Jadhav, Kohli help India to fetch a win in a Historic Chase

                   India chase 351 to go up 1-0 in the 3 match series at Pune as, Jadhav the local boy and Virat the master of chasing plundered England bowlers with centuries through middle overs after an early Collapse chasing a big target. Although the pair hadn't stayed till to the end but ensured to keep the required rate down as the lower middle order trolled the runs to finish a history chase.

            Chasing a target of 350 isn't any easy task even in modern times most often that not and with few renovation going in the Indian line up it was a tough task put on by England. The openers Dhawan and Rahul departed early without getting any start and the batsmen then Virat and Yuvraj showed some Resistance as Yuvraj played some shorts early in the innings but he couldn't stayed in for long. While the ex-Captain also followed to the flow of wickets with leaving India at 63/4.

            At this stage India are in deep trouble with mounting required rate alongside lack of partnership's and that peculiar and most important time Jadhav joined with Virat and played pretty aggressive shots to keep up with the run rate. While Kohli at the other end  complemented him well with reaching his half century and jadhav too joined him with brisk one in almost double quick time.

            As the pair gone deep into the chase the required rate dropped simultaneously and Kohli made Jadhav to keep with the his pace in running between the wickets as they sneaked a run a ball with ease along with boundaries. As Kohli neared into his nineties he turned on another gear and scored more freely and Jadhav too kept the pace all the innings with playing most of the runs on the legside.

           The Duo completed their respective centuries and also a 200 run partnership and then Kohli departed to up another gear, While Jadhav struggled with cramps and found it incredibly difficult to run between the wickets but it didn't stop him in playing shots soon after Jadhav held on to Jack Ball’s short delivery. At this stage the required rate is under 6 with 80 runs still to get in this time Pandya with his nervy running and classical shots got India to chase the total alongside Ashwin and Jadeja.

             Earlier England started off well in setting the total with openers Roy and Hales found boundaries with ease even with good delivers as the pair started to Dominate, Bunrah’s fielding got hole out Hales. While Root who walked into the crease at No.3 complemented Roy well as he played attacking shots and he never looked in trouble Roy past fifty in no time and got the momentum get going as he tried to do So he missed a short of a length ball from Jadeja with stepping down the track.

             At this stage Morgan who is out of form struggled to move the rate up and in the process he nicked one to Dhoni, later with more than 20 overs still to play England sent in Buttler ahead of Stokes with change in plans and he played his shots with manipulating the ball for some time but his Start hadn't lasted long as he found Dhawan jumping at mid off to sent him back to the hut.

           Later Root who unknowingly playing an second fiddle role to take the innings deep decided to move on with aggressive shots as the innings progressed into Final ten overs in doing so he cleared some shots over the top and with playing one two many he departed trying to clear long off as Pandya held onto to one  handed catch. At the end Ali who joined with set Stokes at the crease moved the scoring rapidly in last 8 overs as Stokes brought up fastest half century against India and Ali too complemented him well in fetching 105 runs.

India focus more on Combination with England's batting depth

                     India on the way to play it's last ODI series before Champions trophy with few adjustments still to be made for a perfect combination and with things are in the mix Ms decision to step down came as a surprise but it is being felt for a good cause too. While England with more stable in the shorter version of the game are not in a mood to look at how test series went, as they are eager to show the potential with the first ODI on Sunday at Pune.

               But the potential of Indian middle order yet to be established with Pandey nor Jadhav made most of the opportunities and with Yuvraj back the question intensified even more with the combination of these 3 players, as Yuvraj made his claim for a lot with a half century in the warm up game.

          On the other hand the opening slots yet to be filled with Dhawan back to the squad alongside these batting issue's, the presence of Ashwin and Jadeaja gonna be tough call to make with Misra's performance against Kiwis in the previous year.

               And it's that opposition things gotta change for England post world cup and their performance can be termed with two aspect from there on. Now it is more about the depth they posses in the squad either with bat or ball making them an immense opposition to play against.

              Although the record in these conditions don't read great for them, but the rejuvenated spirits are as high as ever in the visitors camp, and with the work being at progress in hosts camp might help in their favour too at this peculiar situation.

             

Pitch

                 While the pitch at Pune may not produce huge total has did in it's opening game against Australia back in 2013 and it's a tricky time to access the pitch with more due around the country.

India

                Virat face big Challenge in his first assignment as a full time captain, in which he needs to gamble between Dhawan and  Rahane alongside undroppable Rahul. In the middle order Dhoni likely to play at no.4 with way opinions are being flown at and it's hard to predict between Manish and Yuvraj.

Possible XI

              1, Rahul, 2. Dhawan/ Rahane, 3.Virat, 4. Dhoni, 5. Yuvraj/ Manish, 6. Jadhav, 7. Hardik, 8.9, Jadeaja/Ashwin/Misra, 10.Umesh, 11, Bumrah

England              

             On the other hand the visitors have to make some harsh decisions in spite of return of their skipper which leaves both Billings and Bairstow out of playing XI

Possible XI

                1, Roy, 2. Hales, 3. Root, 4, Buttler, 5,Morgan, 6.Stokes, 7.Ali, 8.Woakes, 9.Rashid, 10. Willey, 11. Plunkett.

    

                 At the end both sides as to resolve their issues, as England who are looking to improve their record at India and India to spot a combination with limited opportunities. But on a given day it's more about winning a game and it gonna depend on how Indian bowlers nullify England batting depth.

Pakistan look to climb up in the Rankings as Auusie in a mood to Dominate

                      At the beginning of the tour lot thought that Pakistan would give Australia a stiff challenge in the longer format, but it had gone the other way around and now they face Aussie in the shorter format where they ruling it from a long time, for Pakistan though they are in a mini crisis to Spot a direct qualification for WC19 and they look to take each win in the 5 match ODi series which is set commence at Gabba on Friday.

            Every win is so vital for Pakistan from now on to the due date for the qualification of WC19 but things turning the other way with Mohammad Irfan and Sarfaraz left home on personal reasons which directly has an impact on the squad. While Amir's and Raiz fitness gonna be on radar with heavy workloads in the test series.

             It always has been the problem for Pakistan in recent times, to couldn't get the things thick and fast when comes to batting, where the modern games producing high scoring totals and with there lack of depth in their batting they need to do most work with their typical batsmen.

               On the other hand Australia hadn't lost any form when it comes to ODI Cricket they are as good as ever and at home even more dominating. They clean swept Kiwis in the recently concluded Series and that series has been feature of making big totals and this series won't be indifferent.

           Although the present series squad features new faces in the form of Lynn, stanlake which might be their build up to Champions trophy with young Players. While Maxwel return is always an handy asset to possess as Aussie in the mood of Big Bash with big hits.

Pitch

                   The pitch at Gabba produced high scoring games in the  past year or so, and with the recent pitches being offered during Chapell- Hadlee series are high scoring ones and it might be the trend that going continue in this series as well.

Australia

                 The playing XI as been annouced prior to the frist ODI which features Lynn and handing a debut to Stanlake and with the pitch expected to no aid for spinners they are happy to leave Zampa out.

Possible XI: 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (c), 4 Chris Lynn, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Billy Stanlake.

Pakistan

                With Sarfaraz and irfan absence makes Pakistan to think about Hafeez who as been added to the squad recently and Amir and Raiz has to be share the paceers role alongside Hasan Ali.

Possible XI: 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Hasan Ali.

                At the end of the day it won't be easy for Pakistan to dig into Aussie batting line up and to do so their batsmen has to put some runs on the board, as the contest lie on how Pakistan field and bat.

Lankans hope to avoid Whitewash, which is far away

                         A quick turn up between first two tests made to feel the third test a much longer gap than it is, and lot gone around in Protea nation with kolpak signings off the field which may not affect them now but the future yet to be decided. Although for now the  hosts have dominated the Lankans in every aspect to seal the series and it's about extending it with a sweep in the third test which is gearing it's way from Thursday at Johannesburg.

                 And it was that merry problem Mathews pointed out prior to the series is affecting them a lot, as the batsmen unable to turn up to give the bowlers a chance to bowl at. There has been some starts and a couple of fifties but there hasn't been a knock that lifted their spirits up and it has to be that knock at this situation they are going through.

            On the other hand proteas showing renewed aggression since renewed captaincy under Duplessis and if their anything they look for is a big knock from Amla, who is struggling to get to a milestone from a while and it will be memorable if gets in his 100th test at Johannesburg.

              While the bowling well led from the front with Philander and Rabada, although keshav Maharaj has been tight at the other end with minimum help from the surfaces on offered.

                Meanwhile for Lankans it has be kumara to made decisive move with the ball alongside consistent Lakmal and Pradeep, but their shuffling in the order to hadn't helped them, which they thought could be but those may not make change if they force to make same mistakes.

Pitch

            So far it has been the movement that troblued Lankans in the series and now at Johannesburg bounce gonna add to it, to make it even challenging for the batsnen.

South Africa

                 With the form they are going through the series they don't have to change the things much, but Abbott out with kolpak signings Parnell makes a way into the side.

Probable XI): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Stephen Cook, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Faf du Plessis (c), 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Keshav Maharaj

Srilanka

            The visitors too find it hard to make any changes to the squad as they unable to figure out what the best order is to with the form they are going through

Probable XI: 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Angelo Mathews (c), 6 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 7 Upul Tharanga, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Lahiru Kumara, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

                 At the end it is tough for Lankans to come back with the way their batsmen crumbled in the second test, if they can do that it would be moral booster for them in a big. And it all depends on the contest between struggling Lankan batsmen and dominating Protea bowlers.

Longer format even bigger challenge as Bangladesh seek for Confidence

                    Bangladesh would have came with many hopes to reset their history in New Zealand with their rejuvenated spirits to start winning games aboard, but it's not what happened the cards have turned upside down they had been clean swept by the hosts in  the format, that brought new perspective to them.

           Later it followed up with another cleaner in T20 format where they yet to make their mark and now they get ready for the toughest test of longer format in which they hadn't have much success, as the first of two test Series set to commence on Thursday at reserve basin Wellington.

          While in both those limited overs format they had moments to turn down the hosts and in the same phase they hold out of those in a dramatic way as it was scripted. It was not done before to win a game in New Zealand against New Zealand and in this situation the longest format will not an ideal format, but they seek to take experience of playing on foreign soil irrespective of results.

         On the other hand the hosts gained what they wanted with clean sweeping in either formats with distant stain and they yet ready for another in the longer format. In the meanwhile winning those games there have been new finds for them in their building middle order, but still the potential has to be tested against a strong apposition.

            Coming back to the test Series Kiwis had a great series against Pakistan and they seek to fill few slots in the longer format where they lacking consistency,   

Pitch

         Meanwhile the pitch at reserve basin covered well with grass as it expected to be a bowlers paradise and batsmen hell to fight with movement and Conditions.

             At the end Bangladesh have to fight hard with the way are performing and their track record in aboard, as the green track promise's s many challenges to handle. While it all depends on how Bangladesh come out after losses with confidence to trouble the hosts.

India face selection Condrum with Consistency and Injuries

                    Dhoni steps down as captain and he is now in the limelight with being as a wicketkeeper batsmen, although his Standing behind the stumps have never meet an concern as his batting did here and there and now it's likely in the radar regarding runs have conceded.

            While time will tell few answers, regarding can he keep on performing in order to stay in the squad. But there are few others in the ODI squad where their careers are at cross roads and few coming back with domestic form and some with back of injuries.

            Of those players it's Yuvraj incision in both the ODIS and T20Is came as a surprise since he played his last ODI in 2013 against South Africa and it is due his form in domestic circuit earned him a spot in the squad. But the spot in playing XI under the circumstances where team searching for fishers in the middle order with young players, will be a hard earn and his spot is likely depend on the performance of Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav.

               So the middle order is where ODI team lacking consistency and it will be tricky choice to choose Yuvraj with young players yet to establish themselves, while with the recent New Zealand series Manish scored medcore knocks apart from his maiden century in Sydney, he hadn't played an characteristic innings. But with his reputation known to be an big match player the team in scene ready to give him more opportunities.

           On the other hand Jadhav proved to be more an handy part timer bowler to a wicket taker when the ball went to him, although he showed his big hitting capability twice at a glimpse but consistency is what remains to be achieved.

            Meanwhile the opening slots are high in cards with Rohit being injured, and the return of Dhawan back of a injury is going to be an debatable one, since Rahul going through with some form it's unlikely he gonna sit out. While it is with Rahane where Dhawan’s slot meets for this his performance in the practice games will be crucial in contention for the opening slot.

           And it's high time for Rahane with being jumbled down and up in the order and he is yet to find his spot of own in the ODI squad unlike to tests, it is the question that remains to solved whether the management likely to give opportunities at the top even with keeping Rahul and Dhawan in the bank.