hrgcricstats.com

First Semi final  – England vs Pakistan – at Cardiff – on 14 Jun 17 – Pakistan won by eight wickets

 

Sarfraz Ahmed effected three dismissals behind the wicket to provide the fifth occasion of a wicket keeper effecting three or more dismissals in a semi final of the Champion Trophy. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Player	Dis	Ct	St	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	JC Buttler	6	6	0	1	Eng	RSA	The Oval	19 Jun 2013
2	TD Paine	5	5	0	1	Aus	Eng	Centurion	02 Oct 2009
3	CO Browne	4	3	1	1	Win	Pak	Southampton	22 Sep 2004
4	AC Gilchrist	4	3	1	2	Aus	NZl	Mohali	01 Nov 2006
5	Sarfraz Ahmed	3	3	0	1	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Sarfraz Ahmed effected three dismissals behind the wicket to provide the third occasion of a captain wicket keeper effecting three or more dismissals in the Champion Trophy. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Player	Dis	Ct	St	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	Moin Khan	3	3	0	1	Pak	Srl	Nairobi (Gym)	08 Oct 2000
2	MS Dhoni	3	3	0	1	Ind	Pak	Centurion	26 Sep 2009
3	Sarfraz Ahmed	3	3	0	1	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Sarfraz Ahmed effected three dismissals behind the wicket to provide the second occasion of a Pakistan captain wicket keeper effecting three or more dismissals in the Champion Trophy after Moin Khan. Both the occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Player	Dis	Ct	St	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	Moin Khan	3	3	0	1	Pak	Srl	Nairobi (Gym)	08 Oct 2000
2	Sarfraz Ahmed	3	3	0	1	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Sarfraz Ahmed effected three dismissals behind the wicket to provide the first occasion of a Pakistan captain wicket keeper effecting three or more dismissals in the semi finals of the Champion Trophy

 

No	Player	Dis	Ct	St	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	Sarfraz Ahmed	3	3	0	1	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

England was dismissed all out for 211 in this game to provide the ninth occasion of a team dismissed all in a semifinal of the Champions Trophy. All such occasions are listed below

 

No	Team	Score	Overs	Inns	Result	Opposition	Ground	Start Date
1	England	257	47.4	1	lost	v Australia	Centurion	02 Oct 2009
2	Pakistan	252	49.2	1	lost	v New Zealand	Nairobi (Gym)	11 Oct 2000
3	England	211	49.5	1	lost	v Pakistan	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017
4	New Zealand	206	46.0	2	lost	v Australia	Mohali	1 Nov 2006
5	South Africa	200	41.0	2	lost	v India	Nairobi (Gym)	13 Oct 2000
6	South Africa	175	38.4	1	lost	v England	The Oval	19 Jun 2013
7	Australia	162	48.4	1	lost	v Sri Lanka	Colombo (RPS)	27 Sep 2002
8	Sri Lanka	132	23.4	2	lost	v South Africa	Dhaka	30 Oct 1998
9	Pakistan	131	38.2	1	lost	v West Indies	Southampton	22 Sep 2004

 

England, Pakistan and South Africa are the three teams to be dismissed all out on two occasions in the semi finals of the Champions Trophy. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	No	Team	Score	Overs	Inns	Result	Opposition	Ground	Start Date
1	1	England	257	47.4	1	lost	v Australia	Centurion	02 Oct 2009
	2	England	211	49.5	1	lost	v Pakistan	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017
2	1	Pakistan	252	49.2	1	lost	v New Zealand	Nairobi (Gym)	11 Oct 2000
	2	Pakistan	131	38.2	1	lost	v West Indies	Southampton	22 Sep 2004
3	1	South Africa	200	41.0	2	lost	v India	Nairobi (Gym)	13 Oct 2000
	2	South Africa	175	38.4	1	lost	v England	The Oval	19 Jun 2013

 

Azhar Ali {76} and Fakhar Zaman  {57} scored half centuries in this  game to provide the fifth occasion of  both the openers scoring half centuries in an innings in the Champions Trophy. It also provides the first such occasion by Pakistan batsman in the tournament.  It also provides the first such occasion in the semi  finals of the Champions Trophy.

 

Azhar Ali {76} and Fakhar Zaman  {57} scored fifties in this  game to provide the 13^th occasion of  both the openers scoring fifties in an innings in the Champions Trophy. It also provides the first such occasion by Pakistan batsman in the tournament.  It also provides the second such occasion in the semi finals of the Champions Trophy. The first such occasion was witnessed in the semi final game between West Indies and South Africa at Jaipur on 02.11.06 when West Indies openers CH Gayle {133} and S Chanderpaul {57} scored fifties.

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the 73rd occasion of batsmen posting a three figure partnership in the Champions Trophy. It also provides the third occasion of Pakistan batsmen posting a three figure partnership in the tournament. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Partners	Wkt	Runs	Inns	Opposition	Ground	Start Date
1	Mohammad Yousuf, Saeed Anwar	2	105*	2	v Sri Lanka	Nairobi (Gym)	08 Oct 2000
2	Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik	4	206	1	v India	Centurion	26 Sep 2009
3	Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman	1	118	2	v England	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the 15th occasion of batsmen posting a three figure partnership for the first wicket in the Champions Trophy. It also provides the first occasion of Pakistan batsmen posting a three figure partnership for the first wicket in the tournament. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Partners	Wkt	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	DJ Cullinan, MJR Rindel	1	113	2	RSA	Eng	Dhaka	25 Oct 1998
2	SC Ganguly, SR Tendulkar	1	141	1	Ind	NZl	Nairobi (Gym)	15 Oct 2000
3	AC Gilchrist, ML Hayden	1	113	2	Aus	Ban	Colombo (SSC)	19 Sep 2002
4	HH Gibbs, GC Smith	1	159	1	RSA	Ken	Colombo (RPS)	20 Sep 2002
5	SC Ganguly, V Sehwag	1	192	2	Ind	Eng	Colombo (RPS)	22 Sep 2002
6	CH Gayle, WW Hinds	1	192	1	Win	Ban	Southampton	15 Sep 2004
7	HH Gibbs, GC Smith	1	102	1	RSA	Win	The Oval	18 Sep 2004
8	S Chanderpaul, CH Gayle	1	164*	2	Win	Ban	Jaipur	11 Oct 2006
9	S Chanderpaul, CH Gayle	1	154*	2	Win	RSA	Jaipur	02 Nov 2006
10	BB McCullum, JD Ryder	1	125	1	NZl	Srl	Johannesburg	27 Sep 2009
11	S Dhawan, RG Sharma	1	127	1	Ind	RSA	Cardiff	06 Jun 2013
12	S Dhawan, RG Sharma	1	101	2	Ind	Win	The Oval	11 Jun 2013
13	S Dhawan, RG Sharma	1	136	1	Ind	Pak	Birmingham	04 Jun 2017
14	S Dhawan, RG Sharma	1	138	1	Ind	Srl	The Oval	08 Jun 2017
15	Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman	1	118	2	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the third occasion of batsmen posting a three figure partnership for the first wicket against England in the Champions Trophy. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Partners	Wkt	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	DJ Cullinan, MJR Rindel	1	113	2	RSA	Eng	Dhaka	25 Oct 1998
2	SC Ganguly, V Sehwag	1	192	2	Ind	Eng	Colombo (RPS)	22 Sep 2002
3	Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman	1	118	2	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the tenth occasion of batsmen posting a three figure partnership against England in the Champions Trophy. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Partners	Wkt	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	DJ Cullinan, MJR Rindel	1	113	2	RSA	Eng	Dhaka	25 Oct 1998
2	WJ Cronje, JN Rhodes	4	117	2	RSA	Eng	Dhaka	25 Oct 1998
3	HH Dippenaar, JH Kallis	3	132*	2	RSA	Eng	Nairobi (Gym)	10 Oct 2000
4	SC Ganguly, V Sehwag	1	192	2	Ind	Eng	Colombo (RPS)	22 Sep 2002
5	MEK Hussey, DR Martyn	4	118	2	Aus	Eng	Jaipur	21 Oct 2006
6	DJ Bravo, CH Gayle	2	174	1	Win	Eng	Ahmedabad	28 Oct 2006
7	RT Ponting, SR Watson	2	252*	2	Aus	Eng	Centurion	02 Oct 2009
8	KMDN Kulasekara, KC Sangakkara	4	110*	2	Srl	Eng	The Oval	13 Jun 2013
9	Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal	3	166	1	Ban	Eng	The Oval	01 Jun 2017
10	Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman	1	118	2	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the eleventh occasion of batsmen posting a three figure partnership in the semi final in the Champions Trophy. All such occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Partners	Wkt	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	NJ Astle, RG Twose	3	135	2	NZl	Pak	Nairobi (Gym)	11 Oct 2000
2	R Dravid, SC Ganguly	2	145	1	Ind	RSA	Nairobi (Gym)	13 Oct 2000
3	HH Gibbs, JH Kallis	2	178*	2	RSA	Ind	Colombo (RPS)	25 Sep 2002
4	ME Trescothick, MP Vaughan	2	140	2	Eng	Aus	Birmingham	21 Sep 2004
5	JDP Oram, DL Vettori	7	103	2	NZl	Aus	Mohali	01 Nov 2006
6	S Chanderpaul, CH Gayle	1	154*	2	Win	RSA	Jaipur	02 Nov 2006
7	TT Bresnan, LJ Wright	7	107	1	Eng	Aus	Centurion	02 Oct 2009
8	RT Ponting, SR Watson	2	252*	2	Aus	Eng	Centurion	02 Oct 2009
9	GD Elliott, DL Vettori	5	104	2	NZl	Pak	Johannesburg	03 Oct 2009
10	JE Root, IJL Trott	3	105	2	Eng	RSA	The Oval	19 Jun 2013
11	Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman	1	118	2	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the second occasion of batsmen posting a three figure partnership in the semi final against England in the Champions Trophy. Both the occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Partners	Wkt	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	RT Ponting, SR Watson	2	252*	2	Aus	Eng	Centurion	02 Oct 2009
2	Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman	1	118	2	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the second occasion of batsmen posting a three figure partnership in the semi final for the first wicket in the Champions Trophy. Both the occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Partners	Wkt	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	S Chanderpaul, CH Gayle	1	154*	2	Win	RSA	Jaipur	02 Nov 2006
2	Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman	1	118	2	Pak	Eng	Cardiff	14 Jun 2017

 

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman added 118 runs for the first wicket in this game to provide the first occasion of Pakistan batsmen posting a three figure partnership for the first wicket in the Champions Trophy. The previous best was the 90 runs partnership between Imran Nazir and Saeed Anwar against Sri Lanka at Nairobi {Gym} on 08.10.00

 

Hasan Ali’s aggregate wickets in the ongoing edition of Champions Trophy read 10 at the end of this game. He became the seventh Pakistan bowler to capture ten or more wickets in the tournament. All scuh occasions are tabulated below

 

No	Player	Mat	Inns	O	M	R	W	BBI	Ave	4	5
1	Shahid Afridi	13	12	98.4	4	427	14	5/11	30.50	0	1
2	Saeed Ajmal	07	07	55.5	2	226	12	2/16	18.83	0	0
3	Abdul Razzaq	10	10	77.2	2	339	10	4/50	33.90	1	0
4	Hasan Ali	04	04	38.0	1	172	10	3/24	17.20	0	0
5	Naved-ul-Hasan	09	09	67.0	5	315	10	4/25	31.50	1	0
6	Shoaib Malik	19	13	68.0	2	276	10	3/15	27.60	0	0
7	Umar Gul	07	07	54.5	4	275	10	3/28	27.50	0	0

 

Hasan Ali became the 14^th bowler and also the first Pakistan bowler to capture ten or more wickets in a single edition of Champions Trophy. The following table lists all such bowlers who have accomplished the feat

 

No	Player	Team	Edition	M	I	O	M	R	W	BBI	Ave	4	5
1	JE Taylor	Win	2006/07	7	7	57.0	3	287	13	4/49	22.07	1	0
2	MF Maharoof	Srl	2006/07	6	6	36.0	2	190	12	6/14	15.83	0	1
3	RA Jadeja	Ind	2013	5	5	41.0	5	154	12	5/36	12.83	0	1
4	SL Malinga	Srl	2006/07	6	6	50.3	3	210	11	4/53	19.09	1	0
5	WD Parnell	RSA	2009/10	3	3	28.0	2	196	11	5/57	17.81	0	1
6	JM Anderson	Eng	2013	5	5	37.0	1	151	11	3/30	13.72	0	0
7	MJ McClenaghan	NZl	2013	3	3	23.5	0	144	11	4/43	13.09	2	0
8	M Muralitharan	Srl	2002/03	5	3	25.1	2	070	10	4/15	07.00	1	0
9	NW Bracken	Aus	2006/07	5	5	41.0	4	194	10	3/22	19.40	0	0
10	GD McGrath	Aus	2006/07	5	5	44.0	7	158	10	3/22	15.80	0	0
11	KD Mills	NZl	2006/07	4	4	28.3	2	118	10	4/38	11.80	1	0
12	SCJ Broad	Eng	2009/10	3	3	28.1	1	155	10	4/39	15.50	1	0
13	I Sharma	Ind	2014	5	5	38.0	2	218	10	3/33	21.80	0	0
14	Hasan Ali	Pak	2017	4	4	38.0	1	172	10	3/24	17.20	0	0

 

The following table lists the finalists of the Champions Trophy since its inception. In 2002 edition, finals was played on two days and the trophy was shared by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan has entered the finals of the tournament for the first occasion.

 

Edition	Team 1	Team 2	Winner	Margin	Ground	Match Date
1998	South Africa	West Indies	South Africa	4 wickets	Dhaka	Nov 01, 1998
2000	India	New Zealand	New Zealand	4 wickets	Nairobi (Gym)	Oct 15, 2000
2002	Sri Lanka	India	no result		Colombo (RPS)	Sep 29, 2002
2002	Sri Lanka	India	no result		Colombo (RPS)	Sep 30, 2002
2004	England	West Indies	West Indies	2 wickets	The Oval	Sep 25, 2004
2006	Australia	West Indies	Australia	8 wickets	Mumbai (BS)	Nov 05, 2006
2009	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	6 wickets	Centurion	Oct 05, 2009
2013	England	India	India	5 runs	Birmingham	Jun 23, 2013

 

Hosts England will take on Pakistan in the first ICC Champions Trophy semi-final in Cardiff on Wednesday.

England will fancy their chances of extending the search for an elusive major global ODI silverware despite drawing a mercurial Pakistan in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy here tomorrow.

Three-time World Cup finalists England have been trying for the past 42 years to lay claim to a trophy in a major 50 -over tournament.

In Eoin Morgan’s well-balanced unit, the world sees a chance for England to realise their dream.

Notwithstanding Pakistan’s remarkable turnaround after an embarrassing loss to arch-rivals India in their tournament opener in Birmingham, hosts England will take to the field at Sophia Gardens with their nose ahead.

England have come a long way in a short space of time since a humiliating first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

They thrashed Pakistan 4-1 in a bilateral ODI series last year at home, including a world record score of 444 for three at Trent Bridge, which provides ample proof of their resurgence in recent times in a format they are still in the process of mastering.

In Ben Stokes, they have one of the world’s best all- rounder, who can inflict damage on the opposition with both bat and ball.

It was not for nothing the Durham player was paid a handsome USD 2.16 million to take part in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) this season.

Joe Root is a world-class batsman and is the fulcrum around whom the England batting revolves.

Morgan and Jos Buttler complete the middle order, while openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy have the ability to be devastating at the top. Roy, though, has not been in the best of form and could be replaced by Jonny Bairstow for the last- four clash.

Pacers Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett have been doing the job with the ball, while a fired-up Mark Wood revelled in his role as Morgan’s strike bowler, propelling the side to the semifinals.

Wood has returned this summer after three bouts of ankle surgery but his pace remained intact, often bamboozling opposition batsmen with his 90mph missiles.

England have by far been the best team in the tournament. They are the only team still unbeaten in the competition as they sailed into the semifinals with three victories on the trot in the group stage.

Even as Sarfraz Ahmed’s unpredictable Pakistan stand between them and a second straight Champions Trophy final appearance, England will fancy their chances.

Pakistan will be boosted by Sarfraz’s match-winning knock in the team’s three-wicket win over Sri Lanka, which put them into the semis.

That they managed to hold their own in a match where there was quite a few twists and turns, should boost Pakistan’s morale.

The green shirts are also excited about the explosive entry of opener Fakhar Zaman, who slammed 50 off 36 balls against the Sri Lankans. Another round of enterprise at the top by the new man would do Pakistan a world of good.

While the middle order batting remains a concern, Sarfraz said Pakistan will address it so that the likes of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik click when the situation demands.

Pakistan have a potent pace bowling attack in Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali with Faheem Ali adding a fourth dimension to the triumvirate.

England are aware that the Pakistani pacers are adept at exploiting helpful seaming conditions.

And Sarfraz, too, knows too well the opposition they are up against.

“England is a very good team, a very, very good team. They’ve been playing really good cricket for the last two years. If you’re playing a world class team, definitely, you play more positive cricket against England,” Sarfraz said.

Teams (from):

England: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Steven Finn.

Pakistan: Sarfraz Khan (captain), Ahmed Shahzad, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Mohammed Amir, Mohammed Hafeez, Shadab Khan and Shoaib Malik.

 

Buoyant Pakistan has the capability to spring a surprise

England will fancy its chances of extending the search for an elusive major global ODI silverware despite drawing a mercurial Pakistan in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy here on Wednesday.

Notwithstanding Pakistan’s remarkable turnaround, after an embarrassing loss to India in Birmingham, England will take to the field at Sophia Gardens with its nose ahead.

In Ben Stokes, it has one of the world’s best all-rounder, who can inflict damage on the opposition with both bat and ball. Joe Root is a world class batsman and is the fulcrum around whom the England batting revolves.

Roy may be replaced

Morgan and Jos Buttler complete the middle order, while openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy have the ability to be devastating at the top. Roy, though, has not been in the best of form and could be replaced by Jonny Bairstow for the last four clash.

Pacers Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett have been doing the job with the ball, while a fired-up Mark Wood revelled in his role as Morgan’s strike bowler, propelling the side to the semifinals.

Even as Sarfraz Ahmed’s unpredictable Pakistan stand between it and a second straight Champions Trophy final appearance, England will fancy its chances.

Pakistan will be boosted by its skipper’s match-winning knock against Sri Lanka. That it managed to hold its own in a match where there was quite a few twists and turns, should boost Pakistan’s morale.

While the middle order batting remains a concern, Sarfraz said Pakistan will address it so that the likes of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik click when the situation demands.

Pakistan has a potent bowling attack in Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali with Faheem Ali adding a fourth dimension. England is aware that Pakistani pacers are adept at exploiting helpful conditions. Sarfraz, too, knows too well the opposition his team is up against.

Article courtesy – The Hindu 

 

 

The offer is for India’s West Indies tour concluding on July 9

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) on Monday asked Anil Kumble to continue as coach of the Indian team for the forthcoming one-day series in the West Indies.

The offer, however, is subject to Kumble accepting the position, since he was required to apply afresh for the job and he has done so. His contract expires on June 30. India is scheduled to play five ODIs and a T20I in the West Indies (June 23 to July 9), following the ongoing Champions Trophy.

According to the CoA, it has conveyed the offer to Kumble. The CoA chairman Vinod Rai told The Hindu, “We would like Kumble to continue as coach for the West Indies tour. It depends on his acceptance.”

Kumble, in recent times, has been subjected to criticism on his alleged rift with skipper Virat Kohli. Both the individuals have maintained a dignified silence on the subject.

“I have not noticed any rift,” emphasised Rai, who was in England on a private visit and used the opportunity to interact with Kumble and Kohli.

Selective leaks in the media have painted a grim picture of the Indian dressing room with reports targeting Kumble.

Before the alleged rift surfaced in the media, Kumble had recommended increased payment to the support staff and the players apart from a 25% special hike for Kohli because he performs extra duties as captain.

Observers believe in the possibility of Kumble opting out of the short-term offer. Being asked to send in a fresh application for the coach’s job, on a technicality, has left Kumble disappointed.

Should Kumble decide to take a break from the West Indies, a senior Board official observed that assistant coach Sanjay Bangar may be asked to take over the responsibility.

Vijay Lokapally – Article courtesy – The Hindu

England and Pakistan will clash  in the first semi finals slated at Cardiff on 14.06.17, while Bangladesh and India will meet each other in the second semi finals slated at Birmingham on 15.06.17. Both the semi finals are scheduled to start at 3.00 PM – Indian Standard Time.  The following tables reflect the performance of each of  the eight teams as at the end of the league stage including the Point Table

POINTS TABLE AT THE END OF THE LEAGUE STAGE
GROUP A
Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
England	3	3	0	0	0	6	+1.045	858/137.4	728/140.2
Bangladesh	3	1	1	0	1	3	0.000	573/097.2	573/097.2
Australia	3	0	1	0	2	2	-0.992	200/040.2	240/040.2
New Zealand	3	0	2	0	1	1	-1.058	488/100.0	578/097.2
GROUP B
Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
India	3	2	1	0	0	4	+1.370	802/129.0	677/139.4
Pakistan	3	2	1	0	0	4	-0.680	520/112.5	624/118.0
South Africa	3	1	2	0	0	2	+0.167	590/127.0	515/115.0
Sri Lanka	3	1	2	0	0	2	-0.798	761/148.4	857/144.5

 

POINTS BY MATCH: GROUP A
Result Date	Team	Pts	Team	Pts
01 Jun 2017	England	2	Bangladesh	0
02 Jun 2017	Australia	1	New Zealand	1
05 Jun 2017	Australia	1	Bangladesh	1
06 Jun 2017	England	2	New Zealand	0
09 Jun 2017	Bangladesh	2	New Zealand	0
10 Jun 2017	England	2	Australia	0
POINTS BY MATCH: GROUP B
Result Date	Team	Pts	Team	Pts
03 Jun 2017	South Africa	2	Sri Lanka	0
04 Jun 2017	India	2	Pakistan	0
07 Jun 2017	Pakistan	2	South Africa	0
08 Jun 2017	Sri Lanka	2	India	0
11 Jun 2017	India	2	South Africa	0
12 Jun 2017	Pakistan	2	Sri Lanka	0

 

FIRST SEMI FINAL ON 14 JUN 17 AT CARDIFF AT 3.00 PM IST
PERFORMANCE OF THE  TEAMS DURING LEAGUE STAGE
Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
England	3	3	0	0	0	6	+1.045	858/137.4	728/140.2
Pakistan	3	2	1	0	0	4	-0.680	520/112.5	624/118.0

 

SECOND SEMI FINAL ON 15 JUN 17 AT BIRMINGHAM AT 3.00 PM IST
PERFORMANCE OF THE  TEAMS DURING LEAGUE STAGE
Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Bangladesh	3	1	1	0	1	3	0.000	573/097.2	573/097.2
India	3	2	1	0	0	4	+1.370	802/129.0	677/139.4

 

The runs haven’t come like they used to or in the destructive manner that the cricket world is used to seeing from MS Dhoni. And it has consequently started a lot of debate over whether Dhoni will ever be the indomitable force.

It’s been a strange last year or so for Dhoni as the runs haven’t flown from his bat as they once used to.

On the eve of Rising Pune Supergiant’s game against Delhi Daredevils two months ago, MS Dhoni did something unusual. While the rest of his teammates were already well into their nets session, the former India captain sat leaning towards performance analyst Prasanna Agoram’s laptop screen for a good 20 minutes. He then proceeded to the middle of the MCA Stadium in Pune with Prasanna following suit with his tripod and camera in tow.

Then Dhoni got the analyst to place his apparatus right behind the stump at the bowler’s end and record the first half-hour of his session. He then moved him over to behind the net to shoot the remaining half-hour from that angle.

As the session went on, Dhoni and Prasanna, who’s worked with a lot of high-class batsmen — from Hashim Amla to Jacques Kallis — during his time in the South African dressing room, repeatedly exchanged notes about what looked like bat-swing and trigger positions with the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman doing most of the talking. Here was someone who’s shunned technical assistance and preferred batting in his own distinct way for a dozen years, suddenly sweating over his technique. It was a scene that was played out pretty much every time Dhoni came out for practice during the IPL.

The timing for the sudden change of mind isn’t surprising though. It’s been a strange last year or so for Dhoni. The runs haven’t come like they used to or in the destructive manner that the cricket world is used to seeing. And it has consequently started a lot of debate over whether Dhoni will ever be the indomitable force he was in limited-overs cricket. And a lot of it could well be due to a minor tweak in his technique, which it seems he’s been desperate to sort out.

It starts with his stance. There are three different kinds of flexion (bend of knees) you find in most batsmen at the point of delivery. Some use a low flexion, their knees more bent than usual and the hands lower as a result like say a Nasser Hussain or AB de Villiers. Some have no flexion, and are completely upright in with Marcus Trescothick and Hashim Amla the best examples. Most batsmen, Dhoni included, though prefer the mid-flexion or what is often referred to as a boxer’s stance where their knees are slightly bent with the hands positioned near the waist when the bowler’s in his delivery stride.

The most crucial part of this is for the flexion to be equal on both knees so that the weight is balanced perfectly and the head is in line with the front toe. But it’s been noticeable of late that Dhoni’s right-or back- knee is more bent than the left and as a result the weight isn’t balanced like it should be and the head is more titled rather than being upright. The changed toe-alignment have meant the hands are lower, and the base, which is so vital for striking the ball, isn’t stable anymore.

A wobbly base
Then comes the bat-swing, both in terms of where it’s coming from and where it’s ending up. The upswing is affected as a result of the lack of balance in the stance. At his peak, Dhoni had the perfect swing with the bat. It could have given routine golfers a complex. The bat would come straight down from behind his head, allowing him to turn his hips, which would subsequently lead the way through the swing, generating immense power through the downswing.
The wobbly base is now making his bat come down from a wider angle and that affects the downswing massively. For a bottom-handed player like Dhoni, the power is generated from the right shoulder. The change in angle of the upswing is leaving him more open-chested now and the power is now being generated mainly through his hands with zero rotation or clearance of the hips. That explains the reduced power and elevation in his shots towards the on-side. It’s also affecting his hitting zone drastically.

The earlier bat-swing from up to down allowed him to smash balls in a wider arc from long-off all the way to cow-corner. But now since the bat is coming down from outside his eye-line, the shot not only lacks power but is also going squarer, which is resulting in the reduction of boundaries. No wonder it’s very rare that we see the vintage Dhoni six anymore, like the famous one off Nuwan Kulasekara to win the World Cup in 2011. And it’s been very obvious since the IPL that Dhoni’s been working doubly hard in regaining the stance and subsequently the bat-swing of old.
This is mostly technical jargon though. And Dhoni will be aware that the turnaround for him will only come from getting the stance right in a real-match situation.

Dhoni said as much. “I’ve been working on it for a while. I’m basically trying to work on getting myself more upright in my stance. I noticed that the head is bending over a little and is not in line with the front toe,” he had said on the side-lines of an IPL practice session.

That’s not all he’s working on though. In recent times, he’s also seemed rushed by balls nipping into him at a decent pace and has often been late on the ball, getting hit on the pads. And it’s been noticeable that he’s been working on reducing the number of times he taps the bat on the surface before getting into his trigger position. There were times when the last tap coincided with the bowler releasing the ball, resulting in reduced time of reaction. In the nets here in England, and also previously during the IPL, he’s seemed keen to tap the pitch only twice, with the last of those well before the bowler is in his delivery stride, so that his hands are near the waist and ready long before the ball has left his hand.

Since Kagiso Rabada’s famous last over in Dhoni in Kanpur, where he stopped the most feared finisher in the world from scoring the 11 runs that were required, fast bowlers around the world have targeted him with short-of-length deliveries, either targeted at his ribs or even around off-stump. And Dhoni has also been seen trying to open up the stance a little and practice shots square on the off-side, which hasn’t always been part of his hitting zone. And it’s seemed to work on occasions in the IPL and against Sri Lanka, especially the six he hit off Suranga Lakmal early in his innings.

And there have been a few innings, the match-winning IPL knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune, and even the one at the Oval last week which would give him confidence that things could be falling into place again, that he could go back to being the Dhoni of old. But for all the unprecedented-in terms of the technical nous he’s adopting now-work he puts in at the nets, the mutterings and whispers about his future will stop only once he goes back to generating the kind of fear in bowlers the Dhoni of old used to in the middle.

Written by Bharat Sundaresan – Article courtesy – Indian Express

 

Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have gelled extremely well at a time when the controversy over coach Anil Kumble has not shown the Indian dressing room in a good light.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has relied on MS Dhoni for both moral and tactical support as relations with coach Anil Kumble seem exceedingly strained.

The body language between Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in the ICC Champions Trophy has been one of trust and respect and that’s probably why the Indian cricket team is turning up brilliantly on the big days.

The hunt for India’s next head coach has been a messy affair. Kohli may deny reports of ‘rift’ with chief coach Anil Kumble but if seeing is believing in this Champions Trophy, the captain seems to be enjoying MS Dhoni’s company more than the head coach’s.

After India thrashed South Africa in a most compelling fashion in a massive ICC Champions Trophy game at The Oval on Sunday to storm into the semifinals, Kohli credited his bowlers and once again hinted that his players sought space and freedom at work.

READ | ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Mashrafe Mortaza wants Bangladesh to play with a free mind

“(While) you have to point out things that didn’t go well, you don’t want to be nagging them too much because they are professional cricketers, and I’ve played with a lot of these guys.

“You have to understand how to speak to them and how to communicate and discuss things with them,” said Kohli.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN?

There may not be any open rift, but communication between coach and captain may not be at 4G speed or level. A total breakdown or an honourable exit for Kumble at the end of the Champions Trophy cannot be ruled out at this stage. India play Bangladesh in the semifinals in Birmingham on June 15.

On Saturday morning when the team trained at The Oval, Kumble hardly supervised the nets. When Kumble walked up to check out the wicket, Kohli was nowhere to be seen.

There is clearly a trust deficit and here is where Kohli has looked up to MS Dhoni, and the former skipper has responded admirably.

READ | Bhuvneshwar Kumar surprised by lack of swing on tracks at ICC Champions Trophy

It is now eloquently clear that the Cricket Advisory Committee’s decision to appoint Kumble ahead of the happy-go-lucky Ravi Shastri certainly did not amuse Kohli. News of an extra term for Kumble has only made Kohli’s mind restless.

DHONI’S COMFORTING ROLE

In this crisis of sorts, Dhoni has been playing a comforting role, something that has won the captain Kohli’s respect.

The former skipper’s involvement on the field when South Africa batted first at The Oval on Sunday was high and ‘apprentice’ Kohli, never shy of seeking Dhoni’s guidance, was one for the cameras.

“His (Dhoni’s) input is obviously always very precise, very helpful at any stage of the game… today it was all about asking him whether to keep the slip in there long enough or what does he think of the fields and just taking assurance.”

READ | Virat Kohli says pressure from bowlers led to fielding success vs South Africa

“Obviously you don’t want to feel isolated out there. Yes, you’re making decisions, but the inputs from such experienced players are priceless at any stage of the day,” said Kohli.

Success or failure, feels Kohli, is shared by a team, not scripted by any individual.

And this ‘individual’ may well be Anil Kumble.

Soumitra Bose : Article courtesy – The Hindustan Times

Touring England for the first time, Bumrah has been picking Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kohli’s brains.

India’s new ‘King of Death’ Jasprit Bumrah has done enough to gain confidence of his skipper Virat Kohli, who in turn has given him freedom to express himself.

“It feels good that the captain has so much of confidence in you that he gives you freedom to do whatever you want. When this happens, a youngster like me can express himself and show what he is capable of,” man-of-the-match Bumrah said at a mixed zone interaction after team’s win against South Africa.

With ability to bowl yorkers at will during slog overs, Bumrah is Kohli’s ‘go to man’ at the death. A tournament economy rate of 4.77 for someone who bowls bulk of his overs in back 10 is commendable.

But Bumrah is against being labelled as slog overs specialist.

“You know, we don’t focus on these things. You can’t just be labelled as ‘death bowler’ or a swing bowler (in case of Bhuvneshwar Kumar), whenever you are given the ball, you have to contribute. You bowl according to situations — whether at the death or at the beginning. The aim is to stick to a plan and execute it,” Burmrah expressed his reservations being deemed as a ‘one trick pony’.

Touring England for the first time, Bumrah has been picking Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kohli’s brains.

“I take inputs from our senior bowlers who have played a lot in these conditions. Our coach (Anil Kumble), Mahi Bhai, Virat gives us tips on what are the conditions, discuss plans. It’s of great help,” Bumrah said.

Like his senior partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Bumrah also agreed that there is no swing available for bowlers on tracks which are hard and good for batting.

“I don’t know as this is my first visit to England. I have not played here earlier but whatever I heard the ball swings here quite a lot. But so far there has not been any swing available. Bowlers have to adapt all the time. We focus on other options — to contain the batters.”

“The conditions were favouring the batsmen and wickets are also stable. You can’t bowl full and try to swing the ball. You have to contain the batsman and it worked in our favour. So even if I don’t get wickets, somebody else will get wickets. That was the basic plan, to bowl good, hard lengths,” he said.

The Gujarat pacer was all praise for the fielding unit.

“We have worked hard on our fielding and we always want to improve. First match was a little low on fielding aspect but we are working hard. It was a good day that we got few run outs as well.”

 

Bhuvneshwar, unable to provide an explanation, says altering of the length is imperative

Sometimes, Virat Kohli admitted, there was a need to “say things that hurt”, to be honest in criticism in defeat. After India’s shock loss to Sri Lanka, he had asked his players for greater intensity in the field, a conscious effort individually, he said.

On Sunday, they responded, exerting unrelenting pressure on South Africa with the ball and watching it snap. Between them, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Japsrit Bumrah sent down 15.3 overs for 51 runs, taking four wickets.

Sharing the new ball, they helped restrict South Africa to 35 runs in the first 10 overs, Hashim Amla and the generally aggressive Quinton de Kock struggling to break free. It was this early pressure, both sides felt later, that had swung the game India’s way.

Effective

Bhuvneshwar is a remarkable bowler. Mild-mannered and slight of build, he does not fit the stereotype of a medium-fast bowler but there is no debating his effectiveness. Last month, when Muttiah Muralitharan called him “the best bowler in IPL history”, it didn’t sound unreasonable.

In and out of the one-day team since his debut in December 2012, Bhuvneshwar has emerged as a force in T20 cricket. Still, a career economy rate of 4.93 in ODIs would suggest that he hasn’t been too shabby in this format either.

He proved his worth again at the Oval, tying South Africa down notwithstanding the fact that the ball barely swung on Sunday. Indeed, it hasn’t swung all fortnight — except a little in Cardiff — and even Bhuvneshwar was unable to provide an explanation.

“It’s hard to say why the ball is not swinging,” he said. “Generally, the wickets in England are not hard. We’ve toured here before. The wickets were soft; not so soft that the batsmen have a problem but enough for the ball to swing. So I don’t know if that’s the reason or if there’s a difference in the quality of the balls. Hard to say. But everyone can see that it’s not swinging and it’s hard work for the bowlers.”

There may have been fears that this lack of swing could turn Bhuvneshwar — even with his improved pace — into a sitting duck, but they were proven unfounded.

“It’s difficult (when you rely on swing and the ball is not swinging). The only thing you have to change is length. Everyone is bowling a bit ‘back’, compared to what they normally bowl. Generally we always look for wickets in the first 10 overs when the ball swings, but now we look to contain them and then take wickets when pressure builds. These are the few things we’re changing,” he said.

Bumrah revels

Bhuvneshwar has the experience of 62 ODIs behind him, but Bumrah is relatively new to international cricket. He made his debut only last year, when M.S. Dhoni called him the find of the Australian tour, and it is amazing how quickly the 23-year-old has risen to become an integral part of India’s limited-overs bowling units.

Ahead of the Pakistan tie in Birmingham, Shahid Afridi had singled him out as a threat, marvelling at his ability to bowl what he called ‘the Pakistani yorker’ — presumably one that tails in at pace, like the delivery to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo — at will. In the IPL, Bumrah has earned a reputation as a notoriously tough death-overs bowler; at the Oval, he showed he was handy with the new ball too.

“We (Bhuvneshwar and I) don’t focus on that when you get labelled as death bowler or a swing bowler,” he said afterwards. “You always try to contribute whenever you are given the ball. You have to bowl according to the situation, be it at the death or in the beginning.”

They had quickly realised, Bhuvneshwar said, that this was not a pitch for wicket-taking but for drying runs up.

“All they did was to try and hit the top of the off stump with a nice, tight fielding unit around, squeezing a lot of dot balls out of us and not allowing us any easy boundary options,” A.B. de Villiers felt.

They make for two unlikely leaders of India’s pace attack but, as South Africa found out, Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar are rather formidable.

Shreedutta Chidananda – Article Courtesy – The Hindu