Langer talks comeback as Hughes struggles

The pressure is mounting on Phillip Hughes. No sooner had Australia's embattled opener fallen cheaply to David Wigley, Northamptonshire's journeyman seamer, than reports were surfacing of Justin Langer's proposed comeback to Test cricket. And if that wasn't enough, the two batsmen best placed to usurp Hughes this tour, Shane Watson and Michael Hussey, both notched half-centuries on a rain-interrupted day in Northampton.
A day removed from overtaking Don Bradman as Australia's high first-class run scorer, Langer revealed he would be prepared to "play the third Test for Australia next week for nothing". The likelihood of Australia's selectors accepting his offer may well be infinitesimal but the stir it caused at Wantage Road on Friday said much about the concerns harboured about Hughes and his diminishing returns.
Since arriving in England with the Australian team, the 20-year-old has scored just 82 first-class runs at 13.66. Never before in his 28-game first-class career has he endured a stretch this long without registering a half century. His prolific feats for Middlesex now resemble a false dawn.
Hughes' efforts in South Africa, as well as his brisk 78 in the unofficial match against Sussex, might just have provided him with enough selection credits to carry through this Ashes series, but should his struggles continue Phil Jaques and Chris Rogers will certainly enter the frame for Australia's next Test assignment against West Indies. Langer may present a fair case with a typically solid 529 runs at 44.08 for Somerset this season, but at 38, and with no Tests to his name since the fifth and final match of the 2006-07 Ashes, his prospects are remote in the extreme.
"One of the boys in the Somerset changing room asked me 'if they asked you to play tomorrow, how much would it take?' and I said I would play the third Test for Australia next week for nothing," Langer told the Press Association on Friday. "When you have played that much, you miss the big Tests. I miss the hype of the Ashes series.

Deccan hold nerve to win IPL

Deccan Chargers took the bull in their emblem too seriously, as they came out charging to defend a modest total. They bowled with fire, they fielded aggressively, they sledged with a vengeance, and literally, almost by physical force, hustled Royal Bangalore Challengers out in a thrilling final that lived up to the occasion.

The final turning point of the night, which had many by the way, was the 15th over, bowled by Andrew Symonds when he matched his verbal skills from earlier in the night with the wickets of Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli in back-to-back deliveries. Bangalore were 99 for 6 when the over started, and Taylor had looked dangerous in his 20-ball 27. That over was symbolic of the night: every time a batsman seemed to get away from the bowling side, a breakthrough pulled the batting side back.
In defence of a total three less than what Bangalore bettered easily in the semi-final, Deccan came out pumped: with the way they bowled and more conspicuously with they way they behaved. Symonds shadowed the latest tyro, Manish Pandey, all the way from the dugout to the crease. And all during his stay Pandey was a marked man. Symonds followed him wherever he went, giving him lip. Ryan Harris matched the aggression with the ball, clocking 145kmph constantly in the first over, a maiden.
Jacques Kallis looked to take the pressure off the 19-year-old batting with him. In Harris' next over Kallis took two boundaries to get the chase going. RP Singh brought the balance back when Kallis pulled him onto his stumps, going for consecutive boundaries. Out came Roelof van der Merwe, who used the adrenalin to push Bangalore further towards the target.
van der Merwe, another little known commodity, got a mouthful from Symonds and Harris, but he responded by taking two sixes off one Harris over. Despite the maiden Harris had gone for 23 in three overs. Even after Pragyan Ojha got Pandey with the first ball he bowled, van der Merwe's pyrotechnics kept Deccan at a distance.
One ball summed up the adrenalin rush van der Merwe was feeling. Beaten in the flight by Ojha he managed an edge that saved him from the stumping, but he also dropped the bat down. He picked his bat up even as he ran the first run, and turned a two into a three, saving himself from the run-out by running in a direct line from stumps to stumps and diving into them.

- Venki

IPL to be played outside India

Cricket/India,

England and South Africa have emerged as the front-runners to host the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the BCCI decided, following days of inconclusive negotiations with the Indian home ministry and various state governments, to shift the tournament out of India. The venue and new schedule will be announced on Monday. Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, said the tournament had been relocated "because of the extraordinary situation existing this year." The 45-day tournament clashes with the forthcoming general elections in India and there had been concerns over security.
Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's chief executive, said South Africa was ready to host the tournament if needed. He expected to have "positive discussions" with Indian officials in this regard over phone on Monday. The ECB said it had received a request from the Indian board and the IPL and was examining the possibility of hosting the tournament. ECB chairman Giles Clarke told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme he was willing to help his Indian counterparts. "We normally talk to them a great deal and we would be delighted to help again," he said.

India end drought with thumping win

Cricket/New Zealand,

It had been 33 years since India won a Test match in New Zealand but the statistic was rendered obsolete after a six-wicket haul from Harbhajan Singh inspired a comprehensive 10-wicket victory at Seddon Park. Daniel Flynn led the defiance with 67 and Brendon McCullum hustled 84 as India eased off after tea. But though the innings defeat was avoided after a 76-run partnership with Iain O'Brien, India needed just 32 balls to knock off the 39 runs needed.
McCullum was decidedly fortunate to survive a leg-before shout from Munaf Patel when he was on three, and Simon Taufel missed a bat-pad catch when he had 67. But those apart, he played his strokes freely, with MS Dhoni not employing too many close-in fielders and more than content to give him singles. With the field spread, he cut the ball with immense power and played a couple of pulls too as the innings defeat was avoided.
O'Brien defended stoutly and hit a couple of boundaries himself as the partnership assumed frustrating proportions. Almost inevitably, it was Harbhajan that provided succour, though there was more than an element of doubt about the bat-pad decision that ended O'Brien's resistance. He could have few complaints though after the third umpire had given him the benefit of a run-out call.

Tendulkar keeps India on top

Cricket/New Zealand,

The expected run barrage never came, with Virender Sehwag run out early in the day, but half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid and an unbeaten 70 from Sachin Tendulkar allowed India to establish a measure of control at Seddon Park. New Zealand were disciplined with the ball and sprightly in the field, but despite a lot of moisture in the air after overnight rain, there was no real menace from the bowlers. By the time the players went off for bad light, India were just a run behind, though there would have been some disappointment at the fact that well-set batsmen didn't go on to make bigger scores.

There was still Tendulkar though. Having taken 11 balls to get off the mark, he eased himself into rhythm slowly, but there were some sparkling strokes in the final session. There were cover-drives off front and back foot, precise cuts and deft nudges off the pads. His best shot though was a gorgeous on-drive off Chris Martin, a stroke he followed up with an impudent ramp over slips off Iain O'Brien. New Zealand were left to reflect on a missed chance when Tendulkar had made just 13 and miscued a pull off Daniel Vettori just beyond Daniel Flynn at midwicket.

Seamers shine on hard-fought day

Cricket/New Zealand,

Superb hundreds from Daniel Vettori and Jesse Ryder dragged New Zealand from the depths of 60 for 6 to a relatively respectable 279 on a well-grassed but true pitch at Seddon Park. By stumps, India had knocked off 29 with Virender Sehwag looking in ominously good touch. India dominated the first session and the final hour, but the defiant 186-run stand, a record for the seventh wicket for New Zealand against India, could still be pivotal to the outcome of the match. The rest of the batsmen contributed next to nothing, while India's three seamers took all but one of the wickets to fall.
What was especially eye-catching was the positivity with which New Zealand scripted the revival. Ryder was fortunate to survive a leg-before shout from Zaheer Khan when he had made 37 while Dravid put down a difficult chance at slip when Vettori had 77, but those apart, India struggled to create wicket-taking opportunities. Far too many edges went through gaps in the slip cordon, and a couple of run-out chances were fluffed as Vettori and Ryder ran the visitors ragged.

All-round Ryder scripts resounding consolation win for New Zealand

Cricket/New Zealand,

A team in the doldrums after three comprehensive defeats sprung back to life thanks to the all-round efforts of their most exciting and marketable young cricketer, Jesse Ryder. His miserly spell of 3 for 29 sunk India to a paltry 149, but it was his delightful exhibition of lusty hitting which caught the imagination of the capacity crowd at the Eden Park stadium. Supported by an equally stylish Martin Guptill - who slammed an unbeaten 57 - Ryder put New Zealand on the path to a consolation win. His only blemish was that he could not stay till the end.

It was as if New Zealand were playing on a different surface. The kind of swing which their bowlers managed in India's innings was seemingly absent under lights and the ease with which Ryder went about bludgeoning the bowlers over the on side with exquisite pulls showed how the Indians were outplayed in the batting department.
India's only chance of mounting a fightback was to pick up early wickets but after Brendon McCullum's dismissal in the third over, they had to wait more than 12 overs for their next breakthrough, by which time Ryder and Guptill had already added 84.
Guptill and Ryder are New Zealand's most exciting batting talents and the cheers from the packed Eden Park stadium for their rising stars never died down. Perhaps the busiest people at the venue were the workers at the construction site on one side of the ground who had to fish the ball out of the rubble and unfinished stands.

Blazing Sehwag sets up series win

Sehwag blasted India's fastest ODI hundred as the visitors swept to a comprehensive win that secured their maiden one-day series triumph in New Zealand. Sehwag reached three-figures off 60 balls with a signature six and his awe-inspiring hitting overshadowed Gautam Gambhir's near run-a-ball half-century. Daniel Vettori and the rest of the New Zealand bowlers were powerless in the face of the onslaught and what had seemed a challenging target was chased down with ridiculous ease. Even the two stoppages due to rain couldn't stem the run-deluge with

Sehwag completing his century as early as the 18th over.
Astonishingly, only five runs came behind square on the off side, generally Sehwag's favourite hitting area. But the batsman still displayed his range of strokes in one Iain O'Brien over, hitting four fours off five balls: a powerful pull to midwicket, a drive that nearly took the bowler's head off, a whip off his pads and a pull-drive over mid-on to a short delivery.
In an innings filled with scintillating strokeplay, Sehwag was at his most murderous when play resumed following a rain break at the 10-over mark. With intermittent showers holding up play at regular intervals, Sehwag decided to make sure there was an early finish - in a five-over period, starting from the 12th over, he moved from 52 to 92. The high backlift showed his intentions as he set about dismantling O'Brien, Ewen Thompson and Jacob Oram. Only Daniel Vettori's intelligent variations of pace managed to draw a measure of respect from Sehwag.
Spare a thought for the debutant Thompson, who sends down gentle medium-pacers of the sort New Zealand so favoured in the 90s. After more than eight years of toil on the domestic scene, he was rewarded with a place on the national team, only to come up against a rampaging Sehwag on a small ground and a benign track with field restrictions in place. His four overs were taken for 42 runs, Sehwag's mighty hit into the scoreboard behind midwicket being the pick of the strokes against him.
Smart Stats
Virender Sehwag's unbeaten 125 is his third ODI hundred in New Zealand, where he averages more than in any country in which he has played more than one match. In 11 games there he has hit three hundreds, for an average of 55.80 and a strike rate of 100.90. He is the only Indian to score more than one ODI century in New Zealand.
In his last 21 ODIs, Sehwag has scored 1240 runs at an average of 62 and a strike rate of 131.49.
In 24 innings, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have added 1380 runs at an average of 60 and run-rate of 6.61 per over. Among Indian opening pairs, who have scored at least 750 runs, this pair has the highest average and strike rate.
Sehwag and Gambhir added 201 at a rate of 8.55 runs per over, which is the second-fastest double-century partnership in ODIs. Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga added 286 against England in 2006 at a rate of 8.98 runs per over.
Ewen Thompson's economy rate of 10.50 is among the most expensive by a debutant. Among those who bowled at least four overs on debut, only four have a worse economy rate.
It's only the third instance of a team scoring 200 or more while batting second in an ODI and winning without losing a wicket.

India eye maiden series win in New Zealand

Cricket/New Zealand,

Two-nil down with two to play, New Zealand are in a position where nothing less than a win will do. The fourth game offers them a good opportunity to mount a comeback - the Seddon Park in Hamilton is their favourite home venue, Daniel Vettori is back to lead the team and they'll be up against an Indian line-up without Sachin Tendulkar.
To register their first win, though, they will need to do more than just bank on past record. The bowling attack - apart from Vettori - has been a shambles so far, and the short boundaries in Hamilton won't ease their task. What will encourage the home team is the courage they showed when up against a daunting target in Christchurch, where they scored 334 and clearly rattled the Indians despite a middle-order collapse.
India have already ensured they'll get at least a share of the series, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni will want more than that: a win in either of the next two games will give India their first ODI series win in New Zealand. Tendulkar is absent, but the manner in which the entire batting line-up has fired suggests they'll still feel confident of sealing the series in Hamilton.

Team newsThe return of Vettori will be a huge relief for New Zealand, whose bowlers were battered all over the park on Sunday. Tim Southee was a victim of that bowling debacle, and has been dropped from the squad. Ian Butler, who is out with a thigh strain, will be missed, though - at an economy rate of 5.85, he has been one of the more stingy bowlers in the series so far. The changes mean New Zealand will try out debutant Ewen Thompson, whose left-arm fast-medium will offer more variety to the beleaguered bowling attack.
New Zealand (likely) 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Peter McGlashan (wk), 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Ewen Thompson, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Iain O'Brien.
The abdomen injury to Tendulkar has forced India to change their winning combination. Rohit Sharma is the likely replacement, though Irfan Pathan is an option as well. The other change could be the inclusion of Ishant Sharma, who missed the first three games due to injury but bowled in the nets in Hamilton. If fit, he will come in place of Munaf Patel.
India: 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Zaheer Khan.

Pitch & conditionsExpect another run-fest. The pitch is likely to be a belter, and with the short boundaries, bowlers will probably feel the heat again. Some rain is forecast in the morning, but that should clear by the time the match begins in the afternoon.

Tendulkar ruled out of fourth ODI

Cricket/New Zealand,

Sachin Tendulkar was ruled out of the fourth One-Day International against New Zealand to be played in Hamilton on Wednesday after failing to recover from his abdomen injury suffered during the third match. Tendulkar, who retired hurt after belting a stunning 163 in the third ODI, underwent an MRI scan at a local hospital in Christchurch on Monday.
India have taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the five-match series in which the second ODI was abandoned due to rain.
The 36-year-old batsman had been among the runs in all the three ODIs played so far, bettering his 20 at Napier with a 61 in the rained-out match at Wellington. Interestingly, while Tendulkar and team doctor Nitin Patel were at the hospital, the rest of the team had a day out in the hills adjoining Christchurch. They went for a mountain drive, rollicking up an down the bumpy slopes in six-wheeled vehicles. Later, they had a swell time, speed jetting at the Waima waters. Having earned a good outing for outstanding shows on the field, the team moves to Hamilton on Tuesday.

India prevail in battle of batsmen

Cricket/New Zealand,

India survived a scare from New Zealand to win a boundary-filled match and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. A serene Sachin played a perfectly-paced innings to score his first ODI century in New Zealand while Yuvraj Singh demolished the attack in a violent knock to power India to 392 for 4. The mammoth score allowed India the room to overcome a tremendous assault led by Jesse Ryder, who hit a sparkling maiden ton, and his 166-run opening partnership with Brendon McCullum, and later soak up the pressure exerted by a frenetic 83-run stand between Kyle Mills and Tim Southee in seven overs.

The tiny AMI Stadium in Christchurch turned into a bowling slaughterhouse as the batsmen plundered 726 runs, the second highest aggregate in ODI history, but India prevailed in the end by winning in vital moments of the game. When they batted, Tendulkar and Yuvraj ransacked 69 runs from their batting Powerplay, a period that changed the course of the game emphatically. The Indian fielding was sloppy initially - both Ryder and McCullum were dropped - but they hit back with two run-outs when the opening partnership was assuming threatening proportions. Suresh Raina caught McCullum short of the crease and Yuvraj Singh ran out Ross Taylor to peg New Zealand back.
Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan had begun their spells poorly but bounced back for a strong finish. Ryder, who shredded both bowlers, fell in the 27th over, chipping Harbhajan straight to long-off and that was the pivotal moment of the chase. Later, when Mills and Southee attempted to pull of a minor miracle, India were rattled initially but they held their nerve to close the game. New Zealand started and ended their chase well but couldn't sustain the momentum during the middle overs.
In contrast, India never allowed the pace to drop during their innings. The tempo lifted significantly when they took the batting Powerplay in the 23rd over. Yuvraj looted 44, Tendulkar accumulated 24 during the fielding restrictions and India doubled their score during a nine-over period, leaping from 90 after 18 overs to 190 after 27. New Zealand desperately missed the restrictive lines of Daniel Vettori, who missed the game to be with his wife who was expecting their child.
The sparse Christchurch crowd was treated to Yuvraj's full repertoire; swings over midwicket, fiercely-timed cover drives and booming off-drives smashed into the concrete stands. The shot of his innings was a breathtaking six over cow-corner: Yuvraj checked a drive, like putting for a birdie, and the full toss from Tim Southee disappeared into the crowd.
While Yuvraj dazzled with glamourous shots, Tendulkar inspired awe with his innovations. He played numerous paddle sweeps, scooped Southee over fine leg for a stunning six, lofted drives inside out over cover and opened the bat-face to deftly steer the ball to the boundary. Unlike Sehwag, who was bowled while trying to pull a delivery that was not short enough, Tendulkar did not let the temptation of the short square boundaries influence his batting early in his stay. He remained busy throughout his innings, using his wristy flick to turn short-of-length deliveries cutting into middle and off stump to the leg side for many singles.
Saaed Anwar's record score was under threat but Tendulkar retired hurt in the 45th over after pulling a stomach muscle. India's middle-order rose to the occasion; Dhoni punctuated his seven boundaries with 31 singles to rotate the strike to Tendulkar and Suresh Raina increased the six count with five clean hits, the last bringing up India's 18th and equaling the world record.
If India thought they could relax after their batting effort, they were in for a surprise. New Zealand started like a runaway train in pursuit of 393, reaching 166 in 22 overs before they began to implode.
Ryder and McCullum played plenty of big shots but there was no desperation in their method. Ryder stayed adjacent to the line, did not commit himself early to either back or front foot, and swung through the line. When the ball was full, he drove, and when the ball was short, he cut or pulled. It was almost that simple. His balance was perfect. When Praveen Kumar bowled one slightly short of a length, he worked his wrists over time to swat it over long-leg for an audacious six. When Munaf Patel bowled with a packed off-side field, Ryder expertly found gaps where none seemed to exist.
You felt the real contest would be when Harbhajan Singh came on to bowl but Ryder made it a mis-match initially. Harbhajan did not help himself by trying to bowl too fast and ended up bowling either too short or too full. Ryder pulled him for two sixes and lofted one over covers in the first over. In Harbhajan's second over, the ball disappeared over extra cover twice. Ryder brought up his hundred with a delicate dab through backward point. It was not all Ryder, though, as McCullum played the perfect supporting act.
McCullum turned the heat on Praveen, who until then had kept the batsmen on a tight leash with his clever mix of slower ones and nagging short-of-length cutters which suited his packed off-side field. However, McCullum adapted quickly to play several drives. He used his feet well, coming down the track and punching on the up and inside-out to find the gaps. He used the charges down the wicket sparingly but effectively, forcing the bowler into a guessing game and thus, spoiling the length.
It was all going very well for the hosts before they were stunned by the run outs and India came roaring back into the game.

New Zealand is going target on Sehwag, and Gambhir

Cricket/New Zealand,

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Daniel Vettori believe a major part of the upcoming tour will come down to the conditions, which is alien to most of the Indian team. Vettori said that though the pitches had improved a lot, the weather could play a part in deciding many of the games.

"India have come with a formidable reputation, and they've earned it over the last couple of years with the way they've played cricket," Vettori said. "But I suppose we enjoy playing at home, we feel a lot more comfortable here and we've got a pretty good record. Hopefully those things play in our favour, but we also understand this is one of our biggest challenges.
"I think it comes back to our conditions, and hopefully we know those and we can perform in them. I think the wickets are going to be very good, the weather may play a small part in it, but the ability to contain the Indian top order, with the likes of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in it, is probably going to be crucial to our success."
India have been trying to make the best of whatever time they have got to train here in their first week in New Zealand. "Usually we practise for two to two-and-half hours. Since we had four days here we wanted to make the most out of it," Dhoni said. "Especially when we are practising outdoors, maybe the next day it may rain and we won't get the same facilities so we were practising for three-and-a-half to four hours."

India get first taste of windy conditions

Team India try on the new kit

Cricket/India,

Team India, On the eve of the departure to New Zealand, got a new dress in a darker shade of blue for one-day internationals in Mumbai on Wednesday (18/02/2009). Look at the next image. The team Indian cricket board's official kit sponsor Nike unveiled the new jersey in Mumbai with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma. The new kit was developed after extensive research by designers and has been put through rigorous tests at the Nike Sports Research Laboratory.

"Nike's new ODI kit, with its technology features and bolder colours, is testament to this change in this great sport in our country. We wish our teams' greater success in the coming seasons," said Indian cricket board secretary N. Srinivasan. The current kit will be the team's alternate dress. Dhoni described the forthcoming tour of New Zealand as a tough assignment but said whether at home or away, international cricket was always a difficult proposition. "It's better to start as underdogs (in a series). It's going to be tough, but international cricket is tough whether at home or away. We have heard how beautiful it (New Zealand) is. We would enjoy the tour and hopefully would come back with a couple of trophies. We don't bother whether we are playing Sri Lanka or any other country", he said.

Kapil Devils 1983 World Cup Inspired Me: Sachin

Cricket/India,

The champion batsman Sachin said, the 1983 World Cup-winning Kapils Devils inspired me to take up to playing cricket in proper manner. I was inspired to take up playing the game with the hard ball after the 1983 World Cup victory. Had it not happened things could have been different for me," said Sachin on Friday evening at the MIG Cricket Clubs felicitation function for five triumphant of the 1983 World Cup-winning side.

Sachin said, "I have fond memories of that victory. I was just ten years old when they won the World Cup and I did not even know at that time there were eleven players in the team. It was truly an incredible experience. I also celebrated the victory till late in the night that day (June 25) after getting permission from my parents," the champion batsman said.

"That generation of cricketers was instrumental in inspiring youngsters to take up cricket," pointed out Tendulkar who was the chief guest at the ceremony. Tendulkar also fondly remembered the many afternoons he had spent at the MIG ground in its infancy and pointed out that his son Arjun was following his footsteps now.

Dhoni doesn't have keeping technique: Kirmani

The former Indian wicketkeeper Mr.Syed Kirmani, has criticised the wicketkeeping technique of Team India Captain Mr. Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He said that: Dhoni lacked the "copybook basics" of a wicketkeeper and said the flaws were not attracting attention because the Indian team has been in top form in recent months. Dhoni is improving with every match, though he is not technically sound behind the wicket. He does not have the natural instincts of an athlete, which is very important for a wicketkeeper.

Kirmani, 59, played 88 Tests for India in a 12-year career that started in 1976 and is one of India's greatest wicketkeepers.
He was also concerned about Dhoni's long-term future as a wicketkeeper.

1. No player remains the same after four years,

2. The agility and reflex of a player diminishes with age,

3. The body and muscles start wearing out, and

4. Dhoni is playing all three forms of the game round the year. At 27, it was too late for Dhoni to modify his technique.

These things have to be done at the grassroot level.

Team India's Sucess Mantra: Observe.. Play... Win

Cricket/India,

"Observe.. Play... Win" is the success mantra of the Team India. Since in the last one day series with Sri lanka, Indian players followed this success mantra. For the very first time Sehwag, Yuvraj, and Gambhir got their centuries on Sri lanka team in Sri lnka grounds. The win on the Sri lanka is the batsman's win.

In these 5 one day series, Yuvi played well compared to all the players. he hit 38 boundaries, and 3 sixes in this series. India shows good performance in the T20 match to. Once again India proved themselves.

Jayawardene is going to resign for Captaincy

Colombo, Febraury 12,

Mahela Jayawardene decide to stand down as Sri lanka's cricket captain. he is being the captain for srilanka from febraury 2006. He told his decision after meeting with the Sri lanka national cricketer selectors. He presided over a 1-4 loss in the last one-day series with India and told selectors the time was right to hand over the captaincy, so his successor would have time to prepare the team for the coming 2011 World Cup.

Jayawardene led Sri Lanka in 26 Test matches and 97 one-day international matches and was Sri Lanka's most successful captain with a win percentage of 62.50% in Tests and 57% in one-day internationals.

Pathan Brothers Clamp India's Victory

What a thrilling finish to an exciting game of T20. The Pathan brothers have won it for India. Irfan ended with 33 off 16 balls and Yusuf ended with 22 off 10 balls. Their unbeaten stand of 59 runs was enough to win the match in 19.2 overs by 3 wickets. India were off to a flying start after the early loss of two wickets, as Yuvraj and Raina shared a brilliant partnership of 67 runs in the middle to set up for the remaining batsmen. Malinga Bandara tried his level best with figures of 3-32 off his 4 overs, but that still went for a losing cause.

Quiz-master, Dada's New Role.

February, 9th

Former Indian Cricket team captain Mr. Saurav Ganguly will be going to be quiz-master. This star would be holding a speaker in his hand and will be seen comparing a Bengali reality show on the TV screen. He already signed a contract with Z Bangla, a popular Bengali TV channel in the Kolkata city, to conduct the weekly show. According to a report published in the Bengali daily "Ananda Bazar Patrika." The report quoting Saurav said, "Yes I have agreed to this proposal. So far I know I have to conduct a quiz show." Though the exact format of the show, likely to be named "Dadagiri" is yet to be finalised, a source said it would include a quiz.

Thanks...Sachin: Yuvi

February 9th,

This is my second man of the series. Last year, i didn't played well in Srilanka tour. I faced problem to play spin bowling. Sachin and training staff helped me a lot. I really thanks to them. Coach Kirsten is doing good job.

Thanks Sachin.

- Yuvi.

ICC ODI Rankings: India Back to 3rd Place.

February 9th,
In ICC ODI rankings, India move to 3rd place. India presented themselves a very good performance in the five one day series with Srilanka. But they lost the last one day. For the last two days, India in the second place in ODI rankings. Now, Australia moved to 2nd place with 122 poiints.

Dilshan helps SL to Stop India's winning run

Finally Sri Lanka showed up, prevented their first 5-0 series whitewash, and stopped India at nine ODI wins in a row. A turnaround began at the first toss they won in the series, continued with near-centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, and culminated in an energetic and smart show in the field.

For 62 balls Yuvraj Singh played a dream knock, keeping India in the game despite wickets falling around him. When he became the fifth Indian to fall, for a dazzling 73 out of India's 121 in the 22nd over, the 321-run target looked far away. But for that blitz from Yuvraj and a late-order collapse, Sri Lanka dominated the whole game, a feat that had looked unimaginable in the first four games.
Perhaps the toss played a big part. This was only the second time Mahela Jayawardene beat Mahendra Singh Dhoni with the coin in the last 11 occasions. On a dry track, Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilshan provided Sri Lanka with the ideal start and feasted on the wayward trio of Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, and L Balaji, making his ODI comeback after more than three years.
It was Jayasuriya who provided Sri Lanka with the springboard. During his short stay at the crease he beat the bowlers into submission. By the team Jayasuriya departed in the 11th over, after having displayed his trademark clip over midwicket, cut through point, the short-arm pull, and the loft over mid-off, Sri Lanka had reached 66.
The pyrotechnics may have stopped upon Jayasuriya's dismissal, but the runs kept coming at a fair pace. Sangakkara picked up boundaries regularly, minus the flashy strokeplay. The second ball he faced, Sangakkara reached out for a fullish delivery and cut it off the front foot for four. He also benefited from some wayward bowling from Virender Sehwag, who gave him a gift down the leg side at least once in his three overs. The fine-leg fielder was a busy man when Sehwag bowled, but in vain. Sehwag was replaced by another part-timer - India used six such bowlers, making it nine in all - but Sangakkara's paddle to fine leg kept yielding him rich results. In all, Sangakkara took 28 runs behind square on the leg side.
India tried to hustle through the middle overs, using all their dibbly-dobbly part-time spinners to bowl 21 overs between the drinks breaks, but all they managed to hurry was the scoring. Sangakkara's slog-sweeping over midwicket was effective. He hit three fours and a six there, taking 23 runs in the midwicket region. But his final slog-sweep denied him a century and ended a 143-run partnership.

5th One Day: India Vs Srilanka - Preview

February 07, 2009 19:00 IST

Having achieved their best-ever ODI ranking by displacing world champions Australia as the number two team, a confident India would be eyeing a series whitewash when they take on Sri Lanka in the final cricket one-dayer in Colombo on Sunday.

It has already turned out to be a dream series for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made it to the record books by becoming the first Indian captain to win nine ODIs on the trot and the flamboyant wicket-keeper batsman would like to keep the winning momentum going in the last game.

The other thing which will be in Dhoni's mind when he takes the field is that every win from here on will bring his side one step closer to the world number one position, which is being currently occupied by South Africa (125) with a lead of just three points. And coach Gary Kirstein had no hesitation in admitting that his main aim this year is to take India to the top position.
"Getting to number one is the obvious goal this year, but You just can't think you have won the series 4-0 and be complacent in the next game.
"It doesn't happen with us. When you go onto the field you go to win and not just compete. Great teams are those that carry the momentum forward into every game," Kirsten said.
The Indians have been phenomenal in all departments of the game in the series as compared to the hosts who were rather disappointing.
While Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, and Virender Sehwag provide aggression at the top of the order, the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and Dhoni have been rock steady at the middle.
The bowlers, on the other hand, have been disciplined all through the series. Interestingly, the most heartening thing to see was the success of young spinner Pragyan Ojha and part-time bowlers in Yuvraj, Raina, Sehwag and Yousuf.
Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar have been outstanding upfront. Irfan Pathan, who made a comeback in the last match, too joined the party, picking up three wickets.
Faced with the prospect of an embarassing a 0-5 whitewash, a demoralised Sri Lanka will look to salvage some pride before the home crowd in the last match of the series.
The hosts, who are playing non-stop cricket for five months, seemed to have forgotten their basics against the mighty Indians. The Lankans have floundered in every department of the game. If their batting and bowling has been below par, their fielding has been dreadful.
Without veteran Chaminda, the Lankan pace attack looked clueless. Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilan Thushara and Dilhara Fernando lacked sting in their bowling. The biggest disappointment, however, has been the performance of spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and mystery man Ajantha Mendis.
Although Murali created history in the last match by becoming the highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket, he had to toil hard to achieve the feat which gives a clear idea of his bad patch.
He never looked threatening as Indian batsmen negotiated the spin wizard with ease.

5th One Day: Sri Lanka in danger of whitewash

Match factsSunday, February 8,
The Big PictureIt's been a demoralising series for Sri Lanka, but they need to pick themselves up for Sunday's final game to avoid their first-ever whitewash in a five-match contest. Mahela Jayawardene hasn't been able to do much to arrest the slide. He tinkered with the bowling combination in the previous two games but Sri Lanka still leaked in excess of 300 in both matches. His hands have been tied as far as the batting line-up is concerned - the four senior batsmen and the promising Thilina Kandamby being undroppable, leaving little room for personnel changes.
Winning the toss could be one way he can help - the spinners have had plenty of assistance when they bowl second at the Premadasa but Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis haven't had the chance to bowl under lights.
India are on their longest winning streak in one-day internationals but have to watch out for complacency. One motivation for them is that if Australia beat New Zealand on Sunday, and India lose, they will slip back to No. 3 in the rankings.

Kirsten: India's target is No. 1

Sriram Veera in Colombo
February 6, 2009
Gary Kirsten has said that India's goal in 2009 is to be the No. 1 team in the world. India's coach, who has received praise from many in the Indian team, felt the side's biggest improvement in recent times was the way they prepared for a game.

Following Australia's loss to New Zealand in the second ODI at the MCG, India have moved to second place in the ICC's official ODI rankings. "Getting to No. 1 is the obvious goal for this year," said Kirsten, "but it's not playing too much on our minds. To do that, it's important for the basics to be right. We are just trying to focus on taking it game by game and series by series. The team ethic is great. Everyone is preparing really well for a game and we are moving in the right direction."
Today's was an optional nets session at the R Premadasa, and the attendees included Sachin Tendulkar, L Balaji, Irfan Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja. Tendulkar batted for 45 minutes and was constantly chatting with the bowlers on the correct line to bowl. Venkatesh Prasad, India's bowling coach, spent lots of time with Irfan, primarily working on his length. Tendulkar even bowled to Jadeja and passed some tips now and then to the young allrounder.

IPL 2009: Flintoff and Pietersen are Most Costly Players

The second IPL auction, held in Goa on Friday, has made Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff the highest-paid cricketers. Each fetched bids of US$ 1.55 million in an event that lacked the glamour and sheer drama of last year's auction but had its moments of surprise. The bidding war for Mashrafe Mortaza, the 25-year-old fast bowler from Bangladesh, stole the show; he eventually went for $600,000 to the Kolkata Knight Riders - 12 times his base price; a close second was Tyron Henderson, a relative unknown but actually the world's leading wicket-taker in this format, who was snapped up by Rajasthan for $650,000.
Shaun Tait was the first player to go under the hammer with the Rajasthan Royals snapping up the Australian fast bowler for $375,000. Next up was JP Duminy, the South African batsman, who turned out to be one of the star buys at the auction. Most people had predicted Duminy (base price: $300,000) would breach the $1 million barrier and he nearly did. But in buying Duminy for $950,000 the Mumbai Indians effectively ruled themselves out from the bidding for Pietersen and Flintoff, who took home a combined purse of $3.1 million.

When the Bangalore Royal Challengers didn't even enter the bidding for Flintoff, it was obvious which way the cards were going to fall. The Royals tried to keep pace, but after buying Tait they had only $1.5 million left. The Deccan Chargers showed no interest in Flintoff, and the Chennai Super Kings had their man, even if he ended up costing more than MS Dhoni had at the first auction.

India beat SriLanka by 67 runs - 4th One Day

February 05, 2009 19:15 IST
Gautam Gambhir smashed a career-best 150 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni 94 as India posted a comfortable 332 for 5 in the inconsequential fourth One-Day International against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday.
After winning the toss for the fourth successive time, the Indians launched another merciless assault on the home team, with Gambhir and Dhoni being the architects in an imposing total from where the team can push for a record-breaking ninth consecutive ODI victory.
Despite being on the backfoot for most part of the innings, spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan had something to cheer about at the fag end of the Indian innings when he broke Wasim Akram's world record for the highest one-day scalps. Muralitharan dismissed Gambhir to take his one-day tally to 503 in his 328th match.
The visitors, who have already clinched the five-match series by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead, relied on Gambhir and Dhoni's record 188-run second wicket partnership to steer themselves to a competitive total.
The 27-year-old Gambhir notched his sixth ODI century and his third against Sri Lanka, who now need to score at a stiff asking rate of 6.66 runs per over to record a face-saving victory.

India Vs SriLanka 4th One Day - Photos - 2

India Vs SriLanka 4th One Day - Photos

Struggling Sri Lanka look for morale boost

The Big PictureHow do lift your side less than two days after their worst-ever home defeat - that too for a dead rubber? That's what Mahela Jayawardene has to figure out ahead of the fourth one-dayer at the R Premadasa Stadium. Of particular concern is their bowling, which was toothless against the rampaging Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag on Tuesday. Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis were handled with ease and even the usually accurate Farveez Maharoof leaked runs. The fielding has been below par as well, grassing chances on a regular basis, and the batting is inconsistent.

Sri Lanka's ODI record against major teams since the 2007 World Cup makes for sorry reading - the Asia Cup triumph and the recent win against a turmoil-ridden Pakistan are outweighed by home losses to India (twice) and England, the poor show at last year's CB series, and defeat in the Caribbean.
India, on the other hand, have little to worry about; even their spinners, who hadn't been among the wickets till the third game, are firing. Another victory will help them break the record for most wins on the trot by an Indian side in ODIs but Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said the focus is more on testing the bench strength.

India beat SriLanka by 147 runs.

Colombo, Feb 3 (IANS) India beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the third one-day International to win the five-match ODI series here Tuesday. Riding on twin centuries by Yuvraj Singh (117 not out) and Virender Sehwag (116), India set a mammoth 364-run target for the hosts, who were dismissed for 216 in 41.4 overs. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha took 4 for 38. India have taken a 3-0 lead in the series.

3rd One Day International Match - Photos

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