Dhoni, Jadeja set up crushing win
Dhoni and Jadeja set up a comprehensive win for India to level the series against England.
KOCHI: The enthusiasm of the capacity and passionate crowd at Kochi was well rewarded by a tremendous all round performance by the Indian Cricket Team who tamed their English counterparts by a whopping margin of 127 runs in the 2nd ODI at Kochi to draw level the 5-match series at 1-1.
Cameos from MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja soared the Indian total to a commanding 285/6 before Bhuvneshwar Kumar wrecked the England middle order with some inspirational swing and seam bowling.
There could not have been a better stage to host the 2nd ODI between India and England than the Nehru Stadium at Kochi. With the home team 1-0 down in the series, it was just the kind of electrifying (as Ravi Shastri put it) atmosphere they needed to pep them up before the crucial encounter. T
housands had stormed the stadium hours before the start of the match. It was packed to the rafters with sixty thousand crazy and passionate fans shouting and chanting slogans and egging their team to square-level the series. The noise was absolutely deafening.
In the backdrop of such an ambience, MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first in hot and humid conditions in Kochi. India made one change to their eleven. Shami Ahmed came in for Ashoka Dinda. England called upon Chris Woakes to replace Tim Bresnan who was left out with a niggle.
The pitch was slow and not coming onto the bat. The England openers were keeping the ball full and extracting a lot of swing and seam movement from the wicket. T
here were a number of edges and mistimed shots as the ball was not coming onto the bat. The umpires were having a torrid time in the middle with Steve Davis not being able to pick up the edges on his microphone.
The openers, Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane had taken the score to 18 before Jade Dernbach was rewarded for bowling in the right channels, cleaning up Gambhir with the last ball of the fourth over.
The southpaw departed for 8. Steven Finn took a cue from his fellow teammate and knocked over Rahane with a well pitched up delivery in the next over. India were given a double blow.
Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli joined hands to resurrect the innings. The left-hander assumed the role of the aggressor while Kohli gave him good support.
The English bowlers, in particular Dernbach, were guilty of bowling a touch short to Yuvraj who obliged them with a flurry of pulls and hooks to the fence.
He was looking good at the crease and dominated the 50 run stand for the 3rd wicket with Kohli. India had moved to 44/2 after the mandatory powerplay.
Alastair Cook introduced James Tredwell into the attack. The man of the match from the 1st ODI struck with his 2nd ball when he sent the dangerous Yuvraj Singh packing for 32 off 37 deliveries.
The southpaw was plumb lbw trying to play a premeditated sweep. India had lost their third wicket at 71 in the 16th over of the innings. Virat Kohli was struggling in the middle. He was not looking his fluent and aggressive self.
Suresh Raina slog sweeped Tredwell into the deep midwicket stands off the last ball of the 18th to break the shackles. Kohli was not to be left behind.
He was visibly upset about England having a fielder less within the 30 yard circle in the 23rd over and took out his anger by lofting Samit Patel over deep extra cover into the stands for the maximum - that shot also brought up India s hundred.
The innings was now again gathering some momentum. Kohli and Raina looked set for a big partnership before suddenly, out of the blue, a scratchy and edgy Kohli had a rush of blood and sliced Woakes straight down the throat of the sweeper cover. He was furious with himself and departed for 37 off 54 deliveries. India were reduced to 119 for 4 in the 27th over.
Raina was joined by skipper MS Dhoni. The southpaw repeated an earlier shot and slog sweeped Tredwell again into the deep mid wicket stands. Dhoni was picking up the ones and twos and rotating the strike well.
There was a sudden urgency in the running between the wickets. Raina was looking in great touch. Cook opted for Dernbach and Finn to operate during the batting powerplay which was taken in the 36th over. Raina reached his 26th fifty in ODI cricket with a deft touch off Finn to the backward point boundary. Dhoni too decided to up the ante.
He butchered Dernbach for a blistering boundary straight down the wicket past the bowler. The pair raised the 50 run partnership for the 5th wicket off 68 deliveries. However, the Indian duo were not being able to get the desired boundaries with the field in. There were a number of plays and misses. Suresh Raina finally gave in to the frustration inside edging the ball onto his stumps while trying to attempt a wild slog off a Steven Finn slower delivery. The dejected southpaw departed for 55 off 78 deliveries. 7,5,4,2,3 : these were the runs scored in the batting powerplay - a paltry 21. India had been pegged back. They had moved to 177/5 after 40 overs.
Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja ran well between the wickets and were now looking to go for the final assault. The Indian skipper slammed Chris Woakes over the deep wicket fence for a six to start the 43rd over. However, Jadeja was finding it difficult to manoeuvre the strike.
He could only scrape a single off the next over. He eased his frustration by heaving Chris Woakes into the stands over long-on of the second ball off the 44th.
He then put away a high full toss to the backward point boundary and ended the over by whipping the bowler to the mid wicket fence. The pair soon raised the half century stand off just 38 deliveries.
