Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Champions Trophy: Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja take India to semifinals

NEW DELHI: After Ravindra Jadeja's career-best figure restricted West Indies to modest 233/9, Shikhar Dhawan slammed second consecutive ton of the tournament to help India reach the target comfortably and reserve a berth in ICC Champions Trophy semifinals.

Scorecard | Points Table | Match In Pics

Continuing his good form, Dhawan scored an unbeaten 102 as India thrashed West Indies by eight wickets in the rain-hit clash with 10.5 overs to spare at Oval on Tuesday.

The three-figure mark was achieved by Dhawan with a slashed six off Dwayne Bravo over backward point. He then played dot balls to allow his partner Dinesh Karthik (50 no) to complete his well-deserved half-century.

West Indies attack appeared toothless against Indian top order. Barring Sunil Narine, who broke the solid 101-run opening stand by dismissing Rohit Sharma and sent back Virat Kohli, no other bowler made any mark in the crucial encounter.

Narine gave West Indies first breakthrough by getting Sharma caught behind after his gritty 52-run knock that came off 56 deliveries and were studded with seven boundaries.

The TV umpire overturned the on-field umpire's decision after West Indies successfully reviewed an appeal for caught behind against Sharma. Hotspot revealed a faint nick.

Playing his 100th ODI, Virat Kohli arrived to the crease with aggressive intent. First ball, he delicately cut Narine to the third-man fence.

With the light worsening and a little drizzle sweeping the stadium, Kohli played a timely cameo to always keep India ahead on the run-rate. Narine got his pound of flesh when he bowled Kohli for an 18-ball 22, the batsman playing across the line of a ball that kept straight after pitching.

Dinesh Karthik had a mild scare when Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar ruled him out caught behind off Ravi Rampaul but the Decision Review System came to his rescue. There was a big gap when the ball beat the bat. As hotspot revealed, the umpire was mistake by a 'sound', probably the bat hitting the pad.

There were no hiccups for India thereafter. Dinesh Karthik then joined Dhawan and didn't allow West Indies any further success.

Dinesh Karthik then joined Dhawan and didn't allow West Indies any further success. Karthik (51) who hit eight boundaries in his 54-ball knock proved to be an able ally as they added 109 runs for the undefeated 3rd wicket stand in 19.1 overs.

Earlier, Darren Sammy's fiery cameo outshone Ravindra Jadeja's fiver and guided West Indies to a challenging 233/9.

Sammy slammed a quick-fire 56 off 35 balls and shared unbeaten 51-run stand for the tenth wicket.

Jadeja finished with a career best figure of 5/36, making things look easier for India before Sammy's onslaught revived West Indies.

Despite a formidable start and gritty second wicket stand, West Indies lost plot as they collapsed against the disciplined Indian attack.

Asked to bat, Windies opener Chris Gayle tried to dominate Dhoni's boys with his quick hits.

However, young pace sensation Bhuvneshwar Kumar halted Gayle after his 18-ball-21, studded with four boundaries, giving India first breakthrough in the fifth over with the scorecard reading 25.

Johnson Charles and Dwayne Bravo then lifted their side with a gritty second-wicket stand. Charles slammed fiery fifty that took West Indies past 100 in 19th over.

But southpaw Jadeja soon triggered West Indies's collapse with his triple strike as he took three wickets for five runs in 14 balls to reduce the West Indies from a comfortable 103-1 to 109-4.

The spinner first ended Charles's marathon by trapping him leg before after his 55-ball-60 and then gave same treatment to Marlon Samuels (1).

Before the Caribbean side could recover, Jadeja dealt another blow by sending back Ramnaresh Sarwan (1) reducing the opponent to 109/3.

Left-hander Darren Bravo scored a watchful 35 off 83 balls when he attempted to loft Ashwin, missed the line and was stumped by Dhoni to make the West Indies 140-5.

He was soon joined by his half brother Dwayne Bravo in the dressing room who became the only victim of Umesh Yadav at the score of 163.

Kieron Pollard, kept scoreless for the first 10 balls, opened with two consecutive sixes off Ashwin before holing out in the deep off Ishant Sharma after making 22.

Jadeja then dismissed Sunil Narine and Ravi Rampaul in quick succession to claim his first ODI five-wicket haul.

However, Sammy turned the tide in West Indies favour with his sheer aggression in death overs.

Sammy plundered five boundaries and four sixes to lift his side from 182-9, making all the 35 runs from the last two overs as last man Kemar Roach watched from the non-striker's end without scoring.

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