Pavilion Speak

An open letter to Sachin Tendulkar...

2011-07-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Sachin,

I have been your most ardent fan since the time I started watching cricket. For proof, you can refer to my parents and most of my friends and even some of my articles in this blog. However, off late, particularly in the last few months, this stance of mine is slowly beginning to change; my fascination for your batting is starting to fade. This letter is to just express my anguish at what you've done in the past 10 months and maybe I am writing this only because I've liked you way too much.

Firstly, your Centurion century against SA in December last year. I fully agree that your 50th test ton was a very good innings under the circumstances. True show of grit and all other usual adjectives. But all said and done, don't you think you could have gone that extra mile to ensure that SA bat again instead of cantering home by an innings victory? You exposed the tail when you should have helped India get those 25 runs to go past SA. Why did you not do it? And my god! The way the media ignored the defeat and concentrated only on your hundred, just added fuel to the fire in me, although this was not your mistake.

The second instance was your "IPL showing". The tournament has become more of a yawn and I seriously don't understand why cricketers like you take part in such a farce! Your team had just won the World Cup and even before the entire country could get over that, you guys had consented to take part in an almost two month entertainment show across India. Above all this, the one thing which I hated the most came after this fiasco got over. Before the tour to the West Indies, you expressed that you wanted to spend time with your family and hence requested the board to not pick you. My question is, what the heck were you doing during the IPL? Why couldn't you stay away from that, be with your family and then go to the West Indies, get some good runs under your belt and prepare yourself for the grand and historic 2000th test match at Lord's? If senior players like you cannot show the way, then what will the youngsters do? Whom do they look up to? Remember that the IPL is just a domestic T20 event! I hope you know this fact.

Finally, it's regarding the much awaited England tour. You just thought one practice match would be enough to get you into test match mode at the world's greatest cricket stage against an all-round, brilliant home side? Well, the answer was there to be seen in front of everyone's eyes at the Mecca of Cricket. And once again all the media hype for your much anticipated 100th international hundred was absolute rubbish. The final nail in the coffin was your second innings display. What prevented you from being positive, only God knows! I do not want "fever" as a school-boy-like excuse. I hope you vividly remember one Mr. Anil Kumble bowling with a bandage around his head after being injured and many other similar instances in your more than two decade career.

On one final note, I would like to know if you can ever come out of your comfort zone. Dravid was pulled out from number 3 and made to open when Gambhir got injured. Inspite of not liking the role, Dravid has simply been stunning so far. Laxman has been asked to bat at number 3 from his usual number 5. Dhoni, in the first test after Zaheer left with an injury, started to roll his arms over to fill in some overs and Dravid kept wickets. And I am sure Ganguly, if playing now, would have done the same. However, you, in my opinion a very clever bowler and the greatest one-day opener of all time, did not take up either of those responsibilities.

I demand answers for all these and fast. You are one of the world's greatest cricketers ever and I would like you to go out on a high. A sincere request from my side would be for you to not get distracted by crappy numbers, landmarks and milestones and shoulder more responsibility to take your team forward.

With Love (I hope always),

Vijesh Jayaraman

2011 ICC CWC Champions - India

2011-04-03T11:41:00.001-07:00

India have captured the World Cup after a span of 28 years. As Kapil Dev had wished, he's not alone anymore as MS Dhoni joins him as the second Indian captain to win the coveted trophy. Here's a tribute to a squad that's made the dream of over a billion people come true (most helped but a few din't).

Virender Sehwag - The swashbuckling opener set the pace for the team with a brilliant 175 against Bangladesh in the Cup opener. The innings helped the Indians bury the ghosts of the 2007 WC debacle. His outrageous assault on Umar Gul in the semi-finals would serve as the perfect lesson on "how to dent the psyche of a bowler who's at the peak of his form" for years to come.

Sachin Tendulkar - 32,000+ international runs, 99 international hundreds and 2000+ runs in 6 world cup campaigns later, the great man is finally there! A world cup winning medal for Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar aka God of Cricket after persevering for close to 22 years. Can there be a better role model than the Mumbai magician? I cannot see anyone in my lifetime.

Gautam Gambhir - The man who's always been shy and been behind his more glamorous collegues. 39, 51, 10, 28, 69, 22, 50, 27 - definitely not from a person who's supposedly "out of form"! Shuts up all those "critics", in typical Tendulkar-style, with the bat, by scoring a world cup winning 97 in the finals against Sri Lanka.

Virat Kohli - Seems to have come of age in an unbelievably short span of time. His composure and calm head at No.4 at such a young age has been vital from India's point of view. His invaluable knock of 35 and his 83-run association with Gambhir in the finals re-built the innings after the Lankans thought they had one firm hand on the title by taking out Sehwag and Sachin

cheaply.

Yuvraj Singh - The unanimous choice for "Player of the tournament". One year ago, he was speculating on quitting the game. But now has become a potent all-rounder. It's come a full circle for Yuvraj. The way he applied the finishing touches during chases against Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia and Sri Lanka had a heavy resemblance to one of the best ODI finishers in the world - Michael Bevan.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C & WK) - The man with the midas touch. Whatever he'd touched turned to gold during the world cup. Some of his selection and tactical decisions came under a lot of debate. His form also wasn't great with just 150 runs in 8 innings. But nothing of this will be relevant when only flashes of his 91* and THAT majestic six to seal the deal, will be played for generations come! Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Suresh Raina - The solution to India's problems when it came to using the batting power play effectively. His cameos against Australia and Pakistan augurs well for a good future for this talented south-paw.

Harbhajan Singh - Bhajji was not as effective as he was expected to be, given the slow and turning nature of the tracks in the sub-continent. But yet, the way he choked the batsmen and checked the flow of runs at crucial periods by bowling a tight line warrants a lot of appreciation. His dismissal of Umar Akmal in the semis with a faster, flat delivery was a gem which turned the game and tournament on it's head.

Zaheer Khan - The unsung hero of the team. Dhoni's go-to-man to avert a crisis or during one. 21 wickets at under 19 with an economy of 4.8 runs per over shows the kind of quality he brings to the bowling department. The yorker to get rid of Andrew Strauss when he was on 158 was THE game changer. In 2003, he was very good. In 2011, he was lethal and deadly.

Santhakumaran Sreesanth - An absolute excess baggage. India could have well just had a 14-member WC squad. Just can't win a WC medal by simply being a lucky charm! Come on!!

Munaf Patel - The steady line and length he bowled at all times was a great asset. He has developed variations like the cutters and the slower ball (much slower in his case considering he bowls 130 kph max). Would do a world of good to him and the team if he adds some more pace to his bowling. The ball which took Abdul Razzaq's off stump in the S/F was a peach.

Ravichandran Ashwin - The player who was desperately unlucky to miss out on being in the semis and finals. The decision not to play him could have easily back-fired on Dhoni and India. Fortunately, it did not. He is a wicket-taker, controller, fierce competitor and a great asset to the Indian fielding. His deeds, many of which are yet to come, was aptly put in perspective when Sunil Gavaskar made the following statement: "He's going to win the world cup for India".

Yusuf Pathan - Had a pretty ordinary run considering that he was in great form coming into the tournament. Took India home in the game against Ireland but did not do much otherwise. Gave way to Raina in the latter half of the event.

Piyush Chawla - Had a shocker of a tournament. Another adamant decision by Dhoni to play him in the initial matches. Came an absolute cropper.

Ashish Nehra - Nehra was instrumental in restricting Pakistan while they were chasing 260 for a place in the final. He injured his finger while fielding in the same game and hence was not part of the grand finale. I don't seem him play a further role in the team in the coming days.

The Crowd - Not to forget the way in which the audiences, including big names from various sectors, supported not just the home teams but whenever there was good cricket on display in the middle. Really kept India going in the knock-out stages by applying the typical "sub-continental crowd pressure" on the opposition. Hats-off :)!

PS: The 50-over game and the world cup are here to stay for a long, long period of time. For the so-called critics, I have just two words - "SHUT UP"!

A tale of two extraordinary legends

2011-04-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 has been a tremendous success inspite of complaints about it's duration and the participation of minnows. With just one match left to be played - the final at Mumbai - it has thrown up unexpected scenarios, the least likely of heroes and the most unbelievable of surprises. However, it has come up with two finalists - India and Sri Lanka - who are well worthy of the tag. Also, if I can take the liberty, I'll proceed to say that they were expected to be there for the summit clash, given the conditions in the sub-continent.

Kumar Sangakkara, with his scholarly and calm presence, has marshalled his troops well and extracted maximum out of the varied resources available at his disposal. He has led from the front, batting like a dream with so much touch and class, which is very much required from the captain of a team in such a big event. The fact that they played most of their matches at a single venue should not undermine the way they have gelled together as a unit and come up trumps to reach the final. With Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga going hammer and tongs against every opposition they've faced and a middle order boasting of the likes of class acts like Mahela Jayawardena, Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Matthews, the batting order looks an awesome package. But what sets the Lankan Lions apart is their highly varied bowling attack which forms a perfect ally to their explosive batting. Ajantha Mendis has been steady, Lasith Malinga has been deadly and Muttiah Muralidharan has shown why he is the boss when it comes to spin bowling. Surely, the team looks formidable and hence their journey to a second consecutive world cup final (which in itself is a commendable achievement) and their third overall, comes not much as a surprise. So, can they be stopped on their tracks in pursuit of their second ever world cup silverware? The answer is yes, because they have an equally able opponent (if not more) waiting for them on the 2nd of April, 2011 at the Wankhede Stadium.

India, the co-hosts and tournament favourites to begin with, did not have an easy passage through the tournament. They scrapped quite a few games in the league stage and battled it out in the cauldron in the knockouts. The bowling lacked skill and penetration (Zaheer Khan being an exception) - they could not defend targets of 338 and 296 against England and South Africa respectively. But the addition of Ravichandran Ashwin has brought in some sort of balance to the attack and has given the skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, some variety to work with. But, during the crunch times, the bowlers seem to be finally bringing their acts together, especially in the matches against Australia (in the Q/F) and Pakistan (in the S/F). The batting has not been much of problem, barring a couple of collapses in the initial games. It shouldn't be because it consists of players of the calibre of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. Yuvraj's bowling has been a revelation and a big boost to the team. However, the lack of form of Dhoni and Kohli (except for the latter's 100* against Bangladesh in the Cup opener) is a big cause for concern. Dhoni has just been a shadow of what he was when he first burst into the international scene more than half a decade ago. He desperately needs runs, not just for his own confidence but also to give ample support and stability to the team's middle order. But his "cool" head and composure under testing times, has rubbed off on his team mates, who are willing to abide by his words as the laws of the land and are ready to execute whatever plans he and the coach, Gary Kirsten, come up with. It helps a captain when he has such right amount of control over his players. Raina has been the solution to India's wobbles in the batting powerplays while Sehwag, Tendulkar and Gambhir have been their usual selves at the top of the order.

The final, to be witnessed by the who's who of both the countries, will be focussing upon two greats from either side. Muralidharan and Tendulkar would be the cynosure of all eyes watching this great game of cricket. The former has already announced that this will be his last ODI while there has been speculation that this could be the latter's last ever shot at one-day cricket's ultimate prize. They have been masters in their respective arts and have played a vital role in putting their teams on the global cricketing map. The pressure might be more on the Mumbaikar, the local "boy", because the world cup is one trophy missing in his CV whereas Murali has already been part of a world cup winning team under Arjuna Ranatunga in 1996. But such pressures for Sachin, who has been carrying the burdens and expectations of over a billion people for well over two decades, should not be much of a problem to handle. The period when these two titans clash on Saturday is sure to set heartbeats racing and can produce heart-stopping moments as well. Both have also been important contributors in bringing their teams into the finals of the 2011 edition. Unfortunately, only one of them will be going home all smiles while the other's dream will be shattered to pieces after the end of the tournament.

Fortunes could fluctuate, momentums could swing, masterpieces could be crafted, skill levels could come under intense scrutiny and temperaments could be tested upon. The World Cup is waiting for the team which would ultimately conquer all these apart from bringing out their best in a pressure cooker situation and holding their nerves. It would be one hell of a contest, at the end of which cricket will turn out to be the ultimate winner!

PS: Hopefully, the Mumbai crowd behaves more responsibly in case the home team falters at the last hurdle. It ought to have learnt from bitter past experiences of poor behaviour. It should show up as an audience worthy of watching an epic staged at the centre.

World Cup fever? Not quite so, yet...

2011-03-04T04:29:00.000-08:00

It's been more than a fortnight since the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, but somehow, deep down, my heart makes me think that that "feeling" is yet to come and sink in. Thinking of reasons for such thought, I had quite a few to substantiate this current state of mine.

Firstly, it's regarding the entire scheduling of the event. Close to 50 days for a such an event would be too much of a burden on the audience, leave alone the players. And with the IPL to follow barely a week after the finals, it makes it all the more worse.
The intervals between each game a team plays makes it too long a wait. A couple of examples would be India playing just three matches in the first three weeks of the competition! Add the fact that Australia last played on Feb 25th and are yet to play their 3rd match, shows how bad the planning has been.
Thirdly, it could be because of the participation of too many countries - 14 in all! This debate, regarding how many teams should be in a world cup, has been going on for a while. My personal choice would be 10, the split being the top 8 full members and a qualifier tournament for the other two and the associate members, with the finalists of the competition gaining the "privilege" to play in the main event.

I guess a majority of the people might concur with me on these points which I have made, atleast with the first two. But Ireland might have just shaken me up on the third with their stunning victory over favourites England. Taking your team from 5 down for almost nothing to a victory target of around 330 is an awesome performance and I take my hat off to Kevin O'Brien! The only other innings of such scale that I can recollect from the last 2-3 years, is Yousuf Pathan's blitzkrieg against New Zealand late last year.

Apart from this encounter, the England - India "tie" at Bangalore was the only other match which did not shape up according to "the script". It was an absolutely rubbish bowling performance from both the sides and surely neither deserved to win. The game has given a very good advert, particularly for this world cup and also for ODI cricket overall. Andrew Strauss and Sachin Tendulkar have taught us lessons on how classic 50-over innings are constructed. An absolute masterclass from both of them.

As I write, there are still almost three weeks left for the league stage to end to determine the quarter-finalists. But I am desperate to see more closely fought matches like the ones I have mentioned above and less of matches which get over in less than 35-40 overs (both batting innings combined that is). Moreover, it would be wonderful to watch games played on sporting tracks. I have had enough of seeing 300-350 being scored over the past week and a half. Another few of those could just make it a fourth reason that could be added to the aforementioned ones regarding the world cup fever not gripping me. High time we had matches with nominal totals being scored and then overhauled/defended. Will my wish come true? Well, the answer lies in the 2 weeks ahead starting with cracking matches in the upcoming weekend. Fingers-crossed!

PS: I know it's a little too early for predictions, but the following would be my list of the teams which could make it to the knock-stages (in no particular order):

From Group A,

Australia

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

New Zealand

From Group B (For me, this is the group of death),

South Africa

India

West Indies

England (But Ireland might just tip their giant neighbours at the very end)

An uncertain future...

2011-01-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

The last two months of 2010 were a real treat for cricket fans the world over. England took on Australia in the Ashes down under while test rank #1 India were up against a formidable #2 ranked South Africa in their own backyard. The two series lived upto the top billing status given to them. With Aussie cricket on the decline, England thrashed their arch rivals 3-1, with innings victories at Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, to not only retain the urn, but also to win their first series on Australian soil after 24 years. While England celebrated their wonderful win, the Aussies were left to do some serious introspection and also to decide on the future of their national game and their national captain, Ricky Ponting, who had an abysmal series where he averaged less than 20.

Though the series down under was mostly one-sided, cricket fans, fortunately, witnessed a hard fought battle between two high profile teams in the rainbow nation. A lot was at stake for both India and South Africa - India needed to prove to the world that they are worth the No.1 status and South Africa to show that they were equal to being No.1 if not more. And that's exactly what happened in the entire tournament, with rapid momentum swings in every session of every test match. Dale Steyn came up with the best fast bowling performance in the last two decades, which helped to put his team into commanding positions. If it was Steyn with the ball, then it was their go to man, Kallis, to do the job with the bat, which he did with aplomb, scoring close to 500 runs at an incredible 167! India, on the other hand, after the drubbing at Centurion (which will be more remembered for Kallis' first double hundred 15 years after his test debut and Tendulkar's 50th test ton) came back very strongly in Durban to show they are no longer push overs on foreign soil, thanks to a very special 96 by VVS Laxman. And rightly, the last test ended in a draw for the teams to share the series honours 1-1.

Although it was fascinating to watch these two hardly fought bilateral series, I was left to wonder whether a contest between any other nations would have been as interesting for the viewers. Sri Lanka have a very good set of players, but it's high time they came out of their bracket as "lions only at home", just like India were labelled in the 90's. Pakistan is as unpredictable as always and with no home matches in the near future and the spot fixing allegations, it is very tough to expect them to be consistent world beaters in the next couple of years. New Zealand and West Indies are just a shadow of their past (even that is an overstatement). 2010 witnessed cricket hitting rock bottom with West Indian players refusing to sign their board's central contracts and instead wanting to play only in cash rich T20 leagues. That definitely doesn't augur well for a game which already is only played by 8 countries around the globe. Cricket administrators need to take a serious look at taking the game to new avenues. The rise of Afghanistan is a very good development among all these ruins, but it shouldn't turn out to be a form of consolation for all the losses.

With the most important problem being the lack of interested players from various countries, T20 sure is an easier way of marketing and taking the game forward. But that alone is not sufficient. If, indeed, that is the perception, then there is no way to prevent this great game from dying a slow death, especially after a decade which saw shift in powers and more closely matched teams than at any other time in the last quarter of a century.

Don't play if you cannot and/or if you are not interested!

2010-06-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Seeing the Pakistan v/s Bangladesh "dead rubber" yesterday, one could easily catch a glimpse as to why ODI cricket is dying a slow death. If this is how it's going to be played, then no one can save it from extinction. What on earth were the Bangladeshi batsmen, with the exception of Tamim Iqbal, trying to do?? Clearly, they wanted to improve their averages and show off their defensive skills. But, wait! Weren't they chasing 386 in 50 overs?! These players should be taken to task for such "spirit-killing" acts. This is also an offence against the game, just like any other - match-fixing, drugs, etc. What Bangladesh was trying to do was essentially against the ethos of the game. It would have been much better if they had managed a 240 all out in 40 overs than a 250/5 in 50 overs. Junaid Siddique, justifiably, fell short of the three figure mark. If he did manage one, the meaning of reaching that milestone would have taken a severe beating.

This certainly calls for a few changes in the way the 50-over format is to be played. I'd suggest a two-tier system with the current ICC rankings table being split into two groups. The bottom placed teams can play with each other and if they do well, they can qualify to play with the elite teams. Similarly, if one of the elite teams doesn't do well, they can be relegated. This will give more for the players to play for, apart from the cash and awards. Also, the splitting of the format into two halves of 20 overs each is senseless. As Ian Chappel put it, it is a filthy way of playing more 20-20 cricket.

Another point of concern has been the way of playing the middle overs in a 50-over game. Captains have been pleased to have players knocking the ball around and scoring at 5 RPO in these overs. That obviously makes it boring for the spectators. Here, I'd have a rule which goes like, in a block of 10 overs within overs 16 and 40, these many runs have to be made or these many number of boundaries have to be hit. This will force the players to look for more scoring opportunities and tweak their techniques in getting a 4 or 6 off a good ball. A penalty in the form of reduction of runs or making the team play with a batsman less can be brought into practice. It would make for interesting viewing as the batsmen will need to preserve their wickets while going for runs.

Agreed that all this is easier said than done. But the ICC can atleast consider some changes on these lines; definitely not the split-innings theory. I strongly second Ian Chappel and, for once, I oppose Sachin Tendulkar.

And that is why they are The World Champions...

2010-05-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

Words will do no justice in describing what the Australians did yesterday in the semi-final match against Pakistan. The unbelievable amount of self-belief which these set of cricketers possess was brought to the fore in a thriller against the defending champions. The Aussies were dead and buried and Pakistan just had just one nail to pin down. But then came the brilliance and professionalism of the Australian team. They have always played this as a team game and that's exactly why they have different men putting their hand up for different situations. If it was Warner and Watson in the league stages, then it was White, David Hussey, Steven Smith and Michael Hussey for the Super 8's and the knock out stages. The last gentleman in the list, whom Clarke described as a "freak", continues to pull rabbits out of the hat for his team. He's just taken it upon himself to be the next Michael Bevan for his team. But this astonishing player is doing the job much more effectively and efficiently. Australia, and only Australia, can churn out such legitimate match-winners.

For once in the tournament the Aussie bowlers had let their team down. But even then, their fielding and batting more than made up for it. To quote an example, David Warner, as usual, was brilliant in the out-field. This is what true champion teams are made of. An off day in one department will not have a bearing on the others. And when it came to batting, with the exceptions of Warner and to a certain extent, Clarke, all the others chipped in with useful cameos. It was a chase which had two options - either have one person anchoring the innings while the others went bersek or have everyone start firing right from ball number 1. The Aussies seemed to have shifted to the latter approach once they lost their openers pretty early. They were definitely lagging behind for 38 overs of the game, until the Australian cricketing mindset of "a match is not over till the last ball is bowled or the last run is scored" and Hussey changed all that. His belligerent 60* off 24 balls which included 6 massive 6's would surely be rated as the best T-20 innings for a long time to come, given the situation, pressure and the high stakes of a final berth in a World Cup.

The other teams would be doing themselves a world of good by taking a cue from the Aussie playing attitude. Agreed they have temperamental players like Watson and Johnson, but I guess the rest just overshadow all these little niggles (in terms of behaviour) in the Australian camp. Also, people point to cases like "Sydney Gate". Yes, it was not expected from a World Champion side. But other countries too have had similar incidents to be ashamed of. Remember our very own Mr. Gavaskar, who walked off the field, taking the non-striker with him, for wrongly being given out LBW! But still we love (and I love) India. It's high time cricket lovers ignore these kind of blemishes and start appreciating such scintillating and wonderful team performances. Afterall, this is a team game that we love and are talking about!

I, now, proudly call myself a genuine Australian cricket fan from 12.43 AM, 15th May, 2010.

P.S: I will continue to support India.

IPL - An Experiment

2010-05-12T23:13:00.000-07:00

Oh yes! It was March-April, the time when the Indian Premier League dominated viewer-ship among audiences. All "stars" from various countries "proudly" represented their respective franchises in this 46-day, 59-match extravaganza (Phew!! Now, how many are there in next year's 50-over world cup??) And to add to all these, discussions have been held and the inclusion of two new teams has been finalized (Pune and Kochi), followed by "Modigate". Only God and Money would know the fate of the former IPL Commissioner, obviously a sizeable contribution coming from the latter.

Anyway, talking about the league, with the inclusion of these two brand new teams, the number of matches sky rockets to 95! That means, more "cricket", more entertainment and more money (and hopefully no more Modigates). I am sure that many of the players, who had missed out during the previous editions, would be feeling desperate to be a part of IPL-4. So, coming to the purpose of this post, let's get down to the logic of why all this is being done. Let's conduct a small experiment here.

AIM:

To act as a breeding ground for young players to show their mettle and make selectors take note of them.

(or)

"Financially help" players, make them take to the shortest format, make them richer in a short span of time and seal the fate of the traditional formats.

APPARATUS:

A 20-overs-a-side contest played on a pitch which provides parity between both bat and ball and on a ground which has atleast 75-80 metre boundaries, real "experts" who know every nuance about cricket and have played atleast 30 test matches (Harsha Bhogle is an exception).

(or)

(i) Foreign and local players.

(ii) Grounds with boundaries strictly upto 60 metres on any side.

(iii) Flat pitches.

(iv) Post innings and post match celebrity interviews.

(v) Super-priced tickets.

(vi) Awesome fireworks which go on for 5-10 mins.

(vii) Last but not the least, cheer leaders!

FORMULA USED:

Player Qualifications = Consistency X Technique

(or)

Player Earnings = Popularity X No. of sixes hit in career

METHODOLOGY:

(i) Players auctioned at a "cricket market".

(ii) Steps taken to publicize teams.

(iii) Have power-packed batsmen to demolish opposition bowlers on a marble top.

(iv) Batsmen who hit the maximum number of 6's are given chances at the highest level, thereby meeting the board's goal of having identified "real talent".

(v) A shake of the legs and hips by the gorgeous cheer leaders for every wicket or 4 or 6.

(vi) Winning team (usually the most unpredictable) gets richer and makes more money to "buy more talent" during the next year.

RESULTS/INFERENCES:

(i) Interest in test cricket dies down.

(ii) "20-20 rocks!!"

(iii) Indian board gets loads of money and sees "great talent" emerging.

(iv) Players are happy and relaxed with their huge earnings in just under 50 days of not so much tiring cricket.

(v) Players contemplate taking to 20-20 and retiring from test cricket to prolong their careers and to be injury-free and stress-free.

REFERENCES:

(i) Inspired by club football's English Premier League.

A failed experiment! I am totally confused regarding the purpose of this tournament. Anyone out there who can help me sort this out??

Salute the Master!

2010-05-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

It's been one of those incredible journeys that few in the world can only dream about. It's a kind of fairy tale that our mothers narrated to us when we were little kids, though this person also does it, albeit, in his own different style - with his batsman-ship on the field and his sportsmanship off it. He has and continues to be an icon for innumerable fans around the world and the fact that he has done this with an untainted reputation and behaviour and unprecedented glory without getting to his head for two deacdes and counting, leaves everyone in awe and admiration of this "Little Genius".

Sachin Tendulkar is a sportsman and not just a cricketer. There have been countless stars from various sports - Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Michael Schumacher, Michael Jordon, Brian Lara, Shane Warne and many more - but no one has a fan following like this man has and no one would create an impact like he does. He influences, not only the billions of fans at home, but also the billions of cricket lovers all over the globe. He can single-handedly bring India to a standstill when he's at the crease - employees forgot about project deadlines, children put a halt to their studies and people at homes watched in stunned silence as he scaled yet another peak in his glorious career by becoming the first player to score a double hundred in an ODI. Such is the magic he creates. Such is the manner in which he inspires scores of people.

Talks are on that he should be getting the "Bharat Ratna". But I feel that it's an award that's been long overdue, just like a missing World Cup from his CV. However, the man remains unperturbed and doesn't give a thought about all these awards or achievements. He still remains down-to-earth, continues to have loads of boyish enthusiasm and most importantly, has tremendous respect for the game, a facet which is the prime reason for all his successes. Not once has Sachin put the game below him. He maintains his status as "just another servant of cricket", although many look at him as their "lovable master".

He's such an important person in our life and we should feel blessed to have been born in an era when we can see him plunder bowlers with his 1.5 kg willow, raise his bat and thank the heavens and his father after reaching every milestone and switch on again for the next ball so that he can surge towards another and also enhance his team's quest for victory in every match. Do not compare him with another person; just cherish whatever he does on the field and learn from his behaviour when he comes off. It might take decades or even centuries to witness Sachin II. Salute the Little Master :)!

Close Encounters... Continued

2010-02-07T03:36:00.000-08:00

Top 5 ODI's:

Australia v/s South Africa, Birmingham, 1999.

The greatest ODI ever played! It was the semi-finals of the world cup and South Africa had to win to book a place in the finals. Just a few days earlier they were beaten by the Aussies in a Super Six encounter. In the semis, the Australian batsmen had a torrid time and managed only a paltry 213. For the South Africans, Jacques Kallis led his team's chase with a good 50+ score. However, a middle order collapse set the contest up for a pulsating finish. With 9 required off the last over, Lance Klusener blasted the first two deliveries from Damien Fleming to the boundary. But a moment of madness from Alan Donald, who failed to react sharply to a single, resulted in him being left stranded in the middle. The match was tied and the Australians went through by virtue of their victory in the previous match. The South Africans stuck to their tag of being called "chokers".

South Africa v/s Australia, Johannesburg, 2006.

These two teams always seem to be reserving the best when they face each other. Ricky Ponting made a blistering 164 off 104 balls to help his team post the first ever score of 400+ in ODI history - 434/4. This time, however, South Africa was hell bent to get rid of it's "chokers" tag. Graeme Smith (91 off 48 balls) and Herchelle Gibbs (174 off 111 balls) tore apart the Aussie attack to enable their team to clinch a record chase and re-wrote the team total record - they made 438/9 with a ball to spare. Poor Mick Lewis, the right arm Aussie medium pacer, was thrashed and had the ignominy of having the worst bowling figures in all of ODI cricket. His figures read - 10-0-113-0!

India v/s Sri Lanka, Rajkot, 2009.

Another high scoring thriller where both teams managed a 400+ total - only the second such occurrence. Sehwag and Co. ensured that India recorded it's highest ever ODI total of 414. But Sangakkara and Dilshan mirrored the performances of Smith and Gibbs in the previously discussed match and made sure that the Sri Lankans were in control. But some excellent "death" bowling by Zaheer Khan and Aashish Nehra stopped the Lankan juggernaut and resulted a 3-run win for the home team.

India v/s Australia, Hyderabad, 2009; England v/s India, Lords, 2002.

Two matches that I felt difficult to rank. The first one saw yet another scintillating solo effort from Sachin Tendulkar go down the drains as India fell short by 3 runs and the ghosts of Chepauk from 1999 returned to haunt the Little Master.

The latter though was a memorable one for India. Chasing England's mammoth 325 to lift the NatWest Cup, the Indians found themselves in troubled waters when they were reduced to 146/5. But India's new kids-on-the-block, Yuvraj and Kaif, came up with an extraordinary partnership that sealed a famous ODI triumph for their team.

England v/s West Indies, The Oval, 2004.

The second low scoring match in the list. England were expected to demolish the West Indians enroute to their first Champions Trophy victory. But a very disciplined bowling effort by the underdogs kept the England score to a below par 217. Although the hosts' bowlers stuck to the task at hand and mercilessly destroyed the heart of the West Indian batting line-up to have them reeling at 147/8, West Indies found two heroes in their ranks. Courtney Brown and Ian Bradshaw stitched together an unbroken 71-run stand for the penultimate wicket which secured a rare, major West Indies win in a period when their cricket had reached the troughs of despair.

Close Encounters

2010-02-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted an article in my blog, thanks to my recent shift of job to HSBC in Bangalore and the fact that I hardly had access to the internet during the past month. But now “I’m back!”

I had been thinking about various topics for my next post. But one thing struck me when I was musing about the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka last December. The narrow margin of victory by India brought back memories of some of the wonderful, closely fought matches that I’d seen LIVE on TV. So, here’s a list of my personal top five favourites in test and ODI cricket…

Top 5 Test Matches:

India vs Pakistan, Chepauk, Chennai, 1999.

After an ordinary batting performance by both teams in their first essays, Afridi made a magnificent hundred to help set his team a challenging total of 271 for the hosts. India floundered in it’s chase with half the team back in the hut before the 100-run mark was reached. However, what followed was a remarkable, counter-attacking partnership between Sachin Tendulkar and Nayan Mongia which not only rescued the team from a disastrous position but also took it to the doorstep of victory. But when Tendulkar fell for a classic 136, trying to end the match quickly because of shooting back pains, it was curtains for the Indian team as the last four wickets fell in a heap. Pakistan won the test by 12 runs.

England vs Australia, Birmingham, Edgbaston, 2005.

England had been thumped by 239 runs in the first test of the 2005 Ashes and many expected another easy campaign for the touring Aussies. But the English bowlers, particularly Andrew Flintoff, gave it everything and helped the hosts take a lead in the first innings of the second test. Set 281 for victory, the visitors were left with more than 75 to get with just two wickets remaining. England got a scare as Shane Warne along with Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz threatened to pave the way for an unexpected Australian victory. But they were relieved when Kasprowicz was brilliantly caught down the leg side by Geraint Jones off a Steve Harmison bouncer. England celebrated and savoured the 2-run victory which later turned out to be the “right booster tonic” for their stupendous 2005 Ashes glory.

India vs Australia, Chennai, 2001.

The previous test at Eden Gardens was labeled as one of the all time great test matches. The “Laxman-Dravid Houdini Act” had helped India level the series at Kolkata. But the final rubber at Chennai, in my opinion, eclipsed the deeds of this test. Australia’s middle order collapse helped the Indians to get to a 110-run lead in the first innings. The “deadly” Harbhajan, as he did throughout the series, tormented the Aussie batsmen and took 8/84 in the second innings and thus enabled India to face an easy target of 155. India’s slump from 101/2 to 151/8 brought the offie to the crease. Harbhajan, aptly, hit the winning runs for his team, thereby ending an amazing series for both him and India.

West Indies vs Australia, Bridgetown, 2003.

The series can actually be called as “Brian Lara vs Australia”. In the four test matches, Lara had scored 546 runs including two centuries and a double century! In the third test at Bridgetown, he scored a memorable solo of 153* while West Indies were chasing 311 for a win. With four runs required for a win, Courtney Walsh, the last man and the player with the most number of ducks in test history, had to play out an over from Jason Gillespie. He derived inspiration from the southpaw at the other end and successfully negotiated the task at hand and even went on to pump his fists after doing so. During the very next over from Glenn McGrath, Lara came up with one of his trademark, stunning cover-drives which sealed the game for his team.

New Zealand vs Pakistan, Dunedin, 2009.

I had already discussed about this match in one of my previous posts. In a period when T-20 is ruling the roost and test cricket is in a steady decline, the bowlers and a few batsmen from either side came up with some sterling performances during the first test of the series to ensure that the viewers were always on the edge of their seats. Fortunes swung either way and finally in the last session of the fifth day, New Zealand came out on top by a slender margin. The pitch was a perfect strip for tests and I hope the curators in the sub-continent take a cue from this match.

To be continued...

Where is cricket heading?

2010-01-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

It's a really difficult question to answer at present. No one knows how cricket will shape up in the coming decade. There's no doubt about the fact that more and more will be playing cricket, thanks to the ICC programs which aim at spreading the game to new territories and also the advent, popularity and brevity of 20-20 cricket all over the globe. However, one vital aspect is the quality. How good will the batsmen be against fearsome bowling attacks and vice-versa? Will the world ever see spinners like Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralidharan or fast bowlers like Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee or maestros like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting? These are the queries that need the attention of the ICC and not the number of countries or persons playing them.

By just taking a quick look at the cricket played since the start of the new millennium, one will be able to get a fair idea as to how the game has evolved. Runs have flowed from the bat and the bowlers have found the going very tough. The condition had got worse as the decade wore on, with the bowlers being reduced to mere containing roles instead of ones who should be attacking and picking up wickets. The main problem is that this situation of "the hunter being the hunted" has crept into test matches as well. Once this happened, the contest no longer remained a contest! There was no parity between bat and ball and if the trend continues, ultimately, the game will be in danger of losing it's credibility.

Now that we are seeing a steady decline in cricket, we have to get down and analyze the causes for the same. As far as I can see it, there is no one main reason for this predicament. It's been a combination of improper grooming of players at the grass-roots level, poorly prepared pitches (especially in the sub-continent) and, to a lesser extent, lucrative 20-20 contracts (although this might be the foremost reason for a rapid slide in the next few years!).

The younger lot is being obviously lured into signing deals to play the shortest form of the game because of monetary reasons. So, they take up this slang-bang format without realizing that their techniques are the ones to suffer. Their mindless boards also come to the conclusion that they have identified "talent" and draft these kids into the one-day and test sides. Subsequently, these "talents" are found wanting in the longer formats and are appropriately sent back to domestic cricket to have a re-look at their basics! It's all pretty crazy, isn't it?! The best example is the current Indian and Pakistani sides. They only want to play 20-20. India fare much better in 5-day cricket only because of Sachin, Laxman and Dravid. Their arch-rivals' position is at an all-time low. Batsmen have forgotten how to focus, concentrate and build a big innings in a test match. They have lost track of how to "curb natural instincts". Pakistan wants to only bowl. They want to bat and chase only meager totals. Not one among their batsmen can last a full day in a test match!! India, on the other hand, will do nothing else on a cricket field except bat. Their bowlers just can't pick up wickets. Forget wickets, they can not even manage to stop giving a boundary in every over they bowl. That's pretty ridiculous! There's nothing to comment on the fielding of both sides. Atrocious. That's the most decent way one can put it. These are the only two teams who are yet to realize that "runs saved are runs made". The partition in 1947 was, indeed, a sad thing. Else, we would have had a team, of deadly fast bowlers from Pakistan and the most gifted batsmen from India, which could have gone on to become a world-beater.

Unless the ICC and boards of member countries come up with a plan of action with a focus on grooming talent in the proper way and also most importantly, preparing fair pitches for any game, one of the most beautiful sports will plummet to it's death in the coming years. Any common man will not like to see a sport surrender to the devils of mis-management, particularly, cricket.

A bizarre period

2009-12-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't know what to call the past month's period of cricket because a lot of strange things have happened. It's been bizarre for more than one reason. I can't recall the last time when such a time was prevalent in the game. There have been moments in matches which have left the players and officials doing some serious introspection and the audience amazed and confused at the same time. Here are the recent instances that have had such effects in cricket fans all over the globe.

The test series between New Zealand and Pakistan produced a quality of cricket that was unheard of before. Both teams came up with performances that mirrored each other - pathetic batting for pathetic batting and awesome bowling for awesome bowling. The top orders of the two teams failed miserably and it was then the middle orders that rescued them in times of adversity. But it was the bowling that made everyone take some serious interest in watching the series. Bond, Asif, Vettori, Ajmal, Tuffey and Ian O'Brien came out firing on all cylinders and their inspired spells enabled their respective teams to gain the upper hand at various points. No wonder that the final scoreline was a fair one - the series was tied at 1-1.
One will be wondering as to what is really happening to the Australian batsmen. I personally feel that they take a pledge that they won't score a hundred every time they go out to the middle to face the bowlers. The last time that an Aussie reached the three-figure mark was when Michael Hussey made 140-odd during the final Ashes test earlier this year and that too had come in a losing cause. Since then, there have been a crowd of Aussie players throwing away opportunities to score a test century. The highest since then has been Simon Katich's 99 in the final test against the West Indies. And guess what the second highest is? - 98 by the same batsman against the Pakistanis in the on-going first test! Hope someone is there in the Aussie ranks waiting to break this jinx.
The third instance is not that unique as the previous ones, but it's been a result of developments over the past few years. Placid pitches, bowlers flayed all over, batsmen's breath-taking stroke-play, atrocious fielding - all these were the ingredients of the India-Sri Lanka series. In particular, India's fielding reached an abysmal low inspite of Mike Young, the former Australian team fielding coach, being there to strengthen the team in this department. India, on an average, missed about 8-10 chances every match and conceded a lot of extra runs. They dropped some sitters which would have made Goeff Boycott to comment on them as "My mum could 've caught 'em". Fortunately for India, all the lapses in the field were compensated for by their excellent batting. India found the right men for the right time - all batsmen piled up runs in the test series, Sehwag ran riot in the 1st ODI, Sachin's fluent 96* in the 3rd ODI and the Kohli-Gambhir partnership in the 4th ODI, while chasing a score of 300+, which sealed the series for their team. If only the Indians had done their basics correctly in the fielding, the margins of victories would have been even more emphatic. Something for the Indians to work on and improve.
However, the most surprising act came from the West Indians. After having been drubbed in the first test by the Australians, the visitors came out and hit back really hard, with skipper Chris Gayle leading the way, in the next two test matches. They made the Aussies sweat it out for a draw in the 2nd test and almost pulled off a 350+ plus chase in the final test at Perth. Credit should be given to the West Indies for fighting very hard, which none expected them to, and for giving the Aussies a scare in their own backyard. Though the result was as predicted before the start of the series, the manner in which it was achieved by the home team has brought up more problems for them which need to be addressed as soon as possible.
The 5th ODI at the Kotla between India and Sri Lanka clearly turned out to be the icing on the cake. This was a very rare occurrence in cricket. The match was abandoned because of an "inappropriate pitch". Not often does this happen. The last time such an incident occurred was on Christmas Day in 1997 at Indore, where the same two teams were involved. It's shocking that the BCCI did not see this coming, given the fact that the pitch played poorly during the Champions League T-20. The best the Indian Board could have done was to have scheduled the match at some other venue. Shame on the officials for coming up with such an act of ignorance. Either it's as flat as the one in Rajkot, where 825 runs were scored in 100 overs, or a one which is dangerous to the extent of ending a batsman's career with a single ball! It was a good thing that the Indians won the series in the 4th ODI itself. Otherwise, it would have been even more embarrassing if the decider had been called-off because of a "devilish wicket".

Sehwag - A phenomenon!!

2009-12-04T01:17:00.000-08:00

Yes! It's very exciting as the exclamations suggest. Reason: Virender Sehwag. I have not seen Sir Don Bradman play. Nor have I seen the great Sir Viv Richards demolish various bowling attacks. But it'd be perfectly fine for me to say that I am seeing these two in my generation. The Don himself came out and told openly that Sachin Tendulkar's batting style was completely in accordance with that of his. But no one has said any such stuff about Sehwag. Only marginal comparisons have been made with the former West Indian right-hander. But, personally, I feel that the Indian opener is a notch higher than Richards. Both have showed that they possess similar batting styles and an excellent hand-eye coordination. They can plunder any bowling attack under any circumstance. They can, with their aggression, single-handedly take the game away from the opposition and put their respective teams in the driver's seat. But, inspite of all this, why do I rank the Indian higher? Well, I do have my reasons and I hope most people would agree with those.

Viv Richards never had to face the new ball on the first session of the first day of a test match. And he never produced big innings on such a frequent basis as Sehwag does. It's quite astonishing to take a look at what this man has done whenever he's scored a century. Sehwag has crossed three figures sixteen times in his career. In those sixteen hundreds, twelve times he has gone past 150, six times the 200-mark (the most number of double hundreds by an Indian) and twice he has breached the 300 barrier! He almost achieved another historic feat in the on-going test match against Sri Lanka. He got out for 293 and if he'd got another 7 runs, he'd have been the first batsman to have ever made three triple tons. For now, he is in an elite club of players with two 300's - Bradman and Lara are the other two. No mean achievement this!

More than the number of runs, it's the rate and consistency at which he accumulates them that is most striking. The average over his 71 tests is close to 51 at an alarming strike rate of nearly 80. Gilchrist is the only one who comes close to this statistic. However, he was not as consistent as Sehwag and also the fact that the Aussie wicket-keeper featured in the middle order obviously tilts the scale in the right-hander's favour. A final stat to assert his dominance at the top of the order is the following list of scores whenever he's reached 150 (Note: The number of deliveries in each knock tell the story of the plight of the bowlers.):

293(254) v/s Sri Lanka, 2009.

201*(238) v/s Sri Lanka, 2008.

319(304) v/s South Africa, 2008.

151(236) v/s Australia, 2008.

180(190) v/s West Indies, 2006.

254(247) v/s Pakistan, 2006.

201(262) v/s Pakistan, 2005.

173(244) v/s Pakistan, 2005.

164(228) v/s South Africa, 2004.

155(221) v/s Australia, 2004.

309(375) v/s Pakistan, 2004.

195(233) v/s Australia, 2003.

But statistics don't always tell the entire story. Coming to the oppositions that have faced brutal assaults from him, one must feel for them. In all these matches, the captains of the teams have tried everything to stop the "Virender Express". One glance at the above scores says stories about the quality of attacks he's faced. Notably, most of his "big ones" have come against India's arch rivals, Pakistan, a country which is considered to have unearthed some of the best bowling talents in history. His knocks have always had the "unorthodox flavour" that Sehwag owns. It's been very effective for him and as a result leaves the opponent gasping and distraught and demoralized. They completely run out of ideas and have just waited for a declaration or a mistake from a tired Sehwag. Their morale takes such a pounding that when they come out to bat, they are under immense pressure. That's the damage he does - a psychological one - from which no one can recover.

Above all these, Sehwag, with his flair and style, has redefined the manner at which tests are to be played. He has done this by adopting the most basic principle in cricket - respect the good balls, put away the bad ones (irrespective of the situation!). That's how simple it all boils down to. No wonder, I can call him "The Nawab of the New Era of Cricket".

Bitter-sweet week for Test cricket

2009-11-30T03:16:00.000-08:00

It's been one of those weeks when the game's longest format has oscillated between it's highs and lows. One can't call it exactly as "lows" because one of the matches did produce a result but the contest was totally one-sided. Australia, on their path to redemption and to get back to the top of the ICC Test rankings, mauled the West Indies with an innings and 65-run victory inside three days. The hapless West Indians were no match for the world champions as they crumbled in both their innings without much of a fight. Their only saving grace was a brilliant maiden century by their opener Adrian Barath. The right-hander from Trinidad & Tobago played an excellent knock under a high pressure situation, whereas his team mates and senior colleagues struggled to cope with some accurate Aussie bowling. He was so dominant that by the time he departed, he had made 104 out of his team's total of 154! Chris Gayle and co. have to learn a lot in terms of application from their new team member if they're to give the home team a semblance of a challenge in the remaining two games.

The week witnessed another lop-sided encounter at the Green Park in Kanpur. Though it was another run feast like at Ahmedabad, only one team could capitalize on the pitch and it was India. MS Dhoni won the toss and that effectively put India in the driver's seat. Sehwag and Gambhir murdered a lack-luster and indisciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack and hence, set the tone for the rest of the match. The openers, along with Dravid notched up hundreds, as India piled on the runs. The Sri Lankans, faced with a stiff 400+ target to avoid the follow on, lacked the skill and experience needed in such a state. Instead of applying and concentrating, they dug a hole for themselves with some poor batting. Their scores reflected this point - only one batsman went past 50 in both the innings combined. Samaraweera showed that the pitch was very good for batting even during the fourth day with great defence and some stunning, wristy strokes. All the Indian bowlers stuck to their plans and bowled in the right areas. The Lankans were out-played and out-thought in all departments of the game and it all led to a 100th test win for Team India in test history.

However, all the one-sidedness was thrown out of the window during the 1st test between New Zealand and Pakistan at Dunedin. Starting from the 1st session till the last in Day 5, no clear winner emerged and at the beginning of the post-tea session on the final day, all four results were still possible. Taylor and Vettori ensured that their team ended up with a good 1st innings score of 429. But debutante Umar Akmal with brother Kamran produced a fantastic 176-run stand to keep Pakistan's hopes alive. The former made an entertaining 129. The visitor's bowlers came up with the goods in the 2nd innings as NZ was shot out for a paltry 153. Set 251 for a win, Pakistan's top order failed for the 2nd time in the test. This time skipper Yousuf also joined the Akmal brothers and threatened to overhaul the target on a very sportive track. But when the siblings departed with 50-odd required and still another 20 overs to be played out, it was game over for them. The last three wickets managed a meagre 23 runs as the home team sealed a famous 32-run victory. The momentum swayed back and forth as both teams fought right down to the wire. It also marked the come back of Bond and Asif as the spearheads of their respective sides. Bond picked up 9 wickets, which earned him the Man of the Match award, while Asif accounted for 8 NZ victims. Spare a thought for the young Umar, who did a "Sachin Tendulkar at Chennai". He took his team to the doorstep of victory only to find the rest flounder a golden opportunity. All in all, it was test cricket at it's best and everyone would agree that it was the ultimate winner.

Poor show by the BCCI

2009-11-19T04:19:00.000-08:00

In a phase where the game's oldest format is regarded as being "boring", "agonizingly long" and "poor result producing", the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has done something which is only going to further dampen the interest in Test match cricket. The pitch at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad for the on-going India v/s Sri Lanka clash has turned out to be a batsmen's paradise with absolutely nothing in it for the bowlers. Imagine the situation where it's day 4 of a test match and the track is unchanged and stays like it's still only the 1st or 2nd day. Even a spinner with the experience and talent of Muralidharan is not able to find appreciable turn in the latter stages of the match. And the slowness of the wicket is not helping the cause either. Are the pitch committee members of the BCCI aware of this and watching?

This test match has become a poor advertisement for cricket's most important format and the the Board has got only itself to blame. Mahela Jayawardena and Rahul Dravid can, indeed, construct innings of such substance anywhere in the world. But they would have loved to do it in conditions assisting bowlers and as a result, would have gained much more satisfaction than at present. The question now is, when will the BCCI realize the importance of preparing fast, bouncy, swinging tracks to ensure that the bowlers also get a fair deal and exploit the conditions? This should be done right from the grass-roots level and not just for international matches. The current test match has exposed this blemish of the Indian Board as the seamers and spinners, alike, are finding it very hard to get any purchase from the pitch.

Another important fact is that it's the ability of a batsman to thrive in bowler-friendly conditions that will help him in the long run. This is the exact reason as to why the Indians find it very hard to cope with conditions in Australia (pace and bounce) or England (swing). Barring a few exceptions like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid, the others, especially the younger lot, have found it extremely difficult to adapt themselves during tours to these countries. Though this has been the talking point for quite sometime now, the Indian officials do not seem to be taking note of issues of such magnitude but instead are just continuing with the trend of preparing flat wickets like at Ahmedabad.

It’s high time that the BCCI made sure that it prepares pitches which have everything in them – runs and wickets. It should act now and quickly. Otherwise, the situation might reach the point when the effects could become irreversible.

Finally, a test series in India!

2009-11-16T00:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since India have played a test series. The Chennai test match against England, where Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh took their side to victory in 2008, was the last test India had played. It's been about a year but is worth the wait. Sri Lanka are now in India for a tour which comprises of three test matches, two Twenty - 20 matches and five ODI's. The month and a half long tour is expected to produce some fascinating cricket from both sides. The series kicks off with the first test at Ahmedabad on the 16th.

However, India would be wary of the fact that they have not enjoyed much success against their opponents or at the venue the last time they had played. The last series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka saw Ajantha Mendis and Muthiah Muralidharan spin a web around the Indian batsmen. They had no clue as to how to tackle them, especially Mendis, and suffered humiliation at the hands of the men from the Island Nation. Also, the last time India played at Ahmedabad, it was the turn of the South Africans to inflict a morale-thrashing defeat on the Indians. The home team was shot out for 76 in the first session of the test match and the visitors never looked back from then on. They went on to win by an innings margin inside three days.

But things have changed a lot since then. India went on to win two bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka and the Compaq Cup tri-series which also featured New Zealand - all held in Sri Lanka. India will now be looking forward to carry this confidence into the upcoming series. They have the batsmen to do the job for them - Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Yuvraj and the skipper Dhoni - each one has a different batting style and is capable of giving the opposition captain quite a headache. The question now is whether the Indian bowling attack can deliver. Zaheer Khan is making a comeback after a long injury lay-off. Ishant Sharma has not been in the best of forms. So, it all depends on lead spinner, Harbhajan Singh to do the job for the team. Amit Mishra will also be keenly looked on. He has to utilize this opportunity so that he can cement his place in the side.

Sri Lanka also will not be short on the bowling front. Kulasekara and Thushara are in very good form and can provide the early breakthroughs. Then of course, the spinners - Mendis, Murali and Herath - the trio have to be dealt with a lot of caution by the Indian batsmen. They can dictate the course of the match once they are settled and get into a good rhythm. They also have the batsmen who have the calibre to playing a long innings. Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardena and Samaraweera will have to play a key role if their side are to give India a run for their money.

This series has all the ingredients of an epic battle. It'll boil down to just one major factor to decide it - the team which plays the spinners better will definitely have the edge.

Series Schedule

Tests:

Match 1: Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, 16/11/2009 - 20/11/2009.

Match 2: Green Park, Kanpur, 24/11/2009 - 28/11/2009.

Match 3: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, 02/12/2009 - 06/12/2009.

Twenty - 20's:

Match 1 (D/N): Vidarbha Cricker Association Stadium, Nagpur, 09/12/2009.

Match 2 (D/N): Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, 12/12/2009.

ODI's:

Match 1 (DAY): Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot, 15/12/2009.

Match 2 (D/N): Vishakapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium, Vishakapatnam, 18/12/2009.

Match 3 (D/N): Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, 21/12/2009.

Match 4 (D/N): Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 24/12/2009.

Match 5 (D/N): Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi, 27/12/2009.

A small tribute to The Living Legend

2009-11-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

On this same day, twenty years ago, a genius was introduced to the cricketing world. He was a cherubic, curly-haired kid who was just 16. His very first assignment was to tackle the mighty Pakistanis. He did that with elan. And also any other opponent for the next two decades. He overcame them with astonishing ease and still continues to do the same, terrorizing bowlers with his presence in the middle and smashing them all over the park.

Who can forget the the hundred at Perth in 1992 when he was a swashbuckling, young 19 year old or the twin tons of the famous "desert storm innings" at Sharjah in 1998 against the Aussies. The way he took on Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib Akthar to the cleaners in the 2003 World Cup will remain etched in the viewers' memories for a long time. At the same time, his epic knocks of 136 at Chepauk in 1999 against Pakistan and the very recent 175 at Hyderabad versus the Australians, though went in vain, will bear testimony to the fact that he could chalk out "gems" of the highest quality single-handedly. He's also been a fascinating bowler who has all the variations. This is underlined by his magic spell against the South Africans when he conceded just 3 runs in the last over when they required 6 for a win!

Inspite of all his success and achievements, he's had his feet firmly rooted to the earth. Not once did he get carried away by his stunning feats. A whole lot of cricketers have come and gone by, but this man has stood the test of time and is still the first name to be written on paper when it comes to the selection of an Indian team.

He's such a special possession of India. He literally rules the country whenever he walks to the field with the willow in his hands. He's not only the role model for the countless cricket fans, but has also inspired people belonging to other sports to reach soaring heights.

Truly, this man is a cricketer for all generations. And his name is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Many congratulations to him on completing twenty years at the helm and I sincerely hope he goes on to conquer new territories.

Statistics

(As on 15/11/2009)

Tests

Debut - Pakistan v/s India, Karachi, 15/11/1989.

Matches - 159

Runs - 12773

Average - 54.58

HS - 248*

100's - 42

50's - 53

Wickets - 44

Best Bowling - 3/10

One-Day Internationals

Debut - Pakistan v/s India, Gujranwala, 18/12/1989.

Matches - 436

Runs - 17178

Average - 44.50

HS - 186*

100's - 45

50's - 91

Wickets - 154

Best Bowling - 5/32

Gallery: http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Album?uid=327717965110905619&aid=1258083859

The Making of "Australia - The Team To Beat"

2009-11-12T02:31:00.000-08:00

When the One-Day Internationals were first introduced in the early 70's, no team had a clear idea as to how to go about playing the format. All they knew was that there were 60 overs to score as much as they could and then bowl out or restrict the opposition or to chase down whatever the target was. But there was no particular game plan, no strategic manoeuvres, no fantastic mind games and most importantly, there were no One-Day specialists. In short, the sophistication of the present day was not there 35-40 years ago. Masters of the Test format were founding wanting in the shorter version. But there was one exception - West Indies. Led by a stand-out performer in Clive Lloyd, the ever-dangerous Sir Vivian Richards to guide them and with a bowling attack boasting with the likes of Julien, Boyce, Holder, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding, no wonder this "dream team" became a real force to reckon with in the cricketing world. They ruled the game for nearly two decades, a period which included the famous World Cup triumphs of 1975 and 1979.

Sadly, as the big guns started quitting, West Indies cricket plunged into darkness. No one, not even a once-in-a-lifetime-cricketer like Brian Charles Lara could save them from the depths of despair. The newcomers failed miserably and just did not have it in them to step into the shoes of their Masters.

Cricket, then became more competent with every team staking a claim for the top spot. Matches were more closely fought (some even very fiercely!) than ever and their control switched 'n' number of times before a winner came out on top, bruised and battered. This phenomena is very much evident from the fact that the the World Cup was won by four different teams from 1983 to 1996.

1983 - India.

1987 - Australia.

1992 - Pakistan.

1996 - Sri Lanka.

However, the competency factor took a severe beating from then on. Again, the world witnessed the rise of a super-power in cricket. A team that went on to demolish anything that came in it's way and re-wrote infinite number of cricket records. It had players who lived up to the definition of the phrase "team game". An apt analogy would be that of warriors in a battlefield - each fighting for the cause at hand while also defending members of his/her own clan. More precisely put, this team had surpassed all the achievements of the West Indies team of the 70's and 80's. Importantly, it is still continuing with the trend of making winning a habit which it's players had inherited from the retired geniuses. And that team, which everyone knows, is Australia.

For the beginning of any era there should be a ''the moment". And such a moment for Australia occurred on 13th June, 1999 at Leeds and just seemed to have continued four days later at Birmingham. On both occasions, South Africa was the opponent. In the first instance, Gibbs dropped a sitter to let off Steve Waugh and eventually Australia with the match. And then, the most famous match in cricket's history. The tied second semi-final of the 1999 World Cup. Klusener's heroics went in vain and was over-shadowed by "the magician" Shane Warne. Australia went on to thrash Pakistan in the final by 8 wickets and thus began their journey of domination of world cricket.

Steve Waugh, nurtured by the tactically brilliant Mark Taylor, created a team of players who could survive any kind of situation and take up any challenge thrown at them. He was blessed with the talents of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan, Damien Martyn, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist. But still, these players had to be groomed in the right way and that's exactly what Waugh did. The captain, too, led from the front on many instances - either batting, fielding or even bowling. He developed a team that was never short of match-winners. Part of the success should also be attributed to the professional manner in which the Australian domestic players are trained. The Aussies have one of the best domestic circuits in the globe. Players are mentally and physically prepared for the big moments so that they could prove themselves at the highest level of the game. Later on, the mantle was passed on to Ponting and he's doing a fantastic job of leading the new brigade sans geniuses.

One of the most striking aspects of Australian cricket is that they always had back-ups. They were, not for once, found short of finding players to fulfill the void left by the "biggies". Everything was planned to perfection with the aim of taking their game forward. They also realized that exceptional talent (like the ones mentioned above) did not come everyday. As a result, they also took up the task of making the younger generation work harder for a place in a team at any level of the game. Subsequently, ordinary players were turned into amazing ones who were well equipped to burst into the international arena and give a consistent performance at that level. One example being the just-concluded series between India and Australia. The Aussies did not have the services of McGrath, Warne or even a Lee or Clark or Bracken. The entire squad was plagued by injuries with 9 of the original 15 being sent back home to recover. Ricky had to find ways to give encouragement to the brand new ones and also to find means of making the team more competitive against the Indians at home. The new set of players, including Paine, Watson, Bollinger, Hauritz, White, Hussey, etc. repaid their country's and captain's faith and played very hard cricket. Their level was at a staggering high that the Indians had no clue of what was to be done. Finally, after three weeks of grinding it out across various stadiums in India, it was Australia, once again, that came up trumps with an emphatic 4-2 series win, when most expected a 6-1 or even a 7-0 Aussie drubbing by the Indians.

Another classic trait of the "Aussie Game" is their motto of playing the game very hard and their mind-set of "no game is won unless the last ball is bowled or the last run is scored or the last wicket is taken". A great but simple truth which is the mother of all ways of how the game is to be played and won. Kudos to the Aussies for imbibing this rule in their cricketing culture. No wonder they continue to dominate the Game of Cricket.

Mumbai ODI washed out

2009-11-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

The last game of the 7-match Hero Honda Cup series between Australia and India at Mumbai was washed out as a result of incessant rain due to a cyclone formation along the west coast of the country. The fans who had come to the stadium, left a hugely disappointed lot as heavy rains lashed the city.

Although the series had been won by Australia in the previous encounter at Guhawati, India would have loved to end it on a high with a win at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy. Unfortunately, the rain gods were not with them on the day. Consequently, this is the second successive time that India had lost a home series to the Aussies by the same margin (4-2).

Shane Watson was rightly declared the Man of the Series for his outstanding all-round show. He amassed 256 runs and picked up 10 wickets in the six matches that were played.

Match Summary

Match 7 - Hero Honda Cup: Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai, 11/11/2009.

Match abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.

Australia won the series 4-2.

Man of the Series - S Watson.

Bowlers seal series for Australia

2009-11-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

Australia's bowlers, Doug Bollinger (5/35) and Mitchell Johnson (3/39), wrecked havoc as they demolished the Indian top order and paved the way for a fantastic series win. The Aussies now have an unassailable 4-2 lead against the hosts in the 7-match Hero Honda Cup tournament. India's jinx in bilateral ODI series at home against Australia continued as the visitors thrashed them by 6 wickets in the 6th ODI at Guwahati. This is now India's fifth successive ODI series loss in home soil against the world champions.

Earlier, MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat, a very strange decision because the pitch had been expected to do a lot for the bowlers in the first hour as a result of the 8.30 AM start. The very first over from Johnson was filled with drama. Sehwag dumped the second ball over deep point for a six. But, two balls later, he was cramped for room for the drive and his stumps were disturbed. Lack of feet movement proved to be the reason for his downfall. Then, Gambhir totally misread the line of the last ball and hence, found his off stump take a walk. India were reduced to 7/2 at the end of the first over - a disastrous start in a crucial match.

It was now upto Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh to rescue the innings. However, the former played the wrong shot to a delivery which came a tad slower than expected and chipped the ball straight back to the bowler, Doug Bollinger. Yuvraj, on the other hand, dragged a ball, which ballooned up after hitting his pads, onto his stumps and after that Raina failed to keep a flick along the ground as the ball safely ended up at the waiting hands of the fielder at short mid-on. Half of the Indian side was back in the pavilion for just 27 runs in the first half hour. Dhoni and Jadeja then tried to pull India out of troubled waters and get their team to a respectable total. The runs came at a snail's pace as the two added 48 in 21.1 overs.

Dhoni's painful innings (24, 77b, 1x4) came to an end when he fell to a questionable LBW decision off Bollinger. Harbhajan followed, a couple of balls later, when he was castled by the same bowler. Jadeja and Praveen Kumar then saved India the blushes and pushed the team's score past the 150-run mark with some lusty hitting. Both completed their half-centuries and put on a face-saving 74-run partenrship in 13.4 overs. But once Jadeja went for 57 off 103 balls, India's innings was wrapped up soon after. The team had been bundled out for 170 with two overs still remaining. Kumar remained unbeaten on 54 n.o. (51b, 7x4, 1x6) while Bollinger captured his first 5-wicker haul in ODI's.

Australia, set just 171 for a series win, lost Shaun Marsh early to Munaf Patel. But, Watson and Ponting made sure that they took the team to safety and snuffed out any chance of an Indian come-back. Watson was once again brilliant in quickly picking up the line and length of the deliveries and depositing them over the boundary ropes. Ponting, meanwhile, kept picking up ones and twos and kept the scoreboard moving. Unfortunately, Watson fell one short of his fifty when he top-edged a Harbhajan ball to Sehwag. Five runs later, Ponting was dismissed by the same bowler for 25, when Raina took the sharp bat-pad chance at leg slip. However, White (25 off 48 balls) and Hussey (35 off 62 balls) and later Voges (23 n.o., 21b, 4x4) ensured that their team suffered no further hiccups and helped Australia complete a famous series win in India. Bollinger was named the man of the match for his brillian spell of 10-4-35-5 which included the key wickets of Tendulkar, Yuvraj and Dhoni. The win turned out to be very special for the Aussie skipper, Ricky Ponting, since it proved his team's bench strength when he had lost 80% of his original side due to various injuries right through the tournament.

Match Summary

Match 6 - Hero Honda Cup: Nehru Stadium, Guwahati, 08/11/2009.

India - 170 all out (48 overs)

R Jadeja - 57 D Bollinger - 5/35

P Kumar - 54 n.o. M Johnson - 3/39

MS Dhoni - 24 S Watson - 2/27

Australia - 172/4 (41.5 overs)

S Watson - 49 H Singh - 2/23

M Hussey - 35 S Raina - 1/13

C White - 25 M Patel - 1/13

Australia won the match by 6 wickets and take a 4-2 lead in the 7-match series.

Man of the Match - D Bollinger.

Aussies prevail in an All - Tendulkar Show

2009-11-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

The memories of the "one-man shows" of the 1990's were creeping into everyone's minds. The days when "the genius" used to be unleashed and almost single-handedly took India to numerous famous victories were coming back. Most importantly, the amazing times of the "desert storm knock" at Sharjah in 1998 seemed to have come back to haunt the same opposition - Australia. Sadly, it were the bitter-sweet memories, like in the 1999 test match at Chennai against Pakistan, that once again haunted the greatest cricketer of all time - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The Mumbai Maestro played a scintillating solo against his favourite opponent, only to end up on the losing side yet again. Ten years ago, he had cried in the dressing room when his 136 went in vain against India's arch-rivals. On 5th November 2009 at Hyderabad, he'd have done the same act when his 175 (141b, 19x4, 4x6) also resulted in an Indian loss. The chain of events was so similar in both the matches. Unfortunately, the result too was no different.

Australia won the toss and chose to bat on a belter of a track, which had absolutely nothing for the bowlers. Their openers, Watson and Marsh, punished an erring Indian bowling line-up. Not a single bowler could get his line right and the Aussies took full toll of that. Watson, in particular, was in a devastating mood, as he picked the line and length quickly and smashed the ball around. He pulled and cut viciously as the bowlers were sent on a leather hunt. Marsh took his time to get settled down and preferred playing second fiddle to his partner. He rotated the strike very well, and thus made sure that the scoreboard never stagnated. India's dropped catches did not help them one bit. Dhoni and Sehwag put down dollies when Marsh was on 29 and 52 respectively. Watson also got a reprieve when Yuvraj failed to grab on to a sharp caught and bowled chance. The home team was severely reprimanded for a miserable fielding performance as the openers went on and put up an outstanding 145-run partnership in 25-odd overs. Harbhajan finally snared Watson for 93 which had come of just 89 balls and included 9 fours and three massive sixes.

Marsh, however, looked more and more comfortable as the innings progressed and got ample support from his skipper at the other end. The runs were flowing as the Australians effortlessly managed a boundary every over. Shaun Marsh got to his maiden ODI century and had regained his golden touch that helped him play an important role for the Punjab team in the first edition of the IPL. When Ponting (45) and Marsh (112, 112b, 8x4, 2x6) left, White and Hussey easily got into the groove and continued from where the earlier partnership had left off. It was raining sixes and fours at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium as White smashed 5 sixes in his blistering assault of 57 from just 33 balls. Both the batsman gave their team a superb finishing touch as the Australians amassed 105 runs in the last ten overs. White was brilliantly held by Tendulkar off the last ball of the innings. This was the only bright spot of the Indian fielding on a pathetic day. It was also a sign of things to come as Sachin was clearly disappointed with the way his team bowled and fielded. India was set an improbable target of 351 off 50 overs.

Tendulkar and Sehwag had to provide their team a good start if they were to chase down such a daunting total. And they did exactly that. Sehwag played in his own usual way and punished anything that was there to be hit. Tendulkar, relieved after getting to the 17000-run mark in ODIs, cut loose and the boundaries came very frequently. Sehwag, yet again failed to build on a start, as he top edged a short ball from Hilfenhaus to Bollinger at short fine-leg. Gambhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni (Adam Voges did a "Jonty Rhodes" at point to dismiss the Indian captain) went cheaply as India were in a precarious 162/4 in the 24th over. That's when the Indians turned it on. Sachin was joined by Raina and the duo came up with a stunning counter-attack. Tendulkar was in a devastating mood and looted 15 runs of a Haurtiz over which included two straight sixes. It was the vintage Tendulkar of the 90's as he essayed every shot in the coaching manual - pull, cut, drive, late cut, flick, leg-glance, etc. Raina, at the other end, looked solid and dangerous as well. He gave Sachin all the support required and the two made sure that the required run rate never breached the 8-rpo barrier.

The Indian Maestro and Raina had put on a splendid 137 for the 5th wicket in just 19 overs and brought the team within striking distance of a famous and thrilling victory. But when 52 were required off 8 overs and with the batting power play still to be taken, Raina played an ill-advised pull and the top edge was taken by wicket-keeper Graham Manou. Watson was the bowler, and the two combined again to get rid of the dangerous Harbhajan for a duck. The Aussies were right back in the contest as the out-of-from Jadeja made his way to the middle. But Sachin gave the confidence that the youngster needed and the latter obliged. He took the singles and gave the strike to his senior and also hit three important boundaries that reduce the deficit to just 19 off 18 balls.

Then, the moment came. Tendulkar failed to read a slower one from debutante Clinton Mckay and ended up skying the ball to Hauritz at short fine-leg. Tendulkar was livid with himself and looked to be at the heights of disappointment as his face showed when he left the field to a standing ovation. The other team members though, failed to match his standards and the last three wickets failed again, for the second time in Tendulkar's career, to get the runs left as India was bowled out for 347 with 2 balls to spare. An agonizing and gut-wrenching 3-run defeat.

The crowd was amazed as to how someone who had been playing the game for 20 years, still comes up with such acts of jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring brilliance. Each and everyone who'd seen the innings live, either at the stadium or in their TV sets at home, would agreed that they were privileged to have witnessed such an amazing symphony being orchestrated by the Favourite Son of Cricket. Unfortunately, the Master of the Orchestra was once again let down by a poor show from his in-harmonious band members.

Match Summary

Match 5: Hero Honda Cup - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad, 05/11/2009.

Australia - 350/4 (50 overs)

S Marsh - 112 P Kumar - 2/68

S Watson - 93 H Singh - 1/44

C White - 57 A Nehra - 1/79

India - 347 all out (49.4 overs)

S Tendulkar - 175 S Watson - 3/47

S Raina - 59 C Mckay - 3/59

V Sehwag - 38 B Hilfenhaus - 1/72

Australia won by 3 runs and take a 3-2 lead in the 7-match series.

Man of the Match - S Tendulkar.

Indians collapse as Australia level series

2009-11-04T01:01:00.000-08:00

The Indians let a match, which was theirs' for the taking, slip away and thus enabled Australia to come back in the fourth ODI at Mohali and level the 7-match Hero Honda Cup series 2-2. A combination of poor batting by the Indians and some good bowling by the Aussies has thrown the series wide open with no clear winner in sight. The famed Indian batting line-up failed to achieve the target of 251 set by the Aussies on a flat track, with none of the batsmen going past 50. India was bowled out for 226 in the 47th over and had handed over a 24-run win to the Australians.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni had won the toss and surprisingly chose to field on a flat batting wicket. However, the opening bowlers, Aashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar, did a commendable job in keeping the run-rate below four with no real big hits by the Aussie batsmen. Nehra also trapped Shaun Marsh (who replaced Adam Voges in the eleven) plumb in front for a scratchy 5 off 23 balls. But Australia gained the much needed momentum when Ponting joined Watson, the same time when Ishant Sharma was introduced. He was treated with utter disdain, especially by the Australian skipper. His spell read a dismal 5-0-42-0. Dhoni immediately reassessed the situation and brought on his spinners. The trio - Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja and Yuvraj Singh - put the brakes on the Australian scoring. The Aussies also started losing wickets at the wrong time - they lost one whenever a partnership started assuming threatening proportions. Watson, Ponting, Hussey and White - all made good starts but failed to convert them into big ones. The new batsmen coming in, found it difficult to immediately force the pace. From a relatively good position of 201/4 in 40 overs, they managed only 49 runs in the next 9.2 overs while they lost their remaining 6 wickets. For India, Nehra turned out to be the best as he picked up three wickets and also bowled a magnificent spell at the death. White top-scored for the Men in Yellow with 62 (71b, 3x4, 1x6). Four run outs (including that of Ponting's and White's) did not help the Australian cause either. Although the Aussies were not convinced about the target they had set, the Indians proved them wrong.

Sehwag came up with yet another blistering knock at the start. He took Johnson to the cleaners and smashed him all over the park. But, once again, he fell, as he hit one shot too many. He made 30 from just 19 deliveries with 7 boundaries when he scooped a ball from Doug Bollinger to Watson at mid-off. Kohli failed to grab a golden opportunity and edged one to Manou off the same bowler. Tendulkar, at the other end, in pursuit of 17000 runs in ODI cricket, looked calm and composed as ever. He seemed set to achieve the landmark and also for more. But, as had occurred so many times before in his career, he received a rough decision from umpire Asoka de Silva. Hauritz's off-spinner spun sharply and always looked to miss leg stump. The umpire though, thought otherwise as Tendulkar left the field, disappointed, 7 short of the mark. He made 40 (68b, 6x4), which eventually turned out to be the top-score for India. The heroes of the 3rd match, Dhoni and Yuvraj, had a rare failure with the bat and this dented the home team's hopes. Like Kohli, Jadeja and Raina also missed the chance to perform for their side under pressure and perished cheaply. Harbhajan and Praveen once again tried their best to get India across the line, but the task at hand proved too much for them at the PCA stadium. They were cleaned up by Waston, who had a good day with both bat and ball. India were finally bundled out for 226 with more than three overs to spare. Doug Bollinger stood out for his team with an excellent spell and he along with Bret Lee can turn out to be a potent force to reckon with in the future.

Match Summary

Match 4 - Hero Honda Cup: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, 02/11/2009.

Australia - 250 all out (49.2 overs)

C White - 62 A Nehra - 3/37

R Ponting - 52 H Singh - 2/48

S Watson - 49 Y Singh - 1/54

India - 226 all out (46.3 overs)

S Tendulkar - 40 S Watson - 3/29

H Singh - 31 D Bollinger - 3/38

V Sehwag - 30 N Hauritz - 2/31

Australia won by 26 runs and level the 7-match series 2-2.

Man of the Match - S Watson.

Yuvraj and Dhoni steer India home

2009-11-01T02:01:00.000-08:00

Yuvraj Singh showed how important an asset he is to the Indian side with a splendid batting display in the 3rd Hero Honda Cup match against the Aussies at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi. Along with his in-form skipper, MS Dhoni, he took India home and the two came up with a wonderful century-plus match winning partnership that helped Team India overhaul a stiff target of 230 set by the Australians on a low, slow and tricky surface at the Kotla. The pitch was least favorable for stroke-making as Virender Sehwag had found out during the Indian run chase. He struggled to find his rhythm and timing on a track where the ball stopped and did not come on to the bat properly. He was finally bowled by a Johnson delivery, which kept a tad low, for an uncharacteristic 11 off 25 balls with just a single boundary. However, India's other opener, Sachin Tendulkar, seemed to enjoy the conditions. He made all the late adjustments required to play on such a track. His first two scoring shots were fours off Johnson in the first over of the innings - the first was a lovely square drive and the next a beautifully timed flick through square leg. Just when he had seemed set to make a big score, he gifted his wicket away. He punched a delivery from debutante Moises Henriques and took on Johnson at mid-off. But the fielder came up with a superb direct hit which found the Indian batting maestro short of his crease. Tendulkar left for 32 (47b, 2x4) amidst a dead silent crowd who were visibly shocked. Gambhir, who's been in great touch in the series, soon followed Sachin, as he was bowled by a beauty from Hauritz for just 6.

At this stage, India were tottering at 53/3 in the 16th over. Yuvraj and Dhoni then started the process of re-building the innings from scratch. Yuvraj, after struggling a little bit initially, found his touch and timing. He picked up the bad balls and despatched them, but at the same time, gave due respect to the good ones, as required on such a wicket. Dhoni was very happy playing second fiddle to Yuvraj. He nudged and pushed for singles and twos and both the batsmen kept the scoreboard ticking. Both countered the Australian bowling with a nice mix of caution and aggression in their batting. Yuvraj was the first to get to fifty - off just 59 balls, whereas, Dhoni brought up his half-century in 81 balls with a couple of fours. Yuvraj then lit up the stadium with two massive sixes and the crowd started roaring. The Indian captain and vice-captain had put up a magnificent show with a sterling 148-run stand for the 4th wicket in 28.4 overs which took India to the doorstep of victory. By the time Yuvraj fell for 78 (96b, 8x4, 2x6), LBW to Henriques, India required only another 29 to get from 6 overs. Dhoni and Raina then saw India home with 10 balls to spare. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 71 off 95 balls, yet another excellent knock by the Indian skipper.

Earlier, Australia had made a steady start after they won the toss and chose to bat. The had made three changes to their side - Graham Manou, Moises Henriques and Doug Bollinger replaced the injured trio of Tim Paine, James Hopes and Ben Hilfenhaus. Manou and Henriques made their One-day International debuts. Shane Watson and his new opening partner, captain Ponting (this was the 2nd time he had opened the batting for Australia), had put on a solid opening stand of 72 in just over 16 overs. Both of them found the boundaries and ran hard as they built a good platform. But when Watson was on 41, he was snared by a Yuvraj leg-spinner. The batsman had been beaten by the spin, lost balance and had lifted his foot for just enough time to allow Dhoni to take the bails off in a flash. The third umpire was called for and he ruled Watson out. Hussey walked in at number 3 and joined his skipper for the consolidation period. But their partnership seemed to have taken too many deliveries. Runs came in a trickle and the boundaries had dried up. There was a phase when the Aussies went boundary-less for about 20 overs. Ponting completed his fifty but fell soon after as he was out LBW to a quicker one from Ravindra Jadeja. He was livid with himself as he walked back for a sedate 59 off 92 balls. White did not last long. He played forward to a ball from Raina. He missed it and the ball took the pad on the way. Dhoni, after a lot of juggling, took the catch and the umpire raised his finger. The batsman looked very unhappy with the decision. However, television replays and the "snicko-meter" later confirmed that there had been a faint edge. Hussey continued to play his game and found some sort of support from Adam Voges and Henriques. He had played a very well-crafted one-day innings and his knock of 81 n.o. (82b, 3x4, 1x6) was largely responsible for the Aussies to have ended up at a fighting total of 229/5 in 50 overs. Unfortunately, that notion was held until Yuvraj and Dhoni had come together and taken the game away from them.

Match Summary

Hero Honda Cup: Match 2 - Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, New Delhi, 31/10/2009.

Australia - 229/5 (50 overs)

M Hussey - 81 n.o. R Jadeja - 2/41

R Ponting - 59 S Raina - 1/23

S Watson - 41 Y Singh - 1/30

India - 230/4 (48.2 overs)

Y Singh - 78 M Johnson - 1/43

MS Dhoni - 71 n.o. N Hauritz - 1/48

S Tendulkar - 32 M Henriques - 1/51

India won by 6 wickets and take a 2-1 lead in the 7-match series.

Man of the Match - Y Singh.

Dhoni hits ton as India thrash Australia

2009-10-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

It was all the Indian captain's show at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium at Nagpur. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, after taking a blow on his helmet off the first ball he faced from Peter Siddle, made a blistering century (124, 107b, 9x4, 3x6) and enabled India to pile up a mammoth 354/7 in their 50 overs. He paced his innings wonderfully well and gave the Aussies a lot of work to do in the evening to entertain any hopes of gaining a 2-0 lead in the Hero Honda Cup. He had brought up his first fifty off 55 balls. But his second fifty had come in rapid time - in just 39 balls. Partnerships were the key for India and they had two excellent 100+ stands which put the team in the driver's seat - for the 4th wicket between Gambhir and Dhoni and then for the 5th wicket between Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to field, a decision which he said was highly influenced by the dew factor that he thought would come into play later in the day. However, India took great advantage of the wonderful batting conditions, inspite of losing Sachin Tendulkar very early. Sehwag played a brilliant cameo and provided the Indians with the much needed momentum up front. But thanks to a soft dismissal, he spooned a drive to Johnson at mid-off off Ben Hilfenhaus, his innings was cut short to 40. Yuvraj walked in to a roaring applause from the crowd. He seemed to get into his groove straightaway. Few expected his fantastic six off Nathan Hauritz over long-off, especially after an injury lay-off. However, when he was on 23 of 24 balls, he failed to keep his shot down the ground off a Hilfenhaus slower delivery and the catch was neatly taken by the bowler. All this while, Gambhir kept playing his own game - took the singles and twos and pushed the ball into the gaps. Dhoni joined the diligent Gambhir and the game entered a phase where India were slowly taking the upper hand. Both batsmen played smart cricket and the running between the wickets was simply outstanding. Gambhir reached his 50 off 55 balls, his second consecutive half-century of the series, and looked set for more. Ironically, a run out accounted for Gambhir. Dhoni ballooned a Siddle slower ball right past the bowler's hands. He took only a couple of steps but Gambhir was already three-fourths down the track. Hauritz came up with a superb direct hit from mid-off and the southpaw left the field, shaking his head, for a well compiled 76 (80b, 6x4). The duo had put on 119 in less than a run-a-ball. Dhoni and Raina then enabled India to get a firm grip on the match with their stupendous batting display. The boundaries started flowing from the blades of both the players. Dhoni brought up his century with a couple of stunning straight sixes off Shane Watson. Suresh Raina showed his rich repertoire of strokes - pulling, cutting and driving with panache. His half-century had come off a mere 42 balls. India had the right batsmen in the middle to force the pace in the final overs. They plundered close to 50 runs in the batting power play. By the time these two were separated in the last over, India had put up a remarkable total on the board. Australia's only consolation was the final over when they managed to pick up three Indian wickets, courtesy, a good show by their wicket-keeper Tim Paine.

Setting about chasing a huge 355 for a victory, Australia did not manage to get a good start. Paine came down the track and missed an in-swinger from Praveen Kumar, only to find his stumps rattled. Watson was undone by a first-ball-beauty from young Ishant Sharma. The batsman was surprised by the extra bounce and edged the ball to Tendulkar at slip. Then came the prized scalp. It was the Kumar in-swinger again. Ponting has the tendency to fall in front when the ball is released. So, he shuffles across his stumps and hence, becomes vulnerable to the incoming delivery. That's exactly what Kumar exploited on this occasion. The Aussie skipper played entirely down the wrong line and the ball thudded onto his pads. It was a very easy decision for umpire SK Tarapore. The Aussies slumped to 45/3 at the end of 10 overs and never really recovered from there. Michael Hussey and Cameron White steadied the ship to a certain extent but they never really came close to being in terms with the required run-rate. White failed to keep down his drive off offie Harbhajan and Raina, at mid-wicket, took the offer gleefully. Australia's last hopes vanished when Hussey was caslted by a classic delivery from Ravindra Jadeja. He top-scored for the Australians with 53 (60b, 6x4). The other batsmen fell like a pack of cards and the men from Down Under were dismissed for 255 in the 49th over. The Indians celebrated a clinical 99-run win over the world champions.

Match Summary

Hero Honda Cup: Match 2 - Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, 28/10/2009.

India - 354/7 (50 overs)

MS Dhoni - 124 M Johnson - 3/75

G Gambhir - 76 P Siddle - 1/55

S Raina - 62 B Hilfenhaus - 1/83

Australia - 255 all out (48.3 overs)

M Hussey - 53 R Jadeja - 3/35

A Voges - 36 I Sharma - 2/34

N Hauritz - 30 n.o. P Kumar - 2/37

India won by 99 runs and level the 7-match series 1-1.

Man of the Match - MS Dhoni.

Australia scrape through; overcome Spirited India

2009-10-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Who said 50-over cricket was boring and as a result nearing a slow death? Any of those who had witnessed the game between Australia and India at Vadodara would definitely disagree. It's totally clear now that 50-over matches are not boring; it's just that these games have been played by non-competent teams which have lacked genuine talent and ability to play it at the highest level.

The match lived upto all the hype and expectations that preceded it. The Aussie skipper, Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat without any hesitation. But the Men in Yellow were pegged back immediately. Shane Watson, fresh from back-to-back tons in the semi-finals and finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009, was trapped in front by a fast and swinging Aashish Nehra delivery. However, Tim Paine and Ricky Ponting combined well to forge a 97-run partnership which served as a good launch pad for the others to take off from and build a huge Aussie total. Ponting, in particular, was in superb form - pulling, driving and cutting with ease - and despatched the bowlers ruthlessly. Paine also joined in the party and started cutting loose. Paine had made 50(62b, 9x4) when a lapse in concentration led to his dismissal. He played away from his body and edged a wide delivery from Ishant Sharma and Dhoni took the simple chance.

Cameron White joined his skipper and continued from where Paine had left off. Ponting, meanwhile, raced to a fluent 74 of 85 balls with eight boundaries and couple of maximums. With the score on 151/2 in the 30th over, the Australian skipper was LBW to a leg-spinner from Ravindra Jadeja. In walked Mr. Cricket, Michael Hussey, and he immediately set about doing what he's best at - nudging and pushing for ones and twos and hitting the odd boundary. White completed his 50 of 66 balls but fell in the same over as Australia took the batting power play (43rd). But Hussey carried on and cut loose in the final five overs. The boundaries came on a frequent basis and Dhoni was not able to find one bowler who could stem the flow of runs. Hussey seemed to have enjoyed his stayed at the crease, this clearly being indicated when he hoisted Praveen Kumar for a straight six, the ball sailing out of the ground, and he shouted "That's huge!". He finally fell to a slower one from Sharma in the final over for a brilliant innings of 73(54b, 8x4, 1x6). Australia finished with a formidable total of 292/8 in 50 overs. For India, Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets for 50 runs in his 10 overs.

Chasing the huge target, the Indians got off to a spectacular start with Virender Sehwag, back into the side after recovering from a shoulder injury, smashing the first two deliveries he faced from Bret Lee for fours. However, the Aussie speedster had the last laugh when he had Sehwag caught behind, playing down the wrong line of an away-swinger. Even though Sachin Tendulkar played a couple of his trademark shots, he struggled to find his feet. He fell soon to a superb trap laid by the opposition. He drove a Watson delivery on the up to short cover and Ponting, who positioned himself there for this very shot, completed a splendid catch. India had lost their two veteran batsmen with the score on 45. Gambhir and Kohli joined to repair the damage and built a 57-run partnership for the 3rd wicket. The young Kohli soon lost his patience and skied a ball from Adam Voges to Watson at long-off. He had made 30. Dhoni came in and tried to push for the singles and twos and keep the scoreboard ticking. But he couldn't find his timing and Gambhir too, at the other end, seemed unable to cope as the track got slower and slower. Dhoni took the 3rd power play in the mid-30 overs. But India lost the plot here just like the Aussies did. Gambhir was out, plumb in front, when he missed a Johnson full-toss. He went for a well made 68. Suresh Raina misread a slower one from the same bowler and chipped a catch back to be out caught and bowled for 9. Dhoni and Jadeja also persihed pretty quickly while attempting to increase the tempo. India had made 3/32 in the 5-over batting power play while the Aussies had made 3/33 earlier in the day. India were struggling at 201/7 in the 40th over, needing another 92 more to win.

With no hopes at all, Harbhajan and Kumar walked to the crease. Initially, both looked unsettled and scratched for ones and twos. But as the required run rate crept up to 10-12 rpo, they too stepped up. Both plundered the erring Australian bowling and took maximum toll. They hit fours and sixes at will. For, a moment it was as if Australia had lost the plot and India would achieve the impossible. The equation of 63 of 5 overs was reduced to 30 from 2. Watson then probably bowled the worst over of his career. His predictable full tosses wide of the off-stump were well read by the batsmen and he was thrashed for 21 runs which included 3 fours and a massive Harbhajan six over third man. With 9 required of 6, Ponting turned to Siddle to do the job, the bowler having given away 12 runs in his previous over (48th). However, the pressure situation brought the best out of him and he castled the dangerous Harbhajan with his second ball for 49(31b, 4x4, 3x6). India couldn't cross the final hurdle. Six were required of the final delivery. Nehra managed only a single to long-on. The Aussies breathed easy and the Indians were disappointed. On the whole, 50-over Cricket was the winner and this series seems to be having all the ingredients to produce a cracker of a contest between the two best sides in the world over the next three weeks.

Match Summary

Hero Honda Cup: Match 1 - Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, 25/10/2009.

Australia - 292/8 (50 overs)

R Ponting - 74 I Sharma - 3/50

M Hussey - 73 A Nehra - 2/58

C White - 51 R Jadeja - 1/39

India - 288/8 (50 overs)

G Gambhir - 68 S Watson - 2/70

H Singh - 49 M Johnson - 2/59

P Kumar - 40 n.o. A Voges - 1/22

Australia won by 4 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the 7-match series.

Man of the Match - M Hussey.

Clash of the Titans

2009-10-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

As we are on the verge of another One-day International series between Australia and India, there are a lot of expectations from these two high profile teams. The last time that these two met was at the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2009 held at South Africa. The match was called off due to heavy rain. But this time around, plenty of fireworks can be expected once the Hero Honda Cup kicks off at Vadodara on the 25th.

India had been clearly outplayed the last time the Australians had landed on Indian soil. Australia won comprehensively by a 4-2 margin in 2007. But since then, things have taken a slight turn around. When India went to Australia for the CB series in 2007-08, they had humbled the hosts 2-0 in the best of three finals and lifted the trophy. The Aussies had been clearly rattled on having lost a Championship that was their's for the taking for a number of years. This series also marked the beginning of the rise of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as one of the best Indian captains.

All these years, the Aussies have somehow found ways to counter the Indians in their own backyard, a task which no other team has managed so far. Famous examples being the victories of the memorable 2001 tour and also the tour in 2004 when Steve Waugh's men conquered the "Final Frontier". As a result, the Australians clearly have an edge here. However, the current Indian team is not one that looks back at history and gets intimidated. It's a fearless outfit and plays the game as if nothing is there to be lost. Dhoni's men have been a side that has been playing pressure-free cricket over the past couple of years. This has been one of the main features of this victorious Indian side in recent times. Inspite of their reversals at the just concluded ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC World Twenty-20, India will definitely fancy it's chances to win the series against Australia.

The balance in these two teams paves way for an enthralling contest between bat and ball. Though Australia are on a re-building phase, all their players have been in supreme form at the right time. They have got players who can put up their hand and shoulder the responsibility under any circumstances. The most dangerous thing about this Aussie line-up is that every one from No.1 to No.11 are potential match-winners. And these are ominous signs for the Indians. But the home team realizes that they too are not short of match winners. If Australia have the likes of Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Bret Lee, then the Indians have the formidable forces of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh (though doubtful because of a finger injury) and Ishant Sharma.

But, if at all there is a separator between both the sides, then it's the fielding. Indians have been pathetic when it comes to stopping boundaries and taking catches, whereas, the Aussies, as ever, have got some of the best fit and athletic fielders with their skipper, Ricky Ponting, leading the way. India has to lay rest their fielding demons and realize that the runs saved on the field could easily be the difference between a win and a loss, especially under batsmen-friendly conditions.

All in all, the series makes for a real clash of titans. There's also more to this tour! There's a battle within the battle. It's Sachin Tendulkar v/s Ricky Ponting, arguably the best batsmen ever to have played the game. One incredible statistic is more captivating than any other. It's as follows: In the 46 ODI's that these two "Titans" have met, Ponting has been on the winning side 28 times. His average in these games is 52.6 compared to his career average of 43.16. On the other hand, the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar, has been on the winning side 15 times (only!). However, his average in these matches has risen from a career average of 44.48 to a staggering 84.28!! This series might give the opportunity for one of these two to cement his place as the best ever, leaving the other behind by some margin. There's something to eagerly look forward to!

Series Schedule

Match 1 (DAY): Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, 25/10/2009.

Match 2 (D/N): Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, 28/10/2009.

Match 3 (D/N): Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, 31/10/2009.

Match 4 (D/N): Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, 02/11/2009.

Match 5 (D/N): Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, 05/11/2009.

Match 6 (DAY): Nehru Stadium, Guhawati, 08/11/2009.

Match 7 (D/N): Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai, 11/11/2009.

Superb Watson and Bowlers guide Australia home

2009-10-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Shane Watson took Australia to victory for the second time in three days and thereby enabled them to retain the Champions Trophy in South Africa with a brilliant unbeaten century(105, 129b, 10x4, 4x6). However, the victory was set up by the Aussie pacemen, Bret Lee and Peter Siddle, in the first half of the match. Both bowled with great control and accuracy and shook the New Zealand top order, this after the Kiwis had won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch and ground where they'd never won before.

New Zealand was dealt with a severe blow even before the final had started. Their influential captain, Daniel Vettori, who's been in excellent form with both bat and ball throughout the tournament, had to pull out at the last moment due to a hamstring strain. And that the Black Caps missed him showed later when they set out to bowl. Vettori was replaced by the offie, Jeetan Patel and Brendon McCullum was named the stand-in captain.

The Aussies, made to field first, bowled with excellent rhythm and choked the New Zealand openers, especially McCullum, and did not provide them any width. The Kiwi captain had a torrid time. He faced 13 balls without scoring a run and finally perished by trying to cut a ball which was too close for that shot. NZ were in early trouble. But Aaron Redmond and Martin Guptill forged a partnership that was desperately required. They put on a patient 61-run stand before the former was stumped off Nathan Hauritz for 26(45b, 3x4). Guptill followed soon for 40(64b, 3x4), misreading the length and gave an easy return catch to the same bowler. The Kiwis' woes continued with the cheap dismissals of the dangerous Ross Taylor and the in-form Grant Elliott for 6 and 9 respectively. NZ, at this stage were tottering at 94/5 in the 27th over. It was at this point that Neil Broom and James Franklin came together to save their team from the blushes and take it a respectable total. They played sensible cricket and looked for the bad balls to be punished. They kept the scoreboard ticking with their ones and twos. But when the partnership reached 65, with NZ on 159/5, a terrible mishap resulted in their separation. Broom cut Lee to point and set off for a single. But a lack of understanding and hesitation resulted him in being not able to beat Mike Hussey's throw at the non-striker's end. This was the last thing that the Black Caps wanted. He walked back for 37. Shortly after, Lee's perfect yorker beat Franklin(33) and once again a Kiwi batsman left at the wrong moment. Now, it was just a matter of playing out the remaining overs by the tail-enders. NZ struggled to 200/9 of their allotted 50 overs.

Australia were expected to make it a no-contest, especially after the way it's batsmen demolished England in the semi-finals while chasing 258. But, it was not to be so in the finals. Shane Bond and Kyle Mills bowled their hearts out and exploited whatever little that the track offered. They produced movement both ways, thus making them highly unpredictable and doubly dangerous with their speeds touching 140-145 kmph frequently. Tim Paine was done in by a lovely Shane Bond outswinger. The ball took the outside edge and Ross Taylor completed a good, low catch at first slip. This wicket inspired Mills and the tall, lanky fast bowler came up with a beauty to dismiss the in-form Ricky Ponting. Mills' inswinger did enough to miss Ponting's blade, who was neither forward nor backward, and thudded onto his pads. It was a straight forward decision for the umpire and the Kiwis celebrated. The Aussies were off to the worst possible start and were reduced to 6/2 with their skipper gone. Cameron White joined Shane Watson and both set about repairing the early damage caused. First, they saw off the splendid opening bursts of Bond and Mills. They nudged and pushed and took Australia to 34/2 in 15 overs. It was at this point that NZ missed Vettori. McCullum was not able to find bowlers who could sustain the pressure created by the pacemen. Franklin, Butler, Patel and Elliott were well below average and as a result Watson and White took heavy toll of them. They started scoring more freely and found the boundary ropes on a more frequent basis. Both reached their 50's in this period and had brought up the 100-run stand. White was finally bowled for 62(102b, 7x4, 1x6) by Mills, who came in for another spell along with Bond. Mills also picked up the wicket of Hussey for 11, but the effort seemed to have come very late for the Black Caps. Watson had cut loose and pulled and cut the bowlers with disdain. He ended the match with a couple of huge sixes and also reached his century in the process. This was yet another match-winning century for Watson who had also made an unbeaten 136 against England in the semi-finals.

Australia became deserving Champions and had retained their title. By doing so, they are now the only team to have won the ICC Champions Trophy twice. Shane Watson was declared the Man of the Match for his brilliant ton and skipper Ricky Ponting was named Man of the Series and was presented with the Golden Bat. Wayne Parnell of South Africa was awarded the Golden Ball for taking the maximum number of wickets in the tournament.

Match Summary
ICC Champions Trophy 2009 Final - Australia v/s New Zealand, Super Sport Park, Centurion (05/10/09)
New Zealand - 200/9 (50 overs)
M Guptill - 40 N Hauritz - 3/37
N Broom - 37 B Lee - 2/45
J Franklin - 33 P Siddle - 1/30

Australia - 206/4 (45.2 overs)
S Watson - 105 n.o. K Mills - 3/27
C White - 62 S Bond - 1/34
J Hopes - 22 n.o. G Elliott - 0/6

Australia won by 6 wickets and won the ICC Champions Trophy 2009.

A Grand Trans-Tasmanian Finale

2009-10-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

So, here it is. After a hard fought league stage and semi-final matches, we have the finalists of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. A rejenuvated New Zealand team takes on the defending champions Australia at the Super Sport Park, Centurion. It's very much true that the tournament has thrown up a lot of surprises and a few upsets. As a result, as promoted before the start, this championship has, indeed, partially succeeded in saving the 50 over format.

The hosts, South Africa, who were ranked #1 at the start, once again failed to deliver when the big stage arrived. This is turning out to be a real jinx for a team that boasts of some exceptional talent in all departments of the game. India, another firm favourite to lift the trophy, suffered heavily because of a poor and out-of-form bowling attack and hence, were knocked out very early in the tournament. Sri Lanka, like India, flattered to deceive. With a well-balanced and in-form unit they were regarded as a potent force who'd crush the opponents on their road to victory. But they failed miserably and thus, another major team took an early flight back home. Pakistan looked like a worthy champion throughout the event. They beat India convincingly in their first league match and then survived a scare from the West Indian team to make it to the semi-finals. After a well fought contest against the Aussies, which they eventually lost in the last ball, they faced the New Zealanders in the first semi-final, brimming with a lot of confidence. But the Kiwis held their nerve and executed their plans to perfection and overcame the Pakistanis quite comfortably in the end.

By far, England and the West Indies were the biggest surprises in the last two weeks. England had been thrashed 6-1 by the world champions barely a week before the start of the Champions Trophy and their confidence levels hit an all-time low. They were considered as a team who'd be brushed aside by the others and were not given a chance. But, in stark contrast, they played wonderful cricket with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. Both their bowling and batting clicked well as a unit and the fielding was also upto the mark. They made the semi-finals quite comfortably, only to find that their nemesis, Australia, were waiting for them to stop their golden run. And as expected, they were thrashed, by 9 wickets, by their age-old rivals who are still seeking revenge for an embarrassing second consecutive away Ashes series loss. West Indies, with a third string team, shocked everyone. Though they did not win any matches, they did win the hearts of many cricket fans with their performances in the three matches they played. They bowled very well with Kemar Roach and the impressive Gavin Tonge clocking speeds of over 150 kmph. Infact, Roach recorded the fastest delivery of the tournament, surpassing Bret Lee, with a bullet against the Indians. Inspite of a good bowling performance, they were greatly let down by the inexperienced batsmen. Even the odd surprise innings from atleast one of the batsmen in one game never came.

New Zealand has been plagued by injuries right throughout the tournament. They've lost key players like Jacob Oram, Jessie Ryder and Daryl Tuffey to various injuries. But inspite of all this, they have come up trumps during the key moments of every contest, thanks to their skipper Daniel Vettori, who's been brilliant with both bat and ball. He seems to have control over his team and also tends to have a calming influence on the middle order. All that the Kiwis need is for their top-order to fire. It's high time Brendon McCullum stopped playing flashy cameos. He has to settle down and start thinking about playing a long innings inorder to establish himself as a good opening batsman. If he gets going, then New Zealand have an excellent chance of posting a formidable total against any attack. Grant Elliott has been in great touch and should continue the good work in the final as well. But first, he has to sort out the issues regarding his fractured finger, which he's been carrying in the last two games. The Aussies on the other hand, have once again shown that they're still the team to beat. They have literally crushed the opponents on their way to the final. Every batsmen is in superb form and captain Ricky Ponting is peaking at the right moment for his team. This is an ominous sign for the opponents. Bret Lee has been spear-heading a good bowling out-fit consisting of Mitchell Johnson (ICC Player of the Year), Ben Hilfenhaus, White, Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz.

New Zealand, for sure, have their task cut-out against the Aussies. But the latter do know that they can not afford to take their neighbours lightly if they want to retain their title in the Rainbow Nation.

Convincing Win for India in Dead Rubber

2009-10-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

India came into this match knowing exactly what they had to do. They had to beat West Indies convincingly and wait for Pakistan's favour of defeating the Australians. India did their job clinically by hammering the Windies by 7 wickets, but did not get what they wanted from their neighbours. Pakistan lost a thriller to Australia by 2 wickets of the last ball at the Centurion. As a result, India were knocked of this year's edition of the ICC Champions Trophy even before the completion of their match at Johannesburg.

India had made a few changes in their line-up. Sachin Tendulkar, who was affected by food poisoning and hence could not take the field, was replaced by wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik. In the bowling front, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma, both in poor form, gave way for Abhishek Nayar and Praveen Kumar. Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first on a seaming New Wanderers Stadium pitch. His decision was vindicated as India's opening bowlers, Kumar and Nehra, troubled the inexperienced West Indian batsmen with movement and swing. The two bowlers exploited the conditions to the maximum and destroyed the top order and picked up 3 wickets apiece. The conditons were so seamer-friendly that Dhoni handed over the gloves to Karthik and brought himself on. He struck in his very first over. Travis Dowlin, who smashed Dhoni's first two deliveries for fours, was done in by a ball which cut in sharply and disturbed the stumps. The Indian captain was delighted on picking up his first wicket at any level of the game. The spinners were left with very little do. Harbhajan cleaned up the tail and the West Indies were bundled out for 129.

India needed just one good partnership to achieve the target. But they started off poorly. Gautam Gambhir chopped one from Kemar Roach onto his stumps and headed towards the pavilion for 6. Rahul Dravid clipped the first ball he faced for four to fine leg. But when he took off for a tight single in the next delivery, David Bernard's throw beat him at the non-striker's end and Dravid walked back for just 4. India were now under pressure but this set up a perfect situtation for Karthik and Kohli to establish themselves and make the selectors take notice of them. Both batted sensibly and saw off the early swinging ball. Karthik was rock solid in his defence and Kohli stamped his authority over his shots. The two had stitched in a 92-run stand for the 3rd wicket thus giving India the one good partnership that was needed to seal the game. Kohli, the aggressor, completed his 50 off 80 balls. With India needing under 30 runs to win, Karthik top-edged a pull of Gavin Tonge and walked back for a well compiled 34 of 79 balls which contained four hits to the fence. However, Kohli made sure that no further inroads were made and he completed the formalities with Nayar for company. Kohli remained unbeaten on a brilliant 79(104b, 9x4, 2x6) and deservingly won the Man of the Match award in this playing-for-pride dead rubber.

Rain Dampens India's Semi-Final Hopes

2009-10-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

Rain had the final say to India's semi-final chances in the on-going ICC Champions Trophy 2009 being held at South Africa. Australia were 234/4 in 42.3 overs when a thunderstorm struck and the umpires were forced to stop play and call for the covers. If the match had resumed soon, India would have been set 263 to chase in 42 vers according to the D/L method. If the match had been reduced to 20 overs, India needed 153 to win. But, rain came down heavily, soaked the ground and thereby made further play impossible. The two teams split the points and hence, India's shot a semi-final birth took a huge set back.

Earlier, Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat without any hesitation. But his decision seemed to have back-fired when Watson, in the third over of the innings, top-edged a bouncer from Nehra and Harbhajan at mid-wicket gleefully accepted the chance. Watson was out for a duck. Ponting then joined Tim Paine and the two began constructing a partnership of substance. Paine was aggressive and collected runs very easily. Ponting picked up singles and kept the scoreboard ticking. He also waited for the bad balls and hit the odd boundary. Both had added 84 for the 2nd wicket in no time when Paine tried to be too cute and top edged a paddled sweep. Harbhajan being the catcher again. Mike Hussey replaced Paine and immediately started going about his business. He found the gaps with ease and picked up ones and twos. Meanwhile, Ponting at the other end, reached his 50 of 67 balls and looked set for a big one. But a superb direct hit from Gambhir in the deep ended his innings at 65(88b, 4x4, 1x6). Hussey then tried to accelerate but perished to Ishant Sharma, his shot finding Tendulkar at long off instead of the boundary. Hussey made a fluent 67 of 65 balls.

Craig White's good form showed yet again. He smashed a couple of fours and slog-swept Amit Mishra for the maximum. Just when it seemed like Australia were cruising towards a 300+ total, the skies opened up and the fate of the match was left to the mercy of the rain gods. India was most affected by this and now all they can do is to wait for a favour from the Pakistan team. India can make the semi-finals only if they beat the West Indies on the 30th and also if Pakistan beat the Aussies convincingly on the same day.

Three Costly Mistakes Derail India's Champions Trophy Campaign

2009-09-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Only a single loss to Pakistan in any major ICC event. The last few meetings between the two countries read as follows:
a) ICC World Twenty-20 Final (2007): India won by 4 runs.
b) ICC World Twenty-20 League Stage (2007): Match tied. India won by a remarkable bowl out!
c) ICC Champions Trophy (2004): Pakistan battled against an inspired Indian bowling attack, who were to defend only 200, and scraped home in the last over by 3 wickets at Birmingham.
d) ICC World Cup (2003): India won by 6 wickets. Everyone knows what Sachin Tendulkar did to Wasim Akram & Co. on that day.

So, these are the sneak-peeks into the recent India-Pakistan clashes (ofcourse, on a cricket ground!). India came into the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 with such a dominating record against their arch-rivals in these events. They were tipped to be the favourites, not only to win their first clash against Pakistan in one and a half years, but also to win the tournament. And with Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm, leading a good, talented and victorious side, the expections were sky high.

Finally, the result of the match - Pakistan won (deservingly) by 54 runs. Now, people would be wondering as to what had happened at the Centurion on 26th September, 2009. The Indian team, with such an unbelievable record, lost by such a convincing margin? This a big shock! And the reasons for this "shock", is the reason for this post.

Younis Khan won the toss and promptly chose to bat first. The captain, who missed the previous match against the West Indies due to injury, replaced Misbah-ul-Haq. It was the third match of the tournament that was being played on this track and it looked like a belter. And, indeed, it proved to be one as Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal started blasting away. They took on RP Singh, especially, and Pakistan were off to a flier, scoring at 7 an over. But, when an ill-advised pull by Nazir resulted in the first wicket, Pakistan slowed down. The run-rate slipped to just a tad over 4 and also was accompanied by the loss of Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan. Just when India seemed to be heading to control the game,with Pakistan at 65/3, they did the exact opposite. Dhoni, inorder to get in a few cheap overs, brought on Virat Kohli and Yousuf Pathan. But their bowling was as absurd as the plan and hence, instead of looking for wickets, Dhoni wanted to fill in the overs. Mistake #1. This outrageous move by India allowed Mohammed Yousuf and Shoaib Malik to settle down and lay the foundation for a competitive score. By the time Harbhajan Singh, India's strike bowler, was introduced, it was all too late. Both the batsmen played him with ease and picked up runs at will and none of the Indian bowlers could separate them.

By the time Yousuf (87, 88b, 7x4) departed, bowled by a slower one by Nehra in the 46th over, he and Shoaib Malik (128, 126b, 16x4) had put on 206 for the 4th wicket in under 32 overs. This enabled Pakistan to post a mammoth 302/9 in 50 overs.

India, in the recent past, have been tagged as good chasers. With memories of the 2003 World Cup vivid in everyone's minds, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir walked out to the centre to start India's quest for victory and maintain their excellent record against the Pakistanis. Both started briskly and Sachin, the tormentor of Pakistan 6 years ago, cut Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for his first boundary and looked confident to weave his magic again. But, what followed a couple of minutes later, was a huge blow for the Indians. Tendulkar poked at a Mohammed Aamir delivery outside the off-stump, he being neither forward nor backward. The ball kissed the outside edge and 'keeper Akmal did the rest. The Master Blaster was walking back for just 8. The Pakistanis were cock-a-hoop and celebrated. India were stunned first up. Now, they knew they had an up-hill task on hand.

Dravid joined Gambhir to repair the damage. In the next 10-odd overs, Gambhir took on the bowlers and started a brilliant counter-attack. He walked down the pitch to the fast bowlers and despatched them all over the ground. His assault on Umar Gul stood out (The pull over square leg for 6, which brought up his 50 of just 36 balls, being the pick). India, once again, seemed set to overhaul the stiff target. There arrived a moment of madness. Dravid punched a ball to mid-off, called for the run and took a couple of steps. In the spur of the moment, he decided against it and sent back Gambhir. But it was too late and Younis Khan's direct hit also did not help him. Gambhir left the field, cursing, for a brilliant and threatening 57(46b, 7x4, 2x6). Mistake #2.

India kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were unable to come up with one huge partnership like Pakistan did. Dravid and Raina(46, 41b, 5x4, 2x6) kept India in the hunt. But with 98 required of 15 overs, Raina fell to a questionable LBW decision off Saeed Ajmal. Now, it became too big a task for the Indians. Yousuf Pathan departed quickly and then in another moment of madness, Dravid went. He drove Rana Naved for two. Harbhajan wanted the third but just like Dravid did in the Gambhir run out, he sent him back. Umar Gul came up with a good throw from the deep and Akmal broke the stumps. Dravid was found short of the crease and with him went India's hopes. Mistake #3.

When Saeed Ajmal bowled a reverse sweeping Harbhajan, it was all over for India. They had conceded their first defeat to Pakistan in a major ICC event in 5 years by 54 runs. India's continued bowling woes and their madness cost them a match that was in their grasp. They now have a must-win situation match against the Australians in a couple of days time.

Shoaib Malik was rightly declared the Man of the Match for his brilliant, match winning 128.

Match Summary

Match 6 - ICC Champions Trophy 2009, India v/s Pakistan, Centurion.
Pakistan - 302/9 (50 overs)
S Malik - 128 A Nehra - 4/55
M Yousuf - 87 I Sharma - 2/39
I Nazir - 20 Y Pathan - 1/56

India - 248 all out (44.5 overs)
R Dravid - 76 S Ajmal - 2/31
G Gambhir - 57 S Afridi - 2/39
S Raina - 46 M Aamir - 2/46
Pakistan won by 54 runs.

Greatest Player of.......?

2009-09-25T03:40:00.000-07:00

At present, there seems to be a growing debate in cricket as to who is the greatest player of all time. This debate is not only prevalent in cricket, but it’s also found in other sports. For instance, in tennis, some consider Pete Sampras as the greatest while others feel that Roger Federer is greater because of his feat of conquering all four Grand Slams, which Sampras could not achieve. So, coming back to cricket, this post aims at giving a clearer picture as to who might have the edge to be called “The Greatest Cricket Player of all Time.”
Once this topic comes up, there are several names that immediately come to our minds – Sir Don Bradman, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Steve Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralidharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, etc. Each of these players have contributed a lot to the success of their respective teams in their own different ways. But if it’s going to be one player who will be uniquely standing out, then most people can think of no one else than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
A Sir Don or a Steve Waugh or a Sir Sobers or even a Ganguly or a Dravid have never walked out to the middle every single time with the expectations of a billion fans on their shoulders. But the man from Mumbai has been doing it for almost 2 decades now with the same intensity, same passion and same flair with which he started playing for India in 1989. And until recently, say, some 4-5 years ago, he also had the additional burden of carrying the entire team with him. No wonder that in those days, Sachin was called “a one man army.” Most of the time, the names “Sachin” and “India” went hand in hand with each other. If he gets out, then people turned off their television sets realizing that the result is already there to see. The best example that comes to my mind is the semi-final of the 1996 World Cup. India were to chase down Sri Lanka’s target of 240-odd. Sachin started smashing the ball all over the park and seemed to be in control of the chase. But with the score on 98/2 (Sachin having scored 60 of those!), he unfortunately got out – stumped down the leg side. That dismissal triggered a huge collapse and India fell to 120/8. Everyone knows what happened after that – Azharuddin gave a walk over (the ugly Calcutta crowd also contributed) and Kambli left the field, weeping like a child.
Luckily for the Little Master, as he is fondly called, things have been changing in recent times. Now, he has a team which can both build on a platform laid by him as well as build the entire innings even if he gets out early. Thereby, one can say that the pressure on him has been drastically reduced and that Sachin can play like Sachin and be himself, thus making him even more dangerous than before. But even after the team changes, Tendulkar still has the same mind and contributes in his very own supreme way.
Apart from all the records that he has conquered in his 20-year cricketing career, Sachin Tendulkar has remained the same personality. It’s very easy to say that this Mumbaiker has never been involved in any scandals or has never been in the news for the wrong reasons (Except for the Ferrari Tax incident which was bloated by the media to increase their TRP's. But these people don't seem to care about other important National matters like corruption, etc! ). Now, that is the Greatest Hallmark of any sportsman, leave alone a cricketer. He allows his bat to do the talking on the field and stays free of controversies off it. Such a task to be done continuously for 20 years requires some doing. This aspect of Sachin ought to have come from his sound family background and the values with which he’d been brought up. Of course, to be great, one has to be brought up in a good, virtuous and supportive family.
And that Sachin enjoyed being raised in such a family is clearly evident from the fact that inspite of not being good at studies, his father allowed him to practice for hours and urged his son to follow what his heart said. The result of that is now there to be seen in front of us – Sachin Tendulkar, the owner of literally every cricket record and rightly, without doubt, claiming to be the Greatest Cricketer of All Time.

Greatest of All Time Teams

2009-09-24T08:23:00.001-07:00

Choosing an All-Time Greatest Team is very hard. Even the best of the best in cricketing circles find it absolutely difficult to to pick the best 11-member team in both forms of the game. But after a lot of thought, I have finally narrowed it down to the following players who, according to me, make the “dream 11” test and one-day teams.

Greatest of All Time – Test Team:
Sunil Gavaskar
Virender Sehwag
Don Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Steve Waugh (C)
Adam Gilchrist (WK)
Shane Warne
Curtly Ambrose
Malcom Marshall
Glenn McGrath

Greatest of All Time - ODI Team:
Desmond Haynes
Sachin Tendulkar
Jacques Kallis
Vivian Richards
Clive Lloyd (C)
Michael Bevan
Adam Gilchrist (WK)
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Muttiah Muralidharan
Waqar Younis

Twenty-20: Definitely A Bane

2009-09-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days when a perfect defence, with the full face of the bat and the bat maker’s name clearly visible, was appreciated by the audience and the experts. It so seems that we are entering a new era in Cricket where class and timing and technique are no longer going to be the main ingredients of the game. This new era is going to be dominated by the brute power of batsmen, who are no longer willing to put their thinking caps on and concentrate on building an innings of substance. Instead, they are more focused towards throwing their bats around, because they come with with a fixed mindset that every ball has to be a 4 or a 6! And this improper mental make up is just strengthened with the advent of 20-20 cricket. In fact, this latest version of the game is just meant to tantalize audiences, and is in no way an adequate judge of players' talent!

India, in particular, seems to be forgetting this fact. The current set of Indian players, with the exception of the Little Master, does not have the two basic qualities needed to play the game at the highest level – a game plan and a sound technique. It’s just bewildering that not one player, Gambhir or Dhoni or Yuvaj or Pathan or Raina or anyone else in this team possesses a technique which is even 0.01% of the great Sachin! And these men, ironically, form the so called ‘crux’ of this ‘great Indian team’.

It’s high time everyone realizes that a team can not be called ‘great’ based on a 20-20 world cup win. If that’s the case, then why is Sachin still called ‘great’, ‘God’, ‘best player in the world’, etc. in spite of not having a single world cup victory in his kitty? And the Genius from Mumbai almost single handedly took India to the brink of world cup glory for the second time in 2003. In that final, people criticized him for not delivering when needed. But I ask this bunch of idiots a simple question – what on earth were the other 10 doing?! In fact, India lost the match in the first 50 overs of the game. The poor guy was helpless as he did not know whether to go for the 360 required or play sheet anchor. And if he did the latter, he was not sure as to who would go for the big hits at the other end. Unfortunately, he had a lot in his mind and the additional burden of the expectations of 1 billion fanatics back home on his shoulders. It was not that shot of McGrath in the first over which brought about his downfall, but it was the other 10 of the ‘team’ which did.

Now, I do agree that Dhoni and Yuvraj and Gambhir, etc. have played match winning innings. But even in those games, true followers of Cricket and the purists will definitely not rate them as the best technically sound knocks. It’s just that they had the best days when they played those matches. And it was obvious that these players would be soon found out and their weaknesses exposed. I am not saying this because of India’s exit from the recent 20-20 WC. Even in 2007, when they became champions, no one had technique. Credit should go to the shorter boundaries and flat tracks of South Africa. This statement of mine is proved by the fact that the same players struggled in bowler friendly conditions and pitches and grounds having comparatively longer boundaries in England’s edition of the WC.

One might come up with the argument that the very same team won test and one-day series in Australia, New Zealand and England recently. But they keep forgetting that India had the services of Sachin, Laxman, Kumble and Dravid, all players with brilliant technique, excellent game plan, calm minds and a wealth of experience. These are the players who formed the actual, reliable ‘crust’ of the victorious Indian team in those series.

Finally, I feel disappointed to say that the present Indian lot just do not have it in them to pull off series victories with just power hitting and hand-eye coordination, etc. unless they quickly learn and get their lessons and basics right by talking and practicing with the likes of Sachin, Laxman and Dravid, who will only be more than happy to help the younger lot to overcome their weaknesses.

The Compaq Cup :)!

2009-09-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone surely knows as to why that smiley is there. India did win the Compaq Cup tri-series in Sri Lanka a few weeks ago. Thanks to Sachin Tendulkar's masterfully crafted knock of 138 (133b, 10x4, 1x6), the Indians pulled off yet another famous series win under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

However, some in the cricketing fraternity felt that the match was decided even before a ball was bowled - during the toss. India won the toss and chose to bat (obviously!) on a batsmen-friendly track. After this, Dhoni came up with the masterstroke of sending Rahul Dravid to open the innings with Tendulkar. By doing this he had made sure that the two most experienced players in the side would build a solid opening stand which can then be used as a platform by the young middle order and help the side end up with a 300+ score. Fortunately, every plan and move worked for India. Along with Tendulkar, Dhoni and later, Yuvraj Singh, helped India pile up a mammoth total of 319/5 in their allotted 50 overs.

Chasing under lights at the Premadasa Stadium has always been tricky, like the way the Indians found at the same venue in the league stage against the same team. But in reply, the Sri Lankans started briskly by scoring 60 runs of the first 7 overs. Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan matched each other, shot for shot, and plundered the Indian seam attack. All three – Ishant Sharma, RP Singh and Aashish Nehra, were scored off pretty easily by the Lankan openers. At this point, Dhoni again came up with a smart move of introducing Harbhajan early. The plan paid rich dividends with Harbhajan castling Dilshan in his very first over for a brilliant 42 and then foxing Mahela Jayawardena with the doosra in the next over. Once the first wicket fell, Sri Lanka was always playing catching up with the required run rate. When the captain, Kumar Sangakkara, perished in the most unorthodox fashion – hit-wicket of a RP Singh full toss – the contest was quite easily settled in India’s favour, inspite a late order fightback by Thilina Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedera. Harbhajan returned for another spell and polished off the Lankan tail, thus enabling India to win by a comfortable 46-run margin and triggering wild celebrations.

The Indian Maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, was appropriately declared Man of the Match as well as Man of the Series for his tally of 211 runs in 3 matches in the series. This was his 59^th Man of the Match award and 14^th Man of the Series award, both of which are world records.

Match Summary

Compaq Cup Final: India v/s Sri Lanka, Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

India - 319/5 (50 overs)

S Tendulkar – 138 T Thushara – 2/71

Y Singh – 56 n.o. S Jayasuriya – 1/43

MS Dhoni – 56 A Mendis – 1/70

Sri Lanka – 273 all out (46.4 overs)

T Kandamby – 66 H Singh – 5/56

T Dilshan – 42 Y Singh – 1/24

S Jayasuriya – 36 S Raina – 1/26

India win by 46 runs and win the Compaq Cup

A Brief Intro...

2009-09-24T03:11:00.000-07:00

Pavilion Speak is a blog dedicated to the Game of Cricket. Through this blog, I wish to talk/discuss about all the countries, players, matches, rules, boards and every other aspect involved in this "Wonder Game", as I would like to call it. I hope this blog would turn out to be a proper forum for all cricket related issues and would attract the cricket-crazy audience of the globe :)!