India won by 20 runs

KINGSTON: India registered a splendid win against host West Indies on Friday. After scoring a mammoth total of 339/ 6, the guest restricted the host at 319 when 11 deliveries to bowl. Thus India take a 1-0 lead in th four-match series. Yuvraj Sigh won the man of the match trophy by hitting 131 runs off 102 deliveries. It included 7 huge sixes and 10 fours. However, the West Indies didn't leave behind to chase that marathon total and reply in the same spirit. But wickets at regular interval prevent them to achieve the target. Earlier, Indian opener Dinesh Karthik scored 67 off 77 bowls.


Indian captain MS Dhoni (41), Yusuf Pathan (40 unbeaten) and Harbhajan Singh (21 not out) also chipped in with useful contributions. Early dismissals of Gautam Gambhir (13) and Rohit Sharma (4) had left India reeling at 32 for two but Yuvraj and Karthik batted with patience to not only save India from more jolts but also laid a solid platform for a good finish. Shivnarain Chanderpaul top scored with 63 and Denesh Ramdin played a sparkling 29-run knock down the order.The big-hitting Dwayne Bravo (8) though was extremely unlucky as he got out on a high full toss of Ishant Sharma but umpires did not call that a no-ball.


Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo, making his debut, added 36 quick runs wicket but just when the partnership had started looking threatening Yusuf separated the pair by dismissing the former, ending all hopes of the hosts. For India, Nehra (3/49) and Yusuf Pathan (3/56) took three wickets each.

Don't underestimate starless Indian team: Dyson

West Indies coach John Dyson warned his team not to underestimate starless guest Indian cricket team. He also tell the team to be aware of new boys in the rival team. The four-match ODI series between India and West Indies is going to start from Friday at Sabina Park. The West Indian coach arrived in Jamaica yesterday with six other West Indies players, including Trinidadian Darren Bravo, Dwayne's brother and the coach felt the youngster stood a good chance in the series.


The visiting Indian team is without their star players Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. Instead, the team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni has the likes of Abhishek Nayar, S Badrinath and Murali Vijay in the ranks players who are virtually unknown to the West Indies. Dyson said the hosts would make a mistake if they take the Indian rookies lightly in the series. "We don't know how they're going to perform and that's something we have to monitor as the series progresses," Dyson said.

Ganguly urges to support players but criticism

NEW DELHI: Once a most successful captain of the Indian cricket team urged on Saturday the cricket fans to support the 'fighters' of the Dhoni bridge. He requested not to criticize the players as well. Former skipper also agreed with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who said that burnout was not the cause of his team's debacle in the ICC Twenty20 World CUP. He quoted as saying, “"I don't think getting tired is an issue. I think you should support the boys. They have had a wonderful one and a half years. They have just not done well in one tournament.


There is lots of talent and ability and they will give the results again. It was just one bad day in office."Ganguly also felt it was important for the Indian team that opener Virender Sehwag recover soon from his shoulder injury. Hopefully, he gets well soon because he is so important for India," he told a TV channel. The cricketer-turned-commentator said he would support Sri Lanka in their T20 World Cup final match against Pakistan. "With Sri Lanka and Pakistan (pitted against one another), I will back Sri Lanka. But anybody can win it, it's difficult to say which team," he said.

Women's T20 WC: India to take on Kiwis in semis'

NOTTINGHAM: Indian women's cricket team will take on New Zealand on Thursday in the first semi-final of the women's Twenty20 World Cup. India has shown its strength in the last two league matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. To defeat New Zealand is not an easy task as the letter has won its all matches. India's opening pair of Punam Raut and Anjum Chopra has not been able to give them a rollicking start.


Although Anjum stood as a wall playing some good knocks, Raut struggled in her first match against England, scoring only four runs. But the left-handed teen will take some confidence from her 41-ball 30-run knock in the last outing against Sri Lanka, which set the tone for India's five-wicket win.


The middle order also looks a bit shaky with batters crumbling under pressure while chasing paltry targets. Even in their last match against Sri Lanka, the middle-order fall like a house of cards before Mithali Raj saved India the blushes with a 22-ball 32 which eventually sealed their semifinal berth.

Music Mantra: old fashion in the air

NOIDA: Again the Indian cricket team is playing a mega tournament and the fans at home pray for their win. As usual, a new music album was released to boost the team. The album is expected to win the hearts of the cricket fans here and cricketers as well.

Music company Saregama has launched an album, "India Hai Meri Jaan", to impart new life to the Indian team's youngsters. The album, released by World Cup Winning captain, Kapil Dev here on Thursday, has songs written, sung and composed by Padamjeet Sehrawat, a former national level player and ESPN commentator. Virender Sehwag, who is nursing a shoulder injury in England, tele-launched the album with a message for his fans on the occasion.

The album enthuses and cheers for national, cultural and sporting sentiments in the country and features a number of sportspersons and celebrities who brought laurels to the country. The occasion was also marked by the presence of Maninder Singh, Sanaa Bhambri, Satish Babar, singer Shankar Sahni.

Sehwag ends controversy

NEW DELHI: The on going controversy due to Virender Sehwag's injury is seem to be over. Sehwag accepts that he was injured during the second edition of the Indian Premiere League in South Africa last month. He declared that he got injured while playing with Deccan Chargers in the semifinal of the tournament.

Now he will take treatment of the injured part. It may be recalled that Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni denied to comment on Sehwag's injury in a press conference in England. It was also told that Dhoni wanted to place another Indian player as an opener in place of Sehwag due to his weak performance in the recent past.

In addition, Delhi Daredevils team manager TA Sekar also put a different view. He told that Sehwag had a finger injury and recovered it in no time.

IPL reception was terrific but inaugural

KOLKATA: Mumbai Indian's skipper and team member of Indian cricket team Sachin Tendulkar said that he was terrified with the reception got in both inaugural and second edition of Indian Premier League. However, he was not as happy as in Inaugural IPL. He said that the first year was definitely better. He explained it by saying that playing in India is a different ball game altogether.

The cricket icon, here for a promotional event, was, however, all praise for South Africa for hosting the tournament grandly in such a short notice. "They got very little time - three and half weeks - to put everything together to organise such a great tournament. They have done a terrific job. But if you give me a choice, then obviously it's going to be India. The response was much bigger and better (in IPL I)," the 36-year-old told reporters here. The batting great, who has opted out of the ICC World Twenty20 in England, said India would successfully defend the title.