Dhoni prepared to mix and match

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be happy to mix and match the World Twenty20 champions' batting order as the Super Eights gets underway.

Dhoni has batted at number three in the wins over Bangladesh (26 runs) and Ireland (14), but admitted he's prepared to tinker with the batting order depending on the conditions.

"We are trying a few things out but we have to see what combinations we have and how many bowlers we are playing," said Dhoni after India eased past Ireland by eight wickets in their final Group A game on Wednesday.

Both sides had already qualified for the Super Eights after wins over Bangladesh.

Dhoni added there were still areas to improve for India.

"Every game you start from scratch. The bowlers did very well and it's a real positive that they are doing their jobs. We can do better in the field. It wasn't our best day," said Dhoni.

"I'm talking about 85-90 percent efficiency, but we can do it."

Dhoni said it was a boost for the champions to have striker bowler Zaheer Khan back in wicket-taking form after the left-arm seamer claimed 4-19 in a man of the match performance.

"We thought he would need a few games to get back in the groove. He's bowling in the right areas and he's a very good asset to have."

Zaheer said his performance was a perfect confidence boost as he continued his rehabilitation from a shoulder injury.

"I hadn't played for four or five weeks so it's great to be back in the wickets. It's a real confidence-booster. I'm very pleased with my performance," said Zaheer after Ireland were restricted to 112-8.

"The shoulder is coming along well. I feel better day by day and I am improving, I feel 100-percent now."

Zaheer had also taken a wicket in India's opening win in the tournament against Bangladesh.

"Trent Bridge is one of my favourite grounds," added Zaheer who revels in his role in the team.

"Taking wickets boosts the confidence and bowling at the death is one of my strengths especially with yorkers.

"I haven't been able to get them going in the last few games, but I'm looking forward to the Super Eights. We work well as a bowling unit and we have a lot of options."

Ireland took the field without star batsman Niall O'Brien, who was resting a sprained ankle, and seamer Trent Johnson also missed out to freshen up for the second round.

"We didn't bat very well and their bowlers were putting it in the right areas," admitted Ireland captain William Porterfield.

"But we nicked a few and posted a fair total. We had a few injuries, but we have no complaints about that."

Ireland start the Super Eights here on Thursday with a game against injury-hit New Zealand here and Porterfield is confident of causing a shock.

"I think we have an upset in us," he said.
Scoreboard
Ireland
W. Porterfield c Yusuf b Zaheer 5
J. Bray b Zaheer 0
G. Wilson b Harbhajan 19
A. Botha c Yusuf b Zaheer 8
K. O'Brien b Ojha 2
J. Mooney c Yuvraj b Ojha 19
A. White c Dhoni b Zaheer 29
R. West run out 1
A. Cusack not out 12
K. McCallan not out 9
Extras lb6, w2 8
Total for 8 wkts 112
Fall of wkts 1-4, 2-9, 3-17, 4-28, 5-48, 6-72, 7-73, 8-92
Bowling
Irfan 3-0-22-0 (w1), Zaheer 3-0-19-4 (w1), Ishant 3-0-18-0, Yuvraj 1-0-4-0, Ojha 4-0-18-2, Harbhajan 4-0-25-1
India
G. Gambhir c Rankin b West 37
R. Sharma not out 52
M. Dhoni c Bray b McCallan 14
Y. Singh not out 3
Extras lb4, w3 7
Total for 2 wkts 113
Fall of wkts 1-77, 2-100
Bowling
Rankin 4-0-28-0, K. O'Brien 2-0-17-0, Cusack 2-0-13-0, West 4-0-23-1 (w2), McCallan 3.3-0-28-1 (w1)
Result India won by eight wickets

Four wickets great booster, says Zaheer

India left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan enjoyed a four-wicket boost on Wednesday as he continued his rehabilitation from a shoulder injury.

"I hadn't played for four or five weeks so it's great to be back in the wickets. It's a real confidence-booster. I'm very pleased with my performance," said Zaheer, who took 4-19 as India restricted Ireland to 112-8 in their last World Twenty20 Group A match at Trent Bridge.

"The shoulder is coming along well. I feel better day by day and I am improving, I feel 100-percent now."

Zaheer had also taken a wicket in India's opening win in the tournament against Bangladesh

India Kenya New Zealand Live! Pakistan South Africa Sri Lanka West Indies Zimbabwe News/Article India's Sehwag out of World Twenty20

India's frontline batsman Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the World Twenty20 due to a shoulder injury, the Indian cricket board said on Tuesday.

"Sehwag will return to India after consulting medical experts in England," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.

"The BCCI will be sending a replacement in accordance with the International Cricket Council's guidelines on the same."

Batsman-wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik will replace Sehwag in the 15-man squad, the BCCI said in a separate statement.

Karthik is expected to arrive in London ahead of India's first Super Eights match against the West Indies at Lord's on Friday.

Sehwag, 30, who injured his right shoulder during the Indian Premier League in South Africa, has not played competitive cricket since the team arrived in England 12 days ago.

The Indian vice-captain missed both practice matches and also the opening Twenty20 Worlds match against Bangladesh which India won by 25 runs.

Sehwag, regarded one of the most destructive batsmen in the modern game, has so far played 12 Twenty20 internationals and scored 223 runs at a strike-rate of 144.80.

The Indian team, preparing for Wednesday's last league match against Ireland at Trent Bridge here, were disappointed at the news of Sehwag's return.

"Viru is one of our main batsmen, so not having him around is a blow," said coach Gary Kirsten. "We need to work around his absence."

It's darkest day in history of English cricket: Media

London, Jun 6 (PTI) England's shocking four-wicket upset against the Netherlands in the World T20 Championship opener has drawn flak from the British media, who described it as the "darkest day" in the hosts' cricket history.
The Dutch, who don't even enjoy the status to play one-day internationals, stunned England with a last-ball victory at Lord's last night.

"Never in the error-strewn history of English cricket, never in the rich 195-year history of Lord's, has there been a day as dark," wrote one of the leading British newspapers 'The Daily Mail'.

"Simply, this is their worst defeat in any competitive international match," it added.

'The Daily Express' has lebelled the loss as a "humiliation" and compared the "most embarrassing defeat" in England's history to "a rocking horse winning the Grand National." "England have had some bad days in one-day cricket, including defeats by Zimbabwe and early exits from tournaments, but none will have hurt like this humiliation.

"This was like Stockport beating Manchester United in the FA Cup, or a rocking horse winning the Grand National," it wrote. PTI

England fail to build on Wright stuff

The Netherlands staged a gutsy fightback as England made 162 for five in the the opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord's here on Friday.

England had been on a course for a huge total during a century first-wicket stand between Ravi Bopara (46) and Luke Wright, who top scored with 71.

But from 102 for none in the 12th over, England lost five wickets for 51 runs as their innings petered out.

Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate took two for 35 in his four overs as England, 89 without loss at the half-way mark, only managed 73 in the final 10 overs during an innings without a single six.

Bopara got England off to an ideal start by carving the first ball of the innings from left-arm quick Dirk Nannes, who has played at Lord's for Middlesex, for four before square driving him to the boundary later that over.

The duo shared a century stand in 71 balls before Bopara, in sight of his fifty, gave his Essex team-mate ten Doeschate a wicket when he holed out to Seelaar at long-on.

Bopara's runs had come in 36 balls with seven fours.

Wright though did get to his fifty, off 37 balls with five fours.

The Netherlands turned 102 for one into 113 for two when Owais Shah went cheaply but Wright, giving himslf room outside leg-stump, flayed Nannes through the offside for four.

But Eoin Morgan, like Shah playing on his Middlesex home ground, also fell cheaply when he reverse-swept Peter Borren straight to Bas Zuiderent and England were eroding their fine start.

Wright then holed out to give paceman ten Doeschate a second wicket, his exit bringing in Robert Key, a late replacement for Kevin Pietersen, who was ruled out with an recurrence of an Achilles injury.

Collingwood rallies England after Dutch shock

England captain Paul Collingwood insisted his side were "still in the tournament" after their stunning four-wicket loss to minnows the Netherlands in Friday's ICC World Twenty20 opener here at Lord's.

England now have to beat Pakistan, finalists at the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years ago, if they are to avoid going out of this competition at the first round stage.

They had been well-placed at 102 for one against the Dutch but then lost several cheap wickets to finish on 162 for five.

But that still ought to have been enough. However some wayward bowling and fine Dutch batting - they scored four sixes to England's none - allied to poor fielding saw the Netherlands win off the last ball when they scrambled a two after fast bowler Stuart Broad missed with a shy at the stumps.

"The boys are very disappointed but we have to bounce back, it's as simple as that," said Collingwood.

"We're still in the tournament, we have 24 hours to get our heads around it and we have to play a hell of a lot better on Sunday.

"Pakistan are obviously a very good side. They got to the final of the last Twenty20 World Cup, they're very skilful and we're going to have to be at our very, very best to beat that side but we can do it."

England were without Kevin Pietersen, whose boundary-hitting ability was something Collingwood said was missed against the Dutch, after the South Africa born shotmaker suffered a recurrence of his Achilles injury.

But England hope to have him back against Pakistan and, even without Pietersen, Collingwood said a win at the the Oval was not out of the question.

"We're obviously not going to take any major risks because we've all got a big year ahead of us, but this is now a must-win game for us on Sunday and if he's fit he'll be playing."

"It's not out of the realms of possibility that we can win," he said.

Meanwhile Collingwood paid tribute to the way in which the Netherlands had upset the odds in scoring four sixes to England's none in finishing on 163 for six in reply to the hosts 162 for five.

"We thought we had enough runs on the board but they came out and played with plenty of freedom and belief," reflected Collingwood.

"The way they knocked the runs off was mightily impressive. We were beaten by the better side. Full credit to them.

"Their batting did surprise us. The way they went about their cricket was well planned. Every time we got a wicket we thought we were on top but every batsman that came out seemed to score boundaries from ball one."

England also appeared to pay for playing novivce international leg-spinner Adil Rashid in preference to experienced off-spinner Graeme Swann in a match where they thought they could take, in the captain's words, "a gamble".

Collingwood tried to back-track on his remarks by adding: "We all know what Adil can do. It's a gamble on experience but not on the skills he has got."

Smits savours stunning Dutch win over England

Netherlands captain Jeroen Smits was in no doubt his nation had enjoyed their finest cricket victory ever after a stunning four-wicket win over England in the opening match of the ICC World Twenty20.

Set 163 to win, the Dutch got the two they needed off the last ball to spark joyous scenes amongst their players and fans at Lord's here on Friday as the hosts suffered a defeat that must rank as one of the most embarrassing in English cricket history.

A side of well-paid full-time professionals were deservedly beaten by a Dutch team where most of the players were losing money as a result of taking part in this competition.

Back in 1989 a Netherlands side beat an England A team featuring the likes of Test players Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart and Derek Pringle while back in 1964 an Australia side including fast bowler Graham McKenzie and off-spinner Tom Veivers also went down to a defeat against the Dutch.

But neither of those games, both played in the Netherlands, was a full international and elated wicket-keeper Smits, asked if this was Dutch cricket's greatest day, told reporters: "Without any doubt.

"We beat England A in 1989 but last year when we played in the Belfast qualification tournament for this event I said to the guys I had a goal to play in the opening match of the World Twenty20 at Lord's.

"I'm really proud of the boys.

"It's costing us a lot of money, I'm having to take extra days off work but I really don't mind at this moment.

"I said to the boys in the dressing room we are going to do it today, play hard, play your shots, we have got nothing to lose."

He added: "It's a massive boost for Dutch cricket, we are looking to qualify for the Super Eights."

England were well-placed at 102 for one thanks to openers Luke Wright (71) and Ravi Bopara (46) before their innings petered away.

But what really did for them was the Dutch batting with the Netherlands scoring four sixes to the home side's none and running far more aggressively between the wickets.

Man-of-the match Tom de Grooth, who earns his living as a cricket coach, led the way with 49 off 30 balls including a six and six fours.

"This is a dream," he said. "To be out there today in front of a full house was amazing. I was in the zone. We went out there to play brave cricket and make England sweat a bit."

England had lost star batsman Kevin Pietersen shortly before the start with a recurrence of his Achilles injury.

But that was no excuse for the way in which a succession of batsmen gave their wickets away.

The Dutch were also helped by England's decision to give novice leg-spinner Adil Rashid, surprisingly chosen ahead of the more experienced off-spinner Graeme Swann, his full quota of four overs which cost 36 runs.

The wet conditions did him no favours but England captain Paul Collingwood insisted the team on the field should have beaten the Dutch.

"That's pretty hard to take," Collingwood said. "The Netherlands thoroughly deserved their victory,

"We thought we had enough runs on the board but they played with freedom and belief and ran better than us"

Missed run-outs and dropped catches cost England dear and Collingwood said: "We had opportunities to win the game but we didn't take them."

Defeat left England needing to beat Pakistan at the Oval on Sunday to get through the second stage Super Eight and Collingwood said: "We've got 24 hours to get our heads round it. We are still in the tournament but we've got to play a helluva lot better."
Scoreboard
England
R. Bopara c Seelaar b ten Doeschate 46
L. Wright c Borren b ten Doeschate 71
O. Shah c Kervezee b Schiferli 5
E. Morgan c Zuiderent b Borren 6
P. Collingwood c Schiferli b Seelaar 11
R. Key not out 10
J. Foster not out 3


Extras w10 10

Total for 5 wkts 162


Fall of wkts 1-102, 2-113, 3-127, 4-144, 5-153

Bowling
Nannes 4-0-30-0 (3w), Schiferli 4-0-33-1, ten Doeschate 4-0-35-2 (2w), Seelaar 4-0-33-1, Borren 4-0-31-1 (5w)

Netherlands
A. Kervezee c Broad b Anderson 1
D. Reekers c Shah b Broad 20
B. Zuiderent st Foster b Rashid 16
T. de Grooth c Key b Collingwood 49
P. Borren c Shah b Anderson 30
R. ten Doeschate not out 22
D. van Bunge c Wright b Anderson 8
E. Schiferli not out 5

Extras bl, lb13, w2 16


Total for 6 wkts 163

Fall of wkts 1-2, 2-23, 3-66, 4-116, 5-133, 6-146

Bowling
Anderson 4-0-23-3, Sidebottom 4-0-23-0, Broad 4-0-32-1 (1w), Rashid 4-0-36-1, Wright 2-0-18-0 (1w), Collingwood 2-0-17-1
Result Netherlands won by four wickets

Dhoni warns of New Zealand threat

New Zealand beat India by nine runs in a warm-up match at Lord's on Monday

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has highlighted New Zealand as a threat to his side's hopes of defending their World Twenty20 title in England.

The Black Caps beat India, champions in South Africa two years ago, by nine runs in a warm-up match at Lord's on Monday to extended their impressive record against Dhoni's men in cricket's shortest format.

New Zealand had previously won three straight Twenty20s against India and, although this latest match was not an official contest, they enjoyed another morale boosting success at Lord's after struggling early on.

"If you look at their side they have loads of guys that can really contribute," Dhoni told reporters. "They're a really good side when it comes to the Twenty20 format and the conditions here suit them."

New Zealand, who face Australia in another warm-up match at the Oval on Tuesday, saw Indian Premier League star Ross Taylor, dropped by Dhoni, go on to make 41 while left-hander James Franklin bolstered their total with two sixes and a four in the final over as they finished on 170 for seven.

India were on course for victory during a fourth-wicket stand of 69 between Suresh Raina (45) and Ravindra Jadeja (41) which featured some superb clean hitting to match the top-order fireworks of opener Rohit Sharma (36).

But Raina's dismissal by all-rounder Jacob Oram was the cue for a slump and, with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori taking three for 24 with his left-arm spin, the Black Caps regained their grip on the game.

Nevertheless, India were without two of their star batsmen in Yuvraj Singh (stomach illness) and Virender Sehwag (shoulder injury) although both are expected to be available for Wednesday's warm-up match against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Oval.

"I am quite disappointed with the defeat but we have back-up plans and so I'm not really worried," Dhoni said. "Besides, we missed quite a few key players. A couple of guys had food poisoning but I'm sure everyone will be fine before our next warm-up game."

One positive sign to emerge for India from Monday's match was the form of fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who took four for 25.

"I think it would give him great deal of confidence," Dhoni said. "He is a bowler who should be bowling at the start and also in the end. In between he came and got us those crucial wickets."

Meanwhile Taylor said the way in which New Zealand rallied with both bat and ball was a heartening sign for the side.

"I think 170 was a par score on that wicket and we had enough momentum to have a go at the end," Taylor said. "The way James Franklin finished that last over was excellent."

He added: "The way we started (bowling) was probably a little disappointing but the way we pegged them back, for us to do well in this tournament we will have to bowl like that."

New Zealand warm up with victory over India

India squandered a rollicking start and lost the plot towards the end to concede a nine-run defeat against New Zealand in their warm-up match of the ICC World Twenty20.

Chasing 171 for a win, India rode on sterling knocks from Rohit Sharma (36), Suresh Raina (45) and Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out) to cruise to what seemed an imminent win before eventually managing 161 for six.

Earlier, New Zealand survived Ishant Sharma's four-wicket haul to post 170 for seven with useful cameos from Ross Taylor (41), Brendon McCullum (31), Scott Styris (29) and James Franklin (27 not out off 10 balls).

India were off to a flying start with Rohit wasting precious little time to assert his class even in his uncharacteristic opener's role.

Rohit carved Iain O'Brien for a boundary in the first over and worse awaited the right-arm pacer who bled 18 runs in his second with Rohit hitting him for two massive sixes and a four with class written all over the shots.

The opening stand had yielded 42 runs inside five overs when Gautam Gambhir (14) fell to Ian Butler but Rohit smote James Franklin for another six to signal he was not perturbed.

India, however, soon find themselves in a spot of bother with rival captain Daniel Vettori striking twice in his first over.

Super Over heroics wins it for Ireland

Super Over heroics wins it for Ireland

Trent Johnston was Ireland's hero as they beat the Netherlands in an eliminator finish to their ICC World Twenty20 warm-up match at Lord's on Monday.



The Irish players celebrate after Trent
Johnston ran out Bas Zuiderent
After both sides made 135, the match came down to a one-over eliminator.

Ireland could only manage six for one in their over but knew if they took two wickets in the 'eliminator' before the Dutch had got to seven that the game would be theirs.

Australia-born Johnston struck third ball when Bas Zuiderent was stumped by Gary Wilson for two off three deliveries.

And Johnson then ran out Darron Reekers by throwing down the stumps at the bowler's end as Ireland somehow managed to defend their meagre eliminator over score.

Earlier, the Netherlands made 135 for nine and Ireland 135 for seven.

Ireland, chasing 136 for victory, slumped to 15 for two inside four overs.

But Paul Stirling was not overawed and hoisted Ryan ten Doeschate for six to bring up Ireland's fifty.

Stirling was going well, having put on 56 in 46 deliveries with Andre Botha, when he was run out for 27 going for a third by Smits's direct hit following good work on the boundary by Pieter Seelaar.

And five balls later left-arm spinner Seelaar turned 71 for three into 75 for four when he effectively yorked Kevin O'Brien.

The middle-order collapse continued when Botha, having made a better than run-a-ball 35, went down the pitch to Seelaar only to be stumped by wicket-keeper and Dutch captain Jeroen Smits.

Ireland needed nine to win off Seelaar's final over.

The spinner struck second ball when Gary Wilson was stumped for 22 down the legside by the impressive Smits.

Regan West hit his first ball down the ground for four and then took two off the next to leave Ireland needing two off two for victory.

That became two off one when West missed with a heave and a single off the last ball left the scores level and the match all square.

Earlier, the Netherlands made 135 for nine.

Essex all-rounder ten Doeschate top-scored with 29 in an innings where no other batsman made more than 20.

Off-spinner Kyle McCallan led the attack with three wickets for 32 runs from his maximum four overs, including two in two balls.

India Jitega

India Jitega

Dhoni ready to handle the pressure

With the cream of IPL in his side, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said his men are more equipped than their counterparts to handle pressure situations associated with the shortest format of the game when they defend their Twenty20 title.

Dhoni said although other teams have players who featured in the IPL, his side has an upper hand in the biennial event starting here on June 5 as all the 15 members of the Indian squad have featured in the just-concluded IPL in South Africa.

"The best thing is that we will know more how to handle pressure, when in the last over you need 10 or 15 runs, everyone in our side has faced that situation. There are quite a few players from other countries but most of our players were in the Indian Premier League," Dhoni told reporters at the official press conference here.

"In IPL you have limited talent in your side, but here we have plenty of options. We have the cream of the IPL so there is less pressure on each and every individual," he added.

Dhoni, however, warned his team-mates against complacency and said the defending champions cannot afford to take any side lightly.

"In Twenty20, there is no such thing as a weak side, any individual can take the game away from you. We also can't live on or relish the memories, we have to turn up and do everything from scratch again, it's not about the past," Dhoni said pointing to their triumph in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years back.

Indias IPL men in form for title defence

As the Indian Premier League draws to a close, it’s comforting to see that those Indians, selected for the Twenty20 World Cup, are in roaring form.

Of course, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are notable failures but the rest are warming Indian hearts and who knows the Delhi openers might come back to form in the remaining games to make India firm favourite.

You have a middle-order of Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and Ravinder Jadeja who are all exceptional players. Yuvraj Singh is a known six-hitter but Raina and Sharma have overtaken him.

Raina, in his small frame, packs enormous power. He is a young man of strong arms and wrists and can murderously pull even good length balls beyond the boundary.

Sharma is an effortless timer who moves in or outside the line of deliveries to make soaring hits over extra cover and mid-wicket. Jadeja is one clever manipulator of field who is just about coming on to his own.

The teamhas allrounders in Pathan brothers, Yusuf and Irfan, who can win matches on their own. When put together, they are just sensational. Both are good with bat and ball and no slouch on the field either.

Zaheer to join up with Indian Twenty20 squad

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, is set to leave with the India's Twenty20 squad for the World Cup in England.

"The team is set to leave tomorrow. If there was anything about it (concerns over Zaheer's fitness) we would have let it be known to the media," BCCI sources told PTI.

Doubts had cropped up about Zaheer's availability for the World Championship when he stayed back in South Africa after the conclusion of IPL for a treatment to his injury.

Zaheer, who played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, suffered the injury on his bowling shoulder while diving to stop a drive off Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Robin Uthappa in Johannesburg.

He underwent a scan that indicated some inflammation and the team management said the injury was not as serious as was thought before the scan. But he did not take part in the remaining matches of Mumbai Indians.

The left-arm pacer, who was not a part of the triumphant squad that clinched the title in the inaugural edition two years ago in South Africa, has emerged as chief wrecker for India in the recent series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.