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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UDRS: the time has come

While the Indian Cricket board's rejection of the Decision Review System for the series in England isn't really a surprise, its timing is rather intriguing. The series doesn't start till the third week of July. And at the end of June, an ICC chief executives meeting in Hong Kong will consider the recommendations of its cricket committee that asked for Umpire referrals to be made mandatory for all Test cricket.  The cricket committee is no ordinary body. On it sit some of the game's most iconic figures and vibrant minds. Its chairman is twice world cup winning captain Clive Lloyd. Astute men like Mark Taylor, Ian Bishop, Gary Kirsten, Kumar Sangakkara, Ranjan Madugalle and Ravi Shastri are also members. At its last meeting in May the committee 'unanimously' asked for UDRS to...

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India aim to strengthen hold, WI aim revival

It was not the most comprehensive of wins but having taken a morale-boosting 1-0 lead in the series, India would look to press home the advantage against a nervy West Indies in the second one-dayer, on Wednesday. The four-wicket win in the first one-dayer came after a wobbly start and the second-string Indian team would be aiming to plug the loopholes as the series progresses. Missing key players Sachin Tendulkar and regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the young team led by Suresh Raina benefited from the West Indians' follies in the lung-opener. The Caribbeans, on the other hand, would hope to tilt the scale in their favour by picking up on the few positives they gained from the four-wicket loss at the Queen's Park Oval here...

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‘Dhoni is amazing’

Sourav Ganguly heaped praise on the India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni at a promotional, here on Thursday. The former India captain felt that Dhoni’s ability to absorb pressure makes him a mentally strong captain.   “He is a brilliant captain. He has a great ability to absorb pressure. Winning the World Cup and then leading the Chennai Super Kings to their second consecutive title is no mean task. The way he has sustained his hunger for success is amazing. He is now the main man in Indian cricket...” said Sourav.  Sourav believes, although many senior players are being rested, the Indian team has the talent to win the series in West Indies. “We will win in the West Indies. The team is young, but...

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Ganguly disagrees with Ranatunga, bats for IPL

Refuting former Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga's comment that the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a "monster", former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly Thursday said T20 league was an apt platform for players to shape up their careers. "I don't think it's a monster. It has made careers of many players. Only a few can play for the national team while there are heaps of players who are talented but never get a chance. The IPL has given a platform to many such players. It not only is a platform to play for the country but also provides players with financial security, which is important," Ganguly told reporters on the sidelines of an event to promote a Bangla TV quiz show. "I don't know why it's a monster. I know there are...

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