Tendulkar's 50th ton and thunderstorms delay Indian defeat

Tendulkar's 50th ton and thunderstorms delay Indian defeat

It was a century that the entire nation was eagerly awaiting from Sachin Tendulkar as he completed a historic 50th Test century against South Africa at the Centurion.

India though, are two wickets away from conceding a 1-0 lead to the Proteas in the first Test, as rain brought early curtains on day four of the Test. At stumps on day 4, India was 454-8, with Tendulkar batting on 107, along with Sreesanth.

The moment Sachin found a gap through the extra-cover region to push a Dale Steyn delivery for a single, the entire stadium stood up to salute one of the true legends of the game. It is Sachin's 175th Test match -- most by any player in the history of the game. It took him four Test matches to reach the milestone after having scored his 49th against Australia in October this year.

He played 197 deliveries and 258 minutes to reach the milestone. He hit 12 boundaries and a big six over long-off with left-arm spinner Paul Harris being the sufferer. This is his seventh century in the year 2010.

If some of the Indian players like Sreesanth were seen saluting Sachin on his achievement, South Africans Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla congratulated the maestro.

The century should rank among one of the best considering the amount of pressure Indian team are in after being all out for a paltry 136 in the first innings. This is Sachin's fourth Test century on South African soil and indeed one he would cherish the most.

Tendulkar stood rock solid while Dhoni was even more aggressive than his senior partner at one stage. Dhoni gave Dale Steyn some special treatment by hitting the South African strike bowler for a flurry of fours, that too after the home side had taken the new ball.

Dhoni (90) raced to his 20th Test fifty in quick time, from just 41 balls with the help of nine fours. Surprisingly, the Indian duo did not take much chance against left-arm spinner Paul Harris who was hit for just a four -- by Dhoni.

Earlier, India lost the wickets Rahul Dravid (43), VVS Laxman (8) and Suresh Raina (5) and nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (23) in the morning session and trailed by 207 runs as they reached 277 for six at lunch.

Resuming at 190 for two, the visitors added just 87 runs from the 33.4 overs they faced in the morning session, which started half an hour before scheduled time to compensate for loss of time on the first day.

The SuperSport Park has eased out considerably with fast bowlers not posing too much of a problem as they had done on the first day but Dravid and Ishant started cautiously and runs came in trickles initially.

Dravid dug deep, playing the balls on merit while Ishant showed intent to play shots and hit three fours -- two off Lonwabo Tsotsobe and one of Dale Steyn. He added 16 runs to his overnight seven before getting out.

South Africa had to work hard for the breakthrough, which eventually came in the form of Ishant's wicket with the Indian offering a simple catch to Hashim Amla while trying to work a Steyn delivery to the square region nearly an hour into the morning session.

Tendulkar did not waste time as he opened his account with a two off the second ball he faced, of Steyn, and then hit a four in the next over of the same bowler and then off Kallis to increase the tempo.

Just when the most experience Indian duo of Tendulkar and Dravid were settling in to raise hopes of saving the match, the latter got out to a Morne Morkel delivery, which had a hint of movement besides being quick.

Dravid got a faint edge straight through to Boucher to leave India at 242 for four, still trailing by 242 runs. Dravid's 43 came from 109 balls and was studded with six fours.

After the fall of Dravid, much was expected of Laxman but he departed without much contribution to give Tsotsobe his first wicket of the match. He got a thick edge of a full delivery outside off to land straight to gully fielder Ashwell Prince. Raina did not last long as he edged a good length ball of Kallis to Paul Harris at first slip while trying to play it behind point.

Source: PTI

ICC initiates the hunt for all-time best in ODI cricket

 

ICC initiates the hunt for all-time best in ODI cricket

There has been a recent survey on which is the all-time best eleven in test cricket and now, with the World Cup round the corner, the debate is on a range of issues related to limited overs cricket. In a unique initiative, the ICC is seeking to find an answer to which is the best all-time ODI eleven and also which is the best ODI match ever

ICC shortlists greatest ODI team

DUBAI: Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, along with Virender Sehwag, on Wednesday found a place in the list of players nominated for an ICC online poll to pick the all-time greatest team as part of one-day cricket's 40th anniversary celebrations.

Sourav Ganguly is also part of the list of openers, from which only two would make the final dream team. "To mark the 40th anniversary of One-Day International cricket, the ICC's official website is asking supporters from across the globe to select their choice of the greatest ODI match and team of all-time," the ICC said in a statement.

Website www.icc-cricket.com is asking supporters to select a dream team from a shortlist of 48 players and pick their favourite game from a choice of 10 memorable matches. Fans can select dream team and favourite game till January 2, with the choices set to be announced on January 5 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first-ever ODI match between Australia and England.

"With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 now less than two months away, excitement and interest in the one-day format of the game will certainly intensify. We know that fans will enjoy having the chance to remember some of the great games and great players that have played in ODI cricket during the past 40 years," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said.

The Australian ODI team from 1971 will also be presented to the crowd during the innings break of the first ODI match of the series between Australia and England at the MCG on January 16. In the nominees for the Greatest ODI team of all time, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the lone Indian in the list of wicketkeepers. However, no Indian has found a place in the list of middle-order batsmen and fast bowlers, while the legendary Kapil Dev has found a mention in the all-rounders' nomination. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have made the list of spinners shortlisted for the dream team.

Two India match (the win over West Indies by 43 runs at Lord's, 25 June 1983 and the triumph against Pakistan by five runs at Karachi, 13 March 2004) are there in the list of nominees for the greatest ODI match.

 

There have been many great shorter version cricketers over the years and each one of them have given the game a new dimension. Be it Kapil's devils doing the miracle in the 1983 World Cup or Mark Greatbach reinventing the game in 1992 or for that matter Sachin Tendulkar and his 46 centuries, ODI cricket always had the excitement surrounding it.
Take a look at some of these names, who have been shortlisted for that dream eleven.

The shortlist for Dream Team:

Opening batsmen (2) - Saeed Anwar, Sourav Ganguly, Gordon Greenidge, Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn Turner.

Middle-order batsmen (3) - Michael Bevan, Martin Crowe, Aravinda de Silva, Inzamam-ul Haq, Brian Lara, Javed Miandad, Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards.

All-rounder (1) - Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Andrew Flintoff, Richard Hadlee, Jacques Kallis, Imran Khan, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock.

Wicketkeeper (1) - Mark Boucher, MS Dhoni, Andy Flower, Adam Gilchrist, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Moin Khan, Alec Stewart, Kumar Sangakkara.

Fast bowlers (3) - Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, Waqar Younis.

Spinners (1) - Shahid Afridi, Carl Hooper, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Warne, Daniel Vettori.  

And it is not just about players, ODI cricket has also seen absolutely spine-chilling encounters between teams over the years. With the quantum of ODI cricket being played these days, most of the close encounters fade away from our memories in a short span. But, the ICC decides to relive each of the classic close clashes before cricket fans decide on the best close encounter of all time

Greatest ODI match of all-time:

West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs at Lord's, 21 June 1975.

India beat West Indies by 43 runs at Lord's, 25 June 1983.

Pakistan beat India won by one-wicket at Sharjah, 18 April 1986.

England won by three wickets against Australia at Sydney, 22 January 1987.

Australia won by one-wicket against West Indies at Sydney, 12 January 1996.

Australia tied with South Africa at Edgbaston, 17 June 1999.

Pakistan tied with Sri Lanka, at Sharjah, 15 October 1999.

India beat Pakistan by five runs at Karachi, 13 March 2004.

Bangladesh beat Australia by five wickets at Cardiff, 18 June 2005.

South Africa beat Australia by one-wicket at Johannesburg, 12 March 2006.

Source: PTI

ENGLAND RETAIN ASHES,AUSSIES FACE THE AXE

 

England retain Ashes, Aussies face the axe

England’s biggest test win over Australia since Old Trafford in 1956

It was a majestic performance and the reward was there for the taking. England humiliated Australia by an innings and 157 runs to retain the Ashes. On the fourth morning, it took less than 100 minutes for the Barmy Army to burst into celebrations. There was brief resistance provided by Brad Haddin, tipped as the man to take over captaincy from Ponting in the Sydney test. He used the long handle to good effect and provided plenty of entertainment while making a 50. Haddin was well supported by Australia's lone shining star at the MCG, Peter Siddle.

After the early dismissal of Mitchell Johnson to a beauty from Tremlett, Siddle and Haddin put on 86 runs in just 17 overs to lend some respectability. Siddle was using his feet to Swann to good effect. But, Swann showed why he is rated as one of the best spinners in the world today when he continued with his attacking wicket-taking line and length. Eventually, it brought him reward in the form of Siddle's wicket. The partnership was broken and Hilfenhaus did not add a single run before getting out to the impressive Bresnan. The injured Ryan Harris did not come out to bat and that was it for England.

Australia had a better batting display in the second essay but even with a combined score of 356 in both innings, their batting was in tatters. English bowlers were spot on throughout the match. The pick of the lot was Tim Bresnan, who ended with match figures of 6 for 75. Tremlett and Anderson ended with 5 wickets each. Jonathan Trott finished as Man of the Match for his outstanding effort with the bat. Trott had carried with bat with a polished 168.

When was the last time you remember seeing Australia crash to two innings defeats in the same series and that too at home? At least not in recent memory. But, that has happened today and confirms the paradigm shift in world cricketing powers. The win has given England the right to keep the urn firmly with them. With just a test to go at Sydney in the New Year, even a win will not give Australia the Ashes. Remember, since England have possession of Ashes before coming to this series, Australia needed to win the series to regain it while all England had to do was to draw the series to retain it. Going by the current formbook, it looks most certain England will continue with their rampaging mood at the SCG.

Worst defeat since 1956

There have been numerous headlines that have hit the wires ever since Australia slumped to 98 all out in their first innings. There have been calls for the head of Ponting as a captain and may be even as a batsman in the side. Australian cricket overhaul is round the corner. Ponting has seen a fall from where it is very unlikely he will recover and lead from the front again. Australia urgently need solidity at the top of the order. Agreed Shane Watson has done very well as an opener but he is still branded as the makeshift kind of opener and not a born opener. Phil Hughes has lacked the technique to face the new ball. He shuffles a bit too much and in the process becomes vulnerable. One-down is a very important position and for some, it is the most important one in test cricket. Ricky Ponting has been all over the place in that position in recent times. Michael Clarke has been no good either. And what about the bowlers? Barring Peter Siddle, who has swung the ball throughout the series, not a single bowler has shown consistency for long periods. The only solace for Australia is that the next test will mark the beginning of a new decade and they can simply use the opportunity to reinvent themselves after a decade that saw them reach the pinnacle and crash to the nadir with the same speed.

Australia's biggest innings defeats in Ashes history

YEAR	VENUE	England's victory margin
1938	The Oval, England	Innings and 579 runs
1892	Adelaide, Australia	Innings and 230 runs
1912	Melbourne, Australia	Innings and 225 runs
1886	The Oval, England	Innings and 217 runs
1956	Manchester, England	Innings and 170 runs
2010	Melbourne, Australia	Innings and 157 runs
1888	The Oval, England	Innings and 137 runs
1901	Sydney, Australia	Innings and 124 runs
1985	Birmingham, England	Innings and 118 runs
1886	Lord's, England	Innings and 106 runs
1885	Melbourne, Australia	Innings and 98 runs
1985	The Oval, England	Innings and 94 runs
1966	Sydney, Australia	Innings and 93 runs
2010	Adelaide, Australia	Innings and 71 runs

This has been Australia's worst performance in an Ashes series at home in a long time. What would worry the Australian selectors even more is two innings defeats in a single series at home. This hasn't happened in a long time. Australia last lost two matches in a same series by innings in Ashes back in 1985 when the team led by Allan Border were thrashed in back-to-back tests in England in the month of August.

50 days to go: India’s unknown enemy is UDRS

 

50 days to go: India’s unknown enemy is UDRS 

The World Cup is now just 50 days away and with each passing day one can’t help get the feeling that India will be the favorites to bag the title after 28 long years of wait. That is if the team can get past their biggest challengers. Sorry folks. We are not talking about any team but the unknown enemy, UDRS.

India’s reluctance to use the umpiring review system is a well-known and well documented fact. What is equally well known is the proposed big use of UDRS in the upcoming mega event and India, we all know certainly do not start as favorites in that department. If anything, India are expected to severely struggle using the referral system since they are not trained to do so. Recently, many were talking about the need to have a toss coach and/or to send someone other than Dhoni to the middle before the spin of the coin. Agreed toss is about the rub of the green of which UDRS is not about and we have seen that in recent days.

The Ashes was a classic example. Both Australia and England certainly looked well versed with the usage of UDRS. Alastair Cook was a great example in the MCG test. When field umpire Aleem Dar gave him out, he wasted not even a single second in signalling for a TV referral. This was because Cook was 100% sure he had got an inside edge to the ball. Even in the Durban test, South Africans were bitterly disappointed at not being able to use the UDRS since the dismissals of AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher certainly looked doubtful and would have been reversed if the TV was used.

The point here is not whether UDRS is good or not. It is about learning something which you have to follow whether you like it or not. This is like getting a child admitted to a school. You will face resistance from the kid on the first couple of days but that doesn’t mean you stop the admission. The World Cup is round the corner and the ICC has made it clear that the UDRS will be used.

This certainly leaves India in a tight spot since none of the players actually know how to use it effectively. It is one thing to use a referral system and something else to use it to one’s advantage. India had an extremely bitter pill to swallow the only time they used it. That was during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2008. India’s success rate with UDRS in that tour was less than 10% while Sri Lanka enjoyed a success rate of nearly 70%. We all know the outcome of the series. It was plain and simple. India just didn’t know how to use the UDRS.

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Will lack of UDRS knowledge hurt India in the upcoming World Cup?

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Usage of UDRS is an art by itself

Dhoni’s boys urgently need orientation in this subject. The current system of referral is all the more exciting since it gives a team a few seconds to ponder, discuss with his partner(s) and take a call whether to go for a referral. Many things can happen in those few seconds. For example, if it is a batsman unsure about an LBW dismissal given by the umpire, then the non-striker is in a great position to help out his striker. In this case, the non-striker’s role comes into play. He is not only expected to be vigilant about the possibility of a run but also keep an eye on the ball as it strikes the batsman’s pads. It puts that extra pressure on the non-striker. And if he has not watched the ball closely, the team might end up missing the trick and eventually improper use of UDRS can happen.

In the second instance, if the batsman is sure he has or hasn’t nicked it; he can go for a referral on his own. In this, the batsman needs to be absolutely sure that has happened. There is no specific training needed here as it is about a batsman’s ‘feel’.

For the fielding side, UDRS is an art by itself. Remember, there are only two unsuccessful reviews allowed per team during an inning. Usage of UDRS in ODI cricket will be radically different from the longer version. Power plays come into play in ODI cricket and they constitute the best time for a fielding side to take wickets. Now, the captain must be absolutely sure when to use UDRS in the match. The dividing line between bravery and stupidity in usage can be misleadingly thin.

When a decision goes against a fielding side, the players on the field need to be trained on micro issues like looking at the reaction of batsman and non-striker when a decision has been given and try and pick up something from there before going for a review. The availability of a few seconds before asking for a review gives them the leeway to do so.

UDRS may look simple on paper but mastering the art may give the team that extra edge needed to excel in high octane encounters. Just imagine if the situation arises where in a wrong decision is made in the final over of the World Cup final and the team has run out of reviews due to unnecessary usage. It can happen as it is a practical possibility in the modern day game where technology tends to have the final say in the proceedings. India’s reluctance to UDRS must end. Coach Gary Kirsten has done wonders with the team on many issues. He must now take on the unknown enemy and make sure India do not allow technology to spoil their cup of life. After all, this is India’s best chance to start as favorites and do justice to that tag.

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GREAT QUOTES ON SACHIN TENDULKAR

 

Greatest quotes on Sachin Tendulkar 

Everybody likes to watch Sachin Tendulkar bat, and once he is done, people just can’t stop raving about what they have just witnessed. The soft-spoken 37-year old owns all the records a quiz master would like to use, to frame a question, and not only would the audience have the answers on their fingertips, they would if given the chance, describe his contributions to the minutest detail. Now that Sachin has scored his 50th Test hundred, the cricketing world has been spontaneous in congratulating the champion on his latest achievement. We decided to put together some quotes praising the genius. Do join us as we put our hands together to applaud the world’s greatest batsman.

"When we used to play, we thought no one can break Sunil Gavaskar's record. No one could think about 50 Test centuries at that time. This is certainly a big knock under the circumstances, better than the 200s and 300s"- Kapil Dev

"Well, it's such a record that you can only compare it with Bob Beamon's long-jump world record set in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. At that time it seemed that it would never be broken. Tendulkar's 50 Test centuries is one such records which doesn't look like being surpassed"- Sunil Gavaskar

"Sachin's feat is unbelievable.I was as thrilled as rest of my countrymen"-Bishan Singh Bedi
"I congratulate Sachin and his whole family. He is the greatest batsman of the game. He is only getting better with age"- Sourav Ganguly
"Every run that comes off Sachin's blade is a record. He has shown the world how to perform under pressure"- Sharad Pawar
"Tendulkar can now rightly lay claim to the title of being the greatest batsman in cricket history. And if some people argue about his greatness then there are certainly no arguments about his being the most prolific, he is a complete run machine and his 50th Test hundred is a testimony of his endurance and passion for the sport"- Rashid Latif
"It was clear to us even when he walked out to bat in that Test as a teenager that he had talent. The fact that he has been around for 21 years and done justice to that god gifted talent in both forms of the game is an achievement any cricketer would be proud off. It will be difficult for anyone to break his record"- Javed Miandad

"I think it is just the way he has changed the game overall and his own game because there are so many situations he has faced. He is now competing mostly against himself, like most great cricketers do. I think he has mastered all of them. The only challenge he has is to beat himself every time he walks out there because he has done almost everything"- Kumar Sangakkara

"Tendulkar's 50th Test hundred amongst his most important for India, thrilled"- Shashi Tharoor

"It's the greatest achievement by a batsman ever"- Yuvraj Singh

"There is little doubt in my mind that this is one of the great moments in Test cricket"- Harsha Bhogle

"He is the God of cricket and it's a super human effort. He has dedicated 21 years in International cricket and that's amazing"- K Srikkanth

"It was an absolutely outstanding innings, an outstanding milestone in history of cricket. It has never happened in the history of cricket and I don't think anybody would ever reach such a milestone. It's been 21 years but he has retained the same enthusiasm, which I saw in 1988. He is so focussed, so passionate and disciplined. Every time he occupies the crease, there is a record."- Dilip Vengsarkar

"This was expected... This is one of the finest achievements in cricket history. It is a fantastic performance by Sachin . Records do not matter to him. He will keep playing and records will follow him."- Chandu Borde

"The innings showed his keenness and caliber. I was very impressed by the way he ran between the wickets. It's a monumental effort and a great achievement. It's an unbelievable performance and no cricketer can come close to this mark, leave alone erasing it"- Gundappa Vishwanath

"He has reached the pinnacle of his cricketing career and I am sure his hunger for runs is still there. He has been achieving milestones, one after another, and it is beyond any cricketer's calibre to match Sachin's feat"- Syed Kirmani

"Earlier, Indian batting entirely revolved around Tendulkar. But with the emergence of Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag and Gambhir, there is less pressure on Tendulkar. And when you are under less pressure, you start enjoying and playing more freely"- Madan Lal

"Congratulations to Sachin Tendulkar for becoming the first person ever to score 50 test hundreds, absolute superstar"- Rohan Bopanna on twitter

"Putting Sachin Tendulkar's latest feat in a strictly cricketing context would not be fair to the sportsman. His achievements in the world of cricket need to be seen on a par with efforts in any other field - science, art, literature, etc - to push the frontiers of human excellence"- Pakistan daily 'Dawn'

"I have seen God, he bats at no. 4 for India"- Mathew Hayden

"On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This Genius can stop time in India!!"- Peter Roebuck

"If I've to bowl to Sachin, I'll bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard"- Dennis Lillee

"I still think Tendulkar is the best batsmen in the world ahead of Steve Waugh and Lara"- Glenn McGrath

"Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal"- Brian Lara

"I saw him (Sachin) playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...his compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel"- Sir Don Bradman

"There are 2 kind of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the others."- Andy Flower

"Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has
many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over the
world"- Allan Donald

"India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing"- Sunil Gavaskar

"He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling"- Richie Benaud

"Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow nothing is a problem"- Geoffrey Boycott

"He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease"- Greg Chappell

"I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player"- Shane Warne

"I think he is marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level. I would say he's 99.5% perfect"- Vivian Richards

"Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives"- BBC Sports, on Sachin Tendulkar

"India me aap Prime Minister ko ek Baar Katghare me khada kar sakte hain.Par Sachin
Tendulkar par Ungli nahi utha Sakte"- Navjot Singh Sidhu

"Sachin is cricket's God"- Barry Richards

"Harder he works, the luckier he gets"- Ian Chappell

"I am fortunate that I've to bowl at him only in the nets!"- Anil Kumble

"To Sachin, the man we all want to be"
What Andrew Symonds wrote on a t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin.

"We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called Sachin" -Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)

Source: Agencies & India Syndicate

‘Murali’s 800 wickets

‘MURALI’S 800 wickets were run-outs’

The Bedi-Murali war is set to reopen just before the World Cup. Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who never misses an opportunity to take a dig at Muttiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh, has once again lashed out at the premier off-spinner

He may have stayed quiet on the issue for the last few months but Bishen Bedi has a go again. "I called him (Murali) a javelin thrower. I can call him a shot-putter. People say that he has got 800 wickets. I would rather say that it's 800 run-outs!" said a sarcastic Bedi during a panel discussion at the RSD Summit on World Cricket, organised in the memory of late Raj Singh Dungarpur.

"On one hand you have Shane Warne who is a magician and then you have Muralitharan on the other hand. It's total shambles. And Harbhajan Singh is no different," Bedi was scathing in his criticism. But, when former UCBSA supremo Ali Bacher said that he didn't find Murali to be a chucker, Bedi found a supporter in former Australian captain and legendary coach Bob Simpson.

"You can't bowl a doosra if you don't straighten your arms and that's chucking," both Bedi and Simpson said in unison. Asked about how they got clarified by International Cricket Council (ICC), Bedi was curt, "When they are taken in the laboratory, you find them within the permissible limit but not during the matches. It's all useless to say about 18 degrees. Their arms bend at 35 to 40 degrees."

Kapil comes to the defence of Murali

However another former captain Kapil Dev begged to differ on the chucking issue. "I don't blame Murali for this problem. The problem is with the authorities who allow people to do wrong things." Another issue that came up for discussion was match-fixing and spot-fixing. Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi said, "It's time we have a much more pro-active, eloquent and constructive BCCI for the benefit of the game.

"I have spoken to a lot of senior police officials and they say that laws of gambling in this country are very vague. There are lot of central cabinet ministers in BCCI and also the leader of opposition. They should press hard for more stringent laws as 80 per cent of the viewership is in the sub-continent."
"The ICC is the voice of cricket but BCCI is the invoice," Pataudi said during his closing lecture on Raj Singh Dungarpur. Kapil was in fact more concerned about the youngsters getting obscene amount of money playing in IPL.

"There is no harm in players getting money but, if you give a youngster million dollars, it's very difficult to manage that amount of money," Kapil said.
Source: Indian Express

TWENTY OF TENDULKAR’S BEST TEST HUNDREDS

Twenty of Tendulkar’s best Test hundreds

Life comes to a standstill when Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar scores a century. Whether you are working at your desk, or pretending to do your homework, you just can’t stop smiling when this little man removes his helmet to celebrate his century. Now that he has struck his 50th Test ton, let’s take a look at twenty of his most memorable hundreds.

Sachin's century at Perth
Match: India Vs Australia
Venue: Perth, February 1992
Result: Australia won by 300 runs
Sachin's knock: 114

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Match: India Vs England
Venue: Old Trafford, August 1990
Result: Draw
Sachin's knock: 119*

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Sachin equals Bradman’s record

Match: India Vs West Indies
Venue: Port of Spain, April 2002
Result: India won by 37 runs
Sachin's knock: 117 ***************************************************************************************

Tendulkar scores his 30th hundred

Match: India Vs England
Venue: Headingley, August 2002
Result: India won by an innings and 46 runs
Sachin's knock: 193 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin Tendulkar equals Sunil Gavaskar’s record

Match: India Vs Bangladesh
Venue: Dhaka, December 2004
Result: India won by an innings and 140 runs
Sachin's knock: 248 not out ***************************************************************************************

Sachin breaks Gavaskar’s record

Match: India Vs Sri Lanka
Venue: New Delhi, December 2005
Result: India won by 188 runs
Sachin's knock: 109 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin brings up his first double hundred

Match: India Vs New Zealand
Venue: Ahmedabad, October 1999
Result: Draw
Sachin's knock: 217 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin Tendulkar’s 40th hundred

Match: India Vs Australia
Venue: Nagpur, November 2008
Result: India won by 172 runs
Sachin's knock: 109 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin Tendulkar’s first double century in Australia 

 

Match: India Vs Australia
Venue: Sydney, January 2004
Result: Draw ***************************************************************************************

Sachin Tendulkar’s first hundred in India

Match: India Vs England, February 1993
Venue: M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Result: India won by an innings and 22 runs
Sachin's knock: 165 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin brings up his sixth double century

Match: India Vs Australia
Venue: Bangalore, 2010
Result: India won by 7 wickets
Sachin's knock: 214 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin dials Nelson’s number in Johannesburg

Match: India Vs South Africa
Venue: Wanderers, November 1992
Result: Draw
Sachin's knock: 111 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin Tendulkar’s first century against the West Indies

Match: India Vs West Indies
Venue: Nagpur, December 1994
Result: Draw
Sachin's knock: 179 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin’s 155 in Bloemfontein

Match: India Vs South Africa
Venue: Bloemfontein, November 2001
Result: South Africa won by 9 wickets
Sachin's knock: 155 ***************************************************************************************

Sachin Tendulkar’s first century in Australia

Match: India Vs Australia
Venue: Sydney, January 1992
Result: Draw
Sachin's knock: 148 not out ***************************************************************************************

Sachin deserved a double century in Multan

Match: India Vs Pakistan
Venue: Multan, April 2004
Result: India won by an innings and 52 runs
Sachin's knock: 194 not out ***************************************************************************************

Sachin smacks Warne all around Chepauk

Match: India Vs Australia
Venue: M.A Chidambaram stadium, Chennai, March 1998
Result: India won by 179 runs
Sachin's knock: 155 not out ***************************************************************************************

Sachin dedicates ton to 26/11 victims

Match: India Vs England
Venue: M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, December 2008
Result: India won by six wickets
Sachin's knock: 103 not out ***************************************************************************************

India wins their first Test match In NZ in 33 years

Match: India Vs New Zealand
Venue: Hamilton, March 2009
Result: India won by 10 wickets
Sachin's knock: 160 ***************************************************************************************

It was painful to watch Tendulkar lose

Match: India Vs Pakistan
Venue: M.A Chidambaram stadium, Chennai
Result: India lost by 12 runs
Sachin's knock: 136

Tendulkar's 50th ton and thunderstorms delay Indian defeat

Tendulkar's 50th ton and thunderstorms delay Indian defeat

It was a century that the entire nation was eagerly awaiting from Sachin Tendulkar as he completed a historic 50th Test century against South Africa at the Centurion.

India though, are two wickets away from conceding a 1-0 lead to the Proteas in the first Test, as rain brought early curtains on day four of the Test. At stumps on day 4, India was 454-8, with Tendulkar batting on 107, along with Sreesanth.

The moment Sachin found a gap through the extra-cover region to push a Dale Steyn delivery for a single, the entire stadium stood up to salute one of the true legends of the game. It is Sachin's 175th Test match -- most by any player in the history of the game. It took him four Test matches to reach the milestone after having scored his 49th against Australia in October this year.

He played 197 deliveries and 258 minutes to reach the milestone. He hit 12 boundaries and a big six over long-off with left-arm spinner Paul Harris being the sufferer. This is his seventh century in the year 2010.

If some of the Indian players like Sreesanth were seen saluting Sachin on his achievement, South Africans Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla congratulated the maestro.

The century should rank among one of the best considering the amount of pressure Indian team are in after being all out for a paltry 136 in the first innings. This is Sachin's fourth Test century on South African soil and indeed one he would cherish the most.

Tendulkar stood rock solid while Dhoni was even more aggressive than his senior partner at one stage. Dhoni gave Dale Steyn some special treatment by hitting the South African strike bowler for a flurry of fours, that too after the home side had taken the new ball.

Dhoni (90) raced to his 20th Test fifty in quick time, from just 41 balls with the help of nine fours. Surprisingly, the Indian duo did not take much chance against left-arm spinner Paul Harris who was hit for just a four -- by Dhoni.

Earlier, India lost the wickets Rahul Dravid (43), VVS Laxman (8) and Suresh Raina (5) and nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (23) in the morning session and trailed by 207 runs as they reached 277 for six at lunch.

Resuming at 190 for two, the visitors added just 87 runs from the 33.4 overs they faced in the morning session, which started half an hour before scheduled time to compensate for loss of time on the first day.

The SuperSport Park has eased out considerably with fast bowlers not posing too much of a problem as they had done on the first day but Dravid and Ishant started cautiously and runs came in trickles initially.

Dravid dug deep, playing the balls on merit while Ishant showed intent to play shots and hit three fours -- two off Lonwabo Tsotsobe and one of Dale Steyn. He added 16 runs to his overnight seven before getting out.

South Africa had to work hard for the breakthrough, which eventually came in the form of Ishant's wicket with the Indian offering a simple catch to Hashim Amla while trying to work a Steyn delivery to the square region nearly an hour into the morning session.

Tendulkar did not waste time as he opened his account with a two off the second ball he faced, of Steyn, and then hit a four in the next over of the same bowler and then off Kallis to increase the tempo.

Just when the most experience Indian duo of Tendulkar and Dravid were settling in to raise hopes of saving the match, the latter got out to a Morne Morkel delivery, which had a hint of movement besides being quick.

Dravid got a faint edge straight through to Boucher to leave India at 242 for four, still trailing by 242 runs. Dravid's 43 came from 109 balls and was studded with six fours.

After the fall of Dravid, much was expected of Laxman but he departed without much contribution to give Tsotsobe his first wicket of the match. He got a thick edge of a full delivery outside off to land straight to gully fielder Ashwell Prince. Raina did not last long as he edged a good length ball of Kallis to Paul Harris at first slip while trying to play it behind point.

Source: PTI

ICC Rankings

ICC RANKINGS

ODI Team Rankings

RANKING	COUNTRY	POINTS
1	Australia	128
2	India	121
3	Sri Lanka	118
4	South Africa	115
5	England	112
6	Pakistan	110
7	New Zealand	91
8	West Indies	67
9	Bangladesh	67
10	Ireland	39
11	Zimbabwe	37
12	Netherlands	17
13	Kenya	0

 

ODI Batsmen Rankings

RANKING	PLAYR’S NAME	COUNTRY	POINTS
1	H.M.Amla	SA	854
2	A.B. de Villiers	SA	809
3	M.E.K. Hussey	AUS	796
4	MS Dhoni	INDI	786
5	T Dilshan	SL	751
6	C Gayle	WI	738
7	V Sehwag	IND	713
8	S Tendulkar	IND	711
9	R Ponting	AUS	711
10	J Kallis	SA	710

 

ODI All-Rounders Rankings

RANKING	PLAYER’S NAME	COUNTRY	PONTS
1	Shakib Hasan	BAN	428
2	S.AFRIDI	PAK	364
3	S Watson	AUS	363
4	Daniel Vettori	NZ	345
5	J KALLIS	SA	339
6	J ORAM	NZ	317
7	Y SINGH	IND	302
8	P Collingwood	ENG	297
9	C Gayle	WI	296
10	R.Doeschate	NED	276

 

Test Batsmen Rankings

RANKING	PLAYER’S NAME	COUNTRY	POINTS
1	S. TENDULKAR	IND	875
2	K Sangakkara	SL	874
3	V Sehwag	IND	827
4	S Chanderpaul	WI	807
4	M Jayawardene	SL	807
6	J Kallis	SA	797
7	G SMITH	SA	787
8	VVS Laxman	IND	767
9	R TAYLOR	NA	766
10	AB de Villiers	SA	762

 

Test Bowlers Rankings

RANKING	PLAYER’S NAME	COUNTRY	POINTS
1	D Steyn	SA	887
2	G SWANN	ENG	858
3	M ASIG	PAK	753
4	ZAHEER KHAN	IND	744
4	J ANDERSON	ENG	744
6	M MORKEL	SA	739
7	M JOHNSON	AUS	679
7	H SINGH	IND	679
9	D BOLLINGER	AUS	659
10	M AMIR	PAK	658

 

Test All-Rounders Rankings

RANKING	PLAYER’S NAME	COUNTRY	POINTS
1	J H KALLIS	SA	442
2	DANIEL VETTORI	NZ	393
3	Shakib Al Hasan	BAN	334
4	S BROAD	ENG	319
5	G SWANN	ENG	287
6	S WATSON	AUS	285
7	D BRAVO	WI	268
8	V SEHWAG	IND	245
9	C GAYLE	WI	234
10	M JOHNSON	AUS	233

 

Test Team Rankings

RANKING	COUNTRY	POINTS
1	INDIA	130
2	SOUTH AFRICA	119
3	SRI LANKA	112
4	ENGLAND	112
5	AUSTRALIA	110
6	PAKISTAN	83
7	WEST INDIES	79
8	NEW ZEALAND	78
9	BANGLADESH	7

Australia thrash England at Perth to level series

Australia thrash England at Perth to level series

After first innings heroics of Mitchell Johnson, Australia found a new hero in England’s second innings. Ryan Harris was involved in an exhibition of quality swing bowling as Australia swamped England by 267 runs to win the Perth test and level the series 1-1 with 2 matches to go. The huge victory came at the right time for the Aussies, who were a beleaguered lot coming into the WACA test and even after the first hour of the first session on the first day, their fortunes had only worsened. At 69 for 5, even a die-hard Aussie supporter had stopped short of fancying his team’s chance of a fightback.

But, all of that is history as Ponting’s men staged one of the most remarkable comebacks in the context to dominate every moment from there. It was almost like there was capitulation of Aussie cricket at 69 for 5 and from there on, only good was bound to happen for them at least in this test match.

Resuming the final day at 81 for 5, England were staring at a massive defeat and unfortunately for them, it didn’t take too long for that to happen. Ryan Harris was on the money straightaway as he teased and tormented the English batsmen with swinging deliveries outside the off stump. He knocked off night watchman James Anderson with an absolute beauty that held its line. That began a parade and in a matter of few minutes, England were reduced to 8 for 114 after the dismissals of last recognised pair of Ian Bell and Matt Prior.

Deservedly, Harris completed his five-for in the process. It was then a matter of completing formalities as the bowling pair of Harris and Johnson cleaned up the last two wickets in quick time to wrap up the match in the first hour on the fourth day. English batting never really rose to the occasion on a wicket, which had something in it for the bowlers all the time but with some application as was shown by Mike Hussey, the wicket definitely was not 123 all out types.

Only Jonathan Trott, who top scored with a patient 31 showed some commitment to stay at the crease. For Australia, Ryan Harris ended with outstanding figures of 6 for 47 and Johnson ended with 3 for 44 and missed another ‘10 wickets in a match’ by just 1. Hilfenhaus picked 1 for 16 from his 10 overs and although he took only one wicket, he set up the other end for the Aussies in every spell.

Both teams now head to Melbourne for the Boxing Day test, which could lend serious direction to whether the Ashes will be retained or regained.

Key milestones during the match

England have lost 7 test matches in a row at Perth. In the Ashes, Australia have lost only once to England at the WACA. That was back in 1978. Australia will be relieved with their performance at WACA as defeats to India and South Africa in the last 3 seasons still remains fresh in their memories. In 2008-09, South Africa had chased down a record 414.

Mike Hussey’s century in the second innings was his 13^th century in his career. He has got 4 of those against England.

Ricky Ponting has scored only 83 runs in 6 innings in this series. He averages a poor 16 with the bat and is yet to score a single half century in this series.

When Shane Watson got out for 95 in the first innings, it was the fourth time in his career he got out in the nervous 90s. He has scored two centuries in his test career. If he had converted those 90s to 100s, there would have been six career centuries for Watto

Mitchell Johnson’s 6 for 38 in the first innings was his 6^th five-wicket haul in his career spanning 39 tests so far. He averages 30.10 with the ball

Ryan Harris’ 6 for 47 in the second innings was his maiden five-wicket haul in his career spanning only 3 tests so far. He has an impressive early average of 26.50.

Source: India Syndicate

TOP TEN RUN – GETTERS IN TEST CRICKET -2010

Top ten run-getters in TEST CRICKET

Rahul Dravid has scaled another peak in his illustrious career. ‘The wall’ got past Brian Lara’s run aggregate when he scored 14 in the first innings of the Centurion test. Dravid is now ranked third in the elite list, which is led by the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar. It is a moment of pride for Indian cricket since there are two Indians figuring in the top 3 of that list and 3 in the top 10. Gives you a sneak peek into the elite list. Sit back and enjoy

____________________________________________________________________

Number 1 - Sachin Tendulkar

Test record

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
175	285	14402	56.50	248 N.O	49	59

_______________________________________________________________________

Number 2 – Ricky Ponting 

 Test record 

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
151	256	12332	54.10	257	39	56

____________________________________________________________________

Number 3 – Rahul Dravid

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
148	254	11957	53.15	270	31	59

________________________________________________________________________

Number 4 – Brian Lara

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
131	232	11953	52.90	400 N.O.	34	48

____________________________________________________________________________

Number 5 – Jacques Kallis

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
143	241	11449	55.90	189 N.O.	37	54

__________________________________________________________________

Number 6 – Allan Border

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
156	265	11174	50.60	205	27	63

 

______________________________________________________________

Number 7 – Steve Waugh

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
168	260	10927	51.05	200	32	50

___________________________________________________________________

Number 8 – Sunil Gavaskar

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
125	214	10122	51.10	236 N.O.	34	45

____________________________________________________________________________

Number 9 – Mahela Jayawardene

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
116	190	9527	53.82	374	28	38

 

_____________________________________________________________

Number 10 – Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Test record  

MATCHES	INNINGS	RUNS	AVERAGE	HIGHEST SCORE	100s	50s
129	219	9063	49.00	203 N.O.	22	55

 

Image Source: AFP, AP
Text source: India Syndicate