Cecil Wright retires playing cricket at the age of 82

You heard it right the Jamaican fast bowler known as “Cec” is still playing First Class Cricket and has no plans to quit the game any sooner. Although he has lost a great deal of pace over the years, but is still hitting the right areas of the pitch and making the young batsman a run for their money. He has taken over 7,000 wicket in his career span of 57 years.The 82 year old made his first class debut for Jamaica against Barbados which boasted of legends Wes Hall and Garfield Sobers in 1959. His love for cricket is undying and is the reason why he is continuing it where players are retiring at an age of 34.

Wright is still pretty impressive, giving the batsman hard time to the pitch playing for his current club side Uppermill. He is still opening the bowling and leading the attack from the front. He picked up two wickets for eight in just nine overs which also included four maidens. He can still hit the right areas playing against Milnrow in Pennine Cricket League 2nd XI Championship last saturday. Wright has also represented Crompton in Central Lancashire League.

In an interview with The Sun he said,”I still feel fit and my passion to play the game certainly has not dwindled with each passing year.I feel great and I feel that I can still compete and offer something with the ball – I can still get people out. I can still teach these young batmen a thing or two (laughing). He added,” Once a fast bowler, always a fast bowler – sure, I’ve lost a lot of pace, but hey, I can still make it tough for batsmen.They have to work hard for their runs against me, even if I am old enough to be the grandfather for a lot of them!”

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Posted in: cecil wright,Jamaican,retires,WI

Providing Good Pitches will help making Test Cricket more interesting - Sachin Tendulkar

Tendulkar, who is the highest run-scorer in Tests with 15921 runs from 200 Tests, emphasised the need to prepare "interesting tracks" to revive interest in the longest format.

"I think Test cricket is going to revive if we produce interesting tracks, but if the tracks are flat and dead then Test cricket is going to find its challenges. I know this World Test Championship has been announced but even to have this World Championship, you've got to make cricket interesting, just by having another championship, cricket is not going to get interesting.

Tendulkar also stressed on the art of leaving and defending the ball while heaping praise on Australia's Marnus Labuschagne. After his defiant 59 at Lord's coming in as Smith's concussion substitute, he made a well-crafted 74 and 80 at Headingley, pulling Australia out of trouble on all three occasions.

"I have been watching a little bit of Ashes and I thought someone like Marnus Labuschagne has left the ball brilliantly, which is something that you don't get to see in Test cricket. Normally you tend to glide those balls to third man and pick [up] a single. But the kind of surfaces they are playing on, if you steer the ball you go to the dressing room.

"You need to leave those balls or defend solidly. And the guys who have not been able to do that, they have been watching the game from the dressing room."

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Posted in: Ashes,ICC,Pitch,Sachin,Test Championship

Misbah-Ul-Haq might be next pakistan coach

Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq on Tuesday has emerged as the favourite to take over as Pakistan's cricket coach after Mickey Arthur was axed following a disappointing World Cup.

Misbah, Pakistan's most successful Test captain, has stepped down from the Pakistan Cricket Board's executive committee to clear the way for his application. "I have resigned from the cricket committee and have applied for the post of Pakistan's head coach," said the former batsman, describing the position as a "dream". The four-member executive committee declined to renew Arthur's contract after Pakistan failed to reach the semi-final of the World Cup in England and Wales. The PCB did not reveal whether anyone else had applied for the post. However, Pakistani media said former Australian batsman Dean Jones and ex-West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh were among the applicants. Misbah said competition for the job would be tough. "It is interesting to see my name emerging in the media even before I had applied... I envisage there will be a few more very competent and highly qualified people applying for one of the most challenging jobs in the game," he added.



Misbah totalled 26 wins in 56 Tests as captain, with 19 losses and 11 draws. He retired in 2017. Pakistan are likely to announce their new head coach ahead of the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka starting in Karachi from September 27.

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Posted in: Coach,Misbah,Pakistan,PCB

Jasprit Bumrah and late away movement

Jasprit Bumrah is all about breaking records. The run up towards the bowling crease, the flaying limbs and the open-chested thrust behind his delivery - how Bumrah makes everything work for himself consistently at the highest level is difficult even for the best experts. From a death overs specialist with the white ball to a lethal new-ball bowler in Test cricket, Bumrah's rapid evolution was there in Antigua against West Indies for everyone to see.

Bumrah is now the only Asian bowler to have five-wicket hauls in England, West Indies, Australia and South Africa. Bumrah's emergence has literally catalyzed the fast-bowling revolution in India. Since Virat Kohli took charge as full time Test captain in 2014 december, he laid emphasis on raw pace through Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and bhuvneshwar Kumar too pushed himself to bowl consistently over 135 kmph.

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Posted in: bumrah,india,outswing,west indies

life beyond MS Dhoni

 Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has said that Team India will have to get used to the fact that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not be around for too long.

"He is at that stage of his career where he has to evaluate where he stands. He has to decide if he can win matches for India... if he can continue to contribute like Dhoni, not someone else. "Because with players like Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, till they play, there will be expectations that they will win matches. I think Dhoni has to make this decision. Only a player knows how much fuel is left in the tank and how much of his match-winning ability is intact," he said.

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Posted in: Dhoni,Ganguly,MSD,Team India

Legendary batting from Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes Shines in England first 350+ target to keep Ashes series alive.

England have evened the Ashes series at 1-1 after one of the most tremendous matches in Test history by an unforgettable match-winning innings of 135 from Ben Stokes. England were bowled out for 67 in the first innings, achieved their highest-ever winning total by scoring 362 for nine thanks to a last-wicket partnership of 76 of which Leach made a single run. Australia dropped glorious chances to retain the Ashes in the final moments of incredible drama at Headingley before Stokes and his unlikely partner saw the hosts home.Down there in the black, where people lose their careers, Stokes looked around and found, deep within himself, the resolve to lead his team right back up and out again.

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Posted in: Ashes,Australia,England,Stokes

If Indian cricketers were animals....

The cricketing world is a highly competitive environment.  The Indian cricket team has one of the most hectic schedules among their comparables. Apart from playing international cricket, several players also ply their trade in the IPL and Champions League.  One can only imagine the intense schedule of these players. But just like in the wild, these talented athletes have no time to dwell on the past. Each day is a new day and they earn their bread based on their current performances and not the past.

The cricketing world is a highly competitive environment.  The Indiancricket team has one of the most hectic schedules among their comparables. Apart from playing international

cricket, several players also ply their trade in the IPL and Champions League.  One can only imagine the intense schedule of these players. But just like in the wild, these talented athletes have no time to dwell on the past. Each day is a new day and they earn their bread based on their current performances and not the past.Come to think of it, animals and cricketers both face cut-throat competition in the quest to survive. To pay honor to some talented cricketers and some equally riveting creatures, here is a list of Indian cricketers and their animal equivalentsMahendra Singh Dhoni: The Lion may be the king of the wild jungle. But the Indian captain is no lesser than a Lion on the field. His ability to stay unwavering and calm during crunch moments is what separates Dhoni from the rest. His bottom hand is as fierce as a Lions bite. This is where his brute power comes in. No bowler would want to be at the other end, when he unleashes his trademark helicopter shot. He’s thirty-three and still going strong. Virat Kohli and the fox have some similar traits. The clever canine is known to leap into three feet of snow just for a small sized fish meal. Similarly Virat never leaves a stone unturned when he is on the field. The wily young cricketer approaches each ball as if it’s his last. Swift reflexes and a killer sense for victory have helped them both attain prominence in their respective fields. Legendary fielder Jonty Rhodes once labeled Ajinkya Rahane as one of India’s finest fielders. Agile and slick on the field, Rahane has all the qualities of a squirrel. Both have immaculate techniques that put them above the rest of their peers. Rahane is extremely quick on the field and has consistently put in exemplary performances for both club and country. His reflex action would have impressed even the most nimble squirrels out there. Rohit Sharma is one of the most gracious and stylish batsman on the field.  But his runs can have a stinging effect on the opposition. Just ask the Sri Lankans against whom he scored that memorable 264.  He reminds us of the Sting Ray. Both of them may not be star celebrities in team. In fact most of the time they go unnoticed. And that’s due to their uncanny ability to seamlessly blend into the action. All they need is one window of opportunity to strike. And when they do strike, the world takes note. Also known as a cougar and catamount, the first thing you will notice about a Puma is its athletic body. The puma has muscles ripping out from all parts of its body. If there is one cricketer in the Indian team who has a chiseled and muscular body, it’s Shikhar Dhawan. Known for his hard hitting stroke-play, this left handed batsman from Delhi is inspired by the puma and takes his time to set himself before unleashing a wide array of scintillating shots.Stuart Binny: One of the surprise picks for the upcoming World Cup, Stuart Binny is a versatile cricketer who is equally good with both bat and ball.  His hybrid talents can be compared to those of a Liger. For those who aren’t aware, a liger is a hybrid between a lion and tiger and yes they do actually exist. For a long time, the Indian cricket team has been on the lookout for a versatile all-rounder. So much so that fans had actually given up hope that our team could churn out a quality all-rounder. In Stuart Binny, they might have finally found their versatile liger. Glass frogs are a work of art. Many people reading this might be unaware of this amphibian. We highly recommend you read about them. Just like the mysterious glass frog, not much is known about India’s new spinster on the block- Axar Patel. Already 10 matches into his one day career, viewers across the world will have the opportunity to watch this young and intelligent left-arm bowler in action at the upcoming world cup. Known for being the fastest snake in the whole of Africa, the black mamba can inject highly toxic doses of venom on its prey which can cause instant death. It’s been a long time coming but in Umesh Yadav, we finally have a bowler who can consistently bowl at 140 km/hr.  His fastest ball yet was a fireball against Sri Lanka back in 2012. He managed to clock a speed of 152.5 km/hr.  He doesn’t strike regularly, but when he does, he strikes with deadly accuracy. Both the black mamba and Umesh Yadav have a low hit rate but we can expect Yadav to improve his strike rate of 68.75 come this February. 

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Amir set for return to cricket

Banned Pakistani bowler Mohammed Amir, could be playing competitive cricket as soon as next month, if the ICC approves his reintegration following the introduction of a revised anti-corruption code. The ICC interviewed Mohammed Amir on Friday about his banned years, in order to find if there was any difference in the player.

In November, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written to the ICC to review the conditions of Amir’s spot fixing ban and grant immediate relief to the player so that he could return to domestic cricket before September 2015, that is when his five-year ban ends. According to the new anti-corruption code, banned players could be allowed to return to domestic cricket before the end of their penalty if they meet certain criteria.

With the domestic season in Pakistan set to finish soon and start again in October, Amir’s only chance to play in competitive cricket can be a possible stint in the Super Eight T20 Cup in Pakistan after the World Cup.

Spokesman from the PCB has said, “It is most likely that Amir will get an (immediate) reprieve to play domestic cricket.”

The hopes of his return to competitive return cricket has encouraged his representatives to look for possible contracts in English County Season which begins in April.

The reintegration of Amir to competitive cricket would depend on few factors though. One of it would be based on a conclusion of positive behaviour since the spot-fixing scandal. In the last four years, Amir has completed an Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) education program with PCB, showed a high degree of remorse, and disclosed relevant information to the PCB as well as the anti-corruption units.

22 year old Mohammed Amir had been handed a 5 year ban along with teammates Mohammed Asif and Salman Butt for indulging in Spot Fixing. Both Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif had bowled deliberate no-balls in Lord’s Test in 2010.

Of the three players who were accused, Mohammed Amir was the one who had drawn the most sympathy and considered to have naively entered a way of crime under pressure from seniors without having fully realized the consequences of his act.

The young bowler already holds the record of being the youngest player to 50 test wickets.

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India’s bowling is an area of concern, feels Kirti Azad

Former India cricketer and member of the victorious World Cup team of 1983, Kirti Azad Saturday said with the present bowling line-up reigning champions India will suffer badly at the upcomingICC World Cup 2015 starting Feb 14.

“With the kind of bowling line-up we have, we have to suffer,” Azad told the media and audience present at the Kolkata literary meet where he and other panellists discussed the victory at the ’83 World Cup.

The 56-year-old, who fondly remembered getting English batsman Ian Botham out in the semi-final in 1983, also added that cricket is a strange game where anything could happen in an instant, thus refraining from predicting India’s chances at the Cup.

“It is a funny game, you never know, the bowling will have to come to the forefront and deliver, if it does not then India can be knocked out before the semi-final or even before that,” he added.

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Sourav Ganguly hails MS Dhoni as one of the greatest Indian ODI players

"I have earlier seen many one day players and also played with many cricketers. But as a package of batting, wicket keeping and captaincy, he (Dhoni) has been outstanding for India," Ganguly said.

After former India cricket captain Dilip Vengsarkar called Mahendra Singh Dhoni the best one-day match finisher ever, ex-star Sourav Ganguly Saturday rated the Jharkhand dasher as one of the

greatest Indian ODI players.

Praising Dhoni for leading his team to an amazing victory in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka Thursday, Ganguly said: "I have seen the entire match. It is really wonderful to see the kind of ice cool nerve as well as temperament he showed in the final."

Speaking at a programme of Bengali news channel ABP Ananda, he hailed the "cool" skipper's skill, ability as well as temperament.

"As a superb one-day player, Dhoni possesses tremendous match finishing ability. I think in ODI, Dhoni is one of the greatest players of all times for India," he observed.

Dhoni smashed 16 runs in the last over to help India win the Tri-Nation series at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad. His innings was reminiscent of the one he played in Mumbai where he struck an unbeaten 91 against Sri Lanka in the World Cup 2011 final.

"I have earlier seen many one day players and also played with many cricketers. But as a package of batting, wicket keeping and captaincy, he (Dhoni) has been outstanding for India," Ganguly said.

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New faces brighten Indian cricket

The India under-19 team’s victory in the Top End series in Darwin (Australia) must gladden the hearts of the junior national selection committee members and the cricketing fraternity in general.

Right from the warm-up game against Papua New Guinea, Vijay Zol’s team trounced Australia and New Zealand twice in the league and dominated the tournament.

Vijay Zol

The convincing win in the final on Friday was a reflection of the quality of the team selected by Chandrakant Pandit and his committee.

With only Zol and Mumbai’s Akhil Herwadkar making the cut from the team that won the ICC Under-19 World Cup last year at Townsville (Australia), Pandit would have been anxious to know the outcome of the series. This was the first preparatory tour lined up by the BCCI leading to the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Dubai in February 2014.

The India Under-19 team will play a Test and one-day series in Sri Lanka soon and a quadrangular one-day series at home in which the other teams would be Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Sources close to the planning of the Indian team said that the selection committee has picked the team taking into account the players’ ability to excel in conditions in Australia, India, Sri Lanka and Dubai and also the potential of the players to make the India ‘A’ and India senior teams.

GOOD START

While Sandeep Patil’s committee has had the satisfaction of making bold decisions for the home series against Australia, the ICC Champions Trophy and the tri-series in the West Indies, Pandit’s committee has made a good start with Zol leading by example.

Earlier this week, Pandit’s committee picked two teams — the India under-23 team for the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup and the India under-19 teams for four-day and one-day games in Sri Lanka.

Patil and Pandit’s committee have selected players from Jammu & Kashmir; off- spinner Parveez Rasool in the Indian team for the one-day series in Zimbabwe and opening batsman Shubham Khajuria in the under-19 team for the Sri Lanka tour.

Pandit’s committee has also recognised the performances of wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Vishwanadh (under-19) and seamer Sandeep Warrier for the ACC Emerging Teams Cup to be played in Singapore.

There are some familiar faces in the under-23 team, but the committee has given opportunities to Mumbai’s Kaustubh Pawar, Maharashtra’s Ankit Bawane, Guajarat’s Manpreet Juneja, Smit Patel, Jasprit Bumrah and Akshar Patel, Himachal Pradesh’s Prashant Chopra and Haryana’s Harshal Patel.

BIGGEST BREAK

The biggest break though has come for Kerala’s Sanju Vishwanadh. He is the vice-captain of the under-19 team. Uttar Pradesh’s left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has taken time to impress, but Abey Kuruvilla, former chairman of the BCCI junior selection committee, said: “He’s a bright future. He bowls the googly and chinaman. He is also a handy bat. He has been with Mumbai Indians for two seasons.”

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ICC denies Aamir permitted to play domestic cricket

LAHORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has categorically denied that suspended fast bowler Mohammad Aamir has been allowed to play domestic cricket by the game’s world governing body.

Speaking to Dawn from Dubai, a spokesman of the ICC confirmed that the ICC Board had already constituted a four-man committee during the ICC annual conference week last month, on the request of the Pakistan Cricket Board interim committee chairman Najam Sethi, but clarified that any decision regarding Aamir’s five-year ban would only be made by the ICC Board.

“Any decision to give any sort of relaxation to Mohammad Aamir will only be made by the ICC Board. The four-man committee comprising Giles Clarke, Wally Edwards, Imran Khawaja and Keith Oliver will present its recommendations to the ICC Board, which will review these before making its decision. Until such time, Aamir will remain suspended from all cricket activities,” the spokesman said.

“Any reports that the ICC has allowed Aamir to play domestic cricket or club cricket or use PCB facilities are incorrect,” the spokesman added.

Aamir, along with his then skipper Salman Butt and another pacer Mohammad Asif, was banned for five years by an independent anti-corruption tribunal of Michael Beloff in 2011 after he was found guilty of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test in August 2010.

While Salman and Asif appealed against the bans, Aamir admitted his guilt, attended rehabilitation programmes and also cooperated with the ICC with its investigations. On Aamir’s attitude, the PCB wants his five-year ban should be ended in three years.

During last month’s ICC conference, Sethi had pleaded Aamir’s case and had requested the ICC Board to reduce his penalty. Upon Sethi’s request, a committee was constituted to look into the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, as well as Aamir’s case and make recommendations.

While the next ICC Board meeting is scheduled in October, it is not necessary that a decision on Aamir will be made in that meeting.

“It will be premature to comment when the recommendations will be presented and when the ICC Board will make its decisions,” the ICC spokesman remarked.

On Salman Butt, the ICC spokesman said the former Pakistan captain was yet to contact the ICC.

“We have seen media reports in which he has accepted his involvement in spot-fixing and has apologised, but till this date, he has not contacted the ICC or its ACSU.

“Salman has to come out clean, share information and help the ACSU in its investigations,” he concluded.

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At times, you need to play boring cricket - MSD

The skipper admitted that since it was the final, he took the risk of playing despite not having fully recovered from his hamstring injury.

After guiding the team to an exciting tri-nation ODI series triumph, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni made it clear that he is ready to play "boring cricket" while chasing low scores if it ensures a victory for his team.

"At times in these low scoring matches, you need to play boring cricket. It doesn't matter whether you win in the 48th or 49th over," Dhoni said at the post-match media conference having got his team past the finishing line with two balls to spare.

The skipper admitted that since it was the final, he took the risk of playing despite not having fully recovered from his hamstring injury.

"Sometimes you don't really wait to be 100 hundred percent fit. The problem with hammy (hamstring) injury is that there is a chance of re-occurence. Since it was the final and we have two months off after this, I thought about taking the risk," he said.

Questioned on how he played despite restricted movements, he answered, "I just tried to avoid the pressure on my right hamstring and trying to deviate that pressure." He was all praise for young Virat Kohli's leadership skills.

"Virat did a tremendous job with a young side. Now he will be leading the team to Zimbabwe where it will be a good exposure for the new set of bowlers who are not as experienced as the current crop. If they do well, our bench strength will only increase," the skipper pointed out.

The witty side of the skipper came to the fore when asked about him scolding Ishant Sharma for misjuding a single and risking getting run-out in the process.

"The problem with tall fast bowlers is that there is a lot of distance between the brain and the receptors," Dhoni answered in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

On a serious note he added, "I was avoiding singles in the 49th over because if I had to play the last couple of deliveries and I happned to miss it, it would have increased pressure on Ishant. He is not very good at rotating strike and also with him I could have at the best run a single."

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Deccan Chargers terminated from IPL

The Deccan Chargers franchise is one formal step away from losing its IPL status with its owners failing to produce, within the Friday evening deadline, the Rs 100-crore ($19 million) bank guarantee the Bombay High Court had set as the condition for the team's survival in the league. The failure to produce the bank guarantee meant that the court's status quo on the franchise's termination was automatically lifted, which leaves the BCCI free to invite bidders for a new franchise.

There are, however, two lifelines for the Chargers; one is if the court-appointed arbitrator, CK Thakkar, rules that the BCCI's grounds of termination were improper. It is believed that Chargers' counsel have already approached Thakkar. The other alternative is to challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court.

For the moment, though, Friday's events bring the curtains down on Chargers' roller coaster existence in the IPL, which they won in 2009 after finishing last the previous season. Their subsequent performances were patchy - they finished fourth, seventh and eighth in the last three seasons. The last few months have been overshadowed by the owners' financial problems, which had led to the attempted sale of the franchise and finally its dissolution.

It is understood that DCHL sought a three-day extension of the Friday 5 pm deadline to furnish the guarantee but the court turned it down. DCHL's lawyers are also believed to have told the court that it was trying to "negotiate" selling the franchise to a private bidder.

It is not yet clear what will happen to the playing and support staff. Chargers were led last season by Kumar Sangakkara and coached by the former Australia batsman Darren Lehmann. The other notable overseas players include Dale Steyn, Cameron White and JP Duminy.

The development will, however, come as a shot in the arm for the BCCI, which is keen on a new franchise. At its marketing sub-committee meeting on September 13, a day after the Chargers' expulsion, the board had decided on a short-list of nine cities - not including Hyderabad - for the new franchise. But those plans had to be put on hold once DCHL went to court.

The BCCI had terminated Chargers' IPL contract on September 14 after what it called a "sudden change of stance by the franchise" regarding its commitments and the board's belief that any further extension of time to the franchise owners would "seriously prejudice the interests of the players."

The matter then went to court where on October 1, while delivering his final judgement in the case, Justice S J Kathawala had asked DCHL to comply with various undertakings in order for the franchise to return to the IPL fold. The conditions included clearing the player dues and other liabilities for the fifth season of the IPL, and also the bank guarantee, only from a nationalised bank.

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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 needlessly dived to his right when the first slip would have easily collected the catch.

At the tea break Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 25 while Sachin Tendulkar was on two in pursuit of his 100th international century.

Sehwag batted for 127 minutes and faced 83 balls, hitting seven fours in the process.

Pattinson, the young tearaway quick, was earlier rattled by Sehwag's antics and the two were involved in a verbal duel after the Indian opener pushed the fast bowler for a single. Umpire Marais Erasmus had to step in and calm the two players.

Left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir(3) was the other batsman out as he edged a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery that kicked up and moved away, to Brad Haddin behind the stumps.

Sehwag, typically, played and missed quite often in the initial phase of his knock but also carted some bold strokes which played on to the nerves of the Australians.

Sehwag's booming shots were not seen straightaway but he hit Patterson for a four through the covers in the fifth over to start the counter attack.

The right-hander then carved first-change Peter Siddle over slips which almost went to six at the third man region. He then followed it up with two consecutive fours off the fast bowler -- one smashed through the covers and the second one deliberately steered through the slip cordon.

Sehwag took a fancy of off-spinner Nathan Lyon, introduced early in the innings, and twice flayed him down the ground for boundaries. The first such shot brought up his half-century off 59 balls with five fours.

The Delhi opener, who completed 8,000 runs in Test cricket during his innings, then dragged a drive off Lyon which almost carried to David Warner at long-on. In the very next over, he edged Pattinson but wicketkeeper Haddin couldn't hold on to the chance on to his right.

Just before the tea break, Pattinson again roared up in appeal for a catch to forward short leg but it was clear the ball had gone off the thigh of Sehwag.

Dravid went about his business quietly at the other end. He began with a classy thrust off his pads to midwicket fence off Pattinson but the second one came after a while when he edged one off Peter Siddle between the slips.

Tendulkar walked in to a standing ovation from the goodish MCG crowd but nearly disappointed them when he played the part-time medium-pace of Mike Hussey uppishly and almost into the hands of short mid-wicket fielder.

The Australian pace bowlers bowled in very good area in the half an hour before tea and beat Dravid on a number of occasions.

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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 Simpson, who had been recalled a decade after retiring from the game.

History clearly is not in India's favour.

Inspired or deflated?

India might have the superior batting, but this series hinges on which team is more capable of taking 20 wickets to win a Test.

Zaheer Khan apart - and no-one knows what his level of fitness is or whether he will even last the series - this is the most inexperienced bowling attack India has fielded in at least six decades.

If that spurs the likes of Ravichander Ashwin or Umesh Yadav, talented bowlers but in alien conditions, it will be a series to savour.

Australia's bowling attack is also certainly weakened, with new star Pat Cummins unfit.Adding to India's confidence is Australia's recent loss to New Zealand in the Hobart Test, which revealed their own lack of experience and extended the career of Ricky Ponting.

The question is: will the loss in Hobart make Australia a more dangerous side or will it drag the team further down the corridor of uncertainty they have been inhabiting in recent weeks and months?

Sport is strange that way.

A loss can either inspire or deflate a team. Champion teams tend to be motivated by defeat, but Australia haven't been champions for some time now, and it will be interesting to see how they react.

A week before this Boxing Day Test, Ponting turned 37. Both Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are a couple of years older, but the Indians continue to be the pillars of the batting.

The last time India travelled, they were knocked over by England in every match; India struggled once Zaheer Khan pulled out with injury in the first Test, and discovered that nothing succeeds like failure.

Lambs abroad

Thanks to the recent victories against England and the West Indies at home (the former admittedly in a one-day series), the smile is back on the face of the Indian tiger.

But tigers at home, lambs abroad - the story of Indian cricket for many years, has come back to haunt them.

Nevertheless, the leading players know this is their last chance to be part of a series win in Australia.

For the past decade and a half this has been one of the leading India teams of all time.Even when the team was anointed No 1 in the world, there was a nagging incompleteness: India had never won a series in Australia.

There was the series win in Pakistan, victories in England and the West Indies, and the World Cup.

A few things have to fall into place, though, to cross the Australia frontier.

India haven't fully got over their first-Test blues on tour; they tend to lose the inaugural encounter and then find it impossible to get back into the series.

They should have won the last two series in Australia, but managed only a draw under Sourav Ganguly and despite winning a Test under Anil Kumble, lost the series.

Much will also depend on how the rival skippers, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Michael Clarke, handle their resources.

Clarke has the story of Bobby Simpson to inspire him; Dhoni has the chance to correct a historical anomaly when the better team lost some three and a half decades ago.

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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 don’t want to be a bowler who gets injured and then comes back and bowls at 120kmph. I want to bowl fast. Even in 2007, I had a back injury and people asked, ‘why don’t you start playing because you can bowl?’ But, I don’t want to just bowl. I want to bowl fast,” Sreesanth tells the HT in an interview. Excerpts:

What’s the status on your injury?
I had a tennis elbow, and a bruise on my bone. For the last year and a half I’ve been on and off feeling pain while bowling. I am training hard and following a proper routine. I am fine now.

What will be the challenge in England?
England are a very good side, they have done well everywhere. The conditions will be helpful, but not getting carried away by the bounce and the swing, like I did on my last tour in 2007, will be the key. It took me two Tests to understand how to bowl in England, and the experience of playing a season for Warwickshire will be to my advantage.

One thing about England is that the conditions are helpful but if you don’t hit the right areas you won’t get wickets. If you can swing the ball with pace, nothing like it. I learnt that from Allan Donald and Ashley Giles, who were my coaches at Warwickshire.

Many feel the contest will decide the top Test team in the world?
We don’t need to discuss that. We’re the top-ranked team, and we have proved it for the last year and a half.

Experts feel you are more suited for Test cricket? Is it because it gives you a chance to bounce back unlike a limited overs game?
It is an honour when a great player says that I am a good Test bowler. But honestly, as a cricketer, I want to play all forms of the game. I want to give my best shot, some days I don’t do well, which is a part of the game. All I can control is to give my best when I get an opportunity. There’s nothing like a one-day or a Test bowler, I just want to play for India and do well in all forms of the game. I have four-five years of very good cricket left in me, I am 28, and 28 to 32 are the best years for a fast bowler, you are more experienced and more fit.

You are known to enjoy the party circuit. How are you preparing for the England series? Have you cut down on partying?
I had my share of celebrations for a couple of weeks (after the World Cup win), but that is history now. I am training hard. I don’t want to be a bowler who gets injured and then comes back and bowls at 120kmph. I want to bowl fast. Even in 2007, I had a back injury and people asked, ‘why don’t you start playing because you can bowl?’

But, I don’t want to just bowl. I want to bowl fast. A lot of people question, why he is not playing? But I had this pain and whenever I bowled fast, it was getting worse. I don’t want to cheat myself. I want to bowl fast and get back in to the team.

Do you think partying affects your performance?
It’s a personal choice. If you know what you are doing and when to do it, then it’s fine. Sab ke liye ek time hota hai. It’s about setting your priorities right, knowing your values… I celebrate when it is the right time. I am not into partying much now. I am not a 19-year-old anymore. I love going out; I used to love partying, even now I go to these get-togethers.

It is more about relaxing your mind and body and taking the mind off cricket. I love to go and watch movies, or may be a small get-together at home with light music and some fun. Partying now is only restricted to when it is the birthday of a very close buddy or a special occasion. I don’t think it will affect your game as long as you don’t overdo it. Anything over is bad… There is a thin line between foolishness and bravery and if you know that line, you will be fine.

You are a two-time world champion, how do you compare the 2007 World T20 triumph with the 2011 ODI World Cup experience?
2011 was a completely different experience from 2007, when I took the last catch in the final. In the 2011 tournament, I hardly did anything. Fortunately, I got to play the most important game — the final.

It is great to be part of World Cup history but that doesn’t stop me. I want to set standards now; I want to take responsibility.

I want to be like Zaheer bhai; follow his footsteps, listen and learn from him, and one day become the main strike bowler of India and win matches. There are 14 Tests coming up, I will miss the three against the West Indies but will still get 11. I want to go to the next level. I have been in and out of the team for six years, and it is high time I consolidated my position and became a match winner.

How did you take it when you were dropped from the IPL team?
I took it in the right spirit. I knew the West Indies and England tours were coming and I motivated and trained myself to be fit for the series. Nobody wants to miss a game, but honestly it gave me time to set goals about what I want to achieve and where I want to be in one year’s time. Someone like Muraltharan, who has 800 Test wickets, was also dropped for some matches, that’s how the format is.

…because you were a current India player who was not finding a place among the seven local players in the Kochi team?
Honestly, I didn’t understand (being dropped for the IPL games) but I was only a player, not the captain or the vice-captain. I was not involved in the team management’s decisions.
 
The DRS has triggered a strong debate, are you for or against it?
It is the Board’s decision, and we respect that. We are under contract.

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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 and no. There are very good men in every country. Even Bangladesh and Zimbabwe can throw up good candidates. The question is, are they going to be nominated. The one good way is to have a certain number of independent directors who are not influenced by any country.

You have been critical of ICC’s approach towards Pakistan. What could it have done?
Look, I never criticised ICC for the current situation in Pakistan. The climate is still not conducive for international cricket. I criticised them for the way Pakistan was removed as a host of the World Cup. Pakistan made a reasonable demand of letting them host their matches in neutral venues. Sharad Pawar and David Morgan agreed to that but the next day at the steering committee meeting, India persuaded Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to reject Pakistan’s request. They were unceremoniously removed as hosts. That was sad. Pakistan always stood by India at the ICC.

What do you mean when you said BCCI is trying to exclude Pakistan from every game?
Yes. The proof is very much in front of us. The BCCI has been very active in that. They did not allow Pakistan players in the IPL. You can see that no Pakistani team is involved in the Champions League. The cricket boards in India and Pakistan have always remained independent of military and political tensions between the countries.

Why do you think it has happened?
You should ask those who are running BCCI today. In my time, there were people like Madhavrao Scindia, AC Muthiah, Rajsingh Dungarpur, IS Bindra and Jagmohan Dalmiya who never let politics come into the game. The current people, who are running the BCCI, have let politics into cricket.

But how can the BCCI ignore the government’s advice?
The Indian government is on record saying that it has not given instruction to the BCCI to exclude Pakistani players from the IPL. If you see the FTP, only four countries are playing among themselves.And you look at the number of times India played Australia in the last seven or eight years.At the same time, there is no clear cut schedule between India and Pakistan in the new FTP. It is because the ICC is weak. In my time, every country played with every other country in a four-year cycle. That rule has been corrupted.

But don’t you think India-Australia and India-England series make for great economics?
I can assure you that India-Pakistan series will far exceed the value of any of these series. This argument of economic viability can hold good from an Australian or English point of view but not from an Indian point of view. The right way forward is to put cricket ahead of politics and financial power. Time is a great healer and things will change soon.

What is the way forward for Pakistan cricket?
It is a sad state of affairs in Pakistan. The controversies, from spot fixing to lack of unity, are because of the mismanagement of the PCB.

The ICC has said the boards will have to de-link from the government. Is it possible in Pakistan?
Government interference has harmed Pakistan cricket but this whole thing is not targeted at Pakistan at all. This is motivated by the BCCI because of India’s sports ministry’s proposed legislation for accountability from the national bodies.The BCCI does not want that and that is the real reason. I welcome this legislation. The BCCI can no longer be able to come to the ICC and say that the government does not want an India-Pakistan series

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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 - an overall lead of 82 with a day left in the match.

During his innings Edwards had the ideal partner in Shivnarine Chanderpaul (73 not out) in a stand of 161.

Edwards,26, played some brilliant shots and also showed great determination. He was cheered by the vocal and colourful crowd of over 7,000 fans - including his father Glendon, who made the trip from Barbados.

"We need the support of the people. I had a great reception from the crowd here in Dominica. I was really impressed and happy with the support that we received here."

Speaking about his temperament, Edwards said he never shies away from a challenge. "I'm always prepared mentally. I visualise what I want and I go after it. I want to be a pillar in West Indies cricket so all these things drive me to achieve my goals."

"There will be obstacles but I always aim for my goals. The youngsters (in the team) need the support, we won't come on the stage and get success overnight.

Edwards spoke of the players he admired and those who inspired him as a boy growing up.

"As a young guy growing up and watching cricket I used to like to watch Viv Richards. I used to love to see Viv Richards on the highlights package (on television)."

"It was a proud moment for me to go to the Kensington Oval - at the old Oval - and see Brian Lara and Carl Hooper play. I used to think to myself that one day I would like to be out there playing as well so for me playing for the West Indies is a dream come true," Edwards added.

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