England's opening one-day international against Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday, denying World Cup warm-up.
With the rest of England's first-choice squad rested ahead of next week's departure for India, Root requested to be included for the first of a three-match series after a lean return with the bat in four matches against New Zealand.
MS Dhoni will now get the services of a very senior minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet to help him avoid the kind of negative publicity he unwisely generated after blaming the fleeting rains for India’s defeat against Australia in the ongoing T20 World Cup © Getty Images By Amrut Thobbi
Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is reportedly very upset with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Not because of the drubbing his team received at the hands of Australia, but because of the Indian captain’s poor public relations skills which got him flak from all corners.
A source from the Prime Minister’s office revealed on conditions of anonymity that the normally cool Dr Singh was terribly upset when he heard about Dhoni’s excuses during a cabinet meeting. “What kind of excuse is that!? How can you blame it on rains? Even we in the UPA don’t come up with such crappy excuses when confronted by the opposition or the media!”
Dr. Singh is apparently worried that the entire focus of the media will now be back on the fate of the UPA.
“It was smooth sailing for us in the last few days, with no media scrutiny on our policies such as the FDI or hike in diesel prices as the attention of the entire nation was on the ongoing T20 World Cup. I could also manage to get time to go for a stroll in the park,” said Dr. Singh. “But this loss has now brought back the media attention on us, and with it comes loads of headache.”
The Indian Prime Minister, who has a wealth of experience in tackling media, has now stepped forward and offered to coach Dhoni to say the right things at the right place and thus avoid an avalanche of negative publicity.
Dr. Singh feels Dhoni should either seldom speak to the media - the way he does - or ask someone in the team who can make insane comments to the media.
The PM apparently said: “Dhoni could have come up with something that is outrageously hilarious, the way Kapil Sibal did when he suggested about the zero loss in the 2G scam - this when the whole world was screaming hoarse about corruption in the 2G scam. That way, people stop taking you seriously, will be humoured by the moronic comments and soon forget the issue itself!”
According to latest reports, the PM may not be extricate himself from political work but has told Rajeev Shukla that he is rushing Kapil Sibal to Sri Lanka to offer Dhoni some quick-fix solutions in the art of dealing with the media.
Now we are not sure if the remedy is worse than the illness!
(Amrut Thobbi, an engineering graduate now pursuing Masters in journalism, is an ardent cricket fan who likes to write spoofs, like the one above. His passion for writing inspired him to give up a sales and marketing job, which he does not regret. By writing on cricket, he wants to relive his dream of becoming a cricketer. He has also worked as a freelance writer in education and technology sectors)
NB: The above article is pure fiction.
Points Table
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details
Video: Watch the preview to the India-Pakistan clash at the ICC World T20 2012.
Video: See what fans have to say about the upcoming India-Pakistan clash
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
It is a high-voltage encounter – one whose intensity and fervour transcends the boundaries of the cricket field. The rivalry between India and Pakistan has its deep roots in history, and things reach a fever pitch when the two sides face each other. If the pressure of playing each other in a simple game is immense, it just magnifies in a World Cup. It is a game both sides desperately want to win, irrespective of their standing in the tournament as it is a matter of prestige. The ICC World T20 2012 is poised to host the two arch-rivals and witness an encounter that is potentially breathtaking - one which would bring the two countries to a standstill.
India’s record against Pakistan in World Cups – both the 50-over and the World T20 - is fantastic; they have never lost a game! Prior to the ICC World T20 2009, the two sides played each other in a warm-up game – which was also won by India. However, Pakistan got one back before the start of the current edition – albeit in a similar practice affair. Players from both sides would vouch for the fact that no contest between the two sides is any less significant. Thus, India’s defeat in that game may be a bit of a psychological dent ahead of the crucial Super-Eights match.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni number of questions before him as his team has been erratic in the tournament so far. The win against England raised the expectations of the fans and some stated that India had the goods to go all the way. However, it was almost as if they had ignored the fact that the English batsmen were inept at playing spin – something that was the biggest factor in India’s comprehensive victory. The crushing defeat to Australia took India to the opposite end of the spectrum as the same bowlers were carted around the park with ease.
It is imperative that Dhoni gets the balance of his side right as there were a number of loopholes in the last game. Irfan Pathan shouldn’t open the batting, irrespective whether Virender Sehwag is brought back or not. However, the return of Sehwag may help as he has done well against Pakistan on many occasions in the past. In such high-pressure games, his uncomplicated thinking allows him to absorb the pressure at the top and take India off to flyers. A quick-fire 20-odd off his bat may be enough to lift the spirits and set the ball rolling.
The five-bowler strategy was labelled as the ultimate saviour and something that would change India’s fortunes. It did work wonders against England, but went awry in the game against Australia. Perhaps, Dhoni erred by over-emphasising on spin. Playing three specialist spinners was always going to be a gamble and he must avoid it this time. The Pakistan batsmen are fantastic players of spin and wouldn’t have too many problems playing them. India had used five-specialist bowlers in the warm-up against Pakistan and it clearly didn’t work. Thus, they must clearly chalk out the options they want to use.
Pakistan have been a fantastic side in T20 internationals and the pressure is clearly on India given the complete picture. However, the whole notion of playing Pakistan may boost India’s morale and pep them up for the contest. It may be a required push to lift their performances and beat their neighbours. At the Asia Cup earlier this year, India comfortably chased a huge total against Pakistan at the back of Virat Kohli’s stupendous century. That win had come in the aftermath of the shocking defeat to Bangladesh. It would be a mistake to write India off, but Pakistan clearly have the advantage on many fronts.
Is the Pakistan warm-up victory a ripple that changes the tide or would India rise to the occasion and manage to defend their unbeaten record?
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and an analyst for the site’s YouTube Channel. He shot to fame by spotting a wrong replay during IPL4 which resulted in Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal. His insights on the game have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. He can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nishad_44)
Video: See what fans have to say about the upcoming India-Pakistan clash
Points Table
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details
Yuvraj Singh (above) looked like a man possessed. The typical celebrations on picking a wicket were back, and more importantly he was brilliant in the field. The direct hit to run-out Yasir Arafat was a major statement made by him © Getty Images By Nishad Pai Vaidya
It was a day where two rivalries ensued at the ICC World T20 2012. While one is a traditional one with its deep roots in history, the other has more to do with the recent past and their respective unique brands of cricket. The India-Pakistan and Australia-South Africa contests were touted as epics, but they turned out to be one-sided affairs, devoid of the usual excitement. The victors – India and Australia – registered comprehensive eight wicket victories and completely dominated their rivals.
Let us focus on the India-Pakistan game - the more intense rivalry off the two on show on Sunday. Going into the game, Pakistan had a clear advantage, given the fact that they had a better track record in T20 internationals. On form in this tournament, they had the upper hand as India had been very erratic. However, a different Indian team turned up and looked up for the contest. The whole buzz around the game may have lifted their spirits and prompted them to perform better.
As one of the commentators pointed out, the balance of power has shifted more towards India in recent years because they have absorbed the pressure well. Pakistan, on the other hand, have looked too eager in such clashes as they have tried too hard to make things go their way. A common feature in recent contests between the two sides would be a below-par Pakistani performance in the field. The fielders seem adamant on shying at the stumps even when it isn’t required. Then there are overthrows, a few misfields and not to forget a spilled chance or two.
India would be very happy with their performance and this win would give them tremendous confidence. However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni would know that the job isn’t done and they need to maintain consistency – something that has been missing during this campaign. As mentioned earlier, they have been too erratic as a poor performance has been followed up with a brilliant one and vice versa.
Let us track India’s progress since the warm-ups, where they beat Sri Lanka comfortably and then slipped to a defeat against Pakistan. In the group stages, they just about got past Afghanistan and then mauled England to secure a victory. Australia bludgeoned India into submission and then came along this comprehensive victory over the arch-rivals. It is evident that there has been no middle path, with the peaks and troughs alternating.
Keeping this into perspective, the five bowler debate has no real relevance as the team itself isn’t striking consistency. Even with five-bowlers India were nowhere near competing with Australia and the same strategy didn’t work against Pakistan in the warm-up. It is imperative that the bowlers maintain discipline and show good application in the middle. Lakshmipathy Balaji and Zaheer Khan were good, although they were hit around a little. Irfan Pathan was a touch expensive, but picked up the crucial first wicket.
The performance of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh should be lauded as they were the ones who strangled Pakistan. In the seven overs they bowled between them, they conceded only 32 runs and scalped four wickets. Yuvraj, in particular, looked like a man possessed. Since his comeback he has looked a little weak and not at his best in terms of fitness, but during this game he looked charged up. The typical celebrations on picking a wicket were back, and more importantly he was brilliant in the field. The direct hit to run-out Yasir Arafat was a major statement made by him.
Irrespective of the format, Virat Kohli continues to be in brilliant form. He comes in, soaks all the pressure and places India in a very comfortable situation. At the age of 23, he has become India’s mainstay and a lot of their hopes depend on him. As the year has progressed, one can sense an assured touch to his batting and most of the deliveries look innocuous when he faces them. His feet are moving well and the bat is meating the ball.
India now has to beat South Africa to have a good chance of qualifying through to the semi-finals. There are a number of permutations and combinations involved and the picture would only become clearer once the games are done. This teamwork and discipline has to be carried forward to that game and the erratic tendencies have to be nipped.
For now, India can rejoice that its unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups is intact.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and an analyst for the site’s YouTube Channel. He shot to fame by spotting a wrong replay during IPL4 which resulted in Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal. His insights on the game have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. He can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nishad_44)
Points Table
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details
Video: See what fans have to say about the India-Pakistan clash
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 00:50 
Zeenews Sports Bureau When Balaji got rid of lanky Morne Morkel to hand India a win by a solitary run, we were confused to the fact that should we celebrate or not. For a fact we knew that the Proteas had played the royal party poopers, and India were out of the tournament. Earlier in the day Pakistan had convincingly defeated the mighty Oz, and had made the equation even tougher for India to qualify. To make situations worse Dhoni had lost the toss and was put in to bat first. This meant India had to win and win with a margin of 31 runs, which was anyway looking like a tall order considering South Africa are no push-overs.
The duo of Viru-Gauti were expected to get India off to a belligerent start, but they failed to live up to the expectations, and when in-form Virat Kohli departed, things looked bleak. When Virat perished, the stage was all set for Yuvraj to deliver. Yuvraj had started off brilliantly and we just felt that he has got into the zone when he clobbered two monstrous sixes, but when he gifted his wicket away it seemed that things had just gone out of hand. India finally managed to crawl to a tricky 152.
152 surely didn`t look good enough, but when Zak managed to get Amla out in the first over itself it felt things were far from being over. But what followed next was horrifying. It seemed Dhoni didn`t know that he had to restrict the Proteas to 121 runs or less to qualify for the semis. Body language of the men in blue suggested they had already accepted the fact that they won`t qualify and were playing just to win. The fielders weren’t placed in attacking positions, hence were not looking to stop singles. Throughout we were hoping against hope. It was sad to see Dhoni`s defensive approach being the quality captain he is. The intent from the Indian boys was missing big time.
Zaheer for a change was the only bowler who was looking to take wickets. Monday’s match also highlighted the fact that, India is heavily dependent on young Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma`s 27-ball 25 was weird to say the least. It felt he didn`t have a clue about the task in hand. He gives one the feeling that he is suffering from identity crisis. We are finally forced to believe the fact that the over hyped star studded Indian line-up looks good only in paper.
Finally, the question remains -- DID WE WIN OR DID WE LOSE?
First Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 00:50
Colombo: India`s quest to regain the World Twenty20 title came to a heartbreaking end after they were knocked out of the tournament despite a thrilling one-run victory over South Africa in the final Super Eights contest. Put into bat, India scored 152 for six and needed to restrict South Africa within 121 to qualify for the semifinals on net run rate but Faf Du Plessis knocked the stuffing out of the Indian bowlers with a smashing half century that put paid to their hopes of making it to the knock-out stage.
India`s task was made all the more difficult after Pakistan comprehensively beat Australia by 32 runs in an earlier Super Eights match of the day as it strengthened their net run-rate. Australia and Pakistan qualify for the semifinals from Group II.
South Africa were all out for 151 in the penultimate ball to end their campaign after losing all three of their Super Eights match.
Ever since winning the inaugural edition in 2007, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys have failed to reach even the semifinals of the subsequent editions.
Du Plessis hit 65 off 38 balls with the help of six boundaries and two sixes but more importantly he dashed any hope of India making it to the last four.
The defining moment came when Robin Peterson played a slow bouncer from Lakshmipathy Balaji towards short fine leg as South Africa reached 122 and it was cheered lustily by a sizeable Pakistani supporters anxiously waiting for the moment.
For India, the magic figure was 121 and the start was a right one. Zaheer Khan bowled a perfect delivery first up to dismiss Hashim Amla. The delivery pitched on the off-middle line and then moved a shade to take the outside edge of Amla’s bat as Virender Sehwag took a good catch diving to his left.
Irfan Pathan got Jacques Kallis to flick one which was taken by Rohit Sharma at mid-wicket. Faf du Plessis and skipper AB de Villiers then added 30 in quick time and it was Du Plessis who started taking on the Indian bowlers.
Dhoni brought Yuvraj at the end of the Powerplay overs and it immediately paid off as he got de Villiers to play a tentative forward defensive push which clipped the off-stump bail.
However, there was no stopping du Plessis who was in a mood to dispatch everything out of sight as he raced to his half century in 29 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.
At the halfway stage, South Africa were 73 for three and it was literally impossible for India to restrict the Proteas to 121.
Earlier, Suresh Raina scored an useful 45 while skipper Dhoni played a little cameo to help India post a respectable 152 for six after being sent into bat.
It was Raina whose contribution was a significant one as he hit five boundaries during his 34-ball knock. Skipper Dhoni also should be complimented for his 13-ball 23 as it provided the necessary impetus and helped the team cross 150-run mark.
Dhoni hit Dale Steyn for 14 runs in the penultimate over, including two powerfully struck boundaries, which proved useful in the end.
India's trouble started when they lost their top three batsmen within the Powerplay overs and then it was Raina who scripted the recovery act.
Opener Gautam Gambhir started off with a lovely cover drive but Morne Morkel knocked down his middle-stump after scoring only eight.
In-form Virat Kohli got one from Jacques Kallis that reared up and he gloved it for rival captain AB de Villiers who dived to pouch onto a spectacular leg-side catch. Kohli made just two.
Virender Sehwag lofted left-arm spinner Robin Peterson for a huge six over long-on but lost his off-stump trying to repeat the stroke the next ball. The situation demanded a bit of discretion but as his wont, the 'Nawab of Najafgarh' went for the jugular only to deepen India's misery.
Yuvraj Singh started with a majestic six over cover fence off Johan Botha's delivery and for good measure slog-swept Peterson for his second six. Another pulled boundary off Botha's bowling raised visions of a big total.
However, Morkel bowled a beauty when Yuvraj was on a quickfire 21. It pitched in the block hole and Yuvraj was bowled through the gate trying to play a flick shot.
At 68 for four, Rohit Sharma and Raina came together for a 44-run fifth wicket partnership.
The duo concentrated mostly on singles although Raina hit bulk of his boundaries over the extra cover region. The 100 came up in the 14th over when Raina lofted Botha over extra cover for a boundary.
Rohit, who was playing the second fiddle nudging the singles finally tried a non-existent sweep shot off Peterson's bowling and was adjudged leg before. Rohit made 25 off 27 balls with two boundaries.
For South Africa, Peterson and Morne Morkel took two wickets apiece while Jacques Kallis chipped in with one wicket.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, October 02, 2012, 23:17
Virat Kohli is a fierce competitor and counter puncher, making him India’s prized possession © Getty Images By Dhananjay Devasper
Indian and Pakistani fans from not just the two countries but expats spanning the length and breadth of the world at flown into Colombo just to see the cricket’s biggest rivalry at the Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. No cricket match has aura, buzz and electric atmosphere that of an India-Pakistan match – not even the Ashes. India have an all-win record across different formats against Pakistan. But Pakistan had a critical win against India in the warm-up game before the start of the 2012 T20 World Cup.
The stage was set for a cracker of a game. Pakistan looked dangerous in the first two overs, and the body language of some of the Indians showed unmistakable concern. But the much maligned Indian bowling unit quickly got its act together and kept chipping away at Pakistan. Pakistan imploded spectacularly as wickets fell at regular intervals. India kept the run-rate down, and in the end, a mere 128 runs was all that Pakistan could manage. The score was unlikely to test the Indians, unless the much-vaunted India batting imitated their Pakistani counterparts.
The start was crucial for both teams. Pakistan started their attack with Raza Hasan and had instant success. Gautam Gambhir went for a duck and the pressure was on India. The pressure was now on Virender Sehwag to deliver. He hadn’t done himself any favours earlier, by dropping Mohammed Hafeez when India were fielding. However he more than made up for it with an innings of 29 and a partnership of 74 runs with Virat Kohli that calmed Indian nerves.
But the day belonged to Virat Kohli. After picking up a wicket with his innocuous medium-pacers, he did what he is known best to do - score runs for India in big-match and high-pressure situations. Though he did give Pakistan a couple of chances, there’s no denying that he is in supreme form at this moment. He yet again reaffirmed the fact that he is currently India’s best player, especially in crucial matches. Among all his contemporaries, he seems to have the best temperament for any match situation. He is also a fierce competitor and counter puncher, when backed into a corner, thereby making him India’s prized possession.
Yuvraj Singh finally got his act together. Two wickets, a run out and a no-pressure outing with the bat is welcome news when you are going through a terrible run in the World Cup. India will be hoping that these performances continue.
Faced with the prospect of exiting from the tournament at the start of this match, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, would have heaved a sigh of relief. He’s going to need consistent efforts like these when India takes on South Africa on Tuesday. The Group is wide open for the 2nd semi-finalist slot and Super Sunday has just ensured a Terrific Tuesday on the cards.
Stay tuned…
(Dhananjay Devasper is an "IT guy" by profession and a sports fanatic at heart. He has an unbridled passion for sports and Indian achievements in sport. Extremely opinionated, he attempts offering perspectives around sports which are simple to understand and easy to relate with)
Video: Watch the preview to the India-South Africa clash at the ICC World T20 2012
Video: Say It Out!! See what fans have to say about the ICC World T20 clash between India and South Africa
Points Table
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details
Video: See what fans have to say about the India-Pakistan clash
