India Cricket News
India vs Sri Lanka Cricket Series 2008
IND v SL, 1st Test, Colombo, Day 1: Rain curtails play on the first day
July 23, 2008
Sri Lankan opener Malinda Warnapura defied India's attack with an unbeaten half-century on the opening day of the rain-hit first Test on Wednesday.
The hosts lost two wickets cheaply after electing to bat in overcast conditions, but left-handed Warnapura (50 not out) helped his team reach 85-2 in the first innings at stumps.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene was the other not-out batsman on 16 when play was called off due to bad light with 20 overs remaining. No play was possible before tea because of the rain.
Indian fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan shared the wickets.
Sri Lanka's latest spin sensation Ajantha Mendis made his Test debut, just a few weeks after leading his side to victory with a six-wicket haul against India in the Asia Cup final in Karachi early this month.
IND v SL, 1st Test, Colombo, Day 1: Sri Lanka 85-2 v India
IND v SL, 1st Test, Colombo: Umpire challenge system, Tendulkar batting record draws focus in Sri Lanka-India test series
July 23, 2008
The test series between Sri Lanka and India could be pivotal for three reasons: the umpire challenge system going on trial, Sachin Tendulkar targeting a batting world record and spin bowling sensation Ajantha Mendis making his debut.
The three-test series beginning Wednesday at Sinhalese Sport Club will for the first time allow players to challenge umpiring decisions and have them referred to TV replays.
The system takes the lead of tennis, which has used a similar challenge system to challenge decisions in Grand Slams since 2006.
Mendis who became an instant star with his stunning bowling return of 6-13 in the Asia Cup final against India earlier this month is very likely to make his test debut Wednesday.
With its bowling attack weakened through injury to Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof, Sri Lanka has named Mendis as a second specialist spinner alongside veteran Muttiah Muralitharan in a 14-member squad.
Mendis' six wickets in a 100-run win over India helped Sri Lanka defend the Asia Cup limited-overs title in Pakistan earlier this month. He has so far played in eight limited-overs internationals and taken 20 wickets.
The Indians are confident of giving him a tougher initiation in the test arena.
Kumble said India's test batting order, featuring Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S.Laxman, has enough quality and experience to tackle all the Sri Lankan bowlers — particularly Mendis.
Kumble was expecting, as usual, the main threat from Sri Lanka to come from Muralitharan, the world's leading test wicket taker, and veteran paceman Chaminda Vaas.
Tendulkar, returning to the test side after a groin injury, is set to overtake former West Indies captain Brian Lara as test cricket's leading run scorer during the series. The 35-year-old has 11,782 test runs and needs 172 more to surpass Lara.
Kumble indicated Tendulkar would be among six specialist batsmen, backed up by Dinesh Karthik, an accomplished wicketkeeper batsman, and four bowlers. He said there was unlikely to be changes from the side that played a three-day warmup match last week.
Sri Lanka Team (from): Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilina Thushara Mirando, Ajantha Mendis and Chamara Kapugedera.
India Team (from): Anil Kumble (captain), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha.
IND v SL, 1st Test, Colombo: Sri Lanka team announced for 1st Test against India
July 22, 2008
Sri Lanka has announced a 14-member team for the first Test against India, beginning from July 23 at Colombo.
Young spinner Ajantha Mendis has been included in the host squad. He had diverted the cricket world’s attention towards him for his excellent bowling in the recent Asia Cup cricket tournament. He is expected to be given Test cap in the match, starting from July 23.
Sri Lanka team:
Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Chamara Kapugedera.
Gambhir hits unbeaten 60 as Indians draw warmup match
July 20, 2008
Opener Gautam Gambhir scored an unbeaten 60 runs Sunday as a touring Indian side drew their three-day warmup match against a Sri Lanka Board XI.
Chasing a target of 276 runs to win, the Indians were 129 for two wickets when stumps were drawn on the final day at Nondescripts Cricket Club, Colombo.
India faces Sri Lanka in three tests starting July 23 at Colombo, but it played this warmup match under the name "Indians."
Batting first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka Board XI were dismissed for 224. In reply the Indians declared their first innings for 196 for eight wickets, conceding the hosts a 28-run first innings lead.
Sachin Tendulkar top scored with 69 runs while Dinesh Karthik made 58 not out.
Sri Lanka Board XI ended its second innings at 247 for 6. Chamara Silva followed up his 68 runs in the first innings with an unbeaten 59 in the second.
Indian bowlers hit form
July 19, 2008
India started their tour of Sri Lanka on an impressive note with their bowlers putting up a tidy performance to bundle out Sri Lanka Board XI for a modest 224 on a rain-truncated opening day of the three-day warm-up match at Colombo on Friday.
Electing to bat, the home team never really recovered from a shaky start and could have been skittled out for a much lower first-innings total had it not been for a resolute 100-run fifth-wicket partnership between Thilina Kandamby (84) and Chamara Silva (68).
Captain Anil Kumble (3/30) was the pick of the Indian bowlers while pacer Zaheer Khan (2/35) and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (2/52) chipped in with two wickets each at the Nondescripts Cricket Club. The Indians, playing their only warm-up match before the three-match Test series gets underway on July 23, were struggling at four for one at close with opener Gautam Gambhir back in the pavilion.
Sri Lanka's Jayawardene eager to renew India rivalry
July 16, 2008
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said on Wednesday his team was keen to renew the rivalry with India in a three-Test series starting at Colombo next week.
"Personally, I have a couple of milestones against India. I made my Test debut against them and also scored my first Test double-century against them. It's a pretty good team for me to play against," said Jayawardene.
"We thoroughly enjoy playing India at home or away. It's always been a tough challenge. There is good rivalry with our neighbours."
Jayawardene, who made his Test debut in 1997 against India, hit 242 against them during the Asian Test championship match in 1999.
The Sri Lankan captain, with 7,478 runs in 95 Tests, said the series would be closely contested as both the teams had quality players.
Indian team to practice in Chennai before SL tour
July 12, 2008
Anil Kumble-led Indian cricket team will have a day's physical conditioning and net practice on Monday in Chennai before embarking on their tour to Sri Lanka on July 15.
Dr R N Baba, Media Manager of the Indian cricket administration, said that Kumble and Coach Gary Kirsten would address the media on July 14 after their practice sessions.
India is scheduled to play a three-Test series from July 23 to August 12 and then start their five-match one day series from August 18 to 29.
Since 1982 India and Sri Lanka have played in 26 Test matches with India having won 10 matches, including two at Colombo and Kandy while the Lankan's victories have come about at home in Colombo (twice) and Galle. Three matches have been drawn.
The Lankans in their last three-test series in India lost zero-two. After drawing the Chennai test, India won the next two at Delhi and Ahmedabad.
BCCI announces squad for Sri Lanka Test series
July 08, 2008
An exhausted Mahendra Singh Dhoni was rested while young left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was rewarded for his consistent performance with a berth in India's 16-member squad for the Test series in Sri Lanka, starting July 23.
Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma, who have been an integral part of India's one-day team, were also named in the side which had no place for opener Wasim Jaffer, an out-of-form Yuvraj Singh and struggling pacer Irfan Pathan.
The 21-year-old Ojha, who came into the limelight for his fine performance in the recent Indian Premier League, was preferred over fellow spinner Piyush Chawla and was the only new face in the squad announced by BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Dhoni's absence paved the way for Parthiv Patel's recall into the Test squad after a long gap.
Parthiv comes back to the team on the back of his fine batting performance in the domestic circuit. Dinesh Kaarthick is the other wicket-keeper in the team.
Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, both of whom had been out of action in the one-dayers, were named in the squad which will have a new vice-captain in Virender Sehwag.
While Tendulkar had been recuperating from a groin injury that forced him out to sit out of the third and final Test against South Africa in April, Harbhajan was serving a five-match ODI ban for slapping teammate S Sreesanth during the Indian Premier League.
Sreesanth, who is nursing a side strain, has also been left out of the squad.
India Team: Anil Kumble (c), Virender Sehwag (v-c), Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Kaarthick, Pragyan Ojha and Parthiv Patel.
Asia Cup Cricket 2008
IND v SL, Final, Asia Cup 2008: Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs in Asia Cup final
July 06, 2008
Ajantha Mendis broke India's back with a mesmerising six-wicket haul as Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup cricket tournament with a facile 100-run victory at Karachi.
Chasing 274, India's much-vaunted batting attack was bamboozled by Mendis' bag of tricks and the mystery spinner emerged as the wrecker-in-chief to bundle out India for 173 in just 39.3 overs.
Mendis' bowling figures read an impressive 8-1-13-6 and this was the first six-wicket haul in the Asia Cup history.
IND v SL, Final, Asia Cup 2008: Sri Lanka 273 all out (49.5 overs) beat India 173 all out (39.3 overs) by 100 runs
IND v SL, Asia Cup 2008: India reach Asia Cup final with Sri Lanka win
July 03, 2008
Mahendra Singh Dhoni led India to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Karachi to secure their place in the final of the Asia Cup.
Dhoni hit 67 from 62 deliveries in the Super Four match, while Suresh Raina provided decent support with 54, as India capitalised on a good start by Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, the opening batsmen who scored 68 and 42 respectively.
Sri Lanka had earlier set a target of 308 for eight, thanks to Chamara Kapugedera's 75, fifties from Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya's 43. India overhauled that target in 46.5 overs, with Yuvraj Sing, who hit 36, and Rohit Sharma supplying the finishing touches.
India's win renders today's match between Pakistan and Bangladesh inconsequential as the host side have no chance of making the final. Sri Lanka, who had topped the Super Four table with six points prior to this defeat, had already qualified.
India's bowlers turned in a much-improved performance, with Ishant Sharma picking up early wickets, but shoddy fielding and Kapugedera's fine innings helped Sri Lanka to a challenging total.
Sehwag and Gambhir set about the chase briskly, bringing up India's 50 in only 39 deliveries. Dilhara Fernando, one of two additions made to the Sri Lanka side, in particular, was subject to some hard hitting as he conceded 28 runs in his first three overs.
The departure of Sehwag gave Sri Lanka some respite, but Raina quickly found his rhythm and added 42 runs for the second wicket with Gambhir. But as with Sehwag's dismissal, the scoring rate dipped marginally after Gambhir's departure.
Dhoni then took up the chase and eased to a half-century - his second in as many days - off 49 deliveries. By the time he departed, India had victory within their grasp.
IND v SL, Asia Cup 2008: India 310 for 4 (46.5 overs) beat Sri Lanka 308 for 8 (50.0 overs) by 6 wickets
IND v PAK, Asia Cup 2008: Younis brilliant unbeaten century takes Pakistan home
July 02, 2008
Younis Khan hit for a century and an under-strength Pakistan beat India by eight wickets Wednesday to revive its hopes of reaching the Asia Cup final.
Younis hit an unbeaten 123 off 117 balls and stand-in captain Misbah-ul-Haq scored an undefeated 70 off 62 deliveries, enabling Pakistan to reach the 309-run target in 45.3 overs for the loss of two wickets.
Earlier, Pakistan's second-choice bowlers restricted India to 308 for seven from its 50 overs on a flat batting wicket with fast bowler Rao Iftikhar taking three for 51.
Younis hit 11 fours and a six and, together with Misbah, shared a match-winning 144-run unbeaten third-wicket stand off 123 deliveries.
Playing in his 174th one-day international, Younis also became the ninth Pakistani batsmen to score 5,000 runs when he pulled leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for a boundary and reached 37.
The result left India requiring to beat defending champion Sri Lanka on Thursday to assure itself of qualifying for the final.
Pakistan, which lost to India by six wickets in the group stage, faces Bangladesh in its Super Four game Friday and if India loses Thursday, the home team could qualify for the July 6 final against Sri Lanka.
IND v PAK, Asia Cup 2008: Pakistan 309 for 2 (45.3 overs) beat India 308 for 7 (50.0 overs) by 8 wickets
IND v PAK, Asia Cup 2008: India look to seal spot in final
July 02, 2008
A 64-run deafeat against Sri Lanka and Pakistan are staring at imminent elimination from the on-going Asia Cup. The green brigade needs to win both their remaining matches to have a slim chance of qualifying for the final.
India is in a much better position and a win would put them in the title clash against Sri Lanka, a repeat of the 2004 final in Colombo.
On the other hand, after a three-day break Team India will look to seal a place in the final against Sri Lanka with a win at Karachi against Pakistan.
The Indian players enjoyed a two-day break from cricket after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni complained that the tournament schedule was too tight and had left the players tired.
Kirsten said it was very important to give the players some time off from cricket. "We are now back to cricket, but it is very important to give guys some time off the cricket so that we did that and now guys are back and focusing on next two games," he said.
The Indian batting is solid as ever with Gambhir and Sehwag giving the explosive starts and the middle order of Raina, Yuvraj and Dhoni there to finish the job. The batting makes up for the slightly weak bowling but the biggest worry for the team has been their fielding.
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