Finally, the big day has arrived. After witnessing over a month of hard work and close matches, the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will see Australia vs. New Zealand in the finals.

Australia vs New Zealand

Both teams have been co-hosts and in fantastic form while at it. Where the Kiwis have maintained an unbeaten record, Australia entered the final facing one defeat that too at the hands of New Zealand in the Pool match.

Australia has entered the finals for the sixth time in as many as eleven editions of the tournament. New Zealand, on the other hand, is a first-time entrant in the finals of cricket’s biggest event.

It is only the second time in the tournament’s history that co-hosts have entered the World Cup finals. The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup saw India and Sri Lanka face one another at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

India vs. Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup was the first all-host finale

Australia, without a doubt, would be the favourites entering in this match, since the match takes place in their own backyard. New Zealand would definitely face troubles with hitting sixes, as the MCG is larger than all stadiums in New Zealand.

Michael Clarke has faced physical ailments even before the tournament began and has not been in the best of touch. He also announced retirement from ODIs this morning and will play the World Cup final as his last match.

Michael Clarke will retire after the World Cup

Brendon McCullum appeared explosive in the Pool games, but his performance unfortunately has deteriorated ever since. But on the plus side, New Zealand’s middle-order has performed steadily.

Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson would be the players to look out for in tomorrow’s game. Smith scored century against India in the semi-final match which proved handy in their opponents crashing out of the tournament.

Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc will be key players for Australia

For New Zealand, it will be Martin Guptill, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Grant Elliott, who will prove to be the deciding factor.

Tim Southee, Grant Elliott and Trent Boult

Both teams look evenly matched having played many close games in the past.

New Zealand has played all its matches in their home nation. Australia played one match in New Zealand against the hosts that they lost by one wicket.

Since this match will be their first game in Australia, it will be interesting to witness how the Kiwis handle the pressure Down Under.

The post Australia vs. New Zealand – Will The Kiwis Extend Their Undefeated Run In The Final? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

The Epic Battle Continues..!!

With the “Mauka Mauka” Style going viral, we came up with our own “Mauka Mauka Series”.

This series comprises of people from different folks of life – Indian Politics, Bollywood and TV industry.

1.  Mauka Mauka Origins

ACP Pradyuman

2.  Rahul Gandhi’s Request to people!!

3. Tusshar Kapoor’s last hope!!

4.  Shahid Kapoor’s Offer..!!

5.  Amitabh Bachchan’s – “Beta Tumse Na Hopayega” Moment..!

And Finally the Supremo PM Narendra Modi says…

What do you think are the best “Mauka Mauka” Moments in India?

Please feel free to post your suggestions!

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Tomorrow the 2015 World Cup bout features South Africa vs New Zealand at Auckland– the first semi-final – and it is anticipated to be a scorcher of a match.

The first semi-final match will be played between South Africa and New Zealand at Auckland

All the cricketing nations would be watching this match closely (especially India and Australia) to know which team would make its debut as the finalist.

Yes, neither South Africa nor New Zealand has ever reached the final of a cricket World Cup before.

Where New Zealand has successfully maintained the unbeaten record in this tournament, South Africa made their way into the semi-final for the first time ever.

Though New Zealand appear as the clear favourites, South Africa would try their level best to not ‘choke’ under what appears to be a pressure situation for them.

Team Form

The Proteas faced Sri Lanka in their quarter-final match eventually gaining a comfortable win as their bowlers bowled out the Asian team for a measly 133. The Africans won that match big with not only 9 wickets to spare, but also 18 overs.

South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 9 wickets in the quarter-final

The Black Caps, on the other hand, dominated the West Indies. It is officially time for the likes of Brendon McCullum and Trent Boult to step aside and pave way for Martin Guptill, who the highest score by a New Zealander ever (237*) against their opponents to set them a target of 393.

Trent Boult has performed consistently in this edition of the World Cup

The Players

South Africa’s bowling seemed to have been enjoying the party from the back till the Pool games, but it really came to the party against Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals. The spinners decimated the Sri Lankan batting line-up with Imran Tahir claiming four-for and JP Duminy claiming his hat-trick and ending up with the figures of 3-29.

JP Duminy’s hat-trick proved fatal in Sri Lanka’s defeat in the quarter-final

New Zealand, on the other hand, has been in spectacular form, with the bat and the ball. Though initially Brendon McCullum took charge in regards with scoring runs, the last two matches have seen Martin Guptill step up to the occasion scoring a century and a double-century, respectively. Even Trent Boult and Tim Southee have troubled the batsmen with their in-wing and out-swinging deliveries.

Martin Guptill will have to play a big innings to ensure New Zealand’s win

Face-to-Face

In the World Cups, the two teams have faced each other on six occasions. New Zealand holds an edge over its opponents with four wins as compared to South Africa’s two. The Proteas would definitely want to get the win tomorrow and enter the finals for the first time.

New Zealand are 4-2 ahead against South Africa in World Cups

Prediction

We hope the match to go till the last over, making the bout a lot more interesting than it already is. Both teams have never reached World Cup finals before which would only elevate their hunger to outdo their opponent.

Looking at the line-up, the form and history concerning both teams, New Zealand should enter the finals.

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New Zealand is the only other unbeaten team in this edition of the cricket World Cup.

The Kiwis won all their six matches in order to acquire their spot to play the quarter-finals.

New Zealand are unbeaten in this edition of the World Cup

West Indies, on the other hand, struggled earlier in the competition and was made to fight in its last Pool match against UAE.

West Indies vs. New Zealand will be played at the WestpacTrust Stadium in Wellington. West Indies has always begun its war of words with former ODI captain Darren Sammy claiming that the pressure would be on their opponents. He also justified his claim by putting forth West Indies’ record in the knock-outs, which is not actually bad.

Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy

Nevertheless, the truth is evident. Where New Zealand earned quick wins (except the one against Australia), the Caribbean players faced their share of struggle with the possibility of being sent home looming over them.

West Indies faced defeat in their opening match against Ireland despite posting a target of over 300 runs. However, they won back-to-back matches against Pakistan and Zimbabwe, which was followed by two defeats – against India and South Africa – putting them in a spot of bother.

New Zealand would be a confident side entering the match tomorrow. They have had a week long rest with their last match played on 13^th March against Bangladesh that they won by 3 wickets.

Unfortunately for the West Indies, opening batsman Chris Gayle has fired only once when he scored 215 against Zimbabwe. Besides that, his performance in this tournament has been pedestrian, which is also one of the reasons for his team’s poor show. Judging by the way the Kiwis are playing, the swashbuckling southpaw will have to rise up to the occasion.

Chris Gayle will have to perform for West Indies to win

New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, especially, has been in terrific form with the bat. Their last Pool game also saw Martin Guptill score 105 making him an accountable player in the squad. Even their bowling has not been a disappointment with their spearhead Trent Boult being the third successful bowler in the tournament with 15 wickets.

Martin Guptill scored a match-winning century in New Zealand’s last Pool match

Even though the Kiwis appear as a much superior side than the team from the Caribbean, they would be wary of the consequence that lies ahead because of one mistake. If West Indies players such as Gayle, Samuels, Sammy and even Russell fire, that would mean trouble for the co-hosts.

New Zealand will face West Indies at Wellington tomorrow

As far as team centuries are concerned for this tournament, West Indies edge New Zealand by 3-1. Jason Holder has already emphasised on how important it will be for his bowlers to dismiss New Zealand’s middle-order.

New Zealand cricketing legend Richard Hadlee had words of inspiration for his team. “This is four years of planning and preparation to get to seven hours of cricket and if you’re good enough, you’ll get another seven hours”, he was quoted as saying.

Both teams have also been troubled by unwanted injuries with Darren Bravo of West Indies and Adam Milne suffering the effect.

Nevertheless, though New Zealand look like the team that would win this bout, West Indies would enter the field with all guns blazing. It, indeed, will keep the audience hooked to the edge of their seats.

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Over the last decade or so, the Pakistani cricket team has appeared immensely unpredictable.

That is one of the reasons why their quarter-final – Australia vs Pakistan – opponents Australia see them with awe and aspiration.

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was quick to respond when one of the reporters asked him about his team’s strategy of combating this Asian giant. “We know this is a danger game for us because they can come on and just turn it on like they have throughout the times I’ve played them in the past”, he said.

Shane Watson said Pakistan is capable of pulling surprises

There is no question that Pakistan (the country as well as the cricket team) is full of drama. One moment you will see them jubilant and living life at their fullest and on other instance, they will fall like a pack of cards. Unpredictable, indeed.

Nevertheless, Pakistan is the underdog going into this match. Regardless of having won four matches on the trot, which was preceded by two defeats, Australia is seen as the team to win this match.

Pakistan has won four matches on the trot

Over the years, Australia vs. Pakistan matches have seen superstars from both teams emerge as heroes or fade away like they never existed.

Who can forget Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq hit Australian pace bowler Glenn McGrath for four off five consecutive balls at an ODI match in 2000 at Sydney? Even Andrew Symonds scored a mammoth 143 in the 2003 World Cup against Pakistan at Johannesburg snatching the game from their hands?

Both teams have had their share of ups and downs against one another. Even though Australia looks like the team that will take the glory, the players will be wary of their opponent.

Australia would see lanky pace bowler Mohammad Irfan being ruled out of the tournament as a plus point, but they would not undermine the rest of their bowling attack either. On the other hand, Mitchell Starc of Australia is the highest wicket taker in this edition of the World Cup with 16 wickets.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc has been the tournament’s most successful bowler with 16 wickets

Waqar Younis spoke to the media about losing Mohammad Irfan at a crucial juncture in the competition claiming him to be an X factor. “It’s a big game, a quarterfinal of the World Cup and we all are very pleased to be here. We know Australia play very aggressive cricket and we have to match that. We can beat Australia but for that we have to be very positive”, he concluded.

Before the match begins tomorrow at the Adelaide Oval, no one can write Pakistan off, regardless of their struggles in this tournament. Nonetheless, Australia just looks too strong for them.

Australia vs. Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval

Pakistan will indeed have to pull the bunny out of the hat in order to advance into the semi-finals.

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All hell breaks loose when two tigers go to war against each other. The fight only ends until one of them submits to the other.

This will be the situation when two Asian tigers meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow. India plays Bangladesh in the second quarter-finals of the 2015 ICC World Cup.

India face Bangladesh in the quarter-finals tomorrow at MCG

Where team India carries a weight of expectations to retain the most coveted trophy in cricket, Bangladesh have nothing to lose.

Bangladesh is known to be fearless on the cricket field, an attitude that has helped them beat bigger teams on different instances, including India in the 2007 ICC World Cup.

Since making its ODI debut in 1986, Bangladesh has only 88 victories to show on their record which is far less as compared to India (443).

Bangladesh cricket team

India is one of the most scrutinised teams in the world of cricket, but they would not be breaking a sweat until the match eventually begins on Thursday. Their calmness could be seen in the way the Indian players, instead of knocking the ball in the nets, played a casual game of football at the MCG.

Nevertheless, India will not be taking their opponent lightly. MS Dhoni is the only member of this current team who was part of the squad that lost to Bangladesh in India’s opening game against Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup.

Bangladesh beat India by 5 wickets in the 2007 World Cup

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha appeared hopeful while talking to the media, as he was quoted as saying, “India are playing very good cricket. But we will only analyze our strengths compared to India’s. The team that enjoys (out there) will have a better game. We should embrace the opportunity presented (to us) and enjoy the situation. For us, there’s nothing to prove as we are good enough and that’s why we are here.”

India has a very good reason to not see Bangladesh as a dangerous opponent because of the 25-3 victory ratio. But they would play cautiously when they take the field tomorrow.

MS Dhoni, while speaking to the media after the final Pool game, talked about whether or not they were in pressure.

India captain MS Dhoni

“Irrespective of which team we play or which tournament we play, we are under pressure. The good thing, the boys are quite used to it. Once a few times there have been instances where we are down, but from that position, also, we have come back strongly and we have done well.”

Bangladesh are renowned to beat the biggest team in cricket on their best day; every Indian would hope that India does not appear smug, as it might backfire big time.

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When South Africa and Sri Lanka take the field tomorrow at SCG, you can expect two Goliaths going head-on in a battle whose outcome no one can accurately predict.

South Africa face Sri Lanka in the first quarter-final match tomorrow at SCG

Another reason why the winner of this match is difficult to forecast is because the last 16 matches between the two teams have ended with both winning 8 games each.

These stats confirm that cricket, indeed, is an unpredictable sport.

Where the outcome of other quarter-final ties can be foreseen, the bout between South Africa and Sri Lanka is sure to break millions of hearts with one team being ousted from the competition.

This match will also see AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara battling for the coveted No.1 spot in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen. In this tournament, Sangakkara is the leading run scorer with 496 runs. De Villiers, on the other hand, is third with 417 runs.

AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara will be key players for their respective team

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara said, “South Africa vs. Sri Lanka is maybe the best quarter final game we could see and I’m looking forward to that. I will be there.”

And this is highly likely.

Both South Africa and Sri Lanka enter this match with confident wins in their respective last group match over UAE and Scotland, respectively.

When it comes to deciding the winner of this match, you have to be very brave to place a bet on South Africa considering their history in the later stage of the World Cup tournaments. Sri Lanka, though are one-time winners (1996) and 2011 ICC World Cup finalists.

The match between South Africa and Sri Lanka during 2003 WC ended in a tie knocking out the Proteas

The pitch at SCG is ideal for spin and it is no secret that the team from Asia would be hoping that their ace spinner Rangana Herath is fit for this match. If reports are anything to go by, the left-arm spinner is likely to miss the clash due to a finger injury. The Proteas will be relying on their first pick right-arm leg spinner Imran Tahir.

In the World Cups, both teams have met on 4 occasions prior to this bout. South Africa holds a slight edge over their Asian adversary with 2-1 lead, while the match played during the 2003 edition ended in a tie.

South Africa hold a 2-1 edge over Sri Lanka in World Cups

Sri Lankan bowlers would be keen to demolish the South African batting line-up including the in-form AB de Villiers. The Proteas, too, will have their eyes set on the record-breaking Kumar Sangakkara, in the process preventing him from scoring his fifth consecutive ODI century.

With players like Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, to name a few, competing against Lasith Malinga, Dilshan and Angelo Mathews and others, the match is too tough to call.

Nevertheless, South Africa would aim at getting rid of the ‘chokers’ tag and Sri Lanka would love to make it to another semi-final at the World Cup tournament.

The post South Africa vs Sri Lanka Preview – The Battle Of The Goliaths appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

It is India vs Zimbabwe at the Eden Park in Auckland tomorrow.

India play Zimbabwe tomorrow at Eden Park

Where India has expertly outplayed every opponent in this edition of their World Cup, it cannot be said that Zimbabwe was terrible; they just could not get the job done.

Zimbabwe has won just one match out of five and that too against UAE. They could have won two other matches – against Pakistan and Ireland – but destiny had other plans. India, on the other hand, has maintained an unbeaten record with five wins out of five matches.

Team Form

Zimbabwe has only won one match out of five

No one expected India to perform as well as they have done in the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Though they suffered a few glitches in the last two matches against West Indies and Ireland, they did have easy victories over Pakistan, South Africa and United Arab Emirates. India’s bowling, especially, has clicked well resulting in massive victories over their opponents.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, has achieved just one victory and lost their matches against South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland. Though Zimbabwe’s batting has been commendable, their ability to chase down the set target has been a major letdown.

Head-to-Head

India have a 3-1 edge over Zimbabwe

India and Zimbabwe have faced each other in the World Cups a total of four times with the former having 3-1 edge. India’s only World Cup defeat against their African opponent came during the 1999 edition where they lost by 3 runs. The last time the two teams met was in the 2003 edition of the World Cup where India won by 83 runs.

The Teams

MS Dhoni would like to try India’s bench strength

With India having already qualified for the quarter-finals and expected to win this bout against Zimbabwe, MS Dhoni would want to try his team’s bench strength. The bowlers have done a good job and need to get a well-deserved rest. This is where players like Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Stuart Binny can let their worth known. Zimbabwe would be playing for pride, being knocked out of the tournament already. Though Elton Chigumbura’s fitness status is not fully known at the moment, in case he is 100% for tomorrow’s match, Regis Chakabva might make way for him.

The Location

India and Zimbabwe will play their match at Eden Park, Auckland

New Zealand is known for having small stadiums, but Eden Park has the largest stadium that the country has to offer. Though India has not consistently won matches in New Zealand, they would be positive of a win tomorrow considering the form they have been in.

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Behind every successful man there is a woman but what if that successful man experiences a low in his career…is it the woman’s fault?

We tend to point fingers at someone’s love interest and do not even think before making a filthy comment. Ever since Virat Kohli blew a kiss to Anushka Sharma, their love life has been a big topic of discussion.

Of course people are intrigued to see more such magical moments. As long as the gossip columns talk about their relationship and keep the guesswork drama, well it is all a part of entertainment news.

But it turns murky when the relationship is linked to one’s profession.

“It is primitive to call me a distraction”, said Anushka Sharma in a recent interview.

Seriously it is so baffling to understand that how an actress is responsible for someone’s performance on the field. If Virat is under performing then blame the player, his coach or the team. How is Anushka’s name even popping with respect to his performance? Is she his coach?

If Anushka acts badly on-screen (that reminds me her movie NH10 is releasing tomorrow and I can’t wait to watch it) would Virat be held responsible?

Both are completely different professions and their professional career has got nothing to do with the relationship they share with each other.

What does the BCCI expect of players? The cricketers shouldn’t have a personal life?

Every player should ideally have no families, no friends and no attachments if you see the weird logic of girlfriends being distractions.

In India where families and bonds are considered as the biggest strength it is sad to see how a bond easily gets termed as a mere distraction.

The legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also had a love marriage. Relation is a personal affair and to come up with dirty remarks and tags based on mere speculations for the same depicts simply a very sad state of the country.

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Yesterday, after scoring 124 against Scotland, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara became the first player to score four consecutive centuries in ODIs.

The 37-year-old former captain played a handy knock in his team’s victory over their European rivals.

Playing at Hobart, Sri Lanka went on to score 363-9 and dismissed Scotland for 215 in the process winning the match by 148 runs.

Kumar Sangakkara became the first player to score four consecutive ODI centuries

During the match, Sangakkara also achieved his 500^th dismissal in one-day internationals.

Sri Lanka and cricket fans around the world alike are wondering whether this is the right time for the southpaw to quit cricket. The batsman/wicket keeper had spoken about retiring from all forms of cricket late in 2014.

News about current Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews going down on his knees to beg the prolific batsman to not retire after the World Cup was also making the rounds.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews with Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara felt humbled at the gesture and the wishes that came from around the world from cricketing fans. He, however, said that he had no plans to reconsider his decision of quitting the game.

In his defence, he also said, “I’ve been batting and keeping for a long time, it’s getting harder and the joints are creaking and aching, but I consider myself lucky to be part of a great team”.

Overall, the Sri Lankan batsman has scored five centuries in World Cup, only one century behind India’s Sachin Tendulkar.

When asked about records, Sangakkara said, “Records do matter, I think. I would love to say records never enter my mind, but they do. There are certain things that you chase – you try to keep those goals. They are not the only things you chase, but as long as you do the right things those things will fall into place and come along”.

Sangakkara is also the second-highest run getter in one-day cricket (14,189). Only Sachin Tendulkar is ahead of him with 18, 426 runs.

Highlights of Kumar Sangakkara’s ODI career

If anyone were to take a poll as to whether Sangakkara should retire from the game at this moment, many cricketers would vote for “No”.

 “Quit while you are ahead”, goes a popular English idiom. Kumar Sangakkara seems to be taking this seriously.

Sri Lanka are at second position in Pool A and have made it to the quarter-finals; their opponent is yet to be decided.

The post Is It Right For Kumar Sangakkara To Retire Despite His Brilliant Form In The Ongoing World Cup? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Yesterday, after India’s win against Ireland, MS Dhoni overtook Sourav Ganguly’s record of 8 consecutive wins in World Cups.

However, for once, it was not Dhoni accomplishing yet another record that was the topic of discussion, but his antics behind the stumps that kept the audiences’ ears glued to the TV set.

MS Dhoni was at his wittiest best behind the stumps, as all the ‘wisdom’ he passed on to his teammates were caught on the mic.

In the 14^th over, when Jadeja was hit for a four, which was followed by a short-pitched delivery that was defended by Irish captain William Porterfield. Dhoni urged him to give the ball a bit of flight, in the process making him play on the front foot. That is what Jadeja did, which impressed Dhoni and he followed it up with, “Badhiya. Aage se maarne de”.

MS Dhoni advises Ravindra Jadeja

The 18^th over saw him advising Ajinkya Rahane, who was a bit slow to get to the ball, off one of Ed Joyce’s defence strokes. His advice to Rahane, “Halka peeche reh sakta hai Jinx, ye dheere nahi khelta” helped as Suresh Raina bowled Joyce the very next delivery.

Ajinkya Rahane took Dhoni’s suggestion seriously, too

In the 29^th over, he took a shot at Ambati Rayudu, who was the substitute fielder at the time. Rayudu waited for the ball hit by Porterfield to come to him to which Dhoni responded, “Rayudu, jaag ke zara. Iska pair dekh kaise hil raha hai. Uske hisaab se anticipate kar. Volleyball ki tarah khada hua hai beech mein”.

MS Dhoni criticised Ambati Rayudu’s fielding

Dhoni’s genius mind was again at play in the 33^rd over when he accurately predicted the next move. Niall O’Brien was batting with Suresh Raina as the bowler. Dhoni advised Mohammed Shami, “Ye waala peeche khada ho jaayega, udhar maarne ke liye”. Unfortunately, his advice fell on deaf ears and the next ball was hit for four in a similar fashion.

Dhoni’s suggestion to Shami fell on deaf ears

This is not the first time Dhoni has been heard saying one thing or another to his teammates.

In the past, Ravindra Jadeja, Sreesanth and others players have all been victims to his stump mic suggestions.

Here is a compilation video of some of those ‘tips’ that will leave you in splits.

We hope Dhoni continues this trend, as it somehow motivates his teammates and affects the end result of the game in India’s favour.

The post MS Dhoni Shows How To Put The Stump Mic To Good Use appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Bangladesh stunned England yesterday defeating them by 15 runs. They not only defeated the European giants, but knocked them out of the tournament.

India vs Bangladesh seems likely in the quarter-finals of the tournament, but only if India beats Ireland in their bout today. If India manages to beat Ireland, they will face Bangladesh at Wellington on March 21.

India and Bangladesh are likely to face each other in quarter-finals

England’s defeat yesterday would have definitely brought a smile on India’s face, for if it were not for that result India would possibly face England in the quarter-finals.

Bangladesh beat England by 15 runs

Batting first, Bangladesh scored 275, thanks to a century score from Mahmadullah (103) and half-century by Mushfiqur Rahim (89). England’s two top scorers were Jos Butler and Ian Bell, who scored 65 and 63, respectively. Eventually, England was bundled out for 260 runs.

India will be wary about giant-killers Ireland. Their medium pace bowling, especially, is accurate and could cause the Indian batting line-up trouble.

India vs Ireland

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar had a word of caution for India before their match. “Batsmen have to be careful in New Zealand. The ball will move in the air and off the pitch. India need to tighten up their batting. They should play every match like a final from now on”, Gavaskar said.

MS Dhoni, on the other hand, has a chance of overtaking Sourav Ganguly’s record of successive World Cup match wins (8 wins tied between the two). After beating the West Indies last Friday, Dhoni became India’s most successful overseas ODI captain (59 wins).

Bangladesh, too, are renowned for handing crushing defeats to their opponents at cricket’s most coveted tournament. It was in 2007 when Bangladesh beat India in the first match, which eventually played a crucial role in the latter being knocked out of the tournament early.

Bangladesh players celebrating their victory against England

This is the first time for Bangladesh entering the quarter-finals. They are likely to face the subcontinent giants India provided they finish fourth in the Group A table and India remain on top in Group B.

The celebration after victory against England was a sight to witness. Even the crowd went berserk, as instantaneous victory processions transpired in New Zealand as well as in the home country of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh fans celebrating their victory against England

The Tigers, at present, sit at the third sport in the points table. With their last match to be played against the in-form New Zealand, their chances of losing the match seem high. This would push them to the fourth spot setting up their clash against India in the quarter-finals.

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The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup has reached an interesting stage. It is India vs Ireland tomorrow, another Group B match with a lot at stake for the minnow team.

India and Ireland compete on 10th March

Ireland is just one point shy of making it to the quarter-finals. A victory tomorrow for the Irish would mean Pakistan or West Indies facing elimination.

It would be fair to say that Ireland has not been a consistent team, but they have not let go of the habit of disappointing Full Members. They have already beaten West Indies and Zimbabwe in this edition.

India, on the other hand, qualified for the quarter-finals after defeating West Indies in their last match. The ‘Men in Blue’ now have four victories in four matches with two more to go.

India have already qualified for the quarter-finals

Ireland, too, have two tough matches – India and Pakistan. They have amassed six points from their four matches; one more point and they sail through into the quarter-finals. 

Head to Head

India and Ireland have faced once earlier (2011 ICC World Cup), where the team from the subcontinent convincingly beat their European rival.

India are 1-0 against Ireland

The Teams

Though Ireland’s team, more or less, looks the same since the two teams last met, Team India’s look is different. The young guns would be aware about their rival’s habit of defeating top teams and will want to give their best shot.

“I don’t think their guard will ever be down and they’re not going to look to lose any momentum from their point of view. Whatever they decide to do is out of our control”, said Ireland captain William Porterfield.

Ireland captain William Porterfield

The Location

One of the things that will be different for India on Tuesday is the pitch. They will be playing their first match in New Zealand in this World Cup edition with all their matches so far been played in Australia. Ireland though did play West Indies in their opening game at Saxton Oval, Nelson in New Zealand.

India will play their first match in New Zealand in this World Cup

Prediction

Ireland are clearly the underdogs in this match. Though India has a new team, they have displayed their prowess in all their four matches. India is likely to win this match.

However, if the game is washed out, both teams share one point each and Ireland enters the quarter-finals. This will mean Pakistan beating Ireland in their next meet or having a better NRR than West Indies to qualify.

If either Pakistan vs. Ireland or UAE vs. West Indies gets washed out, the team from the Caribbean will be knocked out of the tournament.

The post Can Ireland Manipulate India’s Bowling? Another Run Fest Expected at Seddon Park appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

West Indies were the underdogs entering in their match against India yesterday during the World Cup.

As expected, India beat them, but in a fashion that cricket fans would not call convincing.

India vs West Indies was played on 6th March

India versus West Indies was played at the WACA, Perth, where the team from the Caribbean won the toss and elected to bat first.

Even before the match began, the experts predicted the game to be not a high-scoring one, for the WACA pitch is considered as one of the quickest and bounciest tracks in the world.

For the West Indies to score big, Chris Gayle had to be in top form. The southpaw decided to go out all guns blazing, in the course of which he was dropped thrice by the Indian fielders. He was eventually caught in the deep for 21 by Mohit Sharma off a Mohammed Shami bouncer.

Mohammed Shami claimed the wicket of Chris Gayle

What followed this dismissal was a sorry state for the Caribbean team, as their batting line-up fell like a pack of cards. The only player to show some form of resistance was their captain Jason Holder, who scored 57 off 64 balls.

West Indies were all out for 182 runs; coincidentally, the target, 183, was the exact number team India had scored back in 1983 to win the Prudential Cup against the same opponent.

Knowing the nature of the WACA pitch, the Indians would have known that even chasing 183 would appear daunting. And that is what happened!

Jerome Taylor bowled his heart out getting rid of the openers. Unfortunately, his quota of 10 overs was not completed and he ended up with the figures of 8-0-33-2. Andre Russell was the second successful bowler (43-2).

Jerome Taylor and Andre Russell were the most successful West Indian bowlers

Virat Kohli did manage to steady the Indian batting after the fall of the two openers, but he was dismissed for 33 runs by Russell.

‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni remained unbeaten on 45 runs at the end of the innings along with Ravichandran Ashwin (16 runs off 32 balls).

Indian managed to beat the West Indies by 4 wickets with 10.5 overs remaining.

India defeated West Indies by 4 wickets

This defeat was special for team India and for MS Dhoni, as they earned a few accolades –

India became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals from Group B

The win over West Indies gave India its eighth consecutive win in the World Cups. In the process, India equalled the win tally it had achieved back in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup

MS Dhoni became the most successful captain away from home (59 wins), surpassing Sourav Ganguly’s record of 58 wins overseas.

India has now won all its matches in this year’s World Cup. During the press conference, Dhoni explained that now all came down to the knockout stage.

“It will be important how well we play on that particular day, especially going into the knockout stages. I feel all the teams are nicely poised. All of them have the right combination and have clicked well. It is a really balanced World Cup. We just need to keep doing what we are doing right, and take it one game at a time.”

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Cricket legend and former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has called ICC’s decision to make the 2019 Cricket World Cup a 10-team affair as “a backward step”.

Tendulkar called ICC’s decision of 10-man World Cup as a backward step

It was only earlier this week, during a dinner event in Sydney, when Tendulkar spoke about increasing the participants up to 25. In addition, he also requested the ICC to let the ‘A’ side teams to regularly play Associates in order to provide a fair platform for the “minnows”.

It was in December last year when the International Cricket Council declared that only 10 teams would participate in the 2019 mega event instead of 14 teams like in 2011 and 2015 tournaments.

16 teams are participating in the 2015 ICC World Cup

Expressing his disappointment at ICC’s decision to reduce the number of participating teams, the iconic batsman said, “I found out the next World Cup would only be ten teams, which is slightly disappointing because as a cricketer I want the game to be globalised as much as possible and, according to me, this is a backwards step. We’ve got to find ways of encouraging the lesser teams.”

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson, on the other hand, defended the international governing body’s decision.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson

The ICC defended its action saying that the game will become more competitive with top 8 teams competing and two teams qualifying for the event.

However, the Associates have proven their worth time and again. Ireland, one of the Associate teams, has managed to beat at least one Test playing nation in World Cups since 2007. In 2007, they beat Pakistan, where as in the 2011 ICC World Cup, the minnows convincingly chased a total of over 300 against England. Last month, in Nelson, they again chased a 300+ total against West Indies.

Ireland has defeated Test playing nations on different occasions

Even Kenya, a non-participating team in this edition of cricket’s most coveted tournament, has defeated Sri Lanka (2003 World Cup) and West Indies (1996 World Cup).

While speaking to the media, Tendulkar was also quoted as saying, “Right now, they (the Associates) get up after four years on the cricket world’s biggest platform and they’re expected to play and compete with the likes of Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, so many top sides. It’s unfair to them”.

Statistically, matches played by minnows have managed to bring in audience from different countries to support them. Unfortunately, ICC is hell-bent on making the event “more competitive”, which as per them cannot be possible with lowly ranked teams.

Sachin Tendulkar hopes ICC will reverse its 10-team World Cup decision

Sachin has requested the ICC to look into facts before arriving at this conclusion, as it could adversely affect the game.

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Who would have believed if someone told them that Roger Federer would cause controversy in cricket? But it has happened!

The tennis ace was caught juggling fans from around the world, especially India and Pakistan, when photos of him holding a blue Team India jersey emerged on his Facebook page.

Upon learning about the furore that the picture caused, Federer immediately apologised. He also made it clear that the photo was more a part of a marketing gimmick than him expressing his favouritism towards India during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.

“It was more of a Nike thing to be quite honest,” said the 17-time Grand Slam champion before the commencement of Dubai Open.

The picture in question has Roger Federer holding an Indian team jersey with the caption reading “Dressing up for a Gentleman’s game today. #BleedBlue”.

Meanwhile, Nike decided to upload the same picture on its Twitter page, too.

https://twitter.com/nikecricket/status/566890488548950016

On any other day, this photo would appear comparatively harmless, but not during the World Cup.

The Pakistani fans are said to be dejected the most, who admire Roger’s skills on the tennis court. One supporter even went to the lengths of deleting all his pictures of Federer and is said to have taken an online poll in which 10 out of 12 Pakistanis felt betrayed.

The entire controversy even forced the 33-year-old to reveal the team he supports – South Africa.

“I support South Africa, and everybody knows that. The idea wasn’t to spark any fire.” Everyone, who has kept a track of Federer’s life, knows that his mother Lynette is from South Africa. Moreover, the Swiss ace has also supported the disadvantaged children in South Africa through the Roger Federer Foundation.

The Swiss player has helped underprivileged children via Roger Federer Foundation

The current World No. 2 also said that he supports India “a little bit”.

When asked if he follows cricket, Federer said that depends on which part of the world he is in at that moment.

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Shane Warne is a cricketing legend no one can ignore for a long time. He is also renowned for rubbing people the wrong way at times.

This time around, in the midst of the ongoing cricket World Cup, the former Australian leg-spinner has decided to take potshots at the current Australian team.

Warne has been in the news for heavily criticising the Australian national team, including the support staff and the officials, in the process, coming to the aid of captain and close pal Michael Clarke.

Warne has criticised Australian officials for putting pressure on Clarke

While accusing the team, the 45-year-old decided to target coach Darren Lehmann, who apparently has been pushing the middle-order batsman to come back from his long standing injury.

Warne and Lehmann were part of Australia’s 1999 World Cup winning squad; on hearing the statement, the latter brushed it off as “absolute rubbish”.

Warne has especially questioned the role of Darren Lehmann as Australian coach

Mark Waugh, who is a current national selector, supported Lehmann and accused Warne of overstepping his limits.

Shane Warne was part of a scornful interview wherein he condemned the Australian support staff while offering the much-needed support to Clarke. He also stated that Clarke was responsible for Australia’s good form in the recent past more than Lehmann.

While speaking to 2GB, Warne had the following to say, “It was Michael Clarke who taught them how to win, you know they had three or four different coaches, Darren Lehmann’s come on and put a bit of icing on the cake, he’s actually complemented Michael Clarke”.

‘Boof’ as Lehmann is popularly known within is cricketing circle, found support in his team as well as with former Australian cricketers. The officials, on the other hand, decided to play down the situation not letting the issue to escalate to unnecessary lengths.

Rumours about rift between Clarke and Lehmann have been doing the rounds since 2014. The latter, in November, decided to speak out and denied of any conflict existing between him and the current Australian national captain.

Lehmann has denied rumours of rift with Clarke

Mark Waugh, in Lehmann’s defence, also said that Warne was never a big fan of having coaches and believed that players themselves could take the team to extreme lengths.

With Australia’s game against Bangladesh being washed out, they are second on Pool A points table with 3 points. Australia will face co-host New Zealand on February 28^th.

Australia will face New Zealand on February 28

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On the back of South Africa and India winning their respective opening matches, their bout against one another on Sunday is bound to be one hell of a firecracker.

While we are discussing firecrackers, have you seen the ad poking fun at India for not having won a single game against the African giants in the World Cups?

Yes, it’s true. India may have won the World Cup, but they have never beaten a team that is disreputable for falling apart under trying situations.

India and South Africa meet face each other for the fourth time in the World Cups this Sunday.

India face South Africa for the fourth time in World Cups

Both teams have met on three occasions – 1992, 1996 and 2011 – with South Africa proving formidable every single time.

There’s no question that India looked at its prime against arch-rivals Pakistan while handing them a 76-run defeat last Sunday. South Africa, on the other hand, faced Zimbabwe beating them convincingly by 62 runs.

India’s batting line-up, after a long time, looked steady with Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina scoring big runs. Though South Africa’s top-order did appear vulnerable against their African counterparts, it could be brushed off as a one-time bad experience.

India will be keen on beating South Africa for the first time in World Cups

It was good to see India’s bowling come to the party for once as it bundled out Pakistan for just 224 runs. While chasing the mammoth total set by South Africa, Zimbabwe did manage to score 277.

This Sunday, the competition will be against Indian batsmen and South African bowlers. South African bowling will be led by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, two of the fiercest pace bowlers in modern day cricket.

South Africa would like to keep their unbeaten record against India

While India and South Africa will be competing, all eyes will be on Gary Kirsten, former India coach under whom team India won the World Cup in 2011. Kirsten, who joined South Africa as a consultant, will like to play a key part in his team winning cricket’s most coveted prize this year.

One of the interesting facts about South Africa in World Cups is that they have faced a fate bad than worse after defeating India every single time.

Rain saved England against South Africa at the 1992 World Cup

Would history repeat itself or will India beat South Africa, in the process, altering the latter’s “jinx” at the World Cups?

Regardless, a huge crowd is expected at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the 22^nd of February. India vs South Africa will be a contest that will keep you wanting for more.

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Yuvraj Singh’s exclusion from the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup came as a shock to every cricket fan. One of the questions that most Indians asked is who would emulate Singh’s role in this year’s World Cup.

Well, one candidate has stepped up expressing the same desire and his name is Suresh Raina.

Suresh Raina hopes to emulate Yuvraj Singh’s performance during the 2015 World Cup

While speaking to bcci.tv, the Indian middle-order batsman said, “I want to play Yuvraj Singh’s role in this World Cup. I want to field, bowl and bat well”.

The 28-year-old southpaw displayed his dominance in India’s opener against arch-rivals Pakistan last Sunday. His worthy score of 74 runs off 56 deliveries helped India register the total of 300 runs, eventually helping his team win by a margin of 76 runs.

Raina played a crucial knock against Pakistan by scoring 74 runs off 56 balls

Raina claims to have looked up to Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni as inspirations. “I observed Yuvi and saw how he used to finish games for the side”.

No one has ever questioned Raina’s ability to score big runs during crunch situations. He can also come in handy with his off-spin and carries agility of a leopard while fielding.

Prior to the World Cup, India played in a forgettable tour against Australia. A win in the opening match of the biggest cricket tournament, however, would have definitely given India the much-needed boost to go all the way and retain the trophy.

The victory against Pakistan gave India an impressive lead of 6-0 in the World Cups. Raina talked about every match against the arch-rivals being a high pressure one hoping to maintain the unbeaten record against them.

India beat Pakistan by 76 runs on Sunday

Suresh Raina has started the World Cup campaign on a perfect note. India captain MS Dhoni was all praises for the left-handed batsman after his innings against Pakistan.

India’s next match is against South Africa on 22^nd February where they will try to combat a malicious bowling attack that includes Dale Steyn. India have never beaten South Africa in World Cups, but with the current form that Suresh Raina and team India are in, the tides might finally change.

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The 2015 World Cup opening ceremony was held at Christchurch yesterday and it was grand.

The Hagley Park was host to thousands of cheerful fans as New Zealand and Australia are set to host the biggest tournament in cricket after 23 years. The stage was also shared by Maori warriors and Morris dancers who kept the crowd at the edge of their seats.

The Maori performers kept the audience occupied

Since the time an earthquake distressed the city’s centre in February 2011, the 2015 World Cup is the largest event hosted by Christchurch. The calamity had claimed lives of 185 people.

Though the city still carries its physical scars following the disaster, the audience present at the venue showed that their spirit was always sky high.

“We’re back!” roared Mayor Leanne Dalziell with great enthusiasm.

The audience at Hagley Park, Christchurch

John Key, New Zealand Prime Minister, was also present at the event extending his best wishes to his home nation as well as other countries competing in cricket’s biggest tournament. He recollected how Christchurch was robbed of the opportunity of hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup because of the earthquake.

The New Zealand team posing with Prime Minister John Key

During the opening ceremony, the audience was presented the captains of all participating nations, who spoke to the crowd.

AB de Villiers, South Africa captain, expressed how they have never won a cricket World Cup tournament before but claimed to be well prepared and that they were looking forward to taking the trophy home.

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews said that the 2015 World Cup will be a tough competition and whoever played the best cricket would get their hands on the trophy.

Brendon McCullum, captain of the New Zealand team, said that Christchurch, after all that it has been through, hosting the first game was fantastic. He also predicted the tournament to be wide open with no one team 100% certain of winning the grandest prize in cricket.

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