India favourites to win World T20, says Sunil Gavaskar after win in Adelaide

Adelaide, Jan 26: Impressed with India's resounding win in the T20 series-opener against Australia, former captain Sunil Gavaskar feels the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will start as favourites at the upcoming World Twenty20 at home.

Gavaskar backed Arnold's views. "The way the Indian team has played and the way Russell Arnold has said, it looks like they are the favourites. The top of the order, Virat Kohli is in splendid form, Rohit (Sharma) is in great touch as well. "Shikhar (Dhawan) might not have scored enough runs, but I think that's a great sign for the Indian team because when they head back home in familiar conditions, with the ball also helping the spinners, then I think India certainly will be the team to watch out for," Gavaskar told NDTV. "Batting wise they are clicking massively and in bowling they have discovered the right line and length. The Indian team is shaping up well, particularly after the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh," the cricketer -turned-analyst added. Kohli set up the win with his unbeaten 55-ball 90 that drove India to a challenging 188 for three. Gavaskar was all praise for the star batsman. "He is at the moment from a different planet. He is making it look so simple. The beauty about his batting is the top hand, when needed to play shots on the on-side and the same delivery, same line, same length the bottom hand comes into play and he whips it to mid-wicket, so what does a bowler do. How does any bowler stop a man in such tremendous touch?," he said. The bowlers then made it count with debutant medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah leading the charge with three wickets. His unconventional slingy action is what Gavaskar opined could be a starting point to trouble the opposition batsmen and advised the senior Indian bowlers to take a cue from the newcomer. "The action is a help. The batsmen will take a little time to get used to the action. But length is good, he is bowling yorkers, he is bowling those fuller length under the bat deliveries, which the other bowlers haven't bowled. "I think that is what that the other experienced bowlers, who have been to Australia keep on making the same mistake over and over again, had done then they would have got results. So my honest advice to these experienced bowlers would be to watch Jasprit Bumrah bowl, see the length he is bowling and that is what you need to do when the batsmen are looking to slog you," he said. Gavaskar praised Ravichandran Ashwin and company for the turnaround. After a lackluster ODI series, the spinners also came into their own with Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya bagging two wickets each. "The difference that you could see is the angles that they were bowling. While they make little bit of adjustment to the length again, where they bowled a much fuller length, which can be driven. That is the little adjustment of foot and a half that you need to make. "Also the line that they bowled, like Ashwin going round the wicket and bowling just a little across toward the off stump and making it difficult for the batsman to connect.They must have thought long and hard about it and you have got to compliment the support staff. The bowling coach, who I am sure would have worked very hard in the last few days to bring Ashwin back to his best," he said. On a day of double delight for Indian cricket, the women's team also gave the fans a perfect Republic Day gift after chasing down a record total to upstage world champions Australia in their T20 opener. "Delightful present that both the teams, women and men's team has given to the fans," said Gavaskar.


 source: one india

Make Kohli captain in all three formats: Prasanna

Pasanna said Dhoni has been found wanting in the ongoing series in Australia with the hosts fancying a 5-0 whitewash.

Indian ODI captain M.S. Dhoni and his vice-captain Virat Kohli discussing a strategy during an ODI match against Australia.

Spin great Erapalli Prasanna feels time has come to make Virat Kohli the India captain in all three formats and M.S. Dhoni, whose leadership skills are on the wane, can continue playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the limited-overs format.

Though it has already been announced that Dhoni will lead India in the World T20 in March-April, Prasanna wants the decision to be reassessed. India has lost their last three ODI series under Dhoni.

“I think the time has come to make Kohli captain in all three formats. Dhoni is 33-34 now and there has to be a change in captaincy at some point so why not now? He can keep playing as a player. Ultimately, it is Dhoni who will take the call.

If you ask me, let him keep the wickets and give Kohli the charge right away. It is in the team’s interest,” Prasanna told PTI.

Asked whether Dhoni can go on as a player in the team, Prasanna said: “If you look at the overall scenario, he may be a better batsman than Saha but wicket-keeping wise Saha is equally good. Perhaps Dhoni can carry on and you can still expect a 30-40 run innings from him in the slog overs.”

Prasanna said Dhoni has been found wanting in the ongoing series in Australia with the hosts fancying a 5-0 whitewash of India in the fifth ODI in Sydney on Saturday.

“Some of the selection choices have been baffling to be honest. Dropping your number one bowler (R Ashwin) in the last two games was beyond logic. If he was around in the third ODI (at Melbourne), India could have built more pressure with Jadeja bowling well from the other end. Instead, Dhoni took Jadeja off the attack soon after he removed Steve Smith. It was surely questionable,” said the 75-year-old, who took 189 wickets in 49 Tests for India.

He also did not understand the logic behind dropping Manish Pandey after the first two ODIs and picking Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Rishi Dhawan for the following two matches.

“Manish hardly got time to prove himself and then you picked Gurkeerat and Rishi, both pretty mediocre players. If you look at the bench strength, it is nowhere near international standards. If you drop Ashwin and put players like Rishi, you are not expected to win.

“It seems the only way India can win right now is if they get a slow turner,” added Prasanna.

Gurkeerat scored 5 and 8 and failed to pick up a wicket while Rishi too returned wicketless in his outings.

Source: the hindu

Indian women stun Australia

The series now moves to Melbourne for the second game on Friday followed by game three in Sydney on Sunday.

Getty Images

      ON SONG: Player-of-the-Match Harmanpreet Kaur stood out with a 31-ball 46 against Australia in          the women's T20 International at Adelaide on Tuesday.

The Indian women’s cricket team produced a superb allround performance to chase down a record total and upstage World champion Australia by five wickets in the opening Twenty20 International of a three-match series here on Tuesday.

Electing to bowl, the Indians did well to restrict Australia to 140, before romping home in 18.4 overs.

In the process, the Indian women managed to chase down the biggest victory target against the mighty Aussies, who were the odds-on favourites for the match.

The series now moves to Melbourne for the second game on Friday followed by game three in Sydney on Sunday.

The decision to put the Aussies in was proved right early on for India captain Mithali Raj when the home side was reduced to 17 for two.

However, debutant opener Beth Mooney’s run-a-ball 36 followed by an entertaining knock of unbeaten 41 by Alyssa Healy lower down the order helped Australia post 140 for five.

The Aussies were in a spot of bother before Healy’s 15-ball blitzkrieg, which included five 4s and a couple of sixes.

For India, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav was the top wicket-taker, scalping two for 26 in her four overs.

Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey and Anuja Patil picked up a wicket each in a consistently tight bowling performance.

In reply, the Indians were not off to the best of starts as skipper and experienced batsman Mithali Raj (4), who opened the innings, was dismissed early.

However, the rest of the top-order batsmen did their job well enough with Player-of-the-Match Harmanpreet Kaur standing out with a 31-ball 46, which was laced with half a dozen fours and a six.

Smriti Mandhana (29) and Veda Krishnamurthy (36) were the other notable contributors in a fine chase.

For Australia, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen grabbed two wickets for 24 runs in three overs.

After the T20Is, the teams will play a three-match ODI series early next month.

The scores: Australia 140 for five in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 36, Alyssa Healy 41, Poonam Yadav two for 26) lost to India 141 for five in 18.4 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 46, Smriti Mandhana 29, Veda Krishnamurthy 36, Jess Jonassen two for 24).

Source- the hindu

Congress plea on Arunachal to go before Constitution Bench

Nariman, Sibal mention Congress petition whip against President Rule

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge,Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal and V Narayanasamy addressing the media after meeting President Pranab Mukherjee on Arunachal Pradesh issue, in New Delhi.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take up for hearing before a Constitution Bench a writ petiton filed by the Congress party challenging the constitutionality of the Union Cabinet recommendation and subsequent imposition of President's Rule in the sensitive border State of Arunachal Pradesh ruled by the Congress party.

In an urgent mentioning by a battery of top Congress politician-lawyers, a Bench of Justices J.S. Khehar and C. Nagappan posted the petition for hearing at 2 pm today before a five-judge Constitution Bench already seized of a batch of petitions filed by Arunachal Legislative Assembly Speaker Nabam Rebia against his "impeachment" by a faction of rebel Congress MLAs with BJP MLAs in an "Assembly Session" held at a community hall on December 16, 2015.

'Defects in plea'

However, Justice Khehar made the Bench's displeasure vocal about the fact that the Congress party had not paid the requisite court fee in full while filing the petition.

There was a shortfall of Rs. 800 in the court fee paid to the Supreme Court Registry.

Justice Khehar said there were a lot of other "defects" in the petiton filed by Bamang Felix, Chief Whip of the Congress Legislative Party of the border State.

The Congress party side saw a whole array of top lawyers present in court, including senior advocates Fali Nariman, Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha.

When Mr. Nairman requested the court to take up the petition immediately, Justice Khehar looked at a sheet of paper purportedly from the Registry and said "the Registry has raised a lot of objections. You have paid less court fee. You have to pay Rs. 800 more..."

When one of the lawyers shouted out that the payment has been made now, Justice Khehar addressed Mr. Nariman, saying: Children are just saying... please look into this... when you file urgent matters like this, ensure that you pay court fee in full".

Justice Khehar further looked at the sheet and said that "they (Registry) have also objected to the font used.... what font have you used here..."

The Bench however said that it will post the matter at 2 pm before the Constitution Bench also led by Justice Khehar and in the meantime the lawyers should ensure that the defects are cleared.

Mr. Felix has accused the Centre of conspiring to pull down the elected Congress government of Arunachal Pradesh through the offices of Governor J.P. Rajkhowa. The petition wants the apex court to judicially review the relevant material on which the Governor has claimed the breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the State, followed by the Cabinet's recommendation and imposition of President's Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution.

Keywords: Arunachal Pradesh political development, NDA govenrment, President's nod for Central Rule in Arunachal

Source- the hindu