INDIA VS SRI LANKA, 2017
Rohit Sharma record ton powers India to series win
Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Fri, 22 Dec, 2017, 11:15 PM
Rohit Sharma starred with a 43-ball 118, 108 of which came in fours and sixes. © BCCI
Rohit Sharma arrived at the Holkar Stadium in Indore in complete Friday mood as he sent both Sri Lanka and the crowd into a tizzy with a mind-boggling exhibition of big-hitting. With 12 fours and 10 sixes that amounted for 108 off his 118 runs, Rohit rode his way to an incredible hundred, the joint-fastest in T20Is, equalling David Miller's 35-ball blitzkrieg against Bangladesh earlier this year.
Although Sri Lanka gave India a few reasons to worry about while trying to chase down a record 261, Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga's knocks were never enough as both teams will now head to Mumbai for the third T20I but with the series already decided in the hosts' favour.
Most of the working populace who would have not complained for staying back in their office cafeterias for that extra long to not miss India's carnage, must have set off for either their homes or party places knowing the fate of the game. However, Sri Lanka tried and tried real hard to make a match out of it. When Niroshan Dickwella was dropped in the second over by KL Rahul, one thought that the tourists got the much-needed luck quite early in their chase. However, after a couple of fours and a six, Dickwella was sent back by Jaydev Unadkat in the fifth over.
The tide turned in the following over when both Tharanga and Kusal got stuck into Kuldeep Yadav, pasting him for two sixes and a four in his first over. He went for a six more in his next over before being replaced by his fellow wristspinner, Yuzvendra Chahal. The script didn't change much as Tharanga took on the legspinner, hitting him for two sixes while collecting 16 off his over. Sri Lanka raised their 100 inside the first 10 overs, and although the back ten needed even more brutality, the tourists had at least stayed alive at that point.
Perera hit his fifth six and followed it up with a four, off Chahal, to bring up his fifty in just 26 balls. The next over saw more damage as Kuldeep, who was brought back into the attack, went for more runs with two fours and a six - all from Kusal.
Just as the wrinkles on the foreheads had started to grow for India, Chahal produced the much needed breakthrough by getting Tharanga to miscue a heave, and he completed the dismissal by taking a smart catch himself. Kusal cut the celebrations short by smashing another four and a six in the same over. India didn't have to wait any longer for the decisive blow as Kusal fell in the next over while attempting to heave one over covers. With three wickets going down in that over, including that of two new men - Thisara Perera and Asela Gunaratne, Sri Lanka found themselves five down all of a sudden.
Chahal made his presence felt by picking up three wickets in the next over, leaving Sri Lanka eight down. With Angelo Mathews out with a hamstring injury yet again, the tourists were reduced to just nine wickets. Hardik Pandya struck in the 18th over to drill the final nail in the coffin, helping India pocket the series with a big victory.
Thisara Perera's decision to bowl first came straight out of a wary-of-dew captain's handbook but little did he know that he and his bowlers had to bowl on what was eerily similar to a national highway. Rohit, who recently became the only batsman to have three ODI double hundreds against his name, carried his good luck into the shortest format of the game, starting off with two boundaries in the opening over. KL Rahul, who made a celebrated return to the limited-overs form with a fluent fifty the other evening in Cuttack, exhibited the same sublimity when he stroked a mellifluous drive straight past the bowler in the second over. The last thing Sri Lanka wanted was a dropped chance and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who had been drafted in for this game, dropped a straightforward catch of Rahul on 6 in the third over.
As usual Rohit Sharma eased himself in the middle while Rahul toyed with Dushmantha Chameera to ridicule the already hapless Sri Lanka by lifting him straight over the sightscreen for the first six of the evening. Little did the visitors know that there would be 20 more of them in the innings. Nuwan Pradeep's opening act was not one to remember as both openers picked a six apiece in his over to sent him for 17 runs. Akila Dananjaya was brought into the attack in the final over of the powerplay and he bled 16 runs. The field opened up but that didn't stop the openers from bringing the roofs down, hitting 49 in the next three overs.
Inside the first nine overs of play, Sri Lanka had used up seven bowlers, with India painting two contrasting four-over breakdowns. While the first four brought 26, the next four brought 61 runs. With four sixes off Thisara Perera's over - the 11th of the innings - Rohit raced off to 97 off 34 balls, at a time when Rahul was on 45 off 32. It was with a scorching drive through covers that Rohit registered the joint-fastest ton in T20Is, off just 35 balls. When he hit two more sixes and a four in the following over, there were talks of a T20I double-hundred in the making. However, a short ball was steered straight to short third man as Rohit walked back for 118.
MS Dhoni was promoted up the order and with two sixes and two fours very early in the innings, India seemed set to scale the highest ever total in T20Is. Rahul made quick change of gears. But while on 89 with 10 deliveries to go in the innings, he was sent back by an acrobatic take from Dickwella behind the stumps. Scoring only seven in the final over, the hosts ended with their highest score in the format, also the joint second-highest total overall.
Brief Scores: India 260/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 118, KL Rahul 89; Thisara Perera 2-49) beat Sri Lanka 172 in 17.2 overs (Kusal Perera 77, Upul Tharanga 47; Yuzvendra Chahal 4-52, Kuldeep Yadav 3-52) by 88 runs.
© Cricbuzz
TAGS
RELATED STORIES
MLRW 67/0 (10.5 Ovs) • BRHW 66 (16.1 Ovs) Melbourne Renegades Women won by 10 wkts
WEST INDIES TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND, 2017-18
Live Cricket Score: New Zealand vs Windies, 2nd ODI, Christchurch
Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Sat, 23 Dec, 2017, 10:05 AM
Live Score Updates Windies 121-all out (28.0 Ovs) R Beaton 12 (25) New Zealand 325/6 Boult 10-3-34-7 New Zealand won by 204 runs Live Scores Full Scorecard
Gayle misses out due to an illness. © Getty
MAKE THAT SEVEN! It's all over in Christchurch! How easy did Boult make that look? It is the heaviest defeat New Zealand have veer inflicted on Windies. Surprised?
First he ran through the top order, then returned to finish the tail in a spectacular bowling performance to give New Zealand the series. A massive 204-run win, and it was a depleted New Zealand side. Wow! Windies were blown away by Boult's sheer ability to generate swing. They were left without any semblance of an answer. That's that. An easy win then for the hosts. Join us for the dead rubber in a couple of days' time when the two sides take each other on on December 25 for the final ODI. Thanks for joining us today. Goodbye!
BOULT HAS FIVE! Third five-wicket for Trent Boult in ODIs. The short ball has Cottrell in trouble. Balloons up to the 'keeper who takes an easy catch. Two more to go. Windies 110/8.
The next over, Ferguson returned to bounce off Holder, who went after the short ball, only to top-edge to midwicket. Holder departs!
DOUBLE TROUBLE! Wickets in successive balls! Ferguson has gotten rid of Jason Mohammed and Rovman Powell. Jason hits back at the bowler who takes an easy caught and bowled chance. He then followed that up with a fast yorker. The offstump is uprooted! There's little the batsmen could have done about this. WI in all sorts of trouble.
Lockie Ferguson into the attack and he's cranking up the speedometer.
Shai Hope was playing really well before he had to depart. There was a change in angle and it does the trick. Hope wanted to smash it over midwicket, but ends up skying it to the wicketkeeper. Another one goes down.
OUT! Three overs, three wickets for Boult - are you surprised? After the early wicket of Hope, Lewis holed out straight to the man at long leg after taking on a short ball. Then Hetmyer edged to Worker in the slips as Windies lost their third in quick succession. Boult swing is too much for the visitors at the moment. They're unable to play him!
BOWLEEED HIIIM! Took Boult just six deliveries to strike! Kyle Hope, who came in as replacement for Gayle departs for 4 after an inswinger breaches his bat-pad gap. First blood for Boult with just 10 on the board.
Right, here we go. Winies openers are in the middle.
WINDIES NEED 326 TO LEVEL SERIES: After the strong start and the position they were at at the halfway stage, New Zealand seemed like they would fall short by at least 40 runs at the end of their innings after being reduced to 186/5 at one stage. However, a late surge from Henry Nicholls along with Todd Astle, which saw 130 runs being added in quick time, saw the hosts finish on a high, setting Windies 326 to level the three-match series that they lead 1-0.
Astle fell one short of his fifty after being bowled by Cottrell, but Nicholls was key and remained unbeaten on 83 off just 62 balls. Can they do it? Join us after the innings break.
Astle falls one run short of his half-century. Cottrell with his third wicket for the day. Has been the pick of the bowlers for Windies. Breaches Astle's defence. Gone!
This has been such a good partnership for New Zealand after they seemed like they were losing their way in the middle! FIFTY for Nicholls - his third in ODIs. Has come at a great time too! Astle is keeping him good company as the pair have added 100 runs in quick time!
TWO REDS: Not out! Nicholls is given out off Cottrell for a leg before appeal. The batsman decides to review it. No bat, impact in line, pitching in line, but missing the stumps! Good review that!
Two wickets in two overs by West Indies captain Jason Holder as Ross Taylor is caught behind for 57. Astle joins Nicholls. BLACKCAPS 186-5 with 17 overs to go ???? #NZvWI pic.twitter.com/pglJ8tmV3n — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 23, 2017
TWO IN TWO FOR HOLDER: Follows Worker's steps, literally. Taylor falls right after getting to his fifty. New Zealand squandering these starts and partnerships. Run-rate that was up and above 6 for most of the innings has fallen too. Holder strikes to send the big fish back after he edges to the keeper. New Zealand are on 186/5 - How many do you think they'll get?
FIFTY FOR TAYLOR! His 39th in ODIs. There's been one solid end for New Zealand today. After Worker, it has been Taylor. Was unbeaten on 49 last game. Now has a fifty.
LATHAM DEPARTS: Jason Holder had caused Latham trouble with one that failed to rise. The Kiwi skipper couldn't negotiate the extra bounce, and ends up lobbing it to the keeper. He departs for 20.
AND OUT! Another short ball does the trick. This time it's Worker who has to make his way back. Worker goes after it and miscues a pull to long leg where Rovman Powell takes a good catch. Beaton with the wicket. The opener departs for 58 off 53 balls. Disappointed, naturally, because he was playing so well too! New Zealand 126/3.
FIFTY for Worker: The opener reaches his third ODI fifty with a top-edge for six. it's his successive half-century! Holding his end rather well after that early chance was put down.
Back to back ????????s for George Worker. 47 balls, 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Looking right at home at the top of the BLACKCAPS order ????#NZvWI pic.twitter.com/VUocFO3APZ — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 22, 2017
100 up for the hosts in the 17th over.
DRINKS: New Zealand started well but lost two wickets in quick succession. Worker, after being dropped, has held his end rather well and is unbeaten on 41. New Zealand still are scoring at over 6 an over, so they're keeping up the momentum they started off with.
GONE! Double strike from Cottrell. He's bowled so well all morning, deserves the wicket! Trying to get one to third man, Broom edges to first slip where Jason Holder half-dives to his right. Broom departs for 6 - the only scoring shot over the fine-leg fence in his 13-ball stay.
At the end of 10 overs, New Zealand are 66/1.
Out. Munro (30) goes after the short ball from Cottrell, but doesn't get all of it. Neil Broom new man in, BLACKCAPS 50-1 #nzvwi pic.twitter.com/VseocfrBPW — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 22, 2017
WICKET: Cottrell strikes! Munro flat-bats to mid on after going after a short one. Mohammed obliges. There's a salute celebration, of course! Munro gone for 30!
After five overs, NZ have 37 on the board.
MUNRO doing what he does best. Has started off attacking. Two sixes have come off his bat already.
DROPPED: Worker handed a life by Hope, who puts one down behind the stumps. Extra bounce bothers Worker again. Worker gloves it to the keeper's left, Hope dives, but grasses it.
Here we go. How will Windies validate their decision to bowl first on a dryish pitch? Let's find out. New Zealand's openers are in the middle.
For New Zealand, Broom and Henry replace Williamson and Southee respectively.
Two changes for Windies: As expected, Gayle isn't fit enough to play. Kyle Hope replaces him, while Cottrell comes in for Kesrick Williams.
Windies (Playing XI): Kyle Hope, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Mohammed, Jason Holder(c), Rovman Powell, Ashley Nurse, Ronsford Beaton, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel
West Indies have won the toss and will bowl first in the second ODI at Hagley Oval in Christchurch! #nzvwi pic.twitter.com/6bzOqUASMR — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 22, 2017
New Zealand (Playing XI): George Worker, Colin Munro, Neil Broom, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w/c), Henry Nicholls, Todd Astle, Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Windies have won the toss and have opted to field
Hello and welcome to Christchurch for the second game of the three-match ODI series. New Zealand have taken the early lead in the series with a five-wicket win in the first one-dayer. But this is West Indies' best chance to bounce back and level the series given New Zealand's depleted side with regular skipper Kane Williamson and Tim Southee being rested. Adam Milne is ruled out with an injured foot. Latham will lead the Kiwis today. Join us for the toss in a bit.
© Cricbuzz
TAGS
RELATED STORIES
ROHIT 'RECORD' SHARMA
Rohit Sharma's penchant for six-hitting and big knocks
• Last updated on Sat, 23 Dec, 2017, 01:24 AM Akash Sarkar in Indore
Rohit Sharma registered the joint-fastest ton in Twenty20 International cricket, by getting there in 35 balls. © BCCI
If you have to sum up Sri Lanka's plight in just one picture, cast your mind back to the 12th over of the Indian innings. Rohit Sharma was batting on 97. Angelo Mathews was bowling the over. The India captain was just one hit away from his second Twenty20 International century.
All this while, Rohit had been putting away good balls for towering sixes and the delivery he received at that stage only meant that getting to a century was a cakewalk. Mathews floated one wide outside off and it was cracked past deep point. Rohit had not only registered a ton but also equalled the record for the fastest T20I century - getting there off just 35 balls.
Mathews, who had fallen in his follow through, was down on his knees. Rohit, next to him, had his hands aloft. The resemblance was uncanny. Sri Lankan bowling had yet again been brought down onto its knees and it was at the hands of the same man, who had done it on the previous instances as well.
While his 264 at the Eden Gardens was laced with a few chances, during the double ton in the Mohali ODI and the century in the T20I in Indore - there was very little Sri Lanka bowlers could have done. Such was the display of nonchalant striking that it could have well left you wondering why on earth would anyone want to be a bowler.
But in Rohit's case, the bowlers can be forgiven. He's made it a habit of exploding once he is set. He has made it a habit to switch gears seamlessly in an extremely shot span to dent the opposition like no other limited-overs player at the moment. And it's that ability that's been unmatched thus far.
Rohit's six-hitting prowess was on show on Friday as well, and it touched new heights between the eighth and 11th over. From the third ball of the eighth over to the end of the 11th over, Rohit hit six sixes and three fours. That's 48 runs in 15 deliveries. And in those 15 deliveries, KL Rahul faced three leaving Rohit with 12.
Take this for instance, in the first four overs - India scored just 26. Rohit had made only 10 in those. The carnage from Rohit started only from the sixth over. He first took on Akila Dananjaya - who has managed to torment Rohit in his short career - hitting him for 16 runs. Chaturanga de Silva was next and he too was taken for the same number of runs in the eighth over. Asela Gunaratne and Thisara Perera were taken to the cleaners too as their two overs yielded 47 with Rahul making just two of those. Rohit had scored 45 off 10 deliveries and raced to 97 off 34.
By the time Rohit's innings ended, where he made 118 off 43 - the highest score by an Indian in T20Is - India had already posted 165 for the opening wicket inside 13 overs. Close to 92 percent of Rohit's runs had been scored in boundaries. That's the maximum percentage of runs scored in boundaries any centurion has managed in the history of T20 cricket.
For most parts of his innings, Rohit threatened to become the first batsman to score a double century in a T20I. He eventually fell off the bowling of Dushmantha Chameera, caught at short third man while trying to guide the ball over that fielder. "Not really. I was thinking to score runs. Wasn't thinking of any particular target," he said when asked if a double century was on his mind. "In all the formats, I don't look to get to a particular milestone. My job is to go out there and score as many as possible. Not just 100s or 200s or 300s. I go out there to make sure I get my team into a good position. My job is to do that. There are times when you don't get runs. There are times when you get runs. This is all part and parcel of the game. Never do I ever walk out thinking that I want to score a century or a double century. I just want to give my best and get the team a victory."
What Rohit does really well is use his hips to generate power when he's batting. While trying to tee off, he starts by crouching more and then a subtle movement of his left hip allows him to create all the power before the hands take over. Add to that the beautiful bat swing he possesses, and you've got a complete six-hitting manual - one where muscle power is not on top of the list.
But Rohit also went on to acknowledge that more than the technical aspect, it's also the ability to play with the field which is of prime importance to him. "I definitely don't have so much power. I rely a lot on timing the ball more than anything else," he said.
"I know what my strengths are as well as my weaknesses. I try to play with the field as much as I can to be honest. The field is spread after six overs. I try and see where I can find my boundary options. It's important to be able to play with the field. I want to score all around the park and not just one particular part of the ground. It's important to explore the fielding the opposition keeps for me.
"In all formats, I try to do that. You can't just hit in one area. You become predictable then. It's always important to score runs all over the field and that's my strength."
Rohit, when set and scoring freely, is a different beast altogether. And, in his own inimitable way, he's setting a benchmark for big hitting as well. Whether that's matched is something one will have to wait and see, but Rohit is soon reaching a level where he'll start being counted as a limited-overs great.
© Cricbuzz
TAGS
RELATED STORIES
