InD(hon)ia’s campaign ends; Australia advance

India made no changes to their playing eleven. Australia made three changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – George Bailey, Mitchell Marsh and Xavier Doherty made way for Steven Smith, Michael Clarke (who was leading the team) and Mitchell Johnson.

Clarke won the toss and chose to bat. Although his innings included a boundary and a six, David Warner, who scored 12, wasn’t in seventh heaven. Nineteen balls into the match, he was caught by Virat Kohli. Umesh Yadav broke the 15-run stand.

Smith, the player of the match, faced 93 balls, scoring 105. His innings included 11 boundaries and a couple of sixes. Thirty-one overs later, he was caught by Rohit Sharma. Yadav broke the 182-run stand.

Glenn Maxwell, who faced 14 balls, scored 23. His (Ashw)innings included three boundaries and a six. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Ajinkya Rahane. Ravichandran broke the 35-run stand.

Aaron Finch, who faced 116 balls, scored 81. His innings included seven boundaries and a six. Five balls later, he was caught by Shikhar Dhawan. Yadav broke the one-run stand. Clarke, who faced 12 balls, scored 10. His innings included a boundary. Twenty-three balls later, he was caught by Rohit. Mohit Sharma broke the 15-run stand.

James Faulkner scored 21 off 12 balls. His innings included three boundaries and a six. Twenty-six balls later, Yadav broke the 36-run stand. Shane Watson, who faced 30 balls, scored 28. His innings included a couple of boundaries and a six. Eight balls later, he was caught by Rahane. Mohit broke the 14-run stand.

Brad was in seventh heaven, because his run-a-ball (Hadd)innings included a boundary. He was unbeaten, as was Johnson, who faced nine balls, scoring 27. His innings included four boundaries and a six.

India conceded 14 extras. Australia scored 328 for the loss of seven wickets off 50 overs. Kohli wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he bowled a wicketless over. Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja bowled 10 wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 68, the latter conceded 56. 

Ashwin, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 42. He picked up a wicket. Mohit, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 75. He picked up a couple of wickets. Yadav, who bowled nine overs, conceded 72. He picked up four scalps.

Dhawan, who faced 41 balls, scored 45. His innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six. Seventy-seven balls into the chase, he was caught by Maxwell. Josh Hazlewood broke the 76-run stand.

Kohli, who faced 13 balls, scored a run. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Haddin. Johnson broke the two-run stand. Rohit Sharma, who faced 48 balls, scored 34. His innings included a boundary and a couple of sixes. Fifteen balls later, Johnson broke the 13-run stand.

Although his innings included a maiden, Suresh Raina, who faced 11 balls, wasn’t in seventh heaven. Five overs later, he was caught by Haddin. Faulkner broke the 17-run stand. Rahane, who faced 68 balls, scored 44. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Eighty balls later, he was caught by Haddin. Mitchell Starc broke the 70-run stand.

The sixth-wicket pair put on 30. Jadeja, who faced 16 balls, scored 17. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Thirty-three balls later, Smith ran him out. The seventh-wicket stand was worth 23. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, scored 65 off as many balls. His innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes. Sixteen balls later, Maxwell ran him out.

Ashwin, who faced 13 balls, scored five. Faulkner had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he broke the one-run stand. Shami, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten. Mohit, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. A ball after Ashwin’s dismissal, he was dismissed by Faulkner. Yadav, who faced five balls, failed to get off the mark. Six balls later, Starc broke the one-run stand.

Australia conceded 15 extras. India, who were dismissed for 233 off 46.5 overs, lost by 95 runs. Watson, who bowled four overs, conceded 29. He was wicketless, as was Maxwell, who bowled five overs, conceding 18.

Hazlewood bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 41 and picked up a wicket. Starc, who bowled 8.5 overs, conceded 28. He picked up two wickets. Johnson, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 50. He picked up a couple of wickets. Faulkner bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 59, and picked up three scalps.

India’s fairytale run at the 2015 World Cup came to an end. Australia advanced to the final.      

    

InD(hon)ia defeat Bangladesh, enter semi-finals

India made no changes to their playing eleven. Bangladesh (Moham)made four changes to the (Rub)eleven that last played the Indians – Anamul Haque, Mithun, Sohag Gazi and Al-Amin Hossain made way for Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman and Hossain.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Shikhar Dhawan, who faced 50 balls, scored 30. His innings included three boundaries. Ninety-nine balls into the match, he was stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim. Shakib Al Hasan broke the 75-run stand.

Virat Kohli, who faced eight balls, scored three. Eight balls later, he was caught by Rahim. Rubel broke the four-run stand. Ajinkya Rahane, who faced 37 balls, scored 19. His innings included four boundaries. Sixty-one balls later, he was caught by Al Hasan. Taskin Ahmed broke the 36-run stand.

Suresh Raina, who faced 57 balls, scored 65. His innings included seven boundaries and a six. Ninety-five balls later, he was caught by Rahim. Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s skipper, broke the 122-run stand.

Rohit Sharma was adjudged the player of the match. He faced 126 balls, scoring 137. His innings included 14 boundaries and three sixes. Nineteen balls later, Ahmed broke the 36-run stand.

Dhoni, who faced 11 balls, scoring six. Two overs later, he was caught by Nasir Hossain. Ahmed broke the 23-run stand. Ravindra Jadeja, who faced 10 balls, scored 23. His innings included four boundaries. He was unbeaten, as was Ravichandran Ashwin, who faced three balls, scoring three.

Bangladesh conceded 16 extras. India scored 302 for the loss of six wickets off 50 overs. Mahmudullah bowled an over, conceding four. He was wicketless, as was Nasir, who bowled nine overs. He conceded 35.

Mortaza, Al Hasan and Rubel bowled 10 overs apiece, picking up a wicket each. They conceded 69, 58 and 56, respectively. Ahmed bowled 10 overs, conceding 69. He picked up three scalps.

Tamim faced 25 (Iq)balls, scoring as many. His innings included four boundaries. Thirty-nine balls into the chase, he was caught by Dhoni. Umesh Yadav broke the 33-run stand. Kayes, who faced 14 balls, scored five. The next ball, Jadeja and Yadav ran him out.

Mahmudullah faced 31 balls, scoring 21. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Sixty-two balls later, he was caught by Dhawan. Mohammed Shami broke the 40-run stand. Soumya, who faced 43 balls, scored 29. His innings included three boundaries and a six. Twenty-two balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Shami broke the 17-run stand.

Al Hasan, who faced 34 balls, scored 10. Forty-six balls later, he was caught by Shami. Jadeja broke the 14-run stand. Mushfiqur faced 43 balls, scoring 27. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Forty-one balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Yadav broke the 35-run stand.

Nasir, who faced 34 balls, scored 35. His innings included six boundaries. Forty-seven balls later, he was caught by Ashwin. Jadeja broke the 50-run stand. Mortaza, who faced three balls, scored a run. Six balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Mohit Sharma broke the three-run stand.

Rubel, who faced three balls, didn’t open his account. Four balls later, he was caught by Ashwin. Yadav broke the one-run stand. Rahman, who faced 40 balls, scored 30. His innings included a couple of boundaries. A couple of dot balls later, he was caught by Shami off the bowling of Yadav. Ahmed, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

India conceded 10 extras. Bangladesh, who were dismissed for 193 off 45 overs, lost by 109 runs. Raina bowled three overs, including a maiden. He conceded 15. He was wicketless, as was Ashwin, whose 10 overs included a maiden. He conceded 30.

Mohit, who bowled seven overs, conceded 36. He picked up a wicket. Jadeja and Shami bowled eight overs apiece, picking up two scalps each. While the former conceded 42, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 37. Yadav bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 31 and picked up four scalps.

India advanced to the semi-finals.    

   

          

     

InD(hon)ia beat Zimbabwe, top pool

India made no changes to their playing eleven. Zimbabwe (Maru)made eight changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Vusi Sibanda, Timycen, Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Natsai M’shangwe, Kyle Jarvis and Brian Vitori made way for Chamu Chibhabha, Solomon Mire, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva, Tinashe Panyangara, Tawanda Mupariwa and Tendai Chatara.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, won the toss, inserting Zimbabwe. Hamilton Masakadza, who faced eight balls, scored just a couple. Twenty-one balls into the match, he was caught by Dhoni. Umesh Yadav broke the 11-run stand.

Although his innings included a boundary, Chibhabha, who faced 16 balls, wasn’t in seventh heaven. An over later, he was caught by Shikhar Dhawan. Mohammed Shami broke the two-run stand.

Mire, who faced 22 balls, scored nine. His innings included a boundary. Thirty-nine balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Mohit Sharma broke the 20-run stand. Sean Williams faced 57 balls, scoring 50. His (Ashw)innings included three boundaries and as many sixes. A hundred and five balls later, he was caught by Ravichandran, who broke the 93-run stand.

Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s skipper, faced 110 balls, scoring 138. His innings included 15 boundaries and five sixes. Eighty balls later, he was caught by Dhawan. Mohit Sharma broke the fifth-wicket stand, which was worth 109.

Ervine, who bowled 41 balls, scored 27. His innings included a boundary and a six. Eight balls later, he was caught by Mohit, who broke the six-run stand. Raza, who faced 15 balls, scored 28. His innings included a boundary and three sixes. Seventeen balls later, Shami broke the 35-run stand.

Panyangara scored six. His run-a-ball innings included a boundary. Nine balls later, he was caught by Yadav. Shami broke the eighth-wicket partnership, which was worth nine. Chakabva, who faced 13 balls, scored 10. Four balls later, he was caught by Rohit Sharma. Yadav broke the one-run stand.

Mupariwa, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. He was unbeaten. Tendai Chatara, who faced three balls, didn’t get off the mark. Four balls later, Yadav broke the one-run stand.

India conceded nine extras. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 287 off 48.5 overs. Ravindra Jadeja, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 71. Ashwin, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 75. He picked up a wicket.

Shami, Yadav and Mohit picked up three scalps each. Shami bowled nine overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceding 48. Yadav bowled 9.5 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 43. Mohit bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 48.

Rohit, who faced 21 balls, scored 16. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Thirty-seven balls into the chase, he was caught by Raza. Panyangara broke the 21-run stand. Dhawan, who faced 20 balls, scored four. His runs came by way of a four. Four dot balls later, he was dismissed by Panyangara.

The third-wicket pair put on 50. Ajinkya Rahane, who faced 24 balls, scored 19. His innings included three boundaries. Fifty-eight balls later, Raza and Taylor ran him out. Virat Kohli, who faced 48 balls, scored 38. His innings included four boundaries. Thirty-seven balls later, Raza broke the 21-run stand.

Suresh Raina, the player of the match, faced 104 balls, scoring 110. His innings included nine boundaries and four sixes. He was unbeaten, as was Dhoni, who faced 76 balls, scoring 85. His innings included eight boundaries and a couple of sixes.

Zimbabwe conceded 16 extras. India scored 288 for the loss of four wickets off 48.4 overs, winnings by six wickets with eight balls to spare. Masakadza bowled a couple of overs, conceding 15. He was wicketless, as were Williams and Mire, who bowled five overs apiece. While the former conceded 31, the latter conceded 29.

Mupariwa and Chatara bowled 10 wicketless overs each. While the former conceded 61, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 59. Raza, who bowled eight overs, conceded 37. He picked up a wicket. Panyangara bowled 8.4 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 53 and picked up a couple of scalps.

Taylor turned his back on international cricket after this match in favour of a stint with Nottinghamshire. This remains his last One-day International appearance to date. 

The Indians, who topped Pool B without losing any of their matches, advanced to the quarter-finals.

India D(h)o(w)nIreland, maintain clean slate

India made no changes to their playing eleven. Ireland made three changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Andrew White, Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin made way for Andy Balbirnie, Gary Wilson and Stuart Thompson.

William Porterfield, Ireland’s skipper, chose to bat on winning the toss. Paul Stirling, who faced 41 balls, scored 42. His (Ashw)innings included four boundaries and a couple of sixes. Fifteen overs into the match, he was caught by Ajinkya Rahane. Ravichandran broke the 89-run stand.

Joyce, who facEd nine balls, scored a couple. Fourteen balls later, Suresh Raina broke the three-run stand. Porterfield, who faced 93 balls, scored 67. His innings included five boundaries and a six. Fourteen overs later, he was caught by Umesh Yadav. Mohit Sharma broke the 53-run stand.

Balbirnie scored 24. His run-a-ball innings included three boundaries. Forty-six balls later, he was caught by Mohammed Shami. Ashwin broke the 61-run stand. Kevin O’Brien faced a couple of balls, scoring one. Three balls later, he was caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper. Shami broke the two-run stand.

Although his innings included a boundary, Wilson wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he scored just four. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Rahane. Ravindra Jadeja broke the 14-run stand. Niall O’Brien scored 75. His run-a-ball innings included seven boundaries and three sixes. Five balls later, he was caught by Yadav. Shami broke the four-run stand.

The eighth-wicket stand was worth a run. Thompson, who faced a couple of balls, scored a couple. Two balls later, Virat Kohli ran him out. John Mooney faced 16 balls, scoring a dozen. His innings included a boundary. He was unbeaten.

George Dockrell, who faced a dozen balls, scored six. His runs came by way of a six. Three overs later, he was caught by Dhoni. Yadav broke the 11-run stand. Alex Cusack, who faced 13 balls, scored 11. His innings included a boundary. Twenty-one balls later, he was caught by Yadav. Shami broke the 21-run stand.

India conceded 11 extras. Ireland were dismissed for 259 off 49 overs. Rohit Sharma, who bowled three wicketless overs, conceded 21. Yadav bowled four overs, conceding 34. He picked up a wicket.

Mohit bowled six overs, conceding 38. He picked up a wicket, as did Jadeja (whose seven overs yielded 45) and Raina (who bowled 10 overs, conceding 40). Ashwin bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 38 and picked up a couple of wickets. Shami bowled nine overs, conceding 41. He picked up three scalps.

Rohit faced 66 balls, scoring 64. His innings included three boundaries and as many sixes. A hundred and forty balls into the chase, Thompson broke the 174-run stand. Shikhar Dhawan, the player of the match, faced 85 balls. He scored 100. His innings included 11 boundaries and five sixes. Twenty-six balls later, he was caught by Porterfield. Thompson broke the 16-run stand.

Kohli faced 42 balls, scoring 44. His innings included four boundaries and a six. He was unbeaten, as was Rahane, who faced 28 balls, scoring 33. His innings included six boundaries.

Ireland conceded 19 extras. India scored 260 for the loss of two wickets off 36.5 overs, winning by eight wickets with 79 balls to spare. Dockrell and Stirling bowled five wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 44, the latter conceded 36.

Mooney bowled six overs, conceding 44. He was wicketless, as were Kevin (who bowled 6.5 overs, conceding 42) and Cusack (whose eight overs yielded 43). Thompson bowled six overs, conceding 45. He picked up a couple of scalps.  

     

India’s WInning streak D(h)o(es)n(i)(’)t halt

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Shar)made way for Mohit. The West Indies made four changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – the Br(av)others, Darren and Dwayne, Kieron Pollard and Sulieman Benn made way for Chris Gayle, Jonathan Carter, Lendl Simmons and Kemar Roach.

Jason Holder, the West Indies’ skipper, chose to bat on winning the toss. Dwayne Smith, who faced 20 balls, scored six. His innings included a boundary. Twenty-nine balls into the match, he was caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s captain. Mohammed Shami, the player of the match, broke the eight-run stand.

The second-wicket pair put on seven. Marlon Samuels wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he scored just a couple. Fifteen balls later, Mohit and Virat Kohli ran him out. Gayle, who faced 27 balls, scored 21. His innings included a couple of boundaries and a six. Ten balls later, he was caught by Mohit. Shami broke the 20-run stand.

Denesh Ramdin, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, Umesh Yadav dismissed him. Simmons, who faced 22 balls, scored nine. Nine overs later, he was caught by Yadav. Mohit broke the 32-run stand.

Carter, who faced 43 balls, scored 21. His innings included three boundaries. Twenty-two balls later, he was caught by Shami. Ravichandran Ashwin broke the four-run stand. Andre Russell scored eight. His run-a-ball innings included a six. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Ravindra Jadeja broke the 14-run stand.

Daren Sammy, who faced 55 balls, scored 26. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Sixty-nine balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Shami broke the 39-run stand. Jerome Taylor, who faced 18 balls, scored 11. His innings included a boundary. Forty-four balls later, he was caught by Yadav, who broke the 51-run stand.

Holder, who faced 64 balls, scored 57. His innings included four boundaries and three sixes. Eight balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Needless to say, Jadeja was in seventh heaven. Roach, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. He was unbeaten.

India conceded 21 extras. The West Indies were dismissed for 182 off 44.2 overs. Ashwin and Mohit bowled nine overs apiece, picking up a wicket each. While the former conceded 38, the latter, whose spell included a couple of maidens, conceded 35.

Jadeja, who bowled 8.2 overs, conceded 27. He picked up a couple of wickets, as did Yadav, whose 10 overs included a maiden. He conceded 42. Shami bowled eight overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceded 35 and picked up three scalps.

Shikhar Dhawan, who faced 14 balls, scored nine. His innings included a boundary. Twenty-five balls into the chase, he was caught by Sammy. Taylor broke the opening stand, which was worth 11. 

Although his innings included a boundary, Rohit Sharma, who faced 18 balls, wasn’t in seventh heaven. Seventeen balls into the match, he was caught by Ramdin. Taylor broke the nine-run stand.

Kohli, who faced 36 balls, scored 33. His innings included five boundaries. Eight overs later, he was caught by Samuels. Russell broke the 43-run stand. Ajinkya Rahane, who faced 34 balls, scored 14. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Seventeen balls later, he was caught by Ramdin. Roach broke the 15-run stand.

Suresh Raina, who faced 25 balls, scored 22. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Five overs later, he was caught by Ramdin. Smith broke the 29-run stand. Dhoni, who faced 56 balls, scored 45. His innings included three boundaries and a six. He was unbeaten.

Jadeja, who faced 23 balls, scored 13. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Forty balls later, he was caught by Samuels. Russell broke the 27-run stand. Ashwin faced 32 balls, scoring 16. He was unbeaten.

The West Indies conceded 26 extras. India scored 185 for the loss of six wickets off 39.1 overs, WInning by four wickets with 65 balls to spare. Samuels bowled 3.1 overs, conceding 10. He was wicketless, as was Holder, who bowled seven overs, conceding 29.

Smith, who bowled five overs, conceded 22. He picked up a wicket, as did Roach, whose eight overs included a maiden. He conceded 44. Russell and Taylor bowled eight overs apiece, picking up a couple of scalps each. While the former conceded 43, the latter conceded 33.      

      

InD(hon)ia’s magnificent winning streak continU(A)Es

India (Moham)made just one change to their playing eleven – Shami made way for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The United Arab Emirates made nine changes to the eleven that (Manju)last played the Indians – Asim Saeed, Arshad Ali, Fahad Usman, Naeemuddin Aslam, Syed Maqsood, Asghar Ali, Abdul Rehman, Ali Asad and Rizwan Latif made way for Amjad Ali, Andri Berenger, Krishna Chandran, Swapnil Patil, Shaiman Anwar, Rohan Mustafa, Amjad Javed, Mohammad Naveed and Guruge.

Mohammad Tauqir, the UAE skipper and an Emirati, chose to bat on winning the toss. Colombo-born Berenger, who faceD(ho)nine balls, scored four. His runs came by way of a boundary. Ten balls into the match, he was caught by Mahendra Singh, India’s captain. Umesh Yadav was in seventh heaven.

Ali, who was born in Lahore, faced 12 balls, scoring four. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Kumar broke the six-run stand. Kerala-born Chandran faced 27 balls, scoring four. Thirty-two balls later, he was caught by Suresh Raina. Ravichandran Ashwin, the player of the match, broke the 15-run stand.

Patil, who was born in Thane, faced 19 balls. Although his innings included a boundary, he wasn’t in seventh heaven. Twenty-seven balls later, he was caught by Shikhar Dhawan. Ashwin broke the 13-run stand. 

Khurram Khan, who was born in Multan, faced 28 balls, scoring 14. His innings included a boundary. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Raina. Ashwin broke the three-run stand. Mustafa, who was born in Kohat, Pakistan, faced a dozen balls, scoring just a couple. Nineteen balls later, Mohit Sharma trapped him leg before wicket, breaking the eight-run stand.

Javed, an Emirati of Pakistani descent, faced five balls, scoring a couple. Eight balls later, he was caught by Raina. Ravindra Jadeja broke the nine-run stand. Naveed, who is also Emirati, wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he scored just six. His runs came by way of a six. Eight balls later, Ashwin broke the seven-run stand.

Tauqir, who faced five balls, scored a run. Nine balls later, Jadeja broke the three-run stand. The Sialkot-born Anwar faced 49 balls, scoring 35. His innings included six boundaries. Forty-five balls later, Yadav broke the 31-run stand. Guruge, who was born in Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka, faced 16 balls, scoring 10. His innings included a boundary. He was unbeaten.

India conceded 13 extras. The United Arab Emirates were bundled out for 102 off 31.3 overs. Kumar bowled five overs, conceding 19. He picked up a wicket, as did Mohit, whose five overs included a maiden. He conceded 16. 

Jadeja, who bowled five overs, conceded 23. He picked up a couple of wickets, as did Yadav, who bowled 6.3 overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceded 15. Ashwin bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 25 and picked up four scalps.

Rohit Sharma, who faced 55 balls, scored 57. His innings included 10 boundaries and a six. He was unbeaten. Dhawan, who faced 17 balls, scored 14. His innings included three boundaries. Thirty-nine balls into the chase, he was caught by Mustafa. Naveed broke the 29-run stand. Virat Kohli, who faced 41 balls, scored 33. His innings included five boundaries. He was unbeaten.

India scored 104 for the loss of one wicket off 18.5 overs, winning by nine wickets with 187 balls to spare. Javed bowled two wicketless overs, conceding a dozen. Tauqir bowled 2.5 wicketless overs, conceding 21.

Chandran bowled three wicketless overs, conceding 17. Guruge bowled six wicketless overs, including a maiden. He conceded 19. Naveed, who bowled five overs. He conceded 35 and picked up a wicket.  

InD(hon)ia break the SA jinx

India made no changes to their playing eleven. South Africa made three changes to their playing (Mork)eleven – Henry Davids, Ryan McLaren and Lonwabo Tsotsobe made way for Faf du Plessis, Morne and Dale Steyn.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat. The opening stand was worth just nine. Rohit, who faced six balls, failed to get off the (Shar)mark. Seventeen balls into the match, AB de Villiers, South Africa’s skipper, ran him out.

Virat Kohli, who faced 60 balls, scored 46. His innings included three boundaries. A hundred and forty-six balls later, he was caught by du Plessis. Imran Tahir broke the 127-run stand. Shikhar Dhawan, the player of the match, faced 146 balls, scoring 137. His innings included 16 boundaries and a couple of sixes. Ninety-nine balls (Am)later, he was caught by Hashim. Wayne Parnell broke the 125-run stand.

Suresh Raina, who faced five balls, scored five. His innings included a boundary. He had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he was caught by Rilee Rossouw, the substitute. Morkel broke the eight-run stand.

Ajinkya Rahane, who faced 60 balls, scored 79. His innings included seven boundaries and three sixes. Steyn was in seventh heaven, because he trapped him leg before, breaking the nine-run stand. The sixth-wicket spair put on six. Ravindra Jadeja, who faced four balls, scored a couple. Eight balls later, de Villiers ran him out.

Dhoni, who faced 11 balls, scored 18. His innings included three boundaries. Nine balls later, he was caught by Quinton de Kock. Morkel broke the 18-run stand. Ravichandran Ashwin faced five balls, scoring as many. He was unbeaten, as was Mohammed Shami, who faced five balls, scoring four. His runs came by way of a boundary.

South Africa conceded 10 extras. India scored 307 for the loss of seven wickets off 50 overs. Vernon Philander bowled four wicketless overs, included a maiden. He conceded 19. Jean-Paul Duminy bowled seven wicketless overs, conceding 39.

Parnell, who bowled nine overs, conceded 85. He picked up a wicket, as did Steyn, whose 10 overs included a maiden. He conceded 55. Tahir, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 48. He picked up a wicket. Morkel bowled 10 overs, conceding 59. He picked up a couple of scalps.

Although his 15-ball innings included a boundary, de Kock wasn’t in seventh heaven. Twenty-one balls into the chase, he was caught by Kohli. Shami broke the 12-run stand. Amla, who faced 28 balls, scored 22. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Forty-one balls later, he was caught by Shami. Mohit Sharma broke the 28-run stand.

The third-wicket stand was worth 68. de Villiers, who faced 38 balls, scored 30. His innings included three boundaries. Seventy-five balls later, Mohit and Dhoni ran him out. Du Plessis faced 71 balls, scoring 55. His innings included five boundaries. Thirty-two balls later, he was caught by Dhawan. Mohit broke the fourth-wicket stand, which was worth 25. 

Duminy faced 15 balls, scoring six. Twenty balls later, he was caught by Raina. Ashwin broke the 14-run stand. David Miller, who faced 23 balls, scored 22. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Thirteen balls later, Umesh Yadav and Dhoni ran him out.

Parnell, who faced 28 balls, scored 17. His innings included a boundary. He was unbeaten. Philander, who faced a couple of balls, did not open his account. Two dot balls after Duminy’s dismissal, Ashwin trapped him leg before wicket. Steyn wasn’t in seventh heaven, because he scored just a run. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by Dhawan.

Shami broke the five-run stand. Morkel, who faced five balls, scored a couple. Six balls later, Ashwin broke the three-run stand. Tahir, who faced 10 balls, scored eight. His innings included a boundary. Three overs later, Jadeja trapped him leg before wicket, breaking the 16-run stand.

India conceded seven extras. South Africa, who were dismissed for 177 off 40.2 overs, lost by 130 runs. Raina bowled an over, conceding three. He was wicketless, as was Yadav, who bowled six overs, conceding 34. Jadeja bowled 8.2 overs, conceding 37. He picked up a scalp.

Mohit, who bowled seven overs, conceded 31. He picked up a couple of scalps, as did Shami, whose eight overs included a maiden. He conceded 30. Ashwin, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 41. He picked up three scalps. 

In fact, this was the first time the Indians beat the Proteas in four World Cup matches.   

        

  

India leave Pakistan D(hon)ismayed again

India made three changes to their playing eleven – Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny and Axar Patel made way for Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Umesh Yadav. Pakistan made half-a-dozen changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan made way for Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan and Mohammad Irfan.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Rohit faced 20 balls, scoring 15. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Forty-five balls into the match, he was caught by Pakistan’s skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. Sohail broke the opening stand, which was worth 34.

The second-wicket stand was worth 129. Shikhar, who faced 76 balls, scored 73. His innings included seven boundaries and a six. A hundreD(haw)and thirty-four balls later, Misbah ran him out.

Virat Kohli, the player of the match, faced 126 balls. He scored 107. His innings included eight boundaries. Ninety-three balls later, he was caught by Umar Akmal. Sohail broke the 110-run stand. Suresh Raina, who faced 56 balls, scored 74. His innings included five boundaries and three sixes. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Haris. Sohail broke the 11-run stand.

Ravindra Jadeja, who faced five balls, scored three. Nine balls later, Riaz broke the 12-run partnership. Dhoni, who faced 13 balls, scored 18. His innings included a boundary and a six. The next ball, he was caught by Misbah off the bowling of Sohail.

Ajinkya Rahane, who faced a ball, failed to get off the mark. The next ball, he was dismissed by Sohail. Ashwin, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten, as was Mohammed Shami, who faced three balls, scoring three.

Pakistan conceded six extras. India scored 300 for the loss of seven wickets off 50 overs. Haris, who bowled five overs, conceded 26. He was wicketless, as were Shah and Shahid Afridi, who bowled eight overs apiece. While the former conceded 60, the latter conceded 50. Irfan bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceding 58. Riaz bowled 10 overs, conceding 49. He picked up a wicket. Sohail bowled 10 overs, conceding 55. He picked up a fifer.

Younis, who faced 10 balls, scored six. His innings included a boundary. Twenty balls into the chase, he was caught by Dhoni. Shami broke the 11-run stand. Haris, who faced 48 balls, scored 36. His innings included three boundaries. Eighty-eight balls later, he was caught by Raina. Ashwin broke the 68-run stand.

Ahmed Shehzad, who faced 73 balls, scored 47. His innings included five boundaries. Thirty-two balls later, he was caught by Jadeja. Umesh Yadav broke the 23-run stand. Sohaib Maqsood, who faced a couple of balls, failed to get off the mark. Two dot balls later, he was caught by Raina off the bowling of Yadav. Akmal, who faced four balls, did not open his account. Six balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Jadeja broke the one-run stand.

Afridi scored 22 off as many balls. His innings included a boundary and a six. Fifty-seven balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Shami broke the 46-run stand. Riaz, who faced a couple of balls, scored four. His run came by way of a boundary. Three balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Shami broke the five-run stand.

Shah faced 23 balls, scoring 13. His innings included a boundary. Forty-nine balls later, he was caught by Yadav. Mohit Sharma broke the run-a-ball stand. Misbah, who faced 84 balls, scored 76. His innings included nine boundaries and a six. Seventeen balls later, he was caught by Rahane. Shami broke the run-a-ball stand.

Although his innings included a boundary, Khan, who faced 10 balls, wasn’t in seventh heaven.  Eight balls later, he was caught by Yadav. Mohit broke the four-run stand. Irfan, who faced five balls, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

India conceded a dozen extras. Pakistan, who were dismissed for 224 off 47 overs, lost by 76 runs. Raina bowled a wicketless over, conceding six. Ashwin bowled eight overs, including three maidens. He conceded 41. He picked up a wicket, as did Jadeja, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 56.

Mohit, who bowled nine overs, conceded 35. He picked up a couple of wickets, as did Yadav, who bowled 10 overs. He conceded 50. Shami bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 35, picking picked up four scalps.

    

    

    

InD(hon)ia triumph, beating the iSLanders

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Ashish Nehra made way for Sreesanth. Sri Lanka made a couple of Cha(mar)anges to the eleven that last played the Indians – Angelo Mathews and Silva made way for Thilan Samaraweera and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka’s captain, won the toss, choosing to bat. Upul Tharanga, who faced 20 balls, scored just a couple. Thirty-seven balls into the match, he was caught by Virender Sehwag. Zaheer Khan broke the 17-run stand. Tillakaratne Dilshan faced 49 balls, scoring 33. His innings included three boundaries. Sixty-two balls later, Harbhajan Singh broke the 43-run stand. 

Sangakkara faced 67 balls, scoring 48. His innings included five boundaries. Sixty-eight balls later, he was caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was adjudged the player of the match. Yuvraj Singh, the player of the series, broke the 62-run stand. Mahela Jayawardene, who faced 88 balls, scored 103. His innings included 13 boundaries. He was unbeaten. 

Samaraweera, who faced 34 balls, scored 21. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Sixty-two balls later, Yuvraj trapped him leg before wicket, breaking the 57-run stand. Chamara Kapugedera, who faced five balls, scored a run. Ten balls later, he was caught by Suresh Raina. Khan broke the three-run stand.

The sixth-wicket pair put on 66. Nuwan Kulasekara, who faced 30 balls, scored 32. His innings included a boundary and a six. Forty-nine balls later, Dhoni ran him out. Thisara Perera, who faced nine balls, scored 22. His innings included three boundaries and a six. He was unbeaten.

India conceded a dozen extras. Sri Lanka scored 274 for the loss of six wickets off 50 overs. Virat Kohli, who bowled an over, conceded six. He was wicketless, as was Sachin Tendulkar, who bowled a couple of overs, conceding a dozen.

Sreesanth bowled eight overs, conceding 52. He was wicketless, as was Munaf Patel, who bowled nine overs, conceding 41. Harbhajan, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 50. He picked up a wicket. Khan, who bowled 10 overs (including three maidens), conceded 60. He picked up a couple of scalps, as did Yuvraj, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 49.

Sehwag, who faced a couple of balls, did not open his account. Two dot balls into the chase, Lasith Malinga trapped him leg before wicket. Tendulkar, who faced 14 balls, scored 18. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Thirty-five balls into the match, he was caught by Sangakkara. Malinga broke the 31-run stand.

Kohli, who faced 49 balls, scored 35. His innings included four boundaries. Ninety-three balls later, he was caught by Dilshan, who broke the 83-run stand. Gautam Gambhir, who faced 122 balls, scored 97. His innings included nine boundaries. Perera broke the 118-ball stand, which was worth 109. 

The Indian skipper faced 79 balls, scoring (Dho)ninety-one. His innings included eight balls and a couple of sixes. He was unbeaten, as was Yuvraj, who scored 21 off 24 balls. His innings included a couple of boundaries.

Sri Lanka conceded 15 extras. India scored 277 for the loss of four wickets off 48.2 overs, winning by six wickets with 10 balls to spare. Suraj Randiv bowled nine overs, conceding 43. He was wicketless, as was Kulasekara, who bowled 8.2 overs, conceded 64.

Muralitharan had unhappy memories of his swansong. He bowled eight wicketless overs, conceding 39. Dilshan, who bowled five overs, conceded 27. He picked up a wicket, as did Perera, who bowled nine overs, conceding 55. Malinga, who bowled nine overs, conceded 42. He picked up two scalps.

Twenty-eight years after India won the World Cup for the first time, they won their second title.  

    

   

   

India’s D(h)o(mi)n(i)ance over Pakistan continues

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Ravichandran Ashwin made way for Ashish Nehra. Pakistan made half-a-dozen changes to the eleven that last played their neighbours – Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Mohammad Amir and Shoaib Akhtar made way for Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat on winning the toss. Virender Sehwag, who faced 25 balls, scored 38. His innings included nine boundaries. Thirty-five balls later, Riaz trapped him leg before wicket, breaking the 48-run stand.

Gautam Gambhir, who faced 32 balls, scored 27. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Thirteen overs into the match, he was stumped by Kamran Akmal. Hafeez broke the 68-run stand.

Virat Kohli, who faced 21 balls, scored nine. Thirty-nine balls later, he was caught by Umar Akmal. Riaz broke the 25-run stand. Yuvraj Singh, who faced a ball, did not open his account. The next ball, he was dismissed by Riaz.

Tendulkar, the player of the match, faced 115 balls, scoring 85. HiS(ach)innings included 11 boundaries. Sixty-nine balls later, he was caught by Pakistan’s captain Shahid Afridi. Saeed Ajmal broke the 46-run stand.

Dhoni, who faced 42 balls, scored 25. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Twenty-eight balls later, Riaz trapped him leg before wicket, breaking the 18-run stand. Suresh Raina, who faced 39 balls, scored 36. His innings included three boundaries. He was unbeaten.

Harbhajan Singh, who faced 15 balls, scored a dozen. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Five over later, he was stumped by Kamran. Ajmal broke the 31-run stand. Zaheer Khan faced 10 balls, scoring nine. His innings included a boundary. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Kamran.

The ninth-wicket pair put on a couple. Riaz broke the 20-run stand. Nehra, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Three balls later, Riaz and Akmal (Kam)ran him out. Munaf Patel, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

The Pakistanis conceded 18 extras. India scored 260 for the loss of nine wickets off five wickets. Abdul Razzaq bowled a couple of wicketless overs, conceding 14. Gul bowled eight wicketless overs, conceding 69. Afridi, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, scored 45.

Hafeez bowled 10 overs, conceding 34. He picked up a wicket. Ajmal, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 44. He picked up a couple of scalps. Riaz, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 46. He picked up a fifer.

Kamran, who faced 21 balls, scored 19. His innings included three boundaries. Nine balls later, he was caught by Yuvraj. Khan broke the 44-run stand. 

Hafeez faced 59 balls, scoring 43. His innings included seven boundaries. Thirty-nine balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Patel broke the 26-run stand. Shafiq faced 39 balls, scoring 30. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Fifty balls later, Yuvraj broke the 33-run stand.

Younis, who faced 32 balls, scored 13. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Raina. Yuvraj broke the three-run stand. Umar, who faced 24 balls, scored 29. His innings included a boundary and a couple of sixes. Forty-five balls later, Harbhajan broke the 36-run stand.

Razzaq faced nine balls, scoring three. Nineteen balls later, Patel broke the eight-run stand. Afridi, who faced 17 balls, scored 19. His innings included a boundary. Thirty-three balls later, he was caught by Sehwag. Harbhajan broke the 34-run stand.

Riaz, who faced 14 balls, scored eight. His innings included a boundary. Three overs later, he was caught by Tendulkar. Nehra broke the 15-run stand. Gul faced three balls, scoring a couple. Eight balls later, Nehra trapped him before wicket, breaking the nine-run stand.

Misbah faced 76 balls, scoring 56. His innings included five boundaries and a six. Twenty-two balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Khan broke the 23-run stand. Ajmal, who faced five balls, scored one. He was unbeaten.

The Indians conceded eight extras. Pakistan, who were dismissed for 231 off 49.5 overs, lost by 29 runs. All the five bowlers employed by Dhoni picked up a couple of scalps apiece. Khan bowled 9.5 overs, conceding 58. Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Patel and Nehra bowled 10 overs each, conceding 57, 43, 40 and 33, respectively. Yuvraj and Patel’s spells included a maiden each.

With their 100 per cent winning record against the Pakistanis at the World Cup intact, the Indians advanced to the final.