Champions Trophy - England and Wales 2013

First topic message reminder :

We have had a few prediction/ speculation type threads but this will be the discussion thread for matches in the Champions Trophy which starts this morning.

The first game is India v South Africa at the Swalec Stadium, Cardiff.

The 50 partnership up, and it has come in good time as well.

Charles will of course typically score a big innings today. The guy plays by numbers I swear...

Anyway good start for the West Indies, albeit on a pitch which looks flatter than most. With Pollard, Bravo and Sammy down the order, India may have to chase a few here

That's the 50 for Charles. Kohli bowled 3 overs, and I think time for Jadeja.

Yes Its Jadeja on now.

And he starts with a maiden.

Charles continues to slog, and he is doing it very effectively indeed.

And Jadeja strikes. Charles is gone. He goes for 60. WI 103-2.

There goes the much maligned Charles

India get a big break

Dhoni using DRS?

Is he feeling ok?

Jokes aside good use of the review.

Jadeja looks to be getting better all the time.

Just went away for 5 minutes, and Jadeja got Samuels in between. Glad to see India using DRS very well.

Jadeja does it again, Sarwan this time. West Indies are throwing away a strong platform here. They are 109-4, from 102-1.

Skipper Bravo joins his younger brother.

Jadeja's good form might be ending Ojha's stay in the Indian setup.

WI 120-4 after 27.

Jadeja's first spell is done, an absolutely excellent one that was. Ashwin takes over.

Darren Bravo has really been struggling. 31 of 72, he's making Jonathan Trott look like Shahid Afridi.

Umesh Yadav is struggling today, not maintaining consistency in line and length, and going for plenty.

Excellent over from Ashwin, he really does deserve a wicket or 2 for his efforts.

Dhoni seems to think Kohli the bowler is going to make a difference today, he's back for a 2nd spell here.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar replaces Kohli.

West Indies 158-5 after 37. Kieron Pollard is looking good. He took 11 balls to get off the mark, but then he started of with 2 6s of Ashwin.

Umesh replaces Ashwin.

Yadav gets Bravo. Jadeja with a safe catch. Crucial wicket that, he was beginning to build a partnership with Pollard. WI 163-6. With Sammy in at 8, West Indies do bat deep today.

Pakistan will be out if India triumph here won't they? Certainly looking likely at the moment.

there's not much after these two though, WI just have lost too many wickets really. Sharma bowling with very nice rhythm today. Also worth noting the huge improvement in the Indian fielding. I know Nasser mentioned it the other day, but apart from Sharma they look a more than decent fielding side. Ashwin has improved in that department, and you can really see Fletcher's influence I think, after the older players had gone he seems to have instilled a new culture there...

West Indies 168-6 after 41. Pollard is still there, and so long as he is there, 250-260 is still possible.

Pollard gone, rubbish shot as he shovels Sharma straight to long-on. WI really struggling, but the pitch isn't that easy to bat on, if they can somehow scrape 220-230 and Narine is at his best they might just have a chance...

Pollard is gone. Holding out to Kumar of Ishant. Big wicket. India will be a lot more confident of restricting the West Indies now.

for all his usefulness as a bowler (in limited overs), Narine's attitude to the rest of the game (batting and fielding) really is appalling. That was a simply awful shot. 4 for Jadeja though, once more his bowling making a real difference, what a useful cricketer he is

Wicket number 4 for Ravindra Jadeja. Pretty poor shot from Sunil Narine, trying to smash Jadeja out of the ground and holding out.

Umesh is back on, the lower order may not like his extra pace.

That's 5 for Jadeja.

there's Jadeja's fifth

another awful awful shot by a WI tail-ender, Sammy likely to be left high and dry, and Nass has just mentioned England's top 3

This guy Jadeja is the same Jadeja my Indian work colleagues tell me is rubbish?

He had Clarke's number in the recent Test series

He's now taken the best figured ever by an Indian in the CT.

Not bad for someone rubbish.

PS I'm not calling him rubbish. Looks a mighty fine player.

first bad ball from Jadeja and Sammy pulls for four, useful little hand from Sammy here you have to say, but he's been left with very little to work with...

slot bowling from Sharma, a perfect example of why just bowling full and straight won't cut it any more. Sammy takes him for ten off the first two balls. Wonder if Dhoni would have been better off giving this over to Ashwin?

good hitting from Sammy who's given WI half a chance here. Another useful cricketer who's very much underrated in my book...

Sammy on the charge, 14 of 3 balls from Ishant here, make that 20 of 4.

Jadeja guilty of just firing it in a bit too flat in the last couple of overs...

brilliant from Sammy

WI end on 233, which might just give them a chance.

Despite this amazing batting from Darren Sammy (congrats btw) i still can't see them winning this, India will easily win this. But that was something special at the end, and you never know early wickets and it will all change!

Outstanding finish from Darren Sammy. Roach didn't score a run, but his sensible approach let Sammy do his job. and West Indies do have a decent total to bowl at. Far cry from a position of 102-1, but after that horrendous collapse, this is a fine recovery.
Early wickets are the key, if the WI manage a couple early on, then there could be some pressure on the Indians.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:there's Jadeja's fifth

another awful awful shot by a WI tail-ender, Sammy likely to be left high and dry, and Nass has just mentioned England's top 3

The West Indies top order batted 26 overs, that is more than half the innings for a combined total of 116. Full marks to Nass for talking about the England top order!!!.

The Indian openers have provided the team with a good start. They are 48 without loss after 7 overs.

Roach and Rampaul struggled to contain the 2 Indian openers, so Bravo bringing Sunil Narine on early, in the 8th over of the innings.

WI bowling a load of rubbish TBH, trying too hard for early wickets and bowling a diet of long hops and half-volleys.

This is rapidly getting away from the Windies - the World Champions nearly have their place in the semi-final.

The 2 Indian batsmen are showing great intent so far. That approach has quickly transformed the pressure to the West Indies bowlers and they are not able to maintain control. Darren Sammy on and very nearly gets the breakthrough. Good effort from Pollard, but Dhawan just gets away with it.

The Indians have a platform and the chase is well in their control. Now they need to take no unnecessary chance, just keep the board moving, can cut out the risk against Sunil Narine in particular.