WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015

Dhawan hits hundred as India crush Ireland

HAMILTON: hit an aggressive cen- we’ve used part-timers they’ve done well,” said ’s Ricky Ponting holds the record for the tury as defending champions India recorded their India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. most consecutive wins as with fifth victory in a row at the World Cup with a thump- Ireland’s Niall O’Brien scored a run-a-ball 75 24, while Dhoni and Clive Lloyd, who led West ing eight- win over Ireland in Hamilton yes- while Porterfield made a solid 93-ball 67 in Ireland’s Indies to victory in the first two editions in 1975 terday. Chasing a modest 260-run target, Dhawan 259 all out in 49 overs. India proved their strength and 1979, have nine apiece. notched his second century of the tournament with in yet again as Dhawan and Earlier, Ireland failed to capitalise on a good sol- an 85-ball 100 as India lost only two in only (64) put on their team’s best World Cup opening id start. Batting first after winning the toss, Ireland 36.5 overs on a batting-friendly Seddon Park pitch. stand of 174 against a struggling Irish attack. were 89 without loss in 15 overs, with This latest victory meant India, yet to lose at this Dhawan, who stroked 137 in the win over South (42) giving good support to skipper Porterfield. World Cup and already into the quarter-finals, were Africa, completed his eighth one-day international Stirling hit four boundaries and two sixes during his guaranteed to finish on top of Pool B ahead of their hundred with a single off Kevin O’Brien to square 41-ball knock before holing out to off-spinner last group game against Zimbabwe in Auckland on leg. He reached three figures off just 84 balls. But , who finished with two for Saturday. Ireland, meanwhile, will likely need a win one ball later Dhawan fell to a loose shot off Stuart 38. Part-timer bowled for against in their last Pool match in Adelaide Thompson. In all, Dhawan hit 11 fours and five six- two before Porterfield and Niall O’Brien added a SCOREBOARD on Sunday to reach the last eight. es. Rohit was dismissed when he played on to valuable 53 for the third wicket. But once “We have put in a lot of yards in the last few Thompson after hitting three sixes and as many Porterfield fell, caught off paceman Mohit Sharma, HAMILTON, : Complete scoreboard in the World Cup Pool B match weeks. It is all about being fresh for Pakistan. If you boundaries off 66 deliveries. India’s previous best Ireland slumped from 206 for three to 259 all out in can’t get up for these games you won’t be up for opening stand in a World Cup was the 163 shared 49 overs. Mohammad Shami grabbed the key wick- between India and Ireland at Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday: any,” said Ireland captain . by batting great Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja et of dangerman Kevin for only one run to finish Ireland 41-3 (5w), Mohit Sharma 6-0-38-1 (3w), Pakistan, Ireland and , who all have against Kenya at Cuttack in 1996. with figures of three for 41. Niall O’Brien completed W. Porterfield c Yadav b Sharma 67 Jadeja 7-0-45-1, Ashwin 10-1-38-2, Raina six points in five matches, will vie with the West (44 ) and (33 his 14th ODI half-century with a six off Ashwin but P. Stirling c Rahane b Ashwin 42 10-0-40-1, Rohit Sharma 3-0-21-0 Indies (four points) for the three remaining quarter- not out) wrapped up the chase with a 70-run fell to a soft dismissal off Shami when Ireland need- E. Joyce b Raina 2 final spots on offer from Pool B. unbeaten stand for the third wicket to give Dhoni ed him to stay till the end. Andy Balbirnie, one of N. O’Brien c Yadav b Shami 75 India “Our bowlers are really doing the job for us, his ninth straight win in the World Cup, a run that Ireland’s most successful batsmen in the tourna- A. Balbirnie c Shami b Ashwin 24 R. Sharma b Thompson 64 they’ve stepped up-not just the three fast bowlers, started with the team’s march to the 2011 title on ment, made 24 before he swept Ashwin straight to K. O’Brien c Dhoni b Shami 1 S. Dhawan c Porterfield b Thompson 100 the spinners are complimenting them and when home soil. Shami at square-leg. — AFP G. Wilson c Rahana b Jadeja 6 V. Kohli not out 44 S. Thompson run out 2 A. Rahane not out 33 J. Mooney not out 12 Extras: (b4, lb2, w13) 19 G. Dockrell c Dhoni b Yadav 6 Total: (for two wkts; 36.5 overs) 260 A. Cusack c Yadav b Shami 11 Fall of wickets: 1-174 (Rohit Sharma), 2- Extras: (lb2, w9) 11 190 (Dhawan) Total: (all out; 49 overs) 259 Did not bat: S. Raina, M. Dhoni, A. Jadeja, Fall of wickets: 1-89 (Stirling), 2-92 R. Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Mohit (Joyce), 3-145 (Porterfield), 4-206 Sharma, U. Yadav (Balbirnie), 5-208 (Kevin O’Brien), 6-222 : Mooney 6-0-44-0 (4w), Cusack (Wilson), 7-226 (Niall O’Brien), 8-227 8-0-43-0 (1w), Thompson 6-0-45-2 (8w), (Thompson), 9-238 (Dockrell), 10-259 Dockrell 5-0-44-0, Stirling 5-0-36-0, K. (Cusack) O’Brien 6.5-0-42-0. Bowling: Yadav 4-0-34-1 (1w), Shami 9-0- Result: India win by eight wickets.

World Cup result and standings

Pool B At Hamilton Ireland 259 all out (Niall O’Brien 75, William Porterfield 67) v India 260-2 (Shikhar Dhawan 100, Rohit Sharma 64) India won by eight wickets Played won lost tied no result points run rate Pool A New Zealand 5 5 0 0 0 10 +3.090 - qualified Australia 5 3 1 0 1 7 +1.597 - qualified 5 3 1 0 1 7 +0.211 - qualified Sri Lanka 5 3 2 0 0 6 -0.151 - qualified 5 1 4 0 0 2 -1.001 Afghanistan 5 1 4 0 0 2 -1.881 4 0 4 0 0 0 -1.423

Pool B India 5 5 0 0 0 10 +2.157 - qualified South Africa 5 3 2 0 0 6 +1.462 Pakistan 5 3 2 0 0 6 -0.194 Ireland 5 3 2 0 0 6 -1.014 HAMILTON: Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan plays a shot as Ireland’s wicketkeeper watches during their Cricket World Cup Pool B match. —AP West Indies 5 2 3 0 0 4 -0.511 Zimbabwe 5 1 4 0 0 2 -0.595 UAE 4 0 4 0 0 0 -1.691 Note: Top four in each group qualify for quarter-finals. World Cup exit shines light Rubel rape claim dropped on England’s one-day woes

DHAKA: A Bangladeshi actress who filed a Channel 24 television yesterday. “I am not SYDNEY: “We thought 275 was chaseable. We shall 1996 World Cup. The 1990s and early 2000s also Sri Lanka generated further problems when in a rape case against cricket star Rubel Hossain going to give any testimony or evidence have to look at the data.” With those words, uttered saw England well-beaten in several successive major U-turn, they dropped Test skipper Alastair said yesterday she was withdrawing the against (him). And if I don’t carry on with following a defeat by Bangladesh in Adelaide on Ashes series by Australia. That led to a renewed Cook and brought in as captain in his charges against the fast bowler, a day after the case, then there is no case.” Monday that knocked England out of the World focus by officials on Tests with the impression given place. It made little difference, with Morgan’s his match-winning heroics at the World Her move came hours after her lawyer, Cup, Peter Moores appeared to write his own epi- that ODIs were little more than money-spinners. nought against Bangladesh his fifth duck in nine Cup. Naznin Akter Happy, 19, made the Debul Dey, said he would no longer repre- taph for his second spell as coach of the national “This is not just about this tournament,” said innings. Alex Hales, a dynamic opening batsman of rape allegation earlier this year after claim- sent Happy as he did not want to put Rubel side. It did not require great statistical analysis to under-fire England and Cricket Board manag- the kind employed by many top one-day sides, did- understand why England had gone down by 15 ing director Paul Downton on Monday. n’t play at the World Cup until the Bangladesh ing 25-year-old Rubel had reneged on a under pressure while he was representing runs to Bangladesh-long regarded as the whipping “It goes back to a domestic structure, and put- game-and then as as a number three. Meanwhile promise of marriage that he made while his country in Australia and New Zealand. boys of international cricket but now victorious ting an emphasis in this country more on Test crick- England’s most experienced bowlers, Broad and they were having an “intimate affair”. The Rubel took four for 53 in the win over over England at two successive World Cups. et than one-day cricket and that has to change,” James Anderson, were their most expensive with allegation had threatened to scupper England in Adelaide, which enabled The simple truth is England were yet again out- added the former England wicketkeeper, instru- averages of 78.66 and 56.75 respectively and Rubel’s chances of appearing in the World Bangladesh to qualify for the World Cup batted and out-bowled. But Moores’s words mental in the decision to recall Moores and effec- defenceless when the ball wasn’t swinging. The Cup after he was remanded in custody by a quarter-finals for the first time. appeared emblematic of an inflexible England set- tively exile star batsman last year next World Cup, in 2019, is in England but ‘home court in Dhaka. Although victims of alleged rapes are up, where too many players were unable to think following England’s 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia advantage’ may count for even less than it did in But he was later granted bail until the usually entitled to anonymity, police on their feet. How the tournament was set-up, with England, however, didn’t make the most of 1999 unless Monday’s events shame the side into a end of the World Cup in view of “national waived reporting restrictions after Happy four teams from each of the two pools of seven what resources they had after a warm-up tour of new approach. — AFP interest” as he was a key member of told the Bangladeshi media that she would going through to the quarter-finals, ought to have Bangladesh’s team. drop the allegations if Rubel agreed to mar- made it all but impossible for a leading team to fail In the latest twist of a saga which has ry her. Rubel has consistently rejected the to reach the last eight. gripped the conservative Muslim-majority allegation of rape or claims that he had “We would have to have an absolute stinker not Windies skipper forced country, Happy said she had decided to for- offered to marry Happy, instead accusing to make the quarter-finals,” said England paceman give her former boyfriend who starred in a her of “blackmail”. Happy became a house- back in January. And that is what to play waiting game dramatic victory over England on Monday. hold name for her debut movie “Kichu Asha England had. Monday’s loss followed crushing defeats by “I’ve forgiven him. I am not going to contin- Bhalobasa” (Some Hopes, Some Loves) SYDNEY: West Indies captain Jason Holder nary games is beyond my control. ue the case against him,” Happy told which hit cinemas in 2013. — AFP Australia (111 runs), New Zealand (eight wickets) and Sri Lanka (nine wickets) and meant there was already had one of the toughest jobs at the “We’ve got to sit and wait and see how the no way England could go through to the knockout World Cup but this week faces the hardest table looks before our last game, and then we phase. Their only win of the tournament so far has assignment for any sportsman- waiting to see come up with a plan and a strategy how we go been against Scotland, a non-Test side. Now if other results will send his team into the forward. “What I can control is the game England, one of the world’s wealthiest cricket quarter-finals. against UAE, and I can assure you that we are nations, will head into Friday’s final ‘dead’ pool The 23-year-old all-rounder going to win that game by all means, and we game against Afghanistan-who’ve also beaten the was a shock selection as captain for the tour- just need to be aggressive and finish this pre- Scots-with exactly the same number of points as a nament, if anything in the chaos that has been liminary round in a good manner.” team who mainly learnt how to play cricket in West Indies cricket for the last few years can refugee camps. still be described as a surprise. Despite his GOOD RELATIONSHIPS efforts, the twice former champions have been A player with just 26 one-day international ‘WRONG TEAM’ consistent only in their inconsistency in their matches under his belt coming into the tour- Yet England’s latest World Cup exit-far worse first five Pool B matches. nament would normally have been allowed to than the previous nadir of 1999 when the then A meek defeat to Ireland in their opener concentrate on his own game in his maiden hosts crashed out in the first round on net run-rate was followed by a thrashing of Pakistan and World Cup. Instead, Holder has been tasked even before the tournament theme song had been then a victory over Zimbabwe on the back of with galvanising cricketers up to 12 years his released-was no great surprise. Chris Gayle’s double century. senior with reputations that far exceed his “Eng had the wrong team, the wrong style of The momentum from those victories was own in a playing group that has a reputation play & everyone could see it, tonight’s result not a lost, however, in a 257-run humbling at the for divisions and discontent. shock,” tweeted Australia great Shane Warne and it was hard to disagree, with their inherently cautious hands of South Africa and a four-wicket defeat He has received some help from West approach in marked contrast to that of leading to India in Perth last Friday. Indies fast bowling great Curtly Ambrose, the one-day teams. The loss to India would have been worse squad’s bowling coach, but the buck ultimate- Even though it pioneered the staging of one- had Holder, batting at number nine, not ly stops with Holder. day and Twenty20 games on a professional basis, scored a career best 57 runs to give the team “I have a very good relationship with most there has long been a snobbery about the limited some sort of total to defend. players,” Holder said. “It may not require me to overs format in England, with many cricket lovers Holder came under some criticism for his be speaking to them in a team setting. I may insisting it’s not the real deal. management of the bowlers, however, as West just pull them one-on-one and just have a Yet there need not be a contradiction between Indies let the world champions off the hook chat. “We just sort of unlace things, try to work Test and one-day success-Australia had plenty of after reducing them to 107 for five in the 23rd out stuff. Obviously we didn’t bat well in both while winning three consecutive World Cups over. The result means West Indies are now (Perth) so we just need to address a few areas. from 1999-2007. reliant on Ireland losing both their final pool “But there are ways that I will go about Although England have never won the World matches to reach the knockout stage, even if doing it, but we just need to be honest with Cup, they did appear in three finals between 1975 they beat in Napier next ourselves and we just didn’t bat well enough to 1992. But England have been trying to play Sunday. “I can only control what I can control,” in these last two games, and the batsmen just catch-up in one-day cricket ever since being on the Holder said at the WACA. need to be accountable for putting runs on receiving end of opener Sanath Jayasuriya’s 82 off “Whatever happens in those last prelimi- the board.” —Reuters ADELAIDE: Bangladesh’s Rubel Hossain celebrates in this file photo. — AP 67 balls in a quarter-final loss to Sri Lanka at the