McCullum and MS Dhoni combined brilliantly to take CSK to a large score that could withstand the assault of Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner.
Showing posts with label Brendon McCullum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brendon McCullum. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
CLT20 2014 - SuperKings thrash Dolphins
Thanks to a blitzkrieg from Brendon McCullum and then Suresh Raina (followed by Ravindra Jadeja), CSK posted a huge target for Dolphins. Even though their opponents tried the best in the beginning, CSK were the runaway winners.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
IPL4 Match 45 - Hodge takes Kochi past KKR
Brad Hodge's whirlwind knock at the end of the innings took Kochi to a score that they managed to defend successfully at the end. Despite a good start by Kallis and Morgan, KKR could not reach the target set by Kochi. The opening partnership was good but not at the rate that Gambhir would have liked. Raiphi Gomez's spell proved to be a difference for his team.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
IPL4 Match 13 - Mumbai upset by Kochi
Kochi Tuskers registered their first win in IPL in a convincing manner, chasing down a huge score put up by Mumbai Indians. Sachin Tendulkar's century was not enough for Mumbai as Mahela Jayawardene and Brendon McCullum orchestrated the chase superbly.
Monday, March 28, 2011
World Cup 2011 - SL favorites to repeat win over NZ
177-154 says Castrol Index in favor of Sri Lanka against New Zealand for the first semi-final in the 2011 World Cup. The advantage goes much more than what the numbers say. The teams have faced each other in the League stage and Sri Lanka won the match convincingly. The spinners have spun webs around the batsmen of Black Caps so much that the match result looks decided already.
Once again, Muralitharan is doubtful for tomorrow's match and with confidence on his other spinners, Sangakkara will probably not risk him tomorrow. Herath and Mendis, along with Dilshan, will more than a handful for the NZ batsmen. The team composition contained Malinga and Matthews as the only non-spinners against England - there is no reason why this strategy should change against New Zealand. The opening batsmen have showed that if they settle down, they can notch up large partnerships at the top. Their success has ensured that the fragile middle order is not exposed. Sangakkara and Jayawardene were not given any match practice in the last game - they must be itching to contribute heavily.
The only Protean who was happy when they choked once again was Alan Donald, currently bowling coach of New Zealand. He has teamed up very well with John Wright to bring NZ to the stage that they are in. NZ was the best planned team in the entire tournament, having visited the host countries in the last few months. Though the results were not favorable to them, the experience is handy in the World Cup. They have also gone with three spinners along with Southee and Oram. Ross Taylor, McCullum and Scott Styris will be expected to lead the front on the batting side - playing in a test-like mode before going into the T20-mode in the slog overs. If they can get going, the strength of the Lankans (spin) can become their enemy very soon.
The Lankans start as overwhelming favorites for the match but one cannot rule out the eternal braids-maid of World Cup. Over-confidence is one aspect the Lankans will do well to avoid.
Once again, Muralitharan is doubtful for tomorrow's match and with confidence on his other spinners, Sangakkara will probably not risk him tomorrow. Herath and Mendis, along with Dilshan, will more than a handful for the NZ batsmen. The team composition contained Malinga and Matthews as the only non-spinners against England - there is no reason why this strategy should change against New Zealand. The opening batsmen have showed that if they settle down, they can notch up large partnerships at the top. Their success has ensured that the fragile middle order is not exposed. Sangakkara and Jayawardene were not given any match practice in the last game - they must be itching to contribute heavily.
The only Protean who was happy when they choked once again was Alan Donald, currently bowling coach of New Zealand. He has teamed up very well with John Wright to bring NZ to the stage that they are in. NZ was the best planned team in the entire tournament, having visited the host countries in the last few months. Though the results were not favorable to them, the experience is handy in the World Cup. They have also gone with three spinners along with Southee and Oram. Ross Taylor, McCullum and Scott Styris will be expected to lead the front on the batting side - playing in a test-like mode before going into the T20-mode in the slog overs. If they can get going, the strength of the Lankans (spin) can become their enemy very soon.
The Lankans start as overwhelming favorites for the match but one cannot rule out the eternal braids-maid of World Cup. Over-confidence is one aspect the Lankans will do well to avoid.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
World Cup 2011 - Will South Africa choke vs NZ in QF?
Castrol Index says 190-154. A difference of 36 points between the two teams. South Africa's performance in this edition of the World Cup is clearly illustrated in the Index. They have steamrolled most of their opponents except against England when they succumbed to the pressures of the spinners. Similarly, India had a good chance to knock them over but the lower order pushed the score past the target.
It is very interesting statistic to know that in the last two editions of the World Cup, South Africa have lost to the Black Caps! Will history repeat itself? The only glimmer of hope for NZ is to take the blueprint of their win against the red-hot Pakistan team in the group stage. Ross Taylor played a wonderful knock to hit 100 runs in the last 5 overs to put up a total that was beyond the reach of the Pakistan team. But, that exactly is the problem with NZ - the dependence on Taylor and Brendon McCullum in the batting department. Vettori will make a comeback and strengthen the bowling but that is no match to the might of the Proteas.
Everything seems to be going well for South Africa so far except the blip against the English. The only obstacle that will stop them is not any team but their own history and mental toughness. Will they choke, as everyone in this tournament has been asking their captain repeatedly? Kallis has had a silent tournament by his own high standards. Imran Tahir will make a comeback after injury and mostly finish the match the same way Afridi did against West Indies. It is such a different image of the Proteas with so many spinners and one of them repeatedly opening the attack with Dale Steyn. AB and JP are solid in the middle-order while Amla is steady at the top of the order. Between them, they can set up or chase any target.
My prediction of the winner would be South Africa but Ross Taylor has the ability to prove everyone wrong on his day.
It is very interesting statistic to know that in the last two editions of the World Cup, South Africa have lost to the Black Caps! Will history repeat itself? The only glimmer of hope for NZ is to take the blueprint of their win against the red-hot Pakistan team in the group stage. Ross Taylor played a wonderful knock to hit 100 runs in the last 5 overs to put up a total that was beyond the reach of the Pakistan team. But, that exactly is the problem with NZ - the dependence on Taylor and Brendon McCullum in the batting department. Vettori will make a comeback and strengthen the bowling but that is no match to the might of the Proteas.
Everything seems to be going well for South Africa so far except the blip against the English. The only obstacle that will stop them is not any team but their own history and mental toughness. Will they choke, as everyone in this tournament has been asking their captain repeatedly? Kallis has had a silent tournament by his own high standards. Imran Tahir will make a comeback after injury and mostly finish the match the same way Afridi did against West Indies. It is such a different image of the Proteas with so many spinners and one of them repeatedly opening the attack with Dale Steyn. AB and JP are solid in the middle-order while Amla is steady at the top of the order. Between them, they can set up or chase any target.
My prediction of the winner would be South Africa but Ross Taylor has the ability to prove everyone wrong on his day.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
World Cup 2011 - Big-hitters to watch
Let me stick my neck out to start some posts on predictions in the 2011 World Cup. This one is going to be about Eleven players who I feel will be the big-hitters to shine in the tournament. Maybe they will not be consistent throughout the tourney but they will make their mark by their big shots - when they do, remember this post :)
Let me know if you agree with me or not. Who do you think will shine?
- Yusuf Pathan - the latest flavor in town. Has scored two centuries in the last 5 innings he has played, both with his team in dire streets and one that got India the victory.
- Viru Sehwag - Will be rejuvenated after his 'injury' break - look out for his batting against test-playing nations. Maybe a good chance to score a 200
- Yuvraj Singh - has not been in great form of late but will like the medium pace bowling on Indian pitches. Will feast on all bowlers other than those who can turn the ball
- Jesse Ryder - The same fella who has fallen into trouble again (this time while tweeting) - will be eager to show the world his shots
- Brendon McCullum - A guy whose stroke-making is ideal for the shorter formats. On his day, can tear any bowling apart but alas, the day does not come regularly.
- Kamran Akmal - Provided he plays the Cup with his head straight, the diminutive keeper is capable of very big shots on his day.
- Shahid Afridi - The "teenager" of the tournament (well, mentally still he is) can blast the ball into his territory only if he can manage his head well.
- Luke Wright - Another surprise here. Will not be a first-choice player in the eleven but if he gets a chance, can tonk the ball heavily.
- Chris Gayle - Relieved of his captaincy, Gayle recently scored a triple ton versus Sri Lanka in similar conditions he will face in the Cup. If Sammy can keep him motivated, sky is the limit
- Kieron Pollard - He made his reputation during the Champions League and IPL - will India be his lucky mascot once again?
- Charles Coventry - Held the record for highest score in an ODI before Sachin scored the double century. Has struggled from the expectations after the knock but gets a chance with the minnows.
Let me know if you agree with me or not. Who do you think will shine?
Monday, November 29, 2010
NZ ODIs - India strike first in a match of second-strings
NewZealand decided to make the ODI interesting by resting their two stars - Dan Vettori and Brendon McCullum - against an Indian team that had already rested five mainstream players. The Indian team lost the toss once again and it was a good chance for the Black Caps to take quick wickets.
The opening pair from India was quite good and even though they may not have scored a big one, managed to get a good start for the hosts. Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh capitalized on this and scored at a good pace. Virat has had a good start to his international career so far - taking care of all the opportunities that he has received thanks to injuries or India's rotation policy. An investment for the future, for sure - how he will fit into the playing eleven when the regulars are back is a good headache for the selectors.
Yuvraj has slipped in his own high fielding standards but seems to be making up for it by his bowling. He picked up useful wickets and looks like he will play this role frequently for India in the World Cup. Yusuf Pathan got a chance once again and thanks to missed catches, scored a brisk 29 - his bowling was not so good however. What impressed me most in this match was the bowling of the off-spinner Ashwin. The ball he bowled to Ross Taylor was one that displayed his temperament while being punished by the batsmen. Bowling a similar ball with the same flight and line, he foxed Taylor with the one that moved away. His captain was so confident about his bowling that most of the overs bowled during the Power-Play was done by Ashwin - again a player for the near future.
The Kiwis lacked the firepower in the bowling first and then the batting collapsed after the dismissal of Taylor. This is close to the team that lose to Bangladesh recently and not more is expected in this series as well. The bowlers struck regularly to bring the innings to the lower order. The token resistance from Mills was expected while the catches taken by Munaf Patel was surprising to watch!!!
The opening pair from India was quite good and even though they may not have scored a big one, managed to get a good start for the hosts. Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh capitalized on this and scored at a good pace. Virat has had a good start to his international career so far - taking care of all the opportunities that he has received thanks to injuries or India's rotation policy. An investment for the future, for sure - how he will fit into the playing eleven when the regulars are back is a good headache for the selectors.
Yuvraj has slipped in his own high fielding standards but seems to be making up for it by his bowling. He picked up useful wickets and looks like he will play this role frequently for India in the World Cup. Yusuf Pathan got a chance once again and thanks to missed catches, scored a brisk 29 - his bowling was not so good however. What impressed me most in this match was the bowling of the off-spinner Ashwin. The ball he bowled to Ross Taylor was one that displayed his temperament while being punished by the batsmen. Bowling a similar ball with the same flight and line, he foxed Taylor with the one that moved away. His captain was so confident about his bowling that most of the overs bowled during the Power-Play was done by Ashwin - again a player for the near future.
The Kiwis lacked the firepower in the bowling first and then the batting collapsed after the dismissal of Taylor. This is close to the team that lose to Bangladesh recently and not more is expected in this series as well. The bowlers struck regularly to bring the innings to the lower order. The token resistance from Mills was expected while the catches taken by Munaf Patel was surprising to watch!!!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
NZ series - India finish the 2nd innings quickly
India settled the match today very quickly, wrapping up the series in a convincing manner. They were helped by the umpires who had an off-day. The match never looked like ending on a different note, forget ending a day earlier. Rahul Dravid in this test match and Harbhajan Singh in the series have lead well in their roles, keeping the Indians at the top spot of the ICC Rankings.MS Dhoni did the right strategy by starting the day with Pragyan Ojha. He struck early to put the Black Caps on the back foot. Wickets by Harbhajan and Suresh Raina meant that the NZ team was down to the lower-order batsmen before lunch. Token resistance by the tail was broken by Ishant Sharma. It helped the Indians that Ryder was suffering from calf injury (which has forced him to go back before the ODI series).
The poor NZ batting in the first innings, coupled with the bowling of Ishant Sharma was key for the Indians to make gains in this test very early. The return to form of Sreesanth and Ishant is good for the Indians before they embark on the South African tour. MS Dhoni's innings in this test should have given him a lot of confidence while his request for rest to be provided to Raina must be considered - Pujara is on the sidelines waiting for his chance.
Vettori must be happy with the performance of the team in the first two tests but this test match was beyond the capability of his team. The wicket in this match was a typical Indian wicket with turn and bounce. The form of McCullum must be a good sight for the captain while that of Ross Taylor must be giving him a headache. The reinforcements for the ODI matches will change the mood and set the tone for the new series.
Monday, November 22, 2010
NZ series - Only rain can stop an Indian win
The Indian team made further progress today at Nagpur in slamming the door on the Black Caps, after a convincing display in the field.
Sachin Tendulkar, once again, gave his wicket to a debutant today. Does he try to inspire the newcomers by gifting his wicket away to them? Maybe this is his blessings to the youngsters in the cricketing world. Whatever it is, his early dismissal combined with a rare Laxman dismissal and a quick Raina exit put the Indians on the back-foot.
But, Rahul Dravid was not to be denied. Everyone in the recent past (including yours truly) has asked for his career to be brought to an early exit. "The Wall" did not think so. He was steady at the crease and ensured that with MS Dhoni, he would take the Indians to a large lead over NZ. Dhoni, playing his natural game, got to a near-century and kept the scorecard ticking. The selectors have agreed to his request for rest and this must have made him think freshly !!
New Zealand has, so far in this test match, won only half a session - the one where they took 3 quick wickets. Other than this, the 8.5 sessions have been won by the Indians. Looking forward, the NZ team should look at how the Indians did occupy the crease for 2 days in Napier and follow their example. But, the task is very huge - the ball is spinning and turning now. Only a rain can surely save the test series loss to NZ, not the batsmen.
Sachin Tendulkar, once again, gave his wicket to a debutant today. Does he try to inspire the newcomers by gifting his wicket away to them? Maybe this is his blessings to the youngsters in the cricketing world. Whatever it is, his early dismissal combined with a rare Laxman dismissal and a quick Raina exit put the Indians on the back-foot.
But, Rahul Dravid was not to be denied. Everyone in the recent past (including yours truly) has asked for his career to be brought to an early exit. "The Wall" did not think so. He was steady at the crease and ensured that with MS Dhoni, he would take the Indians to a large lead over NZ. Dhoni, playing his natural game, got to a near-century and kept the scorecard ticking. The selectors have agreed to his request for rest and this must have made him think freshly !!
New Zealand has, so far in this test match, won only half a session - the one where they took 3 quick wickets. Other than this, the 8.5 sessions have been won by the Indians. Looking forward, the NZ team should look at how the Indians did occupy the crease for 2 days in Napier and follow their example. But, the task is very huge - the ball is spinning and turning now. Only a rain can surely save the test series loss to NZ, not the batsmen.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
NZ series - India make gains in the third test
India was missing Zaheer Khan, MS Dhoni had lost yet another toss, New Zealand had performed well in the first 2 test matches of the series. All signs of a good day's play for them after they started the match.
Just like Rohit Sharma of the Indian team suffered a fall before the start of a test match against South Africa, McCullum had a fall but the Black Caps were not confident about dropping him from the match (especially after he had scored a double century in the previous test).
Sreesanth stepped up to lead the attack with some good swing bowling that he is renowned for. Good balls accounted for the opening batsmen - one wonders why this bowler does not have more days like this. If he can gain consistency like Zaheer, India will be a potent force to play against. Ishant also helped in getting wickets, reducing the Kiwis to a low score.
How many times does the Indian team allow Ryder to score big? He did once again even though he couldnt run much. It was a sorry sight to see both the batsmen at the crease struggle to run even a single, when there were runs on offer. Their footwork were also hampered and India made the most of it.
Of course, Dhoni has, of late, been making strange moves on the field when there are tailenders at the crease. For some reason, he moves the field outside for the batsmen so that they can take easy singles so that the bowlers can concentrate on the tailenders. This doesnt work many times and here also, it helped the Black Caps come back in the match with a partnership between McCullum and Ryder.
Overall, a good day for the Indians where they have won both the sessions played today. Tomorrow, they will have to finish the batting and the batsmen have to come to party. This match is not over but a good start for India has been given - they have to end well.
Just like Rohit Sharma of the Indian team suffered a fall before the start of a test match against South Africa, McCullum had a fall but the Black Caps were not confident about dropping him from the match (especially after he had scored a double century in the previous test).
Sreesanth stepped up to lead the attack with some good swing bowling that he is renowned for. Good balls accounted for the opening batsmen - one wonders why this bowler does not have more days like this. If he can gain consistency like Zaheer, India will be a potent force to play against. Ishant also helped in getting wickets, reducing the Kiwis to a low score.
How many times does the Indian team allow Ryder to score big? He did once again even though he couldnt run much. It was a sorry sight to see both the batsmen at the crease struggle to run even a single, when there were runs on offer. Their footwork were also hampered and India made the most of it.
Of course, Dhoni has, of late, been making strange moves on the field when there are tailenders at the crease. For some reason, he moves the field outside for the batsmen so that they can take easy singles so that the bowlers can concentrate on the tailenders. This doesnt work many times and here also, it helped the Black Caps come back in the match with a partnership between McCullum and Ryder.
Overall, a good day for the Indians where they have won both the sessions played today. Tomorrow, they will have to finish the batting and the batsmen have to come to party. This match is not over but a good start for India has been given - they have to end well.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Should MSD follow McCullum and Sangakkara
WikipediaMS Dhoni has mentioned today that he will request the BCCI for rest before the series against South Africa overseas. He has mentioned Suresh Raina along with him. He says:
We will put in a request to the board but we have to see whether senior players are available or not
This statement means that he is still not sure of the rest. The squad will be announced probably during the last day of the test match.
If one remembers, few days back, the BCCI had agreed to send few Indian players early to South Africa to acclimatise. It is too early to say who will be rested from the Indian team for the ODI series. The selectors have a tough job on hand - they need to balance the squad for ODIs as well as the travel to South Africa. Both are equally important for the Indian team and this request by MSD will put them in a quandry. Of course, this does not mean that his request is not necessary - he has been one of the busiest person in the entire team.
While on this, one feels for the person. He has been donning the role of a captain, keeping wickets and shoring up the lower order in all the three formats. Is it asking too much of him? Add to this, the similar responsibilities for his IPL team. His keeping has gone down a notch - dropping vital catches in test matches. His batting in test matches has gone down quite a bit, though in ODIs he is still the Number 1 batsman. There are other keepers in the country who can do a good job with the gloves - ones like Dinesh Karthick or Parthiv Patel.
Should he follow the example of Brendon McCullum and Kumar Sangakkara in test matches? They have given up the gloves and handed over the duties to another person. This will ensure that he retains his freshness for the prime role of captaincy while making him still invaluable to the team.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
NZ series - McCullum force draws the match in Hyderabad
Image via WikipediaBrendon McCullum scored a double-century to help his team draw the second test match in the series against India. With this result, the Black Caps have gained two draws against the No.1 test team in the World. Thus, they have achieved what their coach Greatbatch had remarked before the tour. Whatever happens in the final test is a bonus for them. But, having got to this level, they must be surely fancying their chances in the last test to leave the shores at 0-0 in the test series.Can they go one step further and win the series? Not impossible but extremely difficult. India has to cooperate in their campaign to win in Nagpur by playing badly. The series is set at an interesting stage now after 2 test matches. India will hope that they get a favorable surface (didnt they get it this match?) in the next match.
Will there be any changes from the Indian side? Zaheer Khan has been ruled out because of his strain. Ishant Sharma will make his comeback into the playing eleven. Harbhajan cannot be dropped because of his exploits with the bat - even he will agree that his bowling form has been patchy to say the least. The batsmen will continue to get another chance at the attack next test - how the NZ bowlers recoup after the two tests remains to be seen.
Still, the Indians will be the favorites to win the final match - how it pans out, will be seen.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
NZ series - Harbhajan pulls India ahead in Hyderabad
WikipediaIndia managed to lose the initiative gained due to Sehwag's start yesterday, thanks to tight bowling and taut fielding by the Black Caps. The Indians were held under pressure most of the day, resulting in the fall of regular wickets. In fact, the first session after tea offered the rewards to the NZ team but Harbhajan had other ideas.The off-spinner is in the richest form of his life (with the bat) and more importantly, he is cashing on the windfall. He even rotated the strike like a top-order batsman and put together with Sreesanth, a 50+ partnership for the last wicket. Who knows - if he continues his form tomorrow, he will have another century to his credit tomorrow.
Before his innings, the Indians had made progress thanks to the innings of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid in the morning. Sachin Tendulkar, again feeling the pressures of nearing his 50th ton, falling early to Vettori (thanks to a great reflex catch by Ross Taylor). The scoring rate was low but Rahul and VVS had no other escape routes. They ground the bowling to an extent that the latter batsmen could capitalise later in the day. Everyone at the ground expected VVS to score a century on his home ground but he was beaten for pace.
Raina and MS Dhoni could not continue with the run-scoring because of the fielding/bowling. Dhoni's batting has slipped a little even though his batting in ODIs has not been affected. He needs to play his shots and forget the fact that it is a test match format he is playing. That might help him in the future.
Vettori has to be credited for his perseverance and hard-work throughout the day. His captaincy was on cards but the limited bowling resources meant that he had to face a long day on the field. The fielding led by Brendon Mccullum was top-notch - the wicket-keeper joining AB De Viliers, Dinesh Karthick as the group of ex-keepers who are the best fielders in their teams.
India gained an advantage over the NZ team mainly in the last session - the Indians clearly having a one session advantage thanks to Harbhajan's heroics.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Will the BlackCaps be a walk-over?
Image by Getty ImagesMark Greatbatch has ridiculed his team publicly about their performance in the recently-concluded Bangladesh series. He has set the expectations so low that whatever the team does in the forthcoming series will be a bonus. It is now expected that the Indians will whitewash the Kiwis in the 3-test series. In fact, the coach is not looking at a win at all - they would consider a draw (2 of them, as Greatbatch mentioned) to be a 'moral win'. But, the question on one's mind is whether Greatbatch is qualified enough to coach the team? Why not change to Stephen Fleming, who has proved himself on the IPL scene?
With this public lashing, what will be the morale of the team? How will it affect the team spirit before they reach the Indian soil? In fact, if one looks at the history of NZ test cricket, there is hardly a series where they have played with their full-strength team. They have been the under-dogs in every series, which has suited them just fine. After the recent series debacle, the Kiwis will be raring to go. They will be looking to catch the Indians by surprise. There is news that McCullum might bat higher in the lineup to shore the batting which seems to be the weakest in the eleven - whether this will help them remains to be seen.
The Indians must ensure that they are not complacent in the test series for that is when the NZ team can be most dangerous. If they play as well as they did against the Oz, the whitewash result is a foregone conclusion. My take will be a 2-0 win for India - maybe rain will prevent the whitewash in one of the test matches. Let us wait and watch. What is your prediction?
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