Christmas Miracle

Ishant Baba is back

LAGE RAHO ISHANT BHAI

Tendulkar bowled

Surprising as it may sound but senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s defence has been breached three times in a row in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand.
After being bowled in the first innings of the first Test in Hyderabad and the first innings here, Tim Southee made it three in a row when he disturbed Tendulkar’s middle stump on Monday.
Revered worldwide for his record-breaking feats and his sound technique and temperament, the veteran batsman’s campaign in the two-match series got off to a poor start after Trent Boult cleaned him up for just 19, uprooting the middle stump in the first Test, and it continued in the second match here.
Doug Bracewell went through Tendulkar’s defence after he left a gap between his bat and pads in the first innings of the ongoing match.
Tim Southee then piled on Tendulkar’s agony as the Kiwi pacer knocked the middle stump after clipping his pad with a delivery that came back into the right-hander. That Tendulkar was playing across, did not help the batsman’s cause.
The batsman seemed quite frustrated with himself as he raised his bat in anger at the stumps.
Tendulkar, who has scored 15,489 in 189 Tests for an average of 55.31 prior to this match, has now being bowled 51 times in Test cricket. Rahul Dravid (55) and Allan Border (53) top the charts.
http://www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2012-09-04&nid=22482#.UEU8TrLiaUE

Kohli, Dhoni saved the day

India survived a mini collapse to sweep the series against a fighting New Zealand with a five-wicket victory on the penultimate day of the second and final Test in Bangalore on Monday.
The hosts slipped from 152-2 to 166-5 before achieving their 261-run target in the final session, thanks to a 96-run stand between man-of-the-match Virat Kohli (51 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (48 not out) under pressure.
India won the opening Test by an innings and 115 runs in Hyderabad.
New Zealand fought well as they twice neutralised India’s advantage to storm back into the match on a good pitch before Dhoni and Kohli steered their team home, much to the delight of the nearly 15,000 spectators.
The Indian captain finished the match with a six over mid-wicket off off-spinner Jeetan Patel, who took three wickets. Dhoni hit two sixes and three fours, while Kohli cracked nine fours.
‘Virat’s batting was superb. He fought well and soaked up the pressure. We all knew that after 40-45 overs it would easier,’ said Dhoni.
‘The spinners bowled brilliantly and the catching was good.’
India were 77 without loss after brisk knocks from Virender Sehwag (38) and Gautam Gambhir (34) and then 152-2 following a 69-run stand between Cheteshwar Pujara (48) and Sachin Tendulkar (27) before New Zealand struck back.
The tourists came back strongly after tea, which was taken early due to rain, as they dismissed well-set Pujara, Tendulkar and Suresh Raina (0) in the space of 14 runs.
The 39-year-old Tendulkar was bowled for a third successive innings in the series, this time by fast bowler Tim Southee, after hitting five fours in his 34-ball knock.
The world’s leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket with an unprecedented 100 international centuries, Tendulkar finished the series without a half-century in three innings.
‘We had our chances and showed character to come back from a terrible Test in Hyderabad. We came with some standards we wanted to maintain, which we did in patches,’ said New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor.
‘They way Kohli and Dhoni batted was outstanding.’
Patel had Pujara caught by Daniel Flynn, who ran backwards from forward short-leg to take a superb diving catch, and then bowled Raina.
Tendulkar and Pujara steadied the innings after Sehwag and Gambhir had fallen in the morning in the space of six runs.
Pujara, who scored a solid 159 in the first Test, was on 37 when he survived a stumping chance off Patel as wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum failed to collect the ball.
McCullum kept wicket in place of Kruger van Wyk, who was injured after being struck on the arm by a delivery from paceman Umesh Yadav while batting on Sunday.
The New Zealand skipper pressed Patel into the attack in the 12th over after pacemen Trent Boult, Southee and Doug Bracewell had failed to provide the breakthrough in overcast conditions.
Sehwag lofted Patel over long-off, the first six of the innings, and then cut him for a four before falling in the same over. He stepped out to try another big shot, but missed the line and was bowled.
He smashed one six and seven fours in his 33-ball knock.
Gambhir went for his shots early in the innings, hitting Boult and Bracewell each for two successive fours before falling to a loose shot.
He was caught by Taylor at first slip off Boult after hitting seven fours in his 58-ball knock.
New Zealand were earlier bowled out for 248 in their second innings, adding 16 runs to their overnight total of 232-9.
Patel (22), the last man out, looked unhappy with the decision when given caught behind off left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, as the TV replays suggested he had missed the ball.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin finished with 5-69, his third five-wicket haul in four innings against New Zealand. He was named man of the series.
http://www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2012-09-04&nid=22479

Superman Tendulkar

Indian cricket board is like Fox news channel!

Read this article. Please read this article. Tests are not the only cricket http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/560959.html?comments=all#comments And then think for about ten minutes. I know that it is not an easy job to think or analysis anything after reading indian cricket commentators article nowadays. Then if i may, please read this article. Don't blame the IPL for everything that's wrong http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/566915.html

Have you found a common trend? Like Fox news, BCCI is trying to manipulate the common feeling. To judge something if something is good accurate and quality information is essential. But with the help of former crickets and commentators BCCI is following the path as Fox news by publishing articles, interviews which suits their own agenda. Lets discuss it in more details.

1. Panic Mongering: Is it time to bury the ODI? http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/568997.html

This article is not the only example how BCCI currently hate ODI. It is really surprising. ODI makes BCCI so much rich. And makes famous to their most bankable player sachin tendulkar. Remove all records of ODI from him. He has a very good test cricket record. A very good one. But it is not the greatest. Mainly ODI records makes his best batsman in world history. Probably BCCI no longer need ODI as sachin tendulkar is not playing ODI cricket anymore.


2.Bullying: This is a favorite technique of several Fox commentators. Same is true for BCCI. Remember ICL. Former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi made startling revelations that the BCCI forced the ICC to change its constitution to outlaw the now defunct Indian Cricket League. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/modi-says-bcci-bent-rules-to-outlaw-icl/1/142197.html

3. Confusion: DRS is the perfect example of the dirty tactics BCCI is used for its own purpose. At the beginning BCCI is happy about this technique. But when some decisions went against them they started a smear campaign. Dhoni asked question about the 2.5m rule. Quickly all the indian commentators asks the similar question. They played the tune like orchestra. Now DRS is out. Viva BCCI!


When somebody ask questions about the popularity of the twenty-twenty cricket. BCCI and its surrogate cricket commentators argue that a lot of people share the same perceptions. It is not a sign that something is true. It is sign that BCCI is selling lies.


 Twenty20 cricket is a circus. Sometimes it is fun watch lions, elephants and zebras showing cheap tricks using balls and fire. People claps but as soon as they leave tent, the greatest show on earth is over. Like Rome this kind of circus will haunt cricket in years to come.

Ravichandran Ashwin took 6 wickets

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a career-best 6-31 to put India in firm command on a rain-hit third day of the opening Test against New Zealand in Hyderabad on Saturday.
The 25-year-old was superbly backed by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (3-44) as New Zealand were dismissed for 159 in their first innings at the stroke of lunch in reply to India’s 438.
The hosts, who enforced the follow-on after taking a 279-run lead, reduced New Zealand to 41-1 in the second innings at stumps on a day when only 37.3 overs were bowled.

India crashed by Kiwis

India crashed to a humiliating 200-run defeat in the first match of the triangular ODI series against New Zealand with a pathetic bowling and batting display on Tuesday.

After the Kiwis put up a competitive 288 on the board, riding on skipper Ross Taylor (95) and Scott Styris (89), India suffered an inexplicable batting collapse to bundle out for a paltry 88 in just 29.3 overs, reports PTI.

In what turned out to be a totally lop-sided contest, only three Indian batsmen could score double figures as the Kiwis ripped through the young batting line-up to launch their campaign on a high.

It was a commanding show by the New Zealanders who relied on a 190-run stand for the fourth wicket between Taylor and Styris before Daryl Tuffey (3-34) and Kyle Mills (2-26) and Jacob Oram (2-15) shot out India to complete a convincing win.

Chasing 289 to win, openers Dinesh Karthik (14) and Virender Sehwag (19) made a watchful start but New Zealand struck twice in as many deliveries to get rid of the openers and reduce India to 39 for two in 7.1 overs.

Sehwag was the first to go when he failed to negotiate a short ball aimed at his body by Mills as the ball kissed his glove and landed safely at wicketkeeper Gerath Hopkins' hands.

Karthik then followed suit when he played Tuffey's delivery down the wrong line and missed the ball, which struck on his pads in front of the wicket.

Rohit Sharma (4) then joined Yuvraj Singh (5) but the former was sent packing in the 10th over by Tuffey and two overs later New Zealand dealt India another blow, removing Suresh Raina to leave India tottering at 50-4 in 11.2 overs.

Sharma, brought in to bolster the middle order, ended up giving catching practice to first slip of Tuffey's outside off-stump delivery.

Raina also followed his partner and edged one straight to second slip to award Tuffey his third wicket of the day.

The 32-year-old seamer came to haunt India again in the 14th over when his direct throw found skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni short of wicket as India looked down the barrel at 53-5.

Yuvraj and Ravindra Jadeja tried to stem the rot but Andy Mckay removed the former in the 17th over and eight balls later Praveen Kumar was also sent packing by Jacob Oram as India stared at an impending defeat.

Earlier, New Zealand had a disastrous start, collapsing to 28 for three in 6.5 overs but Taylor (95) and Styris (89) rescued the innings and helped New Zealand to reach 288 in 48.5 overs.

New-ball bowlers Praveen Kumar (3-43) and Ashish Nehra (4-47) shared seven wickets between them to strangle the New Zealand top and lower order and helped India bowl out their rivals inside 300.

The triangular series continues on Aug 13 when New Zealand take on hosts Sri Lanka at the same venue.

Waterboy Yuvraj Singh

Three youngsters, aged between 24 and 25, were detained by the police for allegedly heckling Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh here on Tuesday.

Yuvraj, who did not figure in the Indian XI, was carrying drinks to the cricketers during a break on the first day of the third Test when the youngsters, seated close to the pavilion, allegedly taunted the player by calling him "Waterboy."

Yuvraj subsequently complained to the Indian team management. Indian team manager Ranjib Biswal said the team would take up the issue with the local authorities.

He said "The crowd was trying to misbehave with the player in question. The police was asked to intervene and the situation was brought under control. Yuvraj was not at fault, he did not try to provoke the crowd at all. I was sitting next to Yuvraj when this happened and I can tell you they were trying to provoke the player."

Mr. Biswal added, "It’s a basic human tendency to react to situations when you are being repeatedly provoked but Yuvraj was quite restrained. The police have taken the spectators out and we will definitely lodge a complaint with the police."

There have also been allegations that Yuvraj pointed a finger at the youngsters in question.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article550005.ece

Sachin Tendulkar breaks ODI world record

Tendulkar passed the mark of 194 not out set by Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry in August last year and 194 by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar in 1997.

The 36-year-old is already the leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket.

Tendulkar's previous best was 186 not out against New Zealand at Hyderabad in November 1999.

India closed on 401-3, with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hammering 68 off just 35 balls as South Africa's bowlers toiled for no reward.

Highest individual scores in one-day international cricket:

1. 200 not out - Sachin Tendulkar, India vs. South Africa, Gwalior, February 2010

2. 194 not out - Charles Coventry, Zimbabwe vs. Bangladesh, Bulawayo, August 2009

3. 194 - Saeed Anwar, Pakistan vs. India, Chennai, May 1997

4. 189 not out - Viv Richards, West Indies vs. England, Manchester, May 1984

5. 189 - Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka vs. India, Sharjah, October 2000

6. 188 not out - Gary Kirsten, South Africa vs. United Arab Emirates, Rawalpindi, February 1996

7. 186 not out - Sachin Tendulkar, India vs. New Zealand, Hyderabad, November 1999

8. 183 not out - Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India vs. Sri Lanka, Jaipur, October 2005

9. 183 - Sourav Ganguly, India vs. Sri Lanka, Taunton, May 1999

10. 181 not out - Matthew Hayden, Australia vs. New Zealand, Hamilton, February 2007

11. 181 - Viv Richards, West Indies vs. Sri Lanka, Karachi, October 1987.

India meet SA to prove ODI superiority

After the Test stalemate, a depleted India and a scarred South Africa will begin their battle of ODI supremacy today when the three-match series gets underway at a fortified Sawai Mansingh Stadium here. The Indian team arrived here yesterday high on morale and low on resource and it would require more than a nip and a tuck to fill the void created by the absence of some of their key players. The hosts’s bowling unit will lack the firepower of Zaheer Khan after the pace spearhead strained a leg muscle during the Kolkata Test against the Proteas. Zaheer’s absence would sorely be felt not just because he leads the attack but also because he has been virtually India’s bowling captain, mentoring fellow pacers with his elder-brotherly concern. The spin department would also not be the same without the feisty Harbhajan Singh, who would miss the first two ODIs to attend his sister’s wedding. The volatile offie, who had just regained his mojo in Kolkata, would have been quite a handful for the South Africans with his bag of tricks and reckless slogging down the order, not to mention of his confrontational approach. India’s batting also loses some of its formidability because of the absence of left-handed duo of Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir, the first is nursing an injury in his left wrist and the second a groin. Like the recent Test series, here also India has more than just a bunch of personal reputations at stake. India need to win the three-match ODI series to remain the number two one day side in the world which would entitle them to USD 75,000 from the ICC. To stave off the South Africans, India would expect the substitute players to come to the party today. S Sreesanth, Zaheer’s replacement, is expected to share the new ball with Ashish Nehra tomorrow and the Kerala speedster would have to ensure that he is upto the mark. Uttar Pradesh teammates Sudeep Tyagi and Praveen Kumar would vie for the third pacer’s slot tomorrow. In the slow bowling department, Amit Mishra is almost certain to play tomorrow and he is expected to share the spin burden with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, whose utility in one day cricket has been proven beyond doubt. In the batting line-up, Gambhir and Yuvraj’s absence could be compensated only if the top order fire in unison. Irrespective of whether India set a total or chase one, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar would have to provide the start they are expected of and Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina need to continue the good work. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has fond memories of the venue. In 2005, it was at the same venue that the star stumper-batsman, then with flowing tresses, had hit a devastating unbeaten 245-ball 183 which remains his highest ODI score so far. Since then, the Indian captain has modelled himself more into a finisher but the crowd would assemble here tomorrow to see glimpse of the old Dhoni. A product of the same power-hitting school, Baroda all-rounder Yousuf Pathan is also set to make it to the playing XI tomorrow, hoping to continue his red hot form that has won him a recall to the side. Fortunately for Dhoni, India is not the only team grappling with injuries. South Africa has already lost their charismatic captain Graeme Smith and even though stop-gap leader Jacques Kallis has an enviable record against India, how much inspiration this burly all-rounder manages to provide remains to be seen. Prolific top order batsman Hashim Amla has been asked to stay back and fill Smith’s void. Amla may have been a run-machine in the drawn Test series but one day cricket is a different kettle of fish altogether and the bearded batsman might struggle to adjust to the ODI mode. Their bowling, especially Dale Steyn, looked too hot to handle in the Nagpur Test but was pretty pedestrian in Kolkata. Steyn’s pace, Morne Morkel’s bounce and Wayne Parnell’s angles remain a worry but the Indian line-up is capable enough to blunt them all.

India would benefit from having a specialist bowling coach: Dhoni

India would benefit from having a specialist bowling coach, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Friday.

The Indian cricket board sacked Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as bowling and fielding coaches in October after the country's early exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

India climbed to the top of the test rankings for the first time in December but the team has struggled to establish supremacy in one-day international cricket.

"To some extent it does hurt not having a bowling coach. If you have a specialist coach he is always interacting with the bowlers and trying to get the best out of them," Dhoni told a news conference on the eve of the team's departure to Bangladesh.
"He (coach Gary Kirsten) has to look after everything: he has to sit and talk to the batsmen, bowlers, fielders, build strategies and look after team building."

The Indian board has recruited former Australian fielding coach Mike Young as fielding consultant but has not decided whether to recruit a specialist bowling coach.

India will start the new year with a triangular one-day series involving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Jan. 4 followed by two test matches against Bangladesh.

Batsman Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the tri-series to save himself for the two tests.

Hussey named Australia vice captain for India ODI

Australia have named Mike Hussey as deputy to skipper Ricky Ponting in their 15-player squad for a one-day series in India starting on Oct. 25.

Hussey's elevation follows a back injury to fellow batsman Michael Clarke, who was forced to withdraw from their Champions Trophy squad in South Africa.

Australia will also miss first choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, undergoing rehabilitation after finger surgery, as well as left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken (knee), Cricket Australia said in a statement.

Attacking left-handed opener Shaun Marsh returns to the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury.

The World Cup winners enter the seven-match series on a high, having swept to a 6-1 ODI series win against England ahead of the Champions Trophy.

"We're really pleased with the progress the ODI squad has made recently," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said.

"To reclaim our number one ICC world ranking was recognition of this squad's recent achievements but we recognise we have to continue to improve and to establish a winning culture within this young group of players on tough tours, like this, to India."

The matches will be played in Baroda (Oct. 25), Nagpur (Oct. 28), New Delhi (Oct. 31), Mohali (Nov. 2), Hyderabad (Nov. 5), Guwahati (Nov. 8) and Mumbai (Nov. 11).

Squad:

Ricky Ponting (captain), Mike Hussey (vice captain), Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wicketkeeper), Adam Voges, Cameron White, James Hopes, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle.

Indian board withdraws financial help for Sri Lanka

The Indian cricket board has withdrawn the offer of a financial package to help neighbours Sri Lanka in a row between the two countries, according to a report.

Indian officials were upset that news of the confidential offer had been leaked to the media, according to a document seen by Reuters that gave details of a meeting between the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) and Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC).

It accused Sri Lanka's board of being "hostile" and said India was putting on hold all forthcoming tours with Sri Lanka, as detailed in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) future tours programme until 2012.

The Indian board offered financial help to Sri Lanka after a standoff between the SLC and its top players over next year's proposed tour to England.

SLC chairman Arjuna Ranatunga is adamant that the tour to England should go ahead in April and May even though it clashes with the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) in which many leading cricketers are keen to play.

Ranatunga has said that while the IPL means financial gains for players the England tour would help to boost the financial position of the cash-strapped SLC.

"The BCCI was very disturbed that the proposal they have made to Sri Lanka cricket in respect with the IPL with much confidentiality was released to the media," the document stated.

India won second Test Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Galle

It is a surprise that India has leveled the series. It is always unbelievable that Indian players always play better game after tremendous pressure. As usual they do not play the game as a team rather than build the innings upon some individual performance. On the other hand SriLanka team at least play a bad game as a team. I do not know how long their new wizard sustain his performance. But it looks like one or two Indian players begin to fix their errors. And probably next day they publish the solution on their personal blogs. The result of third test may be fixed once two captions flip the coin in the middle of the spinning pitch. Both captains want to spin the coin as long as they can because it is the lucky metal that will fix the result of the match. The batting in the fourth day of a test in SriLanka is like batting in the middle of Tsunami.