India v Pakistan, ODI Series

Teams for 1st ODI
at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
30 December 2012

India:
Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma,
MS Dhoni*†, Ravi Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda

Pakistan:
Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik,
Kamran Akmal†, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan

After a brief rain delay, Pakistan won the toss and decided to send India into bat.

Amazing start from Pakistan. A very good toss to win.

Junaid Khan getting the ball the swing late on a full length and removing the top order in a brilliant opening spell. (5-1-12-4)

Mohammad Irfan getting the wicket of Gambhir.

India 29/5 after 10 overs

It was a horrer start from India. playing cricket in Chennai at this time of the year could be tricky, you never know when the damn rain could come in.
Dhoni and Raina trying to salvage something for the side here.
Thought Rahane should have played in place of Pampered Sharma.

Yes, these two have steadied the ship. 100 up now.

What a 100 from Dhoni.

He came in at the 9th over when things were looking so dire for India. He's just passed 7000 ODI runs. Also a 100 run partnership with Aswin has been invaluable.

India 227/6 after 50 overs is a huge comeback from 29/5. Batting on this pitch has looked easier as the day has gone on though.

Can India make an early dent in the Pakistan top order and put them under some pressure?

Dhoni 113*, Ashwin 31* and Raina made 43.
Junaid's figures blew out to 45/4 in the end after that awesome start.

Dhoni is among the greatest players in the history of ODI cricket.

He is among a thousand or so decent players in the T20I format.

In sharp contrast, he is a mediocre Test cricketer.

MS Dhoni has been the best wicketkeeper batsman that India have produced. He averages 38 with the bat in tests, even Michael Atherton didn't average that much. Of course Dhoni isn't India's best batsman in seaming conditions as his defense isn't the best, but he has done better than most wicketkeeper batsmen in the past did. Other than Engineer, no other wicketkeeper batsman has made such an impact for India in test cricket.
Only Matt Prior and AB de Villiers are better wicketkeeper batsmen in tests.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken out Hafeez and Azhar Ali in his first spell. A top effort from him on his ODI debut, getting the ball to swing big. Nasir Jamshed and Younis Khan at the crease. Jamshed had a life when Bhuvneshwar missed an easy run out opportunity at the bowler's end. Will that be costly for India? Younis opening things with a few intelligent shots.

Now Jamshed gets away with another one, Sehwag took the catch of Ashwin's bowling, the ball had taken an inside edge before hitting the pad. Only Ashwin appealed and the umpire gave it not out. Pakistan 66-2 after 19.

msp83 wrote:MS Dhoni has been the best wicketkeeper batsman that India have produced. He averages 38 with the bat in tests, even Michael Atherton didn't average that much. Of course Dhoni isn't India's best batsman in seaming conditions as his defense isn't the best, but he has done better than most wicketkeeper batsmen in the past did. Other than Engineer, no other wicketkeeper batsman has made such an impact for India in test cricket.
Only Matt Prior and AB de Villiers are better wicketkeeper batsmen in tests.

Completely agree with that

Bhuvneshwar Kumar looks by far the best of India's young seamers to me. I think he could bowl well in Aus, SA, Eng whilst the others will probably be quite expensive even if they do take wickets.

Jamshed and Younis taking it away from India, 106-2 in the 27th over. India need wickets, a couple of them pretty soon.

Dinda gets Younis. But India would need a couple more quickly if they have to have a chance.

Another life for Jamshed, Yuvraj puts down an absolute sitter, Dinda the unfortunate bowler Pakistan 148-3 in the 33rd.

'Head' byes to Jamshed on 99. Ouch!

Now he gets his 100. Well played!

Pakistan edging towards victory now.

So this Jamshed chap...seems pretty handy.

Jamshed is pretty decent player. For some reason he goes under the radar here in England but I think he'll be an important player for Pakistan in years to come. Can see him scoring lots of Test runs, probably in the middle order.

I really like Misbah's Pakistan team - they are very, well, un-Pakistanlike. The batting is workmanlike and not always the strongest but with strength in the bowling (at least compared to India) it often does enough. They are getting the best out of players like Hafeez and Malik too.

The only one that's disappointing me a bit is Umar Akmal. He looked like he was going to be in the very top bracket of players but I don't think he's improved since he made his debut.

Umar Akmal's attitude I find terrible. He is so tallented, and unlike India's tallented, but useless and pampered bunch, he can play even in swinging and seaming conditions. But There is no real application whatsoever.

Really enjoyed the game though a bit annoyed I got the start time wrong & missed the entire Indian innings. Looks like an easy chase if you look at the scorecard, the numbers don't do justice to how edgy it was. There's something about India/Pakistan games that you feel anything can happen at any moment, a lot of ifs from yesterday...if Yuvraj had've held a sitter...if Ashwin didn't choose the last ball of his spell to overstep...if Sehwag wasn't fast asleep in the field.

Was glad to have the T20 to watch on Xmas day as well, there's only so many times you can watch Ben Hur.

The 2nd match of the series is just getting underway in a minute or 2 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
India have dropped Rohit 'Pampered' Sharma and brought back Ravindra Jadeja.
Pakistan are unchanged. Pakistan are puttin, having lost the toss.

The Pakistan openers giving their side a solid start putting on 140. Ravindra Jadeja gave India the breakthrough, knocking Hafeez over for 76, missing the ball on the sweep after he had got into some trouble trying the same shot against Jadeja in the previous over. Azhar Ali joins Jamshed.

Pakistan lost another soon after, Azhar Ali this timethrough some typical Pakistani cricket. Azhar was hit on the pad by Jadeja, there was a huge appeal for LBW that was rightly turned down by the umpire, but as the ball went out on the leg side close to the stumps Azhar somehow got into his head the idea that there was a single there, Jamshed didn't bother responding as there was no run, Dhoni moved in quickly, underarmed the ball to Sehwag and Azhar had to go. Brainfade there from the batsman. Younis Khan joins Jamshed who is looking better and better by the minute.

Now Younis gets a shocker, Raina with the wicket for India, Younis was hit in front alright, but he had managed to hit the cover off that!. Pakistan 179-3 after 35.

Another one for India, Ashwin this time and the Pakistan skipper is LBW for 2, a much better call from the umpire this time.

Jamshed, after being kept quiet for some time, opens up with a mighty 6 of Ashok Dinda. That takes him to 96.

Both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ashok Dinda going for too many already. Both have 4 overs each left. Pakistan 197-4 after 39.
Hundred for Jamshed!.

Ashwin bowling his last over here. 10 overs after this. Sharma has 2 overs left, Jadeja has 2 as well.

Finaly out but thats 3 centuries and a 97 in the last 9 ODIs for Jamshed .... and a couple of T20 50's in the same period as well.

Surely he must be in line for a test call up?

Double strike there from Jadeja in one over, first he gets Jamshed stumped for 106, and 2 balls later, Kamran Akmal goes without scoring. Pakistan 210-6.

Seeing his spinners were doing a decent job and both Dinda and Kumar were struggling a bit, Dhoni brings on Yuvraj, sensible move from the captain, but it hasn't worked, 10 of that over from Yuvraj.

3-41 from Jadeja's 10 overs, already justifying his inclusion in place of the pampered greatest nets batsman in the world.

Malik goes, Ishant getting rewarded for a good performance so far.

Pakistan were bowled out for 250. They should be very very disappointed with that score. They were 141 without loss at one stage in the 24th over.
Brilliant from Jadeja and Ishant Sharma and solid support from R Ashwin.
Pakistan is any day, a force with the ball, and they can't be discounted as yet.

Now Kohli goes, would you believe it? Kamran Akmal has pulled off a superb, unbelievable catch to send him back.

Seem to have gone very quiet MS....

Not really sure if India are genuinely in trouble or Dhoni's setting it all up for a heroic final onslaught.

Hmm looks like hes leaving it very late Galted!

Yep, quite the entertainer.

Im not sure that defending 4 balls in an over and declining a single counts as "entertaining" when your side needs over 13 an over....I think the word is "embarrassing"

Have faith PSW, he's going to outdo himself - he's the new Barnum/Houdini.

Any moment now...

6!!! Run-rate below 22/over.

Galted wrote:6!!! Run-rate below 22/over.

Followed up by one run and a wide from the next 11 balls .. fireworks from Dhoni!

100 needed off the last 3 overs.. edge of the seat stuff here...

Pretty tight, 43 an over required with no wickets in hand.

all over. Very good bowling from Pakistan up front, bizarre innings from Dhoni.

Would have to admit, with hindsight, that India probably were in a spot of bother.

Missed out on the India chase after the first 10 overs. Turns out I made the right call.
But no too much blaming Dhoni here, The top order, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj and Raina offered nothing. The top 4 had their 2nd consecutive poor game. Sehwag has been pretty inconsistent and very average in ODIs for the last couple of years, Gambhir is losing it in ODIs as well.
Rahane to come in for the next match?

The 3rd match of the series is on at Delhi. India won the toss and are batting.
The usual top order collapse is on, although they tried changing things around a bit by dropping Virender Sehwag at his home ground and playing Ajinkya Rahane.
Rahane was the first to go for 4, and then that clasic waster, Gautam Gambhir played an ugly looking guide to point to throw a start for 15. Virat Kohli hasn't had a good start to 2013 and had his 2nd failure of the year, this time going for only 7.
Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina are at the crease.
MS Dhoni is fit and so Dinesh Karthik wasn't required, and India are giving a debut to seamer Shami Ahmed who has been highly rated by the likes of Wasim Akram.

India tried to rally through an expensive 18 run over from Umar Gull, but were put in their place by Mohammed Hafeez who cleaned up Yuvraj Singh for 23.
This side has hit rock bottom. When will the journey up would start? Hopefully it won't be an agonizing wait being endured by the West Indies supporters.