Sreeshant India's lucky charm : Gavaskar

Whenever Sreeshant plays, India win. This 'phenomenon' has been observed of late.

Sreeshant played in the match against BD and India won. He was dropped in the match against England and India did not win !

Sreeshant bowled India to victory against SA in SA, with a haul of five for.

Sreeshant was in the team which won the T20 WC in 2007. He was dropped in the teams for the other WC, which India lost.

This 'phenomenon' prompted Gavaskar to opine "Sree is India's lucky charm. We need all lucky charms, Providence, God's Grace, prayers and talismans for India to win at Bombay " !

There is a popular demand to bring back Sree. In the Malayalam Paper Mathrubhumi, many say he is India's talisman and should be brought back. That India could not win the match against England because there was no third seamer to support the reverse swinging Zaheer and Sree would have won the match ! Bowlers win matches.

Now a warning about England. In the 1987 final, Graham Gooch swept England to victory with a century. The sweep is used to counter spin. It is said that Gooch called the Club spinners of India and practised batting against spin for four days and successfully countered the Indian spin attack and India was out of the Cup. So beware of England. Their intelligence in cricket cannot be underestimated. See how Ian Bell used the sweep against the Indian spinners and blunted them. So England plays spin better than the SAs, the WIs or the Australians !

Pietersen moving to No 1 spot has a hidden meaning. He is eyeing Sachin's record, 200 no ! The Englishmen are professionals and India was surprised at Bangalore !

The opinion that India's fielding was atrocious and bowling mediocre has been voiced by many. Now this is the hallmark of Team India - formidable batting, mediocre bowling and atrocious fielding !

India was weak in all the departments before 1971. The Indian batting improved considerably after the advent of Gavaskar, whose 774 runs in the WI changed Indian cricket forever.

India never had a formidable attack. In 1983, it was a team of bits and pieces men - effective allrounders - who brought home the bacon !

With the entry of Kapil Dev, some respectability crept in to the Indian attack. But then India never had an attack like the formidable pace trio of Australia - Lee, Tait and Johnson.

Indian spin department continued to flourish with the famous quartet of Prasanna, Bedi, Chandra and Venkat. Even today India do not have a dearth of spinners !

India had a lot of good fielders in Pataudi, Solkar etc. But then India could not match either SA or AUS in fielding.

Bowling and Fielding have to be improved, if India is to lift the WC on Apr 2.

Another lucky figure in Indian cricket was Wadekar. A man with Mars exalted in his horoscope, he led India to victory over the mighty WI and England. He was known as a 'lucky' captain. He did not score many runs like Gavaskar and Tendulkar, but was 'lucky'!

LUCK is the make up or break up factor. ( Bhagyanvitha sarva gunair upetha ).

He is respected who has LUCK
Scholar is he, he is the Pundit
Orator he becomes, Philosopher is he,
Fortune(LUCK) is the greatest quality !


Yasyasthi bhagyam sa nara kuleena
Sa Panditha Sa Sruthavan Gunajna
Sa eva Vaktha, sa cha darshaneeya
Bhagyanvitha sarva gunair upetha/


Another lucky figure is Gavaskar himself. It is said that when he made 774 runs in WI, he was dropped 34 times, which made John Snow to remark "I can also score the same amount of runs, if I was dropped 34 times". ! Mars, the sports planet, is exalted in his horoscope.

Tendulkar, another Mars exalted character, also had his slices of luck. LUCK is the X Factor, the Unknown Factor ! It can make you or break you !

We have the ex Minister's, Shashi Tharoor's article on Cricinfo "Is he lucky?". Sashi also says LUCK is the greatest factor. The examples he cites are about two world class spinners, Shivalkar and V V Kumar, who could not make their way into the Indian team, because they lacked LUCK !

Pollard smashes 60 off 27 balls !

Keiron Pollard clicked today, hitting 60 off 27 balls, as WI raced to 330/8. His innings was embellished with five fours and four sixes.

Gayle scored 80, off 110 balls, with seven fours and two sixes as WI amassed 330.

But the match seems to be a one sided one with Netherlands 43/5, with Benn taking 3 wickets and Roach two.

In the other match, Zimbabwe decimated Canada by 175 runs. The Zim spinners routed the Canadians, who were all out for 123. Price took 3/16 and Cremer 3/31.

WI have won the match, as Netherlands were shot out for 115. Roach took 6/27.

Warne a genius to predict a tie : Strauss

This is incredible !

Warne's prediction that the Eng Ind match will be a tie had come true.

"I think Warne is a genius to have predicted that way (a tie). What more can I say." said the sophisticated captain.

In the microblogging site, Twitter, Warne wrote "Looking forward to the game between India and England today, should be a cracker. My prediction a tie!"

At the end of the match, Warne tweeted again "Before u think there was something untoward re prediction of a tie, thought it was going to be a cracker-tie was tongue in cheek-but right."

Strauss was distraught that he could not win the match.

"I feel a little bit sad and a little bit happy. We got to celebrate the fact it is an unbelievable game of cricket. Some great performances were on both sides. Both sides should be partly happy, partly sad."

"The power-play cost us badly. There is no doubt about it. Brilliant performances from both Graeme Swann and Ajmal Shahzad to have taken us to a win almost. But we didn't play well during that power-play, though we have gained confidence in chasing big scores coming into this game after we chased over 290 in the previous tie with the Netherlands."

An incredible match !

Sachin scored his 5th WC century, overtaking the records of Ganguly, Mark Waugh and Ponting yesterday.

Sachin blasted 10 fours and five sixes in a devastating display of batting.

Strauss' reply was grand. He scored 158, a brilliant innings and won the Man of the Match Award.

Yesterday during the time of the toss, an adverse star Moola was ruling ( adverse for India ). We had warned Dhoni, Sehwag and Sachin about the adversity and advised them to be careful !

Was Imran right ? The Dew Factor. The Make Up or Break Up factor. The bowlers will not be able to bowl with a wet ball and this comes as a huge advantage to the team batting second !

India was well poised to reach more than 350, at 300/3. Then England bowled really well and the last seven wickets fell for a mere 38 runs !

Some weaknesses of both teams stand out. Both teams are formidable in batting and mediocre in bowling. The fielding of both was below par. India will have to improve her rate in the death overs and there is a feeling that Kohli and Pathan simply threw their wickets away. But then that was the situation !

After England became the T20 World Champions, their game changed. They thrashed Australia Down Under. They had given so much of their energy in doing so, with the result they were tired when they went in for the ODI series. It is true they were thrashed 6-1 by the Aussies, by Watson & Co, but then they were exhausted !

No wonder, the bookies gave the same odds to Australia and England, 5/1 !

When the last over commenced, I was sitting numb. I had more or less become a nervous wreck. When Sehwag was out, I became nervous and put the Net off. When Strauss and Bell were going strong, I put the TV off. When England lost Bell, then I put on the TV and lo ! Zaheer got Strauss plumb lbw ! Zaheer then clean bowled Collingwood, bowling India back into the game.

I was numb and couldnt move when Munaf started the last over. And when two runs were needed off the last ball, I watched helplessly as the batsman ran for a single and the match was tied. Both Dhoni and Strauss heaved sighs of relief !

When asked whether he is happy with the result, the polite Strauss said at the end of the match " Yes and No. We were in a great position to win after 42 overs. It was a tough target to chase. We got to a position towards victory at the end of the 42nd over, where we need to have good powerplay runs."

"But it was a great game of cricket and great advertisement for the sport. Some ways we are happy, and some ways distraught. But I am privileged to be part of this ODI.

It was an outstanding wicket to bat on."

He said Ian Bell was lucky.

"I do not know it was part of rules but it is luck that he got away with that," Strauss said.

About Powerplay, he said "Powerplay can affect. In fact it affected both ways. The Indians regrouped grabbing the situation. But we got to celebrate the fact that it was an unbelievable act in cricket.

In a 50-over format you can get great performances from both sides. Today both sides are happy party sides."

"Zaheer Khan produced a couple of good balls when it mattered. You need to give credit to the opposition as they responded well to the powerplay overs."

About Bresnan's performance, he said "He was outstanding. There were some good performances all round in batting, bowling and fielding. It was hard to stem the runs. Sachin played brilliantly. I think both teams will carry some positives and negatives from the match."

About his own mammoth innings, he said "It is my best one-day knock, given the importance of the game and in the backdrop of playing in the World Cup and chasing such a total.

In the end I was not really proud of. Of course, if I had stayed we might have won. But that is the way cricket goes."

Pietersen falls ! Strauss scores century !

Pietersen fiercely hit out at Munaf, who blocked the ball and when the ball ballooned up, caught it !

The fall of a Goliath !

England got off to a rousing start, with Pietersen and Strauss putting on 68 quick runs for the first wicket.

Now England are 81/1. Spin was introduced and Chawla's first over was not impressive. The next over Chawla sent was better, even though expensive. Now Bajji and Chawla are bowling.

If England can get some partnerships, England stand a good chance. England has a good batting side, batting right up to No 9. Now Strauss has completed a well compiled 50 and England are 101/1.

Jonathan Trott was in superb form against the Aussies, scoring 137 not out in an ODI. Now he is out to Chawla, lbw for 16! Now Chawla has settled to a length and England are finding it difficult to pick Chawla !

Strauss is going strong on 76 and this is a very crucial phase of the game. The ball is becoming old and Strauss is playing the correct game. Excellent innings so far, with Strauss scoring boundaries off almost each over.

Strauss is batting beautifully. He is on 93. Ian Bell survived a lbw against Yuvraj. Actually the ball would have hit the stumps, but since Bell was down the wicket, he was given not out !

Strauss has scored a superb hundred and England are now 196/2.

Actually Ian Bell was out, Yuvraj knew it and Bell knew it ( He was walking back ). An unlucky decision against India !

England, T20 champions, are not a spent force. They are now 229/2 !

Zaheer now has struck with two wickets off 2 balls, accounting for Bell and Strauss. Strauss departed after a brilliant 158. Bell for 69. Now Prior and Collingwood are at the crease.

India's main bowler, Zaheer strikes, as he clean bowls Collingwood ! Now England have lost half their side and has to score 55 off 34 balls !

England lose their 6th wicket, as Matt Prior lofts one into the hands of Raina, who gleefully accepted it.

Yardy turns one into the hands of Sehwag and the seventh wicket is gone. 307/7!

310/7 with 29 runs off 13 balls !

Chawla is hit for 2 sixes but then he takes revenge by bowling out Bresnan for 14!

11 runs off 4 balls ! This is indeed thrilling ! Shahzad hits a six and England needs 2 runs to win and one to tie. Munaf bowls the last ball and one run is scored. It is a tie!

Both have won. Both played brilliantly and the 50 K crowd and the millions of viewers got their money's worth !

Indian media, do not underestimate England. England batsmen ran up mammoth scores against Australia, thrashing them in the Ashes. Thank God Cook is not there ! England's batting is formidable, as Strauss, Pietersen,Bell, Trott and Collingwood proved ! In the last match, they won by 6 wickets, their score being 296/4 ! Their method is not to lose wickets in the initial overs and their top order, Pietersen, Strauss and Trott is in great form !

Sachin smashes 98th century !

What a beginning ! Sehwag slashes the first ball, Swann gets a finger to it and then it flies for four. Next ball gets the top of Sehwag's bat and it flies over the fielder's head. Next ball Sehag chips one and it goes over Anderson's head. Three chances which could have been taken.

Anderson swung the ball in the first over and Sehwag was lucky !

The first ball of the next over - Sehwag hits it through the covers for four ! Ajmal Shehzad is the bowler bowling at 83 mph ! He is generating fairly good pace, but is not known as a swing bowler like Anderson. The swing bowlers may get some help, as it was overcast conditions for the last two days.

Chawla is playing. India will take advantage of the English weakness against spin on spin tracks ! Swann will of course be dangerous. Yardy also will be dangerous, if the pitch takes spin, but then Indian batsmen play spin well !

We had said in our columns that time before 0250 is adverse. Now India is 33/0.

Sehwag looks confident and so does Sachin. Chawla will come at No 9. NO 7 is of course Y Pathan. No 8 will be Bajji.

Shehzad impressed with his pace, but there was not much swerve in his bowling. It was Anderson who moved the ball and he did impress with his ability to swing !

Sehwag is now out, caught Prior bowled Bresnan. India 46/1 off 8 overs !

India are now 132/1, with Sachin 53 no.

After Sehwag's exit, Gambhir came in and gave a solid stand to Sachin. Sachin ruined the figures of Swann, who went for 26 runs off 4 overs.

The No 3 is very important and Gambhir proved that today. With the loss of the first wicket, India would have in trouble if she had lost another. Gambhir saw to that it did not happen. He is on 41 no. The No 3 can change the game. If he gives a solid performance, the team will be redeemed.

Responsible batsmen win matches. Just see yesterday's game. Misbah and Y Khan, two of the most experienced Pak batsmen, played responsible cricket and guided their team to victory.

Sachin now has hit 2 sixes and 3 fours in his 59 no. Gambhir has hit 4 fours in his 44 no. India 144/1 off 26 overs.

We had earlier remarked in our columns that the Indian batsmen will silence Swann, who said he will silence the Indian crowd. Two mighty sixes by Sachin and Swann may as well forget this match ! 15 runs off that over ! And 41 runs off his 5 overs !

India were all out for 338, with 35 fours and seven sixes. This is a terrific display of batting, as Sachin hit 5 sixes and ten fours. Yuvraj hit a blistering 58 off 50 balls and Dhoni 31 off 25 balls !

Swann gave 59 off his 9 overs. The crowd silenced him !

Bresnan was the most successful of the English bowlers and took 5/48.

Now England have started weill and are 23/0.

This is Sachin's 47th hundred in ODIs. Now he is the leading scorer in the WC with 1944 runs ! He has now taken his tally to 98 international hundreds. Will he complete a century of centuries in this World Cup?

Yuvraj was sent at No 4, in order to keep the left hander - right hander combination going. Gambhir and Sachin were playing well, when Gambhir was out. Then again Yuvraj came in and when Sachin left, the Commander, Dhoni and Yuvraj took over. England bowled well in the death overs, restricting India to 338!

Selection is important : Kumble

Kumble said that there is the threat of rain in Bangalore. Selectors are in the horns of a dilemma regarding selection of the team.

Team selection should be beyond reproach, feels the ace leg spinner. There is the threat of rain which may prompt the selectors to play three spinners.

We dont know whether Nehra will play or Sreeshant will be selected. If the selectors are not worried about the weather, then India will play two seamers and two spinners. Dhoni can use the part time spinners also. Munaf and Zaheer bowled with control against BD. What is needed is wicket to wicket bowling. This controlled bowling will pressurise the batsmen into committing mistakes.

If overcast conditions are there, Sreeshant may be dangerous, but then he has to control his bowling.

This is the pitch where the leg spinner Chawla took 4 wickets against the Aussies in the warm up match. Most probably Chawla may be included.

( Yesterday Pak opened with Akthar and Razzak. There was widespread belief in the Pak camp that Umar Gul had problems in controlling the ball ).

If a fast bowler cannot exercise control, he may be hit for fours and sixes. Batsmen will use the pace of the ball and score freely. Timing batsmen like Sachin and Sehwag can use the pace of the ball and score heavily. Sehwag's Upar Cut is well known ! Balls coming at 140-160 kph is frightening, but once these are connected by the batsmen and timed, God save the ball !

That is why it is said that the sides opposing Australia can go either all out for 50 or that the Kangaroos may go on chasing 500 ! The balls coming at 160/150 kph !

In the last match against the Kiwis, the pitch was a bit wet and it was a sort of a green top. The formidable Aussie quickies extracted life out of the pitch and NZ were reduced to 68/5 ! In the first 20 overs, the match was gone !

Gone are the days of Jaya and Kalu and the method of putting 100 runs in the first 15 overs. Now all teams, including Aus are going back to the traditional way of preserving wickets. If you lose five wickets for 68, then it will be very difficult to redeem the side. It is better to be 100/1 or 200/3 and then launch the final blitzkreig ! Yesterday, SL were going well, when Tharanga had a rush of blood to the head and lofted the ball, spooning a simple catch. The match was gone !

Meanwhile both captains, the maverick Dhoni and the polished Strauss, have come out with comments about the Bangalore match.

"We got a flying start to our campaign, with the win over BD. All matches in this WC are important. We are not attaching too much importance to the match against England. We have no special strategy to trap Pietersen. The Indian strategy is team centric " - Dhoni.

"We are anxious abut playing against India. Pressure is more on India than us. After we won the T20 WC, we are an inspired side. Bowling improved considerably. We have plans to trap Sehwag " - Strauss.

India will win : Amarnath

The Castrol Predictor gives 64% chance for India and 36% for England at Bangalore.

The great all rounder, Amarnath has opined that victory will be India's at Bangalore.

All are expecting a great cricketing war today at Bangalore. For the last two years, England has put in exemplary performance, barring the 6-1 defeat to formidable Australia ! England is not a team to be trifled with, feels M Amarnath, member of the 1983 victorious team which brought India the World Cup.


There are some disconcerting factors for England. Pietersen is not in form and the form of Collingwood is also another disturbing factor. ( even though he has done well with the ball ). Pietersen has moved himeself to the opening slot, but in the ten matches before this WC, he has only managed an average of 25.

Indian batting is far better than England, feels this veteran. There is not enough space in the team for all eight world class batsmen and one of them has to sit out ( Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj, Raina, Kohli, Dhoni and Pathan ). The Indian team has depth with Pathan coming in at No 7, Bajji at 8 and Zaheer at 9. Chawla, who has scored two centuries in one dayers, comes at No 10. Only Munaf is a rabbit with the bat. ( Zaheer and Bajji were seen having batting practice at Bangalore ). Bowling is India's weak link and Zaheer will have to give a spirited performance. Spinners will play a pivotal role and Chawla will play well. Swann can be dangerous also.

Any team can have a bad day in office ! WI imploded at the 1983 final, 140 all out.
Yesterday, SL imploded. Sanga who said that they will chase 280 easily, could not achieve that objective. Akthar sent back Mahela and Thissara, both clean bowled. SL was weakened by the absence of Malinga and Mendis.

Since Moola is ruling till 1450, India will have to be careful. After 0250 PM, Poorvashada, Pooradam will take over. So the toss time will be a bit disconcerting. Extreme caution should be exercised. Sehwag, Yuvraj and Dhoni, be careful ! Care + Diligence = LUCK !

Strauss is hoping that India will take them lightly. " We generally raise our games against better sides " the polite English skipper said.

IPL all rounder Ravi Bopara, said that English spinners can cause problems to Indian batsmen, if a spin track is given. ( This is a theory contradicted by Mathew Hayden, who says Indian batsmen play spin very well, from the cradle itself ! Hayden said that Warne tried to spin too much in India, with the result he was thrashed by Sachin & Co in the Australian tour of India ! ).

Pak bats first in the battle of the subcontinent!

Pak won a good toss and is batting first. Afidi opined that 280 will be a good score on this track and Sanga said he will be happy chasing 280 !

Kapugedara, the hard hitting batsman, was dropped and Chamara De Silva is in. Herath, the left arm spinner, replaces Mendis.

On a slow turning wicket, Pak seems to have the upper hand, as they are now 19/0. No Malinga, no Mendis and the SL attack seems to be a bit less penetrative.

The toss is vital, as the pitch may turn more as the match progresses.

Pak has now progressed to 65/1. Kamran and Hafeez are accelerating and off 10.3 overs, 65 runs have come already. Looks like headed for a big score !

Pak has lost her second wicket, that of Hafeez run out for 32. Now the Pakis are 76/2.

Now they have progressed to 105/3.Herath took K Akman. He was stumped by Sanga off his own bowling.

Even though it is Advantage Pak, SL will fight it out. Pak had won all the six encounters in the World Cup with the Emerald Isle.

Misbah played beautifully for an 83 not out. Y Khan scored 72 and Pak finished at 277/7 !

Now SL has gone off to a good start. They are 62/0.

This is a clash of the Titans, as Pak had won all matches against and SL are the second favourites at 4/1. The bookies have given Pak 8/1.

But Pak is now dominating, as SL has lost 5 wickets for 171. Neither side seem to be formidable, as this match has shown the chinks in the armour of both.

Razzak looks aged and his habit of stopping running after the follow through has been criticised by Akram. Akthar did give glimpes of his genius, but he is 35 years old. The Pak bowling is not formidable as it seems. Nor is the SL batting which is in disarray against Pak bowling.

Pak has won this match and History has repeated itself. By 11 runs. Chasing 280 will be easy, said Sanga but the pressure of the situation, particularly before the home crowd, was too much for the Lankans ! Afridi bowled remarkably well, returning with the figures of 4/31 !

We feel that Australia and South Africa will be formidable opponents !

India's Mr Consistent !

There are three good players and only two slots !

Virat Kohli, facing intense competition from Yuvraj and Raina, came out with sterling performances, scoring 1772 runs in 46 ODIs, with five hundreds, including a maiden WC hundred. His consistency marks him out.

Now it is either Yuvraj or Raina, as Kohli established as India's Mr Consistent with consistent performances.

He is the man who brought the Under 19 World Cup. He is in sublime form. Pathan is another player in good form. Pathan can be a game changer and is one of the most dreaded batsmen in world cricket.

Even though everybody is talking about the Commander, Master and the Lietenant, the other matchwinners of India cannot be ignored. Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj and Pathan can be matchwinners on their days. Even Suresh Raina, who has completed centuries in all the three formats of the game. It is a pity that Raina doesnt have a berth in the star studded Indian side.

We will win World Cup for Murali : Kapugedara

Kapugedara, the SL No 6, is vehement that his team will win the WC for Murali.

"He is a special person, a legend. Everyone in the team wants to give him (Murali) a good send off. We want to win the cup for Murali. It will be a great tribute"- the whirlwind hitter said.

"The Sri Lankan crowd have been very supportive of us, even in bad times. So we are working hard to bring the Cup home again for our supporters too."

A hitter with high potential, Kapugedara, known as Kapu to his teammates said they are ready to meet the fiery Pakis on home soil in front of a supportive SL crowd.

"I think our top order is prepared for the challenge," he said, referring to facing the formidable Paki bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi.

"Our top-order has faced good fast bowlers before. We have had a very good stint in Australia too (last year). The guys are up for the challenge and we are looking forward to delivering the goods.,"

"Pakistan are a good team. A good combination of bowlers and batsmen. Yes the pressure is there when we play them. But then again, we are also a good team with a good combination. Saturday's game should be good." he said.

Johnson loves to bowl on slow tracks

It is said the M Johnson relishes bowling on slow tracks. Ponting is using him as a first change bowler and he loves that !

Indian pitches are reputed to be a fast bowler's graveyard and paradise for spinners.

"(There is) something in the role that I have got as a first change and I enjoy that role a lot," said the demon fast bowler after his 4/43 against the Kiwis.

"It just suits my bowling, I guess, the bang-the-wicket kind of bowling that I like, and the change-ups that I use.

"I just really enjoy the challenges over here of these conditions."

Johnson combines pace with swing and swerve and his bowling is ideally suited for Indian conditions, he averrs.

"I saw the game between the Netherlands and England and it looked like a pretty good wicket," the master of swing bowling said.

"I just had in the back of my mind I wanted to bang it in to the wicket like I did against Zimbabwe and probably not think about it too much but just go out there and enjoy myself."

Meanwhile Bollinger has been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury. Also Dwayne Bravo who injured his leg.

Sehwag survives injury scare !

Sehwag was hit on the left rib by a rising ball from Sreeshant. Thank God he is OK.

Indians dread to go for battle without the inform Sehwag, who is a terror to all opposition bowlers.

Sreeshant is working hard to come back. Yesterday he finished his practice only at 0115PM. Most of his balls were accurate and many times he uprooted the stumps. May he come back into form. His record is OK, having taken 75 wickets in 52 ODIs.

In ODIS,even if one doesnt take wickets, one should not give much runs. Wicket to wicket, controlled bowling is all that is required. Look at Ishant ! He tried to bowl faster and has lost his swing ! You should bowl at 160 kph like Shaun Tait or go for medium fast swing bowling at 140 kph. The Indian bowlers are known for swing. Accuracy is what is needed and Sree is working hard for that. Look at Munaf ! He does not try to bowl faster, but controls his pace and swing. Zaheer can reverse swing the ball, which can be lethal in the death overs !

Chawla will most proabably be playing in Bangalore and India may go with two pacers, Munaf and Zaheer. Which means that Dhoni will have variety in bowling, a leg spinner in Chawla, off spinners in Bajji and Pathan and a left arm spinner in Yuvraj. It is doubtful whether Sachin and Sehwag will bowl. So England will have to battle against a balanced side.

With Virat Kohli in such sublime form, it is either Yuvraj or Raina. Both southpaws are dangerous players. Both can bowl spin. Yuvraj being more experienced may be preferred !

It was superb fast bowling which did the Kiwis in. Vettori admitted that NZ lost the match in the first 20 overs ! With Watson and Krejza lending support to the pace trio, Aussie bowling is to be dreaded by any side.

In the other match the BD tigers reined in the Irish batsmen. It was Shafiul Islam who produced a great spell, by shooting out four batsmen. The Irish batsmen were all at sea against BD spin bowling.

It was O Brien who threw the game away for Ireland. 50 runs were needed off 70 odd balls and he should have played cautiously, like in a Test match. Instead he lofted one into the fielder's hands and the match was gone ! Anyway, a thriller !

Bangladesh win thriller !

The BD Ireland match has all the elements of a thriller - just 62 needed off 96 balls !

BD were all out for 206 and Ireland are 147/5! Needing just 59 runs to win with 5 wickets in hand!

The BD spinners did tie the Ireland batsmen, but then they have five more wickets to capture !

One more wicket has gone, Kevin O Brien, for 37. Went to hit a six and was snapped in the deep. Now Ireland need 55 off 71 balls, with four wickets in hand !

Now the equation is 35 off 48 balls, with one wicket in hand !

BD won, as Ireland folded up for 176 ! A win by 27 runs.

Aussie openers put on 133 !

It seems that the Kiwis are no match for the Kangaroos. After bowling out NZ for 206, Aussie openers went on a rampage.

Brad Haddin and Watson put on 133 for the first wicket. Now they are both gone and Aussies are 149/2 /

Those who are fed up with Australian dominance are now beginning to wonder whether the Goliath may ever fall !

Shabik fell in the other match, stunning DB. Now they are 97/4 ! A good innings by Tamim came to an end when he was caught Porterfield off Botha !

Aussies have now progressed to 167/3. Ponting was stumped by McCullum off Southee. ( The TV in the dressing room, we hope, is hidden ! ).

This risk which they have taken, of banking on the pace trio, had paid off and this will be the Kangaroo trump card in the days to come !

BD are now 117/4 against a spirited Ireland. Ireland is putting in hard work to become a Test playing nation and they beat Pak in the last WC.

Meanwhile, Bollinger has been ruled out of the WC due to injury. His replacement has not been announced.

BCCI has told the media to keep off Team India.

"The members of the media are requested to refrain from constantly contacting the members of the Indian Cricket Team on phone/SMS for interviews/bytes as players would like to concentrate on the ongoing World Cup matches," Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary said.

The Master, the Commander & Lieutenant !

The Commander, Dhoni, is tough and relaxed. He is not bothered about big game pressures !

The Master is the Master Blaster, Sachin. He wants to perform well during this WC.

The Lieutenant, Sehwag, now controls his batting and wants to bat the entire 50 overs !

It is obvious that the Indian challenge depend on these stalwarts. Can they pull it off ?

The Organisers want India to go to the finals. Then only will be Cup be a financial success. Now there are no tickets available ! No tickets for the Sunday match, no tickets for the finals ! The reason - India did not exit early like last time. Nor is she showing a tendency to exit. With India having beaten NZ and AUS in the warm up matches and sinking BD in the opener, the Indian fan is highly bullish. If you look at records, you will have to agree that India is the strongest team on paper ! Can India do it ?

When cricket is facing immense competition from other sports like soccer, when the game is dying everywhere ( I dont have time to spare for watching Tests or ODIs ), India has come as the economic saviour of cricket. IPL became a success and the World Cup will be a success this year as 70% of the viewers are Indians ! So it is good for Cricket that India dominate !

If India is the Redeemer of Cricket, it is imperative that she puts up a sterling performance before her fans ! Can the Indian team do it ? Let us analyse what the heavens say !

In the horoscope of the Master, we find that he is not running any bad time. Rahu Dasa, the planetary period of the North Node, is on. The North Node gives the effect of his dispositor, Jupiter, who is retrograde, which is equivalent to exaltation. The subperiod is that of Venus, who is the lord of Fortune. So we dont find any negative factors and Sachin should put up a good performance.

In the horoscope of the Lieutenant, we find that favourable Jupiter transits the 11th. He is running the period of Jupiter and the subperiod of Saturn, which means that there are some negative traits. But since Jupiter is favourable, he will overcome the negativities and play a good role.

In the horoscope of the Commander, we find that he is running the favourable 7th Transit of Jupiter. He is however, under second Sade Sathi. Second Sade Sathi means Rising Saturn. Rising Saturn means immense pressure and tension and he will have to overcome all these. On the positive side, Rising Saturn can give laurels. It was during this Rising Saturn period, that the Commander brought India the T20 World Cup.

Facing India our toughest challenge : Bopara

Dashing middle order bat, Ravi Bopara, opined that facing India on Sunday is indeed tough.

This is one of our toughest challenges in this tournament. We know what the Indian batsman are capable of but we do have our plans to keep them quiet. We will see on Sunday."

"If it is a spinning deck, we have got our own spinners who can cause problems. A pitch that spins is going to cause trouble for any team. It is going to cause problems for India as well. A lot is going to depend on the conditions," he added.

"Every match is big for us. Even the game the other night was also big for us. But against India in India is going to be huge.

"We are not thinking too much about it. If you think too much about it you will get out of the mould. We want to stay relaxed."

He said England has definite plans for the Sunday match.


"We have plans against each bowler and every batsman but it is how the batsman feel on the day. We generally play aggressive cricket. We know in places like Bangalore, there can be high totals like 270-300. It is a good wicket to bat on, especially against the seamers. It slides onto the bat quite nicely. Last time I played in Bangalore, it did not spin."

He is not bothered about not playing in Calcutta.

"We won convincingly against Pakistan in the warm-up game. I wasn't there in Australia. So I cannot comment about it. As soon as we arrived here, it has been back to usual work. The last two to three years, England have been excellent in ODIs. I am used to winning with England."

England's No 6 was eloquent about England's batting ability.

"It can be really hard work if the ball is not coming on but if we get some good wickets, like what we got the other day, it would be a lovely place to bat. We can free our arms and with the small grounds in India, we can generally score sixes," Bopara said.

He said he will be the last man not to seize opportunities.

"It is a big opportunity to get back into the side. I have got two opportunities so far, one in the warm-up game and then in the opening match. I haven't thought about that competition (with Yardy). I am just trying to do my best in every practice session."

The Aussie pace trio strike !

Our opinion that the Aussie bowling is indeed formidable was proved again as Tait and Watson shot out two NZ batsmen ! They hurled balls of fire and the NZ batsmen could not stand up to them.

It was said of the mighty Aus bowling that they may skittle out the opposition for either 50 or go on chasing 500. Their fast bowling is a treat to watch ! NZ were stunned, at 100/6, in the first 25 overs !

NZ are now 57/2 off 10 overs.

Aussies still bank on genuine fast bowling and the trio of Tait, Lee and Johnson, even on the subcontinental tracks.

With Watson and Krejza to support, the Kangaroo bowling is still great. India, who scored 350 plus against NZ and BD, could only muster 214 against them ( though it was a warm up match, but then warm up matches show us the pattern ).

All teams will have to confront this formidable trio and playing them well will become the mantra. The team which plays them well can go on to the finals.

We find that the Aussie batting is trying to recoup after the loss of stalwarts, Gilchrist and Hayden. They cannot be replaced easily.

Just imagine if Sachin and Sehwag retire in one year. It is difficult to get efficient replacements ! Same is the case with Australia, as Hayden and Gilchrist dominated world batting for years !

Ponting chose to bowl on overcast conditions on winning the toss. As overnight rain was there, Ponting expected the ball to swing which could aid his fast bowlers.

Vettori said he would have chosen batting, as bowling second suited his method. He is a spinner and a spinner likes to bowl after the track has been used by others. More spin likely in the 'second innings'.

NZ are now 73/5 ! Johnson struck twice, removing Franklin and Ryder. Tait shot out B McCullum and Styris !

Now NZ are all out for 26. Johnson took 4 wickets, Lee one, Tait three, Watson one and all rounder Smith, one.

Silence the Indian crowd : Swann

The England offspinner said the match on Sunday is huge, as England take on India.


"The fact it's against India in India is going to make it a huge game.," said Swann after England almost got out of jail against the Dutch.

"We had a very poor time of things in the one-day series here a couple of years ago, so that's certainly something we want to turn around because there is nothing better than silencing an Indian crowd."

"You don't want them to be screaming all day because its ear-shattering. Come Bangalore it will be a huge game and one we will need to raise our standards for, particularly in the field because, let's face it, we were like a bunch of schoolboys (against the Netherlands)."

Whether he will silence the crowd or the Indian batsmen will silence him remains to be seen.

He said the worst moment during the match with the Dutch was when Tendo skied, when he was on 47 and the ball fell in between Pietersen and Anderson.

"They both got the glare" said the offie. "When it goes 80 yards in the air and two of your best fielders stand and watch it land between them, it's never great as a bowler but I can't really complain because I dropped that high swirler near the end. Everything evens itself out."

Swann said he is happy with his bowling performance. "I'm delighted because I've let the team down a couple of times before after a bit of a break and promised I wouldn't do it this time, so I'm glad I lived up to my word."

Swann is happy that now he is a father and that Wilfred, the junior, came out of nowhere.

"Within two days of the little fellow coming into the world I'm saying a teary goodbye. That's our lot as international cricketers.""On the plus side, I get to come here to play in a World Cup so in 18 years' time when he is giving me grief for not being there for the first six weeks I'll be able to say but I had to go and beat Holland."

South Africa prove formidable !

SA crushed WI by seven wickets. Great spells by Tahir ( 4/41 ), Botha ( 2 wickets ) and Steyn ( 3 wickets ) won the game for the Proteas. How well it is said that 'Bowlers Win Matches'.

Glorious was the batting of Bram Villiers. He started middling the ball the minute he came in. It was like Sachin batting, as he pounded the WI bowlers to all parts of the field. Lack of penetration was the hallmark of the WI attack and 222 was not a great total to defend !

Strange ! Great are the tactics of the Proteas ! They open with spinner Botha and Gayle holes out ! This is indeed a great strategy as the SA think tank out thought Gayle !

Now WI are 39/1, with Darren Bravo, the brother of Dwayne Bravo, not out on an aggressive 28 not out !

Gayle was trapped. SA fielded 3 spinners, Tahir, Botha and Peterson. SA with 3 spinners is a new attack and let us see how they fare on the s c tracks !

Dareen Bravo, after a bravo innings, fell for 73. A good innings indeed. The wicket taker, again, Botha !

WI could only make 222. Dwayne Bravo scored another bravo or brave 40 !

Now SA have lost both Amla and Kallis, two of the most feared batsmen in world cricket. They are now 62/2, needing 223 to win.

SA's strategy to play with three spinners worked well, with Tahir picking up 4 wickets and Botha 2. Steyn picked up 3 wickets.

Dhoni on the verge of greatness in WC

Dhoni can upstage earlier captains like Kapil Dev, Ganguly and Azharuddin, if his team can survive the immense pressure building up.

Indian fans want nothing but the World Cup. Here is a team formidable in batting and with reasonable bowling, with the subcontinental spin tracks aiding their bowlers. India has the best spin attack in the world with three front line and four part time spinners.( India always had the best spin attack. It is a tradition ! The famous quartet - Bedi, Prasanna, Chandra and Venkat were the greatest quartet to grace cricket ). Why not take the Cup? The only enemy will be pressure, but then the Indian team is habituated with pressure.

The next Cup will be in Australia and nobody will give India high chances, as those pitches will aid fast bowling. But the Cup matches are in India ! Here is the golden chance which India need.

Even though India had won the Cup in 1983, Dhoni stands to go one better, if his team lifts the Cup on Apr 2.Dhoni's men had already won an international title in 2007, when they lifted the T20 World Cup. ( In the team is Virat Kohli, whose Under 19 team lifted the Under 19 World Cup !).

It is obvious that the entire team is under pressure. It is said that Sachin, in 2003, combated a nervousness induced insomnia ( he did not sleep for 12 days ) to blast Akhtar and Waqar out of the ground, in a blistering 98, which won the match for India !

Despite the great pressure building up, Dhoni seems relaxed. The Indian juggernaut rolled mercilessly in the warm up matches and ruthlessly crushed an inform Bangladesh !

"There is pressure if you win and pressure if you lose" said the maverick Commander ( Dhoni ).

"I would have told you the exact figure (of pressure) if I had a machine to measure it."

Such a massive pressure situation is ineluctable, as India is both favourite and host.

Astrologically, India with favourable transits of Jupiter and Saturn, and Sachin with a favourable time, and Sehwag with time favourable, stand as favourites ! The pressure can only build furthur up !

The legendary Kapil Dev is bullish about India's prospects. He says Dhoni is a better captain than him !

"Dhoni should do better than me," he said recently. "He is a very fine cricketer, a fantastic captain and I hope he can achieve everything he wanted."

"The Indian team for the World Cup is the strongest batting lineup we have ever seen in world cricket. It looks a balanced team, though the bowling is a bit weak. So if they can play to their abilities they can emerge world champions." he said.

With Kohli and Pathan in sublime form ( with recent centuries in ODIs ), Indian batting looks powerful on paper and is the envy of rival captains!

Dhoni led his team, the Chennai Super Kings to victory in the IPL and the Champions League.

Dhoni's men had won 14 out of 24 Test matches and 53 out of 94 ODIs, a success rate of more than 50%.

"I think he (Dhoni) backs his players and gives them opportunities consistently, which is very important," said former captain, Ganguly. "He takes risks, which is also crucial for a captain because as a skipper you cannot just do things in the typical stereotyped manner."

The 29 year old Dhoni is a great inspiration for cricketers from smaller cities, as he hails from Jharkhand. ( He says village people have more mental toughness than the urbanites ! ).

Ready for Challenge : Kallis

Kallis, the SA allrounder, rated as No 1 in Test ICC Rankings, said that SA is ready for any challenge.

SA got 15 days rest and Kallis feels this is good for the team. "We had planned for these fifteen days in India. We got good rest. Therefore there was no trouble in whiling away the time. We only took to the nets two days before. This is the first time we had to wait so long for a match" the demon all rounder said.

He says there are psychological states like "ON" and "OFF" in every players mind. We were in the OFF state for the last so many days. Now we are in the "ON" state.

We started practice only day before yesterday onwards. We enjoyed the rest.

This "rest" in between games is a veritable boon , as it gives injured players time to recoop. Dhoni and Imran hailed it. On the contrary, Pietersen and Ponting are against it !.

In every player's mind, there is a clear cut method of tackling the opposition. For the last 15 days, our minds were busy with methods to counter the West Indians.

Even though waiting for fifteen days is boring normally, this time it was different. This is the World Cup ! This rest is a blessing in disguise. It is natural that players get some minor injuries and rest is a great time for them to recoop. Without being tired, fully healthy, the Proteas will take to the field !

We respect the West Indians and I point out that Gayle is the most dangerous batsman in world cricket. WI have other matchwinners and we are the last team to underestimate them !

Beware of SA : Amarnath

South Africa go to the field in full strength. All teams should beware of them, says Mohinder Amarnath. They meet WI today.

The cricketing fraternity gives 80% chance to SA and 20% to WI on current form. In the last ten matches, SA won all.

WI cannot be written off easily. They have the greatest matchwinner in contemporary cricket, Chris Gayle. K Pollard and Dwayne Bravo are all matchwinners. If Gayle is in form, heaven help the opposition.

SA on the other hand have powerful batsmen and bowlers. Kallis, Duminy, De Villiers, Amla and Smith form a formdidable batting line up. Morket, Steyn and Tsosobe from a deadly pace attack. The only negative factor is that they lack allrounders, apart from Kallis. Their spin attack also has not actualised potential. Botha, Peterson and Tahir are the spinners, but they are yet to be tested in Indian conditions.

The subcontinental tracks are different from the SA pitches and it has to be seen how their formidable batting copes up with spinners. The subcontinental teams will try to ambush them with spin and spin can be their Achilles heel. With pace the subcontinental teams cannot expect much success against their batsmen, who play pace very well. Give them medium pace bowlers and they will thrash them to all parts of the ground.

SA, therefore, is a giant side and a threat to any opposition.

The two top batsmen according to ICC Rankings are Amla and DeVilliers. Both are in the SA team. No team dare underestimate their batting strength.

However the cunnning subcontinental teams have a method to humiliate the greatest of batsmen. In early days, the deadly trio of Bedi, Prasanna and Chandra spun out the greatest teams on Indian wickets ! Spin was India's forte . It is only now India has a respectable medium pace attack in Zaheer, Munaf and Sreeshant !

Mars, the Cricket Planet !

In Cricket Astrology, Mars is the planet of Cricket and the 3,6,7 and 11 houses are very important.

The Third House signifies ability, courage, hands, energy, fitness, mental strength, intelligence. The Sixth House represents enemies, victory, action and competition. The Seventh House represents the opponent. The Eleventh House represents fame, gain, fulfillment of desire, ambitions, profits, wishes and desires.

Sagittarius represents ground playing games and the Signs which trine Sag like Leo and Aries also become significant. Aries is the natural Ascendant of the Cosmic Man or Kalapurusha and Leo, the sign of sports and games.

Mars represents the organising ability, administration, competition, determination and energy ( sathvam kujo ) . Mars is the most important planet in Cricket Astrology and you will find powerful Mars in the horoscopes of Cricketers. The power of 3,6,7 and 11 Houses also denote cricketing success.

Mars is in the 7th House in Aries, forming Ruchaka Maha Yoga, in the horoscope of Kapil Dev.

Mars is exalted in the horoscopes of Wadekar, Gavaskar and Tendulkar.

Mars is powerfully posited in Scorpio in the horoscope of the Wall ( Dravid ).

In Ganguly's horoscope, Mars aspects the 6th and 7th Houses.

Mars tenants the Ascendant in Srinath's horoscope.

Mars is powerfully posited in the 3rd in Sehwag's horoscope.

Mars aspects the 5th House, in Yuvraj's horoscope.

Mars is powerfully posited in own sign, in C K Nayudu's horoscope.

Mars is placed in the 5th, in Leo, in Bradman's horoscope.

Pak thrash Kenya

Pak are 11/1, having lost Hafeez, who was caught Waters bowled Otieno for 9.

Now Kamran Akmal, the wicket keeper has joined Shehzad.

Ajmal and Riaz were not included in the Eleven. There is nothing to worry about, as Pak bats right upto No 8.

Now they are 12/2, having lost their second wicket. Shehzad was caught Kamande, the skipper, bowled Odoyo.

These two wickets have put great pressure on the Pak, which is already pressurised. They have included maverick bowler, Shoib Akhtar, whose fitness is a question mark. In fact, Moin Khan was angry that Waqar, the manager, had questioned Shoaib's fitness. Now this is an opportunity for the great fast bowler to prove that he is fully fit.

Now the Pakis are consolidating, even though on a slow start. Kamran Akmal, known for his lusty hits, is on 36 and Younus Khan is on 19. The Paki strategy also seems to be not to lose wickets in the first 30 overs, a strategy outlined by Ponting. All teams follow this strategy. It was only Sri Lanka with Jaya and Kalu who adopted a different strategy. " Hit them, hit them and hit them" said Jayasuria and more than 100 runs used to come in the first 15 overs. You cannot follow that strategy when you lose early wickets !

Pak thrashed Kenya by 205. The Kenyans could not rise to the occasion.

The Ponting incident draws laughter !

The SA great batsman, Barry Richards was suprised by the Ponting incident. It is said that Ponting smashed a TV in the dressing room, after he was run out.

"The dressing room is supposed to be sacrosanct so I am a little bit disappointed. That sort of behaviour ... you don't want to hear about during a World Cup. You want to hear about Ricky Ponting making a 100, not messing up in the dressing room." said Richards.

"But one thing is obvious that there is a lot of pressure on him to try and win the World Cup."

Arun Lal, ex batsman and commentator was also severe on the Aussie skipper.

"It's awful. If you are disappointed, there is no reason to turn violent. You are disappointed, you made a mistake, an error of judgement. Everybody is disappointed but how does that mean that you come and throw your kit.

"It's too childish, grow up, for God's sake. You are playing the World Cup, you are an idol for the next generation."

Graeme Hick was a bit kinder and said it is one of those laughable misunderstandings.

"It's unfortunate, it's a bit of an accident. I have played with a lot of international cricketers, there is frustration but, as Barry said, the dressing room is sacrosanct." Hick said.

Tait will be used in short spells : Ponting

One of the fastest bowlers in contemporary cricket, Shaun Tait, will be used in short spells, says Ponting.

Tait is injury-prone and hence will be lethal in short spells. His slinging bowling action ( does he remind one of Malinga? ) generates that extra pace for him. He is a terror with the new ball and can rip through any batting order. He swings the new ball and reverse swings the old one. He is a captain's favourite at tall times.

It is to be remembered that he was second highest wicket taker with 23 wickets in the Carribean. His speed confounded many a batsman !

"If you look back at the last World Cup as well, that was exactly how I used him... in short sharp spells." said the Aussie skipper.

"So don't be surprised if that is how we use him through this whole tournament."

Sachin should bat 40 overs : Akram

The veteran swing bowler, Wasim Akram has opined that Sachin should bat 40 overs. His performance is the key to the Indian challenge.

It is time we got hundreds from Sachin in the World Cup. As far as Indian batting is concerned, all seem to be in form except Yuvraj. But then Yuvraj is in good form with the ball !

India's real test will come when she faces the Proteas and the Kangaroos. Their pace attack is formidable and let us see how the Indian batting will cope up with their bowling.

It is time India introduced Piyush Chawla. Going with three seamers will not help the Indian cause. The non Asian teams are good at playing pace and they will thrash the Indian seam attack. But not spin, as spin is their Achilles heel !

India focusses on batting in Net session

Zaheer and Bajji practised batting more at the Nets at Bangalore.

The tail end is actually important. One expert said at a Test match " Now that we have got the batsmen out, let us get the run getters out" !

The Indian lower order is as important as the top order. Both Sehwag and Sachin want to bat the entire 50 overs ( Sachin batted the entire overs for his 200 not out against SA and Sehwag 47 overs in his 175 . Kohli is in sublime form. The other batsmen like Gambhir, Dhoni and Yuvraj are in reasonable form. But then the lower order becomes very important, should India lose some 3 to 4 wickets.

The lower order is Pathan, Bajji and Zaheer. It is very important that they get runs. All these three allrounders are capable of scoring 40s or 50s and their batting will be handy in the days to come. Chawla and Ashwin have got hundreds in first class cricket, but this is the World Cup.

Aussie strategy good : Mark Waugh

All experts are in India and Lanka. We are indeed fortunate that cricket analysis comes from experts and ex players.

Mark Waugh has lauded the Kangaroo strategy. The Aussies were smarting under two defeats in the warm up matches. They had to save their face, lest they go down in the ratings of the bookies and the international cricketing fraternity.

He says the Aussie strategy was good in the last match. Zimbabwe, knowing the Australian Achille's heel which is spin, opened the attack with a spinner. The Aussie strategy was not to lose early wickets and ony 65 runs were scored in the first 20 overs ! No Jayasuria Kaluwitharan stuff. No " Hit them, hit them and hit them" of Jayasuria ( Some opine that Srikanth was the precursor of this style of batting, which was modified by Greatbach and Sachin. In the 1983 WC final, Srikanth hooked, pulled and cut the giant fast bowlers of the West Indies ! ).

This 65 runs off 20, reminded one of the ignorant days of the Powerplay. But then, the Aussies had a clear cut stratey against the Zim spinners. Once they got a solid base, then the Aussie batsmen led by Clarke went on the rampage. Then with a devastating spell of genuine fast bowling, Johnson tore through the Zim batting order and Aussies won comfortably !

Let all teams beware ! This will be the Kangaroo strategy against all teams. Protect wickets in the first 30 overs and then launch blitzkreigs. They have Cameroon White and other hitters who can be devastating on their days. Other teams beware ! They are the defending champions and dont be led by the media hype !

That John Wright has been included as coach gives relief to the already pressurised New Zealanders. After all, Wright was the Indian coach and he knows Indian conditions well. There are some positive indications for New Zealand batting. Guptill is in form and Jesse Ryder can be dangerous on his day.

It is surprising that Bollingwer was left out of the last match. He most probably will be there in the next match, feels Waugh.

Beware of Pak : Srinath

The veteran Indian pace bowler, sounded a warning to all about the dangerous Paki side.They have a tendency to implode, but then they can explode at any time ! As far as reverse swing is concerned, Pakis are the masters. They had perfected this art.

Today they move against Kenya. Even though they are under immense pressure, they can overcome that at any moment.

Pressure on Pak, as three of their main players are banned. Amir and Asif are incredible talent, says Imran. ( Imran also said they deserved their punishment).

If unpredictability is the hallmark of the Paki side, even this match becomes crucial. Remember yesterday's match, when the Netherlands, inspired by Tendo, almost beat England.

Meanwhile, Ireland feels that the new ICC decision for a 10 nation format, will hurt Ireland's chances. She had recently applied for Test status.

According to Srinath, Pak is one of the contenders of the Cup. Fast bowling is their forte. Umar Gul is the leader of their attack. Gul and others give priority to reverse swing. This is the best method of bowling on the subcontinental tracks. There is no other team who can reverse swing the ball like the Pakis.

A powerful batting line up, with Misbah and Y Khan and a good lower order with Afridi, Razzak and Umar Akmal etc can create good scores and with their fast bowling, they can be a threat to any opposition ! The very fact that they are playing on Sri Lankan pitches only strengthens them ! Afridi, Gul and Razzak are game changers !

We got out of jail : Strauss

Strauss admitted that his side just got out of jail, as England beat a lion-hearted Netherlands yesterday.

The Dutch scored 292 and England just romped home, with six wickets to spare.

Tendo (Doeschate) scored a brilliant hundred and England seemes to waver against his onslaught.

"Thankfully the batsmen got us out of jail." said the polished English captain.

"We got a lot of things wrong with our bowling and we let them off the hook three or four times in the field as well so it was a very poor 50 overs."

"It was an outstanding wicket for one-day cricket. We always knew if we kept wickets in hand we'd have a good chance of chasing it down."

"We've got to take this on the chin, learn from it pretty quickly because you can't afford to do that too often.

"We are very excited about the India game. It's going to be an amazing atmosphere and a great occasion. Hopefully we can spoil an Indian party there."

Borren, the Ned captain, blamed his bowlers for giving England too many opportunities to get away.

"Obviously 292 was a good score. I thought it was competitive, but I'm not sure if we made them work as hard as we possibly could have for the runs."

"We started off a bit rusty (in the field) but came back all right. I think generally we bowled two sides of the wicket at times and that cost us."

"I thought Ryan batted beautifully, he created the foundation for the rest of us to work around. We struggled defending it and credit to them, they played well."

The highest score by an Associate !

Netherlands scored 292/6, thus recording the highest score by an Associate.

A great hundred by ten Doeschate,Tendo, 119 to be exact, was the hallmark of the Dutch innings. His superb ton enabled Holland to score the highest by an Associate.

Maybe ICC will rethink about the 10 nation format for 2015.

Now Ian Bell is gone, bowled by the centurion. England are 241/4, needing 7 per over and anything can happen.

Strauss scored 88, Trott 62 and Pietersen 39 out of the England total of 241/4.

England started their chase well, with an opening partnership of 105 between Strauss and Pietersen. Pietersen was the first to go at 105 but then Trott (69) steadied the England innings. The centurion had Trott stumped and then bowled Ian Bell.

Now Bopara has joined by Collingwood and England are 256/4, needing 37 off 30 balls !

Collingwood's experience is proving valuable as he with Bopara is taking England to the goal. Now England wants only 14 runs off 13 !

Ravi Bopara has hit a six and a four and now the scores are level. Now he hacked the next ball for four and England have won !

Tendo has been signed by Kalkotta Knight Riders in the IPL for 68 lakhs.

Can the God of Cricket do it ?

Sri Lanka is in the midst of cricket fever. Giant photos of her cricketers adorn the streets. But one photo is missing - that of Sachin Tendulkar.

"I have seen God. He bats at No 4 for India " said Mathew Hayden and the Lankans have not done justice to this genius.

Are they afraid of Sachin ?

The final will be in Mumbai, in Sachin's home town. He has the highest number of runs in the WC, 1822 ! He holds the highest record score in ODIs, 200 not out ! He has 97 centuries in international cricket. He just needs three more hundreds to make it a century of centuries. Can he do it? Can he, with the help of Sehwag & Co, bring back the Cup?.

All Indians dream of an India Australia final, with Dhoni holding aloft the WC and giving it to Sachin.

Can he do it ?

Australia struggle to face spin

Remember Graham Gooch calling on the Bombay bowlers, playing them for 4 days and then sweeping England to victory ?

Australia will do the same. Now the Kangaroos are revising their strategy and the new method is to preserve wickets in the inital overs. They could only score 262 against minnows, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe opened with a spinner and the whole world now know that Australia is on a sticky wicket ! Here the formidable World Champions have an Achilles heel, ready to be exploited by other teams on the subcontinental spin tracks ! In the warm up match against India, they could only score 176 and yesterday, they could only muster 262.

"We need to sort out our game and our game plans for better spin attacks. There is no doubt about that." said the Aussie skipper, Ponting.

Better application is needed if they are to improve on their 30 match unbeaten streak in the World Cup. Ajmal,Vettori, Murali, Mendis, Chawla, Bajji, Yuvraj, Tahir - all can become deadly on the subcontinental tracks !

"We know that we need improvement there," said the great batsman "We know that the spinning factor in this tournament is going to be a big one."

Aussies will improve once they acclimatise.

"The first task today was getting used to the conditions and having a good solid performance."

"We are not quite there just yet but I think the more we play and we get more adjusted to the conditions we will get better."


Now what will be the strategy of other teams when they face mighty Australia ? Confront them with spin !

It is just like attacking the Indian batsmen with short, fast deliveries ! The Achilles heel of the Indians ! Some teams have used it effectively earlier. But can other teams do it and get away with it against Sehwag & Co ?

It seems India is powerful in batting and ordinary in bowling. The reverse is the truth about Australia !

Aussie bowling still is the best and the team who want to win the Cup will have to confront Lee, Tait, Johnson, Watson & Krejza. Not an easy task. Three bowlers bowling at more than 145 kph, with Krejza turning one here and there. Even the formidable Indian batting could only muster 214 against them. Sehwag is the only batsman who scored a 50 against us, said Ponting.

Meanwhile, Chris Gayle has sounded an ominous warning to all that he wants to score a double ton in the WC. Sends shivers down one's spine. Bowlers, beware ! Gayle is on the prowl !

We will preserve wickets : Ponting

The Aussie captain, Ponting, said that his team's strategy will be to keep wickets till the middle overs.


"Preserving wickets is going to be our strategy through the tournament. We will be looking to preserve wickets till the middle overs. That will help in negotiating spinners and accelerate during powerplays. The wicket today played real good. Luckily, we kept wickets in hand and got us to a good total." said the wily Kangaroo captain.

The wicket was slow. It was tough to get any pace on the ball. The Zimbabwean spinners bowled well and it was difficult to get going. They bowled and fielded really well."

Shane Watson, the Man of the Match yesterday, said that yesterday's match will help the team to combat spin in the coming matches.

"There will be a lot of spinners used against us. The ball did not spin as much on this wicket. This game was good practice to combat spin as the tournament progresses." said the giant all rounder.

He admitted that it took him some time to get used to the conditions.

"But it's nice to get used to different conditions and find a way ... a good time to get a bit of practice in."

Australia's Achilles heel is said to be spin, as pace is India's. Spin is also the Waterloo of South Africa. On the other hand, the subcontinental teams play spin very well, but then they have a tendency to implode !

Ponting lauds pace trio

The dreaded Aussie pace trio of Lee, Tait and Johnson have done it again. Johnson took four wickets, Tait two and Lee one in the match against minnows, Zimbabwe.

As Allan Border said it will be the Aussie trio which will retain the Cup. The Zimbabwean batsmen were all at sea against the formidable trio.

With Shane Watson, Krejza, Hastings, Smith, Hussey lending support, the Aussie attack is the best in the World Cup. All media talks about the formidable Indian batting and Australian bowling.

"There wasn't much in it for the quicks. I thought Johnson was outstanding and Tait's just working up to match fitness so to get eight or nine overs out of him was a real bonus," said Ponting.

"I thought our spinners also did a pretty good job."

Johnson's 4-19 did justice to his talent. "I got a bit of rhythm out there tonight and it felt really good." said the demon fast bowler.

"I think the boys did an exceptional job. Zimbabwe came out firing, played some pretty good shots so it was good to get a win.

"It's my new role to be first change and get wickets. I still bowl the short ball, the change up and I can be aggressive. I'm happy with that.

"It was a good hit out for the first match of the World Cup. It's good to get one off early on before we face New Zealand."

Aussies continue their domination

Zimbabwe are 96/6, chasing 263 to win against mighty Australia. The Kangaroos scored 262/6 in their 50 overs, thanks to 79 by Watson and a 58 no by Clarke. Ponting was run out for 28.

Lee, Tait and Johnson bowled at almost 145 kph to bamboozle the Zimbabwean batsmen. Krejza bowled well and picked up one wicket.

Shaun Tait was the most impressive. The formidable Aussie bowling of Lee, Tait, Johnson, Watson and Krejza was too much for the Zimbabweans !

The Kangaroos won the match by 91 runs as Zim could not chase 262. But it seems that the Aussie batting has not asserted itself. They scored only 262 against minnows, Zim.

It is said of Australian bowling that theirs is the most lethal attack, with a formidable array of attacking bowlers. One expert opined that they can either bowl the opposition for 50 or go on chasing 500 ! The pace which their trio - Lee, Tait and Johnson - generated was awesome, but then any batsman who can use the pace of the ball can score heavily !

Aussies continued their consecutive World Cup wins and they under Ricky Ponting have not lost a single match ! Will any team halt their march ?

Meanwhile, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is getting ready for the final on Apr 2. Of the 33,000 tickets, only 3000 are available. The 375 crore innovation of the stadium is already in place.

Horoscope of Dhoni

Dhoni shot to fame with a superb, blistering 141 against the Pakis, a century on ODI debut. From then, he has not looked backwards.

His horoscope is marked by the presence of Bhadra Yoga in the House of Profession, endowing him with skills galore. The Sun and Mercury conjunction is called Nipuna Yoga, a yoga for skill. Jupiter in the Ascendant electrifies the horoscope, giving divine protection. The Lunar-Jupiterian conjunction makes him very intelligent and a leader of men ( Vikrantham kula mukhya masthiramathim vitheswaram sangira ). Venus in the Eleventh is a Raja Yoga. Rahu in the 11th is excellent, financially.

He is undergoing the second Sade Sathi and the second Sade Sathi is always promotional ! Rajiv Gandhi came to power during his second Sade Sathi. The second Sade Sathi s known as Rising Saturn or Pongum Shani. While it is promotional, it can give tensions galore.


Transit Jupiter is transiting his 7th and there are no negative effects involved. Only problem is the second Sade Sathi, which can give immense pressure. Undoubtedly there is great pressure, as a billion eyes will be riveted on his team's performance ! Good Luck, Dhoni !

Dont crucify Sree : Sreenath

Indian veteran pace bowler Sreenath told Indians not to crucify Sreeshant. Sreeshant gave 53 runs in the match against BD.

The dew was very much there and the Indian bowlers could not grip the ball. Because of the dew factor only did Shakib elect to field. The dew factor weighed heavily on Shakib's mind, according to Imran.

It is always better not to crucify anybody. Any player can have a bad day in office.

Sreenath opined that the Indian bowling was always an area of concern and the Indian bowlers did overcome some challenges.

One should know the mental state Sreeshant is in. He was not there in the fifteen and he came in as a replacement for Praveen. He was also not in the eleven and he came as a replacement for Nehra. So he is not fully prepared. His tendency to attack with pace and swing also proved futile.

The ICC's decision to field only ten teams for 2015 WC was proved right by the performance of Kenya and Canada. Both were ousted by professional teams. Pietersen had attacked the longish 2011 WC schedule and Ponting supported the ICC decision.

To protect the Crown, Aussies go to the field against Zimbabwe. Australia were invincible in 03 and 07 and hope to defend the WC title. Match starts at 0230 PM IST.

Indian campaign on a flyer : Sohail

Amir Sohail, ex batsman of Pak, feels that India has started her campaign on a flyer. She has given a great demonstration of her powerful batting strength.

The only way is to restrict the current favourites to 280 odd and then have a go at their bowlers.

Writing in his column for the 'News', the Pak batsman says " "If the teams who are yet to come up against India find a way to restrict their batting to around the 280 mark, I strongly believe they can upset the favourites."

"If you look at the Indian side closely, you will find they need to improve their fielding and on occasions the bowling can be vulnerable on a decent pitch where they could go for runs."

"Virender Sehwag who recently said that he would be looking to bat for the full 50 overs, made his intent clear by playing some exquisite strokes and settled down to gather singles with his partners, before a mix-up with Sachin Tendulkar saw the little master run out by the length of the wicket.

"The loss of his partner did not pressurise Sehwag as he took on the responsibility to produce a workman like effort in all respects, perfectly knowing when to rotate the strike to the younger mates, and hold back and then when to step up the tempo."

Imran on Geo Super channel said that the dew factor has weighed heavily on Shakib's mind as he elected to bowl.

"Basically I think Shakib gambled on the dew factor but his bowlers were unable to bowl with discipline and line and length to restrict India to around 300.

"I think the dew factor will still come into play in this tournament but batting will also become easier as the tournament progresses into the month of March. It is going to be hardwork for the bowlers and they will have to depend heavily on trying to reverse swing the ball." said Imran.

Former Pak wicket keeper Moin Khan said that Sehwag had given a clear warning to the other teams that he intends to bat the entire 50 overs, a warning which can send jitters down the spines of the bowlers.

"The Indian batting looks formidable and teams will have to be very careful working out bowling strategies against them. They should plan out something for Sehwag as he wishes to be there for full 50 overs." said the wicket keeper.

Reverse swing to play vital role !

The Pakis stunned the world with their ability to reverse swing the ball. Waqar and Wasim became deadly with the old ball. Now Umar Gul of Pak, Zaheer of India and Malinga of SL are known to be the experts of this sort of swing.

Allan Donald, the new NZ coach, feels that the reverse swing can make or break a team

Says he "The reverse swing is a massive thing and a huge key for me in this World Cup. That is where (the death overs) games are going to be won and lost."

That the Kiwis have reverse swingers was proved in the second match of the WC, when they shot out Kenya for 69.

Says the Kiwi skipper, Vettori "I think Tim Southee and Jacob Oram are probably the two best guys who have the ability to bowl both... Hopefully with Allan's knowledge, it will improve and we will find some result".

So batsmen, beware !

Kenya shot out for 69

The NZ bowlers skittled out Kenya for 69, in a WC match at Chennai.

Southee struck first blood, removing Obanda. The Kenyans were all at sea against some accurate Kiwi bowling.

No upset happened, as NZ scored 72/0 and won the match with ten wickets to spare.

Bennett was the pick of the Kiwi bowlers, taking 4/16. Big man Oram finished with 3/2 !

Kenya has crashed to their lowest total in the WC.

Guptill and McCullum scored 72 and the match was over.

Dont write off minnows : Hadlee

The minnows of the game should not be despised, says Hadlee.

I remember in the 1983 World Cup inaugural match, 33/1 favourites India surprised West Indies and Zimbabwe suprised Australia.

In the 2007 WC, Ireland beat Pakistan and BD India. So the smaller teams are capable of creating upsets.

"I still feel that there will be many upsets in this WC" says Sir Richard Hadlee.

Rod Marsh, the coach of Global Academy, Dubai and ex wicket keeper had assured him that the minnows of the game had prepared well for the ICC WC.

In 1996, Kenya upset WI. They beat SL in 2003 !

"I feel that Ireland will create an upset in this WC" says the giant allrounder.

Netherlands, Kenya, Canada, Zimbabwe - all these teams are capable of creating upsets. Many Pakis could not tolerate Pak's loss to Ireland !

Upsets are charming, they neutrallise all calculations and the upsetting teams get pulbicity galore !

Happy to equal Kapil's record : Sehwag

Sehwag said he is happy to equal the record of Kapil Dev. Kapil had blasted the Zimbabweans for a blistering 175 not in a World Cup match at Turnbridge Wells, in 1983.

He said he wanted to bat the entire 50 overs and scoring a double hundred was never in his mind.

"No, not at all. I never thought about getting a double century. When I got out less then three overs were left. I could have got a maximum of 15 balls and score 25 runs.I didn't even think about getting a double century. My target was to play 50 overs." the whirlwind hitter said.

"I am happy and honoured to have equalled his (Kapil Dev) score in the World Cup. People will now speak about both of us getting 175."

"My strike rate was still more than 100. My aim was to bat minimum 30-40 overs and when I batted 47 I was happy that at least once in my career I had batted for so long. I was planning to bat 50 overs but could not do that today. Hopefully will do that some time."

"I think I hit a six on 49, and after that till 75 or 80 I was just rotating the strike. Because I knew I had to play 30-40 overs, and if I do that I would get hundred. I was not worrired about my hundred, or runs, because I knew it will come if I stay there."

About the misunderstanding with Sachin, he said "He was calling and I wasn't listening. I was looking at the direction of the ball. For a second, I thought I had committed a mistake, but when I got back to the dressing room he said the bottomline was to win the game for the country. It's not important who is performing."

Sehwag's 175 is the fifth highest individual innings in WC history, after Kirsten's 188 no, Ganguly's 183, Richards 181 and Kapil's 175 no.

Aussies will come back : Mark Waugh

Many go by the performance in the warm up matches. But then Australia will bounce back, feels Mark Waugh.

The format of this World Cup favours the Kangaroos, said the great batsman. Once they win a match, then they know how to stay on top.

Mark Waugh's perspective display Aussie determination. It should be remembered that Australia were in dire straits, facing the threat of elimination, when Gibbsy dropped S Waugh. Steve Waugh then went on to score a century and the Kangaroos won the match. Aussies won the Cup in 1999 and have not looked back.

They have the best bowling attack in the world, with Tait, Lee, Johnson, Bollinger, Krejza, Watson and Hastings. So dont write them off !

If you include the warm up matches, India scored more than 350 against BD and NZ. But not against Australia and all that India could muster was 214. India, of course, won the match, due to world class spin bowling !

Mark Waugh said that it is time Cameroon White justified the faith reposed in him by the selectors. David Hussey is an excellent player of spin and he will do well on the subcontinental tracks.

There are some favourable factors for the Kangaroos. Ponting is back in form. Watson is in sublime form. Lee is in form and Krejza gives hope.

Waugh feels that India has maximum favourable conditions. Home conditions, great batsmen, spinners who can exploit the s c pitches and an inspiring captain. The only problem is pressure and it has to be seen how they will overcome pressure, the pressure of playing before the home crowd ( with millions of Indians watching on TV ). Sachin's form with the bat and Zaheer's form with the ball will determine India's chances.

Dance of destruction by Indian batsmen !

The Mirpur stadium watched in awe and disbelief as Indian batsmen went on the rampage.

If Sehwag was a monster unleashed, young Kohli was Poetry in Motion !

The World Cup was inaugurated magnificently, with the first ball hit for for four by Sehwag. Sehwag smote Islam for three fours in the first over and what a grand way to begin the tenth edition of the World Cup !

The dance of devastation unleashed by the Indians now ensures packed and filled stadiums in India, which will make the Cup a financial success !

Sehwag was born in the constellation of the Lion, Leo and his activities are like a lion unleashed. He does not care for anything and plays his natural game. This time he was more cautious, as he had said earlier that his intention was to bat the entire 50 overs. Sachin's determination is also the same and both do not have to fear as India has now many batsmen in form. Only Yuvraj's form with the bat is suspect, but he will come back to form at any moment. ( Stuart Broad is now a vastly improved bowler !).

It is clear that India's aim is to avenge the defeats suffered in the 07 WC. Hapless Dravid's men were ousted by some good performances by BD, Lanka etc. Dhoni's men will take revenge !

Before the match, Tamim Iqbal, indulging in pressure tactics, said that India is haunted by the 07 loss to BD. Sehwag retorted saying that he wants to bat the entire fifty overs ! He almost proved it yesterday.

In Sehwag's horoscope, the Ascendant lord, the Sun, combines with the Lord of Fortune, Mars, endowing him with bodily kinnaesthetic intelligence. Excellent eye hand coordination. A powerful Vasumath ( Prosperity ) Yoga is imparted by the position of powerful Venus and Mercury in the Third. Exalted Jupiter, as lord of the 8th, confers Vipareetha Raja Yoga ( rajasau nripathi prashastha vibhavo rajadhi rajeshwara ). May he contribute more in this World Cup !

Saturday was Pubba, the 4th favourable star from India's Natal Star. No wonder India gave such a spirited performance. India was edged out of the 07 Match, because of the adverse transit of 6th Jupiter.

Astro Analysis of Cricketer's Horoscopes given at Cricket Astrology.

India avenge 07 defeat !

The fires burned in the Indian oven. In the Lion of Bengal stadium, the Goddess of Victory smiled on India. The first match spoke volumes of Indian dominance. A victory achieved by the patience of Sehwag. A victory that was impertively needed.

Even though nothing can be said till the last ball is bowled, India seems to be in the drivers seat.

The World Cup started with a bang, with some vintage batting by India. Two centuries, 175 by Sehwag and 100 not out by young Kohli lit up the proceedings. There are many who said that Kohli, Pathan and Raina do not have WC experience. But then, they have been playing for a long time. Kohli was the Indian captain of the Under 19 team, which won the Under 19 World Cup ! Pathan and Raina have been playing for years and they are not inexperienced !

Sehwag's 175 was embellished with 14 fours and five sixes ! He recorded his highest score in the WC. So did Kohli, the ex Indian captain of the Under 19 team who brought the World Cup !

India has won comfortably. BD finished at 283/9. Great bowling by Munaf (4/48) and Zaheer (2/40) contained the talented BD batsmen !

More at Cricket Astrology

Kohli scores century and India pile up 370/4 !

Sehwag's resolution that he will bat the entire 50 overs was cut short by a ball from Shakib al Hasan, but not before he had scored 175 !

It is just like saying some bowler got Bradman's wicket, only after he had scored 309!

A magnificent 203 run partership between the senior Sehwag and the junior Kohli was the hallmark of Indian batting. Kohli scored 100 not out and India finished at 370/4.

BD won the toss and put India in to bat. A wise decision, considering the fact that the dew factor may become crucial. But then, it may not be crucial, when you are chasing 370 !

What a start to the World Cup! Two superb centuries by Indian bastmen, proving the theory that the Indian batting is indeed formidable.

Kohli became the first Indian batsmen to score a century on WC debut.

Another record was Sachin's 445th ODI appearance. He was tied with Jayasuria at 444. Now he is the player who has played maximum ODIs in world cricket.

370/4 is India's highest ODI score against BD. The earlier best was 348/5 against BD in '04.

Sehwag scores century !

A 68 opening partnership, till Sachin was run out for 28. Now India are 105/1.

Sehwag is going on strong on 60. It seems India is on their way to a good total. He is now playing cautiously and may achieve his target of batting the entire 50 overs !

16 overs gone and more than hundred runs on the board with the right and left batters at the crease and India may post a good total.

Sehwag has hit 7 fours in his blistering innings. He lofted the bowler for a massive six to cross 50.

Sehwag, belligerent as ever, has advanced to 77 not out. He wants to bat out the entire 50 overs, as he said earlier. So we can expect a massive Indian score !

Gambhir is now bowled by Mahmadullah for 39. He misread a ball and is clean bowled.
India 153/2.

Sehwag had scored 114 against Bermuda and that is his only century in the World Cup so far. He is now on 99, needing one more run !

Now he has scored 100, off 91 balls. His dedication and application is enormous in this innings.

Dhoni's side better than Ganguly's : Kumble

There are many in India who say that Ganguly's finalist side of 2003, was better even than Kapil's side !

Now Kumble says that the present side is better than Ganguly's and is the best Indian side ever. An opinion, seconded by Hayden !

"In terms of confidence and balance of the side, this is the best Indian team ever." said the maverick leg spinner.

"If you look at the track record of this team in last one year or one and half year they have done exceptionally well, especially at home. They have all the elements that a great one-day side needs."

"It is a better team overall than 2003. In terms of balance and conditions here (sub-continent) this is the better side."

He conceded that Nehra and Zaheer, even though more experienced now, have lost some of that pace.

"But if you go back to 2003 then Ashish Nehra, Zaheer and all these bowlers were younger and were bowling at the speed of 140 which does not happen now.

Terming the present team as a fighting bunch, the great allrounder said " "What has impressed me most is how they have won in losing situations.

"In South Africa, Munaf Patel won one match, Yusuf Pathan won a game, so it's not a one man team at all."

Jupiter in the 9th ensures financial success !

Jove in the 9th, in India's national horoscope, ensures success for the World Cup. It wont be like the World Cup of 2007, which was a financial failure.

Saturn in the 3rd also lending support, we will see both WC and IPL IV emerge as huge successes. Advertisers competing with others for the ten second spot ad on TV ! Rising gate collections, rising viewership !

The winning team will get $4 million. Last time Australia pocketed $2.2 m, but this time the prize money has been hiked. In 2003, the runners up India got $800 K !

Meanwhile, Gavaskar has cautioned India not to go for revenge against Bangladesh. BD had beaten them in 2007 WC, but then this is not a time to take revenge. Just try to build your innings and bowl well. Wins and losses are part and parcel of the game. They are a rising side and within some years, they wll be a force to reckon with.

Dhoni's powerful team has won both warm up matches.

Dhoni said "We have to replicate the effort of our intensity in our first match against Bangladesh."

Selection seems to be a problem, with only two slots and one of the trio - Yuvraj, Raina, Kohli - will have to sit out. Kohli is in great form and he along with Pathan seems to be the only two players who are in great form.

On the other hand, Shakib, the BD skipper, said he is confident of the outcome, with millions of Bangladeshis cheering for his team.

"We are yet to be tagged the favorite against any of the big teams, but I can assure you that we shall try our level best and are prepared to give more than 100 per cent on the field."

In between Tests and T20s is ODI : Dhoni

Dhoni says ODI is not dead, but is in between the other two formats or a blend of both.

"I love ODI because you see a bit of Test cricket and a bit of T20 in one format and you get the result the same day. If you lose three-four wickets, then the batsmen who come in, need to struggle and slog in the last overs. I think it is an ideal mix of Test and T20," said the successful Indian captain.

"Right now in this format, I feel there is nothing called safe. We have scored close to 413-414 runs and yet won by only a run."

"And we have beaten the best teams scoring only 225 runs. A lot depends on the condition and the pressure you can put on the opposition. Any score can be a good score and any big target can be a gettable target in this tournament," he said.

He hoped that WC will be a huge success in the subcontinent.

"Or else it will not be successful anywhere else. It depends on the response of the crowd. The format is such that at the knock-out stages the stronger teams will go. So from quarterfinal onwards, the competition will be tough," he said.

Dhoni said he is not worried about the loss to BD in 2007 and would like to start the WC on a winnning note. His team has done well in the warm up games, beating NZ and AUS. 1.2 billion believe that his leadership will lead India at least into the semifinals.

India is expected to take revenge not only against BD, but against all the teams !