3rd ODI: India's top order batsmen need to find form

CAPE TOWN: Having levelled the five-match series with a thrilling one-run victory in the last game, an injury-hit India go into the third one-dayer against South Africa on Tuesday with the form of the top order batsmen continuing to be a worry.

The batting has come a cropper in both the matches so far and the visitors managed to pull off an incredible victory at the New Wanderers on Saturday mainly because of the efforts of the bowlers, especially pacer Munaf Patel.

The Indians have suffered a big jolt with Sachin Tendulkar returning home because of a hamstring injury, further weakening the batting line up which has plenty of talent but has not come to terms with the pacy tracks in South Africa yet.

Tendulkar's injury has added to India's cup of woes as three key players -- Virender Sehawag, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar -- have already been ruled out of the series due to injuries.

Thanks to some superb bowling, India managed to defend a low total of 190 in the second ODI and yet again the onus is on bowlers to deliver the goods for the team on a Newlands track which was expected to assist the quick bowlers.

India would look to pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel to not only get wickets but to check the Proteas batsmen so that the batters have an easy job to do, in case they bat second.

Spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh has done his bit by putting the brake on the scoring in the middle of the rival innings and yet again he has to ensure that not many runs leak during that stage, which played a part in India's series- levelling win at Johannesburg.

Batting has always been India's strong point but the form of the batsmen in the ongoing series is a big disappointment.

With seniors missing from the ranks, the youngsters, who have actually done well in the recent past, have not been able to cope with the conditions.

The middle-order, except for Yuvraj Singh in the last game, has just not clicked. Suresh Raina nor Rohit Sharma, who are both regarded as highly talented players, are not even pale shadow of themselves although they contributed with the ball as part-timers.

Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh have scored a fifty each so far and India need one of these youngsters to play a big knock tomorrow if the visitors hope of taking lead.

Lack of a good start has also put pressure on the middle order and India's problems have just compounded with Tendulkar's absence and India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni knows the importance of Yuvraj in that situation.

"His (Yuvraj's) role in the batting lineup is crucial. If we get good start then he can come and score quick runs and if we lose few wickets then he can control the game with a solid innings. He played very well in the match.

"It is important that Yuvraj gets into good form. He is now a decent all-rounder for us as he also bowls a few overs," Dhoni said.

Diminutive wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has been sent as Tendulkar's replacement and it will be a big challenge for the left-hander to do the tough opening job in trying conditions, if he gets a chance on Tuesday.

It's time that Murali Vijay scores some runs to show his worth in the short format. He got into the side due to absence of both Sehwag and Gambhir but has not capitalised.

South African batsmen, specially the top-order, are in terrific form and an encore of the Johannesburg performance would be difficult for the Indian bowlers.

Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy are in good touch and captain Graeme Smith himself has struck form after a listless show in the drawn Test series.

It would require a really disciplined effort from Indian bowlers to nail the Proteas batsmen at home conditions.

Then India will also have to contend with the Proteas pace battery led by ferocious Dale Steyn.

The teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain/keeper), Sachin Tendulkar, Murali Vijay, Yuvraj Singh, R Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, S Sreesanth.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wicketkeeper), Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Colin Ingram, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Read more: 3rd ODI: India's top order batsmen need to find form - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-south-africa/top-stories/3rd-ODI-Indias-top-order-batsmen-need-to-find-form/articleshow/7303289.cms#ixzz1BMSQM7ce

Ganguly surprised at Sreesanth's omission from World Cup squad

KOLKATA: With the selectors opting for a spin-oriented side for the World Cup, former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Monday said he was surprised to see in-form pacer S Sreesanth overlooked from the 15-man squad.

Ganguly termed it a gamble to pick only one wicketkeeper in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the extravaganza that will continue in the sub-continent for about 40 days.

The selectors picked the World Cup squad in Chennai as they chose to include four medium pacers in Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Munaf Patel, while for the wicketkeeper's slot they picked only Dhoni while ignoring Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik and Wriddhiman Saha.

"It was a gamble by the selectors to pick one wicketkeeper in Dhoni. If he picks up an injury during the World Cup and is unable to keep, then who will stand behind the wicket?" Ganguly wondered questioning the selectors' decision.

The IPL discard also criticised the decision to ignore Sreesanth who had a memorable Test series in South Africa.

"It's really surprising to see Sreesanth out of the side despite his recent form and performance," he said here.

The exclusion of middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma also raised a few questions but Ganguly said the decision did not surprise him.

"He (Sharma) is a talented player. But it seems after getting enough chances he failed to gain the selectors' confidence. You have to perform at top level to get noticed. But he got many chances unlike many other talented youngsters but failed to impress."

Asked about the big hitting Yusuf Pathan's selection for the all-rounder's spot, Ganguly said: "I don't think he has already proved himself. However, he is the best possible choice we have right now."

Recalling his knock against New Zealand in the Bangalore turnaround, Ganguly said: "Yusuf can be a match winner. When he gets going, he can win any match single handedly. He is a very useful player in these conditions."

Ganguly, however, refused to pick any favourites to win the World Cup.

"Pressure will always be there. At this level the players are used to this situation. It's difficult to pick any particular team. India, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, England - all these teams are doing well and are the favourites. It is their performance over the 40 days that will count," Ganguly said.

India are clubbed in Group-B in the world Cup along with Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, Ireland and The Netherlands.

India will play the inaugural match of the World Cup against Bangladesh in Mirpur on February 19.

Read more: Ganguly surprised at Sreesanth's omission from World Cup squad - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/icc-world-cup-2011/top-stories/Ganguly-surprised-at-Sreesanths-omission-from-World-Cup-squad/articleshow/7306685.cms#ixzz1BMS50MlN

Dhoni defends Chawla's inclusion in World Cup squad

CAPE TOWN: Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday defended Piyush Chawla's inclusion in India's 15-man World Cup squad, saying the leg-spinner's presence provides variety to the attack.

Chawla has been a surprise inclusion in the squad, announced on Monday by the Kris Srikkanth-led selection committee in Chennai.

"It is good to have Piyush in the side as he provides that variety to the attack. He is one guy who can bat a bit. He has scored decent runs in Ranji and also while playing in County circuit. If we plan to play with five bowlers, then he can be a handy number seven or eight batsman," Dhoni said on the eve of India's third ODI against South Africa.

Chawla has been picked despite not playing a one-dayer since July 2008, and Dhoni was aware of that.

"I would always say that playing in first class match or IPL match and playing in the international match is different. Piyush needs that international match practice," the India skipper said.

Names like Rohit Sharma, S Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma missed out on selection but Dhoni said that the reserve players should be in a proper frame of mind during the tournament.

"If you are in the reserve and if any batter or bowler gets injured then you are going to come in. So it is important to be in a good frame of mind," he said.

"Finally you can pick only 15 players. It is not like that you will not get chance. Have a look at the players out here. They were not featuring in the original list. At the end of the day you can pick only 15 players and somebody is going to miss out. So I would say that you should do well in whenever you get to play and then wait for your chance."

Dhoni said India need to improve their fielding and focus more on bowling at the death.

"We have to improve in the fielding department. If we get one odd run out or take few outstanding catch, it can turn the course of the game. At the same time we have to put in lot of thoughts and work on bowling in the death overs. When we are going to play in the sub continent, bowling in the death becomes crucial," he said.

In Sachin Tendulkar's absence, Virat Kohli, in all likelihood, will open with Murali Vijay, with Rohit Sharma coming in at number three in Tuesday's match, Dhoni said.

"We will be looking out for giving a few players an opportunity. Even otherwise we have lost quite a few players through injury. We have seven batsmen left here, so all of them will get exposure before the World Cup."

About not playing with the best XI since almost a year, Dhoni said, "It is a big blow that we are missing quite a few players from our main list. But this is not happening for the first time. In the last one year we have never played with our best 11. This has given opportunities to the youngsters.

"Some of them have grabbed them and are part of the World Cup squad. Here too, we have levelled the series and there are three more games to go. This is an opportunity for young players."

The skipper said that India's thrilling win in the last match is history and it's going to be a fresh start on Tuesday.

"Whether we win the last game or lose, I always think that each match is a fresh start. I would like to think about the problems we are facing, and how we are going to resolve those issues. We are concentrating on what we are supposed to do. I think both the teams are pretty equal. Whoever gets good start will make an impact on the game.

On the the wicket and toss, he said, "I think the ball does a bit under lights, so toss will be crucial. But honestly speaking, I don't know the exact scientific reason as why the ball does a bit under lights. It may be because of not having natural sunlight, or it could be because of sea breeze. "Even spinners can play major role. If we win the toss and they have to bat second, then they might not be that affected. If we bat second, then facing their fast bowlers under lights will be a huge challenge. South African bowlers become a bit more effective if they are bowling under lights," Dhoni said.

Asked about Parthiv Patel's selection for the current series, Dhoni said, "It depends on the situation of the series. I would love to get rest from one match. But it depends on the situation."

Read more: Dhoni defends Chawla's inclusion in World Cup squad - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/icc-world-cup-2011/top-stories/Dhoni-defends-Chawlas-inclusion-in-World-Cup-squad/articleshow/7306280.cms#ixzz1BMRbfRgM

Three spinners in World Cup squad, Rohit Sharma dropped

NEW DELHI: No major surprises in the India's final 15-member squad for the ICC cricket World Cup selected by the five-member selection panel led by K Srikanth in Chennai on Monday.

The list of 30 probables were pruned to half and no big star is left out of the final squad for the mega-event starting February 19.

The top-seven of the Indian batting-order -- Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni -- are in the team as expected and Yusuf Pathan take the all-rounder's berth.

The inspirational Zaheer Khan lead the pace attack and his pacer partners will be the trio of Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel and Praveen Kumar. S Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma failed to make the cut.

Harbhajan Singh will spearhead the slow bowling department with Piyush Chawla and R Ashwin as his spin partner. Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha were also vying for the slot.

Just a day before the selection meeting, doubts have arisen over Sachin Tendulkar's availability after he pulled out of the remainder of the ODI series in South Africa as a precautionary measure after sustaining a hamstring injury during Saturday's second match.

But going by indications, the injury is not serious and Tendulkar will be making his sixth World Cup appearance.

Squad

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, R Ashwin, Ashish Nehra.

Read more: Three spinners in World Cup squad, Rohit Sharma dropped - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/icc-world-cup-2011/top-stories/Three-spinners-in-World-Cup-squad-Rohit-Sharma-dropped/articleshow/7303342.cms#ixzz1BHJLj9FA

Qatar, Uzbekistan into Asian Cup quarterfinals

STAFF WRITER 9:39 HRS IST

Doha (Qatar), Jan 17 (AP) Host Qatar reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals for the second time in its history Sunday following a 3-0 victory over Kuwait, and Uzbekistan advanced with a 2-2 draw that sent opponent China home.

Qatar, flying high following its winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup, needed a victory against winless Kuwait to ensure it advanced. Two first-half goals in five minutes set coach Bruno Metsu's side on its way and sent the crowd of 28,000 at Khalifa Stadium into delirious celebrations.

Across town, China fought back from a goal down to draw with Uzbekistan, but the team still finished third in Group A.

The early exit was the latest disappointment for the Chinese, which have struggled since qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, having also left the Asian Cup early in 2007.

Uzbekistan topped the group with seven points, one more than Qatar.

Three spots up for grabs in Indian World Cup squad

CHENNAI: It will be a story of three duels when the Indian World Cup squad gets selected in Chennai on Monday.

The fourth pacer, second spinner, and 15th member, these are the three areas that the selectors are set to look into in the course of the meeting.

While Ashish Nehra and S. Sreesanth are fighting for the third pacer's slot, Ravinchandran Ashwin and Piyush Chawla will cross swords for the second spinner's berth. Will the selectors go for Parthiv Patel as the second wicketkeeper or will it be the all-round abilities of Rohit Sharma that will help him clinch the 15th member's slot?

That will also be high on the agenda of the selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Narendra Hirwani and Surendra Bhave---who will be in Chennai for the meeting. Yashpal Sharma and Raja Venkat will join in from Cape Town via teleconference with MS Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten, also being part of the process.

Till Saturday, there was some doubt about Munaf Patel's berth in the squad, but his match winning spell of 4-29 against South Africa in Johannesburg has made him a frontrunner for the third seamer's slot in the squad. There is no doubt about Zaheer Khan while Praveen Kumar, despite an injury he suffered in South Africa, is likely to be fit. Now that Munaf has made an impact in South Africa, it will be difficult for the selectors to leave him out. "Munaf has done well in South Africa and that's a very good sign," a selection committee source gave the impression that the paceman is very well placed.

Nehra's fitness has been a concern, but it's common knowledge that Dhoni likes the Delhi paceman. His death bowling, too, is a big plus and the selectors may just decide to go with him. "Fitness has been a bit of an issue with our pacemen for a while...Let's see, how it goes. It will be a toss-up between Sreesanth and Nehra," the source added.

However, keeping the fitness issues in mind, if the selectors decide to go in with a fifth pacer, Sreesanth may come in as the 15th member at the expense of an extra wicketkeeper or the back-up batsman.

The top-seven of the Indian batting-order ---Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni --- select themselves and by the look of it, Yusuf Pathan, is going to take the all-rounder's berth. For a while Ravindra Jadeja was in contention, but his poor form with the bat has gone against the Saurashtra all-rounder in recent times.

There's no doubt about Harbhajan Singh and it's going to be interesting to see whether the selectors go with Ashwin or Chawla as the second spinner. At least two of the selectors are extremely impressed with Ashwin's performances of late, but skipper Dhoni is bound to put in a word for Chawla. "England and South Africa are in our group and the skipper feels they don't play spin too well. But can Chawla lead an Indian spin-attack in case Harbhajan is unfit for a game, that is a big question," the source said.

Ashwin has been "very impressive in all formats of the game" and he is bound to find backers in the meeting. Sections of the selection committee hopes that "Dhoni, too, will fall in line because he has seen how effective Ashwin can be while leading Chennai Super Kings".

"But at the end of the day, this is going to be a tough call. A few things do go haywire in the meeting like this," the source said.

A section of the selection committee feels that there's no point going in with two keepers for a tournament that is going to be played in the subcontinent. "In case of a freak injury to Dhoni on the day of the match, either Rohit or Kohli can be used as a back-up. And if the injury is serious, we can always look for a replacement," the source added.

If Parthiv doesn't make the cut, Rohit may find his way into the squad. He has scored a whopping 732 runs for Mumbai this season with an average of 122 and he has shown in South Africa that he can be a handful with the ball as well.

Come Monday afternoon, and one will know whether Rohit's dream of playing the World Cup in India will be fulfilled.

Likely Squad: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Yusuf Pathan, R. Ashwin (Piyush Chawla), Ashish Nehra (S Sreesanth), Rohit Sharma (Parthiv Patel).

Note: Sreesanth may come in if selectors decide to sacrifice extra wicketkeeper or back-up batsman.

Read more: Three spots up for grabs in Indian World Cup squad - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/icc-world-cup-2011/top-stories/Three-spots-up-for-grabs-in-Indian-World-Cup-squad/articleshow/7298175.cms#ixzz1BHIgqFxk

India's 15-member cricket World Cup team announced

India's 15-member cricket World Cup team announced | Dhoni to captain squad | Team to include Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Ashwin Kumar, Piyush Chawa

Read more: Three spots up for grabs in Indian World Cup squad - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/icc-world-cup-2011/top-stories/Three-spots-up-for-grabs-in-Indian-World-Cup-squad/articleshow/7298175.cms#ixzz1BHHercE2