There was a clash between India vs West Indies on day 20. India was just one win away from a berth in quarter final while West Indies wanted to recover from the loss against South Africa by beating India. India wanted to carry on with their winning streak. India was unbeaten in the tournament while West Indies' unpredictability was key for them.
Game 28: India vs West Indies
West Indies won the toss and Holder chose to bat first on a bouncy WACA track. Shami and Yadav were bang on target from the word go. They were out with clear cut plan to use the bounce of the pitch and to trouble the West Indian batsmen with short deliveries. It actually worked for India as it build the pressure on both the opening batsmen and that pressure produced an edge from Smith's bat. He was caught by Dhoni off Shami. Smith got out in the 5th over and there were only 8 runs on the board at that time. Samuels joined Gayle after Smith's wicket but that partnership too didn't last long. You need to be very careful while taking quick single when your partner is Chris Gayle. Samuels forgot that thing and ran for the quick single while Gayle was watching the ball after playing the shot. 15/2. West Indies was off to a worst possible start. Gayle was cautious at start due to fall of wickets but he started expressing himself from 8th over onwards. He hit couple of fours and a six in the span of 6 balls.
India stick to their plan of bowling short and it worked again. Gayle was not able to control one of the short deliveries from Shami and skied it over the leg side and Mohit Sharma caught it comfortably. Next man in was Ramdin but he got out on the first ball he faced. He draged one on to the stumps trying to play with angled bat. 35/4. West Indies were in all sorts of trouble. Then West Indies' most reliable batsman Simmons walked in to bat. Simmons and Carter tried to bring in the steadiness in West Indian innings. They took their time in the middle. It proved to be wastage of time spent in the middle as Mohit Sharma picked up Simmons of a short ball. West Indies was falling apart. Who imagined that team India's bowlers will trouble the opposition with the short stuff. Carter followed Simmons as he tried to sweep Ashwin and top edged it straight to Shami. 71/6. India was in a hurry to wrap the West Indian innings. West Indies batting line up was full of pinch hitters and they bat deep.
Russell was the next man in. He played crucial role for his team so far in the world cup. West Indies needed him the most to get the respectable total but he didn't click that day and he was out on 8. Everything was upto Sammy and Holder then. They build up a good partnership. Sammy played a sensible cricket part there. I haven't seen Sammy playing at less than the strike rate of 50 in my life but it was the need of moment. It was partnership of 40 odd runs but it helped Holder to make a base of another half century. Holder's went on to make a half century and made crucial 50 run partnership with Taylor. It helped West Indies to post 182 runs on the board. It was a cake walk for India considering India's batting line up. Rohit Sharma and Dhawan came out to bat but West Indies came out with same strategy as of India. They started banging the ball short. Taylor used all his experience with the ball. He bowled superb line and length from ball one. Soon he was rewarded with the wicket of Dhawan. Dhawan edged one away going delivery straight to the second slip.
After Dhawan's wicket Taylor bowled one ball short of the drive to Rohit Sharma outside the off stump and Rohit Sharma went for a drive and edged it straight to the keeper. India was off to a terrible start but this is what exactly West Indies was looking for. India lost 2 wickets on the total of 20 and West Indies was back in the game. Then Mr. Consistent and Mr. Reliable were in the middle for India. I mean Kohli and Rahane were in the middle. Kohli was maintaining the strike rate of 100 on one side. While Rahane was watchful. They carried on well till India reached to the total of 63. Finally West Indies got a wicket off short ball. Kohli whose average is more than 50 while chasing got out early. After Kohli, Raina kept the score board moving. Rahane got his eye in as he played good 30-35 balls by then but he tried to play one quicker delivery of Roach to third man and edged straight to the keeper. India was struggling at 78/4. This is where problem is when top order of India doesn't fire you need the experience of Yuvraj Singh in the middle order. Next in was Dhoni. Raina as usual was pacing his innings well and Dhoni was watchful.
It was the demand of the situation that Dhoni should play watchful innings. Whether there is demand or not Dhoni plays like that only these days but luckily in that match the situation demanded that only. Raina got another start and was looking dangerous. Holder brought in Smith to ball. Smith has played lot of cricket with Raina for CSK and considering that Holder brought him in to the attack. It worked for West Indies as Smith got Raina's wicket on 22. It wasn't greatest of deliveries from Smith, it was short, it has width outside the off stump but Raina only managed to top edge that delivery. There comes Sir Ravindra Jadeja then. West Indies kept bowling short deliveries as they were getting wickets bowling short. It was working very well for them as they got Jadeja's wicket as well with short delivery. Jadeja ducked some short deliveries but he finally played one and mis cued it straight into the hands of Samuels. India was 6 wickets down on the total of 134. West Indies was back in the match. Now Dhoni had to bat well with Indian bowlers to win the match.
Ashwin had always ranked himself as an all rounder. So he can bat and he had ample time in the middle. All he needed to do was to support Dhoni in getting remaining runs. He did that job well. He batted as Dhoni instructed him to bat against different bowlers. Both Ashwin and Dhoni took India home with more than 10 overs to spare. India qualified for quarter finals and remained unbeaten in the tournament. For West Indies Taylor bowled well as he gave only 33 runs in his 8 overs and picked up two wickets. After that match India headed towards New Zealand for their remaining matches in the group stage. West Indies' trouble increased with that loss. India chased for the first time in the tournament and they did it successfully. Now it was a great chance for India to go unbeaten in the quarter finals.
Another day in the world cup cricket dominated by team India. Defending champs were playing like defending champs. We were now heading business end of the tournament. On day 21 South Africa will play Pakistan and Ireland will play Zimbabwe. Both the games are important from tournament's point of view. Day 21 will decide the fate of couple of teams moving ahead in the tournament.
#CWC15 day 21
Game 28: India vs West Indies
West Indies won the toss and Holder chose to bat first on a bouncy WACA track. Shami and Yadav were bang on target from the word go. They were out with clear cut plan to use the bounce of the pitch and to trouble the West Indian batsmen with short deliveries. It actually worked for India as it build the pressure on both the opening batsmen and that pressure produced an edge from Smith's bat. He was caught by Dhoni off Shami. Smith got out in the 5th over and there were only 8 runs on the board at that time. Samuels joined Gayle after Smith's wicket but that partnership too didn't last long. You need to be very careful while taking quick single when your partner is Chris Gayle. Samuels forgot that thing and ran for the quick single while Gayle was watching the ball after playing the shot. 15/2. West Indies was off to a worst possible start. Gayle was cautious at start due to fall of wickets but he started expressing himself from 8th over onwards. He hit couple of fours and a six in the span of 6 balls.
India stick to their plan of bowling short and it worked again. Gayle was not able to control one of the short deliveries from Shami and skied it over the leg side and Mohit Sharma caught it comfortably. Next man in was Ramdin but he got out on the first ball he faced. He draged one on to the stumps trying to play with angled bat. 35/4. West Indies were in all sorts of trouble. Then West Indies' most reliable batsman Simmons walked in to bat. Simmons and Carter tried to bring in the steadiness in West Indian innings. They took their time in the middle. It proved to be wastage of time spent in the middle as Mohit Sharma picked up Simmons of a short ball. West Indies was falling apart. Who imagined that team India's bowlers will trouble the opposition with the short stuff. Carter followed Simmons as he tried to sweep Ashwin and top edged it straight to Shami. 71/6. India was in a hurry to wrap the West Indian innings. West Indies batting line up was full of pinch hitters and they bat deep.
Russell was the next man in. He played crucial role for his team so far in the world cup. West Indies needed him the most to get the respectable total but he didn't click that day and he was out on 8. Everything was upto Sammy and Holder then. They build up a good partnership. Sammy played a sensible cricket part there. I haven't seen Sammy playing at less than the strike rate of 50 in my life but it was the need of moment. It was partnership of 40 odd runs but it helped Holder to make a base of another half century. Holder's went on to make a half century and made crucial 50 run partnership with Taylor. It helped West Indies to post 182 runs on the board. It was a cake walk for India considering India's batting line up. Rohit Sharma and Dhawan came out to bat but West Indies came out with same strategy as of India. They started banging the ball short. Taylor used all his experience with the ball. He bowled superb line and length from ball one. Soon he was rewarded with the wicket of Dhawan. Dhawan edged one away going delivery straight to the second slip.
After Dhawan's wicket Taylor bowled one ball short of the drive to Rohit Sharma outside the off stump and Rohit Sharma went for a drive and edged it straight to the keeper. India was off to a terrible start but this is what exactly West Indies was looking for. India lost 2 wickets on the total of 20 and West Indies was back in the game. Then Mr. Consistent and Mr. Reliable were in the middle for India. I mean Kohli and Rahane were in the middle. Kohli was maintaining the strike rate of 100 on one side. While Rahane was watchful. They carried on well till India reached to the total of 63. Finally West Indies got a wicket off short ball. Kohli whose average is more than 50 while chasing got out early. After Kohli, Raina kept the score board moving. Rahane got his eye in as he played good 30-35 balls by then but he tried to play one quicker delivery of Roach to third man and edged straight to the keeper. India was struggling at 78/4. This is where problem is when top order of India doesn't fire you need the experience of Yuvraj Singh in the middle order. Next in was Dhoni. Raina as usual was pacing his innings well and Dhoni was watchful.
It was the demand of the situation that Dhoni should play watchful innings. Whether there is demand or not Dhoni plays like that only these days but luckily in that match the situation demanded that only. Raina got another start and was looking dangerous. Holder brought in Smith to ball. Smith has played lot of cricket with Raina for CSK and considering that Holder brought him in to the attack. It worked for West Indies as Smith got Raina's wicket on 22. It wasn't greatest of deliveries from Smith, it was short, it has width outside the off stump but Raina only managed to top edge that delivery. There comes Sir Ravindra Jadeja then. West Indies kept bowling short deliveries as they were getting wickets bowling short. It was working very well for them as they got Jadeja's wicket as well with short delivery. Jadeja ducked some short deliveries but he finally played one and mis cued it straight into the hands of Samuels. India was 6 wickets down on the total of 134. West Indies was back in the match. Now Dhoni had to bat well with Indian bowlers to win the match.
Ashwin had always ranked himself as an all rounder. So he can bat and he had ample time in the middle. All he needed to do was to support Dhoni in getting remaining runs. He did that job well. He batted as Dhoni instructed him to bat against different bowlers. Both Ashwin and Dhoni took India home with more than 10 overs to spare. India qualified for quarter finals and remained unbeaten in the tournament. For West Indies Taylor bowled well as he gave only 33 runs in his 8 overs and picked up two wickets. After that match India headed towards New Zealand for their remaining matches in the group stage. West Indies' trouble increased with that loss. India chased for the first time in the tournament and they did it successfully. Now it was a great chance for India to go unbeaten in the quarter finals.
Another day in the world cup cricket dominated by team India. Defending champs were playing like defending champs. We were now heading business end of the tournament. On day 21 South Africa will play Pakistan and Ireland will play Zimbabwe. Both the games are important from tournament's point of view. Day 21 will decide the fate of couple of teams moving ahead in the tournament.
#CWC15 day 21
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