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Tag: Cricket strategy

ICC Champions Trophy: Amidst speculation about his future, Virat Kohli shows what makes him a chase-master in ODIs
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ICC Champions Trophy: Amidst speculation about his future, Virat Kohli shows what makes him a chase-master in ODIs

Where would India be without Virat Kohli in this ICC Champions Trophy? As they got one step closer to becoming the most successful team in the tournament’s history, for the second time in this edition, Kohli mastered a chase.Unlike the game against Pakistan where he remained unbeaten on 100, there was no century to show against Australia in Tuesday’s semi-final. But his 84 was an innings that sent a strong reminder to the world that Kohli isn’t going anywhere for now. If anything, with such knocks under pressure in the most challenging of conditions, he seems to be indicating a second wind in his career. Truth be told, Kohli looked all over the place in the first game against Bangladesh, who were able to pin him to the crease. After that knock, he trained for extra hours at the nets, facin...
Champions Trophy: Pressure will be on both teams, says Rohit Sharma ahead of India’s semifinal clash vs Australia
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Champions Trophy: Pressure will be on both teams, says Rohit Sharma ahead of India’s semifinal clash vs Australia

India skipper Rohit Sharma on Monday said that they are going to approach the semifinal match against Australia just like they did in the last three matches in the Champions Trophy, dismissing that there’s any added pressure. India have a pretty dismal record against the Australians when it comes to ICC knockout encounters with the Men in Blue last defeating the Aussies in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals. “Look, they are a great opposition to play against. All we had to do is what we have been thinking about the last three games and we have to approach that game in a similar fashion. We understand the opposition and how they play and stuff like that,” Rohit said in the pre-match press conference. “We will expect some nervy times as well in the middle. But that is how the game is being pla...
IND vs NZ Rollercoaster: Varun slides into direct contention, Phillips takes a stunner & Rohit’s pull needs a rethink
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IND vs NZ Rollercoaster: Varun slides into direct contention, Phillips takes a stunner & Rohit’s pull needs a rethink

Has Varun Chakravarthy powered himself to earning a spot In the semifinal and maybe beyond? Ravi Shastri roared: “What he’s done is that he has put his hand up now for a spot in the semifinal in the playing XI, because the pitches will be the same, he has been outstanding tonight. Well more headaches for the think-tank and selectors.” With his figures of 5/42, Varun has almost definitely sealed his spot to take on the Aussies in Dubai on Tuesday.Earlier though amidst his flipper and top spinner variations, while aiming at the stumps, there was a tiny slice of luck. And he had Michael Gough to thank. When the English umpire gives a decision on field, rarely has it been overturned in recent times. But he made a rare mistake on Sunday in Dubai when he gave Michael Bracewell out LBW against Va...
Champions Trophy controversy: Why ‘advantage India’ criticism from Pat Cummins and Michael Atherton about Dubai pitches is valid
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Champions Trophy controversy: Why ‘advantage India’ criticism from Pat Cummins and Michael Atherton about Dubai pitches is valid

These are still early days of the Champions Trophy, but the prefix ‘neutral venue’ before Dubai for India’s matches is already inviting chuckles. In a tournament hosted by Pakistan, it is India — thanks to the conditions in Dubai — which is feeling more at home, with teams in Group B already sweating at the prospect of playing their semi-finals here on March 4. It’s somewhat akin to suddenly land up in Chennai to play on carefully-curated sluggish tracks that abet Chennai Super Kings. What’s more, here India don’t have any ‘away’ game. With the match between Australia and South Africa washed out at Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the Group B is now wide open with Wednesday’s fixture between England and Afghanistan at Lahore being a knockout clash. Once that happens, the calculators would be out of ...