Colombo, September 22
Humiliated by Australia in their opening Super Eights match, a jittery India will have to pick up the pieces from their all-round failure and come up with an inspired performance against arch-rivals Pakistan in their do-or-die game in the World Twenty20 on Sunday.

The Indian team looked completely out of sorts against Australia and they now have to quickly address their woes in all departments of the game when they take on an upbeat Pakistan, who had beaten South Africa in a thriller, if they want to remain afloat in the tournament.

India`s five bowler strategy was a big hit against England in the group match but in conducive conditions against Australia, Mahendra Singh Dhoni`s frontline spinners were hammered by Shane Watson-David Warner duo in last night`s match.

Dhoni blamed the short spell of drizzle before the start of the Australian innings as a reason for his bowlers` failure. But the fact that the entire bowling unit failed to put up a semblance of a fight came as a surprise. From Ravichandran Ashwin to Piyush Chawla, everyone bowled half-trackers and full-tosses which proved to be cannon fodder for the two dashing `Ws` of Australian cricket. Although Dhoni may persist with his five bowler strategy, it will be very surprising if leggie Chawla gets another chance in the tournament.

Pakistan are far superior players of spin bowling and consistency has never been Chawla`s forte as he is primarily a rhythm bowler. On their day, the likes of Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez can take Chawla to the cleaners --- something Dhoni can`t afford at this juncture of the tournament.

Dhoni had suggested that “slower deliveries will be effective on Premadasa strip” which means that a bowler like Lakshmipathy Balaji will be more effective.

The Indian team also has their share of batting worries and it will be interesting to know whether Dhoni will persist with Irfan Pathan as the makeshift opener and keep Virender Sehwag out of the equation. Sample this. The Indian batsmen in the three matches so far in the tournament have been able hit only seven sixes (four vs Afghans, one vs England and two vs Australia) while Watson alone has hit seven sixes against India yesterday.

Dhoni incidentally said at the post match press conference that "it was very difficult to justify why Sehwag was dropped".

However, there are serious questions that need to be asked about Yuvraj Singh`s inclusion in the team. He has totally looked out of sorts while batting although he has somewhat made up with his bowling.

But there is still an outside chance of Sehwag playing an impact innings at the top of the order but getting a 40-ball-70 from Yuvraj will be asking for too much at this stage. Pakistan, on the other hand, would look to put up an improved batting performance as it was due to sheer brilliance of Umar Gul that they were able to beat South Africa. — PTI

 

India vs Pak in T20Is India have played Pakistan twice in Twenty20 Internationals, both times at the 2007 World Cup September 14, 2007 India 141/9 in 20 overs tied with Pakistan 141/7 in 20 overs India won the match through a bowl-out September 24, 2007 India 157/5 in 20 overs beat Pakistan 150/10 in 19.3 overs by five runs.

Colombo, September 29
For a game billed as the mother of all matches here, it is natural to expect a full house at the R Premadasa Stadium tomorrow. The absence of the local team hardly matters for the Sunday Derby.

The excitement in Colombo is palpable, though there are not many expatriates from India and Pakistan living in Sri Lanka. But fans from the two countries have come from different parts of the world specially for this game.

Nineteen-year-old Dhara Sharma, who's travelled from Dubai, says: "I am a big fan of Dhoni and support him ahead of Team India." She says she's been lucky enough to get herself photographed with Dhoni in the hotel lobby. Dhara is not alone — she's joined by a large numbers of her friends who have come from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and London. Cricket gives them an opportunity to meet up.

Indians will likely outnumber the Pakistani supporters on the ground, but the presence of thousands of Pakistani fans suggests that the atmosphere is going to be electric. Rizwan Ahmed from New York is one of the three brothers who have come here for family a get-together — Ahmed's brothers have come from Paris and Islamabad.

"We feel Colombo is like Mumbai or Karachi. Wherever we go, we meet Indian and Pakistani families. It seems Diwali or Eid is being celebrated here!" says Ahmed.

Sachin Tendulkar may not be playing in this tournament, but his ardent supporter Sudhir Kumar from Bihar — whose tricolour-painted body is a common sight for Indian TV viewers — is here to wave the Indian flag.

Though the result of the game is critical for India, the mood among the fans can be summed up with: 'Whoever wins, cricket Zindabad!"

— Vimal Kumar

Colombo, September 29
The Indian team's handling senior opener Virender Sehwag and the player's own attitude in the tournament are certain to raise questions over whether all is well in the Indian camp.

On the eve of the high-voltage match against Pakistan, Sehwag was again seen skipping the entire net session, although he did participate in a football game.

Skipper MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli also did not bat during the 90-minute net session, having played Friday's match. But it was bewildering to see Sehwag relax and enjoy a chit-chat with his teammates when serious questions are being raised about his form and commitment in this format of the game.

During the afternoon training session, the Indians enjoyed their game of soccer for close to 75 minutes — a lengthier session by their standards. Sehwag was the goalkeeper of one team and played the entire duration. Finally, when the net session started, it was Irfan Pathan who was all padded up and had the first hit in one of the two nets.

One expected Sehwag to have a decent hit at the nets when the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Gambhir all looked serious during the session. Sehwag was seen present in a melee, and chatting in a relaxed manner with Dhoni and Kohli. Sehwag, if he is fit (as claimed by the team), had no reason to not bat at all.

World T20s over the years have not been a happy experience for Sehwag. He missed the final during India's victorious campaign in the 2007 edition. During the 2009 edition in England, there was a controversy over whether he had carried an injury into the tournament. In the 2010 edition, Sehwag missed the tournament with an injury. — PTI

Colombo, September 29
This is the game of the tournament — India versus Pakistan. Even a practice game between the two in the first week of the tournament generated a lot of interest. In their Super Eight clash, the interest would be sky-high. In the last decade, India has been the dominant side across the formats, but Pakistan are seen as the favourites because of the recent performances of the two teams.

“It seems the pressure is more on India, it’s a must-win game for them,” says Rameez Raja, the former Pakistan captain. “Of course, it will be always at the back of the Pakistan players’ minds that they have never beaten India in any World Cup. But the teams are going into this match with contrasting results in their previous games.”

With the devastating loss against Australia, Dhoni’s five bowler experiment has fallen flat. India are expected to bring in Virender Sehwag for this high-voltage match.

“The Sehwag factor against Pakistan is crucial. Teams do discuss Sehwag in their pre-match strategies. In a high-profile match such as this, he can rise to the occasion,” says Raja.

Raja says that Pakistan’s unpredictability brings a different colour to the tournament. Blessed with natural talent, they can lose any time from a position of strength, and they can come back from the most hopeless situations.

Right now, though, it’s the Indian team that looks hopeless. Raja says that India have looked indecisive over several issues, including the toss-up between Yuvraj Singh and Sehwag. “It is a tough question. Fans do expect Yuvraj to play but can you go merely with sentiments in a World Cup? I think only the Indian camp can answer this dilemma,” says the man widely regarded as the voice of Pakistani cricket.

This game can be painted as a contest between Pakistan’s bowling and India’s batting, but Raja feels that India’s bowling lacks firepower.

“ODIs and more so T20s have evolved in such a way that you need a lot of variety in your armoury, which is missing in the Indian attack,” says the 50-year-old Raja.

But India have shown on countless occasions that they are altogether a different bowling unit when their batting clicks.

Their batting has been dogged by problems - over-reliance on Virat Kohli, lack of enough practice matches for Yuvraj before his return, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s inconsistent shows as an opening pair, and Rohit Sharma’s horrendous run.

Captain Dhoni’s own form has not helped the team, either. India are yet to win a single game in the Super Eight round after the 2007 T20 World Cup.

From the Indian point of view, Sunday’s match is not important just for the survival in the tournament. It’s important also for more critical issues which go beyond this match. One more loss, and this time against Pakistan, will surely start the debate in India on whether the time has come to look beyond the Sehwags and the Zaheers, at least in the shortest format of the game.

The writer is a journalist with CNN-IBN-7 

Pallekele, September 29
Steven Finn and Luke Wright played stellar roles as defending champions England revived their title hopes with a comfortable six-wicket win over New Zealand in their Super Eight match of the ICC World Twenty20 today.

Finn achieved his as well as England's best figures in the ICC World Twenty20 -- three for 16 -- before Wright hit a 43-ball 76 as England chased down the target of 149 with seven balls to spare. After Finn and Co's disciplined bowling restricted New Zealand to a modest 148 for six, England got off to a cautious start but soon Wright, who smashed five fours and equal number of sixes, sent the bowlers on a leatherhunt. He was well supported by Eoin Morgan (30) at the other end and together they put on a 89-run stand for third wicket.

England lost opener Craig Kieswetter (4) early but thereafter Alex Hales (22), Wright and Morgan made sure that there were no hiccup on the road to victory.

The defeat, their second after the loss to Sri Lanka, left New Zealand on the brink of an early elimination.

Earlier, Finn never allowed the Black Caps to settle down. James Franklin, with an useful 50 off 33 balls, and captain Ross Taylor (28), were the two New Zealand batsmen who played responsible innings. — PTI

Scoreboard

New Zealand

Guptill lbw b Finn 5

Nicol c Bairstow b Swann 11

B. McCullum c Wright b Finn 10

Williamson c Kieswetter b Briggs 17

Taylor c Hales b Finn 22

Franklin run out 50

N. McCullum not out 16

Bracewell not out 2

Extras: (b-3, lb-7, w-4, nb-1) 15

Total: (six wickets; 20 overs) 148

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-20, 3-42, 4-67, 5-107, 6-146

Bowling: Briggs 4-0-36-1, Finn 4-0-16-3, Bresnan 4-0-29-0, Swann 4-0-20-1, Broad 4-0-37-0

England

Kieswetter b Vettori 4

Hales b N. McCullum 22

Wright c Taylor b Bracewell 76

Morgan c Bracewell b Mills 30

Buttler not out 5

Bairstow not out 5

Extras: (lb-3, w-4) 7

Total: (four wickets; 18.5 overs) 149

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-38, 3-127, 4-142

Bowling: Mills 4-0-23-1, Southee 2-0-32-0, Vettori 4-0-20-1, N. McCullum 4-0-22-1, Nicol 3-0-29-0, Franklin 1-0-12-0, Bracewell 0.5-0-8-1

Pallekele, September 29
Mahela Jayawardene struck a record-equalling sixth half century in ICC World Twenty20 as Sri Lanka brightened their semifinal prospects with a crushing nine-wicket win over West Indies in their Super Eight match.

Chasing 130, Jayawardene struck 65 off 49 balls to guide the hosts to victory with 28 deliveries to spare. This was Lanka's biggest win in terms of balls left. Aiding skipper in the chase was Sangakkara(39). — PTI

Score board

West Indies

SCharles st Sanga b A Mendis 12

Gayle c Sanga b Kulasekara 2

Samuel c Dilshan b Mathews 50

Bravo c Dilshan b M Mendis 40

Pollard b A Mendis 1

Russell not out 19

Sammy not out 1

Extras (b 1, lb 3) 4

Total (5 wkts; 20 ovrs) 129

Fall of wickets 1-16, 2-16, 3-81, 4-90, 5-123

Bowling

Mathews 4-0-31-1

Kulasekara 4-0-28-1

Kulasekara 4-0-28-1

Malinga 4-0-26-0

Mendis 4-1-12-2

Herath 2-0-16-0

Mendis 2-0-12-1

Sri Lanka

Jayawardene not out 65

Dilshan c Ramdin b Rampaul 13

Sangakkara not out 39

Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 10) 13

Total (1 wkt; 15.2 ovrs) 130

Fall of wickets 1-22

Bowling

Rampaul 4-0-39-1

Edwards 2-0-24-0

Narine 4-0-23-0

Sammy 4-0-28-0

Russell 1-0-11-0

Gayle 0.2-0-2-0

New Delhi, September 29
In a historic first for Indian women's wrestling, the country notched up a second medal at the ongoing World Championships after Geeta Kumari (55kg) added another bronze to the one clinched by her sister Babita in Edmonton, Canada.

With this, India's medal haul in the event so far stood at two, an improvement on the singular bronze that Alka Tomar had won in the 2006 China edition. India is participating in all seven weight categories (48kg, 51kg, 55kg, 59kg, 63kg, 67kg and 72 Kg) at the event. Earlier, Babita had defeated Hsin-Ju Chiu from Chinese Taipei in the semifinals. She clinched the medal after defeating Zamira Rakhmanova from Russia in the repechage round. Meanwhile, Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced a cash award of Rs 3 lakh each for Geeta and Babita. — PTI

Sao Paulo, September 29
World champion Viswanathan Anand's winless streak continued as he played out a tame draw against out-of-form Sergey Karjakin of Russia -- his fourth in as many games -- in the fourth round of fifth Final Masters.

Playing in his first tournament after his world championship triumph in Moscow earlier this year, Anand could not force a win against Karjakin and inched himself up to four points under the soccer-like scoring system in place to occupy the fourth spot. Italian Fabiano Caruana surged ahead of the field with a crushing victory over Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain. The other game of the day was fought intensely but Armenian Levon Aronian missed a simple win before finally drawing with world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

With six rounds still remaining in the super tournament, Caruana took his tally to 10 points with his third victory out of four games. Aronian continued to follow the leader but the gap has increased and Caruana now has a healthy four points lead over his nearest rival. Carlsen moved to third spot. — Reuters