Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

Popular Posts Today

India will thrash Australia 4-0: Bhajji

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 31 Januari 2013 | 21.24

NEW DELHI: Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has had some memorable performances against Australia in the past, on Thursday started the game of one-upmanship by declaring that India will thrash Michael Clarke's men 4-0 in the upcoming Test series, starting February 22.

"This is a young Australian team. They are even getting beaten on their home grounds consistently. We should defeat them easily and 4-0 whitewash is a real possibility," Harbhajan said one the sidelines of a promotional event today.

Bhajji, who has been selected to play for the Rest of India squad in the Irani trophy is optimistic about his chances of selection in the upcoming Australian series.

"I have bowled a number of overs in the Ranji series and am feeling good about my rhythm. I am trying to utilise whatever opportunities of match practice that I am able to get. I am hopeful that I will make the cut for the Australia Test series."

Comparing with the past Australian teams with the present batch, Harbhajan opined that Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting's units had players who were matchwinners in their own rights.

"They had 11 champion players. Right from Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden to Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, McGrath, they were unbeatable as a unit."

Harbhajan feels that the recently-retired Ricky Ponting, with whom he had been involved in numerous on-field battles in the past, will be missed by the current inexperienced Aussies.

"Ponting was a class act. It will be difficult for Australians to replace him," he said.

Talking about the recently concluded India-England series where England thumped India with a 2-1 margin in the Tests, the offie feels that blaming the pitches for team's poor performance is not the correct way to move forward.

"We should not always blame the pitch for our bad performance. The England team played better cricket overall, they played our spinners better, their spinners bowled better than us," he said.

Harbhajan, who was the captain of the Punjab team which made it to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals this year feels that although the pitches were better for seamers this season, yet they wasn't much help for the spinners.

"Seamers on first day tracks got wickets but as the matches progressed, even on day three and four, due to green-tops, the ball wasn't gripping onto the surface. Such pitches do not give the spinners any advantage and even on the last day, they struggled to get wickets. In the end, it became easier for batsmen only," he said.

Harbhajan, who recently relinquished the captainship of the Mumbai Indians franchisee in the Indian Premier League, felt that being a captain was taking a lot out of him and he was not able to give his very best for the team.

"Being a captain is an added responsibility and it took a lot out of me. At present, I just wanted to focus on my game, and hence I decided to give someone else a chance. I wish all the luck to the next skipper," he said.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

India will thrash Australia 4-0: Bhajji

NEW DELHI: Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has had some memorable performances against Australia in the past, on Thursday started the game of one-upmanship by declaring that India will thrash Michael Clarke's men 4-0 in the upcoming Test series, starting February 22.

"This is a young Australian team. They are even getting beaten on their home grounds consistently. We should defeat them easily and 4-0 whitewash is a real possibility," Harbhajan said one the sidelines of a promotional event today.

Bhajji, who has been selected to play for the Rest of India squad in the Irani trophy is optimistic about his chances of selection in the upcoming Australian series.

"I have bowled a number of overs in the Ranji series and am feeling good about my rhythm. I am trying to utilise whatever opportunities of match practice that I am able to get. I am hopeful that I will make the cut for the Australia Test series."

Comparing with the past Australian teams with the present batch, Harbhajan opined that Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting's units had players who were matchwinners in their own rights.

"They had 11 champion players. Right from Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden to Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, McGrath, they were unbeatable as a unit."

Harbhajan feels that the recently-retired Ricky Ponting, with whom he had been involved in numerous on-field battles in the past, will be missed by the current inexperienced Aussies.

"Ponting was a class act. It will be difficult for Australians to replace him," he said.

Talking about the recently concluded India-England series where England thumped India with a 2-1 margin in the Tests, the offie feels that blaming the pitches for team's poor performance is not the correct way to move forward.

"We should not always blame the pitch for our bad performance. The England team played better cricket overall, they played our spinners better, their spinners bowled better than us," he said.

Harbhajan, who was the captain of the Punjab team which made it to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals this year feels that although the pitches were better for seamers this season, yet they wasn't much help for the spinners.

"Seamers on first day tracks got wickets but as the matches progressed, even on day three and four, due to green-tops, the ball wasn't gripping onto the surface. Such pitches do not give the spinners any advantage and even on the last day, they struggled to get wickets. In the end, it became easier for batsmen only," he said.

Harbhajan, who recently relinquished the captainship of the Mumbai Indians franchisee in the Indian Premier League, felt that being a captain was taking a lot out of him and he was not able to give his very best for the team.

"Being a captain is an added responsibility and it took a lot out of me. At present, I just wanted to focus on my game, and hence I decided to give someone else a chance. I wish all the luck to the next skipper," he said.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pak players snubbed again for auction

NEW DELHI: Considered pariahs by the Indian Premier League since 2008, Pakistani cricketers were once again left out of the list of players to be auctioned for the event's sixth edition in April-May.

The 101-strong list of players, to be auctioned on Sunday, does not feature a single Pakistani player despite the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between the two neighbours in December last year.

Pakistani players have been ignored by IPL since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Even though the Pakistan Cricket Board has been pushing for their inclusion, the efforts have not paid off even this year.

And it has got nothing to do with the recent tension that gripped the Line of Control earlier this month after an Indian soldier was beheaded during a violation of the ceasefire.

The move to keep Pakistani players out was initiated in December last year even though BCCI had hinted about having them for the auction at least.

The BCCI's apprehension stemmed from the fear of controversies given that having sportspersons from across the border remains a sensitive matter in India.

"It is for the franchises to decide their teams. The franchises invest a lot of money and they do not want to take risk by including Pakistani players. The idea is to play it safe", a top IPL official said.

Recently, Pakistani hockey players were sent back from the Hockey India League while the women cricketers from the country, who are here for the World Cup, were shifted from Mumbai to Cuttack following protests by the Shiv Sena


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kamini scores ton as India score 284/6

MUMBAI: Opener Thirushkamini Murugesan became the first Indian eve to notch up a century in 50-over World Cup as hosts piled up a commendable 284 for six against West Indies in their opening group league match on Thursday.

The previous best by an Indian eve in a World Cup was by skipper Mithali Raj against Netherlands in the 2005 edition, while this was the highest team total posted by the side.

India surpassed their previous highest score of 275 against Netherlands in the 2000 World Cup in New Zealand.

Left-hander Kamini, who made a comeback into the side, scored 100 in 146 balls was finally run-out.

She struck 11 fours and a six and batted till the 43rd over and spent 156 minutes at the crease.

Put into bat, Kamini and Poonam Raut (72) made best use of the flat track at Brabourne Stadium here and added 175 runs for the opening stand.

Raut's 72 runs came off 94 balls and she struck seven fours during her 144-minute stay at the crease.

Raut was finally out leg before trying a sweep shot off spinner Shanel Daley. India tried to accelerate and made best use of the Powerplay as 45 runs came off those five overs.

She was joined by former Indian skipper Jhulan Goswami, who was promoted as a pinch hitter and Goswami made a quickfire 36 in 21 balls.

India started losing wickets towards the end in their bid to step up the ante.

For the visitors, seamer Deandra Dottin picked up three wickets in her four overs while giving away 32 runs, and Daley picked up one.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Unfit Zaheer Khan to miss Irani Cup tie

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 30 Januari 2013 | 21.24

MUMBAI: Zaheer Khan was on Wednesday not picked by newly crowned Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai for their five-day Irani Cup match against the Rest of India beginning at the Wankhede Stadium on February 6, as he has not yet recovered from the calf injury he sustained at the start of this month.

"Zaheer is not yet fit and it seems he would need at least three weeks to regain fitness," informed Mumbai Cricket Association's secretary Nitin Dalal after the selection committee meeting.

The senior left-arm pacer, who was injured during Mumbai's last league game against Gujarat at the D Y Patil Stadium thus appears in doubt for at least the initial part of the four-Test series against Australia, commencing with the first game at Chennai on February 22.

Zaheer has not played since he picked up the injury and missed Mumbai's matches in the Ranji knockout phase that culminated in their 40th title triumph two days ago.

Mumbai made two changes to the 15-men squad that won the Ranji final by an innings and 125 runs in under three days against Saurashtra here, bringing in Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma for Nikhil Patil Jr. and Sushant Marathe, according to Dalal who convened the selection committee meeting.

"The rest of the squad remains the same," he added. RoI would be led by Virender Sehwag.

Mumbai squad: Ajit Agarkar (Capt.), Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Jaffer, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dhaval Kulkarni, Kaustubh Pawar, Abhishek Nayar, Hiken Shah, Aditya Tare, Ankit Chavan, Javed Khan, Shardul Thakur and Vishal Dabholkar.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Warne calls for new Australian coach

SYDNEY: Test great Shane Warne on Wednesday called on Australia coach Mickey Arthur to be replaced by former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming days after branding the nation's cricket chiefs "muppets".

The outspoken leg-spinner, who said he was "frustrated on many levels at present", praised Fleming as "the best opposition captain we played against" on his website.

"I believe he brings a lot to the table, a calmness, an intelligent understanding of the game and a very good cricket brain. He's a good communicator too as well as a good leader of men."

Warne, 43, who also wants former Test wicketkeeper Rod Marsh as chairman of selectors, said the current Australian set-up was not working as the players gear up for two Ashes series against England over the next year.

In a post entitled "Where is Australian cricket at? Part 1" on his website, Warne said: "The next 12 months is the biggest 12 months of cricket for the Australian cricket team in a long, long time.

"If we do nothing now, we will be where we were 30 years ago. There needs to be urgent action and a new strategy/plan put in place."

In Twitter comments on Monday, Warne blasted Cricket Australia's policy of rotating players, which has attracted stinging criticism from other greats of the game.

"I think CA really need to look at the people who are making decisions on all facets of cricket in Australia, we r seriously becoming a joke!" Warne said.

"We have the best batsmen / captain in the world in @MClarke23 (Test captain Michael Clarke) - He needs current cricket people to help him out not muppets," he added.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has told Warne he is happy to discuss Warne's ideas but has expressed disappointment with the manner in which he expressed his concerns, CA said on its website.

Australia, third in the Test and one-day rankings, lost the recent Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka after drawing the one-day series and beating the visitors in the Test series.

Warne was last week fined Aus$5,000 ($5,250) for a code of behaviour breach in the domestic Big Bash League.

And he apologised earlier this month after a foul-mouthed rant against West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels that earned him a ban and a Aus$4,500 fine.

Warne claimed 708 Test wickets in a celebrated career that also courted controversy, including a fine for taking money from a bookmaker. He was sent home from the 2003 World Cup for taking a banned diuretic.

Also on Wednesday, CA said that Australian pace great Dennis Lillee had been appointed to CA's high-performance team as a fast bowling advisor.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

'I will never ever compromise on pace'

NEW DELHI: India's rising pace sensation Shami Ahmed feels cutting down on pace is one option he will never consider even though line and length, for him, are important aspects of fast bowling.

"For me, pace and swing are the two most important aspects of my bowling. I know that line and length is very important but I will never compromise on pace as it has been my biggest strength and has been a primary reason for reaching this level," Shami said during an interview on Wednesday.

Ask him about the four consecutive maidens that he bowled on his ODI debut to create an Indian record, Shami answered, "I just tried to bowl according to the field that my captain had set for me. You don't plan such things but it happened for me and I am happy. I always had confidence in my ability and was willing to work hard."

Having made his debut in a low-scoring game against Pakistan, Shami said that he followed skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's instructions to the tee.

"Dhoni bhai only told me not to get nervous and not deviate from the gameplan."

After the final one-dayer against England in Dharamsala, Dhoni felt that Shami has the pace but still needs to improve a lot before being considered for the longer version. Representing India in white flannels though, is the Bengal pacer's ultimate ambition.

"While playing Ranji Trophy, I have learnt that in days' cricket, you need patience. In one-dayers, you might try various things like slower, bouncer but in longer version, patience is the key. At this level, the batsmen who face you have a lot of quality and you need to be very persistent. You have to wait for batsmen to make mistakes."

A month-long stint with the Indian team having played five ODIs has definitely made him realize that he has the potential to don the national jersey for a long time.

"Just watching the likes of Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, you learn a lot. It's not that they will coach you but they tell you little things that you need to pick up.

"I had my state team new ball partner Ashoke Dinda and that also helped adjust easily in the dressing room. Me and Dinda open the bowling for Bengal and share a very good rapport. Bengal coach WV Raman taught me a lot of little things during Ranji Trophy while I had some good sessions with KKR bowling coach Wasim Akram. I am now planning to work on bowling yorkers," Shami said.

The bowler, who will be turning 23 in March, missed out on the Champions League T20 in South Africa and four Ranji Trophy games after sustaining a side strain injury during India A's tour of New Zealand.

"Missing out on Champions League was disappointing. I was also scared after the side strain injury as to what will be duration that I will be out of action. But my rehabilitation went well and I came back strongly."

He came to the 'City of Joy' Kolkata from a remote hamlet called Alinagar in Moradabad, eight years back and now considers Bengal as his "home".

"Even though my parents have been the guiding force, I can't thank Bengal cricket enough for giving me this opportunity. Today, I have got a house in Kolkata and my parents have come here to stay with me. Ab mera saab kuch yehan pe hi hain (Now, I have settled down here in Kolkata)."

His childhood coach Badruddin Siddiqui termed him as a "shy boy" but Shami begged to differ.

"Keeping quiet doesn't mean that I am shy. It's just that my motto in life is 'work more and talk less'."


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mithali enters WC as top ranked player

MUMBAI: India skipper Mithali Raj will enter the ICC Women's World Cup 2013 as the number-one ranked batswoman on the Reliance ICC Women's Player Rankings for ODI batters.

ICC rankings: Batting | Bowling | All rounders

Raj, who is appearing in her fourth successive women's World Cup, will lead her side in the opening match of the tournament on January 31 at the Brabourne Stadium in a Group A match against the West Indies.

Other teams in Group A include champion England and Sri Lanka. Group B contains Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan.

The tournament is scheduled to be held from January 31 to February 17 in Mumbai and Cuttack.

Raj currently tops the batting table with 767 ratings points. West Indies' Stafanie Taylor is ranked second, 22 ratings points behind.

The England duo of Sarah Taylor and Lydia Greenway are third and fourth respectively, while New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite in fifth spot completes the top five.

The fight for the top slot in the Player Rankings for ODI bowlers is even more interesting. England's Katherine Brunt currently heads the table with 777 ratings points. But Brunt will face a tough challenge from Australia's Lisa Sthalekar, who is currently second with 764 ratings points.

India's Jhulan Goswami at third, Ellyse Perry of Australia in fourth and England's Laura Marsh in fifth are the other bowlers in the top 10 who are likely to make improvements.

Taylor is currently the clear leader in the Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders' with 453 ratings points, followed by Lisa Sthalekar in second place and New Zealand's Nicola Browne in third.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Never thought I will play for India: Dhoni

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 29 Januari 2013 | 21.24

CHENNAI: Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday said he never expected to don the national colours and pointed out that the 'small-town' tag has made him a tougher player.

"I never thought I will play for India. I am never worried if I am not selected for a particular game or series but my focus will be on contributing for the next match," Dhoni said at a panel discussion moderated by commentator Harsha Bhogle.

To a question about his early years in Ranchi, Dhoni said while many did not attach much importance to such small towns, they had a fair bit of senior players to look upto and a decent league cricket.

"Comparatively, Ranchi has (more) senior players. Of course it's a bit tough to come from a small city but that makes you tougher with the challenges it poses," he said at the discussion, held as part of a promotional event by health drink brand Boost.

Dhoni however, expressed, joy over the increased media coverage to sports in such small cities.

Asked how he managed to find time between the game and other engagements, including his endorsement commitments, he said the game was the central part to all the activity.

"It is very easy. You follow cricket. If it is not there, nothing else is there. Shoots (for advertisements) help take off the time from cricket as you roam about freely, interacting with important people," he said.

Stating that he is not one to hit the gym hard, Dhoni said he relaxes once off the field and eats "whatever he wants".

"I dont compromise on food," he added. Opener Virendar Sehwag, one of the panelists along with former captain Anil Kumble and former coach John Wright, recalled his long journeys in his early days to practice and said Najafgarh, from where he hails, then used to be known for its gangsters.

Struggling to come back to the Indian one-day team, the world-record holder for the fastest ODI double-century said it is important to "switch on and off" during failures and said he coped by relaxing with family and listening to music.

"My batting is not technically correct, but I am mentally strong," he added.

Kumble talked about the importance of both talent and hard work for an aspiring cricketer to make it big at the highest level.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pak women's team staying in stadium

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's women cricketers in India for the World Cup are staying in the stadium premises instead of a hotel for security reasons, the International Cricket Council said on Tuesday.

The entire squad is living in the club house of the Barabati stadium in the eastern city of Cuttack where Pakistan are due to play its matches in the eight-nation tournament starting on Thursday.

"I can confirm the team is staying at the Barabati stadium," an ICC spokeswoman said from Cuttack.

"The ICC considered all options and the best security for the teams, and we have chosen to use the Barabati stadium club house."

Cuttack was added as a last-minute venue after the right-wing nationalist Shiv Sena party threatened to disrupt Pakistan's matches in Mumbai, where the entire tournament was originally scheduled to be played.

Matches in group B -- featuring Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa -- were shunted to Cuttack, where Pakistan will remain if they qualify for the second round.

But the Pakistani team will still have to travel to Mumbai if they make the final at the Brabourne stadium on February 17.

Pakistan team manager Ayesha Ashar said the entire squad was happy with the arrangements made at the Barabati stadium.

"The arrangements are more like we get in Pakistan," Ashar was quoted as saying. "We are happy with the facilities provided to us by the organisers."

Pakistan open their campaign against Australia at the Barabati stadium on Friday.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

India maintain no. 3 spot as Kohli slips

DUBAI: India managed to retain their number three position among T20 teams, while Virat Kohli has slipped a position to sixth in the ICC rankings for Twenty20 batsmen issued on Tuesday.

ICC T20 Rankings: Team | Batting | Bowling | All-rounder

India are placed at third with 119 points in the team rankings, which was being led by reigning T20 champions Sri Lanka followed by the West Indies.

Sri Lanka, with 131 points, have further consolidated their number one position following their 2-0 series win over hosts Australia, who are placed seventh in the chart.

Meanwhile, star India batsman Kohli has dropped a rung to the sixth spot in the T20 batsmen list with 731 points. Suresh Raina also slipped a position to the ninth place.

Other Indians in the top-20 list includes Yuvraj Singh (13) and opener Gautam Gambhir at the 17 position.

New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum leads the T20 batting chart with 794 points, followed by destructive West Indian opener Chris Gayle (792), Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene (768) and Australia's Shane Watson (767).

In the T20 bowlers category, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashiwin, ranked 16, is the only Indian to have found a place in the top-20 list.

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal leads the bowlers' table with 756 points followed by Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka (731) and England's Graeme Swann (720).


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Watson focusing on spin for India tour

SYDNEY: Australian all-rounder Shane Watson is busy preparing for the India tour and says he is working specifically on tackling spin in the sub-continental conditions.

Watson scored 30 for Sutherland in his comeback game from a calf injury. He is hoping to make the most of the domestic game ahead of the four Test series in India, including a one-day game for New South Wales against Western Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

"I've been developing a few different game plans to be able to try and combat the spin (in India)," Watson was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

"There's no doubt that is one of the key factors to having success over there is playing well against the spin as well as the reversing ball.

"I've been working on a few technical things as I always am to continue to evolve my game.

"I certainly made the most of my time out, coming back to really try and nut a few of my technical things out as well to give me the best to be able to score consistent runs wherever I play."

The injury-prone Watson has been rested for Australia's first two one-day internationals against the West Indies.

Watson, however, is open to playing at any level to get back into the groove.

"I just want to hopefully be fit enough to play any cricket that's available.

"I'm as confident as I possibly can be (in my body)."


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sri Lanka clinch thriller to win series 2-0

Written By Unknown on Senin, 28 Januari 2013 | 21.24

Sri Lanka prevailed in a rain-hit thriller to clinch the second and final Twenty20 international against Australia and seal the series 2-0 on Monday.

Scorecard

Glenn Maxwell hit two successive boundaries to bring Australia agonisingly close to their target but could not make contact with the last delivery sent down by Thisara Perera as Sri Lanka eked out a narrow victory via the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Put into bat, Mahela Jayawardene (61 not out) featured in fifty-plus partnerships with Jeevan Mendis (25) and Perera (35 not out) to help Sri Lanka overcome a slow start and post 161-4 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia lost both their openers cheaply but captain George Bailey (45) and Shaun Marsh (47 not out) guided them to 60-2 in 10 overs before rain led to the loss of five overs' play.

Australia were required to score 122 runs from 15 overs under the revised target and 18 runs from the last over from Perera, who removed Bailey with the second ball and followed it with a waist-high full toss which was adjudged a no-ball.

Marsh managed a single off the next delivery and watched from the other end as Maxwell hit two straight boundaries to raise hopes of a memorable victory before failing to put bat to the ball at the death.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mumbai clinch 40th Ranji Trophy crown

MUMBAI: A dominant Mumbai lifted their 40th Ranji Trophy title after skipper Ajit Agarkar and Dhawal Kulkarni combined to wreck Saurshtra for an innings and 125-run victory in the five-day final that ended inside three days at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Saurashtra, trailing the home team by 207 runs in the first innings, were shot out for a pathetic 82 in less than three hours and 36.3 overs, 41 minutes after tea.

Mumbai, thus, clinched their 40th national title in 44 appearances in the summit contest and their first after two blank seasons.

Agarkar snapped up four wickets for 15 runs while his younger teammate Kulkarni grabbed 5/32 to complete splendid match figures of nine for 56.

The home team pace duo finished off the lop-sided contest with their fiery first spells to help Mumbai regain the crown after a gap of two seasons by sharing six wickets equally.

The other wicket-taker for Mumbai was Abhishek Nayar (1 for 3).

Mumbai also earned the right to take on the Rest of India in the Irani Cup tie which is to be held at the same venue here from February 6-10. The home team also won Rs 2 crore as the prize money while Saurashtra got Rs 1 crore.

The visiting team's batsmen showed a distinct lack of application and surrendered on a wicket that provided good pace, bounce and prodigious movement to the swing bowlers even on day three.

They capitulated for the second time in the match after having been bowled out for 148 in 75.3 overs in the first innings on day one to which Mumbai replied with 355.

The highest score in a dismal batting display for Saurashtra was 22 off 35 balls by Dharmendra Jadeja.

Saurya Sanandiya (16) was the only other player to reach double figures after staying for more than an hour at the crease like another lower-order batsman Jaydev Unadkat (9 in 69 minutes).

Among the top seven batsmen dismissed, none reached double figures and three of them -- openers Sitanshu Kotak, Sagar Jogiyani and first innings top scorer Arpit Vasavada -- failed to score.

Rahul Dave (5), skipper Jaydev Shah (6), Sheldon Jackson (9) and Kamlesh Makwana (7) were the other top-order batsmen to depart with single digit scores.

Agarkar took three for 15 in a fiery first spell of eight overs and Kulkarni claimed as many for same number of runs in his opening spell of nine overs. Makwana was sent back by Nayar at 34.

Kulkarni came back to grab the wicket of Sanandiya to leave Saurashtra on the brink of defeat at 53 for 8. The innings was prolonged by Unadkat and Jadeja, who put on 29 runs, before Agarkar returned for his second spell to snap the ninth wicket partnership.

Fittingly, Kulkarni came back for his third spell and ended the match by having Jadeja caught behind by Tare who grabbed his fourth victim of the innings to equal the championship season record of 41 by Uday Kaul of Punjab.

The tourists were tottering at 20 for 6 after the initial burst by Agarkar and Kulkarni and then managed to get past Saurashtra's lowest-ever score of 25 all out, also against Mumbai at the nearby Brabourne Stadium 60 years ago.

Mumbai, who made 355 in their first innings building on the solid knock of 132 by opener Wasim Jaffer, thus regained the title after their previous successful title run in the 2009-10 season when they defeated Karnataka at Mysore in the final.

This was the seventh time that Agarkar had figured in a successful title match, this time as captain, after having been part of a triumphant squad as a player on the six occasions he had turned out in a final for Mumbai.

This morning, Saurashtra did well to grab the remaining four Mumbai first innings wickets while conceding 68 runs with Kamlesh Makwana claiming the last two wickets to fall in successive overs.

Overnight batsman Kulkarni was the first Mumbai player to be dismissed without adding a run when he edged Sidharth Trivedi to first slip fielder Sitanshu Kotak after the team score advanced by one run to 288.

Kulkarni had added 51 runs for the seventh wicket with Hiken Shah, who made 55 that came off 141 balls including seven fours.

Shah and Chavan, who hit six fours in his 51-ball knock, took the score beyond 300 with a stand of 41 runs for the eighth wicket.

Makwana took two wickets in his first two overs by dismissing Chavan and no. 10 Shardul Thakur to end the innings 23 minutes before lunch.

But Saurashtra made a poor beginning losing veteran Kotak to the third ball he faced from Agarkar, by feathering a leg-side catch to wicket keeper Aditya Tare who then pouched Jogiyani to leave the visitors at a sorry 5 for 2.

Dave poked at a short, rising ball from Kulkarni to the slip cordon while Vasavada was trapped leg before by Agarkar to make Saurashtra 11 for 4 which became 11 for 5 and 20 for 6 in quick succession when Kulkarni bowled rival captain Shah and Jackson.

The writing was on the wall for Saurashtra who prolonged the losing battle through Sanandiya before Mumbai broke through and then stormed home triumphant.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jayawardena propels Lanka to 161/4

MELBOURNE: Mahela Jayawardena cracked an unbeaten 61 runs to help Sri Lanka post 161 for four wickets in the final Twenty20 international against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday.

Scorecard

The former captain built a careful innings facing 45 balls after Australia snared three early wickets.

But he opened up in the final overs, striking two sixes and five fours.

He was ably assisted by big-hitting Thisara Perera who plundered 35 off just 15 balls.

Jeevan Mendis made 25 off 24 coming in with the tourists in difficulty after losing three wickets for 39 by the seventh over.

Australia kept a tight grip in the opening exchanges and James Faulkner bowled Tillakaratne Dilshan for six in his first over.

Dinesh Chandimal never got going and fell for five caught by Bailey off Ben Laughlin.

Kushal Perera managed to find three boundaries before lofting Glenn Maxwell's spin to a diving George Bailey for 15.

The ball was turning and Mendis was caught on the boundary by Faulkner trying to force the run rate off the bowling of Xavier Doherty.

Sri Lanka were struggling to find the ropes but Thisara Perera had no such problem finding the meat of the bat from the first ball he faced.

With Jayawardena liberated the pair plundered 20 runs off the last over from Laughlin.

Australia require 8.05 runs to level the T20 series 1-1.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

We are a champion side, says Tendulkar

MUMBAI: Calling Mumbai a "champion" side, Sachin Tendulkar on Monday attributed their 40th Ranji Trophy triumph to "team work", and lavished praise on skipper Ajit Agarkar for leading them from the front.

"We won for the 40th time. Mumbai has again showed that it is a champion side. We have a good team, nice blend of youngsters and senior players," Tendulkar said after their innings and 125-run win.

"It is a wonderful moment for Mumbai cricket, not just for the players but also for the administrative side. It's been a team work and I take this opportunity to congratulate every one and hope it continues," said Tendulkar, who has been part of five Ranji triumphs out of six appearances.

The 39-year-old veteran, who has retired from one-day internationals, praised his Mumbai team mates for sticking together when the going was tough.

"There were moments when the going was tough, but that is when the team stuck together and performed brilliantly. I feel very happy, especially for Ajit Agarkar, who had a rough season last year. It was really difficult for him," he said, referring to the wiry pacer's omission from the playing eleven before a match the previous season, which made him return home in a huff.

"But this season he led from the front and led beautifully. He performed when it mattered. The team supported him right through along with the support staff," he added.

The only final when Tendulkar was a member of the team and Mumbai lost was in his maiden season way back in 1990-91, when they lost to Haryana by two runs in a memorable contest.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fake tickets recovered at Dharamsala

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 27 Januari 2013 | 21.24

DHARAMSALA: Himachal police on Sunday ordered an enquiry after fake tickets were recovered from several cricket fans during the India-England ODI currently being played at HPCA stadium.

Scorecard

According to SP (Kangra) Balbir Thakur, "Around 50 tickets of different stands varying from the value of Rs 1,000 to 5,000 were detected at the gates, and were found scanned with fake official signatures and seat numbers."

Police claimed they were alerted following security inputs, but were still unable to catch many such spectators before their entry in the stadium.

Inspector General North, Rakesh Aggarwal said thorough investigation has been ordered in this regard. He did not rule out the hand of officials involved in selling tickets at the stadium outlets.

Police is enquiring from ticketing agency 'kyazoonga' about the matter and help has also been sought from HPCA officials, they said.

The hill town of Dharamsala is hosting its first ODI and several fake entries were apprehended as the stadium has a seating-capacity of only 22,000.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bell's century leads England to victory

DHARAMSALA: India paid the price for some poor shot selection by their top order batsmen as England rode on Ian Bell's unbeaten century to salvage some pride by winning the fifth and final one-dayer by seven wickets and reduce the margin of defeat to 3-2 on Sunday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The visitors first dismissed the hosts for a modest 226 and then relied on Bell's third ODI ton -- 113 not out -- to overhaul the target with 16 balls to spare at the picturesque HPCA stadium which hosted its first international match.

The Indians, who had already clinched the series in Mohali by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead, were done in by some poor shots by their top order batsmen and could never really recover from the early jolts despite Suresh Raina's brilliant effort of 83 under pressure.

Tim Bresnan caused the bulk of the damage with 4/45 while Steve Finn and James Tredwell chipped in with two wickets apiece as the English bowlers exploited the bowler-friendly conditions after winning the toss and putting the home side into bat.

The Indians slumped to a precarious 79 for five as Gautam Gambhir (24), Rohit Sharma (4), Virat Kohli (0), Yuvraj Singh (0) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (15) perished in quick succession with some of them playing atrocious shots.

Raina's brilliant counter-attacking 83 off 98 balls and some useful contributions from Ravindra Jadeja (39) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (31) took India to 226.

In their bid to chase down the target of 227, England openers Alastair Cook and Ian Bell started confidently putting in 53 runs before Ishant Sharma, who bowled an incisive first spell, broke the partnership.

Since his comeback into the Indian ODI team, this is by far Ishant's best performance as he found the length from his very first delivery which came in after pitching and umpire Sudhir Asnani failed to detect the faint edge off Cook's bat.

The England captain was batting on 13 but he could add only nine runs to get to 22 before another delivery cut back sharply to knock the middle-stump back.

Ishant's brilliant first spell figures read 5-3-9-1 and but Shami Ahmed and Bhuvneshwar Kumar leaked a few boundaries. The Bengal speedster showed a lot of heart by inducing the dangerous Kevin Pietersen to go for a pull shot. The batsman top-edged it and Ravindra Jadeja, running from long leg towards square leg, took a well-judged catch.

Bell, by far England's most consistent ODI player in recent times, carried on with minimum fuss, punishing the bowlers for loose balls and also guiding the talented Joe Root as the duo cruised along in their 79-run third wicket stand.

Root was finally dismissed when Jadeja produced a classical left-arm spinner's delivery as he beat the batsman in flight and the ball turned a shade after pitching to clip the off-bail. Root made 31 off 49 balls.

Bell reached the 90s with a reverse sweep off Ravichandran Ashwin, who was trying too many variations without much success. He reached a well deserved century by clipping Ishant to mid-wicket fence.

Bell was joined by another seasoned pro in Eoin Morgan who hit Ashwin for a huge six followed by even bigger sixes off Shami Ahmed's bowling as they closed the match with consummate ease.

Earlier, a swashbuckling knock by Suresh Raina helped India reach a decent a total of 226 in 49.4 overs after they were pegged back at 79 for five at one stage.

Raina, who scored 83 off 98 balls, added 78 runs for the sixth wicket with Jadeja, to help Indian total gain a semblance of respectability.

Jadeja's contribution was 39 off 65 balls with a boundary and two sixes.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar also did his bit by playing a little cameo of 31 runs that helped India cross the 225-run mark which had looked improbable after the first 15 overs.

But, it was Raina whose innings ensured that the likes of Bhuvneshwar and Shami Ahmed have a total to bowl at.

En route his fourth successive half-century in the series, the left-hander from Uttar Pradesh made a strong case for himself being promoted up the order ahead of Yuvraj Singh whose form has been scratchy of late.

Raina, who was dropped twice on individual scores of five and 61, hit eight boundaries and two huge sixes. He incidentally also completed 4000 ODI runs in his 159th match.

Save those couple of blemishes, it was a treat to watch his strokeplay as the ball raced past the lightning quick outfield. The two sixes, one each of Tredwell and Root, was hit straight into the sightscreen. The standout shot certainly was an inside-out shot over extra cover off Root's bowling which brought up his 50.

Tim Bresnan was the pick of bowlers with figures of four for 45 while their premier fast bowler Steven Finn was miserly giving away 28 runs in 10 overs getting a couple of wickets in the process.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

We should've batted sensibly: MS Dhoni

DHARAMSALA: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday said had India batted "more sensibly", the hosts could have won the fifth and final ODI here and wrapped up the series by a bigger margin.

Sent into bat, India were all out for 226 and Dhoni said the home team were 30-35 runs short of the target they would have liked to set before England at the picturesque HPCA Stadium which made its ODI debut on Sunday.

"The ODI series was as tight as the Test series. We should have won this game, maybe we should have batted more sensibly. We were 30-35 runs short," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation.

"But it is a young side and it will learn with time." Although he lauded the bowlers' performance in this series, Dhoni said death bowling still continues to haunt India.

"Thankfully, in three games, we didn't have to bowl those death overs, it remains an area of concern.

"Today bowlers got some help, maybe they were a little short today. The bowlers did well this series because the conditions really helped them too. Ishant was a big positive, he bowled really well throughout the series, if you look spell by spell," he said.

"Fielding is a big positive. (Ravindra) Jadeja's form solves the all-rounder problem to an extent too," he added.

Visiting skipper Alastair Cook said England has many positives to take from this tour despite losing the ODI series 2-3.

England today notched up a comprehensive victory by seven wickets and Cook attributed the win in the fifth and final ODI to team effort.

"It was a good win, it was a good toss to win, but our bowlers bowled really well. (Tim) Bresnan and (Steven) Finn got early breakthroughs today. Our top four got runs and (Ian) Bell played a fantastic knock," Cook said.

"The pitch was doing something all day, so it was important to stick around with wickets in hands, it is important with the new regulations.

"We have good positives to take from this series. It has been a fantastic three months in India," Cook said.

Bell, who was declared man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 113-run knock, credited the English bowlers for setting up the win.

"Our bowlers set up the win but 220 odd was a good target to chase. I really love opening the batting and hopefully I can continue to do this in future," he said.

Man-of-the-series Suresh Raina, who scored a fantastic 83 today, also agreed with his skipper and said that India were a few runs short on Sunday.

"When we came to this series, we had lost to Pakistan in ODIs and England in Tests, so this win has been good. Today we were probably 20-30 runs short, but still we batted well in this series," said Raina, who is the highest scorer in the ODI series with 277 runs at an average of 92.33.

"When you bat 6, 7 you don't get many opportunities, but this series, our top order didn't get runs, so I got time in the middle," he said.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

MSD defends out-of-form Gauti, Ashwin

DHARAMSALA: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday defended out-of-form Gautam Gambhir and Ravichandran Ashwin, but did admit that the former was going through a "lean patch" and the latter was trying to use "too many variations".

"Yeah, he (Gambhir) has been going through a lean patch but he is an experienced player. I believe he has batted a bit better in the last few games. Unlike some of the earlier matches, he didn't look tentative and was a lot more decisive about stroke-making," Dhoni said at the post-match media conference here.

"I believe he is improving and don't forget he is an amazing player of spin bowling. Ideally, we want him to bat till the 35th-40th over," said Dhoni defending the Delhi left-hander, who has now scored only 156 runs in his last eight ODIs.

Similarly when asked about a sudden slump in off-spinner Ashwin's form, Dhoni reasoned, "May be he was using variations a bit too much but he has now realised his mistake. In the last couple of matches, he has been more consistent about length. He has not used too many variations and was trying to bowl to one line.

"But then you also need a perfect mix as variation has been Ashwin's strength. The new ODI rules, with five fielders inside the circle, has also made it slightly difficult." He was all praise for pacer Ishant Sharma, who has been pretty impressive in this series.

"Ishant bowled really well and in right areas. One needs to understand that he is playing ODI after a long time." The skipper is also impressed with the effort of young new ball bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed, but is certainly in no mood not to throw the youngsters into Test cricket right now. "Shorter format will give them (Bhuvneshwar and Shami) more exposure.

"Test cricket is entirely different and if you look at someone like Bhuvneshwar, he can be effective in specific conditions. To play him in Tests, you need to have a look at the conditions. Like if we are playing in England, New Zealand or South Africa where the ball swings and seams, he can be considered but on sub-continental tracks he would need to alter the length which he bowls," Dhoni explained.

"As far as Shami is concerned, he is someone who can bowl quick and can reverse the ball but he also needs to improve."

Ravindra Jadeja finally came good, putting up consistent performance in the series and the skipper feels that it augurs well for Indian cricket.

"Jadeja doing well gives us more options. His performance is important for the team as we have been struggling for bowling all-rounders as we only have Irfan (Pathan )," Dhoni said.

"Jadeja has shown a lot of improvement in batting. But one must understand that coming in at No 7, he won't get us too many runs. But if Jadeja and Irfan are both available, then we have option of trying out different combinations," he added.

Asked about any plans earmarked for 2015 World Cup, Dhoni was non-committal.

"It's a long long way to go and you never know what comes up. If today you are saying that experiment of opening with Rohit has worked, had we lost the series, it would have been termed as one of the reasons for our defeat," he said.

On Sunday's fifth and final ODI which India lost by seven wickets, Dhoni did admit that toss became a crucial factor.

"It was a bad toss to lose. Initially, in places like Dharamsala or Guwahati where you have an early start, the ball does a bit initially. But this is a good exposure for the younger batsman about how to play when the ball is seaming and swinging. The wicket eased out during the second half and it became easier for batting," he said.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Will Pujara get a chance in final ODI?

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 26 Januari 2013 | 21.24

DHARAMSALA: Cheteshwar Pujara turned 25 on Friday and if skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni decides to include him in the playing XI for the final ODI against England on Sunday, it would be the best birthday gift for the talented Saurashtra lad.

While 3-1 scoreline is the perfect opportunity to blood Pujara, what remains to be seen is whether Dhoni is ready to tinker with the winning combination.

"We will have a new batting attack tomorrow," middle order batsman Suresh Raina, who came at the pre-match press conference stated but didn't wish to clarify whether it mean the change in approach or a change in the line-up.

Although one can't be 100 per cent sure but if the batting order during the net session is followed, then Pujara might still have to wait for his turn to make his ODI debut.

It was Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who started the proceedings by entering the three nets adjacent to each other. They were followed by skipper Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Raina.

With in-form all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja almost certain to come at No. 7 followed by Ravichandran Ashwin and three pacers, the only possibility of fitting Pujara in arises if one among either Ashwin or Yuvraj is rested.

While Ashwin's form has been patchy, it will be a risky option to play with one specialist bowler short. In case Ashwin is dropped, his likely replacement can be leggie Amit Mishra, who has not played a single game in the series so far.

That brings Yuvraj to the equation but he hasn't done too badly either with scores of 61, 32, 30 in the first three matches before getting out cheaply in the last game at Mohali.

But the Indian skipper might not be in a mood to drop the most experienced ODI player (281) from the playing XI.

Among the pacers, Shami Ahmed was seen getting a rub-down from the team masseur Ramesh Mane while Ashok Dinda had an extended run at the net session along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

SL beat Oz by 5 wickets in first T20I

SYDNEY (Australia): David Warner's unbeaten 90 went in vain as Sri Lanka beat Australia by five wickets in the first Twenty20 international on Saturday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.

Scorecard

Shot-making was not easy on the drop-in pitch at Sydney's Olympic Stadium but Warner blasted an unbeaten 62-ball 90 in a brilliant display of controlled aggression to power Australia to 137 for three wickets.

Kushal Perera (33) and captain Angelo Mathews (35 not out) shone with the bat for Sri Lanka before Thisara Perera (19 not out) clobbered back-to-back sixes to see the visitors home with seven balls to spare.

Melbourne hosts the second and final match on Monday.

Australia were reeling at 53-3 in nine overs after opting to bat first on a tricky surface before Warner added 84 runs in 11 overs with Adam Voges (25 not out) to give the bowlers a decent total to defend.

The hosts lost opener Aaron Finch (one) in the second over when Kushal Perera took a diving catch at short cover after Nuwan Kulasekara had induced a thick leading edge.

Shaun Marsh (six) was sent back by Tillakaratne Dilshan's direct throw while Australia captain George Bailey (11) did not last long either, leaving the onus on Warner to put up a fighting total.

Warner hit Kulasekara for a boundary to bring up his fifty before hitting Mathews for a four and a six in an eventful over in which Kulasekara dropped him at mid-wicket when the batsman was on 69.

In contrast, Sri Lanka were off to a flying start with openers Kushal Perera and Dilshan (16) adding 46 runs before departing in successive overs.

Dilshan was soon in his elements, bending down to play that audacious scoop shot off Mitchell Starc that sailed over the wicket-keeper's head for a six.

Two overs after playing the "Dilscoop", the right-hander sustained a nasty cut over his right eye but batted on with a bandaged eyebrow until Ben Laughlin ran backwards to take a spectacular diving catch and send him back.

Glen Maxwell removed Kushal Perera and Dinesh Chandimal to trigger a mid-innings collapse but Mathews stayed put while Thisara Perera struck successive sixes off Laughlin to score the winning runs.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mumbai dismiss Saurashtra for 148


MUMBAI: Medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni spearheaded the Mumbai attack superbly to snap up four wickets and help the hosts bundle out Saurashtra for a meagre first innings total of 148 on the first day of the five-day Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

The 24-year-old right-arm pace bowler used the conditions well to pick up 4 for 24 in 21.3 overs bowled in four spells after Saurashtra were asked to bat first on a seam-friendly track by Mumbai captain Ajit Agarkar.

Kulkarni, who grabbed five wickets in the semifinal against Services at Delhi, and rookie left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar had Saurashtra on the ropes at 51 for five before lunch with the medium pacer picking up three of those wickets.

The visitors recovered a bit through a 64-run stand between top-scorer Arpit Vasavada, who made 55 with nine fours, and Kamlesh Makwana (26).

But once these two batsmen fell to Abhishek Nayar in successive overs close to tea break, the Saurashtra innings went into a slump once again before they were dismissed for 142 with Kulkarni dismissing the last man Sidharth Trivedi for his fourth wicket.

Nayar and Dabholkar gave good support to Kulkarni by bagging two wickets apiece, Agarkar secured one while Jaydev Unadkat was run out foolishly.

Apart from Vasavada, who batted for 210 minutes and faced 146 balls, Sitanshu Kotak (14), Makwana and Unadkat (22) reached double figures as the Saurashtra batsmen showed lack of application and skill on a bowler-friendly track.

In reply, 39-time title winners Mumbai scored 19 for no loss in 8 overs. Openers Wasim Jaffer (11 in 30 balls) and Kaustubh Pawar (4 in 20 balls) batted for 39-minutes and were at the crease with the hosts still 129 runs behind.

Earlier in the morning session, Saurashtra batsmen struggled on a pitch that afforded seam movement and soon lost half their side cheaply.

They recovered partially only to lose two wickets in quick succession, close to tea, that left them struggling at 115 for 7 with a tail that failed to wag.

Poor application cost Saurashtra most of the wickets though the Mumbai new ball bowlers were not steady in their line of attack and often bowled wide in the first hour.

The first to go was opener and 'keeper Sagar Jogiyani, who backed away to leg and then poked his bat out to snick to second slip Wasim Jaffer and give medium pacer Kulkarni the first of his four wickets in the bowler's opening over.

One-down Rahul Dave played awkwardly to a ball dug in by Kulkarni and ballooned a catch to Ankit Chavan in the slip cordon as Saurashtra slipped to 12 for 2.

At the other end, veteran Kotak was at his usual watchful self in making a slow 14. But he could not resist a ball bowled wide of his off stump by rookie left arm spinner Dabholkar, and while trying to glide it past lone slip fielder Jaffer, only to put up a tame catch to the fielder.

The visiting team lost two more wickets - Sheldon Jackson (5) and captain Jaydev Shah (0) - just before lunch as Saurashtra slumped to 51 for 5.

Post lunch, the first hour of play was the most fruitful for the visitors as left-handed Vasavada and Makwana took the total to 90 without being separated.

The duo raised the 100 of the innings in the 51st over and the 50 of their sixth wicket stand when Makwana drove Ankit Chavan handsomely to the cover fence.

Vasavada, who played well square off the wicket on the off side, completed his 50 off the 139th ball he faced in 203 minutes before getting out to a poor shot.

Nayar, considered as Mumbai's partnership breaker, lived up to his reputation by breaking the sixth wicket stand when he tempted Vasavada to chase a ball that was angled away and edge it to first slip fielder Hiken Shah.

Vasavada's partnership with Makwana came in 151 balls. He fell 15 minutes to tea and his sixth wicket partner Makwana too departed in the last over before the end of the second session by slashing at a wide ball from Nayar and was caught at gully.

These two wickets in successive overs of Nayar pegged back Saurashtra just when they seemed to be recovering from their morning collapse.

The two batsmen were dismissed by Nayar, Mumbai's leading scorer with the bat in the season, with his slow medium bowling in the space of 9 balls and he had fine figures of 5-1-9-2 in his second spell.

The second-best partnership of the innings i,e the 8th wicket stand between Saurav Sanandiya and Unadkat yielded 26 runs before the former's defence was breached by Agarkar.

A run later Test discard Unadkat (22) was run out going for a sharp single with the bat held high in hand. The throw from Dabholkar, who was at point, directly hit the stumps with Unadkat's raised leg and bat well past the crease to leave Saurashtra at a dismal 142 for 9.

Kulkarni came back for his fourth spell and ended the innings when he snapped up the wicket of last man Trivedi who edged behind the stumps.

In the morning, Mumbai retained the eleven that got past Services in the semi final at Delhi while Saurashtra brought in medium pacer Saurya Sanandiya for off spinner Vishal Joshi in the only change effected in their semi final team that got past Punjab at Rajkot.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Raina wishes to bat higher up the order

DHARAMSALA: Having scored 6 half-centuries in his last 10 one-day innings, Suresh Raina has become Team India's 'go to' man in the shorter format of the game. Raina's batting exploits has been a key factor in India's ascent to the number 1 spot in one-dayers. Even in the Mohali ODI, Raina's cool and calculated knock of 89, helped India chase down a tricky target of 258 set by the Englishmen.

The chase was not easy as the game was in balance, with India losing the wicket of Yuvraj Singh at a crucial juncture, when the southpaw came into bat. Raina showed exemplary calm and helped his team reach home, stitching together two fifty-run partnerships, first with Rohit Sharma and then with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Raina always had the target in mind and has now become one of the best finishers of the game. Alongwith, Dhoni he forms the backbone of India's lower middle-order. Even the risks he took were calculated and the controlled aggression was what the doctor ordered for at that time.

Skipper Dhoni is also impressed by the southpaw's performance and wants him to be more responsible and bat higher up the order. Raina, who has so far scored just three centuries in his ODI career, also espouses his captain's view and a promotion is something which he is waiting for.

"I would like to bat higher up the order, if given a chance. Though I enjoy finishing a game but batting higher up the order will mean more chances for me. In the last one-dayer I got plenty of overs to bat and that's why could score big. Similarly, if I get a chance to bat at 3 or 4 then I can bat for a longer period of time and score more runs for the team," opined Raina.

After Dhoni promoted Rohit Sharma in the previous one-dayer, it's clear that the team management has earmarked players for the 2015 World Cup and Raina is an important cog in Team India's wheel.

"My focus is to take it game by game and it depends on the team management what it thinks and what are their plans regarding the 2015 World Cup. We are definitely on course and rising up to the number one spot in the ICC rankings is something which is a positive in that direction," felt Raina, when asked about the team management's plans for the 2015 World Cup.

Talking about the Dharamsala ODI, Raina said that the toss would play a crucial factor.

"We had a very good practice session but I feel that the toss would be very crucial in this match. The new ball would be important and how the two team's play the new ball would determine the outcome of the match. The pitch here is bouncy infact the bounciest pitch that I have played in India so the role of openers becomes crucial," added Raina.

Finally, the southpaw was all praise for the picturesque Dharamsala stadium, infact going onto say that it's the most beautiful stadium that he has ever played cricket.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Zealand to bat against Proteas

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 25 Januari 2013 | 21.24

POTCHEFSTROOM: New Zealand has won the toss and will bat first as it chases a rare series whitewash over the Proteas in South Africa in the third one-day international on Friday.

Scorecard

Days after winning their first one-day series in South Africa, the Black Caps can end their tough tour on a huge high with another victory for a 3-0 sweep in the ODIs.

New Zealand retained the same team that won in strong fashion in Kimberley on Tuesday to clinch the limited overs series.

South Africa has recalled fast bowler Dale Steyn for Morne Morkel, while Aaron Phangiso comes in for fellow left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, who has an injured hand.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum says the whitewash is "very much what our focus is."


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rohit is mentally very tough, says Nayar

MUMBAI: He himself has been enjoying a purple patch off late, and could soon be the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy this season (presently he has 940 runs@104.44 in 10 games and is placed third on the top Ranji run-getters charts), but it is best pal Rohit Sharma's success that seems to bring more cheer to Abhishek Nayar's face.

The talented Mumbai bat bounced back after being recalled to the XI, slamming 83 and shape India's victory in the fourth ODI at Mohali, that too on being asked to open the innings all of a sudden.

"I am extremely happy for Rohit. He's been working really hard in the nets while he was not playing. He got his chance and did well. It's really unfortunate he got out the way he did and hopefully in the coming game he will get a big hundred," Nayar, while preparing for Mumbai's Ranji Trophy final that begins from Saturday, said. According to him, a dry spell of runs doesn't faze Rohit much. "He is one of the mentally toughest people you will meet," says Nayar. Do the too share notes on batting.

"Never...our conversations revolve being fit and other things in life," Nayar says. Will he be comfortable in his new role as an opener from here? "He has opened before and the kind of batsman that he is, he can bat anywhere in the batting order, which he has done for India. When you talk about a flexible batting order, he is someone who can bat at any number. He's extremely talented and hard working," Nayar says.

At the same time, the left-hander feels sad for the off-colour Rahane, who was dropped in favour of Rohit on Wednesday. "He too will bounce back. He is a terrific batsman...such phases of bad form do come," says Nayar.

This all-rounder too has seen bad phases, which have been more about injuries than form. While a bad wrist hurt him for a long time, a leg injury, and then a fractured thumb all combined to ensure that just as his career picked up pace, an injury derailed it.

"I am happy with the way things have gone this season. Last year I had a good season as well but I got injured in the middle, had a fractured thumb. This year, touchwood, everything has been alright. I can't remember the last time I played the whole season," Nayar says.

Nayar has scored eight fifties, besides three tons, this season. Perhaps, more hundreds would strengthen his case. "Of course I wish I had eight hundreds. Everyone wants to get a hundred but sometimes it does not work out. But I am happy that I have been consistent, that's the key."

Having scored that many wickets apart from taking 16 wickets, does Nayar still harbour ambitions of a recall? "It's totally up to the selectors. I will try and replicate what I am doing here there. Hopefully, I can convert these performances if I get a chance and do well there as well," said the 29-year-old.

Despite enjoying productive Ranji seasons, Nayar's name doesn't even figure in the scheme of things for the Indian team. It must be frustrating. "Of course, playing for India is the ultimate goal but what is there in front of me is the Ranji Trophy (final) and that's what is important. I am sure if things work out well I will get what I deserve. I am a firm believer in destiny. If things are meant to be they will be. It's up to the selectors and up to what they think. I will try to do my best," he says.

Over the years, Nayar has had to mould his game from an attacking to a patient one. "Obviously I had to do it. If I had not done that, I would not have had a place in the team. That happens gradually with experience as you get to know what your game is. I still have to urge to go after the bowlers at times but I try and control it. I think it's about playing according to the situation," he says.

Summing up a season where Mumbai have made it to the yet another final despite recording just one outright win, Nayar said: "It has been an interesting season. It has kept us on our toes. It would be fairy-tale if we ended up winning. It's a season in which we have worked very hard as a unit. The team has been together through tough times and we have enjoyed it. We have had only one outright win but have been very consistent as a team."


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

MS Dhoni likely to play in final ODI

DHARAMSALA: The Indian team management has not yet sought a cover for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who sustained a thumb injury before the fourth ODI against England at Mohali, increasing the possibility of his playing in the final match on Sunday.

In fact, the Indian skipper was seen actively participating in a soccer session at the picturesque stadium here dispelling doubts about his participation in the final one-dayer.

While the English team took a break from their training session, a relaxed Indian side enjoyed their soccer session in the afternoon.

Dhoni has sustained injuries in the past during the training sessions but has shown enough grit to come out and lead the side admirably.

There were doubts about the Indian captain's participation in the third one-dayer against Pakistan in New Delhi earlier this month and Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a cover. However, the skipper not only led the side but was also awarded man-of-the-match for his captaincy.

It was after a long time that the Indian players looked a happy bunch while playing their customary football match unlike some of the other times when it looked as if they are going through a routine drill.

Someone like Rohit Sharma, who tends to get lost easily when he goes through those prolonged bad patches, was seen enjoying the most and rightly so after his fine performance at the top of the order in Mohali.

Virat Kohli was hit by the football and he was out of action for a brief period before the match resumed again.

On the cricketing front, the pitch is expected to help the batsmen and with the sun beating down, it can become conducive for strokeplay.

However, the open nature of the ground and the cool morning breeze will also keep the seamers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar interested on a strip that curator Sunil Chauhan termed as "sporting wicket."


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Time running out for woeful Gambhir

DHARAMSALA: More than the talent, Gautam Gambhir's success story has always been about a street smart cricketer but it seems that time is running out for the Delhi opener, who has been struggling to find form in all three versions of the game.

Just like the national selection committee showed the door to Virender Sehwag in the 50-over version, the final one dayer against England here could be the last chance for the left-hander to get back to form.

With only 132 runs from his last seven ODIs, apart from three years without a century in Tests and a string of low scores in T20s, Gambhir is now surely leaving on borrowed time.

With one half-century and an average of less than 20, which includes the last series against Pakistan, and the current one against England, Gambhir would like to spend some time out there in the middle to get out of his woeful run.

"The only problem at this point of time is not being able to convert the starts into big knocks. If you look at the manner he is batting, I don't find any technical glitch in his batting," said his childhood coach Sanjay Bhardwaj.

But what about the innumerable number of times that he has been dragging the ball onto the stumps, Bhardwaj said it was more due to the firm bottom hand grip.

"I have had a discussion with Gautam on this issue and whatever little I have watched after that, he has tried to sort that out. He is an attacking player and the dab towards third-man has been bread and butter shot for him and I can't tell him to change his natural game."

It's still not clear whether Gambhir will be picked for the Test series against Australia as the selectors may not be in a mood to pick two out of form seniors and Virender Sehwag's track record in longer version is better than that of Gambhir.

"He might still get a chance to play for Rest of India in the Irani Trophy from February 6-10 and then get some match practice if he decides to play in the zonal leg of the Vijay Hazare Trophy like Sehwag," an important support staff member of the Delhi team said.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pay to watch Sachin in Ranji Trophy final

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 24 Januari 2013 | 21.24

MUMBAI: In a move that may keep some enthusiastic fans away from the Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Saurashtra (beginning at the Wankhede Stadium from Saturday) which will feature cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to charge for entry to the ground.

A release from MCA, on Wednesday, informed that tickets for a seat in the North Stand/Vijay Merchant Pavilion would cost Rs 50 a day, while a ticket for the Garware Pavilion will be Rs 150. In a day and age when crowds are getting thinner by the day for Tests and even one-day internationals, thanks to the arrival of T20 cricket and the Indian Premier League, getting crowds for a Ranji match -- usually played out in front empty stadiums -- is a dream prospect. In this case, fans who would love to watch Tendulkar in action, may get put off for having to pay to do so.

The MCA officials, however, spell out their own reasons for the move. "The ticket prices are nominal. We have done this for logistical reasons, since we are expecting a crowd, thanks to Sachin. In any case, school children and college students will be allowed in for free after showing their ID-cards," MCA joint secretary PV Shetty told TOI. "We have done this to prevent nuisance which is created by unwanted elements, as we witnessed in the last match played at the Wankhede," added MCA vice-president Vinod Deshpande.

Former India and Mumbai batsman Lalchand Rajput, however, felt that "entry should be made free for all Ranji matches."

On his part, Ratnakar Shetty, head of operations of the BCCI, said, "I don't want to comment on it... it's the association's prerogative."


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

India lucky to have MS Dhoni: Boycott

LONDON: The Indian cricket team is "very average" at the moment and is "lucky" to have a captain like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is coping the blame for "lack of quality in the side", feels former England skipper Geoffrey Boycott.

"...Do you judge captains on their win and loss ratio, or do you take into account or consideration the quality, or lack of quality, in his team? If you're thinking about India, there's a lack of quality at the moment, lack of quality seam bowling, lack of quality spin bowling, and in some cases your best players are beginning to retire after getting past their sell-by date. Aren't they?" Boycott told a sports website.

"(Rahul) Dravid and (VVS) Laxman are gone, (Sachin) Tendulkar hasn't got any runs recently, so is it his (Dhoni's) fault?" he asked.

"I don't think so. I don't judge people on the loss and win ratio of the team. You have to look at the team. You are damn lucky you've got MS Dhoni," he asserted.

Dhoni has been under severe scrutiny after the recent home Test debacle against England even though he has been in decent form personally.

Boycott said Dhoni has his limitations as a Test skipper but the Indians don't have a quality replacement at the moment.

"I think he is a brilliant one-day captain. Like a lot of people, I think he has good leadership skills of the players but, tactically, in Test matches, there's quite a bit to be desired. But you haven't got anybody else you can call upon," he explained.

"A nice set of lads, but in terms of other quality sides around the world, you are very average and you are not going to win with average teams. And the captains always get blamed. Captains tend to get plaudits when the team wins, which I think is unfair," Boycott said.

The former batsman said Dhoni cannot be held responsible for the slide because India is a team in transition right now.

"...the captain always gets the blame when you lose. It's like in the war, losing generals always got the sack. It's like that with Dhoni; because India have hit a sticky situation, with some of the best players retiring or getting to the end of their careers...Zaheer Khan's gone, Harbhajan's gone, Dravid and Laxman have gone, Sachin is towards the end of his career," he pointed out.

"It's very difficult to replace players like that with young kids and do well, and Dhoni's getting the flak for it, he's getting the blame. I don't think it's Dhoni's fault. So you've to be careful about blaming people for the lack of quality in the side," he said.

Talking about other Indian players, Boycott said star opener Virender Sehwag, who has been dropped from the ongoing ODI series against England, was lucky to hold on to his place for so long. The Englishman felt Gambhir was also fortunate to be continuing despite deteriorating technically.

"Sehwag is lucky to be in the team, really. He's an explosive, fascinating, unpredictable, brilliant batsman, absolutely keeps you on the edge of your seats. But, I'm afraid, father time comes to everybody, and he's getting towards the end."

"And Gambhir, he seems to have played so much one-day cricket that his technique has suffered, he's getting himself out, I don't think he's the force as a player as he once was," Boycott said.

"As a batsman, he is still a good player, but his technique has suffered, I've watched his footwork and everything. He's making mistakes himself so it's not going to help putting himself forward as a captain, as a Test player who can be certain of his place in the side," he added.

On the promising Virat Kohli being seen as India's next captain, Boycott said the youngster still has quite a distance to cover before emerging as leadership material.

"...he's too much of a firebrand and all. You want his passion, you want his emotion, you definitely want that from your players but, I'm sorry, you want a cool head at times. That's what Dhoni has and Kohli hasn't got a cool head," he said.

"He's got aggression, passion, emotion, they are all plusses. On the negative side, he loses his cool, you can't have the captain losing his cool. He is the one person.

"He might be on fire in the heart, but the head has to stay cool, because he's got to think of the team, not himself, eleven players, not himself. Kohli has got a bit to learn yet," he added.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

India retain third spot in T20 rankings

DUBAI: At fifth, Virat Kohli is the highest placed Indian in the ICC rankings for Twenty20 batsmen, while India have managed to retain their third position in the team rankings issued on Thursday.

Team Rankings | Batting Rankings | Bowling Rankings | All-Rounder Rankings

With 730 points in his kitty, Kohli has equalled his highest rating points.

Apart from Kohli, the other Indian batsman to feature in the top-10 list for Twenty20 batsmen is Suresh Raina, who is placed ninth with 718 points.

Other Indians in the top-20 list includes Yuvraj Singh (13) and opener Gautam Gambhir at the 17 position.

Australia's Shane Watson leads the T20 batting chart with 798 points, followed by destructive West Indian opener Chris Gayle (792), Kiwi Brendon McCullum (787) and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene (759).

Among T20 teams, India, despite losing one rating point, have maintained their third position with 119 points while leaders Sri Lanka stand firm at the top with 127 points, followed by reigning T20 World champions West Indies at 122 points.

Meanwhile, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, ranked 16, is the only Indian to have found out a place in the top-20 bowlers list.

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal leads the bowlers' table with 756 points followed by Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka (746) and England's Graeme Swann (720).


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woakes replaces Bresnan in Test squad

LONDON: Fast bowler Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of England's upcoming Test series in New Zealand because of a right elbow injury, with the uncapped Chris Woakes coming in as a replacement.

It is the only change to the 15-man Test squad from the recent series in India, where England won 2-1.

Woakes is also one of three players, along with Joe Root and James Harris, brought into a revised one-day international squad. Wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter has been rested.

England will play three Twenty20 matches and three ODIs against New Zealand before the first of three Tests starts on March 6 in Dunedin.

England won the last Test series in New Zealand 2-1, in 2008.

Test squad:

Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior (wkt), Joe Root, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

Twenty20 squad:

Stuart Broad (capt), Jonathan Bairstow, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler (wkt), Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, James Tredwell, Woakes, Luke Wright

ODI squad:

Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, James Harris, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell (Kent), Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

Fixtures:

Twenty20 series:

Feb 09: 1st Twenty20, Eden Park, Auckland

Feb 12: 2nd Twenty20, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Feb 15: 3rd Twenty20, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington

ODI series:

Feb 17: 1st ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Feb 20: 2nd ODI, McLean Park, Napier

Feb 23: 3rd ODI, Eden Park, Auckland

Test series:

Mar 06-10: 1st Test, University Oval, Dunedin

Mar 14-18: 2nd Test, Basin Reserve, Wellington

Mar 22-26: 3rd Test, Eden Park, Auckland


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rohit Sharma falls after a fiery knock

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 23 Januari 2013 | 21.24

NEW DELHI: Jade Dernbach gave England some breathing space when he picked up the wicket of MS Dhoni in the fourth ODI at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The Indian skipper was caught at backward point by Eoin Morgan for 19 runs and put up a 55-run partnership with Suresh Raina for the fifth wicket.

Earlier, Raina hit his third half-century in a row to lead India's chase of 258 runs and reached the 50-run mark in just 46 balls with 6 boundaries to his credit.

Before that, English pacer Steven Finn gave England a big breakthrough when he scalped the crucial wicket of Rohit Sharma, whose impressive 83-run innings was studded with 11 boundaries and a single six before he was caught leg before in his attempt to defend the ball.

Chasing a target of 258 runs, earlier Rohit and Raina put up a quick-fire 68-run stand by smashing the ball to all parts of the ground.

After losing the wickets of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh, Rohit held his nerve and scored his 13th ODI half-century 73 balls with the help of 6 boundaries.

Yuvraj (3) was caught plumb before the wicket by Tredwell while attempting to hit a sweep shot. Tredwell earlier continued his good form in India as he dismissed Virat Kohli to dent India's chase of 258 runs.

Earlier, India lost opener Gambhir early when pacer Tim Bresnan got the better of him in the fifth over.

However, Rohit and Kohli steadied the Indian chase when they put up a patient 52-run partnership for the second wicket. But, Kohli's innings was short-lived when he failed to read Tredwell's delivery and was dismissed for 26 runs.

Earlier, the unheralded Joe Root (57 not out) and Kevin Pietersen (76) provided the late sparks with some lusty hits as England recovered from a mid-innings slump to post a decent 257 for seven in their must-win penultimate cricket one-dayer against India on Wednesday.

Put into bat, England lost three wickets in quick succession in the middle of the innings after a reasonably good start but young Root unleashed a stunning counter-attack to steer the total past the 250-run mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered eight boundaries and a six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England recovery, while captain Alastair Cook laid the foundation with a solid 76.

The visitors scored as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs as the Indians, who had the game under control for most part of it, suddenly appeared to lose the plot with Root and Pietersen going on the offensive.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/39 while Ishant Sharma 2/47 and R Ashwin 2/63 were the other wicket-takers on a Mohali track, which appeared to be good for batting.

England started their innings on a cautious note as the two Indian new ball bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed got the ball to move around in the initial overs.

Both Kumar and Shami, who proved to be a little expensive in the first spell, troubled the batsmen as openers Cook and Ian Bell played and missed on a few occasions. But they were lucky not to edge the ball.

With Shami giving away 18 runs in his first three overs, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought in Ishant Sharma from the pavilion end and the lanky seamer bowled a probing line and troubled the batsmen.

The opening pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket before Ishant provided the breakthrough by evicting Bell, who perished to a rash stroke.

Bell decided to step out against Ishant but could not get to the pitch of the ball and Kumar pulled off a brilliant diving catch at the third man region.

Pietersen, who joined the action after Bell's dismissal, started off watchfully and took some time to get off the mark.

The experienced duo of Cook and Pietersen kept the scoreboard moving with gentle nudges and pushes and did not take too many risks as they steered England past the 100-mark.

As the innings wore on, the Mohali track became easier to bat on and Cook and Pietersen gradually accelerated the pace of scoring.

The duo stitched 95 runs for the second wicket before off spinner R Ashwin came to the rescue of the team by dismissing Cook in what appeared to be a dubious decision by umpire Sudhir Asnani.

Cook was wrapped on the pad while trying to play forward but the ball appeared to have pitched outside the leg stump line. Cook slammed 13 boundaries during his knock, which came off 106 balls.

The departure of Cook triggered off a collapse of sorts as Eoin Morgan (3) and Samit Patel (1) perished in quick succession with England slipping from a comfortable 132 for one to 142 for four.

The visitors could have suffered another jolt on the same score but Virat Kohli dropped a catch at first slip off Joe Roots when he had not even opened his account with Ishant being the unlucky bowler.

Morgan was out when Yuvraj Singh took a well-judged catch as he attempted to chip the ball over mid-on with Ashwin being the bowler.

Left arm spinner Jadeja, who was India's bowling hero in the last two matches, then got into the act by accounting for Samit Patel who offered a simple return catch.

Pietersen and Root ensured that there was no further setback as both played with a more positive frame of mind and counter-attacked the Indian bowlers.

Root was the more aggressive of the two initially as he smashed a few boundaries before Pietersen also joined him with a flurry of strokes. They completed their 50-run stand in just 46 balls.

Pietersen completed his 24th ODI half-century by sending a Suresh Raina delivery to the third man boundary and opened up to play some glorious shots on both sides of the wicket. He was particularly severe on Ashwin whose last over yielded as many as 17 runs.

He then singled out Ishant for special treatment clobbering him for two boundaries and a mighty six before the pacer brought an end to his aggression by castling him with a yorker.

Root got another reprieve on 42 when Suresh Raina dropped an easy catch with Jadeja being the unlucky bowler.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Delhi to play 2 home matches in Raipur'

MUMBAI: Delhi Daredevils will play two of their home matches in IPL 6, to be held in April-May, at Raipur while Rajkot and Ahmedabad have been shortlisted as alternative venues for Jaipur to host the home matches of Rajasthan Royals.

"Delhi Daredevils had requested for Raipur, so we have given two matches to Raipur. Chhattisgarh Cricket Association was also very keen to host IPL matches, so we have given to them," said IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla after a meeting of the T20 League's Governing Council on Wednesday.

With the ongoing differences between Rajasthan Cricket Association and the state's sports council threatening to derail IPL 6 matches being held at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, the BCCI is looking to host them at alternative venues in Ahmedabad and Rajkot.

"Similarly, we are trying to find a solution about Jaipur, because there are certain problems, certain issues, between the state association and government departments. So we are working on alternative venues also. The catchment area is Gujarat, so we are looking at Rajkot and Ahmedabad as alternative venues," he said.

"Meanwhile, we will be talking to Rajasthan Cricket Association, whether they can host IPL matches there or not and how many matches can they host. We will be finding out all these things and then take a decision in 3-4 days on Jaipur," Shukla added.

The IPL chairman also said that the differences existing between Sahara Group and the Maharashtra Cricket Association over dues to be paid to the latter by the former over the construction of the new cricket stadium at Balewadi in Pune were yet to be brought to the Board's notice.

"Right now, it is strictly among themselves. Nothing has been brought on the platter of BCCI. So we didn't discuss that matter. Unless state association complains to us or franchisee comes to BCCI, we can't unnecessarily poke our nose into it," Shukla said.

Sahara had moved the Bombay High Court against Maharashtra Cricket Association for "wrongful termination of agreements" regarding various rights in respect of Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune and it had got an interim relief against MCA's move to cover the name of the stadium.

Sahara claimed it had fulfilled its part of obligations on the agreements signed with MCA regarding the construction, naming and building of a club adjacent to the stadium.

MCA terminated the agreement on the ground of default in payments and covered the name of the stadium with black cloth which led to the company filing a petition in the High Court.

Later, Sahara sources said that the group decided not to use the name Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium for the said arena anymore and shall be proposing a new alternative name, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the naming rights agreement executed between the parties.

Asked about reports saying Sahara Group, which owns Pune Warriors team in the IPL, had not yet paid the full amount of the franchise fee instalment due to the BCCI, Shukla insisted the matter would be sorted out.

"That is being sorted out. That is not a problem," he said.

Shukla was non-committal about Pakistan players' participation in IPL 6.

"We haven't discussed with franchisees as yet. No discussion has taken place," he said.

"We want to develop different venues, because number of state associations want IPL to be hosted in their respective states. Because there are fans all over and they want IPL to be played, since it is a very popular tournament," Shukla explained about DD hosting some IPL games at Raipur.

"Some franchises also requested that they wanted to host a few matches in other venues," he added.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Raina leads Indian chase with quick 50

NEW DELHI: Jade Dernbach gave England some breathing space when he picked up the wicket of MS Dhoni in the fourth ODI at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The Indian skipper was caught at backward point by Eoin Morgan for 19 runs and put up a 55-run partnership with Suresh Raina for the fifth wicket.

Earlier, Raina hit his third half-century in a row to lead India's chase of 258 runs and reached the 50-run mark in just 46 balls with 6 boundaries to his credit.

Before that, English pacer Steven Finn gave England a big breakthrough when he scalped the crucial wicket of Rohit Sharma, whose impressive 83-run innings was studded with 11 boundaries and a single six before he was caught leg before in his attempt to defend the ball.

Chasing a target of 258 runs, earlier Rohit and Raina put up a quick-fire 68-run stand by smashing the ball to all parts of the ground.

After losing the wickets of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh, Rohit held his nerve and scored his 13th ODI half-century 73 balls with the help of 6 boundaries.

Yuvraj (3) was caught plumb before the wicket by Tredwell while attempting to hit a sweep shot. Tredwell earlier continued his good form in India as he dismissed Virat Kohli to dent India's chase of 258 runs.

Earlier, India lost opener Gambhir early when pacer Tim Bresnan got the better of him in the fifth over.

However, Rohit and Kohli steadied the Indian chase when they put up a patient 52-run partnership for the second wicket. But, Kohli's innings was short-lived when he failed to read Tredwell's delivery and was dismissed for 26 runs.

Earlier, the unheralded Joe Root (57 not out) and Kevin Pietersen (76) provided the late sparks with some lusty hits as England recovered from a mid-innings slump to post a decent 257 for seven in their must-win penultimate cricket one-dayer against India on Wednesday.

Put into bat, England lost three wickets in quick succession in the middle of the innings after a reasonably good start but young Root unleashed a stunning counter-attack to steer the total past the 250-run mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered eight boundaries and a six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England recovery, while captain Alastair Cook laid the foundation with a solid 76.

The visitors scored as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs as the Indians, who had the game under control for most part of it, suddenly appeared to lose the plot with Root and Pietersen going on the offensive.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/39 while Ishant Sharma 2/47 and R Ashwin 2/63 were the other wicket-takers on a Mohali track, which appeared to be good for batting.

England started their innings on a cautious note as the two Indian new ball bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed got the ball to move around in the initial overs.

Both Kumar and Shami, who proved to be a little expensive in the first spell, troubled the batsmen as openers Cook and Ian Bell played and missed on a few occasions. But they were lucky not to edge the ball.

With Shami giving away 18 runs in his first three overs, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought in Ishant Sharma from the pavilion end and the lanky seamer bowled a probing line and troubled the batsmen.

The opening pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket before Ishant provided the breakthrough by evicting Bell, who perished to a rash stroke.

Bell decided to step out against Ishant but could not get to the pitch of the ball and Kumar pulled off a brilliant diving catch at the third man region.

Pietersen, who joined the action after Bell's dismissal, started off watchfully and took some time to get off the mark.

The experienced duo of Cook and Pietersen kept the scoreboard moving with gentle nudges and pushes and did not take too many risks as they steered England past the 100-mark.

As the innings wore on, the Mohali track became easier to bat on and Cook and Pietersen gradually accelerated the pace of scoring.

The duo stitched 95 runs for the second wicket before off spinner R Ashwin came to the rescue of the team by dismissing Cook in what appeared to be a dubious decision by umpire Sudhir Asnani.

Cook was wrapped on the pad while trying to play forward but the ball appeared to have pitched outside the leg stump line. Cook slammed 13 boundaries during his knock, which came off 106 balls.

The departure of Cook triggered off a collapse of sorts as Eoin Morgan (3) and Samit Patel (1) perished in quick succession with England slipping from a comfortable 132 for one to 142 for four.

The visitors could have suffered another jolt on the same score but Virat Kohli dropped a catch at first slip off Joe Roots when he had not even opened his account with Ishant being the unlucky bowler.

Morgan was out when Yuvraj Singh took a well-judged catch as he attempted to chip the ball over mid-on with Ashwin being the bowler.

Left arm spinner Jadeja, who was India's bowling hero in the last two matches, then got into the act by accounting for Samit Patel who offered a simple return catch.

Pietersen and Root ensured that there was no further setback as both played with a more positive frame of mind and counter-attacked the Indian bowlers.

Root was the more aggressive of the two initially as he smashed a few boundaries before Pietersen also joined him with a flurry of strokes. They completed their 50-run stand in just 46 balls.

Pietersen completed his 24th ODI half-century by sending a Suresh Raina delivery to the third man boundary and opened up to play some glorious shots on both sides of the wicket. He was particularly severe on Ashwin whose last over yielded as many as 17 runs.

He then singled out Ishant for special treatment clobbering him for two boundaries and a mighty six before the pacer brought an end to his aggression by castling him with a yorker.

Root got another reprieve on 42 when Suresh Raina dropped an easy catch with Jadeja being the unlucky bowler.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dernbach gets Dhoni, Raina stands firm

NEW DELHI: Jade Dernbach gave England some breathing space when he picked up the wicket of MS Dhoni in the fourth ODI at the PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The Indian skipper was caught at backward point by Eoin Morgan for 19 runs and put up a 55-run partnership with Suresh Raina for the fifth wicket.

Earlier, Raina hit his third half-century in a row to lead India's chase of 258 runs and reached the 50-run mark in just 46 balls with 6 boundaries to his credit.

Before that, English pacer Steven Finn gave England a big breakthrough when he scalped the crucial wicket of Rohit Sharma, whose impressive 83-run innings was studded with 11 boundaries and a single six before he was caught leg before in his attempt to defend the ball.

Chasing a target of 258 runs, earlier Rohit and Raina put up a quick-fire 68-run stand by smashing the ball to all parts of the ground.

After losing the wickets of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh, Rohit held his nerve and scored his 13th ODI half-century 73 balls with the help of 6 boundaries.

Yuvraj (3) was caught plumb before the wicket by Tredwell while attempting to hit a sweep shot. Tredwell earlier continued his good form in India as he dismissed Virat Kohli to dent India's chase of 258 runs.

Earlier, India lost opener Gambhir early when pacer Tim Bresnan got the better of him in the fifth over.

However, Rohit and Kohli steadied the Indian chase when they put up a patient 52-run partnership for the second wicket. But, Kohli's innings was short-lived when he failed to read Tredwell's delivery and was dismissed for 26 runs.

Earlier, the unheralded Joe Root (57 not out) and Kevin Pietersen (76) provided the late sparks with some lusty hits as England recovered from a mid-innings slump to post a decent 257 for seven in their must-win penultimate cricket one-dayer against India on Wednesday.

Put into bat, England lost three wickets in quick succession in the middle of the innings after a reasonably good start but young Root unleashed a stunning counter-attack to steer the total past the 250-run mark, which looked doubtful at one stage.

Root, who clobbered eight boundaries and a six during his 45-ball blitzkrieg, and Pietersen were largely responsible for England recovery, while captain Alastair Cook laid the foundation with a solid 76.

The visitors scored as many as 100 runs in the last ten overs as the Indians, who had the game under control for most part of it, suddenly appeared to lose the plot with Root and Pietersen going on the offensive.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/39 while Ishant Sharma 2/47 and R Ashwin 2/63 were the other wicket-takers on a Mohali track, which appeared to be good for batting.

England started their innings on a cautious note as the two Indian new ball bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed got the ball to move around in the initial overs.

Both Kumar and Shami, who proved to be a little expensive in the first spell, troubled the batsmen as openers Cook and Ian Bell played and missed on a few occasions. But they were lucky not to edge the ball.

With Shami giving away 18 runs in his first three overs, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought in Ishant Sharma from the pavilion end and the lanky seamer bowled a probing line and troubled the batsmen.

The opening pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket before Ishant provided the breakthrough by evicting Bell, who perished to a rash stroke.

Bell decided to step out against Ishant but could not get to the pitch of the ball and Kumar pulled off a brilliant diving catch at the third man region.

Pietersen, who joined the action after Bell's dismissal, started off watchfully and took some time to get off the mark.

The experienced duo of Cook and Pietersen kept the scoreboard moving with gentle nudges and pushes and did not take too many risks as they steered England past the 100-mark.

As the innings wore on, the Mohali track became easier to bat on and Cook and Pietersen gradually accelerated the pace of scoring.

The duo stitched 95 runs for the second wicket before off spinner R Ashwin came to the rescue of the team by dismissing Cook in what appeared to be a dubious decision by umpire Sudhir Asnani.

Cook was wrapped on the pad while trying to play forward but the ball appeared to have pitched outside the leg stump line. Cook slammed 13 boundaries during his knock, which came off 106 balls.

The departure of Cook triggered off a collapse of sorts as Eoin Morgan (3) and Samit Patel (1) perished in quick succession with England slipping from a comfortable 132 for one to 142 for four.

The visitors could have suffered another jolt on the same score but Virat Kohli dropped a catch at first slip off Joe Roots when he had not even opened his account with Ishant being the unlucky bowler.

Morgan was out when Yuvraj Singh took a well-judged catch as he attempted to chip the ball over mid-on with Ashwin being the bowler.

Left arm spinner Jadeja, who was India's bowling hero in the last two matches, then got into the act by accounting for Samit Patel who offered a simple return catch.

Pietersen and Root ensured that there was no further setback as both played with a more positive frame of mind and counter-attacked the Indian bowlers.

Root was the more aggressive of the two initially as he smashed a few boundaries before Pietersen also joined him with a flurry of strokes. They completed their 50-run stand in just 46 balls.

Pietersen completed his 24th ODI half-century by sending a Suresh Raina delivery to the third man boundary and opened up to play some glorious shots on both sides of the wicket. He was particularly severe on Ashwin whose last over yielded as many as 17 runs.

He then singled out Ishant for special treatment clobbering him for two boundaries and a mighty six before the pacer brought an end to his aggression by castling him with a yorker.

Root got another reprieve on 42 when Suresh Raina dropped an easy catch with Jadeja being the unlucky bowler.


21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More
techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger