Thursday 31 December 2009

Ponting becomes the most successful Test captain ever in the history of cricket

Ricky Ponting carved his name out in the history books of Test cricket with golden letters as a player and captain wiRicky Pontingth most number of Test wins, when Australia defeated Pakistan in the Boxing day test match at Melbourne.

The success at the MCG was the 93rd occasion when Ponting was a part of a winning Australian team. He surpassed legendary spinner Shane Warne, who held the honour with 92 Test wins.

It was also the 42nd time when the skipper had led his country to a Test win, the most by any captain in the history of Test cricket. Ponting achieved this feat by overhauling predecessor Steve Waugh, who has 41 wins under his belt when at the helm.

'They're things I'll probably be most proud of when I'm done. We all play to win games of cricket, and be involved in teams that win a lot of games at cricket. It is a great record within itself, and I've been lucky enough to play in some great teams.

''It's my 42nd win as Test captain as well. They're things I'm very proud of. Hopefully, there are lot more wins around the corner,” Ponting said.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Ricky Ponting's Profile

Wednesday 30 December 2009

England beats South Africa in the second test match

Graeme Swann took five for 54 as England wrapped up victory by an innings and 98 runs on the fifth day of theengland beat southafrica second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Wednesday. The win gave England a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

It took England just 75 minutes to complete their win after South Africa resumed in a hopeless situation at 76 for six on Wednesday morning. They were bowled out for 133.

"It's not far off the best performance I've seen by an England team," said England captain Andrew Strauss, "but I'm aware the series is very much alive and there is still hard work to be done."

South African captain Graeme Smith admitted his side had been outplayed. "We've got to look at ourselves in the mirror and bounce back very quickly," he said.

The third Test starts in Cape Town on Sunday.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

South Africa Vs England 2nd Test Scorecard

Australia beat Pakistan by 170 runs

It was the 5th and the final day of the first test match being played between Australia and Pakistan in Melbourne.

The 28-year Queenslander, Nathan Hauritz, ripped through Pakistan batting on final day of the Test to bring up his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket and along with the fiery Mitchell Johnson, bundle out Pakistan for 251.

It was a Test of various firsts. Apart from Hauritz’s fifer in the last innings, Mohammad Aamer’s brilliant five for 79 and Shane Watson’s maiden Test ton were the highlights of the MCG Test. However, it was Watson’s consistency with the bat that set up the mammoth victory for the hosts. The young all-rounder top-scored in both innings, with 93 and undefeated 120 respectively and indeed deserved the player of the match award.

Australia now leads the series 1-0 with two more tests to go.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Australia Pakistan 1st Test Scorecard

Monday 28 December 2009

Cricket 2009: Rewind!

The year 2009 has been extraordinary for Cricket! Lets rewind the most important happenings of 2009 in the cricketing world...

1) India defeated Newzealand in Newzealand after more than 40 long years...!! (WELL DONE INDIA)
2) Cricket's worst moment when Srilankan cricketers were attacked by the terrorists at the Liberty Square near Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadiu... (BARBARIC)
3) IPL became the sixth biggest sporting brand in the world when the domestic tournament had to take a huge risk of being played way beyond the Indian boundaries, in South Africa! Deccan Charges were the champions this time! (CHARGED UP)
4) On June 21st, at Lords, Pakistan defeated the in form Srilanka to win the T20 World Cup (SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT FOR PAK)
5) Flintoff ended his Test Career on a happy note as England defeated Australia in the Ashes at home. (ASHES TO ENGLAND)
6) Aussies lifted the Champions Trophy (50 over edition) in South Africa for the second consecutive time (AUSSIES ON REVIVAL)
7) The Great Sachin Tendulkar completes 20 years in International Cricket. (SACHIN TRULY A LEGEND)
8)Rahul Dravid became the most successful slip fielder in Test Cricket beating the record of Mark Waugh
9) Gambhir ended the year with an average of 90.87 in Test Cricket. Hasn't he been awesome in all forms of cricket this year? (THAT IS CALLED HUNGER FOR RUNS)
10) Dilshan and Sehwag were absolutely on fire with their devastating batting performances throughout the year! (DEMOLITION MEN)
11) India emerged as a dominant force in world cricket under Dhoni by becoming the number one team in Test Cricket for this year! They are on the second position in ODI rankings... Dhoni is on the top position of the ODI batsmen rankings from last 12 months and Gambhir is currently on the top in Test batsmen rankings... (IMPRESSIVE)

Lets hope the year 2010 brings an equally exciting cricketing moments for us....
We all love cricket and long live this great game!!!

Dhoni receives Test Championship mace

Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni received the Test Championship mace from ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat after leading his team to the pinnacle of ICC Test rankings.

"It is a special feeling to receive this mace. I am taking this on behalf of the team and BCCI. Being an Indian it is a proud moment. We have really worked hard as a team in the last 14 months to get to this position. We want to remain here longer and everything depends on our performance," said the Indian skipper.

India is the third team after Australia and South Africa to become the number Test side, after their 2-0 series victory over Sri Lanka early this month.

The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat hailed the achievements of Indian cricketers in the recent past and said the team deserved to be on the top with such talented players. "In the last 14 months India has been dominating the world. In October 2008 India was ranked third in ICC Test Championships and in the last 14 months has risen to number one.

"In the ODI also, India is now ranked number two. Then you have Gautam Gambhir at the top of ICC Test batsmen ranking while Dhoni is on top in ODI chart. Dhoni is the ICC ODI player of the year for two consecutive years and chosen captain of both the ICC Test and ODI teams of the year.

"Then you have Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid who have immensely contributed to this transition. It reflects on the talent you can boast of. India has players who after a few years will be considered as legends of the game," Lorgat said.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Latest ICC ratings

Thursday 24 December 2009

Gautam Gambhir says "It was my best ODI knock"

Elated after guiding India to a facile, series-clinching win against Sri Lanka, star batsman Gautam Gambhir said he wGautam Gambhirould rate the unbeaten 150 as the best innings of his career so far. He also expressed satisfaction of staying till the end and guiding the team to victory.

"This is the first time I finished a game remaining unbeaten. It was important for me to get going and convert it into a big one. It feels great that I finished the game," Gambhir said after being named as the man of the match for the Kolkata contest. It was a brilliantly paced innings by the left-hander who added 224 runs with Virat Kohli (107) for the third wicket to put India's chase back on track.

Gambhir said the series-clinching victory was made possible by the team's impressive bench strength.

"We have enough guys in the bench who can prove themselves even in the absence of great players like Dhoni and Yuvraj," Gambhir said.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Sunday 20 December 2009

England escapes with a draw against South Africa at Centurion

Last man Graham Onions played out a tense final over from Makhaya Ntini as England escaped with a draw on the fifth and final day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Sunday. The match seemed to be heading for a routine draw when Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen batted together for more than three hours but South African new cap Friedel de Wet produced an inspired spell with the second new ball to leave England hanging on.

De Wet dismissed Trott in the second over with the new ball and had a spell of three for three in five overs. Five wickets fell in the final 15 overs but Paul Collingwood and Onions survived the last 20 balls . England, set 364 to win, finished on 228 for nine on Sunday.

South Africa takes on England in the second test at Kingsmead, Durban from 26th of December.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Australia beat West Indies to win the Test Series 2-0

Australia snared the one wicket needed to win the third Test against the West Indies in Perth today.  The West Indies, resuming at 9-308, added 15 to their overnight total before being bowled out for 323, handing Australia a 35-run win.

The Windies resumed play perilously placed, needing 51 more runs with just one wicket in hand. And Gavin Tonge (23 not out off 22 balls) threw caution to the wind, slashing away in a bid to whittle off the runs quickly. But the victory target of 359 proved too much, with Roach dismissed in the fourth over of the morning.

Had the West Indies reeled in the total, it would have been the eighth highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Test history.
But it wasn't to be, despite yesterday's best efforts of 26-year-old Narsingh Deonarine (82) and Brendan Nash (65), plus some late hitting from Sulieman Benn (33 off 28 balls). Australia Beat Westindies

Australia's win erased some of the demons of last summer, when South Africa cruised to 4-414 to snatch a remarkable victory in Perth. Victorian Clint McKay, making his Test debut, returned figures of 0-45 and 1-56 and will be replaced by Ben Hilfenhaus for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan if the Tasmanian proves he has overcome a knee injury.

Chris Gayle said Australia played the better cricket and deserved to win. "I was proud of players like Adrian Barath and Kemar Roach,'' Gayle said. "I was proud of my own form but disappointed at the same time.'' Gayle was judged man of the match and series.

Australia Vs West Indies Score Card

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Saturday 19 December 2009

Dhoni banned for two one day matches

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been suspended for two ODIs for slow over-rate in the second One-dayer against Sri Lanka, according to television reports.

Match referee Jeff Crowe awarded the ban to Dhoni after the match got delayed by about an hour due to recurrent deliberations among the Indian players in the field when Lankans were closing in to the target.

Owing to the ban, Dhoni might miss the next two One-dayers of the five-match series, to be played in Cuttack and Kolkata. The Indian skipper will hence return to play the final ODI in Delhi.

Though reports say that opening batsman Gautam Gambhir is likely to take over the leadership in Dhoni's absence, there has not been any confirmation from the BCCI in teh matter.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Friday 18 December 2009

Srilanka wins Nagpur ODI with Dilshan's ton

After missing out by an agonizing margin in Rajkot, Sri Lanka made amends in Nagpur. The islanders held their nerve and emerged victTillakaratne Dilshanorious by three wickets, chasing down India’s 301 to level the five-match series one all.

Tillakaratne Dilshan was once again the hero for Sri Lanka as he notched up his sixth ODI century and second of the series. His sparkling 123-run knock came off 113 deliveries with the help of a dozen hits to the fence and two mammoth sixes. His brilliant knock made him an obvious choice for the player of the match award.

Earlier, Indian skipper MS Dhoni combined the power of punches with the art of placement as he paced his 111-ball innings with utter beauty to bat India to a competitive 301. The scintillating knock of 107 was pierced with eight powerful boundaries and two thunderous sixes.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Virendar Sehwag: It’s the best ODI innings I’ve played

Indian opener Virender Sehwag described his match-winning blistering 102-ball 146 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka as his best knock in one-day internationals.

"It is my best knock in one-day internationals. It is better than the 130 I made earlier," the Delhi dasher said in the post-match press conference after India beat Sri Lanka by three runs.

"When Tendulkar and I were batting we thought we could reach 350 as the wicket was that good. But then when I and MS Dhoni got together to raise the 300 in the 32nd over we felt we could get 400," he said.

"I could not have won the match alone. It was a team effort," he declared.

A modest Sehwag also did not agree to suggestions that his batting was as destructive as that West Indian legend Vivian Richards.

"I don't think I am anywhere near Sachin or Vivian Richards. It's you media people who are making this up," he said.

Source:  Cricket Nirvana

Sunday 13 December 2009

Yuvraj Singh: It’s the best birthday I’ve ever had

Yuvraj SinghAfter leading India to a thrilling win over Sri Lanka in the second and final T20 International with an all-round performance, Yuvraj Singh, who turned 28 today, said that it was his "best birthday" so far.

"This is my best birthday till now. I am very happy the way we played, especially the batsmen," Yuvraj said after scoring a blistering 60 of 25 balls and taking three crucial wickets

The flamboyant southpaw believed that after being set an imposing target of 207, Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had given a good start to the team.

Yuvraj has not had many special performances on his home ground to cherish. Expressing satisfaction over his stellar knock, he said, "now, I am happy to turn it around today. But frankly I was not expecting to score 60 of 25 balls".

The birthday boy said after the victory his teammates celebrated in the dressing room by smearing the cake all over his face.

"There was lot of cake on my face. M S (Dhoni) held my hands and the rest of the players kept applying it all over my face and I could not see who all were the culprits. But I will take revenge once I come to know their names," quipped Yuvraj.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Friday 11 December 2009

Harbhanjan advises young spinners "Never Give Up"

Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh advises junior spinners like Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha to back their talent with toil to prolong their international careers.

"Cricket has changed a lot and it's still changing. The truth is, now it is even more difficult for spinners to grow.

"Now you have a lot of Twenty20s and ODIs, which are invariably high-scoring affairs. Even Test cricket has changed. There was a time when 250 was considered a par score in a day but now you have teams scoring 350-plus or even 400 with ease.

"No wonder, you don't see too many young spinners coming up. An average spinner today is scared of flighting the ball or trying to get those big, spectacular turns. That is an art and I'm afraid it is on the wane," Harbhajan rued.

Despite the difficulties, Harbhajan asks the aspiring spinners to develop wicket-taking abilities rather than looking to contain runs.

"I think we still need to find youngsters who can overcome this habit of containing and are willing to take the risk and responsibility, keeping enough faith in their ability to do well," said Harbhajan, who has 586 international wickets under his belt.

The off-spinner now wants to pass on to the youngsters some valuableHarbhajan Singh advice, "Be it Ojha or Amit Mishra, they are all talented guys and you have to give them time to settle down. Sometimes, they will find the going easy and at times, they would have to be patient.

"My advice to them is to never give up and keep trying. That is what I learnt from Anil Bhai and I would pass on the same message to the youngsters. They have to keep working hard if they want to play for a long time and bowl a lot of overs for India," said Harbhajan.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Wednesday 9 December 2009

India Vs Srilanka T20: Srilanka Wins by 29 runs

Twenty20 cricket is often about hammer and tongs but Kumar Sangakkara took batting to a different plane. In a fine exhibition of aggressive batting, the Lankan captain hammered Indian bowling attack to score a splendid 78 in 37 balls, taking Lanka to a massive 215 for five. In the end, it proved 29 runs too many, as India finished with 186 for nine after 20 overs. Incidentally, it was India’s fourth loss in a row in T20 internKumar Sangakkaraationals.

The captain, who got run out on the last ball of the match, led from the front and other batsmen pitched in with valuable contributions. Sangakkara, in his innings, scored 11 fours and 2 sixes and won the man-of-the-match award for his brilliant effort. The Lankan innings, which was a magnificent run feast, included 29 boundaries and 5 sixes.

In reply, India started off well, with openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag. Nuwan Kulasekhara provided the Lankans with the  first breakthrough. He had Sehwag caught at deep point for a 14-ball 26.

Gambhir was in murderous mood, piercing off-side at will. He pulverized the Lankan bowling attack with a barrage of shots. Angelo Mathews removed him with a fuller delivery, knocking off his stumps in the ninth over.

Thereafter, Indian middle-order returned to pavilion in a procession. The humiliation was complete when India could only manage 186 for nine after 20 overs. India would be looking to respond strongly when the two teams meet for the second T20 International at Mohali on Saturday.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Pakistani players out of IPL's third edition

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi informed on Monday that Pakistani players will not take part in the third edition of the Indian Premier League. He said that PCB has failed to arrange for the players’ visas before the deadline, which cannot be stretched further.

"We have been informed by the PCB that they have not been able to obtain the visas as of now. Today is the absolute deadline for confirmation of Pakistani players (to take part in IPL), which we cannot delay further.

"Unfortunately, the Pakistani players are out and they will not be allowed to take part in the next IPL because we are handicapped by the fact that the exchange window is day after tomorrow. We are informing the teams that they now can go for the replacements of the Pakistani players," Modi said.

The third edition of the IPL is scheduled to be played in March-April 2010.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Sunday 6 December 2009

India Number 1 in ICC Test Rankings!

The longest form of the game returned to the historic Brabourne stadium after a hiatus of 36 years and the home team has dished out a performance full of class that will be remembered for as many years. An emphatic victory of an innings and 24 runs not only helps India seal the series with a margin of 2-0, but also takes them to the top of the ICC Test rankings. It is an historic day for Indian cricket as they now become the number one Test team in the world. The climb to the top slot is the culmination of hard work and consistent performance by India's Test side over the last two years. Sachin Tendulkar made a very vital point in his assessment. The maestro from Mumbai thanked India's ex bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh for their contribution. He also felt that the Brabourne pitch was a brilliant one. 'The whole team's goal was to get to the No. 1 position, all the players have worked hard to reach this position. The team believed they could achieve the top slot around 18 months back and worked hard to achieve the goal.'

Virender Sehwag bagged the Man of the Match award for his stupendous knock of 293 runs. The Nawab of Najafgarh also claimed the Man of the Series award.

MS Dhoni made the most important point Team India beats Srilanka in Test Seriesof maintaining the ascent to the top spot. It is easy to reach to the top position but difficult to retain it. 'Now we have got to maintain the top slot. The real tough task starts from here, we have got to keep up the momentum. When we are pushed to the wall, we comeback, overall I think it was a team effort from the boys.'

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Saturday 5 December 2009

England wins One Day series against South Africa

England won their one-day international series against South Africa when the fifth and final match was rained out at Kingsmead on Friday.

England won the series 2-1, with two matches abandoned because of rain. Australia had been the only team previously to win a bilateral series in South Africa, where the host country had won 21 out of 24 home series, including the most recent 15 in succession.

Australia won series in 1996/97 and 2001/02 and shared a series in 1993/94.

South Africa will meet England in a four-match Test series, starting in Centurion on December 16.

Results

Nov 20, Johannesburg. No play - rainEngland Vs Southafrica

Nov 22, Centurion. England won by 7 wickets

Nov 27, Cape Town. South Africa won by 112 runs

Nov 29, Port Elizabeth. England won by 7 wickets

Dec 4, Durban. No play - rain

Series: England won 2-1

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Thursday 3 December 2009

Sehwag hits unbeaten 284 in a single day of Test Cricket!

Test cricket does something inexplicable to Virender Sehwag. There’s no visible sign, but it all comes beautifully together with deadly affect.

Even after a decade of international cricket, he has remarkably managed to retain his free-spirit and what he seems to add to his repertoire while playing Test is discretion. Whether the entire process occurs by merely donning the white flannel or he consciously makes thVirendar Sehwage adjustment is something only Viru could explain. Though there are chances even he may not know for batting comes so naturally to him. And it often means playing shots.

With Sehwag in sublime form, the patrons of Brabourne stadium, where Test cricket returned after 36 years, couldn’t have asked for more. Runs came like torrential rain, as Sehwag scored a magnificent 284 not out, which included 40 fours and 7 sixes. This was his sixth double century. At stumps, India scored a record 443 for one. Incidentally, this was India’s second 400-plus runs in a day in as many Tests.

World’s highest wicket-taker, Muttiah Muralitharan has rarely been so decisively dominated by any other batsman, as Sehwag did on day-two. In his five spell of 20 overs, Murali conceded 119 runs and went wicketless. Tried from both ends by captain Kumar Sangakkara, the off-spinner never looked so hapless and ineffective before. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was treated with utter disdain, as Sehwag clobbered him for four towering sixes. He conceded 112 runs from 22 overs for lone wicket of Murli.

Test cricket is changing decisively. It may be played over five days, but it’s fast changing into five days of One-day cricket. Or else how does one explain 366 runs on day-one and 443 runs coming off in 79 overs from India on day-two.

Wednesday 2 December 2009

Rahul Dravid: God of slips

Envy and admiration rarely go together. But when one watches Rahul Dravid in a slip cordon, taking those breathtaking blinders, these contrasting feelings run through the veins.

Is Dravid naturally gifted, genetically designed to be a slipper or is it hours and hours of practice at the nets?.
Rahul Dravid
On the second thought, it should be easier on our conscience for we lesser mortals are not even engineered to create such beautiful cricketing moments. But what about iconic names like Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman who stand next to him in the slip cordon. Both of them are fine slippers in their own right but deep down even they know Dravid is a class apart.

Is Dravid naturally gifted, genetically designed to be a slipper or is it hours and hours of practice at the nets? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

A closer look reveals the perfect alignment of Dravid’s body while waiting for an edge to come his way. With his palms open and hands bend at the elbow, Dravid crouches really low. With the two legs nicely spaced and body weight equally distributed, the back makes a beautiful arch forward, giving him a perfect balance to move either side.

It’s only in the fitness of things that the world record of highest number of catches  in Test cricket rests on his shoulder as effortlessly and gracefully as he makes those catches.

Source: Cricket Nirvana

Tuesday 1 December 2009

Sachin Tendulkar - The True Legend

Sachin Tendulkar begins a third decade in world cricket next week, insisting he is still as passionate to play for India as he was as a wide-eyed teenager 20 years ago.

"My love for cricket and tSachin Tendulkarhe honour of playing for my country have kept me motivated all these years," said Tendulkar.

"Cricket is my life and I am lucky and absolutely honoured that I have been able to wear the India cap for 20 years."

He has risen to become the world's most successful batsman in both Test and one-day cricket, a result of both his unparalled genius with the bat and amazing longevity in the game.

When he started,  Mahendra Singh Dhoni was an eight-year-old schoolboy and team-mates Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli were barely a few months old.

"We call him 'grandpa' in the dressing room," joked compatriot Yuvraj Singh. "But he is just amazing. He has achieved everything there is to achieve, but still wants to improve with every game.

"Frankly, I can't think of an Indian team without Tendulkar."

Former captain Ganguly calls him "the king of cricket", West Indian great Viv Richards, one of Tendulkar's childhood heroes, regards him as "99.5 per cent perfect."

For his countless fans, Tendulkar is a joy to behold. For there may never be another like him again.

Source: Cricket Nirvana