West Indies beat India in 3rd ODI

Ahmedabad, (Reuters): Rohit Sharma's sparkling 95 was in vain as West Indies beat India by 16 runs in the third One-Day International to stay afloat in the five-match series at Ahmedabad's Sardar Patel Stadium on Monday.

Having dropped Sharma on 33, West Indies skipper Darren Sammy redeemed himself with a direct throw in the 44th over as India, chasing 261 for a third successive win that would have sealed the series, folded for 244 in 46.5 overs.

Sharma's 100-ball knock, which included 10 hits to the fence and a six, was his third successive half-century in the series which his team lead 2-1.

Ravi Rampaul (4-57) derailed India's chase almost as soon as it began by removing the scoreless duo of captain Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir with his first two deliveries.

Sehwag edged to depart caught behind while Gambhir was trapped leg before, leaving India tottering on eight for two wickets.

Barring opener Parthiv Patel (39), none of the Indian top order batsmen could do justice to their reputation and it was Sharma's 91-run seventh-wicket stand with Ravichandran Ashwin (31) that took India near the target.

West Indies were put into bat and Marlon Samuels top-scored with a sedate 58 but it was the unbeaten 79-run stand between Sammy (41 not out) and Andrew Russell (40 not out) off 5.4 overs that helped West Indies to overcome a sluggish start and post 260 for five.

The visitors lost opener Lendl Simmons (1) in the third over and were also denied the service of another in-form player, Darren Bravo (26), when the batsman retired hurt with a hamstring problem.

Samuels tried to steady the innings but the run rate nosedived, prompting him to go after Umesh Yadav in the 19th over, hitting the bowler for a couple of fours and a six.

West Indies lost three cheap wickets to slump to 181 for five in the 45th over before Sammy paired up with Russell to provide the late surge to power them past 250.

Sammy hit Abhimanyu Mithun for two sixes and as many fours in the 49th over, while Russell struck two fours and a six off the final over sent down by Yadav.

West Indies milked 93 runs off the last seven overs and 43 off the last two. Indore hosts the fourth One-dayer on Thursday.

Read More

10:39 PM

India look to seal series against Windies Today

Ahmedabad, Dec 5 (IANS) India would look to seal the series against the West Indies when they they clash in the third One-dayer at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Motera here Monday.

For the visitors, it will be their last chance to keep the five-match series alive. The Carribbean team has given a good account of themselves in the two ODIs but inconsistency has brought their downfall.

After losing the second match, despite bouncing back in a stellar fashion, West Indies captain Darren Sammy's blank expression said it all. 'We just can't get over the line though. Sooner rather than later we can get that final push.'

'We'll keep our head up and come strongly at the Indians again,' Sammy said.

For that, West Indies will have to sort out their batting problem that has troubled them througout the Test and ODI series. Another inexplicable collpase at Visakhapatnam left them tottering at 5-163. Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul bailed the team out with gritty knocks. Rampaul smashed an unbeaten 86, hitting the Indian bowlers all over the park.

India had a shaky start with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag, Parthiv Patel and Gautam Gambhir leaving early. But Virat Kohli and Rohit sharma played with maturity to see the team home. Kohli hit his eighth ODI century while Sharma again showed that he has learnt his lessons after being dropped.

Another high point for India was the bowling of the pacers. Youngsters Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar and Varun Aaron bowled with pace and swing, exploiting the conditions, and pinning down the West Indies batsmen.

Sehwag may not be scoring runs, but his captaincy has come as a whip of fresh air. Quite like his batting, he has been aggressive with his captaincy. He always had fielders in catching positions that put pressure on the West Indies batsmen. There were no easy runs on offer.

Teams:

India: Virender Sehwag (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Abhimanyu Mithun, R.Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma

West Indies: Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo, Danza Hyatt, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy (captain), Andre Russell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Anthony Martin, Sunil Narine, Kieran Powell, Jason Mohammed.

Read More

10:26 PM

Tendulkar and Dhoni rested for West indies Tour

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, leading the side in the ongoing Test series against the tourists, has been rested for the entire series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement on Friday.

Hard-hitting opener Virender Sehwag will lead the team in Dhoni's absence.

Tendulkar, with 51 hundreds in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals, came close to scoring the 100th century before falling for 94 in the ongoing third and final Test in Mumbai on Friday.

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh was not named in the 15-man squad for the opening three matches as he was not fit. "Yuvraj was not considered for selection as he has informed that he is not fully fit," the BCCI said.

The opening one-day international starts in Cuttack on November 29.

India's one-day squad for first three matches:

Virender Sehwag (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma.

Read More

10:01 PM

‘Makeshift’ West Indies show more fighting grit than predecessors

In the final count it didn’t really matter which West Indian team was taking on Pakistan in the first Group B match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on September 23.

I don’t think the outcome would have been much different even if Chris Gayle and company were there in place of the ‘depleted’ West Indian side that took the field. We have seen on numerous occasions in the recent past when the West Indies had squandered the opportunity of beating Pakistan after being in the driving seat for the better part of the match.

The individual brilliance of Gayles, Sarwans, Chanderpauls and Bravos could turn the tide against any other opposition with Pakistan being the sole exception. In fact even the great West Indian sides of the 1970s as well as the 1980s had encountered untold problems while coming to terms with Pakistan.

The inexperienced West Indian side showed more fighting grit than their predecessors and they might have even won the game on some other day with the same kind of performance, had the rub of the green gone their way.

The West Indians did a wonderful job by posting a total of 133 after the top-order had self-destructed while facing some accurate and hostile bowling on a track where the ball was bouncing much more than on any ground in the Caribbean these days.

The resilience and self-belief of the lower-order was exemplary. The manner in which the likes of Nikita Miller, Darren Sammy and Tino Best applied themselves should have been an object lesson to not only their colleagues in the dressing room but also to their more illustrious contemporaries watching the action from the comfort of their homes in the various islands of the Caribbean.

Pakistan were always expected to struggle even while chasing the target of 134 in 50 because their batsmen are more comfortable compiling runs on easy-paced tracks offering little or no assistance to the fast bowlers.

It was going to be a different ball game at the Wanderers and Gavin Tonge’s superb spell with the new ball showed once more how vulnerable was Pakistan’s batting in difficult conditions. It was anybody’s game when Pakistan’s top half was back in the hut with 76 runs on the board and as many as 58 still needed.

Pakistan are also known for producing new heroes in every other game. Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi, least expected to come off in the pressure-cooker situation, did the job by adding 58 for the sixth wicket. In the context of the game it looked quite extraordinary but they somehow put the runs on the board and there was no close finish as was being anticipated.

One thing that looked the most perplexing was the decision of the West Indian captain, Floyd Reifer, to bat after winning the toss. Not sure what exactly was in his mind or that of his team management but he allowed Pakistan a lifeline by not exposing their batsmen to the tougher conditions earlier in the day.

Read More

11:39 PM

West Indies seen 'next Tendulkar'

Road Town: If former player Keith Arthurton is to be believed, West Indies has unearthed the next Sachin Tendulkar in a seven-year-old hailing from Hannah Estate in Tortola.

Arthurton conducted a three-day coaching clinic this weekend on the islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda and he had no doubt whatsoever that he has seen the next Tendulkar in Aidan Gorege.

"While he was batting, I heard someone in the crowd shout out that he looked like Sachin Tendulkar and I thought the same thing because of the way he bats, his stance and his attitude," said Arthurton, who represented West Indies in 33 Tests and 105 ODI between 1988 and 1999.


"You don`t really see that in kids who are that young but he has something special in him and the local coaches should work with him so that he can develop his cricket skills," Arthurton said of Aidan, who is originally from Dominica.

Youngest participant of the camp, Aidan looks older than his age and has a stance which is almost a replica of Tendulkar`s, according to a newspaper report.

Talking about the kid`s technique, Arthurton said, "His stance is very good and he moved his feet at the right times and with ease. I certainly would like to work with him in future as I think he has the potential to develop into a very good player," Arthurton said.

Star players Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dinesh Ramdin also turned up in the camp to share their experience with the kids.

A 20-over match at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College marked the end of the camp.

Read More

4:02 AM

Lara eager to coach T&T team for Champions League

Trinidad: Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara confirmed on Saturday that talks between him and the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket board regarding his appointment of coach’s position are in progress.

Trinidad & Tobago would play the forthcoming Champions League.

Lara will not be able to join the squad as a player as the rules govern that the team must be the same as the one that participated in the domestic competition.

“I haven’t been approached but we have had discussions on it,” Lara said in an interview.

“I think we really want to come to a mutual understanding of exactly what Trinidad and Tobago cricket wants to get out of Brian Lara. I think you are going to play in an international tournament for the first time, we’re accustomed to playing regional tournaments but we have to know exactly what the pitches are going to be like.”


Trinidad and Tobago to name provisional squad for CL T20

T&T are the team from West Indies to participate in the competition. The tournament also includes three teams from India, two teams each from Australia, England and South Africa and one each from Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

International players like Brendon McCullum, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Dale Steyn, Virender Sehwag and Daniel Vettori will be showcasing themselves in to tourney

“The opposition is on an international stage … so I see some merit in it but to know exactly what role I’ll be playing, I’m not so sure. If they see I can be an asset, it is something I’ll definitely look at.”

Read More

10:16 AM

West Indies coach loses job

St John's (PTI): Barely six weeks before the Champions Trophy, West Indies Cricket Board sacked coach John Dyson following the team's humiliating Test and ODI series defeat at home against Bangladesh.

"The services of John Dyson have been terminated with immediate effect. The Assistant Coach, David Williams will fill this position on a temporary basis for this tour," the WICB said in a statement after its Executive Committee meeting.

It was a strange decision by the board since Dyson did not have the frontline squad at his disposal against Bangladesh and had to field a second string side as the star players boycotted the series over a payment dispute.

WICB also named former spinner Lance Gibbs as the team manager for the ICC Champions Trophy schedule in South Africa in September-October.

Dyson took over the coaching reins in October 2007, succeeding fellow Australian Bennett King.

Under him, West Indies won their first Test outside the Caribbeans in seven years when they beat South Africa in Port Elizabeth and beat England 1-0 at home soil.

West Indies cricket soon plunged into crisis with the payment dispute becoming a bone of contention between the cricketers and the board.

West Indies is set to field another second-string in the Champions Trophy.

Read More

10:49 AM

West indies set 275-run target for Bangladesh

Roseau: Travis Dowlin hit an unbeaten 100 on Tuesday to set up West Indies` total of 274/6 in the second One-Day International against Bangladesh.

The 32-year-old Dowlin, playing in only his second ODI, struck six fours and a six off 117 balls at Windsor Park. He paced his innings superbly, with his first 50 taking 88 deliveries before he smashed 50 off his next 29 balls.

He also put on a second-wicket stand of 66 with Devon Smith, who made 44.

David Bernard Jr. (22 off 27 balls), Rawl Lewis (22 off 19) and Darren Sammy (24 off 11) provided robust contributions late in the innings.

Off-spinner Naeem Islam was the best of the visitors` bowlers with 1-26 off eight overs.

The West Indies, trailing 1-0 in the three-match series, got off to an encouraging start after winning the toss and batting.

Dale Richards (20) and Andre Fletcher (22) added 33 in the first five overs but Bangladesh struck back once spin was introduced.

Fletcher was out to the first ball from captain Shakib-al-Hasan`s left-arm spin, slicing a catch to cover. Richards fell at 52/2, run out as he ended up in the same crease as Smith after a mix-up.

Smith and Dowlin gradually rebuilt the innings in the face of a disciplined Bangladesh spin attack. Just as they were beginning to blossom, Smith was run out. This time, it was Tamim Iqbal`s direct hit from deep square leg that did the damage.

Smith struck one four and one six off 62 balls. Captain Floyd Reifer`s struggling return to international cricket continued when he fell for 7 as he slapped a wide ball from Naeem to backward point at 134/4 in the 33rd over.

But Dowlin and the home team`s all-rounders rallied in the latter overs.

The last 10 overs brought 98 runs, including the Batting Powerplay of five overs that produced 50 runs.

Bernard struck two fours, Lewis launched two sixes and Sammy closed the innings with a flurry that included four fours.

Dowlin, who missed out on a maiden century when he fell for 95 in the second Test, endured one bit of luck when Syed Rasel just failed to cling onto a diving return catch with the batsman on 97.

The Guyanese brought up his century of the second ball of the final over, with a nudge into the off side.

Read More

12:50 PM

We've done nothing wrong, says WIPA

KINGSTOWN: The West Indies Players' Association has rejected both the notion that protesting players have taken

Related Articles
WICB suspends contracts of rebel players
ICC to solve player-board row in Windies
West Indies players demand apology


strike action and the West

Related Articles
WICB suspends contracts of rebel players
ICC to solve player-board row in Windies
West Indies players demand apology

Indies Cricket Board's latest claims of players breaching their contractual obligations.

In a letter to the protesting players, the WICB gave them 10 days from Thursday to explain their protest action over the last two weeks which the regional governing body noted had breached the Code of Conduct for players and team officials.

The WICB has charged that the players making themselves unavailable for the first Test against Bangladesh, as well as their refusal to travel to St. Vincent for the match, and their skipping of the official launch for the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup on July 4 in St. Lucia as breaches of their obligations.

But WIPA has denied taking strike action, and insists that players were not under contract, so they could not have breached any agreements.

"These players were under no contract with the WICB that imposed any terms, conditions, and obligations with regard to the first Test against Bangladesh and have taken no strike action within this context," said WIPA executive president Dinanath Ramnarine in a statement.

He added: "Although the players participated in the One-day Internationals against India, again there was no contract setting out what the terms, conditions, and obligations were with regard to this series, and it was their understanding (that the Twenty20 World Cup launch) was an optional event.

"Under normal circumstances, the players may well have attended (the launch) in any event without a contract.

"But after a three-hour meeting at which it came to their attention that a large number of long outstanding issues had still not been resolved, they exercised the option not to attend. A letter was subsequently sent to the president of the WICB."

In the meantime, the WICB has frozen the payments of players with retainer contracts who are part of protest action.

Media reports indicate that the majority of players the WICB have targeted are among a group of 29 who hold retainers that offer an annual fee of between 25-60,000 US dollars.

The WICB said that payments will be suspended until they indicate in writing their "resumption of obligations under the contract".

Read More

10:42 AM