Windies hit new low, India triumph ‘Rayudu, Ahmed big gains; Dhoni still important’
ONESIDED Jadeja takes 4/34 to wreck visitors for 104, hosts clinch series 31 with ninewicket win
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One has to feel for the fans here in Thiruvananthapuram. The only game they had witnessed before Thursday here at the Greenfield International Stadium, was a T20I against New Zealand last year that got curtailed to an eight overs-a-side affair due to rain. And on Thursday, when they had turned up in numbers to be a part of the city’s first ODI game in around 30 years, they only got to witness 46.3 overs of cricket.
On a sporting wicket, which local groundsmen had predicted should help the batsmen, West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first on predicted lines. However, after a double whammy in the first two overs saw Kieran Powell and Shai Hope being snapped up by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah respectively for ducks, it seemed to have caused the visitors a psychological dent. They crawled to post a 105-run target which India chased down easily to clinch the five-match series 3-1.
At the end of the first powerplay, Rovman Powell (16) and Marlon Samuels (24) held on to help the side reach 30. Ravindra Jadeja had been introduced in the attack in the 10th over by Virat Kohli and he stung well to start off with a maiden before getting rid of Samuels in the very next over. Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar were at their miserly best in their first spells and it only helped Khaleel Ahmed and Jadeja to tighten the screws.
Kohli made Jadeja bowl eight overs on the trot and by the time he made way, West Indies were reeling at 80/6 at the end of the 24th over. Kuldeep Yadav, the highest wicket-taker for India in the series, had only been introduced an over earlier. It was an excellent all-round show from the Indian bowlers with Khaleel Ahmed and Bumrah plugging in the gaps well. Jadeja was brought back only in the 30th over and the southpaw cleaned up with final two wickets in successive overs, thus finishing with figures of 4/34 in 9.5 overs.
India had no problem in chasing down the paltry total. Shikhar Dhawan was the only batsman to fall — playing on to his stumps just like he had in Guwahati in the first ODI. Rohit Sharma and moment, you know that someone sitting out is fully geared up and ready to go out and deliver and I think we are in that position at this stage,” the 45-year-old said after imparting coaching lesson to kids during the first India camp of the Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy that got underway at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
Tendulkar, whose record of 49 centuries in ODIS is likely to be toppled by Virat Kohli, dubbed the current India captain one of the leading players of all time. He, though, chose not to draw any comparisons between him and the 29-year-old.
“He (Virat) has developed immensely. I always saw that spark and felt he is going to be one of the leading players of all time.
“It (comparisons) is about opinions. I don’t want to get into that. There were different bowlers who played in 60s, 70s, 80s, and possibly in my time and what they are playing today. So I wouldn’t want to get into that,” Tendulkar said. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India skipper Virat Kohli said Ambati Rayudu and Khaleel Ahmed were the India’s biggest takeaways from the 3-1 drubbing of West Indies while assuring that MS Dhoni continue to be integral to their one-day plans after he was dropped for the T20IS against West Indies and Australia.
“Two things that come straight to mind is the way Rayudu played and the way Khaleel bowled. Those two things are something that we were looking for a while; someone to back-up Bhuvi and Bumrah — someone to pick up wickets and bowl in good areas. Having a left-arm seamer gives you variation in the attack,” Kohli said after the India’s thumping nine-wicket win on Thursday.
Used as a first-change bowler, Ahmed made use of the conditions both in Mumbai and here in Thiruvananthapuram where overcast conditions aided in lateral movement. Rayudu emerged as the third highest run-getter for India in the series.
On being asked about Dhoni’s omission from the T20 squad, Kohli said, “I think the selectors have already addressed this if I’m not wrong. And he’s been spoken to, firstly… So, I don’t see any reason why I should be sitting here and explaining that. I think the selectors have come out and explained exactly what happened. I was not part of that conversation.
“I think people are putting too much variables into the situation, which is not the case I can assure of that. He’s still a very integral part of this team and he just feels that in the T20 format, someone like Rishabh can get more chances. He anyway plays the ODIS for us regularly. From that point of view, he’s only trying to help the youngsters; nothing that anything that other people are thinking and I as captain can certainly assure you of that.”
Kohli also praised Ravindra Jadeja for bouncing back from near-oblivion to perform at the Asia Cup and now in this series. “I get a sense that he understands his game much better. He has obviously gone back and worked quite a bit, especially in white ball to come back and perform like this,” said Kohli. Whether Jadeja has done enough to cement his place isn’t clear.
“When Hardik is fit and fine to play, you have to see what combination you can have to take in the World Cup. If Hardik is fit, Kedar becomes a spin option as well. Hardik becoming fit also gives you four seaming options, along with Kedar and one more spinner. You might need one more spin option. Jadeja becomes the key there with the team balance,” said Kohli.
He (MS Dhoni) is still a very integral part of the team. He just feels that in T20s, someone like Rishabh (Pant) can get more chances.