Seldom has an Indian team progressed beyond the group stage without losing a single game. In fact, the way the team has qualified with one match to go has been a tremendous morale-booster for the young team (amazing statistic of the Indian team is that the one player who is 30+ in the playing eleven was MS Dhoni!). The confidence and the camaraderie showed on the team and what an inspired performance against their arch-rivals!
The opening bowlers bowled tight spells (though Umesh Yadav and later Ishant Sharma was guilty of giving away few boundary balls) while the spinners tightened the noose further. Ravindra Jadeja is becoming the goto-guy for MSD, more than Ashwin in fact. And he seems to respond every time the ball is thrown to him. Jadeja is making up fast for the time he spent out of the team and there doesnt seem to be a batsman who can say that he has dominated 'Sir'. Ashwin bowled a good spell but somehow he seems to be more suited to the test matches rather than the shorter versions.
Batting once again started well with Dhawan and Rohit blazing away after a cautious start. Rohit threw it away when all that was required was to rotate the strike. One might say that rain was in the air and Rohit was trying to get past the D/L score but with the way the duo were hardly troubled, victory was inevitable. Dhawan - his confidence seems to increase and the way he penetrates the off-side seems to indicate that he is the successor to Sourav Ganguly (not in the same mould). Delhi is lucky to have a steady stream of stroke-players - Sehwag, Gambhir, Dhawan, Kohli and next on the list would be Unmukt Chand! But, politics seems to be ruling the roost there unfortunately.
Anyway, credit should go not only to the team but the team management as well. Duncan Fletcher aided by some bold selection (and dropping) by Sandeep Patil and the team has meant that the new India is emerging strongly. Will this be a new dawn? Looks like. Let us hope the morning is as glorious as it was few years ago.
The opening bowlers bowled tight spells (though Umesh Yadav and later Ishant Sharma was guilty of giving away few boundary balls) while the spinners tightened the noose further. Ravindra Jadeja is becoming the goto-guy for MSD, more than Ashwin in fact. And he seems to respond every time the ball is thrown to him. Jadeja is making up fast for the time he spent out of the team and there doesnt seem to be a batsman who can say that he has dominated 'Sir'. Ashwin bowled a good spell but somehow he seems to be more suited to the test matches rather than the shorter versions.
Batting once again started well with Dhawan and Rohit blazing away after a cautious start. Rohit threw it away when all that was required was to rotate the strike. One might say that rain was in the air and Rohit was trying to get past the D/L score but with the way the duo were hardly troubled, victory was inevitable. Dhawan - his confidence seems to increase and the way he penetrates the off-side seems to indicate that he is the successor to Sourav Ganguly (not in the same mould). Delhi is lucky to have a steady stream of stroke-players - Sehwag, Gambhir, Dhawan, Kohli and next on the list would be Unmukt Chand! But, politics seems to be ruling the roost there unfortunately.
Anyway, credit should go not only to the team but the team management as well. Duncan Fletcher aided by some bold selection (and dropping) by Sandeep Patil and the team has meant that the new India is emerging strongly. Will this be a new dawn? Looks like. Let us hope the morning is as glorious as it was few years ago.
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