This was the fifth year in a row that Dhoni had made the team but the first time as captain. It was also announced in September that Dhoni had been named captain of the ICC’s ODI Team of the Year for 2011-12. The captaincy of the ODI and Test sides would follow. The event marked the fifth anniversary of Dhoni’s ascension to the captaincy of the Indian T20 team in September 2007, leading India to that amazing victory in the inaugural World championship in South Africa on captaincy debut. Eight days later the Indians opened their campaign in the fourth World T20 championship by beating Afghanistan at Colombo. The first match at Visakhapatnam was washed out and then they clinched a thrilling game at Chennai by one run. New Zealand proved a point by winning the T20 series. India were in a corner till Kohli and Dhoni saw them home with a fighting unbeaten partnership worth 96 runs. At 166 for 5 in the second innings chasing 261 for victory,
But in the second at Bangalore they came up against an inspired spell of seam bowling by Tim Southee who claimed 7 for 64 as the Kiwis took a small first innings lead. The first Test at Hyderabad proved a cakewalk for the hosts.
#CAPTAIN COOL GULU EZEKIEL. PDF SERIES#
After the rigours of the English and Australian tours, the home series against New Zealand was expected to be a cakewalk, kicking off an early start to a hectic season with England, Pakistan and Australia also touring India. With this verdict, India now climbed to No. The series though was a forgettable one save for the brilliant show by the sensational young gun Kohli with two centuries. The now obligatory trip to Sri Lanka to squeeze yet another ODI series saw the Indians, by now totally at home in such conditions, easily win 4-1. In the next game, the second qualifying match, CSK crushed Delhi Daredevils by 86 runs to make their third straight final where they ran into a resurgent KKR. Dhoni had a quiet time with the bat with just one fifty but that was a barnstorming 51 not out from a mere 20 balls in the elimination final against Mumbai Indians at Bangalore that powered CSK home by 38 runs. CSK were on the verge of elimination in the league stage and just about managed to make it to the final phase. Chennai Super Kings gunning for a hat-trick of titles made it to the final for the fourth time out of five but for the second time finished as runners-up. The big surprise came right at the end with Kolkata Knight Riders stunning one and all by taking the title after entering their maiden final.
#CAPTAIN COOL GULU EZEKIEL. PDF TV#
The fifth season of the IPL that followed was marked by a spate of both on and off field controversies with TV stings, sex scandals and persistent fixing rumours tarnishing the brand. It was not enough though to prevent a shock defeat at the hands of the hosts and though India recorded big wins against Lanka and Pakistan, as title holders they failed to make the final. He finally got to the landmark in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh at Mirpur and the team and his countless fans and the man himself could breathe easy now that the monkey was off his back.
Tendulkar’s quest for his 100th international century had been proving a distraction for the team on the tours of England and Australia. Six months later, much of the Indian media would be echoing that prediction.
0 kommentar(er)
