India and England win !

In a Grand Reversal, England beat Australia to retain the Ashes and India drubbed SA by 87 runs !

Great resiience was displayed by Indians. They were all out for 200 odd and then they came back and bowled SA out for 131 !. Then they batted well for 220 odd and then bowled SA for 215 ! Full marks to ZAK, Sreeshant, Ishant and Bajji !

VVS Laxman, the touch artist, was adjudged Man of the Match, for his great innings of 96, which tilted the match in the tourists' favour !

In the other match, England won hands down. After Australia's capitulation for 98 in the first innings, England scored 513, thanks to Trott scoring 168 not out. Siddle's 6/75 was the only consolation for the Aussies. Then in the second innings Aussies were bundled out for 255. England keep the Ashes ! What happened to the Australian Empire?

In Tests, India is numero uno with 129 points and in ODIs she is No 2 with 121 points.

Indian batting falters against SA pace !

India were 136/9, in a rain affected pitch at the Centurion. Hats off to the RSA bowlers.

It was the pace and swing of M Morkel ( 4/20 ) and Dale Steyn ( 3/34 ) that did the Indian's in.

In the other match, Mitchell Johnson's 6/38, shattered England's hopes. All that they could muster was only 187, conceding a first innings lead to Australia.

Non stop Cricket fiesta today !

From 0800 AM onwards we have the Ashes live. At 0200 PM, the India SA First Test starts. Non stop cricket for about 12 hours !

Now ( at 0840 AM 0, Aussies are struggling at 28/3. Tremlett removed Hughes and Clarke while Anderson claimed Ponting. Collingwood dived to take an astonishing catch off Ponting. Now Hussey and Watson are at the crease. Tremlett, bowling at around 135 kph, moved the ball both ways.

Strauss took a risky decision to bowl first and his decision was proved right, as both Tremlett and Anderson fired.

ZAK or Zaheer Khan may not play in the first Test, due to injury. This series is a fight for supremacy for the top spot in Tests. If ZAK is not fit, who is going to play instead of him is a good question.

The secret weapon of RSA is pace. Rising sharp delivery which will tear into the Indian batsmen, who have a dislike for the fast, short pitched deliveries. Let us see whether the Indian batsmen are prepared enough to handle South African pace.

Meanwhile TC Mathew, President of KCA, is going to meet the CM for the Edakochi Cricket Stadium. Hopkins Architects of London is going to design the Stadium. In 2011, the IPL matches will be on the GCDA Kochi Stadium, which is only a general stadium, not a cricket stadium. The Edakochi Cricket Stadium will be inaugurated in 2012, when the Kochi IPL matches will be played.

Now Aussies are 47/4. Finn removed Shane Watson. English bowlers are bowling superbly, with lateral movement. What is happening to the Australian Empire ?

Brownwash by India

NZ were defeated comprehensively in the last ODI by eight wickets, as Indian bowlers devastated the NZ batsmen. They bowled them out for 103.

P Kumar drew the first blood when he had Guptill caught behind, when the score was zero. Then Nehra had the dangerous Brendon out leg before. Then the spinners took over ( Ashwin three wickets, Yuvraj two ) and NZ were all out for 103!

India were 10/2, when both Gambhir and Kohli were out cheap. Then Parthiv scored his second consecutive 50 and Yuvraj scored 42 no and the match was over.

A great 5-0 sweep by India !

India is fancied for the 2011 World Cup, according to Vivian Richards.

Now that India had done well against NZ, she also will have to do well against mighty South Africa. It is good that the South African tour is round the corner, as it will give India great preparation for the World Cup. We have the World Cup starting on Feb 12th and the IPL, an equally important event starting on Apr 8th.

Pathan strikes form !

Y Pathan never struck form in ODIs or T20s for India, though he had played some sterling knocks in IPL matches. But yesterday was the day when he struck form.

The hour findeth the man and Y Pathan was the man of the hour. In a great display of scintillating batting, Pathan blasted 7 sixes and 7 fours in a great matchwinning innings of 123 not out.

India were 188/5, needing 316, when S Tiwari walked in to partner Pathan. An unconquered 133 partnership between the two saw India home.

Earlier, a glorious innings by Franklin ( 98 no ) saw NZ finishing at 315/7. The NZ batsmen, away from pressure, attacked the Indian bowlers and 315 is a good score indeed.

India lost two quick wickets, that of the inform Gambhir and Kohli at 68. Yuvraj was out when the score was 103 and Parthiv Patel was out for 53, when the score was 108. Rohit scored a useful 44, but then holed out to Vettori and the score was an abysmal 188.

Then the great partnership began. Tiwari was 37 no off 39 balls, with 2 fours and a six. Pathan's blazing ton, 123 no, was off 96 balls, with seven fours and seven sixes.

Indians are glad Pathan has struck form. His potential is now acutalised and we expect more such thunderous innings from him. As for the young Tiwari, he has withstood immense pressure and came out with flying colors !

Kerala Brand takes off !

Kerala's 40 billion dollar economy, growing at 14% is ranked 9th. She is growing at 14% and contributes 4% to Indian 1.2 tr dollar GDP.

She is at the moment undercapitalised and potential unactualised.

Her software is growing at 40% and Tourism at 25%. ( V S claimed that K's sw exports are now 3000 crores, forgetting that Karnataka's is 30,000 cr ). Her tourism nets in 13000 cr and may go upto 16000 cr or 3.5 billion dollars this year. Kerala is promoting it as Responsible Tourism and Eco Tourism, where the Ecology is preserved for posterity.


Immense growth is forecast with the inception of the Kochi team, as Kerala will be marketed via IPL matches ! Brand Kerala is now in the minds of the Kerala entrepreneurs and Kerala's Ayurveda, Software, Tourism, Yoga and Cuisine will be marketed under the Kerala Brand.

Keralam ennu kettalo thilakkanam..............................

Upto 1980, Kerala was an unknown destination. Then Kerala Tourism developed it. Walter Mendis called Kerala " God's Own Country " and Mike Smith " a heavenly state". The immnense greenery, imparted by the two major monsoons, is the cause of beauteous Kerala.

For more info, pls check Kerala Heritages

Kochi will play in IPL IV

Kochi will be the eighth team to play in IPL IV,which begins from Apr 8th onwards. Rajastan Royals and Punjab were disqualified, but then they had contested that decision and the matter is in court.

The BCCI had cleared the Kochi team, as the Kochi team's ownership had passed scrutiny. The decision was given today afternoon, as the BCCI had deferred the decision by a week.

Down Under, Pietersen's double ton had checked Australi. He is 213 no out,of a massive 551/4 ! Cook scored 148 and England holds the upper hand.

Gambhir 126 no seals the fate of the series !

Gambhir's consecutive hundred sealed the fate of the India NZ series. This is his 9th ODI hundred.

Kohli continued his dazzling form and was 64 no. There were two century partnerships, one between M Vijay and Gambhir and the other between Gambhir and Kohli.

Let us hope India will move up in ICC Rankings. This is the triumph of Young India ! Hats off to the captain, Gambhir !

Gambhir lofts India to victory

A great innings by the skipper Gambhir saw India home. Gambhir scored 138 no, Kohli, 64 and M Vijay, 33.

It was Sreeshant's swing which did the New Zealanders in. Sreeshant was the pick of the bowlers and confounded the NZ batsmen with his controlled swing. He took 4/47 ! NZ could only muster 258 and India scored 259/2 !

It is time NZ improved their bowling performance. India is formidable on Indian soil. Now India leads 2-0 in the five match series.

The Indian batsmen seem to be not at all bothered about NZ bowling. NZ attack must be more penetrative !

Indian bowlers should be complimented the way they came back, after some lacklustre performance in the first two Tests. In the last Test and the two ODIs, they came back strongly, thanks to Sreeshant and Co !