2nd ODI: Aus v. Pak: Symonds leads Australian Victory to equal series1-1!

Andrew Symonds back in the squad for this Australian tour to UAE to play against Pakistan, picked two wickets and scored useful 58 in which he built 90 run parternship with skipper Clarke.

Pakistan batting first after winning the toss, played average cricket under the Friday crowd. Salman Butt scored 57 and Shahid Afridi scored 41. Hauritz picked 3 wickets for Australia.

Chasing 208, Hadding got out for 8 but Hopes and Watson added 76 for the 2nd wicket. Skipper Clarke played his role with an unbeaten 39.

Match # 2
Date: Friday April 24, 2009
Teams: Australia v. Pakistan
Captains: Michael Clarke and Younis Khan
Toss: Pakistan, elected to bat
Venue: Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium
Result: Australia won by 6 wickets with 29 balls remaining
Series Result: 5 match series level at 1-1
Man of the Match: A Symonds off Australia

Pakistan Innings:

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
S Butt	c Symonds b Hauritz	57	112	6	0
A Shehzad	Run Out (Laughlin/Haddin)	4	7	1	0
Younis Khan	c Haddin b Laughlin	28	34	5	0
S Malik	c Haddin b Hauritz	7	12	1	0
Misbah	c Hussey b Hauritz	12	22	1	0
S Afridi	c Haddin b Hopes	41	40	5	1
Kamran Akmal	c Hussey b Hopes	19	22	2	0
Umar Gul	c Hauritz b Symonds	10	13	1	0
S Akhtar	c M Clarke b Symonds	25	14	4	1
Iftikhar Anjum	Not Out	1	1	0	0
Saeed Ajmal	Run Out (M Clarke/Bracken)	0	2	0	0
Extras	(lb 2, nb 1)	3	-	-	-
Total	all out in 46.2 overs	207	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-5 (Ahmed Shehzad, 2.5 ov), 2-58 (Younis Khan, 16.1 ov), 3-71 (Shoaib Malik, 19.5 ov), 4-103 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 27.3 ov), 5-122 (Salman Butt, 33.3 ov), 6-161 (Kamran Akmal, 40.1 ov), 7-176 (Shahid Afridi, 42.3 ov), 8-206 (Umar Gul, 45.4 ov), 9-206 (Shoaib Akhtar, 45.5 ov), 10-207 (Saeed Ajmal, 46.2 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Bracken	8.2	1	24	0
Bollingers	10	1	26	0
Hopes	7	0	45	2
Hauritz	10	1	41	3
Laughlin	9	0	57	1
Symonds	2	0	12	2

Australia Innings:

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Haddin	c Ryder b Kallis	8	13	1	0
Hopes	Run Out	48	64	3	1
Watson	c Pankaj b Kumble	30	52	2	0
M Clarke	Not Out	39	72	3	0
A Symonds	Not Out	58	62	4	1
Ferguson	Not Out	10	11	1	0
Extras	(lb 4, w 8, nb 3)	15	-	-	-
Total	for 4 wkts in 45.1 overs	208	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-16 (Haddin, 3.5 ov), 2-93 (Watson, 20.6 ov), 3-93 (Hopes, 21.2 ov), 4-183 (Symonds, 39.6 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
S Akhtar	7	1	32	0
Umar Gul	10	0	51	1
I Anjum	9	0	32	0
S Afridi	10	0	38	2
S Ajmal	7	0	37	1
S Malik	2.1	0	14	0

Sachin Celebrated 36th Birthday in SA!

Sachin celebrated his 36th birthday on April 24, 2009 in South Africa. He is staying in SA playing the second edition of the IPL.

He celebrated the birthday along with other cricketers in Mumbai Indians and other Indian crickerters.

Asked about his dream, he said jokingly, "You only dream when you are asleep." But then he added, "I want to win the World Cup for India."

The captain of the Mumbai Indians got a surprise from his team when he found that they had organized a surprise birthday party.

Speaking to reporters, the always humble Sachin said, "It is the good wishes and blessings that count a lot. My family is joining me tomorrow, so am really looking forward to it."

He further added, "I feel like 16. I think it's the good wishes and blessings that count. It's not about breaking records. It's about winning matches. It's a terrific feeling to win and that's what matters."

Australia Tour of Pakistan - Analysis and Scoreboard!

Click on the below links to read interesting anslysis, articles, and scoreboards of the Austrlian tour to Pakistan, played in neutral venue.

Schedule

Marsh Injured, North Gets a Chance!

1st ODI Result!

2nd ODI Result!

1st ODI: Aus v. Pak: Afridi demolishes Australia! Bowls Career Best 6 for 38!

In the first ODI, the inexperienced Austrlian side was completed defeated by the spin and turn of Afridi. He picked his career best figures of 6 for 38 in his 10 overs beating his previous record of 5 for 11 against Kenya.

He mixed his deliveries with leg spin and googlies which the Australians did not read at all.

Match # 1
Date: Wednesday April 22, 2009
Teams: Australia v. Pakistan
Captains: Michael Clarke and Younis Khan
Toss: Australia, elected to bat
Venue: Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium
Result: Pakistan won by 4 wickets with 35 balls remaining
Series Result: Pakistan leading 5 match series 1-0
Man of the Match: Shaid Afridi off Pakistan

Australia Innings:

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Marsh	Run Out (Butt/N Jamshed)	16	27	1	0
Haddin	c Younis b Afridi	40	52	3	1
Watson	b Afridi	40	47	2	1
M Clarke	c K Akmal b S Ajmal	4	4	0	0
Symonds	c K Akmal b Afridi	2	5	0	0
Ferguson	c Misbah b Afridi	2	13	0	0
Hopes	Not Out	48	46	5	1
Hauritz	b S Ajmal	1	3	0	0
Bracken	b Afridi	1	9	0	0
S Clark	b Afridi	2	10	0	0
Hilfenhaus	b Umar Gul	4	17	0	0
Extras	(lb 1, w 7)	8	-	-	-
Total	all out in 38.5 overs	168	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-41 (Marsh, 8.6 ov), 2-95 (Haddin, 18.4 ov), 3-100 (Clarke, 19.6 ov), 4-107 (Symonds, 22.1 ov), 5-108 (Watson, 22.6 ov), 6-109 (Ferguson, 24.4 ov), 7-110 (Hauritz, 25.2 ov), 8-118 (Bracken, 28.4 ov), 9-122 (Clark, 30.5 ov), 10-168 (Hilfenhaus, 38.5 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Umar Gul	9.5	0	48	1
S Akhtar	6	0	35	0
I Anjum	2	0	18	0
Afridi	10	0	38	6
S Ajmal	10	1	19	2
S Malik	1	0	9	0

Pakistan Innings: (Target: 169 runs in 50 overs)

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
S Butt	lbw b Hilfenhaus	5	10	1	0
K Akmal	c Haddin b S Clark	48	62	9	0
Younis Khan	c Bracken b Hopes	11	31	2	0
S Malik	c Haddin b Hopes	24	53	1	0
Misbah	Not Out	30	68	4	0
S Afridi	c Bracken b Hilfenhaus	24	16	5	0
N Jamshed	b Symonds	9	14	1	0
Umar Gul	Not Out	8	13	1	0
Extras	(lb 5, w 1, nb 6)	12	-	-	-
Total	for 6 wickets in 44.1 overs	171	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-5 (Salman Butt, 1.4 ov), 2-33 (Younis Khan, 10.2 ov), 3-81 (Kamran Akmal, 20.6 ov), 4-99 (Shoaib Malik, 29.3 ov), 5-138 (Shahid Afridi, 34.4 ov), 6-152 (Nasir Jamshed, 39.4 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Bracken	9.1	2	25	0
Hilfenhaus	10	3	42	2
Hopes	8	1	22	2
S Clark	8	1	32	1
Hauritz	6	0	27	0
Symonds	3	0	18	1

Marcus North Replaces Injured Shaun Marsh!

Shaun Marsh after injuring his left hamstring during the first ODI against Pakistain in UAE. He was running for a single and in the process of saving his wicket, he pulled his left hamstring while diving at the crease.

"Shaun has undergone scans this morning in Dubai which have shown a recurrence of the left hamstring injury he suffered during the Australian summer. The injury means Shaun is unavailable for selection in any of the remaining games in the United Arab Emirates and therefore a decision has been made to send him home immediately in order to begin his recovery."

North is currently in England as Hampshire's overseas player but will leave the current Championship match against Warwickshire and head to Dubai. This is a good opportunity Marcus North after his hundred in debut Test against South Africa.

Australia v. Pakistain in UAE - Schedule

Australia cancelled the tour to Pakistan citing security concerns. Both the teams agreed to play in the neutral venue and UAE was ready to host the game.

Australia scheduled to play 5 ODIs and a T20 in the UAE in April and May 2009. Ricky Ponting has been rested while Micheal Clark given the top position of leading the team.

Schedule:

1st ODI: Wed Apr 22: 11:00 GMT, 16:30 IST: Pakistan v. Australia in Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium

2nd ODI: Fri Apr 22: 11:00 GMT, 16:30 IST: Pakistan v. Australia in Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium

3rd ODI: Mon Apr 27: 11:00 GMT, 16:30 IST: Pakistan v. Australia in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

4th ODI: Fri May 1: 11:00 GMT, 16:30 IST: Pakistan v. Australia in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

5th ODI: Sun May 3: 11:00 GMT, 16:30 IST: Pakistan v. Australia in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

4th ODI: SA v. Aus: South Africa win Series, beat Australia by 61 Runs!

In the fourth ODI on April 13, 2009 at St. George's Park, Port Elizabeth, South Africa beat Australia by 61 runs and gained an unbeatable lead of 3-1 in the five match series. This also pushed Australia to the third position in the ICC ODI Ranking, the lowest by Australian team in the last five years.

Score: (Toss won by Australia)

South Africa 317 for 6 in 50 overs (Smith 20, Gibbs 110, Kallis 17, DeVilliers 84, A Morkel 4, Boucher 29 not out, Duminy 40, Extras--13 (lb 7, w 6), Bracken 1 for 64, Johnson 2 for 59, Hopes 1 for 57, Harwood 2 for 57, Hauritz 0 for 51, M Clarke 0 for 22) beat Australia 256 all out in 45.5 overs (Haddin 78, M Clarke 50, Ponting 53, Ferguson 3, M Hussey 2, D Hussey 20, Hopes 31, Johnson 5, Hauritz 3, Bracken 0 not out, Harwood 0, Extras--11 (lb 4, w 7), Steyn 4 for 44, Parnell 1 for 64, Kallis 0 for 25, A Morkel 1 for 25, Botha 1 for 48, Merwe 3 for 46)

Player of the Match: Gibbs of SA
Match Result: SA won by 61 runs
Series Result: SA lead 5 match series 3-1

ICC Ranking: Ponting's Team at Lowest ODI Ranking!

After the series defeat against South Africa in the 4th ODI, Australia was pushed to their lowest position in ICC's ODI Ranking. They are now in 3rd position with South Africa in first position followed by India in the 2nd.

If Australia win the final ODI against South Africa, they will still move to the 2nd position, but not the first position

Rank	Team	Rating
1	South Africa	127
2	India	122
3	Australia	121
4	New Zealand	112
5	Pakistan	111
6	England	108
7	Sri Lanka	105
8	West Indies	92
9	Bangladesh	46
10	Zimbabwe	23
11	Ireland	19
12	Kenya	0

Wax Tendulkar Unveiled

Sachin Tendulkar's wax model was Unveiled in Mumbai on Monday. He made every Indian proud and he deserves it.

He was actually shocked and also happy looking at his own figure in the form of a wax statute. "I am glad that it can't breathe. There is so much detail in the work. I did not know wht to say," said Tendulkar.

Congratulatons Sachin!

Dhoni is Captain of Wisden's Dream Test XI!

Wisen, the highly popular cricket magazine, on Wednesday April 8, 2009 announced a dream Test XI.

The magazine named Virender Sehwag as "Leading Cricketer of the Year 2008" and Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the captain for its dream XI. This is the first time the publication is announcing such a list and Dhoni made every Indian proud by becoming the skipper.

India has the largest representation with Tendulkar, Harbhajan and Zaheer also in the list. The list also includes Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting and SA counter-part Greame Smith. Kevin Pietersen is the only England player in the list.

The selectors were Ravi Shastri, Ian Bishop and Ian Smith. The team:

Wisden Dream Test XI: Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan (India), Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson (Australia), Greame Smith (Vice-Captain), Dale Steyin (South Africa), Kevin Pietersen (England), and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies)

Dravid surpasses Mark Waugh, becomes Highest Catcher!

Dravid became the highest catcher in Test Cricket history during the third Test against New Zealand in Wellington. He had equalled Mark Waugh's record of 181 catches in the series earlier, but had to wait till the third test for surpassing him.

He grabbed Tim McIntosh's edge at third slip of Zaheer Khan to overtake Waugh. Though catching is an art, it requires special skill to do it in slips. You may have time for fast bowlers, but the reaction you need for catching of spinners is very difficult.

He has played in 134 Tests to reach this milestone whereas Mark Waugh did the same in 128 Tests. Catching cannot be compared to numebr of matches played because you need to be placed in the right position to get catches.

Player	Country	Matches	Catches
Rahul Dravid	India	134	182
Mark Waugh	Australia	128	181
Stephen Fleming	New Zealand	111	171
Brian Lara	West Indies	131	164
Mark Taylor	Australia	104	157
Allan Border	Australia	156	156
Ricky Ponting	Australia	131	148
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	131	147
Mahela Jayawardene	Sri Lanka	102	142
Matthew Hayden	Australia	103	128

Dravid also holds record for taking more catches of spinners. He also holds record for most catches in foreign soil!

South Africa win 3rd ODI by 25 runs, lead series 2-1!

Advantage South Africa in the current Aussie tour. With both sides winning one match each in the 5-match ODI series, South Africa once again beat Australia comfortably and convincingly int he third ODI to take 2-1 lead.

Batting first, Gibbs and Smith started slowly. Smith got out early, caught behind. The veteran Jacque Kallis and DeVilliers gave South Africa a comfortable position. From 50 for 2 in 14.2 overs, Kallis and DeVilliers started the recovery process.

As this is a crucial game for both the teams, nobody wanted to take chance. Both Kallis and DeVilliers added another 50 to their list. Kallis scored 70 while DeVilliers scored 80. They both added 114 runs for the 3rd wicket in 21.4 overs. Duminy (32 off 26 balls) and Morkel (29 off 25 balls) gave momentum in the final overs. Mark Boucher scored quick runs in the final overs--28 off 15 balls which helped SA to post 289 in 50 overs. South Africa added 91 runs in the last 56 balls. Micheal Johnson picked 4 wickets for Australia.

Australian start was not very convincing. Both Steyn and Parnell maintained a good line and length. This made scoring difficult and increased the required run rate.

Haddin (15 off 34), Clarke (35 off 49), Ponting (20 off 35) consumed lot of deliveries but could not score runs. The top three batsmen consumed 118 balls and scored just 70 runs.

Michael Hussey was unlucky go be given an inner edge as leg before. He scored just 1 run. Ferguson scored a good half-century which would definitely increse his confidence level.

Hopes scored another 50, but it did not help the cause. He was unbeaten on 63 and Geeves as 10 not out when Australia ended their innings at 264 for 7.

There was not big partnership as with SA's Kallis and DeVilliers. The 97-run parternship for the 6th wicket was too late for Australia. VD Merwe picked 3 wickets for 37 runs while Both and Duminy picked one each.

Score: (Toss won by SA)

South Africa 289 for 6 in 50 overs (Gibbs 26, Smith 8, Kallis 70, DeVilliers 80, Duminy 32, A Morkel 29, Boucher 28 not out, Merwe 6 not out, Extras--10 (lb 4, w 2, nb 4), Johnson 4 for 34, Bracken 1 for 58, Geeves 1 for 67, Hauritz 0 for 37, Hopes 0 for 64, Hussey 0 for 25) beat Australia 264 for 7 in 50 overs (Haddin 15, M Clarke 35, Ponting 20, D Hussey 20, M Hussey 1, Ferguson 63, Hopes 63 not out, Johnson 9, Geeves 10 not out, Extras--28 (b 5, lb 14, w 9), Steyn 0 for 44, Parnell 0 for 47, Kallis 0 for 19, A Morkel 0 for 33, Botha 1 for 59, Merwe 3 for 37, Duminy 1 for 6)

Player of the Match: Jacque Kallis of SA
Match Result: SA won by 25 runs
Series Result: SA lead 5 match series 2-1

Ashes 2009: Schedule

Australia will tour England during May to June 2009 to play in the famous Ashes series.

Practice Game Schedule:

Wed Jun 24-27: Sussex v. Australia at Hove at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

Wed Jul 1-4: England Lions v. Australia at Worcester at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

Fri Jul 24-26: Northamptonshire v. Australia at Northampton at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

Sat Aug 15-16: Kent v. Australia at Canterbury at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

Fri Aug 28: ODI: Scotland v. Australia at Edinburg at 09:45 GMT, 15:15 IST

Test Match Schedule:

1st Test: Wed Jul 8-12: England v. Australia at Cardiff at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

2nd Test: Thu Jul 16-29: England v. Australia at London (Lord's) at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

3rd Test: Thu Jul 30-Aug 3: England v. Australia at Birmingham at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

4th Test: Fri Aug 7-11: England v. Australia at Leeds at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

5th Test: Thu Aug 20-24: England v. Australia at London (Kensington Oval) at 10:00 GMT, 15:30 IST

T20 Schedule:

1st T20: Sun Aug 30: England v. Australia at Manchester at 13:30 GMT, 19:00 IST

2nd T20: Tue Sep 1: England v. Australia at Manchester at 18:00 GMT, 23:30 IST

ODI Schedule:

1st ODI: Fri Sep 4: England v. Australia at London (Kensington Oval) at 12:00 GMT, 17:30 IST

2nd ODI: Sun Sep 6: England v. Australia at London (Lord's) at 09:15 GMT, 14:45 IST

3rd ODI: Wed Sep 9: England v. Australia at Southampton at 13:30 GMT, 19:00 IST

4th ODI: Sat Sep 12: England v. Australia at London (Lord's) at 09:15 GMT, 14:45 IST

5th ODI: Tue Sep 15: England v. Australia at Nottingham at 13:30 GMT, 19:00 IST

6th ODI: Thu Sep 17: England v. Australia at Nottingham at 13:30 GMT, 19:00 IST

7th ODI: Sun Sep 20: England v. Australia at Chester-le-Street at 09:15 GMT, 14:45 IST

Aus v. Pak in UAE: Schedule

Australia rejecting the option to tour Pakistan due to security concern, has accepted to play in the neutral venue. Though Pakistan Cricket Board would lose huge money and the advantages of playing in home conditions, they had no option except to accept for neutral venue.

The tour has 5 ODI matches followed by one T20 game. Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey havae been rested while Michale Clark will lead the series.

ODI Schedule:

1st ODI: Wed Apr 22, 2009: Pakistan v. Australia at Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium at 10:30 GMT, 4:00 PM IST

2nd ODI: Fri Apr 24, 2009: Pakistan v. Australia at Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium at 10:30 GMT, 4:00 PM IST

3rd ODI: Mon Apr 27, 2009: Pakistan v. Australia at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi at 10:30 GMT, 4:00 PM IST

4th ODI: Fri May 1, 2009: Pakistan v. Australia at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi at 10:30 GMT, 4:00 PM IST

5th ODI: Sun May 3, 2009: Pakistan v. Australia at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi at 10:30 GMT, 4:00 PM IST

T20 Schedule:

T20: Thu May 7, 2009: Pakistan v. Australia at Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium

Entire Country Supported: Sachin

As reported in Sify.com:

Few of the Indian team players returned in the wee hours in Mumbai airport. The Indian team created history by winning both the test and ODI series.

BCCI announced bonus!

"It's an achievement. Everyone is happy. The entire country has supported us. It was victory after 41 years," said Tendulkar.

Some members of the support staff of the team also landed in Mumbai along with them.

Skipper Dhoni and some other members of the team, based in northern cities, disembarked in Delhi by a different flight.

India in Same League as SA and Austrlia: Vettori

South-based cricketers, including stalwarts Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman, went to their respective places directly, according to Cricket Board sources.

Aus v. Pak: Ponting, Hussey Rested! Symonds and Lee Called!

The Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and middle order batsman Micheal Hussey have been rested for the forthcoming series against Pakistain. The series has one T20 game and 5 ODI matches to be played in a neutral venue. Michale Clarke will lead the team while Ponting getting ready for the Ashes.

Symonds was called back to the team and should be a reliever for him as he is coming back after getting involved in several controversies. He was sent back home mid-tour to Bangladesh. He went for fishing instead of attending the team session.

Australia's premier fast bowler Brett Lee, who was out of action for several months due to injury, got his place back. He will also be participating in the IPL starting on April 18.

This could be the last chance for Symonds as he was dropped frequently citing displinary issues. He was also recommended for counseling by Cricket Austrlia. He also did not perform in the domestic cricket.

"He's obviously not performed domestically well as we or he would have liked, so we really had to make a decision on giving him an opportunity to see how he is doing prior to the Twenty20 (world championships in June). We thought it was the right way to go but, as I've told Andrew, it will be up to him from now on. He will have to perform. We think after everything he's done for Australian cricket, one of our all-time best one-day players, that he deserves this opportunity," Hilditch was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.

So, this could be the last chance for Austrlia's controversial all-rounder. He has to either Perform or Perish!

India in same league as Australia and SA: Vettori

Vettori had all the fear in the world before the start of the series. He was worried about the form of Sehwag and Gambhir. He was sure that they could turn the match as both of them are quick scorers in both forms of the game.

Though Vettori's team won the T20 series 2-0, they were outplayed in ODI and Test series. Matching his predictions, Gambhir became the top scorer of the series with two centuries. Though Sehwag did not score much in the test series, his contribution in the ODI was awesome. Sure that Kiwi bowlers had bad dreams and he became their nightmare. Sehwag scored quick century and became the India's fastest ODI century maker.

After the series, Vettori openly said that India is in the same league as South Africa and Australia.

"India obviously outplayed us in all departments--in the third test. Apart from our first day when we had them at 200 for 6, from then on it's India's game. I think you can throw Australia, South Africa and India and there is the three best teams in the world and it's hard to distinguish between the three at the moment," Vettori said.

Indian still in 3rd Place in Test!

India beat New Zealand in the test series 1-0. But, this did not give any raise in the ICC Test Ranking for the Indians. They are still placed in the third position with Australia leading the table. South Africa is in 2nd place.

India would have moved to 118 points if they had won the rain affected 3rd test thought it would not have made any impact in the standing of the table. South Africa has 119 points while Australia has 128.

Bonus of 15 Lakhs to Each Indian Player!

The BCCI (Board of control for Cricket in India) announced an incentive of Rs.15 lakhs for each player of the Indian team for their history win against New Zealand in both Test and ODI series.

This was the first test series win after 41 years and first ODI series win. The last time they won the test series was in 1968 under the leadership Pataudi.

Indian team lost both the T20 matches, though they came close in the 2nd T20. The team showed class and bounced back in the ODI series. The team won the 5 match series 3-1 with one match abandoned.

The team won the 3-match test series 1-0. They're close to losing the 2nd Test but Gambhir and Laxman scored century and saved the test after a follow-on. India had good chance of winning the third test but rain and small mis-calculation by Dhoni prevented it.

BCCI president Shashank Manohar, while congratulating the team, announced the bonus for ech player involved in both Tests and ODIs.--PTI

Runs and Wickets in New Zealand Series: Test Matches

Gambhir scored most runs in the series followed by Tendulkar. Ryder and Taylor did the same for the Kiwis.

Bhajji picked most wickets in the series while Martin did for New Zealand.

Batting Records:

NameCountryTestsRunsHighest100s50sAverageGambhirIndia34451672189.00TendulkarIndia33441601268.80RyderNZ33272012065.40TaylorNZ33221512064.40DravidIndia3314830462.80

Bowling Records:

NameCountryTestsWicketsBest10 in M5 in IAverageHarbhajanIndia3166-630121.37MartinNZ3144-980032.71ZaheerIndia3135-650130.76O'BrienNZ393-1030050.22IshanthIndia384-730041.75

India in New Zealand: Head to Head

India have not won the ODI series in New Zealand, but have won the test series in 1968. After a gap of so many years, India have registered both ODI (33 years) and Test series (41 years).

Year196819761981199019941998-9920022009

# of Test	Result
4	India won by 3-1
3	Drawn 1-1
3	NZ won by 1-0
3	NZ won by 1-0
1	Drawn 0-0
3	NZ won by 1-0
2	NZ won by 2-0
3	India won by 1-0

Broad is the England's Most Valuable Player!

Stuart Broad was selected as England's Most Valuable Player. He took 64 wickets and scored 464 runs this season. He was followed by Kevin Pietersen, who lagged just 8 points than Broad.

In ODI Broad took 32 wickets at less than 5 runs per over average. Though Kevin Pietersen was close to winning this title, it is said that he missed it due to back spasm in West Indies during the 4th ODI.

Congratulations Stuart Broad!

India Create History - Win Series in NZ!

India created history in New Zealand by winning both ODI and Test series. India beat New Zealand 3-1 in the ODI and 1-0 in the Test Series.

India played 5 ODIs and 3 test matches between March and Aprili 2009. India lost the T20 series 0-2. They came back very well in the ODI series. New Zealand did not come close in any of the matches. The 3rd ODI was abandoned when India was leading 2-0, winning the first two. The 4th ODI was also won by India leading the series 3-0. The last match was won by NZ--a consolation win.

NZ did not bat well in the first test and were bundled out for 279 in both the innings. India scored mammoth 520 with a wonderful 160 from Sachin. Harbhajan picked 6 wickets in the 2nd innings where Ishanth Sharma picked 4 in the first innings. India chased 39 in 6 overs without losing a wicket. Sachin was declared man of the match.

Though India was forced to follow-on in the 2nd Test trailing by 314 runs, a century by Gambhir (137) and Laxman (124 not out) helped India to force a draw. NZ scored 619 in the first innings with a double century from Ryder (201), century each from Taylor (151) and McCullum (115). India did not do well and was all out for 305 at the end of Day 3 with 17 overs still left in the day. Dravid was the top scorer with 83 followed by Laxman 79. Sachin scored 49. Vettori asked India to bat again with almost 197 overs in hand. India played slowly on Day 4 scoring just 205 runs in 90 overs, but the key factor was that they lost just one wicket. From 47 for 1 in 17 overs on Day 3, they moved to 252 for 2 at the end of Day 4, still trailing by 62 runs. Dravid (62 off 220 balls), Tendulkar (62 off 131 balls), and Yuvaraj (54 not out off 63 balls) scored half-centuries and contributed to the draw. Ryder was declared man of the match.

India had a good chance of winning the third test but a delayed declaration and mis-calculation by skipper Dhoni helped the Kiwis to draw the match. Rain stopped play on Day 5 which was perfectly predicted by the weather department. India scored 379 in the first innings--thanks to Harbhajan (60) and Zaheer (33). Dhoni scored 52 and proved once again that he can contribute at crucial times. Harbhajan and Dhoni added 79 for the 7th wicket. Followed by 32 run partnership between Bhajji and Zaheer and then another 32 between Zaheer and Ishanth.

NZ did not utilize the opportunity to score more runs in the first innings and were allout within a day on Day 2. They played just 65 overs and were dismissed for 197 giving a lead of 182 runs. Zaheer picked 5 wickets--his third against New Zealand in New Zealand, equaling Erapalli Prasanna's record.

Dhoni planned for at least 600+ as a target with 110 overs in hand to bowl out NZ. The first plan worked and India set a target of 617. Gambhir scored 167, while Dravid (60), Laxman (61), and Dhoni (56 not out) scored half-centuries. India declared at 434 for 7 on Day 4.

Chasing 617, NZ were 167 for 4 with Tylor surviving two close calls. A caught at slip was ruled in favor of batsman by the third umpire thinking that the ball touched the ground.

Couple of poor decisions--plumb leg before for Vettori also cost the match. Ishanth and Munaf dropped catches. I would say Munaf as the worst fielder of the Indian side. Rain stopped play when NZ were 281 for 8 and the new ball was just taken. India needed another 30 minutes of play to complete the match, but the match was never resumed. Gambhir was given man of the match, while no man of the series was given.

Few Records:

1. India won the test series after 41 years--they won the series in 1968 (3-1).

2. India never won the ODI series and this is the first ever time that India has won the series (3-1).

3. India never crossed 300 in ODI but they did it this time. They scored 392 in the 3rd ODI.

4. India never crossed 500 in Test but they scored 520 in the first test in Hamilton.

5. India won the test match in 1976 and after that they did not win a test match in New Zealand. By winning the first test, that record was also erased.

Australia struggling in the 2nd ODI against SA!

Australia are 20 for 5 in 9 overs against host South Africa in the 2nd ODI in Centurion. Steyn picked two wickets and Parnell picked three.

Narnell's first 2 overs were maiden overs and he conceeded his first run in his third over.

Brad Haddin was bowled in the last ball of the first over by Steyn. Going for a drive, the ball took the inside edge and knocked the stumps.

Ponting who started his innings with a six over deep square leg. It was a short ball and Ponting played his famous shot. He got out in the next over trying to drive and got an edge to give the first wicket for Parnell.

Clarke was plumb in front of the wicket when trying to play across off Parnell.

David Hussey tried to puch it through covers, got a thick outside edge and went straight to Boucher.

Man of the Match Mike Hussey was trapped plumb in front off Parnell.

Ferguson and Hopes are on the crease. Can they pull off? Wait and see!

Dhoni and Zaheer added to Records Book!

The Indian Skipper MS Dhoni and Zaheer have entered the records book again for their wonderful catching and bowling performances.

Dhoni's Record:

Dhoni, grabbed six catches in the first innings of the 3rd and final test against New Zealand. All are simple catches except the catch of Ross Taylor which he grabbed on the leg side off Harbhajan Singh.

Syed Kirmani held the record for most dismissals by an Indian wicket keeper. He had 5 catches and 1 stumping agaisnt New Zealand in Christchurh in 1976. Dhoni equalled it by grabbing 6 catches in Wellington in the thrid test.

Dhoni also became the first Indian wicket keeper in terms of grabbing most catches in an innings. He beat the previous record of 5 catches held by Kirmani, Nayan Mongia and himself.

Zaheer's Record:

Two cricketers have recorded taking five or more wickets in an innings more than three times in New Zealand.

Zaheer equalled the record of Erapalli Prasanna who held the record of taking 5 wickets thrice in New Zealand. Zaheer equalled it when he picked 5 wickets in the first innings of New Zealand in the third test in Wellington.

The previous occassions were in 2002 in Hamilton (5 for 29) and Wellington (5 for 53).

Tendulkar the Greatest - Sir Richard Hadlee!

Photo credit: www.cricinfo.com, Getty Images

The New Zealand great Sir Richard Hadless was inducted into ICC's Hall of Fame. The 57 year old all rounder became the first New Zealand cricketer to be in Hall of Fame.

"I played against Sachin on his tour here in 1990 when he got that 80 or 90-odd at McLean Park in Napier," Hadlee told PTI.

"We didn't see at that time and you cannot visualise 20 years down the track what the player is likely to do in the context of the history of the game. When you score as many runs as he has in Test and one-day cricket and score as many centuries and half centuries as he has done, it makes him arguably the greatest player ever in the history of the game. Statistics speak volumes of his contribution to Indian and world cricket. He is a phenomenal player."

"Well, Sir Donald Bradman has been regarded as the greatest player ever. He played just Test cricket. He hasn't played any other forms of the game. Clearly, that is understandable. But to see Sachin and other players actually adjust to different forms of the game and different conditions all around the world, even though the average is fractionally more than half of the Don's is in itself incredible. You got to respect it and write those performances."

Hadlee is one of the 55 members to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He said, "I have been very fortunate during my playing career and to be recognised is very very special. To be one of the first 55 inductees, it doesn't get much better than that."

Hadlee's career records:

Match Type	# of Matches	Runs Scored	Wickets Taken
Test Matches	86	3124	431
ODI	115	1751	158

5th ODI: Ind v. NZ: Consolation Win for NZ!

Finally the Kiwis tasted victory in the ODI series, though they have won the T20 series 2-0. In the 4th ODI presentation ceremony, Vettori said, a win in the final ODI would equal the 3-3 though they are different versions of the game--T20 (2 win for NZ) and ODI (3 win for India and 1 win for NZ).

It happened as he wished and he could pat his back for this victory, but as per statistics and records, India have won the series 3-1 with one match abandoned. This is the first series win for Indian against New Zealand in New Zealand soil.

India have never won an ODI series in New Zealand. The best they've managed are draws in 1993-94 and 1998-99.

Winning the toss and batting first, Sehwag and Gambhir opened the innings. Sachin did not play in the match due to his stomach injury. India just made 149 in 36.3 overs. The batsmen were not able to consume the full quota of 43 overs.

Rohit Sharma was the top scorer with 43 runs off 74 balls. He completely turned the match in favor of the kiwis when he ran out both Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh. Though they were not professional batters, at that stage it was important to retain wickets to ensure that India bat the full 43 overs. The attempted run was indeed not required because they went straight to fielders.

Though Praveen Kumar picked McCullum for 2 in the third over, Ryder and Guptill made it easy for the kiwis. They played good shots and both of them scored 50. Ryder was bowled by Ishanth Sharma in the 15th over for 63. It came off just 49 balls with 6 fours and four sixes. Guptill made unbeaten 57 off 50 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes.

Scoreboard:

Tour: India to New Zealand
Series: ODI
Match #: 5
Date: Saturday March 14, 2009
Venue: Auckland
Captains: Daniel Vettori (NZ) and MS Dhoni (Ind)
Umpires: GAV Baxter and RE Koertzen; EA Watkin-third umpire
Toss: India won the toss and decided to bat
Match: New Zealand won by 8 wickets with 19.4 overs remaining
Man of the Match: Ryder off New Zealand
Additional Information: Match was reduced to 43 overs a side due to rain and delayed start.

India 149 all out in 36.3 overs (Gambhir caught McGlashan bowled Mills 5, V Sehwag caught McCullum bowled Oram 40, Raina caught Styris bowled Oram 8, Rohit Sharma not out 43, Yuvaraj caught McGlashan bowled Ryder 11, Dhoni bowled Ryder 9, Yousuf Pathan bowled Ryder 0, Harbhajan Singh run out (Vettori/Oram) 1, Zaheer Khan run out (Oram/Vettori) 5, Praveen Kumar caught McGlashan bowled O'Brien 6, Ishanth Sharma caught Taylor bowled O'Brien 3, Extras--18 (lb 9, w 9), KD Mills 7-0-27-1, IE O'Brien 7.3-0-43-2, JPD Oram 9-0-22-2, JD Ryder 9-0-29-3, DL Vettori 4-0-19-0)

Fall of Wickets: 1-30 (Gambhir, 4.5 ov), 2-65 (Raina, 9.4 ov), 3-69 (Sehwag, 11.5 ov), 4-88 (Yuvraj Singh, 18.5 ov), 5-110 (Dhoni, 24.2 ov), 6-111 (Pathan, 24.6 ov), 7-116 (Harbhajan Singh, 27.3 ov), 8-131 (Khan, 31.2 ov), 9-143 (Kumar, 34.4 ov), 10-149 (I Sharma, 36.3 ov)

New Zealand 151 for 2 in 23.2 overs (JD Ryder bowled Ishanth Sharma 63, BB McCullum bowled Praveen Kumar 2, MJ Guptill 57 not out, LRPL Taylor 28 not out, Extras--1 (w 1), Praveen Kumar 4-0-22-1, Zaheer Khan 8-0-51-0, Ishanth Sharma 7.2-1-63-1, Harbhajan Singh 4-0-15-0)

Fall of Wickets: 1-9 (McCullum, 2.2 ov), 2-93 (Ryder, 14.6 ov)

Dhoni doubtful for 3rd Test as well!

Indian skipper missed the second test due to his back problem. Sehwag took over the captaincy in the last minute and he almost lost the match for India. Thanks to Gambhir, Laxman, Dravid and Tendulkar who played crucial innings in saving the test for India.

Dhoni is still doubtful for the third test. It seems that he is not yet fit completely and may miss it. The Indian team is awaiting news on his availability. If he misses it, Sehwag will continue to be the captain and Dinesh Karthick will take over the wicket-keeping.

4th ODI: Ind v NZ: Sehwag demolishes Kiwis! India Wins First ODI Series Win!

Firing century by Sehwag help India seal the series 3-0 in the 5-match series. This was the fastest century by Indian. His century came off 60 balls with a huge six off Vettori over long-off.

This is one of the peculiar wins in cricket history. Normally, the team batting first win by runs and the team batting second win by wickets and balls remaining. In this case, batting second, India beat New Zealand by 84 runs using D/L method.

Ryder and McCullum put a 102-run first wicket partnership with McCullum scoring half-century. Two quick break-throughs provided by Ishanth Sharma created chance for India to come back. Going at good run rate at 114 for 23 overs, they stumbled to 175 for 5 in 37 overs.

McGlashan and Elliott played beautifully which helped NZ to add 95 runs in the last 10 overs. McGlashan scored unbeaten 56 off 42 balls with 6 fours and a six. Elliott scored 35 off 27 balls with 3 fours and a six.

Ishanth Sharma came back in place of Munaf Patel. Sachin was rested due to stomach injury and Rohit Sharma was given a chance.

India were set a target of 281 in 47 overs based on D/L method. Though the kiwis scored only 270, as per Duckworth-Lewis method, India had all the 10 wickets in hand full 47 overs.

But India had a firing start with Sehwag punishing every bowler. He reached his 50 in 31 balls with 8 fours and a six. O'Brien went for 37 runs in 3 overs and Thompson went for 42 in his 4 overs.

Gambhir scored unbeaten 63 in 67 balls with 6 fours. Sehwas reached his 100 in 60 balls with 13 fours and 4 sixes. India were 201 for no loss in 23.3 overs when rain stopped play. India has to score 117 to be in par but were 201. So, India beat NZ by 84 runs.

No discussion in deciding the man of the match--the sole winner of the match Sehwag was given the award.

Scoreboard:

Tour: India to New Zealand
Series: ODI
Match #: 4
Date: Wednesday March 11, 2009
Venue: Hamilton
Captains: Daniel Vettori (NZ) and MS Dhoni (Ind)
Umpires: GAV Baxter and RE Koertzen; EA Watkin-third umpire
Toss: NZ won the toss and decided to bat
Match: India won by 84 runs
Man of the Match: Virendra Sehwag off India
Series: India lead the 5 match series 3-0 with one match abandoned
Additional Information: Match was reduced to 47 overs when rain interrupted twice in NZ innings. India was set 281 (11 runs higher than what NZ scored) in 47 overs. When rain stopped play, India needed 117 to be at par but India were 201 for no wicket.

New Zealand 270 for 5 in 47 overs (JD Ryder caught Raina bowled Yuvaraj Singh 46, BB McCullum LBW Z Khan 77, LRPL Taylor caught Rohit Sharma bowled Yousuf Pathan 5, MJ Guptill caught sub Karthik bowled I Sharma 25, JDP Oram caught Dhoni bowled I Sharma 1, PD McGlashan 56 not out, GD Elliott 35 not out, Extras--25 (lb 9, w 13, nb 3), Zaheer Khan 10-0-49-1, Praveen Kumar 7-0-51-0, Ishanth Sharma 8-0-57-2, Yuvaraj 9-0-40-1, Yousuf Pathan 5-0-14-1, Harbhajan Singh 8-0-50-0)

Fall of Wickets: 1-102 (Ryder, 19.1 ov), 2-114 (Taylor, 22.5 ov), 3-155 (McCullum, 33.4 ov), 4-156 (Oram, 34.1 ov), 5-175 (Guptill, 36.5 ov)

India 201 for no loss in 23.3 overs (Gambhir 63 not out, V Sehwag 125 not out, Extras--13 (lb 9, w 4), KD Mills 5-0-29-0, EP Thompson 4-0-42-0, IE O'Brien 3-0-37-0, DL Vettori 5-0-32-0, JPD Oram 4.3-0-43-0, GD Elliott 2-0-9-0)

India Tour to New Zealand 2009!

The India tour to New Zealand consists of 5 ODIs, 2 T20s, and 3 test matches played between March and April of 2009. Click here to find out the schedule, results, records, and other interesting articles.

Dhoni Doubtful for Third and Final Test!

5th ODI: Consolation win for NZ!

4th ODI: India win Series! First Series Victory in NZ!

3rd ODI: India win

2nd ODI: Rain Spoiled 2nd ODI, Match Abandoned!

1st ODI: India wins, Takes 1-0 lead!

Run Rain in Hamilton!

2nd T20: NZ Win 1st T20, lead 1-0!

Tendulkar: Will be Fit Soon

Fast Bowlers Lost Confidence: McCullum

Tendulkar Injured! To miss 4th ODI

1st T20: NZ Win Easily

India tour to NZ - Schedule