Published on Tuesday 22 June, 2010 at 11:42 am.
Australia vs England, 1st ODI Match, The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Australia vs England, 1st ODI Match, The Rose Bowl, Southampton, On Jun 22, 2010 from 13:30 GMT | 19:00 IST Onwards
England may have enjoyed success against Australia during the past year but captain Andrew Strauss insists they remain the team to beat in one-day internationals. The old rivals begin a five-match limited overs series at the Rose Bowl here on Tuesday with England, who won the Ashes last year and beat Australia in the World Twenty20 final in Barbados last month, looking to complete a ‘treble’ with victory over the Aussies in the third of international cricket’s formats.
But Australia are world champions in the 50-over game. Last year, after losing the Ashes on English soil, they thrashed England 6-1 in a one-day series and then beat them by nine wickets in the semi-finals on the way to winning the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
Australia have arrived in England without injured fast bowlers Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle and now it is down to the likes of left-arm quick Doug Bollinger, Clint McKay and Ryan Harris to plug the gaps.
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Published on Tuesday 22 June, 2010 at 4:36 am.
India vs Sri Lanka, 6th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
India vs Sri Lanka, 6th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla, On Jun 22, 2010 from 09:00 GMT | 14:30 IST Onwards
With both sides having qualified for the Asia Cup final on Thursday, the “dead game” being played 48 hours before the final is not just going to be a practice game, says Harbhajan. “It is a serious game for both sides and that is the way we are approaching it,” he said, sidestepping who India are planning to play in the game to rest other players.
What is known is that Dinesh Karthik, Indian selectors favourite failure is back in the side again as the Krish Srikkanth panel’s dalliance with the Chennai chump replacing the injured Virender Sehwag whose hamstring twinge has ruled him out of the final two games and the series. Word from the coaching hotplate is that he is likely to be fit for the Test series on the emerald isle next month, with the first of three being played in Galle from July 20.
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Published on Monday 21 June, 2010 at 4:31 am.
Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 5th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 5th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla, On Jun 21, 2010 from 09:00 GMT | 14:30 IST Onwards
Out of contention for the finals, Pakistan and Bangladesh will aim to sign off on a positive note when they clash in an inconsequential preliminary match of the Asia Cup ODI cricket tournament here on Monday. Shahid Afridi made it clear that Pakistan would rest senior players like Shoaib Akthar and Abdul Razzaq to allow the youngsters in the side to gain experience and confidence.
We want Akthar to be part of the 2011 World Cup team. So we will conserve through the rest of the year and ensure that he stays fit for the big event. We will rest him along with some senior players for Monday’s match against Bangladesh, said Afridi. The Pakistan captain wasn’t happy with the performance of the youngsters.
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Published on Saturday 19 June, 2010 at 3:30 am.
India vs Pakistan, 4th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
India vs Pakistan, 4th ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla, On Jun 19, 2010 from 09:00 GMT | 14:30 IST Onwards
It will be a battle of attrition when arch rivals India and Pakistan resume their high-voltage cricketing rivalry after eight months in an Asia Cup match here on Saturday. The battle lines have been drawn for what is regarded as most sought-after match in world cricket, which dwarfs the interest evinced even in the Ashes series between England and Australia.
Though the wicket is not ideal for an ODI, it should produce an electrifying contest as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shahid Afridi’s men fight for supremacy at the Rangiri Dambulla international stadium.The last time the teams met across the square, Pakistan had the measure of India in the Champions Trophy in South Africa last September and Dhoni’s legion would be aching for revenge.
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Published on Friday 18 June, 2010 at 7:56 am.
West Indies vs South Africa, 2nd Test Match, Warner Park, Basseterre
West Indies vs South Africa, 2nd Test Match, Warner Park, Basseterre, On Jun 18, 2010 from 14:00 GMT | 19:30 IST Onwards
South Africa look set to continue their dominance over West Indies in Tests, and formalist another Test series victory, when the second Test opens on Friday at Warner Park.
The South Africans lead the three-match series 1-0, after they completed a 163-run victory inside four days in the opening Test last Sunday at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
The Proteas have not lost a Test series against the Windies, since a 52-run defeat in Barbados 18 years ago marked their return to Tests, following isolation from international cricket.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith wants to keep this proud record in place, and land a victory that would also help to keep his team in the No.1 position in Tests.
“I am sure the West Indies are very frustrated,” said Smith after the first Test. “We knew that our ability to maintain pressure on them was going to be tested, and we were able to do what we wanted to do, and that was to keep our foot on their heads.”
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Published on Friday 18 June, 2010 at 3:30 am.
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 3rd ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, 3rd ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla, On Jun 18, 2010 from 09:00 GMT | 14:30 IST Onwards
Defending champions Sri Lanka will look to crush a beleaguered Bangladesh and enhance their chances of making the Asia Cup final when the two sides clash here on Friday. Four-time champions Lanka, who defeated Pakistan by 16 runs in their first outing on Tuesday, need one more victory to virtually qualify for the June 24 summit clash.
For Bangladesh, Friday’s clash has become a do-or-die contest as they are coming into the match after a six-wicket defeat against India and one more drubbing would be enough to spell their ouster. Given their potential and the advantage of playing in home conditions, Sri Lanka are not likely to be troubled by Shakib Al Hasan’s team.
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Published on Thursday 17 June, 2010 at 6:21 am.
Australia vs Ireland , 1st ODI Match, Castle Avenue, Dublin
Australia vs Ireland , 1st ODI Match, Castle Avenue, Dublin, On Jun 17, 2010 from 09:45 GMT | 15:15 IST Onwards
The Irish will host Australia in their first 50-over meeting since the 2007 World Cup, when they were soundly beaten by nine wickets. Ireland have managed just two wins in 17 ODIs against Test-playing nations in their short history, the most notable of which came against Pakistan at the Caribbean World Cup three years ago.
And while Porterfield is hopeful rather than expectant of beating that high watermark success, he believes it is not beyond his side.”It doesn’t get any bigger, taking someone down in your own back yard, the world champions,” he said.’
Everyone in the squad has yapped about it at some time. Beating them, or scoring the winning runs or taking the winning wicket, making that match-winning performance.”We have to step up tomorrow and put it all together and perform. If we do that then we’ve got a great chance of doing something special.
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Published on Wednesday 16 June, 2010 at 5:07 am.
India vs Bangladesh, 2nd ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
India vs Bangladesh, 2nd ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla, On Jun 16, 2010 from 09:00 GMT | 14:30 IST Onwards
A rejuvenated India would aim to redeem their tarnished pride and end a 15-year-old jinx when they start their Asia Cup cricket campaign against Bangladesh at the Rangiri Dambulla ground on Wednesday.
Hurting from their debacles in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup (West Indies) and the tri-series in Zimbabwe, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men would be desperate to win back the confidence of fans after being accused of being more loyal to their IPL teams than the country.
The Asia Cup title, which they last won in 1995, will be the perfect balm to calm frayed nerves and bury the ghosts of the recent past. Unlike in the West Indies and Zimbabwe, India have a near full-strength team to achieve what they have set out for. Except for Sachin Tendulkar, who opted to spend time with his family, and Yuvraj Singh, dropped for poor form, India more or less have the nucleus of the 2011 World Cup team here.
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Published on Tuesday 15 June, 2010 at 6:51 am.
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 1st ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 1st ODI Match, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla, On Jun 15, 2010 from 09:00 GMT | 14:30 IST Onwards
The first game of the Asia Cup will be played between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The game, like all the others will be played at Dambulla, and will be a day-night game.
Sri Lanka will go into the game with a lot of confidence, after their second string side just beat India and Zimbabwe in the tri-series. However, what the Lankans will definitely be aware of is that of the mercurial nature of their opposition, especially given the fact that they will be led by Shahid Afridi.
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Published on Sunday 13 June, 2010 at 7:40 am.
India vs Zimbabwe, 2nd T20 Match, Harare Sports Club, Harare
India vs Zimbabwe, 2nd T20 Match, Harare Sports Club, Harare, On Jun 13, 2010 from 11:00 GMT | 16:30 IST Onwards
The host team, which lost the tri-series final to Sri Lanka, would be plotting another shocker for the Indians on Sunday.The break that followed their tri-series ouster has given Suresh Raina’s men enough time to chalk out their plans to avoid another stunner from Elton Chigumbura’s fighting side.
The key to India’s success is batting and the line-up is desperately missing the heavyweights, who were rested from the series.
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