Dhoni's late surge takes India to 268/7 against West Indies in World Cup
Manchester, Jun 27: Mahendra Singh Dhoni scratched around for the better part of his innings before exploding in the final over to take India to 268 for 7 against West Indies in a World Cup encounter here Thursday.
There has been a lot of talk about Dhoni's failure to rotate the strike and Thursday's batting effort on another dry and slow track will only amplify the criticism before he got 16 in the final over to finish on 56 off 61 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.
More than his strike-rate, his percentage of dot balls remains a concern for India.
If India played 152 dot balls against Afghanistan, the run-less delivery count was 163 in this game.
It was Pandya, whose 46 off 38 balls took India past 250-run mark after skipper Virat Kohli (72 off 82 balls) scored his fourth half-century.
The middle-order looked jittery again with skipper Kohli not getting enough support from the other batsmen and in the process missing out on a fourth chance of a hundred in the tournament.
In fact Dhoni's rustiness rubbed off a bit on the Indian captain, who ultimately gifted his wicket to his opposite number. Kohli hit eight boundaries with stand-out shot being a lofted drive over covers off Oshane Thomas.
Veteran Kemar Roach (3/36) bowled fast and fuller length deliveries using the off-cutters to good effect while skipper Jason Holder (2/33 in 10 overs) was economical, troubling the batsmen with back of the length deliveries.
Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen (0/52 in 10 overs) didn't get any wicket but a crucial aspect of his spell was the last five overs in which he gave away only 15 runs. This was another left-arm spinner after Mitchell Santner and Shakib Al Hasan, who has now troubled Dhoni with his wicket-to-wicket bowling.
When Holder and Roach bowled fast and back of length, the former India captain found it difficult to manoeuvre the bowling.
At the start, Rohit Sharma (18) was getting into the groove with a pulled six off Roach but a back of length delivery moved inwards after pitching and Hope took a catch which looked debatable as even the ultra-edge for DRS couldn't give a decisive picture.
However, the Indian vice-captain was given out and he was visibly unhappy as he walked back.
Rahul once again looked shaky while playing a few good drives in between. But never during the partnership of 69 with Kohli could he dominate the Caribbean bowlers.
It took a beauty from Holder to dismiss Rahul as he angled a fuller delivery into the batsman to hit the top of the off-stump. His 48 off 64 balls had six boundaries.
Vijay Shankar is yet to prove his utility as a potent number four as Roach bowled one that straightened after pitching and the edge was taken by Hope behind the stumps.
Kedar Jadhav was rightly promoted up the order but 7 off 10 is all he got before edging one to Hope as Dhoni joined Kohli.
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Marsh, Markram score half-centuries as LSG make 203/8 against MI
Lucknow, Apr 4 (PTI): Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya scalped his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket in an inspiring bowling performance but Lucknow Super Giants rode on superb half-centuries from Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram to post 203 for 8 in an Indian Premier League match here on Friday.
Pandya returned with magnificent figures of 5/36, taking the wickets of Markram (53 off 38 balls), Nicholas Pooran (12), Rishabh Pant (2), David Miller (27) and Akash Deep (0), putting brakes on LSG's innings after the home team was put in to bat.
LSG were off to a great start with opener Marsh hitting his third half-century in four matches. His 60 came off just 31 balls and was studded with nine fours and two sixes.
With the other opener Markram also in good nick, LSG were 69 for no loss at the end of power play. But MI came back after that with Pandya making crucial bowling changes.
Left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur, who had starred in MI's win over Chennai Super Kings, was introduced in the seventh over and he gave the breakthrough immediately. He had Marsh caught and bowled, breaking the dangerous-looking opening stand of 76 runs.
Pandya then brought himself into action and had Pooran in the ninth over before getting the prized wicket of LSG captain Pant (2) who got out cheaply once again.
Substitute fielder Corbin Bosch took a fine catch at the mid-off after Pant failed to negotiate a slower ball off Pandya. Pant, who faced six balls, continued his poor form, having scored 0, 15, 2 in his three earlier innings.
LSG were 107 for 3 in 10.4 overs when Pant was out.
Markram, who had been ordinary so far, stood up for his team and held one end together till he was out in the 18th over.
Earlier, Deepak Chahar gave away 15 runs in the second over with Marsh hitting two fours and Markram getting a boundary.
Marsh was on fire as he punished Trent Boult with two clean hits -- one yielding a six and another a four.
The Australian did not spare Mitchell Santner, hitting two fours off the Kiwi bowler and then gave young Indian left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar, who had starred in MI's previous match, the same treatment.
He hit Kumar for a six and a four in consecutive balls in the sixth over to reach to his fifty off just 27 balls. Kumar bled 23 runs in that over.
MI stalwart and India captain Rohit Sharma, who had struggled in the three matches he had played so far, missed out the match as he was hit on knees at the nets.
Brief scores:
Lucknow Super Giants: 203 for 8 in 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 60, Aiden Markram 53, Ayush Badoni 30, David Miller 27; Hardik Pandya 5/36).
