ICL India seal convincing win over World XI

Hyderabad: ICL World will hope their memories are not diligent enough to remind them of this defeat.

Apart from the toss nothing went right for the World XI as ICL India inflicted on them an embarrassing 44-run defeat in another match of the Indian Cricket League’s World Series Twenty20 tournament at Lal Bahadur stadium, Hyderabad.

World XI were never in the game chasing a daunting 163 set by the Indians earlier in the day. They treaded carefully putting up 21 in four overs. Abu Nechim cranked up serious pace and got the first breakthrough by ratting Lou Vincent’s timber for eight.

ICL World slipped further when Matthew Elliott departed with the score reading 30/2. The Indians were full of zip in the field choking the singles and cutting off certain boundaries. Finally Thiru Kumaran landed the knockout punch by claiming the colossal Chris Cairns for two.

After 10 overs the World XI were placed at 55/3, needing another 109 off 60 balls at nearly 11 runs per over.

Apart from Marvan Atapattu, who briefly tried to stem the rot with 20, none of the other batsmen looked the part today as they perished trying one shot too many. Ali Murtaza and man of the match Stuart Binny shared two wickets apiece.

In contrast the ICL India total was built on percentage cricket rather than flash. It was not one or two breezy knocks but useful contributions from the middle-order that propelled them to 163.

Put in to bat, the Indians opened with the tried and tested combination of Ganapathi Vignesh and wicket-keeper Ibrahim Khaleel.

Vignesh, after losing Khaleel early, gave the early impetus to the Indian innings collecting a breezy 24 off just 10 balls (two fours, two sixes).

Daryl Tuffey finally had the better of Vignesh to peg India back at 38/2.

Although the hero of the first game Tejinder Pal Singh didn’t last long, India, halfway through the innings, were cruising at 92/3.

It was up to the middle-order pair, Abbas Ali and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, to launch themselves for the final assault. Ali’s style, or rather lack of it, doesn’t make pretty viewing. Crouching on his stance exaggeratedly, the southpaw is anything but graceful. But look no further for efficiency.

Ali (44) demonstrated how deft glides often compensate for lack of natural power—yes, even in Twenty20—before he chipped Michael Kasprowicz to Ian Harvey at point ending his 76-run stand with Jhunjhunwala.

A rash of run-outs—including that of the well-set Jhunjhunwala for 27—curtailed the onslaught in the final overs. Only Stuart Binny held his own towards the end with a plucky 16-ball 21.

ICL India

Rajagopal Satish (captain), Abbas Ali, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Abu Nacheem, Ali Murtaza, Ambati Rayudu, Ganapathi Vignesh, Ibrahim Khaleel (wicketkeeper), Love Ablish, Ravi Raj Patil, Rohan Gavaskar, Stuart Binny, Syed Mohammed, Thiru Kumaran, T Sudhindra, TP Singh and V Sarvanan

Coach: Steve Rixon

ICL World

Chris Cairns (captain), Andrew Hall, Chris Harris, Damien Martyn, Daryl Tuffey, Ian Harvey, Jimmy Maher, Johan Van Der Wath, Lou Vincent (wicketkeeper), Marvan Atapattu, Mathew Elliot, Michael Kasprowicz, Russel Arnold and Upul Chandana

Coach: John Emburey

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