World Cup Match Preview: India vs. Netherlands

India continue their World Cup campaign on Wednesday as they welcome the Netherlands to the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. The Netherlands have already tasted defeat here against the West Indies and are, for all practical purposes, out of the reckoning, not having mustered a single win with half their matches played. India meanwhile coasted past the Irish on Sunday night, and are now the only team in group B to have not lost a match yet.

India have done well so far, but, thanks to group B’s innate instability and the point lost in the tied match with England, are still not technically assured of a quarter-final berth. It is unthinkable that they will not progress to the next stage, but in view of the opponents to follow (a formidable South Africa; and the mercurial West Indies, who have posed dangers for India before), India will have to put in a strong performance against the Netherlands, so as to garner a good net run rate for safety.

Kotla has housed a benevolent wicket which showers its favour on good performances, be it batting, bowling or slogging. It offered 330 runs for the entertainment of an exploitative West Indies batting order, 6 wickets to a tempestuous Kemar Roach, 4 on debut to Imran Tahir, and some assistance to the discipline of Canadian leggie Balaji Rao.

India:

India has finally regained the diamond from the dirt. Yuvraj Singh has been indicating that he has got back his touch with the bat, for a couple of matches now, but he really carried it through against Ireland, where there would have been too much of a face to save had India lost. What probably righted his ship is the realization that he needed to play more straight – something which had lain forgotten in his mind during all those times in his slump when he had edged the ball behind or fallen across his pads trying to work it too fine. Another boost for India was the lower-middle order sustaining the innings after the vaunted top had had an off day. Yusuf Pathan has done as much as coming in at no.7 can allow one to do on a reasonable day, and on Sunday, he walked in and speedily threw India’s prospects into the credit side.

Piyush Chawla, many might feel, has been persisted with for at least two matches too many. Apart from the facts that he is one of the leg-spinner ilk, who are being favoured this tournament, and had done well against the Europeans in 2007, it is strange that he has been a higher pick over the much wilier and consistent Ravichandran Ashwin. With Harbhajan Singh having had a negligible couple of outings, where he has not stood out for the world-class spinner that he is, India has been suffering a lack of the attacking off-spinner. This may be a perfect opportunity for Ashwin, who may replace Chawla, who has not been in total control of the ball on occasion.

While Zaheer Khan continues to be the worthy spearhead, Yuvraj has done his reputation as part-time bowler some harm with the canny five-for on Sunday! He was the only Indian bowler who got in the full quota of 10 overs, in which he slipped in a match-winning five-for. His variations should find value on the Kotla wicket.

Netherlands:

For the Dutch, Ryan ten Doeschate’s reputed consistency is now due a score after a couple of failures. He has not raised a peep since the attacking century against England, and the Indian bowlers will be wary of his pending assault. Barresi, who weathered the South African attack with a gutsy 44, will be key at the top to resist Zaheer’s initial onslaught. Peter Borren has said, however, that they have been too reliant on ten Doeschate, and will expect the likes of Tom Cooper, Barresi and Bas Zuiderant to stick their hand up.

Pieter Seelar has been the best bowler for the Netherlands during this left-armer-favouring tournament, but went for some runs against the Proteas. Ten Doeschate, never one to stay unnoticed, picked up three, including that of centurion Hashim Amla. Mudassar Bukhari was the only Dutchman to go under 5 an over on Thursday against the Africans, but his comforting pace could be taken to the stands by Virender Sehwag. Berend Westdijk has been going over 8 an over in the last couple of his outings and will have to vary his pace much more to trouble the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir.

Form Guide:

India: WTWWW

Mar 6, 2011 Defeated Ireland by 5 wickets
Feb 27, 2011 Tied with England
Feb 19, 2011 beat Bangladesh by 87 runs
Feb 13, 2011 beat New Zealand by 117 runs
Feb 13, 2011 beat Australia by 38 runs

Netherlands: LLWLL

Mar 3, 2011 Lost to South Africa by 231 runs
Feb 28, 2011 Lost to West Indies by 215 runs
Feb 22, 2011 Lost to England by 6 wickets
Feb 15, 2011 Defeated Kenya by 2 wickets
Feb 12, 2011 Lost to Sri Lanka by 156 runs

Likely teams:

India: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.

Netherlands: Alex Kervezee, Wesley Barresi, Ryan ten Doeschate, Tom Cooper, Bas Zuiderant, Tim de Grooth, Peter Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, Pieter Seelar, Bernard Loots, Berend Westdijk.

Players to watch:

Yuvraj Singh pulled his fans and detractors back to his side with the controlled fifty against Ireland. He has one more shot with a minnow team to really raise his confidence with the bat. The slow Dutch pace will suit his penchant for the sweeps and lofted on-side hoicks. Not content with his subdued building and buoyed by the short Kotla boundaries, his fans will be screaming: Yuvi, de ghuma ke!

Tom Cooper has had knocks of 55 and 47 thus far at the World Cup and has done well, barring the last game against South Africa. The fifty was at the Kotla too, and he can target the spinners with aggression.

Prediction: The Dutch batting has been found tragically short against the better bowling attacks of South Africa and the West Indian scyther Roach. But whether the Indian unit will be strong enough to avoid a leakage a la James-Anderson-death-bowling will have to be seen. However, after having registered the fourth-largest defeat in World Cups against South Africa, the Dutch are not likely to come firing on all cylinders, as they would need to against India. India should come away with a win and, if all goes to plan, an empowering net run rate too.

World Cup Match Preview: India vs Ireland

Group B just got a whole lot tougher to compete in. Teams which had put Ireland down as a push-over have another think coming, and when India takes them on in Bengaluru on Sunday, they will have to bring close to their best. While David had defeated Goliath with a modest slingshot, England were felled on Wednesday courtesy the brute force of Kevin O’Brien’s sledgehammer and John Mooney’s all-round sagacity. Ireland have been placed on an unprecedented high, appearing to have set foot on the first rung of a far-reaching ladder. While MS Dhoni is not one to take off-field controversy (he was admonished by ICC official Dave Richardson for critiquing the UDRS) into games, he has issues of mediocre bowling and fielding to resolve. Whatever recuperative plans he may have set for the Ireland fixture will have called for drastic revision after what Ireland showed against England.
Bengaluru citizens will be kicking themselves for not having inundated the Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday, when the cricketing history books recorded a special entry: “England’s score of 327 chased down by minnow Ireland; Kevin O’Brien scores fastest World-Cup century, in 50 balls.” Even as the IPL will start to cast a line for this Freddie Flintoff-ish all-rounder, there were crucial contributions, from John Mooney (with both bat and ball) and Alex Cusack towards the end, which should not be completely eclipsed by O’Brien’s splendour.



If the Chinnaswamy ground were to be asked, given stats from this tournament so far, whom it would favour in this match, it would teeter towards Ireland; Ireland, with their defeat of a rising England, who had equalized with India, can be crowned as a force to reckon with and, perhaps, even fear. If this were a single-venue tri-series, Ireland would be topping the table right now!
India:
India has the one of the toughest top-fours anyone could wish for. Their torso too, in Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan, is quite capable of the big blows. But there is a niggling doubt regarding their ability to stretch a good start into the indomitable score. When, after his 47^th century, Sachin Tendulkar came away in the 39^th over, the middle and lower orders folded in trying to keep the ante going. While India do have the players to take the game away with priceless hitting, their fluency has tended to be somewhat undermined by what looks to be pressure to do justice to the strong platform. Pathan hits the most smoothly when all his runs are to accrue only to himself, and not to pay off the debt of the legacy left by the top four. It is probably India’s curse that their top four is so good, in a morbid sense.
For all their touting as favourites, India will be shuddering to think of how to deal with a breakaway O’Brien and Co., should there be a repeat. They have already shown themselves vulnerable to pitched attack, even 338 not tall enough a target for the bowlers to defend against England. Apart from Zaheer Khan’s specialized savvy, the bowling has been flaw-ridden. Piyush Chawla may have been the played last game for the threat he would have posed to certain English batsmen. However, he was not nearly as effective as expected bowling under the dewy floodlights. With India likely to stick with spin strength, Ravichandran Ashwin might be a better foil for Harbhajan Singh; with his mystery keeping batsmen on their toes, Harbhajan can slip in more wicket-taking deliveries himself. Ashwin will also be harder for the likes of O’Brien to sweep as he bowls a direly straight line.
India have been cursed to be uneasy no matter what total they notch up, given that their fielding and bowling is not beyond reproach and that the Irish amassed 227 runs in the last 154 balls of their innings. They will need to hold all their catches and intercept every run if they do not want to leave it to chance against the freaky Irish. While it is a long shot to say that India’s 300-plus total will be susceptible to being overhauled a second time in a row – by Ireland – they were exposed in the last match, and will court danger against better teams in the latter stages of the tourney.
Ireland:

The Irish batting against the English bowling was remarkable for its stoicism. When Captain and crucial batsman William Porterfield dragged his stumps down the very first ball of the mammoth chase, the Irish had all the reason to feel like this was not to be their day. And but for the other batters having held the fort up with reasonable scores of their own, O’Brien may not have had the fervour and hope to go for it full pelt. There was smart role-play, after Alex Cusack sacrificed his wicket after a valuable 47, when John Mooney turned aggressor to keep O’Brien safe, getting the timely boundary to stay afloat.
Ireland have shown some good death bowling. Against Bangladesh, they gave away a miserly 38 runs in the last ten overs, and on Wednesday, it was 33 runs in the last five. Mooney jarred the English at the death, picking up 4 players who were either set or capable of dangerous hitting. In George Dockrell, Ireland have an accurate, indefatigable left-armer who can bowl at the death too. His true test will come if he is handed the ball with a Pathan or Yuvraj on strike.

Sri Lanka vs Kenya: World Cup Match preview

Sri Lanka on Tuesday will face Kenya in the World Cup Group A match at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Sri Lanka, tipped as one of the title contenders, lost to Pakistan by 11 runs on Saturday and they would look to lift their morale with a big win against Kenya at R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.

They have also got the boost ahead of Tuesday's match with fast bowler Lasith Malinga available for selection for after sitting out of Sri Lanka's last two matches due to a sore back.

Sri Lanka ill-afford to take their Tuesday's opponents lightly though Kenya had suffered heavy defeats at the hands of New Zealand and Pakistan in their last two matches and facing internal division with differences between their coach Eldine Baptiste and senior players.

Against the Kiwis, Kenya were bowled out for 69 runs, their lowest total in ODI cricket, and then Pakistan thrashed them by 205 runs at Hambantota.

But the last time Sri Lanka and Kenya met in a World Cup encounter was in 2003 and the Africans had stunned the 1996 champions on that occasion with an upset win in Nairobi.

Understandably, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss warned his players not to be complacent

"The fact that we did not win our last game will stop any complacency. Our guys are consciously aware of playing good cricket and we certainly will not take them lightly," Bayliss said.

He said Malinga was able to bowl full steam at the nets today and he would be available for selection.

"Lasith bent over to pick up a cricket ball about two weeks ago and strained his back a little. The physio said that the first two weeks were the most important after his injury as the most likelihood of him re-injuring was that period. He bowled in the last two practice sessions. He has bowled with a full run-up today and batted and fielded. We have a selection meeting in the evening and will decide what to do then," Baylisss said.

Kenya, on the other hand, are facing trouble ahead of their all-important match with reports of differences between players and coach emerging.

Cricket Kenya chief Samir Inamdar yesterday blamed differences between the players and West Indian coach Eldine Baptiste for their lacklustre performances so far.

Kenyan captain Jimmy Kamande, however, dismissed suggestions that there was disunity within the squad and promised a better performance on Tuesday.

"I also read those reports. I have not spoken to the chairman, but I can tell you that my team is very solid. When a team loses people try to find excuses. The thing is we have not performed and we want to play well," Kamande told reporters at the pre-match press conference.

"Obviously Sri Lanka are a solid side. But we have nothing to lose. They are the ones who are under pressure to perform. Having lost to Pakistan, this makes a must win game for them and we will try and put pressure on them," Kamande added.

Cricket World Cup Match Preview: Bangladesh vs Ireland

This coming Friday, at the same ground where they went down against a rampant India, Bangladesh will take on a team that had risen above its own reputation in the last World Cup. Bangladesh, chastened by India in front of its home crowd, will not be the same force in the coming matches, and Ireland will think themselves more their equal than simply a nagging threat. If ever Ireland could feel like they had a chance to stamp themselves into the reckoning, as they did when they ousted Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup, it would be now, over the drained spirit of the Bangladeshis.

The wicket at the Sher-e-Bangla behaved irrationally in some ways in the India-Bangladesh encounter. When Virender Sehwag struck the first ball of the tournament for four, he was made to stand tall by the ball’s lifting trajectory off the pitch, but as the innings wore on, the bounce got slower and lower till Gautam Gambhir was bowled by a virtually soporific ball. Ireland’s lack of spinners is offset by their abundance of slow medium-pacers, who find their calling in stopping tracks where slowness, of the ball, begets more slowness, off the track.

Bangladesh:

It seemed as though Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal had swapped bats in the last match. Tamim, usually the ever-ready biffer, poked and struggled in the beginning while Kayes took the attack to the bowlers. Kayes could not last too long, while Tamim took a useful lesson in biding one’s time to build an innings. No surprises in how he and Captain Shakib Al Hasan were the two stalwarts taking up the batting challenge. While Junaid Siddique was a mix of being loyal to the crease and keeping an eye upon the target, Mohammad Ashraful’s experience was sorely missed in the middle order. However, as his form has given him a paltry 62 runs over the last two seasons, he is not likely to be brought back.

If, on Saturday, the batsmen had not risen to save Bangladesh’s blushes, the insipid bowling performance earlier would have appeared magnified and demoralized the team further. When you see that Shakib, having gone at 6.10 runs per over and picked up one wicket, was one of the more economical bowlers, you get a sense of how innocuous the rest of the unit was. When your entire bowling quarry goes at over 7 runs an over, it’s hard to prune the weeds, but Suhrawadi Shuvo has done more as a spinner than Naeem Islam and he could be an option.

Ireland:

Ireland opener William Porterfield has been in sublime touch over the warm-ups played over the last couple of weeks, scoring two fifties. Ed Joyce, who played for England four years ago, has injected his professionalism into the no. 3 spot, and has been scoring freely over the last four games, with two 40s and a 50. All-rounder Andrew White, who has not been thrown the ball of late, has been giving handy contributions with the bat. Andre Botha was impressive against Zimbabwe, amongst the wickets as well as a scoring steadily.

Boyd Rankin, almost a secret weapon for the kind of wraps he has been put under over the past few games, will supply the pace otherwise lacking in the medium-pace-heavy Irish attack. Kevin O’ Brien can handle the new ball and is known to provide the breakthroughs. Trent Johnston and Alex Cusack have been steady, bowling nagging deliveries, and could trouble a Tamim, who would like the ball to come on to the bat. George Dockrell, Somerset’s pick for a slow left-armer, will provide for the Irish what Shakib and Abdur Razzak do for their team.

Form guide:

Bangladesh: LLWWW
Feb 19, 2011 - Lost to India by 87 runs
Feb 16, 2011 - Lost to Pakistan by 89 runs
Feb 13, 2011 - Defeated Canada by 9 wickets
Dec 12, 2010 - Defeated Zimbabwe by 6 wickets
Dec 6, 2010 - Defeated Zimbabwe by 65 runs

If Bangladesh’s experience of defeat has taught them anything, it is resilience. They will approach this match afresh and seek to win back some confidence before they meet the West Indies, who may or may not have had a good run as of March 4.

Ireland: WLLLW
Feb 15, 2011 Defeated Zimbabwe by 4 wickets
Feb 12, 2011 Lost to New Zealand by 32 runs
Feb 8, 2011 Lost to Kenya by 3 wickets
Feb 6, 2011 Lost to Zimbabwe by 6 wickets
Sep 30, 2010 Defeated Zimbabwe by 20 runs

Ireland stayed close on New Zealand’s heels as they attempted to chase down a massive 311 in Nagpur. They appear to be on the up, having gone on to force a win against the Zimbabweans in the next game, with some valuable contributions from the middle order.

Likely teams:

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan (c), Raqibul Hasan, Mahmudullah, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain.

Ireland: William Porterfield (c), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien (wk), Andre Botha, Kevin O’Brien, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Andrew White, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin.

Players to watch:

Tamim Iqbal, against India, had to resort to playing an innings which went against his nature. Will the wobbly pace at which the Irish bowlers operate spur him on or cow him down?

Andre Botha has picked up 6 wickets in 4 warm-up games, kind of overhauling his haul of 5 wickets he got in the last World Cup (the aforementioned games being unofficial of course). He also top-scored against Zimbabwe in the only match Ireland won in the warm-ups. This South African-born player, not snapped up by England, can be expected to shine for Ireland on Friday.

Prediction:

Bangladesh at home can be fooled only by the best. So unless you boast a Sehwag in your team, you will have to play by their rules in their backyard. They will be hard to beat. But you never know with the Ireland team. They took one and all by surprise defeating Pakistan, and last week, ran a huge New Zealand total close. Although they have not had the most successful run into the tournament, with the Shamrocks, a rocky start is but a sham!

World Cup Match Preview: Pakistan vs Kenya

At one end, a team that has not quite recaptured its glory since Imran Khan bade it adieu, and at the other, one that has languished after its promise in 2003 never really took off. At the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, on Wednesday, Pakistan should be on their guard given their tendency to be shocked by the so-called minnows, as Kenya will look to rattle a vulnerable team early in the tournament.

It will take the bigger hitters to yoke the vast boundaries of the new Hambantota ground in Sri Lanka. The wind will be a factor too and select cordons will be favoured for shot-making, depending on which way the wind blows. The Sri Lankans themselves, who played Canada here, were circumspect at the start as this is a pitch that appears to require some initial application due to the smattering of grass the surface warrants with the dry conditions.


Pakistan:
In the dynamic Ahmed Shehzad, Pakistan have another addition to the gaggle of promising openers that keep seeming to bubble up in the country. With two centuries this month, he seems to have found the ability to convert form and promise into big scores. Mohammad Hafeez’s bat has been dry since his century in Napier last month, but his stability should get him to open with Shehzad. Younus Khan, who has stuck it through thick and thin with Pakistan, stood out once more in the practice match against England, with a patient 80. Misbah ul-Haq came good in the warm-up against Bangladesh and has a reputation to hold down in the middle order, wherein the Akmal brothers, Umar and Kamran, will inject their charisma.

Expect Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul to get the Kenyan openers watchful and timid. A lacklustre Gul has not had the chance to rub shoulders against Kenya, and will want to use the match to rake up some form. Saeed Ajmal’s overused yet mysterious doosra will be a revelation to the Kenyans, and you can just see him pin down the scoring rate as the batsmen struggle to read him. Afridi should back him up with his own brand of stifling, fast wrist-spin, and together they can be expected to produce a tumble of wickets, or a worst, some sedate middle overs.

With left-armer Abdur Rehman not being in any sort of form lately, and pacer Wahab Riaz’s ascending figures, Pakistan may opt for the pacer given that dew might well play a part in the second innings. A consistent Junaid Khan may get a look in for this game, if the team wants to give him a go in the preamble to the bigger matches to come.

Mohammads Asif and Amir may be AWOL in this side, but the shortages in the Pakistani outfit are always filled up, ably, by someone or the other. Already, Hafeez and Shehzad are ensuring Salman Butt is not missed as much as he should be.

Kenya:
Kenya were beaten black and blue in their last outing against New Zealand, and the bad news for them is that up next is an even better bowling attack. However, after getting bowled out for 69, things can only get better for the Africans, and they will be desperate to show the cricketing world that they belong on this stage. One can expect a backlash from that opening game debacle, and Kenya will surely buckle down and put up some semblance of a score in their second outing.

To help Kenya achieve that, they have a promising opener in Seren Waters. A boundary-laden century against the Netherlands in a warm-up game showed him off for his form, application and flamboyance. A valuable Collins Obuya at no. 3 will look to take his form into this important match. Steve Tikolo has been Kenya’s second centurion in the past two weeks and holds the middle order together. As was seen in their match against the Kiwis, when the veteran fell cheaply, the batsmen who came after him just could not get going. Rakep Patel will look for the big ones once he gets his eye in.

Among the bowlers, Nehemene Odhiambo has performed consistently, with 7 wickets over four practice games. He will be partnered by spearhead Peter Ongondo, who has an economy rate of 4.50, and assisted by the bowling all-rounder Thomas Odoyo. Left-arm spinner Shem Ongoche has been among the wickets, as has Tikolo with his own brand of off-breaks. Sadly, due to the ineptitude of the batting unit, the bowlers had practically nothing to defend in the match against New Zealand, and their contribution was limited to just 8 overs. Given an opportunity to play a full game, the Kenyan bowlers will hope to put on a good showing against Pakistan.

With all their batsmen having performed equally poorly in their last outing, it is highly unlikely that Kenya will make any specific changes to their side, and one can expect the same starting eleven to take the field.
Form guide:

Pakistan:
Feb 18, 2011 - Lost to England by 67 runs
Feb 15, 2011 - Defeated Bangladesh by 89 runs
Feb 5, 2011 - Lost to New Zealand by 57 runs
Feb 3, 2011 - Defeated New Zealand by 41 runs
Feb 1, 2011 - Defeated New Zealand by 2 wickets

Pakistan’s mixed fortunes in recent tournaments can be put down to their disconnect from the advantage of form and momentum – a disease which people forgivingly label ‘unpredictability’. They have the talent and the glory -seekers, but seem to either fall short or overshoot.

Kenya:
Feb 20, 2011 - Lost to New Zealand by 10 wickets
Feb 15, 2011 - Lost to Netherlands by 2 wickets
Feb 12, 2011 - Lost to West Indies by 61 runs
Feb 8, 2011 - Defeated Ireland by 3 wickets
Feb 6, 2011 - Defeated Afghanistan by 49 runs

Kenya are clearly a team who have undergone a decline, having once been a team that made the semi-finals in the 2003 World Cup. They can crush the associate teams, but find it tough to match the test-playing nations.

Likely teams:
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younus Khan, Misbah ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman/Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul/Junaid Khan

Kenya: Seren Waters, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, Steve Tikolo, Maurice Ouma, Rakep Patel, Jimmy Kamande, Thomas Odoyo, Peter Ongondo, Shem Ongoche, Nehemene Odhiambo

Players to watch:
If the in-form Shahid Afridi happens to check out his non-descript record against Kenya, he will be spurred to make drastic amends, and Kenya beware!

If the same Rakep Patel who helped Kenya overhaul a total of 320 against the Netherlands in 2010 shows up at this game, expect a twist; or at the very least, some fireworks.

Prediction: Despite it usually being hard to speculate on matches involving Pakistan, you could place your bets on a win for them at Hambantota. If they can curb their mercury levels, and Kenya duly find it hard to negotiate the bowling, Afridi’s boys will know that it should be a walk-over. But, knowing the Pakistan side, one will have to add: “Insha'Allah!”