low scoring games

VENUE : SHARJAH
YEAR: 1999


MATCH : SRI LANKA vs PAKISTAN

It was Coca Cola Champions Trophy played among Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka..

West Indies were captained by Lara, Pakistan by Wasim Akram and Sri Lanka by Jayasuriya..

Each team played every other team twice and the top 2 teams went into the finals. Played in the month of October.

The match under consideration is the 3rd match between SriLanka and Pakistan..

Sri Lanka - Atapattu, Kaluwitharana+,Jayasuriya* , Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Chamara Silva, Suresh Perera, Vaas,  Muralitharan,   Zoysa

Pakistan - Saeed Anwar, Amir Sohail ,Inzamam, Yousuf Youhana, Hasan Raja, Moin Khan+, Azhar Mahmood, Razzaq, Akram*, Shoaib Malik, Arshad Khan

Pak won the toss, chose to bat.. Amir Sohail was very slow, both the openers fell after a stand of 37.. From 38 for 2, the repair work was done by Youhana and Inzy; 48 and 42 runs respectively..
They were too slow in scoring these runs, when Inzy was out the scored read 131 for 3 in 35 overs..
From there on it was a batting collapse for Pakistanis..
Arnold ,Vaas and Murali took 2 wickets each.
Murali was miserly giving just 22 in 10 overs.. Arnold bowled well.. SRL never allowed Pakistan to dominate..

Sri Lanka came out to bat chasing just 197 from 50 overs.. The batting order was changed. Kalu opened with Atapattu.. Kalu in his typical form and style notched up a brilliant 50. The pitch seemed to behave differently when he was out there.. Arnold was sent up the order after Atapattu got out..

A match winning partnership from of 115 between them was ended by Razzaq.. De Silva walked in.. When Arnold got out, the score read 173 for 3 in 40 overs..

Kalu scored 75 and Arnold 61..

they needed just 24 from ten overs with eight wickets remaining before Arnold got out..

Sultan of swing returned, bowled the 42nd over to dismiss Jayasuriya for 1.. 174 for 4..

Akram bowled the 44th over and this time bowled de Silva for 9.. 177 for 5..

Reverse swing is something that Pakistan always are proud exponents of.. From the likes of Imran to Wasim to Waqar to Aqib Javed to Rana Naved etc...

This time the king of reverse swing was Razzaq.. Razzaq in 1999 was at the peak of his bowling career, bowled with a lot of pace and swung the ball.. He edged past Azhar Mahmood to retain his place over Azhar in the days to come..

7 overs, 1 wicket for 28 were his figures when he bowled 46th over..
45.5 Jyawardene was caught by Moin off Razzaq for 1.. 186 for 6
45.6 Perera bowled. 186 for 7

Chamara scored of the 47th over..
On the last ball of 48th over, Sri Lanka had scored 194 for 7.. Razzaq struck again getting rid of Vaas..
194 for 8..

Only batsman left was Chamara with only Murali and Zoysa left.. 3 runs to win, 2 overs..

SRL scored 2 runs of this over.. Murali was run out in the last ball of the 49th over.. 196 for 9...

Last over, 1 run needed.. 1 wicket in hand..

1st ball of the 50th over, Chamara was bowled by Razzaq..

Match ended in a tie..

In an astonishing nine-ball spell, Abdur Razzaq took four for nought to snatch a tie from what seemed a certain Sri Lankan victory.But when Razzaq returned to bowl three of the last five overs, the Sri Lankan collapse had already started. Even so, with 14 required from 30 balls and five wickets left, they still looked safe. he sliced through the lower order with unplayable reverse swing, hitting the stumps three times to complete a career-best five for 31.

sachin at 20

Today, Sachin finishes 20 years in the International circuit..


ST holds all records at stake from batting perspective.. Be it the highest run getter in tests, ODIs, maximum number of 100s in ODI and tests, highest individual score for India in ODIs etc.....................................

20-20.. Lets try listing 20 best memories of ST in these 20 years..

Sachin Tendulkar has been playing top-class cricket for 20 years and he's still producing blistering innings, still looking hungry, still demolishing attacks, still a prized wicket, still a proud competitor. He has not merely been around for two decades. From his first outing to his most recent effort, a stunning 175 in Hyderabad, he has been a great batsman. Longevity counts amongst his strengths. Twenty years! It's a heck of a long time, and it's gone in the blink of an eye.From an attacking batsman in the 90s to a class player in the 2000s, the transformation has been brilliant. The one batsman who knows his body, he changed his style of batting to suit the needs very quickly.. The 100s of late, barring the 175, has been classy.. At no point we would feel that he is scoring, yet so nonchalantly he notches up that elusive 3 figure mark..

1. FIRST SIGHT
            Sachin's 600+ stand with Vinod Kambli in the school level competition.. Playing for Sharadashram VidyaMandir, ST and Kambli each scored triple hundred.. It was apparently broken 15 years later..

2. FIRST TEST
           This day, that year.. Exactly 20yrs ago at Karachi ST making his debut had to face the likes of Akram, Waqar, Imran Khan in his first test match, getting hit on the head. Yet, that kid was ready to come onto the front foot.. He scored a 50 in his 2nd test match itself..

3.FIRST 100 IN OZ
           Everybody talks of this as his best 100.. Setting: Perth,'92 .. Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes, Mike Whitney and Paul Reiffel formed the attack on the bouncy Perth wicket.. Sachin scored 114..

4. LAST OVER- HERO CUP 1993
          I remember this, South Africa needed 6 runs of the last over and ST was handed the ball.. The game was in Calcutta, Eden Gardens.. ST tied them down to just 3 runs and India advanced to the finals.. Finals was against Windies where Kumble took 6-12 to ensure an Indian win..

5. FIRST TIME OPENING THE INNINGS
           Sachin in a recent interview spoke about this. Sidhu was injured and couldn't play.. ST was till then batting at 6. He asked the captain and coach to give him one chance to bat up the order and that he was confident of doing well. If he were to fail, he would never come back again.. He was confident of hitting over the in field in the initial field restriction overs.. Sachin scored 82 of 49 balls against New Zealand.. Opening slot was his ever since..

6. TITAN CUP BANGALORE and MUMBAI- 1996
           Sachin played amazingly for his 88 but got out at the wrong time, India needed 52 runs with 2 wickets in hand.. Srinath and Kumble, local lads set up the win.. The match went almost to midnight, ST won the man of the match award.. In Mumbai, Ind vs SA finals.. Sachin held aloft a round shield..

7. WORLD CUP -1996
           India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka hosted the 96 Wills cricket world cup.. India reached the semi finals purely on Sachin's brilliance.. With 523 runs at 87.16, is the highest scorer in the World Cup..

8. WARNE'S NIGHTMARE 
           Shane Warne had nightmares bowling to Sachin.. India vs Australia test series in 1998.. India won that series 2-1.. He employed slog sweeps and deposited Warne over mid wicket for six time and again..


9. SHARJAH 1997/98
           The one knock that no one will forget.. Two centuries back to back, 143 to ensure India is through to the finals of the Coca Cola cup.. 134 in the finals to ensure India wins it.. It was the first time a cricket tournament in Sharjah did not feature Pakistan. Both the 100s came against Australia and he single handedly won the matches for India.

10. HAILED AS/BY THE DON
            Don Bradman's 90th birthday, Sachin and Warne were invited.. Don said Sachin's batting reminded him of his own batting.. The visuals of Don and Sachin playing a straight drive were shown over and over again in all TV channels..

11. BACK STRAIN and a HEARTBREAK

            Indo-Pak series after a long time, India needed 271 to win in the Chennai test.. Sachin was battling a severe back ache but batted superbly to score 136.. The famous lap sweep came during this test match.. Chennai was witnessing yet another classic from ST.. But a heartbreak was waiting for him, India slumped to defeat.. He was awarded man of the match but did not come to receive it as he was crying in the dressing room..

12. 1999 WORLD CUP
            India were in England to play the 1999 world cup and as usual the hopes rested on Sachin's shoulders.. There was a sad news, his father passed away.. He flew back to India to do the last rites.. Surprisingly, Sachin came back to wear India colours and played for India.. That was amazing spirit.. He scored 140 against Kenya on his return..

13. 2001 SOUTH AFRICA SERIES
             It was the series where ST started playing a new shot.. Upper cut over the slips to negotiate the bouncers.. The series where the match referee was Mike Dennes.. ( Remember!) Sachin and others were called for ball tampering and faced one test ban.. The 3rd test match was an unofficial one, and the star played..

14.  STUMPED FOR THE FIRST TIME
             England and Ashley Giles adopted negative strategy bowling down the leg side to tie Sachin down.. It was their only way to get him out they thought, as they had no faith in themselves to get the master out by fair means..


15. 2003 WORLD CUP, 98 vs PAKISTAN
            2003 world cup began badly with a loss to Australia and scrapped to a win over Holland.. Indian fans were fuming, burnt effigies of the players, pelted stones at their homes in India, painted them black.. Sachin came out and addressed the media asking fans to maintain calm and giving a hope that India would do well.. Under Ganguly, India had a great time in the world cup.. Scores 673 runs at 61.18 in the World Cup, taking India to within a win of the world crown. His 98 against Pakistan in an exceptionally anticipated match is one of the best knocks by an Indian in a World Cup. Attacked the Pakistan bowlers from the 1st ball.. Hoisted Akhtar  for a six over 3rd man.. Australia are champions, but he is named Man of the Series.

16. ROBBED OF 200
            Dravid declared when Sachin was on 194. ST for the 1st time expressed his displeasure in the public.. India went on to win the series, 309 from Viru in Multan.. Ganguly axed. The series saw everything, also India's first series win in Pakistan soil..

17. CENTURIES TO REMEMBER
             A patient 241 in Sydney 2004, minimal off side shots, leading to a draw in the test match and the series..No. 35 against Sri Lanka in Delhi took him past Gavaskar.. His first century in more than two years and 19 Tests, against opposition other than Bangladesh, SCG 2008.. Coveted 100s in the finals..
CB series final, India reached finals thanks to brilliant captaincy from MSD. Ponting wrongly talked of not needing a 3rd final and Sachin obliged.. 114 in Sydney in a 240 run chase, a 91 in the 2nd final ensured India win without having to play the 3rd finals as per Ponting's desire.

18: TWIN RECORDS
            Drives Shane Warne down the ground to score a significant single signaling an entry in the 10000 club.. Celebrates it by scoring 139.. From there on every 1000 run mark, he is the first. Latest one being first one to score 17000 runs..
            Steers Peter Siddle down to third man to become the highest run getter in tests going past Lara.. Hails this as his best record as it took him 19 years to get there.. Scored 12000 in tests..

19. 100 IN CHASING
            Mumbai carnage 26/11.. England's tour was cut short and India couldn't complete a 7-0 whitewash.. It was great of England to come back to play the tests.. Chennai again.. Chennai crowd are blessed indeed.. Yet another class act from Sachin. This time it wasn't a smashing innings.. India's 387 run chase was set up by Viru's brilliance overnight and on the 5th day after quick wickets Sachin and Yuvraj's partnership saw India through.. A paddle sweep that took India to victory and Sachin to his 100..

20. 175 vs AUSTRALIA, HYDERABAD
             May be he has a record in this too.. Maximum heartbreaks after an amazing knock.. Chasing 350 runs to win isn't easy by any standards.. Sachin had not scored big for sometime and a 100 was beckoning.. He chose this stage.. Scored half of the target himself.. Scintillating performance, words will do no good to describe this knock.. Salute the master..

When GOD plays

The bowlers bowl where they want to and Sachin hits them to boundary where and when he pleases to.. A cricketer who got the status of a family member in every cricket loving home in India with his cricket, humility & honesty. Words will never describe the legend Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Nov 5th, 2009 shall remain in our minds forever.. But what about Nov 5, 1989 ???
That was the first time Sachin got selected into the Indian team that toured Pakistan...

What a long wait it was though to witness this 100 from his bat !! For many it was a reminiscent of Sharjah 1997-98 Coca Cola cup against the Aussies..

He was 27 then, and India had 2 targets in the match - 1 for victory and 1 to ensure that India are through to the finals.. 285 for a win and 254 for reaching finals, it was revised to 276 and 237 after a dust storm.. Considering the then playing conditions, 280 was on par with the current 330s.. At 4-138 the hopes sunk, but this man thought otherwise.. He plundered the Aussie attack and scored a mammoth 143 at more than run a ball to secure India's place in the finals.. He walked after edging a delivery down the leg side..

In the finals, chasing 272 for a win, all hopes wrested on Sachin as he scored 134 off 131 balls to ensure a win.. The point is getting to 272 was considered a winning total, and to chase it down happened not so often those days..Warne had gone for 61-0 in his 10 overs..

Yesterday, we got to see Sachin at his attacking best after 1998 Sharjah cup.. Ironically, this was against the Aussies too.. A magnificent innings, a description of which by mere adjectives and superlatives do not do justice to the knock..

How great was the knock and how big was the heart break !!

He cannot cry now at the defeat, he is old enough.. But cry he did, when he scored a 100  against Pakistan in Chennai only in vain.. Chasing 271 for a win, Sachin who had got out for a duck in the 1st innings played with a sore back.. On reaching 254-6, Sachin went down to a floater from Saqlain and gave a catch to mid on.. India, you wouldn't believe, got out for 258..

" I think Joshi told me he[Sachin] went down the wicket and told him its gone too long now,let me finish this match.
So it was flotter from Saqlain,He came down the track and wanted to hit over the top of long on.
I came down the dressing room,I think its fair for me to say,he[Sachin] was weaping like a school boy,I kept on telling him why are you taking the whole blame yourself,by then we lost the match.You made impossible possible by playing this great inning.He[Sachin] said no sir,I have lost this match.
We were in the podium,I think very few time you gets man of the match on the loosing side,he got the man of the match on the loosing side.From the podium I signal to Anshuman Gaekwad the coach of the Indian team and asked him where is he[Sachin], because I knew he was Man of the match. Gaekwad said he not coming because he is crying.
I think thats what commitment is all about." -- Late, Mr. Raj Singh Dungarpur..

This would have been a bigger heartbreak for him, chasing 350 isn't easy.. India had posted 354 in Nagpur, and we all know how the Aussies crumbled under pressure and there was no significant partnerships handing India a 99 run victory which could have been worse had we taken the last wicket cheaply..

The 2nd story that unveiled itself was in Hyderabad, this time Aussies had scored 350.. Belter of a wicket, Sachin was edgy at the start.. His feet weren't moving.. He slowly got to 17000 runs.. 6(14) balls.. A four and a no-ball to follow.. A free hit that was sliced for 4 behind point.. From there on, it was as if saying I want to hit this through cover and I hit it.. Sublime innings..

Years since we saw him coming down the wicket to a spinner and hoisting him straight for a six.. He hit 3 like that..

A flick coming down the wicket to Voges that went for 4 through mid wicket.. An inside out shot through cover, a flick of McKay's slower ball, stand and deliver- cover drive that went whistling past the fielders, a short arm jab that split short third man and backward point of Hussey, a shot through where 2nd slip would have been came right of the middle of the bat...

Highlights of the innings


Do we remember that Ian Chappel had called for his retirement in 2008 as Sachin was according to him playing only for records ? He had in his article to cric-info had claimed that Sachin is NOT THE BEST ODI batsman, Ponting has easily overtaken him and that Ponting has played better in many pressure situations and the finals too which Sachin apparently did not do off late and that since he was well past his prime he must retire gracefully..

Before anybody else makes a decision on what will happen to Tendulkar the player himself has to have a good long look into the mirror and decide what he's trying to achieve in the game. At the moment he looks like a player trying to eke out a career; build on a glittering array of statistics. If he really is playing for that reason and not to help win as many matches as he can for India then he is wasting his time and should retire immediately. 

Read the complete article here:

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/287961.html

Now, shouldn't we ask him to look into a mirror and answer the question 'If he is writing such blogs to get more user comments and thus say he is popular and eke out a career in blogging as an expert analyst' . If so, he must retire immediately..

What do u say ??

 

Top cricketers

List of top cricketers in my point of view... Numbers do NOT indicate ranks.. I am not going back to the old era, staying with the 90s and 2000s

GREATEST CRICKETERS:( nos. do not indicate ranking but when you ask yourself the question, the order in which you remember the names are the below. That is how I made this list )

01) Sachin Tendulkar
02) Brian Lara
03) Shane Warne
04) Muttiah Muralitharan
05) Wasim Akram
06) Glenn McGrath
07) Ricky Ponting
08) Jacques Kallis
09) Curtly Ambrose
10) Waqar Younis
11) Adam Gilchrist
12) Courtney Walsh
13) Steve Waugh
14) Inzamam-ul-Haq
15) Rahul Dravid
16) Sourav Ganguly
17) Mohammad Yousuf
18) Allan Donald
19) Andy Flower
20) Shaun Pollock
21) Matthew Hayden
22) Aravinda de Silva
23) Anil Kumble
24) Sanath Jayasuriya
25) Michael Bevan
26)Arjuna Ranatunga
27)Hansie Cronje
28)Saqlain Mushtaq
29)Mark Taylor
30)Gary Kirsten
31)Kevin Pieterson

Few other impact players who miss out on making it to the greatest list

01) Chaminda Vaas
02) Chris Cairns
03) Alec Stewart
04) Mohammed Azharuddin
05) Saeed Anwar
06) Stephen Fleming
07) Nathan Astle
08) Jonty Rhodes
09) Imran Khan
10) Marvan Atapattu
11) Mark Waugh
12)Nick Knight
13)Navjot Sidhu
14)Nasser Hussain
15)Michael Vaughan


GREATEST CRICKETERS (individually):

• Greatest Batsman: Sachin Tendulkar
• Greatest ODI Batsman: Sachin Tendulkar
• Greatest Test Batsman: Brian Lara
• Greatest Bowler: Muttiah Muralitharan
• Greatest ODI Bowler: Wasim Akram
• Greatest Test Bowler: Ambrose and/or Kumble
• Greatest Fielder: Jonty Rhodes
• Greatest All-Rounder: Jacques Kallis
• Greatest ODI Captain: MSD and/or Ganguly
• Greatest Test Captain: Steve Waugh and/or Mark Taylor
• Greatest ODI Batting Pair: Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly
• Greatest Test Batting Pair:Dravid-Laxman, Steve Waugh with tail enders, one single innings of Ranatunga with tail enders
• Greatest ODI Bowling Pair: Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis
• Greatest Test Bowling Pair: Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh/Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne 

Individuals who have played well for their team:

• Australia: Shane Warne
• Bangladesh: Mohammed Rafique  
• England: KP, Nasser Hussain
• India: Sachin Tendulkar
• New Zealand: Chris Cairns
• Pakistan: Wasim Akram
• South Africa: Jacques Kallis
• Sri Lanka: Muttiah Muralidaran  
• West Indies: Brian Lara
• Zimbabwe: Andy Flower
  

This is my view, if you have any other name in mind please do leave a comment..

ICC awards

As part of the ICC's celebration of the game's heroes and role models, it stages the annual LG ICC Awards ceremony to recognize the major individual and team achievements in world cricket.

The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its sixth year and in 2009 the Awards took place in Johannesburg. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007) and Dubai (2008).

The LG ICC Awards in 2009 included eight individual prizes, including the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year. The winners of seven of these individual awards were voted upon by a 25-person panel from around the world, made up of renowned former players, respected members of the media, and an elite umpire and elite match referee. Meanwhile, the nominations for the Women's Cricketer of the Year Award were voted on by a separate 16-person voting academy featuring former players and other experts on the women's game.

The other three awards were the ICC Test Team of the Year, the ICC ODI Team of the Year and the Spirit of Cricket Award.

Based on the 12 months between August 2008 and August 2009, the LG ICC Awards 2009 - presented in association with FICA - took into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.

Lists of nominees- Individual Awards

Cricketer of the Year
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)
Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
Andrew Strauss (Eng)

Test Player of the Year
Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
Thilan Samaraweera (SL)
Andrew Strauss (Eng)

ODI Player of the Year
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)
Virender Sehwag (Ind)
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)

Emerging Player
Ben Hilfenhaus (Aus)
Graham Onions (Eng)
Jesse Ryder (NZ)
Peter Siddle (Aus)

Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year
Rizwan Cheema (Can)
Ryan ten Doeschate (Ned)
William Porterfield (Ire)
Edgar Schiferli (Ned)

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year
Shahid Afridi (Pak) for scoring 51 off 34 balls and taking 2-16 against South Africa during the ICC WT20 semi-final in Nottingham on 18 June
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) for scoring 96 not out off 57 balls against the West Indies in the semi-final of the ICC WT20 at The Oval on 19 June
Chris Gayle (WI) - for hitting 88 off 50 balls against Australia during the ICC WT20 at The Oval on 6 June
Umar Gul (Pak) for taking 5-6 against New Zealand during the ICC WT20 at The Oval on 13 June

Women's Cricketer of the Year
Charlotte Edwards (Eng)
Shelley Nitschke (Aus)
Claire Taylor (Eng)

Umpire of the Year
Aleem Dar
Tony Hill
Asad Rauf
Simon Taufel

Spirit of Cricket
Australia
England
New Zealand
Sri Lanka
 
This list was arrived at after a long list of nominees was announced earlier.. Surprisingly, South Africans were missing from the short list of nominees.. CSA chairman Gerald Majola was surprised and shocked at the absence of South Africans from the final list especially after having a great year in both the test and the ODI formats and being No.1 in the ICC rankings too..

On October 1, in Johannesburg, the awards were given away..

Cricketer of the Year-     Mitchell Johnson
Test Player of the Year-  Gautam Gambhir

ODI Player of the Year-  Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Emerging Player-             Peter Siddle

Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year -            William Potterfield

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year - Tilakaratne Dilshan

Women's Cricketer of the Year - Claire Taylor

Umpire of the Year -                     Aleem Daar

Spirit of Cricket-                           New Zealand


ICC ODI and Test team captain - MS Dhoni

Johnson - Impressive performances against SA in both home and away series.. Played a hand with both bat and ball, integral part of the Aussie team which is rebuilding after the loss of its stalwarts..

Gambhir- Scored more than 1000 runs, dream run for him. 5 centuries including a double century against the visiting Australia..

Dhoni- Retained his ODI player award, highly consistent.. Averages above 50 and his average increases by 7 when India chase more than 275.. (remarkable to note that in the same period of consideration Sachin's average dips by 7 when India chase high totals)

Dishan- Has a shot named after him, Dilscoop which he used effectively in the T20s.. Scored 96 of 57 balls in the T20 WC semi final against Windies.. Afiridi's performance was more effective and it lifted the entire team against the Proteas.. Gayle's 88 against Aussies deserved an award too..

Siddle- Emerging player of the year award, he had to fill in the gap left by McGrath and an injured Lee. Truly a better choice from the nominees..Never easy to make your debut in the absence of Lee and having to lead the bowling attack and perform so superbly..

Claire Taylor- England woman's team captain, only in the woman's cricket have they won a major ICC tournament.. This year they won the 50 over championship and the 20-20 championship in which Taylor played a great role with the bat..

Aleem Daar- First time I have seen Simon Taufel being pipped for the award.. Aleem Daar, Asad Rauf, Taufel have been the better umpires..

William Potterfield- First seen in Ireland's T20 campaign, made it to the super 8s.. They have also won 9 of the 11 ODIs they played..

Spirit of Cricket- Switched hands from Sri Lanka to New Zealand this year, Vettori was pretty startled as to what this award was for..

Panel:Clive Lloyd, Anil Kumble, Mudassar Nazar,  Stephen Fleming and Bob Taylor
ICC ODI Team of the year-
Virender Sehwag (Ind),
Chris Gayle (WI),
Kevin Pietersen (Eng),
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL),
Yuvraj Singh (Ind),
Martin Guptill (NZ),
MS Dhoni (Ind, captain, WK),
Andrew Flintoff (Eng),
Nuwan Kulasekara (SL),
Ajantha Mendis (SL),
Umar Gul (Pak),
12th man: Thilan Thushara (SL)

The team has one batsman too many.. The line up cannot be determined.. Martin Guptill may be a misfit and the balance is missing..

World Test Team of the Year:

Gautam Gambhir (India),

Andrew Strauss (England),

AB de Villiers (South Africa),

Sachin Tendulkar (India),

Thilan Samaraweera (Sri Lanka),

Michael Clarke (Australia),

MS Dhoni (India, capt & wk),

Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh),

Mitchell Johnson (Australia),

Stuart Broad (England),

Dale Steyn (South Africa),

Harbhajan Singh (India, 12th man)

This team is very strong.. No.10 can bat too.. But lacks the 5th bowler..

Record (ed) 194 - Charles Coventry

Coventry, with his unbeaten 194 off 156 balls against Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo on Sunday, has posted the joint highest individual score in the history of ODIs.  Coventry's outstanding knock is his career-best score - his maiden ODI hundred, bettering the 74 off 99 balls against India at Harare..
Unfortunately, Coventry finished on the losing side, thus creating an unwanted world record in ODIs, surpassing Matthew Hayden's unbeaten 181 against New Zealand at Hamilton on February 20, 2007.

Coventry's outstanding innings has contained 106 runs from boundaries (seven sixes and 17 fours) - which is also a record for most runs through boundaries for Zimbabwe in ODIs. It is also a record for most runs through boundaries against Bangladesh in an ODI innings.

Craig Wishart's unbeaten 172 off 151 balls against Namibia at Harare on February 10, 2003 was the previous highest individual score for Zimbabwe in ODIs.

The highest individual innings for losing cause in ODIs are:

Runs	Balls	Batsman	For	Vs.	Venue	Date
194*	156	Charles Coventry	Zim	Ban	Bulawayo	16.8.2009
181*	166	Matthew Hayden	Aus	NZ	Hamilton	20.2.2007
167*	163	Robin Smith	Eng	Aus	Birmingham	21.5.1993
164	105	Ricky Ponting	Aus	SA	Johannesburg	12.3.2006
152*	153	Chris Gayle	WI	SA	Johannesburg	4.2.2004

The elusive double hundred.. 

The players seem to miss the elusive 200, either because of bad luck, a poor shot or over enthusiasm and eagerness to get to that double hundred mark..

Several batsmen have neared the mark but fallen agonizingly short: Saeed Anwar ( prev post on Independence Day special records Anwar's 194)  probably had the best chance but was undone by the brutal May heat of Chennai, Sanath Jayasuriya's one-man demolition job in Sharjah ended 11 runs adrift, (both against India) and Herschelle Gibbs had raced to 175 as early as the 32nd over before holing out to long-on in the famous 438 game at the Wanderers.. In an unglamorous series in Bulawayo, Charles Coventry, joined that illustrious list.

Saeed  Anwar


Saeed Anwar had a runner from the 19th over itself as the heat at Chennai took toll on the players.. Saeed Anwar broke the record for the highest individual innings in a one-day international by scoring 194, from 146 balls, with 22 fours and five sixes, three in succession in one over from Kumble, which went for 2-2-6-6-6-4. He might have reached a double-hundred had he not top-edged a sweep to be caught at fine leg off Sachin in the 47th over. It was a remarkable exhibition of controlled aggression, even if he was helped by a runner, Shahid Afridi, for most of the innings (he was suffering from heat exhaustion and loss of fluid).

The mighty SIR Viv Richards

What is hitting in the air ? Century in an ODI !! I wouldn't say these were unheard of at 1984.. There were enough centuries and enough big ones by then.. Kapil Dev's untaped 175 against Zimbabwe could be cited as an example.. But the might of Viv is stamped on this innings, the greatest player of all time..

Almost single-handed he won the match for West Indies after they had been in deep trouble. Having won the toss and chosen to bat, they were 102 for seven in the 26th over of a 55-over match at Old Trafford on the last day of May in the 1st match of the Texaco trophy.. In a memorable display Richards received 170 balls and hit 21 fours and five sixes, one of these, a straight drive, going out of the ground at the Warwick Road end. In 14 overs for the last wicket Richards and Holding added 106, Richards's share being 93. He batted with daring and immense power..



The Matara Mauler


Sri Lanka defeated India by 254 in one of their most intimidating performances in the history of Sri Lankan cricket, in the finals of Coca Cola trophy at Sharjah 2000. The architect was, Sanath Jayasuriya, who rescued an innings that was dipping into the doldrums, with a breathtaking 189 from just 161 balls, the second equal highest score in the history of one-day international cricket.



At the start of the 49th over during the Sri Lankan innings, both the captains reached a stage where they couldn't care less, but for different reasons. While Jayasuriya was intent on throwing his bat at anything and everything without bothering about the results, Ganguly decided to bring himself on to bowl, as he must have thought that it could not get worse. Jayasuriya despatched the first ball for a four but got out the very next delivery. It was the only triumph for Ganguly on a day which otherwise was something short of a torture.


Gary Kirsten - 188* vs UAE at Rawalpindi in the world cup 1996.. G Kirsten 188* off 159 balls, 4 sixes, 13 fours. Highest ever individual score in World Cup matches, surpassing IVA Richards' 181* v SL at Karachi in 1987. 2nd highest ODI score of all time, needing 3 off last ball to equal Viv Richards' all time ODI record score of 189.

NOW, Charles Coventry.. 



How did he lose out ?

• Coventry was on 191, three short of equalling the record, when the final over started.
  49.1 Syed Rasel to Coventry, 1 run, full outside off, driven straight to deep cover, just the single
  Mupariwa needs to get a single now
  49.2 Syed Rasel to Mupariwa, OUT lbw Coventry will have to wait
  Utseya, the captain, walks in
  49.3 Syed Rasel to Utseya, FOUR, a boundary! They were on their way to get a single, picks the slower one wide of long-on, the fielder overruns it to concede a boundary, Coventry will have to wait again
  49.4 Syed Rasel to Utseya, 2 runs, short on leg stump, pulled away wide of fine leg.. why two? His partner's on the verge of a major landmark here, a single should have been fine
  49.5 Syed Rasel to Utseya, 1 run.
  Coventry has one ball to break the record. Three to get.
  The keeper comes up
  49.6 Syed Rasel to Coventry, 2 runs, full toss outside off, slaps it back past the bowler wide of long-off for a couple to equal the world record!!
   

Independence day

August 15th is celebrated as Independence Day in India.. India turns 63 today..

12 yrs back, celebrating Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence the cricket board BCCI had organized an Independence Cup.. India staged a quadrangular one-day tournament in the unusually late month of May to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the country's independence. They evaded the worst of the intense summer heat by starting the games in the afternoon and playing on under floodlights, now erected at most of the major grounds thanks to the profits of the World Cup.

India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan took part in the tournament.. 6 league matches and 3 finals.. This tournament would be remembered for one knock from the Left-hander Saeed Anwar who scored the highest innings ever made in a one-day international, plundering 194 off the Indian bowling to beat Viv Richards's 13-year-old record. It was his 12th century in this form of the game; Tendulkar had also reached 12 during the tournament, and only Desmond Haynes, with 17, had remained ahead of them..

The tournament was not a happy one for the Indians though who managed to win only one match against New Zealand losing the other 2 to the 2 Asian giants PAK and SRL.. PAK and SRL made it to the finals of the event which Sri Lanka eventually won convincingly without having to play the 3rd finals..

POINTS TABLE

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR
Pakistan	3	2	1	0	0	4	+0.287
Sri Lanka	3	2	1	0	0	4	+0.478
India	3	1	2	0	0	2	-0.331
New Zealand	3	1	2	0	0	2	-0.452

Match1: NZ vs Pak : Mohali: D/N : Pak won the toss and chose to field.. NZ won by 22 runs

NZ  scored 285 on the back of a brilliant 100 from Astle, what looked like going to be staggering score was reduced with some fine bowling from Saqlain., 4 wickets from Astle saw PAK lose..
MoM: Nathan Astle

Match2: SRL vs Pak: Gwalior: D/N: Pak won the toss and batted. Pak won by 30 runs

Consistent batting saw Pak lost 289, needing 290 to win SRL was jolted by 3 early wickets.. 2 wickets of the same over by Saleem Malik ended the run chase..
MoM: Aqib Javed (5wickets)

Match3: IND vs NZ: Bangalore : D/N : NZ won the toss and batted : India won by 8 wickets

Astle almost scored his 2nd century, 92.. But NZ lost their way and made a paltry 220.. India launched a 169 run opening partnership with Sachin scoring his 12th century..
MoM: Sachin Tendulkar

Match4: IND vs SRL : Mumbai : India won toss and batted.. India lost by 5 wickets

India lost Ganguly to the first ball of the match and were in dire straits when Tendulkar slashed to deep third-man in the fourth over. Jadeja joined Dravid at 29 for three and revived the innings with a stand of 95, while Robin Singh added a run-a-ball maiden fifty. But Vaas bowled with such economy that he conceded only 13 runs, including just one in the 50th over. A moderate target of 226 soon shrank as Jayasuriya blazed his way to the highest score by a Sri Lankan in one-day internationals - 151 off 121 balls, with 17 fours and four sixes, beating Aravinda de Silva's 145 against Kenya in the 1996 World Cup. Sri Lanka won with nine overs to spare.

MoM : S. T. Jayasuriya.

Match5 : PAK vs SRL : Hyderabad, day/night. Sri Lanka won by 52 runs. Toss: Sri Lanka.

Debutant seamer Shayne O'Connor quickly removed Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva. Those blows, plus the persistence of off-spinner Patel, who shared the new ball, and the slow medium-pacers, Larsen and Astle, choked Sri Lanka's usual free-scoring style. While Mahanama tried to anchor the innings, it was left to Kaluwitharana, demoted to No. 7 after a run of poor scores, to ensure that it went past 200. Once again, New Zealand started well - they were 96 for two at the halfway mark - but then, after Fleming swept and missed at De Silva, they subsided against Sri Lanka's slow bowlers, who each picked up two wickets.

Man of the Match: R. S. Kaluwitharana. 

Match6: IND vs PAK : Chennai, day night, pak won toss and batted :

Saeed Anwar broke the record for the highest individual innings in a one-day international by scoring 194, from 146 balls, with 22 fours and five sixes, three in succession in one over from Kumble, which went for 226664. He beat the previous record, Viv Richards's unbeaten 189 for West Indies against England at Old Trafford in 1984, by five, and might have reached a double-hundred had he not top-edged a sweep to be caught at fine leg in the 47th over. It was a remarkable exhibition of controlled aggression, even if he was helped by a runner, Shahid Afridi, for most of the innings (he was suffering from heat exhaustion and loss of fluid). India were left a target of 328. They began on a poor note when Inzamam-ul-Haq took an athletic catch to dismiss Tendulkar, but Dravid sustained them with his maiden hundred in limited-overs internationals - also briefly assisted by a runner, Tendulkar, until the fielding side objected. They soon fell behind (scored 292),  five wickets for Aqib Javed.

MoM: Saeed Anwar





Finals : PAK and SRL

1st : Mohali : Sri Lanka won by 115 runs.. Jayasuriya 96 off 67 balls, De Silva 90, Ranatunga 80 - SRL- 339 Pakistan had no realistic hopes of making 340 once Sajeewa de Silva sent their top three back to the pavilion before 50 was on the board.

Player of the match ST Jayasuriya

2nd : Kolkata :Sri Lanka won by 85 runs..Sri Lanka passed 300 for the second match running. Pakistan made a poor start, with both openers holing out off unconventional shots as they tried to clear the infield. Ijaz Ahmed and Ramiz Raja added 98 but, once Ijaz fell to a smart stumping, they could not sustain the chase.

 Man of the Match: P. A. De Silva.

Man of the Series: S. T. Jayasuriya. 

The new wall :Gautam Gambhir

Who was India's top scorer in the World Twenty20 final 2007, playing an innings that set up their win? Who topped the batting charts in the CB Series, which India won convincingly in Australia earlier this year? A hint: he was second on the list of run-getters in the Indian Premier League opening edition.

If you don't remember, that's not much of a surprise: Gautam Gambhir has never been much of a household name. People are more likely to recall the pulsating final over bowled by Joginder Sharma in the World Twenty final in Durban than Gambhir's 75. They're more likely to remember Sachin Tendulkar's two gems in the CB Series finals than Gambhir's two centuries which played a pivotal role in taking India that far. Or Virender Sehwag's blitzkrieg 41-ball 94 in the IPL over Gambhir's 534 runs at an average of 41, which were instrumental in getting Delhi to the knockouts.

Gambhir has struck gold in just about every tournament he has played over the last year. In between wearing the orange cap as the leading run-scorer for a better part of the IPL, and helping India notch up crucial victories on the world stage, Gambhir led his state, Delhi, to their first Ranji Trophy title in over a dozen years. Over the last year he has the best average among Indian ODI players, ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.

Gambhir is assured enough that he now belongs at the highest level. "I have more responsibility now," he says, "which is good because every player wants that - where the team expects you to win games for them. That responsibility has changed me as a player and also as a human being."

Where earlier he was known for his fragile temperament, these days Gambhir is more relaxed. He is still seen as being generally aloof and not easily approachable, and known for being uncommunicative - which is at times misread as arrogance - but that's not something that bothers him much. "I'm emotional and very patriotic," he says. "I'm proud to be an Indian and when I wear the cap and the jersey I have a lot of responsibility. Sometimes I'm very temperamental. But I'm very instinctive as well. Once I take a decision, I back myself till the end even it backfires at times.

Gambhir's first stumbling block came when his career had barely got going. He was ignored by the selectors for the 1999 junior World Cup, though he happened to be one of the leading run-scorers in Indian Under-19 cricket at the time. Mohammad Kaif led India to victory in the tournament. "I never understood what happened," Gambhir says, his tone indicating that it is something he has never been able to get over.

Vivek Chaddha, a neighbour and friend of 20 years remembers how disappointed Gambhir was. "When he did not get picked in the Under-19 side, that was the first time he realised one requires something more than making just runs," Chaddha says.

Gambhir was furious, and his rage found expression in his batting. He announced himself with a double-century in a day against the visiting Zimbabweans. At the end of his fourth domestic season he finished eighth among the leading run-scorers for the year; the following year he climbed to No. 3.

Gambhir was a regular in India A teams before he played his first ODI in 2003, followed by his Test debut a year later, against Australia in the eventful three-day Mumbai match of 2004. He then had a brief run in the side, during which he made his first Test hundred, against Bangladesh, and turned in half-decent performances in the three Tests against Pakistan. He then sat out 12 ODIs before coming back into the side, starting brightly with a Test 98 against Zimbabwe and an ODI hundred against Sri Lanka before a lean spell took hold.

The lowest ebb was not being picked for the 2007 World Cup. The day before the third one-dayer against West Indies in Chennai, the selectors told Gambhir he would need to prove himself if he had to make the World Cup squad. He was up against Robin Uthappa for a spot in the team. Uthappa opened with Gambhir, scored 70 to his partner's duck, and made the cut.

"That was the lowest point in my career," Gambhir says. For over a month he went into hibernation, not touching his bat and staying away from people, including friends.

Making the adjustment
Hitting rock bottom allowed Gambhir to raise a stronger platform, though. Sanjay Bharadwaj, who has been his coach since 1991, had seen him walk out of the woods under similar circumstances following the Test series against Sri Lanka in 2005, where he made just 54 runs in the three matches. "He never blames anyone for not getting picked. That's why he has come back each time," Bharadwaj said.

VB Chandrasekhar, a former national selector and opening batsman said, "We always knew he was a very good player who had made tons of runs on the domestic circuit, but he was getting out frequently getting his front foot across, and international fast bowlers found it easy to expose that fault." Last year Chandrasekhar, who also does commentary during the domestic season, found Gambhir had made a noticeable change. "He has made a very conscious effort to get his front foot out of the way."

How did it come about? Bharadwaj had got Gambhir to bat wearing a golf ball suspended from a necktie around his neck. "His centre of gravity was falling to the other side, so we decided he had to play straighter. One way of doing so was to keep the golf ball close to his chest while he played forward." To make Gambhir play the ball in line, three lines linking both sets of stumps were drawn so he could visualise the line of the delivery better. As a result he began to be more confident about leaving many deliveries outside off alone. Before the 2007 series in the UK, Gambhir had been caught behind seven times in 21 ODIs. In the next 27 games he got out that way only three times.

Even back when he played cricket with the neighbourhood lads in the Western Delhi suburb of Rajendranagar where he lived, one thing was clear: losing was never on his agenda. "Even now, when we play PlayStation, he will go to the extent of cheating but hate to admit defeat," Chaddha laughs.

Dislike of losing apart, Gambhir has been a rhythm player, one who needs a lot of self-belief. Last summer on the UK tour he won the Man-of-the-Match award for his 85 not out against Scotland, then blew cold with three runs in the first ODI against England. Rahul Dravid, India's captain at the time, spoke of how talented batsmen like Gambhir needed to become more responsible. Gambhir was given a role, to anchor the innings, and in the fifth and sixth games of the series he made 51 and 47.

Early in 2008, in Australia, after Gambhir had made a fluent 39 in India's first game against the world champions in the CB Series, Sachin Tendulkar spoke to him about how he needed to convert his starts and how important it was for him to try and play 40 overs. Gambhir made two centuries in that series - testament to the motivation those words provided. In the second game he walked in in the 15th over and remained undefeated on 102. Then, towards the end of the league phase of the tournament he scored a scintillating 113, taking the charge to Australia after having virtually opened the innings (Tendulkar was out in the first over) before falling in the 40th over. India lost that game but Gambhir described his innings as "a dream".

In his one-day career so far Gambhir has been not out six times, all of those coming in the last year, starting with the tour of the UK.

Gambhir credits his current captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with having been instrumental in helping him get to where he has. "The kind of support MS has shown in me and the kind of confidence he has given has helped me grow as a player.

"It was more about security of my place in the side," Gambhir says. "When I went to the Twenty20 World Cup last year, I was confident I was going to play the entire tournament, even if there were bound to be a couple failures. I told myself I'm going to be there and I'm going to be playing. That is one thing that has really helped me, and it has really changed my cricket and my confidence."

That in turn has helped him become more stable emotionally as well. "When I go to the field, I have my role which I try to do to the best of my ability, so I control my emotions and try not to get carried away. That is where I have matured as a cricketer. The team comes first and if the team demands something out of me, I do my best to control my emotions."

Though he was not picked for the Australia Test series - the selectors weren't sure about whether he had recovered fully from a shoulder injury he had sustained during the ODIs against Australia in October - Gambhir didn't let that get to him. He moved his focus to Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign. Though he hadn't played many games in the season till then, he took over the leadership role left vacant by Virender Sehwag, who had had to leave on national duty.

Gambhir went on to make four hundreds in five games, including one each in the semi-final and final. Vijay Dahiya, Delhi's coach, spoke glowingly of his "willingness, his eagerness, his determination to do well". Dahiya also pointed out the apparent pride with which Gambhir led Delhi - unusual in an international player. "When he led Delhi, it was all about the state and not about the country. Every move of his was directed towards being there in the moment. His focus was all here and now."

In the final, in Mumbai, Delhi quelled the challenge of Uttar Pradesh. Gambhir made a duck in the first innings. Delhi fell behind on first innings and in the second he needed to decide whether to risk his broken thumb. He did, and made a courageous hundred, leading his side to their first Ranji Trophy win in 16 years. "We'd seen lots of lows and a few years ago we were on the verge of relegation and so we wanted to win to prove we had the talent," he says.

"I've started believing a lot in myself. I started believing in my game that I've got the game to be a successful player at the international level," he says. "I'm much more relaxed off the field compared to the feeling of insecurity earlier. The last thing helps a lot."

Gautam Gambhir now has climbed up to no.1 in ICC test batting rankings after failure of Mohammad Yousuf. Yousuf who was at top is now in no. 5 due to failure in second test against Sri Lanka. With this, Gambhir has become the first Indian in about 4 years to top the ICC test batting rankings. In ODI batting rankings too, there is another Indian i.e MS Dhoni in top. So, both ODI and test batting rankings are headed by India.

Talking about the test batting ranking, Younis Khan is in second place followed by Sangakkara and Chanderpaul. Gambhir is the only Indian to be in top 10 in test batting ranking. In ODI ranking, MS Dhoni is followed by his team-mate Yuvraj Singh at no.2. V Sehwag is at no.7. Dale Steyn leads the test bowling ranking while its still Kulasekara at the top of ICC ODI bowling ranking. Bhajji and Zaheer are in top 10 in test bowling ranking from India while no bowlers are ranked top 10 from India in ODI.

Gambhir has certainly become the new wall of Indian batting.. Though a little off form these days, he is sure to come back and perform well.. Gambhir owes most of his success to his batting partner Virender Sehwag, truly the way the pair runs between the wickets for quick singles is a treat to watch..

Gilly at 17

First Sachin Tendulkar interview 1989

 Very Funny the way he speaks..He said he is comfortable facing Ambrose and is not scared of the bouncers that they may hurl..

Inzy the warrior

Bismillah irahman nirahim , sabse pehle allah ka shukar !!
yeeeeaa is Inzy is a greats warrior.. is fighters.. is one of the best pakisthaan has produces !!

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Sultan of Multan, plays shots all round the wicket and is strong off his pads, unleashes ferocious pulls and lofted drives. Early on he is vulnerable playing across his front pad or poking outside off stump. He uses his feet well to the spinners, although this aggression can be his undoing.( ref: his last innings).. Inzi keeps a cool head in a crisis and has succeeded Javed Miandad as Pakistan's premier batsman, but his hapless running between wickets is legendary and most dangerous for his partners.

He can be termed the silent giant of cricket.. So unassumingly slow and lathargic on the field, little does the opposition realize or feel the pace at which this grizzly bear scores.. He has scored well over 10000 runs in ODI and missed the chance of becoming the leading run scorer for PAK thanks to a rush of adrenaline leading to a silly stroke...

Inzy was one of those street cricketers in the Gallis of Multan, spotted by a great Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan. He did a Nostradamus by predicting that this bright young lad of 17 would one day strike Gold and become one of the best batsman of all time!

I think Inzamam is as talented as Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar but little does he realise his true talent-- Imran Khan

Inducted into Pakistan colours in 1991 through ODI format and made his debut in tests in 92.. 1992 world cup was a big turning point in his career, early in his career as it was, slimmer and fitter made some important contributions in the WC helping Pakistan lift the world cup under Imran Khan.. He has a whopping 83 half centuries in ODI, 2nd to score 10000 runs.. He retired scoring 11739 runs in ODI... Test match performances weren't that poor either... One of the very few to score a century in each innings of a game and to score a century in his 100th test... Fell agonizingly short of Miandad's record and a test average of 50 !!

Inzy after being dropped was picked for the series against SA, as a farewell series.. Needing 20 runs to surpass Miandad, was out for 14 in the 1st innings.. In the 2nd innings, scored 3 and then attempted to hoist Paul Harris over Long on for a six to achieve the feat in glory, only to miss the ball and get stumped... Out for 3 !!!

Every one of his knocks was a true Gem of its Own! Each one would be studded with his trademark square cutes, the fierce pulls, the dance down the track sixes, the odd risky single now and then, and of course the comical running between the wickets. He is on his day, the best batsman in the Pakistani team.

The reason he took more matches to score that many runs is simple: mostly he caused his own downfall. Suicidal run outs, disastrous strokes; laziness and lapse of concentration were the main reasons for him getting out more rather than the bowler bowling a great ball. Self-destructive he was; had he been more careful in his approach, we certainly would have seen more blows from the willow of this cricketer.

Had his share of controversies

1. v India at Toronto,1997 - assaulted a spectator. Banned for two one-day internationals, suspended ban of one further match.
2. v Sri Lanka,2000 at Karachi - criticising the attitude of the Sri Lankan players. Received severe reprimand.
3. v West Indies,2005 at Perth - for not controlling his players as captain. Fined 100 percent of match fee.
4. v India, 2005 at Bangalore - charging or advancing towards the umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing. Banned for one Test match.
5. v England - August 17-21, 2006 at the Oval - bringing the game into disrepute. Banned for four ODIs.
6. WC2007 ended with the death of their coach Bob Woolmer, and Inzy was also summoned for inquiry..
   

The biggest being the last one.. On Pakistan's 2006 tour of England, Inzamam captained a team that refused to re-enter the field, after tea, at The Oval after allegations of ball tampering from umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove. The umpires awarded England five penalty runs and the choice of a replacement ball, after ruling that Pakistan had illegally tampered with the ball.. During the protest the umpires, having tried to persuade Inzamam to come out of the dressing room, decided that the match could not continue. Upon returning to the field with his team,later, found both the England team and the umpires absent... After further discussions between both teams, umpires and cricket board officials it was eventually agreed that the match could not be restarted. Thus, Inzamam became the first captain in history to forfeit a Test match. Inzamam was later charged with tampering with the ball and bringing the game into disrepute..

Inzy Last walk (ODI)



Inzy final test match



Funniest dismissal in cricket- Inzy

Prince of Trinidad

Cricket lovers would know that the "Prince of Trinidad" is none other than the greatest test player to have graced the cricket field and an equally good player in the other format (ODIs) too, a player who could alter the situation of the game in no time... The name is Brian Charles Lara...

Brian Lara, 10th of the 11 children of his father, learnt his game at the Harvard Coaching Clinic, where he was enrolled at the age of six for weekly coaching classes.. Aged 14, he amassed 745 runs in the schoolboys' league, with an average of 126.16, which earned him selection for the Trinidad national under-16 team. A year later he played in his first West Indian under 19 youth tournament and that same year, Lara represented West Indies in Under-19 cricket. Aged 20, he made his debut for west-indies against Pakistan.. There are very few players who have scored the BIG ones as frequently and as convincingly as the DON, but hey this Prince is not that far behind in any respect..

Lara showed his talent in his 5th Test,-1993 striking 277 runs against Australia in Sydney, his maiden Test century. It remains the fourth highest maiden Test century by any batsman.. Year 1994, home series against England saw one of his best performances.. 167 in Georgetown,Guyana sets up the series as West-Indies win by an innings 2-0 lead.. Going into the 5th match of the series WI have won the series 3-1, St.John's. Antigua recreation ground are to witness a great event unfolding. Finishes day1 on 164 and day2 on 320.. Day 3, 45runs more to beat Sir Gary Sobers world record of 365 runs.. Bats brilliantly to end up on 375, the then world record for highest test score with a staggering 45 fours in it.. In the same year, Lara broke the record for the highest individual score in first class matches by scoring 501* for warwickshire vs durham in the english county games, surpassing the previous best of 499 out.. Lara amassed his world record 501 in 474 minutes off only 427 balls. He hit 308 in boundaries (10 sixes and 62 fours).. A rising star........



Runs piled, centuries after centuries.. Late 90s saw a dip in his form, his high back lift proved his nemesis time and again.. He was the captain now 1998.. WI saw series whitewash, tasted what they were giving others all the while.. Tour of AUS was very good-Man of the series in the Carlton series..Excess weight and hamstring problems hampered his once-lightning footwork, and the torrent of runs became an occasional spurt., corrected his back lift .. 2001 was different though, tour of Srilanka- one of the best in my eyes.. He along with Sarwan notched up big centuries against the spin wizards in their backyard.. Lara amassed 688 runs in the three match away Test series against Sri Lanka making three centuries and one fifty including a double century and a century in the first and second innings of the 3rd Test Match at the Sinhalese Sports Ground making 42% of the team's runs in that series. These extraordinary performances led Muttiah Muralitharan to state that Lara was the most dangerous batsman he had ever faced.. Re appointed the captain in 2003 against AUS home series, highlight of the tour being the succesful run chase of 418 by WI in the 4th test.. WI won the ICC champions trophy under him in 2004..


Controversies are a part of all celebrities life-

• There was a clash between the Board's Sponsorship Digicel and Brian Lara's personal sponsorship which is Cable and Wireless.. Board selected Brian Lara and dropped the other players who were involved in this controversy but he declined selection in a stand of solidarity.. 
• In the later half of his career he started batting at number 5 and 6 . Many experts from all over the world wanted Brian Lara to bat up the order and take more responsibility and had questioned lara's wisdom to do so..
• Complaint that Lara did not contact the selection committee in picking the playing 11 team in the world cup 2007 matches..

Have I missed something ?? Well, yesss !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They say history repeats itself, but not to this extent... Same opponent, same ground, 10years later..................
Mathew Hayden had shortly held the record for the highest individual score (380 against Zimbabwe).. Lara comes back and scores a quadruple century.. Batting for 778 mins, 43 fours and 4 sixes in one of the epic innings of cricket.. Commentator- " One of the most significant singles in the history of test cricket." Goes from 399* to 400*



Watch this- the single


He announced before the 2007 Cricket World Cup that it would be his last appearance in one day internationals. After his last match, in the post-game presentation interview, he asked the fans, "Did I entertain?", to which he received a resounding "Yes!" from the West Indies fans, after which he went out and took his 'lap of honor' where he met and shook hands with many of the fans. This marked the last time Lara would play actively in the game.

34 test centuries to his name, 11953 Runs, averages 53 per innings, an average that shoots upto 61 in wins and 71 in drawn matches.. An ODI career with 10405 runs, 19 centuries isn't that far behind.. Averages speak volumes, 62 in matches won to 25 in matches lost.. Remarkably, he is the only batsman to have ever scored a hundred, a double century, a triple century, a quadruple century and a quintuple century in first class games over the course of his career. Lara also holds the test record of scoring most number of runs in a single over, when he scored 28 runs off an over by Robin Peterson of South Africa in 2003. Even his stance was thrilling - a look down at the pitch, the bat raised high in the air, the weight poised on a bent front knee, the eyes low and level, a quick shuffle across the wickets and BANG he would send the ball flashing to the boundary.. Arguably, the greatest test cricketer ever to have played second only to the DON(12) in terms of double centuries ( lara 9) and equal to him in triple centuries(2).

Brian Charles Lara is truly a cricket legend, hero of the West Indian cricket.. The Prince had not disappointed us in his entire career.. The BEST !!!!!!!!

A tribute to Dada Part4: Mother of all comebacks and a humble retirement.

view part1 part2 and part3 at these links...

Many things go wrong in life but not so much and so horrible as it happens with Ganguly.. His dispute with the then coach Greg Chappell resulted in many headlines during 2005 and early 2006. Greg Chappell sent an email to the BCCI stating that Ganguly was unfit to lead India and that his "divide and rule" behavior was damaging the team. This email was leaked to the media and resulted in huge backlash from Ganguly's fans. Eventually due to his poor form and differences with the coach he was stripped of his captaincy and dropped from the team.

Sourav was not dropped based on his performance. He was dropped, for reasons other than cricket. Whatever it is, if you look at his statistics as a player, do you think he should be dropped ? Isn't there any respect for a senior player ? He has done so much for the team, which has made the whole of India swell with pride. But, the people in selection committee, do whatever they feel. You could easily name a lot of players with poor performances at that time (2005-06). And it was Ganguly who was selected to be dropped, the selection committee made a mockery of themselves and ridiculed Dada.


He was dropped from the ODI side on account of fitness and age and that he did not fit into any role in the side., an angry Bengali public greeted the team bus, chanting and waving banners with anti-Chappell and pro-Ganguly sentiment. Cameras captured greg's middle finger being displayed to the protesters. During the match, the Indian team were booed and the South African batsmen were cheered as they accumulated the runs necessary for a ten-wicket victory. He was then picked for the test squad as an batting ALL-ROUNDER only to be dropped after a single match giving way to kaif.. Dada was overlooked for the subsequent series against England and west indies, juggled in and out of the team on many cases.. Ganguly was humiliated. Comments and suggestions started pouring in asking him to retire and that there was no more chance for him to stage a comeback, he was on the wrong side of the thirties already and he needn't prove his mettle and talent to anyone anymore, he has lost the appetite to score runs, he is fragile, he breaks up the team..

Well, why was he dropped ? Lets analyze..

• Divide and Rule- Ganguly disintegrates the team, applies divide and rule policy.. Yes, it was dada who did it.. brought in viru, yuvi, pathan and kaif- without the backing that dada gave them in their initial days of failure they wouldn't have been in the team.. viru would have still lost all his hairs just playing for Delhi, yuvi would be confined to Mohali and pathan a lost entity.. Is this act disintegrating the team? well, greg says so.. lets accept..
• Job utterly important to his life and finances- Ganguly clings onto the team because that is important to his life and finances. He was born into a family with immense wealth. His father is one of the 5 richest in Kolkata, whose printing business is the 3rd largest in Asia, a family whose annual turnover is nearly 80 crores (says a website).. Yet Guru Greg, with his laptop has found out that it is necessary for "his life and finances". and greg being an honorable man in cricketing fraternity we all will believe it in one go....(no reasoning permitted)
  
• Poor Batting Form- very low average in test cricket. Agreed.. poor form.. the replacement wasn't great., Ganguly dropped for an additional bowler and is then brought back on a green pitch (where additional quickie is not required- pundits said so), asked to open the innings. Performance of many players inclusive of Sachin wasn't that great and to be dropped for Robin Uthappa makes no sense.. Youngsters is the way forward, Kudos to chappel... Hail Guru Greg !!
  

• Poor fitness - Ganguly least interested in fitness drills and exercises.. Very true that the likes of VVS, Rahul, Jaffer, Kumble and others were superb outstanding fielders second only to Jonty Rhodes who could dive and stop a ball from going to the boundary. How I wish there was a video showcasing these people's fielding!! Not that Dada's was any good, but applying the same parameters should have seen the exit more players and not just Ganguly.. Yet, Greg spots only Dada.. And he is to be believed...

But then, we're talking about Ganguly, a warrior who has done it so many times in the past by proving everyone wrong, walking out of the international arena and having a hit almost everyday, away from the public eye, away from the grasp of media. Practice sessions had more intensity and all of it conveyed one thing, his purpose to prove the selectors wrong one more time, and probably one last time.
Lot of people said I should retire but I still feel I have it in me to play those innings again, and perhaps even better ones. Why else would I be fighting to get back into the Indian team?
– On his chances of making a comeback - Nov 2006

And then came an ad of an aerated drink with the lines, "Aap apne Dada ko bhule toh nahin", meaning I hope you people have not forgotten your Dada.



Emotions run high, sympathy pours in and when you see a warrior look this helpless, a man who was known for staging a battle, the Maharaj, was all by himself... Determination to comeback, willingness to prove selectors wrong, an opportunity to show the world that he has cricket left in him, a wish to contribute to the Indian National Cricket team, the thirst for runs, the pride to wear the Indian Blue once again, and moreover, the joy of playing the sport that runs in your blood, the sport that made you a star, the sport that brought fame, the times that the nation cherished under him-

Dada wants to comeback...

Dada promises a comeback...

Dada works hard to come back... And

Dada comes back.........




Air-tickets for South Africa........................................
The "great Guru" Greg picks youngsters in Wasim jaffer, Anil Kumble, ODI specialist in Dinesh Mongia, and a brilliant bowler + an excellent fielder in Munaf Patel.. psst:greg is building a young team for the world cup.. (haa don't question his credibility man, you are weak in math if you say Anil is 36 yrs old he is a energetic youngster fit for ODIs)... India humiliated in the ODIs with the best margin of losing being 80runs...
Ganguly is picked for the Tests.
I was training at the Eden Gardens when a local reporter informed me that I was selected. I am happier than the day I made my debut.
- On his recall for the SA tour

Jet-lagged he was and his legs ached. A shower at the team-hotel and he was quickly transported to the cricket ground.
“Welcome back,” a voice boomed and soon a tall man stretched out his hand. Greg Chappell welcomed Ganguly during the Indian team practice session. The Dada had reached his destination.
one of the most significant handshakes
The signs were clear — the Dada was committed on his comeback.
India are 1 for 2, 37 for 3, 59 for 4 against Rest of South Africa. Ganguly comes in and scores 83 , India win, and take momentum into the Test series.Scores a half-century with the tail in the Jo'burg test as India reach a crucial 249 and bowl South Africa out for 84. They go on to win by 123 runs, but lose in the final Test to squander an opportunity for a rare series win. Ganguly is the leading run-getter for India. A great comeback in ODIs too-98 against WI in Nagpur.. And then, there was nothing stopping this Prince, no looking back as he went on with one good knock after the other, taking his side from positions of discomfort to safety and then to winning positions. A much awaited test 100 in Chittagong.. A lot was made of the Chappell-Ganguly showdown and the confrontation was unfortunate. But it did make Ganguly introspect and return a better batsman and a cricketer. In Ganguly’s comeback, Chappell deserves some credit. The then 35-year-old Ganguly was in the form of his life; he could meddle the ball in sleep. He made runs on pitches with pace and lift in South Africa, conjured a couple of gems when the ball swung around in England and and then the home series against Pakistan was the all-time best for him. His performance in front of the home crowd was never one to be proud of and he came back to smash a wonderful ton against the arch-rivals at the Indian Mecca of Cricket (more importantly, the Royal Bengal Tiger's own den). Double ton was another feat he would have wanted to achieve and he didn't have to wait too long, Bangalore, where the next test was played saw that coming from the bat of Sourav. All in all, it was an unforgettable series for Dada and all his fans, in which he scored the second most number of runs in a 3 match Test series by an Indian batsman. With 534 runs in three Tests at an average of 89, and is the Man of the Series. Ganguly's honeymoon period seemed never ending and his success story went on in the home series against the Proteas too where he scripted a brave 87 on a minefield of a Kanpur pitch to help India draw level in the 3 Test series. It had been a phenomenal year for Sourav where he went on to achieve personal milestones every now and then, his contributions at the same time didn't go in vain as India went on to win quite a lot of matches. It was a glorious 2007 where he ended up as the second highest run-getter in Tests that season, fifth in the ODIs list. He was also named the Asian Cricketer of the Year for the brilliant season. The Aussie tour, ordinary performance.. Viral fever... Dropped from ODI side... You heard it right, rather read it right... The dreaded word "dropped".. Why ?
Dunno... Poor show by the entire team against mendis and murali in the emerald isles, with Sachin and Dravid averaging very less but hey, only Sourav performed badly... The selectors are up with it again- AXE... Sourav dropped.... Not even picked for the Irani Trophy(considered to be a dress rehearsal before the all important Aussie Test series)...

And perhaps this was the time when the former skipper felt that this was it and decided to call it a day.
makes the announcement. "Just one last thing lads, before I leave," he says. "I just want to say that this is going to be my last series. I've decided to quit.(lumps in his throat, emotional) I told my team-mates before coming here. These four Test matches are going to be my last and hopefully we'll go on a winning note."

It's not only the end of Ganguly's career, it's the end of an era.
A fine batsman, by far the best left-hander the nation had seen, a spirited fighter, who fought for himself and his team-mates.
He is etched in the history of Indian cricket not just for what he has achieved on field but for providing the world with a lesson in the fine art of comebacks. It’s a lesson that those sidelined would do well to adapt to their circumstances. He might have been dealt a few knocks in his career but his spirit was never broken. Rather, it egged him onto greater heights. He deserves the credit and the support. This career has been a treat to watch, one to treasure. Thank you Sourav for making cricket watching all the more pleasing during all these years. Thank you Sourav for making the Indian Cricket team what it is today.

I would like to be remembered as someone who has taken Indian cricket forward…someone who tried his best every time he went out to play for the country.I let the boys free. I wanted to lead a bunch of fighters. I was very close to a lot of them and they enjoyed my trust. They knew that I was a man who would not hurt anyone from behind. I did lose my temper when I did not see the boys putting in their effort. I do not mind non performance with effort.... But all my complaints and anger would finish on the field. Off it, my reactions were different. I am very hard on people on the field. But once we are off it, I forget the whole issue and don’t bring it up.
--Dada