Former India captain Ravi Shastri is also famous for his lively commentary and presentation during cricket matches. In that case, there is no wonder that many aspire to develop communication skills like that of Shastri. Copying the commentary style of the ex-India star is not an easy task but it seems that former New Zealand player Ian Smith has mastered the art. During India’s Cricket World Cup match against Netherlands, Smith, while sitting in the commentary box, copied the style of Shastri leaving the latter and another ex-India player Anjum Chopra in splits.
“Welcome to Bengaluru, Happy Diwali day to you all and now we shall have a toss of the coin. The almighty Richie Richardson in the middle. Now listen to me please everybody..” said Smith.
Watch it here:
Centuries from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul powered India to a 160-run World Cup win over the Netherlands as they completed the group stage with a perfect nine wins in nine games.
Iyer (128 not out) and Rahul (102) put on 208 runs to guide India to 410-4.
India then employed nine bowlers, including part-timers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to dismiss the Dutch for 250 in the tournament’s concluding league match in Bengaluru.
The hosts will face New Zealand in the first semi-final in Mumbai on Wednesday followed by the second last-four clash between Australia and South Africa the next day in Kolkata.
Iyer smashed his first World Cup ton in a match where all the top-five Indian batsmen went past the fifty mark on a batting-friendly pitch.
He reached his hundred — his fourth in ODI cricket — off 84 balls. He ended with 10 fours and five sixes.
Bengaluru-born Rahul raced to his ton with two sixes for the fastest Indian hundred in World Cups off 62 balls.
He departed four balls later as India fell short of their highest ever World Cup total of 413-5 v Bermuda in 2007.
Kohli reached his half century but fell for 51, silencing the crowd who had been anticipating the star batsman’s 50th ODI ton after he equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 in the team’s previous win over South Africa.
Skipper Rohit, who hit 61, and Shubman Gill laid the foundations for the total in an opening stand of 100 with the pair hitting regular boundaries.
Gill fell for 51 off Paul van Meekeren and fellow quick Bas de Leede dismissed Rohit after the captain reached his fourth 50-plus score including a ton in the tournament.
(With AFP Inputs)
