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Ravichandran <keyword id="20035994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashwin" source="keywords">Ashwin</keyword> doesn't like "latching on to people" and that's one reason why he has never warmed up to the idea of banking on <keyword id="20134692" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="coaches" source="keywords">coaches</keyword> in the traditional sense as he believes that such <keyword id="20902120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dependence" source="keywords">dependence</keyword> makes players dogmatic. In his 14-year international <keyword id="19919646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cricket" source="keywords">cricket</keyword> career, spanning 281 games and 744 wickets across formats, Ashwin's sense of agency and his ability to time and again rediscover himself, have helped him survive the grind. "A lot of players are heavily dependent on coaches or mentors, or one person which I think is a very dangerous trend because latching on to people and over-dependency can cause you to not be able to open to new ideas," the 37-year-old off-spinner told PTI in a telephonic interview recently. It is not that Ashwin never had a sounding board. His first state team coach WV Raman, one of the respected names in Indian cricket, and Tamil Nadu legend and former India batter S Badrinath, have been guiding forces for him. But his equation with them never turned into the kind of dependence that would take away his own ability to search for solutions. "See very often the challenge of a coach is to be able to offer you several solutions. This is because what works for one (particular player) might not work for the other," he explained. "One modern-day coaching philosophy which I totally disagree with is the fact that they try to copy-paste the same technique (solution) that's worked for another cricketer," Ashwin, who recently made his debut as an author with 'I Have The Streets: A Kutti Cricket Story', added. While he is completely aware that some players get results by surrendering to the vision of their coaches, he also feels that such dependence can lead to a closed mind. "Because as a cricketer, you constantly are thrown up with new challenges, so you must be able to find your own answers," the tweaker, who is behind only the legendary Anil Kumble in the list of India's highest Test wicket-takers, pointed out. To Ashwin, Raman has been that catalyst, who helped him focus his intuitive mind. "People can give you a helping hand. But they cannot guide you through in your career, you will have to be open to fresh ideas. "For me, WV allowed me the freedom to express, and, you know, try new things. He also taught me how and on what path I need to travel, but he never said, 'This is the path you need to travel upon'. "So in a way, in my early days, guidance from WV ensured that I was never really over-reliant on anybody." Ashwin said getting a second opinion is never a bad idea but cricket primarily is a self-taught sport. "If you don't have awareness of your own game and if you can't teach yourself, I think you are always going to be dependent on someone which I think is a very dangerous part. "I am not saying people with coaches or people who are dependent don't do well in life but there is a chance of selling yourself short," he asserted. He is gearing up for a big 10-Test season and the Bangladesh series next month will be his first under new head coach <keyword id="19914485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gautam-Gambhir" source="keywords">Gautam Gambhir</keyword>, someone with whom he has also played a lot. Ashwin also admires him as one of the "heroes" of Indian cricket. "Gautam is someone I still share a very, very good relationship with. Because of the fact that he is a very straightforward and an honest guy. "I think Gautam is also one of those guys that we should always be backing. He's a hero of Indian cricket," he said of the new coach, who took charge in the recent tour of Sri Lanka. It took me 2-3 years to perfect 'Carrom Ball' ============================= The best in the world have struggled to read his signature 'carrom ball' but Ashwin, who first saw Ajantha Mendis bowl it during an age-group camp in Chennai, said that it took him nearly three years before he was satisfied with its execution. For the uninitiated, a carrom ball is a delivery which turns the other way and is released with a flick of the middle finger. In case of a right hander, it will turn away from the bat. "I started bowling those balls in the nets 2006 or 2007 onwards, which was probably the second season for me in first-class cricket. "It took me a good two years before I implemented it in the south zone leg matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (KS Subbaiah Pillai Trophy) in 2008. By 2010, I was probably pretty confident about the pace at which I bowled. "So, it took about two to three years for me to gain confidence." Priority should always be playing for India ============================ The IPL has changed the lives of young Indian cricketers and has been "tremendous" for country's cricketing ecosystem but Ashwin believes that for an aspiring cricketer, the ultimate goal should forever be playing for the country. "I am very glad that a lot of young kids are coming now and making a good amount of money. It is changing their livelihood, changing the status of their families. It's unbelievable for India, for the Indian cricketing ecosystem," he said. "But I still feel there must be some incentive and some motivation for all these kids to want to play for India, and that's absolutely in the hands of the stakeholders and the decision makers."

Over-reliance on coaches can stop players from finding own solutions: Ashwin

In cricketing parlance it's often said that teams should not change winning combinations because more often than not it breaks the momentum. Come to think of it, India's travails began in England only when they made changes to the winning eleven of the second game at Lord's. 
 
After the high of the Lord's win, their first at the hallowed ground in 28 years, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> and the team management left out <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>, whose 78 in the second innings of the first Test at Trent Bridge blew away the clouds of defeat hovering over the team. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>, the hero at Lord's for his career-best 7 for 74 in the second innings, also had to miss out the Southampton Test on account of an ankle injury. While leaving Binny out was the team's decision, Ishant's unavailability couldn't be helped. 
 
In hindsight, those two changes changed India's series. The men who replaced Binny and Ishant were batsman <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> and medium pacer <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> and both had an outing to forget. Rohit made 28 and 6, while Pankaj returned 0 for 146 and 0 for 33 as India lost the match by 266 runs. 
 At Old Trafford, India this time made three changes, bringing in <keyword id="13839" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gautam-Gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</keyword>, R Ashwin and <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword> in places of <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword>, Rohit and Mohammed Shami. Things went from bad to worse and they were thumped by an innings and 54 runs inside three days. Clearly, those five changes didn't prove to be propitious for <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword>. 
 
Having that in mind, now the question arises whether India should make changes once again for the fifth and final encounter at The Oval starting Friday. Gambhir had a horrible outing at Old Trafford; offspinner Ashwin, even though he did well with the bat, failed to take any wicket. However, Aaron impressed a lot, showing plenty of pace and his wicket of Moeen Ali with a vicious inswinger will stay as one of the moments of the series. 
 
The suspects this time are Gambhir, Ashwin and Pankaj, who despite breaking his wickets drought at Old Tafford, failed to inspire any confidence. Medium-pacer Ishwar Pandey and wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who piled on the runs for India A against Australia A recently with scores of 219, 101 and 110 in two matches and was drafted into the squad as a replacement for the injured Wriddhiman Saha, are the only players in the squad not to have got a game yet. Should India hand them Test debuts at The Oval or, having learnt from their experiences in the series, they stick to the team that played at Old Trafford are questions that must be bothering Dhoni a great deal. 
 
By the look of things at present, sadly, India aren't likely to be going into the match unchanged. The cases of Pankaj and Gambhir need to be looked at with a magnifying glass. They looked very poor in the Old Trafford defeat. But then some would argue what's the guarantee that their replacements would revive the team. That the damage has already been done with the tourists trailing 2-1 in the series and bringing back Dhawan, Rohit, Shami or Binny is unlikely to do any good to the team. 
 
But in view of the proverbial fact that losing squads are kept getting tinkered with, a couple of changes look to be on the cards. There is no update on Ishant's fitness but he gets fit in time, Pankaj will have to go. Even if Ishant is not fit, Pandey should be considered on the basis of his accuracy and better swinging skills. Dhawan should be brought back in place of Gambhir for one simple reason that Gambhir looks to be way past his prime, and if the team management has to pick between two uncertainties, it should go for the younger and futuristic option that is Dhawan, who not long ago looked in good touch in New Zealand. The third suspect, Ashwin, should be retained considering he can contribute with the bat and looking at the team's current batting crisis playing him won't be a bad idea. 
 
The Oval Test seems to Dhoni's last chance at redemption and he can't afford to fail this time. Another loss or probably even a draw will certainly be the end of his captaincy. The selectors can't keep turning a blind eye to the fact that he has lost 12 Tests against one win outside the subcontinent in the last three years. Hopefully, Dhoni manages to assemble an eleven that brings an end to India's predicament.

To Change Or Not To Change, That's The Question For Dhoni

Following an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to England, Gocricket.com has the Indian players' report cards ready here. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>: 5/10 
 Dhawan was India's highest run-scorer in the two-Test series against New Zealand with 215 from four innings. However, the Delhi batsman couldn't create the same impact against England: he managed 122 runs at an average of 20 with a highest of 37. His technical flaws were widely exposed by <keyword id="80896" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="James-Anderson">James Anderson</keyword>, who gave Dhawan a tough time outside the offstump. While he looked good in patches during his innings of 29 at Trent Bridge, 31 at Lord's and 37 at The Ageas Bowl, he couldn't convert them into anything productive. Most of his dismissals came in the initial part of the innings which dented India's hopes of getting off to a decent start. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a>: 7/10 
 
Dhawan's opening partner got off to a start few imagined him to. His 146 at Trent Bridge was his fourth century in Tests and first in England. He followed it up with consecutive half-centuries - 52 in the second innings and 95 at Lord's - but lost his bearings thereafter. In the next seven innings, Vijay made just 109 runs and his average - which at one point in the series touched 80 - dropped to 40.20. He wasn't troubled much at Trent Bridge and Lord's but in Southampton, Vijay was unlucky to play on and get run out. It was at Old Trafford and The Oval that he looked out of sorts, throwing his bat at away-going deliveries and flummoxed by those that darted in. A decent series all in all, but it could have been better. Considering the way his team-mates performed, Vijay was one of the few positives for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Gautam Gambhir</a>: 0/10 
 
Returning after an 18-month absence, Gambhir showed so signs of improvement. He was the most unconvincing among the Indian batsmen. His replacing Dhawan for the last two Tests raised many eyebrows. He remained persistent with his tendency to poke at balls outside offstump and looked like a sitting duck in each innings. An edge to gully, a run-out and a caught behind while trying to leave the ball, such dismissals indicate that Gambhir may have played his last Test for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a>: 4/10 
 
Pujara has endured one of the toughest series of his young career. He started off well with scores of 38, 55, 28 and 43 but Southampton, much like it did for India, led to his downward spiral. He had problems with the incoming delivery and even his rock-solid forward defence couldn't come to his rescue. Pujara was out caught behind on six occasions and fell prey to Moeen Ali's offspin twice. With a total of just 222 runs in 10 innings, India's No 3 looked very shaky. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a>: 2/10 
 
The first real forgettable tour for India's most prolific batsman of the current era. The fact that Kohli couldn't score even a single half-century in 10 innings speaks volumes about his failure. With 134 runs at an average of 13.40, statistically he is India's worst batsman on tour. James Anderson had his number throughout the series, dismissing him four times. Kohli was twice out without troubling the scorers and the cobwebs in his head were clearly visible. Twice he was dismissed offering no shot - bowled by Liam Plunkett at Lord's and out lbw to Chris Jordan at The Oval. 
 
Apart from his batting, his goof-ups in the slip cordon added to Kohli's woes. A gloomy series like this can be excused, especially after the string of success he has experienced, but Kohli must realise that a major chunk of India's batting revolves around him. His getting back among the runs is crucial if India are to have any chances in Australia later this year. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a>: 7/10 
 
Another example of a batsman who squandered away a decent beginning. Rahane, in only his second Test in England, registered his name on the Lord's Honours Board, courtesy a match-winning century on day one to revive India splendidly. Two fifties followed in Southampton but the promising run was brought to a halt in the last two Tests with Rahane managing 21, 4, 0 and 1. He showed a lot of promise with 299 runs at 33.22 and but the team needs more from him. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>: 2/10 
 
Much was said about Binny after his selection in the 18-member squad, and as it would turn out, he was another hyped-up player. His only substantial knock came at Trent Bridge - a match-saving 78 in the second innings. He played a horrible shot in the first innings at Lord's and his credentials of an allrounder also took a big blow as he struggled with the ball and went wicketless in all three Tests he got. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>: Batting 7.5/10, Captaincy 5/10 
 While <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword> the batsman raised his game in England, Dhoni the captain was another major setback in away matches. With four half-centuries in five matches, the India skipper had one of his best overseas series. His 82 at Trent Bridge was followed by 50 in Southampton where his biggest slip was falling early on day four when India needed him to stay in the middle. At Old Trafford and The Oval, his innings of 71 and 82 were one of only three Indian scores in double digits as the rest of the batsmen crumbled around him. 
 Dhoni's captaincy though looked lifeless yet again. His five-bowler strategy never really came to India's aid, and the decision to ignore Ishwar Pandey raised questions. After leading India to their fifth consecutive overseas series loss, this might mark the end of the road for Dhoni the <keyword id="195040" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Test-captain">Test captain</keyword>. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a>: 5/10 
 
Despite the fact that he and Anderson kept on getting each other out, Jadeja's only meaningful contribution came in the second Test at Lord's, where his counter-attacking fifty set the game up in favour of India. With the ball, he was inconsistent. His wickets either were down to poor shots or the need for quick runs. Ian Bell and Jos Buttler took him apart in Southampton, where he was either too short or generous down the legside. Jadeja remains a strong contender at home but a doubtful starter for away matches. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a>: 1/10 
 
Our very own flat-track bully was drafted into the team at The Ageas Bowl in place of Binny and what did he do? Played a silly shot to Ali in the first innings and fell early on day five to Anderson in the second. Might be a cinch to play on Indian wickets, but his modes of dismissal are only worsening his case of playing abroad. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a>: 6/10 
 
Ashwin managed to surprise in a role-reversal of sorts. While at Old Trafford he impressed one and all with his batting, The Oval saw Ashwin get back among the wickets. He forged a 66-run partnership with Dhoni for the seventh wicket in the fourth Test and played textbooks shots. Ashwin played second fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end took calculated risks. Ashwin scored 46 in the second innings as India went down by an innings and 54 runs. At The Oval, Ashwin finally took his first wicket since 2012 and his 3/72 kept things tight. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a>: 8/10 
 
The conditions in England were supposed to ideal for Bhuvneshwar's style of bowling and he proved the theory right with figures of 5/82 and 6/82 in the first two Tests. But as soon as the English batsmen came into their own, the Uttar Pradesh bowler was a tired figure out in the middle. Once the batsmen negotiated with his early movement, scoring became easy. And even though in the third and fourth Test he took 3/101 and 3/75, Bhuvneshwar lacked support at the other end. 
 
To see him bat nicely in the series was a pleasant surprise. Scores of 63, 58 and 52 in the first three innings of the series were an added bonus for the team. With 19 wickets at 26.63 and 247 runs at 27.44, Bhuvneshwar had a series to remember. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>: 7/10 
 
Ishant was supposed to spearhead the Indian attack in England and many believed that the win at Lord's - where he took a career best 7/74 - had finally established Ishant as India's premier fast bowler. But an unlikely injury after the historic triumph was a case of bad luck for India. And when Ishant came back, it was fairly evident that he wasn't the same bowler who etched his name of on the Lord's Honours Board. At The Oval, he was predictably short and Stuart Broad took the attack to him despite batting with a broken nose. Ishant looked a bit ragged in his 4/96. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron: 5/10</a> 
 
The Jharkhand fast bowler made a return to Tests after December 2011 with plenty of calls for his inclusion for the fourth Test, in Ishant's absence. And even though he dismissed Ali with a peach of a delivery and broke Broad's nose, Aaron was mostly erratic, wasting energy on bowling far too many short balls. He bagged five wickets at an average of 50 - which included him conceding runs at over five an over at The Oval. But there is no doubt that he caught a few eyes with his pace. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a>: 4/10 
 Known as a workhorse in domestic circuit, Pankaj bowled with a lot of heart in Southampton after getting a debut in place of an injured Ishant. He was unlucky twice after Jadeja put down <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> in the first session followed by an umpiring error that reprieved Bell. Pankaj finally tasted success after toiling for 47 overs in Southampton and almost 23 overs in Manchester, where he bowled bad balls too frequently and went over four an over. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>: 2/10 
 
Shami bowled with good pace in three Tests but was overall ordinary. His five wickets in the series came every 115 deliveries and at the cost of 73.20 runs. But with the next series taking place against the West Indies, he might return on the basis of what he did against them last year.

Indian Players' Report Cards After England Debacle

It's just getting worse and worse for India. After the ignominy of Southampton, they have yet again succumbed to a crushing defeat against England at Manchester. They now trail England 1-2 in the five-match series. Gocricket.com takes a look at how each member of the Indian team fared at Old Trafford. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay </a> It seems ages ago when <keyword id="57265" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Murali-Vijay">Murali Vijay</keyword> impressed everyone with his defiant knocks in the first two Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord's. At Manchester he scored a total of 18 runs including a duck in the first innings. He was at the receiving end of a peach of a delivery from James Anderson in the first innings and in the second, fell to Chris Woakes. His slump has come at a wrong time. Among all the specialist Indian batsmen on the tour, he has been one of the two brightest spots. With the other openers failing, he needs to get his touch back if India hope to do well in the fourth Test. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/4001/4043">Gautam Gambhir </a> Questions were raised when Gambhir was selected for the England tour as a reserve opener. Those questions were put to rest when the first choice opener in <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword> failed. The reasons, for which he lost his place in the national side, seem to be valid even today. A batsman of his repute, on his return to international cricket after almost two years, should perform but he could muster only 22 runs in two innings. Both the times he fell to short deliveries. In the first innings, his dismissal brought back memories of the 2011 tour of England when he repeatedly was caught in the slip cordon and his second dismissal left everyone frustrated as he needlessly gloved one from Anderson to be caught by the wicketkeeper. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> He was the second Indian batsmen to be out for a duck in the first dig after <keyword id="52757" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Stuart-Broad">Stuart Broad</keyword> lured him to edge one to Chris Jordan in the slips. In the second innings, he was a bit unlucky to be given out lbw as replays showed the ball from Moeen Ali was missing the leg stump. He managed 17. His technique on seaming, pacy tracks is under intense scrutiny after yet another failure. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> 
Seems Kohli is not willing to learn and improve. People have lost count of the number of times his weakness against outside off deliveries has been exploited England bowlers. He is the designated superstar of a star-studded Indian line-up. But where is that performance? In both the innings, Anderson got the better of him. He scored a duck in the first and managed seven in the second before pushing at a delivery that went safely into the hands of Ian Bell at second slip. Someone needs to tell him that he need not go after every delivery, especially those outside off. Let better sense prevail. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane </a> 
Smile is infectious. Replace 'smile' with 'failure' for Rahane. When everyone around him seems to be hell bent on playing loose, rash strokes, could he have avoided playing one of his own? Yes. But he couldn't. In the first innings with his team in dire straits, he gifted Chris Jordan his wicket after scoring 24 in a partnership with captain Dhoni that gave a flickering hope of a recovery. In the second, another loose shot put him on the way back to the dressing room after he had managed a single. All we can hope is that his failure at Manchester is just a one-off incident. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> 
Dhoni's knock of 71 runs in the first innings will be counted among his best in Tests. When everything around him crumbled, he was the lone warrior before he pulled one that ended his fight. In the second, he again saved India from the ignominy of being bowled out for double figures. However, his wicketkeeping and captaincy was questionable. Not utilising bowlers effectively apart from his performance behind the stumps is not helping the team. After the low of Southampton, it was expected that he would rejig things. But, under his watch, India slipped further into the abyss. Lord's is a distant memory now for him and the Indian fans. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> 
Anderson has gained much out of his spat with India allrounder Jadeja. The Englishman has flourished. On the other hand, Jadeja's only significant contribution was trapping Anderson after being meted out a similar treatment by the pacer in India's first innings. He took one wicket in the entire match and scored four runs including a 14-ball duck in the first innings. His pairing with R Ashwin on Indian tracks is deadly. In England where Moeen Ali has trapped India in a web of spin, he has been nothing short of ordinary. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> 
Bhuvneshwar continues to toil hard and he is reaping rewards for his efforts. He seems to be the only member of the Indian team who is aware of his limitations and is taking the most out of his abilities. He took three wickets at Manchester where England batted once. Two of those (Sam Robson and Bell) were a result of some wonderful bowling. He has lost his 'midas touch' with the bat as scores of 0 and 10 would suggest. But he cannot be expected to hide the failures of the batsmen every single time. His job is to bowl, not score runs. Unfortunately he has been forced to do the additional job as well and the effect is the dip in his intensity. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron</a> 
Back in the team after a gap of almost three years, Aaron impressed with his lively pace. He bowled consistently above 140 km/hr and occasionally troubled the batsmen with his bounce. The delivery with which he cleaned up Moeen Ali was one of the few moments to cherish for India from the Test. He picked 3/97 in 26 overs and made an impressive return, although straying away on occasions. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">R Ashwin</a> 
Include Ashwin and things will get better was the mantra after the loss at Southampton for India. He was selected and bowled well but went wicketless even as his counterpart (Moeen) ended with four scalps. However, it was his batting that was much talked about. He put to shame the Indian top order in both the innings. In the first his 40 runs took the team past 150 runs and he followed it with an unbeaten 46 which was the highest score by any Indian batsman in the second dig. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> 
His painful wait for a wicket finally ended on the third day when he removed Joe Root for 77. He, again, started well but his workhorse attitude didn't translate into anything significant. On a pitch where England bowlers murdered Indian batting, his efforts at best can be summed up as below par. He bowls well but not good enough that will force the selectors to give him an extended run. Mind you – he is bowling in helpful conditions and not on lifeless subcontinent tracks. If <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a> gets fit, Pankaj, who took two wickets in the Test, will surely sit out at The Oval.

A Report Card Of India's Defeat At Manchester

At 11.30 pm on Saturday, June 29, 2024, entire India erupted with joy as the South African allrounder Anrich Nortje mistimed the final delivery for a single. Just seven months ago, on November 19, 2023, India had suffered an heart-wrenching loss against Australia at Ahmedabad despite being the most-dominant team on ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. Today was the much-needed redemption for every cricket fanatic in the country! <keyword id="4169" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="team-india" source="Orion">Team India</keyword> clinched their second <keyword id="19921630" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="T20-World-Cup" source="keywords">T20 World Cup</keyword> on Saturday by defeating <keyword id="19899437" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Africa" source="keywords">South Africa</keyword> in an emotion-filled final, ending an 11-year global trophy drought. <keyword id="19907934" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli" source="keywords">Virat Kohli</keyword>’s 76 runs and key bowling performances by Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah helped India secure the victory by seven runs Unfortunately for South Africa, their late-stage chocking at major tournaments continued as the team faltered in the crucial stages of the match despite being ahead in the game for over three quarters of the second innings. India's win brought back memories of their first T20 World Cup in 2007 under MS Dhoni and marked their first global victory since the 2013 <keyword id="20400927" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Champions" source="keywords">Champions</keyword> Trophy. Kohli anchored the first innings with a steady 76 off 59 balls, enabling India to reach a competitive total of 176 for seven. Key partnerships, particularly with Axar Patel, steadied India’s innings after early setbacks. South Africa, playing in their first World Cup final, fought back with Heinrich Klaasen’s 52 off 27 balls, but Indian bowlers managed to control the game’s final moments. Hardik Pandya’s crucial dismissal of Klaasen in the 17th over swayed the momentum back to India. <h3>Historic clash opens emotional floodgates</h3> The T20I World Cup 2024 finals was not just any other international outing. It marked the end of an era for the Indian cricket team, as it marked the end of T20I career for the two legendary batters, <keyword id="13937" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rohit-sharma" source="Orion">Rohit Sharma</keyword> and Virat Kohli. Both players fought tears as they hugged teammates, spoke with broadcasters, and wrapped the Indian flag proudly around them. Equally emotional was Rahul Dravid, India’s coach, who could celebrate a World Cup win in his last assignment. Commentators remarked that such fervent celebration from the usually composed Dravid underline the weight of this victory for team India. Rohit Sharma, India’s captain, finally had his moment after previous near-misses in World Cup finals. He said, "No better time to say goodbye to this format. I've loved every moment of this. This is what I wanted - I wanted to win the cup." Virat Kohli also echoed similar sentiments as he said, “It’s time for the next generation to take over. It was an open secret and I would have announced it even if we had lost.” <div type="image" title="&amp;quot;No better time to say goodbye to this format&amp;quot;: Rohit Sharma joins Virat Kohli in biding farewell to T20I" agency="ANI" msid="111372338" hostid="261" sizebytes="26210" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;quot;No better time to say goodbye to this format&amp;quot;: Rohit Sharma joins Virat Kohli in biding farewell to T20I&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Hardik Pandya, who had a struggling six months on both personal and professional fronts, defended 16 runs in the last over. With Klaasen's dismissal and sealing India’s triumph in the last over, he could not hold back his tears as teammates celebrated with joy. But the final moments were also marked by contrasting emotions. David Miller's shot in the last over was caught by Suryakumar Yadav, dashing South Africa’s hopes and cementing India’s win. The South African dug out displayed despair and agony as the momentum turned swiftly towards India during the final overs. "Gutted for the time being. It'll take some time for us to have a really good reflection on a really good campaign the group had. Obviously, for the time being, like I mentioned, it hurts quite a bit. Having said that, I'm incredibly proud of this group of players and everyone involved with the team," SA skipper Aiden Markram said in the post-match presentation. <h3>Cricketers and celebrities hail the team’s performance</h3> Taking to X soon after India's victory in Barbados, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the cricketers have won the hearts of crores of Indians. <div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="narendramodi" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1807114429667975428"></div> “Congratulations Team India on becoming the T20 World Champions. Been the best team in the tournament remaining unbeaten throughout,” VVS Laxman, head of the National Cricket Academy, wrote on social media. Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his joy, and Anil Kumble said, “Congratulations team India! Wonderful victory.” Other cricketing legends, including Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, as well as Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar, extended their congratulations, with Yuvraj praising all key players. Former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly remarked on the relief of winning a World Cup after 13 years and praised Bumrah, Kohli, Axar, and Hardik for their roles. "From all the Indians back home and everywhere in the world a big thank you for bringing the World Cup Home. CONGRATULATIONS!" said former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. President Droupadi Murmu praised the team’s never-say-die spirit, saying, “My heartiest congratulations to Team India for winning the T20 World Cup... It was an extraordinary victory in the final match.” Rahul Gandhi also said that team India will miss Rahul Dravid, and praised the team’s efforts, particularly mentioning Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and the coach. Large crowds celebrated nationwide, with firecrackers and street celebrations as celebrities expressing joy and pride for the victory. Union Minister Amit Shah applauded the team’s “unmatched team spirit and sportsmanship,” while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the motivational impact of the victory on upcoming sportspersons. Other Union Ministers, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and tech leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai added their congratulations. Bollywood actors also joined in celebrations, reflecting a nation elated by India’s return to global cricketing supremacy. US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, congratulated the team, underlining the widespread resonance of India's win. Overall, India's T20 World Cup victory in Bridgetown against South Africa marked a significant chapter in Indian cricket. With the 11-year wait over, India’s star-studded team celebrated a hard-fought victory, signaling a triumphant return to global dominance in cricket. (With inputs from PTI and ANI)

Emotional rollercoaster: Team India's historic T20I World Cup win marks a golden chapter in Indian cricket

England asserted their supremacy on the opening day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford as they closed on 113/3 after <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-broad/3001/3067">Stuart Broad</a>'s 6 for 25 bundled India out for 152. India equalled the record of six ducks in a Test innings and despite a gritty half-century from <keyword id="16561" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="skipper">skipper</keyword> <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>, the Indian batting surrendered to some quality seam bowling from the Englishmen. 
 
England skipper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> could not have chosen a better toss to lose after his Indian counterpart Dhoni opted to bat on a lively Old Trafford pitch, which as it would turn out, have more than just a handful for the medium-pacers. Amid all the speculation surrounding the Playing XI heading into Manchester, India rang in three changes. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/4001/4043">Gautam Gambhir</a> replaced the out-of-form <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>; <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a> was selected in place of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> and the much-talked about <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron</a> was picked ahead of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>. 
 
Dhoni's decision backfired as Broad and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson</a> (3 for 46) shredded India to 8 for 4 inside the first six overs giving England their best start of the series. Comeback man Gambhir's (4) stay at the middle was short-lived after he fended at a length ball to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/joe-root/3001/73004">Joe Root</a> at gully from Broad. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a> was the next to go for a duck, seven balls later to Anderson. Vijay, who has been good at leaving balls outside his off-stump in this series, played and nicked to skipper Cook at first slip. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> failed to impress yet again and went without troubling the scorers. While Kohli tickled an exceptional outswinger from Anderson, Pujara edged a full-length delivery from Broad to a diving Chris Jordan at third slip leaving India reeling at 8 for 4. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> - who has by far looked India's best batsman on the tour - and Dhoni weathered the storm and decided to leave more balls. Both gutted it out and strung together an dogged 50-run stand. Once Anderson and Broad were taken out of the attack, run-scoring became comparatively fluent and easier. Jordan, however, ended the promising stand with the wicket of Rahane for 24 in the penultimate over of the session. 
 
India started the second session losing the wicket of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> (0) to his 'friend' Anderson in the second over after the lunch interval. Anderson set the trap nicely following back-to-back away going deliveries with an inswinger that jagged back in and caught the Indian allrounder stone dead in front of the stumps. At 63 for 5, Ashwin joined his skipper in the middle and the pair batted with precaution to slowly take India forward. Ashwin's near-clean batting technique played a perfect second-fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end, took calculated risks and kept the scoreboard ticking. 
 
Ashwin had a slice of luck on 25, when he was dropped by wicketkeeper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/jos-buttler/3001/3111">Jos Buttler</a> off Anderson in the 35th over. He and Dhoni put together 66 runs for the seventh wicket before the offspinner mistimed a pull off Broad to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/sam-robson/3001/84620">Sam Robson</a> at deep-square leg. Ashwin's flamboyant 42-ball 40 was and laced with three fours and a six over deep fine leg which launched a counter-attack on England. Broad then cleaned up <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> two overs later for his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests. His dismissal exposed the Indian tail which managed to survive just seven more overs. Dhoni played a few unorthodox shots and reached his 32nd half-century with a four and casually edged and pulled his way to 71 before eventually finding the fielder at deep-square leg. 
 
England's hopes of a good beginning was tarnished by Robson - who battled for 24 balls and scored six runs. Bhuvneshwar once again removed him - third time in the series, castling his off stump with an inswinger. Cook's twin fifties at Southampton seemed to have done him a world of good - he cracked two fours off Pankaj - but against the run of play he fell to his favourite shot, a pull off Aaron for 17. Southampton centurions <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ian-bell/3001/3048">Ian Bell</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gary-ballance/3001/73003">Gary Ballance</a> took over and played with authority. Both took a specific liking towards Pankaj, who conceded 50 runs off his 11 overs. 
 
With run-scoring becoming easy with every over bowled, Dhoni introduced Ashwin in the 21st over. Bell welcomed him by dancing down the wicket and hitting him over his head for the first six of the English innings. Bell pounced on anything slightly short and made most of anything offered on his pads. Ballance and Bell added 77 runs before Aaron would strike again, this time trapping the dangerous Ballance (87 balls, 4x6) leg before for 37 in the final over of the day. Nightwatchman Jordan (0) and Bell (45) were at the crease when stumps were drawn.

England Build After Broad Dismantles India

Having last won a Test overseas over three years back, expectations are sky high from <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> and Co. to deliver in England. India are playing a five-Test series after a gap of 17 long years and the nearly six-week long Test tour will challenge the mettle of this young Indian side. For the visitors, though, there is a lot to ponder before they take the field next Wednesday at Trent Bridge. 
 
India need not look too far back in time in order to not repeat certain mistakes they have been guilty of committing, especially overseas. It was for the first time in two decades that India were humbled by a 4-0 series loss, when Dhoni and his men came a cropper against Andrew Strauss' Three Lions in 2011 and lost their No. 1 ranking. 
 
In order to move over the horrid past of their last Test tour of England, India will have to come face to face with few of the traditional problems they have been facing on overseas tours. Here, we broadly look at the mistakes that India cannot afford to make this time around. 
 
Defensive batting 
 One of the reasons why the famed Indian middle-order trio of <keyword id="2727" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Dravid">Rahul Dravid</keyword>, <keyword id="6354267" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sachin-Tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</keyword> and VVS Laxman were so successful in scoring big runs was due to the explosive batting of <keyword id="7567" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Virender-Sehwag">Virender Sehwag</keyword> at the top. If Sehwag would fail, the scoring-rate invariably dipped and the batsmen tended to go into a shell, giving the opposition bowlers loads of chances to apply the pressure. This tendency among the Indian batsmen continues even today. Plus, against experienced operators like <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-broad/3001/3067">Stuart Broad</a>, who are well acquainted with the weaknesses of the touring batsmen, the Indians will have to be one step ahead. This is where the Murali Vijays, Gautam Gambhirs and Cheteshwar Pujaras will have to back free-flowing strokemakers like <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> and, later on, Dhoni. 
 
On the 2011 tour, the Indians managed to reach a score of 300 or more only once in eight innings. That never really made matters easy for their bowlers. This time around, the top and middle-order batsmen will have to ensure that one of the top four bats till the time the second new-ball is taken so that there isn't undue pressure on Nos. 5, 6 and 7. 
 
Where are the wicket-takers? 
 
Indian bowlers have been guilty of not being able to take 20 wickets to win a Test match. In the last 12 overseas Tests, oppositions have been bowled out just 10 times out of the 20 innings by India. This is primarily due to the absence of a strike bowler that can run through the opposition. Barring an odd spell, either by Zaheer Khan or Ishant Sharma, the Indian bowlers do not pose a stiff challenge for any batting opponent. This fact got further strengthened when the Indians were unable to bowl out oppositions in the two warm-up matches at Leicester and Derby. There will be extra pressure on the Indian seamers to get the best out of the surfaces. Spin bowlers too will have to be handled as wicket-taking options as over-reliance on pace has never been India's strength. 
 
Take your catches 
 One of the areas that the Indian Test side has struggled with off late is their close-in catching. The retirements of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid in the last couple of years have made India's slip catching poorer. <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> does not seem like a natural slip fielder but yet he is persisted with in the cordon. Recent overseas series losses in New Zealand and <keyword id="6355117" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="South-Africa">South Africa</keyword> were testimony to the fact that dropped catches headlined India's woes on the field. For example, a couple of chances not taken by Indian fieldsmen saw <keyword id="55681" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Brendon-McCullum">Brendon McCullum</keyword> post a record 302 that knocked India out of the last Test they played in February. Fielding coach Trevor Penney knows this and would be working overtime with the players to improve their overall catching technique. 
 
Getting the selection right 
 
A gap of almost four months since India last played a Test match and a host of limited-overs games, especially Twenty20s (World T20 and IPL) gives Dhoni extra options of making cosmetic changes to the side. One such change should be the choice of lone spin bowler. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> has been chosen over leading spinner <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">R Ashwin</a> for the last three Tests that India have played. For a bowler of Ashwin's capabilities and repertoire, it is quite unfortunate that he hasn't featured in the Test XI. Jadeja had two poor outings against the Kiwis earlier this year, when he just took three wickets at an average of 85.66. Jadeja does contribute with the bat lower down the order but so does India's highest-ranked Test bowler, Ashwin. Dhoni must include Ashwin in the playing XI for the Nottingham Test, especially after the spinner voiced that he was making an effort to be aggressive in England. However, Dhoni's reluctance to give Ashwin an extended run in the two warm-up ties may yet again prove a deterrent for the tall offspinner. 
 
Regarding his own captaincy, Dhoni has shown tendency to be less proactive at times, even lacking ruthlessness that is required to close out games after reaching positions of strength. Needless to say, he will have to be at his best or else it would give his detractors more material to sharpen their knives with.

Mistakes India Cannot Afford To Make In England

The third week of IPL 7 in India was probably more exciting than the previous two weeks in the UAE thanks to some great individual performances and a big run-in between <keyword id="61632" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kieron-Pollard">Kieron Pollard</keyword> and Mitchell Starc. Here, gocricket.com chronicles the eye-catching events that unfolded over the course of last week. 
 
Tambe spins magic with first hat-trick this season 
 At the age of 42, <keyword id="13802" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajasthan-Royals">Rajasthan Royals</keyword> legspinner Tambe is having the time of his life. Look at his performances in the tournament from day one, he has been nothing short of brilliant. However, this week Tambe took his game to another level and helped RR register a win from an unlikely position against Kolkata Knight Riders in Ahmedabad on May 5. Chasing 171 to win, the Gautam Gambhir-led KKR were cruising at one time at 121 for 0 in 14 overs before RR captain <keyword id="6378477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shane-Watson">Shane Watson</keyword> took three wickets in an over to provide a big opening for his team. However, it was Tambe's hat-trick in the next over that actually put the nail in KKR's coffin. The wickets of Manish Pandey, <keyword id="18938" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Yusuf-Pathan">Yusuf Pathan</keyword> and Ryan ten Doeschate broke KKR's back badly and they ended up losing the match by 10 runs. Tambe's performance this season has proved that age has little significance nowadays in cricket and that it's fitness and willingness to do well that shapes a player's career. 
 
de Villiers breaks run-drought in style 
 It was long coming. AB de Villiers had an ordinary season prior to <keyword id="6354506" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</keyword>'s game against <keyword id="1494441" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sunrisers-Hyderabad">Sunrisers Hyderabad</keyword> on May 4 and when Virat Kohli's men were reduced to 59 for 4 in 10.1 overs chasing 159 to win, it appeared the match was as good as gone for RCB. Against all odds, de Villiers launched a rearguard action and smashed 89* off 41 balls with the help of six fours and eight sixes to see his side home in the last over. While de Villiers punished all SRH bowlers, his face-off with fellow South African and arguably the greatest bowler in the world at present, <keyword id="12829" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Dale-Steyn">Dale Steyn</keyword>, will be remembered for many years to come. In the penultimate over of the innings, de Viliers took 24 runs off Steyn, hitting three sixes and a four to turn the match on its head. 
 
Pollard-Starc altercation 
 The game between <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> and <keyword id="12643" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers">Royal Challengers</keyword> Bangalore on May 6 will long be remembered for an ugly altercation between Kieron Pollard and Mitchell Starc. The run-in - towards the end of MI's innings - that saw the West Indian and the Australian almost come to blows, influenced the outcome of the match a great deal as MI took 54 runs off last 20 balls, thanks largely to captain <keyword id="13937" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma">Rohit Sharma</keyword>'s 59 off 35 balls, to post a mammoth 187 for 5. 
 
The drama began in the 17th over when Starc used some pretty choice language against Pollard after beating him with a bouncer. The West Indian disdainfully signed to Starc to go away, and off the next ball backed away from the crease at the last minute. Starc, instead of stopping himself, followed the West Indian on the legside and almost hit him, leaving a seething Pollard to throw his bat towards the bowler in a menacing way. 
 
However, the West Indian had the last laugh when he took a simple catch at extra cover to send Starc (5) back to the pavilion off the bowling of Lasith Malinga. Not just that, earlier in the match he had also accounted for the dangerous Yuvraj Singh's run out (6) using his footballing skills to great effect. 
 
The IPL Governing Council later on Wednesday fined both Pollard and Starc for breaching its code of conduct. 
 
Maxwell at it once again 
 Orange Cap holder Glenn Maxwell (435 runs in seven matches) fuelled his legend further smashing 90 off 38 balls in Kings XI Punjab's 44-run win over <keyword id="13886" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chennai-Super-Kings">Chennai Super Kings</keyword> on May 7. The Australian put on view the switch-hit several times hitting eight sixes and six fours and it surely was his innings that made the difference. His approach against R Ashwin was particularly impressive. The India offspinner is normally very effective bowling around the wicket, but not against Maxwell on Wednesday evening. The Big Show smashed back-to-back sixes in the 11th over against the India offspinner who looked befuddled not knowing where he should land the ball, bowling two wides to boot. Things changed drastically after Ashwin's over, with KXIP scoring 162 in the last 10 overs to finish on 231 for 4. With the win against MS Dhoni's men, KXIP made it back to the top of the table with six wins in seven matches, while CSK go down to second after their second defeat in eight matches. 
 
Delhi Daredevils' sorry state 
 Delhi Daredevils took the wooden spoon last season and looking at their performance so far it seems another is on their way. The team under Kevin Pietersen looks absolutely spineless, especially in the bowling department. DD's defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on May 7 was their sixth in eight matches and the way Pietersen ran himself out tells a great deal about his current state of mind. The former England batsman tapped a Shakib-al-Hasan delivery to offside and ran away for a single straight away, head down and without looking at non-striker batsman <keyword id="57265" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Murali-Vijay">Murali Vijay</keyword>. Wicketkeeper <keyword id="2231057" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Robin-Uthapa">Robin Uthapa</keyword> charged towards the ball, picked it up and ran Pietersen out in a flash with Vijay shaking his head in disbelief at the other end. 
 Pietersen's captaincy is also under the scanner for repeatedly not bringing the in-form duo of <keyword id="69475" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="JP-Duminy">JP Duminy</keyword> and Kedar Jadhav up the batting order. Fast bowler Mohammad Shami is another big concern for DD. He is one of the promising bowlers in the country but his performance so far in the tournament is worrying. Four wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 8.34 don't justify his talent. At present, it's hard to imagine how DD are going to turn their fortunes around.

You Searched For "Gambhir Ashwin" and got 8 results

Over-reliance on coaches can stop players from finding own solutions: Ashwin

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To Change Or Not To Change, That's The Question For Dhoni

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Indian Players' Report Cards After England Debacle

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A Report Card Of India's Defeat At Manchester

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Emotional rollercoaster: Team India's historic T20I World Cup win marks a golden chapter in Indian cricket

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England Build After Broad Dismantles India

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Mistakes India Cannot Afford To Make In England

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IPL Week 3 Review: Tambe, De Villiers, Maxwell Steal The Show

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