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Zim vs Ind 2022 - Shikhar Dhawan embraces spirituality to stay positive

Shikhar Dhawan loves playing the flute. It gives him a sense of calm. He has also embraced spirituality, which he believes has opened his eyes to a world of positivity.

"I learnt it through spirituality," he said when asked on Tuesday how he has remained calm through the many highs and lows in his career. "You need to practice [having a calm mindset] just like you practice cricket.

"It's something I try and pass on to the youngsters as well. As cricketers, we are all living our dream, and if you don't live happily [despite that], what's the point? It's small things like these. I don't try and let negativity seep in. I try to be positive always."

It's perhaps this mindset that allows Dhawan to accept circumstances easily. Just a one-format player internationally now, Dhawan said he "loves the 50-overs game" and is out to continue his good work from the Caribbean, where he led India to a 3-0 sweep. His 168 runs, including two half-centuries, made him the second-highest run-getter in the series after Shubman Gill.

Dhawan is returning to Zimbabwe after nine years. Coming back to Harare is bound to bring back happy memories - in the second ODI of that 2013 tour, he struck a match-winning 116. He hoped the upcoming series would bring even more runs on what he thought would be "great batting wickets".

He was, however, clear that runs wouldn't come easy. Zimbabwe's recent run of form - they beat Bangladesh 2-1 earlier this month - should keep India on their toes. "It's good they won against Bangladesh," Dhawan said. "I'm sure they're playing good cricket. It's good for us, because it will keep us on our toes. We can't take anything for granted or lightly. We're here to perform against a good team. It's always about the process."

"It's very good news that KL is back in the side. He's one of the main players of the Indian team and with the Asia Cup coming up, it's going to be a good outing for him. I'm sure he'll gain a lot from this tour"
Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan admitted to not knowing much about the current Zimbabwe side, even though he acknowledged Sikandar Raza was a "good player who has been doing well for many years now".

"We don't play that much cricket [against each other], but we have all the data," Dhawan said. "From there, we find out the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. I guess that is where technology comes in handy. In one game, you get to know the patterns pretty quickly. Even before that we use technology to get going with our planning."

Dhawan was happy to see KL Rahul back. Rahul took over the captaincy, which was initially handed to Dhawan, once his return from injury and illness was confirmed. Rahul will be returning to competitive cricket following a long rehabilitation for a sports hernia and then Covid-19.

"It's very good news that KL is back in the side," Dhawan said. "He's one of the main players of the Indian team and with the Asia Cup coming up, it's going to be a good outing for him. I'm sure he'll gain a lot from this tour. It's sad that Washington [Sundar] is out, it is part and parcel of sport. These things happen. Hope that he recovers soon."

Dhawan was also pleased that the IPL has produced several options at the top of the order. The 16-man squad has as many as five opening options: Dhawan aside, there's Rahul, Gill, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson.

"With more exposure, they're quite confident," Dhawan said of his younger colleagues. "Everyone's different. They have good techniques. The transition for the Indian team has been great due to domestic cricket and IPL. Their confidence levels are high, that's why they blend into international cricket quite quickly. They've been doing so well. We feel great that we've got so many options, so it's a very healthy sign for us."

Dhawan felt the upcoming three-match series was equally an opportunity for Zimbabwe to show their improvements as a team. "It's good for world cricket that we're playing each other," he said. "It will give them confidence. Our young boys will get opportunities in different conditions. It's only by playing that Zimbabwe will also get better, especially against quality sides. That's how they will also learn."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/zim-vs-ind-2022-shikhar-dhawan-embraces-spirituality-to-stay-positive/?feed_id=12008&_unique_id=62fc8b8fe3e21

Zim vs Ind 2022 - Chakabva continues to lead ODIs as Zimbabwe announce squad for India series

Regis Chakabva, Zimbabwe's wicketkeeper-batter, will continue to lead the side against India in the upcoming ODI series, with regular captain Craig Ervine still nursing a left hamstring injury.

Zimbabwe, who announced their 17-member squad against India on Thursday, will also be without left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza, who is sidelined due to a shoulder tendon injury. Fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Tendai Chatara, who missed the T20I and ODI series against Bangladesh with a thigh muscle tear, and collarbone fracture, respectively, continue to remain unavailable.

Chakabva, who made his Zimbabwe debut in 2008, led the side for the first time against Bangladesh in the recently-concluded ODI series, which Zimbabwe won 2-1. He also hit a match-winning 102 in the second ODI to help the hosts clinch the series. Senior allrounder Sikandar Raza, who captained the team in the third and final ODI against Bangladesh after Chakabva missed the game due to a hand sprain, was adjudged the Man of the Series for his 252 runs and five wickets.

The three-match series against India is scheduled to begin on August 18 in Harare and is a part of the ODI World Cup Super League.

Squad : Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva (capt), Tanaka Chivanga, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande (wk), Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, John Masara, Tony Munyonga, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar, Raza, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/zim-vs-ind-2022-chakabva-continues-to-lead-odis-as-zimbabwe-announce-squad-for-india-series/?feed_id=9747&_unique_id=62f5b2d762068

Recent Match Report - AUS Women vs IND Women Final 2022

Australia 161 for 8 (Mooney 61, Lanning 36, Gardner 25, Renuka 2-25, Rana 2-38) beat India 152 (Harmanpreet 65, Rodrigues 33, Gardner 3-16, Schutt 2-27) by nine runs

Australia gave yet another lesson in closing out games under pressure and crushed India's dreams to clinch gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022. With India needing 44 off 30 with seven wickets in hand, Ashleigh Gardner produced an incredible plot twist by dismissing Pooja Vastrakar and the half-centurion Harmanpreet Kaur off successive deliveries.

With a foot in the door, Australia barged it open by choking the lower middle order to clinch victory by nine runs as India lost their last eight wickets for just 34 runs. A crestfallen Harmanpreet, whose 43-ball 65 had lifted India into a match-winning position, sat motionless in the dugout, as did the rest of the team, who had to settle for the silver medal.

Meanwhile, Australia, holders of the 50-overs and T20 World Cups, added the only accolade they lacked - a gold medal at a multi-sports event - to reaffirm their status as the best team in the world.

Renuka delivers key breakthrough
India gave Alyssa Healy an early let-off two years ago in the T20 World Cup final, and saw her pummel a match-winning 39-ball 75. They may have briefly wondered if Healy would make them pay here too, when a thick edge off Renuka Singh flew just wide of where a regulation slip would be in the first over of the match.

Fortunately for them, Renuka sent Healy back in her next over, aided by an excellent DRS call from Harmanpreet. Ball-tracking suggested that Renuka's nip-backer, which Healy played all around, would have crashed into middle and leg stumps. It wasn't until the final over of the powerplay that Australia began to shift gears as Meg Lanning muscled Renuka down the ground for six in a 13-run over that took Australia to 43 for 1.

Lanning and Mooney push on
Despite the early loss and a few quiet overs, Lanning and Beth Mooney exuded a sense of calm, knowing the kind of damage they could inflict once set. Both batters targeted the short straight boundary effectively off the spinners, and raised their half-century stand off just 37 balls. Australia picked off six boundaries in the ninth and tenth overs, including four in a single Harmanpreet over, to set themselves up superbly at 83 for 1 at the halfway stage.

Radha changes the mood
After a tight first over in which she conceded just three tuns, Radha Yadav left her mark on the game in the 11th over when she showed terrific game-smarts to run Lanning out at the non-striker's end. Having stopped a straight hit from Mooney, she quickly reverse-flicked the ball between her legs and onto the stumps with Lanning's bat in the air when the stumps were disturbed. In the next over, her prowling presence at point resulted in a stunning catch as she threw herself full-stretch to dismiss Tahlia McGrath, who played the game despite testing positive for Covid-19.

Australia's lower order goes big
Gardner offset any pressure Australia may have felt with some typically aggressive hits to pocket a quick 25 before she was stumped off Sneh Rana. Despite wickets falling around her, Mooney carried on, raising a half-century off just 36 deliveries. Australia didn't allow the succession of wickets to stall their momentum, even as India's fielders kept pulling off stunners, including a one-handed back-pedaling catch from Deepti Sharma to dismiss Mooney, and Meghna Singh's catch running back from mid-on to remove the dangerous Grace Harris. Rachael Haynes muscled an unbeaten 10-ball 18 to push Australia past 160.

India make nervy start
India lost both openers inside the first three overs. Smriti Mandhana was bowled behind her legs while looking to swing one into the leg side, ending an innings that had begun promisingly with scorching off-side strokes, while Shafali Verma slogged and holed out two balls after she was reprieved at cover by Megan Schutt.

Harmanpreet and Rodrigues keep India in the hunt
Five years after her knock for the ages in the 50-overs World Cup semi-final against Australia, Harmanpreet threatened to produce the T20 version of that epic 171* against the same opponents.

Coming in with India 23 for 2 in the fourth over, Harmanpreet revived their innings with her drives and lofted hits, including a foray down the pitch for a six over wide long-on off Jess Jonassen in the tenth over. She began employing the sweep frequently too, as Australia's spinners tried a leg-stump line against her. At the other end, the bat-slapping and fist-pumping Jemimah Rodrigues overcame a slow start - she was 1 off 7 at one point - to take some pressure off Harmanpreet by picking up regular boundaries in a run-a-ball 33. Their 96-run partnership had brought the equation down to a gettable 44 off 34 when Rodrigues was bowled looking to heave Schutt across the line.

Gardner applies the choke
Australia's relief turned into full-blown ecstasy when Gardner delivered a stunning second over, in which she removed the promoted Vastrakar and Harmanpreet off consecutive deliveries. While Vastrakar mistimed a hoick to deep midwicket, Harmanpreet fell attempting a paddle, the ball lobbing off her helmet to be caught behind by Healy. At that stage, Gardner's figures were a magical 2-0-5-3.

As India lost wickets, the pressure caught up on them as batter after batter committed hara-kiri. Rana and Radha were run out, and Deepti, seemingly India's last hope with them needing 13 off 10, was out lbw to Schutt.

It boiled down to India needing 11 off the final over, with Yastika Bhatia, who had come on as a concussion substitute for wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia, on strike to Jonassen. After turning down a single first ball, she ran an improbable second run off the second, in order to keep the strike, resulting in Meghna's run-out at the danger end. With India now needing 10 off four balls, Yastika was out lbw attempting a reverse sweep.

And just like that, just like 2017, India had fallen agonisingly short in a global final.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-aus-women-vs-ind-women-final-2022/?feed_id=8067&_unique_id=62f09f4b82c3a

Match Preview - IND Women vs AUS Women, Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Competition 2022, Final

Big picture

Two years after they played the T20I World Cup final in front of 88,000 fans at a packed MCG, Australia and India will square off in the gold-medal match at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

The setting is perhaps a little less intimidating, but Edgbaston will likely be sold out to its 25,000 capacity. This is a rivalry that is fast gaining ground as the second biggest in women's cricket after England vs Australia.

Having laid their hands on every trophy of significance in the game, Australia are overwhelming favourites. For India, it's another shot at trying to win a major global crown, five years after they came closest to winning one, at Lord's at the 50-over World Cup final against England.

The core of both squads remains the same as it was in 2020. Australia may have aged a bit, but their never-say-die spirit, as was evident in their jailbreak in the tournament opener, makes them a formidable force in any conditions.

India have backed their strengths of batting first and putting opponents under scoreboard pressure. Australia nearly wilted in the first game but found a saviour in Grace Harris, who played a match-turning knock in her first game in six years.

The 171* she made in the 2017 semi-final was pathbreaking in every way. Another impact performance to deliver a win here could spur a revolution. Purely given the novelty and the fascination India attaches to gold medalists, a win on Sunday could be as big, if not bigger, than a World Cup win.

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWW

Players to watch

India are blessed to have three quality allrounders in Deepti, Pooja Vastrakar and Sneh Rana. Deepti has lent much needed batting depth and has been Harmanpreet's go-to bowler to restrict run-flow, while Rana has been the banker. Vastrakar's inclusion has given the team the balance they missed when they played Australia in the opener. She is a useful medium-pacer and can wield the long handle down the order. This is firmly a team that is carving out an identity that isn't always superstar centric.

Alyssa Healy knows a thing or two about turning up and slaying nerves in crunch games. But since that T20 World Cup final in 2020, where she blew India away with a stunning assault, her form hasn't quite been the same. She has passed 25 just once in 16 innings and averages a shade over 10. Sunday is as good an opportunity as any to once again remind the world of her prowess.

Team news

The only question dilemma India may have is between picking a makeshift wicketkeeper who offers batting depth in Yastika Bhatia or an out-and-out wicketkeeper in Taniya Bhatia. The spate of run outs under pressure on Saturday made it amply clear it helps to have a proper wicketkeeper in crunch moments.

India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Deepti Sharma, 6 Taniya Bhatia (wk), 7 Sneh Rana, 8 Pooja Vastrakar, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Meghna Singh, 11 Renuka Singh

She has bowled plenty in the nets lately, but game time remains elusive for superstar allrounder Ellyse Perry. Barring an injury or a late change owing to short turnaround time, it's likely she may have to settle for watching Australia's entire CWG campaign from the bench. Moreover, Meg Lanning has gone in with the same XI in all of their four games in the tournament.

Australia (possible): 1 Alyssa Healy (wk), 2 Beth Mooney, 3 Meg Lanning (capt), 4 Tahlia McGrath, 5 Rachael Haynes, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Grace Harris, 8 Jess Jonassen, 9 Alana King, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Darcie Brown

Pitch and conditions

Forty overs of cricket would have already been played on the surface by the time the final comes around, with the bronze medal playoff between New Zealand and England having finished. On Saturday, the adjacent surface, prepared similarly with an even grass cover that aids consistent bounce, remained good for batting right through. Expect more of the same on Super Sunday.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/match-preview-ind-women-vs-aus-women-commonwealth-games-womens-cricket-competition-2022-final/?feed_id=7668&_unique_id=62ef4c509d08a

WI vs Ind - 4th T20I - Dinesh Karthik

The various challenges posed by the conditions in the Caribbean will help India's preparation to face different situations during the T20 World Cup in Australia, according to batter Dinesh Karthik. After playing the first three T20Is in the West Indies, the teams have moved to Lauderhill in Florida for the last two games of the series this weekend.

Karthik was among those who rose above the two-paced pitch in Tarouba for the first T20I and used the asymmetric ground dimensions to his advantage. In the second and third matches in St Kitts, India had to deal with a strong cross wind. After struggling to adapt in the second T20I, India fared much better in the third to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

"I think it is very interesting because even in the World Cup straightaway the three grounds that come to my mind are Sydney - [where] the sides are slightly smaller and the straights are longer - Adelaide, we all know that the sides are very small and again, the straights are long, whereas in Melbourne, it's the exact opposite - the straights are short and the sides are very big. So, obviously, we are going to be encountering different grounds wherever we are going to be playing, so the challenges are going to be different.

"Here, the challenges have been different in every venue where we have played. So, the fact that every time you get an opportunity, there's a certain challenge that comes with just walking in. That is pressure by itself. One of the key things that Rohit [Sharma] and Rahul [Dravid] have spoken about in this series at the start was adaptability and understanding the situations. I think that is something we've done pretty well so far."

Twelve Indian players have pretty much sealed their spots for the T20 World Cup, including Karthik, which leaves seven or eight contenders competing for the remaining three slots. Given India's rich talent pool, Karthik said it would be difficult for the selectors to lock in the final 15.

"Look, right now in the Indian team, we have the potential to put out two teams or maybe even three teams, in terms of the number of players available," he said. "I don't think many countries can boast of that, so to get just 15 players playing from a good lot of 40 players, there are going to be 20-25 players that are going to think: 'geez! I could have made that team'.

Of late, Karthik has excelled in his role as a finisher, winning games for his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore and for India - both at home and away. Since the start of IPL 2022, he has a strike rate of 205.55 in the death overs (17-20). Only James Neesham (227.65) and Tim David (226.72) have a better strike rate than Karthik in all T20s during this period. The role of a finisher comes with pressure, and Karthik has learnt to embrace it.

"Pressure is a privilege at this point of time as a cricketer [and] as a sportsperson," Karthik said. "It is something that is given to [you] only when playing at the highest level and when people expect certain things out of you. So, I'm happy; I think what's important is making sure on a given day what the match situation is, reading the game and trying to give the best on that given day."

"Pressure is a privilege at this point of time as a cricketer [and] as a sportsperson. It is something that is given to [you] only when playing at the highest level and when people expect certain things out of you."

Karthik on embracing pressure

Karthik once again credited India's team management for nurturing an environment that gave players security and the opportunity to grow into their roles, despite failures.

"This is one of the happiest that I've been part of the Indian team… the amount of love and affection that I've got, not only from the team and the fans but also the backing from the captain and the coach.

"This is what I've aimed for all my life and for the captain and coach to show so much belief in me, it is only fair that I repay the faith by giving performances which will help the team cross the line in many ways, and that is what I've been trying to do."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/wi-vs-ind-4th-t20i-dinesh-karthik/?feed_id=7325&_unique_id=62ee31a84a52b

Recent Match Report - IND Women vs Barbados Wmn 10th Match, Group A 2022

India women 162 for 4 (Rodrigues 56*, Shafali 43, Deepti 34*) beat Barbados women 62 for 8 (Kyshona 16, Renuka 4-10) by 100 runs

Ruthlessness underlined India's dismantling of Barbados in a must-win as they waltzed into the semi-finals of CWG 2022 on Wednesday evening. In what should count as one of the biggest positives, India's batting depth was on display after the prolific pair of Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur contributed all of five runs in a total of 162. Then, their young bowling, led by the ever-improving Renuka Singh snuffed out any fight Barbados may have put up well inside the powerplay to reduce the contest to one-way traffic.

Playing in just her third T20I, medium pacer Shanika Bruce struck in her first over when she removed Mandhana with the new ball. Looking to whip a full toss, Mandhana missed a full delivery to be hit flush on the heel as Barbados benefited from a prudent DRS call to leave India 5 for 1. But the early loss was offset quickly as Shafali Verma counter-punched immediately to hoist India's fifty inside the powerplay with no further loss, even as Barbados contributed generously to it with some ordinary fielding.

Yastika Bhatia's absence meant an opportunity for Jemimah Rodrigues to make a statement at No. 3, and she didn't disappoint. She opened her account with a thick edge for four in the third over and didn't hit another boundary till the 15th over. Yet, in between, she kept turning strike over by nurdling balls into gaps and running hard between the wickets.

When Shafali went on an all-out attack - slapping short balls over mid-off and flat-batting pulls into the leg side, Rodrigues slipped into the role of a second fiddle; her contribution being all of 12 runs when the half-century stand was raised. Then when India lost 3 for 16 in the space of four overs to slip from a comfortable 76 for 1 to 92 for 4, she resonated calmness as India kept chugging along. This passage included a terrible mix-up with Shafali, which Rodrigues more than made up for by batting through to make an unbeaten 46-ball 56. It was only her seventh in T20Is in 49 innings.

Rodrigues turned the screws in the 16th over when she went after Shakera Selman. Making room to access the offside, Rodrigues displayed her strong bottom-handed stroke play as she walloped a full-length delivery down the ground for six and followed that with a slap over cover to a perfectly acceptable length delivery two balls later. Deepti Sharma, another player who has profited immensely from time in overseas leagues, was an able ally. She used the long handle from time to time, finishing with an unbeaten 28-ball 34, as India smashed 58 off the last five overs.

Four nights after she announced herself with a new-ball burst for the ages against Australia, she was at it again. Off her third ball of the innings, she sent back a charging Deandra Dottin for a duck. Two balls into her second over, she had Hayley Matthews who picked out mid-on. Then she was persisted with for a third straight over in what was an excellent bit of captaincy from Harmanpreet, and Renuka all but sealed it with the wickets of Kycia Knight - played on - and Aaliyah Alleyne, who was done in by a devious in-swinger that she left on a length to find her stumps flattened. At 19 for 4 in five overs, Barbados were starting at the inevitable.

India's spinners then got into the game and made merry, the returning Pooja Vastrakar got some game-time ahead of bigger battles and their fielders took catches that had coach Ramesh Powar yelp in excitement. The ghosts of Australia, where they let it slip from a winning position, weren't going to have another field day. This was as emphatic as it could get.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-ind-women-vs-barbados-wmn-10th-match-group-a-2022/?feed_id=6287&_unique_id=62eb1a1fdda80

WI vs Ind 3rd T20I 2022

India captain Rohit Sharma retired hurt on 11 after suffering a back spasm in their chase of 165 in the third T20I against West Indies in Basseterre. According to an update from the BCCI, their medical team is "monitoring his progress".

Rohit felt some discomfort after he advanced at fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in the second over, and dragged a four to the fine-leg boundary via a bottom edge. After a brief on-field discussion with the physio Kamlesh Jain, he left the field holding his back.

Rohit, though, hoped to be ready for the fourth T20I, which will be played in Lauderhill on Saturday. The fifth - and final - T20I will also be held in the same venue, on Sunday.

"It [my body] is okay at the moment," Rohit said after India secured a 2-1 series lead. "We've got a few days in between the next game, so hopefully [I] should be okay."

India were already depleted by the absence of allrounder Harshal Patel, who had been sidelined from second and third T20Is in Basseterre with a rib injury. On Tuesday, the visitors also rested Ravindra Jadeja, who had just worked his way back from a knee injury, and handed a game to Deepak Hooda.

Rohit, too, had earlier been rested for the ODI leg of the West Indies tour. Prior to that, he had missed the rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston in July after testing positive for Covid-19 during the four-day warm-up game against Leicestershire.

This story was updated with Rohit Sharma's quotes after India won the third T20I against West Indies

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/wi-vs-ind-3rd-t20i-2022/?feed_id=5769&_unique_id=62e98eacb38d1

WI vs IND - 2nd T20I - 2022

In the first T20I on a two-paced Tarouba surface , India racked up 190 for 6 despite the steady fall of wickets. In the second game, on a similarly challenging surface in Basseterre, India stayed true to their attacking batting approach, but it backfired this time as they were bowled out for 138 with four balls unused in their innings. India captain Rohit Sharma has insisted that Monday's batting failure isn't a cause for concern and that India will not veer away from their gung-ho approach.

"Really, really happy with how the bowlers bowled, but of course, there are certain things in our batting that we really need to look at," Rohit said after India suffered a five-wicket defeat. "But again, I will say that as well: we will continue to bat in that kind of fashion because we want to achieve something. Unless you try and do it, you will not achieve.

"So, I think, one odd result here and there, we shouldn't panic. It's just about giving those guys that clarity, and after one loss we are not trying to change anything. We will keep [up] the same intensity and same intent with the bat."

India lost three wickets in the powerplay after being sent into bat, but they still hit 56 runs during this phase. Soon after, Rishabh Pant dashed out of the crease against left-arm fingerspinner Akeal Hosein, only to be caught at deep midwicket. Hardik Pandya, then regularly sent the ball in the air and holed out as well when he dared to hit against the wind and clear the bigger leg-side boundary. Ravindra Jadeja and Dinesh Karthik, too, picked out the fielders while looking for boundaries. Rohit admitted that India's total was below par and hoped the batters would fare better in the next game, which will also be played at the same venue, and possibly the same pitch, on Tuesday.

"Firstly, there weren't enough runs on the board for us," he said. "We didn't bat well, and I thought the pitch was playing quite nicely, but we didn't apply ourselves. But that can happen. I've been mentioning it again and again that when you're trying to achieve something or when you're trying to do something as a batting group you're not always going to succeed. So, [in] games like this you could understand what you could've done. So, we will try to learn from what mistakes we made today and try and see if we can correct those mistakes in the next game."

India made a good fist of their defence, leaving West Indies needing ten off the last over. Rohit held back Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India's most experienced seamer, and instead tested out Avesh Khan, who had got a game in place of Ravi Bishnoi, the wristspinner. Avesh had yorked Brandon King, West Indies' top-scorer on the day in the 16th over but cracked under pressure in the 20th.

A front-foot no-ball off the first delivery gave Devon Thomas a free-hit, and he tucked into it by scything a six over extra-cover. Thomas applied the finishing touches with a four next ball, but Rohit wasn't too perturbed by the result and believed that Avesh would learn from this experience.

"It's all about giving the opportunity to these guys," Rohit remarked. "We know what Bhuvneshwar Kumar brings to the table for us. He's been doing it for so many years, but if you don't give opportunity to guys like Avesh, Arshdeep [Singh] and all those guys, you will never find out what it is like to bowl in the death overs for India. They've been doing it well for the IPL franchises, but this is a different ball game. These are the games [where] you try and see how they respond to those [pressure] situations, but yeah it's just one game.

"I don't think we need to… or those guys need to panic about stuff. They have the skills, they have the talent; it's just about backing it and giving them the right opportunity."

Arshdeep, the left-arm seamer, was central to India dragging the game down to the last over. He had also conceded a boundary via a free-hit, to Kyle Mayers, in the powerplay, but was outstanding at the death with his variations in pace, length and angles. He conceded just ten runs off the 17th and 19th overs, while Hardik Pandya and the spinners did their bit as well. Rohit was particularly impressed with India's late rally with the ball.

"That is something I'm really proud of the team [for]," he said. "When you are defending a target like that, it can get over in either 13-14 overs or you drag it till the last ball. I think that's what we did today. We dragged it till the last over. The guys kept fighting and it was important for us to keep taking wickets at the same time as well. So you've got to plan and see how you're going to take those wickets and I thought the planning we did - whatever we spoke of - the guys came and executed it."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/wi-vs-ind-2nd-t20i-2022/?feed_id=5426&_unique_id=62e8ab74c1396

Zim vs Ind 2022 - Deepak Chahar returns for Zimbabwe ODIs, KL Rahul still unavailable

Deepak Chahar has made a comeback to the Indian team after nearly six months, during which he was being treated for a back injury, for the ODI series in Zimbabwe in August. Rahul Tripathi has received a maiden ODI call-up, while Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav have been included in the squad of 15 for the three-match series in Harare.

KL Rahul has not yet recovered sufficiently, after first undergoing a successful surgery for a sports hernia, and then suffering from a bout of Covid-19. Rahul took to his social media to say that his post-surgery recovery had put him on course for the white-ball games against West Indies, but the Covid infection has pushed his progress to full fitness back by a couple of weeks.

Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal, who were all part of the ODIs in the West Indies, have been left out. While there has been no official word on the selections, or non-selections, it is understood that the premier players are being rotated as part of the BCCI's policy keeping in mind the packed international calendar. India are currently playing a white-ball series in the West Indies, and the Asia Cup will start on August 27 in the UAE, just five days after the last ODI in Zimbabwe.

Chahar last played at any representative level in the T20I series at home against West Indies back in February. He picked up the back injury while undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where he was recovering from the quadricep tear he was diagnosed with during the West Indies games. He subsequently sat out the IPL, where he was Chennai Super Kings' biggest buy in the 2022 auction, as well as all the international cricket India have played since.

Kuldeep recently received the green signal from the NCA medical team after recovering from a hairline fracture in his right wrist, which had forced him out of the South Africa T20Is at home as well as the white-ball tours of Ireland and England. He is in the squad that is currently playing in the T20I series in the West Indies. Kuldeep last played in the IPL for Delhi Capitals, where he picked up 21 wickets in 14 matches.

Washington, who last played for India in the ODIs against West Indies, had recovered from a hand injury last month and, more recently, has been in action for Lancashire in the County Championship. He picked up a five-for in the first innings against Northamptonshire in his first county game, and followed it up with a match-winning knock of 34*. He has played one more match, against Kent, and took 3 for 24 in the second innings.

Tripathi had received his maiden India call-up in June for the T20Is against Ireland, but did not make the playing XI. While he has made a name for himself with his exploits in T20s, specifically in the IPL, Tripathi has a fairly good record in the 50-over format as well: in 43 List A games, he has 1209 runs at an average of 31.00. In the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made 199 runs in five games at 49.75.

Shikhar Dhawan, who led India in the West Indies ODIs, will continue as captain for this series as well, with regular captain Rohit Sharma continuing to sit out. The likes of Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami have also been rested.

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WI vs Ind - Rohit Sharma 'okay with odd failure' as India ramp up the run rate

India are ready to embrace the "odd failure" in their quest to ramp up the run rate across phases of a match, in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, their captain Rohit Sharma has said after winning the first T20I against West Indies.

"We want to try certain things when we bat in the first six overs, when we bat in the middle overs, and how we finish off the games," Rohit said after India's 68-run victory. "So, there are three facets of the game we want to try to improve, and how we can get the best out of each player. We've given specific roles to specific players to come and do the job for the team. Today, we did it. There's no guarantee that it will happen every game, but we got to try and back those ideas of going out there and trying to execute certain skills with the bat.

"And while doing that we will have some odd failures here and there, but we are pretty much okay with that. We want to try to do certain things when we bat, and I think we're able to achieve certain things. So, all in all, I thought it was a great effort and we want to continue to do that."

Speaking to BCCI.tv, Karthik said Rohit and India coach Rahul Dravid had built a team environment that gave players security, despite failures. "I'm really enjoying this set-up - the kind of calmness that seems to be around this set-up in terms of the coach and the captain, I think a lot of credit must go to the both of them. I think they have set up an atmosphere where they are dealing with failure in the most rational way possible. They are also bringing on board people who can help players [alluding to Paddy Upton's appointment as mental-conditioning coach] and try and be themselves. I think that was something that could have been missing before. At times when I didn't do well, I felt treated the same way and the dressing-room atmosphere is very calm and good."

In T20Is in 2022, India have scored at a rate of 9.46 per over, their best in a year where they have played more than one match. Only New Zealand (10.21) have scored at a faster clip than India.

Rohit, though, cautioned his batters against going too hard on pitches that aren't conducive to such an approach and urged them to be smarter with their decisions.

"But, again, we need to understand what sort of pitch we play on," he said. "Certain pitches will not allow you to do that, so you got to take a backward step and see how you can play in those overs because the guys have a lot of skill and they've played on all sorts of pitches back home. So, they just need to back those skillsets with the bat in the middle overs."

That India eventually scored 190 for 6 after being 138 for 6 in 16 overs was down to Karthik's blows in the last two overs. Such a total, Rohit said, seemed beyond India's reach at the halfway mark of their innings.

"The nature of the pitch… we knew it was going to be slightly tough," Rohit said. "The shot-making wasn't that easy at the start and at the same time, we do understand that guys who are set need to carry on as long as possible because there was some grip for the spinners. The odd variation wasn't easy to pick.

"But the way we finished off the first innings getting to 190 was a great effort because I really thought this wasn't a pitch where you can get 170-180 when we were batting in the first half of the game and when we finished the first ten overs."

'Difficult to read pitches in the Caribbean' - Pooran
West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran admitted that his side's indiscipline played a part in India posting a total that was above par.

Kyle Mayers dropped Suryakumar Yadav on 10 at short cover, Alzarri Joseph kept offering pace and bowling short to Rohit, Jason Holder missed his yorkers at the death, and then their batting unravelled in the chase. To add to West Indies' woes, they could have just four fielders outside the 30-yard circle during the end of India's innings due to an in-match penalty for slow over rate.

"I did feel like they got 20 runs more," Pooran said after the game. "And that was basically with our indiscipline. Obviously, with the over rate there in our last two overs and an extra guy in the circle, it was a big challenge for our bowlers. But we need to be a bit more disciplined."

West Indies picked just one spinner for the game - Akeal Hosein, who took 1 for 14 from his fours overs - while India went with three - Ravi Bishnoi, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who shared five wickets among them. Did West Indies misread the conditions in what was the first international match at the Brian Lara Stadium?

"In hindsight, it is difficult to read the pitches in the Caribbean, to be honest," Pooran said. " We can go back and say maybe we missed a trick, but in hindsight, anything could happen. The last two overs went for 40-odd [36] runs. Maybe 160 would've played differently for us, but we will definitely reflect on the decision that we made and will definitely try to get better in the days to come."

The teams travel to Basseterre in St. Kitts for the second and third T20 internationals on August 1 and 2.

Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Recent Match Report - IND Women vs AUS Women 1st Match, Group A 2022

Australia Women 157 for 7 (Gardner 52*, Harris 37, Renuka 4-18) beat India Women 154 for 8 (Harmanpreet 52, Shafali 48, Jonassen 4-22) by three wickets

Women's cricket got off to a spectacular start in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with Australia giving India a reminder that you can never write them off, even in near-impossible situations. Chasing 155, Australia were reduced to 49 for 5 after an incisive burst of 4 for 18 from seamer Renuka Singh, but Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris pulled off an incredible rescue act to win with an over to spare.

A skyrocketing asking-rate that had Australia needing 89 off the last 10 overs eventually turned into a cruise. Harris, who was batting in a T20I for the first time since 2016, smashed 37 off 20 balls, while Gardner stayed unbeaten on 52 off 35 to give Australia a winning start in pursuit of their maiden gold medal.

India's spinners prove ineffective

Apart from Deepti Sharma, every other India spinner was extremely expensive. Left-armer Radha Yadav, in particular, struggled on a pitch that did not offer the kind of bite that she thrives on. When she pitched short, Harris targeted the square boundaries on both sides of the wicket, and when she went full, Harris stepped out and powered the ball straight down the ground. The other left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad also suffered, going for 24 runs in two overs. Thriving against spin, Harris and Gardner raised their 50-run partnership off 31 balls and put the pressure right back on India.

Australia just keep coming
India broke that damaging partnership off the last ball of the 13th over, when Harmanpreet Kaur ran sideways to catch Harris, leaving Australia with 55 to get off 42 balls with only four wickets in hand. The moment should have galvanised India; instead it spurred Australia on. The No. 8 Alana King demonstrated their batting depth, smacking three boundaries in her unbeaten 18 off 16 balls. When Gardner brought up her half-century, Australia were just three away from victory, and King clattered the winning boundary through midwicket off the final ball of the 19th over.

Renuka's dream spell
Renuka doesn't have much pace; she relies on accuracy, swing and subtle variations off the pitch. With her second ball, she had the formidable Alyssa Healy poking to slip. Renuka then had Meg Lanning caught at point for 8; the batter's indecision between playing a full-blooded cut or a gentle push proving to be her undoing. After Beth Mooney chopped on for 10 and Tahlia McGrath lost her leg stump to one that cut back in, Renuka had taken four wickets in her first 13 balls. At that stage, India were favourites to win, despite not scoring as much as they should have.

Smriti shines, briefly
India had made a promising start before their innings unravelled. Let off in the second over by Haynes, Smriti Mandhana stepped out of her crease repeatedly to negate any swing at Edgbaston. She drove through the covers, lofted the spinners, and pulled in front of square to race to 24 off 16 balls, but eventually nicked Darcie Brown to the wicketkeeper in the fourth over.

Lucky Shafali tees off
After a small role-reversal, in which she played second fiddle to Mandhana, Shafali Verma displayed her destructive powers by lofting Megan Schutt down the ground, and showed she has a delicate game too by glancing the legspin of King to the boundary. Australia let Shafali off three times - once when Healy broke the stumps with her empty right hand while the ball was in her left glove. The India opener went on to score 48 off 33 balls before she was out to a leg-side strangle against left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen, who finished with figures of 4 for 22.

Harmanpreet's leg-side range
Harmanpreet's love for the leg side is no secret, but that doesn't make it easy to stop her. Australia placed multiple fielders on the leg-side boundary, but Harmanpreet still found the gaps to top score for India with 52 off 34 balls. But her momentum was stalled by Jonassen cutting through the middle order at the other end, and India could only score 39 runs in the last five overs of their innings.