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DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Upbeat India hits the ground running in New Zealand Black Caps wrestling with injuries to key players and Williamson’s future as captain following thumping by Australia T20I SERIES Australia over the past month. Press Trust of India It hasn’t helped matters Auckland that the disappointing loss to Preparations for the World their transTasman rivals has Cup on top of its agenda, In raised questions about Kane dia takes on an injuryhit Williamson’s future as New Zealand in a rare fi ve captain. match T20 International se As always, they have a ries starting on Friday during dearth of allrounders, but which seamfriendly wickets need to balance with pick would be a major challenge ings in the pace department, for the visitors. which is missing the services Unlike most overseas of Trent Boult, Matt Henry tours, this will be a quick and Lockie Ferguson owing start for the Indian team. In a to injuries. tight season, the fi rst T20 The teams (from): comes only fi ve days after its India: Virat Kohli (Capt.), Rohit last ODI against Australia at Sharma, K.L. Rahul (wk), Man home. ish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Hectic schedule Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mo The team arrived here on hammed Shami, Jasprit Bum Tuesday and chose to rest on rah, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Wednesday. Thursday was Saini and Washington Sundar. when it hit the nets ahead of At it, right away: Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson with the New Zealand: Kane Williamson the touropening game. trophy for which India and New Zealand lock horns in a rare (Capt.), Martin Guptill, Ross On the plus side, this hec fi vematch T20 International series starting on Friday. Taylor, Scott Kuggeleijn, Colin tic schedule helps the team * COURTESY: TWITER.COM/NEW ZEALAND CRICKET Munro, Colin de Grandhomme, management maintain con Tom Bruce, Daryl Mitchell, sistency in selection. The strength has come across. while Rohit Sharma was Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert T20 showpiece is scheduled It begins at the top where rested. (wk), Hamish Bennett, Ish Sod to be held in Australia in Oc K.L. Rahul has stepped up as And now, India will once hi, Tim Southee and Blair Tickner. tober this year. a key part of India’s white again start this T20 series Umpires: Chris Brown, Shaun Despite injury issues to ball plans. He did enough with Rohit and Rahul pairing Haig; TV umpire: Ashley Meh key whiteball personnel like against the West Indies as up at the top. Skipper Virat tal options to the team. mat while returning to the last year. The Black Caps also match series. rotra; Fourth umpire: John Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Dhawan’s replacement to Kohli dropped hints that Ra According to Kohli, Rahul middleorder in the 50over won 21 the T20I series dur Despite the recent good Dempsey; Match referee: Chris Pandya, Deepak Chahar and merit a starting spot, and hul’s newfound confi dence will continue to keep wickets format. ing their Sri Lankan tour, and record in the shortest for Broad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar this then formed a solid pairing in his dual role as wicket in both ODIs and T20Is, but New Zealand had beaten then drew 22 at home mat, there is some gloom fol Match starts at 12.20 p.m. past home season, the bench when Dhawan returned keeperbatsman had given vi will open in the shortest for India 21 in the T20I series against England in a fi ve lowing the 30 shellacking in IST. India’s dependency on Kohli has lessened: Shastri Harmanpreet confi dent of chances Says 2019 was probably the team’s best year, across all formats, for the sheer consistency India enthusiastic, positive and focused, says coach Raman EXCLUSIVE <> For all you know, We went to South Africa, we WOMEN’S T20 WC Dhoni may start the won on a treacherous track Vijay Lokapally IPL; if he didn’t feel in Johannesburg. We won in SHAYAN ACHARYA Mumbai good, he’ll say Australia. I don’t care if the cknowledging that his opposition is strong or weak. India's women’s cricket ‘Thank you very job is to “fi netune” the We treat every team as the team featured in a T20 A much’ players, India coach Ravi same.” World Cup two years ago, Shastri also stressed that the when it crashed out in the support staff played a huge all you know, he may start Temperament is key semifi nals. And, as another part in the team’s success. the IPL; if he didn’t feel When was a youngster ready edition beckons, captain “We all have roles. Our job good, he’ll say ‘Thank you to make an international de Harmanpreet Kaur is confi is to fi netune them (players) very much.’” but? “I would see tempera dent of India’s chances. Australia-bound: W.V. Raman and Harmanpreet Kaur say India in every possible way be Shastri highlighted the ment more than anything. “We were pretty close in has covered all bases. * PRASHANT NAKWE cause when you're on the reason behind the recent How he handles pressure, the last two World Cups road, there could be little success of Indian cricket. how he copes with pace and (ODI, 2017 and T20, 2018). pointers to what needs to be their skills, which means things that creep into your “The vision has been to car technique, but, for me, tem The only reason we did not done. And, even if we come you do have a fair bit of game. If you don’t realise, it ry on from where we left off perament becomes extreme win the last two World Cups, off worse in the tournament, sense of security and confi could lead to bigger things,” in 2019. I thought that was ly crucial. You might have a was we could not handle that’s also good, because the dence going into this tourna Shastri told The Hindu prior probably India’s best year, guy scoring thousands of pressure when we had to,” only way after that is up, so ment,” he said. to the team’s departure to across all formats. For the runs. But I’d rather like to Harmanpreet said on Thurs any which way you look at it, “We are covering all the New Zealand. sheer consistency, the num see a guy who scores the day, before leaving for the triseries is going be very bases. This is perhaps one of Was the team not too de ber of wins, ability to adapt runs when it matters.” Australia. helpful,” coach W.V. Raman the best teams. They are en pendent on Virat Kohli as a and if we had a good 15 mi “You don’t have to go to a said. thusiastic, positive and fo batsman, as a captain? Shas nutes in that World Cup, player and tell him someth Natural game With youngsters Shafali cused. That’s very impor tri responded, “I wouldn’t might have been even swee ing for the sake of telling it This time around, the team Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues tant,” the coach said. say too dependent. I think ter. I think it will be a year without having a solution to has set a new target. “Rather and Richa Ghosh in the While it will be a new it’s become less as time has Good tidings: India’s recent success in Test cricket owes it to hard to beat. The only thing correct it,” he said. “So many than taking pressure, we squad, the batting has depth challenge for most of the gone by because of guys get the likes of Mayank Agarwal stepping up. * FILE PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK missing for these guys is an times people will come and need to enjoy our game. We and Raman sees it as a posi cricketers, Harmanpreet, ting experience, exposure. ICC Trophy. That’s destiny. tell you ‘ Tera aage ka pair need to back our skills and tive. “That will defi nitely Smriti Mandhana and Jemi Virat is the biggest wicket for bowlers are there to take 20 ryone will know. Selectors You have to chase it. Don’t be theek nahi aa raha’ (your rely on our natural game,” help us psychologically. At mah have the experiences of the opposition. wickets.” will know, captain will know, complacent. Don’t rest on front foot is not coming she said. While the T20 the start of last season, we playing Women’s Big Bash “But, in the last two three and, more important than your laurels.” right). I ask ‘ toh phir karna World Cup begins next did not do well enough in League in Australia. Howev years, players like Mayank Stands by Dhoni anything else, he will know. When asked if India was kya hai (what is to be done)’. month, India will play a tri the few games. After that, er, Raman stays cautious, Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Che The former India allrounder What I’m trying to tell is he is only beating mediocre teams You are testing my mind for series involving England and the unit settled down. Each saying there is a diff erence teshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Ra stood by M.S. Dhoni hanging the last person to impose at home, Shastri said as a nothing. I’m thinking and Australia from January 31. of the players had a good hit, between franchise cricket hane have evolved. They in. “There is the IPL coming. himself on anything. You matteroffact, “I won’t you’re not giving me the “We will get a few good, they are all in good nick and and international have got better. And the fast Uske baad tum dekho. Eve know him. I know him. For react. My job is to beat sides. answer.” tough games that will give us they have also worked on assignments. Sri Lanka BCCI may scrap zonal policy A come-from-behind win for Awadhe Warriors cruises to 10wkt. win Sivaramakrishnan, Mongia, Chauhan, Khurasiya in fray Subhankar scripts stunning turnaround after North Eastern had taken early lead
Agence France-Presse SELECTION PANEL PBL HARARE Amol Karhadkar K. Keerthivasan Suranga Lakmal took four MUMBAI CHENNAI for 27 to set up Sri Lanka A day before the deadline to Awadhe Warriors started its for a 10wicket win over apply for two vacant slots in Premier Badminton League Zimbabwe in the fi rst Test the senior selection commit season5 campaign with a here on Thursday. tee, the Board of Control for comefrombehind 43 win The scores: Zimbabwe 358 & 170 (Sean Williams 39, Bren Cricket in India (BCCI) is over North Eastern Warriors dan Taylor 38, Suranga Lak mulling over whether to here on Thursday. mal 4/27, Lahiru Kumara 3/32) move away from the conven Subhankar Dey gave the lost to Sri Lanka 515/9 decl. tion of appointing a repre fi nishing touches for Awadhe and 14/0. sentative from each of the with a clinical 159, 1513 re fi ve zones. L. Sivaramakrishnan. Nayan Mongia. sult over the higherranked
The BCCI last week issued * FILE PHOTO: V. GANESAN * FILE PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR Tanongsak Sansomboonsuk India takes on an advertisement inviting in the fi fth and deciding tie. applications for the two slots <> I don’t think it’s the pointments, then it will not Trailing 13, Awadhe War New Zealand in the fi vemember panel, to right way to go work.” riors put its weight behind be vacated by chairman about it (doing away Former India cricketers — the topnotch ‘Trump’ South UNDER-19 WC M.S.K. Prasad (south zone) with zonal system). leggie L. Sivaramakrishnan, Korean pair of Ko Sung Hyun and Gagan Khoda (central Although it should wicketkeeper Nayan Mon and Shin Bak Cheol in the SPORTS BUREAU zone). not be like that I gia, batsman Amay Khurasi fourth tie. BLOEMFONTEIN ya and off spinner Rajesh don’t think we are India will take on New Zea Diff ering views Chauhan — confi rmed on Making it count land in its fi nal Group A It is understood that a sec ready to move Thursday that they have for The 2014 World champion game on Friday. The Pri tion in the Board feels it is beyond the zonal mally applied for the selec duo made it count as it over yam Gargled side had ear time for the BCCI to move policy tor’s post. came a fi ghting Krishna Pra Clinical: Subhankar Dey didn’t let the deciding tie get to him as he beat the higherranked lier registered convincing away from the conventional Sanjay Jagdale Zonal policy or other sad and Lee Yong Dae 815, Tanongsak Sansomboonsuk. * R. RAGU wins over Sri Lanka and Ja zonal policy, while some of Former national selector wise, Sivaramakrishnan will 1514, 1512 to enable Awadhe pan, and leads the stand the offi cebearers feel it’s it. Although it should not be be a leading contender. to equalise. paper in the mixed doubles. Trump player Lee Cheuk The result: Awadhe Warriors bt ings with four points. best to stick with the tried like that I don’t think we are If the BCCI — which is yet Krishna and Lee had their Bodin Isara and Kim Ha Na, Yiu, with his eff ortless and North Eastern Warriors 43 (Ko On Thursday, Australia and tested practice. ready to move beyond the to formalise the Cricket Ad chances to fi nish the fourth however, faltered at crucial deceptive game, took apart Sung Hyun & Christinna Peder prevailed over England by Sanjay Jagdale, who has zonal policy,” Jagdale told visory Committee that’s sup tie and the contest in the se moments to lose to the Wong Wing Ki Vincent 1315, sen bt Bodin Isara & Kim Ha Na two wickets in a humdin served Indian cricket in va The Hindu. “The success of posed to conduct interviews cond game, but failed to do Awadhe duo of Ko and Chris 1510, 1511. 815, 1511, 1514; Wong Wing Ki Vincent lost to Lee Cheuk Yiu ger at Kimberley. Connor rious capacities including deviation depends on peo of shortlisted candidates — so. The third game, too, tinna Pedersen 815, 1511, 15 The 28yearold Michelli (T) 1513, 1015, 1115; Beiwen Sully’s heroics (35 not out national selector, isn’t sure ple who are employed as se decides to continue with the went close but the South Ko 14. In fact, at 1414 in the de Li from Canada tamed Bei Zhang lost to Michelle Li 1315, off 20 balls) took the Aus whether Indian cricket is lectors. If you have people zonal policy, then Khurasiya rean pair maintained a han cider, Kim fl uff ed her service wen Zhang 1513, 1514 in the 1415; Ko Sung Hyun & Shin Bak sies home off the fi nal de ready to move to a nonparti with integrity to cricket, and Chauhan will emerge as dy lead throughout to put by dumping it into the net. women’s singles to give Cheol (T) bt Krishna Prasad & livery. West Indies crushed san selection panel. then there’s no harm in it leading contenders from the Awadhe back in contention. But North Eastern fought North Eastern a 31 lead, be Lee Yong Dae 815, 1514, 1512; debutant Nigeria by 246 “Personally, I don’t think but if you have political lean central zone to replace Kho Earlier, North Eastern ap back in the second tie fore Awadhe staged its Subhankar Dey bt Tanongsak runs. it’s the right way to go about ings in terms of cricket in ap da. peared the better team on through the men’s singles. comeback. Sansomboonsuk 159, 1513).
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