World Cricket Live Update

India lead Zimbabwe 3-0 in ODI Series
India have been able to beat Zimbabwe in the first three matches without much fuss. The home side have battled hard but some poor patches of play have cost them dearly. They have lost a few wickets in patches which has left them struggling, and the poor form of captain Brendan Taylor isn't helping. For India Virat Kohli and Shitikar Dhawan have both hit centuries.

Results:
1st ODI: India 230/4 (44.5 overs) defeated Zimbabwe 228/7 (50.0 overs) by 6 wickets
2nd ODI: India 294/8 (50.0 overs) defeated Zimbabwe 236/9 (50.0 overs) by 58 runs
3rd ODI: India 187/3 (35.3 overs) defeated Zimbabwe 183 (46.0 overs) by 7 wickets


Pakistan won ODI series 3-1 and T20I series 2-0
After the ODI series being tantalisingly poised at 1-1 after the tied third match, the home fans had belief that a series win could be possible. Unfortunately for them, Pakistan were able to string some consistent performances together to win the last two games. This included a thriller in the last match where they Saeed Ajmal hit the winning run with only 1 ball remaining. Pakistan have also carried over this form in the T20I series winning both matches.

Results:
4th ODI: Pakistan 189/4 (30.0 overs) defeated West Indies 261/7 (49.0 overs) by 6 wickets (D/L Method)
5th ODI: Pakistan 243/6 (49.5 overs) defeated West Indies 242/7 (50.0 overs) by 4 wickets

1st T20I: Pakistan 158/8 (20.0 overs) defeated West Indies 152/7 (20.0 overs) by 2 wickets
2nd T20I: Pakistan 135/7 (20.0 overs) defeated West Indies 124/9 (20.0 overs) by 11 runs


Sri Lanka lead ODI series 3-1 against South Africa with one match to play
Sri Lanka have simply been too good for South Africa in this series with some pretty convincing wins. This included yesterday's match where Sri Lanka bowled out South Africa for 236 and then preceded to chase it down only losing two wickets. Dilshan and Sangakkara were the heroes scoring 115* and 91 respectively. There was an interesting moment in the 3rd ODI when Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera hit Robin Peterson for 35 runs off one over. It went 6wd66646. The over was the second biggest in ODI history, just falling behind Herschelle Gibbs' six sixes of Daan van Bunge at the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Results:
1st ODI: Sri Lanka 320/5 (50.0 overs) defeated South Africa 140 (31.5 overs) by 180 runs
2nd ODI: Sri Lanka 223/9 (49.2 overs) defeated South Africa 104/5 (21.0 overs) by 17 runs (D/L Method)
3rd ODI: South Africa 223/7 (50.0 overs) defeated Sri Lanka 167 (43.2 overs) by 56 runs
4th ODI: Sri Lanka 239/2 (44.0 overs) defeated South Africa 238 (48.4 overs) by 8 wickets

Dhoni returns to hit India to Tri-Series victory

India 203/9 (49.4 overs) defeated
Sri Lanka 201 (48.5 overs) by 1 wicket

MS Dhoni made his return to the tri-series in blistering fashion by hitting two sixes and a four in the final over to win the final for India. At 182/9 chasing 201 with three and a half overs to go things were looking dire for India. Even at the beginning of the final over Sri Lanka were in the box seat as India needed 15 to win. Dhoni though hit the second ball off Eranga for six, the next for four, and then sealed a fabulous win with another six.

Dhoni proved again just how good a finisher he is. If you read up on an article on Cricinfo, he is compared with Michael Bevan as one the great finishers in ODI history. Bevan averaged 53.58 with six hundreds in 232 matches. He scored them at a strike rate of 74.16. Dhoni is averaging 51.45 with eight hundreds in 226 matches. He's scored them at 88.17. Dhoni has proven he is the man for big moments, including in the final of the World Cup, and he is a major reason why India are first on the ODI Rankings and have now won their second final in as many months.

India and Sri Lanka to play-off in Tri-Series Final

India have defeated rivals Sri Lanka in the final league game in the West Indies to qualify for the final against the same opponents. In another rain affected match India made 119/3 off their 29 overs before routing Sri Lanka for 96 after the target was boosted to 178 from 26 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with an amazing 4/8 off 6 overs.

In a tri-series with plenty of twists, hosts West Indies who won their first two matches, now miss out on the final. It will be disappointing for them as they would have expected to make it at the halfway stage of the tournament. The West Indies will now focus on their limited over series of Pakistan featuring 5 ODI's and 2 T20I's. Meanwhile India will be hoping for some more silverware after their Champions Trophy win last month, while Sri Lanka will be hoping to exact some revenge after losing to India in the semi-final in England.

ODI Tri-Series Final: India v Sri Lanka @ Port of Spain
July 11 2013 
 

7 Match ODI Series'

Key fixtures involving Australia, South Africa and India have been released recently, and the one noteworthy discussion point is the glut of 7 match ODI series. With the Future Tours Programme jam-packed and test cricket struggling to maintain its relevance and importance in the international game, these needless and revenue-raising series are detrimental. Australia and India's ODI series sandwiched between two Ashes series is extremely puzzling, even more so considering the same series preceded the 2010/11 Ashes series which Australia lost.

It is also disappointing that India and South Africa have decided to play a 7 match ODI series, yet only three tests. There were rumours about the possibility of a fourth test, yet the power-brokers obviously could not resist the lure of more limited overs matches. I guess at least Cricket South Africa have decided to play a test on Boxing Day this year, after controversially scrapping it for a T20I against New Zealand last year.

In more ODI matches for India, they will travel to Zimbabwe directly after the ODI Tri Series in the West Indies for a 5 match series in Zimbabwe. On the contrary to the above I have no problem with this series. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh need these fixtures against quality opposition to improve. They hardly play any cricket so a lengthy ODI series will do Zimbabwe well. Also the fact that Zimbabwe Cricket is in dire straits financially, this series will do them wonders.

Just as an aside, India are certainly playing many ODI's. So far two against Pakistan, five against England, five in the Champions Trophy, as well as four/five in the current Tri-series. Still to come are five against Zimbabwe, seven against Australia, seven against South Africa, two/three against New Zealand and then three/four in the Asia Cup. That is a whopping 40-43 matches in a 14 month span.
 
July/August 2013: India tour of Zimbabwe (5 ODI's)
October/November 2013: Australia tour of India (7 ODI's, 1 T20I)
November 2013 - January 2014: India tour of South Africa (3 Tests, 7 ODI's, 2 T20I's)
February/March 2014: Australia tour of South Africa (3 Tests, 3 T20I's)

*For dates of Full Fixtures; see the Fixtures tab at the top of the homepage

Tri-Series set to begin

On the back of the Champions Trophy, West Indies, Sri Lanka and victors India have flown to the Carribbean to take part in this ODI Tri-Series. Unfortunately it does replace a test series between the home side and Sri Lanka. Nonetheless it should be a fiercely competitive series with the majority of each team's squad consisting of their Champions Trophy teams.

India are undoubtedly favourites for the tournament after their impressive winning performance in the Champions Trophy. India have also consequently extended their lead on top of the ICC Rankings to 10 points. Sri Lanka meanwhile made the semi-finals in the Champions trophy and lost to India. Their performances have been patchy of late with a 2-2 draw with Australia followed by a disappointing 1-1 draw with Bangladesh at home. They sit at #5 in the rankings and a successful tournament here could propel them into the top four for the first time in quite a while. West Indies meanwhile exited the Champions Trophy in the group stages after a win against Pakistan, a loss to India, which preceded a tie to South Africa which ultimately sealed their fate in the tournament. The West Indies have a lot of potential in the ODI format, however apart from their drubbing of Zimbabwe earlier this year, their form has been disappointing with a series loss in Bangladesh and a clean sweep in Australia occurring in the past 6-8 months. They will look to play well in front of their home fans and try and re-establish their ranking at 7th, after falling behind New Zealand.

It should be a pretty good contest and I think West Indies and Sri Lanka will be battling each other to meet India in the final.

Squads:
West Indies (Jamaica matches): Dwayne Bravo (c), T.Best, Darren Bravo, J.Charles, C.Gayle, S.Narine, K.Pollard, D.Ramdin, R.Rampaul, K.Roach, D.Sammy, M.Samuels, D.Smith

India: MS Dhoni (c), R.Ashwin, S.Dhawan, R.Jadeja, D.Karthik, V.Kohli, B.Kumar, A.Mishra, S.Raina, S.Ahmed, I.Sharma, R.Sharma, M.Vijay, V.Kumar, U.Yadav

Sri Lanka: A.Matthews (c), D.Chandimal, D.Lokuhettige, S.Eranga, R.Herath, M.Jayawardene, N.Kulasekara, L.Malinga, A.Mendis, J.Mendis, K.Perera, K.Sangakkara, S.Senanayake, U.Tharanga, L.Thirimanne

Fixtures:
28th June
West Indies v India @ Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

30th June
India v Sri Lanka @ Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

2nd July
West Indies v Sri Lanka @ Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

5th July
West Indies v India @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

7th July
Sri Lanka v India @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

9th July
West Indies v Sri Lanka @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

11th July
Final @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

India win Champions Trophy

Apologies for the lack of posts over the Champions Trophy tournament. Unfortunately I've been incredibly busy over the past month. Nonetheless I'm not now, so expect a lot more posts in the next couple of months.

India have won the final of the Champions Trophy against England in a match thrown into disarray because of rain. With the ICC stupidly not scheduling a reserve day, the final was forced into a 20-over affair, albeit with ODI rules. India batted first and made 129/7 off their 20 overs with Virat Kohli top scoring with 43, while in-form Shikhar Dhawan made 31. England didn't begin their chase in the best of fashion collapsing to 46/4. Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara contributed with 33 and 30 respectively, however Ishant Sharma snuffed their efforts in two balls in a remarkable 18th over. Sharma ended up 2/36 off 4, after being wicketless for 27 runs off his first three overs. Jadeja picked up the wicket of Buttler in the next over, and with Bresnan being run out, England had lost four wickets in eight deliveries for three runs. James Tredwell needed a six off the last over to win the match, however a dot ball resulted off the bowling of Ashwin.

India have thoroughly deserved this win as they have been the best side of the tournament by far - going undefeated in 5 matches. They have therefore consolidated their lead at the top of the ICC ODI Rankings and created a buffer of eight points to second place England.

This was supposed to be the last edition of the Champions Trophy, however according to a recent article on Cricinfo, there are murmurings that that the tournament may be revived. I agree that the tournament was a relative success with the short and sharp format successful in making all games meaningful. However I don't really see the point of having both an eight team Champions Trophy and a 10 team World Cup. If the Champions Trophy is going to be kept, then you would think then the commonsensical thing to do would be to increase the number of places in the World Cup. Unfortunately we are dealing with the ICC, so this has next to no chance of happening.

India beat South Africa in Champions Trophy opener

India 331/7 off 50.0 overs defeated South Africa 305 off 50.0 overs by 26 runs
India defeated South Africa last night in the first match of the Champions Trophy tournament. India started off at a blistering pace with Shikhar Dhawan scoring a century to further strengthen his international reputation. Rohit Sharma, the other opener, scored 65 in an opening stand that was worth 127. South Africa picked up a few wickets in the middle of the innings with McLaren picking up three, albeit being hit for 70 off his 10 overs at the same time. Jadeja hit a quickfire 47* to push India to a big total of 331/7.

South Africa were in all sorts at the beginning of their innings losing openers Amla and Ingram for not many. Robin Peterson played well for his 68, as did captain AB de Villiers (70) but both failed to capitalise. Ryan McLaren provided some impetus at no.8 with 71, however it was not enough as the South Africans fell 26 runs short.

India's next match is against West Indies on Tuesday, while South Africa play Pakistan on Monday.

Last edition of the Champions Trophy all set to go!

The Champions Trophy has been  a much maligned competition over its duration. It started off as a knock-out tournament, went on to include heavily underprepared associates (cough...cough... USA), and has finally settled on its best format. The top eight teams, the major cricketing nations in a short and sharp tournament where all games matter. This last edition wasn't even meant to be in the schedule for 2013, however remained due to the inability for the World Test Championship to get up and running. In 2017 though, the Test event will occur (we think) which has caused the ICC to signal that each format of the game should have one major tournament. It's definitely the right move, however the fact that now there will only be a one-day tournament every four years means greater potential for more T20 matches.

Anyway I move back to the Champions Trophy, and there is much excitement around this year's tournament. All the sides are relatively closely matched and any team could win especially in the tournament format where every game counts. Below I run through the teams and their chances.

England
The hosts are one of the favourites, however their series loss to New Zealand will increase the doubts around them. Home conditions will help especially over the subcontinent teams. Good chance for the final I reckon.

India
They mauled Australia in their last warm-up match a couple of days ago, and will use this tournament to try and take some of the spotlight off the drama back in India. Should make the semis.

Australia
With Michael Clarke in severe doubt with a back injury, and their frailty against swing bowling being highlighted against India, I sense they might struggle. Don't think they will make the semis to be honest.

South Africa
The perennial under-achievers in global tournaments, however they have won a Champions Trophy. Expected to do well and could challenge for the final, although Steyn's potential absence will hurt.

Sri Lanka
In contrast to above, Sri Lanka have over-achieved to an extent (to outsider's expectations) in global tournaments, however I don't think they'll make the semis here though.

Pakistan
Pakistan were lucky to get away against Ireland and are unpredictable; so are therefore quite difficult to assess. Could be anywhere from first-round losers to finalists.

New Zealand
Darkhorses as usual. Series win over England will give them huge confidence. Will be looking at the group match against Australia to try and land a semi-final spot.

West Indies
Their T20 World Cup win last year has so far failed to translate into any dominant ODI form as of yet. Don't think that will turn around yet.

Full Fixtures

Group A

Saturday 8^th June

England VS Australia @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Sunday 9^th June

New Zealand VS Sri Lanka @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Wednesday 12^th June

Australia VS New Zealand @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Thursday 13^th June

England VS Sri Lanka @ Kennington Oval, London

Sunday 16^th June

England VS New Zealand @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Monday 17^th June

Australia VS Sri Lanka @ Kennington Oval, London

Group B

Thursday 6^th June

India VS South Africa @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Friday 7^th June

Pakistan VS West Indies @ Kennington Oval, London

Monday 10^th June

Pakistan VS South Africa @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Tuesday 11^th June

India VS West Indies @ Kennington Oval, London

Friday 14^th June

South Africa VS West Indies @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Saturday 15th June

India VS Pakistan @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Finals

Wednesday 19^th June

Semi Final #1 @ Kennington Oval, London

Thursday 20^th June

Semi Final #2 @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Sunday 23^rd June

Final @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

 

Test Rankings Update

With the New Zealand and England series ending the other day in an incredible draw, there is now a bit of a break until the next test assignments. Zimbabwe do host Bangladesh in April for a two test match series in a bottom of the table clash, but for the test purists, they will have to wait until May for any substantial action.

With this in mind, I thought now would be a good time to reflect on each team's form in the past five months (since November) and their current positions on the ranking table. I'll also detail the test series which will be played later this year.

South Africa
8 matches
6 wins 2 draws 0 losses
Captain Graeme Smith has just received the test mace and the $450,000 cheque that goes along with it. They thoroughly deserve these accolades as they have comprehensively beaten all team that they have played. The critical series against Australia in Australia was a challenge but a superb performance at the WACA sealed a hard fought 1-0 win. Their home summer was flawless with a 2-0 and 3-0 thumping of New Zealand and Pakistan respectively.

India
8 matches
5 wins 1 draw 2 losses
All of India's 8 matches have been played at home, and their results can be split into two categories. Their 1-2 defeat to England was disappointing and it showed that they had some things to address. Meanwhile their 4-0 hammering of Australia, although helped by the implosion of Australia, showed that they are still a force to be reckoned with in their home conditions.

West Indies
4 matches
4 wins 0 draws 0 losses
These results look sensational, but some context is needed. Their matches were played against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. So they were expected to win these four matches, but the ruthlessness they displayed at times is a sign that West Indies may be on a significant rise in test cricket.

Australia
10 matches
3 wins 2 draws 5 losses
Australia have come through an incredible rough trot after being hammered by India. Players being sent home, selection inconsistencies an rumoured player unrest have destabilized the team. The retirements of Ponting and Hussey would not have helped. All this was on the back of a decent home summer with a narrow 0-1 loss to the South Africans and a 3-0 cleansweep of Sri Lanka.

England
7 matches
2 wins 4 draws 1 loss 
England's win over India was a historic achievement and they thoroughly deserved their win with some outstanding performances. They have crashed back to Earth though, with a 0-0 draw against New Zealand. They were only one wicket away from losing the series, which would have been a major disappointment for England.

Sri Lanka
7 matches
2 wins 1 draw 4 losses
Sri Lanka's form has not been good, and there are signs that they may be on a downward trend in test cricket (their board's cancelling of tests will not help this). They were upset by New Zealand in Sri Lanka to draw the series 1-1, and were completely outplayed by Australia down under. The fact that they could only just beat Bangladesh shows where they are at.

New Zealand
7 matches
1 win 3 draws 3 losses
Despite only 1 win from the past 7 matches, things are starting to turn around for New Zealand. Their win in Sri Lanka was amazing, although was overshadowed by the Ross Taylor captaincy saga. Despite being smashed by South Africa, their performance against England showed that they have some good players coming through the ranks.

Bangladesh
4 matches
0 wins 1 draw 3 losses 
Bangladesh's form has actually been quite impressive. They posted their then highest test score in the first match against the West Indies and should have probably won that game. Their draw in the first match against Sri Lanka (while making 638) was a major highlight for them.

Pakistan
3 matches
0 wins 0 draws 3 losses
Pakistan have only played the one series which was against South Africa away. They were destroyed by the no.1 side with a real low-light coming when they were bowled out for 49 in the first test.

Zimbabwe
2 matches
0 wins 0 draws 2 losses
Zimbabwe played tests for the first time in over a year with a series away against West Indies. As expected they were brushed aside with relative ease, but the experience shall be good for them.

Some statistics from this in general are:
30 matches played (over the last 5 months)
2 four match series
4 three match series
5 two match series
Thought I'd include this breakdown as I really hate two match series. Who wouldn't have loved an extra match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand or even between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, giving Bangladesh the opportunity to play for a drawn series.

Of the 30 matches played, 7 have been drawn, which is around 23%. I reckon most of these were on roads of pitches. Adelaide comes to mind, as does matches played in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

The current rankings are as follows: (up to date as of now)

1 - South Africa    128
2 - England           114
3 - India                112
4 - Australia         110
5 - Pakistan          104
6 - Sri Lanka         92
7 - West Indies      92
8 - New Zealand   83
9 -  Bangladesh      1

The divide between South Africa and the rest is really prominent now, and really proves just how dominant they have been over the past five months. Australia have slipped from nearly being no.1 to now down to no.4. While West Indies have improved their ranking to 92 and are now within striking distance of leap-frogging Sri Lanka into 6th position. Bangladesh picked up a ranking point, while Zimbabwe are still unranked, although they could find themselves on the table after the Bangladesh series.

Test Calendar for the rest of 2013:
April: Zimbabwe VS Bangladesh (Zimbabwe) - 2 match series
May: England VS New Zealand (England) - 2 match series
July/August: West Indies VS Pakistan (West Indies) - 2 match series
July/August: England VS Australia (England) - 5 match series
October: Bangladesh VS New Zealand (Bangladesh) - 2 match series
October: Zimbabwe VS Sri Lanka (Zimbabwe) - 2 match series
October: Pakistan VS South Africa (UAE) - 2/3 match series
November - January: Australia VS England (Australia) - 5 match series
December/January: South Africa VS India (South Africa) - 3/4 match series
December/January: New Zealand VS West Indies (New Zealand) - 3 match series
December/January: Pakistan VS Sri Lanka (UAE) - 3 match series

The two Ashes series are the main highlight, although Australia's problems could mean the series' aren't as closely fought as everyone would like. All the other nations are left to pick up the scraps with a glut of two match series. Although there is hope that Pakistan could play South Africa in a three match series, while Cricket South Africa are considering a four match series against India. The Bangladesh VS New Zealand series should be closely fought with the improvement of Bangladesh.

Let's hope for some exciting matches as well as some brilliant individual performances. On a side note it will be interesting to see whether Sachin Tendulkar continues playing, as India do not play another test series until South Africa in December. 

World Cricket Live Update

Apologies for the break in posts so below I have summarised the most recent results on the international cricket scene:

• New Zealand and England drew Test Series 0-0
• India whitewashed Australia 4-0 to end a horrendous tour for the visitors
• Sri Lanka secured a 1-0 series victory in their home test series against Bangladesh
• Sri Lanka lead their ODI series against the same team 1-0 with one match to play, after the second encounter was rained out
• West Indies completed their series whitewash with a 2-0 result in the test matches, after a 3-0 and 2-0 win in the ODI and T20I series respectively
• South Africa won the deciding game to seal a close ODI series with Pakistan 3-2

 

• Ireland clean-swept their tour of the UAE with a win in their Intercontinental Cup match, two World Cup Qualifiers and single T20I
• Kenya won both both WCL Championship matches against Canada, as well as the first class match, while the T20I series was drawn 1-1
• Scotland were smashed by Afghanistan with the Afganistan team winning the two WCQ's, the Intercontinental Cup match and the two T20I's

Australia annihilated in second test

India 503 defeated Australia 237/9 dec. and 131

At 74/2 Australian fans would have had some hope of bringing the game into a fifth day. Instead the aussies did not even make it to lunch being bowled out for a disgraceful 131. Cowan got to 44 off a painstaking 150 balls, while Warner managed 26. Clarke for once could not get a big score (mind you he got a pearler from Jadeja), and evidently a collapse ensued after he got out. From Clarke's wicket onwards Australia lost 7 wickets for 21 runs. Yes, that's right 7 wickets fell in 21 overs at a run rate of 1 per over. I was going to compare it to a Zimbabwe batting order implosion, but to be honest that would be unfair to the African side. Australia were simply terrible in this match. Even from the onset they were behind with some strange team selections. No batsman really stood up (withstanding Clarke and Wade in the first innings) and the bowlers proved virtually ineffective. Credit though has to be given to the Indians who played superbly. Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara both hit their highest test scores in mammoth 370 run stand. Their batting was brilliant and it won the match for the home side and essentially crushed Australia further into the dirt. Ashwin and Jadeja both took 6 wickets for the match apiece solidifying their form from the first test.

With India now stretching to a 2-0 lead in the series, the unlikely scenario of 2 Australian victories would only prevent them from taking the series. Australia need the 2 wins to draw the series and retain the Border- Gavaskar Trophy. Realistically though Australia will do lucky to draw a match and are starting down the barrel of an incredibly disappointing 4-0 series whitewash, and a major setback on the road to the Ashes.

Full scorecard here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2013/engine/current/match/598813.html

World Cricket Live Update

Plenty of international cricket happening at the moment, so let's get straight into it.

New Zealand - 63/3 off 22.3 overs (ODI #3)
In the deciding ODI, Alastair Cook decided to bowl first, confident in his side's ability to chase down a total to win the series. While the English are unchanged, New Zealand replaced Trent Boult with Andrew Ellis. The kiwis got off to a very shaky start as they lost 3 wickets for only 11 runs. Finn was the chief destroyer with 2 wickets, while Anderson picked up Williamson. Since then though, the home side have recovered somewhat as Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot have shared an unbeaten 52 run stand. They would like to pick up the scoring rate though, as a run rate of 2.8 per over, is well under par on the small Eden Park ground in Auckland. Currently the score is 63/3 off 22.3 overs.

Live scorecard here on Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-new-zealand-2013/engine/current/match/569242.html

Australia - 316/7 (Stumps Day 1)
Starting with the first test between India and Australia, Michael Clarke's unbeaten 103* helped save Australia's blushes (once again) on Day 1 in Chennai. Australia got off to an alright start with David Warner and Ed Cowan putting on 64 for the first wicket. Cowan then got stumped for 29 trying to repeat a six he hit the previous over. Hughes chopped on for not many, which left Watson and Warner to try and get a partnership going. After being 126/2 at Lunch, Watson fell almost straight away after the interval for 28, while Warner was gone lbw for 59, giving Ashwin his fourth wicket. Wade gave Ashwin his five-for, which left Australia reeling at 153/5.

Step in Michael Clarke, as once again the captain rescued his side with some brilliant strokeplay and resilience. Moises Henriques was exceptional on debut making a well composed 68, proving the selectors right in picking him. Unfortunately though he fell towards the end of the day, while Mitchell Starc (newly promoted to no.8) also was dismissed. Peter Siddle hung around to allow Clarke to post his 23rd Test century off the second last ball of the day. For India, Ashwin was the hero claiming six wickets with some really intelligent spin bowling. Jadeja also chipped in with the wicket of Starc. At Stumps on Day 1, its an incredibly even game, but if Australia's tail can hang around and support Clarke, then Australia could get an advantage with a score over 350.

Full scorecard here on Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2013/engine/current/match/598812.html

South Africa - 334/6 (Stumps Day 1)
In the third and last test match of the series, Graeme Smith won the toss and decided to bat first. There were some team changes though, with injuries to fast bowlers Umar Gul and Junaid Khan, forcing Pakistan to debut Eshan Adil and also play second gamer Rahat Ali. Kallis for the home side was also left out with a calf problem. Despite an attack light on experience, it was Pakistan who started the game better, dismissing Petersen and Smith inside 10 overs. Amla and du Plessis settled the ship putting on 69 for the third wicket, before Faf gave the debutant his second wicket of the morning. Amla made 92 before being caught behind off Rahat Ali. Elgar didn't last long, while Robin Peterson was run out after getting a start.

At 248/6, South Africa had some work to do, and it was AB de Villiers who took the home side to Stumps unbeaten on 98*, while Vernon Philander did well to get to 45* in support. It was a good recovery by South Africa, but Pakistan should not be too disheartened. They would be hoping to limit South Africa to under 400, and then getting off to a good start with the bat in their first innings.

Full scorecard here on Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-pakistan-2013/engine/current/match/567365.html

West Indies (337/4) defeated Zimbabwe (181/9) by 156 runs
After not playing an ODI for around 12 months, and lacking any form of competitive cricket, it is hard to expect a side to play well in their first outing back. The fact that it is Zimbabwe makes it even harder to imagine. Therefore things went as expected in the first ODI of the series in Grenada overnight. Zimbabwe were simply outplayed from the first to last ball of the match. They were no match for the powerful West Indies batsmen, with Johnson Charles and Kieran Powell sharing a 168 run opening stand. It came in only 28.4 overs as well! Powell was dismissed, but Darren Bravo carried off where he left off. Meanwhile Charles was finally dismissed for 130 (his highest ODI score) which sparked a mini collapese as both Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo fell for not many. Darren Bravo continued on and smacked his way to his first ODI century off only 71 balls. It included 9 fours and 2 sixes. Its incredibly difficult to find the best bowler for the Zimbabweans, as although Mpofu took 2 wickets, he was smashed for 83 off his 10 overs. Legspinner Natsai Mushangwe (in only his second ODI) bowled alright and finished with 1/56 off 10 - the lowest economy rate out of all the bowlers.

Zimbabwe had no hope in the chase of the mammoth 337, and were 34/4 at one stage. Captain Brendan Taylor needed to contribute, if any hope of an upset could eventuate, but he was dismissed by Tino Best for 8. Craig Ervine made 41, while Malcolm Waller posted a half century and therefore top-scored for his team. I guess the fact that they weren't bowled out could be taken as a plus for the African side, alongwith Ervine and Waller's performances. Narine picked up 3 wickets for the West Indies, while Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell picked up two apiece. No-one is expecting Zimbabwe to win the next game, but hopefully for their sake, they can improve on this performance.

Full scorecard here on Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-v-zimbabwe-2013/engine/current/match/593983.html

Australia and India test series set to begin

Australia and India are set to re-ignite their rivalry with another test match series, their 4th series in 4 and a half years. It is on the back of a 4 match series played in Australia in the summer of 2011/12. In that series, India were ultimately pathetic and were whitewashed, following on from their 4-0 loss to India earlier in 2011.

In regards to both teams' test form, they are both in a transitional phase. The legends of yesteryear have come and gone (Tendulkar and Sehwag withstanding) and left two teams with plenty of inexperienced players. Australia have recently departed with Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, who were both expected originally to make this tour as well as the Ashes. Australia's recent form in their home summer was quite good with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka, and a closely fought 1-0 loss to the table topping South Africans. This suggested that they are too good for the likes of Sri Lanka and the rest, but are still not up to scratch to the likes of South Africa and England. India have had disappointing recent form in the test game. They did beat New Zealand 2-0 at home, after which a 2-1 loss to England followed. The last team to beat India in India before the English was in fact the Australians in 2004. It was on this tour that Michael Clarke made a debut century, and Adam Gilchrist was at the helm. In the last two series' in India between these two sides, India won 2-0 on both occasions.

Australia will take some hope from the fact that England defeated India, but England are undoubtedly a much better side than the aussies at the moment. Their two spinners in Swann and Panesar were exceptional, and Nathan Lyon is really no match for them. There has been quite a lot of debtate about Australia's selection for the first test with only one specialist spinner (Lyon) and four pacemen. But the fact is that there is no point playing for two specialist spinners if they are not good enough. Starc, Siddle and Pattinson are all better bowlers than Doherty, so irrespective of the coniditons, I think the decision made was a good one.

Nonetheless the Australians will struggle with the spin-friendly conditions. Captain Michael Clarke is the only player who plays spin well, with the top 4 of Warner, Cowan, Hughes and Watson all generally struggling against it. In addition to this, only Clarke, Watson, Johnson and Siddle have played a test in India.

For India, there is pressure on Tendulkar to score some big runs, and another series failure could see the end of one of the best players the game has ever seen. Although India have struggled of late, they still have quality in their side with Sehwag, Kohli, Dhoni and Sharma. Harbajhan Singh could be the danger man, as he really relishes playing Australia, even though his "bunny" Ponting is no longer there.

This series should be a cracker as both teams are evenly matched. I think India will start favourites due to the conditions suiting them, and Australia's possibly frail batting line-up. A win for Australia could sew up the #2 Test ranking ahead of the April 1 cut-off date, while an Indian win could move them up from #5.

Squads:
India (1st and 2nd Test): Dhoni (c), Ashwin, Dhawan, Dinda, H.Singh, Jadeja, Kohli, Kumar, Ojha, Pujara, Rahane, Sehwag, Sharma, Tendulkar, Vijay
Australia: Clarke (c), Bird, Cowan, Doherty, Henriques, Hughes, Johnson, Khawaja, Lyon, Maxwell, Pattinson, Siddle, Smith, Starc, Wade, Warner, Watson

Full Fixtures:
1st Test @ MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
2nd Test @ Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
3rd Test @ Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
4th Test @ Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi  

World Cricket Live Update

South Africa managed to win the last ODI against New Zealand in an absolute thriller. South Africa needed 3 runs off the final ball to win and Ryan McLaren hit a six with an incredible sweep/ramp shot. It really was an unbelievable end to a great game, after New Zealand had made 260 batting first. Graeme Smith made 116 in South Africa's reply, but it really was McLaren's heroics which stole the show. Ultimately though New Zealand did still win the series 2-1 in what was a thoroughly disappointing series for South Africa, after they dominated the same opposition in the Test series.

Meanwhile England restored some credibility with a dead rubber win in the 5th and final ODI against India. The home side were bowled out for 226, which would have been much worse if not for Suresh Raina's 83. England though chased down the total with seven wickets to spare with 16 balls to spare. Ian Bell was not out on 113*.

Sri Lanka beat Australia in the 1st T20I match at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. Despite David Warner posting his highest T20I score of 90, Sri Lanka were never in much discomfort chasing down a below par score of 137 with 5 wickets and 7 deliveries to spare. The second match is tonight at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

SA VS NZ 3rd ODI scorecard: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-new-zealand-2012/engine/match/567360.html

Ind VS Eng 5th ODI scorecard: http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/engine/current/match/565816.html

AUS VS Sri 1st T20I scorecard: http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-sri-lanka-2012/engine/match/573019.html

World Cricket Live Weekly Update

Apologies for the break in posts, its been quite a busy week!

The biggest result over the past few days has undoubtedly been New Zealand's series win over South Africa. After winning the first ODI, it was thought New Zealand would struggle to maintain that form, but it turned out they did. Batting first, the kiwis made 279/8 in their 50 overs with Kane Williamson making an unbelievable 145* (his highest ODI score). South Africa did start off well in reply with Smith making 66 and Ingram 79, but incredibly a record five run-outs in the innings derailed the chase. Smith, du Plessis, Behardien on debut, Miller and Kleinveldt were all run out. The South Africans went from an imperious 167/1 to 252 all out, a collapse of 85/9. It really was an amazing win for New Zealand. This incredible series win broke numerous records including:

-Their first series win in South Africa
- First ODI series win since November 2009 *(excluding Bang/Zim)

The last ODI is being played today. It was expected that this match would be a dead rubber, but who would have thought that it would be heavy underdogs New Zealand to have the unassailable lead.

Meanwhile Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 32 runs in the 5th ODI in Hobart, thereby drawing the series 2-2. Hughes scored another ton - this time a remarkable 138 not out. Sri Lanka were in trouble at 108/5, although Angelo Matthews' 67 ensured some nervous moments for the hosts.

After this drawn series, Sri Lanka's tour finishes with a short two match T20I series beginning tomorrow at ANZ Stadium (Sydney), and then moving onto the MCG on Monday night.

Continuing on with the ODI cricket scene, India took an unbeatable lead in their ODI series against England by winning the 4th ODI by 5 wickets midweek. England batted first and made 257, with key figures Cook and Pietersen both making 76. India though made it three wins on the trot with Suresh Raina leading the chase with 89* at a strike rate of 112. This series win was huge for India after some poor form leading up to it against Pakistan. The last match is in two days time at Dharmasala.

With all this ODI cricket, I will post about the movement in the ODI rankings after the conclusion of the South Africa-New Zealand and India-England series'.

India take 2-1 lead

India smashed England in the 3rd ODI overnight by 7 wickets enabling them to take a 2-1 lead in the 5 match series. After being beaten comfortably in the last match, nothing improved for the visitors as they were bowled out for 155 within 43 overs. (See my previous post on this game for more detailed first innings details)

India cruised to victory losing only three wickets, despite the early dismissal of Ajinkya Rahane for 0. Other opener Gambhir made 33, while Virat Kohli steered the chase with 77* off only 79 deliveries with 9 fours and 2 sixes. Yuvraj also chipped in with 30 before being bowled by James Tredwell. Tredwell was the best English bowler taking 2/29, with the only other wicket going to Steve Finn. Dernbach was especially expensive going at 9 an over.

India now have the opportunity to seal the series with a win in the next game, whereas England need a win to keep the series alive. After losing in the first game, India have bounced back wonderfully with two impressive performances. Meanwhile England need to stem the momentum flow that the home side have gained over the past two matches.

Cricinfo scorecard
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/engine/current/match/565814.html

World Cricket Live Update

England after being put into bat have been dismissed for 155 inside 43 overs. The first five batsmen all made starts with no-one going on to a decent score.
Cook - 17
Bell - 25
Pietersen - 17
Root - 39
Morgan - 10
The Indian bowlers were always on top though with each one of the six bowlers picking up a wicket. Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers again with superb figures of 3/19 off 6.2 overs. This should be quite a regulation chase for the home side, with the dew not helping England either.

Meanwhile in South Africa, New Zealand have put the home side on the back foot after winning the toss and bowling first. With a distinctly different side to that in the test series, New Zealand have started the better of the two teams, bowling well to have South Africa at 131/5 after 34 overs. Kyle Mills (1/13 off 5) and Mitchell McClenaghan (2/18 off 8), in his debut mind you, have bowled superbly. Ingram made 29 for South Africa, while not out batsman Faf du Plessis is on 39*.

India bowls first in 3rd ODI

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the toss and unsurprisingly decided to bowl in the 3rd ODI in Ranchi today. It is unsurprising due to the heavy presence of dew which will form later, thus making it terribly hard to grip the ball in the second innings. Therefore England will need to really post a solid total to compensate for the advantage of the team batting second.

India have an unchanged side from the last match, while for England Bresnan returns for Woakes.

Full Teams
India: Rahane, Gambhir, Kohli, Singh, Raina, Dhoni (c), Jadeja, Ashwin, Kumar, Sharma, Ahmed
England: Cook (c), Bell, Pietersen, Root, Morgan, Kiewswetter, Patel, Tredwell, Finn, Dernbach, Bresnan

India smash England by 127 runs

India have levelled their ODI series against England at 1-1, after a comprehensive win last night. India posted a great score of 285/6 off their 50 overs with solid contributions from the middle order, after twin failures by openers Rahane (8), Gambhir (4). Kohli made 37, Yuvraj Singh 32, Raina 55, Dhoni 72, and Jadeja a not out 61 only off 37 deliveries at a strike rate of 165. His quickfire knock featured 8 fours and 2 sixes. Dhoni's innings was tremendous, amid pressure around his captaincy. Dhoni's ODI career is simply outstanding to now with an incredible average of 52. I'll do a separate post on him later, as he really is an immense player.

England were never in the hunt in the chase thanks to brilliant bowling by the youngster Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who bowled all out for the figures of 3/29 off 10 including 2 maidens. His 8th over proved extremely pivotal, by taking the wickets of Pietersen for 42, and then Morgan for a duck two balls later. In only his fifth ODI, Kumar really showed great poise and thoroughly deserves his great figures. Apart from him, Ashwin took 3 wickets, while Jadeja ended up with superb figures of 2/12 off 7 overs. Jadeja ended up being the Player of the Match as well, for his impressive batting and bowling contributions.

India made a great comeback in this match, after being beaten in the first match. Hopefully for them this is the tide turning and the start of a bit of a roll. This series is delicately poised at 1-1 ahead of the next match on Saturday.

Full scorecard here on Cricinfo
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/engine/current/match/565813.html

India bat first in 2nd ODI against England

MS Dhoni has won the toss and decided to bat first in today's one day international against England at Kochi. Shami Ahmed comes in for his 2nd ODI for Ashok Dinda, while for England paceman Chris Woakes replaces Tim Bresnan who apparently has picked up a slight niggle*

This really is a big game for India, as coming back from 2-0 down in the series will be an extremely tough ask. They really need to get some momentum and form after their struggles of late.

Full Teams:

India: Rahane, Gambhir, Kohli, Singh, Raina, Dhoni (c), Jadeja, Ashwin, Kumar, Sharma, Ahmed
England: Cook (c), Bell, Pietersen, Root, Morgan, Kiewswetter, Patel, Tredwell, Finn, Dernbach, Woakes

*courtesy of Cricinfo