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MS Dhoni struck 16 runs off the last three balls of the match with No. 11 for company to give India the title

The Report by Sidharth Monga11-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Moments before mayhem: This ball was headed for the stands•AFPLeave it to me, he says. I want to take this to the last over. Me against one man. One on one. I know I am better than the last man the other team can put up against me. Once again, MS Dhoni reduced a lost match into a one-on-one contest with an opposition bowler, and knocked off the 15 required in just three hits. You could see the bowler – Shaminda Eranga, 9-2-34-2 until then, wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli to his name – was intimidated the moment he saw the first one fly into the top of the top tier.Bear in mind that this was a treacherous pitch with seam, spin and uneven bounce. Dhoni was injured, and had come back only for this match. He wasn’t running as hard as he does, and wickets were falling at the other end. When Dhoni came in, the asking-rate was 3.35, but with falling wickets and turned-down singles, it hit the improbable towards the end. Dhoni, though, kept refusing singles, kept admonishing the last man Ishant Sharma for taking off for panic-stricken singles.Ishant couldn’t be blamed. The game had unravelled fast for India. They were cruising when Rohit Sharma had braved for yet another fifty despite another painful blow to his body (which makes it atleast four in two innings against Sri Lanka), despite many balls that seamed past his edge, despite the slow start. When India were 139 for 3 in the 32nd over, though, Rangana Herath delivered a grubber, and it squeezed under Rohit’s bat. Things were about to change.The pitch was still difficult to bat on as Suresh Raina soon found out. He thought he had a half-volley from Suranga Lakmal when he went for the drive, but even after pitching that full the ball seamed away appreciably and took his edge. The accurate and wily Herath saw an opening now. And burst through it. In the 38th over, his last, Herath trapped Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin – whose combined figures had been 17.5-1-65-6 – in successive deliveries. India 152 for 7.The drama had begun. Only a few minutes earlier, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara had gone on and on – for overs it seemed – about an obstructing-the-field appeal against Dhoni. He had taken two steps down the wicket, and then realised he would have hit the other batsman if he ran straight. So he ran, nay hared on a bad hamstring, at an angle, but didn’t change his direction for the remaining 20 yards. The throw hit him, and the two senior Sri Lankans would not leave the umpire’s side. They knew they needed this man out as soon as possible.For the next half hour, though, Sri Lanka would have thought they didn’t need to get Dhoni out. Dhoni tried to intimidate Lakmal once during the Powerplay, but after that he began playing the percentage game. Sri Lanka knew Dhoni couldn’t manipulate the strike with that hamstring, and controlled the game well. Lasith Malinga – seven overs for 54 runs until then – finally got his radar right, and got Bhuvneshwar Kumar toe before wicket with his dipping slower yorker. In the tense overs that followed, R Vinay Kumar lost his cool, and slogged and got out. India 182 for 9 after 46.2 overs.With any other batsman than Dhoni, you would expect panic. Dhoni, though, wanted to corner just one man. He wanted to bring it down to that one man. He was also daring Sri Lanka to keep back Malinga, who had one over left, for the last. Sri Lanka didn’t. Malinga bowled the 48th. Dhoni faced the whole over, looking unhurried, for just a scrambled couple.The only man hurried was Ishant, who tried a suicidal single off the last ball of Malinga’s over to keep Dhoni on strike. The ball, though, had gone straight to the fielder, and Dhoni was miffed Ishant tried such desperation. It was not becoming of someone batting with the coolest and the best batsman in ODI cricket. Ishant would do that again off the first ball of the next over. Twice Dhoni let Ishant know what he did was not right. Ishant faced another dot. Then another dot. Seventeen off nine. Dhoni was cool at the other end. He had marked out his man. He knew it wouldn’t be an experienced bowler in the last over.Two runs came off the last three balls of the 49th over, but Ishant was made to feel under no pressure. He had been told to leave it to the man who knew his way around these lanes. Then began the great show. As soon as Ishant left alone – yes, left alone – the last ball of the 49th over, Dhoni signalled to the dressing room for a new, heavier bat.As Angelo Mathews psyched Shaminda Eranga up for the last over, Dhoni practised a few swings with two bats held together. Calculatedly he picked out one. Eranga went to his mark. This match should not have been on, but in Dhoni’s book this was even odds. Eranga bowled a nervous first ball: a wide length ball, which Dhoni swung hard at. That was a nervous ball, and would have been out of the ground had Dhoni connected. Dhoni didn’t.The second ball, though, was closer to Dhoni – swing, and met that hunk on the up. And up it went. And far. And kept going. Over the top of the stands. You could see it in Eranga’s eyes now. It was now going to be nigh impossible for Eranga to execute his skill. In one hit, Dhoni had brought it down to just luck for Sri Lanka. The luck was not with them. Eranga bowled length again, Dhoni went hard again, and the ball flew off the outside half of the bat, and over point.It was over already. Eranga just ran up for the formalities, delivered another length ball, and was dispatched over extra cover. The iceman had done it again, but he hadn’t had a great first half of the day as a keeper and a captain. Apart from not having been at his best with the gloves, Dhoni had also let Sri Lanka off the hook with his choice of part-time bowlers ahead of the specialist spinners, who would eventually go on to cut Sri Lanka’s effort short.Bhuvneshwar had given India his customary breakthroughs in the first spell, the scoring was difficult, but Virat Kohli and Raina provided Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne relief with their odd long hop or big wides. Their partnership took Sri Lanka to 171 for 2, but then Thirimanne made a mistake, and almost every batsman that followed. In over-aiming during that Powerplay, Sri Lanka had lost their last eight wickets for 30 runs, letting Dhoni off the hook now.You will be justified to think of Dhoni’s choice of bowlers as odd. As you would have been with his persistence against all logic with Ishant in the Champions Trophy final. Just that the results were drastically different.

Ravi Shastri has been named India’s team director for the upcoming tour to Bangladesh, while Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar will continue as assistant coaches for the tour

Amol Karhadkar02-Jun-2015Ravi Shastri has been named India’s team director for the upcoming tour to Bangladesh, while Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar will continue as assistant coaches for the tour. However, the long-term coaching appointments are likely to be finalised in consultation with the cricket advisory committee before India’s tour to Zimbabwe in July.The appointments, announced by the BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, meant the only name missing from India’s coaching staff from the World Cup was Duncan Fletcher’s, whose contract has ended.Shastri is understood to have been interested in a long-term position, either as head coach or team director but for now, he has agreed for the short-term assignment of one Test and three ODIs in Bangladesh.Since the BCCI didn’t want to rope in new appointees for the short tour, the three specialist coaches were also retained. One of the three is in danger of losing his post after the Bangladesh series.Meanwhile, the high-profile cricket advisory committee is likely to meet in Kolkata on June 6 to spell out the procedure for appointing the head coach or team director. Besides Shastri, the BCCI is believed to have been in touch with former Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody and Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Daniel Vettori.While Moody is understood to have been recommended by VVS Laxman, his colleague at Sunrisers Hyderabad, Vettori has been recommended by Test captain Kohli.Shastri had been named director of cricket after India’s poor performance in the Test series in England last year and the BCCI had appointed Bangar, Arun and Sridhar as assistant coaches at the same time. Their tenures with the Indian team were then extended until the end of the 2015 World Cup.

Manchester United are ready to cash in on Raphael Varane in the January transfer window, according to a new report.

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Varane has fallen out of favourBarely playing under Erik ten HagInterest from Bayern Munich and Al-IttihadWHAT HAPPENED?

Varane has fallen way down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag and has played just eight times in the Premier League. Since the beginning of October, Varane has played 18 minutes of football, and was on the bench for both of the club's recent games against Everton and Newcastle. A report from now claims that United are willing to sell the France international in January.

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Both Bayern Munich and Al-Ittihad are said to be interested in signing the defender when the transfer window opens. Ittihad's interest is said to be the most advanced, although Bayern have enquired about his availability. He could cost around €30m (£25m).

DID YOU KNOW?

Varane has a contract until 2025 and has played a total of 75 games for United since arriving in 2021. However, it remains to be seen if he will be willing to leave in the January window, or whether he will decide to run down his contract.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR VARANE?

He may wish to bide his time, as reports state that manager Ten Hag is under significant pressure. United face a difficult run of games and face Chelsea on Wednesday, before also playing Bayern and Liverpool before Christmas.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been challenged to a race by Alica Schmidt – the German sprinter dubbed “the world’s sexiest athlete”.

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Norwegian forward boasts plenty of paceGerman sprinter ready to take him onHummels beaten in previous raceWHAT HAPPENED?

Haaland was clocked running at 22.5mph during the 2022-23 campaign – in which he helped City to a historic Treble – and is famed for his pace and power in footballing circles. He hit 52 goals last season and boasts the kind of acceleration that would trouble any defence.

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Schmidt has been in action at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, with the 400m her go-to event – as she averages a speed of 17mph over that distance. The 24-year-old, who is also a model and boasts 4.3 million followers on Instagram, believes that she could take Haaland during a race around one lap of the track – although concedes that she would find it “more difficult” over 200m.

WHAT THEY SAID

Schmidt has told of potentially lining up against Norwegian hot-shot Haaland: “Hmm, I don't know – maybe. I think, on 400m, yes. On 200m, it would be more difficult. But I would be happy if the race takes place. I don't know, I have to ask him. But I'm always ready. So, Haaland, if you're ready to race, I would be happy. Let's see who's faster!”

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Schmidt previously posed a similar challenge to Borussia Dortmund’s World Cup-winning defender Mats Hummels back in 2021 – a race she won comfortably, with Hummels admitting that his fellow German “makes it look so easy”. Hummels was, however, 32 at the time and Haaland is only 23.

Former Premier League star Mido has claimed that Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has already "signed contracts" to play in Saudi Arabia next season.

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Salah tipped to leave LiverpoolMido claimed Salah has already signed contractAl-Ittifaq wanted to sign him last summerGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Mido, a former Egypt international and West Ham and Tottenham striker, has claimed on social media that Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season, and says he has already put pen to paper on a Saudi Pro League contract.

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Taking to X, the 41-year-old Premier League cult hero dropped the bombshell about Salah's supposed departure to his 5.6 million followers, as he wrote: "Mohamed Salah will be in the Saudi League next season. Contracts have been signed."

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Saudi giants Al-Ittifaq had shown genuine interest Salah last summer and even tabled an offer worth £150 million. However at that time, Liverpool refused to let their star attacker leave. Recent reports, though, suggest that clubs in the Middle East will once again chase several Premier League stars including Salah when the transfer window reopens.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MOHAMED SALAH?

The 31-year-old's current contract with the Premier League giants runs until 2025. With head coach Jurgen Klopp set to depart Liverpool at the end of this season, the Egyptian could be tempted to follow his manager through the Anfield exit door.

Will Smith snapped a lean run with the bat as he made a century to lead a strong Durham reply on day two at Trent Bridge

George Dobell at Trent Bridge30-Apr-2013
ScorecardWill Smith snapped a run of low scores to make his first century of the season•Getty ImagesOn a day on which Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann were in county action together, it is highly unlikely that many of the spectators at Trent Bridge had come to watch Will Smith. And, after watching him bat throughout the 96 overs of the day, it is highly unlikely that many of them will be hurrying back to watch him again.For Smith, batting is a serious business. Each run has to be hewn from his soul like a miner crushing rocks in search of gold. His discipline outside the off stump would make a Trappist monk look frivolous. Pregnant mothers or those with heart conditions need not fear watching him in action. And the word “action” is used somewhat liberally. It is not pretty and it is not exciting.But it is effective. Smith’s marathon of concentration and denial – he resumed in the morning unbeaten on three and reached his century from his 270th ball – rescued his team from a precarious position against Nottinghamshire.He has, so far, repelled a good bowling attack on a pitch renown as seamer-friendly for 106 overs and, from time to time, he has accumulated from the short ball, the wide ball or deliveries straying on to his pads. It was just what Durham required.Smith needed this innings, too. He had not passed 50 in the Championship since last May – a run of 22 innings – and his scores this season have been 1, 0, 15, 0, 42 and 4.This was a return of sorts for him, too. He spent five years with Nottinghamshire between 2002 and 2006, but had never managed a century on this ground and, in his last 10 innings against his old club, had failed to pass 15.He did not give a chance and, in partnership with the characteristically obdurate Paul Collingwood added 115 for Durham’s sixth wicket after they had slipped to 148 for 5 and were in danger of conceding a decisive first innings deficit. For a while it seemed there must have been a time before they started batting together – a happier, simpler time when people drove the ball through the covers – but it became desperately difficult to remember it.Smith’s excellence has been partially overshadowed the return of Swann and Broad. Both bowled tidily, though Broad again left the pitch near the end of the day complaining of groin pain. The club expect a repeat performance of the previous day when, after a rub down, he is able to play a full part the following day with the cause of the problem still thought to be an impact injury; he edged the ball into his groin when batting on the first day.Broad managed 18 overs. He claimed two important wickets – Ben Stokes, attempting to turn one on the leg side, beaten by a bit of bounce and movement and giving a return catch, and Collingwood, nibbling at one that may have left him slightly in the dangerous channel outside off. Broad maintained a nice, full length and gained just enough movement to demand respect.But whether this was enough of a performance to warrant selection for the first Test against New Zealand remains to be seen. According to the Nottinghamshire director of cricket, Mick Newell, Broad is not planning on playing again before the Test, but he still looked a yard short of his optimum pace. Certainly that was the impression of Smith, afterwards.”He was OK,” Smith said, when asked about Broad’s pace. “It wasn’t like he was rapid or anything. He would readily admit he’s got a bit more to work to do. He didn’t give much to hit.” All of which hardly sounds like a ringing endorsement.It may be that Broad has the experience to time his return perfectly and is aiming to peak for Lord’s against New Zealand. He has, after all, played nearly 200 international matches. But whether he is, at the moment, a more threatening bowler than Toby Roland-Jones, Jamie Overton, Chris Wright, Chris Woakes et al. is debatable. Certainly if Broad is to play in the first Test, he will face tougher opposition on less helpful surfaces than this.Swann, enjoying his first bowl in competitive cricket since March 2, was also tidy. Apart from one chest-high full toss – gratefully dispatched by Smith – he was as tight as ever and, on a pitch offering him nothing, delivered 20 demanding overs. He is currently planning on playing two YB40 games before the Test.Swann had hoped to return a game earlier. But his keenness to do so resulted in some swelling in the right elbow that was operated on a couple of months ago and some concerns as to his future.”He was pushing himself to play against Derbyshire,” Newell said, “And maybe he pushed a bit early. Now he is looking for a game where he bowls 30 or 40 overs to prove it’s ok. He’ll probably bowl eight overs in each of the YB40 games, too.”But I think he said he didn’t want an operation again. He doesn’t want to go through the six weeks or two months of rehab. He likes playing and I don’t talk to him about retirement or anything like that. But, if he had the injury again and the jungle series came up, or a dancing in ice series or something, I think he would do that.”Durham had dug themselves into a bit of a hole before Smith and Collingwood’s stand. The nightwatchman, Chris Rushworth, fell early edging a waft, while Scott Borthwick, promoted up the order, was drawn into playing at one he could have left and Dale Benkenstain was punished for lingering on the back foot by one that may have nipped back a fraction.But Smith resisted stoically. While he may lack the run-scoring options of a Test batsman, he at least demonstrated the concentration of one here. And in providing a tough work out for Broad and Swann, he may just have played his part in helping England in a busy summer.

England’s bowlers fought their way through dogged batting, the absence of DRS for lbws and some sloppy catching to avoid a repeat of Lord’s 2007 and finish a comprehensive win

The Report by Sidharth Monga25-Jul-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outJames Anderson helped England avoid a repeat of Lord’s 2007•Getty ImagesEngland’s bowlers fought through dogged batting, the absence of DRS for lbws and some sloppy catching to avoid a repeat of Lord’s 2007 – when India saved the Test – and completed a comprehensive win 28.3 overs before the scheduled close of a gruelling final-day scrap.India’s four big hopes survived 93, 113, 56 and 68 deliveries, which meant England had to work for wickets and also that they never let those batsmen feel they were in. James Anderson took out Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar, although it could be argued that he struck the knockout blows after Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett had softened the batsmen up.Although there were two dropped catches and two controversial not-out lbw decisions, it all went down in a manner suggesting England had scripted it thus. They wouldn’t have budgeted for the strongest resistance to come from Suresh Raina, who proved he belonged with a fighting 78, but by the final session Anderson was in red-hot form. He completed his 11th five-for by breaking through that final piece of Indian fight with a beautiful inswinger from round the stumps. Initially Anderson had fed off the immense pressure created by Tremlett and Broad, and Graeme Swann contributed by accounting for one of the best players of spin today, Gautam Gambhir.It was just as well that England finished India off and avoided what would have become a major controversy had India hung on with one wicket in hand. The dreaded scenario of disagreement between Hawk-Eye and the umpire occurred twice in potentially crucial circumstances. Broad had comprehensive cases for lbw against Tendulkar and Raina, and would have successfully challenged the original not-out decisions had DRS been available for lbws. Those two decisions cost England a potentially decisive 15.4 overs.Smart stats

England have improved on their excellent record at Lord’s in recent Tests. In 23 Tests between 1984 and 1999, they won four and lost 11 out of 23 Tests. In 24 Tests since 2000, they have won 13 and lost just three.

India suffered their 11th defeat in 16 Tests at Lord’s. The 11 defeats is the most at a particular venue for India.

James Anderson dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for the sixth time in five Tests. In 223 balls, Anderson has conceded 114 runs and picked up Tendulkar six times.

Anderson’s five-wicket haul is his 11th in Tests and 3rd at Lord’s. His previous five-wicket haul at Lord’s also came against India in 2007.

Stuart Broad’s match figures of 7 for 94 are his best in Tests surpassing his previous best of 6 for 87 against South Africa in Durban in 2009.

Rahul Dravid, in the course of his 36, surpassed Brian Lara to become the highest run-getter in the fourth innings in Tests.

Tendulkar’s strike-rate of 17.64 is fourth on the list of lowest strike-rates for a score between 10 and 49 in Tests since 2000.

Kevin Pietersen’s seventh match award puts him joint-third on the list of England players with the most match awards in Tests.

Broad would have wondered what more he needed to do to get a wicket. He had two catches dropped off him in the first innings, and in today’s morning session, after Anderson had drawn Dravid into a rare loose shot outside off, he regularly beat Laxman’s bat in a five-over spell, often proving to be too good to take the edge.While Andrew Strauss’s catching at slip and his defensive in-and-out fields in the first session could be argued against, his bowling changes worked like a charm. About 20 minutes before lunch he brought on Anderson, who began with a long hop that Laxman pulled straight to short midwicket.Laxman’s dismissal brought together India’s walking wounded, Gambhir and Tendulkar. They hung in bravely, Gambhir for 56 balls with a painful elbow and Tendulkar for 68 with a viral infection. Whatever the debate around DRS be, the umpires had a great match, and it was evident in Gambhir’s lbw, in the over after Laxman’s dismissal. The Swann arm ball had hit the pad a microsecond before it hit the bat. Asad Rauf sent Gambhir on his way.From the injured man the burden transferred to the ill man, Tendulkar, who began positively but went into a shell after lunch. That Raina looked more comfortable than Tendulkar during their 17.4-over partnership told a story. While Tendulkar was solid in defence, he let the bowlers bowl to a perfect rhythm, and the odd one was bound to be too good.After surviving that Broad shout, Tendulkar played 40 balls for one run. Once again Anderson came back and struck immediately. He had Tendulkar dropped by Strauss, but produced an inswinger similar to Broad’s two balls later, and Tendulkar was plumb. This was the sixth time in the match that an Englishman had taken a wicket in the first over of a new spell.In the lead-up to tea, with England easing the pressure as they built up to the new ball, Raina and MS Dhoni gave India hope. Raina showed character in how he avoided bouncers and reached a half-century that will only do him good. With the new ball, though, England were back on course. The ball started jagging around again, and a shaken-up Dhoni finally edged an outswinger from Tremlett.A cold, ruthless demolition of the tail followed. Harbhajan Singh refused to back away, but England worked him over with precise short deliveries. Praveen Kumar didn’t stand much of a chance. Raina got a gem from Anderson, coming in from round the stumps, then leaving him, and taking the edge. Broad deservedly ended the match with a plumb lbw; the last four had fallen for 18 runs.Scenes of elation followed for the home side and the biggest Monday crowd at Lord’s. England will feel relief too at having finished off the job, and not only because they righted what happened in 2007. Had India drawn this, they would have had positives to look at; now they have injured bodies and a series deficit.

The ICC is in the process of procuring tapes from Sports Illustrated India after the magazine published a story in its May edition on the illegal bookies network in India

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2011The ICC is in the process of procuring tapes from after the magazine published a story in its May edition on the illegal bookies network in India. The tapes include 400 minutes of conversations the magazine had with people involved in bookmaking – in some cases, the conversations are actually part of police operations.One of the main points of interest to cricket investigators is likely to be a conversation the magazine recorded with a bookie in which he alleges that he has taped conversations of him with an international player in which he is detailing a fix. He also claims to have another taped conversation with the same player after the arrangement fell through, which the magazine claims to have heard (but doesn’t have access to).”Our official line is if anybody offers us evidence of any wrongdoing, we will of course look at it and evaluate it,” an ICC official told ESPNcricinfo. The ACSU will then take over and study the tapes further.The BCCI said they cannot take any action unless there is “concrete evidence” at hand. “So far we have not received anything from them [Sports Illustrated]. They are saying they will give us the tapes, but so far they haven’t,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told . “Unless there is concrete evidence, we can’t take action in this issue.”The main thrust of the magazine’s investigation – which it said lasted six months – revolves around how easy it appears to be for bookies to have access to top players. In the magazine’s own words there are no startling revelations of the kind cricket saw with the sting last summer. But the recorded conversations with police officers, officials and players offer a number of starting points for further investigations.Cricket is not alone. Football is currently tackling its own problem – possibly more severe and widespread – of match-fixing. FIFA, the world’s governing body, on Monday launched a global initiative along with Interpol that will investigate the suspected manipulation of more than 300 matches in 20 European countries, including games in World Cup qualifying groups and the Champions and Europa Leagues. It has also pledged $20 million to Interpol over the next 10 years to spend on programmes intended to stop players, match officials and administrators being targeted by fixing rings.

Virat Kohli has urged his team to put aside the injury-enforced departure of AB de Villiers and get their Champions League T20 campaign on track after the opening defeat to Warriors

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore28-Sep-2011Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman, has urged his team to put aside the injury-enforced departure of AB de Villiers and get their Champions League T20 campaign on track after the opening defeat to Warriors.”Every game is important when you only have four games,” Kohli said on Wednesday. “Tomorrow’s game (against Kolkata Knight Riders) is important, AB not being in the team is a huge loss. I’ll probably have to take more responsibility now, we should just take it as a challenge.”The Knight Riders are staring elimination after defeats in their first two matches, but Kohli expected a tough match on Thursday. “I was surprised KKR lost two games in a row, they are a full-strength side when all the players are fit and in form,” he said. “They are an explosive side, if you let them go they can hurt you badly. It will be important to put them under pressure from ball one.”The Royal Challengers were in charge of their opening encounter against Warriors before a late surge gave the South African side a last-ball victory. Kohli said the team had learnt from that defeat. “In a T20 game, unless a team needs 15 or 16 runs an over in the end, you haven’t really won the game, and the key is to not get relaxed,” he said. “One or two 15-run overs can turn the game. The Warriors did that against us, we were cruising till 10 overs of the chase, a few good overs here and there cost us the game. They batted really well, Johan Botha came and smashed a few, Ashwell Prince batted well, and in the end Nicky Boje and Wayne Parnell contributed, so you never know who’s going to do what in a T20, so you can never relax.”The senior bowlers Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes bowled out early against Warriors, leaving the inexperienced local pair of Abhimanyu Mithun and S Aravind to deal with the pressure of bowling the final two overs. Kohli said the Royal Challengers didn’t have designated death-overs specialists. “Unless you have someone like [Lasith] Malinga in the side you can never rely on anyone bowling the death overs, you can’t pre-plan it,” he said. “So I guess we just go with the situation of the game, I think Aravind bowled a brilliant last over, just one slower ball that fell short, other than that he bowled a brilliant last over.”With a majority of the games in the CLT20 going into the final over, Kohli said the close defeat had some positives as well. “It’s all about learning, all these bowlers if they become experienced in the last overs, and if they come out successful in those, that will really help in high-pressure games going forward.”

MS Dhoni has admitted that five straight losses away from home have hit the self-belief of his side a bit, but that to write them off no-hopers on fast pitches would be premature

Sidharth Monga02-Jan-2012MS Dhoni, captain of the beleaguered Indian side in Australia, has admitted that five straight losses away from home have hit the self-belief of his side a bit, but said that to write them off no-hopers on fast pitches would be premature. Responding to Australia coach Mickey Arthur’s comments that his side had dealt India a few psychological blows, he said his side had hoped to make Australia “walk the walk” too.”That’s what you think [that India are not good in testing conditions],” Dhoni said. “If you see the kind of players we have got, that will be a very premature statement to make. What we have seen is, we have always bounced back and the Australian team will have to keep the pressure on the batting line-up and the bowlers. It’s just that we have not performed in the first Test, and we’ll look to improve in the second.”India’s ability to come back from early losses was the hallmark of the side that rose to the No. 1 ranking, but it went missing when under constant pressure in England. Dhoni noted that the big difference from that tour is that all players are fit. He also said it was important not to get bogged down after a poor year in Tests.”It does affect it [the belief] a bit, but it’s not something to get bogged down about because we all know the reasons as to what exactly happened,” Dhoni said. “You learn a lot from the mistakes you make so we are looking at the positives. In the last five Test matches abroad that we have lost, we have still had plenty of positives in those particular games.”One of his worries has been Gautam Gambhir’s form at the top. “Opening is a very crucial thing for us,” he said. “Whenever we have done well, we have relied a lot on the opening pair. We don’t really want to put pressure on the opening batsmen, because if you see, [Virender] Sehwag is the kind of batsman who loves to go out there and play his strokes and looks to put pressure on the opposition and in the same way, Gautam equally complements Sehwag because he’s someone who takes his time to get in. But if it’s in his area, he loves to play his strokes so overall, both the batsmen really complement each other, run really well between the wickets, so it’s not a big concern.”It’s always good to leave deliveries because initially it [the Kookaburra ball] does a bit more, and after the first 15 or 20 overs we have seen that it doesn’t do the same amount as the new ball does. That’s something we’re definitely working on, but again, you don’t want Virender Sehwag to leave too many balls because he’s someone who relishes his cut shot, so if it’s in his area he’ll play his shots.”Even in Australia, Sachin Tendulkar has hardly gone anywhere without being reminded of the 100th international hundred. Local papers feel it’s almost preordained for him to get it during the SCG Test, the 100th at the venue. Dhoni insisted it wasn’t putting any extra pressure on Tendulkar.”Well, he’s always close to a milestone,” Dhoni said. “If you see his career in the last three years, whatever he has done, somehow he has been very close to a milestone, whether he’s playing the most number of ODIs or Test matches or the 100th hundred or all the things. Playing for 21-22 years and being at the top always, it’s bound to happen. You’ll be overtaking all the records or, if not, there’ll be something you’re creating, so it’s not something that puts pressure on him.”I don’t think he personally thinks about it a lot. Of course, the quicker he achieves it, it will ease off whatever the so-called pressure is on him. He doesn’t really talk about it and it never feels as if he’s under any sort of pressure when it comes to scoring the 100th hundred.”Dhoni said the back-to-back Tests didn’t bother him. “Personally, I’ve been a big fan of less gaps between games because that helps to keep you glued to the cricket and to see exactly what’s happening . I think we’ve still got enough time between Test matches.”