Tuesday, October 25, 2011

India beat England to clean sweep the 5 ODI series - England faced whitewash

England, hoping to avoid a 5-0 series whitewash after losing the first four games, grabbed wickets at regular intervals after skipper Alastair Cook asked India to bat in the day-night match.


India won the series in stylish way..

Man of the match for 5th ODI : Ravindra Jadeja

Man of the series : Mahendrasingh Dhoni

England former players and media who were shouting or say barking so much in India's tour of England are now quite.

So it will be interesting to see their reaction.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

RCB Vs MI in CL T20 final : Royals Challengers Banglore Vs Mumbai Indians - champions league T20 final

It is going to be an all IPL final as Daniel Vettori's RCB take on Harbhajan’s Mumbai Indians in the summit clash of the Champions League T20 2011. Without their maverick captain Sachin Tendulkar, MI has had a topsy-turvy path to the finals producing results that could have sent an ardent fan into frenzy while RCB made a remarkable comeback after suffering back to back defeats; reaching the finals courtesy Virat Kohli and big hitting Jamaican southpaw Chris Gayle, leaving the memories of an ordinary start to their campaign well behind. In their semi final encounters both ofthem had to slug it out till the end to scrape past their opponents even though Bangalore did manage to finish the game with nine balls to spare but still had to chase down a mammoth 200 plus total. Lasith Malinga took four wickets and Aiden Blizzard slammed a 39-ball 54 but it was James Franklin's two-wicket burst at the 19th over which set up the win for Mumbai Indians in the nail-biting semifinal. Mumbai Indians, who made 160 for 5, won by 10 runs, but not before surviving some anxious moments as Somerset came within shouting distance of winning before losing four wickets in the last two overs. RCB chased down a score of 203 runs set by New South Wales on Friday; overhauling the target as Gayle and Kohli used their long handle to outshine David Warner’s second successive century of the tournament with six wickets in handand with nine balls to spare. Both the teams sport a different look than when they played in the 2011 edition of the IPL and are without their premier batsmen and bowlers. Mumbai Indians are sorely missing the services of Tendulkar even though slinger Malinga has almost won them all of their CL matches. Their problem is with the batting and fielding. RCB are without AB de Villiers and Zaheer Khan but they have the big hitters in the squad- Gayle, Dilshan and Kohli. Their area of concern happens to be the bowling department that got them into precarious positions at crucial times leaving them to chase 200 plus scores on successive occasions. The teams have never won an IPL tournament and it would be the first ever silverware in their empty trophy cabinet post Sunday’s clash. Again, the championship will be wonby an Indian team as Dhoni’s ChennaiSuper Kings won the 2010 edition of the tournament. Nevertheless, we would see a new Champion being crowned on Sunday.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

SRK named face of Nokia CLT20

Mumbai: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been named the face of the Nokia Champions League T20 commencing on September 19. His IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders would be among the six teams playing in the international tournament.
"I am honoured and I am very happy.I am happy because I thought we would never be able to qualify for Nokia Champions League T20," Shah Rukh told reporters here.
All 23 matches of the main tournament would be played among Kolkata Knight Riders, Somerset (England), Auckland (New Zealand), Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies), Leicestershire (England) and Ruhunu (Sri Lanka)
ESPN STAR Sports, which is the globalcommercial rights partner of the Nokia Champions League T20, would telecast the tournament in 174 territories in 18 different international languages.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

India Vs England Only T20 - from 9.30pm IST, AUg 31 - Watch Live Scoreboard

Preview by Vishaal Loganathan (Cricbuz) :

The humiliation at the hands of England in the test series is a thing of the past now, and it would pay rich dividends for India if they go into the limited overs leg of the tour with the same thought. England host India in a one off T20 before the ODIs kick in. The T20 could well turn out to be what sets the tone for the ODI series and both teams will be eager to win.

Different stories during practice

Many would have expected England to steamroll the Irish and for India to be embarrassed again when the teams played their practice games ahead of the T20. It however turned out to be a completely different story as England only managed to escape thanks to good work by their bowlers while India registered 3 wins out of 3 while looking like a entirely different unit.

India registered wins against Sussex, Kent and Liecestershire to give their fans some hope of their team salvaging some lost pride in the T20 and the ODIs.

Change in team, Change in fortunes?

The limited overs leg and injuries have resulted a change in both the teams. India will be without Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma while England will be without regulars Test regulars Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson, Jonathan Trott, etc.

For India, all eyes will be on Rahul Dravid, who is most likely to replace the injured Gautam Gambhir. The game will be Dravid's first and last T20I for India. While England newcomers Alex Hales, Jos Butler, Ben Stokes, etc. will look to impress and stake a claim for a more permanent spot if given a chance.

England go into the game with the winning momentum, but India's successful practice games would have given them much needed confidence. The change in squad has worked in India's favour so far, will it continue to do so in the T20 will depend on how quickly India choose to forget about their disappointing Test series.

World T20 Champions v World ODI Champions

England and India are world champions in the T20 and ODI formats respectively. England won the T20 World Cup in 2010 under Paul Collingwood. The captaincy has changed hands since then, with all rounder, Stuart Broad now leading the team. Broad is still inexperienced as a captain, something that could hinder the hosts.

The Indian team too bears a new look, thanks to a sudden spate of injuries. Dravid and Parthiv Patel could be asked to open the batting, but India strength lies in its middle order with Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni all capable of providing the fireworks. The return of Praveen Kumar too would provide a huge boost for the visitors while R Ashwin will want to prove to many that he is ready to take up Harbhajan Singh's place in the side.

Conditions favour visitors

The pitch at Manchester will please the Indians as it would resemble what they would generally see back home. The weather also is expected to be clear meaning a full game is on the cards.

Quotes

It's interesting how it shapes out. It's important that the captain is a regular in all three formats of the game. One thing sure though is it affords rest: Mahendera Singh Dhoni

We learned from the Sri Lanka defeat and as international cricketers it's exciting to have fresh challenges against a strong Indian team: Stuart Broad
Teams:

England (From): Craig Kieswetter(w), Alex Hales, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler, Samit Patel, Stuart Broad(c), Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Ben Stokes

India (From): Parthiv Patel, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni(w/c), Praveen Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Munaf Patel, Vinay Kumar, RP Singh, Amit Mishra

Saturday, August 27, 2011

England decide to rest Pietersen from India one-day series


Kevin Pietersen will miss the five-match Natwest Series against India after England opted to rest the batsman.

As a first-choice player in all three formats, Pietersen has been taken out of the firing line as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board's ongoing policy of workload management.

Nevertheless, Pietersen is known as a player for the marquee occasions and a high-profile series against the world champions would have suited his appetite for the big stage.

Ben Stokes, who made his England debut in yesterday's win over Ireland, has been retained alongside a host of returning stars who were excused the trip to Dublin.

Meanwhile, uncapped pair Jos Buttler of Somerset and Alex Hales of Nottinghamshire have been called up to the Twenty20 squad.

England have rested a number of players under Andy Flower's leadership, with the likes of James Anderson, Paul Collingwood and - prior to his retirement from one-day cricket - Andrew Strauss, among those to have benefited from a break.

Pietersen will play in the Twenty20 match at Old Trafford on Wednesday before standing down for the ODI series, which starts in Durham on September 3.

England Squad

Alastair Cook (captain, Essex), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire) 


Chance to shine: Ben Stokes has been called into the squad for the One Day series.

Leader of the team: Alistair Cook returns to captain the side.

Dhoni needs to put his foot down: Lloyd

http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/177596-dhoni-needs-to-put-his-foot-down-lloyd 
London: Clive Lloyd, former West Indies captain and leader of one of the most dominant teams in cricket history, feels the time has come for MS Dhoni to put his foot down and ask for a team he wants. That is the only way, Lloyd reckoned, that Dhoni can lead India back to the summit of Test cricket.

Lloyd was virtually in a similar boat to Dhoni in 1975. On June 21 that year, West Indies had won the inaugural World Cup, beating the favourites Australia in the final. Four months later, they travelled to Australia to face Greg Chappell's team, the best Test side of the time, and were overwhelmed 5-1 in the six-match series. Lloyd's men were knocked off their pedestal by the supreme velocity deployed by fast bowling quartet of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, Gary Gilmour and Max Walker.

Lloyd understood the only way West Indies could regain their preeminence and hit back at Australia was to use the same method - extreme pace. That was the genesis of perhaps the most famous fast bowling quartet of all time in Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner, who intimidated the best batsmen in the world for close to a decade.

"When I became captain I decided, fine, I have to do something different," Lloyd told ESPNcricinfo at St Lawrence County Ground in Canterbury where he had come to announce the shortlist for the 2011 ICC Awards. "I just put my foot down and said this is what I want. If you are going to be the captain you have to fashion things in your way and you have to tell the board exactly you are trying to do it. And they must back it."

The West Indies Cricket Board did not dispute Lloyd's decision. "They did [back it]. And that is how we came out trumps."

For the record Lloyd would go on to lose only one more series as captain - in New Zealand in 1979-80. According to Lloyd, India could actually use the 4-0 Test series defeat to England as a "catalyst" to develop the right tools that will help them get back to their winning ways. "It is entirely up to them how they use this opportunity and learn from their mistake," Lloyd said of India. "Eventually they will get back to their winning ways as they still are one of the best teams. This should be catalyst for making things right. They need to admit that we have made mistakes and we have to rectify them."

One big reason Lloyd's West Indies reigned supreme for close to a decade was he had the respect of his players. In the aftermath of his first series defeat as captain, there is a steadily growing perception in India about Dhoni's ubercool attitude, a trait that has helped him enjoy a healthy relationship with the players in the four teams he currently leads (India in all forms of the game and the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL) needs to change. The suggestions are that he needs to be more involved in man-management.

Lloyd said he had the support of his players and a good management team that put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear if there was anything going on that wasn't in accordance with team plans. "That is where your team management comes in: they need to help him and remind him how exactly to getting back the winning ways. People will make remarks but you have to work at what you want, what you think is good enough for you to sort of to be the top team. You made them No.1 in the world, you lead them to world cup victory, so you have to try and re-group and make India a top team again."

Simultaneously, Dhoni also needs to perform to strengthen his grip on the captaincy. He made twin fifties in the third Test in Birmingham but his last century (132) came in the series-levelling Test in Kolkata against South Africa on Valentine's Day, 2010. An increasing workload that has reached unmanageable proportions has also affected his wicketkeeping, as witnessed during the England series where Dhoni failed to collect the ball neatly on many occasions.

"I respected my players and they respected me. It is the respect that is important," Lloyd said. "You have to go out there and perform and play by example and think about what you want to do is a captain. This is just a little blip and I hope Dhoni understands the importance of what he has to achieve in the next year or so to get India back in the park."

Champions League Twenty20 2011 - Champions League T20 schedule

                                 Champions League Twenty20 2011 will begin on Friday, September 23, 2011 in India as per cricket schedule announced. Champions League T20 2011 is an international tournament to be organized by India. Champions League Twenty20 2011 will consist of 23 Twenty20 Matches to be hosted by India in Sep-Oct 2011. The Champions League Twenty20 2011 tournament is a part of Future Tour Programs prepared by International Cricket Council (ICC). India will host this tournament, beginning on September 23, 2011. In Champions League Twenty20 2011 bilateral series, first T20 match would be between Royal Challengers Bangalore-Chevrolet Warriors on Sep 23, 2011 at 20:00 local time to be played at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.

The enigma and exhilaration associated with the new brand of cricket – T20 – is always at a peak amongst audiences and spectators around the globe. After the success of several domestic T20 leagues and championships, the ICC decided to initiate an International League comprising club teams from all the cricketing nations. Thus the concept of Champions League Twenty20 was born. Since its inception in the year 2008, it has been a major hit amongst crowd, local and foreign. Even there is huge anticipation from its recent version, the Champions League Twenty20 2011, which will have top club teams of India, South Africa and Australia fight it out for ultimate glory.

The Champions League 2011 Twenty20 tournament is slated to begin from Friday, September 23, 2011. The entire tournament is under the joint administration of the cricketing boards of India (BCCI), Australia (CA) and South Africa (CSA). This year, India will play host to this prestigious event, as per the announcements of The International Cricket Council. This international league will consist of 23 T20 International matches that will be played during the period of September-October. This tournament also forms the past of the innovative Future Tour Programs that had been initiated by the ICC a few years back.

Overall, there will be 10 teams. Top club teams from India (Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians), Australia (NSW Blues and South Australian Redbacks) and South Africa (Cape Cobras and Warriors) will battle it out in the preliminary stages. The remaining 3 teams will be decided after a qualifier between teams from the Caribbean, New Zealand, India, England and Sri Lanka. The teams have been categorized under 2 groups. The inaugural match will be played between Chevrolet Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore on September 23, at the prestigious M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

The teams have been randomly pitted against each other. After the qualifying rounds get over, 3 teams will enter into the main competition. 10 teams will fight it out for a place in the semis, after which there is the grand finale. Since, T20 is a fast paced game, none are deemed as favorite. Every team has a sure shot chance of defeating the others and making it to the semis. People will have to wait till the end of the tournament, i.e. October 9, in order to find out which team is crowned the champion of champions.

Qualifier :  Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL), Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies), Auckland Aces (New Zealand), Sri Lanka (TBC), England 1 (TBC) and England 2 (TBC)

GROUP STAGE
 
GROUP A GROUP B
A1 Chennai Super Kings (India) B1 Royal Challengers Bangalore (India)
A2 Cape Cobras (South Africa) B2 Warriors (South Africa)
A3 NSW Blues (Australia) B3 South Australian Redbacks (Australia)
A4 Mumbai Indians (India) B4 Q1
A5 Q2 B5 Q3
 


Date Local GMT Match Details Venue
Sep 19, 2011 16:00 10:30 Qualifier : Trinidad and Tobago vs Ruhuna Rhinos, 1st T20 Hyderabad
Sep 19, 2011 20:00 14:30 Qualifier : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Auckland Aces, 2nd T20 Hyderabad
Sep 20, 2011 16:00 10:30 Qualifier : Trinidad and Tobago vs ECB1, 3rd T20 Hyderabad
Sep 20, 2011 20:00 14:30 Qualifier : ECB2 vs Auckland Aces, 4th T20 Hyderabad
Sep 21, 2011 16:00 10:30 Qualifier : ECB1 vs Ruhuna Rhinos, 5th T20 Hyderabad
Sep 21, 2011 20:00 14:30 Qualifier : Kolkata Knight Riders vs ECB2, 6th T20 Hyderabad
Sep 23, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group B : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chevrolet Warriors, 1st T20 Bangalore
Sep 24, 2011 16:00 10:30 Group A : Cape Cobras vs New South Wales Blues, 2nd T20 Chennai
Sep 24, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 3rd T20 Chennai
Sep 25, 2011 16:00 10:30 Group B : Chevrolet Warriors vs South Australian Redbacks, 4th T20 Kolkata
Sep 25, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group B : TBC vs TBC, 5th T20 Kolkata
Sep 26, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group A : Mumbai Indians vs TBC, 6th T20 Bangalore
Sep 27, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group B : TBC vs South Australian Redbacks, 7th T20 Kolkata
Sep 28, 2011 16:00 10:30 Group A : New South Wales Blues vs TBC, 8th T20 Chennai
Sep 28, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs Cape Cobras, 9th T20 Chennai
Sep 29, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group B : TBC vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 10th T20 Kolkata
Sep 30, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group A : Mumbai Indians vs Cape Cobras, 11th T20 Bangalore
Oct 1, 2011 16:00 10:30 Group B : South Australian Redbacks vs TBC, 12th T20 Kolkata
Oct 1, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group B : TBC vs Chevrolet Warriors, 13th T20 Kolkata
Oct 2, 2011 16:00 10:30 Group A : Mumbai Indians vs New South Wales Blues, 14th T20 Chennai
Oct 2, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs TBC, 15th T20 Chennai
Oct 3, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group B : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs TBC, 16th T20 Bangalore
Oct 4, 2011 16:00 10:30 Group A : Cape Cobras vs TBC, 17th T20 Chennai
Oct 4, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs New South Wales Blues, 18th T20 Chennai
Oct 5, 2011 16:00 10:30 Group B : Chevrolet Warriors vs TBC, 19th T20 Bangalore
Oct 5, 2011 20:00 14:30 Group B : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs South Australian Redbacks, 20th T20 Bangalore
Oct 7, 2011 20:00 14:30 TBC vs TBC, 1st Semi Final T20 Bangalore
Oct 8, 2011 20:00 14:30 TBC vs TBC, 2nd Semi Final T20 Chennai
Oct 9, 2011 20:00 14:30 TBC vs TBC, Final T20 Chennai

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tendulkar falls short of landmark as England complete series India whitewash


     Sachin Tendulkar fell agonizingly short of his 100th international century as England confirmed their status as cricket's number one team with a 4-0 series whitewash over India.

  England sealed a 4-0 series rout of India with an innings and eight-run victory at The Oval, as Sachin Tendulkar fell just short of an unprecedented 100th international hundred.


The legendary Indian batsman -- dubbed "The Little Master" -- was dismissed for 91 at The Oval in London as England won the fourth Test by an innings and eight runs.

Their fourth successive victory over India means that England usurped their opponents at the top of the world rankings.


Having racked up a mammoth 591-6 declared, England dismissed India for 300 in their first innings and 283 in their second after asking the tourists to bat again.

Graeme Swann took six wickets on the final day, including the final scalp of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, to confirm England's first series whitewash on home soil since 2004.

It's been up there with the best series we've played as a group
   --Andrew Strauss, England captain

"We had to work pretty hard for that," England captain Andrew Strauss told BBC. "When you enforce the follow-on, you're always asking a lot of the bowlers especially on a flat wicket. They stuck at it.

"To bowl India out for 300 and 283 on that wicket is quite a performance. You're getting really strong performances from all 11 players.
"It's been up there with the best series we've played as a group. We've had a lot of victories over the last couple of years and we expect to win matches now."

India captain MS Dhoni added: "It's important we stay together as a unit because the expectation levels are quite high.
"It's about the team rising to the occasion together. That's the way ahead. We are not willing to surrender and we hope the coming years will be good."

Resuming on 129-3 -- still 162 runs behind -- Tendulkar and Amit Mishra put up stubborn resistance in the morning session, England trying six different bowlers in an attempt to break the partnership.

Tendulkar went to lunch on 78 not out with an expectant capacity crowd willing him on to his landmark 100th international century. After the interval Mishra was the first to go, for 84, bowled by Swann after he and Tendulkar had put on 144 runs.

Just minutes later Indian fans in the crowd were distraught as Tim Bresnan trapped Tendulkar LBW just nine short of his hundred, replays showing the ball was just clipping the leg stump.

India's final six batsmen managed just 19 runs between them as Stuart Broad removed captain MS Dhoni and RP Singh with Swann picking up the wickets of Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir and Sreesanth.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Teams announce Champions League T20 Squad

Bangalore, Aug 22:

                          All the participating teams in the Champions League 2011 have announced their squads for the tournament scheduled to start from September 19. And it comes as no surprise that the eight players who had two teams to chose from, have all decided to enter the tournament with their respective IPL sides.


The squads are:

Auckland: Andre Adams, James Adams, Michael Bates, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Roneel Hira, Gareth Hopkins, Anaru Kitchen, Bruce Martin, Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Colin Munro, Daryl Tuffey, Rob Quiney, Lou Vincent

Cape Cobras: JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Richard Levi, Johann Louw, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Andrew Puttick, Michael Rippon, Owais Shah, Dale Steyn, Dane Vilas

Mumbai Indians: Aiden Blizzard, Yuzvendra Chahal, James Franklin Davy Jacobs, Dhawal Kulkarni, Suryakumar Yadav, Lasith Malinga, Ali Murtuza, Munaf Patel, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, T Suman, Sachin Tendulkar

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Mayank Agarwal, S Aravind, Raju Bhatkal, AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle, Arun Karthik, Virat Kohli, Mohammad Kaif, Abhimanyu Mithun, J Syed Mohammed, Dirk Nannes, Asad Pathan, Saurabh Tiwary Daniel Vettori

Chennai Super Kings: R Ashwin, S Badrinath, Doug Bollinger, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni, Michael Hussey, Shadab Jakati, Albie Morkel, Suresh Raina, Suraj Randiv, Wriddhiman Saha, S Anirudha, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, M Vijay

Kolkata Knight Riders: Iqbal Abdulla, Shakib Al Hasan, L Balaji, Rajat Bhatia, Manvinder Bisla, Gautam Gambhir, Brad Haddin, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Eoin Morgan, Yusuf Pathan, Shami Ahmed, Ryan ten Doeschate, Manoj Tiwary, Jaidev Unadkat

New South Wales Blues: Stuart Clark, Patrick Cummins, Nathan Hauritz, Josh Hazelwood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson

South Australia Redbacks: Cameron Borgas, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Daniel Harris, Michael Klinger, Nathan Lyon, Tim Ludeman, Aaron O'Brien, Gary Putland, Adil Rashid, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, James Smith, Shaun Tait

Ruhuna: Mahela Udawatte, Dinesh Chandimal, Sanath Jayasuriya, Janaka Gunaratne, Milinda Siriwardana, TM Sampath, Yashodha Lanka, Shihan Kamileen, Amal Athulathmudali, Arosh Janoda, Shalika Karunanayake, Omesh Wijesiriwardene, Alankara Asanka Silva, Chinthaka Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

Trinidad & Tobago: Samuel Badree, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Kevon Cooper, Rayad Emrit, Daren Ganga, Sherwin Ganga, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Mohammed, Dave Mohammed, Sunil Narine, William Perkins, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons
 
Warriors: Johan Botha, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Andrew Birch, Colin Ingram, Justin Kreusch, Lyall Meyer, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Ashwell Prince, Jon-Jon Smuts, Kelly Smuts, Rusty Theron, Craig Thyssen, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Friday, July 22, 2011

Lord's Test: IND Vs ENG : Dhoni's bowling surprises England on day 2 - Dhoni impresses with his seam-up stuff against Pietersen

Sensing India's dwindling bowling resources in the absence of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni bowled his gentle medium-pace stuffafter lunch on the second day of the first Test against England on Friday. Dhoni bowled five overs during the post-lunch session to give his pacers Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar some respite after a long spell in the opening session of the day.
Dhoni gave away 20 runs but Kevin Pietersen survived a caught behind appeal after getting a successful review in his favour.
Pietersen was batting on 73 when Dhoni angled one into him and it looked like the batsman nicked it to part-time keeper Rahul Dravid. Umpire Billy Bowden had raised his finger but Pietersen decided to review it and was adjudged not out.
Although he didn't trouble Ian Bell too much, Pietersen did survive a confident leg before shout in the firstball of his spell. The decision went in favour of the batsman as it apparently struck Pietersen outside the line of stumps.
Though Dhoni has previously turned his arm over in Tests three times, he has never ever bowled beyond the first over. He bowled for the first time in a Test match against Pakistanat Faisalabad and then against England at Mohali and New Zealand at Ahmedabad.
Interestingly Dhoni has a wicket in ODIs against West Indies. He had bowled Travis Dowlin in an ICC Champions Trophy match at Johannesburg.

Tendulkar ready to celebrate 100th international ton of his career

Mirror.co.uk :-


     SACHIN TENDULKAR will go in search of a mind-boggling 100th international ton this week as he bids to etch his name on the most special board of them all.

Somehow Tendulkar has managed to strike Test triple figures at 31 different grounds around the world, yet Lord’s remains elusive for the little master.

He knows the ground so well, owning a property nearby so that he can bring his son to practise on the hallowed turf, but it has not been kind to him.

A top score of 37 is the best he has mustered so far in north London in four previous matches, but he has a habit of saving his greatest achievements for the latter part of his career.

“Every cricketer’s ­ambition is to score a hundred or take five wickets at Lord’s,” said England skipper Andrew Strauss.

“While you’re playing it is not the first thing on your mind, but to be able to walk into the dressing room and see your name up there is a special feeling.

“It is the most special honours board of the lot because of its history and tradition, and by the very nature of sport there are one or two guys who you would expect to be there who aren’t.

“If you’re lucky to get up there, then it will be remembered for all time and that is satisfying in itself.

“It would be a fantastic way for Sachin to reach 100 hundreds. It would be a fairy tale, but I am not a big fan of those sort of fairy tales, to be honest with you. I prefer our own.”

England’s skipper, though, realises that there could be very little his side can do to stop a player that already has 51 Test tons and 48 one-day hundreds to his name.

  And having hit four tons at Lord’s himself, Strauss will also remember that the last time he had Test success against India with twin tons in Chennai, Tendulkar reached 103 not out to win the game. “I’m not thinking of records,” India’s talisman claimed last week. “I’m just thinking of enjoying this tour, the secret to any performance is not chasing records.”

Yet it is the records that define Tendulkar and make him the stand-out batsman in either side.

There have been more elegant batsmen like David Gower, or more destructive batsmen like Ricky Ponting, or more match-turning batsmen like Brian Lara.

But where Tendulkar beats them all is with his sheer numbers and volume of runs together with a longevity that puts every other cricketer to shame.

   Without the records Tendulkar would not be worshipped like he is by a billion people so, on the occasion of the 2,000th Test match of all time, the ­question is whether he will get there this week.

And there is no doubt that Tendulkar’s team-mates will be doing whatever they can to help him out.

“I hope he gets there in this match, it would make it the perfect numbers game,” said Zaheer Khan. “It has been such a privilege to play with him and see him reach so many fantastic landmarks, this would be the perfect way for him to get his 100th hundred – in the 100th game between England and India and the 2,000th Test match.

“We all know he will get there, it is just a matter of when and the whole team is behind him to do it at Lord’s and create history for himself there.”

Tendulkar has already been honoured ahead of the game by being named in the ICC’s greatest Test XI of all time after an online poll.

However, with eight of the team coming from India and Australia, and with every player having played in 1994 or later bar Sir Donald Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar, the side should be taken with a pinch of salt.

After revealing the side, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat continued to pile pressure on India to adopt the umpire decision review system which is hardly in use this series.

He said: “I am ­disappointed some sides do not want to use it because I am a believer in technology. It has worked and I hope those that don’t believe in it will soon be persuaded.”

The 2,000th Test match - Test number 2000 gets underway at Lord's‎

    The series opener between India and England at Lord's on Thursday marked the 2000th match in the 134-year history of Test cricket and also the 100th between the two countries.

The four-match series is being touted as the fight between the two best teams of the world.

England, who need to win the four-Test series by a margin of 2-1 or 3-1 to become the top-ranked Test side, have not won two Tests in a home series against India since the 3-0 win in 1974.

If India win or draw, they will hold on to the number one spot. If England win 1-0, they will replace South Africa from number two in the rankings while India will stay on top.

But equations could change if England win the historic series 4-0. They will then become the No.1 Test side and India will slip to third position behind South Africa.

India have not lost a single series under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy and have won six of their last nine assignments.

England, on the other hand, lost 1-0 to West Indies before holding on for a 1-1 draw in South Africa in 2009-10.

But after that, they registered emphatic series wins against Pakistan at home and Australia away.

Out of the 99 Tests played between the two teams so far, India have won 19 Tests and lost 34. But the visitors' display in England since 2000 has been encouraging, winning five Tests and losing two.

They registered a come-from-behind victory to level the series 1-1 in 2002, and went on to win 1-0 in 2007 after winning the second Test at Trent Bridge.

A cause for concern in the Indian dressing room is their poor record at Lord's, the venue for the first Test. Apart from their sole win in 1986, they haven't had much success, losing ten Tests at the venue.

In contrast, England have won 12 and lost three matches at the venue since 2000.

At Lord's, India have played 15 Tests -- won one, lost 10 while four resulted in a draw.

The match assumes significance for India's batting champion Sachin Tendulkar who is just one short of an incredible milestone of 100 international centuries.

As far as another individual record is concerned, if Dhoni takes one more catch, he will set the record for most catches by an Indian wicket-keeper in Tests. Both Dhoni (57 Tests) and Kirmani (88 Tests) have 160 catches to their credit.

Monday, July 11, 2011

India win Test series after draw with West Indies


       Shivnarine Chanderpaul recorded his 23rd Test century as West Indies and India drew the third Test with the tourists clinching the series 1-0.

Chanderpaul's unbeaten 116 helped salvage a draw for the West Indies
         India were chasing a target of 180 after the hosts compiled a second innings total of 332, including Chanderpaul's gritty unbeaten 116.

But with India, who travel to England later this month, on 94-3 the captains agreed to an early finish and the draw.

Chanderpaul also earned his 133rd Test cap, a West Indian record.

"It is always an honour to become the most capped Test cricketer. It just shows what hard work can do for you," said Chanderpaul.

"The whole series I was getting out in 20s and 30s, so I was very happy to carry on past the three-figure mark."

India failed to get to grips with not only Chanderpaul but Fidel Edwards (30) as the pair shared an eighth-wicket stand of 65 that lasted 37 overs.

Edwards then took the new ball and struck with the first delivery - trapping Abhinav Mukund leg before wicket.

Ravi Rampaul struck twice to dismiss Murali Vijay for 45 and Suresh Raina for eight before the game ended when it was clear India were no longer chasing the target.

"We decided to call it off because the gamble was quite high for us, we were risking a series win.

"I think we did our best, and had a go, but we then realised it was not worth it, and called it a day," skipper Mahendra Dhoni explained.

India will now turn their attention to the first Test against England at Lord's on July 21.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy, meanwhile, was delighted with his team's fighting effort in front of a sizeable final-day crowd at Windsor Park.

"We are very pleased with this result, and the way the crowd responded to us made it feel like a Twenty20 game and that we had won," he said.

"It shows that when we, as a team, go out there and fight, the Caribbean people still love us, and it was pleasing to see them turn out in their numbers over the last few days and support us."

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Woes continue at Sri Lanka Cricket but sports minister keeps mum

    It has been almost two months since the end of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, and the World Cup Secretariat in Sri Lanka, who were earlier given one month to settle their accounts, have failed to do so.

  Twenty-nine million rupees from the sale of World Cup tickets has still not reached SLC headquarters. Close to one billion rupees needs to be paid to the contractors, suppliers and construction companies, who were hired before the World Cup.

When a country hosts a major tournament like a World Cup, it stands to gain a good amount of money. For instance, when Sri Lanka hosted the Under 19 World Cup, some time back, the authorities utilised the money to install water sprinklers to the grounds. What we have now is the cricket board struggling without money.

Recently, SLC officials found it hard to find the 22 million rupees needed to pay salaries for 300 plus employees. The salaries for May 2011 were settled with a bank loan.

In the midst of all this, the interim committee chairman Somachandra de Silva has flown to England on one month leave.

Speaking to a journalist from India, earlier this month, he said that there will be no elections at SLC, and the interim committee will continue. How can he say so when the Supreme Court has suggested the sports minister to look into ways of holding an election? Doesn’t this amount to contempt of court?

Somachandra de Silva’s nephew Suraj Dandeniya, who was the director of the World Cup Secretariat, appearing on TV, said the case had been dismissed. In fact, the case is still on. Once again, one can say it too is contempt of court.

The media has highlighted time and again the shady dealings of the cricket interim committee and the widespread corruption at SLC headquarters. And for the first time in the history the cricket in this country, officials have been summoned to appear before the COPE committee.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the International Cricket Council members have had a discussion as to how to tackle government appointed cricket committees around the world. They are looking at the manner in which the International Rugby Board has discouraged such practices by member countries.

At present, cricket boards in three countries – Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Zimbabwe – are under political influence.

The sports minister, who appoints the interim committee, is confident that cricket administration is fine. He stated this even in Parliament. It appears as though he doesn’t care about these allegations, or malpractices by the cricket interim committee. That's very strange.

In recent days, the sports minister appointed a committee to investigate how various sports bodies on the island functioned, and based on the committee’s recommendations he has decided to hold fresh elections for some sports bodies and appoint interim committees for others.

But the said committee and the sports minister didn’t conduct any investigation on cricket, despite the media highlighting SLC's ills on a daily basis. Is the minister afraid to take any action, fearing he would suffer the same fate of his predecessor CB Ratnayake, who paid the price for criticising the cricket committee? Or is he simply protecting his friends in the cricket interim committee?

When former captain Hashan Tillakaratne made passing comments about the involvement of Sri Lankan cricketers in match fixing during a TV show, the sports minister made a big fuss. The CID was directed to hold an inquiry, and the minister even spoke at parliament about the issue. But he was tight-lipped when it came to corruption on the part of the interim committee running cricket.

We give the minister an opportunity to show that he is really interested in cricket, safeguarding the players and protecting the game. If he can answer the following ten questions genuinely, we will count him as a good politician and an unbiased person.

1. How many are employed at SLC, and how much money is needed for their monthly salaries, food and other expenses?

2. How much was paid to those who were recruited to work during the World Cup?

3. How were the volunteers and helpers on duty during the World Cup treated?

4. How much money was spent to build the three venues for the World Cup, and how much money is to be paid to the contractors, suppliers and construction companies?

5. The cricket board officials hired helicopters to visit grounds in Hambantota and Pallekele. What was the cost?

6. How many tickets, and at what cost were, printed for the World Cup? How many additional complimentary tickets were printed for matches in Pallekele?

7. How much money is outstanding from the sale of tickets?

8. At the World Cup secretariat, how many people were employed as full time workers and for what salaries?

9. An amount of 15 million rupees has been distributed among the employees at the cricket board after the World Cup. Did the ICC allocate this money?

10. The baggage boys and liaison officers for the World Cup were entitled to allowances. Did they get this money?

The author is the coach of Baduraliya Cricket Club and the former sports editor of the Lakbima newspaper in Sri Lanka.

Barcelona wins the Champions League Final

Eric Abidal lifts the cup as Barcelona win the Champions League

Barcelona delivered a masterclass to inflict another Champions League final defeat on Manchester United as Lionel Messi inspired an emphatic victory at Wembley.
Manchester United's hopes of emulating their first European Cup final success here against Benfica in 1968 foundered as Barcelona deservedly repeated their win against Sir Alex Ferguson's side in Rome two years ago.

The pattern of an entertaining game bore an uncanny resemblance to events in the Stadio Olimpico in 2009 as United started with optimism and intent before being swamped by Barcelona's brilliance.

Pedro gave Barcelona the lead from one of the many wonderful passes played by Xavi - but Wayne Rooney lifted the gloom during a torrid spell for United with a fine equaliser following a swift exchange with Ryan Giggs.

Barcelona responded by cranking up what Ferguson labelled their passing "carousel" after the break, with man-of-the match Messi at the centre of events as he tortured United.

Messi's magical feet were decorated by luminous green boots but it was his talent that illuminated Wembley and United's night was effectively over once he restored Barcelona's lead with a powerful drive early in the second half.

David Villa's spectacular third emphasised the gulf in class between the sides and United never threatened to mount the sort of dramatic recovery that has become their trademark.

Ferguson and his players were disconsolate at the final whistle as the nightmare of Rome was revisited but there was no shame in their defeat by one of the finest club sides the game has seen.

There was to be no fulfilling of the destiny United hoped was theirs and no dream conclusion to goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar's glittering career as he was powerless to prevent Barcelona's constant wave of beautifully crafted moves.

And as veteran Paul Scholes, who made a brief appearance as substitute, walked up to collect his losers' medal, thoughts turned to whether this was also his final bow as he considers his future at Old Trafford.

United had hoped to add a fourth victory in Europe's elite club tournament to a record 19th domestic title - instead they received a brutal lesson in the standards they must achieve from the Barcelona benchmark.

Ferguson insisted he had learned the lessons of defeat in Rome but the same problems swiftly resurfaced as Barcelona stamped their authority on midfield and Messi roamed free to inflict damage, adding another Champions League final goal to the one that sealed victory against United in their previous meeting.

United may dominate in England but Barcelona demonstrated once more, in front of Wembley and an estimated television audience of 300m, that they are peerless on the European stage.

Ferguson, as expected, opted to keep faith with the attacking partnership of Rooney and Javier Hernandez - but there was bitter disappointment for leading scorer Dimitar Berbatov, who failed to even make the substitutes' bench, Michael Owen getting the nod.

United's intentions were clear in the opening exchanges with a high-tempo approach designed to deny Barcelona time and space while pushing them back towards their own goal.

After early encouragement, however, Barcelona settled into their smooth passing style and started to give United a rough ride as they struggled to maintain any measure of authority and control was lost.

Pedro flashed the first ominous sign with a shot just wide before Van der Sar saved well low down from Villa. The goal was coming and it duly arrived after 27 minutes.

Xavi had been immaculate on the ball, dictating terms at every opportunity, and another masterly piece of creation played in Pedro, who had time to wrong-foot Van der Sar with a simple finish.

United's thoughts were scrambled as Barcelona moved the ball around with ease. Ferguson cut an agitated figure in the technical area as he pleaded with his players to concentrate in the face of the Catalans' domination.

It needed a moment of inspiration to lift United's spirits and Rooney provided it with the equaliser after 34 minutes. He exchanged passes with Giggs before sweeping a right-foot finish high past Victor Valdes.

Barcelona were swift to regain their composure and almost restored their advantage seconds before the interval when Messi somehow failed to apply the final touch to Villa's cross inside the six-yard area.

United were out early for the second half, presumably with the words of Ferguson ringing in their ears, while Barcelona waited in the players' tunnel for the resumption.

And when it did, Barcelona simply picked up the theme that characterised the first half. Van der Sar did well to block Alves' attempt and Patrice Evra was forced to scramble back towards his own goal to head away Messi's follow-up.
Messi roars with delight after putting Barcelona 2-1 up at Wembley
Messi's golden talent is unquestioned, but he had been helped by United's failure to get close enough to halt his advances. It was a hazardous occupation and the heavy price was finally paid after 54 minutes.

The Argentine took full advantage of United's failure to close him down 25 yards out by flashing a shot past Van der Sar with minimum backlift. The finish was central and close to the keeper but it was struck with astonishing power.

Messi was toying with United and Van der Sar was grateful to save with his legs as he threatened once more. He then played in Alves, whose shot was stopped on the line by Fabio before Xavi ripped in another finish that was held by the Dutchman.

Ferguson attempted to stem Barcelona's tide by sending on Nani for Fabio in a positive move - but seconds later Barcelona struck again to give the scoreline a more realistic appearance.

Villa has had a mixed first season at the Nou Camp but his enduring class was evident when he curled a precise shot high past the outstretched arms of Van der Sar after 69 minutes.

The rest of the game was merely a conclusion of the formalities as Barcelona lifted the famous trophy for the fourth time and United were left to wonder how they can halt what seems to be an unstoppable force.

Will look to carry IPL momentum into WI Test series:Murali Vijay

      Basking in the glory of Chennai Super Kings' second successive IPL triumph, the team's batting hero in the finals, Murali Vijay, said he would now aim to carry his fine form into India's Test series against the West Indies next month. Vijay's 52-ball 95 was the cornerstone of Chennai Super Kings' mammoth total of 205 in the IPL finals which the Royal Challengers Bangalore failed to chase and lost by 58 runs.

"I am enjoying this moment and looking to improve on all aspects of my cricket, batting and everything. I am looking forward to join the Indian team in the Tests in which I really want to carry the momentum and do well," said the opener who has been picked for the three-match series in the Caribbean starting June 20.

For now, Vijay said he was savouring the CSK's triumph.

"I really feel happy. It has been an absolute team effort. I am really happy to be part of the Unit," he said.

"I was confident about my tasks and did not worry much about anything. Everybody in our team was performing well. I raised hand and said to myself that this is going to be my day and I succeeded," he added about his knock which comprised four fours and six sixes.

About last night's match, Vijay said he just stuck to the basics and the rest fell in place.

"Actually, I was not trying to do anything differently. I was trying to see the ball and hit it. I know that if I bat well for the first six over, then I can take it from there. I was just working on the basics," Vijay explained.

"It was a crucial match for us and I wanted to grab the chance to do well. I am happy for my teammates because they really supported me. Without their effort it would not have been easy for me. My thanks go to the CSK members," he said.

Asked whether he was disappointed about missing out on a hundred, Vijay said the thought struck him only after he had finished celebrating the win.

"A bit now. But at that time I was trying to hit the ball. I am happy that the team has won," he said.

The 27-year-old said he was under pressure during the final.

"It a knockout game. That itself is a pressure on everybody. If I say that I was not under pressure, it is not right. As a professional, I have got to cope with it. That is a real challenge to me. I think we have done well as a team to retain the IPL trophy," he said.

Vijay praised CSK teammate, off-spinner R Ashwin, for his fine performance with the ball.

"Ashwin has been really bowling well for the last two months in the domestic circuit and for the Indian team. I hope he will keep doing well for the country. It has been really good for him and I am happy for him," he said.

Despite feud with WICB, Gayle could make squad for India series

     They might be at loggerheads with the West Indies Cricket Board, but explosive batsman Chris Gayle and pacer Jerome Taylor could still make it to the national squad for the upcoming ODI series against India. The two players' decision to compete in the IPL after recovering from injuries had not gone down well with the WICB. The duo ended up offending the Board all the more by claiming that the WICB did not check on their injuries while they were recovering.

But despite the controversy, WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire said it was up to the selectors to pick the best squad for the series starting June 4.

"I think at the end of the day the selectors will sit and select the players they feel will best represent the West Indies and within the selection policy," Hilaire told the 'Trinidad and Tobago Express'.

Hilaire said the selectors would be free to pick the squad and there would be no interference from the WICB officials.

"The directors do not sit at selection committee meetings, I do not interact with the selection committee when they are deliberating," Hilaire explained.

"But at the end of the day, (selectors) will stand to scrutiny as to whether that team is in keeping with (WICB) policy, the same way the public will ask them questions," he said.

Hilaire said he expects the senior players in the squad to act as mentors and to help build a strong team.

"You need senior players who can help nurture the other players as they come along and that would be the ideal situation to have and the Board would want to have such a situation," Hilaire said.

"As long as we have senior players who are willing to perform that role as mentor and provide support for the young players coming in, the Board will always be receptive to having players like that in the team."

Queried specifically on Gayle and Taylor's comments about being left to fend for themselves during their injury problems, Hilaire said, "In (Gayle's and Taylor's) particular case the Board actually, after it received all the information from the medical panel, put out the chronology of events in how the panel managed the players.

"I have no question in my mind that the professionals involved have been doing an excellent job, and the players (are still) expressing dissatisfaction. If somebody is dissatisfied, you have to find out why they're dissatisfied and to make sure it doesn't happen again," he added.

MS Dhoni enjoys Champions League football final after IPL win

     The victorious Chennai Super Kings players celebrated their IPL triumph partying hard till the wee hours on Sunday while their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoyed the pulsating Champions League football final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

  According to an eye-witness, the Indian captain along with his wife Sakshi Singh Rawat went straight to their room to catch up the last 45 minutes of the final of world's most prestigious club football tournament.

It is a well known fact that Dhoni is an ardent United fan and must have been disappointed after the Red Devils from England lost 1-3 to the Catalan giants.

"Dhoni might have been a touch disappointed after United's defeat but nonetheless he did not show if off. He joined the party late and was seen mixing up with the players, cheering them," a hotel source informed.

After nearly two months of high voltage action, the CSK players let their hair down by partying at the Park Sheraton Hotel's famous discotheque 'Dublin'.

Dhoni and Sakshi said to have joined the others after the Champions League final got over. However the couple didn't stay long and retired to their room while others continued to party.

Some of the CSK players enjoyed small get-togethers in their respective rooms as most of the Indian players had morning flight to catch.

The hit opening pair of Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay, who laid the foundation of the big win against Bangalore, partied together at the latter's room till early hours of Sunday morning.

Around afternoon today, almost all domestic players of the team left for airport for their respective cities. The overseas players are expected to leave by today evening.

Some of the overseas and domestic players were seen wishing the West Indies-bound Indian team members of CSK to do well at the Caribbean.

Award and Prizes of IPL Season 4 2011 - { Prize Money of IPL 4 } - 2011 IPL Awards List with Prize Money


After 74 matches, the champions remains the same as Chennai Super Kings defend their title by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs in the final. During the season lot of records has been made and broken and lot of new players shines. Find the awards and prizes for all the category.


        2011 IPL Season ends with another cheers for MS Dhoni. Back to Back cups is what he was looking for and finally he got it as well. It was really a great team performance by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under the captaincy of MR. COOL MS Dhoni. Royal Challengers Bangalore played nicely whole season but ends with losing IPL 4 Final against CSK. Its been nice to see top 2 teams of the points table fight for the IPL Trophy. Both teams were able to win it but we all know that only one can win and one have to lose. Winning road is still on for MS Dhoni. Lets see what IPL 4 gave to the Players and Teams in below given IPL Awards List of IPL 4 in 2011.

Winning DLF IPL 4 Trophy -  Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Got Around Rs. 10 Crore

Winning DLF IPL 4 Trophy -  Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Got Around Rs. 10 Crore

Runner-up DLF IPL 4 - Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Got Around Rs. 5 Crore
Runner-up DLF IPL 4 - Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Got Around Rs. 5 Crore


IPL 4 Third Place:   Mumbai Indians (MI) Got Around Rs. 1 Crore
IPL 4 Third Place:   Mumbai Indians (MI) Got Around Rs. 1 Crore


Man of the Match Final -                   Murali Vijay (CSK) - Rs. 5 Lac
IPL 4 Final Maximum sixes Award - Murali Vjay (CSK)
Man of the Match Final - Murali Vijay (CSK) - Rs. 5 Lac

IPL 4 Final Karbonn Kamaal Catch - MS Dhoni (CSK)
IPL 4 Vodafone Star of the Match - MS Dhoni (CSK) [FINAL]
IPL 4 Vodafone Star of the Match - MS Dhoni (CSK) [FINAL]


Man of the Series - Chris Gayle (RCB) - Rs. 5 Lac
Man of the Series - Chris Gayle (RCB) - Rs. 5 Lac

IPL 4 Best inning – Paul Valthaty 119* Runs Got Volkaswagen Vento Car
IPL 4 Best Individual Performance in IPL 4:  Paul Valthaty
IPL 4 Best Individual Performance in IPL 4:  Paul Valthaty

Orange Cap - Chris Gayle (RCB) - Rs. 10 Lac
Orange Cap - Chris Gayle (RCB) - Rs. 10 Lac

Purple Cap - Lasth Malinga (MI) - Rs. 10 Lac
Purple Cap - Lasth Malinga (MI) - Rs. 10 Lac

 IPL 4 Rising Star of the Year: Iqbal Abdulla Got Rs. 10 Lac
IPL 4 Rising Star of the Year: Iqbal Abdulla Got Rs. 10 Lac

IPL 4 Maximum Catches in the Tournament: Kieron Pollard Got Rs. 10 Lac
IPL 4 Maximum Catches in the Tournament: Kieron Pollard Got Rs. 10 Lac

IPL 4 Golden Player Award: Chris Gayle Got Rs. 5 Lac
IPL 4 Golden Player Award: Chris Gayle Got Rs. 5 Lac

 IPL 4 Kingfisher Fair Play Award: Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai_Super_Kings
IPL 4 Kingfisher Fair Play Award: Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

IPL 4 Best Pitch and Outfield: Punjab Cricket Association
IPL 4 Best Pitch and Outfield: Punjab Cricket Association

Photos - Chennai retain IPL title, defeat Bangalore by 58 runs

Chennai retain IPL title, defeat Bangalore by 58 runs


R Ashwin dismissed Bangalore's openers
Dwayne Bravo's spectacular attempt to catch the ball
Chris-Gayle-out-on-duck-by-R.Ashwin-IPL-final-match
M Vijay and Michael Hussey added 159 for the first wicket
M Vijay launches one of several sixes
Michael Hussey pulls for six
MS Dhoni sends one over long-on
Shadab Jakati had AB de Villiers lbw

M Vijay has rarely converted his starts this IPL and Michael Hussey hasn't sparkled in the previous few games. So what they do on the day of the big finale? They amass a sizzling 159-run partnership to launch Chennai to a massive total at the Chidambaram Stadium. R Ashwin then derailed the chase by packing off Gayle for a duck in the first over. Game over.

It was the ease with which the runs flowed and the calm manner in which they were accumulated by the Chennai openers that caught the eye. There were several big shots but nearly all of them were in conventional zones. There was just one bad shot in the first 14 overs. Just one. In the 10th over, Vijay had just played a nonchalant flick that sailed just clear of a lunging Luke Pomersbach on the deep-midwicket boundary. He then tried to slog the next ball across the line and edged it to the leg side. The reaction of the players reflected their awareness of the need to keep adrenalin in check: Vijay shadow practiced a straighter arc of the bat and Hussey rushed across to have a long chat.

For the duration of the partnership, which lasted 14.5 overs, they complemented each other with contrasting approaches. Hussey punctuated his bunts, chips and drives with the occasional big hit - the highlight was a monstrous heave off Syed Mohammad that crashed into the roof beyond wide long-on. Vijay went the other way. He punctuated his flamboyant on-the-up hits with quieter punches for singles and twos. They both ran between the wickets hard and fast and the scoring-rate never flagged. Vijay grew increasingly tired but it was Hussey who fell first, swatting a full toss from Mohammad to long-on. By then, they had laid a great platform.

It was Vijay who started the mayhem off the final delivery of the second over with a special shot. It was a short-of-length delivery with little room for maneuvering, or so it seemed, but Vijay wafted it on the up and through the line for a flamboyant six over long-on. Hussey pulled the next delivery, from Zaheer Khan, over the backward square-leg boundary to launch the assault. They repeated that double-dose of sixes again. Hussey swung the final delivery of the fifth over, bowled by Mohammad, over the midwicket boundary and Vijay lifted the next ball, from Chris Gayle, over long-on. Chennai reached 56 for 0 in six overs and kept going from strength to strength.

They started their bowling in the same way. Ashwin just needed three deliveries to remove the chief thorn in their path. The first two turned sharply away from Gayle before the third swerved in from round the stumps and skidded on to collect the edge from an attempted cut. de Villiers reeled off a few big shots but was trapped by Shadab Jakati and Suresh Raina had Kohli lbw to sew up the game for Chennai.

In contrast Bangalore slipped on the little things that matter on this stage. In the Powerplay, there were three instances of fielders succumbing to adrenalin rushes and indulging in needless throws; one, from Saurabh Tiwary, even went to the boundary. Pomersbach could have done a better job in seizing that chance from Vijay in the 10th over, and S Aravind messed up an opportunity to run out Hussey in the 12th over. Vijay, the non-striker, had called Hussey for a risky single and Aravind, the bowler who picked up the ball at short mid-on, flung it wide at the non-striker's end. There was another instance in the 11th over when the bowler, Mohammad, flung himself full stretch to his right but couldn't hang on to a difficult chance offered by Vijay. It was that kind of day. Things just didn't go right for Bangalore and everything went according to script for Chennai.