Sunday, October 24, 2010

India move to No 2 spot in ODIs





India won the ODI series 1/0 against Australia, as the Goa ODI was abandoned due to rain. Same thing had happened to the Kochi ODI.

India with 117 points is now at No 2, behind Australia with 130 points.

In Tests, India has 130 points and is poised at No 1. Interesting stats, which boosts the morale of the Indians !

Indians are thrilled at the way the youngsters won the last ODI against Australia, sans Tendulkar and Gambhir ! The way Kohli and Raina rose to the occasion showed the resilience of the Indians !

Let us hope Indians will keep up the same spirits, while trying to redeem India economically !

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Four great match winning innings of late !





India powered her way into world cricket with four astounding wins !

First Laxman spearheaded the new Indian surge with a 103 not out, thus paving the way for a great win over Lanka !

He again with 73 no, powered India to a one wicket win over the redoubtable Aussies !

Then Sachin with his magic wand, with exemplary innningses of 214 and 53 not out, destroyed the mighty Aussies ! His innings was poetry in motion ! India won the series 2-0.

Now Virat Kohli. He came in when India was 0/1 and needing 291 to win. When he left, India were 254/4 ! India had almost won when he left. His 118 off 121 balls will be remembered for a long time !

Now Indians are rising to the occasion, exhibiting cool temparament and presence of mind. These factors were sadly missing from the Indian equation in the pre-Dhoni era !

May India continue her surge !

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Kohli & Raina loft India to victory !




The hour findeth the man and the man today proved to be Virat Kohli. A blistering 118 off 121 balls and India was in the drivers's seat when he left.

India lost Dhawan and Vijay cheap but then Yuvraj with a half century (58) and Kohli with a ton retrieved the situation for India.

Raina's 71 no off 47 balls was simply superb. Tiwari was tied for a while, but then broke the cordon with 2 fours.

A magnificent run chase ! Needing 290 for victory, India finished at 292/5. At one situation, they were 35/2 !

Earlier neither Clarke's century nor the lusty hitting of C White could save Australia. 290 is not a bad score but then the Indians were simply outstanding !

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Sachin and Pujara pull India to victory



The hour findeth the man and C Pujara emerged as a hero. Needing 207 to win, India won by seven wickes, thanks to C Puara ( 72 ) and the Master Blaster ( 53 no ).

A new star has zoomed on the horizon. Pujara is a prolific scorer in domestic cricket and one can say he lived upto his reputation.

Sachin complete his 58th fifty and almost singlehandedly won the match for Inda. In Two Tests, he has more than 401 runs.

India is the No 1 Text team, with 130 points, in ICC Rankings. Australia has slipped to the fifth position.

Monday, October 11, 2010

His 49th hundred is a double hundred !





Sachin was out eventually for 214, but then India had already taken a lead. Now they are 485/6 !

There was one man not at all tired on Monday. That was Sachin ! He batted throughout and never once did he exhibit any tiredness !

He is a living legend. May he score more. Now he has 49 Test hundreds and 46 ODI hundreds !

Tremendous powers of concentration and endurance mark this man. Aussies were bewildered as he went on to his double century ! He had crossed 14000 runs in Test cricket, the highest ever !

He should be knighted. Sir Sachin Tendulkar !

This is the Legend's

sixth century in 2010
second double
98 in the last Test
Total - 1217 this calender year.

Can you believe it ? He has an average of 93.61.

This is his best year, and that too in his 20th year. He seems to be improving all the time. He may go and cross Yousuf's 9 centuries in an year. Many has laughed at him saying that he is over the hill. It is time they did some introspecting !

The fiery spells of Waqar, Wasim and Imran at Karachi on Nov 15th, 1989 greeted him on his debut. A baptism of fire ! From then on he only improved and improved and erased all records in all the three formats of the game. M. Hayden was broadminded enough to comment.... " I have seen God !He bats at No 4 for India "

He did not lose his composure and remained humble and cool. A true professional!



After his debut, he was challenged by Lara, Inzamam ul Huq, Saeed Anwar and finally Ricky Ponting. When you compare him with the great Ponting, he has scored 14000 runs against P's 12026, average 56.02 against 54.66, 49 Test hundreds against Ponting's 39 ! ( in Tests ).

In ODIs, he has 46 hundreds against P's 29, 93 fifties against 79, 17958 runs against 13072, highest 200 no against 160, average 45.12 against 42.85 and strike rate 86.26 against P's 80.64 !

These two Great Ones will battle again and a battle royal is in the offing. Ponting is all geared up to break the jinx against Bajji, on Indian pitches. ( Now Australia are 132/5, with Ponting on 42 ).

Australia has crept upto 202/7, with Ojha taking 3 wickets, Bajji 2 and ZAK and Sreesath one each !

A tense final day is indicated as both will battle for supremacy. Above 200 will not be an easy task for India either !

A grand 308 run partnership !





Sachin's 49th hundred stalled the mighty Aussies. It helped Vijay scored 139 runs in a magnificent 308 run partnership !

Sachin is just 9 short of 200 and may create history tomorrow. Now he has 49 Test hundreds and 46 ODI centuries !

A draw will mean that India will win the series. The match seems to be headed for a draw. And Dhoni is in no hurry to declare !

C Pujara, the new debutant, was out cheap unfortunately. Raina also fell. Except for those two wickets, the day belonged to India.

Sachin still on 191 no is a great solace to India. With Dhoni in no mood to declare, Sachin & the tailenders may go on and on. Thus feel the Indians.

Cricket internet is great with great videos from Youtube. Only IPL does not allow IPL videos to be displayed. Other cricket videos can be displayed. Live cricket is another internet cricket feature. Cricket scores are displayed by cricket widgets from V cricket, which is my favourite cricketing site.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Laxman pulls India to victory !





Laxman has always been the destroyer of the Aussie attack. India needed 92 runs with 2 wickets in hand when in walked I Sharma to partner Laxman. Laxman with his touch artistry scored an invaluable 73 not out, thus snatching victory off the jaws of defeat. It was 124/8 at one stage. Then I Sharma scored a priceless 31 and Ojha partnered the great Laxman and India had beaten the world champions !

Beating Aussies is not easy and full marks to India. The way they bowled in the second innings, the way they never lost their presence of mind and glorious batting by Laxman.

Well done, India. After all, it is mighty Australia you have beaten !