Published: Feb 28, 2015, 04:27 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 28, 2015, 04:55 PM (IST)
India beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by nine wickets in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 clash at the WACA, Perth. India first put in a good bowling performance, led by Ravichandran Ashwin, as UAE were bowled out for 102. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli then knocked off the runs quite easily. Nishad Pai Vaidya picks the major highlights of this game.
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Crowd boos as UAE win the toss: Mohammad Tauqir won the toss and chose to bat, which disappointed the crowd, who had come to watch the Indian batsmen. There were hopes of a big score had India won the toss, but once Tauqir elected to bat, the crowd were unanimous in their boos. Live Scorecard: India vs UAE ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Pool A game at Perth
Umesh Yadav too hot to handle: India’s quickest bowler, Umesh Yadav, was all over the UAE batsmen early in the innings on a bouncy WACA pitch. His extra pace was clearly troubling the UAE batsmen, who were hurrying into their shots. They were beaten on numerous occasions by Yadav, who made their lives difficult in the middle. Top 10 batsmen in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
Short-ball attack: It was quite clear early in the innings that India’s plan was to bowl bouncers to the UAE batsmen. Andri Berenger top edged one as he tried to pull one off Yadav. MS Dhoni took a simple chance behind the stumps. Amjad Ali survived the short ball on numerous occasions, until he got a thin edge while trying to pull one from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Top 10 bowlers in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
Shaiman Anwar fights: The centurion from the previous game, Shaiman Anwar was easily the best batsman for UAE on the day. He looked at relative ease and was comfortable during his stay in the middle. During the innings, he played some good shots through the off-side and it was due to his effort that UAE crossed the 100-mark. Top 10 fielders in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
Mohammad Naveed’s slog: UAE were seven down for 61 in the 22nd over when Mohammad Naveed walked out to bat. Off the first ball he faced, he made room to Ravindra Jadeja and carted him into the stands at long-on. The crowd came alive as they hoped for a better contest. Every run scored by UAE was cheered after one point of time. Top 10 wicketkeepers in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
Ravichandran Ashwin’s first four-wicket haul in ODIs: It is quite surprising that an attacking bowler of Ravichandran Ashwin’s calibre had not taken a four-wicket haul in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) until this game. Ashwin bowled with a lot of guile and maintained a simple approach. His performances against South Africa and Pakistan were good. This one was more about maintaining that rhythm. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Pool-wise Team Standings
Rohan Mustafa takes a blinder: The target of 103 was never a challenge for India, but UAE did have a moment of inspiration on the field. With India on 25, Shikhar Dhawan cut one to point, where Rohan Mustafa held it over his head with one hand outstretched. It was quite a catch and entertaining to watch. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
Virat Kohli gets a grand welcome: Seldom you find a crowd cheering the fall of a wicket, unless Sachin Tendulkar is the next man in. Virat Kohli got a similar welcome from the WACA crowd when Dhawan fell. When they got a glimpse of their hero, they cheered his arrival onto the field of play. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
Rohit Sharma gets fifty: This was a much-needed innings for Rohit Sharma, who needed to build his confidence after two failures. Though the opposition was a UAE, Rohit had to feel the ball onto his bat and the time he spent would have helped him. There were some good shots on display and Rohit was gradually getting back his confidence. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
