Archives for August 2019

After two near misses & two bronze, the on-court vivisection of Japanese Okuhara in 37 minutes for maiden World C’ship gold heralds a new dawn for Sindhu

CHENNAI : Thirty-seven minutes of mayhem, destruction, and sheer, unbridled power in its most visceral form. Thirty seven minutes of PV Sindhu reminding the world why she considers BWF World Championships her playground. Thirty seven minutes of Sindhu’s greatest hits being played on a loop as she scripted history by becoming the first Indian world champion in the sport.

It was so one-sided — a final scoreline of 21-7, 21-7 — that Sindhu could have played the majority of the final with one hand tied behind her back. Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara, World No 4 with a medal haul to rival Sindhu, didn’t stand a chance.  If the 2017 final between these two went down in history because of the brilliance and endurance of both (it finished 21-19, 20-22, 22-20 in Okuhara’s favour), this will be remembered for the way Sindhu dismantled Okuhara. The match ended the only way it could: Okuhara on all fours, Sindhu standing tall. 

Her constant peppering of Okuhara’s body with smashes was reminiscent of a fast-bowler torturing a tail-ender with chin music. And the way she moved the Japanese from flank to flank was like watching a master puppeteer at work. What really did work in the Indian’s favour was her ability to keep plugging away without taking her foot off the gas.

She did not allow Okuhara to breathe. A prime example of that was the way Sindhu reacted whenever Okuhara committed an unforced error. She would rush to the net, pick up the shuttle and be ready to serve. In the 2017 and 2018 finals, she let her opponents come to the net and send the shuttle to her side of the court — a common badminton etiquette.

Another slight tweak was her ability to shorten points. Whenever rallies were threatening to develop, she used her height to snufff them out. Significantly, not a single rally went beyond 30 shots, a far cry from the 73-shot one these two played in the 2017 final. In all, they played 56 rallies, with Sindhu winning 42. 

Each winner was a dagger that pierced Okuhara usually resolute defense. The last, a smash to the left of Okuhara that made her fall to her knees, signalled the dawn of a new era. It’s been a long time coming — bronze in 2013, another in 2014, and then two silver in 2017 and 2018. This gold, completes the set. Once the supporting cast for four years, and now the lead actor in just 37 minutes.

The 318-run victory in the series-opener was India’s biggest-ever away win by runs in Test cricket.

NORTH SOUND: India inflicted a humiliating 318-run defeat on the West Indies in the first Test as Jasprit Bumrah dismantled the hosts with a five wicket haul after Ajinkya Rahane found his first century in two years, here on Sunday.

West Indies were chasing a stiff 419-run target but Indian pacers, led by Bumrah demolished the hosts, who were all out for just 100 in 26.5 overs in the final session of the fourth day.

It was a Bumrah show in perfect weather conditions as he sent the wickets cart-wheeling thrice during a sensational eight-over spell in which he conceded just seven runs. Playing his 10th Test, he also became the fastest bowler to take 50 Test wickets.

Bumrah swung the ball both ways to torment the home batsmen while Ishant Sharma (3/31) and Mohammed Shami (2/13) too contributed in India’s resounding victory which gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Kemar Roach (38), Miguel Cummins (19 not out) and Roston Chase (12) were the only batsmen who managed double-digit mark. Roach added 50 runs for the last wicket with Cummins but it just delayed the inevitable.

No top-order batsman could resist the furious spell from Bumrah, who first dismissed openers Kraigge Brathwaite (1) and John Campbell (7) and later saw the back of Darren Barvo (2), Shai Hope (2) and Jason Holder to complete his five-wicket haul.

It is India’s fourth-biggest Test win but biggest in away Tests as winning by 336 runs against South Africa in Delhi in 2015-16 remains their best ever.

The result gave Virat Kohli the joint-most number of victories as India captain, tying for 27 wins with MS Dhoni.

He has also gone past Saurav Ganguly (11) for most away wins as India captain.

After resuming the day at 185 for three, Rahane scored a patient 102-run knock but young batsman Hanuma Vihari (93) missed out on his maiden Test ton by just seven runs.

India declared their second innings at 343 for seven, the moment Vihari was dismissed. They raised a 135-run partnership for the fifth wicket after India lost skipper Virat Kohli (51) early during the fourth day’s play.

Kohli’s scalp did not help West Indies much as Rahane and Vihari gradually took the game away from the hosts with their confident yet contrasting batting.

It was Rahane’s first Test hundred since his 132 against Sri Lanka in August 2017 while Vihari threw away a golden opportunity to get his maiden hundred in only his fifth match.

Rahane’s patient knock came off 242 balls with just five shots to the fence but Vihari paced his innings nicely. The Hyderabad batsman hit 10 fours and a six in his 128-ball knock with an impressive strike rate of 72.65.

However, in an attempt to get some quick runs, he pulled Holder but could not connect the ball and the under-edge was easily taken by Hope.

Before that Rahane too fell while trying to score quickly, getting caught by Holder off Shannon Gabriel.

Off-spinner Chase (4/132) was the most successful bowler for the hosts as he got rid of Rishabh Pant (7) after dismissing Kohli (51).

India lost Kohli in the opening session of the fourth day when his leading edge off Chase flew to John Campbell, who took the catch on second attempt.

That ended the fourth-wicket partnership between Kohli and Rahane that yielded 106 runs for India.

The other overnight batsman Rahane was joined by Vihari, who easily worked the ball around in gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking.

As soon as the new ball was available, pacers Roach and Gabriel operated in tandem but before that West Indies part-timers had bowled 41 overs in this innings alone.

While Roach and Gabriel bowled a few testing deliveries, it largely remained an untroubled stay for both Rahane and Vihari.

North Sound (Antigua): Pacer Ishant Sharma’s spirited effort and reckless batting from the West Indies helped India take control of the first Test on day two here on Friday.

The West Indies lost five wickets in the final session to be reeling at 189 for eight in their first innings at stumps, trailing India by 108 runs. Ishant Sharma took a five-wicket haul, his ninth in Tests, to put India in a strong position going into day three at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

India were helped by Roston Chase (48 off 47), John Campbell (23 off 30), Darren Bravo (18 off 27), Shai Hope (24 off 65) and Shimron Hetmyer (35 off 47) who were all guilty of throwing it away after promising starts.

India, who resumed the day at 203 for six, went on to make 297 courtesy a fighting 58 from Ravindra Jadeja who was ably supported by Ishant (19 off 62) during their 60-run stand for the eighth wicket.

The conditions were good for batting but the West Indies batsmen failed to apply themselves. Ishant made life difficult for them both with bat and ball. After frustrating the hosts in the morning session with his dogged stay in the middle, Ishant troubled the opposition with his incisive spells which included highly effective cross seam deliveries.

He was brilliant too with catching off his own bowling as he got two wickets in that fashion. At tea, the West Indies were struggling at 82 for three. After scoring a crucial half-century, Jadeja removed debutant Shamarh Brooks (11) to leave the home team at 50 for three.

The left-arm spinner had Brooks caught at first slip after his attempted cut ricocheted off Rishabh Pant’s thigh to fall into the safe hands of Ajinkya Rahane.

With the pitch flattening out, there was not much movement off the pitch or in the air but Indian bowlers kept things tight to maintain pressure on the batsmen. The other West Indies batsmen to be dismissed were openers Kraigg Brathwaite (14) and Campbell, dismissed by Ishant and Mohammad Shami respectively.

In the morning, Jadeja and Ishant frustrated West Indies with a timely 60 run-stand for the eighth wicket, helping India reach 297 all out at the stroke of lunch.

Jadeja and Ishant were able to negotiate the threat posed by the potent pace duo of Shannon Gabriel (3/71) and Kemar Roach (4/66) after losing Rishabh Pant (24) in the second over of the day.

Jadeja’s innings comprised six fours and a maximum before he became the last man to be dismissed in the Indian innings, leading to lunch. While Jadeja justified his inclusion in the playing XI ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin with a gritty effort, Pant could not deliver for the team.

Roach got his fourth wicket of the innings when he dismissed Pant with a beauty from around the wicket that moved away enough to get the edge of the young wicketkeeper-batsman.

Pant was guilty of playing the ball with hard hands as skipper Jason Holder took a regulation catch at second slip, leaving India at 207 for seven. It seemed India’s brittle tail will not put up much of a fight yet again, but Jadeja and Ishant batted sensibly in their 116-ball stand, defying the West Indian pacers.

While maturity was expected from Jadeja, Ishant impressed with the way he dealt with the express pace of Roach and Gabriel. He was not afraid to come on to the front foot and was equally comfortable at tackling the rising ball.

The lanky India pacer, whose highest score is 31, was finally dismissed in the 90th over, playing on to a full slower ball off Gabriel. Shami joined Jadeja in the middle but his stay lasted only one ball as he offered a return catch to off-spinner Chase.

Running out of partners, Jadeja showed urgency to collect some vital runs and brought up his 11th half-century with a slap to cover for four. The following ball, he swept Chase for a six over deep midwicket, giving the Indian innings a welcome flourish towards the end.