India win by 8 wickets qualify for semis and knock Pakistan out of Champions Trophy
India 236 for 2 (Dhawan 102*, Karthik 52*, Rohit 52) beat West Indies 233 for 9 (Charles 60, Sammy 56*, Jadeja 5-36) by 8 wickets
Four years ago, almost to the day, in the same city of London, Ravindra Jadeja was a hare caught in the headlights. He could neither get out nor hit out, and his 25 off 35 in that Twenty20 match against England - India were knocked out of that World T20 - earned him what seemed like a lifetime of ridicule. He wasn't supposed to succeed at international cricket. He did. He wasn't supposed to succeed outside Asia at least. He has, for now.
When Jadeja was introduced in this Champions Trophy match, West Indies had marched to 92 for 1 in 17 overs, and Johnson Charles, an awkward batsman to deal with, was timing everything he hit. He had carted Bhuvneshwar Kumar, deflected Umesh Yadav and lofted Virat Kohli and even R Ashwin. India were staring at a big total, but Jadeja twirled that ball like he does his new 'tache. Some turned and some didn't; most of them were headed for the stumps, but at different speeds; five of them got wickets, two lbws and one bowled; West Indies went from 103 for 1 to 182 for 9, and India into the semi-final of the Champions Trophy. West Indies now needed to beat South Africa to progress; Pakistan were knocked out.
The target of 234 - thanks to Jadeja and despite Darren Sammy's 56 off 32 towards the end, proved no inconvenience for India - whose openers were almost in a contest to outdo each other's attractive shots. Their 101-run stand was the first time since 2007 that India had put up back-to-back hundred openings outside Asia. Rohit Sharma might have fallen for 52 off 56, but Shikhar Dhawan went on to score his third century in his last three international innings, all at a strike rate of 100 or more.
India won with 10.5 overs to spare. It didn't start off that easy after they put West Indies in. Johnson Charles, who scored 60 off 55, was an irritant for India, who had managed to get past Chris Gayle before he could do any real damage. Charles is not a pretty batsman. Nor is he a rhythm player. Form and run of play don't matter much to him. Once he starts hitting them sweetly, though, he can find unusual spaces on a field of play. He is a man you want out early, and as his stats suggest it hasn't been difficult to get him out early. However, until today whenever he had reached 50, he had crossed 100.
Charles was already 50 when Jadeja came on to bowl. That included a burst from 6 off 17 to 30 off 26 in six boundaries in the ninth, 10th and 11th over. After that, he didn't let Ashwin and Kohli - the latter bowled before Jadeja - settle at all. On came Jadeja, and bowled a maiden to Darren Bravo. On the face of it, there was nothing special about that over: just accurate and quick bowling.
In Jadeja's next, Charles tried to sweep him hard. He connected, but Jadeja had square leg positioned at the right spot. The next ball was quick, went with the arm, and Charles played all across it. Gone. Trademark Jadeja dismissal. Charles should have known better. Now Jadeja began to employ the vice grip, bowling quick, at the stumps, not knowing himself which will turn and which won't.
Ishant Sharma - match figures of 10-1-43-1 was an able ally at the other end. He bowled short of a length on a dry pitch, and slipped in a maiden with the unsure Marlon Samuels. In the next over, Jadeja got another dart on target, but the umpire saw an inside edge. Jadeja insisted on a review, convinced MS Dhoni, and found out that the ball had hit the pad first, and plumb in front.
Dhoni returned the favour in Jadeja's next over when he went down the leg side to superbly catch a deflection from Ramnaresh Sarwan. It wasn't the best delivery Jadeja had bowled, but West Indies had nonetheless gone from 103 for 1 to 109 for 4. Darren Bravo now got stuck even as Dwayne Bravo batted industriously leading up to the Powerplay. Darren Bravo finally threw it away just before the Powerplay as he danced down to Ashwin and was stumped for 35 off 83.
After India got lucky with Dwayne Barvo's wicket, others lost their heads and their wickets. Not Sammy. He lifted that bat high, and began to swing. He had to do a fair bit of the farming of the strike because Kemar Roach had joined him with 4.3 overs still to go. He rearranged some analyses, hit four sixes and five fours, and without any tangible contribution from Roach, added 51 for the last wicket.
This total was supposed to give West Indies hope. Dhawan and Rohit were to dash that hope soon. From the moment Rohit cut Roach for four in the first over and Dhawan drive Ravi Rampaul through cover for another in the fourth, the match was going only one way. West Indies were either too short or too full, the openers matched each other stroke for stroke, and the only matter of uncertainty towards the end was whether Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik would get to their personal milestones.
Dhawan was 96, Karthik was 48, and India needed six when Bravi bowled short. He upper-cut it over third man, took off the helmet, stood with his arms aloft, and then played out five dots to let Karthik get to fifty in the next over. Karthik did so with a drive over extra cover.
25 overs India 160 for 2 (Dhawan 75*, Karthik 5*) need another 74 to beat West Indies 233 for 9 (Charles 60, Sammy 56*, Jadeja 5-36)
The target of 234 proved no inconvenience for India, whose openers were almost in a contest to outdo each other's attractive shots. Their 101-run stand was the first time since 2007 that India had put up back-to-back hundred openings outside Asia. At the 25-over mark, India needed just 74 more to make it to the semi-final. They had eight wickets in hand.
That final surge from Sammy was supposed to give West Indies hope. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were to dash that hope soon. From the moment Rohit cut Roach for four in the first over and Dhawan drove Ravi Rampaul through cover for another in the fourth, the match was going only one way. West Indies were either too short or too full, the openers matched each other stroke for stroke.
Rohit reached his fifty first, and Dhawan followed soon. Dhawan was unbeaten on 75, and needed to score 25 out of the remaining 74 to get to what could be his third century in the last three international innings.
WI 233/9 (50 ovs)
FOW: Gayle falls for 21 (25/1), Charles lbw Jadeja 60 (103/2), Samuels lbw Jadeja (105/3)
Sarwan c Dhoni b Jadeja (109/4), Darren Bravo st Dhoni b Ashwin 35 (140/5),
Dwayne Bravo c Jadeja b Yadav (163/6), Pollard c Kumar b Sharma (171/7),
Narine c Karthik b Jadeja 2 (WI 179-8), Rampaul b Jadeja 2 (WI 182-9)
50 overs West Indies 233 for 9 (Charles 60, Sammy 56*, Jadeja 5-36) v India
Nearly four years ago, in the same city of London, Ravindra Jadeja was caught in the headlights. He could neither get out nor hit out, and his 25 off 35 in that Twenty20 match - India were knocked out of that World T20 - earned him what seemed like a lifetime of ridicule. He wasn't supposed to succeed at international cricket. He did. He wasn't supposed to succeed outside Asia at least. He has, for now.
When Jadeja was introduced in this Champions Trophy match, West Indies had marched to 92 for 1 in 17 overs, and Johnson Charles, an awkward batsman to deal with, was timing everything he hit. He had carted Bhuvneshwar Kumar, deflected Umesh Yadav and lofted Virat Kohli and even R Ashwin. India were staring at a big total, but Jadeja twirled that ball like he does his new 'tache. Some turned and some didn't; most of them were headed for the stumps, but at different speeds; five of them got wickets, two lbws and one bowled; and West Indies went from 103 for 1 to 182 for 9.
At which point, another man whose international existence is questioned far more often than is healthy took West Indies to a fighting total. Darren Sammy swung hard in the last three overs with only last man for company, rearranged Ishant Sharma's match figures, and smacked 56 off 35. He wouldn't even have been playing had Denesh Ramdin not been banned for claiming a catch that wasn't in the previous match.
Charles had been an irritant for India, who had managed to get past Chris Gayle before he could do any real damage. Charles is not a pretty batsman. Nor is he a rhythm player. Form and run of play don't matter much to him. Once he starts hitting them sweetly, though, he can find unusual spaces on a field of play. He is a man you want out early, and as his stats suggest it hasn't been difficult to get him out early. However, until today whenever he had reached 50, he had crossed 100.
Charles was already 50 when Jadeja came on to bowl. That included a burst from 6 off 17 to 30 off 26 in six boundaries in the ninth, 10th and 11th over. After that, he didn't let Ashwin and Kohli, the latter bowled before Jadeja, settle at all. On came Jadeja, and bowled a maiden to Darren Bravo. On the face of it, there was nothing special about that over: just accurate and quick bowling.
In Jadeja's next, Charles tried to sweep him hard. He connected, but Jadeja had square leg positioned at the right spot. The next ball was quick, went with the arm, and Charles played all across it. Gone. Trademark Jadeja dismissal. Charles should have known better. Now Jadeja began to employ the vice grip, bowling quick, at the stumps, not knowing himself which will turn and which won't.
Ishant Sharma - match figures of 10-1-43-1 was an able ally at the other end. He bowled short of a length on a dry pitch, and slipped in a maiden with the unsure Marlon Samuels. In the next over, Jadeja got another dart on target, but the umpire saw an inside edge. Jadeja insisted on a review, convinced MS Dhoni, and found out that the ball had hit the pad first, and plumb in front.
Dhoni returned the favour in Jadeja's next over when he went down the leg side to superbly catch a deflection from Ramnaresh Sarwan. It wasn't the best delivery Jadeja had bowled, but West Indies had nonetheless gone from 103 for 1 to 109 for 4. Darren Bravo not got stuck even as Dwayne Bravo batted industriously leading up to the Powerplay. Darren finally threw it away just before the Powerplay as he danced down to Ashwin and was stumped for 35 off 83.
India got a lucky break inside the Powerplay even as Kieron Pollard looked threatening. Dwayne Bravo pulled Yadav sweetly, but straight to the only man in the deep. Pollard fell under pressure too. Others lost their head too. Not Sammy. He lifted that bat high, and began to swing. He had to do a fair bit of the farming of the strike because Kemar Roach had joined him with 4.3 overs still to go.
What 4.3 overs they were to be. Yadav went for a straight six, Ishant went for two to go with two fours in the 49th over, and Jadeja was treated to a straight four and a skimming flat six over extra cover. Roach didn't score a run in that 51-run partnership.
Ravindra Jadeja led India's recovery from an unpredictable Johnson Charles assault. Jadeja first consigned Charles to his first score between 50 and 100, and then dismissed Marlon Samuels and Ramnaresh Sarwan as West Indies went from 103 for 1 to 114 for 4 by 25 overs. Jadeja's figures read 4-1-6-3. Asked to bat first under overcast skies, and despite losing Chris Gayle early, West Indies were on the recovery track with Charles' 60 off 55 until Jadeja - introduced after Virat Kohli - interrupted.
Charles is not a pretty batsman. Nor is he a rhythm player. Form and run of play don't matter much to him. Once he starts hitting them sweetly, though, he can find unusual spaces on a field of play. He is a man you want out early, and as his stats suggest it hasn't been difficult to get him out early. Here, though, India managed only Gayle, after he had raced away to 21 off 18, taking full toll of Umesh Yadav's waywardness.
India seemed to have established control after Bhuvneshwar Kumar drew the edge from Gayle. Charles and Darren Bravo seemed to be scratching around. One was 6 off 17, the other 6 off 16, when suddenly a switch was flicked on in the ninth over. In a flurry of six boundaries in the next three overs, Charles had reached 30 off 26. That included four runs that were disallowed because the umpires were confused about something, and called the ball dead. Only one of the boundaries was a mis-hit.
Charles now found a rhythm, and began to work the ball around with a big shot every two or three overs for punctuation. He had Kohli inside-out over wide long-off and R Ashwin over wide long-on for sixes, but didn't quite get the freedom against Jadeja's darts. Jadeja, brought in to bowl after West Indies had reached 92 for 1 after 17 overs, began with a maiden to Darren Bravo.
Charles responded with that six off Ashwin, and then tried to sweep Jadeja but found square leg. The next ball was quick and went straight with the arm. Charles played across the line and was gone. Samuels was tentative at the start, and was in the way of another Jadeja dart. He wasn't given out because umpire Aleem Dar thought he had hit it. Jadeja insisted on a review, convinced MS Dhoni and the replays showed it was pad-first by the tiniest of margins.
Dhoni returned the favour when in Jadeja's next over he went down the leg side to superbly catch a defelction from Sarwan off a quick delivery. The game had turned on its head.
West Indies 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach
India 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav
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