CT 09: Match 6: Pak v. Ind: Shoaib Malik and Yousuf Crush India!

Malik showed who is the real Malik (boss) to India in their Group A match. Winning the cricial toss, Pakistan lost three wickets with 65 on the board. Nehra picked Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal while RP Singh bagged skipper Younis Khan's wicket.

Former captain Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf paritied in the middle. They punished the bad balls, otherwise picking singles and twos. Malik scored a wonderful century that put Pakistan on the driver's seat. The 4th wicket partnership was a record 206 runs in 188 overs.

I would the bowling as a very average and none of the bowlers looked dangerous. Pakistani batsmen handled the bowling attack very well and never had any pressure or fear. After the departure of Yusuf for 87 in the 46th over, India did not give too many runs. Last 4 overs went for 31 runs and also gave India 5 wickets. One wicket in the middle would have changed the match.

Skipper failed to put pressure on two new batsmen at the crease and did not rotate the bowlers well. Missing Yuvaraj and Sehwag was a key as they both could have bowled few overs.

Harbhajan was not effective and Pathan as well. Nehra picked 4 wickets and Ishanth picked 2.

Chasing 303, with Sachin gone early was a difficult task for India, especially against Pakistan. Mohammed Aamer had his day and should have been celebrating even now as he picked the prize wicket of the master batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar. The ball pitched up swung again, which took the edge on the way to the keeper.

Gambhir and Dravid added 67 for the 2nd wicket. Both were playing well, especially Gambhir was in full flow. He hit couple of huge sixes and brough India back into the required run rate. A poor calling and mis-understanding had Gambhir back to the pavilion with Younis Khan hitting the sticks directly from mid off.

Kohli never looked dangerous for Pakistanis. He scored 16 runs for India before Afridi had him caught by Umar Gul. Dhoni too did not last long in the crease.

It was Raina who played some good shots in the middle overs along with Dravid. Raina hit 2 good sixes in his 46. Fate had different story for Raina and India when umpire decided a poor leg before decision. The ball clearly hit the bat but umpire thought otherwise. The 70-run partnership came to an end due to poor umpiring. When Raina got out, India needed 98 runs in 15 overs with 5 wickets in hand.

The batsmen could not play sensibly as all required were singles for few overs and then few hits during batting powerplay. Yousuf Pathan got out for 5 in 10 balls, Harbhajan scored 13 in 22. Dravid was run out for 76 in 103 balls.

At the end, India were short by 54 runs. Aamer, Naved-ul-Hasan, Ajmal and Afridi picked 2 wickets each. India has to win their next match against Australia on Monday, Sep 28. If they lose it, they will be out of the tournament as Aussies and Pakistanis would have won 2 matches.

So, it is a do-or-die match for both India against Australia on Sep. 28.

Scoreboard:

Match # 6, Group A
Date: Saturday Sep 26, 2009
Teams: Pakistan v. India
Captains: Younis Khan and Dhoni
Toss: Pakistan, decided to bat
Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Result: Pakistan won by 54 runs
Points: Pakistan 2; India 0
Man of the Match: S Malika off Pakistan

Pakistan Innings:

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
I Nazir	c Harbhajan b A Nehra	20	17	4	0
K Akmal	b A Nehra	19	22	3	0
Younis Khan	c Dhoni b RP Singh	20	33	3	0
S Malik	c Y Pathan b Harbhajan	128	126	16	0
M Yousuf	b A Nehra	87	88	7	0
S Afridi	c Dhoni b Y Pathan	4	2	1	0
Umar Akmal	c Dhoni b A Nehra	0	1	0	0
Naved-ul-Hasan	not out	11	8	1	0
Umar Gul	c Raina b I Sharma	0	2	0	0
M Aamer	c Kohli b I Sharma	0	1	0	0
S Ajmal	not out	0	0	0	0
Extras	(lb 1, w 12)	13	-	-	-
Total	for 9 wkts in 50 overs	302	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-29 (Imran Nazir, 4.2 ov), 2-53 (Kamran Akmal, 8.5 ov), 3-65 (Younis Khan, 14.4 ov), 4-271 (Mohammad Yousuf, 45.6 ov), 5-278 (Shahid Afridi, 46.6 ov), 6-289 (Umar Akmal, 47.5 ov), 7-300 (Shoaib Malik, 48.6 ov), 8-301 (Umar Gul, 49.3 ov), 9-302 (Mohammad Aamer, 49.5 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
A Nehra	10	0	55	4
RP Singh	9	1	59	1
I Sharma	8	2	39	2
V Kohli	3	0	21	0
Y Pathan	10	0	56	1
Harbhajan	10	0	71	1

India Innings: (303 to win in 50 overs)

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Gambhir	run out (Younis Khan)	57	46	7	2
Sachin	c K Akmal b M Aamer	8	14	1	0
Dravid	run out (Umar Gul/K Akmal)	76	103	4	0
V Kohli	c Umar Gul b S Afridi	16	24	1	0
Dhoni	lbw b S Afridi	3	9	0	0
Raina	lbw b S Ajmal	46	41	5	2
Y Pathan	c sub Misbah b M Aamer	5	10	0	0
Harbhajan	b S Ajmal	13	22	1	0
RP Singh	c M Yousuf b Naved-ul-Hasan	2	6	0	0
I Sharma	b Naved-ul-Hasan	0	1	0	0
A Nehra	not out	0	0	0	0
Extras	(lb 4, w 11, nb 7)	22	-	-	-
Total	all out in 44.5 overs	248	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-23 (Tendulkar, 4.1 ov), 2-90 (Gambhir, 13.5 ov), 3-126 (Kohli, 21.3 ov), 4-133 (Dhoni, 23.5 ov), 5-205 (Raina, 34.6 ov), 6-218 (Pathan, 38.2 ov), 7-238 (Dravid, 41.6 ov), 8-243 (Singh, 43.4 ov), 9-244 (Sharma, 43.6 ov), 10-248 (Harbhajan Singh, 44.5 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
M Aamer	8	0	46	2
Naved-ul-Hasan	9	0	48	2
Umar Gul	6	0	55	0
S Ajmal	8.5	0	31	2
S Afridi	10	0	39	2
S Malik	3	0	25	0

1st ODI: Ind v. NZ: India win by D/L method!

India beat New Zealand to take 1-0 lead in the five match ODI series. Rain interrupted the match several times and the officials had to reduce the over on each occassion. Understanding the weather, Dhoni decided to bat first after winning the toss.

The overs were reduced to 38 overs a side and India scored 273. Sehwas was at his best with blistering knock of 77 in 56 balls with 11 fours and a six. Though the ground was small compared to other grounds in Australia and India, one really has to score. Sehwag started the ODI series well for himself and the Indian team.

Tendulkar departed early on 20. Dhoni scored unbeaten 84 in 89 balls with 6 fours. He played the captains innings and lead from the front. Though Yuvi was run out for 2, Raina played master innings. He scored 66 in 39 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes.

The three blocks of powerplay were for 8, 4, and 3 overs. Raina's knock really turned the match with the Indian team scoring quick runs in the third power play which had 3 overs limit. India scored 40 runs in the 3rd powerplay in which Raina scored 25 runs and Dhoni scored 14 runs. In the last 10 overs, India scored 109 runs which really gave India winning score.

New Zealand was given a revised target of 278 in 38 overs. In the 21st over, rain intervened and the target was reduced to 216 in 28 overs which is next to impossible against the Indian bowling attack. New Zealand never looked winning and India was on top from the beginning.

During the presentation, the captians said:

Vettori: "Disappointing result and some serious lack of execution cost us. We bowled pretty poorly and Raina's innings, in particular, took the game away from us. We put ourselves in a difficult situation while batting second and the revised target was never within reach."

Dhoni: "The important thing was to get a good start, and when you manage that you'll often end up setting a good enough target for the bowlers to defend. Raina batted really well, and so did Sehwag. There were times in the Twenty20 games when we went all guns blazing and lost too many wickets doing so, but our overall approach has been very good. Praveen Kumar bowled well too, he's a street smart cricketer, has some good variations and bowls according to the conditions."

Dhoni was declared man of the match for his wonderful batting.

Scoreboard:

Tour: India to New Zealand
Series: ODI
Match #: 1
Date: Tuesday March 3, 2009
Venue: Napier
Captains: Daniel Vettori (NZ) and MS Dhoni (Ind)
Umpires: AL Hill and RE Koertzen; GAV Baxter-third umpire
Toss: Indai won the toss and decided to bat
Match: India won by 53 runs by D/L method
Man of the Match: MS Dhoni off India
Additonal Information: Match reduced to 38 overs a side; In the 21st over of NZ innings, the target was revised to 216 in 28 overs

India 273 for 4 in 38 overs (V Sehwag caught Taylor bowled Vettori 77, Tendulkar caught McCullum bowled Butler 20, MS Dhoni 84 not out, Yuvaraj Sing run out (Vettori/Guptill) 2, SK Raina caught O'Brien bowled Elliott 66, Yousuf Pathan 20 not out, Extras--4 (b 1, lb 1, nb 2), KD Mills 7-0-69-0, IE O'Brien 8-1-52-0, IG Butler 8-1-42-1, JPD Oram 2-0-19-0, DL Vettori 8-0-42-1, JD Ryder 3-0-27-0, GD Elliott 2-0-20-1)

Fall of Wickets: 1-69 (Tendulkar, 9.4 ov), 2-121 (Sehwag, 18.2 ov), 3-131 (Yuvraj Singh, 22.4 ov), 4-241 (Raina, 34.6 ov)

New Zealand (target revised in 21st over: 216 in 28 overs) 162 for 9 in 28 overs (JD Ryder caught Sehwag bowled Kumar 11, BB McCullum caught Harbhajan bowled Kumar 0, MJ Guptill caught Gambhir bowled Harbhajan 64, LRPL Taylor caught Tendulkar bowled Y Pathan 31, GD Elliott run out (Dhoni/Sehwag) 11, JDP Oram caught Dhoni bowled Yuvaraj 0, NT Broom st Dhoni bowled Harbhajan 2, Butler caught Patel bowled Zaheer 0, Mills caught Sehwag bowled Harbhajan 0, Vettori 26 not out, O'Brien 3 not out, Extras--14 (lb 10, w 3, nb 1), Zaheer Khan 6-1-19-1, Praveen Kumar 6-1-28-2, Munaf Patel 2-0-14-0, Yuvaraj 6-0-42-1, Yousuf Pathan 4-0-22-1, Harbhajan Singh 4-0-27-3)

Fall of Wickets: 1-0 (McCullum, 1.5 ov), 2-23 (Ryder, 7.4 ov), 3-81 (Taylor, 15.5 ov), 4-111 (Elliott, 20.5 ov), 5-111 (Oram, 20.6 ov), 6-132 (Guptill, 23.3 ov), 7-132 (Broom, 23.4 ov), 8-132 (Mills, 23.6 ov), 9-132 (Butler, 24.1 ov)

India's Tour to New Zealand - Schedule

India is touring New Zealand in Feb-Mar 2009. The team will play 2 T20s, 5 ODIs and 3 Test Matches. The schedule is given below:

T20 Schedule:

1st T20: Wed Feb 25, 2009 at Christchurch, 19:00 Local, 06:00 GMT, 11:30 IST

2nd T20: Fri Feb 27, 2009 at Wellington, 19:00 Local, 06:00 GMT, 11:30 IST

ODI Schedule:

1st ODI: Tue Mar 3, 2009 at Napier, 14:00 Local, 01:00 GMT, 06:30 IST

2nd ODI: Fri Mar 6, 2009 at Wellington, 14:00 Local, 01:00 GMT, 06:30 IST

3rd ODI: Sun Mar 8, 2009 at Christchurch, 14:00 Local, 01:00 GMT, 06:30 IST

4th ODI: Wed Mar 11, 2009 at Hamilton, 14:00 Local, 01:00 GMT, 06:30 IST

5th ODI: Sat Mar 14, 2009 at Auckland, 14:00 Local, 01:00 GMT, 06:30 IST

Test Match Schedule:

1st Test: Wed Mar 18-22, 2009 at Hamilton 11:00 Local, 22:00 GMT, 05:30 IST

2nd Test: Thu Mar 26-30, 2009 at Napier, 10:30 Local, 21:30 GMT, 05:00 IST

3rd Test: Fri Apr 3-7, 2009 at Wellington, 10:30 Local, 21:30 GMT, 05:00 IST

Gavaskar Border Trophy 2008 - Pictures

The pictures of the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy 2008 is presented below for your beautiful eyes! Enjoy them! Photographs are from www.cricinfo.com

Pictures:











To read match analysis report, click here!

To see scoreboard, click here!

Tendulkar Created World Record! Beats Lara!

Tendulkar crossed the big milestone and added one more world record to his name. He made every Indian proud by surpassing Brain Lara's 11953 runs in Test Cricket History.

The fans of Sachin were rocking the stadium with continuous fireworks which even stopped the play for a while.

Earlier, Gavaskar was holding the record for highest run scorer which was taken over by Allan Border. He was surpassed by the West Indian legend Brain Lara.

Incidentally Brain Lara overtook Allan Border against Australia in 2005. Sachin overtook Lara against Australia in India in 2008.

He has achieved this milestone in the first ball after tea bowled by Siddle. It was 52nd over of the innings and he needed two runs. The ball was glided to third man and he picked three runs. When he completed the 2nd run, he pumped his fists in the air.

He got a rousing standing ovation from the crowd and also from the rival Australian camp. All the Australian players rushed to congratulate him and it was a good and happy scene to watch!

He starte the innings with 15 runs needed to cross this milestone and did in the 23rd ball he faced.

Congratulations Tendulkar! You made every Indian proud today! Keep going!

Indian Team for 2nd Test!

The Indian team for the 2nd test most likely will be without Anil Kumble. Due to injury, he is expected to sit out. Not fully fit, it will not help Indian in anyway. He should play only if he is 110% fit.

The most likely Indian team will be:

1. Gambhir
2. Sehwag
3. Dravid
4. Tendulkar
5. Laxman
6. Ganguly
7. Dhoni (Captain and Wicket-Keeper)
8. Harbhajan Singh
9. Zaheer Khan
10. Amit Mishra
11. Ishanth Sharma

With Mohali pitch expected to help spinner, if Jumbo does not play, it is better to play the debutant Mishra, the leg spinner. The part-time spinner and partnership breaker Sehwag and Tendulkar are available, if required. Also, Ganguly is available as a part-time medium pace bowler.

Let us wish both the teams the best!

Tendulkar 15 runs short! Plays for country than Record-Rajput!

Tendulkar is just 15 runs short of becoming the highest run scorer in test cricket history. He is lead by the West Indian batsman Brain Lara with 11953 runs. If he scores 62 runs, he will touch 12,000 run mark in Test Cricket.

Though his record is very nearer, Lalchand Rajput said that, "Sachin is not a player who plays for record. If he plays for record, he would not have told the umpires about the fading light during the last day of the first test. I am sure it is not in his mind as he wanted to conquer the Australians than his personal records. When the plan was worked out for the 2nd test, there were talks about his records, which he set aside. He is looking for winning the test and series. Though he has taken more tests than Lara, a record is a record. Each player is different and the conditions they play are different."

Well, he is playing his 152nd test tomorrow, and if India bats first, everyone will be looking for him to score those important 15 runs and then blast Australians.

Let us all wish him the best tomorrow!

Indian Team Announced for 1st Two Tests! Ganguly Included!

A surprise addition to the Indian team squad was Ganguly, one of the important all rounder of Indian cricket. The former Indian skipper was omitted from the Rest of India team for Irani Cup. This was a surprise for Ganguly and didn't go practice for two days.

He is one of the senior members in the team--Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. The first person to be focused for forcing the retirment was Ganguly, the Prince of Kolkata, but he said, cricket is still left in him for another two years. It is an opportunity for him especially after the failure in Sri Lankan series.

The Squad:

1. Anil Kumble (Captain)
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Gautam Gambhir
4. Rahul Dravid
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Sourav Ganguly
7. VVS Laxman
8. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
9. Harbhajan Singh
10. Zaheer Khan
11. Ishanth Sharma
12, Munaf Patel
13. RP Singh
14. S Badrinath
15. Amit Mishra

Tendulkar Declared Fit! Good News for Sachin Fans!

The master batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been declared fit for the test series against the touring Australians. India will play in 4 test matches against the Australians starting from October.

Sachin was injured during the Sri Lankan tour. While trying for a catch, he injured his elbow and was advised rest. He had to return to India and miss the ODI series in Sri Lanaka.

He was added in the Rest of India team for the Irani Cup but pulled out of it in the last minute. He was replaced by Tamil Nadu batsman Badrinath.

In the recent study on Tendulkar, the National Cricket Academy Physio submitted a clean chit report on Tendulkar. He said, Sachin will join the camp in Bangalore from September 30.

Good News for all Sachin Fans!

Irani Cup: Dhoni and Dravid put ROI in Strong Position on Day 3!

Resuming the day 3 from 99 for 1, Rest of India scored 302 and set 378 as the target for Delhi to win the Irani Cup.

Badrinath and Dravid added 12 runs in the morning on Day 4 before Ishanth Sharma sent Badrinath one more time. Kaif did not utilize the opportunity and was dismissed two balls later for a duck, caught behind. Laxman once again failed and fell to Nanda for 18. At this stage, ROI was struggling at 152 for 4. It was left to Dhoni and Dravid to build the innings and they did it. They added 55 runs for the 5th wicket and the score was 207 when Dravid fell for Nanda on 69.

Dhoni played a crucial innings and ensured that ROI gains considerable lead. He scored 84 off 113 balls with 12 fours and a six. This is the third six of the match with first one by Sehwag and the second one was by Sangwan.

RP Singh, though not successful with the ball, scored useful 24 and involved in the 25-run last wicket partnership with Munaf Patel.

Nanda was the successfuul bowler for Delhi with a 5-wicket haul. He picked 3 wickets in the first innings and ended with a match figure of 8 for 108.

Delhi chasing 378, lost both Sehwag (3) and Kholi (16) LBW to Zaheer Khan. Gambhir and Bhatia steadied the innings and brough the score to 113 from 37 for 2. Bhatia scored 31 and fell on the last ball of the day to Harbhajan Singh.

Delhi ended Day 3 at 113 for 3 and are in need of another 265 runs with 7 wickets in hand. Only 3 more recognized wickets are needed for ROI before picking the tail.

The uncontrolled 36 extras by Delhi is going to cost them more. They could have reduced it by 23 of those by cutting 12 byes and 11 no balls. This would have reduced the target by another 36.

It is mostly ROI's match unless Gambhir, Chopra, Manhas and Bisht play some big innings to give a chance to Delhi.

Score at the end of Day 3:

Rest of India 1st Innings 252 all out in 81.3 overs (W Jaffer 50, R Dravid 46, S Badrinath 16, VVS Laxman 17, M Kaif 29, MS Dhoni 5, A Kumble 9, Harbhajan Singh 26 not out, Z Khan 0, RP Singh 18, MM Patel 19, Extras--17 (b 3, lb 1, nb 13), A Nehra 0 for 59, I Sharma 3 for 22, P Sangwan 3 for 57, R Bhatia 0 for 28, C Nanda 3 for 60, V Sehwag 1 for 22)

Delhi 177 1st Innings all out in 57 overs (A Chopra 42, G Gambhir 5, V Sehwag 43, V Kohli 4, R Bhatia 17, M Manhas 4, P Bisht 28, C Nanda 0, P Sangwan 23 not out, A Nehra 0, I Sharma 3, Extras--8 (b 1, lb 3, nb 4), Z Khan 2 for 45, RP Singh 0 for 31, A Kumble 2 for 34, MM Patel 4 for 31, Harbhajan Singh 2 for 32)

Rest of India 2nd Innings (lead by 75 runs) 302 all out in 92.overs (W Jaffer 21, R Dravid 69, S Badrinath 36, M Kaif 0, VVS Laxman 18, MS Dhoni 84, A Kumble 9, Harbhajan Singh 0, Z Khan 4, RP Singh 24, MM Patel 1 not out, Extras--36 (b 12, lb 13, nb 11), A Nehra 1 for 84, I Sharma 3 for 52, C Nanda 5 for 48, P Sangwan 1 for 35, V Sehwag 0 for 55, R Bhatia 0 for 3)

Delhi 2nd Innings (target: 378 runs) 113 for 3 in 31 overs (G Gambhir 51 batting, V Sehwag 3, V Kohli 16, R Bhatia 31, Extras--12 (b 1, lb 9, nb 2), Z Khan 2 for 18, RP Singh 0 for 37, MM Patel 0 for 23, A Kumble 0 for 14, Harbhajan Singh 1 for 11)

Click here for Day 1 Scores!

Click here for Day 2 Scores!

Irani Cup: Rest of India back in the Game! Munaf Patel Strikes 4 Wickets!

Rest of India came back strong on Day 2. Having bundled out for 252, a moderate score, ROI packed the Delhi team lead by Sehwag for 177. Munaf Patel picked 4 wickets while skipper Kumble, Bhajji and Zaheer picked 2 each.

Resuming from 21 for no loss, Delhi lost the first wicket in the form of Gambhir in the 2nd over of the day. He was caught by Dravid of Zaheer Khan for 5. Sehwag and Chopra added played well and took the partnership beyond 50. Chopra was caught by Kaif to give Munaf Patel his first wicket. Kohli was caught behind of Munaf for 4.

Skipper Sehwag's wicket was taken by ROI skipper Kumble caught by Dravid for 43, the highest scorer for Delhi. Manhas was caught behind off Munaf and Delhi were struggling at 102 for 5.

After that, nothing went right for Delhi and they lost the remaining 5 wickets for 75 runs. Bhatia (17) and Bisht (28) were playing singles and looked comfortable. They added 36 runs for the 6th wicket, but Zaheer trapped Bhatia in front and provided the break through.

Bhajji picked the next two wickets, Patel picked the 9th wicket and Ishanth Sharma was the last to go with Kumble getting him LBW.

Gaining lead of 75 runs, ROI started the 2nd innings well. Jaffer played positively scoring 21 off 36 balls with 3 boundaries. Dravid played slowly and consumed 111 balls for his 34. Badrinath, playing crucial innings in his career is batting with 33. Sangwan picked the wicket of Jaffer, caught by Chopra.

Score at the end of Day 2:

Rest of India 1st Innings 252 all out in 81.3 overs (W Jaffer 50, R Dravid 46, S Badrinath 16, VVS Laxman 17, M Kaif 29, MS Dhoni 5, A Kumble 9, Harbhajan Singh 26 not out, Z Khan 0, RP Singh 18, MM Patel 19, Extras--17 (b 3, lb 1, nb 13), A Nehra 0 for 59, I Sharma 3 for 22, P Sangwan 3 for 57, R Bhatia 0 for 28, C Nanda 3 for 60, V Sehwag 1 for 22)

Delhi 177 1st Innings all out in 57 overs (A Chopra 42, G Gambhir 5, V Sehwag 43, V Kohli 4, R Bhatia 17, M Manhas 4, P Bisht 28, C Nanda 0, P Sangwan 23 not out, A Nehra 0, I Sharma 3, Extras--8 (b 1, lb 3, nb 4), Z Khan 2 for 45, RP Singh 0 for 31, A Kumble 2 for 34, MM Patel 4 for 31, Harbhajan Singh 2 for 32)

Rest of India 2nd Innings (lead by 75 runs) (W Jaffer 21, R Dravid 34 batting, S Badrinath 33 batting, Extras--11 (b 4, lb 5, nb 2), A Nehra 0 for 28, I Sharma 29, C Nanda 0 for 15, P Sangwan 1 for 11, V Sehwag 0 for 4, R Bhatia 0 for 3)

Click here for Day 1 Scores!

Irani Cup: ROI Struggle on Day 1!

Rest of India after deciding to bat first are struggling at the end of Day 1. The Delhi skipper Virendra Sehwag was looking cool throughout the day and did not bother about the wicketless first hour.

The breakthrough was given by Nanda, the 3rd change bowler. He sent Jaffer to pavilion caught by Kohli for 50, the only half-century maker.

Dravid and Badrniath were dismissed Ishanth Sharma in quick succession. Dravid was trapped leg before after lunch for 46 and Badrinath dragged the ball to his stump when he was looking good at 16. He survivied a difficult chance, but did not utilize the oppotunity given to him.

Laxman, who played causually with the part-time spinner Sehwag, was caught by Manhas for 17. Kaif showed some resistence and played sensibly and he was the 3rd highest scorer in the team with 29. Dhoni was expected to score along with Kaif, but was soon dismissed for 5 by Sangwan, who also dismissed the Indian skipper Kumble for 9.

Harbhajan played some shots and added vital runs to the team along with RP Singh (18) and Munaf Patel (19). Zaheer Khan did not open his account and was dismissed by Sangwan. Bhajji was the 4th top scorer for ROI with 26 not out.

Ishant Sharma, Sangwan and Nanda picked 3 wickets each and restricted ROI to 252.

Delhi played 5 remaining overs of the day and scored 21 without losing a wicket. Chopra is on 16 and Gambhir is playing with 4.

Can ROI with experienced bowlers Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, RP Singh and two spin giants Harbhajan Singh and Kumble, restrict Delhi to less than 250? Wait and see this place!

Score at the end of Day 1:

Rest of India 252 all out in 81.3 overs (W Jaffer 50, R Dravid 46, S Badrinath 16, VVS Laxman 17, M Kaif 29, MS Dhoni 5, A Kumble 9, Harbhajan Singh 26 not out, Z Khan 0, RP Singh 18, MM Patel 19, Extras--17 (b 3, lb 1, nb 13), A Nehra 0 for 59, I Sharma 3 for 22, P Sangwan 3 for 57, R Bhatia 0 for 28, C Nanda 3 for 60, V Sehwag 1 for 22)

Delhi 21 for no loss in 5 overs (A Chopra 16 not out, G Gambhir 4 not out, Extras--1 (lb 1), Z Khan 0 for 8, RP Singh 0 for 7, A Kumble 0 for 5)

Playing Against Australia is bigger than Pakistan - Sachin!

The master batsman Sachin Tendulkar has said that over the last few years, the match against Australia has become bigger and competitive than matches against Pakistan.

"I think it (India v Australia) has become bigger largely because of the competitiveness. All the series between us from 2001 onwards have been very keenly fought and have been very close ones," said Tendulkar.

The little master is just 77 runs away for over taking Brian Lara and become the highest run getter in Test Cricket History. He missed it against Sri Lanka in the 3 test series. He needed 176 runs, but he scored 95 in 5 innings that he played.

"We have gone to Australia and beaten them. We have been able to surprise the Australian team and that's what the Australian public likes: competition and high standards of play. They love to see challenges and competitiveness.

"The fan following for the India-Australia series has definitely increased as compared to say 15 years ago. The coming series would also be very closely fought. Talking on behalf of the Indian team I can say we will play hard but fair and I feel the Australians also will do so," said Tendulkar.

"They (Australian squad) have a lot of experienced players and some of them have been playing for a long time now. They are the number one team in the world and we are prepared to face all challenges. It's going to be an extremely well-fought series which would be played in the right spirit and the cricket would be played very hard," said the master blaster.

Let us hope he scores the required runs in the first test and help India to win the test series, though he is not playing for records.

Tendulkar to feature in Lord Ganesh Documentary!

Tendular ended the speculation by coming out open and saying that he will be sharing his views like anyone else on Lord Ganesha. He is not acting in a Bollywood movie as rumoured by others.

"I would not feature in a Bollywood film but like others will share my views on Lord Ganesha in a documentary. There were misunderstandings about my role in the film, but now they are cleared," Tendulkar said.

He further added, "one really feels peaceful while visiting a temple and I would share my views on Siddhivinayak."

He said that no one has to remember Lord Ganesha only during the 10-day festival. The team pray during the match. The celebration time is electrifying.

Improve Infrastructure and Facilities then Expect Olympic Medals - Tendulkar

One of the greatest batsmen of cricket Sachin Tendulkar has come out open and asked the respective authorities to improve the infrastructre and facilities for all sports before expecting a medal from it.

He was all praise for the Olympic Medal Winners and mentioned that they have brought glory to India. Every Indian is proud of their achievement.

He mentioend that the country's infrastrcuture and facilities should be improved overall for all the sports. If we expect India to win more medals in the Olympic, then we should provide the best of the facilities and infrastructure to the players.

Tendulkar is Back! To Play in Irani Match!

The fan of Sachin Tendulkar have a reason to celebrate and be relieved! Yes, the God of Cricket has declared himself fit and ready to play cricket again. Since there is no international schedule now, he will participate in the Irani Cup--a domestic tournament.

"I will be participating in the Irani Trophy. Just now I'm fine," declared the master batsman at a promotional event for Aviva Insurance of which he is a brand ambassador.

He was not in his full form against Sri Lanka in the test series. He was in need of 172 runs to take over from Brain Lara as the leading run getter in test cricket history. But he couldn't succeed in getting those runs and should wait till the Australian tour to India.

The champion batsman could muster only 95 runs at a very dismal average of 15.83 per innings with 31 in the second innings of the second Test at Galle, won by India, as his highest score in the three-match Test rubber.

He injured himself when tried to catch in the second slip of Kumble. His elbow injured and he had to leave the field.

Let us hope that he shines in the Australian tour and scores the run he wanted for the country and also for himself.

Good luck dear Sachin!

Ganguly Acting in Documentary!

It is rumoured that Ganguly is ready to act in a documentary film to be made by sports journalist turned film director Mitali Ghosal. The film will cover all the aspects of Prince of Kolkota. The title of the film is "The Warrior Prince."

Former Indian skipper will act in the 80-minute documentary film to be released in December this year. It covers the cricketers high and low in his career in addition to interviews from other prominent sporting personalities such as Arjuna Ranatunga, Rahul Dravid, Azharuddin.

The film will also cover his personal life from his childhood till date. It has interviews from his wife--Dona, brother--Snehashish, father--Chandidas and also few friends.

It recalls the incident of Ganguly getting hurt by the then skipper Azharuddin jokingly asking him "Have you done your shipping in England?"

Steve Waugh and Tendulkar have agreed to give interviews. The director is trying to get some time from Brett Lee, Ricky Ponting.

The film will be released in English and Bengali and will definitely be a good treat for his fans.

3rd Test: Sri Lanka beats India, win series!!

What was a great chance to win the series, India really messed it up, especially after winning the toss. The first wicket partnership was 51 when Sehwag was dismissed for 21. Dravid (10) and Tendulakar (4) followed him. Ganguly made 35 and Laxman made 25.

Mendis, the demolition man picked 5 wickets and Murali picked 3. India were bundeled out for 249.

India had the game in hand by restricting Sri Lanka to less than 300. India picked 4 wickets with 141 on the board. The 5th wicket added 60 (between Sangakkara and Samaraveera). Sangakkara made 144 and took the total beyond 300. The 80-run stand for the 8th wicket between Sangakkar and HAPW Jayawardane helped Sri Lanka to have a lead of more than 100 runs.

The pathetic captaincy and bowling gave Sri Lanka a lead of 147 runs. India could have gone past that and added a big score in the 2nd innings, but the Indian batting failed once again. Dravid made a fighting 68 and Laxman 61 not out. It was expected that Dravid and Laxman pair would put another historic partnership, but they were not able to.

Spinners Muralitharan and Mendis pikced 3 wickets each as India was all out for 268 setting a target of 122 runs.

Sri Lanka chased 123 losing 2 wickets for 22 runs, but once again Kumble did not put enough pressure on the batsman as skipper Jayawardane (50 not out) and Warnapura (54 not out) took Sri Lankan the series victory.



Match: 3rd Test
Venue: Columbo
Date: August 8-12, 2008
Teams: Sri Lanka and India
Captains: DPMD Jayawardene and A Kumble
Toss: India won the toss and decided to bat
Result: Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
Series: Sri Lanka won the series 2-1
Man of the Match: KC Sangakkara off Sri Lanka
Man of the Series: BAW Mendis off Sri Lanka
Score:

India 1st Innings 249 all out in 80 overs (G Gambhir 72, V Sehwag 21, R Dravid 10, SR Tendulkar 6, SC Ganguly 35, VVS Laxman 25, PA Patel 13, A Kumble 1, Harbhajan Singh 3, I Sharma 17 not out, Z Khan 32, Extras-14 (b 1, lb 8, nb 5), WPUJC Vaas 0 for 44, KTGD Prasad 3 for 82, BAW Mendis 5 for 56, M Muralitharan 2 for 58)

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 396 all out in 134.2 overs (MG Vandort 14, BSM 8, WPUJC Vaas 47, KC Sangakkara 144, DPMD Jayawardene 2, TT Samaraweera 35, TM Dilshan 23, HAPW Jayawardene 49, KTGD Prasad 36, BAW Mendis 17, M Muralitharan 0 not out, Extras-21 (b 4, lb 14, w 2, nb 1), Z Khan 3 for 105, I Sharma 1 for 33, Harbhajan Singh 3 for 104, A Kumble 3 for 123, V Sehwag 0 for 2, SC Ganguly 0 for 11)

India 2nd Innings (trail by 147 runs) 268 all out in 87.5 overs (G Gambhir 26, V Sehwag 34, R Dravid 68, SC Ganguly 18, PA Patel 1, SR Tendulkar 14, VVS Laxman 61 not out, A Kumble 9, Harbhajan Singh 26, Z Khan 0, I Sharma 0, Extras-11 (b 5, lb 3, w 2, nb 1), WPUJC Vaas 1 for 20, KTGD Prasad 2 for 60, M Muralitharan 3 for 99, BAW Mendis 3 for 81)

lost to Sri Lanka (target 122 runs) 123 for 2 in 33.1 overs (MG Vandort 8, BSM Warnapura 54 not out, KC Sangakkara 4, DPMD Jayawardene 50 not out, Extras-7 (b 4, lb 3), Z Khan 1 for 22, Harbhajan Singh 1 for 44, A Kumble 0 for 34, V Sehwag 0 for 12, SC Ganguly 0 for 4)

Click here to view 2nd Test Results!

Click here to view 1st Test Results!

2nd Test: India Equal the Series! Sehwag and Bhajji did the Trick!

Trailing 0-1 in the test series against the hosts Sri Lanka, India pulled off a sensational win in the 2nd test to equal the series. Sehwag and Gambhir laid the foundation through the first wicket partnership in the first innings, handling both Mendis and Muralitharan.

Sehwag scored a wonderful double century and helped India to put a decent total on the board. Without his double century, India would have struggled to cross 200.

The famous four once again failed miserably. Dravid out for 2 to Mendis, Sachin got out for 5, Ganguly for a duck, and Laxman for 39. India were 167 for no loss and lost Gambhir for 56. From 167 for 1, India slumpped to 178 for 4. Mendis picked 6 wickets.

Good bowling by Harbhajan Singh helped India to gain 37 runs lead in the first innings. He took 6 wickets, dismissing top order batsmen. Warnapura, Sangakkara and Skipper Jayawardane crossed 50.

Having a good chance in the match, India did not utilized it well in the 2nd innings. India had all the time in the world to score more runs in the 2nd innings which started on Day 3. Gambhir and Sehwag once again gave a good start to India, but India was dismissed for 269.

Chasing 307, Sri Lanka lost the first three wickets including skipper Jayawardane with 10 on the board. Ishanth picked 2 wickets and Zaheer picked 1. At lunch on Day 4, Sri Lanka were 24 for 3. Samaraweera provided some resistence and scored 68 not out. He along with Dilshan added 76 for the 5th wicket. There was a little threat, but once that partnership was broken by Ishanth Sharma, the remaining 5 wickets fell for 23 runs in 11.4 overs. Though Bhajji picked 10 wickets in the match, Sehwag's 201 not out in first innings and 50 in the 2nd innings won him the man of the match award.

Match: 2nd Test
Venue: Galle
Date: July 31-August 4, 2008
Teams: Sri Lanka and India
Captains: DPMD Jayawardene and A Kumble
Toss: India won the toss and decided to bat
Result: India won by 170 runs
Series: Level at 1-1
Man of the Match: V Sehwag off India
Score:

India 1st Innings 329 all out in 82 overs (G Gambhir 56, V Sehwag 201 not out, R Dravid 2, SR Tendulkar 5, SC Ganguly 0, VVS Laxman 39, KD Karthik 7, A Kumble 4, Harbhajan Singh 1, Z Khan 2, I Sharma 0, Extras-12 (b 1, lb 4, w 7), WPUJC Vaas 2 for 74, KMDN Kulasekara 0 for 40, BAW Mendis 6 for 117, M Muralitharan 2 for 93)

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 292 all out in 93.3 overs (MG Vandort 4, BSM Warnapura 66, KC Sangakkara 68, DPMD Jayawardene 86, TT Samaraweera 14, TM Dilshan 0, HAPW Jayawardene 24, WPUJC Vaas 1, KMDN Kulasekara 5 not out, BAW Mendis 0, M Muralitharan 0, Extras-24 (b 10, lb 12, nb 2), Z Khan 1 for 51, I Sharma 0 for 36, A Kumble 3 for 81, Harbhajan Singh 6 for 102)

India 2nd Innings (lead by 37 runs) 269 all out in 76.2 overs (G Gambhir 74, V Sehwag 50, R Dravid 44, SR Tendulkar 31, SC Ganguly 16, VVS Laxman 13, KD Karthik 20, A Kumble 2, Harbhajan Singh 11, I Sharma 0, Z Khan 1 not out, Extras-7 (lb 7), WPUJC Vaas 2 for 32, KMDN Kulasekara 0 for 31, M Muralitharan 3 for 107, BAW Mendis 4 for 92)

beat Sri Lanka 2nd Innings (307 to win) 136 all out in 47.3 overs (MG Vandort 10, BSM Warnapura 0, KC Sangakkara 1, DPMD Jayawardene 5, TT Samaraweera 67 not out, TM Dilshan 38, HAPW Jayawardene 4, WPUJC Vaas 0, KMDN Kulasekara 1, BAW Mendis 2, M Muralitharan 0, Extras-8 (b 4, lb 2, nb 2), Z Khan 1 for 18, I Sharma 3 for 20, A Kumble 2 for 41, Harbhajan Singh 4 for 51)

1st Test: Sri Lanka beat India in 1st Test

The Indian batting failed one more time and they succumbed to the spin attack of Muralitharan and Mendis. All the famous four fell apart and no one was able to attack or handle Mendis. India miserably failed in the test and lost it by an innings and 239 runs. Isn't it a huge margin and big loss for India?

Four centuries were scored in the Sri Lankan's innings and that helped Sri Lanka to put a huge total on the board. India was given follow on as they failed to reduce the lead to less than 200. The match was completed on the fourth day. Muralitharan was awarded the man of the match for his 11 wicket haul in the match.


Match: 1st Test
Venue: Columbo
Date: July 23-27, 2008
Teams: Sri Lanka and India
Captains: DPMD Jayawardene and A Kumble
Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat
Result: Sri Lanka won by an innings and 239 runs
Series: Sri Lanka lead by 1-0
Man of the Match: M Muralitharan off Sri Lanka
Score:

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 600 for 6 declared in 162 overs (MG Vandort 3, BSM Warnapura 115, KC Sangakkara 12, DPMD Jayawardene 136, TT Samaraweera 127, TM Dilshan 125 not out, HAPW Jayawardene 30, WPUJC Vaas 22 not out, Extras-30 (b 4, lb 5, w 3, nb 18), Z Khan 2 for 156, I Sharma 2 for 124, SC Ganguly 0 for 24, Harbhajan Singh 2 for 149, A Kumble 0 for 121, V Sehwag 0 for 17)

beat India 1st Innings 223 all out in 72.5 overs (G Gambhir 39, V Sehwag 25, R Dravid 14, SR Tendulkar 27, SC Ganguly 23, VVS Laxman 56, KD Karthik 9, A Kumble 1, Harbhajan Singh 9, Z Khan 5, I Sharma 13 not out, Extras-2 (lb 2), WPUJC Vaas 0 for 23, DN Kulasekara 1 for 42, BAW Mendis 4 for 72, M Muralitharan 5 for 84)

India 2nd Innings (follow on and trail by 377 runs) 138 all out in 48 overs (G Gambhir 43, V Sehwag 13, VVS Laxman 21, SR Tendulkar 12, R Dravid 10, SC Ganguly 4, KD Karthik 0, A Kumble 12, Harbhajan Singh 15, Z Khan 3, I Sharma 5 not out, Extra-0, WPUJC Vaas 0 for 27, KMDN Kulasekara 0 for 25, BAW Mendis 4 for 60, M Muralitharan 6 for 26)