VoteUpIndia » Sports http://voteupindia.com Top News of India... Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:03:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= BCCI clarifies pitch row http://voteupindia.com/bcci-clarifies-pitch-row/ http://voteupindia.com/bcci-clarifies-pitch-row/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 17:27:15 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9693
Stung by Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne’s scathing attack on changing the pitch for their home match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday sought to put a lid on the controversy, saying selecting the playing surface is the prerogative of the curator and the teams have no choice in the matter.

A last-minute change of track at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur for the Rajasthan Royals’ match against the Chennai Super Kings triggered off a controversy, with a livid Warne slamming the decision as “ridiculous” and saying that host teams have the right to extract the best out of home conditions.

Warne had expressed his displeasure at the post-match media conference on Monday, stating that never in these four years were they instructed on which surface to use. The Royals have always preferred a slowish track compared to the one that was selected by curator Venkat Sundaram.

The BCCI tried to douse the fire later in the day, as fingers were being pointed at CSK, which is owned by India Cements supremo and BCCI secretary N Srinivasan using their clout to influence the curator’s decision.

IPL chairman Chirayu Amin issued a statement, saying it is the curator, in consultation with the BCCI’s Ground and Pitches Committee, who decides the playing surface and there is nothing sinister about the change of pitch at Jaipur.

“The BCCI would like to confirm that its Ground and Pitches Committee sent recommendations for ground and pitch preparation to all host associations before the start of the IPL season. Included in the same was the advice that ‘the pitches should have good pace and consistent bounce,” the statement said.

“The committee members have visited a number of the IPL venues both before and, where necessary, during the season, and made appropriate recommendations, the priority being to ensure competitive and quality cricket,” it said.

Amin, in his statement, also rubbished the concept that the home team is allowed to take a call on the playing strip.

“Neither of the playing teams has a choice of the wicket, on which to play the game. It is the curator, in consultation with the Ground and Pitches Committee Chairman, who prepares the wickets,” he said.

“The BCCI wishes to clarify that the wicket used in the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, played at Jaipur on 9th May 2011, was as per the decision of the curator and the Ground and Pitches Committee. This decision was taken in the best interests of the game.”

The statement also included a statement made by the chairman of BCCI’s Grounds and Pitches committee, Venkat Sundaram.

“The IPL is being played at the end of the Indian domestic season, and after the World Cup. Therefore, the main pitches are bound to have wear-and-tear. The extreme heat prevailing all over the country has also taken its toll.

“Hence, it becomes necessary to change the pitches in some cases, as good playing conditions will result in good cricket,” Sundaram stated.

Some of the franchise owners have been vocal about how CSK has allegedly “flouting norms”. Sources in the Chennai camp defended the decision, saying, “It was purely a BCCI decision to change the pitch and they had no say in it.”

Earlier, during the auctions this year, some of the franchises complained that the sequence of the players’ auction was planned at the behest of Srinivasan, which allowed CSK to retain some of the players who came up for auction late and by the time other teams had exhausted their purse.

Rajasthan lost by 63 runs to Chennai on Monday night, playing on the new surface and Warne was livid with the change.

“In the past four years we have never been told to play on any particular wicket. It is ridiculous to have instructions for pitch,” Warne fumed.

Asked if these instructions meant losing the home advantage to some extent, Warne retorted, “I have no idea from where the instructions came. But never before there have been such things going on. It is right of every team to extract best out of home conditions.

“The wickets for earlier matches were fantastic. If you had been watching earlier matches here you can make out easily that today’s wicket was different. It has come as a shock and surprise that we were being instructed to play on certain kind of wicket,” he said.

Though he did not blame anybody in particular, Warne was indirectly referring to the unofficial complaint that was lodged by Mumbai Indians after they were restricted to 94 for eight on a slow track.

“I don’t want that there should be headings tomorrow that Shane Warne blames the pitch because it was same for both teams and I concede that we were outplayed. We were up against a side which was pumped and eager to win,” he added.


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]]> http://voteupindia.com/bcci-clarifies-pitch-row/feed/ 0 Commonwealth Games to push for Twenty20 cricket inclusion http://voteupindia.com/commonwealth-games-to-push-for-twenty20-cricket-inclusion/ http://voteupindia.com/commonwealth-games-to-push-for-twenty20-cricket-inclusion/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 17:27:15 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9694
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is to approach the International Cricket Council (ICC) again to push for Twenty20 cricket’s inclusion in future Games, the CGF said on Tuesday.

“It is fundamental that our sports programme continues to evolve in such a way as to sustain the Commonwealth Games as one of the world’s leading multi-sport events,” CGF sports review committee chairman Tunku Imran said in a statement.

“Given cricket’s strong association with the Commonwealth, the CGF will have further dialogue with the ICC as to the possibility of 20/20 cricket being included as an option for future editions of the Games,” the CGF vice-president said.

Organisers of last year’s Delhi Commonwealth Games were keen to include Twenty20 cricket but the powerful Indian cricket board rejected the idea, saying it did not want to further encourage this format of the game.

India had sent a second-string squad when cricket featured in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games.

The CGF said it would also ask its 71 member countries to vote on whether to include beach volleyball from the 2018 Games.

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]]> http://voteupindia.com/commonwealth-games-to-push-for-twenty20-cricket-inclusion/feed/ 0 I am taking one thing at a time: Rohit http://voteupindia.com/i-am-taking-one-thing-at-a-time-rohit/ http://voteupindia.com/i-am-taking-one-thing-at-a-time-rohit/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 17:27:15 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9695
His good form in the ongoing Indian Premier League notwithstanding, Mumbai Indians batsman Rohit Sharma on Saturday said that he was not presently thinking about a comeback into the Indian team.

“I don’t want to think too much about that. I am taking one thing at a time. I just want to concentrate on the IPL. I want to win the trophy for Mumbai. By thinking too much you just confuse yourself,” Sharma told reporters after his side’s 32-run win over Delhi Daredevils at the Wankhede stadium.

He was responding to a query on whether he was eyeing a comeback in the national squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies.

Asked whether he was disappointed at not being able to cement his place in the ODI squad, he said, “That is gone. I don’t want to think about the past now. I am doing well now and want to concentrate on it.”

Sharma, who made a 32-ball 49 to set up the foundation for his side’s huge 178 for four, said he was happy with his performances in the Twenty20 tournament so far.

“It has been up and down so far. Whatever limited opportunities I have got I think I have done well. I am hitting the ball well. I want to continue doing that till the end,” he added.

Sharma said that given the format of the tournament it was important for the Mumbai Indians, who won their eighth match and have virtually qualified for the play-offs with 16 points, to maintain their consistency.

“As of now we cannot take it easy. We want to be right at the top till we go into the semis (playoffs). We have four more games to go and other teams are also doing well. So we don’t want to relax. We have to go and play our best cricket in the remaining games,” he said.

On his own innings, he said though he was struggling initially, he was confident of doing well once he stayed on the crease for a long time.

“I struggled initially but was confident that if I play for a longer period I will do well. I had to play according to the situation and that is what I did,” he added.

Sharma said the wicket of Delhi Daredevils’ skipper Virender Sehwag was crucial to Mumbai’s win.

“He is obviously a very dangerous player. He had played a very good knock in his last game (119 in 56 balls against Deccan Chargers). It was important to take his wicket. We had made plans for him and that worked for us.”

Asked about Harbhajan Singh, who was seen limping in the ground, he said, “He (Harbhajan) twisted his ankle while coming down (from the pavilion) during the Delhi innings. But he bowled his four overs and I think he is fine.”
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]]> http://voteupindia.com/i-am-taking-one-thing-at-a-time-rohit/feed/ 0 The IPL: from an Aficionado http://voteupindia.com/the-ipl-from-an-aficionado/ http://voteupindia.com/the-ipl-from-an-aficionado/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 17:27:15 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9696
Once the opening ceremony of IPL IV was done, there was one thought that eased me down a little. Yes! It has been a hectic past few months, but India had just won the World Cup and after a lukewarm opening ceremony – things could only get better. And things soon did, the Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders (as usual) played out a thriller and things were underway.

For a change, it was refreshing to just keep your emotions in check and appreciate good cricket, no matter who was playing. For a change, it was nice to be a neutral. After a grueling World Cup, where I had let the fan in me take over, it was good to let the observer take his place again. Just Watch.Analyse.Write.

If the World Cup was a treat for the Indian fan, the IPL has been the same for an aficionado. No, the fan and an aficionado are not the same. For a fan, India’s victory against an opponent should come at any cost. It’s like expecting good’s triumph over evil – it just has to happen. There is no way India can let evil triumph. For a fan; the conditions, the surface, players’ form or a brilliant show by an opponent accounts for, if not nothing at all, very little. A follower though takes things in his stride- He gives credit where it’s due. ‘India lost to a better side on the day’, ‘Yuvraj Singh’s form was the lone bright spot’, ‘Ricky Ponting took the game away from us’, ‘The surface did not suit India’ etc. are some of the things a follower might agree with, but a fan? No! Make no mistake; I am not criticizing the fan. Being the fan is where the real fun lies, your mind experiences a plethora of emotions, most of which you will never get otherwise.

Seeing myself make no inclination towards a particular side has helped me realize how important the IPL is. Over the past, it has given us some classy players; Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay, Saurabh Tiwary and Ravindra Jadeja (ahem!) among many others. And this time it seems the players are more motivated to make an impact, maybe the WC win helped with that. A host of little heard players have taken the IPL by storm and none more so than the diminutive prowler (remember, you read the tag here first), Paul Valthaty.

Being a neutral you somehow see yourself always backing the underdog – one could see how a boisterous crowd sided towards minnows, Ireland and Kevin O’Brien during their stunning win against England. The same has happened over this IPL, though not with a particular team but with players who one would generally think will fail against world class players. Think Paul Valthaty against Tim Southee and Albie Morkel, think Ambati Rayudu against Zaheer Khan and Daniel Vettori, think Siddharth Trivedi and Amit Singh against Kumar Sangakkara and JP Duminy, and you usually do not give much chance to Valthaty, Rayudu, Trivedi and Singh. But it is when they defy the odds and send the more esteemed players running for cover that you see yourself backing them. That is exactly why the IPL is so fascinating; it gives the previously unheard of player an opportunity to burst onto the scene. For some it maybe just their 15 minutes of fame, but for most it is a stepping stone to achieving childhood ambitions.

The general aura emanating from this IPL has been that the Indians have been playing too much cricket. Yes! A gap of 6 days after the World Cup would be harsh on even the fittest athletes. But that is for 15 players, there are scores of other Indian cricketers who will benefit greatly from playing with top international players. Basing a selection on performance in the IPL, where players are up against the best in the world, rather than the domestic circuit doesn’t seem all that out of place to me. That’s where the IPL has done a commendable job, give India players we never thought we will see. It is not only the Indian players who have made the most of the cricketing extravaganza; Shane Watson made the most of the IPL and is now a permanent fixture for the Aussies. Murali Vijay changed the general perception that people had that he was just a Test player through a few superb knocks in the IPL. Ravindra Jadeja had everyone’s hopes up about India having found a genuine all rounder. Yusuf Pathan’s exploits with the Royals have been instrumental in him becoming one of the most feared batsmen today.

Not all may go onto become successful at the international stage, but imagine the IPL unearths a player of Shane Watson’s capability. A host of players have used the IPL to go onto bigger, more important things and this year we already have seen many players wanting to go their way – Valthaty, Rahul Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Iqbal Abdullah, etc. I’m sure it won’t be long before some youngster goes on to become a real success at the international level.

Valthaty, someone who failed to make an impact at Rajasthan Royals, is now widely regarded as a player who could make the India team for the West Indies tour. Valthaty (who has played for Mumbai only once) himself, even with belief in his ability, would have never in his wildest dreams thought his name would be popping up in selection debates in the Indian board on the basis of just a few games in the IPL. But the IPL has given him the stage, the audience and the cast to show off his talent.

The fans fail to see beyond the razzmatazz surrounding the IPL- the big shots, the cheerleaders, the music and Ravi Shastri bellowing like he’s swallowed a mike; the follower sees what it is truly doing to Indian cricket – giving them budding youngsters, giving them promising careers and giving us all an unmatchable experience.

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]]> http://voteupindia.com/the-ipl-from-an-aficionado/feed/ 0 WICB didn’t check my injury status: Taylor http://voteupindia.com/wicb-didnt-check-my-injury-status-taylor/ http://voteupindia.com/wicb-didnt-check-my-injury-status-taylor/#comments Mon, 09 May 2011 16:05:42 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9687

Back to competitive cricket in the IPL after an injury layoff, West Indian pacer Jerome Taylor says his Board did not check on the status of his back problem till he landed in India for the Twenty20 event.

The pacer, contracted with the Pune Warriors, last played for the West Indies in June 2010 and was ignored for the home ODI series against Pakistan.

Taylor said the back injury that he picked up during the domestic first-class competition earlier this year “was nothing to keep me out for too long.”

“I had asked the WICB for an NOC due to the fact that I wasn’t a contracted player with the WICB. I was in a preparation camp for the Four-Day tournament and didn’t get selected in the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup, which none of the selectors said anything to me about even though I was fit enough to be preparing for the first-class competition.”

“I wasn’t sure I was going to be selected, so I had to keep my options open. It was a case where I didn’t want to be at home waiting to be selected, not get picked and let this opportunity pass me for a third year in a row,” he told a website.

Taylor said the Board did not contact him while he was recovering but got in touch once he landed in India for the IPL.

“…no one contacted me about my injury before I came in India,” Taylor said.

“On April 7, 2011, after I had arrived in India, I received an e-mail from (board CEO Ernest) Hilaire — and the Pune Warriors management and medical staff also let me know — that he needed a report on my medical status for his purposes of informing the IPL (about my fitness),” he said.

Taylor’s back injury among others, has meant that he has played just 29 Tests after making his debut in 2003.

In his five IPL matches, Taylor has taken six wickets at 26.16.

“I’m not sure what they (selectors) are thinking right now but what can I do more than go out there and perform? That’s my focus right now. I have to make sure I’m performing and I’m fit, and the rest is left in their hands.”

“At this moment my body is feeling good and I’m up for it and I have to make sure that I put the best of Jerome Taylor out on the park,” he said.

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]]> http://voteupindia.com/wicb-didnt-check-my-injury-status-taylor/feed/ 0 Chanderpaul named in WI squad for Pak Test http://voteupindia.com/chanderpaul-named-in-wi-squad-for-pak-test/ http://voteupindia.com/chanderpaul-named-in-wi-squad-for-pak-test/#comments Mon, 09 May 2011 16:05:42 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9688
Reports of Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s demise appear to have been exaggerated after he was named Saturday in a 15-strong West Indies squad to prepare for first Test against Pakistan.

The durable left-handed batsman has been engaged in a war of words with the West Indies Cricket Board over the last two weeks following his omission from the preceding five-match one-day international series.

Chanderpaul claimed his non-selection for the ODIs followed his refusal to retire from the international limited-overs formats of the game, after he had been asked to do so by West Indies officials.

He also claimed that the current West Indies management interfered with his batting during matches, and subjected him to intense questioning about his approach, as he defended himself against allegations of a lack of discipline.

Chanderpaul, a veteran of 129 Tests, 268 ODIs, and 22 Twenty20 International, will add greater substance to a batting line-up that struggled during the ODI series, which Pakistan won 3-2.

Three other players that did not feature in the ODIs have been shipped into the squad for the first Test, which starts Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium.

They are fast bowler Fidel Edwards, left-handed batsman Brendan Nash, and uncapped teenaged opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite.

Edwards is fit again following a year out of the game with back troubles, and has been recalled to boost a fast bowling attack which also includes his compatriot Kemar Roach and rookie Andre Russell.

He has not played for West Indies in two years and returned to serious competitive action during the last WICB Regional first-class championship earlier this year, taking 22 wickets in seven matches.

Australia-born Nash has been pigeon-holed as a batsman for the longer versions of the game, and was elevated to the position of vice-captain in West Indies’ previous Test series in Sri Lanka.

Brathwaite was captain of the Young West Indies side that completed a successful trip to Dubai two weeks ago, topping Young Australia in three Youth ODIs and a three-day Youth Test.

The prolific 18-year-old, a more classical, right-handed version of Chanderpaul, has impressed most knowledgeable observers with his temperament, if not his array of strokes, and has amazingly scored almost 50 hundreds combined in all forms of the game, and various levels.

West Indies will play a two-day practice match on Sunday and Monday at the Demerara Cricket Club in the Guyana capital of Georgetown, following which the squad will be whittled down to 13.

Squad:

Carlton Baugh Jr, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Brendan Nash, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith
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]]> http://voteupindia.com/chanderpaul-named-in-wi-squad-for-pak-test/feed/ 0 Kochi Tuskers up against resurgent RCB http://voteupindia.com/kochi-tuskers-up-against-resurgent-rcb/ http://voteupindia.com/kochi-tuskers-up-against-resurgent-rcb/#comments Mon, 09 May 2011 00:03:35 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9665
When Royal Challengers Bangalore began their IPL 2011 campaign, their fans would have pondered upon changing loyalties. Four games into the tournament, the previously top-ranked squad, slumped to three successive losses after a fairly convincing win against Kochi Tuskers in their opening tie.

As though not retaining local stars Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa was not a reason enough for fans to change their team of preference; RCB’s loses added to their supporters’ woes.

But thanks to a few significant changes in their line-up, the team has managed to turn things around in their favour. Nine games down, the team has five wins, three loses and a draw. Given their success in the past seasons, the resurgence RCB has managed to pull off has certainly helped retain their fan base.

With Chris Gayle being called mid-way through the first leg of the matches, the West Indian brought about a much-needed fire into the batting line-up, which depended mostly on Virat Kohli or AB de Villiers as Tillakaratne Dilshan is yet to score big runs.
On Sunday, when RCB meet their opening game opponents Kochi Tuskers on their home soil at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Daniel Vettori-led squad will bank on their batting line-up which has held their sway in the recent games. Whether it is chasing or piling on a match-winning total, the team has proved its mettle.

RCB bowling, too, has been better than the initial expectations. At start, it was opined that apart from Zaheer Khan, the bowling attack was not as good as the previous team which had the likes of Dale Steyn, Praveen Kumar, Anil Kumble and Jacques Kallis. However, local lads S Arvind and Abhimanyu Mithun have come good in the previous games. Star of the Friday evening, Gayle taking three wickets is a bonus.

Currently placed at No 4 in the points table, RCB have strengthened their chances of making it to the playoffs.
On Sunday, it will be interesting to see whether the Mahela Jayawardane-led side will avenge their opening game loss to RCB and hold on to their chances of a playoff berth. For now, Kochi are sixth in the table having played 10 games with five wins.

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]]> http://voteupindia.com/kochi-tuskers-up-against-resurgent-rcb/feed/ 0 Lee stars in Kolkata victory http://voteupindia.com/abc-sport-lee-stars-in-kolkata-victory/ http://voteupindia.com/abc-sport-lee-stars-in-kolkata-victory/#comments Sun, 08 May 2011 23:52:09 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9666
Australia’s Brett Lee conceded just eight runs in four overs as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-hit Indian Premier League match in Kolkata overnight.

Kolkata were 2 for 61 in 10 overs chasing a modest 115-run target when play was called off due to rain at the Eden Gardens.

South African Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 21 and Manoj Tiwary on 15 not out.

Meanwhile, Ambati Rayudu cracked a half-century and Munaf Patel took two quick wickets to help Mumbai Indians post a 32-run win over Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai.

Rayudu made a 39-ball 59 and seamer Patel finished with 2 for 29 as Mumbai bowled Delhi out for 146 after scoring 4 for 178 to boost their chances of qualifying for the next round of the tournament.

Australian James Hopes top-scored with 55 for Delhi, which suffered its seventh defeat in 11 matches.

Australian paceman Lee and left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla played key roles in restricting Chennai to a small total on a slow pitch, despite a fighting 54 from Subramaniam Badrinath.

Abdulla took one wicket in his four overs, giving away 15 runs.

It was Kolkata’s seventh win in 11 matches and Chennai’s fourth defeat in 10 games of the Twenty20 tournament.

Mumbai and Kolkata now jointly lead the 10-team league table with 14 points, followed by Chennai (12), Bangalore (11), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Delhi (8), Deccan (6), Punjab (6) and Pune (4).

Chennai earlier failed to post a competitive total after electing to bat despite a half-century from Badrinath, who hit two sixes and three fours in his 41-ball knock before being run out in the last over.

Badrinath put on 65 for the fourth wicket in the last nine overs with South African Albie Morkel, who contributed a run-a-ball 30 not out.

Chennai struggled for runs, scoring 40 in the opening 10 overs. There were just two sixes and six fours in the entire innings.

The first big shot came in the 10th over when Badrinath lofted off-spinner Yusuf Pathan over long-on for a six. He then pulled seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji over mid-wicket for another six.

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]]> http://voteupindia.com/abc-sport-lee-stars-in-kolkata-victory/feed/ 0 Mumbai Indians keeps winning http://voteupindia.com/the-hindu-sport-mumbai-indians-keeps-winning/ http://voteupindia.com/the-hindu-sport-mumbai-indians-keeps-winning/#comments Sun, 08 May 2011 23:52:08 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9668

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians displayed its batting prowess, bowling might and fielding skills in outplaying Delhi Daredevils in the presence of its loyal supporters at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.

MI with 16 points is poised to finish among the top two while Daredevils faces the prospect of elimination at the end of the league phase. Daredevils’ downfall, in a must-win match, was swift and dramatic and caused by the combination of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, fast bowler Lasith Malinga (forced out of the attack in the 20th over following two beamers) and medium-pacer Munaf Patel.

Early wickets

The writing on the wall was clear once the Daredevils top-order fell, facing altogether just eight deliveries. Not in good nick in the last four matches after his 77 against Kings XI Punjab at the Ferozeshah Kotla a fortnight ago, David Warner departed in the first over adjudged leg before.

Colin Ingram, making his IPL debut, followed him; unable to find an answer to a mean yorker from Malinga and Virender Sehwag presented Patel a first-ball wicket.

While the first three wickets were straightforward, there was a bit of drama that demanded umpire K. Hariharan to consult colleague Simon Taufel to give Naman Ojha the marching orders. Somehow Hariharan had failed to notice the clear edge.

The fifth-wicket stand between Venugopala Rao and James Hopes delayed the inevitable. In all it was a very satisfactory outing for MI. Aiden Blizzard solved to an extent MI’s vexing issue of finding a more than functional opening partner for Sachin Tendulkar. Six runs off as many balls on his IPL debut against Pune Warriors earlier this week, offered little evidence of the Australian’s shot-making skills in the shortest form of the game. Tendulkar walked out with Blizzard again after Sehwag had decided to field.

As it transpired, the first three balls he faced from Morne Morkel yielded nothing; but after some mid-over guidance from his partner, he cut loose to make it a 10-over start.

It was not the same story, though, in the second over from the lanky South African; Blizzard shifted his front foot out of the line, opened his shoulders and found every unorthodox way to send the ball towards the fence five times.

Blizzard’s footwork would not feature in any coaching manual, but the end result proved to be most productive as MI raced to 50 for no loss in the first five overs.

The contrast in the blazing opening stand was seen in Tendulkar’s three crisp text-book shots that fetched him 12 runs; a front-foot cover drive, an on-drive and a back-foot square drive, before he took a big swipe at left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan to lose his off-stump.

Daredevils met with further success when left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem evoked a pull-shot from the left-handed Blizzard which went straight to Sehwag at short mid-wicket.

Great partnership

The departure of Tendulkar and Blizzard, in the space of 12 balls for the addition of just four runs, brought some josh into the Daredevils ranks; the third-wicket pair of Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma took time to judge the behaviour of the surface, before finding sweet timing to blast the ball to all parts of the field. The MI recovery and dominance thereafter took place with Sharma welcoming Morkel for his second spell with a straight-drive for six and then following it up with two more off James Hopes.

Rayudu was not any less aggressive as he waded into seamers Agarkar and Hopes to notch up his fourth half-century of this year’s IPL. The third-wicket stand delivered 87 off 56 balls.

Mumbai Indians: A. Blizzard c Sehwag b Nadeem 37 ( 25b, 8×4), S. Tendulkar b Irfan 14 ( 14b, 3×4), A. Rayudu c Sehwag b Hopes 59 ( 39b, 7×4, 2×6), Rohit c Venugopala b Morkel 49 ( 32b, 2×4, 3×6), K. Pollard (not out) 9 ( 8b, 1×4), A. Symonds (not out) 4 ( 4b); Extras (lb-2, w-4): 6; Total (for four wkts. in 20 overs): 178.

Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-54 , 3-141, 4-172.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: Morkel 4-0-49-1, Irfan 4-1-23-1, Agarkar 4-0-31-0, Nadeem 4-0-28-1, Hopes 4-0-45-1.

Delhi Daredevils: V. Sehwag c Rohit b Munaf 2 ( 4b), D. Warner lbw b Harbhajan 1 ( 2b), C. Ingram b Malinga 1 ( 2b), N. Ojha c Rayudu b Munaf 1 ( 7b), Venugopala Rao b Kukarni 37 ( 27b, 4×4, 1×6), J. Hopes (run out) 55 ( 44b, 10×4), Irfan b Malinga 23 ( 18b, 4×4), Y. Nagar c Munaf b Harbhajan 0 ( 1b), A. Agarkar (not out) 7 ( 6b, 1×4), M. Morkel c Symonds b Pollard 10 ( 9b, 1×4), S. Nadeem c Munaf b Pollard 0 ( 1b); Extras (b-1, nb-2, w-6): 9; Total (in 19.5 overs): 146.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, 4-7, 5-94, 6-123, 7-123, 8-128, 9-146.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Harbhajan 4-0-24-2, Malinga 3.2- 1-18-2, Munaf 4-0-29-2, Kulkarni 4-0-27-1, Pollard 2.3-0-24-2, Symonds 2-0-23-0.

Man-of-the-Match: A. Rayudu .


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This post was submitted by prashant agarwal.

]]> http://voteupindia.com/the-hindu-sport-mumbai-indians-keeps-winning/feed/ 0 Rain ends Chennai’s misery http://voteupindia.com/rain-ends-chennai%ef%bf%bds-misery/ http://voteupindia.com/rain-ends-chennai%ef%bf%bds-misery/#comments Sun, 08 May 2011 23:52:08 +0000 prashant agarwal http://voteupindia.com/?p=9670

When the skies opened up once again and the proceedings eventually came to an end, Kolkata Knight Riders were 10 runs ahead of the D/L par score, which was 51 after 10 overs. With eight wickets in hand and only 55 more runs to get in the next 10 overs, they were the strong favourites to win this contest against the Chennai Super Kings.

But Gautam Gambhir had just returned to the Eden Gardens pavillion and Chennai captain MS Dhoni’s stifling tactics in the death overs was yet to come into play. The hosts, however, would feel that they deserved to win after restricting CSK to 114 for four in 20 overs.

The Eden crowd, however, had mixed reactions. Some of them waited long after the play was called off, just to hear the World Cup winning captain during the presentation ceremony. But right from the delayed start, rain was a constant threat to play spoilsport to this crucial fixture.

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This post was submitted by prashant agarwal.

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