Sehwag's fifty puts India on top

Virender Sehwag played some scintillating shots en route his half-century as India  reached 99 for two at tea, in reply to Australia's first innings 333, on second day of the first Test in Melbourne , on Tuesday. The dashing opener smashed a quickfire 67 before he was bowled off James Pattinson while trying to execute a cover drive without reaching to the line of the ball at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. - Scorecard Sehwag Quick Fifty lead India's innings The Indian vice-captain would rue the fact that he could not get a big score despite being dropped twice, on 54 and 58.On the first occasion, it was David Warner at long on, who failed to latch onto a big hit off Nathan Lyon's bowling and then it was Brad Haddin who...

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India's last cricket frontier

India are beginning a grinding four-Test cricket series against Australia in Melbourne. Sports writer Suresh Menon here covers the prospects for the Indian team, which has never won a Test series in Australia. Zaheer With his New Look Not since 1977-78, when a full Indian team was expected to thrash an Australian outfit weakened by the Kerry Packer defections, has there been so much hope in the Indian camp as there is now.Back then India lost the first two Tests narrowly and won the next two with thumping margins before losing the decider."We should have won 5-0," said ace spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, who claimed 28 wickets, 12 in the Melbourne Test with figures of six for 52 in each innings.It was a rag-tag Australian outfit, led by Bobby...

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Emotions Reloaded: Bravo's Cameo - Bravado

Emotions Reloaded: Bravo's Cameo - Bravado: Just when CSK seemed to have lost their complete plot in the match against Cape Cobras, there came the savior, Dwayn Bravo. Man, he m...

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Speed thrills

Plagued by injuries throughout his tumultuous six-year international career,  Kerala pace ace S Sreesanth is coming through another frustrating period. Not only did he miss the tour of West Indies, where he was expected to spearhead the attack in Zaheer Khan’s absence, he’s also seen his replacement, Praveen Kumar, step up to the plate and stake a claim for a regular spot. Ishant Sharma is also bowling with renewed vigour. Eager to get back in the groove for the England tour, Sreesanth is banking on the thing that works for him – raw pace — injuries be damned. Making a comeback after his latest injury (tennis elbow) the 28-year-old is in no mood to sacrifice pace even with the physical demands of the modern game in mind. “I...

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BCCI has anti-Pakistan agenda: Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani

Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani says that the Indian board is blocking Pakistan.  Governance, for instance. This is for the simple reason that the ICC had three or four processes of electing its presidents. I’m glad that the proposed change, mooted in Hong Kong, has been deferred. The change was going to be very open-ended and do away with the rotation system. Having agreed to the rotations and to suddenly change, it smells to me of an agenda. The way John Howard was rejected was not good for the publicity of the ICC. The new system of electing the president would throw us back to the old days when only one country (England) was having its candidate elected as ICC president. The best man should head the ICC.  The rotation system may not necessarily give you the best man. Yes...

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Edwards wants to be an important part of West Indies cricket

Kirk Edwards, who scored a century on Test debut against India in the Third Test, said his goal is to become an important part of West Indies cricket. The tall right-hander made an assured 110 in more than four hours at the crease and became the first man to make a century at Test cricket's newest venue.  "It is a special feeling to get a Test century on debut for the West Indies but I would have liked to carry on and make a bigger score for the team. Test cricket is about fighting and I see myself as a fighter." "We have a lot of strong characters in the team and we will continue the fight out this match." He also became the 13th West Indian to make a century on debut. His knock pushed the home side to 224/6 in the second innings...

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I am a huge Sachin Tendulkar fan, says Daniel Radcliffe

Harry Potter fans can more than just watch their favourite hero's final battle against Lord Voldemort. They can take heart in the fact that Daniel Radcliffe, known for most of his 22 years of life as Harry Potter, is an unabashed Indophile and plans to visit India soon. For one, he is a big fan of cricket and Sachin Tendulkar and not necessarily in that order. Daniel cherishes an autograph of the Master Blaster. "My friends and I were thrilled to meet Sachin and get his autograph. I am a huge fan, he is truly a legend." "I wanted to visit India during the Cricket World Cup but got so caught up with my Broadway musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, that it left me with no time. But cricket or no cricket, I...

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Tendulkar eyes landmark 100th Test century during series with England

Sachin Tendulkar will be reunited with his India team-mates this week, aiming to achieve his 100th international hundred against England in the first of their four-Test series at Lord's, starting on Thursday week.  But even if he does so on a ground where his highest previous Test score is 37, do not expect the 38-year-old to mark this milestone any differently from the way he has celebrated any other in his 22-year career.  'I am still learning about the game,' said Tendulkar, who has been rested while India have moved triumphantly through a tour of the West Indies. 'You have to keep your mind open. I figure something out about my batting all the time. Those small adjustments with your footwork or bat-swing improve your...

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Mukund disappointed to miss out on a century

Young opener Abhinav Mukund was crestfallen to miss out on an opportunity to score a century after his patient 62 laid the foundation of India's first innings during the third day of the final cricket Test between India and the West Indies at Windsor Park on Friday. "I am really disappointed. After doing all the hard work when the ball was swinging in the morning, I tried to stick on and then got out to a ball, I must not have got out to many a times," said an earnest Mukund whose 62 laid the foundation of India's strong reply to West Indies total of 204 all out. Mukund tried to flick a delivery from spinner Devendra Bishoo which rose from a length and took the edge of his bat to go into the hands of forward short leg fielder. "The...

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Bowling will determine our Test future, says Dravid

Four years ago, Rahul Dravid created history as he led India to twin Test series triumphs, against the West Indies and England respectively. While the 1-0 victory against West Indies came after a long wait of 35 years, India's victory against England also came after a long wait of 21 years. But this time, the Indian team is embarking on both the tours as the world's number one team, while Dravid, no longer the captain, will be looking to make major contributions with the bat. It has been 15 years since Dravid made his Test debut, with a solid innings of 95 at Lord's and he is hoping to get a hundred this time and etch his name on the Honours Boards at the famed cricket stadium, also known as the Home of Cricket. Dravid, 38,...

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Tremlett slams BCCI for UDRS refusal

England pacer Chris Tremlett on Tuesday slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its continuous refusal of using the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS). India will tour England next month to play four Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twent20 match. And just like the ongoing series against the West Indies, there will be no UDRS. The UDRS is a system where teams are allowed two correct referrals per innings to the TV umpire and ICC has been promoting it constantly for the improvement of the game. However, opposition from BCCI and many senior players including Indian skipper MS Dhoni goes against the wishes of the ICC. Tremlett admitted that he is baffled by India's refusal to accept the review...

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Betting Cricket: India will be without injured duo

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan, injured seamers, will not be able to play in India’s upcoming Test series taking place against West Indies, and many of the players’ fans that enjoy betting cricket wonder how the team will do without these players, and hope that they recover as quickly as possible.  Zaheer, left-armer, has a problem with his right ankle while his team-mate Sreesanth has an injury with his right elbow, and both of them will need to take time off in order to go through rehabilitation. Fans everywhere that enjoy betting cricket hope that they regain their proper fitness so they can return to action as soon as possible. The Indian Cricket Board made an announcement that Praveen Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun...

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Jolted India look to end ODI series on a high

Jolted by the massive loss in the fourth ODI, India would aim to get the crucial psychological edge over the West Indies before the Test series when they take on the hosts in the fifth and final one-dayer, here on Thursday. The ODI series is already in their pocket as the Indians have taken a 3-1 lead but they would try and ensure that the scoreline suggests domination by signing off 4-1. Berths in the eleven for the first Test match, scheduled to start next Monday, are up for grabs and those certain would aim to fall in a groove while those still on the edge would look to leave a definite impression on the team management. There are at least two batsmen and the fast-bowling combination which needs to be sorted out ahead of the...

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Roberts saddened by current scenario in West Indies

This was an immortal duel under the sun; the searing intensity of a fast bowler in his prime against a wristy little Indian batsman at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. With his speed, bounce and movement, Andy Roberts had ripped through the Indian line-up on the first day of the fourth India-West Indies Test of 1975.  Standing firm amidst the ruins was a little man with a touch of class. Gundappa Viswanath conjured the innings of his life on a lively pitch where batting demanded heart and skill.“Vishy was different from a lot of Indian batsmen. He played the short ball well. He would not hook but would just rise on his toes and turn the delivery off his chest with his wrists,” remembers Roberts. It indeed was a face-off that will not be clouded by the mists of time. Roberts,...

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Raina blames it on poor shot selection

West Indies bowled a fair deal of short-pitched deliveries but bowling coach Eric Simons, wasn’t ready to concede that it had softened up his batsmen. “I don’t think short-pitched bowling is any issue with this team. It’s not as if we lost only because we were softened up (by them),” he said. “Sometimes when a series is lost and there is not much to play for, a team is more relaxed and they tend to do well which is exactly what West Indies did.” “That could be one of the reasons that they played with greater freedom… They did well on Tuesday,” Simons explained. He added: “We have done really well in this series, and our clinching this series is a reflection of that. Whenever we...

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Spin-attack: India crafting the changing face of World Cricket

India’s greatest strength over the last two years in International cricket has been what has been our traditional weapon, spin. There are two main reasons for that, one that India has played a lot of cricket in the sub-continent and now on the slow turning pitches in the West Indies. The second reason is that spin has risen enormously in stature in general over the last couple of years. This might be because of the coming of T-20 and teams realizing the economical role that spinners can play. Spinners have been used as death bowlers, as opening bowlers and as wicket takers. They have assumed and fulfilled every role to perfection. Traditionally teams like the West Indies, England and New Zealand did not have quality spinners and...

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India look to win series today

India will target to defeat West Indies in the third One Day International (ODI) match today and also ensure to win the series. Today India set to meet West Indies in the third match of the five match ODI series with the young brigade defeating their opponents in the earlier two encounters quite easily. Meanwhile India's stand in captain Suresh Raina Raina has demanded more respect for the West Indies team who have under performed in this series. "Earlier you termed us a young (second-string) side. Now you are terming the opposition too weak. The fact is that we all have played too well. Someone or other has put his hand up and we have prevailed," Raina was quoted as saying. "These guys are players. They are not machines. There would...

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Virat Kohli gets his priorities right

Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya loves to put his money on a winning horse. If he thought 22-year-old Virat Kohli was the only cricketer his franchise should have retained ahead of Indian Premier League 4 and spent $1.8m to ensure Kohli stays put, he must have certainly seen something special in the cricketer. A closer look at Kohli now gives you glimpses of what Mallya might have seen. A confident young man who doesn't swear by his talent as much as he swears by what he has learnt from his mistakes; a hard-working cricketer who is turning out to be a winning bet for Indian cricket; an extraordinary individual. Five years ago, when the batsman returned to finish off a Ranji Trophy game for his team Delhi on the morning...

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