The Man who made kangroos jump higher

A chubby body and a childish face – That is the physical appearance of the Australia’s best captain – Ricky Ponting. Quote the word ‘physical’ in bold letters, because his mental appearance is far from this childish physical features. Inside that chubby face there is a mysterious, cunning and sharp mind which could bring homePoting victory and supremacy in the match.That’s the reason why he still wears the Aussies captain’s cap  !

He is the man who led the Aussie team which won the World cup in 2003 and 2007. A captain who led the team to victory, twice – itself shows us Ponting’s class ! Ponting, a good captain, with aggressive ideas, clinical batting and agile fielding proved him to be leader of the best cricketing team in the world. His Velcro-hands and bat has always created terror in the opponents minds.  He is the one and only threat for the world’s best batsman – Sachin. As Ponting  has records which are very near to Sachin’s records. He has scored more than 30 centuries and broke Gavaskar’s record last year, which Sachin too had broken. If Sachin retires now, it’s sure that at-least some of his records would be overwritten by Ponting.

He had been the captain of  ICC ODI team for several times. Remember that ICC team is formed by selecting only the best players around the world. Choosing Ponting as the captain of the ODI team itself shows his value.

He will truly be remembered by every cricket lover for his enthusiastic captaincy and batting skills ……

Has ‘Team-India’ become ‘Indian-Team’ again?

What is the difference between ‘Team-India’ and ‘Indian Team’ ?

Both are the nick names of Indian cricket team.The Indian cricket team -when they were nicknamed as ‘Indian Team’- consisted of many great players like Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, Srinath, Kumble etc. All of them were able to win matches themselves and the team was the strongest on paper, but the weakest in reality. It’s because during those days, India had a habit of winning all matches except the final or the Tie-breaker match. We can clearly see it in the 2003 world cup, the tri-series that came after that. Anyway, the concept of ‘Team’ didn’t had much value at that time.

Then comes the ‘Team India’ under MS Dhoni. We can understand the importance of ‘Team India’ from the name itself. This concept gives importance to the team. Under Dhoni, a clevert captain, India attained new heights during this period. India had a lot of gain which included the T20 world cup, #1 ranking in ICC ODI Rankings and many other foreign series. The team was full of youngsters and rather than a ONE MAN SHOW, they had a TEAM WORK SHOW. Instead of individual performance, they concentrated on the victory of team.

But recent results shows that India is going back to its old ‘INDIAN TEAM’ concept. They losses in T20 cup, ICC Champions Trophy etc.. shows it. With the recent loss to Australia, it clearly shows us that the glorious times of Dhoni and his friends are coming to an end. We can only pray to God to not to let it happen like that.

What is your Opinion about this ? Is ‘TEAM INDIA’ going back to the INDIAN TEAM ? Let me know through your comments here.

[Editor’s Note: This post is submitted by our guest blogger Rajeelkp, alias Reji. He is a teen blogger who blogs at labofweb. He loves web, blogging and social sites.

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The African Boy in England

When Pieterson made his debut in Test cricket he played against South-Africa in South-Africa. Only a few years before that trip Pieterson was South-African boy trying to make it into the local first divisions teams as an off-spinner.

In South-Africa the crowds jeered him and even called him a traitor but the debutant before the game told the media that crowd heckling him would only want him to do better.

The 5-Match ODI series started and Kevin Pieterson scored a 108 of 96 balls in the second game which was a tie. The third game he scored 75 runs and the in the fourth game he set a England record for fastest hundred with 69 ball century. The crowds had not let up until then, even booing or turning their backs on Pieterson whenever he acknowledged the crowds for his centuries.

In the final game at England was 32/3 when Pieterson walked to the crease and started to play his usually aggressive style of cricket and ended up scoring 116 runs. The series had ended with Pieterson  scoring 454 runs in five innings. The crowd from being downright hostile had become respectful and gave him a standing ovation at his final game of the series.

Pieterson is surely amongst the most exciting batsmen in the world. His 4647 Runs at an Average of 49.96 in Test cricket is surely testimony to his ability to be the best. His switch hits are still one amongst the most exciting yet risky shots invented this decade.

But the man has a heart of a lion, and most Indian fans won’t forget the how when England who were mulling not returning to India after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008. Pieterson was the man who had lead the team back to India and kept the cricket tour alive.

India win Compaq Cup Tri-series.

The Compaq Cup must have really given India a nice look into what they should and should not do when they are in South-Africa. With Gambhir injured on the eve of the Tournament Dinesh Karthik opened the innings for India along with Sachin Tendulkar for the first two games.

Rahul Dravid making his way back into the ODI side was also a important development and his solidity at the top must have made the selectors smile. He was not fluent but in South Africa where India take part in the Champions Trophy  which is going to be held on the fast and bouncy tracks of South Africa, Rahul Dravid’s solidity is a much needed asset.

The bowlers in the series came short except in the first match againt New Zealand where they bundled out the Kiwis for a mere 159. They came short allowing Sri Lanka a score of over 300 in the second game.

The final was again set up by India with a score of 319 led by Sachin Tendular scoring a imaginative 138. The game was set by a fifty by Yuvraj Singh and the bowlers even though found it hard to restrict the Sri Lankan batsmen managed to take regular wickets to allow India to win the final and the Compaq cup.

The workout must be nice and it has been a while since India had won a tri-series tournament. This must have helped the Indian team rest better until 22nd October when the Champions Trophy starts in South-Africa.

Image: tv.burrp.com

Gilchrist the Rocket-Man

When you are coming up with a list of the best batsmen to play the game since 2000, there is hardly a way you can miss Adam Gilchrist.

If cricket was a battle field then Gilchirist was Australia’s tank brigade. He would cut through the enemy ranks fast and furiously, deflating them from the word go. If Adam Gilchrist arrived to the party be it a Test match or a ODI Australia would win easily and handsomely.

Still remember his fantastic hundred in the 2007 Worldcup finals. Sri-Lanka was looking for a repeat of their 1996 Final win against Australia and Australia were on a roll looking to win their 3rd World Cup in a row. Gilchrist has scored almost nothing right through the tournament. His place in the team was even being questioned. On the day of the final out walked Gilchrist like a street-fighter and scored A 149 runs of 104 balls. He hit a 13 boudaries and 8 sixes.

Gilchrist scored 5570 runs at an avg of 47.60 which is higher than most other accomplished test batsman. Often missed is the fact that he was a world class wicket keeper and took 379 catches 37 stumpings in Test cricket. If I had to come up with the perfect description of Adam Gilchrist it surely would be Rocket-man. He rocketed Australia to victory everytime he batted.

Another Brick in ‘the Wall’

Rahul Dravid has not been called the Wall for nothing. Considered to have near perfect technique he broke into the Test arena scoring 95 and 84 in his first two games against England. He scored them solidly while Ganguly reaped the accolades for his style and class in the same series.

Rahul Dravid took his own time to score his first century. It was in his 12th Test match at Johanesburg. India was touring South Africa and had been completely outplayed on the fast and bouncy tracks of South Africa. Rahul Dravid was showing India how to bat against a battery of pace bowlers South Africa had unleashed against India. His 148 was epic and after than someone in South Africa gave him the nickname ‘The Wall’.

The nickname stuck and Dravid lived up to the nickname with a characteristic style scoring 10823 runs at an unbelievable average of 52.32. He has scored 26 centuries the most by an Indian if you omit Tendulkar.

In 2005 Dravid took over as India’s captain and often his success has been overlooked because of the 2007 World Cup debacle. He did not resign but went to England. Captained India to a series victory in England after 20 odd years and then on his returned he resigned from his captaincy.

Rahul Dravid still plays and has a year if not two left in him. It looks like he will still stand tall amongst other with his characteristic style. In the scenery that is Cricket, Rahul Dravid will stand tall and proud like a mountain often taken for granted but impossible to miss.

A Prince called Ganguly

He started his career way back in 1992 in Australia. It was a complete disaster and he went back into the oblivion of domestic Indian cricket. Then in 1996 when Vinod Kambli was dropped for a series in England and the selectors replaced one mercurial lefthander with another from Bengal was taken.

Considered to have weak footwork, not much of a power game and a questionable attitude Saurav Ganguly entered the Test arena with a lot of detractors and a lot of questions. He answered them all with a century on debut and then another in his second Test match. Over the years he rose to become one of the most stylish left-handers in Test cricket and the most profilic run getter in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar.

After the match-fixing scandal hit world cricket Saurav Ganguly was made captain of the India team. In this role he came into his own. At times brash, agressive and sometimes almost as if he did not care he led a team where young players were brought in and the team was being rebuilt. He led from the front and often rubbed the opposition the wrong way.

One of the most famous encounters Ganguly had was when he made Steve Waugh wait at the centre of the pitch before the toss. This angered Waugh who was on a winning streak that stretched for 16 Tests and one more win would give Australia a series win in India which was dubbed the ‘final frontier’ by Waugh. The constantly unapologetic Ganguly fought back the Australian strategy of ‘seldging’ with an Indian brand of ‘sledging’. Ganguly did not personally have a great series as a batsman but as Captain he was the only second Captain in history to win a test match even after being told to follow-on. India won the series 2-1 and Ganguly won the respect of his opponents as a tough competitor.

Ganguly lead the team and is the most sucessful captain for India in the number of Test wins. Bouncers troubled his doubtful technique but he hung in with simple guts and got glory. The iconic image of him taking of his shirt and waving it aloft from the dressing room at Lord’s when India won the Natwest Series still brings a smile to any cricket enthusiast. He ended his career amassing 7212 runs at an Avg of  42.17 with 16 centuries in test matches and 11363 runs at an Avg of 41.02 with 22 centuries. The records are impressive but more than his records no one forget his style and class because of which he was aptly nicknamed as “God of the Off-Side” by his team mate Rahul Dravid.

Link: cricinfo

Preview: India in West Indies – ODI Match 2

Match Details

India in West Indies 2009| ODI #2

Date: 28 Jun, 2009

Time: 08:00 PM IST

TV Coverage: On Ten Sports in India

Venue: Kingston, Jamaica

Series Status: India leads the four match series by 1-0

Playing Conditions

Weather: High: 33°C, Low: 25°C, Mostly cloudy, Rainfall expected, Humidity: 64%

Teams Form

In chronological order from left to right

India: NWWLW

India won the opening match of the four match series on Friday by 20 runs and has a one match advantage when they face West Indies in the second tie of the series.

West Indies: LNLLL

West Indies started the first match well with their bowlers doing well with short balls against the Indians. But, once Yuvraj got in to the gear, they could not stop the proceedings. They did pretty well chasing the big total in their innings. They nearly won the match as they approached the final overs but fell short of the wickets. They would definitely like to improve on their performance in this match and register a win.

Team News

India

Dinesh and Ashish came out well in the middle and impressed with their performance. There seem no brainers in picking up the team for the second match. However, Indians need to make sure they keep their socks up throughout the match. Dhoni has expressed that they got little relaxed after the fall of seventh West Indian wicket in the first match and managed a victory of only 20 runs after posting 329.

Possible Eleven

The Indian team would be going in with the same combination that won the first match. There is a possibility that Dinesh could keep the wickets instead of Dhoni, as he looked a bit tired behind the stumps and hurt himself on a couple of occasions. There is a slight possibility that Praveen gets a chance instead of Ishant.

India

  1. Gautam Gambhir
  2. Dinesh (/wk)
  3. Rohit Sharma
  4. MS Dhoni (Capt./wk)
  5. Yuvraj Singh
  6. Yusuf Pathan
  7. Ravindra Jadeja
  8. Harbhajan Singh
  9. Ishant Sharma / Praveen Kumar
  10. RP Singh
  11. Ashish Nehra

Review – ODI Match 1: India defeat West Indies by 20 runs

Match Details

India in West Indies 2009| ODI #1

Date: 26 Jun, 2009

Venue: Kingston, Jamaica

Toss: India won the toss and elected to bat first.

First Inning (Max: 50 overs)

India score 339 for a loss of 6 wickets in 50 overs.

  • Low: Indians, who opened with Dinesh and Gambhir, were 32 for 2 in 7.2 overs with the loss of Gambhir and Rohit’s wickets. Both exposing the inability to handle the short balls with perfection.
  • High: 135 runs partnership in 128 balls between Yuvraj and Dinesh for the third wicket.
  • High: 86 runs partnership in 57 balls between Yuvraj and Dhoni for the fourth wicket.
  • High: 131 (102) by Yuvraj, 67 (77) by Dinesh, 41 (46) by Dhoni, 40 (53) by Yusuf and a handy 21(13), including 2 sixes, by Harbhajan in the end.

Second Inning (Max: 50 Overs)

West Indies got out scoring 319 runs in 48.1 overs, falling short of the target by 21 runs.

  • High: Balanced start, posting 65 runs before Gayle was out by Nehra in the tenth over.
  • High: All 4 batsmen at the top of the order: Gayle – 37, Mortaon – 42, Sarwan -45, Chanderpaul- 63, kept the chase alive till the loss of Chanderpaul’s wicket, at the score of 224 (5th Wicket) in 35.4 overs.
  • Low: The score read 250/7 in 39.3 overs and it looked like Indians were heading for an easy victory, but it was still not all over.
  • High: The addition of 68 runs in the next 48 balls for the loss of only one wicket.
  • Low: Loss of the ninth wicket at 318 in the 48th over.

End

West Indies required 21 runs in the last 12 balls with one wicket in hand. After a long discussion, Nehra was handed over the ball and got the required wicket on the first ball of the over, leaving West Indies with 20 runs trail.

Dhoni was not very excited over the victory that the team should have gotten easily and did not miss to mention that the players got too relaxed after the fall of the seventh West Indian wicket. He also praised Yuvraj’s knock and his consistency in last two years.

Result

India defeated West Indies by 20 runs

Man of the match: Yuvraj Singh

Series Status: India leads the 4-ODI series by 1-0

Preview: India in West Indies – ODI Match 1

Match Details

India in West Indies 2009| ODI #1

Date: 26 Jun, 2009

Time: 08:00 PM IST

TV Coverage: On Ten Sports in India

Venue: Kingston, Jamaica

Playing Conditions

Weather: High: 33°C, Low: 25°C, Partly Cloudy, Rainfall expected, Humidity: 52%

Teams Form

In chronological order from left to right

India: WNWWL

India has won their last 5 bi-lateral series. They would like to continue their good form in ODI this season. In the last series, India defeated New Zealand by 3-1 in their home.

West Indies: LLNLL

West Indies have played their last 5 ODIs against England and could not win any. They are counting on their recent form in T20WC and promise to present a tough competition to Indian team in their home.

Team News

India

Indian team needs to forget their bad performance in WCT20 and start the series afresh. Some of the big names like Sachin, Sehwag and Zaheer are missing from the squad. Jadeja, Badrinath, Vijay and Nehra should monetize this opportunity by performing up to the expectations.

It would be interesting to see who opens with Gambhir. Will it be Rohit again or will any one from Dinesh and Vijay will get a chance?

Possible Eleven

Seems like only one from Vijay, Dinesh or Badrinath will be selected for the playing eleven. Dinesh or Vijay could be a good choice for the opening slot and Rohit may come back to the middle order.

India

  1. Gautam Gambhir
  2. Vijay / Dinesh / Badrinath
  3. Rohit Sharma
  4. MS Dhoni (capt./wk)
  5. Yuvraj Singh
  6. Yusuf Pathan
  7. Ravindra Jadeja
  8. Harbhajan Singh
  9. Ishant Sharma
  10. RP Singh
  11. Ashish Nehra / Praveen Kumar
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