batting lineup we have ever seen in world cricket. It looks a balanced team, though the bowling is a bit weak. So if they can play to their abilities they can emerge world champions," he said.

The batting lineup led by the world's highest-scoring batsman Sachin Tendulkar also has names like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and captain Dhoni himself, who have all proved themselves over the years.

With Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan also going into the tournament in fine form, it is a batting lineup envied by rival captains.

Just as the landscape of cricket has changed since the last World Cup, with the advent of Twenty20 cricket, so Dhoni's stature has risen significantly in the intervening years.

India found a new leader when, with the country virtually in mourning after its shock exit from the 2007 World Cup, Dhoni led a young side to victory in the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.

He then gradually took over as captain of the one-day and Test teams with success.
Dhoni has led India to victory in 14 of 24 Test matches and 53 of 94 one-day internationals, with seven no results. His Twenty20 win-loss record for India stands at a humble 12-11 by his standards, but he has also led the Chennai Superkings to title victories in both the Indian Premier League and the Champions League.

Sourav Ganguly, who is the most successful India skipper in Tests with 21 victories and who also led India to the final of the 2003 World Cup, has only praise for Dhoni.
"I think he (Dhoni) backs his players and gives them opportunities consistently, which is very important," Ganguly told Hindustan Times in a recent interview. "He takes risks, which is also crucial for a captain because as a skipper you cannot just do things in the typical stereotyped manner."

The 29-year-old Dhoni is already an inspiration for a generation of cricketers from smaller cities as he hails from the state of Jharkhand, considered the backwaters of Indian cricket.

Now, he is only one step away from upstaging top Indian captains like Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly.

Source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article?id=item/2.0/-/story/cricket.yahoonews.com/dhoni-cusp-greatness-this-wc-20110223/

Tweet

Dhoni warns hot-head Sreesanth to cool it

Chennai, (AFP): India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has warned controversial fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to cut out the hot-headed theatrics at the World Cup.

Dhoni was left unimpressed by trouble-prone Sreesanth's latest antics in Wednesday's 117-run warm-up win over New Zealand when he fired a verbal volley at Kiwi opener Brendon McCullum.

The outburst came just four days after the bowler went face-to-face with Australian skipper Ricky Ponting when he made a gesture of a 'L' with his thumb and forefinger to imply 'Loser'.

Dhoni has now publically warned the 28-year-old, who was a late call-up to the India World Cup squad after Praveen Kumar withdrew with an injury, to curb his enthusiasm.
"I told him that he should not cross a few boundaries. If you want to irritate someone that should be the opposition and not your side," said Dhoni.

"Until he does both these things, I am really happy to let him do whatever he wants to do. As for his behaviour today, I don't think there was much. A bit of chit-chat is always fine. As I said, you should not get too personal with a player. If these guidelines are followed I am quite happy with it."

Sreesanth went wicketless in the match against the Black Caps, finishing with 0-38 off five bowlers. Dhoni has warned his seam attack that they need to improve once action begins in the World Cup on Saturday when India face Bangladesh in Dhaka.

India's batsmen plundered runs in Chennai before the spinners took seven wickets to seal an emphatic 117-run win. But the performance of the fast bowlers was a sore point with frontline left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra's two wickets costing 77 runs from 7.1 overs.
Sreesanth and Munaf Patel gave away more than six runs an over without any success while spearhead Zaheer Khan was rested to allow him to recover completely from a groin injury.

"The pacers definitely need to improve," Dhoni said. "They are currently not able to give 100 per cent in practice because we have asked our seamers to save themselves for the main games.

"Maybe that is what is reflecting in their performances. But hopefully, they will do well once the tournament starts and they put that extra effort." India, though, are not the only team having problems with their seamers.

Pakistan are sweating over the form and fitness of Shoaib Akhtar who is part of a pace attack already depleted by the absence of banned duo Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif.

Akhtar was not fielded in the warm-up win against Bangladesh on Tuesday despite all his talk about how he was back to his match-winning ways. "Shoaib is not in touch at the moment," coach Waqar Younis said. "If he gets it right against England in the next (warm-up) game on Friday, he is obviously our number one choice."

Akhtar, who last played a Test match in 2007 before being sidelined with a string of injuries, has claimed 244 one-day wickets in 160 matches at an average of 24.78.

Source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article?id=item/2.0/-/story/cricket.yahoonews.com/dhoni-warns-hothead-sreesanth-cool--20110217/

Tweet