Perth: India defeated Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in the 2nd match of Commonwealth Bank Series. Ravichandran Ashwin named ‘man of the match’ for his all-round performance.

 

 

Kohli’s 77 played a vital role in the victory of India. Sachin Tendulkar opened innings with Virender Sehwag and scored 48 & 10 respectively.

 

Middle order suffered a collapse & because of it Indian players at one stage smelled another defeat but thanks to Jadeja (24) & Ashwin (30) who kept things going & added 53 runs to take India home.

 

India scored 234/6 in 46.4 overs to win the match. Mathews took 2 wickets whereas Malinga, Prasad & Perera shared 1 wicket each.

 

Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss & decided to bat first. Sri Lanka lost its 1st wicket at 12 when Tharanga caught out at the ball of Zaheer Khan. Dilshan & Chandimal scored 48 & 64 respectively to take Sri Lanka across 200.

 

The effort of Sangakkara (26), Jayawardene (23) & Mathews (33) can’t be ignored which played a key role in team’s score. Indian bowlers bowled on good line & length, specially Ashwin who took 3 wickets for 32 in 10 overs, Zaheer Khan took 2 for 44 & Vinay Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja took 1, 1 wicket.

 

Sri Lanka was managed to score 233/8 in 50.0 overs which wasn’t enough to defend & hence in the end they lost the game by 4 wickets.

 

The 3rd match of this series will be played here between Australia & Sri Lanka on February 10, 2012, it’ll start at 12:20 (local) –  04:20 (GMT) – 07:20 (AST).

 

HQ Photo Gallery: Click here & enjoy the photos of this match.

 

Result: India won by 4 wickets.

Man Of The Match: Ravichandran Ashwin (India).

While the year 2011 is still fresh in our minds, I would like to share what I think were the best moments in the cricketing year of 2011.

 

( Author: Qasim Anwar )

 

Following moments are without any order or ranking:

 

 

      India’s World Cup win after a gap of 28 years:

After a  long time we witness another team winning the cup besides Australia. Beside West Indies India has become second team to win two World cup titles.

Date: April 02, 2011

Match (Final): India v Sri Lanka

Result: India won by 6 wickets.

 

 

 

 

      Lap of honour for Sachin:

Sachin Tendulkar dream this year was to win the world cup his teammates paid their ultimate tribute to him by walkinh him around the Mumbai cricket stadium. “Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him.” Virat Kohli said.

Date: April 02, 2011

Match (Final): India v Sri Lanka

Result: India won by 6 wickets.

 

 

 

      Muttiah Muralitharan final ovation:

After Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in the semi final of the world cup 2011 before going to India to play the final. The crowd in Colombo gave Murali a standing ovation and he was carried around the stadium also around his team mates shoulders. As this was murali last game in Sri Lanka before he retire.

Date: March 29, 2011

Match (1st Semi-Final): New Zealand v Sri Lanka

Result: Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      India-Pakistan semi-final match:

When ever these two team collide every one is glued to it. The middle master stole the show here and took his team to final.  He scored 85 runs and was  named Man of the Match. With a 29-run win, India maintained their 100 per cent winning record against their arch-rivals in the World Cup.

Date: March 30, 2011

Match (2nd Semi-Final): India v Pakistan

Result: India won by 29 runs.

 

      Ireland defeat England in World Cup:

Batting first England scored 328 runs. Kevin O’Brien turned England’s fortune on its head with his blitzing century. He scored 113 of 63 balls, which is also the fastest century in the World Cup history.

Date: March 02, 2011

Match (no.15 in WC): England v Ireland

Result: Ireland won by 3 wickets.

 

 

      South Africa bowl out Australia for 47:

South African pace trio of Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn bowled out Aussies for a paltry 47 runs on Day 2 of the first Test match in Cape Town and this fury followed after the hosts were shot out for 96 runs in their first innings. Such great contests certainly are like shot in the arm for Test cricket.

Date: November 9-11, 2011

Match (1st Test): South Africa v Australia

Result: South Africa won by 8 wickets.

 

      Zimbabwe make a Test return after a six-year:

They have made a successful return to Test cricket after a 6-year ban with an  impressive 264 for two against Bangladesh on the first day of a one-off Test at the Harare Sports Club and went on to win the match on Day 5 by 130 runs.

Date: August 4-8, 2011

Match (Only Test): Zimbabwe v Bangladesh

Result: Zimbabwe won by 130 runs.

 

 

      England’s Ashes win in Australia after 24 years:

England claimed their first Ashes series in Australia after 24 years, with their 3rd innings victory over the home team in the final Sydney Test. England clinched the series 3-1.

Date: January 3-7, 2011

Match (5th Test/The Ashes): Australia v England

Result: England won by an innings and 83 runs.

 

 

      Rahul Dravid completes 13,000 Test runs:

During the Test series against the West Indies at home, Dravid became the second cricketer in the world to complete 13,000 runs in Test cricket.

Date: November 22-26, 2011

Match (3rd Test): India v West Indies

Result: Match Drawn.

 

 

      Virender Sehwag scored double-century in ODI:

Sehwag broke the world record of master blaster Sachin by scoring 219 runs off 149 balls at Indore. He hit 25 FOURS & 7 SIXES during his innings.

Date: December 8, 2011

Match (4th ODI): India v West Indies

Result: India won by 153 runs.

 

 

 

 

      Shane Watson smashed record for most sixes in an ODI match:

Shane Watson hit a record 15 sixes in his innings of uneaten 185 runs to guide Australia to a series-clinching nine-wicket win over Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Date: April 11, 2011

Match (2nd ODI): Bangladesh v Australia

Result: Australia won by 9 wickets.

 

 

 

      Shahid Afridi single handily beat Sri Lanka:

Afridi gave the cricketing world another Sharjah classic, When he scores 75 runs of 65  to set 201 target and takes a 5 wicket haul to win the match for Pakistan.

Date: November 20, 2011

Match (4th ODI): Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Result: Pakistan won by 26 runs.

Sydney: Australia have taken a 2-0 series lead over India after completing an emphatic innings-and-68 run victory midway through the final session on day four of the second Test at the SCG.

 

 

Short Scores:

India 1st Innings: 191/10 in 59.3 overs.

Australia 1st Innings: 659/4 in 163.0 overs.

India 2nd Innings: 400/10 in 110.5 overs.

 

The tourists dominated the morning action and looked set to force the match into the fifth day before man-of-the-match Michael Clarke (1-22) claimed the vital scalp of Sachin Tendulkar to spark a dramatic collapse just after lunch.

 

It completed a memorable Test for the Australian skipper who scored a triple century to underpin his side’s dominant performance.

 

Tendulkar’s dismissal for 80 signaled the beginning of the end for the visitors who lost 4-15 in quick time to be staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat.

 

Zaheer Khan (35) and Ravi Ashwin (62) rallied with a 56-run partnership, while Ishant Sharma (11) offered some resistance before becoming Nathan Lyon’s (1-64) first victim of the match when he was trapped lbw.

 

Ravi Ashwin kept up the fight before holing out to Lyon off Ben Hilfenhaus (5-106) for an impressive half century as India was bowled out for 400.

 

It was an superb performance from the rejuvenated Hilfenhaus, who finished with eight wickets for the match to be the pick of an in-form Australian attack.

 

Peter Siddle (2-88), James Pattinson (1-106) and Lyon also finished amongst the wickets in the second innings.

 

Tendulkar was on track to post his 100th international century before he prodded at a well-flighted ball from the Australian captain and was caught at first slip by Mike Hussey.

 

Brad Haddin was unable to take the sharp chance but the ball deflected off the gloveman’s pads and straight to Mike Hussey who accepted the rebound to spark wild celebrations from the home side.

 

India suffered another massive blow moments later when VVS Laxman was clean bowled by Hilfenhaus for 66 off the first delivery with the second new ball.

 

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was next to depart for just two when he spooned a return catch to Hilfenhaus, and when Pattinson trapped Virat Kohli lbw for nine victory was all but assured for the hosts.

 

Earlier, India lost opener Gautam Gambhir (83) in the first session before Tendulkar and Laxman steadied things with a timely 103-run stand.

 

Gambhir looked set to post a well deserved century before he half drove at a ball from Siddle and caught a thick edge for Dave Warner to take a comfortable catch at point.

 

Australia will reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy if they can win or draw either of the two remaining Tests in Perth and Adelaide.

 

Courtesy: Cricket Australia

 

Result: Australia won by an innings & 68 runs.

Man Of The Match: Michael Clarke (Australia).

Mumbai: India today announced the squad for the 1st three ODI’s. Whereas the squad of West Indies was announced last week. Dhoni & Tendulkar are dropped with Bishoo & Brathwaite.

 

 

Virender Sehwag has been named captain for the upcoming ODI series. Yuvraj Singh wasn’t considered for selection, as he has informed that he is not fully fit.

 

MS Dhoni & Sachin Tendulkar has been rested as they are continuously playing & performing for India (without any break).

 

On the other hand, West Indies inducted top-order batsman Jason Mohammed and offspinner Sunil Narine in the squad by dropping Devendra Bishoo and Carlos Brathwaite.

 

Both players impressed selectors by performing in the Regional Super 50 tournament. Narine was the leading wicket-taker (15 wickets in 5 matches) in the tournament and J. Mohammed was the leading run-scorer (227 runs in 5 matches).

 

Darren Sammy will be leading West Indies in the ODI series against India.

 

Squad of India (for 1st three ODI’s): Virender Sehwag (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel (wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Rahul Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar.

 

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

Kolkata: India defeated brave West Indies by an innings and 15 runs on day four of the second Test.

 

 

Resuming the day at 3-195, the likes of Darren Bravo (136) and Marlon Samuels (84) put up a fight before a late collapse – which saw the West Indies lose 6-62 – saw them bowled out for 463 in Kolkata.

 

After the tourists’ first innings score of just 153, this meant India’s 7-631 (declared) was enough to secure the innings victory as the hosts claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

 

Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) kept the Indians at bay in the early stages of the day, but Umesh Yadav (4-80) removed the latter just after the first drinks break.

 

His dismissal brought Samuels to the crease and West Indies immediately upped the tempo as both players found the boundary with ease.

 

India had no answer to the pair’s dominance and the tourists went into lunch at 4-339 and with the slight hope that they could save the match.

 

But when Bravo’s magnificent innings – which included 16 fours and four sixes – came to an end, just like the first innings, the West Indies collapsed.

 

Wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh (three) soon followed before Ravichandran Ashwin (2-137) removed Samuels and Kemar Roach (one) in quick succession.

 

West Indian captain Darren Sammy (32) and Fidel Edwards (15 not out) put up some brief resistance, adding 42 runs, but Yadav dismissed Sammy and Devendra Bishoo (zero) in successive deliveries to seal the victory and ensure that India did not need to bat again.

 

VVS Laxman was announced as man-of-the-match for his 176 not out in the first innings.

 

The third and final Test of the series takes place in Mumbai, starting on November 22.

 

Result: India won by an innings & 15 runs.

Man Of The Match: VVS Laxman (India).

Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar made a solid 76 and VVS Laxman a well-measured 58 not out to help India score a five-wicket victory over the West Indies on Wednesday in the first Test, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.

 

 

Tendulkar missed out on a potential 100th international century, but his innings put India in a winning position on the fourth day at the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium.

 

He added 67 for the third wicket with Rahul Dravid (31) and 71 for the next withLaxman (58 not out) as India were made to work hard for their victory.

 

Yuvraj Singh (18) was bowled by West Indian captain Darren Sammy with just one run needed for victory, leaving captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the other not out batsman without scoring a run.

 

Tendulkar, who resumed on 33, closed in on the historic 100 centuries milestone but was trapped lbw by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo when trying to pull a short-pitched delivery. He hit 10 fours in his 148-ball innings.

 

A crowd of more than 10,000 had turned up at the ground to watch Tendulkar get another three-figure mark but went back disappointed as the Mumbai batsman failed to do so.

 

Laxman, who had started with a couple of trademark shots off the leg to pace bowler Fidel Edwards early in his innings, struck six fours off 105 balls.  Earlier, overnight batsman Dravid was out for 31, adding only one run to his overnight score.

 

Pace bowler Fidel Edwards bowled a beautiful incoming delivery that went between bat and pad, what was called the ball of the match. Dravid batted for a total of 154 minutes, hitting only three fours off 101 balls.

 

The West Indies, who had won a previous two-Test series in Bangladesh by a 1-0 margin, had a comfortable 95-run first innings lead but failed to drive home the advantage when India bowled the visitors out for only 180 in the second innings.

 

“That was a big lead, we all felt we did not bat the way we should have in the first innings,” Dhoni said. “It was not an easy wicket to score, you had to be aware of the ball that kept low.”

 

India’s experienced batting line-up, which had folded for only 209 in the first innings, made few mistakes the second time around and also buried fears of low bounce on a pitch which did not see huge scores.

 

“When you play against a top team, you want to create the opportunity to win which we did that in the first innings. We did not bat well in the second but believe we can win matches here.”

 

The next Test will be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 14 to 18 and the final game in at the Wandheke Stadium in Mumbai from November 22 to 26.

 

The Test Series will be followed by five One-Day Internationals.

 

Result: India won by 5 wickets.

Man Of The Match: Ravichandran Ashwin (India).