West Indies-Australia Tests to clash with IPL

Australia will tour West Indies for a full series in March and April next year. The Tests coincide with the first half of the fifth IPL season and may result in some players missing out for their respective franchises. Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, David Warner, Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin are among those in the current Test squad who are contracted with IPL teams.

The tour kicks off with a five-match ODI series on March 16, the games shared between St Vincent and St Lucia. The teams then play two Twenty20 internationals followed by a three-day warm-up match involving the visitors. The three-Test series begins on April 11, a week after the start of the IPL, and ends on April 27. Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana will host the three Tests.

The ODI series clashes with the Sheffield Shield final in Australia, which is scheduled between March 16-20.

Powerplay tweaks and end of runners

Three's a crowd: there will be no more
runners allowed in international cricket

West Indies' tour of Bangladesh, which begins with a Twenty20 on October 11, will be the first international series under the ICC's revised playing conditions, which are effective from October 1. The amendments are only applicable to international cricket.

The ICC's cricket committee had made the recommendations after its meeting in London in May and they were passed by the executive board at the annual general meeting in Hong Kong in June.

Powerplays (ODIs only)
In a full ODI, the teams can take the bowling and batting Powerplays (five overs each) at the start of an over after 15 overs of an innings have been bowled. They must complete the Powerplays by the 40th over, which means the last block of fielding restrictions must begin in the 36th over. The first ten overs will comprise the mandatory Powerplay. This condition will not apply to innings reduced to fewer than 40 overs.

Under the previous playing conditions, teams were allowed to take the bowling and batting Powerplays at any time after the completion of the tenth over of the innings.

Runners (All formats)
A batsman will not be allowed a runner under any circumstances. The batsman can retire hurt and return to bat at a later stage in the innings.

Two new balls per innings (ODIs only)
Each fielding team will be given two new balls to be used in alternate overs, one at each end. The mandatory change of the ball after the 34th over of an innings will not take place anymore.

Obstructing the field (All formats)
If a fielding team appeals and the umpire feels the batsman has significantly changed his direction without probable cause, while running between the wickets, and obstructed an attempt to run him out, the umpire can give the batsman out for obstructing the field. It is not relevant whether a run out would have been affected or not. The on-field umpires are allowed to consult the third umpire in making the decision. The other circumstances in which a batsman can be out obstructing the field are still applicable.

Penalty time (All formats)
This amendment refers to the calculation of the time for which a player cannot bat or bowl because he or she was off the field.

If a player, who still has some unexpired penalty time remaining from a previous absence, is on the field when play is interrupted by bad weather, light or other reasons, the duration of the stoppage will be deducted from the remaining penalty time.

Bowler attempting to run out a non-striker before delivery (All formats)
Previously, the bowler could run out a non-striker backing up only if he did so before entering his delivery stride. This meant that as the bowler's back foot landed, the non-striker could move down the pitch before the bowler delivered the ball.

According to a new playing condition, 42.11, "The bowler is permitted, before releasing the ball and provided he has not completed his usual delivery swing, to attempt to run out the non-striker. Whether the attempt is successful or not, the ball shall not count as one of the over. If the bowler fails in an attempt to run out the non-striker, the umpire shall call and signal dead ball as soon as possible."

The umpires shall deem the bowler to have completed his delivery swing once his bowling arm passes the normal point of ball release.

Extra time to complete a match (Tests only)
According to clause 16.2.2 of the Test match playing conditions: "The umpires may decide to play 15 minutes (a minimum of four overs) extra time at the scheduled lunch or tea interval of any day if requested by either captain if, in the umpires' opinion, it would bring about a definite result in that session. If the umpires do not believe a result can be achieved no extra time shall be allowed.

"If it is decided to play such extra time, the whole period shall be played out even though the possibility of finishing the match may have disappeared before the full period has expired.

"Only the actual amount of playing time up to the maximum 15 minutes extra time by which play is extended on any day shall be deducted from the total number of hours of play remaining, and the following session of play shall be reduced by the amount of time by which play was previously extended under this clause."

Delay of lunch interval when nine wickets down (Tests only)
If a team is nine wickets down at the time of the lunch interval, the break will be delayed by a maximum of 30 minutes. Previously, only tea was delay-able, while lunch was taken even if a team was nine down.

Duration of interval between innings (ODIs only)
The minimum interval for an uninterrupted ODI match has been increased from 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

Swann left stumped by England 'horror show'

Garey Mathurin put England under the cosh with 3 for 9 in four overs

England's captain, Graeme Swann, admitted that a "bit of pressure, a bit of inexperience and a bit of ineptitude all added up to a horror show", as an entirely unfancied West Indian team rallied round in defence of a below-par target of 114, and pulled off an impressive 25-run victory thanks to a Man-of-the-Match spell of 3 for 9 in four overs from the debutant left-arm spinner, Garey Mathurin.

Needing less than a run-a-ball from the outset, and with the memory of their ten-wicket cruise in the first Twenty20 on Friday night, England began their run-chase fully expecting to seal a 2-0 series win and conclude their international summer on another upbeat note. But Mathurin's nerveless spell, in his very first appearance in any form of cricket in England, choked their ambition from the Powerplay onwards, and left the lower-order with too much momentum to claw back.

"God works in mysterious ways," said Mathurin, a childhood friend of the captain, and fellow St Lucian, Darren Sammy. "Everybody has their turn and it's just that my turn came at the age of 28. The English people hadn't seen me before so I knew I could go out and get the job done. We have a good team unity going on and the cohesiveness just worked."

The result left Swann feeling a touch humbled at the end of what has been a remarkable season for England, but even after being bowled out for 88, he felt that his side had been "exceptional" in the first half of the contest, and believed they would probably learn more from this setback than could ever have been learnt in victory.

"For half the game we were exceptional and we put ourselves in a position where we should never ever lose a game of cricket," said Swann. "Let's face it, to not chase 113 in international cricket is unacceptable. West Indies bowled and fielded well, but not well enough to bowl a team out for 88. It was good fielding mixed with a bit of panic, and four run-outs is crazy chasing such a small total on such a big field."

After a short end-of-season break, England head off to the subcontinent next week to embark on a five-ODI tour of India, where their failure to deal with a turning surface will doubtless impact on the type of wickets they can expect to face when they arrive. Further down the line, England will be defending their World Twenty20 crown on the spin-friendly surfaces of Sri Lanka next year, and on this evidence, they need to work on their manipulation of the field as much as their boundary-clearing ability.

"For all the positives of Friday night, there were quite a few negatives that need to be ironed out of our game before we play on pretty similar tracks over the next 12 months," said Swann. "We are going to face spin in the first six overs again, and if we can take one good thing out of the way we batted, it's that it's completely unacceptable, and won't be allowed to happen again.

"It's a harsh environment in international cricket and you find out a few things about people when they are under the pump," he added. "Today, one or two guys didn't respond that well, but I'm sure, knowing this team as I do and the way they have trained, it's a mere blip. I wouldn't write off any of this XI who have played tonight, or indeed any of the 14 in the squad, because they are all superb cricketers."

In England's defence, their side was missing several of its most experienced campaigners, not least Eoin Morgan, whose deft use of the angles would have been ideal for keeping the run-rate moving. But Swann believed the chosen team should still have performed much, much better. "I'd love to find an excuse for them and say they're inexperienced, but they're not inexperienced in Twenty20 cricket," he said. "I'm not just blaming the top six, I'm blaming the 11 players with the bat because we were pretty appalling.

"The left-arm spinner, you can't argue with 3 for 9, but the three guys who got out to him will probably look at the shots they played and be pretty horrified," he added. "We allowed him to get exceptional figures and he did catch us on the hop. But I'd hope each batsman who got out will look at it and think 'I won't do that again'. We were still in the game at six-seven down at a run-a-ball, but of the wickets that fell, very few were caused by the ball deviating. It was poor shots and poor execution of those shots."

For Mathurin and his team-mates, however, the result was the ideal tonic for their defeat on Friday night, and went a long way towards answering their many critics - in the Caribbean and worldwide. "Yeah, we had a point to prove," said Mathurin. "England played really, really well on Friday, so we were playing for some pride, and then we were coming back hard at them. We knew we could do it. Hopefully this shows everyone the energy and enthusiasm we have got, and hopefully everyone sees what we can do."

Roach to join Worcestershire

Kemar Roach has become the latest West Indian signing in county cricket and will be joining Worcestershire for the remainder of the season as they scrap to stay in Division One of the County Championship. Roach will replace Worcestershire's current overseas international Saeed Ajmal, who is returning to his national side earlier than scheduled next week, to participate in a training camp prior to embarking on Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe.

"I am delighted to sign for Worcestershire and to be able to play county cricket for the first time," said Roach. "Growing up in Barbados, every young cricketer aspired to play for the West Indies and to play county cricket. Many of my heroes like Lara, Walsh and Ambrose spent time in the county game and I view it as a huge challenge.

"Even though I am only going to be joining for a short period, I believe this stint gives me the chance to make an impact on the club and on county cricket and hopefully be the start of a long relationship with Worcestershire."

Roach joins Worcestershire on the back of international duty in the Caribbean, having opened the bowling against India and Pakistan earlier this year. In his fledgling career, Roach has taken 40 Test wickets at an average of 29.90, and has a total of 87 first-class wickets in 31 matches.

"To have one of the fastest bowlers in the world in our team for the last few games of the season can only be a huge plus factor," said Worcestershire's director of cricket, Steve Rhodes. "Albeit a short stint, I know that Kemar is determined to make an impact on the county scene."

Ajmal, who arrived at New Road in June, has claimed 36 wickets for the county across all forms of cricket. He leaves as their highest wicket taker in the Clydesdale Bank 40 this season, having taken 11 wickets. His most notable performance came in the recent match against Derbyshire, where he picked up 4 for 24.

"We've enjoyed Saeed's involvement with the team and he's been a model professional both on and off the field," said Rhodes. "We'd like to thank Saeed for the time he has spent with us, and also for his help in guiding and inspiring some of our younger bowlers. Obviously we were disappointed that he's had to leave us early but in the hectic international schedule we recognise that international cricket comes first."

Darren Bravo joins Nottinghamshire

Darren Bravo, the West Indies batsman, has joined Nottinghamshire for the remainder of the season as a replacement for David Hussey and Adam Voges.

Bravo, the half-brother of allrounder Dwayne, will go straight into the squad for Friday's CB40 match against Glamorgan after Nottinghamshire undertook an extensive search.

"We scoured the world to find an overseas batsman to reinforce our top order and we felt that Darren was a player who was worth pursuing," Mick Newell, the director of cricket, said. "He has an excellent record for a 22-year-old batsman and we feel that he is a player who has the hunger to succeed in county cricket.

"His Test record demonstrates that he is comfortable in adapting to different conditions and we're hopeful that he can make a good contribution between now and the end of the season."

'Gayle will make difference to this team'

St. John's: Curtly Ambrose, the last of the legendary West Indies fast bowlers, feels problems between destructive batsman Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) should be sorted out immediately for the benefit of Caribbean cricket.

Curtly Ambrose, the last of the legendary West Indies fast bowlers, feels problems between destructive batsman Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) should be sorted out immediately for the benefit of Caribbean cricket. © AFP

Strumming his base guitar at a casino in the capital city along with his former captain Richie Richardson, Ambrose prefers to stay away from cricket.
The poor state of West Indies cricket pains him and he doesn't know why Gayle, who was the best batsmen of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is not in the squad.
But he knows that Gayle is the only cricketer who can make an impact for the West Indies. WICB selectors have kept out Gayle after he criticised the board in a radio interview.
"Gayle is one of the premium batsmen in the Caribbean. He would definitely make a difference in this West Indies batting line up. However why he is not playing I am not sure. I have heard there are some problems between him and the WICB. I don't know the details and I don't want to elaborate on that. But they need to sit down and sort out the matter because Gayle will make a difference in this team," said Ambrose, who struck a musical chord with Richardson by forming a band "Spirited".
The band lit up the atmosphere as they churn out reggae and calypso music and the crowd swayed to their music. The towering Ambrose, who always turned down interview request saying "Curtly talk to no maan" is now a gentle giant.
The 47-year-old cricketer fondly remembered the unplayable bowling attack that he formed with his fellow legend Courtney Walsh. Ambrose said their pair was one of the best to have played the game.
"Not long ago we had 4-5 fast bowlers. That was more than a pair but my pairing with Courtney has been probably the best pair in the history West Indies. It was one of the best pair to have played this game," he said.
Ambrose said his success on the pitch was due to his aggressive nature.
"Fast bowlers should be aggressive. I have been one of those fast bowlers who thrived on aggression. It is a part of my game. By nature I am an aggressive person. I do things aggressively, but I don't believe in sledging or talking to batsmen to throw them out of the game. I believe if you are good enough in what you do, you should be able to let the ball do talking for you or the bat if you are a batsman. In my case I ordered the ball to do the talking for me. I would stare at you, give you this mean look, it is part of my game. I don't say nothing and let the ball do talking for me," he said.
The Antiguan laments the lack of aggression from the current crop of West Indies cricketer.
"Up to mid 90s, we thrived on fast bowling. We used to have some good wickets here, quick and tailored made for our fast bowlers. That was our weapon. If you can't bowl out a team twice, you are not going to win too many matches.
"Sadly enough from mid 90s onwards wickets in Caribbean got really slow. It is very frustrating for a fast bowler. They wickets have got worse over the years. Until we start seeing some good wickets which assist fast bowlers, I am not sure if we see great fast bowlers in future," he said.
Asked about his memorable spell, Ambrose said: "I have had fun memories of the past. There was one off Test match against South Africa in Barbados in 1992. They had just come back in international cricket. South Africa needed 79 runs with eight wickets in hand on the last day. They thought they would win quite easily but Walsh and myself had other ideas and they lost all eight wickets for just 28 runs in the morning and we won the game.
"Another instance, in Trinidad where we bowled out England for 46 runs. Me and Walsh did all the bowling in that particular innings."
PTI

I didn't ask anybody to boycott WIPA awards: Sammy

Antigua: Figuring out a way to end West Indies' misery against India is not the only thought bothering Darren Sammy, the skipper is also busy refuting allegations that he discouraged some regional cricketers from attending last week's Players' Association awards.

Sammy said it was "not in my nature" to influence players while making such choices as attending award ceremonies. © AFP

So disturbed has Sammy been with such reports that he has come out with a formal statement to deny the accusation, calling it a "falsehood" meant to "smear my character as an individual, a cricketer and West Indies captain".
West Indies Players Association (WIPA) President Dinanath Ramnarine reportedly criticised Sammy in a radio interview last week and the angry skipper, who is already fuming about his team's poor performance in the ongoing ODI series against India, has hit back now.
"I wish to make it abundantly clear to the public that at no time did I discourage, dissuade or in any other way seek to influence any player's non-attendance to the recently-held WIPA awards function," Sammy stated.
"Players made their own decisions not to attend." Sammy said he for one did not attend due to "personal reasons".
"During the function, WIPA president and CEO Mr Dinanath Ramnarine, called me on the phone and said he was sending a car to the team hotel to pick me up. However, without waiting for a response from me, he hung up the phone.
"I was unable to contact him to explain that I would not be able to attend as I had previously indicated to him," he explained.
Sammy said it was "not in my nature" to influence players while making such choices as attending award ceremonies.
"Those who know me as a person can attest to this," the St Lucian all-rounder insisted.
"...despite criticisms, challenges and the like I have always remained true to the ideals of representing West Indies cricket when and wherever it is required of me," he said.
WIPA is almost always at loggerheads with the West Indies Cricket Board and their feud also affects the players' tilt.
PTI

Dravid's wicket in 2006 turning point: Martin

North Sound, Antigua: West Indies leg-spinner Anthony Martin, who produced a career-best spell in his team's win over India in the fourth one-day international, said bowling to Rahul Dravid five years ago led him to believe that he could have a career in international cricket.

Anthony Martin made his one-day debut against Pakistan this year and has played just five matches so far. © AFP

"There was this practice game against India in 2006. Dravid hit my first ball for a four and was gone off the second, caught in the slips," remembers the leg-spinner whose 4/36 led to India's 103-run loss in the fourth one-dayer on Monday.
"I remember telling myself: 'Hey, here is this batsman who I watch thrash international bowlers all over the world on television. If I can pick him, I can play international cricket'.
"It was also a game where I took Virender Sehwag's catch. The man just stood in the middle and didn't want to leave the pitch. I ran around the stadium in celebration."
A firefighter by profession, Martin's story is one of triumph over adversity as a debilitating injury once almost finished his budding career.
"I represented Leeward Islands in under-15 cricket as a paceman in 1998. But then I suffered a serious injury and damaged my back. Since I love this game so much, I started bowling off breaks. Now my Antigua Under-19 coach told me the team has two good off-spinners. So I turn to leg-spin. I always used to bowl a couple of deliveries of leg-spin in the nets as a sort of warm-up. I knew something about it so started working on it."
Martin said he was motivated to do well after he wasn't picked up in the third match on Saturday. "It motivated me. I went to the hotel and thought 'hey, my coach doesn't think I am fit to play. I am gonna show'. Trinidad was slow, but Antigua is my pitch. Nobody destroys me here," he said.
"Nobody comes here and destroys me in my house. I didn't want the whitewash. Losing is not a word in my vocabulary. Like my uncle who is my mentor, I don't tolerate crap. I am always serious. I don't crack jokes in the middle," he added.
Martin is mindful that in a land which is known for its fast bowlers -- Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose, Winston Benjamin etc -- he is the first spinner to make his mark.
"Yes, I am here to make a difference."
Martin owes a lot to his mother and said the mere mention of her makes him feel like shedding tears. "I feel like shedding tears for her. She has done a lot for me, always supported me. She was sitting in the stands with my daughter but I am not married you know."
He has done well in cricket, but Martin still feels that his job as a firefighter is a priority. "I sometimes have to handle fire-fighting. Otherwise I do regular police work. Whatever I am told to do, I do. If they want me to leave cricket, I would do so. It's my job," he said.
PTI

v

Antigua: West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who had himself rested from the ongoing ODI series against India after playing just two matches, says he needs the break to get back his lost focus ahead of the Test series later this month.

Dwayne Bravo says he needs the break to get back his lost focus ahead of the Test series later this month. © AFP

"I'm not happy about the way my cricket is at the moment.I honestly believe I can do a lot better, so I would like to use this time to stay away from the game and refocus, reflect and use this opportunity to get rest and to try and get back my focus again," Bravo told Trinidad Express explaining why he asked to be rested midway through the series, which his team is now trailing 0-3.
Bravo was unimpressive in the matches he played, scoring 44 runs and going wicket-less against a second-string Indian team. In fact his form has been indifferent this season and in the 10 one-dayers he has played, Bravo has averaged 24.37 with the bat, while his seven wickets have come at 47.71.
"Sometimes in international cricket, because of the hectic schedule, it is difficult to catch form in the middle of tournaments and series, so I just asked for a break from the game for the remainder of the ODI series and look to rejoin the team for the beginning of the Test series," he said.
Bravo also listed the various injury problems that have been bothering him for quite a while now.
"At the beginning of the World Cup, I was coming back into my own in the warm-up games. I was feeling like I was getting back into my prime form again. And then in the first game in the World Cup I twisted my knee and that was a big setback for me.
"After spending eight weeks out of the game and re-joining the team for the Pakistan ODI series with just one warm-up game after surgery, I struggled for momentum. At the latter end of the series I started getting my momentum again.Then I went off to the IPL, which was also a hectic time over there," Bravo said.
"Obviously there are some technical aspects you could improve on, but it's more about regaining the focus and self-belief that I had before. Picking up injuries and being out of the game for so long is always difficult. ...It takes time," he added.
Bravo urged the ICC to create a window for the IPL to cut down on player burnout.
"All international players would love to see a window (for the IPL), but as for now, you just have to try and balance it as much as possible," he said. Bravo thanked the West Indies Cricket Board and coach Ottis Gibson for letting him take the break.
"The selectors and the coach (Ottis Gibson) were very understanding and allowed me to step away from the game and I'm very happy for that.
"I hope people respect my decision. I still have a lot of passion and desire to represent West Indies. In the long run, I believe I will benefit and West Indies cricket will benefit," he said.
The first Test is scheduled to start at Sabina Park, Jamaica from June 20.
PTI

Windies end losing run, thrash India by 103 runs

Antigua: Leg-spinner Anthony Martin produced a career-best four-wicket haul as a resolute West Indies finally managed to end its losing streak against India by notching up a massive 103-run win in the fourth one-dayer of the ongoing five-match series.

Anthony Martin produced a career-best four-wicket haul as a resolute West Indies finally managed to end its losing streak against India by notching up a massive 103-run win in the fourth one-dayer. © AFP

Down 0-3 in the series going into the match, the West Indies' bowlers produced a clinical performance after Kieron Pollard
and Lendl Simmons laid the foundation with fluent fifties to get their first win.
Sent into bat after Suresh Raina won the toss, Pollard top-scored with a typically aggressive 70 off 72 balls while opener Simmons notched up a fluent 67 off 78 deliveries, to lift the hosts to 249 for eight, their highest total of the series, after the Indian bowlers had them in a spot of bother at 89 for four.
In reply, India crumbled in the face of some disciplined work from the host bowlers, especially Martin (4/36) and Andre Russell (3/16), who shared seven wickets between them to bundle out the visitors for 146 in 39 overs.
The victory not only broke a sequence of three successive defeats but also restored some pride for the hosts.
India made three changes to the squad bringing in Ravichandran Ashwin, Manoj Tiwary and Ishant Sharma.
Tiwary, playing in place of Shikhar Dhawan, failed to capitalise on the opportunity, edging Darren Sammy to Carlton Baugh, but Parthiv Patel picked up a few useful boundaries to set it up for India.
However, after getting his eye in, Patel drove one uppishly for Sammy to complete a fine left-handed catch off his own bowling.
So was the case with Virat Kohli (22 off 33 balls), who got out, courtesy a smart piece of work by Baugh off the bowling of leg-spinner Martin yesterday.
As far as Subramaniam Badrinath was concerned, he looked out of sorts from the word go and the West Indian bowlers, especially Russell, troubled him with the short stuff, before the all-rounder had the Chennai batsman caught behind.
Though the top order was back in the pavilion with not much on the board, there was still hope for India as long as the in-form Rohit Sharma and skipper Suresh Raina were at the crease.
But Martin had other ideas as he lured Raina with a fuller length delivery which the batsman hit straight to Pollard at midwicket.
Yusuf Pathan, who has the reputation of throwing away his wicket, lived upto the billing by playing an unnecessary shot against Simmons that could not clear long off.
When Sharma top-edged a Martin delivery to give Darren Bravo a simple catch in the circle, it was as good as over for India.
Russell added to his kitty by dismissing Kumar who gave a simple catch to Sammy.
Ashwin crossed the double figures but the rest of the batting folded up all too easily for the hosts to earn a consolation win.

Kieron Pollard (70 off 72-ball) notched up his personal best against a Test-playing nation. © AFP

Earlier, despite some early setbacks, Simmons looked in total command at the other end, finding the fence with ease. After his dismissal, Pollard took over and in the company of Carlton Baugh, did the repair work with a solid half-century partnership at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
But just when the hosts threatened to pile up a huge score, Pollard went for an expansive shot against Ravichandran Ashwin that found Ishant at long-off.
The lanky Ishant gave India a perfect start, removing Danza Hyatt as early as in the second over of the match.
Kumar then had the experienced Ramnaresh Sarwan caught at point by Sharma.
Simmons rebuilt the innings, and in the company of Darren Bravo, put together a fifty partnership for the third wicket, but Mishra cut short what seemed like a flourishing partnership, by having Bravo caught at deep midwicket in the 16th over.
The leg-spinner, who has been having a good series, struck again eight overs later when he trapped Marlon Samuels in front of the wicket to leave the hosts reeling at 89 for four.
West Indies were dealt a body blow when Simmons, who looked in good touch during his stay at the crease, was run out by an agile Tiwary.
But before falling victim to Tiwary's acrobatic act, Simmons played some effective shots to prop up his team.
There was a pull over backward point and a heave over wide long-on for another boundary off Ishant.
After a late cut against Pathan, Simmons came into his own, unleashing three sixes, two off Mishra and one against Ishant, before getting out.
Pollard's first boundary was a streaky one over point but thereafter he showed his power in no uncertain terms by producing some stunning shots.
The burly Trinidadian took his time to settle but cut loose by hitting Mishra down the ground and then flicked Kumar over midwicket fence in the next over.
Opting for the batting powerplay in the 44th over, Pollard smacked Mishra over midwicket and a delivery later, glanced him past fine-leg for a four.
Russell, having hit a sparkling 92 in the last match, was in his stride straightaway, hitting Ashwin back over his head for a four.
In the next over, he collected a four and a six off Mishra.
But Kumar came back to take the wickets of Carlton Baugh (39 off 57) and Russell off successive deliveries.
PTI

WI finally get a bouncy track for 5th ODI

Antigua: West Indies will finally have their wish granted when they would get to play on the hard and bouncy pitch in the fifth and the final One-day International at Sabina Park, Jamaica on Thursday.

Reports from Jamaica suggest that a tough batting surface awaits the two teams, something which the West Indian captain Darren Sammy has been yearning for throughout the series. © AFP

Reports from Jamaica suggest that a tough batting surface awaits the two teams, something which the West Indian captain Darren Sammy has been yearning for throughout the series.
It has, however come too late for the hosts who are facing a threat of a clean sweep by the Indians on their own home soil. India lead the five-match ODI series 3-0.
Chief curator Charles Josephs said that the pitch will have more bounce and pace than what has been seen in the series so far.
"I expect us to have a wicket that bounces more than the ones that we have seen in the eastern Caribbean," said Joseph, who has been curator at this venue since 1962.
This venue is prone to heavy showers but Joseph is confident that he would get the track of his liking.
"We have always dedicated ourselves to producing hard, true pitches that are good for both batsmen and bowlers alike, and despite losing a couple days due to rain, I expect us to meet our aim," he said.
Sammy has been quite vocal in his criticism about the wickets for keeping low and slow in the series so far. He made the same points while playing against Pakistan where tracks in Guyana and St. Kitts in two Tests were no better.
"We had the same experience against Pakistan and even then the pitches supported them," Sammy had lamented after the one-off Twenty20 against India in Trinidad on June 4.
"It's a home series, but it feels like...the pitches are out of our control. We can only ask for what we want, but it's up to the groundsman to prepare it. Our coach Ottis Gibson has written to the authorities about it but to no avail," he had further stated.
Sammy's remarks came against the backdrop of a Twenty20 World Cup match between these two teams in Kensington Oval, Barbados last year when West Indies singed India with short-pitched bowling.
Sammy had demanded something similar in the present series but his request wasn't granted.
"We have requested for bouncy pitches but as I said, we don't prepare the pitches. The pitches in the present series so far has suited the spinners and it has played straight into the hands of Indians who have some world class tweakers in the ranks," he said.
The final One-day International will be one of the two matches scheduled at Sabina Park during the series.
While the two teams take each other on Thursday to bring the lid on the One-day series, they would clash in the opening Test at the same venue on June 20.
PTI

WI cricket is in terrible state: Ambrose

Antigua: Legendary fast bowler Curtly Ambrose made no bones about the fact that West Indies cricket is in a "terrible" state and would require lot of effort to regain its part glory.

Ambrose is disappointed with the fact that West Indian fast bowlers have forgotten the art of intimidating batsmen. © AFP

"The present standard is very, very bad and the only way interest can be revived is if we start winning some matches," said Ambrose, who took 405 wickets from his 98 Tests.
The giant fast bowler who terrorised the best in the world throughout the 90's feels that slow pitches have contributed a lot to the decline in the breed of fast bowlers.
"Two things have contributed to the downfall of West Indies cricket. Firstly, the pitches in the Caribbean have really slowed down and secondly, there is no deal of great experience which is being passed around in the dressing room," he lamented.
He recollected his early playing days when interaction with Malcolm Marshall helped him finetune his skills.
"When I joined the team, I learnt a lot just interacting with Malcolm Marshall, and later with Courtney Walsh. Now these guys (the present team) have nobody to talk to; they are just sharing between them whatever little they have learnt from international cricket."
Ambrose is also disappointed with the fact that West Indian fast bowlers have forgotten the art of intimidating batsmen.
"I think it's very important for a fast bowler to be intimidating. He must intimidate batsmen. I used to do it. I liked to soften them up."
Even though Ambrose was aggressive, it never affected his economy. A third of his 3000-odd overs in Test cricket were maidens and his career economy rate was a mere 2.31 runs per over.
He didn't play much against India but his affection knows no bounds for Sachin Tendulkar.
"When I first watched him, it was in England in 1990 when he appeared as a schoolboy. Yet watching him hit his first century at the age of 17, you knew here was a special talent."
Two years later they were squaring up in a World Cup game in Basin Reserve Park in Wellington and Ambrose dismissed Tendulkar with a lovely delivery that kicked off from short of good length to take his outside edge.
"He was a young guy and I was senior. So I needed to keep that equation," Ambrose remembers laughingly.
Being reluctantly pushed into cricket by his mother at a rather late age of 21, Ambrose made it to the West Indies team within three years. Yet it took him the next two years to really start thinking about the game seriously.
"The mantle of being world champions was falling off and a guy like me really had to learn very, very quickly. It helped that I was naturally very strong, very competitive and very aggressive."
For the Antiguan, the toughest batsman he ever bowled to was David Boon of Australia not to mention former Aussie skipper Steve Waugh with whom he nearly exchanged fisticuffs.
However Ambrose still has a great deal of respect for Waugh.
It was the Trinidad Test of 1995 series against Australia. Waugh was repeatedly hit on the body by Ambrose's steepling bounce. He let out his steam with a few chosen ones and enraged Ambrose to the extent he stood next to him, glaring and a physical contest wasn't far away.
"I really wanted to hit him. We were trailing the series. I was being frustrated. But we settled it then and there. It didn't go beyond the pitch."
Ambrose though had the last laugh when he won the Test for West Indies and helped them square the series 1-1.
PTI

West Indies oldest cricketer Esmond Kentish dies

The former West Indies Test cricketer Esmond Kentish, who played two matches against England in the 1948 and 1954, has died at the age of 94, according to a statement by the West Indies Cricket Board.

The former West Indies Test cricketer Esmond Kentish, who played two matches against England in the 1948 and 1954, has died at the age of 94, according to a statement by the West Indies Cricket Board. © AFP

Kentish was the oldest living West Indian cricketer at the time of his passing on Friday. Kentish played for Oxford University - winning a Blue at the age of 39 - and Jamaica, making his West Indies debut in the fourth test against Gubby Allen's England side at his home ground Sabina Park in 1948.
An opening bowler, Kentish took three England wickets, including Allen in the first innings, as the home side romped to a ten-wicket victory.
He was overlooked for the next six years, however, before earning a recall for the first test against Len Hutton's England side in 1954, again at Sabina Park.
Kentish went wicketless in the first innings but removed both Hutton and Peter May in the second as he returned figures of five for 49 which helped the West Indies to a 140-run victory.
After retiring as a player, Kentish went on to become a director of the WICB and a life member of the Jamaica Cricket Association. He also managed the West Indies team in 1973 and 1975.
"Esmond was a perfect gentleman who was admired by all for the manner in which he conducted himself as a cricketer and a professional man," said WICB president Dr. Julian Hunte.
In his professional life he was the first black General Manager of the Bank of Jamaica and was conferred with the Order of Distinction for services to the bank.
"Esmond was a stalwart not only of West Indies cricket but of Jamaican society and the high accolades he received throughout his distinguished and rich life are testimonies to his standing as a fine human being who we will all miss," said Hunte.
AFP

I am very, very hungry to make it big with WI: Pollard

Antigua: A much sought-after player in the IPL, but a mediocre performer for the West Indies, hard-hitting all-rounder Kieron Pollard says, he is keen to set the record straight and make it big with his national team.

Kieron Pollard has 726 runs from 40 matches at 20.16 average in one-dayers. © AFP

“I am very, very, very, very hungry to make it big as a West Indian cricketer. I am passionate about it. But I can tell you it is not for want of effort,” Pollard said.
Pollard has 726 runs from 40 matches at 20.16 average in one-dayers, which has led West Indian great Michael Holding to state that he is not yet fit to be an international cricketer.
“People can have their own opinion and express it. It’s like, if I want to say something I would do so. They are entitled to do so. I can only try my best,” retorted Pollard.
Pollard has not quite clicked in the ongoing one-day series against India. In the second one-dayer, he played wildly to get out off his third ball, with West Indies poised for a big total.
“To people outside, it might have appeared as if it was wild. But those deliveries were in my arc and demanded that I play the shot,” he explained.
“When you get out it looks silly. What I was trying to do was to push the score to 270-odd from the remaining overs,” Pollard asserted.
“On hindsight, yes, I could have taken my time to settle down. I could have taken a couple of overs to settle down. But it was powerplay and I wanted to push the scoring.”
Pollard has a lot of experience of Indian players due to IPL and said he was trying to pass on the best of knowledge he could, inside his own dressing room.
“You try telling about these. Dwayne Bravo did likewise in the Twenty20 game,” he said.
Despite West Indies’ poor show so far, Pollard has seen encouraging signs in how West Indian batsmen have begun to handle spin bowling.
“The signs of improvement were there in the second one-day international. Amit Mishra took only one wicket in his first eight overs. But he is a good bowler and you need to watch out for him,” he said.

PTI

Preview: India look to seal the series against Gayle-less Windies

Antigua: With a formidable lead in hand, a sprightly India would be aiming to seal the series when it takes on a depleted and low-on-confidence West Indies in the third one-dayer of a five-match series on Saturday.

Dwayne Bravo would be missing the the third tie because he has requested, and was granted, for a break. © AFP

In what would be good news for the Indian camp, West Indies appear to have mortally wounded themselves by leaving out the explosive Chris Gayle yet again because of his ongoing feud with the Cricket Board.
Down 0-2 and with the series on line, West Indies selectors have also gone ahead and rested Dwayne Bravo and Ravi Rampaul.
Gayle is apparently incommunicado even though his tweets are appearing by the hours.
The WICB's decision to hold back the announcement of the team for the fourth one-day international on Monday would, however, suggest they are keen for this deadlock to break.
Bravo and Rampaul are missing because the former has requested for a break and was granted while the latter is suffering from the ill-effects of a heavy workload.
It is ironic that while the young Indians are clamouring for more games and more pressure, the West Indian players are seeking breaks at such a crucial juncture in the series.
Be that as it may, it leaves a mediocre West Indies squad even more depleted.
On paper, West Indies have two tearaway fast bowlers in the returning Kemar Roach and Andre Russell but the batting friendly conditions could make them ineffective against a rampant young Indian side.
Batting has been the decisive factor at this Caribbean ground where 300 runs is a norm and frontline bowlers are known to go in excess of 50 runs from their 10 overs.
West Indies, to top it, have never won any of their four games at this venue after being clobbered for 158 runs by Australian Matthew Hayden in a 2007 World Cup game.
Not only the cricket team but even infrastructure-wise, West Indies is facing huge embarrassment.
The ground staff of Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad allowed the square to be so sodden by a passing shower that 13 overs were lopped off from the second one-day international on Wednesday.
The local fans are also keeping their fingers crossed as the last Test against England in 2009 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here was abandoned after umpires ruled the ground unfit to play due to sandy outfield. In all, only 10 balls were bowled in that match.
But all this set aside, the Indians have mastered the conditions pretty well and practically all batsmen, barring Yusuf Pathan, have had a decent hit in the middle.
If the clinical wins in the first two ODIs were any indication, the Indians have coped with the absence of seniors such as Sachin Tendulkar and regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni pretty well.
The visitors can't wait for the game to start as they are likely to get value for the shots, which wasn't the case on an extremely sluggish surface in Trinidad.
Interestingly, spinners haven't had much purchase at this venue. It is another thing though that the hosts may still not come to terms with India's slow men.
The reputation of Harbhajan Singh and the class of Amit Mishra is presently proving too much for them.
Indian batsmen are doing the task competently but given the rank amateurishness of this West Indies team, their job has only been simplified.
Teams (from):
West Indies: Darren Sammy (capt), Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, Danza Hyatt, Kemar Roach, Anthony Martin, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lendl Simmons.
India: Suresh Raina (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, S Badrinath, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel and Ishant Sharma.

PTI

Gayle remains in Windies exile

St. John's: Former captain Chris Gayle was overlooked again by West Indies selectors on Thursday when the squad was announced for Saturday's third one-day international against India.

Chris Gayle was overlooked again by West Indies selectors on Thursday when the squad was announced for Saturday's third one-day international against India. © AFP

Despite West Indies having lost the first two matches, Gayle was still missing from the 13-man list as his high-profile dispute with officials from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) goes on. Gayle was dropped for the recent home series against Pakistan, a decision that left him free to play in the entire Indian Premier League with Bangalore.
Despite Gayle finishing the tournament as the leading run-getter, the WICB have insisted that the big-hitting batsman will not be recalled until he explains comments he gave in a radio interview in which he lambasted selectors.
"The WICB management and the West Indies team management have not yet met with Chris Gayle and as such he has not been considered for selection for the 3rd ODI. The WICB and Gayle are currently working on settling a date for the meeting," said a WICB statement.
There are two changes to the squad that was selected for the first two ODIs.
Dwayne Bravo's request to be rested has been granted with Jamaica's Danza Hyatt, who played in the only Twenty20 against India, selected in his place.
Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul has also been rested for the Antigua leg of the five-match series, which comprises the third and the fourth ODIs. Kemar Roach has returned to the squad to replace Rampaul.
West Indies 13-man squad for the third one-day international against India at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Saturday:
Darren Sammy (capt), Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, Danza Hyatt, Anthony Martin, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons.

AFP

Batsmen must take more responsibility: Sammy

Port of Spain: The West Indies skipper Darren Sammy blasted his batsmen for not taking responsibility after his side slipped to 0-2 deficit in the five-match ODI series against India on Wednesday.

West Indies lost six wickets for just 54 runs between the 34th and the 49th over. © AFP

"We were in a good position to capitalise. We had two set batsmen at 192 for 3. But then they were dismissed in quick succession. We should have made 270-odd runs," said Sammy.
West Indies went into a complete disarray in their final nine overs. After Ramnaresh Sarwan (56) and Lendl Simmons (53) cracked individual half-centuries up the order, the Windies middle-order crumbled, slipping from 175 for three in 34 overs to 229 for nine in 48.5 overs.
"The batsmen need to take more responsibility and bat through to the end. Someone should have done what (Virat) Kohli did for India," he said.
Defending spinner Devendra Bishoo, who was slightly off-colour on Wednesday, Sammy said, "He is very young and played in every match since the World Cup. There would be days when he would be off colour."
The captain also rued that his team failed to apply pressure after claiming an early Indian wicket in the form of Shikhar Dhawan.
He, however, said that there are a few positives, especially the way Marlon Samuels is coming along and the fact that there is more intent from the batsmen to play less dot balls and have a positive approach against the spinners.
"Samuels has begun to show a lot of consistency. He could do what Michael Bevan used to do, be a good finisher."
Heaping praise on the Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra, Sammy said, "He has been posing the most problems for us. We would look at his footage and try to find an answer. It has been very difficult to come to terms with him."

PTI

India beat West Indies by 7 wickets via D/L

Port of Spain: India produced a disciplined all-round performance to notch up a convincing seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in a rain-affected second one-day international and also take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series on Wednesday.

Virat Kohli (81) played a stellar hand in first partnering opener Parthiv Patel (56) for 120-run second wicket stand and then withstanding the little tremor induced by the rain breaks. © AFP

Virat Kohli (81) played a stellar hand in first partnering opener Parthiv Patel (56) for 120-run second wicket stand and then withstanding the little tremor induced by the rain breaks.
Chasing 241 to win, India were 100 for one in 22 overs when a sharp passing shower made the square unfit to play for 85 minutes. The rain break reduced the visitors innings to 37 overs and the target was revised to 183, implying they needed 83 runs from 90 deliveries.
India achieved the target comfortably losing the wickets of Parthiv Patel (56) and Virat Kohli (81) in 33.4 overs.
Earlier, India restricted West Indies to 240 for nine after skipper Suresh Raina won the toss and elected to field at the Queen's Park Oval.
Amit Mishra (4/31) and Munaf Patel (3/35) struck in the late moments to stop the run flow and trigger a collapse after the Caribbeans went off to a good start.
For the hosts, Ramnaresh Sarwan (56) and Lendl Simmons (53) cracked individual half-centuries up the order but their middle-order crumbled, slipping from 175 for three in 34 overs to 229 for nine in 48.5 overs.
Chasing the revised target, Patel left early, caught behind off a tickle, but Kohli held firm and was well supported by stand-in skipper Suresh Raina (26) who brought an early end to the innings.
India were off to a poor start when left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan (3) guided a Ravi Rampaul delivery into the hands of gully fielder.
But Kohli was in his element from the very start and rarely hit the ball in the air, a contrast with Parthiv Patel who scooped and flicked in vacant places at will.
Kohli completed his 2000 runs in ODI internationals with a sweep off Devendra Bishoo. It has taken him only 53 innings -- the second fastest behind the joint record holder Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sourav Ganguly (52 innings each).
None of the West Indian bowlers made any impression and the biggest flops were the local boys -- Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo -- who made little impression with either bat or ball.
Patel, during his gritty knock, faced 64 balls and hit two fours and two sixes.
Kohli, who hit six fours and one six in his 103-ball innings, was finally dismissed in the last ball of the 31st over when looking for a six, he ended up holing out to Pollard off Bishoo at long-off.
Raina's brief cameo of runs came off 19 balls and contained one four and a six.
Earlier, leg-spinner Mishra took four for 31 with his sharply turning leg-breaks to keep West Indies down to 240 for nine after the hosts had threatened to run up a bigger total at one stage.
Munaf Patel (3 for 35) too played a good supporting hand as the West Indies lost six wickets for 48 runs in the final nine overs.
An entertaining 36 for Marlon Samuels and a hectic eighth wicket 31-run stand between skipper Darren Sammy (22 not out) and Ravi Rampaul (14) gave the Caribbeans some momentum but in the end the total was not enough.
Earlier, openers Simmons and Kirk Edwards (25) provided the perfect platform with 57 runs by the 13th over as they feasted on some rugged fielding and wayward bowling.
Edwards' first four flicked bowler Munaf Patel's raised hand to go to long-on fence and the next one was crashed past covers in the fourth over.
Moving into his stride, Edwards smote Praveen Kumar at the other end over mid-on, hurrying Indians to bring on leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the eighth over.
Simmons survived a caught behind in the 10th over after Munaf Patel overstepped the bowling crease.
Mishra was impressive from the word go but Simmons was confident enough to sweep him for four.
Harbhajan Singh, introduced in the 12th over, had a horrid start as he either bowled too wide or too full to go for 24 runs in his first two overs.
There were two deliveries which spun past leg stump to go for wide fours and then Edwards launched into a ferocious hit straight down the ground for a six.
Mishra gave Indians the first breakthrough after a sharply turning leg-break took the edge of Edwards' bat to nestle into the gloves of Parthiv Patel.
However, Simmons was unperturbed as he smacked Mishra over midwicket for a six and later dished out the same treatment to Yusuf Pathan to bring up his half century in the 25th over with the score reading 114 for one.
New man Sarwan and Simmons forged a 67-run partnership before the opener was departed in the 27th over in a rather ungainly manner when he rushed down the wicket and Patel stumped him off a wide delivery.
Sarwan though had dropped anchor at the other end and once powerfully square cut Harbhajan to the fence and then deftly guided Munaf past vacant slips for four.
His new partner Marlon Samuels was more aggressive as he stylishly drove Mishra to the cover fence and then pulled Yusuf behind square leg for another four.
In this eventful over, he smote the next ball for a six but then was fooled by a slow wide floater to be out stumped.
Sarwan then brought up his 37th ODI fifty with a boundary of Praveen Kumar but the right-handed batsman gifted his wicket away, hitting a rank full toss from Munaf Patel into the hands of the deep square leg fielder Amit Mishra.
With Pollard next in line, West Indies asked for the batting powerplay at 192 for four in the 42nd overs and it turned out to be a disaster spell for them.
Pollard survived three balls before his attempted sweep made him a leg-before candidate for nought. Bravo (8) stroked one in the deep as if to give catching practice to Harbhajan Singh and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh completely misjudged a googly from Mishra to be bowled.
West Indies made 29 runs from the five overs of batting powerplay, losing three wickets.
Skipper Sammy and Rampaul then freed their arms for some entertaining hits before Munaf ended the pyrotechnics of this pair with two wickets in his final over.
Rampaul was caught in the deep and young Bishoo could only guide a rising delivery into the hands of the wicketkeeper.

PTI

We didn't capitalise on a good start: Sammy

Port of Spain: After succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat against India in the second ODI, West Indies skipper Darren Sammy blamed his batsmen for failing to capitalise on a good start.

According to skipper Darren Sammy, his middle- and lower order batsmen couldn't capitalise towards the end and once again fell short of a par score. © AFP

Sammy said his batsmen showed intent but could not bat through and eventually fell short by around 30 runs at the Queen's park Oval.
"We put ourselves in a good position but we didn't capitalise in the end. We were about 30 runs short. We rotated the strike better today but we didn't get one of the top batsmen to bat through," Sammy said after the match on Wednesday.
"We were on the backfoot in the latter part of the overs, losing wickets at regular intervals. The intent from the batsmen was good initially.
"Samuels has been out for a while but we saw how well he was batting. Sarwan is also stabilising the middle order for us. We can't fault the effort of the bowlers; they've been doing their job. Hopefully, In Antigua, we'll have a better surface for us to play our style of cricket," he added.
Chasing a revised target of 183 in 37 overs, India scored the runs with 20 balls to spare and stand-in skipper Suresh Raina praised his bowlers for setting up the win for them.
"Bowlers executed the plans very well. Amit Mishra bowled very well in the powerplay. Munaf gave us breakthroughs as well and Virat and Parthiv did well in the chase. Virat showed great responsibility," he said.
Virat Kohli, who was adjudged 'Man of the Match' for his 103-ball 81, said he took advice from his senior colleagues and it helped him to get over his last game disappointment.
"I was disappointed getting out in the last game but did well today. Parthiv played amazingly and we had a good partnership up front," he said.
"I spoke to seniors who suggested I use the pace of the ball, more than force the shots trying to hit the ball too hard.
"The last 18 months have gone well for me; I've started to enjoy the batting a lot more. It's a good feeling to get to 2000 runs and I'd like to take responsibility of the team if needed at any point of time," he added.
India are now leading 2-0 in the five-match series. The visitors will take on West Indies on Saturday in the third one-day international at North Sound.

PTI

Sammy blames batsmen for loss in 1st ODI

Port of Spain: West Indies skipper Darren Sammy blamed the inability of his batsmen to put up enough runs on the board as the reason for his side's four-wicket defeat against India in the first one-day international of the five-match series on Monday.

Darren Sammy blamed the inability of his batsmen to put up enough runs on the board as the reason for his side's four-wicket defeat against India in the first ODI. © AFP

Opting to bat at the Queens Park Oval, West Indies found the going tough against the Indian bowlers from the onset and posted a modest 214/9 which the visitors overwhelmed with four wickets in hand and 31 balls to spare.
"We didn't score enough runs, we kept taking wickets but the total wasn't big enough to put pressure on them (India). It's about going out there and put a challenging total on the board but we couldn't do that," Sammy said after the loss.
Asked about his decision to bat first, he said, "It's a turning track and we wanted to have the best of the conditions when batting first.
"Desmond Haynes, our batting consultant, has been doing a good job and we just need to execute our plans properly."
Sammy said his batters need to raise to the occasion and put up a better display in the coming matches of the series.
India captain Suresh Raina, who scored a 50-ball 43, lauded his teammates for the all-round display but said fielding is one area which the side needs to improve upon.
"The bowlers did a great job, followed by Rohit (Sharma) and Shikhar (Dhawan). The track wasn't good for batting, but we rotated the strike well," Raina said.
"We can do better in the field, a couple need to show more intensity. It's looking good at the moment, I hope we do well in the next game."
Rohit scored an unbeaten 68 off 75 balls while Dhawan (51 off 76) notched up his maiden half century to help India chase down the target comfortably.
Man-of-the-match Rohit said it was a tough wicket to bat on initially.
"It was quite difficult initially because the track was turning. It was important to spend some time in the middle to play our shots," he said.
"I just want to keep scoring runs and I'm happy to start the tournament on a good note. I'm very much hungry for runs," the right-hander added.
PTI