The recently concluded Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka, which India won in sensational fashion off the very last ball, was a massive success. It was one of the most watched tournaments in recent times and gave us an idea that tri-series are the future of T20 Internationals.

The tournament was fiercely contested between hosts Sri Lanka, along with India and Bangladesh. Team India, with a second-string side, managed to put together an impressive show through the course of the series and the team management would be thoroughly pleased with this effort.

There were a lot of takeaways for India in the Nidahas Trophy. Here is a look at a few of them.&nbsp

Dinesh Karthik’s second coming

Dinesh Karthik wasn’t dismissed in the Nidahas Trophy. In whatever little opportunities he got, the wicket-keeper batsman made the most of it. His unbeaten 39 off 25 balls helped India beat Sri Lanka in the league stages while chasing a target of 153. And then he played the innings of his life with that cameo of 29 off 8 balls in the final against Bangladesh that gave India one of its most stunning wins ever. Karthik looked fluent and confident and struck the ball crisply. The 32-year-old has lived under the shadows of MS Dhoni for long and is now trying to establish his place in the side. This performance will now perhaps help him make a case for himself as a permanent member of the side and can be seen as his second coming.

Washington Sundar is one for the future

18-year-old Washington Sundar was the biggest positive for India from this series. The young off-spinner was absolutely brilliant with his bowling in the Powerplays and hardly gave the batsmen an inch. Sundar was adjudged the Man of the Series for his 8 wickets at an astounding economy rate of 5.70. The young man showed great maturity and seems to have a calm head on his shoulders. He varied his pace and length regularly and read the batsmen astutely. With age on his side and the performance he has shown in this series, Washington Sundar can definitely be considered as one for the future. With him as a regular in the limited overs teams, India’s bowling would look stronger than ever.

India’s fast bowling reserves are weak

One of the biggest disappointments for India in this tri-series was how poorly India’s fast bowlers performed. The likes of Shradul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Sriraj and even Vijay Shankar were really mediocre and patchy. They could not find the right lengths to bowl and were consistently punished. Save for a few moments here and there, the seam bowlers for India were rather ordinary and all had economy rates of well over 9 in the series which is unacceptable in this format. This will be a worry for the Indian selectors and should force them to look for other options to bolster the Indian fast bowling reserve which might come in handy in future tournaments.

Rohit the captain&nbsp 
Although he was a stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma did a very fine job leading a second-string Indian side in this tournament and came out with flying colours. He was pro-active with his bowling changes and even though his fast bowlers went for a lot of runs, he never let that get to him. Rohit read the game situations well and affected the field placements and bowling changes very shrewdly. He tried to give opportunities to all the players in the squad and was always seen talking to the youngsters, backing them steadfastly. Rohit has a lot of experience leading the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. And he has shown his leadership qualities in international cricket too now. Perhaps, the selectors can consider having him as the permanent T20I captain for India, which will also give some relief to Virat Kohli.&nbsp

The Nidahas Trophy tri-series will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket and will be treasured by its fans for long. It came to a perfect end for a long and successful Indian season and the players can now look forward to the upcoming seasons with a lot of hope. 
&nbsp

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka, which India won in sensational fashion was a massive success. It was one of the most watched tournaments in recent times and gave us an idea that tri-series are the future of T20 Internationals.

The recently concluded Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka, which India won in sensational fashion off the very last ball, was a massive success. It was one of the most watched tournaments in recent times and gave us an idea that tri-series are the future of T20 Internationals. The tournament was fiercely contested between hosts Sri Lanka, along with India and Bangladesh. Team India, with a second-string side, managed to put together an impressive show through the course of the series and the team management would be thoroughly pleased with this effort. There were a lot of takeaways for India in the Nidahas Trophy. Here is a look at a few of them. Dinesh Karthik’s second coming Dinesh Karthik wasn’t dismissed in the Nidahas Trophy. In whatever little opportunities he got, the wicket-keeper batsman made the most of it. His unbeaten 39 off 25 balls helped India beat Sri Lanka in the league stages while chasing a target of 153. And then he played the innings of his life with that cameo of 29 off 8 balls in the final against Bangladesh that gave India one of its most stunning wins ever. Karthik looked fluent and confident and struck the ball crisply. The 32-year-old has lived under the shadows of MS Dhoni for long and is now trying to establish his place in the side. This performance will now perhaps help him make a case for himself as a permanent member of the side and can be seen as his second coming. Washington Sundar is one for the future 18-year-old Washington Sundar was the biggest positive for India from this series. The young off-spinner was absolutely brilliant with his bowling in the Powerplays and hardly gave the batsmen an inch. Sundar was adjudged the Man of the Series for his 8 wickets at an astounding economy rate of 5.70. The young man showed great maturity and seems to have a calm head on his shoulders. He varied his pace and length regularly and read the batsmen astutely. With age on his side and the performance he has shown in this series, Washington Sundar can definitely be considered as one for the future. With him as a regular in the limited overs teams, India’s bowling would look stronger than ever. India’s fast bowling reserves are weak One of the biggest disappointments for India in this tri-series was how poorly India’s fast bowlers performed. The likes of Shradul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Sriraj and even Vijay Shankar were really mediocre and patchy. They could not find the right lengths to bowl and were consistently punished. Save for a few moments here and there, the seam bowlers for India were rather ordinary and all had economy rates of well over 9 in the series which is unacceptable in this format. This will be a worry for the Indian selectors and should force them to look for other options to bolster the Indian fast bowling reserve which might come in handy in future tournaments. Rohit the captain Although he was a stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma did a very fine job leading a second-string Indian side in this tournament and came out with flying colours. He was pro-active with his bowling changes and even though his fast bowlers went for a lot of runs, he never let that get to him. Rohit read the game situations well and affected the field placements and bowling changes very shrewdly. He tried to give opportunities to all the players in the squad and was always seen talking to the youngsters, backing them steadfastly. Rohit has a lot of experience leading the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. And he has shown his leadership qualities in international cricket too now. Perhaps, the selectors can consider having him as the permanent T20I captain for India, which will also give some relief to Virat Kohli. The Nidahas Trophy tri-series will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket and will be treasured by its fans for long. It came to a perfect end for a long and successful Indian season and the players can now look forward to the upcoming seasons with a lot of hope. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: T20 Nidahas paves future for many in upcoming ODI series

The recently concluded Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka, which India won in sensational fashion off the very last ball, was a massive success. It was one of the most watched tournaments in recent times and gave us an idea that tri-series are the future of T20 Internationals.

The tournament was fiercely contested between hosts Sri Lanka, along with India and Bangladesh. Team India, with a second-string side, managed to put together an impressive show through the course of the series and the team management would be thoroughly pleased with this effort.

There were a lot of takeaways for India in the Nidahas Trophy. Here is a look at a few of them.&nbsp;

Dinesh Karthik&rsquo;s second coming

Dinesh Karthik wasn&rsquo;t dismissed in the Nidahas Trophy. In whatever little opportunities he got, the wicket-keeper batsman made the most of it. His unbeaten 39 off 25 balls helped India beat Sri Lanka in the league stages while chasing a target of 153. And then he played the innings of his life with that cameo of 29 off 8 balls in the final against Bangladesh that gave India one of its most stunning wins ever. Karthik looked fluent and confident and struck the ball crisply. The 32-year-old has lived under the shadows of MS Dhoni for long and is now trying to establish his place in the side. This performance will now perhaps help him make a case for himself as a permanent member of the side and can be seen as his second coming.

Washington Sundar is one for the future

18-year-old Washington Sundar was the biggest positive for India from this series. The young off-spinner was absolutely brilliant with his bowling in the Powerplays and hardly gave the batsmen an inch. Sundar was adjudged the Man of the Series for his 8 wickets at an astounding economy rate of 5.70. The young man showed great maturity and seems to have a calm head on his shoulders. He varied his pace and length regularly and read the batsmen astutely. With age on his side and the performance he has shown in this series, Washington Sundar can definitely be considered as one for the future. With him as a regular in the limited overs teams, India&rsquo;s bowling would look stronger than ever.

India&rsquo;s fast bowling reserves are weak

One of the biggest disappointments for India in this tri-series was how poorly India&rsquo;s fast bowlers performed. The likes of Shradul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Sriraj and even Vijay Shankar were really mediocre and patchy. They could not find the right lengths to bowl and were consistently punished. Save for a few moments here and there, the seam bowlers for India were rather ordinary and all had economy rates of well over 9 in the series which is unacceptable in this format. This will be a worry for the Indian selectors and should force them to look for other options to bolster the Indian fast bowling reserve which might come in handy in future tournaments.

Rohit the captain&nbsp; 
Although he was a stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma did a very fine job leading a second-string Indian side in this tournament and came out with flying colours. He was pro-active with his bowling changes and even though his fast bowlers went for a lot of runs, he never let that get to him. Rohit read the game situations well and affected the field placements and bowling changes very shrewdly. He tried to give opportunities to all the players in the squad and was always seen talking to the youngsters, backing them steadfastly. Rohit has a lot of experience leading the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. And he has shown his leadership qualities in international cricket too now. Perhaps, the selectors can consider having him as the permanent T20I captain for India, which will also give some relief to Virat Kohli.&nbsp;

The Nidahas Trophy tri-series will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket and will be treasured by its fans for long. It came to a perfect end for a long and successful Indian season and the players can now look forward to the upcoming seasons with a lot of hope. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

He wasn&rsquo;t at his fluent best. But stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma, finally found some good form in India&rsquo;s Nidahas Trophy 2018 encounter against Bangladesh and led his team into the finals of the tournament. Rohit led from the front on a sticky wicket at Colombo and his 89 off 61 balls was instrumental in giving India a comprehensive 17-run victory.

After winning the toss, Bangladesh decided to put India in. Prior to last night&rsquo;s game, every team that had batted second in this tournament had won the match. But India put on a solid batting display on a tough wicket that thwarted the opposition. The pitch at Colombo was a little different from the ones used earlier and the ball wasn&rsquo;t coming off the bat. Stroke-making was difficult as the ball was gripping and it wasn&#39;t easy to hit on the up. But the Indian openers showed patience and formed a solid 70-run stand. After Shikhar Dhawan departed for 35, Suresh Raina (47 off 30 balls) came in and played an effortless knock that helped chug the Indian innings along.

Raina and Rohit formed a scintillating 102-run stand for the second wicket that gave India a solid foundation. Rohit&rsquo;s innings was especially laudable. He took his time to get in. Initially he wasn&rsquo;t getting the big hits but slowly, as he got used to the pace of the wicket, Rohit began striking the ball well and eventually struck some glorious strokes all over the park. Rohit got dismissed in the last ball of the innings for a fantastic 89 off 61 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes. It was an excellent knock and helped India achieve an above-par total of 176-3.

Bangladesh began their chase well with Tamim Iqbal in good striking form. The left-handed opener took 18 runs of Shardul Thakur&#39;s first over and it looked like Bangladesh would give this target a real chase. However, young Washington Sundar yet again proved his worth in the Powerplay overs. The 18-year-old off-spinner bowled exceptionally well and grabbed three wickets inside the first six overs. He gave the ball a lot of loops, bowled tight channels and kept things simple. The batsmen found it hard to go against him and kept losing their wickets. In the end, Sundar&rsquo;s 22 runs for 3 wickets in four overs proved to be decisive. &nbsp;This youngster has proved his mettle regularly and it is time that the selectors begin thinking of Sundar as a future prospect as he clearly has the abilities for it.

The only blip in an otherwise complete performance by India was Mohammed Siraj&rsquo;s bowling. The young fast bowler went for 50 runs in his 4 overs and this is now his fourth international T20 game where he has conceded more than 40 runs. Perhaps it is time to start looking beyond him now.

For Bangladesh, save for Mushfiqur Rahim&rsquo;s 72 off 55 balls, none of the other batsmen showed any real gumption to stay at the wicket. Had someone played alongside Rahim, Bangladesh might have got to the target. With just one more game remaining in the tournament, Bangladesh&rsquo;s team management has to be a little more cautious in how they approach their game because another slip up would mean curtains for them. Their next match is against Sri Lanka on Friday and the winner of that game would progress to the finals. The Tigers would hope for a better show from their batsmen next time.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, things are looking good for this new-look Team India. Captain Rohit Sharma should be pretty pleased as things are falling place for the team pretty nicely. India would certainly be high on confidence for the finals and would be hoping for another clinical show from the players.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma, finally found some good form in India’s Nidahas Trophy against Bangladesh and led his team into the finals. However, it is time to start looking beyond bowler Mohammed Siraj as he has been failing to perform with giving 50 runs in 4 overs.

He wasn’t at his fluent best. But stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma, finally found some good form in India’s Nidahas Trophy 2018 encounter against Bangladesh and led his team into the finals of the tournament. Rohit led from the front on a sticky wicket at Colombo and his 89 off 61 balls was instrumental in giving India a comprehensive 17-run victory. After winning the toss, Bangladesh decided to put India in. Prior to last night’s game, every team that had batted second in this tournament had won the match. But India put on a solid batting display on a tough wicket that thwarted the opposition. The pitch at Colombo was a little different from the ones used earlier and the ball wasn’t coming off the bat. Stroke-making was difficult as the ball was gripping and it wasn't easy to hit on the up. But the Indian openers showed patience and formed a solid 70-run stand. After Shikhar Dhawan departed for 35, Suresh Raina (47 off 30 balls) came in and played an effortless knock that helped chug the Indian innings along. Raina and Rohit formed a scintillating 102-run stand for the second wicket that gave India a solid foundation. Rohit’s innings was especially laudable. He took his time to get in. Initially he wasn’t getting the big hits but slowly, as he got used to the pace of the wicket, Rohit began striking the ball well and eventually struck some glorious strokes all over the park. Rohit got dismissed in the last ball of the innings for a fantastic 89 off 61 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes. It was an excellent knock and helped India achieve an above-par total of 176-3. Bangladesh began their chase well with Tamim Iqbal in good striking form. The left-handed opener took 18 runs of Shardul Thakur's first over and it looked like Bangladesh would give this target a real chase. However, young Washington Sundar yet again proved his worth in the Powerplay overs. The 18-year-old off-spinner bowled exceptionally well and grabbed three wickets inside the first six overs. He gave the ball a lot of loops, bowled tight channels and kept things simple. The batsmen found it hard to go against him and kept losing their wickets. In the end, Sundar’s 22 runs for 3 wickets in four overs proved to be decisive. This youngster has proved his mettle regularly and it is time that the selectors begin thinking of Sundar as a future prospect as he clearly has the abilities for it. The only blip in an otherwise complete performance by India was Mohammed Siraj’s bowling. The young fast bowler went for 50 runs in his 4 overs and this is now his fourth international T20 game where he has conceded more than 40 runs. Perhaps it is time to start looking beyond him now. For Bangladesh, save for Mushfiqur Rahim’s 72 off 55 balls, none of the other batsmen showed any real gumption to stay at the wicket. Had someone played alongside Rahim, Bangladesh might have got to the target. With just one more game remaining in the tournament, Bangladesh’s team management has to be a little more cautious in how they approach their game because another slip up would mean curtains for them. Their next match is against Sri Lanka on Friday and the winner of that game would progress to the finals. The Tigers would hope for a better show from their batsmen next time. Meanwhile, things are looking good for this new-look Team India. Captain Rohit Sharma should be pretty pleased as things are falling place for the team pretty nicely. India would certainly be high on confidence for the finals and would be hoping for another clinical show from the players. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: India should look beyond bowler Siraj to keep momentum going in Nidahas T20 finals

Team India has slowly begun to get into its groove in the ongoing Nidahas Trophy. They thumped Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in a truncated 19-overs a side game last night at Colombo and went to the top of the table with two wins in their kitty. Now unless something untoward happens in the remaining two league games of the series, India should be able to make its place in the final.

The victory was achieved through some proficient bowling and smart batting. After electing to field first, the Indian seamers began well and although Sri Lanka came hard, they managed to keep things in check. The wicket was sticky and the ball was gripping the surface. Batting wasn&rsquo;t easy and someone needed to hold the innings together. Unfortunately, apart from opener Kusal Mendis (55 off 38 balls) none of the other batsmen showed any gumption to stay at the wicket. The Indian bowlers used good variations and bowled tight channels to reign Sri Lanka in. Eventually, Sri Lanka could only manage 152-9 in 19 overs. India&rsquo;s star performers were seamer Shardul Thakur, who returned with superb figures of 4-27, and young spinner Washington Sundar who was again brilliant with a spell of 2-21.

India made light work of the chase and got there courtesy a solid unbeaten 42 by Manish Pandey and a sparkling 39 off 25 balls by Dinesh Karthik. The Sri Lankan bowlers did try and bowl well and had reduced India to 85-4 at one stage. However, India was too good and clinical last night and got to the target with 9 balls to spare.

The home team would rue their missed opportunity of batting well. After their second straight defeat, things now look dicey for Sri Lanka and their next match with Bangladesh now can become interesting if the Tigers lose against India. The Lankans need to fix their batting order and they must bat with more responsibility. Too many loose shots are being played at present by their top-order batsmen and apart from Kusal Mendis, nobody else seems to be taking responsibility of playing through the innings. The bowling needs some fine tuning as well. Akila Dananjaya was good, but the likes of Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Pradeep would need to pull up their socks.

India, despite their victory, has some concerns as well. Captain Rohit Sharma continues to struggle with poor form. His last seven international innings have had scores of 11, 17, 0, 11, 0, 21, and 15. The captain needs to lead from the front but Rohit, it seems, has yet again fallen into the web of inconsistency that has often been a part of his career.

Suresh Raina&rsquo;s 14-ball 27 was entertaining. However, he would need to show more prudence in his batting and try and stay longer at the crease. Seamer Jaydev Unadkat, who has been bought for a whopping 11.5 crores at the IPL recently, is having a rather poor tournament. He has gone at an economy rate of 10.60 in this series and being the lead bowler of the side this is something that he simply will have to change.

These minor concerns aside, Team India would be rather pleased with their performance last night. It was a clinical show and would hold India in good stead for the remainder of the tournament. Their batting order now looks sorted and in form and the inexperienced bowling too is coming onto its own. If the captain can get his form back, then this new-look Indian team might well be unstoppable going ahead.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

India's batting order now looks sorted and the inexperienced bowling too is coming onto its own. If the captain can get his form back, then this new-look Indian team might well be unstoppable going ahead.

Team India has slowly begun to get into its groove in the ongoing Nidahas Trophy. They thumped Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in a truncated 19-overs a side game last night at Colombo and went to the top of the table with two wins in their kitty. Now unless something untoward happens in the remaining two league games of the series, India should be able to make its place in the final. The victory was achieved through some proficient bowling and smart batting. After electing to field first, the Indian seamers began well and although Sri Lanka came hard, they managed to keep things in check. The wicket was sticky and the ball was gripping the surface. Batting wasn’t easy and someone needed to hold the innings together. Unfortunately, apart from opener Kusal Mendis (55 off 38 balls) none of the other batsmen showed any gumption to stay at the wicket. The Indian bowlers used good variations and bowled tight channels to reign Sri Lanka in. Eventually, Sri Lanka could only manage 152-9 in 19 overs. India’s star performers were seamer Shardul Thakur, who returned with superb figures of 4-27, and young spinner Washington Sundar who was again brilliant with a spell of 2-21. India made light work of the chase and got there courtesy a solid unbeaten 42 by Manish Pandey and a sparkling 39 off 25 balls by Dinesh Karthik. The Sri Lankan bowlers did try and bowl well and had reduced India to 85-4 at one stage. However, India was too good and clinical last night and got to the target with 9 balls to spare. The home team would rue their missed opportunity of batting well. After their second straight defeat, things now look dicey for Sri Lanka and their next match with Bangladesh now can become interesting if the Tigers lose against India. The Lankans need to fix their batting order and they must bat with more responsibility. Too many loose shots are being played at present by their top-order batsmen and apart from Kusal Mendis, nobody else seems to be taking responsibility of playing through the innings. The bowling needs some fine tuning as well. Akila Dananjaya was good, but the likes of Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Pradeep would need to pull up their socks. India, despite their victory, has some concerns as well. Captain Rohit Sharma continues to struggle with poor form. His last seven international innings have had scores of 11, 17, 0, 11, 0, 21, and 15. The captain needs to lead from the front but Rohit, it seems, has yet again fallen into the web of inconsistency that has often been a part of his career. Suresh Raina’s 14-ball 27 was entertaining. However, he would need to show more prudence in his batting and try and stay longer at the crease. Seamer Jaydev Unadkat, who has been bought for a whopping 11.5 crores at the IPL recently, is having a rather poor tournament. He has gone at an economy rate of 10.60 in this series and being the lead bowler of the side this is something that he simply will have to change. These minor concerns aside, Team India would be rather pleased with their performance last night. It was a clinical show and would hold India in good stead for the remainder of the tournament. Their batting order now looks sorted and in form and the inexperienced bowling too is coming onto its own. If the captain can get his form back, then this new-look Indian team might well be unstoppable going ahead. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Captain Rohit needs to get into batting form soon in Nidahas T20

After an embarrassing loss to Sri Lanka in the opening game of the Nidahas Twenty20 Tri-Series, Team India put together a much better show and thumped Bangladesh by six wickets at Colombo last night in their second match of the tournament. A lackluster Bangladesh was very underwhelming with the bat, scoring only 139-8 in their 20 overs, and India cruised to the target with eight balls to spare.&nbsp;

India would be delighted that they finally opened their account in the series as the defeat&nbsp;in the previous game must have shaken them up. The victory was achieved largely through a good display by the bowlers and another scintillating half-century by opener Shikhar Dhawan who seems to have hit a purple patch. The Indian seam bowlers had been tonked ruthlessly in the last match against Sri Lanka. But this time around, even though they were a tad erratic at times, they bowled better lengths and used good variations to trouble the opposition batsmen.&nbsp;

Jaydev Unadkat, although a bit expensive, was the most successful and scalped three wickets for 38 runs. Shradul Thakur, who had a horror show in the last game, was much improved last night and went for only 25 runs in 4 overs. All-rounder Vijay Shankar, making his international debut, picked up two wickets for 32 runs and was pretty impressive with the way he contained the batsmen with his variations. He was adjudged the Man of the Match and hopefully, this confidence booster would help him perform better in the coming games.&nbsp;

Another bowler who made a notable impression last night was young Washington Sundar. The 18-year-old off-spinner opened the bowling once again and gave away only 23 runs in his 4 overs. The youngster has been extremely impressive in whatever little chances he has got and utilised the slow surface of Colombo brilliantly last night.

Bangladesh was listless and batted without any plan. They swung their bats around and lost their key wickets at vital moments that ultimately derailed their batting completely. In the absence of Shakib-Al-Hasan, their batting suddenly looked very fragile and they would need to pull up their socks if they harbour hopes of progressing in the tournament.

For India, apart from the bowlers, Shikhar Dhawan&rsquo;s fluent 55 off 43 balls was another bright spot. Camoes by Suresh Raina (28) and Manish Pandey (27*) made things easier in the relatively easy chase. However, India would be disappointed with the mode of Rishabh Pant&rsquo;s dismissal. The talented, young wicket-keeper batsman was promoted to the No.3 spot yesterday. It was an opportunity for Pant to exhibit the skills he had shown in domestic cricket. Unfortunately, Pant simply swung the bat around wildly on every ball and was dismissed for just 7. Perhaps the team management needs to talk to him and make him understand that while playing the natural game is good, one needs a lot of patience and prudence to survive in international cricket. Hopefully, Pant would come into his own very soon.

Captain Rohit Sharma was good in handling his recourses. Although he would be disappointed at the erratic bowling at times as India gave away as many as 11 wides and two no-balls. India dropped a few catches on the field as well and a few players looked a bit scratchy. Also, Rohit failed with the bat yet again, scoring just 17, and would really like to get his form back before it&rsquo;s too late.&nbsp;

India&rsquo;s next game is on the 12th of March against Sri Lanka and before that, the team needs to sort a few issues out. Tightening the bowling and fielding would be on high priority as this format is cruel and better teams would really punish them for any indiscipline on the field. And if the likes of Pant and the other youngsters in the team can be more consistent, then this new-look Team India can be a force to reckon with in the tournament.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Although India finally opened their account in Nidahas T20 series, tightening the bowling and fielding should be a cause for concern to perform better in upcoming matches.

After an embarrassing loss to Sri Lanka in the opening game of the Nidahas Twenty20 Tri-Series, Team India put together a much better show and thumped Bangladesh by six wickets at Colombo last night in their second match of the tournament. A lackluster Bangladesh was very underwhelming with the bat, scoring only 139-8 in their 20 overs, and India cruised to the target with eight balls to spare. India would be delighted that they finally opened their account in the series as the defeat in the previous game must have shaken them up. The victory was achieved largely through a good display by the bowlers and another scintillating half-century by opener Shikhar Dhawan who seems to have hit a purple patch. The Indian seam bowlers had been tonked ruthlessly in the last match against Sri Lanka. But this time around, even though they were a tad erratic at times, they bowled better lengths and used good variations to trouble the opposition batsmen. Jaydev Unadkat, although a bit expensive, was the most successful and scalped three wickets for 38 runs. Shradul Thakur, who had a horror show in the last game, was much improved last night and went for only 25 runs in 4 overs. All-rounder Vijay Shankar, making his international debut, picked up two wickets for 32 runs and was pretty impressive with the way he contained the batsmen with his variations. He was adjudged the Man of the Match and hopefully, this confidence booster would help him perform better in the coming games. Another bowler who made a notable impression last night was young Washington Sundar. The 18-year-old off-spinner opened the bowling once again and gave away only 23 runs in his 4 overs. The youngster has been extremely impressive in whatever little chances he has got and utilised the slow surface of Colombo brilliantly last night. Bangladesh was listless and batted without any plan. They swung their bats around and lost their key wickets at vital moments that ultimately derailed their batting completely. In the absence of Shakib-Al-Hasan, their batting suddenly looked very fragile and they would need to pull up their socks if they harbour hopes of progressing in the tournament. For India, apart from the bowlers, Shikhar Dhawan’s fluent 55 off 43 balls was another bright spot. Camoes by Suresh Raina (28) and Manish Pandey (27*) made things easier in the relatively easy chase. However, India would be disappointed with the mode of Rishabh Pant’s dismissal. The talented, young wicket-keeper batsman was promoted to the No.3 spot yesterday. It was an opportunity for Pant to exhibit the skills he had shown in domestic cricket. Unfortunately, Pant simply swung the bat around wildly on every ball and was dismissed for just 7. Perhaps the team management needs to talk to him and make him understand that while playing the natural game is good, one needs a lot of patience and prudence to survive in international cricket. Hopefully, Pant would come into his own very soon. Captain Rohit Sharma was good in handling his recourses. Although he would be disappointed at the erratic bowling at times as India gave away as many as 11 wides and two no-balls. India dropped a few catches on the field as well and a few players looked a bit scratchy. Also, Rohit failed with the bat yet again, scoring just 17, and would really like to get his form back before it’s too late. India’s next game is on the 12th of March against Sri Lanka and before that, the team needs to sort a few issues out. Tightening the bowling and fielding would be on high priority as this format is cruel and better teams would really punish them for any indiscipline on the field. And if the likes of Pant and the other youngsters in the team can be more consistent, then this new-look Team India can be a force to reckon with in the tournament. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Team India should get over with Nidahas success and sort bowling, fielding

India&rsquo;s new-look side failed to impress in the first match of the Nidahas Trophy against Sri Lanka. Save for opener Shikhar Dhawan&rsquo;s career-best sparkling knock of 90 off 49 balls, there was nothing else to look for in the Indian team and captain Rohit Sharma has a lot to worry about in the coming days.

After compiling a decent 174 on batting first, India would have hoped to restrict the opposition. However, that was not to be as a knock of fifty coming from 22-balls from Kusal Perera took the game away from India completely. The left-hander was in a sensational form and reminded people of Sanath Jayasuriya with his explosive and hard-hitting batting as he smashed a whopping 27 runs from Shardul Thakur&rsquo;s one over. There was no looking back after that as the home team got to victory with five wickets in hand and nine balls to spare.

While the results in T20Is are generally a lottery, India has a lot of questions to answer after this loss. Rohit Sharma continues to be erratic and inconsistent and was dismissed for a naught. Manish Pandey yet again played a knock where he could not find his touch and failed to move things along in the middle-overs. Young Rishabh Pant, playing only his fourth international game, did not look confident and was just swinging the bat around wildly without getting any results. India&rsquo;s failure to finish well after having a good platform yet again stuck out like a sore thumb.

The bowling, however, was even worse. In the absence of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, the Indian seam bowling looked listless and without any bite. Shradul Thakur gave away 42 runs in just 3.3 overs and Jaydev Unadkat was spanked for 35 in his 3. Even the usually dependable leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was pretty expensive and went for 37 runs in 4 overs. The only bright spot in India&rsquo;s bowling was young off-spinner Washington Sundar who took 2 wickets for 28 runs in his 4 overs.

Given that India would have to mostly work with this same bowling unit in the rest of the tournament, things do not look pretty great. Perhaps dropping Thakur and giving fast bowler Mohammad Sriraj a few games may work. However, even Sriraj is inexperienced and to expect him to work wonders would be a little too much.&nbsp;

One feels that the selectors missed a trick by not adding an experienced pacer in the lineup. Mohammad Shami or Umesh Yadav would have certainly bolstered the bowling unit and given that two haven&rsquo;t played much-limited overs cricket in the past few months, it would have helped them get in the groove as well. At present, this Indian bowling unit lacks experience on how to bowl on Sri Lankan pitches and will likely suffer in the coming games as well.

India&rsquo;s next match is against Bangladesh and it will be interesting to see how this new-look Indian team responds to that challenge. Another defeat there will make it difficult for team India to progress ahead in the tournament.

However, what will hurt India after last night&rsquo;s result is the inability of the youngsters to perform. This tournament was being looked upon as an opportunity for India&rsquo;s bench strength to showcase their prowess and for the selectors to see if any new players can be brooded for 2019 World Cup. As far as last night was concerned, things did not look good.

Rohit Sharma clearly has a lot on his plate and he would hope that newbies on his side would be able to pull up their socks and perform better in the coming matches. Interesting times thus lie ahead for Indian cricket.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
 
&nbsp;

While Shikhar Dhawan was the star, Rohit Sharma failed to gear up the spirit of team India in opener match of Nidahas Trophy.

India’s new-look side failed to impress in the first match of the Nidahas Trophy against Sri Lanka. Save for opener Shikhar Dhawan’s career-best sparkling knock of 90 off 49 balls, there was nothing else to look for in the Indian team and captain Rohit Sharma has a lot to worry about in the coming days. After compiling a decent 174 on batting first, India would have hoped to restrict the opposition. However, that was not to be as a knock of fifty coming from 22-balls from Kusal Perera took the game away from India completely. The left-hander was in a sensational form and reminded people of Sanath Jayasuriya with his explosive and hard-hitting batting as he smashed a whopping 27 runs from Shardul Thakur’s one over. There was no looking back after that as the home team got to victory with five wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. While the results in T20Is are generally a lottery, India has a lot of questions to answer after this loss. Rohit Sharma continues to be erratic and inconsistent and was dismissed for a naught. Manish Pandey yet again played a knock where he could not find his touch and failed to move things along in the middle-overs. Young Rishabh Pant, playing only his fourth international game, did not look confident and was just swinging the bat around wildly without getting any results. India’s failure to finish well after having a good platform yet again stuck out like a sore thumb. The bowling, however, was even worse. In the absence of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, the Indian seam bowling looked listless and without any bite. Shradul Thakur gave away 42 runs in just 3.3 overs and Jaydev Unadkat was spanked for 35 in his 3. Even the usually dependable leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was pretty expensive and went for 37 runs in 4 overs. The only bright spot in India’s bowling was young off-spinner Washington Sundar who took 2 wickets for 28 runs in his 4 overs. Given that India would have to mostly work with this same bowling unit in the rest of the tournament, things do not look pretty great. Perhaps dropping Thakur and giving fast bowler Mohammad Sriraj a few games may work. However, even Sriraj is inexperienced and to expect him to work wonders would be a little too much. One feels that the selectors missed a trick by not adding an experienced pacer in the lineup. Mohammad Shami or Umesh Yadav would have certainly bolstered the bowling unit and given that two haven’t played much-limited overs cricket in the past few months, it would have helped them get in the groove as well. At present, this Indian bowling unit lacks experience on how to bowl on Sri Lankan pitches and will likely suffer in the coming games as well. India’s next match is against Bangladesh and it will be interesting to see how this new-look Indian team responds to that challenge. Another defeat there will make it difficult for team India to progress ahead in the tournament. However, what will hurt India after last night’s result is the inability of the youngsters to perform. This tournament was being looked upon as an opportunity for India’s bench strength to showcase their prowess and for the selectors to see if any new players can be brooded for 2019 World Cup. As far as last night was concerned, things did not look good. Rohit Sharma clearly has a lot on his plate and he would hope that newbies on his side would be able to pull up their socks and perform better in the coming matches. Interesting times thus lie ahead for Indian cricket. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Lacking experience, new-look Indian team fails at Nidahas Trophy opener

The Nidahas T20I Tri-Series &ndash; involving hosts Sri Lanka, along with India and Bangladesh &ndash; is going to be interesting for the Indian team. After all, it is after a long time that team India would be without a majority of their star players in an international series. The selectors have rested captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav for this series &ndash; all of who have been stars for India in the limited overs format in recent times. It will be intriguing to see how team India does about things without so many of their regular members.

While India, who is ranked No.3 in T20Is, may have fielded their second string unit for this tri-series, it gives a great opportunity for the team management to test their bench strength. All-rounders Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and Washington Sundar, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant have all been included in this series. While these players may not have much international exposure, they have done well in the domestic scene and particularly well in the IPL. This series will give us an idea of who among the young Turks have a future for the country and can be seen as a viable option for the ICC World Cup 2019 squad.&nbsp;

Among the new lot, it would be Rishabh Pant who will be in under most focus. He is considered as the next big thing of Indian cricket and with the prolific form he has shown in the domestic arena, he surely deserves chances here. Mohammed Siraj is also an exciting prospect with his ability to bowl fast and accurate produce swinging yorkers at the death.&nbsp;

Another one to watch out would be KL Rahul who returns to the fold after some time. The talented Indian batsman has not got many chances of late as the two Indian openers have been doing really well. But Rahul has shown that he can bat anywhere and in the absence of Kohli, he should get a spot in the middle-order to bolster it. Rahul had smashed 61 and 89 against Sri Lanka in December last year at home in the three-match T20I series and would relish having another go at them.

Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma should be quietly confident even though he is coming off a rather mediocre tour to South Africa. Rohit excels in these conditions and simply loves batting against Sri Lanka. He had slammed that sensational 118 off 43 balls in the T20 series against Sri Lanka in December and has already amassed 278 runs in 11 innings against them at a splendid strike-rate of 146.31.

India begins the tournament by clashing against hosts Sri Lanka and would then go on to play against Bangladesh later. Pitches in Sri Lanka for limited overs cricket tend to be rather flat and favours the batsmen heavily which is good news for the Indian team. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and KL Rahul at the top, and some talented youngsters to follow, India&rsquo;s batting unit looks pretty robust. The only chink in their armour seems to be their bowling which lacks experience. And that is what would present a big challenge for this new-look Indian team. This format is unpredictable and gives the opportunity for some unknown faces to leave a mark. It will hence be exciting to see if India&rsquo;s reserve players can leave any distinct impression in the tri-series.

Rohit Sharma had shown a lot of promise as a captain in the one T20I he led the team against South Africa recently. Will he be able to manage this second string Indian unit efficiently? Will we find some future stars of Indian cricket after the end of this tri-series? Interesting times lie ahead.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Rohit Sharma had shown a lot of promise as a captain in the one T20I he led the team against South Africa recently. The Nidahas T20 Tri series asks for more from the By-stand captain Rohit Sharma in the absence of Virat Kohli.

The Nidahas T20I Tri-Series – involving hosts Sri Lanka, along with India and Bangladesh – is going to be interesting for the Indian team. After all, it is after a long time that team India would be without a majority of their star players in an international series. The selectors have rested captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav for this series – all of who have been stars for India in the limited overs format in recent times. It will be intriguing to see how team India does about things without so many of their regular members. While India, who is ranked No.3 in T20Is, may have fielded their second string unit for this tri-series, it gives a great opportunity for the team management to test their bench strength. All-rounders Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and Washington Sundar, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant have all been included in this series. While these players may not have much international exposure, they have done well in the domestic scene and particularly well in the IPL. This series will give us an idea of who among the young Turks have a future for the country and can be seen as a viable option for the ICC World Cup 2019 squad. Among the new lot, it would be Rishabh Pant who will be in under most focus. He is considered as the next big thing of Indian cricket and with the prolific form he has shown in the domestic arena, he surely deserves chances here. Mohammed Siraj is also an exciting prospect with his ability to bowl fast and accurate produce swinging yorkers at the death. Another one to watch out would be KL Rahul who returns to the fold after some time. The talented Indian batsman has not got many chances of late as the two Indian openers have been doing really well. But Rahul has shown that he can bat anywhere and in the absence of Kohli, he should get a spot in the middle-order to bolster it. Rahul had smashed 61 and 89 against Sri Lanka in December last year at home in the three-match T20I series and would relish having another go at them. Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma should be quietly confident even though he is coming off a rather mediocre tour to South Africa. Rohit excels in these conditions and simply loves batting against Sri Lanka. He had slammed that sensational 118 off 43 balls in the T20 series against Sri Lanka in December and has already amassed 278 runs in 11 innings against them at a splendid strike-rate of 146.31. India begins the tournament by clashing against hosts Sri Lanka and would then go on to play against Bangladesh later. Pitches in Sri Lanka for limited overs cricket tend to be rather flat and favours the batsmen heavily which is good news for the Indian team. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and KL Rahul at the top, and some talented youngsters to follow, India’s batting unit looks pretty robust. The only chink in their armour seems to be their bowling which lacks experience. And that is what would present a big challenge for this new-look Indian team. This format is unpredictable and gives the opportunity for some unknown faces to leave a mark. It will hence be exciting to see if India’s reserve players can leave any distinct impression in the tri-series. Rohit Sharma had shown a lot of promise as a captain in the one T20I he led the team against South Africa recently. Will he be able to manage this second string Indian unit efficiently? Will we find some future stars of Indian cricket after the end of this tri-series? Interesting times lie ahead. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Rohit Sharma under pressure to pull of Nidahas T20I Tri Series

The ICC World Cup Qualifiers has begun in Zimbabwe from the 4th of March. 10 teams will be fighting it out in this tournament to get the opportunity to feature in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which will have 10 teams this time around instead of the usual 14. The top eight teams have already qualified for the World Cup and two teams from the Qualifiers will now join them.

With teams like West Indies, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland battling it out, there is a lot of interest this time in the World Cup Qualifiers. There will be an abundance of talent on display and it will be exciting to see some of them in action during the course of the tournament.&nbsp;

Let&rsquo;s have a look at some of the stars who can make an impact in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers this time.

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) 
This man needs no introduction. Afghanistan&rsquo;s star leg-spinner has single-handedly taken his country storming ahead in the last one year and is progressing superbly well with each game. The 19-year-old will be leading his team in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers and Afghanistan would be banking on this charismatic champion to bail them through. Rashid had recently leaped up the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Men&#39;s ODI Bowling Rankings after securing 86 wickets in 37 matches at an outstandingly low average of 13.26. His sharp turn and accuracy are sure to trouble several batsmen in the tournament.

Rovman Powell (West Indies) 
While his numbers might not be breathtaking, Rovman Powell of the West Indies does have some great talent. The 24-year-old all-rounder has a lot to offer and in the absence of their star player, Andre Russell, the onus will be on Powell to make this opportunity count. Powell has a strong bottom hand and a good hand-eye coordination and his explosive batting in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have won him a lot of fans. He is also a decent medium pacer and can bowl some valuable overs in the middle. The World Cup Qualifiers are a tricky proposition for the West Indies but Rovman Powell&rsquo;s all-rounding skills can come in real handy for them.

Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) 
Zimbabwe cricket has had to go through a lot of topsy-turvy times recently. But even in all their gloom, they found a bright ray of sunshine in the batting of Sikandar Raza. The exceptionally gifted batsman has played many a vital knock for his country in recent times and Zimbabwe will continue to look up to Raza to help them in this tournament. Raza&#39;s match-winning 92 from 74 balls against Afghanistan recently showed that he is in good form and the 24-year-old would be keen to exhibit his best in this vital tournament. One thing that might also favour Raza is that he would be playing at home, where he has struck 2 centuries and 6 half-centuries.

Paul Stirling (Ireland) 
He has been one of Ireland cricket&rsquo;s stalwarts over the years and will continue to remain their primary force in the World Cup Qualifiers. In fact, for Ireland to make it to the finals of the event, Paul Stirling, who has 3000-plus ODI runs in his kitty along with 6 centuries, would have to take the lead role. Stirling is an aggressive batsman and enjoys smiting the ball down the ground and loves to play the pull and the hook shots. He can produce a range of strokes and when inflow can be hard to stop. Stirling has been in good form of late and will be hoping to carry that form over in the tournament for the benefit of his team.

Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal) 
Even though he has not played an international game yet, Nepal&rsquo;s Sandeep Lamichhanehas become quite a sensation in his country. In the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions in January, Lamichhanehas became the first cricketer from Nepal to bag a contract from the league. The 17-year-old leg-spinner is tremendously talented and had first made news after taking a hat-trick in the 2016 U-19 World Cup. Lamichhanehas gets a good turn and has great control and accuracy to trouble batsmen. He has been in good form and was instrumental in Nepal&rsquo;s entry to the Qualifiers after taking a sensational 5-20 against Kenya earlier this month. The surfaces in Zimbabwe should aid him and it would be interesting to see how this gifted youngster operates in the tournament.

The stakes are quite high this time in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. The next few weeks are bound to be full of high-octane action and a lot of thrill. It will be quite exciting to see these players in action and to see what kind of impact they eventually leave by the end of the tournament. Interesting days, thus, lie ahead for cricket fans.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

It will be quite exciting to see these players in action and to see what kind of impact they eventually leave by the end of the tournament.

The ICC World Cup Qualifiers has begun in Zimbabwe from the 4th of March. 10 teams will be fighting it out in this tournament to get the opportunity to feature in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which will have 10 teams this time around instead of the usual 14. The top eight teams have already qualified for the World Cup and two teams from the Qualifiers will now join them. With teams like West Indies, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland battling it out, there is a lot of interest this time in the World Cup Qualifiers. There will be an abundance of talent on display and it will be exciting to see some of them in action during the course of the tournament. Let’s have a look at some of the stars who can make an impact in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers this time. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) This man needs no introduction. Afghanistan’s star leg-spinner has single-handedly taken his country storming ahead in the last one year and is progressing superbly well with each game. The 19-year-old will be leading his team in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers and Afghanistan would be banking on this charismatic champion to bail them through. Rashid had recently leaped up the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Men's ODI Bowling Rankings after securing 86 wickets in 37 matches at an outstandingly low average of 13.26. His sharp turn and accuracy are sure to trouble several batsmen in the tournament. Rovman Powell (West Indies) While his numbers might not be breathtaking, Rovman Powell of the West Indies does have some great talent. The 24-year-old all-rounder has a lot to offer and in the absence of their star player, Andre Russell, the onus will be on Powell to make this opportunity count. Powell has a strong bottom hand and a good hand-eye coordination and his explosive batting in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have won him a lot of fans. He is also a decent medium pacer and can bowl some valuable overs in the middle. The World Cup Qualifiers are a tricky proposition for the West Indies but Rovman Powell’s all-rounding skills can come in real handy for them. Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe cricket has had to go through a lot of topsy-turvy times recently. But even in all their gloom, they found a bright ray of sunshine in the batting of Sikandar Raza. The exceptionally gifted batsman has played many a vital knock for his country in recent times and Zimbabwe will continue to look up to Raza to help them in this tournament. Raza's match-winning 92 from 74 balls against Afghanistan recently showed that he is in good form and the 24-year-old would be keen to exhibit his best in this vital tournament. One thing that might also favour Raza is that he would be playing at home, where he has struck 2 centuries and 6 half-centuries. Paul Stirling (Ireland) He has been one of Ireland cricket’s stalwarts over the years and will continue to remain their primary force in the World Cup Qualifiers. In fact, for Ireland to make it to the finals of the event, Paul Stirling, who has 3000-plus ODI runs in his kitty along with 6 centuries, would have to take the lead role. Stirling is an aggressive batsman and enjoys smiting the ball down the ground and loves to play the pull and the hook shots. He can produce a range of strokes and when inflow can be hard to stop. Stirling has been in good form of late and will be hoping to carry that form over in the tournament for the benefit of his team. Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal) Even though he has not played an international game yet, Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhanehas become quite a sensation in his country. In the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions in January, Lamichhanehas became the first cricketer from Nepal to bag a contract from the league. The 17-year-old leg-spinner is tremendously talented and had first made news after taking a hat-trick in the 2016 U-19 World Cup. Lamichhanehas gets a good turn and has great control and accuracy to trouble batsmen. He has been in good form and was instrumental in Nepal’s entry to the Qualifiers after taking a sensational 5-20 against Kenya earlier this month. The surfaces in Zimbabwe should aid him and it would be interesting to see how this gifted youngster operates in the tournament. The stakes are quite high this time in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. The next few weeks are bound to be full of high-octane action and a lot of thrill. It will be quite exciting to see these players in action and to see what kind of impact they eventually leave by the end of the tournament. Interesting days, thus, lie ahead for cricket fans. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: These cricket stars will sparkle at ICC World Cup Qualifiers

One of the most successful domestic coaches from India in recent times, Sanath Kumar, has raised a pertinent issue recently. He is rather perturbed as to why the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises are so adamant on hiring foreign coaches and disregard the Indian talent available in great numbers.

&quot;I worked with so many foreign coaches during my time in RCB. Starting from Martin Crowe, Ray Jennings to Eric Simmons. I didn&#39;t find anybody great. They were all very average (as coaches). I at least found their communication with players to be very poor&quot;. Sanath was quoted as saying on a sports website.

55-year-old Sanath has had a successful stint in guiding relatively weaker teams in the Indian domestic scene and has recently coached Andhra to the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. And his points do make sense. There seems to be a perception in the IPL that foreign coaches will provide more dividends than the Indian ones. Other T20 leagues around the world do not suffer from this bias. The Big Bash League (BBL) has a majority of Australian support staff, The Natwest T20 (England) has primarily Englishmen in their coaching unit and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) also utilizes their local talent. It is only the IPL which seems to be gung-ho on hiring foreign coaches.&nbsp;

&quot;I strongly feel that some of our trainers, physios and other support staff are at par with all those overseas recruits. I feel we have an addiction to white skin,&quot; said Sanath. &nbsp;

The IPL is a tournament that runs for only two months and almost all franchises have local Indian talent. With foreign coaches, firstly communicating can be a big issue. The language barrier can be detrimental in setting up an IPL team and that is where foreign coaches do struggle. Also, Indian coaches will understand the local pool better and can help in picking out young players from different parts of the country. Furthermore, Indian coaches will have a better understanding of the conditions of the pitches to be played in the tournament.&nbsp;

Foreign coaches come in for a few weeks and hardly get a chance to acclimatise with the conditions and bond with the players. Moreover, except for the known international stars in the team, they do not know who the local players are and what are their strengths and weaknesses to utilise them judiciously. &nbsp;

And lest one forget, the whole point of the IPL was to promote Indian talent. If such a prestigious tournament from the country is unable to give exposure to Indian coaches in the IPL, then it does not reflect well on them. Hiring local Indian coaches can also help in brooding future prospective coaching staff for the national team and can go a long way in helping bolster the brand of IPL. However, most franchises these days are obsessed with the idea of hiring a posse of foreign coaches for their team, regardless of how effective they really are.&nbsp;

It appears that IPL franchises follow the perception that foreign coaches are better and are hell-bent on acquiring them. But we have seen time and again with the national Indian team that how this can backfire. In fact, today both the U-19 and senior Indian teams have Indian coaches, which are doing remarkably well under them.

The one thing that perhaps goes against Indian coaches is professionalism or the lack of it. Even Sanath Kumar agrees that most local Indian coaches are not as professional and have lesser ego problems than their foreign counterparts.

Regardless, the IPL franchises should seriously consider hiring more Indian coaches in their teams. After all, this is an Indian league. And while winning is important, one should not just go blindly by perception and ignore the great talent reserve of Indian coaches in the country. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The whole point of the IPL was to promote Indian talent. The IPL franchises should seriously consider hiring more Indian coaches in their teams.

One of the most successful domestic coaches from India in recent times, Sanath Kumar, has raised a pertinent issue recently. He is rather perturbed as to why the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises are so adamant on hiring foreign coaches and disregard the Indian talent available in great numbers. "I worked with so many foreign coaches during my time in RCB. Starting from Martin Crowe, Ray Jennings to Eric Simmons. I didn't find anybody great. They were all very average (as coaches). I at least found their communication with players to be very poor". Sanath was quoted as saying on a sports website. 55-year-old Sanath has had a successful stint in guiding relatively weaker teams in the Indian domestic scene and has recently coached Andhra to the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. And his points do make sense. There seems to be a perception in the IPL that foreign coaches will provide more dividends than the Indian ones. Other T20 leagues around the world do not suffer from this bias. The Big Bash League (BBL) has a majority of Australian support staff, The Natwest T20 (England) has primarily Englishmen in their coaching unit and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) also utilizes their local talent. It is only the IPL which seems to be gung-ho on hiring foreign coaches. "I strongly feel that some of our trainers, physios and other support staff are at par with all those overseas recruits. I feel we have an addiction to white skin," said Sanath. The IPL is a tournament that runs for only two months and almost all franchises have local Indian talent. With foreign coaches, firstly communicating can be a big issue. The language barrier can be detrimental in setting up an IPL team and that is where foreign coaches do struggle. Also, Indian coaches will understand the local pool better and can help in picking out young players from different parts of the country. Furthermore, Indian coaches will have a better understanding of the conditions of the pitches to be played in the tournament. Foreign coaches come in for a few weeks and hardly get a chance to acclimatise with the conditions and bond with the players. Moreover, except for the known international stars in the team, they do not know who the local players are and what are their strengths and weaknesses to utilise them judiciously. And lest one forget, the whole point of the IPL was to promote Indian talent. If such a prestigious tournament from the country is unable to give exposure to Indian coaches in the IPL, then it does not reflect well on them. Hiring local Indian coaches can also help in brooding future prospective coaching staff for the national team and can go a long way in helping bolster the brand of IPL. However, most franchises these days are obsessed with the idea of hiring a posse of foreign coaches for their team, regardless of how effective they really are. It appears that IPL franchises follow the perception that foreign coaches are better and are hell-bent on acquiring them. But we have seen time and again with the national Indian team that how this can backfire. In fact, today both the U-19 and senior Indian teams have Indian coaches, which are doing remarkably well under them. The one thing that perhaps goes against Indian coaches is professionalism or the lack of it. Even Sanath Kumar agrees that most local Indian coaches are not as professional and have lesser ego problems than their foreign counterparts. Regardless, the IPL franchises should seriously consider hiring more Indian coaches in their teams. After all, this is an Indian league. And while winning is important, one should not just go blindly by perception and ignore the great talent reserve of Indian coaches in the country. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why IPL franchises are adamant about hiring foreign rather than Indian coaches

Team India ended their South African tour with a thrilling win in the third and final T20I match at Newlands and with it, also sealed the series 2-1. The team was without its star performers &ndash; Virat Kohli and wrist-spin &#39;twins&#39; Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. But stand-in captain Rohit Sharma handled his troops brilliantly to take India to a 7-run win and completed India&rsquo;s limited overs double whammy.&nbsp;

After having lost the Test series 2-1, Team India have staged a remarkable turnaround to win both the ODI and T20I series and will now leave the South African shores with their heads held high and with hopes of a better tomorrow on future overseas tours.

India was asked to bat first yet again on a slowish sort of a surface and courtesy contrasting 40s from Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan and a cameo at the end by Hardik Pandya, the visitors were able to post a decent 172-7.

It wasn&rsquo;t a daunting total by any means but the Indian seam bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, began beautifully. They bowled nagging lines and in the first 6 overs, South Africa could only manage 25-1. They were always behind after that and looked certain for a heavy defeat after being reduced to 114-5 in 16.3 overs with all the big names back in the hut. However, a brilliant 49 off 24 balls by debutant Christiaan Jonker pulled things back for the Proteas. He smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes and brought South Africa within striking distance. Despite this stunning effort, however, South Africa could not manage to seal the game as Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar held their nerves to hold the surge. Jonker fell on the last ball of the innings and gave India a famous T20I victory.

What was laudable about India&rsquo;s performance was that they did not let the intensity dip. On such a long away tour, by the time the last games arrives, the visiting teams generally are so exhausted that they simply go through the motions. But this Indian team has shown that they are different. They have the gumption to fight and never give up, come what may. They showed that in the Test series after losing the first two Tests and coming back hard to clinch the last Test in emphatic fashion.&nbsp;

No one expected India to stage such an incredible performance in the limited overs series to follow. But led by a determined captain Virat Kohli and an exceptional show by the bowlers, India pegged the hosts back and achieved series victories in both the ODIs and the T20Is.

Another thing to note here is that Team India wasn&rsquo;t even at its best. Their middle-order has some serious issues and needs to be sorted out in earnest. But despite their flaws, India stuck together and played as a complete unit. This holds them in good stead for the 2019 World Cup.

For South Africa, a lot of questions need answering. Their bench strength isn&rsquo;t strong enough and they are too reliant on their previous stars to bail them out. The selectors and the team management have to work closely together and sort a cohesive plan to brood the team for the World Cup next year.

All in all, this was an entertaining and memorable tour for Team India. Never before has a visiting Indian side to South Africa returned with so much success. Virat Kohli and his men deserve all the accolades coming their way and should pat themselves on the back for this commanding performance.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Though the star performers Virat Kohli and wrist-spin 'twins' Chahal and Yadav were not on the pitch, India pulled off the T20I series against South Africa with a stunning win.

Team India ended their South African tour with a thrilling win in the third and final T20I match at Newlands and with it, also sealed the series 2-1. The team was without its star performers – Virat Kohli and wrist-spin 'twins' Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. But stand-in captain Rohit Sharma handled his troops brilliantly to take India to a 7-run win and completed India’s limited overs double whammy. After having lost the Test series 2-1, Team India have staged a remarkable turnaround to win both the ODI and T20I series and will now leave the South African shores with their heads held high and with hopes of a better tomorrow on future overseas tours. India was asked to bat first yet again on a slowish sort of a surface and courtesy contrasting 40s from Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan and a cameo at the end by Hardik Pandya, the visitors were able to post a decent 172-7. It wasn’t a daunting total by any means but the Indian seam bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, began beautifully. They bowled nagging lines and in the first 6 overs, South Africa could only manage 25-1. They were always behind after that and looked certain for a heavy defeat after being reduced to 114-5 in 16.3 overs with all the big names back in the hut. However, a brilliant 49 off 24 balls by debutant Christiaan Jonker pulled things back for the Proteas. He smashed 5 fours and 2 sixes and brought South Africa within striking distance. Despite this stunning effort, however, South Africa could not manage to seal the game as Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar held their nerves to hold the surge. Jonker fell on the last ball of the innings and gave India a famous T20I victory. What was laudable about India’s performance was that they did not let the intensity dip. On such a long away tour, by the time the last games arrives, the visiting teams generally are so exhausted that they simply go through the motions. But this Indian team has shown that they are different. They have the gumption to fight and never give up, come what may. They showed that in the Test series after losing the first two Tests and coming back hard to clinch the last Test in emphatic fashion. No one expected India to stage such an incredible performance in the limited overs series to follow. But led by a determined captain Virat Kohli and an exceptional show by the bowlers, India pegged the hosts back and achieved series victories in both the ODIs and the T20Is. Another thing to note here is that Team India wasn’t even at its best. Their middle-order has some serious issues and needs to be sorted out in earnest. But despite their flaws, India stuck together and played as a complete unit. This holds them in good stead for the 2019 World Cup. For South Africa, a lot of questions need answering. Their bench strength isn’t strong enough and they are too reliant on their previous stars to bail them out. The selectors and the team management have to work closely together and sort a cohesive plan to brood the team for the World Cup next year. All in all, this was an entertaining and memorable tour for Team India. Never before has a visiting Indian side to South Africa returned with so much success. Virat Kohli and his men deserve all the accolades coming their way and should pat themselves on the back for this commanding performance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: India hold nerve to pull off stunning win, clinch T20I series against South Africa

&quot;It will eventually happen if I am destined to do it,&quot; Sachin Tendulkar had told Virender Sehwag once about getting a double hundred in ODI cricket.

Even Sachin, perhaps, would have no inkling that within months of saying these words he would go on to actually achieve this historic feat. That he managed to do in the 37th year of his life and against one of the better sides in international cricket, is testimony to the champion batsman that Tendulkar was.

February 24, 2010, would hence remain a momentous day in international cricket history. It was the day when a master batsman, at the twilight of his career, went on to become the first ever man in ODI cricket to score a double hundred.&nbsp;

The Sachin masterclass&nbsp;

It was the second game of the 3-match ODI series between India and South Africa being played at a jam-packed Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior. Opting to bat first on a placid surface, India was looking to seal the series after having already won the first game. 
The home team lost the wicket of opener Virender Sehwag early, but their other opener, Sachin Tendulkar, was in the mood for a big one. Opening his account with a boundary towards mid-off of Wayne Parnell, Sachin perhaps knew it was his day.&nbsp;

Even though South Africa had Dale Steyn in their ranks, Sachin was unperturbed and went about his business briskly. The ball was coming nicely on to the bat and Sachin struck some fluent drives to get things going. He reached his half-century off just 37 balls that included nine hits to the fence. Sachin settled down after this and his next fifty came off 53 balls. He reached his hundred &ndash; his 46th one in the format &ndash; in the 28th over by taking a single towards point off JP Duminy. Meanwhile, he had also formed a dominant 194-run stand with Dinesh Karthik (79) to pull things back for the team.

After reaching his hundred, Sachin had assessed the pitch completely and knew he could go on to get a massive score if he kept his patience. He opened up and unleashed a flurry of boundaries in the next 10 overs to reach his 150 in just 117 balls &ndash; reaching his landmark courtesy a superb boundary towards mid-wicket off Wayne Parnell. He had taken merely 27 balls to reach from 100 to 150. 
The capacity crowd at the stadium was now being treated to the full range of Sachin&rsquo;s genius as he cut, pulled, played on the up and drove down the ground, with great flourish. He showed no mercy to any bowler and punished them all with equal disdain. What was even more striking about this innings was the eagerness with which Sachin ran his singles and twos.&nbsp;

As the innings progressed, Sachin began to get cramped up and dehydrated a bit. However, he did not let his intensity dip and kept cracking the boundaries. At the other end now was Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Realizing that Sachin was tiring, Dhoni took the attack to the opposition himself.

As Sachin surpassed his previous best ODI score of 186 (also the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in ODIs then), the anticipation in the crowd began building to a crescendo. However, Dhoni was farming most of the strike at this time, screaming the South African bowlers all over the park, leading to frustration among the people who wanted to see their darling at the crease. &nbsp; 
With a flick off Parnell in the third ball of the 45th over, Tendulkar collected two runs and arrived at the score of 195 &ndash; thus reaching the highest score in ODIs by a batsman. He had overtaken the previous record of 194, held jointly by Pakistan&rsquo;s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Charles Coventry.&nbsp;

It was yet another feather in the master&#39;s illustrious cap. But one more milestone awaited him now. And this one was even bigger. 
Battling cramps and exhaustion, Sachin kept taking singles as marauding Dhoni at the other end went completely berserk. The crowd was becoming restless and desperate and finally, in the third ball of the last over, Sachin took a single towards point off Charl Langeveldt to reach his 200 &ndash; the first man on the planet to achieve the feat. The crowd went delirious with joy and Sachin, in his usual style, took off his helmet, simply looked up at the skies and thanked his stars. Sachin had scored his 200 off 147 balls and struck 25 fours along with 3 glorious sixes in his magnificent innings. He remained unbeaten till the end.

Courtesy this majestic effort, India posted a mammoth 401-3 in their 50 overs and went on to comfortably win the match by 153 runs.

What followed&nbsp;

The next day, the media was flooded with news of Sachin&rsquo;s incredible achievement and he dominated headlines everywhere. Cricketers and other sportspersons from the world over showered their praises on the great Indian batsman&rsquo;s phenomenal accomplishment.

Sachin&rsquo;s innings also opened the floodgates for the other batsmen. Until then, the 200-run barrier had looked quite unattainable for a batsman to reach in ODI cricket. Since the inception of ODIs in 1971, several great batsmen had come very close to the mark but had failed to cross the final hurdle. Sachin finally broke the shackles and paved the way for others to follow. And to date, six more ODI double hundreds have been scored.

The genius of Sachin shall always be cherished throughout the sporting world. And this remarkable feat will rank among the very best in his glittering career.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

February 24, 2010 remains a momentous day in international cricket history as Sachin Tendulkar became the first ever man in ODI cricket to score a double hundred.

"It will eventually happen if I am destined to do it," Sachin Tendulkar had told Virender Sehwag once about getting a double hundred in ODI cricket. Even Sachin, perhaps, would have no inkling that within months of saying these words he would go on to actually achieve this historic feat. That he managed to do in the 37th year of his life and against one of the better sides in international cricket, is testimony to the champion batsman that Tendulkar was. February 24, 2010, would hence remain a momentous day in international cricket history. It was the day when a master batsman, at the twilight of his career, went on to become the first ever man in ODI cricket to score a double hundred. The Sachin masterclass It was the second game of the 3-match ODI series between India and South Africa being played at a jam-packed Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior. Opting to bat first on a placid surface, India was looking to seal the series after having already won the first game. The home team lost the wicket of opener Virender Sehwag early, but their other opener, Sachin Tendulkar, was in the mood for a big one. Opening his account with a boundary towards mid-off of Wayne Parnell, Sachin perhaps knew it was his day. Even though South Africa had Dale Steyn in their ranks, Sachin was unperturbed and went about his business briskly. The ball was coming nicely on to the bat and Sachin struck some fluent drives to get things going. He reached his half-century off just 37 balls that included nine hits to the fence. Sachin settled down after this and his next fifty came off 53 balls. He reached his hundred – his 46th one in the format – in the 28th over by taking a single towards point off JP Duminy. Meanwhile, he had also formed a dominant 194-run stand with Dinesh Karthik (79) to pull things back for the team. After reaching his hundred, Sachin had assessed the pitch completely and knew he could go on to get a massive score if he kept his patience. He opened up and unleashed a flurry of boundaries in the next 10 overs to reach his 150 in just 117 balls – reaching his landmark courtesy a superb boundary towards mid-wicket off Wayne Parnell. He had taken merely 27 balls to reach from 100 to 150. The capacity crowd at the stadium was now being treated to the full range of Sachin’s genius as he cut, pulled, played on the up and drove down the ground, with great flourish. He showed no mercy to any bowler and punished them all with equal disdain. What was even more striking about this innings was the eagerness with which Sachin ran his singles and twos. As the innings progressed, Sachin began to get cramped up and dehydrated a bit. However, he did not let his intensity dip and kept cracking the boundaries. At the other end now was Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Realizing that Sachin was tiring, Dhoni took the attack to the opposition himself. As Sachin surpassed his previous best ODI score of 186 (also the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in ODIs then), the anticipation in the crowd began building to a crescendo. However, Dhoni was farming most of the strike at this time, screaming the South African bowlers all over the park, leading to frustration among the people who wanted to see their darling at the crease. With a flick off Parnell in the third ball of the 45th over, Tendulkar collected two runs and arrived at the score of 195 – thus reaching the highest score in ODIs by a batsman. He had overtaken the previous record of 194, held jointly by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry. It was yet another feather in the master's illustrious cap. But one more milestone awaited him now. And this one was even bigger. Battling cramps and exhaustion, Sachin kept taking singles as marauding Dhoni at the other end went completely berserk. The crowd was becoming restless and desperate and finally, in the third ball of the last over, Sachin took a single towards point off Charl Langeveldt to reach his 200 – the first man on the planet to achieve the feat. The crowd went delirious with joy and Sachin, in his usual style, took off his helmet, simply looked up at the skies and thanked his stars. Sachin had scored his 200 off 147 balls and struck 25 fours along with 3 glorious sixes in his magnificent innings. He remained unbeaten till the end. Courtesy this majestic effort, India posted a mammoth 401-3 in their 50 overs and went on to comfortably win the match by 153 runs. What followed The next day, the media was flooded with news of Sachin’s incredible achievement and he dominated headlines everywhere. Cricketers and other sportspersons from the world over showered their praises on the great Indian batsman’s phenomenal accomplishment. Sachin’s innings also opened the floodgates for the other batsmen. Until then, the 200-run barrier had looked quite unattainable for a batsman to reach in ODI cricket. Since the inception of ODIs in 1971, several great batsmen had come very close to the mark but had failed to cross the final hurdle. Sachin finally broke the shackles and paved the way for others to follow. And to date, six more ODI double hundreds have been scored. The genius of Sachin shall always be cherished throughout the sporting world. And this remarkable feat will rank among the very best in his glittering career. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Master batsman Sachin scored double 100 in ODI exactly 8 years ago

The Indian women cricket team is on a roll. Their limited-overs tour to South Africa has been one of their most successful ones in recent times. After defeating the hosts 2-1 in the ODI series under Mithali Raj&rsquo;s captaincy, they now have an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20Is as well. With the fifth and last game of the T20I series set to be played today at Newlands, Cape Town, India now stands a rare chance of double limited-overs whammy on this high-profile tour. Clinching the T20Is series would ensure that their tour ends on a complete successful note.&nbsp;

India has been thoroughly dominant in their performances here and barring a couple of occasions have looked like a well-balanced side. However, there are some causes of worry that captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her girls would like to address before the final T20I. After winning the first two games comfortably, they let the intensity dip and have not been up to their standards. The inclusion of bowlers Rumeli Dhar and Deepti Sharma in the last game, seen as a measure to strengthen their bowling unit, hasn&rsquo;t really paid rich dividends. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who was so successful in the ODI series, has been rather expensive in the two games she has played and has gone at an expensive economy rate of 8.50. &nbsp;

Clearly, India&rsquo;s spin bowling department is a cause for concern and that is something that the team management would need to work on before the Women&#39;s World T20 in November in West Indies.

Another issue that needs to be worked on is India&rsquo;s lower order which hasn&rsquo;t been able to contribute successfully. They have failed to capitalize on the robust starts provided by the Indian top-order, who has been in sensational form. The lower order has not been tested enough and in the third ODI India lost their last five wickets for nine runs.

The wicket at Cape Town for the final T20I is likely to be a high-scoring one and the Indian team would be banking on their batswomen to bail them through again. Star batswoman Mithali Raj and opener Smriti Mandhana have been India&rsquo;s top two run-getters of the series and would continue to provide India with solid starts. They would also seek solid contributions from Veda Krishnamurthy, who was excellent in the ODI series, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

And since South Africa has been handling India&rsquo;s spinners rather well, perhaps the inclusion of another pacer, Shikha Pandey, would not be a bad idea as well.

The T20I series in South Africa was an important one for the Indian women&rsquo;s team. With the World T20 just a few months away now, they need to look at their best possible combinations. They have been poor in the format and have suffered first-round exits in each of the last three editions of the World T20. This time, however, they have the team to make a difference and their performance in the first two T20Is against South Africa in this series certainly reflects that.

This final T20I against South Africa is hence of immense significance to India. Last year, the Indian women&rsquo;s team had made the nation proud by reaching the finals of the 50-over World Cup in England in emphatic fashion. The sport has gained a lot of attention and momentum in the country post the success of the World Cup and a win here would not only mean a successful T20I series victory against a top side away from home but will also hold Team India in good stead for the challenge of the World T20 later this year and will come as another shot in the arm for women&rsquo;s cricket in India. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Indian women cricketers look to round off successful tour to South Africa with T20I series win. However, lower order and spinners need to be sorted before Women's World T20 in November in West Indies arrives.

The Indian women cricket team is on a roll. Their limited-overs tour to South Africa has been one of their most successful ones in recent times. After defeating the hosts 2-1 in the ODI series under Mithali Raj’s captaincy, they now have an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20Is as well. With the fifth and last game of the T20I series set to be played today at Newlands, Cape Town, India now stands a rare chance of double limited-overs whammy on this high-profile tour. Clinching the T20Is series would ensure that their tour ends on a complete successful note. India has been thoroughly dominant in their performances here and barring a couple of occasions have looked like a well-balanced side. However, there are some causes of worry that captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her girls would like to address before the final T20I. After winning the first two games comfortably, they let the intensity dip and have not been up to their standards. The inclusion of bowlers Rumeli Dhar and Deepti Sharma in the last game, seen as a measure to strengthen their bowling unit, hasn’t really paid rich dividends. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who was so successful in the ODI series, has been rather expensive in the two games she has played and has gone at an expensive economy rate of 8.50. Clearly, India’s spin bowling department is a cause for concern and that is something that the team management would need to work on before the Women's World T20 in November in West Indies. Another issue that needs to be worked on is India’s lower order which hasn’t been able to contribute successfully. They have failed to capitalize on the robust starts provided by the Indian top-order, who has been in sensational form. The lower order has not been tested enough and in the third ODI India lost their last five wickets for nine runs. The wicket at Cape Town for the final T20I is likely to be a high-scoring one and the Indian team would be banking on their batswomen to bail them through again. Star batswoman Mithali Raj and opener Smriti Mandhana have been India’s top two run-getters of the series and would continue to provide India with solid starts. They would also seek solid contributions from Veda Krishnamurthy, who was excellent in the ODI series, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur. And since South Africa has been handling India’s spinners rather well, perhaps the inclusion of another pacer, Shikha Pandey, would not be a bad idea as well. The T20I series in South Africa was an important one for the Indian women’s team. With the World T20 just a few months away now, they need to look at their best possible combinations. They have been poor in the format and have suffered first-round exits in each of the last three editions of the World T20. This time, however, they have the team to make a difference and their performance in the first two T20Is against South Africa in this series certainly reflects that. This final T20I against South Africa is hence of immense significance to India. Last year, the Indian women’s team had made the nation proud by reaching the finals of the 50-over World Cup in England in emphatic fashion. The sport has gained a lot of attention and momentum in the country post the success of the World Cup and a win here would not only mean a successful T20I series victory against a top side away from home but will also hold Team India in good stead for the challenge of the World T20 later this year and will come as another shot in the arm for women’s cricket in India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Indian bats-women Mithali Raj again a star in South Africa T20I, but what about lower order?

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Bhavesh Bhimani

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