India mauled !

Indian cricket at the crossroads again. The Holy Trinity and Co fell like nine pins. Gone are the days of formidable Indian batting displays.

The Kangaroo quickies bowled with fire and India were skittled out for 169.

Dhoni, meanwhile, defended Indian batsmen and lauded the Aussie demon fast bowlers.

He said he is not worried by the lacklustre performance.

Said he "Not really. They are very experienced batsmen. You have to give credit to Australia bowlers for the way they bowled. They kept a nagging line outside the off-stump and that's why they got us."

He also praised the lower order Kangaroo batsmen for making contributions with the bat in Australia's first innings.

"Bowlers brought us back in to the game. We were short by 50-odd runs in the first innings. Their lower-order scored some runs, if we had got them earlier, we would have had 50-60 runs less to chase" he said.

He said India has resilience.

"We are known to be tentative starters, I think in the next game we will be slightly better."

Clarke hailed his pace trio and the experience of Hussey and Ponting.

"Our tail were outstanding with their batting, and we have to give full credit to the bowlers. You always want to have plans against whatever team you play and we were able to execute the plans.

"Credit has to go to Ponting and Hussey as well. India are a fantastic team. It is great to have them here in Australia. We know they'll come hard at us in Sydney" Clarke said.

We have said in our columns that astrologically this is not a good phase for India, with Jupiter in the 10th and Saturn in the 4th. Now it is a real problem Down Under India is facing, despite the Holy Trinity ( Laxman, Dravid & Sachin ).

India strike back !

Umesh Yadav bagged three top wickets, as Australia plunged to 27/4. Then Ponting and Hussey played well and the Kangaroos are on a respectable 179/8 !

Hussey is still a thorn in the flesh for the Indians and is unconquered on 79. Ponting was out for 60.

Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with 4/49. Zaheer took 2/32 and Ishant and Ashwin scalped one each.

Earlier Dravid was bowled Hilfenhaus for 68 and Laxman was removed by Siddle for 2. Then Hilfenhaus removed Kohli and Dhoni and India plunged to 282 all out.

Experts say that chasing more than 250 is difficult at the MCG but Sehwag says chasing 300 can be easy.

India 214/3 !

Sehwag scored a quick fifty in reply to Australia's 333.

Zaheer took 4, Yadav 3 and Ashwin 3 and Australia crept to 333.

Later Yadav showed his aggression in scalping 2 early wickets and Australia were 50/2 yesterday. Then Cowan led the fightback with a brilliant 68. Ponting always is a thorn to the Indians and he scored a superb 62.

Then Khan struck removing Clarke and Hussey and Australia were in the doldrums again, at 5/205. Then the latter order batsmen fought for Australia, particularly Siddle who scored 41 and Haddin 27.

The latter order did well Australia and the Kangaroos recovered to 333, after being 214/6.

Sehwag has smashed Hilfenhaus or four and is now unconquered on 65. India, at the moment, are 89/1.

Sehwag perished in the 60's and now Tendulkar is batting with 71 not out and Dravid 60 not out out of a total of 214/2.

Tendulkar fell in the 70s, maybe the nervous 70s for him.

Maiden tons by Tiwari, Pollard !

Pollard and Tiwari took this glorious opportunity to record maiden tons. Tiwari was the Man of the Match, while Pollard with his ten sixes held the audience spellbound.

Needing 268, Wi started disastrously, losing four for just 36 runs, their top order blown by the Indian pacers, Mithun and Pathan. Jadeja then scalped Ramadin, till Pollard and Russell launched a counter offensive, with a 89 run blast off just 79 balls !

Both Irfan ( who dismissed Simmons with the first ball ) and Mithun impressed. And so did the Indian spinners.

Pollard said he hopes to be more consistent !

"I hope that I am more consistent. Thank God, I got my maiden hundred. Wanted the team to win. Didn't happen today.

"Just have to go back and reflect on what went wrong. First couple of games were really close. Hopefully, we'll take a couple of months off international cricket and reflect and come back strong for Australia".

"Significant hundred. I was looking for a different approach after I have had a couple of starts in the earlier matches. Thank God, one of the best fielders (Kohli) in India dropped me on 99 tonight."

"I was looking for singles, and when the ball is in your arc, go for it. Hopefully, I will learn from this innings and do well for West Indies in future also."

Pollard ignored the criticism that he is only a T20 player.

"Everybody has an opinion. As far as I am concerned, I feel that when I go back to my room I should know that I have given my hundred per cent. I can be harsh with myself, if I've played a bad shot. But at the end of the day, what people have to say are just opinions."

The problem with the WI side is psychological.

"It's just a mental aspect or killer instinct. Past West Indian sides had it, then the Aussies had it and now India is doing really well. Hopefully, we'll be better equipped mentally to handle close matches in the future."

Tiwari dedicates century to Kolkotta victims

"I want to dedicate my Man-of-the-Match award to all the people who died in the Calcutta hospital tragedy. It was an unfortunate incident and it should not have happened,"

"I enjoyed it. It wasn't coming onto the bat. Generally I play spin pretty well, so I made sure I took advantage of the loose balls" he said.

He retired hurt at 104.

"I didn't hydrate enough before the match, that is my mistake. I had cramps because of that. I have to hydrate before playing in future" he said.

Meanwhile, Gambhir, the acting skipper, paid tributes to his bowlers who did not allow Pollard to run away with the game.

"We know what Pollard can do on his day, but credit to the bowlers who stuck to their game. It was a matter of just one ball. Every ball he (Pollard) middled was going out of the ground, but you have to stick to your line and length" he said.

"Our bowlers did just that. We missed Ravichandran Ashwin in the spin department. But Rahul Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja bowled well" he added.

"We thought 240 would be a good total. But we ended up scoring 266, thanks to Manoj. Good to see him get the hundred, hopefully he will go on and get many more.

Incidentally, Sehwag was happy with his young team.

"I am satisfied with the young team. Especially with the young fielding and bowling unit. West Indies have some big hitters but our bowlers did well throughout the series. Credit to the players for winning the series 4-1" he said.

"They were all eager to play. I asked everybody can you take a break, they said no, so I had to take the break. I am happy that all of them played in the series and they did well" he said.

"It's a good end to the season. We beat England 5-0, New Zealand 5-0 and now West Indies 4-1".

On the contrary, Sammy congratulated Pollard, who almost pulled it off.

"Congratulations to Pollard on his first one-day hundred. It was really good to watch. We have been paying some good cricket, we have been fighting throughout, but unfortunately we are not finishing things off" he said.

"Everybody expected us to roll over, we did not. We showed our never-say-die attitude. I'd like to congratulate the boys on the effort, the way they supported me in the tough series. We can only move forward from here. Congratulations to Sehwag and his team, but we can hold our heads high" he said.

Rohit Sharma, the Man of the Series, said he had forgotten the past and will make a new beginning.

Australia firm in chase !

Australia are 72/0, needing 241 to win.

Seems to be a cliff hanger.

NZ won by seven runs, in an incredible match. Bracewell took six wickets and the Aussie middle order collapsed. David Warner remained unbeaten with 123, carrying his bat through. This is NZ' first win on these shores after 1985 !

Always believed Viru would score 200: Dhoni

Dhoni was all praise for Sehwag for his 219. He always believed that the maverick Veeru can do it !

"I want to say that others may have said that are a few who could score double century in ODIs, but I always believed Viru could always score 200 on his day.With Viru, it's not just about big shots, but calculative batting," Dhoni said.

He was enthused by the fact that both double centurions are from India.

"I am proud that both Viru and Sachin Paaji are Indians, and would not mind if they score double centuries again" said the whirlwind wicketkeeper batsman.

India can win Down Under - Dravid

Dravid's form may serve India's interests as they take on formidable Australia ( Aus is always formidable in Aus ).

As the Kangaroos are under the inexperienced Clarke, Dravid feels that India
can triumph.

"In terms of personal satisfaction in terms of batting, yes I am very happy.
I got more runs in 2002 but that seems so far away, so [I] can't even
remember what it was like," Dravid said.

"I think some of the runs that I got this year classify as what you call 'tough runs'. They were in pretty tough conditions
when the team needed it. So, in that sense, I do feel this was one of my
better years personally as a player. Obviously the tour of England was
disappointment. From that point of view it was disappointing, but from a
personal view this year probably is among the best that I have had."

Rahul scored 1067 runs this calender year, with five tons. He said the the
runs accumulated in 2011 set him up for a rugged tour.

"Runs behind you don't necessarily translate into runs in the future but
what I can definitely say is that I go there in a good space. I feel have
been hitting the ball well," he said. "I feel quit relaxed when around the
group and in the team and am comfortable with the contributions that I am
making. I think it's a good time to be travelling.

Dravid is hailed as Mr Wall and is the main architect of series wins in Pakistan,
the West Indies, England and New Zealand, but a series win in Australia has been elusive.

If India triumphs in Australia, it will be a great benchmark.

"Australia is the benchmark, definitely. They had some absolute
legends and still have some great players, and they have been the kind of
team that you set your mark against. It would definitely be special to go
and do well there."

The new look Australian side will be resurgent.

"I still think they are a good side. I know they don't have the
big names they had in the past, but they have got some emerging players,
some good young players. You can clearly see that they have got a lot of
potential and any Australian team is going to hard to beat on home soil. But
quietly, I think as a team we should be confident in our own abilities and I
really like the look of the way our pace attack is developing. Hopefully we
can stay fit and I believe we give ourselves a good chance."


Dravid said he had not set specific goals for himself for this tough tour !

"I don't have any thing in terms of my own
numbers or statistics that I want to achieve in Australia," he said. "I want
to win a Test series there try and help the team win in Australia. That is
something that we have never done. So every time you go and tour there you
want to get that goal. Its not going to be easy, it's never is, but I think
the team's goal is to try and win a series."

Dravid became the second player, after Sachin, to score more than
13 K runs, an achievement which Dravid himself considered was not
just possible when he started. .

"I wouldn't have minded scoring five hundreds or a thousand runs less if we
could win a series in Australia. I think those of are the kind of memories
that stay with you. I think the greatest memory for me now is not
necessarily statistical. It's not the number of runs, it's those magical
moments. It's winning in Kolkata and Rawalpindi. The series wins in Tests
stay with you. I think that's what you would play for at this stage."


He is hailed as the best batsman India has produced, despite being the oldest, but his penchant for fitness has paid off !

"It tells you that fitness levels have risen, and that's thanks to the
access that we have today - to physiotherapists and trainers. Sports science
has improved tremendously since the time I started and I think it means
players are fitter for longer periods of time. Especially as batsman, if you
are disciplined about things you can prolong your career for periods of
time. It's a question of getting everything right and getting the technical
side of things right. Then you have all this help to tap into in terms of
your physical fitness. If you are doing these things you can ensure that you
play for pretty long periods of time."

The clone overtakes the original

On Feb 24, 2010, history was made as Sachin became the first player to score a double century in ODIs. On Dec 8, 2011, that record was overhauled in a stunning manner by his clone ! It just took 260 ODIs to eclipse that record and the record breaker was his clone !

It is said that Sehwag modelled himself on the lines of Sachin. He was the clone and Sachin the original. And now the clone has surpassed the original.

When he scored 219 yesterday off 149 balls with 25 fours and seven sixes, he had overtaken the world record set by the original, Sachin ! His is the fastest double century in ODI ( off 140 balls ) and the highest score in ODI !

What a way to prove his critics wrong !

"I never expected to score a double hundred. While opening the innings, I told Gautam Gambhir that if we can show some patience on this track, we will be in for a big one as the wicket is a good one. The outfield is fantastic and the distance of the boundary is only 50 yards," said the swashbuckling opener, after his epic hundred.

After the batting powerplay, he felt he can cross the 200 mark.

"It was only after the batting powerplay started, I felt that I could reach double hundred. Also when Sammy dropped me (at 170), I knew that God was with me," Sehwag stated.

He thanked his family and those who supported him.

"I want to thank my family and fans. I know people expected me to score a double century. Today when I wanted to hit a six, I just did that."

He was determined to expiate for the low scores in the first three ODIs.

"I have said this earlier also that the top-order needs to contribute. It was a wicket where one could score big runs if he stayed around for 30 overs."

Success has taken a toll of Sehwage "Obviously, I am very tired. I am an old man now and my back gets stiff. So I need to take an ice bath."

Except for a catch which he offered Sammy at 170, his innings was blemishless. Sehwag is the highest scorer for India in Tests and ODIs. He scored 319 against SA in Chennai in 2008, after the 309 against Pak in Multan in 04.

Both double hundreds in ODIs are by Indians, by Sachin and Sehwag. India won the series 3-1 and what a way to win ! Ramadin threw away a possible hundred, as he swept Raina to be caught for 96 , but then none of the other Carribean batsmen put up any resistance. Chasing 419, the WIs were all out for 265.

Rahul Sharma had a brilliant debut, taking three wickets in the last balls of the three overs, all of them bowled.


Cricketers hail Sehwag

"If you are a cricket fan, pls switch your tv's on right now & watch a genius bat.. Sehwag destroying the WI.. World record coming.." - Kevin Pieterse in his Twitter Page.

"The double hundred will be a big morale booster for him with the tough Australian tour lined up. You will find the bowling attack, conditions different Down Under. This double ton will give him a big confidence for sure ahead of the Australia tour. This is a great achievement and I congratulate Sehwag for the amazing feat. He has captained the Indian side on and off for a short while and I believe he could make up as a good captain. He is a gambler, a player who loves to take risks. If he keeps getting opportunity as a captain, he will come up with many such milestones," - Sourav Ganguly.

"I am very happy for Sehwag. He is one of the greatest players I have ever seen. He missed his double century (175) during the World Cup game against Bangladesh at Mirpur. But on Thursday he has achieved the feat which I would like to describe as incredible," - Srikanth, Chairman of Selectors, India.

"I have always remained a great fan of Sachin Tendulkar and when he scored the double hundred against South Africa, one name that crossed my mind was Sehwag. In my view, other player who could have scored double ton was Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya because he also plays an attacking brand of cricket.

"Both Sehwag and Jayasuriya have the talent and ability to score a double hundred and can only touch the mark. I would like to extend my congratulations to all Indians for Sehwag scoring a double hundred"- Abdul Qadir.

"It was long overdue. I always used to tell him whenever he stepped on the field that this time you have to score a double hundred. It was very satisfying finally watching Viru score 200 runs with such strokeful display. He has always played attacking game and that helped him achieve the milestone.

"I hope Viru will be back to his usual self after this inning. My congratulation to him - Coach, A N Sharma.

"Once Sehwag gets going, it's very difficult to stop him. I am delighted and congratulations to him." - Abbas Ali Baig.

"I say it again! I never saw sir Viv (Vivian Richards) bat but I have seen Sehwag bat! What a player... 219 in a one day game is next to impossible!" - Yuvraj Singh on Twitter.

Cheers! congratulations!! way to go buddy!" - Zaheer Khan

Incidentally, 418/5 is India's highest total in ODIs and the two double centuries in ODIs were achieved all in the state of Madhya Pradesh, at venues within 500 kms !

India can beat Australia :Symonds

Symonds says India can beat the Kangaroos Down Under.

"Indians can put pressure on the young Australian players. They have a good opportunity to beat Australia in their home country. I think there are good chances of India beating them," said the swashbuckling batsman.

"However, the young Australian players too have an opportunity to beat the Indians. There are positive chances for both the sides. One needs preparation and also needs to respond properly in big games," he averred.

Sachin may score his 100th century in Australia.

"Sachin is an enormous person. There is lot of pressure on him for the 100th ton. I hope he gets the century at the earliest so that the burden that he faces is reduced and he can carry on with the game. He has the ability to do it soon. There are chances that he might score the century during the India-Australia series.It would be a great thing for him to score it in Australia,"

Talks about Ponting's retirement were unnecessary, he felt.

"It is disappointing that reports of that sort are coming out. They are unnecessary. He is a good batsman. It is up to him to decide whether to be in the game. He should be left alone," he said.

Meanwhile, Saha, the Indian reserve wicket keeper is confident about his future Down Under.

"I will not be curious of the conditions there. I have played there and have some good memory (of winning the title under Virat Kohli). So I will wait for an opportunity" Saha said.

"As a batsman you need to give a little extra there. But for a wicketkeeper, the conditions are ideal as the ball comes along nicely."

"He (Sourav) has told me to stay focused and concentrate on my style of play. Besides, he has given me few cricketing tips and I'm confident of a good show if given an opportunity.

"It's a big opportunity for me. But I'm not extra cautious. I am taking it as any other tour. I don't have any specific target other than improving my performance day by day," said the whirlwind wicketkeeper.

Rohit sparkles, but India lose !

The Indian top order failed again. Patel & Co were 85/5 against WI, which cost them the match.

Rampaul wrecked India with the devastating figures of 4/57 to give the WI a 16 run victory.

Earlier, a half century by Samuels ( 58 off 93 ) and cameos by Sammy ( 41 off 17 ) and Russell ( 40 off 18 ) helped WI to put up a challenging 260/5, after India asked them to bat.

The two allrounders plundered 43 runs in the last two overs. WI blasted 52 in the last three overs, 73 in the last fie and 93 in the last seven. 79 runs came in just 34 balls for the sixth wicket.

The WI innings started off shakily with Simmons ( 1 off 8 ) deaprted early. But then it was Mithun who struck for India, as he removed Hyatt ( 20 off 39 ), caught behind by Parthiv.

Bravo had to grapple with a hamstring injury and he had to retire hurt for 26 off 41.

Samuels reached his 22nd ODI fifty off just 78 deliveries. Ramadin looked good for his 38 off 52, till he was unsettled by a Yadav delivery.

When India batted, she lost two wickets, that of Sehwag and Gambhir in quick succession to Ravi Rampaul. Then Samuels removed Parthiv. Then Rampaul scalped Raina and India were 85/5 ! Then Jadeja was run out and India were in the doldrums.

Lusty hitting by Rohit, supported ably by Ashwin did revive India but all was in vain as Rohit was dramatically run out for 95. Narine trapped Ashwin and that was the end of the road for India !

Kohli and Rohit maul Windies !

The issue was never in doubt. A glorious 163 run partnership between Rohit and Kohli sealed the fate of the second ODI, as Kohli brought up his 8th ODI hundred, enhancing his reputation as an expert in successful chases.

Rohit again proved to be dependable, as he guided India to a five wicket victory, with 90 not out.

Umesh Yadav struck early in the Windies innings, taking two wickets. Darren Bravo threatened to take the game away, but perished to Vinay Kumar. V Kumar also accounted for Hyatt for a duck and Windies were tottering.

At 170/9, they looked like the lamb to the slaughter. Then Rampaul played an innings of rare aggression, as he smashed 86, thus spoiling the figures of the Indian bowlers.

The asking rate was always under control, as Rohit and Kohli hit the WI bowlers to all parts of the field. India rolled over to an easy victory, after being 86/3, after the loss of lacklustre Sehwag !

A big blow was dealt to India as Sehwag tried to loft Samuels, but only holed out to long off. But Kohli's classic fifty confirmed India's recovery. Boundaries came with regularity along with the ones and twos to keep the scoreboard moving, much to the discomfiture of the Carribeans.

Rohit also made his half century. He completed it with a four off the last ball of the 35th over to take India to 172/3, needing just 98 off 90 deliveries with seven wickets intact. It was Advantage India, as the powerplay came in the next over from No 36 to 40.