Tri-Series News: Sri Lanka slay sloppy India

3rd Match: Tharanga (174), Mahela (107) set up a big win, hurting India's qualification chances.
Yahoo! Cricket

 

Tharanga and Jayawardene added 213 for the opening wicket after losing the toss.

Barely a week after winning the Champions Trophy in England, the world No. 1 ODI team India gave a poor account of themselves in the Caribbean where they crashed to their second straight defeat in the tri-nation series.

Sri Lanka, riding on brilliant hundreds from openers Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene, amassed 348-1 after being inserted by Virat Kohli, who was captaining the India seniors team for the first time. The wicket seemed two-paced and India chose to bring in Shami Ahmed for Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, a move that backfired. Not only did Shami fail to provide new-ball wickets, his wayward line and length at the end of the innings proved cannon fodder for Tharanga and Jayawardene.

Tharanga batted through the innings making 174 not out, the highest ODI score in the Caribbean, while Jayawardene made 107. The duo added 213 for the first wicket after which Sri Lanka captain Angelo Matthews promoted himself to one-down and added a further 135 in a little under 12 overs with Tharanga against India’s lackluster bowling.

India thus became the first team to take more than one wicket in a completed ODI innings of 50 overs. The other player who came into the team today – Murali Vijay – dropped Jayawardene on 23 before proceeding to make a slow 30 that did more harm to India’s asking rate than good.

Tharanga, who had led Jayawardene take lead, accelerated after the senior pro fell having made his 16th ODI hundred. Tharanga’s first fifty came up in 76 balls, but he sped up to reach the hundred in another 48. The next 74 came in just 35 balls as he finished with Sri Lanka’s second highest individual score after Sanath Jayasuriya’s 189 in Sharjah against the same opposition.

India’s response to the steep target was strangely slow. They began very cautiously with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan content on playing out some quiet overs. Each time an Indian batsman tried to break free, he got out. They made just 28 in the 10 overs of fielding restrictions and the game had practically slipped out of their grasp by then.

India have relied heavily on Kohli to bail them out in tough chases. The India captain came in at Dhawan’s fall. With the required rate already a steep 8.5 by the 15th over, Kohli tried to hit out against Mathews but mistimed a hook-shot to the hands of Lasith Malinga at fine-leg.

Sri Lanka needed to restrict India to under 278 for a bonus point. But for most part of the innings, India were struggling to get past Tharanga’s tally in the game. Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 49 delayed the inevitable but the margin of the defeat leaves India on the brink of an early exit from the tournament. 

Collected

T20 WC 2016 News: India to host 2016 World T20

IANS

London: It was double bonanza for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as it would host the World Twenty20 for the first time in 2016 and its fourth 50-over World Cup in 2023.

The BCCI was awarded the two events during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Annual Conference that ended here Saturday. India was represented by interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, also a former ICC president.

During the conference, the ICC finalised its global events from 2015 to 2023 and decided that full members have to play a minimum of 16 Tests over a four-year period to retain their Test status.

The ICC also confirmed that the inaugural ICC World Test Championship will be staged in 2017 and will be hosted by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) June-July. The second edition, slated for 2021, will be held in in India in February-March.

The ECB will also host the 2019 World Cup and Cricket Australia (CA) got the hosting rights of the 2020 World Twenty20.

The ICC Board supported the strategy of ensuring an optimum balance between the three formats of the game - especially Test cricket.

To ensure that all ODIs played over the four-year cycle between ICC Cricket World Cups count towards a team's ranking, the ICC Board agreed to change the ODI rankings period from three years to four years.

For the sake of consistency, the ICC Board also agreed to change the calculation of the T20 rankings to cover the same period.

Meanwhile, the ICC also reviewed an inspection report by the ICC Venue Consultant on the venues for the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 and expressed its concern regarding the progress of construction and improvements to playing facilities in Cox's Bazar and Sylhet.

The Board noted that a further inspection and report is scheduled for August after which a final decision will be taken on the venues for the event.

Afghanistan was confirmed as the 37th Associate Member of the ICC while Romania was accepted as an Affiliate Member.

Ashes News: Lehmann gives Rogers surprise Ashes opening slot

Reuters

Rookie test batsman Chris Rogers will open for Australia in the first Ashes test against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, next week, coach Darren Lehmann said on Monday.

 The 35-year-old has only played one previous test, scoring 19 runs in two innings against India at Perth in January 2008.

"I've dreamt about this but I didn't necessarily believe it would ever come true," Rogers told the BBC. "This opportunity is one that is not going to come too often.

"I have nothing to lose and hopefully I can take that attitude into the test match. It's going to be about managing my emotions."

 Rogers will partner Shane Watson at the top of the order but first the untried pairing will team up in Australia's final warm-up match against Worcestershire that starts on Tuesday.

Rogers may be a test novice but he has plenty of experience in English conditions. He is the captain of county side Middlesex and has also played for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northants.

He averages 50.38 from 239 first class matches.

The team for Worcester also features 19-year-old left-arm spinner Ashton Agar and seamers Jackson Bird and Ryan Harris, as new coach Lehmann rings the changes after taking over from Mickey Arthur who was sacked on June 24.

Last week Lehmann also confirmed Watson's return to the top of the order for the Ashes and the opener responded with a powerful 90 in a tour victory over Somerset.

Rogers's inclusion sees regular opener Ed Cowan move down to number three, with all-rounder Steve Smith handed an opportunity at number six.

Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle are all rested.

 Tuesday's game is also a test for Somerset opener Nick Compton, who was replaced by Joe Root for England's warm-up match against Essex this week, but hit 81 against the tourists last week and has been given a "guest" place in the Worcester side.

The first test starts on July 10.

Tri-Series: Lanka could soon slip into mediocrity

By Sanjay Manjrekar | Hindustan Times

India, July 1 -- There was a time when Sri Lanka and Pakistan were better teams than India. That situation has changed significantly and it's as much credit to Indian cricket's growth as it is a reflection of the quality of players coming through our neighbours.

Pakistan's batting is in dire straits with Nasir Jamshed the only glimmer of hope, while Sri Lanka's problem is that their dependence on ageing stalwarts has not diminished one bit. Pakistan have some bowling talent coming through, Sri Lanka cannot boast of that either.

Lasith Malinga is their only 'go to' bowler but his best years are behind him. Malinga has made the most of the freakish, natural talent he was blessed with.

Malinga's bowling style is such that his potent deliveries are either full length or bouncers, both of which need physical effort. With his diminishing fitness, Malinga is not able to crank up speeds of over 140kmph as often as he could, and to a superior batting line-up like India, he becomes a gamble. His economy rate of over six against India compared to his career rate of about five demonstrates this point.

Uncertain future

It is frightening to imagine life in Sri Lankan cricket after Dilshan, Sangakkara and Mahela. Yes, Chandimal, Thirimanne and Kushal Perera have shown the odd spark, but they better grow up quickly or there is a chance Sri Lanka may become the whipping boys of top teams. This sport can't afford another mediocre international team. India play Sri Lanka at Jamaica today, and I don't see the script changing much from what it's been over the last few years.

Ashes News: Swann given all clear after X-ray

AFP

Graeme Swann has avoided a fracture to his bowling arm and is set to return to fielding duty later in England's Ashes warm-up match against Essex, an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman said Monday.

Swann was hit on his right forearm by Essex paceman Tymal Mills while batting on Monday morning in England's first innings 413 for nine declared.

England's leading spinner continued his innings but did not take the field when Essex batted and was instead sent to hospital for an X-ray.

However, the ECB subsequently said Swann had not suffered a major injury.

"(The) X-ray showed no fracture," the spokesman explained. "He is continuing to receive treatment for bruising and will return to the field later in the game."

News that Swann has not suffered a severe setback will come as a huge relief to England chiefs after the 34-year-old missed the tour of New Zealand earlier this year to have surgery on his right elbow.

Not only has Swann established himself as England's first choice spinner but, as an off-break bowler, is expected to play a key role in the defence of the Ashes against an Australia side set to feature several left-handers.