Unmukt Chand blames Townsville wicket for his side’s four-wicket defeat – Cricket News Update
India’s U-19 skipper Unmukt Chand has blamed pitch for his side’s four wicket loss to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751 Stadium, Townsville, on Sunday, August 12, 2012.
Speaking to media after the defeat, the Indian opener said that the Tony Ireland wicket was not conducive to batting, adding that they were not expecting the wicket to behave in way it did during the match.
"The pitch was seaming a lot, really difficult to bat out there,” said Unmukt Chand.
“The cracks had opened up and the ball was doing quite a bit after pitching. The cracks were creating a lot of problems for us. Once the ball pitched there it used to either go up or along the ground,” explained the Indian skipper.
After being asked to bat, the Indian batsmen struggled against the Ronsford Beaton-led Caribbean attack, managing to score just 166 for 8 from their stipulated 50 overs. Wicketkeeper batsman Smit http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Huzefa-Mohammed-Patel-c63657 was the only Indian batsman who stood up to the West
Indies attack, with a hard-fought 50, which came off 97 deliveries. Skipper Unmukt Chand (22) and Vijay Zol (26) were the other two notable performers from the Blue Shirts. The rest of the line-up struggled to reach double figures.
In reply, the West Indies batsmen also struggled to score runs, but Anthony Alleyne (52), http://www.senore.com/Cricket/John-Argentine-Campbell-c67325 (36) made the difference, and the Caribbean team chased down the paltry 167-run target in the 48th over, with four wickets
to spare.
"That was the test, it was very important to stay patient and be there for as long as we could," said the Indian skipper, who scored 22 runs from 61 balls. "The ball wasn't coming on to the bat well, and I had a difficult time batting. It was something we
were not expecting," he added further.
The 2012 world cup curtain raiser between defending champions http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 was also played at the same Townsville venue, and the Poms had also struggled to score runs before being shot out by the hosts for just 143.
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