We are not forcing fatigued cricketers to play

The BCCI denied receiving any complaint from Indian cricketers about hectic scheduling and insisted that the Board is not forcing them to play in case of fatigue or injury.

"If any player is feeling tired or fatigued or if he feels that he would not be able perform due to some illness then he must inform the selector," BCCI Media and Finance Committee chairman Rajiv Shukla told reporters outside the Parliament.

"BCCI policy is very clear. We will give the player rest. We are not forcing any player to participate in the series," Shukla asserted.

Shukla was responding to recent reports that the Indian players had sent an SOS to the Board, requesting it to cut down on the matches and do away with meaningless series.

He denied that the BCCI has received such a letter and rejected reports that the players are unhappy with the scheduling.

"We have not received any letter from any player saying that players are unhappy or complained about the schedule is absolutely wrong. There is no truth in it," he said.

"The international calender is like that. But still we are working it out," he added.

Edwards to miss first two India ODIs

West Indies have named a 13-man squad without Fidel Edwards for the first two one-day internationals against India this coming Friday and Sunday at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The fast bowler withdrew from last Monday's Super Eight win over England in the Twenty20 World Cup seconds before the toss, after injuring himself in the warm-up.
It was later confirmed that the problem was an irritation of a nerve root in his lower back.
Edwards did not play on Friday in the semi-final at The Oval against Sri Lanka which West Indies lost by 57 runs to exit the competition.
West Indies officials have given no clear indication about how long Edwards is expected to be out of the game with the injury.
The selectors have rewarded Darren Bravo, the younger brother of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, with his maiden call for West Indies, after a season of consistent scoring for his native Trinidad & Tobago in domestic competition.
The left-hander is the only new member of the squad, and his batting style has drawn more than a passing comparison to that of his fellow Trinidadian and West Indies batting legend Brian Lara.
The younger Bravo scored 605 runs at an average of 43.21 in nine matches of the West Indies domestic first-class competition this year.
The selectors have kept faith with the majority of players that formed the squad for either the previous ODI series against England in May, or the Twenty20 World Cup.
But they have overlooked batsman Lendl Simmons, as well as all-rounders Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy.

Squad:

Chris Gayle (captain), Denesh Ramdin (vice captain), Lionel Baker, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard Jr, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Runako Morton, Ravi Rampaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor

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.

West Indies captain Gayle ready to sting India

West Indian captain Chris Gayle is not losing heart after the semi-final loss in the World Twenty20 and has vowed to bounce back in the upcoming one-day series against India.
The West Indies exited from the tournament on Friday after a stinging 57-run defeat by Sri Lanka at the Oval, but Gayle said he was proud that his team had reached the semi-finals.
"Of course we are disappointed because we too wanted to be in the final, but that does not take anything away from the way the team has played through this tournament.
"I am proud of the boys, they put everything into it. We backed ourselves and came this far. It is a great learning experience for the younger players in the team.
"If they learn the lessons quickly we should be able to capitalise in home conditions when the World Twenty20 is held in the Caribbean next year."
Gayle hoped West Indian fans were happy at the team's performance in the tournament after it was routed 2-0 in the preceding bilateral Test series against England.
"Fans are very hard to please," said Gayle. "They only want victory everytime. I just want to say tough luck to the fans. But I hope they will keep supporting us and stop cursing.
"I say to my fans that we will fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee, we'll be back. What can I do about it? Ask Muhammad Ali!"
The West Indies were outplayed on Friday after Tillakaratne Dilshan's unbeaten 96 in Sri Lanka's 158-5 was followed by an astonishing first over from rising fast bowler Angelo Mathews.
Mathews claimed three wickets in five balls as the Windies slipped to 1-3 and were shot out for 101 despite Gayle carrying his bat for an unbeaten 63.
"The three wickets in the first over set us back and we could not overcome that as we kept losing wickets regularly," said Gayle.
"You need partnerships in any form of the game, but this is especially true of Twenty20 cricket.
"All credit to Dilshan for the way he batted. I thought we had a good start to keep them down in the first six overs and Dilshan was their only batsman among the runs.
"He just did not give us a chance and helped set a decent total for Sri Lanka."
Gayle said he looked forward to the four one-day matches against India in the Caribbean starting later this month.
"We will get back home for a few days and start another series soon," the West Indian captain said.
"India may not have made the semi-finals here and we did, but we start from scratch and have to do all the hard work again.
"India is always a good one-day team, so it is bound to be a tough series."
Asked whether he will put his money on Sri Lanka or Pakistan in Sunday's final, Gayle quipped: "I am broke, maan!"
"But we can't ask for a better final. We have two quality teams and so it should be a quality final."

Zaheer, Tendulkar rested for West Indies tour

India's cricket selectors on Wednesday rested key players Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan for the limited-overs tour of West Indies starting later this month.
Tendulkar, the world's most prolific Test and one-day batsman, is recovering from a finger injury that he aggravated during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa last month.
Bowling spearhead Zaheer was rested as he was suffering from a shoulder injury, the selectors said in a media release.
Left-handed batsman Suresh Raina was also not considered for selection after he sustained a hairline fracture on his thumb.
"Raina been advised two weeks' rest," the release said.
Left-arm quick Ashish Nehra returned to the squad after four years on the sidelines, thanks to his impressive show in the IPL where he picked up 19 wickets for the Delhi Daredevils.
All-rounder Abhishek Nayar earned his maiden call-up to the Indian squad while opener Murali Vijay also made a comeback in the absence of the injured Virender Sehwag.
Sehwag missed the World Twenty20 in England with a shoulder injury.
India, who won the inaugural T20 Worlds in South Africa two years ago, lost both their Super Eight matches to the West Indies and hosts England to be knocked out before the semi-finals.
The Indians have been on the road since February, sparking fears of player burnout and a growing list of injured players.

India's squad:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Yuvraj Singh (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Vijay, Subramaniam Badrinath, Abhishek Nayar, Dinesh Karthik, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha, Ashish Nehra.

Coach: Gary Kirsten (RSA)

India' schedule in West Indies:

June 26: First one-dayer, Jamaica

June 28: Second one-dayer, Jamaica

July 3: Third one-dayer, St. Lucia

July 5: Fourth one-dayer, St. Lucia

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."

Indian media slams team for T20 failure

Millions of cricket-crazy fans in India woke up Monday to disbelief and dismay after the defending champions were knocked out of the World Twenty20 by England.
The defeat at Lord's -- by just three runs -- meant India, who won the inaugural 2007 edition in South Africa, have no chance of progressing further in the tournament.
'OUT' read a huge headline in the Indian Express, which described the team's performance as undignified and said the close margin of defeat did not reflect how poorly the Indians played.
The paper put the blame on India's batsmen who struggled to cope with an aggressive pace bowling attack.
"There will be time for post-mortems but first impressions are that they should have seen it coming. The West Indies quicks had them hopping around on Friday night and they got more of the same on Sunday," it said.
"England's quick bowlers got the short ball talking and India's batting bullies found themselves uncomfortably shuffling backwards."
The Times of India said India had lacked energy and performed poorly in the field.
"India fielded like novices to complicate their chances," it said.
"Even Sachin Tendulkar's presence in the Indian dressing room and a packed house, mostly made of Indians, didn't seem to inspire (captain Mahendra Singh) Dhoni and his boys."
Dhoni, often hailed as an inspiring skipper, was the target of much of the criticism from appalled TV channels.
"Dhoni is to be blamed for the defeat. There was no reason for him to promote Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the match-winning Yuvraj Singh," said NDTV's match report, focusing on the captain's batting order decisions.
A scathing report in The Pioneer said "tired" India deserved their fate given their preparations for the tournament.
"Though Dhoni denied it on all occasions, his boys were wholesomely tired," it said.
"(They were) not merely jetlagged coming from South Africa to India to England but cripplingly fatigued from the game itself."
Nilesh Mathur, a software engineer, told AFP he had stayed awake late into the night to watch the game.
"I thought England, who lost even to the Dutch earlier on in the tournament, won't stand a chance against our champion side," he said. "But I was proved wrong."

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."

England knock champions India out of ICC World Twenty20

England knocked defending champions India out of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 with a three-run victory in their second-round match at Lord's on Sunday.
India needed 19 off the last over to stay in the tournament but, despite a one-handed six by Yusuf Pathan over long-off, the task was too much and they finished on 150 for five.
The England victory silenced the large contingent of noisy Indian fans packed into Lord's and India failed to make the semi-finals after also losing their first Super Eight match against West Indies on Friday.
Off-spinner Graeme Swann captured the crucial wicket of Yuvraj Singh for 17, including two sixes, stumped neatly by James Foster.
Left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom, returning to the side in place of leg-spinner Adil Rashid, bowled the final over and was given the man-of-the-match award after capturing two for 31 from his four overs.
England lost Luke Wright for one in the second over after losing the toss and being asked to bat.
Ravi Bopara and Kevin Pietersen added 71 for the second wicket with Bopara hooking the first six of the match off Ishant Sharma.
Pietersen whipped Sharma through mid-wicket for four and moved down the pitch to left-arm paceman RP Singh as if he were playing a spinner to off-drive a four.
The introduction of Ravindra Jadeja's left-arm spin seemed to turn the match India's way. Jadeja bowled Bopara for 37 and dismissed Pietersen lbw for 46, trying to sweep a full delivery.
But five wides from Harbhajan Singh in the final over allowed to England to creep to 153 for seven, a defendable total on a pitch offering variable bounce.

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.

Yuvraj Singh, Ojha do the star turn for India

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha grabbed 4-21 as defending champions India overpowered Bangladesh by 25 runs in the World Twenty20 here on Saturday.
Gautam Gambhir hit 50 and Yuvraj Singh cracked a blistering 41 off 18 balls as India scored 180-5 after electing to bat in blustery conditions at the overflowing Trent Bridge.
Ojha then returned the best figures in the competition so far as Bangladesh faded after a rousing start to finish with 155-8 at the end of their 20 overs in the group A match.
Left-handed Gambhir, who began by cutting the second ball of the match from Mashrafe Mortaza for a boundary, held steady at one end for 17 overs before falling to off-spinner Naeem Islam.
But it was the other left-hander Yuvraj who set the innings alight with three boundaries and four sixes in a knock that included 19 runs in the 17th over bowled by Naeem.
Yuvraj's blitz helped India plunder 59 runs in the last four overs to set Bangladesh a tough victory target of just over nine runs an over.
The Tigers made a rollicking start in reply, scoring 74 runs by the eighth over for the loss of two wickets.
Opener Junaid Siddique led the early charge with 41 off 22 balls that included two fours and three sixes.
Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, playing his first competitive match in a month due to a shoulder injury, was smashed for 20 runs in his first two overs.
The Hyderabad-based Ojha turned the game around with two wickets in his first over, the ninth of the innings, including that of Siddique who was caught in the deep by Harbhajan Singh.
Ojha, who had removed Shakib Al Hasan with his first ball, later had Mohammad Mahmudullah caught by Yuvraj and bowled Mashrafe Mortaza to effectively end Bangladesh's challenge.
Naeem, who took two wickets in India's innings, made 28 off 17 balls in the final overs to narrow the margin of defeat.
Naeem's bowling effort was, however, overshadowed by left-arm spinner Shakib, whose four overs cost just 24 runs for one wicket.
India's rising star Rohit Sharma put on 59 for the first wicket with Gambhir by the eighth over when he was bowled by Shakib for 36 after surviving a stumping chance off the previous delivery.
Sharma, who opened the innings in place of the injured Virender Sehwag, smashed three boundaries and two sixes during his 23-ball innings.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) helped Gambhir add 53 for the second wicket, but when he was bowled by Naeem in the 15th over, India only had 112 runs on the board.
Yuvraj took charge at that stage, pulling the spinners and seamers alike hard and high, to help India make a winning start in the 12-nation tournament.
Bangladesh play Ireland next at Trent Bridge on Monday, while India take on Ireland on Wednesday at the same venue.

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.