subject: Yuvraj, Zaheer Drives India to Victory [print this page] Yuvraj, Zaheer Drives India to Victory Yuvraj, Zaheer Drives India to Victory
The last match of the preliminary stage was between India and West Indies in the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chennai. With all the magnificent efforts of the players, India has won the game desperately by Yuvraj Singh's century and Zaheer's bowling attack. The game has kept on changing respectively with the bowling attack by India, who came up with seven bowlers including two pacers and two spinners and three part-time spinners.
India has won the toss and elected to bat. India has given rest for Virender Sehwag along with pacer Ashish Nehra and has picked up Suresh Raina and spinner Ashwin into the attack on West Indies. India has started their batting by opening of Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir. West Indies struck early in the last ball of the first over by dismissing Sachin with the short ball that straightened likely outside off by Ravi Rampaul. The umpire ruled as not out, but Sachin started walking out of the ground.
Virat Kohli joined Gambhir and the two made a good partnership of 43 runs. Gambhir added 22 to his score and was dismissed by Rampaul with the help of Russell taking a wonderful catch. Yuvraj Singh, who has been in a better form and scored three half centuries in this ICC World Cup 2011 has proved again that he can be the match winner. The third wicket partnership has moved to 122 till Virat was sent away Rampaul.
It has been a good score when Virat was dismissed. Dhoni joined Yuvraj and helped him in making the splendid century. This is the first century of Yuvraj in ICC World Cup tournament. Dhoni was stumped at 22 and very soon, the next batsman, Suresh Raina has not spent much time with Yuvraj and was dismissed by scoring four runs. Unfortunately, Yuvraj was caught and bowled by Pollard just before taking power play. India again was troubled in the batting power play and hardly scored 28 runs by loosing four quick wickets.
Ravi Rampaul has bagged 5 wicket haul for 51 runs in his complete spell. Russell managed to take two wickets where as Sammy, Bishoo and Pollard took one wicket each. India managed a good total of 268 runs in 49.1 overs.
Dhoni introduced Ashwin for the bowling attack and has made a successful one when he dismissed Edwards for a leg before wicket. After loosing Bravo in the seventeenth over by Raina, West Indies kept going forward with good run rate. The innings turning point was made by Zaheer Khan when he bowled Smith for 81 runs. Sarwan managed to stay for longer time in the pitch. The remaining batsmen were dismissed one after other with low scores by the Indian bowlers.
Zaheer took the wickets of Smith, Benn and Sarwan. Yuvraj done again a good thing with the ball by taking two wickets that include Thomas and Russell. Where as, Harbhajan Singh and Raina managed to take one wickets each, the innings was completed with Ashwin when he bowled off Rampaul. India won by 80 runs and as expected, Yuvraj Singh was awarded as the Man of the Match for scoring 113 runs and taking two wickets.
India will meet Australia on 24th March, 2011 at Ahmadabad for the quarter finals of the ICC World Cup 2011.
