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Second Innings Bulletin: Bermuda Vs India

Bermuda's tail wagged before succumbing to Tendulkar and Kumble as Bermuda posted 156 runs against India -- their highest score in this tournament.

Even so, India's margin of victory, 257, was a record for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Hero David Hemp remained unbeaten on 76, a fine innings.

Kumble got the last wicket, having teenager Malachi Jones LBW.

Before that, Sachin Tendulkar came on and broke a 44-run partnership that had India at wit's end for more than 10 overs.

Dwayne Leverock left the field to applause after he was caught behind by Dhoni for a stubborn 9.

His place was taken by 17-year-old Malachi Jones, who was in tears after taking a wicket with his first ball in the ICC Cricket World Cup, that of Robin Uthappa, caught, incidentally, by the man whose place he took at the crease.

40 OVER BULLETIN: India tangled up in Bermuda tail

Bermuda's 9th wicket partnership between David Hemp and Dwayne Leverock put on 43 runs, frustrating India as they tried to polish off the ICC Cricket World Cup debutants.

In the 41st over they were 153/8, posting their highest score of the tournament, including the warm-up match against Zimbabwe.

India were a bowler short and with Virendra Sehwag filling in the 5th bowler's role and the other four tired after long spells, India's attack leaked precious runs.

India's bowling woes shone through Zaheer's second-last over, which Leverock played out with ease -- or rather did not play out at all, all the balls being pitched outside off.

David Hemp at the other end played normally and compiled 73 as India showed little aggression.

35 OVER BULLETIN: India on course but...

India's batting fired but their bowling struggled to shut down Bermuda as they tried desperately to shut them down.

Having lost its first match of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 to Bangladesh, India needed a huge margin of victory and though they got it, they conceded 50 runs more to Bermuda than Sri Lanka did.

After 35 overs Bermuda were 131/8 with David Hemp unbeaten on a fine 62 and Leverock, who was blocked Kumble effectively, on 6.

32 OVER BULLETIN: Agarkar breaks through

Ajit Agarkar got two wickets in an over and then a third in his next one to begin Bermuda's endgame.

He sent back first Dean Minors, then Lionel Cann and then Kevin Hurdle as Bermuda were 106/5 to 110/8 in the 32nd over.

Meanwhile David Hemp became the first Bermudan to hit a 50 in an ICC Cricket World Cup. He was unbeaten on 53 with 7 fours and a six.

Hemp brought up his 50 with a boundary off Kumble.

Dean Minors lifted Agarkar for a six over square leg before falling to him, caught by substitute Dinesh Karthick. This ended a great 43-run partnership Minors shared with David Hemp.

Cann stood his ground after Uthappa claimed a catch off Agarkar at cover, but was given out by umpire Aleem Dar.

Agarkar's third came when he bowled Kevin Hurdle for a duck.

This brought in crowd favourite Dwayne Leverock who glided Agarkar to the fine leg boundary for 4 -- a stroke applauded as loudly as any other played today.

25 OVER BULLETIN: Bermuda make progress

Bermuda's batsmen played better than they had against either England in their warm-up or Sri Lanka in their opening match of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 as they played out 20 overs, ensuring that this match will finish today.

After 27 overs they were 93/5, courtesy mainly a fine knock by David Hemp who was on his way to becoming to first Bermudan to score a half-century in the ICC CWC.

India's bowling lacked the teeth that Lanka showed and though they had the match under control, they struggled to shut the Bermuda team out.

David Hemp in particular was enjoying his innings, and on 34 hit a couple of cover drives off Munaf that were quite memorable, to take him to 42.

In an earlier over he flashed Munaf to send the ball over Sehwag at slip for another boundary.

After

20 OVER BULLETIN: Enter Kumble

Anil Kumble struck twice in two overs to have Bermuda reeling after what seemed like a period of consolidation.

At one stage Bermuda were 47/2 before they lost three quick wickets, the first going to Munaf.

Kumble first got Irvine Romaine as he shouldered arms to a straight one. He was out LBW to leave Bermuda 61/4 at the end of the 17th over.

In Kumble's next over, Janeiro Tucker was first struck on the pads to survive an LB shout and next ball walked across his wicket to be bowled.

David Hemp was batting well on 27 off 35 balls with one fantastic six off Agarkar.

15 OVER BULLETIN: Bermuda lose third

Deloyne Borden got a poor decision to be given out LBW to Munaf Patel as Bermuda were 3 down in the 14th over.

Next over, David Hemp clattered Agarkar over cover for six to take the score to 54/3.

Hemp was looking in good shape and with the Indian bowling lacking the edge that Lanka had, Bermuda looked more comfortable this match than they did in their first one.

10 OVER BULLETIN: Bermuda 2 down

Rahul Dravid brought on Munaf Patel in place of Agarkar as Bermuda moved to 34/2

David Hemp was in after Zaheer struck again after taking a wicket in his first over.

Borden was playing on 9.

Hemp played a fine drive off wayward Agarkar to get a boundary, the third of the innings for Bermuda.

Zaheer was pulled off the backfoot by Outerbridge through mid-on for 4, a fine shot, before he pitched the next one much higher to castle Outerbridge

5 OVER BULLETIN: Zaheer strikes, Agarkar off target

Bermuda were 11/1, resuming after rain stopped play.

Ajit Agarkar's radar was awry, and he made the batsmen play little as his balls skidded out after being pitched outside off.

Zaheer at the other end was more accurate and also the taker of the sole wicket to fall in the first 5 overs.

Zaheer struck in his first over to have Bermuda 0/1 in the first over, chasing 414, before rain delayed play for 10 minutes.

Rain was coming down in drizzles as Bermuda began the chase and India need to put in 20 overs if the match is to end today.

Bermuda were 9/1 in the 4th over when play was stopped, having lost Pitcher who was bowled by Zaheer off the first over's last ball.

India needed to get Bermuda out for as little as possible to improve their chances of qualifying on run rate.

First Innings Bulletin: India Vs Bermuda

50 OVERS: India set ICC Cricket World Cup record score

Yuvraj Singh hit a 46-ball 83 with seven 6s and Tendulkar smashed 57 from 29 balls as India hit a record 413 against Bermuda.

It was the highest score ever in ICC Cricket World Cup history.

It took only 17 balls for Yuvraj and Sachin to go from 350 to 400 as two sixers came off almost each over.

Rahul Dravid hit the last ball for 6, bring the sixer total to 18 as India wiped away the memory of their Bangladesh debacle.

Sachin Tendulkar hit two sixes in the 46th over to make a score of 400 possible for India.

In the next over, Yuvraj brought up his 50 with a six that was caught brilliantly one-handed at the boundary and then the fielder went over the rope.

At that stage India were 357/5 and with 18 balls left. Though Yuvraj fell after that, caught trying to hit another six, India's momentum took them through.

Now the need to restrict Bermuda to less than 120 to stay in the hunt for the Super Eights on run-rate.

45 OVER BULLETIN: Yuvraj reigns

Yuvraj Singh cut loose and clattered big Dwayne Leverock for 16 runs in three balls as India began to look beyond 350.

At the end of 44 India were 318/4.

Yuvraj swung Leverock twice into mid-wicket and then hit a lofted drive over his head to take India past 350.

Sachin at the other end kept conceding the strike to Yuvraj as the leftie went after the bowling.

Earlier, it seemed India were posed to hit 350 but struggling to get anything above that. The new batsmen at the crease had to accelerate an already high run rate.

Sachin Tendulkar came in at No 6 and was dealing in singles as India had 10 overs in which to add the 77 that would take them to 350.

With Dravid still to come, India had the batting to take them there. Yuvraj was batting on 16, almost all coming in ones, and the big hitting had not yet started for India.

Yuvraj survived a hairy moment in over 42, when he had his foot in millimetres behind the crease to a stumping chance.

40 OVER BULLETIN: Target 350

Mahinder Singh Dhoni went trying to force the pace as India looked to pull itself beyond the 7/over rate at which they were hitting Bermuda in the 38th over.

He and new man Yuvraj were unable to hit many boundaries as the slow bowlers gave away mostly singles to India.

With Sachin at No 6 joining Yuvraj, and Dravid yet to come at No 7, the Indians had deployed a strange batting line-up.

Dhoni fell to a great catch, Tucker running it down from long-off and diving full length to hold on. Dhoni hit 29 from 25

35 OVER BULLETIN: Ganguly goes

India were flying at 7 runs as over as Bermuda tried to stop the rampaging batsmen.

They had some success when they got Virender Sehwag out, but with Dhoni taking his place India made its intent clear.

Ganguly at the other end was approaching his century and looking in great form.

One dark spot in India's horizon was the rain clouds that had gathered over the stadium and rain at some stage looks likely.

30 OVER BULLETIN: Sehwag goes after hundred

Virender Sehwag roared back into form with a century in 81 balls, studded with 14 4s and three 6s, before falling for 114.

India went past 200 as the final power play was deployed by Bermuda from overs 26-30 and were 210/2 at the end of it.

Gangly on the other side was beginning to accelerate as he went past his 50, hitting 62 in 88 balls with two 4s and 2 6s.

Bermuda's bowlers were able to put little pressure on the Indian batters and were engaged in an exercise to stop runs going at express pace. With 150 coming around the 25th over, 350 was possible.

25 OVER BULLETIN: Ganguly joins the party

India's old opening firm of Ganguly and Sehwag bashed the Bermuda bowlers around as rain started falling on the Queen's Park Oval.

Ganguly hit a 50 and Sehwag was moving towards a century and was only 10 runs away.

18th over: Sourav Ganguly played out a maiden from Tucker before stepping out to Leverock and clouting him over long-off for six, his first of the match. He has been playing slowly, and similarly to his last innings against Bangladesh.

Sehwag on the other hand has now changed tactic and stopped his big hitting. He took his last boundary in the 16th over and has since been doing it in singles to reach 75 off 56 balls.

15 OVER BULLETIN: Sehwag's in charge

Virender Sehwag found his mojo, flashed his bat and kept his head still as India galloped to 99/1.

In the 15th over, he hit a lofted drive to mid-off for six, the first of the innings, and then sent one over point for another six.

First change bowler Jeneiro Tucker was hammered for a lofted backfoot four over mid-off for Virender Sehwag as he brought up his 50 with 11 boundaries in 43 balls.

Next over, Ganguly stepped out to Hurdle and mis-hit to sent the ball towering into the air but Deloyne Borden, running towards the cover boundary was not able to hold on.

In the 14th over, Sehwag plonked his foot down and crashed Tucker through mid-on for a super boundary.

10 OVER BULLETIN: Sehwag's back

Virender Sehwag got going for India and was playing in the sort of manner that his name is associated with, as India went put up 63 for the loss of Uthappa.

Of these, Sehwag had 43, 16 coming in the 10th over.

In the 10th over, Sehwag clouted Jones through the off-side, then glided him delicately through fine leg, then cut him through point and then again cover drove him for four boundaries.

In the 9th over, he had blasted Kevin Hurdle through point uppishly for four.

in over No 6 bowled by Malachi Jones when he hit two balls through covers, both short and wide, for boundaries. In Jones's 8th Sehwag hit a glorious cover drive for 4.

Ganguly at the other end was carrying on from his last innings, and playing sedately, though he charged Jones in the same over and missed.

Bermuda's bowlers were on the money most of the time and Hurdle, when he wasn't overstepping, troubled the batters around the good length area.

5 OVER BULLETIN: India start gingerly

India were put into bat by Bermuda and were tentative to post 23/1after 5 overs.

Robin Uthappa fell first ball of the 2nd over, caught brilliantly by Dwayne Leverock bringing Sehwag to join Sourav Ganguly. The Indians fluffed a couple of full tosses in their defensive frame, both from Kevin Hurdle.

Sehwag, who started with an appalling shot, seemed to settle in after that.

At the end of the 4th over, India were 20/1 with Ganguly scoring a streaky 4 off Malachi Jones, whose accurate off-side ball got an edge that went through what would have been second slip to the boundary.

3rd over: Kevin Hurdle, erratic in Bermuda's first match against Lanka, bowled within himself and with accuracy as a tense India struggled to find its feet.

Jones bowled a no-ball in the over, a short ball outside off stump but Sehwag couldn't do anything with it. The last ball of the over saw the Sehwag of old, one foot down, smashing it through extra cover.

India 14/1 after 3.

India got the start it didn't want when Robin Uthappa played one outside the off-stump without moving his feet and big Dwayne Leverock dived at slip to his right and held a stunning diving catch.

India 4/1 in the 2nd over; Malachi Jones (17-years-old) gets wicket first ball. Separate celebrations erupt on the ground. One end taken up by ecstatic Leverock around whom the team converges; the other has Jones by himself.

New man Virender Sehwag came and first ball flailed at it with no footwork and missed, blocked the next ball and then tried the exact same thing the ball after and missed again.

Showing more respect he shouldered arms the 5th ball and on the last ball he went back and slapped Jones through point for 4. India 8/1 after 1.

India started gingerly in the first over bowled by 6' 5" Kevin Hurdle (who made Jayasuriya bleed the other day).

Uthappa blocked a full-toss and then blocked a half-volley, which ran to long-on for 3. India are off: 3/0 after 1.

Bermuda won the toss and put India into bat at the Queen's Park Oval.

Both teams lined up for a moment of silence in memory of former England Test player and Pakistan Coach Bob Woolmer, who died on Sunday.

Indian captain Rahul Dravid brought back leggie Anil Kumble in place of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Opener Virender Sehwag, in the middle of a bad patch, was played but demoted in the order. But this did not bring Sachin Tendulkar out to open; so at the start the line-up read: Uthappa, Ganguly, Sehwag.

Struggling pacer Irfan Pathan was also left out, with the same three pacemen -- Munaf, Zaheer and Agarkar -- remaining in the team.

India and Bermuda both lost their opening matches at ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, India to Bangladesh and Bermuda to Sri Lanka.

Second Innings Bulletin: West Indies Vs Zimbabwe

Just when West Indies seemed to be cruising to victory, a well set Marlon Samuels threw his wicket away, playing an uppish drive outside off stump. Samuels was out for 28 leaving his team at 129/4, still 74 short of the victory target.

Samuels made sure that West Indies did not lose the advantage despite the departure of Shivnaraine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle in quick succession. Samuels and Ramnaresh Sarwan added 33 for the 3rd wicket before the later was out to a very soft dismissal – caught and bowled by Anthony Ireland.

Zimbabwe dismissed Chanderpaul and Gayle in consecutive overs after the opening duo had added 73 to keep their hopes alive.

Elton Chigumbura sent back Shivnaraine Chanderpaul caught at first slip by Sibanda for 21. Chris Mpofu struck again in the very next over as the dangerous looking Chris Gayle perished flirting outside the off-stump, also caught by Sibanda who showed brilliant reflexes to hang on to a ricochet from wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor.

After a rather slow start to the innings, Chris Gayle decided to take the attack to the Zimbabwean camp hitting three consecutive 6s of an over from Tawanda Mupariwa.

The Zimbabwean opening bowlers maintained a good line and length early on except for five wides bowled by Chris Mpofu. Anthony Ireland, playing in his first match of the tournament bowled only 2 overs before being replaced by Mupariwa, who also started off well and even beat Shivnarine Chanderpaul with a beautiful of a delivery before Gayle took him on.

Ireland replaced Mpofu at the other end and was welcomed back into the attack by Gayle, who hit him for three boundaries.

Chanderpaul is playing the anchor role and is looking in no trouble at all even as Chris Gayle, who has been a bit short on runs of late, was tentative in his strokeplay to begin with before settling down.

West Indies are chasing Zimbabwe's total of 202/5 in the Group D match at Sabina Park, Jamaica.

First Innings Bulletin: West Indies Vs Zimbabwe

Elton Chigumbura and Sean Williams added an unbroken 60 for the 6th wicket as Zimbabwe recovered from a precarious 59/4 to post a decent total of 202/5 in their Group D encounter against West Indies at Sabina Park, Jamaica.

Williams notched up his highest ODI score of 70 not out while Chigumbura contributed a wonderful cameo of 30 from 29 balls as Zimbabwe accelerated in the slog overs.

Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams began the rearguard action for Zimbabwe, adding 83 for the 5th wicket before a mix-up ended in the run out of Taylor for 50.

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels kept things tight during the partnership and did not allow the two well set batsmen to counter-attack. The partnership was helped by the fact that Dwayne Smith wasn't in the best of bowling form, conceding 28 in his 5 overs.

Stuart Matsikenyeri and Brendan Taylor tried to consolidate the Zimbabwean innings after a disastrous start. The two had added 28 runs for the 4th wicket and just when it seemed that Zimbabwe were beginning to claw their way back into the match, Matsikenyeri perished in an effort to try and up the scoring rate. He was caught by Darren Powell, giving Dwayne Smith his first wicket of the game.

West Indies opening bowlers Jerome Taylor and Darren Powell combined to put Zimbabwe in deep trouble at the start of the innings.

Justice Chibhabha (12) was the third consecutive Zimbabwean batsman to be bowled, finding Taylor's pace too hot to handle.

Zimbabwe were off to a terrible start, losing their first two wickets with only 2 runs on the board.

Opener Friday Kasteni was out to the first ball he faced in the ICC Cricket World Cup. Kasteni played all around an inswinger from Taylor. But to be fair, it was a delivery that could have got much better players out.

If that wasn't enough of a setback for Zimbabwe, last match half-centurion Vusi Sibanda also became a victim of gross misjudgment in the next over. Sibanda shouldered arms to an incoming delivery from Darren Powell, only to see his off-stump disturbed.

The big worry for the home team was the number of wides that were sent down. There were 15 in all, Taylor contributing 7 of them and Smith 3. The Windies had bowled only 2 wides in their impressive win over Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, West Indies skipper Brian Lara called correctly and decided to field

West Indies have never lost to Zimbabwe at home and would be hoping to maintain their unbeaten record. They had beaten Pakistan in the opening tie of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, played out a tie against Ireland.

West Indies eye Super Eights

AFP

Hosts West Indies could become the first side to confirm a place in the Super Eights at the ICC CWC, when they face Zimbabwe at Sabina Park.

West Indies had the perfect start to the first ICC CWC ever staged on Caribbean soil, when they prevailed over Pakistan by 54 runs in the opening match of the competition last Tuesday.

Events over the last few days, however, will make West Indies aware that they cannot take the Zimbabweans too lightly, or else they may be embarrassed in much the same way Ireland shamed Pakistan on Saturday.

"Everyone is trying to make a name for themselves so we cannot underestimate anyone," opener and former captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul said.

"We have to go out and play it hard and take it to the end. We've been doing a lot of work, we're well prepared. We don't know what is going to happen in that game, but hopefully we can go out and get the win."

The Irish victory on Saturday handed Pakistan their second straight defeat in the competition, following their downfall to West Indies.

Ireland's win also provisionally puts them in the lead of Group D with three points - one more than West Indies and two ahead of Zimbabwe (both with a match in hand) - leaving Pakistan at the bottom of the table with no points.

Pakistan contest their final match on Wednesday against Zimbabwe hoping to finish on a winning note, and the Irish and West Indies close off the group matches on Friday.

"I haven't seen much of the other matches due to practice and other team matters," Chanderpaul said.

"You get a chance to watch bits and pieces and there are some good players. We've been hearing a lot of things about some of the guys from the other teams, such as the opener from Ireland (Jeremy Bray) and the areas we need to bowl, and things such as that.

"We don't know the other players too well, so we have to look at the cricket, even though we do not always have much time to do that, but we are planning and preparing for every game."

The Sabina Park pitch has been the topic of much consideration, following Saturday's match, but Chanderpaul believes batsmen have to be more patient to score runs.

"It's not like the Sabina Park pitches in the past," he said.

"It's not a bad surface. It's a decent track, but you need to work hard on it.

"It's a bit slow, and the ball stands up a little more. It does a bit but because it doesn't have the pace on it, you can't really go through with the shot, and you have to play a bit more patiently."

To this end, Chanderpaul feels it will be a little difficult for him to play the kind of dashing innings that he has recently.

"Sabina is not one of those pitches you can go out and start flinging your bat from ball one," he said.

"Maybe you could go out, and fling from ball one, and get away with it, but it is one of the pitches you need to work on. It's going to take some hard work, and if you get in, you need to stay in, and see the innings all the way through."

Zimbabwe will have to defy history to overcome West Indies.

They have never beaten the hosts in a ICC CWC match in four attempts, and they have also lost the two one-dayers they have contested against them at Sabina Park.

They should have won their match against Ireland comfortably, but almost lost the match, and had to settle for a tie which may prompt them to make some changes to their line-up.

India gear up for Bermuda

AFP

India find themselves in a must-win situation after just one horrible day at the office as they prepare to take on debutants Bermuda in their second ICC CWC match.

India suffered a shock five-wicket defeat against Bangladesh at the Queen's Park Oval here on Saturday and now need to win their remaining two Group B matches to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the next Super Eight stage.

"I think it is pretty clear from now on. We have got to win the next two games and we have got to win them well. That's pretty clear," said India skipper Rahul Dravid.

"We have got our task cut out. It's about winning. The boys just have to knuckle down now. We have got our backs to the wall and we have got to keep fighting and do our best."

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have posted one win in the four-team group, while Bermuda and India are winless after one game. Sri Lanka thrashed Bermuda by 243 runs in their opening game here on Thursday.

India suffered one of their worst ICC CWC defeats when they were outplayed by Habibul Bashar's side in all departments of the game. They could manage just 191, a total comfortably surpassed by their rivals.

"It's really disappointing to lose. We have had some disappointing defeats, but this probably is a big disappointment," said Dravid.


"Everyone is going to be disappointed with this, there is no doubt about it. We haven't played well. But there is nothing much we can do about it. We can only learn lessons from this game."

Dravid did not believe that his team lacked conviction, saying they really worked hard.

"Maybe, it looked like that from outside. I know we can look back and be very critical. When you lose, you have got to take the criticism," he said.

"Defending 191 was never going to be easy. We needed wickets at regular intervals and we tried to get those, but we couldn't. The guys tried really hard. It's just that we probably needed 30-40 runs more."

Dravid also defended his decision to bat first after winning the toss on a pitch which had both bounce and movement for seamers early in the morning.

"I don't know if we can regret it (the decision). We could have just batted a lot better. The ball did seam around a lot more and for a bit longer period than we had expected," he said.

"The wicket had a pretty dry look about it. It looked a good wicket to play on. We should have put runs on the board and make it difficult for them in the afternoon, but it didn't work that way because we lost early wickets."

The Indian captain conceded that Bangladesh played better cricket on the day, while his team failed to perform up to their potential.

"They (Bangladesh) are really playing some good cricket. Their bowling was quite outstanding. They bowled really well, especially Mashrafe Mortaza who bowled in good areas with the new ball in good conditions for him," he said.

"Their spinners then kept it tight and didn't give anything away. They have really improved and are playing some really good cricket at the moment. We didn't play anywhere near our potential, and we paid the price for it."