Ban vs Eng: England three down, Bangladesh on top

Mohammad Mahmudullah gave Bangladesh their third breakthrough when he had Ian Bell caught by Naeem Islam at mid-wicket in their World Cup clash at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong on Friday.

Scorecard

England got off to a poor start as they lost Matt Prior and captain Andrew Strauss early.

England lost their makeshift opener Matt Prior in the eighth over as he was stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim off Abdur Razzak.

Naeem Islam then struck to have Strauss caught by Junaid Siddique in the slips to place England at 39/2 in 10.3 overs.

Earlier, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and chose to bowl.

For England, Paul Collingwood, Ajmal Shahzad and Eoin Morgan come in place of Michael Yardy, Stuart Broad and Kevin Pietersen.

For Bangladesh, Mohammad Mahmudullah replaces Mohammad Ashraful.

It is a typical sub-continent wicket, good for batting but will get slower as the game progresses. Dew might play a factor later on in the evening.

The sun is beating down at Chittagong with the temperature hovering around 30 degrees Celsius and humidity is in the mid-40s.

England were floored by the departure of star batsman Kevin Pietersen and fast bowler Stuart Broad on successive days due to injuries as they prepared for the Bangladesh game.

Pietersen flew home on Monday for hernia surgery, while Broad was ruled out for the rest of the tournament on Tuesday due to a side strain suffered during the six-run win over South Africa.

A win on Friday should be enough for England to advance to the knock-out rounds as they have five points from four Group B matches.

Bangladesh, facing an early exit from the tournament after just one win in three games, will look to resurrect their campaign.

Bangladesh must not only beat England, but also defeat the Netherlands and South Africa to cement a place in the quarterfinals.

Two more wins could also see them through, provided other results go in their favour.

Andrew Strauss' men will be buoyed by their impressive run against Bangladesh, having lost just one of their 14 one-day internationals so far.

Significantly, England have also won all their six contests on Bangladeshi soil, the last three in March, 2010.

Bangladesh have been let down by their inconsistent batsmen, who began the tournament well by making 283/9 while chasing India's mammoth 370/4.

The Tigers were shot out for 205 by Ireland, fought back to restrict the non-Test nation for 178, before hitting a new low against the West Indies.

Opener Tamim Iqbal and skipper Shakib Al Hasan are the only batsmen to score half-centuries in the tournament, both against India. The next best is Raqibul Hasan's 38 against Ireland.

Spin spearhead Abdur Razzak has managed just one wicket in three games at a cost of 112 runs. Shakib has three wickets with his left-arm spin and off-break bowler Naeem Islam two.

Cricket's hands-on man

Never one to shy away when trouble looms, Srinath, a JP Nagar resident, faced the recent ticket controversy with panache

Javagal Srinath has always remained true to his inner self. He loved to bowl fast and did not hesitate to speak his mind. The former Indian spearhead, who adroitly led the Indian pace attack in the post-Kapil Dev phase and also proved to be an able mentor to Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra has now made a smooth transition to administration without any sweat.

Besides being on the International Cricket Council's panel of match referees, Srinath is also the secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), a post that virtually turned into a hot seat following the unruly scenes outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of the match between India and England on February 27.

Never the one to shy away when trouble looms, Srinath recently said: “As a youngster in 1987, I stood in queue outside the ticket counter for five hours, yet failed to get a ticket. The system has not changed. I apologise to the fans who were injured recently, but we tried our best to give as much as we could to the public.” Srinath, then, with all humility added: “If any of you have any suggestions on how to improve the ticketing system, please let me know. I want the common man to gain access, but the demand far outstrips supply.”

Though Srinath and KSCA president Anil Kumble have had to counter innumerable barbs in the past fortnight, it is a fact that the two former cricketers have been hands on at the KSCA. “There is no tokenism involved here and we are not merely lending our names,” Srinath had said prior to the KSCA elections, and in a sense he has lived up to his word. “Improving the cricketing structure in the State remains our primary goal.”

The flurry of World Cup matches and the resultant scrutiny may have extracted a toll on his time and energy, but Srinath is keen to help Karnataka grow as a cricketing power.

Sadly, the Indian World Cup team has no player from the State and he is aware of this. But right now, he has to satiate the appetite for match tickets, and as he said, “It is not easy to satisfy everyone.”

Ind vs Ned: Piyush Chawla gives India first breakthrough

Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla dismissed Eric Szwarczynski (28) to give India their first breakthrough against the Netherlands in their World Cup clash at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Szwarczynski hit four boundaries in his patient 42 balls inning and put on 56-run opening stand with Wesley Barresi for the Netherlands. He was foxed by Chawla's wrong one and was clean bowled in the 16th over.

Even though the runs were hard to come by for the Dutch, both Szwarczynski and Barresi negotiated the hosts' bowlers well as the Indian captain MS Dhoni tried as many as four bowlers in the first ten overs without success.

Earlier, Netherlands captain Peter Borren won the toss and chose to bat.

India have rested Munaf Patel and brought in Ashish Nehra.

Indian captain MS Dhoni said they would have batted first as the track is expected to go slow. But quickly added it is nice to get exposure for chasing runs. Regarding team change, he informed Nehra is back in the side in place of Munaf. Further he said that they would look to improve on their fielding and also added that they have to bowl well initially and in the Powerplay overs.

Dutch skipper Borren said that chasing has not been good for them and they will try to do the same thing that they did against England. Added they need to be disciplined in their bowling against the powerful Indian batting.

This match affords India just about the last chance to hammer out strategies and gameplans before big battles become the order of the day. After this tie, India play South Africa and West Indies, two formidable opponents, in their final group matches before the knock-outs begin.

India, who have eyes firmly fixed on the quarterfinal spot, would like to finish on top of the group to facilitate an 'easy' outing in the last eight. A victory over the Dutch, the underdogs, will serve that purpose nicely.

India are the only team who have yet to taste defeat in their group and that record is unlikely to be broken against the under-performing Dutch who have still to register a win.

A strong performance against the Dutch will not only give India a strong net run rate but also pave their way to the knockout round.

The only weak link for the Indians has been their bowling which has been exposed time and again.

India's frontline bowlers failed to find much success against a spirited Ireland and had it not been for a five-wicket haul by part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh, they could have been in trouble.

The home side are unlikely to be tested against the Netherlands, who ran England close in their opener, thanks to a sparkling 119 from Ryan ten Doeschate, but have since struggled.

The Dutch scored an impressive 292 against England but slumped to a huge 215-run defeat to the West Indies and lost by 231 runs against South Africa.

Teams:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt.), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

Netherlands: Peter Borren (Capt.), Eric Szwarczynski, Wesley Barresi, Tom Cooper, Ryan ten Doeschate, Alexei Kervezee, Bas Zuiderent, Tom de Grooth, Bradley Kruger, Mudassar Bukhari, Pieter Seelaar.

Cricket World Cup 2011: India v Ireland report

India (210-5 in 46 overs) beat Ireland (207 in 47.5 overs) by five wickets in World Cup Group B match in Bangalore.

The jolly green giant-killers of Ireland went searching for a second major scalp on Sunday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium – the venue of their astonishing three-wicket win over England last Wednesday.

Sadly for the romantics, India were ungenerous hosts. They wobbled a couple of times, but still turned in a far more professional performance than Andrew Strauss and company managed on this ground. Complacency, after what happened last week, was not an option.

Even so, Irish optimists will note that Sunday’s match was far from being a landslide, and that their team continues to resemble a full nation more than an associate one.

With the West Indies and Holland yet to come, Ireland still have it in them to snatch the two further wins they need to qualify for the quarter-finals.

In a reversal of the pattern against England, Ireland were well-placed at the halfway point of each innings, only to fade away in the later stages.

Their captain, William Porterfield, gave them a positive start with his punchy 75, scoring heavily from Yusuf Pathan’s part-time off spin. The six he swept off Piyush Chawla was the 100th of the tournament to date.

Porterfield’s partnership with Niall O’Brien carried the score 122 for three in the 27th over, before they were separated by a wasteful run out.

The erosion continued when Andrew White edged a catch behind, and then Kevin O’Brien, Wednesday’s hero, strode to the crease.

With India fielding only four specialist bowlers, the stage was set for another almighty assault. But after one lusty thump through the offside, O’Brien mistimed a drive at a ball from Yuvraj Singh, and offered an easy catch back to the bowler.

The cricket gods rarely allow one man to dominate two matches in succession.

Yuvraj turned out to be India’s matchwinner with both bat and ball. His innocuous-looking left-arm spinners found some turn in a dusty surface – enough turn, in fact, to bring him figures of five for 31, the best in any one-day international on this ground.

When India batted, Trent Johnston, the evergreen 36-year-old, kept things interesting by ripping out Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the space of six overs.

The home side were then 24 for two and found it difficult to gain momentum under the close examination of Ireland’s spin attack.

Sachin Tendulkar soon found himself undone by 18-year-old slow left-armer George Dockrell, aiming a huge hoick across the line.

Even Dockrell, normally a model of restraint, couldn’t resist a fist pump as he claimed the most famous victim of what promises to be a stellar career.

Then Yuvraj committed his one howler of the match, selling Virat Kohli short on a possible single to third man. That made it 100 for four, and brought a touch of suspense to what had been a pretty straightforward equation.

Now Yuvraj needed to make his error good. He did so with an innings of total poise. Mahendra Singh Dhoni offered steady support as these two noted hitters tapped the singles and ran the twos.

If any further evidence were needed of Ireland’s resourcefulness and razor-sharp outcricket, it was written here, in the respectful manner of this partnership.

Dockrell did eventually snare Dhoni with another stone-dead lbw, leaving himself with a second celebrated name in his scrapbook.

But the new batsman, Pathan, had an entirely different approach to the run-chase, crashing 16 runs from the remainder of that same over.

By finishing on an unbeaten 50, Yuvraj became only the 13th man – and the first in a World Cup – to combine a half-century and a five-wicket haul in the same match.

He has the capacity to be a dangerous force in this tournament. But then so do Ireland, notwithstanding the disappointment of this result.

Cricket-Sri Lanka elect to bat v Australia

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and opted to bat first against Australia in their World Cup Group A match at on Saturday.

Holders Australia, who have not lost a World Cup match since 1999, are seeking their third straight win in the tournament but the co-hosts Sri Lanka are aiming for their third victory in four matches.

Sri Lanka opted to play all three front-line spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath. They made one change from the team that beat Kenya by nine wickets on Tuesday as Mendis replaced fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara.

Australia named an unchanged side from that which beat New Zealand by seven wickets in their last match played eight days ago.

Teams:

Sri Lanka - Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.

Australia - Ricky Ponting (captain), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, David Hussey, Cameron White, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, Jason Krejza.

Cricket World Cup: New Zealand thrash sorry Zimbabw

New Zealand recorded their second 10-wicket triumph of the World Cup with an emphatic victory over Zimbabwe.

Opener Brendan Taylor top-scored with 44 for Zimbabwe but when he was out, they were in trouble at 86-6.

Prosper Utseya (36) and Graeme Cremer (22) added useful runs but Tim Southee, who finished with 3-29, bowled Utseya to close the innings on 162.

Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum both hit half centuries as New Zealand cantered home with 99 balls to spare.

The Africans chose to bat first in the Group A match at the Sardar Patel Stadium and were quickly in trouble when Hamish Bennett ran out Charles Coventry for a duck with a direct hit in the second over.

Tatenda Taibu (eight) was dropped at cover by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori but he fell next delivery, trapped leg before by Southee.

Vettori made amends by removing Elton Chigumbura (one) and Regis Chakabva (nought) in his first over as Zimbabwe slumped to 46-5.

Taylor added 40 for the sixth wicket with Greg Lamb before he was adjudged lbw to Scott Styris six short of his half century.

And Greg Lamb followed soon after, run out by Guptill for 18 to leave the score 89-7.

Utseya and Cremer's resistance took Zimbabwe past 100 but Kyle Mills ended their 33-run partnership with his second wicket of the match before Southee cleaned up Ray Price (11) and Utseya.

Guptill began New Zealand's reply in explosive fashion, hitting two boundaries and a six in the first over.

The duo's partnership was New Zealand's highest opening stand in World Cup matches and the highest of any team in this tournament, with Guptill contributing 86 runs and McCullum 76.

They shared four sixes and hit 13 boundaries between them as they swatted Zimbabwe's bowlers to all corners of the pitch.

England elect to bat against Ireland in World Cup

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat in their World Cup Group B match against Ireland at M Chinnaswamy stadium here today.

England have replaced Ajmal Shahzad with Stuart Broad, who had to sit out of the pulsating encounter against India due to an upset stomach.

Ireland made two changes in the team. Andre Botha, who bowled well against Bangladesh, was dropped at the last moment as he injured his groin during the pre-match practice. Gary Wilson has replaced him in the side, while Alex Cusack replaced Andrew White.

Teams:

England: Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior, Michael Yardy, Tim Bresnan, Greame Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Ireland: William Porterfield, Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien, Alex Cusack, Kevin O'Brien, Gary Wilson, John Mooney, Trent Johnston, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin.

Tuesday's Cricket World Cup gossip

England's Ian Bell has hailed the influence of batting coach Graham Gooch, saying he'd wished he'd worked with the former Test opener earlier in his career. "He is just an incredible guy who adds a lot of experience and knowledge into our group and the way he played in World Cups in the past in the sub-continent, the experience he passes on to us is really important," said Bell.

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan - Test cricket's record wicket taker - has pulled out of plans to mentor young spin bowlers in Australia. The 38-year-old had been due to coach at the Brisbane-based Australia Centre of Excellence in June but has now decided to play Twenty20 cricket in India and England.

Ireland's World Cup cricketers have agreed to undergo a charity makeover ahead of tomorrow's group B match with England. Members of the Irish squad will take part in 'Shave or Dye 2011', a campaign in aid of Irish Cancer Society which is bidding to raise one million euros through a number of similar events in the coming weeks. Players can choose to either shave their head or dye their hair green.

The Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) may have its critics but Bangladesh players say it helps in winning mind games even if the appeal is rejected. "You can always make the batsman nervous," said seam bowler Shafiul Islam.

Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar says the "hurt" suffered by his side during the last year due to the spot-fixing controversy can spur them on in the World Cup. "We are a hurt side," said Shoaib. "Now, we are here to hurt others."

West Indies bowler Kemar Roach - who took a hat-trick in the 215-run win over the Netherlands on Monday - says his side have nothing to fear when they face Bangladesh on Friday, despite the Tigers being above them in the current one-day rankings. "We'll go there on a high," said Roach. "Bangladesh are an improving team but we are better than them."

England, India tie in World Cup cricket classic

England stole the show, despite Sachin Tendulkar’s century in his home country, and Sunday’s high-profile World Cup cricket clash ended in a thrilling tie.

The sides served up one of the best World Cup matches ever as Andrew Strauss bettered Tendulkar’s sparkling innings and England matched India’s daunting 338 with a single by Graeme Swann off the final ball.

The pulsating finish was the fourth tie in World Cup history and brought the event roaring to life in front of 50,000 disbelieving fans at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The crowd could hardly have asked for a better batting effort than Tendulkar’s sublime 120, but Strauss replied in stunning fashion with an ODI career-best 158. The England captain’s 145-ball effort inspired his team to 338-8 off 50 overs and, incredibly, a share of the spoils.

“In some ways we’re happy; in some ways we’re distraught,” Strauss said, “but a great game of cricket.”

Although it will probably do little to affect either country’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals, it will provide a timely warning to India of its bowling frailties. Here, England proved that the co-host may need more than the world’s most powerful batting lineup if it is to end a nearly 30-year wait for a World Cup triumph.

Among a host of records, Tendulkar became the first man to score five centuries at the World Cup, Strauss hit the highest World Cup score by an Englishman and the game provided the highest run aggregate — 676 — in a World Cup match, bettering the 671 runs Australia and South Africa produced in 2007.

Above all, it was World Cup cricket at its dramatic best as Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh (58) and Gautam Gambhir (51) put India well ahead before Strauss and Ian Bell (69) hit back with a 170-run stand.

The game see-sawed again when fast bowler Zaheer Khan removed both batsmen, in successive balls, before a flurry of sixes from tailenders Swann, Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad set up the chance for England to scramble a tie off the very last ball. Swann poked it to the offside and raced down to the other end.

Unaware of what the game had in store, the crowd had earlier celebrated another record in a seemingly eternal list of milestones for the 37-year-old Tendulkar, whose hundred moved him ahead of Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh and Sourav Ganguly in the list of World Cup century-makers.

Tendulkar reached three figures with an effortless flick to fine leg for four off Bresnan (5-48), then raised his bat to acknowledge 100 for the 47th time in one-day internationals — also a record.

The only achievement missing for India’s batting master, now in his sixth World Cup, is a World Cup title.

ICC raps BCCI on WC ticket sale

After facing flak from the ICC over the delay in the completion of some of the World Cup venues, the Indian cricket board is now facing heat over ticket sales.

The ICC has sent an angry letter to the BCCI over the issue after thousands of cricket fans were left in the lurch when the World Cup's official ticketing website crashing because of overload.

The official site had started selling tickets for the finals and semi-finals on Monday, but within a matter of ten minutes, the website crashed as it received hits of close to ten million. The fans are upset that there are few tickets available to the general public at a venue with a very small capacity.

In his letter David Becker, legal head of the ICC, says, "The chief executive (Haroon Lorgat) has asked me to express ICC's serious concern regarding the sale and distribution of tickets. The success of the cricket World Cup depends, to a large extent, on the orderly and efficient production and distribution of tickets. The ICC is being seriously challenged and is therefore bitterly disappointed at the state of affairs, which threatens to undermine everything."

Cricket World Cup: Ricky Ponting faces ICC charge

Australia captain Ricky Ponting will be charged for allegedly damaging a television set in the dressing room after being dismissed against Zimbabwe.

Ponting, 36, was run out for 28 runs as Australia began the World Cup with a 91-run win over Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) acted after receiving a report from the Indian Cricket Board.

An ICC spokesman confirmed: "Ricky Ponting is being charged... there will be a charge."

The report relating to the alleged incident was sent to the Indian Cricket Board by the Gujarat Cricket Association, which oversees the sport in Ahmedabad.

"Ponting did throw his gloves at the television. You can't see any damage from outside but when you switch it on, there is no picture on three-fourths of the screen," said Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Rajesh Patel.

"We had to replace the television set."

The ICC spokesman said the governing body would wait until the Australian team arrived in Nagpur on Wednesday for Friday's match against New Zealand before informing Ponting.

"We need to talk to him... because we don't know what he's going to say to it," added the spokesman.

Sangakkara, Malinga Star In World Cup Warm-Up Win

Kumar Sangakkara with the bat and Lasith Malinga with the ball played key roles in Sri Lanka's four-wicket victory over the West Indies in an ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 warm-up match in Colombo.

Batting first, the West Indies reached 281 for nine with both Malinga and Rangana Herath taking three wickets and Sri Lanka - tournament co-hosts along with Bangladesh and India - then reached 282 for six in 47.3 overs to complete victory.

Left-hander Sangakkara stroked 71 in 89 balls, hitting three fours and a six, joining forces with Tillakratne Dilshan, who hammered 62 in 50 balls, being particularly brutal on Darren Sammy when he opened the bowling.

Dilshan had added 67 with Upul Tharanga (18) for the first wicket and Sri Lanka's charge was continued by Thilan Samaraweera, who made 55 in 56 balls.

Despite left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn picking up three for 40, Sri Lanka got home with 15 balls to spare, Chamara Kapugedera sealing the win by hitting a quickfire unbeaten 18 in 14 balls.

Earlier, Chris Gayle (58 in 38 balls) and Darren Bravo (54 in 78 balls) hit entertaining half-centuries to set up West Indies' innings - Gayle hitting eight fours and a six.

After Ramnaresh Sarwan made 39, their innings faded somewhat as fast bowler Malinga and left-arm spinner Herath pegged them back while Ajantha Mendis also took two wickets.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (16), Dwayne Bravo (20), Sammy (19) and Carlton Baugh (29) all made starts but were unable to go on and set the Sri Lankans a stiffer target.

Sri Lanka are now 4/1 second favourites to win the World Cup with bet365, while the West Indies are available at 20/1.

India's Tendulkar in injury scare

Batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar handed India a World Cup injury scare when he underwent scans of his left knee, barely two days after the start of the tournament.

Tendulkar, 37, had only recently recovered from a hamstring strain which forced him to miss three games of the recent five-match one-day series against South Africa.

He made 28 in India's opening World Cup match against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday which the visitors went on to win by 87 runs.

"The MRI scan is clear. There is no problem," the Press Trust of India quoted sources at the hospital as saying.

The scan was done as a precautionary measure after the batsman complained of discomfort in the knee.

Tendulkar is slated to fly to Bangalore Monday evening to join the rest of the squad ahead of their Group B clash against England on February 27.

The opening batsman is the leading run-getter in both Test (14,692) and one-dayers (17,657).

ICC World Cup 2011 highlights: Sri Lanka vs Canada

Following are the statistical highlights of the World Cup match against Sri Lanka and Canada in Hambantota on Sunday.

# Sri Lanka's 210-run triumph is their second biggest by runs margin in the history of the World Cup. Overall, the said win is the seventh largest in terms of runs in the World Cup.

# Sri Lanka (332/7) have posted their second highest total in ODIs in Sri Lanka - their highest being 398 for five against Kenya at Kandy on March 6, 1996. These are Sri Lanka's top two totals in the World Cup as well.

# Tillakaratne Dilshan has completed his 5,000 runs in ODIs - 5006 (ave.35.25) in 195 matches. His run-aggregate includes 8 centuries and 21 fifties.

# Dilshan is the eighth Sri Lankan to aggregate 5,000 runs or more in ODIs, joining Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Vilva, Mahela Jayawardene, Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakara, Arjuna Ranatunga and Roshan Mahanama.

# Dilshan (50 off 59 balls) has recorded his second fifty in the World Cup. His highest is 58 against South Africa at Providence on March 28, 2007.

# Dilshan has become the only player since January 2009 to aggregate 2000 runs apart from maintaining a batting average of 50 in ODIs - 2012 in 43 innings at an average of 51.58, including seven centuries and seven fifties.

# Dilshan's seven centuries during the above period is the highest. Four other batsmen have recorded five or more hundreds - South Africa's Hashim Amla and Abraham de Villiers - six hundreds each and India's Virender Sehwag and Hashim Amla - five centuries each.

# Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga were involved in stand of 63 - Sri Lanka's highest for the first wicket against Canada, eclipsing the 23 between Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya at Paarl on February 19, 2003

# Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have recorded the first century stand for any wicket for Sri Lanka
against Canada.

# Tharanga's record in the World Cup is not at all impressive, aggregating 317 in twelve games at an average of 26.41, including three fifties. He has recorded one fifty each against New Zealand, India and England.

# Mahela Jayawardene (100 off 81 balls) has registered his second century in the World Cup - his 13th in ODIs. He had first recorded a world cup hundred against New Zealand - 115 not out off 109 balls at Kingston on April 24, 2007.

# Jayawardene took 80 balls to reach his hundred - the fastest by a Sri Lankan in the World Cup, obliterating Sanath Jayasuriya's 85-ball hundred (109 off 87 balls)
against Bangladesh at Port of Spain on March 21, 2007

# Jayawardene's 80-ball hundred is the fourth fastest in the history of the World Cup, next only to Matthew Hayden (66 balls for Australia against South Africa at Basseterre on March 24, 2007), John Davison (67 balls for Canada against West Indies at Centurion on February 23, 2003 and Adam Gilchrist (72 for Australia against Sri Lanka at Bridgetown on April 28, 2007). Kapil's 72-ball hundred against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells in 1983 is wrongly mentioned in most of the publications and websites.

# Jayawardene has become the second player to post a world cup hundred in Sri Lanka. Aravinda de Silva was the first to do so - 145 off 115 balls against Kenya at Kandy on March 6, 1996.

# Jayawardene has completed his 3,000 runs in Sri Lanka during his century knock - 3014 (ave.36.75) in 108 matches, including four centuries and 20 fifties. He is the second batsman to do so in Sri Lanka in ODIs, next only to Sanath Jayasuriya - 3880 (ave.33.73) in 128 matches.

# Kumar Sangakkara's 92 off 87 balls is the highest by a captain in a world cup game in Sri Lanka, eclipsing the 75 not out by Arjuna Ranatunga against Kenya at Kandy on March 6, 1996.

# Sangakkara's above knock is his highest as captain in ODIs, eclipsing the 90 against India at Rajkot on December 15, 2009,

# Sangakkara's 60th fifty in ODIs is his 12th as captain in 36 innings.

# Sangakkara's 92 is also his highest in the World Cup, bettering the 76 off 83 balls against Bermuda at Port of Spain on March 15, 2007.

# Sangakkara has been dismissed in the nervous nineties twice - both times as captain.

# Sangakkara and Jayawardene put on 179 for the third wicket, Sri Lanka's third best in the World Cup. The top two stands have also been recorded for the third wicket for Sri Lanka - 183 between Aravinda de Silva and Asanka Gurusinha against Kenya at Kandy on March 6, 1996 and 183 between Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene against West Indies at Providence on April 1,2007.

# The 179-run stand is the highest by any pair against Canada in a world cup game, obliterating the 142 for the first wicket between Stephen Fleming and Lou Vincent for New Zealand at Gros Islet on March 22, 2007.

# The above partnership is the highest by any pair for the third wicket in ODIs against Canada.

# Jayawardene has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the16th time - his first against Canada.

# Jayawardene has received three MOM awards in the World Cup - one each against New Zealand, Bermuda and Canada.

# Sangakkara, for the third time, has effected four dismissals in a World Cup innings.

# Thisara Perera (3/24) has recorded his third best bowling performance in ODIs - his best in the World Cup.

# Canada (122) have recorded their highest total against Sri Lanka in ODIs, surpassing the 36 at Paarl on February 19, 2003.

# Rizwan Cheema's 37 off 35 balls is the highest individual score for Canada against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

# Nuwan Kulasekara (3/16) has recorded his best bowling performance in the World Cup. In the 2007 World Cup, he had failed to take a single wicket against Australia and Ireland.

# Sangakkara has completed his 350 dismissals - 279 catches and 71 stumpings. His tally includes 260 catches as a wicketkeeper and 19 as a fielder.

# Muttiah Muralitharan (19.67 in 32 matches) has emulated Wasim Akram's world cup tally of 55 at 23.83 runs apiece in 38 matches. Only Glenn McGrath (71 at 18.19 in 39 matches) has claimed more wickets than Akram and Muralitharan in the World Cup.

World Cup: City off to crackling start

The World Cup 2011 fever has gripped the city, with residents thronging markets to buy anything and everything associated with cricket.

Various stores, like Lifestyle and Nike, among others, are offering related merchandise, including jerseys and caps, to cater to the rising demand. Randhir, store manager of Nike at MBD Mall, said, ''Nike being the sponsor of official jerseys of Indian cricket team, people are eager to buy these as well as caps.

The response of Ludhianvis is overwhelming. Usually multi-brand stores have the franchise to sell the merchandise, but in the city, there is no such outlet.''

Jatin, sales executive, Nike, Westend Mall, said, ''We have jerseys of Indian cricket team in two colours ' blue and grey. Grey jersey is worn during the practice time and when players are taking rest. Demand for jerseys is more than caps'.''

Rajan, customer representative officer, Puma, MBD Mall, said, ''Our showroom will have jerseys by February 22, though demand has already started pouring in.'' Gurinder Singh, a resident of Model Town, said, ''I usually go to resto-bars to enjoy the World Cup, wearing the Indian cricket team jersey.''

World Cup fever: No threat for entertainment channels

The World Cup begins on Saturday but entertainment channels are not fretting about losing too many viewers or advertising. They are safely banking on their dedicated female viewership that is hooked on to their daily dose of soaps and cricket lovers who would only be watching select matches this year.

Channels' spokespersons say that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which starts Saturday, won't affect their business much because cricket has become an all-year phenomenon, and Indians at large watch only selected matches involving the home team.

"Cricket is now a 365-day phenomenon and so there is no point in planning life around the cricket calendar. Also during the World Cup it's primarily the India matches that get the high ratings. Otherwise the loyal GEC (general entertainment channel) audiences pretty much stay with us - cricket or no cricket," Nikhil Madhok, senior director (Marketing and Communication) with Imagine TV, told IANS.

Madhok asserted that cricket affects ratings of GECs by "only 10-15 percent in prime time".

"Usually genres like news, movies, regional and cable are affected much more than GECs," he added.

A Zee TV spokesperson said: "Some India matches may affect ratings but good storylines and loyal viewership to fiction shows stand their own stead."

That holds true as many women find their daily dose of drama only through cranky soaps, comedy or reality shows.

"My husband and son are crazy about cricket, but there are very few times when they have their way with the remote. So I watch the TV shows I love uninterrupted," said Madhavi Mishra, a 45-year-old housewife.

It is thanks to such dedicated audiences that the viewership chart doesn't skew too much even during World Cup.

According to a presentation by TAM Media Research, during World Cup 2007, female viewership of GECs declined by just six percent.

The advertising expenditure on entertainment channels also remains unaffected to an extent, said Ajit Thakur, business head, Sony Entertainment Television.

"Advertisers invest on GECs for 12 months, so it's not in the best of their interest to withdraw their money temporarily for the sake of spending it on a niche genre like sports," said Thakur.

Industry estimates indicate that channels like STAR Plus, Colors, Zee TV and Sony charge anything around Rs.150,000 for a 10-second advertisement to be aired during prime time.

For sports channels, an ad has varied costs depending on the scale of the sports event. During the T20 cricket tournament, an ad could cost Rs.200,000-Rs.250,000 for 10 seconds.

During the upcoming World Cup, ad rates on sports channels are expected to be around Rs.225,000-Rs.250,000, which might escalate to Rs.350,000-Rs.400,000 towards the finals.

This time the World Cup is returning to India after 15 years. So, many cricket aficionados will be catching the action live.

But ESPN STAR Sports, the broadcaster for the World Cup, is confident of good viewership.

"There is nothing bigger in the world of cricket than the ICC Cricket World Cup and an event as big as this, especially when it is held in the subcontinent, evokes passion and excitement like none other," said Manu Sawhney, managing director, ESPN STAR Sports.

"We are committed to bringing alive this passion for the game to fans all across the globe in the most engaging manner. We are therefore launching many first of its kind initiatives during this edition, including a special Hindi feed for select matches, HD production and live match coverage through 3G mobile streaming," he added.

The ESPN STAR Sports' bouquet of networks, including ESPN, STAR Sports and STAR Cricket, will telecast 49 matches of the World Cup and in addition, 37 matches will be simultaneously telecast in Hindi on STAR Sports.

Entertainment channels like Colors, Star Plus, Imagine and Sony have also recently launched new reality as well as fiction shows to grab eyeballs.

Imagine TV, in fact, will launch its big ticket show "Shaadi 3 Crore Ki" during the World Cup, while Zee TV plans to offer high points in its shows.

"We will schedule high points and recaps of shows in such a manner that audiences don't miss out on their favourite shows. We believe fiction rules among television households in India. During weekends, good movie titles and events will be placed to counter it (the World Cup)," said a Zee TV spokesperson.

Bangladesh catch World Cup ticket cheats

Bangladesh's elite security force has jailed four people for two years each for printing fake tickets for the cricket World Cup, an official said on Tuesday.

The Rapid Action Battalion raided a printing press in Dhaka late Monday and caught the four printing fake tickets for Thursday's opening ceremony, RAB spokesman Commander Mohammad Sohail told AFP.

"All four were handed out two-year jail terms by a magistrate who accompanied us in the raid," he said. "The printing press and computers attached to it have been sealed and will be auctioned."

Sohail said the culprits had mastered the art of printing fake tickets for special events like concerts and football and cricket matches.

"They have a sophisticated machine and software," he said. "We have also seized a genuine ticket for the opening ceremony from which they copied the fakes."

The fake tickets were priced at 1,000 taka (14 dollars) each, according to Sohail.

Bangladesh has been gripped by cricket fever in the run-up to the World Cup which it co-hosts for the first time with India and Sri Lanka.

After Thursday's opening ceremony, Bangladesh will host eight matches including two quarter-finals.

Bangladesh is due to meet India in the tournament's opening match in Dhaka on Saturday.

Warm Up Match : India Vs Australia – The Spin Win

Team India won their first warm-up match against Australia by 38 runs. It was very tough situation for Indians when their on paper strong batting line-up was struggling in front of strong fast bowling attack by Australians.

India lost their first wicket when the score was 12 runs and everybody who was expecting Gautam Gambhir to perform well in WC disappoint due his early departure.

After winning the toss captain cool Dhoni choose to bat first which once again showed the much more reliance and faith on batting side which proved wrong atleast in the warm up game.

It was a bad condition when India scored 138 runs and lost their 8 wickets. Except from Sehwag and Pathan other batsman failed to play their natural game.

Pathan who played his game with patience and combination of techniques took India towards the total of 214 runs. But still it was low scoring match despite of favorable conditions.

But thanks to our bowlers who put their efforts and played the major role in the 38 runs victory over the Australians.

Initially pacers were struggling and opening pair from Australia took the advantage of the situation and capitalized on it. Due to this scenario Dhoni introduced spin bowling in the 9th over itself to reduce the damage. This decision turns the situation. Australians who were playing good cricket against fast bowlers failed to do same against spinners.

Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh played the crucial role. Chawla took 4 wickets and Harbhajan took 3 wickets. Other bowlers played good supportive role which gave chance to India to win the match.

Cricket's wicked turn

'For once it has shown b**ls,' a former player I met at a promotional event last week in Mumbai said of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to ban Pakistan's tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer. Allowing for the mild profanity, the statement expresses the anguish over the malaise of match-fixing.

Whether the ICC's current tough stance is a deterrent to cheats, however, is open to question. Its Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) has been largely perfunctory, if not ceremonial. Moreover, as a loose federal structure, the ICC is often at odds with some of the more powerful cricket boards, and fails to be truly effective in its governance, especially in matters of corruption.

Indeed, major detection of match-fixing in cricket has come either fortuitously — Hansie Cronje was trapped in 2000 when the Delhi police were tapping the phone of a bookie — or through media vigilantism, as in the sting operation carried out by News of The World in the case of Butt, Asif and Aamer last year.

Incidentally, the aforementioned promotional event was a corporate initiative, deploying six former World Cup winning captains — Clive Lloyd, Allan Border, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Arjuna Ranatunga and Steve Waugh — with 'Keep Cricket Clean' as its charter. This was laudable, but Imran Khan was candid enough to confess that spot-fixing is almost impossible to control, if not self-willed.

"Even I cannot say whether a player is up to any hanky-panky," said Khan. If those who have played the game at the highest level are so befuddled, if the ACU, usually headed by a former top sleuth from Scotland Yard remains clueless, what is the scope for anybody else?

The need for an integrated approach in which detection is facilitated and punishment swiftly delivered is becoming cricket's biggest challenge, more so in these vexing times of spot-fixing. The best way would seem that the systems of detection are efficiently structured and operational at the glocal — global and local — rather than just global level.

Local and junior levels become crucial in this endeavour. It is now evident that the malaise of fixing and spot-betting in Pakistan cricket is perhaps institutionalised, even at the domestic level. The namby-pamby governance of the Pakistan board for several years has only aggravated matters.

However, it is also well-known that this problem is not peculiar to any one team or country. It is also true that corruption at the highest level is helped by bad practices that go unchecked at the formative stages. It could be as harmless as fudging age, which is commonplace in the subcontinent.

Cheating in sport is hardly new and can find various expressions, but always with greed — for fame, glory or money — at its core. It is an extravagant rationalisation to believe that only those from underprivileged backgrounds are susceptible to corruption, as has been said in the (weak) defence of Mohammed Aamer.

Last year, John Higgins, the world's top snooker player and a multi-millionaire, was alleged to have agreed to fix a game in a World Series event in Ukraine for a relatively paltry sum of £261,000. Cronje, who became the face of match-fixing in cricket, belonged to the upper-middle class and from a strong religious background.

Sport today is big business and integrates the good and evil of other businesses. The corporate world is replete with stories of millionaire promoters and executives who will risk everything for a few dollars more for themselves or their corporations by breaking laws. So sport must be treated similarly where checks, balances, detection and punishment of mala fide action is concerned. It might seem alarmist but robust vigilantism from federations, coaches, the media, watchdog bodies — indeed all quarters — are needed.

India must ignore Sachin and coach speculation

Speculation over the future of master batsman Sachin Tendulkar and coach Gary Kirsten are more distractions India will have to ignore if they are to lift the World Cup on home soil, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Thursday.

The Feb. 19-April 2 showpiece event represents, in all probability, Indian batting maestro Tendulkar's last World Cup, and it has hogged a major share of the limelight in the build-up to the event.

Local media reports have also claimed that India's highly successful South African coach Kirsten will not renew his contract at the end of the tournament for personal reasons.

"The feeling is the same (in the team). What is important for the team is to concentrate more on the process and the preparation rather than think about all the other things," Dhoni told reporters.

"There are plenty of issues that always surround the Indian cricket team. We are quite good at distracting ourselves from all the issues.

"But the fact remains that it will be the last World Cup for Sachin and most likely it will be the last tournament for Gary Kirsten as India's coach."

The wicket-keeper batsman rued the absence of paceman Praveen Kumar due to injury and said India will miss the "street-smart" cricketer.

"It is unfortunate that Praveen had to miss the World Cup. He has featured consistently in the ODI format for us," Dhoni said.

"He has done very well for us in all formats. We will miss him. He has been a street-smart cricketer for us.

Praveen’s injury won’t hurt India’s chances: Bedi

India’s pace attack might have weakened a bit after losing seamer Praveen Kumar due to injury, but former spinner Bishen Singh Bedi feels it would not have any negative impact on India’s campaign at the soon—to—start cricket World Cup.

Praveen failed to recover from an elbow injury and was replaced by S Sreesanth in the 15—man Indian squad.

“One person cannot affect a team’s chances. In fact, it is good that Praveen has been replaced before the start of the World Cup because rather than having played in just a couple of games and then spending rest of the tournament on bench, it is always better to have a fit player becoming a part of the team from the very first match,” Bedi said.

The former India cricketer was speaking at the launch of book - Women’s Cricket World, co-authored by former India captain Anjum Chopra along with cricket writer Sunil Kalra.

When the 64-year-old was asked what was the weakest point of the Indian team going into the World Cup, starting from February 19, Bedi replied ‘the huge burden of expectations’.

“Don’t make the expectations too high. It seems the expectations could prove the only hindrance in India’s path to lifting the Cup,” warned the former bowler.

He also emphasised that Sachin Tendulkar will have to play a crucial role if India wish to win its second trophy.

“Everybody wants India to win the World Cup and so do I.

I want it more so because this would be Sachin’s last World Cup and I hope India win it. And I am sure Sachin will lead the team to that final victory,” Bedi said.

The former cricketer added that all these talks may put extra pressure on Tendulkar but expressed confidence that the Mumbaikar would handle it with ease.

“All these might mean a lot of pressure on Sachin but it is nothing new for him. He has been handling pressure for the last 21 years so I don’t think it would affect him at all. In fact, his game is beyond such trivialities.”

Comparing the 1983 World Cup winning side with that of the 2011 World Cup squad, he said the Kapil Dev—led team had nothing to lose, but the current unit has.

“In 1975 and 1979 editions of the World Cups, India were just participating in the mega-event with no hopes attached to it. But after the 1983 triumph, we actually started to compete at the international arena. And since then the expectations only mounted,” said Bedi.

He further explained that when 1987 World Cup was co-hosted by India and Pakistan, people had great hopes that India, being the defending champions, would bag the Cup again.

“Ever since, the expectations have been only growing and now it has almost reached its peak. I feel we have a peculiar tendency of either putting the team on a pedestal or throw it to ground, which is not good,” said Bedi.

Besides the weight of expectations, the former spinner also raised concerns about the bowling department of the Indian team, saying that it was not up to the mark.

“India’s bowling is not as penetrating as it is required to win the matches on its own. The bowling would require a brilliant fielding effort. Moreover, even batsmen will have to score at least 50 more runs than an expected good total to give some margin to the bowlers,” said Bedi.

He also criticised the inclusion of three spinners in the 15-member squad, saying, “We have an extra spinner in our side. I feel two would have been enough on these sub-continent pitches. Instead, I think Rohit Sharma should have been included in the team.”

Bryan Adams to open ICC Cricket World Cup

The biggest event of the year, the ICC Cricket World Cup, is bound to get bigger, this time around. Pop icon Bryan Adams who is scheduled to tour India around the same time will perform at the opening ceremony on February 17, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Says Sunil D’Sa, vice president marketing, Universal Music India, “Bryan Adams was always going to be part of the opening ceremony of the Cricket World Cup. The decision hadn’t been confirmed because of his dates and busy schedule. Since he had other commitments, his performance hadn’t fallen in place all this while. But it’s finally confirmed that the Canadian singer will perform at the opening ceremony.”

Though Adams is likely to perform three songs along with his band, D’Sa wasn’t forthcoming on the setlist. “We would like to keep the three songs he will play as a surprise. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. He knows how popular Summer of ’69… is in India and the rest of the subcontinent. He and his management have been very clear about not disclosing any names, but he will surely play his three most popular songs. So you know what to expect,” he hints.

His first time It’s also been revealed that on the following day, February 18, Adams will host his first-ever concert in the Bangladeshi capital. “Adams has also lined up an hour-long acoustic concert where he will promote his Bare Bones album,” says D’Sa.

This year, Adams’s home country Canada is also part of the World Cup. “Adams is aware that his country is part of the tournament. I am assuming he will cheer for Canada, but since he’s on the road so much, I don’t know how much time he will get to watch the World Cup,” he adds.

Afridi retained as Pakistan captain for World Cup

Ending weeks of speculations, Pakistan on Friday named experienced all-rounder, Shahid Afridi as the captain of the national team for the ICC cricket World Cup to begin in Dhaka on February 19.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said that Afridi would lead the team while Test captain and another front-runner for the job, Misbah-ul-Haq would be his deputy in the mega-event to be jointly co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"The board has retained Afridi as captain for the World Cup. Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed will also continue as head coach and bowling consultant in the competition," PCB media manager Nadeem Sarwar said.

The PCB also appointed a security advisor, Wasim Ahmed to accompany the team in the World Cup after the post was lying vacant following the resignation of Khawaja Naeem.

The PCB also announced that vice-captain Misbah would be part of the tour selection committee for the World Cup, which also includes manager (Intikhan Alam), coach and the captain.

Interestingly, the board has named Alam as the chairman of the tour selection committee.

Afridi's appointment as World Cup captain was a formality after he led Pakistan to its first ODI series win since 2008, when it defeated New Zealand in the fifth one-day international in Hamilton yesterday.

Former captain Moin Khan hailed Afridi's reinstatement as Pakistan skipper but said PCB created an "unnecessary controversy" by delaying the captaincy announcement.

"It was logical to retain Afridi as captain for this big event after the way he inspired the team to its first ODI series win in New Zealand in 17 years," Moin said.

"I think the board only created unnecessary controversy and speculations by delaying the decision. The World Cup team was already announced last month and it was high time, the board announced the captain. Afridi is a good choice," he added.

He pointed out that Afridi had been leading Pakistan in ODIs and Twenty20 matches since last year and so far did a good job.

"This talk about Misbah being considered as a captaincy candidate for the World Cup started because of the board's indecision," Moin noted.

Former captain and wicket-keeper Rashid Latif, who is in Dubai these days with the Afghanistan team, also agreed with Moin.

"Afridi was always the logical choice because he has been leading the team since last year and now the players are also responding to him. He also understand his captaincy style well now. The biggest thing is that Afridi has shown lot of commitment for his job," Latif said.

Cricket World Cup organisers ask government to reduce security fees

The home department is considering International Cricket Council’s (ICC) demand for concession in charges levied for security provided by the state police for the upcoming World Cup cricket matches. The government has assured the organisers that it will not treat these matches on a par with IPL games.

In a meeting held at Mantralaya on Wednesday to discuss security measures during the World Cup matches scheduled to be played in Mumbai and Nagpur, ICC officials requested home minister RR Patil to reduce the fees for security provided inside the stadium. They requested the department to not charge for bandobast along the approach roads.

Mumbai Police had billed Rs11 lakh to Mumbai Cricket Association for a one-day match held at Wankhede stadium two years ago, before it was closed for a makeover. With revised rates, the charges are expected to go up for security provided within the stadium, prompting ICC to make the request. “World Cup matches cannot be treated on a par with the other one-day matches played with commercial interests in mind. We have requested the government for concessions,” said Ratnakar Shetty, tournament director, ICC.

The other major issue discussed at the meeting was the shortage of parking space near Wankhede.

The home department has suggested making an alternative arrangement at Azad Maidan or of using the parking lots at Inox theatre and other places in Nariman Point. Since parking is banned on the main road parallel to Queen’s Necklace after beautification of the coastal promenade, the other option being thought of is parking on the service roads attached to the gymkhanas on Marine Drive. More than 5,000 vehicles are expected to be driven to the stadium by spectators.

Three matches are scheduled to be played at Wankhede, including the final match on April 2, while Vidarbha Cricket Association is hosting four matches at its stadium in Nagpur.

Minister of state for home Satej Patil said, “International matches are a matter of pride for the state. We can provide adequate security, and there will be no need of deputing central forces.”

Cricket lovers support Afridi as captain for the WC

The die-heart cricket lovers of Rawalpindi, Islamabad have also joined the debate of who will be Pakistan cricket team captain for the World Cup supporting Shahid Afridi as there all time favourite as the best contender for the mega event.

Pakistan squad for the mega event includes Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Muhammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir and Ahmad Shehzad.

In a causal talk with APP, a local taxi driver, Jahan Sher said, “I just cannot understand why the Pakistan Cricket Board has delayed to announce the captain on February 4. By not announcing the captain, the board has split the players into Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul Haq groups. In such circumstances I believe Afridi is the best possible choice to lead the team for the world cup.”

A local traveler at the bus stop, Rahim Khan said that “If PCB chairman Ijaz Butt is waiting till February 4 to see how Afridi performs as captain in the one-day series in New Zealand then I don’t think that it is a wise move because this is not the time to change the captain. For the World Cup they should continue with Afridi.
A government employee, Mir Shah said, “The team selected is good but I am stunned to understand the reason naming a captain has been delayed so much. No team in the world of cricket is named without a captain.”

A private telecom company employee, Yasir Ali Khan said that I don’t know about who will be the captain but Pakistan will surely miss Muhammad Yousuf. He said that our team’s chances of reaching even the quarter-finals are dull.

A government employee, Faisal Shah said, “I am happy they did not include Muhammad Yousuf this time. We need young blood. You can’t bet on the same horse to win your races for 20 years.” “Wishing good luck to Pakistani team, he said, “even if they lose, I hope they will put a fight till the end because you cannot win every match but you can put up a fight and at least try to win. I think the team is quite capable to give a tough time to any opponent.”

An optics shopkeeper at Aabpara, Salman Hadyat, said Pakistan cricket’s team is over confident and they lack respect towards the opponents’ abilities. I just wish that a miracle happens and Muhammed Aamir get clears on February 5 from the International Cricket Council and gets included in the squad.

An employee in a marketing company, Khurram Qasim told APP, “I think Afridi should be kept as team captain for this event. This is a mega event and we all know that he the best possible choice for the event.”

A commuter at the zero point bus stop, Ali Zahid said, “I support the squad, as it is the best possible we can have in the given circumstances. No doubt Misbah’s recent form makes him contender for the captainship.”

India hopes Sachin Tendulkar can cap phenomenal career with World Cup win

As Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar heads into his record sixth cricket World Cup, a nation of 1.2 billion are hoping he can cap a phenomenal career with a win for host India.

Tendulkar is the holder of virtually every major batting record in test and one-day cricket, including most runs and most centuries in either form, and most believe a World Cup win will complete his career of achievements.

Former West Indian batsman Vivian Richards said during a World Cup promotional event here last month that "the World Cup would be the icing on the cake for Sachin Tendulkar."

Just as Tendulkar's consistency has been credited with India's superb recent form, runs from the Mumbai player's bat have had a direct bearing on the team's fortunes in the World Cup.

Cricket tourney in Israel to mark India R'Day

A cricket tournament for people of Indian origin was launched in Israel to mark India's 62nd Republic Day.

The Republic Day was celebrated at the India House in Herzliya Pituah Jan 26.

After unfurling the national flag and singing of the national anthem, Ambassador Navtej Sarna read out excerpts from Indian President Pratibha Patil's address that was delivered on the eve of the Republic Day.

This was followed by a short cultural programme.

Sarna felicitated Indian Hospice director Sheikh Mohammed Munir Ansari, who was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2011 for his contribution in maintaining the hospice as a symbol of India's heritage in Jerusalem.

The embassy also launched the 'India Trophy', a cricket tournament for the Indian-origin community in Israel.

A large number of Indians and friends of India attended the event.

There are approximately 70,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel, most of who are Israeli nationals. The main waves of immigration into Israel from India took place in the fifties and sixties. The majority are from Maharashtra and smaller numbers are from Kerala and Kolkata.

Test cricket is here to stay

Gentleman dressed in white wielding their willows or shining the red cherries always earned the respect of cricket enthusiasts. Test cricket has been trying to hold its own, with tough competition from ODI cricket and the even shorter format, Twenty20 cricket in its recent years.

Twenty20, introduced by England initially, began to extract large revenues from ticket sales and endorsements. It was started in order to attract the crowds towards the stadiums and was successful in doing so. People found this format entertaining, as the result was decided in a short span of 3 hours.

With the rise of Twenty20; test cricket took a back seat. Test cricket played during the calendar year began to decrease as twenty20 matches became a permanent fixture in any tour. The world began to witness how the Gentlemen's game fell into the nexus of the commercialized version of the game. Then the Indian Premier League and the Stanford League came into existence to capitalize on the growing popularity.

Test cricket began to lose its luster as crowds began to find the 5 day game longer and boring. Due to this fact, the International Cricket Council has come up with plans to make Test cricket exciting-there are even talks of staging a test cricket world cup! Test cricket still remains to be a top priority among international renowned cricketers.

Test cricket gets the best out of a player-it's an ultimate test for any cricketer. Playing for 5 days in a row demands immaculate concentration, determination, and temperament. So the hard-fought earned victory of over 5 days is much sweeter than any other victory.

One of the most thrilling aspects of test cricket is the 22 yards pitch where cricket is to be played over 5 days. These days the pitches are tailor made according to the wishes of the home team. The best cricket is played on those sporting wickets which have something for batsmen, faster bowlers and spinners too. Test cricket does not give batsmen the chance to score free and easy runs with strong fielding arrangements.

The vanishing art of Reverse swing bowling can be seen only in test cricket, where the same ball is used for a minimum of 80 overs. Its master exponent was Wasim Akram. Only good batsmen can handle these deliveries with perfection, else they will look totally helpless and lost. Three players who immediately spring in our minds are Malinga, Anderson and Zaheer Khan from the current list of players who are near to mastering it.

Test cricket is here to stay. Twenty20 cricket is like a baby, who will be loved by everyone initially. The 50 over game has to be nurtured and monitored regularly. Why do players first get a chance to represent their countries in the shorter format of the game, and then later the longest format of the game? It is because the players need to pass the "Test" of a Twenty and a Fifty over game before being declared fit to play the purest form of cricket-Test cricket.

Four arrested for betting on cricket match

The crime branch made a swoop on a hideout at Malad and arrested four bookies who were allegedly accepting bets on the one-day cricket match between Australia and England on Saturday.

Sources in the Unit 8 crime branch, which conducted the raid, told Hindustan Times that they had received a tip-off about bets being accepted on the third one-day match between Australia and England.

The police raided a flat in Bhagran Nagar in Malad (W) from where they arrested the four men. A laptop, an internet modem, 16 cellphones and Rs3.65 lakh in cash were seized from the flat by the police.

The police are investigating the case and the records of the four arrested accused to check if they are linked to notorious bookie Junior Bandra in any way.

Muttiah Muralitharan plans to retire after World Cup

Legendary Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has confirmed that he will retire from international cricket after the forthcoming World Cup in Asia.

The 38-year-old quit Test cricket last July after taking a record 800 wickets.

But he has remained in his country's limited-overs side and will bow out after the World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka, which begins on 19 February.

However, he will continue to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League after signing for new franchise Kochi.

Muralitharan, who helped Sri Lanka win the 1996 World Cup and was a losing finalist in 2007, has taken 517 wickets in 339 one-day internationals in a career which has spanned nearly two decades at the top level and left him as the world's leading wicket-taker in both the major formats of the game.

"I'm going to retire from international cricket, totally, after this World Cup," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

Sri Lanka host West Indies in three one-day internationals before the World Cup, when they will face Canada, Pakistan, Kenya, Australia, Zimbabwe and New Zealand in Group A.

"Our preparation has been good, but I think we have a good chance because we're playing in Sri Lanka," said Muralitharan.

"There won't be a huge [home] advantage, but it will have a little bit of impact

"It's very difficult to compare the 1996 team to this team, as it's two different generations.

"We have experienced players and young players, and our side has done very well for the last two years in one-day cricket.

"England are a very good side, but it depends on how they play in sub-continent conditions, which are very different to Australia or England as it favours spin bowling.

"Graeme Swann has done really well for England, I think he's one of the best spinners in the world."

Meanwhile, he told reporters at a training session in Colombo that as well as signing to play in the IPL for the next two years, he was "also looking at similar work in New Zealand and perhaps England."

But he ruled out an immediate move into coaching, adding: "There are plenty of coaches and lots of talented people out there.

"I will take things as they come. For the moment, no coaching stints."

Born in Kandy, Muralitharan's unique bent-arm bowling action, caused by a deformity from birth, has meant that he has courted controversy at times during his career.

Some umpires and former players have questioned his action's legality - notably in Australia, where umpires Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson no-balled him for throwing.

The mechanics of his bowling action have been investigated and cleared on more than one occasion by the International Cricket Council, although in 2005 the ICC amended its rules to allow bowlers to straighten their arms by up to 15 degrees.

Throughout much of his career, he battled with Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne for the title of the world's leading wicket-taker, but Warne retired from internationals in 2007 with 708 wickets from 145 Tests, and 293 victims from 194 ODIs - although he, too, continues to play in the IPL.

World Cup victory in 1983 and all that

The contrast between the India of 2011 and the 1983 side is stark. Yet they won it 28 years ago. So they can do it again. But the deal is that I shall not be eating any unsavoury paper and ink.

It’s time to check out old memories, for another cricket World Cup is approaching. This inevitably brings back some electrifying thoughts of the 1983 event, which will forever stand very high in India’s collective memory.

And not just that. On a personal note, I was vilified for something I wrote about India’s prospects before that tournament, and then subsequently thanked for spurring them to victory.What a conflict of opinion.

So let me state the precise facts. Most people know that in the first two World Cups (1975 and 1979) the approach and the performance by India were dire.

It seemed clear that most of their players objected to the principle of having to hurry things along, in contrast to the measured pace of Test cricket, where time is often of less concern.

This was what actually made batsmen such as Sunil Gavaskar so very difficult to dislodge, and India so difficult to beat over five days.

In the lead-up period to the 1983 World Cup, my preview in Wisden Cricket Monthly included these words: “India can only hope to redeem their dismal record of past World Cup performances. They plodded against England in the most bloody-minded fashion in 1975 and managed to lose to the then-humble Sri Lanka in 1979.

If their pride is not important enough to spur them to whole-hearted effort this time, they might as well give way to other would-be participants in 1987.”

Reel forward three months. India have won the World Cup, to the surprise and delight of much of the cricket world.

The might of West Indies was tossed aside by Kapil Dev’s boys. Today’s chairman of selectors Srikkanth top-scored with a bold 38, “Jimmy” Amarnath (spinal innings of 26 off 81 balls and 3 for 12 off seven overs) received the Man-of-the-Match award.

Kapil’s outfield catch to dismiss Viv Richards (33 top score) was seen as the decisive moment, and that night the hotel across from Lord’s trembled from the rhythm of the dancing in the foyer as Indian fans mobbed their heroes.

The captain did a sinuous bhangra, and I stood in the corner, smiling and tingling with pleasure. What happened next?I received a letter from a mildly irate fandemanding that I now eat my words.

It was alleged that I was “one-sided” in my preview.(Of course, I preferred to see it as an impartial judgment which, if anything, had served as a spur to push the boys to greater effort.)

My correspondent very reasonably pointed out that “this one-day cricket, an English invention, took time to take root in India”. He therefore relished India’s “demolishing” of England in the 1983 semifinal.

But now he demanded that I “be a good sport and swallow the lousy paragraph you wrote”.

Being (I hope) a gentleman (Canterbury Boys’ High School, MCC member and all that), I set about meeting this man’s requirement.In the press-box at Lord’s, having carefully acquired some good wine to wash it down, I duly chewed up and swallowed that paragraph. It was a satisfying experience, though not without a lingering fear of the consequences of downing so much inked paper.

There is no longer any need to goad India into applying themselves to the task ahead.MS Dhoni’s team have won their share of limited-over matches in recent years and now approach the 2011 World Cup among the favourites.

To have beaten South Africa in South Africa is no mean feat, and must push India upwards in the forecasts. The impression given to one so far away is that India now have so many estimable players — for Test and for one-day demands — that they will hold their own against any opposition. And if spin bowling plays a big part in their success, cricket is the winner.

Cricket’s charm is based not only upon its visual appeal and its rhythms. It is one of the most unpredictable of sports.One recent surprise has been the batsmanship of Harbhajan Singh.India’s tail now seems fortified, always important in the shorter game.

Piyush Chawla’s leg-spin is a delight to behold.The fast attack seems in good order, with Zaheer Khan doubtless determined to make amends for India’s defeat in the World Cup final before last, when Australia beat India as well as the rain in the Johannesburg final.

I wrote only a few years back that India’s top six in the batting order was probably as good as any in cricket history.Now Virender Sehwag has added his powers to it. Captain Dhoni has drive and flair, and the contrast between the India of 2011 and the 1983 side is stark.

Yet they won it 28 years ago.So they can do it again. But the deal is that if my prediction (so very different to the 1983 version) fails to materialise, I shall not be eating any unsavoury paper and ink.

Tendulkar is a genius, says Lara

A “rusty” Brian Lara gifted the sprightly youngster the moment of his life. The ball sneaked past the bat and grazed the pads before disturbing the stumps. Lara was bowled!

Many bowlers have treasured such moments on the cricket field in international cricket. But this was a non-descript under-19 seamer, part of the group of youngsters attending the hour-long cricket clinic organised at the Ferozeshah Kotla by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) in conjunction with the Trinidad Tourism here on Tuesday.

Lara, who is the Ambassador of Sport for Trinidad and Tobago, remained a cricketer to the hilt. “I enjoyed batting but I was a little rusty. I must say I saw quite a few good players today and was very impressed.”

Better pitches needed

And then he spoke of India's weakness when faced with quality fast bowling. “I wish the practice pitches could be a little more enterprising, conducive to pace.” Bounce was the reason, he said, why the Indian batsmen failed in the Test at the Centurion recently against South Africa.

Even as former Test opener Chetan Chauhan, as part of the organisers, requested “no questions on IPL (Indian Premier League)”, Lara was forthcoming. “I was not overly disappointed,” he said on being unsold at the auction.

“It (auction) is not the greatest situation any player would like himself to find in. I can understand the reservations the owners and the managers must have had but they missed the broader picture.

“I would have made a difference with my knowledge. Private ownership is a good idea like club football. It would have given me an opportunity to continue my love with India but maybe some other time.”

Comforting message

Lara, 11953 runs in 131 Tests and 10405 in 299 ODIs, had a comforting message for Sourav Ganguly, who also remained unsold at the IPL auction.

“It didn't tarnish his message. He has been a great leader (of Indian cricket) and a good friend of mine.”

On Sachin Tendulkar's longevity in the game and the benchmarks set by his “dear friend”, Lara was generous in his praise. “It would be almost impossible for anyone to break his records. I feel great to referred to in the same breath but he is a genius and outstanding in all parts of the world. I didn't see Sir Don Bradman but I respect his averages.”

Hailing the great run by the West Indies in the 1970s and 80s and Australia thereafter, Lara observed that the trend of invincibility was not possible to return. “Can't really tell which team is the number one in the world! Each team has its time.”

Picks India, S.Africa

Lara rated India and South Africa as favourites to win the forthcoming World Cup. “India would counter home pressure but will be hard to beat. In the sub-continent, it is important to build a momentum.”

About South Africa, he said, “they have a bogey as far as World Cup was concerned.”

He picked Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Michael Clarke, Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen as the batsmen to watch.

He also picked Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gayle to overhaul his Test record of 400 not out. He also noted that the score of 200 was more likely to be scaled because, “T20 has changed the shape of the game.”

Looking ahead, Lara, 41, smiled, “I am still travelling, involved with the Zimbabwe team, coaching and mentoring, playing more golf, still being busy. The shine is not off the ball yet.”

Tendulkar named as World Cup squad

Injured Tendulkar named in India's cricket World Cup squad.

Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar has been included in his country's 15-man World Cup squad, despite doubts over the opener's fitness ahead of next month's competition.

Tendulkar was forced to withdraw from India's ongoing tour of South Africa on Saturday after straining his right hamstring.

The 37-year-old has scored a record 17,629 runs in 444 one-day internationals, but has played just four over the last 12 months in order to focus on Test cricket.

However, the world's leading one-day and Test batsman was named in the squad for the February 19 to April 2 tournament, which is to be jointly hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Cook not hopeful of England World Cup place

The south east Asian nation's one-day side -- currently level with South Africa at one game a piece in the best-of-five match series -- have also been missing batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir as well as fast bowler Praveen Kumar through injury.

"I am not worried at all about the injuries, these are part of the game," Krishnamachari Srikkanth, India's chairman of selectors told reporters in Chennai following the team announcement on Monday.

"I am confident the team will be fully fit when the World Cup starts," he added.

India hold second place behind Australia in the official one-day rankings, ahead of co-hosts Sri Lanka, England and South Africa.

Led by captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India have been drawn with England, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Africa in group B of cricket's 10th World Cup.

Defending champions Australia head group A with Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya completing the line up for the tournament.

Following the round-robin stages, four teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.

Cricket is more than just a game in India

Guess who's taken their shirts off to wear their passion on their bodies!

Led by their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, leading Indian superstars, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli will sport a never-seen-before painted body look for Pepsi's path-breaking World Cup 2011 campaign to be launched soon.

Pepsi is one of the global sponsors for the World Cup and the body paint campaign is an attempt to bring alive the passion that these cricketers have for their game, says Sandeep Singh Arora, executive vice-president (Marketing), Cola, PepsiCo India.

"Cricket is more than just a game in India, it is like a faith and its followers include millions of passionate Youngistaanis. With our innovative Cricket World Cup campaign we wanted to reflect the same fervor and energy that the fans and the players have and what can be more passionate than wearing it on your body," he said in a media release.

The new body painted look is youthful, fresh and symbolic of the individual player's passion for the game. Covered only with a layer of colourful body paint, the cricketers' images reflect their energetic and unique persona on the field. Each design and choice of colour palette has a story behind it which mirrors the athlete's character.

The creator of these looks, Santosh Padhi, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Taproot India, comments on the individual designs:

Cricket bosses back cricket Fridays

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday gave Lead SA’s Cricket Friday initiative the thumbs up, urging all South Africans to back the Proteas and wear their cricket shirts on Fridays.

It comes ahead of the Cricket World Cup which begins on the February 19.

“We support the initiative taken by Lead SA and we hope that all South Africans support it. I will also be wearing my Proteas shirt every Friday,” said Cricket SA’s CEO Gerald Majola.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and SuperSport have also endorsed cricket Fridays.

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame "recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". A hall of fame, it was launched by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on 2 January 2009, in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), as part of the ICC's centenary celebrations. The initial inductees were the 55 players included in the FICA Hall of Fame which ran from 1999 to 2003, but further members are added each year during the ICC Awards ceremony. The inaugural inductees ranged from W. G. Grace, who retired from cricket in 1899, to Graham Gooch, who played his last Test match in 1995. Living inductees receive a commemorative cap; Australian Rodney Marsh was the first member of the initial inductees to receive his. Members of the Hall of Fame assist in the selection of future inductees.

There are more English players in the Hall of Fame than players from other countries. Only ten of the 64 inductees played for nations outside England, Australia and the West Indies. South African Barry Richards played the fewest Test matches during his career with four, before South Africa were excluded from participating in international cricket in 1970. Australian Steve Waugh, inducted in October 2009, played the most Tests with 168 in an international career spanning 20 years. In 2010, Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, former England women's cricket team captain who led the team to victory in the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1973, became the first and only woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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Aussies will absorb defeat

So another of this country's great sporting cathedrals has been turned into something resembling a mausoleum. I was at the Sydney Cricket Ground this morning, having been given the task of finding crestfallen Aussie fans. Yet on the road outside, which on test match days is normally crammed with Aussies wearing green and gold, with zinc cream smeared across their faces like tribal decorations, brandishing inflatable marsupials and waving boxing kangaroo flags, there was hardly a local in site.

This, for us Poms, is cause for double celebration. The taste of cricketing victory is always sweet, and never more so than when laced with Australian suffering.

Of course, we, as Brits, are almost pre-programmed to gloat. We have also come to expect that Australia experiences great national convulsions whenever it loses to the English. Ideally, we would like to see news anchors breaking down, Walter Cronkite-like, on air, flags at half-mast atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House not only enveloped in darkness but hosting concerts funereal in tone. In Austerity Britain, perhaps we not only like to think that is how Australian reacts but almost need to think it.

Alas, we are dealing here with Assumed Australia rather than the real thing: a kingdom of the mind where the historical arithmetic is always being recalculated on some imaginary tally board, where ledgers perpetually need to be balanced, and where wrongs always need to be righted.

True, Aussies never enjoy losing to the English. For some, it hurts bad. But the truth is that the country will absorb this defeat without sinking into a nationwide funk. Its self-esteem, buoyed by an almost recession-proof economy, simply isn't that fragile. And then there is the beach.

So in the absence of streets filled with weeping women and newspapers edged in black, what should we be telling London about Australia's response to England's lop-sided Ashes victory?

For a start, it is worth pointing out that the present side has not got a particularly enthusiastic home following. This is partly because when Australia lost its best players, like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist, it also lost its most likeable stars. After Shane and his technicolour dreamcoat, the present crop are vanilla in comparison.

Ricky Ponting is not hugely popular, though I have long thought he gets an unfair press. He is much better than his headlines would suggest - although, as with his outburst in Melbourne, he sometimes brings them on himself. Certainly, he does not have the standing of Allan Border, Mark Taylor or Steve Waugh, his three predecessors. Nor does his temporary and perhaps long-term replacement Michael Clarke. In a country that has always respected workhorses, I suspect many think the New South Welshman is a bit of a show pony.

Sports fans here are also realists rather than sentimentalists or fantasists. After the retirement of Warne and McGrath, they knew cricket would no longer be a unipolar world with Australia as its sole superpower. Even if the sharp gradient of its downward trajectory has taken many by surprise, the national team was never going to withstand such a heavy depletion of resources.

My hunch is that Aussie spectators are more sporting than we give them credit for - although the mass evacuation of the MCG last week when England started to get on top adds weight to the counter-veiling view. "Well earned" reads the headline on the ABC News website this afternoon, and I do not think that there is a single serious-minded cricket follower in this land that thinks that Australia deserved to win. Other than a couple of days in Brisbane and the test match in Perth, England were by far the better and more balanced side.

Aussie sports fans can spot mediocrity a mile off, and have witnessed it for years in its now highly fallible cricket team. After losing to South Africa two years ago, last summer they struggled even against the West Indies and Pakistan.

To put the Ashes into some kind of wider sporting and cultural context, perhaps it would be worth pointing out that Australian sports administrators are increasingly looking to establish a bridgehead in Asia. Aussie Rules has just held an exhibition game in China. The Bledisloe Cup is now contested in Hong Kong and Tokyo. The Australian World Cup bid also tried to turn the old tyranny of distance argument on its head by trying to persuade Fifa that Sydney and Melbourne were gateways to Asia.

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India will not accept UDRS, says BCCI

The Indian cricket board has ruled out using the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) and also rejected an offer to travel to Australia and watch its Ashes application.

The clamour to use the technology aimed at reducing umpiring errors has been growing but India have opposed UDRS as they are adamant the ball-tracking tool is not accurate enough.

UDRS was not used in India's recent series against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N Srinivasan said there was no real chance of the world's richest cricket body changing its stance.

"We don't accept this technology. We are not going to use it in any bilateral series," Srinivasan told Reuters over the phone.

Cricket South Africa could not convince BCCI to use UDRS in the ongoing series and an annoyed Proteas captain Graeme Smith said the International Cricket Council (ICC) should make it mandatory.

"The ICC needs to take responsibility and lead the way when it comes to the review system," Smith said after losing the Durban test against India where a couple of dubious decisions hurt his team.

"They can't just let the boards decide and negotiate it. Using the UDRS once every seven series is not going to help anybody."

Australia's stand-in captain Michael Clarke shared Smith's view on uniformity.

IND VS SA 3rd Test Cricket Live Score

Newlands Ground in Cape Town is witnessing one of the finest test matches. Its India v South Africa and we are now in the 4th day’s play but still the two teams are even. We still do not know which team will win.

The game is currently poised on the razor’s edge and how South Africa bat in the first session on the fourth day will go a long way in deciding which way the game turns. There was nothing between the two teams in the first innings and with the South Africans getting to 52/2, it could still be anybody’s game.

On the fourth day of the India v South Africa third Test, there are many possibilities. One, India can look to run through the South African batting, in much like the same manner as they had done to India at the same venue four years ago. A score of 200 all out will mean that the Indians will have enough time to get to the target with Dale Steyn being the one man between them and the 2-1 series win.

While the possibility of a draw cannot be ruled out, India have an edge over South Africa in this final test match. The match will start at 1330 hrs IST and you all can watch the live cricket match on TEN Cricket. We believe that Harbhajan will turn around this match for India. He is bowling well and I am sure Harbhajan will remove the South African top order.

Yesterday was a mix day for India. Tendulkar and Gambhir started off well but then Gambhir missed his century. He got out on 92. Spinner Harris must be very happy to take his prized wicket. Laxman was very unlucky to get run out when he looked good with the bat. However, man of day 3 was Sachin Tendulkar.

He scored his 51st century at Cape Town. He made sure that India at least make the same score as South Africa. He played great cricket shots and his partner Harbhajan Singh gave him a good company. Harbhajan too batted well and scored 40 runs for his team. He always scores when it is required the most. If you missed Tendulkar’s century do watch the highlights of India v South Africa on TEN Cricket sports channel.

If South Africa can get to 250, then the Indians will find it difficult to chase down the target on a fifth day track against the likes of Steyn and Harris.

The other option for South Africa is to bat the day and score 325 and ask India to bat 90 overs on the last day. If one were to look at the run-rates in the game, it sure will be difficult for the Indians to chase down that total but they can look to bat out the fifth day for the game to end in a draw.

The question is who will blink first tomorrow.

Its bright a sunny in Cape Town and the temperature is roughly 25 degree Celsius. Just the right conditions to play full day of cricket. South Africa have already lost their captain and night watchman Harris.

Amla is batting on 0 and Petersen is not out on 22. The live cricket score of India v SA is 52/2. They have already taken a lead of 50 runs and India will be looking to wrap up this SA side at a score of not more than 250. Lets all watch TEN Cricket Live and see how the match progresses.

Sreesanth, the fastest mouth in South Africa

Theatrics and S Sreesanth have always gone hand-in-hand. He is capable of somehow always turning the spotlight on himself. Sreesanth went wicketless in the first Test in South African but managed to hog the attention in the second by annoying none other than the host captain, Graeme Smith.

The South African batsman waved his bat at Sreesanth in anger as the latter appeared to make some personal comment. Smith soon lost focus and hit Sreesanth only to get caught, triggering a batting collapse that gave India a series-levelling win.

The heat generated by Sreesanth’s remark forced India skipper MS Dhoni and Smith to step aside during an ICC function to sort out the controversy. Smith made it clear Sreesanth the only unwanted element in the Indian team. Dhoni also made his frustration plain before the third Test began at Cape Town, saying Sreesanth was difficult and needed to be restrained.

But Sreesanth never seems to learn. He taunted Smith again on Sunday, the first day of the third Test, saying Smith’s comments had woken him up.

He sure was sharp on Monday. Bowling with the second new ball, he ran through the South African batting to grab five wickets.

The hosts still reached 362, thanks to a magnificent 161 by Jacques Kallis. At the end of play, India were 142 for 2 with Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar in an unbroken 114-run stand.

3rd Test: India win toss but lose initiative

The setting was surreal for a Test match. Almost an entire day's cricket was played under lights as dark, grey clouds hung lazily over Newlands Stadium, and the Table Mountain which stands in the west.

It was only during the final hour of play that the colour blue, along with the sun, made an appearance on the horizon. Those who want ICC to introduce day-night Test matches would have been happy.

Conditions were not easy but the players from both sides stood up to contrive an intense, engaging day's play. With the series at stake, did they have any option? It was cricket at its attritional best, sometimes a bit staid but fascinating nevertheless as the two teams tried to pull away on the first day of the third Test on Sunday.

It was a stop-start day and play was interrupted twice due to light drizzle. Thankfully, play resumed quickly on both occasions. When the umpires finally called stumps, at 7.04 pm local time, South Africa were 232/4 off 74 overs. The peerless Jacques Kallis is providing leadership once again as the hosts look to bounce back from the stunning loss in Durban.

Once Kallis makes up his mind that he is going to stay at the wicket, he is almost impossible to dislodge. He seemed to be in that zone on Sunday, having played 169 balls for his industrious 81. He now has 1783 runs at this ground (in his 18th Test) and looks set for many more.

It does not take rocket science to understand that India need to somehow get rid of this man first thing on Day Two. Dhoni had said on Saturday that the toss would be important as it would give the seamers a chance to utilize helpful conditions.

Well, he won the toss, for a change. Surprisingly, though, the ball did not appear to do much despite the overcast conditions, though it later emerged the players thought otherwise. The Indian pace trio had to work hard to extract purchase from the wicket.

Probably, the ball getting wet due to a soggy ground negated attempts to swing it, a repeat of what happened to South African bowlers on the first day of the second Test at Durban.

Harbhajan Singh, who was pressed into service in the 34th over, struggled to get any spin from the pitch. He was more a stock bowler on the day than a shock one.

Zaheer Khan gave India a headstart by consuming Graeme Smith again - the regularity with which he does that is becoming ridiculous - with a beauty which came in just a bit. Ishant Sharma complemented the effort by snaring Alviro Peterson with another superb delivery which swung away.

With the openers gone for 34, India had landed some hard opening blows. But Kallis and Hashim Amla weathered the storm and brought back balance into proceedings.

It was a delicate phase of play as another wicket and India would have been on top. What the Kallis-Amla duo also did was to soon start looking out for runs.

It was Amla who took the lead and played some wristy drives and flicks, even hitting Zaheer for three fours in an over. He undid the good work by trying one hook too many, this time off Sreesanth while on the front foot, and top-edged to Pujara.

Sreesanth gave India another fillip by producing one of his vicious outswingers to get rid of AB de Villiers. At 164/4, it was nicely poised before Kallis and Prince gave the hosts some hope.


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