Dhoni urges India to finish strongly
Tourists aim to end tour jinx against England.
LONDON:
India captain MS Dhoni has urged his side to finish their difficult summer with a flourish in Friday’s fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) against England in Cardiff.
A dramatic tied match at Lord’s on Sunday gave England, who are 2-0 up with one to play, the series but Dhoni’s team have one last chance to get an international win this summer. They were beaten 4-0 in the Test series, lost the one-off Twenty20 and were 2-0 with one no result going into the fourth ODI.
And Dhoni has demanded his side that has been decimated by injuries does not relax now that the series is gone.
“Every game is important,” said Dhoni after the tied game. “Despite the fact that we have lost the series every game is important and we want a victory in the final match.”
For some of the younger players, the final match is their last opportunity to impress their captain before England play five ODIs in India before Christmas.
Dhoni has lost eight players to injury on this tour including big names such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and expects the youngsters to make way for the established players when they host the five-match series. Players such as 22-year-old Ravindra Jadeja, 24-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin and 23-year-old Ajinkya Rahane have featured in this series but may have to take a back seat when the veterans are fit again.
Dhoni added, “We have quite a few players who we have to get fit and who will be back in the ODI squad. The seniors always get the upper hand so it is tough for the youngsters but this is a good grooming period and once their time comes we all know they will be there for the next five or ten years.”
England pile on India’s misery
Earlier, the hosts tied the fourth ODI leaving the world champions still winless in all forms of cricket on their tour this summer.
Ravi Bopara made 96 as England chased India’s 280 for five but when he was the eighth man out with his team on 270 and rain bought the teams off, they were tied on the Duckworth Lewis method.
Broad suffers injury
Stuart Broad has been diagnosed with a torn shoulder muscle and will be out of action for a ‘number of weeks’.
Broad will miss the final match on Friday, the Twenty20 series against West Indies and the return ODI series in India next month.
England and Wales Cricket Board chief medical officer Dr Nick Peirce said, “Exact timescales will be determined in due course but he is likely to be ruled out of cricket for a number of weeks.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2011.
India captain MS Dhoni has urged his side to finish their difficult summer with a flourish in Friday’s fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) against England in Cardiff.
A dramatic tied match at Lord’s on Sunday gave England, who are 2-0 up with one to play, the series but Dhoni’s team have one last chance to get an international win this summer. They were beaten 4-0 in the Test series, lost the one-off Twenty20 and were 2-0 with one no result going into the fourth ODI.
And Dhoni has demanded his side that has been decimated by injuries does not relax now that the series is gone.
“Every game is important,” said Dhoni after the tied game. “Despite the fact that we have lost the series every game is important and we want a victory in the final match.”
For some of the younger players, the final match is their last opportunity to impress their captain before England play five ODIs in India before Christmas.
Dhoni has lost eight players to injury on this tour including big names such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and expects the youngsters to make way for the established players when they host the five-match series. Players such as 22-year-old Ravindra Jadeja, 24-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin and 23-year-old Ajinkya Rahane have featured in this series but may have to take a back seat when the veterans are fit again.
Dhoni added, “We have quite a few players who we have to get fit and who will be back in the ODI squad. The seniors always get the upper hand so it is tough for the youngsters but this is a good grooming period and once their time comes we all know they will be there for the next five or ten years.”
England pile on India’s misery
Earlier, the hosts tied the fourth ODI leaving the world champions still winless in all forms of cricket on their tour this summer.
Ravi Bopara made 96 as England chased India’s 280 for five but when he was the eighth man out with his team on 270 and rain bought the teams off, they were tied on the Duckworth Lewis method.
Broad suffers injury
Stuart Broad has been diagnosed with a torn shoulder muscle and will be out of action for a ‘number of weeks’.
Broad will miss the final match on Friday, the Twenty20 series against West Indies and the return ODI series in India next month.
England and Wales Cricket Board chief medical officer Dr Nick Peirce said, “Exact timescales will be determined in due course but he is likely to be ruled out of cricket for a number of weeks.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2011.