India Back To Winning Ways With Thrashing

Give India another format aside from the test arena and they thrive. Another dismal overseas test series in England ended 3-1 to the hosts but they bounced back from that humiliation with a thumping 133 run victory over England in the second ODI at Cardiff. A much improved Indian side in all three areas of the game definitely raises the question as to why they perform so much better in one day cricket as opposed to the test format.

After the first ODI was rained out on Monday, this was effectively the first in a five match series. England won the toss and elected to bowl in overcast conditions and were rewarded, reducing India for 19-2 in the 8th over. Chris Woakes was the man to take both the wickets, which included the removal of danger man Virat Kohli for a duck as his abysmal tour continues. Rahane and Rohit Sharma got things moving with a 91 run partnership at just under a run a ball, until Rahane was stumped off the bowling of Tredwell for 41. Rohit Sharma brought up his half century, a gritty innings of 82 balls crucial to India's cause. But he fell tamely trying to hit the ball over long off but did nothing other than finding the fielder and reducing India to 132-4 and needing a big partnership to restore things. 

India had got to 156-4 by the 35th over and the start of the 5 over powerplay, which really changed the whole momentum of the innings and indeed the match. Raina blasted Woakes for 20 runs in the 38th over which kick started a real surge which led to 62 runs coming off the 5 over batting powerplay. He then brought up his 4th ODI century of just 74 balls which was his first international century for over 4 years. He later fell to Chris Woakes and Dhoni picked up yet another half century as India closed their 50 overs at a very competitive total of 304-6. 

England's innings was halted initially by rain which reduced their innings to 47 overs, with a target of 295. Debutant Alex Hales looked assured at the crease as he cruised to a run a ball 30 with England bringing up their 50 inside 10 overs. But captain Cook and then Ian Bell fell in the same over off the bowling of Mohammed Shami to leave the hosts 56-2. Things then got worse as Joe Root was bowled by Kumar to make it 63-3 and which gave India all the momentum. 

The visitors really bowled well, hitting the right areas which challenged the England batsmen greatly. Left arm spinner Jadeja then came into the attack and removed Hales in his first over for 40. Buttler was then out for 2 as Jadeja picked up his second wicket in as many overs to leave England in tatters on 85-5 from 23 overs, needing over 200 runs at a run rate of nearly 9. Ashwin dismissed Morgan for 28 to leave England 119-6 with the match seemingly all but over. Jadeja picked up a couple of wickets as he ended up with figures of 4-28 as England got bowled out for 161, giving India victory by 133 runs in a match they mostly dominated throughout and looking like a real force ahead of the World Cup in February.  

MK Dons and Coventry Play Out Stalemate

"We're going home, we're going home, back to the Ricoh, we're going home." This was the chant the Coventry fans sung throughout the goalless draw away to MK Dons, after the news broke out on Thursday that the Sky Blues were to finally return to the Ricoh Arena after a year ground sharing with Northampton at Sixfields. The football might not have been great but a very good away point to go with the news of a return to Coventry has put the fans in a great frame of mind and hopefully the club can build on this momentum and perhaps launch a promotion push.

Over 3,000 City fans made the trip but the home side came closest in the early stages after a Ben Reeves free kick was easily saved by keeper Allsop. Josh McQuoid had Coventry's first chance after being put through by John Fleck but McCloughlin made a smart save to deny the Sky Blues. City keeper Allsop was brought into action twice more before half time but he reacted well to keep out Bowditch's effort before saving with his feet to further frustrate the hosts. 

The second half started much the way the first finished, both teams solid in defence with most of the play taking place in the middle third and neither side creating much or taking hold of the match. Reeves almost found a way through for MK Dons after his shot was parried by Allsop but luckily for the visitors he quickly gathered the ball before any player could latch on. In a half of very few chances, City new boy and late substitute Simeon Jackson went closest for Coventry in stoppage time after picking up the ball by the halfway line, he beat 3 defenders but his 20 yard shot was just put behind by McCloughlin for a City corner. Just as it looked like the away side would get one more opportunity from the corner, Jim O'Brien's tame effort went straight out of play and both sides settled for the point. 

It was a match in which neither side did enough to win as neither side created nearly as much as they would have liked but Coventry can be pleased with a hard fought away point against one of the early season favourites for promotion. 

Poor display adds to Sky Blue's Woes

Coventry’s abject performance at ‘home’ to Cardiff in the first round of the League Cup heaped more misery on Sky Blue supporters with things not looking like improving, both on and off the field. 

Coventry City went into Wednesday’s clash with everything still seemingly against them. Seven first team players left in the summer with fairly inadequate replacements adding to the fact they are still playing at Northampton’s Sixfields stadium 35 miles from Coventry, and little to no money to spend has left Coventry fans wondering again when this nightmare will end. A light squad was connoted with 3 players making their professional debut in this League Cup tie.

Coventry have started the new season deploying  5-3-2 formation with three centre backs and two wing backs making up the back 5, which was used in yesterday's fixture. But the young guns of Coventry started immediately on the back foot when poor defending from Jordan Clarke and Jordan Willis resulted in the two colliding which allowed Burgstaller to fire home and give Cardiff the lead. Cardiff completely dominated possession of the ball and created chances to increase their lead. Lee Burge who was making his professional debut was made to produce a couple of saves but nothing that really tested the young keeper. Coventry were extremely poor in possession as they kept giving the ball away too many times instead of playing the simple option. 

Cardiff started the second half much the same way but on the hour mark, Coventry's Josh McQuoid broke through on goal but his shot went wide of the target. As the game wore on, Coventry were allowed a foot hold of the game but mistakes were still occurring far too regularly from this inexperienced side. And that inexperienced showed when Miller fired over a shot after being put through one-on-one with the goalkeeper but fumbled under the pressure. This proved costly as just 4 minutes later with less than 10 minutes to go, Mats Daehli broke through on the left hand side before he played a ball into the six yard box in which 18 year old Haynes put through his own net to make it 2-0 to Cardiff. However, Coventry showed character to come back when  Haynes put a testing ball into the penalty area that Miller tapped home for his first Sky Blue goal and a way back into the match. Their last chance came in stoppage time when stand in captain Andy Webster headed wide, and the score ended Coventry City 1-2 Cardiff City with Cardiff progressing to the second round.