Captain cool back to his impressive best; Dhawan, Bumrah big gains

The biggest takeaway from the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka was undoubtedly skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's inspiring leadership.

For some time now, Dhoni's captaincy has been vexing. The loss to Bangladesh and South Africa were particularly galling but were offset by the mixed results from the limited overs matches against Australia.
It was widely accepted that the Indian team, with its mix of young talent and experienced hands, needed a strong, calm and cool leader to mould it into a challenging unit and that man was undoubtedly Dhoni.

But until he put his inner demons on the back burner, there was a question mark over his leadership.

During the latter half of the Australian tour and the series against Sri Lanka, Dhoni seemed to have regained his mojo.

He looked his cool self even as he displayed all the cricketing acumen that had contributed to making him one of India's greatest captains.

The horrendous loss in the opening T20 International at Pune was a reminder of Indian batsmen's inability to perform on juicy pitches.

However, the loss served to jolt the team into playing to its potential in the next two matches where conditions were decidedly more to their liking.

Dhoni's ploy of taking pace away from the Sri Lankan top order batsmen was a masterstroke. He also had a lovely spin bowler in Ravi Ashwin to implement the theory.

This was classic Dhoni, throwing down a challenge that the opponents could not resist taking up and perishing in the process.

Dhoni's extraordinary ability to present a deadpan expression and not let the tension show in tough situations is worth its weight in gold in a leader, especially when directing his young bowlers and fielders in highly volatile situations.

It is this calm leadership that will be called upon again and again in the ICC World T20 where rampaging batsmen, excitable crowds and all sorts of pressure will come to bear on the team.

Dhoni's return to his best as captain augurs very well for India and is hence the best take away from the recent series against Sri Lanka. Now if only he could get his batting mojo back too!

Shikhar Dhawan & Ravichandran Ashwin: Rohit Sharma was always expected to be one of the top batsmen for India in T20 cricket. The task was to identify a worthwhile partner. Nobody doubted Shikhar Dhawan's ability for the job - a left-handed batsman with an aggressive attitude to boot.

Except that for some reason or the other he could not find success in T20 cricket.

His first 50 in T20I came in the second match at Ranchi. He followed it with unbeaten 46 in the last match to show that his failures in this format of the game were just an aberration.

Similarly, Ashwin, such an important part of the Indian bowling attack at home, looked ineffective on Australian pitches.

In his last ODI at Brisbane he was tonked for 60 runs. Ashwin, though, is a different kettle of fish in the sub-continent.

He has the ability to get the ball to drift, loop and spin either way on Indian pitches. The extra rip he gives on the new ball makes it float away from the right hander.

He is a difficult bowler to put away in home conditions and would certainly have got his confidence back after bowling some superb spells against Sri Lanka's top order batsmen.

Hardik Pandya & Jasprit Bumrah: Two great finds. Bumrah has all the making of being India's best-ever bowler in the death overs.

The slower and the sharper yorkers that he sends down from an angle wide of the crease are both potent weapons.

He will be a handful at the death and may even turn some matches around at that stage.

Pandya has all the makings of a top notch fielder. His ability to hit the ball with refreshing freedom will be a huge asset in a batting line-up consisting of other power-hitters like Rohit, Dhawan and Virat Kohli.

He could be the pinch-hitter when finishers like Suresh Raina and Dhoni keep one end going.

Pandya could also be called upon to send down a couple of overs of medium-pace.

Both Bumrah and Pandya, through the series, showed that they belonged at this level of the game and came away with enhanced reputations.

Ashish Nehra: The recall of the three veterans for one of the most demanding forms of the game was surprising, to say the least. So what tidings has their inclusions brought forth?

Nehra, a veteran at 37, was never a good fielder. So to have expected him to do well in that aspect of the game would have been unrealistic.

But what he showed consistently in the past few matches was an ability to bowl well both at the start of the innings and at the death.

He was not as quick as he used to be. But his left-arm fast medium was backed by years of experience and it all fell into place for the duration of four overs in match after match. Nehra did better than expected in the series.

Yuvraj Singh: Yuvraj is another veteran ravaged by time. If he strikes form, he could be a great asset. He didn't have too much of a chance to show his batting prowess of late but his fielding and bowling have been pretty decent. The demands of T20 cricket are such that there is no time to settle down and get the eye in while batting at No 5 or 6. You have to hit the ground running and this is where Yuvraj seems to be struggling. Hopefully it will all come together in time for the big tournament.

Harbhajan Singh: Why would any selector choose a 36-year-old bowler to warm the benches? That's the big puzzle. The youngsters who are usually chosen get the chance to soak in the atmosphere and learn a thing or two. What could Harbhajan possibly learn by sitting on the bench? Unless his selection was merely to keep Ashwin on his toes! Indeed, mysterious are the ways of our selectors.

Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle blazed away to glory - Top-10 knocks in ICC World Twenty20

Yuvraj Singh's flamboyance as an all-rounder has been seen time and again. A big hitter of the ball, ability to bowl tight spells of spin and a superman at point made the Punjab lad virtually indispensable in the shorter formats of the game. Yuvraj headlines 10 of the best innings played in ICC World Twenty20.

Yuvraj Singh Shatters Record Books in 2007

India were already cruising at 171 for three at the end of the 18th over against England at Durban. Yuvraj Singh was batting on 14 off six balls. The hosts introduced the lethal Stuart Broad, whose bowling card read 3-0-24-0. But all that changed dramatically. Yuvraj hammered Broad for six sixes in that over en route to a fifty off just 12 balls. It was the fastest in all forms of cricket. His 58 off 14 balls overshadowed the two other fifties in that match. (Yuvraj's Six Sixes in an Over, Lee's Hattrick Among Top 10 Moments)

Chris Gayle's Century in Inaugural Edition

Chris Gayle got the inaugural ICC World Twenty in 2007 off to a rocking start by becoming the first to smash a century. Gayle hit 117 off 57 balls against hosts South Africa. The 100 came off just 50 balls. However, despite posting a mammoth 205/6, the West Indies lost the match by 8 wickets, thanks to some great batting by Herschelle Gibbs (90* off 55 balls). (Five Men Who Have Taken ICC World Twenty20 by Storm)

Brendon McCullum's 123 vs Bangladesh in 2012

Brendon McCullum holds the record for the highest score in the World T20 history -- 123 off 58 balls, laced with 11 fours and seven sixes. Put into bat, New Zealand rode McCullum's fiery knock to post a challenging 191 for three. In reply, Bangladesh were restricted to 132 for eight, thanks to some great bowling by Tim Southee and Kyle Mills, who pocketed three wickets each. (Will IPL Exposure Hurt India in ICC World Twenty20?)

Mr Cricket Special in 2010

Michael Hussey's unbeaten 60 of only 24 balls knocked out defending champions Pakistan in the semi-final of the 2010 tournament. Put into bat, Pakistan hit a massive 191 for six, thanks to fifties from the Akmal brothers -- Kamran and Umar. With their eyes set on defending the score successfully, Pakistani bowlers kept Aussie batsmen in check by picking regular wickets and reducing the Michael Clarke-led side to 144/7 in 17.1 overs.

Only a few would have bet in favour of an Aussie win. Needing 18 off just 6 balls in not an easy task, especially when Mitchell Johnson is on strike and in-form Saeed Ajmal to bowl the final over. Johnson did the right thing by managing a single off the first ball. Now the equation was 5 balls and 17 runs. Pressure was more on Hussey than Ajmal but there's a reason why he's nicknamed Mr Cricket.

First ball...Hussey pulls it for a massive six, second ball...Huss comes down on his knees and clears the man at long on for another six, third ball...Hussey cuts it past backward point fielder for four and the scores are level and next ball Hussey finishes the game with another maximum and stuns not only Pakistan but the entire world.

Suresh Raina Becomes First Indian Centurion

Suresh Raina, regarded as one of the best T20 batsmen, lived up to his billing when he became the first centurion for India in the 2010 edition of the tournament. Raina, batting under pressure after India were reduced to 32/2 in 5.3 overs, kept his calm but aggressive instinct alive to slam 101 off just 60 balls to give a defendable total against the likes of Morkel brothers, Dale Steyn, et al. In response, South Africa got off to an ideal start but Indian bowlers held their nerves to win the match by 14 runs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan Powers Sri Lanka Into Final

Tillakaratne Dilshan struck a timely 96 not out to knock West Indies out in the semi-final of the second edition in 2009. Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka rode Dilshan's 57-ball knock to post a fighting 158 for five. In reply, Gayle was up for the challenge but lacked support from the other end. He remained unbeaten on 63 off 50 balls as West Indies folded for 101 in 17.4 overs. Lanka won the match by 57 runs.

Ahmed Shehzad's One-Man Show

Ahmed Shehzad became the only Pakistani to score a hundred in T20Is in 2014. Playing against giant-killers Bangladesh, Shehzad's 111 not out off 62 balls guided the 2009 champions to a massive 50-run victory. His knock was studded with 10 fours and five sixes. The highlight of this innings was Shehzad's determination in spite of losing partners at regular intervals.

Run-Machine Virat Kohli Guides India Into 2014 Final

Batting first, South Africa posted 172 for 4 in the semi-final thanks to a brilliant 58 by Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy's 45 not out. Up for task ahead, Virat Kohli ensured India cross the line with ease. The stylish batsman hit an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls, laced with five fours and a couple of sixes, to help India win the match by six wickets.

Brilliance of Mahela Jayawardene

Sri Lanka great Mahela Jayawardene is the only Sri Lankan to score a hundred in T20Is. He achieved the feat in 2010 in the third edition of the World T20 in the West Indies. Jayawardene scored 100 off 64 balls, studded with 10 fours and four sixes, to guide Sri Lanka to a 14-run D/L win over Zimbabwe. Rain played a spoilsport in that match after batting first, Lanka posted 173 for seven. Zimbabwe were set a revised target of 44 in five overs. They could manage only 29 for one.

Alex Hales Masterclass Floors Sri Lanka

Alex Hales hit an unbeaten 116 to help England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets at Chittagong in 2014. Chasing 190 for a win, England got off to a poor start as they were reduced to 0/2 in the first over. But opener Hales kept his calm and smashed a strokeful century off 60 balls, studded with 11 fours and six maximums, to guide England to victory. Hales was well supported by Eoin Morgan (57), with whom he put on 152-run stand for the third wicket.

What I had dreamt that morning, came through in the evening: Manish Pandey

The wait to Indian team was a long one for Manish Pandey but the maiden hundred in a thrilling run chase brought India its solitary win in the five-match series against Australia and brought him to centre stage. He is part of the T20 squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka that starts on Tuesday. In a chat with The Indian Express, Pandey talks about his hundred, his mindset before the game, his childhood dream of scoring a hundred, and the best message he received after his special knock.

It wasn’t certain how many games you would get in Australia. How did you deal with the uncertainty?

I was hoping to get games, with the way I was batting in practice games. Even Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) told me later that I will be playing. Mentally I was ready for it, I had positive energy around me.

But you were dropped after first two games?

I didn’t bat in the first match and batted very late in the second game. Thoda sa ajeeb laga. (It felt a bit strange). The team management had a plan to go with extra batsman-bowler for the next two games. The team wanted to take that chance and had it worked out, things could have been different in the result point of view.

You were then back for the fifth game. What was your thought process coming to the ground that afternoon?

I was just thinking of all the good innings I have played till date. I was visualizing all the hundreds I have scored, from junior to senior cricket and IPL to Ranji games. I was just remembering those innings even when I get out from the team bus. I just wanted to get a good feeling before I go out to bat. I knew that I will be batting at number four as Ajinkya (Rahane) was injured. I have been playing at number four for a long time for Karnataka. So I knew how to pace and build my innings. The way I saw the first few balls of which I was getting ones and twos, I realized that the ground is mine now.

But this was an ODI against Australia in Australia. And Dhoni was struggling for timing at the start.

Mahi bhai may have been struggling a bit initially but even though the run-rate was increasing he kept telling me not to worry, and said, ‘hum log rehenge tab ho jayega’. Between overs we kept talking the same thing that we have to push it till late. Mahi bhai has been in such situations before, so he knows how to take the game till the end and then take it in India’s favour. One has to go with that mindset of hanging around and once you get those 40-50’s, I always ensure that I play a big innings.

How did you look so calm under so much pressure?

Probably, domestic cricket experience played a huge role in it. I didn’t want to do something different. Before my turn, Ravi bhai (Ravi Shastri) told me, ‘don’t do anything different here. Keep batting as you have been doing over the years.’ I told myself ke bus yeh tere state team jaise hai, bat as you bat for Karnataka. I just want it to look nice and easy.

You weren’t awestruck by the packed house in Australia?

I wasn’t awestruck, as I said it is very important to go with a clean thought process. I was just remembering my good days I had in the past; that feeling is very important. The ground, the dress and the ambience might have been different but the rest remains the same. I was just going to bat like any other day except the difference was it was an international game and in some other part of the world. My batting is simple and I don’t want to complicate it. Just face a few balls, set your eye in and if you think this ball can be hit than just go for it.

Weren’t you worried when Dhoni got out in the last over after hitting a six?

After that six I could see that no way we are going to lose from here. We all knew that we needed one hit and we got it from Mahi bhai. When he got out, there was not much difference left in the score, we needed two runs per ball. How could I slip this chance? I waited for this for so long. Then the four came and we knew that this game is in our hands.

Tell us about the moment you scored your maiden hundred

I have been dreaming of it since my junior days, that one day I will raise my hands with the helmet out and thousands will be applauding in a packed stadium. I have scored IPL hundreds and been part of many run chases but this was very very special. I got that boundary, I just remember that scene. What I had dreamt that morning, came through in the evening. So please dream. It comes true!

How was the atmosphere when you got back to dressing room?

Everybody was clapping, Ravi sir said, ‘well done, it was a magical to see you bat like that, it was a great innings’. Virat Kohli came and hugged and said, ‘I haven’t seen such kind of match winning innings after a long time’. Mahi bhai told, ‘keep learning from all these things’.

It’s been couple of weeks now. Has it sunk in yet?

It was a good feeling to comeback home after such a good tour. Especially with the way last game went for me. I just want to keep grounded and keep walking ahead.

Now the benchmark is set, wait is over. What next?

I want to focus on the Sri Lanka series. One game at a time, I want to perform and from there take it to the next level.

You were always rated very highly, you had your moments in IPL and domestic circuit. Was it tough not to get a break earlier?

There were moments earlier when I thought I will be picked but it didn’t happen. I have to return to domestic circuit and keep toiling. Time laga par aa toh gaya.

How was the buzz back home?

Bahut jyada kuch nahi hai,(not much!) By the time I reached, everything had eased out. Halka hogaya sab. Everybody was trying to call me after the hundred, my Whatsapp was full with messages. But the best message came from my mom and dad. It had just two things, “Well done and good night.” They know it was a big day but they didn’t want to gaga over it.

Did Dhoni really fix Manchester Test, as alleged by Sunil Dev? Sounds like phony baloney

Did Mahendra Singh Dhoni fix the fourth Investec Test match between Indian and England at Manchester in August 2014?

People may be trying to settle old scores, but scoreboards don't lie. One look at it and you would know why it is insane to even consider the possibility that the Indian captain willingly threw away the match at Manchester.

But, Sunil Dev, who was manager of the Indian team on that tour, believes the match was fixed by Dhoni. Dev was caught in a sting video by a Hindi daily Sun Star saying, "Given the conditions of the pitch due to rain, we have decided to bowl first in a team meeting but I was surprised that Dhoni opted to bat first."

Dev then goes on to say that he brought the issue to the BCCI's notice and also wrote a letter to then Board president N Srinivasan, which he typed in former chief's office in front of him because he did not want the report to be leaked. When asked did the board take any action, he replied it seems BCCI was not affected by it as they have not reacted yet on the issue.

The Devil is in the detail, Mr Dev.
Perhaps Dev did not look at the scorecard of the match before pointing fingers at Dhoni. If he had, he would known Dhoni was the only batsman trying to score some runs and save the Test match. When you are the top scorer in the first innings, play what experts call the best innings of your life in England, battle hard for survival in the second innings, are you trying to save the game or lose it in a hurry? Any thoughts, Mr Dev?

Back to Manchester then.

The Test match in question was played between August 7 and 9 under a dark sky, amidst continuous rain interruptions. By the time India reached Manchester, the series was tied 1-1 after India won the second Test at Lord's and lost the next.

The match started a little late because of overnight rain and morning drizzle. In spite of the rain, the pitch was dry, devoid of grass and looked like a piece of crisp biscuit, almost perfect to bat on.

Naturally, when Dhoni won the toss, he opted to bat. Guess what England captain Alastair Cook said on losing the toss? 

"We would have also liked to bat first on this pitch."

So, what is Dev trying to tell us? That Dhoni deliberately batted first on a pitch even England would have loved to bat on?

We don't know what transpired at the team meeting. Only Dhoni can tell us if the unanimous decision was to field first. But the decision to bat first was based on cricketing logic.

India were playing two spinners--Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin--in the match. Dhoni must have been hoping that they will take advantage of cracks in a dry track in the fourth innings of the match.

But his plan backfired within minutes when India lost four wickets for just eight runs. M Vijay 0, Gautam Gambhir 4, Cheteshwar Pujara 0, Virat Kohli 0, were back in the hut within five overs.

India recovered from the disastrous start and went on to score 152 runs. This was mainly because Dhoni scored 72 and stayed right till the end--his was the ninth wicket to fall. He fell in a bid to score some quick runs as he ran out of partners.

The drama in the second innings was almost similar. After England scored 367, Indian batsmen kept the dressing room door revolving with their quick return to the pavilion. Dhoni walked in when India were already 4-61, he scored 27 as wickets kept falling. India were all out for all out for 161, losing by an innings.

Two things are clear from the scorecard: If Dhoni was really betting on India losing the match, he was trying his best not to lose the Test but whatever money he -- or the bookies he may have been allegedly helping -- had wagered. And, if the match was fixed, the entire Indian team was complicit. Could Dhoni have co-opted Gambhir (returning after a gap of 18 months), Vijay (trying to seal his place in the team), Pujara, Rahane (a rookie on the circuit) and Kohli? If he somehow managed to buy the entire team, Dhoni must be credited with turning Indian team into an Ocean's Eleven.

It was raining continuously at Manchester during the Test match. Rain was forecast on all five days. It is possible that Dhoni made a mistake by batting under an overcast sky. And the batsmen let India down by not fighting till the end and surrendering too early.

But, the score card suggests Dhoni was perhaps guilty of not reading the weather right, not the game or the pitch.

Perhaps India need to think about sending a good weathermen with the team instead of managers who cast dark clouds of suspicion over our heroes without credible evidence.

ICC WT20: Inclusion of Pandya, Negi shows that India have learned their lesson from 2014

South Africa, 2007. It remains the only time India have won the World T20. It makes for some wonderment what the selectors had in mind when picking a side for that tournament, a format unknown to the Men in Blue until they played their first match in South Africa in 2006.

Nearly nine years later, the landscape has changed completely. When the selectors sat down to select the Indian squad for the 2016 World T20, they had a plethora of names to choose from. Each of them well qualified in the art of Twenty20 cricket, reflecting amply from the many statistics garnered from international cricket, the Indian Premier League, and lest we forget, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Perhaps, on Friday, it was all about skipper MS Dhoni taking his pick.

Back in 2007, handing him captaincy in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly was nothing more than a cheeky punt. That move from the selectors is yet another pointer of how they treated this format as an unknown. At the same time, in the present time's context, it points to how well they know Dhoni today, and have come to trust his instinct.

For this squad has his stamp all over it, most pertinently in the manner Pawan Negi finds himself in the spotlight of Indian cricket. Four days ago, he was still bracing the reality of playing on the international stage against Sri Lanka. And now, his inclusion in the World T20 squad is a matter of intense national scrutiny. Roller coaster rides are slower in comparison.
At first glance, the Chennai Super Kings' connection cannot be missed but look beyond it.Negi is a left-arm spinner; the kind Dhoni takes a liking to, from behind the stumps. Give him a slow turner, and a total to defend, throw in a couple good left-arm spinners and watch him weave some winning magic. Ravindra Jadeja and Yuvraj Singh are already present, so does Negi's presence cause an imbalance to the squad?

That might not necessarily be the case. In Australia, Dhoni had talked about choosing players who can fulfill more than just one role. Sandeep Patil pretty much repeated the same words in the Friday press conference, stressing on picking players 'who can bat at numbers 6, 7 & 8 while fulfilling multiple duties for the team'. A left-arm spinner, and a useful slogger (on evidence, better than Axar Patel certainly), Negi fits the bill perfectly.

That word 'slogger' gains significance here. It is the key area where team India has been strengthened, particularly when you compare how the last World T20 ended in Dhaka. Through that tournament, Virat Kohli's imperious form carried the team to the finals. Apart from him, no other batsman really had a consistent hit in the middle, and that is the norm with a format like this. Even so, it reflected negatively when the Indian middle order was called upon, particularly in the final against Sri Lanka.

Now, compare this current squad with that 2014 one. Leaving aside the set batting order, the slogging duties rested primarily on Dhoni, Yuvraj and Raina. Beyond them, the lower order boasted only of Stuart Binny and Amit Mishra, with Jadeja to throw his bat around if needed. Most of the same names appear on the team sheet this time around as well. But the lower order does have more firepower, in the guise of Hardik Pandya and Negi, both of them boasting a healthy T20 strike-rate.

To facilitate this plan, there is expected to be a role reversal between Dhoni and Yuvraj. Up until 2014, the left-hander had to shoulder the big hitting responsibility with the skipper in-charge of finishing things. As seen through the Australian tour, Dhoni now prefers to come at number four if there are only a few overs remaining, leaving Yuvraj and Raina to bring up the rear. It was one of the primary reasons why Yuvraj didn't get to bat in the first two T20Is in Adelaide and Melbourne.

"The top-order is playing well now, and in this form, Virat and Rohit (Sharma) take us deep in the innings. With wickets in hand and only 4-5 overs to go, it is my time to bat, to hit the big shots. If early wickets fall, depending on the situation we will send Raina and Yuvraj ahead of me, but otherwise batting lower allows them more freedom to express themselves," Dhoni said, post the T20I series win in Melbourne.

It is a puzzle the Indian team management has been trying to solve for the past two years, but without much success in the ODI arena. The shortest format maybe a dumbed-down version of the same, yet allows a renewed approach.

As also showcased in Australia, the skipper has the option of bowling Pandya for a couple overs. That in turn allows an additional pace-bowling all-rounder in the side, in turn elongating the batting order until number 8, even possibly number 9. Furthermore, it allows a buffer in terms of firepower given that Dhoni and Yuvraj are no longer the mighty batsmen they once were, with Raina's form the glue that will hold this middle order together.

It can be argued that this particular selection/strategy only replaces Binny with Pandya-Negi, thus hedging bets on their inexperience and domestic performances. No, instead, it diversifies the options available to the team management when a particular combination of batsmen is unable to fire, an aspect missing from 2014. The availability of an additional all-round slogging option in the playing eleven adds some much needed punch to the lower order.

In the end then, only one question remains. Is this squad good enough to win a title India last won in 2007? On paper, yes! Only time will tell though, for the unpredictability of the T20 format cannot be tided over easily.

Live: IPL Auction 2016

09.32 am

Professor Ratnakar Shetty welcomes everyone, says the player auctions mark the beginning of the IPL season. True enough, it does. And often provides more excitement than even a close Twenty20 game.

09.28 am

Right, we’re all set to start. There are 351 names in there, but a maximum of only 116 can be picked. There are going to be far fewer than those picked though. Practically, every franchise is not going to go to its limit of 27 players on the roster – in fact, none might. The maximum number of overseas players that can be picked is 36 overall, but it’s likely that even that quota will not be exhausted.

U-19 World Cup: Mighty India up against high-spirited Namibia in quarter-finals

© Provided by IBNLive Image Credit: ICC.

India will aim to build on their dominant showing in the pool stages when they take on an unpredictable Namibian unit in the quarterfinals of the ICC U -19 World Cup on Friday.

India went about their job in clinical fashion beating Ireland, New Zealand and Nepal by big margins in Group D.