Tag: Shikhar Dhawan

Ind vs Eng 5th T20I: Battle for supremacy among two best teams in series-decider | Cricket News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


AHMEDABAD: Having outsmarted England in challenging conditions, a confident India will back themselves to win the series-decider here on Saturday and take another firm step towards finalising their core for the T20 World Cup.
India, who went into the series with a fresh and fearless approach in the shortest format, find themselves well-placed in their preparations for the mega event at home later this year, irrespective of what happens in the fifth game.
The Virat Kohli-led side, which did not have the depth earlier to attack in all situations, finds itself full of ‘x-factor’ with the emergence of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, whose willow bludgeoned the England bowlers, making it a dream debut on Friday.

His innings at number three was pure delight and left even the likes of Kohli “stunned”, reinforcing the role of IPL in providing polished talent to the national team.
It was not a surprise that Suryakumar found a place in the squad for the upcoming ODI series.
“It’s not easy to walk in at three in your first game and we all were stunned. He stamped his authority and allowed the likes of Shreyas, Hardik and Pant to do their job. I am a fan of these youngsters,” said Kohli referring to Suryakumar.
With Kishan and Suryakumar making massive impact in their maiden series, Haryana all-rounder Rahul Tewatia is the only one in the squad left to make his debut and that could happen on Saturday.
Another big plus for India in the series has been Hardik Pandya contributing with the ball regularly. He was among the star bowlers on Thursday, taking two wickets for 16 runs in four overs.

Leggie Rahul Chahar, playing in place of Yuzvendra Chahal, also did a decent job while Washington Sundar had a rare off day.
India will now be hoping KL Rahul fires at the top, having showed some form in the previous game following scores of 1, 0, 0.
Kohli must have got a lot of satisfaction out of the fact that India were able to put up a big score and defend with the dew around in the night. It was the first time in the series that the team batting first went on to the win the game.
England, on the other hand, will expect Jos Buttler and world’s number one batsman Dawid Malan to show more consistency with the bat.
The pace duo of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been impressive but they have not got a lot of support from Chris Jordan, who leaked most runs in the fourth T20.
“We are just trying to learn as much as we can in this series. The progression to the World Cup in seven months is important,” said Morgan following the eight-run loss.
“….We really want to play in must win games like these. Certainly all to play for now. Playing away from home and winning will be great.”
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Tewatia, Ishan Kishan
England: Eoin Morgan (captain), Joss Buttler, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

On This Day: Shikhar Dhawan Scores Fastest Test Hundred On Debut vs Australia in 2013

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


On This Day: Shikhar Dhawan Scores Fastest Test Hundred On Debut vs Australia in 2013

Back on March 18, 2013, Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan finally got his chance to stride out for India and he made this opportunity count. He entered history books by smashing the fastest century on Test debut.

India were taking on Australia in Mohali where the 27-year-old became the 13th Indian cricketer to slam a century on debut when he smacked 104 not out off just 85 balls against the Aussies in the third Test.



[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment ,

Ind vs Eng, 4th T20 | India seeks quick solutions in its bid to keep the series alive

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Home side has to deal with selection questions and powerplay batting issues against Wood and Archer; winning the toss will help, given the success of chasing sides so far

Much was made of the importance of winning the toss and batting first in the preceding Test series, but as it turns out, the spin of the coin has played an equally vital role in the T20Is. Only this time, opting to field has been the preferred option, leading to easy victories for the chasing side in all three outings so far.

Trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, India skipper Virat Kohli will hope to win the toss and bat second in the fourth T20I here on Thursday.

Awkward, sticky bounce

A combination of factors has contributed to this trend. On the slow Narendra Modi Stadium pitches, the early overs have offered an awkward, sticky bounce. This has forced normally attacking batsmen to bide their time in order to come to grips with the surface.

In the first and third T20Is, India’s task was made that much harder by the brilliance of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. Both England pacers have been rapid, touching the 150 kmph mark, while generating steep bounce from short of a length. They have attacked the stumps as well, evidenced by Wood cleaning up K.L. Rahul with a terrific in-dipper on Tuesday, and when Wood and Archer hit timber to send back Shikhar Dhawan and Rahul respectively in the first outing.

Restricted to measly returns in the PowerPlay — 22/3 in the first T20I and 24/3 in the third — India was forced to play catch-up.

England captain Eoin Morgan has preferred to chase, a sentiment echoed by teammate Jos Buttler. “In T20 cricket in general, there seems to be a trend where batting second is advantageous,” Buttler said, after his unbeaten 83 on Tuesday.

Clarity of thought

Buttler was likely referring to the clarity of thought when hunting a fixed target, as opposed to spending time to assess a good total when batting first. The dew factor under lights — which leads to bowlers facing difficulty in gripping the ball — also sways the argument in favour of chasing.

India, meanwhile, has some selection questions to answer. Will Suryakumar Yadav — left out for the third T20I despite not getting a chance to bat on his international debut on Sunday — be given another chance to prove his worth? And what of Rahul, who has scored only one run in the series so far. If Rahul is dropped, Ishan Kishan could move up from one-drop to opener — a spot where he tasted great success in the second T20I.

The teams (from):

India: Virat Kohli (Capt.), Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rahul Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, and Shardul Thakur.

England: Eoin Morgan (Capt.), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, and Mark Wood.

Match starts at 7 p.m.

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

Subscription Benefits Include

Today’s Paper

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day’s newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Unlimited Access

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

Personalised recommendations

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Faster pages

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

Dashboard

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

Briefing

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

Support Quality Journalism.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

4th T20I: India need to effectively counter England’s rampaging speedsters to draw level | Cricket News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


The Indian top-order’s aggression vs England’s raw pace. This face-off in the ongoing T20 series has been enchanting, with the latter holding sway more than the former.
This will again be the focal point when India, down 1-2, look to level the series in the fourth T20I in Ahmedabad on Thursday night.

The injury-plagued Mark Wood, who missed the second match, and Jofra Archer have been India’s bugbears, with some assistance from Chris Jordan. With their reliance on pace and the ability to hit the deck constantly at upwards of 140 kmph, they have deconstructed India’s top batsmen with clinical efficiency. In the process, they also seem to have shown the rest of the world what it takes to shackle Indian batsmen during Power Play, offering another option beyond swing to get the job done.
In the series opener, India were restricted to 22/3 in Power Play, amongst their lowest scores in the first six overs ever. In the second match, with Ishan Kishan opening the innings alongside KL Rahul, the home side were 50/1 at the six-over mark, batting second. But they failed again on Tuesday night, crashing to 24/3 on batting first for the second time in three matches.

While the top order has perished early, boundaries too have been few and far between. Wood (4) and Archer (3) have shared seven wickets but more importantly, they have struck at crucial junctures to put their team in a position of strength. Archer came up with a match-winning 3/23 in the opener, complemented by Wood’s 3/31 in the third contest.
Outlining his role in the team, 31-year-old Wood on Tuesday said, “My role in the team is to try and bang it on a good length and make something happen. We have some fantastic death bowlers – Archer and Jordan – but I can do the role.”

Thursday’s match is a must-win for India if they are to stay in contention in the series. In the larger scheme of things, these are among the few T20s in India’s schedule before the World Cup at home in October-November, and Virat Kohli & Co will be keen to tie up the loose ends.
A misfiring Rahul, who has opened with three different partners – Shikhar Dhawan, Kishan and Rohit Sharma – in as many matches, will have to find form quickly, especially given the open support offered by the team management. His return to run-scoring ways could be the answer to England’s menacing pace and probing lengths.

While the focus has been on the Indian batting, the bowlers haven’t been in peak form either. Where England have come out all guns blazing in Power Play, India will fret over having conceded 151 runs (50, 44, 57) in three matches and accounted for just two wickets in that 18-over pocket. They will have to bring their A game to the table and strike before the powerful English line-up settles down.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , ,

4th T20I: In must-win game, India aim to negate toss factor against England | Cricket News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


AHMEDABAD: India would aim to take the toss out of equation and put up a much improved all-round show against a formidable England in their to bid to level the series in the fourth Twenty20, here on Thursday.
The template of win the toss and bowl has been set in the series with the chasing team getting home rather comfortably.
However, India skipper Virat Kohli has repeatedly stressed on the need to do well whether they are posting totals or chasing as part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup at home later this year.

In the two games they lost after batting first, India struggled in the powerplay, which impacting their final total despite one batsman (Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli respectively) going on to make a significant contribution.
A lot of it was down to KL Rahul not being amongst the runs but Kohli made it amply clear that the Karnataka batsman and Rohit Sharma remain their preferred opening combination.
“If you look at his stats in the last 2-3 years, they are probably better than anyone in T20. He will continue to be one of our main batters along with Rohit at the top of the order. We don’t have any concerns there,” said Kohli.
The express pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer has also made life tough for the Indians in the first six overs. They have been able to extract disconcerting bounce from the surface, putting the batsmen in two minds.

Going by Kohli’s words post the third game, a third all-rounder alongside Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar can be drafted into the side with the choice between uncapped Rahul Tewatia and Axar Patel.
Unlike the first game, Kohli’s sublime 77 ensure India did have some runs to defend but the bowlers hardly troubled the opposition batsmen with Jos Buttler running away with the contest.
The team’s number one spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has leaked runs both times India have set a target.
Hardik Pandya’s return as a bowling all-rounder has been promising but he is yet to take a wicket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has kept things tidy in his comeback series but the team expects him to provide regular breakthroughs with the new ball.
Offie Washington Sundar has been the stand out bowler for India with four wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.95.
Despite India being 1-2 down, no major changes are expected in the playing eleven.
England, like India, also want to win in all conditions and will be buoyed by their emphatic win in the previous game.
Buttler being amongst the runs is also a cause of worry for India as on his day he can demolish any attack in the world.
Jonny Bairstow, who had a horror run in the two Tests he played against India, came up with a morale boosting 40* on Tuesday.
Now England are waiting for the world’s number one batsman Dawid Malan to fire.
It will take a special effort from India to stop the number one ranked team from winning the series on Thursday night. The hosts winning the toss should make their task less tough.
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Tewatia, Ishan Kishan
England: Eoin Morgan (captain), Joss Buttler, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , , , ,

India vs England: Pressure builds on Shikhar Dhawan to retain his spot | Cricket News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan‘s success as opener may put pressure on Shikhar Dhawan to retain his place in the Indian team ahead of the T20 World Cup that is scheduled to be held in October-November this year in India.
Dhawan, who has been a permanent fixture in India’s white-ball squads, has of late been dabbling between two roles — whether to anchor or play aggressively, both in the Indian team and at his IPL franchise, Delhi Capitals.
The left-handed opener was benched for the second T20 International after making a 12-ball four in the first game which India lost. He was replaced by Kishan, who smashed 56 off 32 balls. It is unlikely that Dhawan will return unless Rohit Sharma, who is due to return for the third game after resting for the first two matches, extends his break. Sharma will likely replace KL Rahul while Kishan will continue opening ahead of Dhawan in the third T20I.

Dhawan’s returns in recent matches for India haven’t been disappointing — he helped India chase a 195-run target during the first T20I in Australia with a 36-ball 52. But they haven’t been very good either — there have been multiple failures to convert starts. Such is India’s bench that a few failures, especially to get on top of the bowling, can push one to the fringes.
Prior to lockdown, Dhawan missed the T20I series in New Zealand where both Rohit Sharma and Rahul excelled to become primary contenders to open in T20Is.

Post lockdown, Dhawan was given a chance to return to his position. His returns in T20Is have been 1, 52, 28 and 4 (in the last game).
His inconsistent run in the domestic matches he has played over the last few months has been even more disappointing.
Barring a 153 against Maharashtra, his stint in the recent Vijay Hazare one-dayers was largely unfruitful. His scores in the domestic one-day tournament were 0, 6, 0, 153 and 44. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament that preceded it, he got scores of 23, 5, 77 and 0.
Prior to the Australia tour, Dhawan however had a productive Indian Premier League (IPL) season making 618 runs at an average of over 44 with two centuries and four fifties.
Former India cricketer MSK Prasad, who was chairman of the previous selection committee, however, said that Dhawan cannot be written off in white-ball format.
“Unfortunately he is not getting the runs. But he will definitely be in contention for a spot in the T20 World Cup. He cannot be written off in white ball format. He has been a phenomenal and proven performer,” Prasad told IANS.
Prasad though added that the healthy headache India are facing with youngsters coming in and performing doesn’t allow anyone even if it is the experienced Dhawan to let his guard down.
“At the same time the next brigade is coming, and the bench strength is great. This is a healthy headache. Till recently, Sanju Samson was there. But now he is not. So with so many players coming and performing, you need to keep performing irrespective of the fact that you are a senior or junior,” added Prasad.
“In such an atmosphere, the only way you can keep your place in the eleven is by performing.”
What goes against Dhawan is that he isn’t as flexible as the others and is thus more vulnerable to the axe. Most of the batsmen like Rahul or Virat Kohli or even Rohit Sharma can bat in the middle-order.
Unlike them, Dhawan has always been an opener in white-ball formats and additionally, according to sources close to him, ‘tasked with going after the bowling with Rohit playing the anchor’s role’.
“All these questions arise when someone is not performing or is not matching up to expectations. If he was doing well, this question (of him being one-dimensional) wouldn’t have arisen at all. There are many players in this team who play only as batsmen – Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma,” said Prasad.
The ex-chief selector, however, agreed that the others are more flexible.
“I agree, they are all a bit flexible as compared to Dhawan and can adapt to batting positions. KL, Virat have batted in the middle-order. I would still prefer KL in the middle,” he added.
But with time running out, Dhawan may have to prove himself all over again at this year’s IPL. Considering that this is India’s last big international T20I series, an IPL as productive as the one in 2020 can keep him in contention.
“Kishan has shown he belongs to this league. The way he played last year’s IPL and the knock yesterday. It is not easy to keep your place in the face of it. You have to keep performing. The countdown towards the T20 World Cup has begun and selectors will make up their mind,” said Prasad.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

India vs England: We weren’t aware of what we had to do on that pitch, says Virat Kohli | Cricket News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


AHMEDABAD: Outgunned by England on a tricky pitch, India skipper Virat Kohli admitted that they were clueless about handling the challenge posed by the conditions in the first T20 international, here on Friday.
Invited to bat, India managed just 124 for seven as the batsmen struggled to cope with the two-paced track at the Motera stadium. England, however, chased the target comfortably, scoring 130 for 2 in 15.3 overs.
Kohli, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan fell to poor shots, something about which the Indian skipper looked concerned.

“We just weren’t aware of what we had to do on that pitch, lack of execution on our shots and something we have to address,” kohli said after going down by eight wickets.
“Accept your faults, come back with more intent, clarity of areas you want to hit. Wicket didn’t allow you to hit the shots we wanted to.”

Kohli was pleased with the determination shown by Shreyas Iyer, who hit a half-century to help India post a respectable total.
“Shreyas showed how to use the crease and ride the bounce. Below par batting performance and England made us play. We looked to try a few things, but having said that you have to accept the conditions.
“If the pitch allows you to, you can be aggressive from ball one. We didn’t spend enough time assessing, Shreyas did but we had lost too many wickets to get to 150-160.”

Asked if switching from Test format to the shortest format was a reason for India’s struggle, Kohli disagreed.
“That shouldn’t be a factor, take pride in playing good white-ball cricket, won our last few T20 series. These five games before the World Cup, we have to try a few things, but we can’t take anything lightly against England.”
Happy to be on the winning side, England skipper said: “(It was a good game) Particularly in the bowling department, the wicket was better for us than we expected, we didn’t have to go to plan B and C very often, which is always a good sign.”

1/9

In Pics: Archer, Roy help England steamroll India in T20 series opener

Show Captions

England’s bowlers did the spadework before opener Jason Roy’s explosive 49 helped secure a comprehensive eight-wicket victory against India in the first Twenty20 International in Ahmedabad on Friday. (ANI Photo)

Opener Jason Roy’s fluent knock ensured that England went about their business calmly.
Morgan was quick to point out the impact Roy has on the team.
“Within the side there’s huge competition, outside the squad, too. Huge support for players who score runs and does well, and when Jason does it gees the boys up.”
Like Kohli, the England captain stressed that there was no Test hangover on players.
“It is a completely different format, very distinct. In big series, like the Ashes, we’ve come out the back and learned from it,” Morgan signed off.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , ,

India vs England T20Is: Top 5 Indian batsmen to watch out for | Cricket News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


After thrashing England 3-1 in the Test series and sealing a World Test Championship final spot, Team India has now set its eyes on the upcoming T20 series vs the English to fine tune their final squad for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held later in the year on their home soil.
India, who have a great mix of talented players, won the last T20 series they played, 2-1 against Australia on Aussie soil last December. With a few new faces in the squad – namely Suryakymar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tewatia – India would be looking to produce an encore against England at home.
On the other hand battered and bruised England, under the leadership of Eoin Morgan, will try to bounce back hard in the slam bang version of the game after getting battered in the longest format 3-1. The white-ball series kicks off with a five-match T20I series in Ahmedabad from March 12 to 20, followed by a three match ODI series in Pune.
As we count down to the T20I series, which begins on Friday, TimsofIndia.com looks at the top five Indian batsmen who can pose a big threat to the English T20 side, which is a completely different kettle of fish as compared to their Test team:
Virat Kohli
The Indian skipper, who is the all-time highest scorer in the shortest format of the game (2928 runs in 79 innings), is surely one of the big guns to watch out for in the upcoming series. Kohli might have been dismissed for a couple of ducks in the Tests vs England, but you can expect one of the most prolific players of this generation to go after the English bowlers from the word go in the shortest format.
Kohli, who is yet to score a ton in T20Is, is due for a big score. The hungry Kohli scored 134 runs in the three games played against Australia last year in the T20I series with 85 being his best in the final T20I, albeit in a losing cause.
Overall, the Indian run-machine has scored 2928 runs, averaging more than 50, in the 85 T20I matches he has played so far in the shortest format of the game and will definitely be the player to watch out for, especially since his ability to finish a game is perhaps second to none.

(Getty Images)
Virat T20I career stats: M 85 | R 2928 | HS 94* | Ave 50.48 | SR 138.43 | 25x50s | 81 sixes
Virat T20I stats vs England: M 12 | R 346 | HS 66 | Ave 31.45 | SR 130.56 | 1x50s | 7 sixes
Rohit Sharma
The incredibly talented Rohit Sharma, who is in really good touch, after scoring a Test century and a fifty against England on challenging tracks, is all set to get into the T20 avatar.
Rohit, in white ball cricket is perhaps the most dangerous batsman in world cricket. The Indian vice-captain, who is currently sitting in third place on the all-time highest run getters list in T20 cricket, behind Virat and Martin Guptill, is one of the cleanest hitters in international cricket.
The ‘Hitman’ has played 108 T20Is for India, scoring 2,773 runs at an average of 32.62, with 4 T20I hundreds – the most overall, and 21 half-centuries to his name. With a strike rate of 138.78, Rohit is a threat for any opposition in the world.
Rohit, who had missed the white-ball formats in Australia due to an injury and a mandatory quarantine, will surely be a key batsman for India in the upcoming series.

(Getty Images)
Rohit T20I career stats: M 108 | R 2773 | HS 118 | Ave 32.62 | SR 138.78 | 4x100s | 21x50s | 127 sixes
Rohit T20I stats vs England: M 8 | R 226 | HS 100* | Ave 45.20 | SR 143.03 | 1x100s | 1x50s | 8 sixes
Shikhar Dhawan
‘Gabbar’, as Shikhar Dhawan is popularly called, will be quite eager to make his mark after an ordinary Australia limited-overs series. It’s been a more than three month break for Dhawan in international cricket, but of late he’s been in the news in the domestic circuit.
Turning up for Delhi, Dhawan recently scored a masterful 153 against Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-over format) and played quite a few good knocks for the state in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
The marauding left-hander has so far played 64 T20Is, scoring 1669 runs at an average of 28.28 with 92 being the highest. Dhawan would certainly look to make amends against England in home conditions after scoring just 81 runs, which included one half-century, in the three T20I matches he played against Australia last year.
Dhawan will be itching to put his best foot forward against the Englishmen as young KL Rahul’s rise as a potent white-ball specialist has spiced up the competition for the opening slot in the Indian team and with this year’s T20 World Cup being held in India, he would certainly be looking to cement his place in the Indian squad for the quadrennial event. Dhawan might not be an assured starter in the T20I series, but if he does find a place in the playing XI, he will be a player to watch out for precisely because he will have a point or two to prove about him belonging in the first XI.

(Getty Images)
Dhawan T20I career stats: M 64 | R 1669 | HS 92 | Ave 28.28 | SR 128.28 | 11x50s | 49 sixes
Dhawan T20I stats vs England: M 4 | R 52 | HS 33 | Ave 13.00 | SR 110.63 | 2 sixes
Rishabh Pant
The young and energetic Pant has made a roaring comeback into the Indian team after putting up a fantastic show against England in the longer version of the game.
Pant, who has not played a white-ball game since January 2020, was dropped from the ODI and T20I squads for the Australia tour last year. But the 23-year-old didn’t get bogged down with his omission from the limited-overs squads. He turned his adversity into opportunity by playing a match-winning unbeaten knock of 89 in the last Test against Australia in Brisbane and continued his good run with another match-winning century against England in the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad.
He has also silenced some doubting Thomases who have been consistently pointing fingers at his wicket-keeping skills, with some solid glove work behind the stumps against England.
Pant has so far represented India in 28 T20Is, scoring just 410 runs at an average of 20.50 with 65* being the highest. But he is not the kind of player who can be judged with his average or scores, as he can turn the match in his team’s favour with a blitzkrieg of a knock lower down the order.

(TOI Photo)
Pant T20I career stats: M 28 | R 410 | HS 65* | Ave 20.50 | SR 121.66 | 2x50s | 18 sixes
Pant T20I stats vs England: M 1 | R 5 | HS 5* | Ave — | SR 166.66
Suryakumar Yadav
The extremely talented and prolific Suryakumar Yadav has finally been rewarded for his consistency after he earned a maiden India call-up for the upcoming T20 series against England.
Suryakumar, who was overlooked for the limited-overs matches in Australia late last year despite scoring 480 runs in IPL 2020 for Mumbai Indians, must have surely been gutted for not being considered, but he continued to toil hard in the domestic circuit to make his presence felt.
And those performances made the selectors carve out space for him in the Indian squad. Suryakumar knocked on the doors of the Indian team with brilliant knocks for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His scores read – 50, 29, 133, 29, and 91 in the five matches he played in the tournament.
A seasoned T20 campaigner, Suryakumar has played 170 career T20s so far – while representing India A, India B, India Blue, India C, India Red, India U-23s, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai and Mumbai Indians over the years – and scored 3567 runs at an average of 31.56, with 94* being his best score.
It won’t be an easy road for him as he will have to fight it out for a spot in the middle-order with the likes of Rahul and statemate Shreyas Iyer. The 30-year-old will be keen to make this opportunity count and try and prove that he should be a first choice pick come the T20 World Cup later this year.

(Getty Images)
Suryakumar career T20 stats: M 170 | R 3567 | HS 94* | Ave 31.56 | SR 140.10 | 19x50s | 116 sixes
Also to watch out for..
KL Rahul
India skipper Virat Kohli on the eve of the first T20I confirmed that KL Rahul will be opening the innings alongside Rohit Sharma.
Rahul, who has been in red-hot form at the top since the last edition of the IPL, has been a consistent performer for the team in the shortest format.
One of the most experienced in the T20Is, the 28-year-old has 1542 runs in 45 games at a strike rate of over 144.
With Rahul now almost a certainty for the World Cup, the swashbuckling batsman will look to hit top gear in the upcoming series.
Against England, Rahul has been phenomenal. In the 6 matches he has played against the English side, Rahul has 227 runs to his name including a top score of 101 not out. The strike rate also has been of the higher side, exceeding 155.
In the T20I series against England, Rahul will look to continue with his fine form and will be a key man for the team at the top of the order.

(Getty Images)
Rahul T20I career stats: M 45 | R 1542 | HS 110* | Ave 44.05 | SR 144.92 | 12x50s | 2x100s | 63 sixes
Rahul T20I stats vs England: M 6 | R 227 | HS 101* | Ave 45.40 | SR 155.47 | 1x50s | 1x100s | 10 sixes

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , ,

India vs England: Shikhar Dhawan sweats it out in training ahead of first T20I | Cricket News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


AHMEDABAD: India opener Shikhar Dhawan has kept no stone unturned to prepare for the upcoming five-match T20I series against India.
With questions being raised as to who will open with star batsman Rohit Sharma in the T20I series, Dhawan is ensuring he ticks all the boxes going into the first game on Friday.
Dhawan on Wednesday shared glimpses of how his training for the shortest format has fared. In the pictures, the left-handed batsman is not only seen smashing his signature sweep shot, but also honing his fielding skills.
“All in a training day’s work,” Dhawan tweeted.

Meanwhile, former India batsman VVS Laxman has picked Rohit and KL Rahul as the opening pair for the upcoming T20I series.
According to the former batsman, Dhawan — despite being in great touch — can be used as a backup opener keeping in mind this year’s T20 World Cup in India.
Speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Laxman said, “It will be a tough question, as far as the selection of the second opener is concerned. There’s no doubt about that because Rohit Sharma is an automatic choice in white-ball cricket. I will still go with KL Rahul because over the last few months and years I think the Indian team management went with KL Rahul as an opening batsman and he has done really well in that position.
“Yes, Shikhar Dhawan had a fantastic IPL, the way he batted at the top of the order, scoring centuries for Delhi Capitals and then he’s in tremendous form for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare, where he scored a big 100 in that tournament as well. With KL Rahul as an opening combination, you want someone who’s second. Keeping in mind the T20 World Cup, you have to identify who your openers are going to be there in the World Cup and back them; don’t chop and change. You have someone as experienced as Shikhar Dhawan, who can be the backup opener in case one of these openers Rohit Sharma/KL Rahul gets injured or loses their form,” he added.



[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , ,