India consigned Pakistan to a humiliating 76-run defeat in their first match of Cricket World Cup 2015 in Adelaide on Sunday. This was India’s sixth straight World Cup win over their arch-rivals. Defending champions India rode on Virat Kohli’s brilliant 107 to score 300/7 after skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat. Mohammed Shami took 4 for 35 to send Pakistan crashing.|
Sunday’s result was India’s first big victory in almost three months the team has been in Australia. India had lost the Test series against Australia 2-0 and didn’t qualify for the tri-series final. Australia defeated England to win the championship.
Pakistan started well but lost their way due to poor shot selection. Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq’s 76 went in vain as Pakistan lost wickets in bunches and never recovered. Indian bowling was backed by smart fielding as Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina took some match-winning catches.
Opener Ahmed Shehzad (47) and Haris Sohail (36) blew good starts and veteran batsmen Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi failed to come to the party. Afridi, typically, was out to a booming loose stroke.
Earlier, Kohli scored an imperious century to steer India to an imposing 300 for seven as they opened their World Cup defence in a frenzied atmosphere at the Adelaide Oval. The much-anticipated Pool B grudge match attracted a noisy full house to the recently revamped ground with up to a billion tuning in on the sub-continent and around the world.
It was the two thirds of the crowd dressed in the blue of India, though, who had the most to cheer about after India won the toss and chose to bat, Kohli brushing off his recent poor one-day form with a knock of 107.
Dropped from a difficult chance by Yasir Shah off Shahid Afridi on seven and again by wicketkeeper Umar Akmal on 76, Kohli otherwise played within himself and gave few chances in his 126-ball innings. Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina also contributed 73 and 74 respectively to India's total.
New Zealand tame Scotland
New Zealand huffed and puffed to a three-wicket win against a spirited Scotland and jumped to the top of Pool A with their second consecutive victory on Tuesday. The Kiwi pacemen, led by Trent Boult (2/21), set up the win as they bundled out Scotland for a measly 142 in 36.2 overs after winning the toss at University Oval ground. Veteran spinner polished of the lower-order after pacers Boult, Tim Southee (2/35) and Corey Anderson (3/18) had unsettled the Scotland innings. Scotland owed their total to Matt Machan (56) and Richie Berrington (50), who struck fighting fifties. It was too small a total to defend but Scotland paceman came up all guns blazing as they removed half of the Kiwi batting line-up in 21 overs.
Ireland stun West Indies
Ireland caused the first shock of the World Cup with a four-wicket triumph against West Indies in their opening Pool B match in New Zealand. It is the fifth successful World Cup chase in excess of 300 and three of them have been by Ireland. Ireland, ranked 11th, reached the second group stage in 2007 and now have matches against the UAE, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan to try and secure a top-four spot in Pool B and a place in the quarter-finals. Their intrepid fielding and accurate seam bowling after choosing to field quickly led to two wickets falling in the eighth over.
Big hitting Gayle and Marlon Samuels both launched towering straight sixes before both were dismissed by 22-year-old George Dockrell in the 22nd over, the left-arm spinner securing figures of 3-23 at one point.
Miller, Duminy rescue SA
David Miller and JP Duminy both scored centuries as South Africa overcame a real challenge from Zimbabwe to record a 62-run victory in their opening World Cup Pool B game in Hamilton on Sunday. Miller (138 not out) and Duminy (115 not out) rescued the Proteas' innings after they had been in trouble at 83 for four, as they put on a world record fifth-wicket stand of 256 to guide their side to 339 for four. Elton Chigumbura's side, however, also showed that they would be a dangerous opponent for many sides with opener Chamu Chibhabha (64), Hamilton Masakadza (80) and Brendan Taylor (40) showing they were all highly competent international batsmen. They had been on 214 for three and well set to push on for the final 15 overs before Taylor's dismissal effectively ended their resistance and they were bowled out for 277 in 48.2 overs.
Australia thrash England
Mitchell Marsh proved the unlikely bowling star and Aaron Finch blasted the first ton of the World Cup as Australia crushed England by 111 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. The tournament favourites ruthlessly swept to victory in their opening Pool A match by posting their highest-ever One-day International total against England of 342 for nine. They then dismissed their hapless arch-rivals for 231 with more than eight overs to spare.
All-rounder Marsh, making his World Cup debut, claimed five for 33 as Australia latched on to their catches with Steve Smith's mid-air screamer to dismiss Jos Buttler the best of the highlight reel. It was a comprehensive victory that signalled Australia as the team to beat as they bid to win their fifth World Cup and their first at home since going out in the semifinals to England when they last hosted the event in 1992. “I don't think we've made any secret about it, we're here to win the World Cup like 13 other teams are,” Finch said. “I suppose what was great was that everyone contributed either with bat, ball or in the field, so from a team point of view it's really good to see everyone playing well and peaking at the right time.”
New Zealand defeat Lanka
New Zealand cemented their status as genuine contenders for the World Cup with a dominating 98-run win over Sri Lanka in Saturday's opening match in Christchurch. Co-hosts New Zealand piled up 331 for six after losing the toss at a chilly Hagley Oval, with skipper Brendon McCullum (65) and Kane Williamson (57) laying the foundations for a big score before all-rounder Corey Anderson smashed 75 off just 46 balls at the finish. The most astonishing feature of the innings, however, was that Sri Lanka spearhead Lasith Malinga, went wicketless in an expensive 10-over spell costing 84 runs.
