India aims to put Twenty20 failure behind them

India have arrived in the Caribbean promising to put the bad memory of their failure in the Twenty20 World Cup behind them.
The Indians face West Indies in four One-day Internationals on their brief trip to the Caribbean fresh from their exit from the Twenty20 World Cup at the Super Eight stage.
"When it comes to playing for your country, you don't really need motivation to go out and perform," said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on arrival.
"West Indies are playing good cricket at the moment. They (had) a very good Twenty20 World Cup, but in the 50 overs, you have time to settle down. After playing so much Twenty20 games, 50 overs seem like a Test match."
The Indian players have had a surfeit of Twenty20 matches, after going straight into the Twenty20 World Cup, following the second staging of the Indian Premier League in South Africa, and this has led to the visitors missing four key players through injury.
Batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar opted to take time off to fully recover from a finger injury he sustained during the IPL.
Shoulder injuries have sidelined talismanic opener Virender Sehwag and left-arm strike bowler Zaheer Khan, and middle-order batsman Suresh Raina has a hairline fracture in one of his thumbs.
"You're always going to miss them because they are great players, but it's a great opportunity for a tour of this nature for young players to show what they're made of," said India coach Gary Kirsten.
"We're looking to those young players for the future as well. This is a great opportunity for these guys to stake their claim."
Kirsten also noted that India have been in great form in ODIs over the last year, losing only three matches of 18, and his side will be looking forward to extending that form.
The first two ODIs take place at Sabina Park on Friday and Sunday, followed by two more the following Friday and Sunday at St. Lucia's Beausejour Cricket Ground.
Squad:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wkt), Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Yusuf Pathan, Murali Vijay, Subramaniam Badrinath, Rudra Pratap Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik.

I feel sorry for Dhoni, says Smith

South Africa captain Graeme Smith offered his support to under-fire India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday after the defending champions crashed out of the World Twenty20.
India's three-run defeat to England at Lord's on Sunday sparked an avalanche of criticism aimed at Dhoni with his tactical thinking coming under fire from the country's demanding fans.
"Mahendra is a very composed person but a few tactical decisions of theirs have come under scrutiny and that's always difficult to deal with as a leader," said Smith whose team face India in their final Super Eights match at Trent Bridge here on Tuesday.
"If you've captained for long enough, you've been through those phases of your career. As a leader, when things aren't going to plan, they will turn on you. How you handle yourself and handle those situations is a sign of the type of character you are and where you're going in your career.
"I certainly had a few moments like that but hopefully we won't be facing that in this competition. Maybe it's someone else's turn."
Smith added: "We all know India, on paper, are a supremely talented team with lots of options so it was a surprise to see them not perform to that standard in Super Eights."
South Africa have already sealed their place in the semi-finals are almost certain to play their last-four match here on Thursday as Group E winners.
"(Tuesday's match) is not important to the competition but we still want to go out and play well," said Smith.
"In terms of the levels which you are playing and in terms of your combinations it is important for our semi-final.
"It is about challenging ourselves to play at the levels we have been. The challenge for us is to maintain our level of play; it's a very difficult competition if you don't do that.
"It's important, no matter what the result, that we play at the level we are comfortable with.
"Twenty20 is all about adapting to situations, committing to your skills and being well-prepared tactically."

Fatigue no excuse for India exit, says Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni refused to blame a packed playing schedule for the defending champions World Twenty20 exit at the hands of England.
Defeat by three runs at Lord's on Sunday meant India, who won the inaugural 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa, no longer had any chance of reaching the semi-finals ahead of their final Super Eights match against South Africa at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.
Leading Indian players such as wicket-keeper/batsman Dhoni have been on a virtual non-stop carousel of cricket for the past two years, their international commitments and the Indian Premier League leaving them with little time for a break.
But Dhoni said: "If a cricketer says he didn't perform well because he was tired, it's a bad excuse. The more cricket you play the better it is. We can't say we didn't do well because we are playing too much cricket, we just didn't play well."
As for the IPL, which this year was staged in South Africa because of security concerns, Dhoni said: "It is a demanding event but it is not an excuse. If you can see I looked tired, I should be the one responsible for it."
India held England to 153 for seven but could only manage 150 for five as they struggled against short-pitched bowling from England's pace attack at a packed Lord's.
Big-hitting Yuvraj Singh, who famously smashed six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad at the 2007 tournament, only appeared at the fall of the fourth wicket despite the sluggish progress made by the top order.
"I am very disappointed," said Dhoni. "We were not up to the mark. Hopefully, this will be a good learning lesson.
"It's not the first time in Twenty20 that the bouncer was used. When you are out of the sub-continent bouncers will be bowled and they bowled them well."
Asked about Yuvraj's place in the batting order, Dhoni replied: "Maybe next time I will send in Yuvraj.
"If I knew Yuvraj would do it for the team, I would have promoted him. What we hoped is that Ravindra Jadeja would stabilise for a few overs. I didn't want Yuvraj to bat under pressure as early as the third or fourth over."
India's build up to this tournament was overshadowed by reports of a bust-up between Dhoni and star opening batsman Virender Sehwag, who in the end didn't play at the World Twenty20 because of a shoulder injury.
"We know what really happened," said Dhoni as he again tried to defuse talk of a major row. "In the dressing room the atmosphere was great.
"Sehwag, when he starts off, the bowler is under pressure. We missed him but that was because of an injury."
He added: "We are more upset than the fans but we understand their emotion."
However, Dhoni stressed he did not feel as low now as when India made an early exit from the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.
"Cricket never tests your character when you are doing well but as a player and a team when you are not doing well.
"We were never up to the mark but we will improve, most of the guys are youngsters and they will play for another eight years or so. This loss is disappointing but it doesn't come close to the 2007 World Cup."

India keep England down to 153-7 in must-win game

Steady bowling by India restricted hosts England to 153-7 in a key Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at Lord's here on Sunday.
Kevin Pietersen top-scored with 46 off 27 balls, with three fours and a six, after sharing a second-wicket stand of 71 with opener Ravi Bopara (37).
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh picked up three wickets, but England's lower order retrieved the situation by adding 53 runs in the last five overs.
England's total was boosted by 16 extras, that included 14 wides.
India, the defending champions, need a win to stay in the tournament after losing their opening Super Eights match against the West Indies at Lord's on Friday.
England, who also lost their first match to South Africa, will remain in contention even if they lose, provided they beat the West Indies and hope the Proteas defeat India in the last match.
South Africa will then advance to the semi-finals with three wins, with England, India and the West Indies tied with one win each and left to battle net run-rates.
Pietersen and Bopara took charge after Luke Wright had fallen in the second over, top-edging a pull off Rudra Pratap Singh.
The duo brought up their 50 partnership off 35 balls before left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke the stand in his first over by bowling Bopara.
Jadeja, playing his first match in the tournament in place of Irfan Pathan, then claimed the dangerous Pietersen leg-before as the batsman attempted to sweep.
Harbhajan lured Owais Shah (12) to hole out to Jadeja on the mid-wicket fence before removing James Foster and Graeme Swann off successive deliveries.
"It's a good wicket to bat on and it's a total we can chase," said Harbhajan.
"The wicket is a little slower than the one we played on against the West Indies here, but in the evening the ball should come onto the bat."
Harbhajan said he was delighted to bowl the 'death' overs for India.
"You have to vary your pace, line and length in Twenty20 otherwise you will go for a lot of runs."

Dhoni relaxed about Gayle storm

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted there would be little he could do if rival skipper Chris Gayle was at his best during their opening World Twenty20 Super Eights clash against the West Indies.
Gayle hammered Australia for a blistering 88 in West Indies' seven-wicket win over Ricky Ponting's men and the left-handed opener has a well deserved reputation for an ability to make rapid scores against even the best attacks.
Having missed the 'dead' game against Sri Lanka with a knee injury, Gayle is expected to return for Friday's clash with defending champions India at Lord's.
"A player like Chris Gayle, you can't plan too much because you can't have players outside the field," Dhoni told reporters at Lord's on Thursday.
"He's a big six-hitter, he will take risks and he can get out. But, in this format, if he has good day you can be on the losing side," Dhoni admitted.
"But we have one or two players like that."
However, India will be without Virender Sehwag after the dynamic opening batsman was ruled out of the tournament with a right shoulder injury that sidelined him from the group stage.
"Sehwag is a very talented player, he can put pressure on when the ball is moving around," Dhoni said before stressing how well the talented Rohit Sharma had performed after stepping up into an opening slot alongside Gautam Gambhir.
"Rohit Sharma is filling his shoes. He's a part-time opener but he's doing really well. He was the best option and he grabbed the opportunity he got."
There is a belief that if a top side gets Gayle out cheaply then the game is all but won.
But Dhoni said the West Indies were much more than a one-man team.
"They've got quite a few big blokes who can hit sixes and push bowlers on to the backfoot.
"Dwayne Bravo is good, then there's Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan. They've alo got bowlers who bowl at 140kph plus and use the slower ball and bouncer effectively."
India were given official clearance Thursday by the ICC to replace Sehwag with Dinesh Karthik and Dhoni said: "Dinesh Karthik has opened in Test matches and done well lower down the order in the IPL.
"He can do well in two slots and he can also replace me as a wicket-keeper."
India, initially suspicious of this format, won the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years ago after beating arch-rivals Pakistan by five runs in a thrilling final.
"We got loads of confidence from having won the last World Twenty20 but we can't rely on that," said Dhoni.

Dhoni warns of New Zealand threat

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has highlighted New Zealand as a threat to his side's hopes of defending their World Twenty20 title in England.
The Black Caps beat India, champions in South Africa two years ago, by nine runs in a warm-up match at Lord's on Monday to extended their impressive record against Dhoni's men in cricket's shortest format.
New Zealand had previously won three straight Twenty20s against India and, although this latest match was not an official contest, they enjoyed another morale boosting success at Lord's after struggling early on.
"If you look at their side they have loads of guys that can really contribute," Dhoni told reporters. "They're a really good side when it comes to the Twenty20 format and the conditions here suit them."
New Zealand, who face Australia in another warm-up match at the Oval on Tuesday, saw Indian Premier League star Ross Taylor, dropped by Dhoni, go on to make 41 while left-hander James Franklin bolstered their total with two sixes and a four in the final over as they finished on 170 for seven.
India were on course for victory during a fourth-wicket stand of 69 between Suresh Raina (45) and Ravindra Jadeja (41) which featured some superb clean hitting to match the top-order fireworks of opener Rohit Sharma (36).
But Raina's dismissal by all-rounder Jacob Oram was the cue for a slump and, with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori taking three for 24 with his left-arm spin, the Black Caps regained their grip on the game.
Nevertheless, India were without two of their star batsmen in Yuvraj Singh (stomach illness) and Virender Sehwag (shoulder injury) although both are expected to be available for Wednesday's warm-up match against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Oval.
"I am quite disappointed with the defeat but we have back-up plans and so I'm not really worried," Dhoni said. "Besides, we missed quite a few key players. A couple of guys had food poisoning but I'm sure everyone will be fine before our next warm-up game."
One positive sign to emerge for India from Monday's match was the form of fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who took four for 25.
"I think it would give him great deal of confidence," Dhoni said. "He is a bowler who should be bowling at the start and also in the end. In between he came and got us those crucial wickets."
Meanwhile Taylor said the way in which New Zealand rallied with both bat and ball was a heartening sign for the side.
"I think 170 was a par score on that wicket and we had enough momentum to have a go at the end," Taylor said. "The way James Franklin finished that last over was excellent."
He added: "The way we started (bowling) was probably a little disappointing but the way we pegged them back, for us to do well in this tournament we will have to bowl like that."

Vettori strikes as New Zealand beat India

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori led from the front as the Black Caps beat defending champions India by nine runs in their ICC World Twenty20 warm-up match at Lord's here on Monday.
India were well on course to make the 171 they needed for victory during a fourth-wicket stand of 69 between Suresh Raina (45) and Ravindra Jadeja which featured some superb clean hitting to match the top-order fireworks of opener Rohit Sharma (36).
Left-arm spinner Vettori, who finished with excellent figures of three for 24 in three overs, had big-hitting rival captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni stumped for just six and after Raina holed out to medium-pacer Jacob Oram the innings fell away despite a run-a-ball 41 from Jadeja.
But India may take some heart from getting so close to the Black Caps' total without star batsmen Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.
Vettori, who held a fine caught and bowled chance off a hard-hit drive from Yusuf Pathan, used eight bowlers in all with all-rounder Oram taking one for 18 from his three overs.
New Zealand had made 170 for seven after losing the toss.
Ross Taylor, dropped by wicket-keeper Dhoni on 22, went onto make 41 off 33 balls, including two sixes off successive Pragyan Ojha deliveries, before he was dismissed by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
New Zealand's innings was given late impetus by James Franklin who made an unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls and struck left-arm quick RP Singh for two sixes and a four in three deliveries in the last over.
The Black Caps managed a highly competitive total even though fast bowler Ishant Sharma took a wicket in each of his four overs on his way to figures of four for 25.

Dhoni relishing World Twenty20 after IPL

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is looking forward to uniting all the talents at his disposal during the World Twenty20 in England after competing against his team-mates in the Indian Premier League.
India are the defending World Twenty20 champions after winning the inaugural edition in South Africa two years ago.
Since then the IPL, a lucrative franchise Twenty20 tournament that features the world's best players, has burst on the scene although this year it was played in South Africa because of security concerns.
"Of course it is a pleasure representing your country after the IPL where you have limited talent in your side," Dhoni told reporters at Lord's here on Sunday.
"But here we have plenty of options and we have the cream of the IPL so there is less pressure on each and every individual."
India supply more IPL players than any other nation but wicket-keeper batsman Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, said this was not an advantage in itself.
"The IPL will help us but not only us. There are quite a few players from other countries but most of our players are in the IPL.
"The best thing is that our youngsters will know how to handle pressure, when in the last over you need 10 or 15 runs, everyone in our side has faced that situation.
"It's good exposure for our guys to play against guys like Brett Lee and Shane Warne.
India have been drawn in Group A alongside Asian rivals Bangladesh - who defeated India at the 2007 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean and Ireland - who beat both Bangladesh and Pakistan in the West Indies two years ago.
"In Twenty20, there is no such thing as a weak side, an individual can take the game away from you," Dhoni explained. "If we take care of the immediate steps, the result takes care of itself."
Reflecting on India's success in South Africa, where they beat arch-rivals Pakistan in a thrilling final, Dhoni said: "We can't live on or relish the memories, we have to turn up and do everything from scratch again, it's not about the past.
"Cricket is a very cruel game, the moment you relax is when you are in trouble," Dhoni said.
Asked how the team had developed, Dhoni joked: "I've got quite a few grey hairs. That's one change, the plus point is that in the last three years there have been fewer changes in the side.
"The individuals involved have played 80 to 90 one-day internationals, helps me personally. I can pick ideas according to the situation. Also the fielding has evolved compared to what it was. We have raised the bar."
India, who still have a doubt over the fitness of fast bowler Zaheer Khan's shoulder injury, come into this event without batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
'The Little Master' has opted out of international Twenty20s and Dhoni said: "He's among the greatest, it's tough, you always want a player like Sachin in your side.
"But he wasn't at the last T20, the guys are getting used to it. But he has a big impact in the dressing room, the amount of ideas he has is amazing."
Much has been made of the impact various strategies might have on the outcome of Twenty20 matches but Dhoni said: "It's about how quickly the individual adapts, about what he does on the field.
"It's not only about strategies but how you implement and how the individual you are planning against reacts. If it was all about strategy Sachin would have been sorted out by now and he's been playing for 20 years."
India begin their Group A campaign against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

World weary India poised for title defence

Tired limbs, jaded minds and a tricky draw have toughened India's path as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men defend their World Twenty20 title in England next month.
The June 5-21 tournament is the latest event for Team India in a non-stop roadshow that began with a full tour of New Zealand in February-April before a five-week sojourn in South Africa for the Indian Premier League.
Dhoni's team returned home for just three days after the IPL before setting off again for England to defend the title they won in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.
Coach Gary Kirsten admitted the heavy workload was a cause for worry, but the former South African opener was confident his wards will rise to the challenge in England.
"The Indian players have been on the road for a long time and the biggest challenge will be mental fatigue," Kirsten said recently.
"But they have enormous pride when representing India and have become a tight unit over the past few months. I am sure they will look forward to reuniting and playing for their country."
The gruelling schedule has already seen aggressive opener Virender Sehwag miss some IPL matches due to a finger injury, while pace spearhead Zaheer Khan is recovering from a sore shoulder.
Skipper Dhoni has been nursing a back strain as a result of being one of the world's busiest cricketers, who keeps wicket, bats and leads his team in all forms of the game.
"I am not worried at all," said Dhoni. "One gets used to the modern day schedule and I am sure we will all be raring to go once the tournament starts."
The road to the semi-finals is no joy ride for the defending champions even though they are drawn with lowly Bangladesh and Ireland in the preliminary round.
Three of the toughest rivals in the 12-nation tournament -- Australia, South Africa and hosts England -- await them in the Super Eights round where the real battle for semi-final places begins.
India had beaten all three in the space of four magical nights in Durban in 2007 to advance to the final against Pakistan, but few are willing to take an encore for granted.
"You can't afford to look too far ahead, there is the first round against Bangladesh and Ireland to get through," said the Indian captain. "We all know what can happen."
During the 50-overs-a-side World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007, India were sensationally knocked out by Bangladesh in the preliminary stage, while Ireland delivered Pakistan a killer blow at the same stage.
"When you are defending champions there will always be added pressure," said Kirsten.
"That goes with the territory of high-performing teams. This team has played in many pressure situations and has shown what they are capable of.
"There is certainly no danger of complacency within the Indian team. We pride ourselves in taking each game as it comes and giving 100 percent on a daily basis."
India have a good Twenty20 record, with eight wins in 13 matches so far.
But since beating Pakistan in the 2007 final in Johannesburg, the Indians have lost three of their five matches, including both games on the recent tour of New Zealand.

Hope Dhoni was watching me perform: Rohit

Deccan Chargers' Rohit Sharma hopes the hat-trick against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League was watched by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he attempts to cement his place in the one-day squad. Despite the bundle of talent, Rohit has been in and out of the one-day squad but feels yesterday's performance would serve as a message to the India think tank. "I hope he (Dhoni) watched the game... Maybe... yes... he may have," Rohit said. His hat-trick was spread over two overs with scalps of Abhishek Nayar, Harbhajan Singh and JP Duminy and Rohit said he was taking his off-spin seriously. "I am a good bowler and have been working hard at my bowling. I didn't get enough opportunities at international level. I have been bowling well in whatever opportunities I have been getting. I am happy that I came out with a hat-trick," Rohit told IPL's official website. The 22-year-old Mumbai Ranji player was quite surprised that he got the hat-trick, the second of the ongoing IPL after Yuvraj Singh's feat, and considered himself lucky. "I never thought so, to be honest. I was lucky to get a hat-trick. I never thought I would get wickets, so let alone get a hat-trick. So quite surprising actually," said Rohit. Since his was a split hat-trick, Rohit was confused of at first and it needed Ryan Harris to inform him about his feat. "I started running all over the ground and I enjoyed it." After yesterday's bowling performance, Rohit feels he could now be called an all-rounder. "I think so maybe, you can call me that now."

'Golden oldies' Hayden, Murali sparkle for Chennai

Matthew Hayden

Cricket 'golden oldies' Matthew Hayden and Muttiah Muralitharan powered Chennai Super Kings to a 92-run win over Bangalore Royal Challengers on Monday in the Indian Premier League.
Australian Hayden, who departed the international scene recently at the age of 37, struck a sizzling 65 at Saint George's Park in this southern coastal city before being run out by Rahul Dravid.
The departure of Hayden just one ball after fellow opener Parthiv Patel was out for 30 did slow a Chennai charge that saw them dash to 106-0 after 10 overs, but they finished on 179-5 to set Royals a challenging target.
Enter Sri Lanka wizard Muralitharan to cause havoc and snap up three wickets, including the prized one of former England captain Kevin Pietersen for a duck, and all the damage was inflicted at the expense of just 11 runs.
Bangalore were in trouble from the start, losing opener Praveen Kumar in the third ball of the innings and quickly fell behind the nine-run-an-over victory target.
South African Jacques Kallis made a quick 24 before becoming the next Chennai victim and by the 'strategy break' the Challengers needed a miracle as they languished at 56-5 with 10 overs completed.
There was no miraculous turnaround, only more Chennai wickets on the same track that produced a bucketful of runs when South Africa trumped Australia in an ODI clash last week.
Kallis finished as top scorer and opener Robin Uthappa and Dravid contributed 20 runs each as Bangalore slipped from top spot after the opening round to fifth while 2008 runners-up Chennai climbed two places to third.

Tendulkar leads Mumbai to victory in IPL

Sachin Tendulkar scored 59 runs as he helped Mumbai to 165 for seven

Sachin Tendulkar hit an unbeaten half-century as he led the Mumbai Indians to a 19-run win against the Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of the Indian Premier League at Newlands on Saturday.
Tendulkar's 59 not out provided the foundation for Mumbai's 165 for seven after they were sent in on a blustery, grey day.
Former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden hit 44 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni 36 for Chennai but the 2008 runners-up could only manage 146 for seven.
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga bowled superbly to take three for 15 in four overs for Mumbai.
Mumbai's innings was anchored by Tendulkar, who largely played conventional cricket, punctuated by lofted off-drives.
Although he opened the batting he faced only 48 balls, hitting seven fours.
Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya (26) put on 39 for the first wicket. He then shared a second wicket stand of 43 with Shikhar Dhawan (22).
Batting conditions were tricky under grey skies and Mumbai were struggling at 102 for four in the 15th over before the left-handed Abhishek Nayar lashed 35 off 14 balls in a fifth wicket stand of 46 with Tendulkar.
Nayar slammed three sixes in an over from Andrew Flintoff which cost 22 runs. Flintoff, who is on a 1.55-million dollar a season contract, was the most expensive Chennai bowler, conceding 44 runs in four overs.
Flintoff made 24 in Chennai's reply as he helped Hayden put on 52 for the third wicket. He hit two fours and a six off 22 balls before he heaved a ball from Harbhajan Singh high in the air for the off-spinner to take a catch off his own bowling.
Hayden hit his 44 off 35 balls before Zaheer Khan took a stinging catch in the cover off a fierce drive against Jayasuriya's left-arm spin. Dhoni hit 36 off 26 balls before being bowled by Malinga in the final over.