India pay the price for carrying "useless" Kaif ?

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India pay the price for carrying "useless" Kaif ?

India pay the price for poor form of Sehwag, Kaif

Press Trust of India

Posted online: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at 2027 hours IST


Jamshedpur, April 12:
Two perennial ‘passengers]’--Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif--in the Indian team failed again in the midst of a shoddy display by the home side which enabled England to register a pride-restoring 5-wicket win in the 6th ODI on Wednesday.



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Sehwag, who was promoted as captain after Rahul Dravid was rested with India having already clinched the tie, departed in the very first over for 4 to trigger off a now familiar top order collapse which saw India being dismissed for 223 in 48 overs.

Kaif (15), who was promoted to number three to sort out his batting, also failed to arrest his poor form and had it not been for a mature knock of 96 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indians would have cut a really sorry figure.

With the target not enough to challenge England on a good batting track, the visitors rode on a 74-run knock by Andrew Strauss to canter to victory with 44 balls to spare. They made 227 for five in 42.4 overs to break India’s golden run of eight wins on the trot.

Strauss, leading the side in place of rested Andrew Flintoff, shared a 107-run opening stand with Ian Bell (46) before retiring due to cramps caused by furnace-like conditions.

With the platform having been laid, in contrast to India who failed yet again to put up a good start due to early dismissals of Sehwag, the rest was easy for England who now travel to Indore for the seventh and final game on April 15.

After the reverses in the first four matches--the fifth was abandoned in Guwahati--England put up an inspiring performance both with the ball and the bat to make it a one-sided affair in the end.

Cruising at 190 for two at stage, they lost a couple of quick wickets, but by then the fate of the match was already sealed.

However, some drama was injected into the proceedings late in the England innings when Harbhajan Singh sent back Kevin Pietersen (33) and Ramesh Powar, who had hit a crucial 54 earlier in Indian innings, dismissed Liam Plunkett in quick succession.

The teams would now travel to Indore for the seventh and final game of the series to be played on April 15.

The highlight of England’s chase was the fine 85-ball knock by Strauss, leading England for the first time ever.

The left-handed opener, who battled cramps in his innings before retiring hurt, hit ten fours and was declared Man of the Match.

Earlier, Dhoni rescued India from an inexplicable batting collapse with a mature knock.

Dhoni, promoted to open the innings, slammed 10 fours and three sixes in his 106-ball knock to lift India from a sorry-reading 79 for 5.

The Jharkhand player found able support in Powar who scored his maiden half-century and shared a crucial 107-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Dhoni.

Nothing seemed to go right for the hosts after Sehwag won the toss and elected to bat on a placid track.
 
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