Rest is best for 'tired' Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan failed to unleash the pent-up frustration of a tepid IPL 4 outing with a match-winning performance against Chennai Super Kings in the final, on Saturday, but the Indian pace spearhead is hopeful of a comeback in the Test series against West Indies later next month.

With the IPL being played within six days of a gruelling World Cup, there were obvious doubts of injury and fatigue. Though the Indian players turned out for their respective franchises in the T20 carnival, the ensuing 74 days took a toll on the injured Gautam Gambhir and the likes of MS Dhoni and Zaheer Khan.

Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh too pulled out of the entire tour to the West Indies due to an illness. Notably, Sachin Tendulkar will also not feature in both the one-day and Test series.

While Zaheer felt the absence of the seniors was a huge opportunity for the fringe players to make an impact, the left-arm pacer said the 'rest' was necessary for him especially with the sheer amount of cricket ahead in coming months.

"It's going to be a hectic season ahead... We are playing a lot of crucial tours abroad in the coming months. It's really important personally for me to make sure that I manage myself well fitness-wise," Zaheer said at the sidelines of a promotional event.

On Gautam Gambhir's outing in the IPL despite an injury, Zaheer said, "It's a technical issue... The physios are better-placed to tackle these things. It's up to the board."

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The greatest one-day knock of all

1984
The greatest innings in one-day international history according to everyone who witnessed it. Viv Richards smeared England all round Old Trafford in the first Texaco Trophy match: his 189 came off only 170 balls, with 21 fours and five sixes. What makes the innings so great is its context: West Indies were 102 for 7 at one point, then 166 for 9. They ended up making 272 for 9, and won by 104 runs. Of the last-wicket partnership of 106, Michael Holding made 12. Eldine Baptiste was the only other West Indian even to reach double figures.

1999
Eyebrows were raised as Pakistan lost to Bangladesh in an amazing World Cup match at Northampton. In Wisden Cricket Monthly, Kamran Abbasi wrote that "Pakistan lost their heads in a flurry of poor strokes and worse running," but it wasn't long before the accusations started flying, most notably from Saleem Malik, who played in the match and said it was rigged. Suspicions remain. 

1973
At Northampton, New Zealand's Glenn Turner became the first man since the Second World War to score 1000 first-class runs by the end of May. But if anything, Turner peaked too early: in the Tests his scores were 11, 9, 4, 11 and 81.

1815
The first first-class game at the third and final home of Thomas Lord's ground. After moving from Dorset Square and a site that's now under the Regent's Canal, Lord's came to rest at its present spot in St John's Wood. The notoriously poor wicket was already a feature - the game saw 40 wickets fall for 210 runs. Middlesex beat MCC by 16 runs. 

1928

 Birth of one half of what was the biggest opening partnership in Test history. Against New Zealand on a Madras shirt-front in 1955-56, India's Pankaj Roy added 413 in 472 minutes with Vinoo Mankad (231), and made a Test-best 173. He was less accomplished when the ball jagged around, though: in nine Tests in England he averaged 13, thanks mainly to five ducks in six innings when Fred Trueman terrorised him in 1952. He captained India just once, at Lord's in 1959, when he made another duck. His son Pranab also played Test cricket for India. Pankaj died in his native Kolkata in 2001. 

1950
At a Test trial in his hometown of Bradford, Jim Laker returned the astonishing figures of 14-12-2-8 as England bowled The Rest out for 27. Of the two runs he conceded, one was a gentle one off the mark for his Surrey team-mate Eric Bedser. Laker, not entirely surprisingly, was selected, but was then dropped after taking only one wicket in England's first-Test victory against West Indies. 

1924
Birth of the first man to be given out "handled the ball" in a Test. South African Russell Endean made history when he palmed down a delivery from Jim Laker in Cape Town in 1956-57 that was spinning back towards his stumps. Ironically, Endean was involved in another unusual dismissal on his debut: at The Oval in 1951, when Len Hutton became the only man to be given out "obstructing the field" for preventing Endean from attempting a catch. 

1946
Birth of the most experienced Test umpire. Steve Bucknor broke Dickie Bird's record in 2002, and in March 2005 became the first umpire to officiate in 100 Test matches. Bucknor also stood in a record five successive World Cup finals (1992-2007). His rise to international status was rapid - his appointment for the 1992 final followed just four Tests and a handful of one-day internationals. Though he was scheduled to retire in 2011, Bucknor was forced out two years early after some high-profile errors. He misinterpreted the bad-light rules, leading to a farcical end to the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados, and was removed by the ICC from officiating in the third Test between Australia and India in Perth after several contentious decisions contributed to India's defeat in the second Test in Sydney in January 2008. Bucknor also refereed in a football World Cup qualifier. 

1966
A batting average of 29.27 from 52 Tests might suggest a modest career for the dashing Sri Lankan Roshan Mahanama, who was born today, but there is one match he'll never forget. In Colombo in 1997-98, he added 576 for the second wicket with Sanath Jayasuriya, the second highest partnership in Test history. They were the first pair to bat through two full days' play of a Test, with Mahanama making 225 and Jayasuriya 340 as Sri Lanka ran up 952 for 6, another Test record. Apart from that, Mahanama often struggled to rein in his attacking instincts; his best years were between 1992 and 1994, when he made three centuries in six Tests. 

1926
Birth of one of India's finest wicketkeepers. Khokhan Sen took over from Jenni Irani on the Australia tour of 1947-48 and impressed all by taking four catches and conceding just four byes in the hosts' 575 in Melbourne. He played in all five Tests against West Indies in 1948-49, and warded off competition from Nana Joshi and Madhav Mantri in the early 50s. Sen's finest moment came against England in 1951-52 in Madras, where he effected five stumpings - four in the first innings - off Vinoo Mankad's bowling as India took their first Test victory. Sen played four more Tests before being replaced by Mantri. 

1902
Australia's lowest innings total was made today in Edgbaston. But luck was on their side, because despite being bowled out for 36 and then trailing by 340 runs, they managed to get a draw - only because of a downpour on the final day of this three-day game. They were bowled out in an hour and a half, with Victor Trumper's 70-minute 18 being the top score. Wilfred Rhodes took his then-best figures of 7 for 17 and Australia ended day two with their second innings on 8 for 0. It rained for 12 hours overnight and there was play on the third day only because spectators had been let in in the afternoon. 

1998
A surprise win for New Zealand in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo - and a surprise match-winner too. On his debut, Paul Wiseman outbowled Muttiah Muralitharan in the battle of the offies, taking 7 for 143 in the match as against Murali's 9 for 227. Thanks to Wiseman's second-innings five-for - and big, chalk-and-cheese centuries from Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan - New Zealand won three Tests in a row for the first time.

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We can be Man United of IPL, says Ashwin

So what is it about MS Dhoni that helps him keeps his cool in final after final, year after year? Well, the World Cup winning skipper, and now two time IPL champion finally revealed those cards that he had held so close to his chest. 

“You dont want to be desperate to win the final, but you want to show intent that you want to win. I think we did just that,” said the ever-composed MS Dhoni, who walked his talk after his side took the fourth edition of the IPL with a commanding 58-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

Dhoni, however, rated 2010’s IPL win, CSK’s first, as a superior achievement. 

“Last year, we struggled a bit to make the semis, this time it was more comfortable,” he said. Chennai also won the fair play award, something Dhoni held significant in its own right. “People say you need to play hard... We showed you can play fair and still win it,” he added with a smile. 


Dominant force 

With two win’s already, CSK are well on track on becoming a dominant force of the IPL. With perhaps a mind on the Champions League at the Wembley taking place simultaneously, CSK’s key spinner made a canny footballing comparison. “I have been telling people that we can be the Manchester United of the IPL. And we are getting there,” opined R Ashwin. 

Even as the euphoria of victory fades, Ashwin will be making his way to the West Indies as part of the Indian ODI squad. Not so for Dhoni, who has opted out of the ODI series. “I have been in India for the last four months, but never visited home. I am heading straight to Ranchi from here!"

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Chennai IPL Kings again

Tamil Nadu boy Murali Vijay set up the final for Chennai Super Kings with a sizzling 95 while another local hero, R Ashwin, effectively clinched the Indian Premier League title with a brilliant opening spell — and Chris Gayle's wicket for a duck — against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday. The men in luminous yellow produced a superb all-round performance to give evidence of their impregnability at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and continue their dream run. CSK, also the reigning Champions League winners, became the first team to retain the IPL title.

Against any other team, a total of 205 at the slow Chepauk track would have meant curtains for the chasing team. It is the highest score at the venue this season, CSK eclipsing its own total of 183, also scored against Bangalore in the league stage. But RCB had Gayle, the scourge of all bowlers in this IPL; CSK also had a taste of his destructive abilities during their away game at Chinnaswamy Stadium last week. In the end, RCB finished tamely on 147 for eight to lose by 58 runs.   

In Ashwin, the home team had a weapon against the big man from Jamaica, but given the hit he had taken on his head against Gayle's team on Tuesday night, it was brave to even turn up for the game. However, Ashwin is as courageous as they come, and once the doctor gave him the green signal, there was no stopping the off-spinner.

And it needed just three balls for the local hero to lead the sea of yellow at the Chidambaram Stadium to a victory dance. 

Ashwin won the contest hand down when he got one to skid in to induce Gayle to edge for skipper MS Dhoni to accept the catch gleefully. The lanky bowler bowled opener Mayank Agarwal in the next over.

The Chennai celebrations did not stop since, as the rattled RCB batsmen had no clue how to go about the massive chase with their big gun back in the hut. Earlier, to the delight of the home fans, Vijay (95 off 52 balls) and Mike Hussey (63 off 25 balls) put up a grand batting show. The two were all confidence and aggression as they out the RCB attack to sword in a thrilling 159-run partnership in 14.5 overs.

The winners took home Rs 10 crore, runners-up Rs 7.5 crore.

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Not afraid of challenges: Abhinav Mukund

Abhinav Mukund, riding on the back of two brilliant seasons on the domestic circuit, is naturally elated at having got into the Test squad for the tour to the Caribbean. With both of India's frontline openers missing, the Tamil Nadu player is almost certain to make his Test debut in the Caribbean.

Mukund, who was the second-highest Ranji Trophy run-getter last season with 1211 runs, just behind teammate Badrinath's aggregate of 1226, told TOI he had to change his approach towards the game to become more consistent.

"I'm glad that to be a part of the Indian Test squad. As a cricketer I always dreamt about that. I'm looking forward to having a great series," the 21-year-old left-hander said, adding: "I had a very good domestic season this year and happy to be rewarded for that. I went through a bad patch in 2009 and before the start of the new season I was determined to score as many runs as possible. It was not an easy job, though. I had to change my approach towards the game and I'm thankful to all who stood by me during the bad phase."

About playing his first series away from home, Mukund said, "I've worked pretty hard on my batting and my confidence level is higher now after scoring big runs in the domestic arena. I'm not afraid of challenges but I am aware that West Indian tracks will be different. I still have some time left and I'll have discussions with Murali Vijay and others team members who have played there before."

Mukund also said he got immense support from senior batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni during his stay with the Indian team in Bangalore. "They were all very friendly and it was a completely different experience for me," he added.

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Injury issues not new: Srikkanth

The BCCI’s selection committee chief Krishnamachari Srikkanth on Friday said that despite battling injury issues for the past one and a half years, they have been able to find replacements who have done well to ensure India’s dominance in world cricket.

“Injury issues have been there for the last one and half years but don’t forget we have been able to find good replacements (for those injured) and India have been doing very well,” Srikkanth told reporters after the selection committee meeting to pick the Test squad for the West Indies tour next month.

Sachin Tendulkar had requested to allow him to skip the full tour to spend time with his family and Srikkanth defended the champion batsman on his decision.

“Tendulkar deserved to take rest and then Yuvraj Singh was not well with some illness, so we have picked the best available squad. We have analysed every problem, the injuries to the players and took a decision and that is why the meeting took very long,” said the former Test opener.

“We got very good input from the coach (Duncan Fletcher) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also present. So I am really happy to have picked the squad. I think we will do well in the ODI and Test series,” he said.

The selection panel on Friday named a depleted squad for next month’s Test series after an injured Gautam Gambhir and an ill Yuvraj Singh were left out of the 16-member squad, which has Abhinav Mukund as the lone new face.

Tendulkar, who was not part of the ODI team, has opted out of the Test series as well, leaving India without the services of five frontline players.

Opener Virender Sehwag and pacer Ashish Nehra are already out injured.

Suresh Raina was named captain of the ODI team in the absence of Gambhir, who aggravated a shoulder injury while playing in the IPL.

The Test team will be captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni who had earlier opted out of the ODI series

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Super Kings favourites to lift IPL crown, again

Having tasted blood in their own den, the Chennai Super Kings, with a Lion as their motif, are hungry for another kill in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that concludes on Saturday when the grand finale between the host team and the winner of Friday's qualifier-2 between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians will be played. 

Fortified by the fact that they have won all the seven home games this season, the Super Kings have already made it known that they are not unduly concerned whom they play on Saturday as they have the team to deliver the spoils.

IPL's most consistent team after reaching the semi-finals all four seasons, thrice finalists (including 2011) and winners last year, the Super Kings have the pedigree of a Derby winner with Mahendra Singh Dhoni firmly in the saddle, guiding the thoroughbred with the sure touch of a champion jockey.

Should Dhoni opt for an unchanged eleven for the sixth consecutive game Saturday, then eight players who figured in the 2010 IPL final are likely to be in the Super Kings team with Michael Hussey and newcomers to the side, Wriddhiman Saha and Dwayne Bravo, completing the combination,

In fact, stability through continuity besides enviable balance has been the major contributing factor to the Super Kings’ consistency and success in the IPL with Dhoni keeping faith in his frontline players despite failures. It is a luxury other captains do not have as the Super Kings story has been about team rather than individual effort.

Even the loss of Sri Lankan off-spinner Suraj Randiv (away in England for the Test series) earlier this month, has not greatly affected the team with West Indian all-rounder Bravo proving an adequate replacement.  

Thus, the Super Kings are brimming with confidence, big-match experience, class and more importantly character that has seen them come through difficult moments during the season, notably on Tuesday last when they recovered from seven for two to chase down a target of 176, against the Royal Challengers.

At this stage in the competition, it matters little that the away record of the Super Kings, with three wins in eight matches, pales in comparison with their strong showing at home where they have been invincible.

"We were smart enough to pick up a side that will play well at home. There will surely be some advantage because we are conditioned to play at home," said coach Stephen Fleming while asserting that his team had no preferences about whom they meet in the final.

"We were up against both RCB and Mumbai, and both have match winners in their sides. There is no preference because both are tough opponents. It is very even and close call," said Fleming on the eve of the final.

The extreme heat and humidity of peak summer can test the fittest of teams and the seven that had visited Chepauk over the past six weeks, fell prey as much to the Super Kings' superiority as the conditions.

Further, the scheduling of the IPL this year has been such that it has been a mad dash at the finish and both Mumbai and Bangalore are bound to feel the strain, especially since there is not even a day's break between Qualifier-2 and the final.

Thus, going into Saturday's summit match, the Super Kings will be the fresher of the two teams, courtesy a three-day break between Qualifier-1 and the final.

Although both Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers have beaten the Super Kings, of late neither team has been successful in a knock-out environment. Last year, Mumbai went down in the final by 22 runs and earlier this week, the Royal Challengers lost in the qualifier.

Besides the weather, the sea of yellow at the MA Chidambaram Stadium that will be filled to capacity with vociferous Super Kings fans can be quite intimidating for a visiting team but uplifting for the home side.

By the looks of it, the Super Kings appear all primed to continue their reign in the IPL.

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Gambhir, Yuvraj out; Tendulkar rested for Windies tour

Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh were left out of India's entire tour of the West Indies as the national selectors announced the 16-member squad for the Test series next month.

Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund was the lone new face in the squad announced by the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan after a marathon meeting of the selection committee.

The young Suresh Raina was named captain of the ODI series after original choice Gambhir was ruled out for the entire tour because of a shoulder injury. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh would be Raina's deputy.

Yuvraj was also unavailable for the entire trip as he is suffering from an upper respiratory infection with a small patch of pneumonitis in the left lung.

"Gautam Gambhir will be unavailable for the full tour of the West Indies, on account of his shoulder injury. Yuvraj Singh will also be unavailable for the full tour. He is suffering from an upper respiratory infection, with a small patch of pneumonitis in the left lung," the BCCI said in a statement.

Tendulkar, who was not part of the ODI team, requested that he be allowed to spend time with his family.

"He will therefore not play the Test series. However, he will be available for the full tour of England, that follows," the BCCI said.

Shikhar Dhawan and Manoj Tiwary have been named as the replacements for Gambhir and Yuvraj, for the Twenty20 and ODI series starting June 4.

Squad: MS Dhoni (captain), VVS Laxman (vice-captain), M Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel.

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Trevor Penney hopes to be in India before Windies tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday confirmed a DNA report on the appointment of Trevor Penney as India’s new fielding coach. Board secretary N Srinivasan told this paper that Penney will be joining Team India as the new fielding coach.

Given the recent profile of Penney, who has been employed at different places as an assistant coach, there was some confusion if he would be a deputy to Duncan Fletcher. However, Srinivasan cleared the air over the job profile of the 43-year-old Zimbabwean.

“He will be the new fielding coach,” the board secretary said. He has also made it clear that Penney would join duty immediately. “We expect him to be with the team from the West Indies tour itself,” Srinivasan remarked.

Almost similar was the reply of Penney when this paper tracked him down in Australia. “I expect to be in India before the team leaves for the West Indies,” the former England fielding coach, who worked as an assistant coach with the Kings XI Punjab for three years, said. “There are a few issues over my travel. Mainly, I’m sorting out the visa matters,” Penney told this paper from Brisbane.

Understandably, the new fielding coach has already been gagged by the board and he refused to dwell too much into his new role. “I’m very excited about joining the Indian team,” is all that he was willing to add.

Penney has been associated with Queensland Cricket (more precisely Queensland Bulls) as an assistant for the last 12 months. He was expected to continue in the same role under Bulls’ new coach Darren Lehmann this season. But according to a Queensland Cricket (QC) official he has informed the Queensland bosses about his decision to take up the India job. “He is free to take it up if the BCCI and he finalise terms,” said a Queensland official.

The impression emanating from Brisbane is that Penney is highly regarded within QC for his knowledge in the game, particularly his fielding skills. But Tom Moody, who has worked with him in Western Australia, Sri Lanka and Kings XI Punjab, said Penney can bring to the table more than just his expertise in fielding.

“It is a very good appointment. He would bring a lot of value to the Indian cricket set-up,” Moody said. “He is more than a handy batting coach and I’m sure in the environment under Dunan Fletcher, he would cherish the new role. He will be tremendous asset to en excellent Indian team,” said Moody.

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India need to prove its Test status in England: Botham

India achieved the numero uno Test status primarily by virtue of their triumphs at home but the forthcoming away series against England will be the real test for the visitors, said legendary cricketer Ian Botham. 

“India are currently ranked No 1 in the world and they got there by playing some decent cricket, mainly at home. But when you consider that they have only beaten Bangladesh and New Zealand in their last six away trips, then you realise that they have got a bit to prove to people this summer,” Botham wrote in his column for Mirror newspaper.

The battle for Test supremacy begins this summer when world number one India face number three England in a four-match series starting July.

During the tour, India will play four Tests -- the first of which starts at Lord’s on July 21 -- five ODIs and a one-off Twenty20 match.

Botham also showed scant respect to ICC’s ranking system, and rated England as the best team in the longer version of the game at present.

“The England Test team is the best in world cricket and they will prove it beyond doubt this summer,

“Forget the rankings designed by men with computers who believe that logarithms can tell us who is playing the best cricket more accurately than we can see with our eyes,” the former English captain insisted.

“England are unbeaten in seven series with six of them ending in victory for Andrew Strauss’s side, and the pinnacle of these was the magnificent Ashes campaign last winter. That sealed it for me. Not just because it was the Ashes and winning them in Australia is notoriously difficult, but because they did it so comprehensively and in such style,” Botham said.

“It takes something special to win Down Under, but it takes a rare gem of a side to do it with three innings defeats and leave the Australians floundering around looking for someone to blame before turning on each other,” he reasoned.

He said what augurs well for England is the mixture of youth and experience of the present team.

“The real beauty of this England team is their age and their experience. They have nearly all played enough Test cricket to be considered old pros, yet most of them are still so young,” Botham wrote.

“Unlike the 2005 team that reached a peak and was then ravaged by retirements and injuries, this England side has plenty of cricket left in it. Only Strauss and Graeme Swann are over 30 and I can see the England skipper continuing to lead the side into the next Ashes series,” he added.

Botham said with two important series lined up this summer -- against Sri Lanka and India, England’s target should be “world supremacy“.

“Between now and then, the target is sustained world supremacy. Outside the great Australian and West Indies teams, no other side has dominated the game and England have the chance to put themselves in that position,” the former all-rounder added.

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Play county cricket to improve, Zaheer advises young bowlers

Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan, the Indian seamer, has singled out his stint with Worcestershire as the "turning point" in his career and encouraged young Indian bowlers to play county cricket to prepare themselves better for international cricket. Zaheer, who was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2011 World Cup won by India, joined Worcestershire in 2006 after a phase in which he had struggled with injury and was left out of the national team. He topped the Division Two wickets list that season, picking up 78 in 16 games at 29.07.

"In many ways it was [the turning point], Zaheer told the magazine GQIndia.com. "The stint at Worcestershire helped me understand the game, why I am playing and other things in terms of preparations for matches and bowling on different kinds of wickets.

"It was really important for me to play at the highest level, and to get back into the Indian side. I always knew I had the potential to perform but somehow I was not able to deliver. It was a great learning curve."

Upon his return to England in 2007, this time leading India's pace attack, Zaheer topped the wickets list again, picking up 18 wickets in the Test series, including nine in India's win in Trent Bridge.

Zaheer said county experience helped players become more independent and professional and said he'd spoken to some of India's younger bowlers, including Ishant Sharma, about playing county cricket. "I was advising all the young bowlers, like Ishant," he said. "When you are at home, in many ways you are taken care of. But when you play a county season you have to do everything yourself and still be prepared for the game. That brings in a great sense of professionalism.

"You also get a great understanding of cultures, and that definitely improves your social skills since you are out of your comfort zone. That itself is a great learning for any person, not just a cricketer."

Zaheer has been rested from India's upcoming ODI series in the Caribbean. Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel and R Vinay Kumar comprise the pace attack.

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Gambhir will be dropped if he is unfit, says BCCI

The Indian cricket board on Thursday said Gautam Gambhir will be dropped from the tour to the West Indies if he is found unfit.

"We are looking into his medical report and he will be dropped from the squad if he is found unfit," board secretary N Srinivasan said.

Gambhir was appointed captain for the Twenty20 and ODI fixtures for the West Indies tour in absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been rested.

Captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier league, Gambhir has been advised rest for six weeks to nurse his "sore shoulder" which he was carrying right through the IPL tournament.

He had injured the shoulder during the final of the World Cup against Sri Lanka in April and if he is rested Suresh Raina will be leading the team in the ODI series starting June 4.

Knight Riders' team physio Andrew Leipus, in a letter to the BCCI said that Gambhir needs at least four-six weeks of rest and also asked the board's medical committee to look into the player's injury management.

"The clinical findings supported the mechanism of the onset of the acute injury. However, he did report having corticosteroid injections on two occasions over the previous few years. In the last match, where KKR played MI, Gautam again felt an aggravation of the shoulder pain on one particular throw," Leipus said in his letter.

"On arrival in Mumbai, we thought it was prudent to get both an MRI and a consultation with a leading shoulder orthopaedic surgeon. Both the doctor and myself believe that he should follow an intensive, supervised and conservative rehabilitation pathway. But for the best outcome, he will need to avoid both throwing and batting for a period of 4-6 weeks," the letter said.

"In this regard, I would expect that the BCCI medical committee would need to consider the ongoing management of Gautam's shoulder injury beyond the IPL and the possibility of his missing any immediate future tours until the shoulder is fully rehabilitated," the letter added.

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I am more confident now: Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel looks forward to his role as wicketkeeper in India’s side that will travel to the West Indies in the coming weeks, while England’s Jonathan Trott looks back on England’s recent performances and ahead to a busy summer of cricket, on this week’s ICC Cricket World Radio Show.

Patel, who has played in 18 ODIs, will most likely keep wicket ahead of squad member Wriddhiman Saha during the limited overs tour as India captain MS Dhoni is rested for the first part of the country’s tour of the West Indies.

The 26-year-old says: “I was very young when I first came into the side, but I’ve now more confidence and belief having scored runs in my domestic games which has seen me rise up the batting order.

“I was willing to change anything about my cricket in order to get into the side and if it meant changing my batting so I would come in higher up the order then so be it. I opened the batting in the domestic games and did so successfully and that movement up the order was probably my main reason to get me selected into the India side.

“I am honestly not thinking beyond the West Indies, now I have an opportunity to prove myself and to stay in the present and perform to the best of my abilities. Whatever MS Dhoni has achieved, he deserves it – he is one of the best captains, if not the best captain, India has ever had and what I just have to do is wait for my opportunity to come and keep pushing my way back into the India side.”

Trott, who has played in 18 Tests and 25 ODIs for England is looking forward to a summer of big cricket at home: “The current team is trying to get better and better and that’s the drive and mentality that Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss have created.

“I think we have a good all-round side that can beat India, who are currently number one in the world, and I think it will be a mouth-watering summer of both Test and one-day cricket for fans and the players," said Trott.

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Test cricket my ultimate goal: Virat Kohli

Having become the new poster boy of Indian cricket with his sizzling performances in the last few months, Virat Kohli now wants to graduate to the next level. A stage for which the 22-year-old, according to former India coach Gary Kirsten, is ready. Having cut his teeth in international cricket in 2008, Kohli has already played 54 ODIs and three T20 Internationals, and he now wants to don the Test cap.

"My main aim since childhood is Test cricket. It depends on when I get a chance, but my ultimate target is to play Tests," said a visibly-tired Kohli at a promotional event at a five-star hotel on Wednesday. Kohli seemed a bit low too, which is understandable considering how his team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, lost the first qualifier from a strong position largely due to mediocre bowling in the slog overs, wasting his brilliant 44-ball unbeaten 70.

"It was disappointing to be on the losing side especially when you have put in efforts while batting when your team needed it most. I think we shouldn't have bowled the balls that we bowled in the last few overs," Kohli rued, before collecting his thoughts and saying: "We need to move on now and focus on our next match."

Kohli however sympathized with his bowlers. "We have bowled well in the death. This was one match where we didn't do well. You can have an one-off day in T20 cricket and you can't bowl consistently all the time. We would like to rectify that and move forward."

The Royal Challengers do need to move on quickly from this demoralizing defeat for on Friday, they play Mumbai Indians. Having scored 514 runs in 14 games @51.40, with four fifties, Kohli has been outstanding in the IPL this time, only to be overshadowed by Chris Gayle. The last six months, in fact, have seen Kohli score consistently in all formats. Has there been a change of mindset or approach? "I have always tried to accept more responsibility. When you want to win a game for your country, your thinking changes completely rather than when you think about playing a supporting role and are content with small contributions. That makes you casual.

"You should think about playing a match-winning innings and winning the match for your team rather than thinking that there are seniors who are more experienced than you. This is a big difference that I have seen in IPL. You need to have a match-winning attitude," said the youngster, who still sports an arm that brandishes more tattoos than any Indian cricketer you would see, but who seems to have moved on from the days of being perceived as someone who is talented, but maybe, not focused.

Kohli, who cherishes his hundred on World Cup debut against Bangladesh, has been playing non-stop cricket for a while now. No fatigue issues for him. "I want to play as much cricket as possible. If you have played for long, you feel you need rest at some point. The Indian team plays the most amount of cricket in the world. It is not a bad thing for seniors to take rest.

"You need to manage the schedule according to each series and keep the players fit as well. You just can't stress your body and worry about what people will think if you take rest. It's a personal decision," felt Kohli.

At the moment, he just doesn't want to stop. Kohli knows that somewhere in the near future, lies a maiden Test cap.

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Belief and desire, Raina's big weapons

It's easy to comprehend why Suresh Raina was one of the four players the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained along with MS Dhoni, Murali Vijay and Albie Morkel. The southpaw is a terrier who, till the last ball is bowled, doesn't believe the game is done and dusted. CSK needed someone of that belief on Tuesday when they took on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the first play-off at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

They needed some magic as they were chasing 176 and lost early wickets and despite a stabilising 63-run stand with between Raina and Badrinath, the defending champions were struggling to keep up with the run rate.

Raina provided them with that magic by belting an unbeaten 73 in 50 balls to script an unlikely victory for CSK and enable them to enjoy massive home crowd support for the final on Saturday.

Every batsman has a signature stroke. Tendulkar has the straight drive, Sehwag has the upper cut and the helicopter shot is owned exclusively by Dhoni. For Raina, it is the swish over mid-wicket and mid-on, which he plays after clearing his legs from the path of the ball. He also lofts the ball cleanly over extra-cover. He essayed both those strokes with venom against both Zaheer Khan and Aravind. It may not be a pretty sight, but the ball always disappears deep into the stands.

After winning the man of the match for his heroics, Raina explained how he can play the stroke at will. "I have been practising it a lot with Flem ( Stephen Fleming, CSK coach). He keeps telling me to maintain my shape. I've also worked a lot with Gary. He always told me to just look to hit straight. He made me believe that I could clear the boundary at will. It's important to trust your ability."

Ability, Raina has always had in plenty and it's this ability, coupled with fierce desire that has made him the leading run-scorer in IPL history (1805 runs in 61 matches). He's also the only player to have played in all the matches CSK have played. That's some tribute to his fitness. The 23-year-old is also blessed with oodles of streetsmartness which he put to good use on Tuesday.

He targeted the RCB leftarm-seamers Aravind and Zaheer and hit them either straight or towards the legside, knowing that both those areas had short boundaries. "In Chennai I practised a lot against the low full toss. I have also played against Zaheer and Aravind in first class cricket and Zaheer has always been in the Indian team and I have faced him in the nets a lot. I know what he wants to do against left-handers. My plan was very simple. Look to play straight."

He also had another plan. Come hell or high water, be there till the end.

"The situation was tough. But I knew I had to bat till the end. I had to take the initiative and play strokes. My plan was to stay positive. I wasn't doing a great job finishing games in the last few matches and was getting out in the 20s and 30s.

"It's very important to finish games when the team needs you especially in the quarters, semis and finals. I'm happy that I could deliver. God has been kind."

When Greg Chappell had become India's coach in 2005, Raina was the first player he cast his eyes on and marked him out as a special one and pleaded for more opportunities for the leftie from the selectors and team management.

While the Aussie became a hate figure for the media and some of the team members as the results didn't quite go India's way, one can't fault him for his talent-spotting skills.

Raina's success is illustrative of that.

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It was time I gave something back to India: Brett Lee

Australian cricketer Brett Lee tells DNA that he wants to bring the joy of music to lesser-privileged children in his ‘second home’

From Kings XI Punjab to KKR, how has the journey been?
It’s great to be back in India playing IPL again. It’s a fantastic tournament and the Knight Riders have been great to play with. The entire squad is full of talent. I have enjoyed my time with both teams and have been eager to learn from my teammates, who play in all parts of the world.

How was it playing under Michael Clarke’s captaincy? How different are Ponting and Clarke?
Michael is a terrific leader and has taken to his new role in a professional manner. It’s difficult to compare both Ricky and Michael as Michael has only just started. All good captains back their players and both Ricky and Michael are particularly strong in this area.

Do you think in this World Cup there was a lot of pressure on Australia to win for fourth consecutive time? And especially when you didn’t have players like Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath?
There is always pressure on any team at the World Cup, the fact we had dominated the tournament for so many years adds to the pressure. We all knew it was a big challenge to win again and the fact we have lost a number of stars in our setup has given each player, who represents Australia a fantastic opportunity to establish the Australian cricket at the top again. It’s an exciting era and one I hope to be able to contribute in the shorter forms of the game.

Do you think there should be a window for IPL in ICC calendar?
Yes, the IPL is great for world cricket. Look at the players who are now dominating international cricket, all thanks to the IPL. Without these competitions, we may not see the likes of a Virat Kohli play such good cricket at the international level so early in their career.

Your one memorable game?
There are many but probably my first Test match where I was presented with my Baggy Green cap and played alongside all the players that I had admired for many years.

How did Mewsic come along? And do you plan to visit the centre every time you come to the city?
I’ve been coming to India for many years now and have a close affinity with the country and its people. India has given me so much as a person that I felt it was time to give something back. With my love of children, and music I was keen to set up a foundation that would bring the joy of music to disadvantaged children and help develop their spirit and their sense of hope. I can’t wait to have Mewsic centres all around India and to share the joy of music with many children. We plan to open 10 centres around India by the end of 2011. 

Time is a challenge for me given my playing schedule. There will be some restrictions but I will endeavour to get to the centres as often as possible to see how the children are progressing. This will give me the most joy seeing the kids develop in many aspects. Don’t forget, I have Binga, who will represent me when I’m not around.

You’ve been coming to India often. Anything that you enjoy the most when you come down?
I’ve met some wonderful people and made many friends over the years. So, when I do visit, I always try to meet up with as many people as I can. Now, I also have the opportunity to meet up with the Mewsic kids and to see how they are progressing. India is my second home.

Your all-time favourite song?
I love a whole range of music and it depends on my mood and where I am and what I’m doing, My Ipod is never too far away and I’m constantly updating it.

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After Beating Kolkata, Mumbai Is Set for Déjà Vu

Previous results suggested that Ambati Rayadu had less than a one-in-six chance of winning the match when he faced up to the final ball of the Indian Premier League regular season. 

His team, Mumbai, needed four runs from that final delivery against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Rayadu, a 25-year-old who also keeps wicket, had struck 51 boundaries — 42 fours and 9 sixes — from the 330 previous balls he had received during the 2011 I.P.L. 

Yet still he was confident. “I was pretty relaxed, and I knew he was under pressure,” Rayudu said of bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji, who had already conceded 17 runs from the first 5 balls of the over. “I was just blank, anywhere he bowls, I thought I could hit a boundary.” Rayadu’s confidence was justified. He struck a huge six to complete a remarkable victory for Mumbai on Sunday. 

It was more than just the perfect conclusion to the regular season of a competition that still digs the long ball. 

By denying Kolkata the victory that would have given it second place in the final standings, it ensured that the coming week will have more reruns than a daytime television schedule.

Two matchups from the final day of the I.P.L. regular season, Mumbai vs. Kolkata and Bangalore vs. Chennai, will be repeated in the playoffs. And if results follow seeding, Bangalore could play Chennai for the third time in less than a week in the final Saturday in Chennai. If I.P.L. fans do not feel déjà vu, they are probably not paying enough attention. 

One reason for the repeats is happenstance, the fluke that the final two games in a 70-match schedule involved the four playoff-bound teams. The other reason is the new I.P.L. playoff structure, aimed at rewarding the best regular-season performers. In its previous three seasons, the I.P.L. had conventional semifinals — winner to the final, loser eliminated. 

This time, the first- and second-best regular season teams, Bangalore and Chennai, meet in match one Tuesday. 

The winner goes straight to the final. Seeds three and four, Mumbai and Kolkata, meet in match two. The loser goes home. Then on Friday, the loser of match one plays the winner of match two for the second spot in the Saturday final. 

Kolkata, the only one of the eight original I.P.L. franchises not to make the playoffs in the first three seasons, is happy just to be there. “There’s nothing to hang your head low about. We’ve reached the playoffs and done some very good things to get there,” said its captain, Gautam Gambhir, who denied his team would be demoralized going into the rematch Wednesday. “It is a different game in the playoffs.” 

But Kolkata has lost three times in its last five matches, while Bangalore won eight of its last nine games to knock Chennai from first place. That run began when the West Indian batsman Chris Gayle joined the team as an injury replacement. 

Gayle was devastating again on Sunday, striking 75 not out to seal Bangalore’s victory and also take the purple cap awarded to the I.P.L.’s highest run-scorer. His total of 511 runs came in only 9 innings, compared to the 14 played by most of his rivals. He has also scored at a staggering pace and struck almost twice as many sixes, 37, as his nearest pursuer. 

“I haven’t seen a player making such an impact on a season,” said Chennai coach Stephen Fleming. 

That Chennai and Mumbai, finalists last year and the teams who maintained the most continuity after the initial three-year I.P.L. player contracts ended after last season, are again in the final four is not surprising. Chennai is the one team to make it every year, while Mumbai’s progress will be welcome to the I.P.L.’s commercially driven organizers. 

Analysts at TAM Media Research calculated that television audiences were down about a quarter for the first 49 matches. They blamed cricket overkill — with the I.P.L. starting right after the World Cup — and the dilution of fan loyalty after many players changed teams. Mumbai, led by the living legend Sachin Tendulkar, has been the exception, and the one team guaranteed to sell out most stadiums. 

“People are making an extra effort to be at the ground,” Delhi chief executive Amrit Mathur told ESPN Cricinfo, offering a simple reason for the popularity of Mumbai’s matches. “It is one more chance to see a legend, to see Tendulkar.” 

There could be as many as three more chances, should Mumbai reach the final. 

Separating contenders is tough at this stage when, as Gambhir said, “One small mistake can seal the tournament.” 

But having predicted before the regular season that squad continuity, potential home-field advantage in the final and the captaincy of India’s World Cup leader, Mahindra Singh Dhoni, would make Chennai hard to beat, this column is sticking with that first thought.

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Topping IPL points table shows RCB's character: Mallya

Royal Challengers Bangalore franchisee director Siddharth Mallya on Monday said the fact that the team topped the points table after being written off, shows its character.

"After our first win, we unfortunately lost our three next games. The commentary team wrote us off, the journalists wrote us off, the critics wrote us off. They said we had selected a wrong team. Where is (Rahul) Dravid? Where is (Robin) Uthappa? they asked," he told reporters during a promotional event.

"To bounce back from there, it shows the character of the team. We have created a new IPL record of winning seven games in a row and were unbeaten in eight consecutive games if we include the one washed away by rain. We are here on our merit. However, we still have a long way to go," he added.

The junior Mallya was also all praise for the orange cap holder Chris Gayle, who has score 511 runs in nine innings to single-handedly lead the Royal Challengers' revival.

"For Chris Gayle to have the orange cap is phenomenal. He has scored over 500 runs in some 11 (actually nine) innings. It is not something that we generally hear in our lifetime," he said.

Mallya said IPL without Lalit Modi was like a "sugarfree candyfloss" and his presence was being missed.

"Lalit Modi had a vision. He was a visionary. None of this would have been possible without his vision. IPL 4 without Modi is like a sugarless candyfloss. It looks the same, tastes the same but you know something is missing.

"It is not that much has changed. But yes we miss him," he said.

Mallya said though the IPL ratings had taken a hit this year, the fans were enjoying it nevertheless.

"After the World Cup, there was a fear that people would be sick of cricket. I don't see that to be a big issue. Personally, in Bangalore, most of the matches have been sold out. The World Cup win has been a big help.

"The official ratings have been low but we have to take the World Cup into account as well," said Mallya.

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Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers meet in friendly encounter

In order to celebrate the spirit of cricket and IPL, the promoters and management of Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers will be playing a friendly match against each other on Saturday.

The friendly match will be organised post the IPL match between Deccan Chargers and KXIP at the HPCA stadium.

The promoters of the Kings XI Punjab - leading actress, Preity Zinta, industrialists Ness Wadia and Mohit Burman, Deccan Chargers owners T Vinayak Ravi Reddy and Gayatri Reddy will also be participating in the game.

"At the beautiful HPCA stadium of Dharamsala, a friendly match will be played between two contending teams during the season. This friendly match is a celebration of the sport and also an endeavour to provide a class entertainment act for our fans in Dharamsala," said Col. Arvinder Singh, COO, KXIP.

Venkat Reddy, promoter Deccan Chargers said, "Entertainment and sports go hand in hand. DC XI and Kings XI will be contending against each other in the spirit of the game. We're looking forward to some creative initiative, warm spirit and friendly competition on display during the match."

The event will be graced by the presence of a lot of other celebrities and team supporters.

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Knights squash a Warriors’ uprising

The 55,000-capacity stadium saw its second biggest turnout of the season after witnessing a packed house for the Pune Warriors India's Indian Premier League (IPL) tie against the Mumbai Indians. As much as it was to see Sourav Ganguly in action one last time, that too against his former IPL team,it was also to get a glimpse of the king of entertainment Shah Rukh Khan. 

And if the noise levels at the stadium when Khan, a Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner, was shown for the first time on the giant screen were compared with Ganguly's entry to the crease, there were more takers for Khan than his former captain.

War within war

Well, the cricketing fraternity may have been looking up to Thursday's IPL tie as a battle between the Kolkata Knight Riders and their former skipper Ganguly, who was donning the Warriors colours.

However, it was imperative for the 11 Knights who took the field and get over the Ganguly mania if they were to seal their maiden top-four berth in the fourth edition of the IPL.

If the halfway stage was as indication, then the Knight Riders had done their job to perfection as they restricted the Warriors to a below par 118 for seven at the last game of the season to be staged at the Dr DY Patil Sports Stadium.

On a wicket had had slowed down and had decent turn to offer, the Warriors, put in to bat, adopted a cautious approach and focussed on saving wickets than scoring runs. In the end, a tidy bowling effort saw the Knight Riders needing to score just under a run-a-ball in order to seal a play-off berth with one league game to spare. 

Spin does the trick

Once Gautam Gambhir's move to let Yusuf Pathan bowl the second over bore fruits, with Jesse Ryder holing out to Manoj at long-off, the Warriors were always on the back foot.

And if they had to get their innings going, they had to target at least one of the two left-arm spinners. However, both Iqbal Abdulla and Shakib Al Hasan bowled splendid spells, combining with figures of 7-0-28-3 to take the fizz out of the Warriors' batting.

With southpaws Ganguly, skipper Yuvraj Singh to bowl to and Robin Uthappa batting more as a left-hander with his frequent reverse sweep and switch hit attempts, it was a difficult task for the left-arm duo to keep the Warriors in check.

But they succeeded in their endeavour, putting their team on the brink of a historic moment.

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