Time To Infuse New Talent Say Indian Cricketers

India's drubbing in the just-concluded Test series in England has signalled the urgent need for youngsters to be blooded into the Test team, according to former India captain Anil Kumble. Kumble said that while it could take time for India to return to their best, players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh needed to be given an extended run to allow the rebuilding process to take place.

"They have to be given a long rope," Kumble told AFP. "You may not see India come back to the top in quick time. But we have to ensure that with these youngsters, we remain in the top three and climb to the top spot after a few years."

Arun Lal, the former India batsman, echoed Kumble's view. "You cannot go on with 35 or 38-year-olds till eternity," Lal said. "We need to infuse new talent. What happened in England was in a way good. We needed an awakening."

India's 4-0 loss is the their first whitewash since the three-match series in Australia in 1999-2000, and the first by a four-game margin since the 1967-68 tour of Australia. Since Sourav Ganguly took over the captaincy in 2000, India's overseas record has shown marked improvement - India have won 24 away Tests in the last 11 years as compared to only four between 1980-99.

However, the players responsible for several of these wins have already gone - Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly - or are close to retirement, while the likes of Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, who were part of these wins, have been dogged by injuries recently.

Kapil Dev, another former captain, said several of these players would be hard to replace, making India's task that much harder. "We were fortunate to have such good players all at one time, but they can't go on forever," Dev said. "It won't be easy to replace them."

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said, during commentary, that while England were the better side, he had not expected India to cave in so meekly. "Losing is part of the game but for a top-ranked side to lose so badly is inexcusable," he said. "England were magnificent, they were much superior to India and much better prepared. But I did expect India to show more fight than they did in the four Tests."

With the Don Argus-led review of Australian cricket getting a lot of attention over the last week, there has been speculation over whether the BCCI will commission a similar appraisal in the aftermath of the England series. Former captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi said he didn't anticipate too many changes coming into place. "The BCCI is not going to show a great deal of vision," Pataudi said. "Cricket will continue [in India] the way it is, but I sincerely hope that some sense does come in."

Ravi Shastri, another former captain, said it was time to look at different players for the different formats, with an emphasis on Test cricket. "It's time for Indian cricket to identify players who are specifically suited to the different formats of the game," Shastri wrote in the Times of India. "A way has to be found to encourage those cricketers who want to give Test cricket priority. There ought to be superior remuneration or compensation."

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Live Cricket Streaming: WestIndies Vs India 1st Test

Expectedly or not, the old diseases have come back to haunt again. The all too familiar collapse and the sheer inability to wrap up the tail after you have the opposition right on the mat. For the first time in this tour and much to the relief of the host team, the matches swim across to Antigua from the “Indian” Trinidad, or that’s how the hosts would want to refer to and why not. Rank turners, massive crowd support (if any) and 3 games into the tour unbeaten and this is not what a host nation would expect, leave alone wanting it, save for the groundsmen.

http://crazycricket-world.blogspot.com/

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Live Cricket Streaming: WestIndies Vs India 5th ODI

Expectedly or not, the old diseases have come back to haunt again. The all too familiar collapse and the sheer inability to wrap up the tail after you have the opposition right on the mat. For the first time in this tour and much to the relief of the host team, the matches swim across to Antigua from the “Indian” Trinidad, or that’s how the hosts would want to refer to and why not. Rank turners, massive crowd support (if any) and 3 games into the tour unbeaten and this is not what a host nation would expect, leave alone wanting it, save for the groundsmen.

http://crazycricket-world.blogspot.com/

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Live Cricket Streaming: WestIndies Vs India

Expectedly or not, the old diseases have come back to haunt again. The all too familiar collapse and the sheer inability to wrap up the tail after you have the opposition right on the mat. For the first time in this tour and much to the relief of the host team, the matches swim across to Antigua from the “Indian” Trinidad, or that’s how the hosts would want to refer to and why not. Rank turners, massive crowd support (if any) and 3 games into the tour unbeaten and this is not what a host nation would expect, leave alone wanting it, save for the groundsmen.

http://crazycricket-world.blogspot.com/

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Warne's Respect For Tendulkar Is Evident

As unfortunate it was to see the Rajasthan Royals crash out of the tournament, Shane Warne's last game of the IPL, and indeed of competitive cricket, provided him with a fitting farewell. The Royals won and it was as convincing a win as one could get from a T20 game and Warne managed to pick up a wicket off the last over he bowled.

The script had gone down the path as Warne would have expected it to, with the other Shane in the side nailing down the last few in the Mumbai Indians coffin. Warne has been a point of discussion in many of my columns as well, thanks to the colour he brings to the game and it would be an understatement to say that he will be missed by me and the other aficionados of the game.

Young captains, grand comebacks and superstar parties

For a man with a personal life as colourful as his on-field cricket, it is nice to see that he is in a good space and is happy to move on from the game and, in his own words, concentrate on his businesses off cricket.

His last couple of weeks in the IPL have mirrored his international career, especially off the field! The controversy around the pitch that began in Rajasthan's previous game against the Mumbai Indians, culminated into a full-blown issue that resulted in Warne being fined $50,000 just prior to the second game between the same two sides.

There had been talk of Warne being banned for the last game as well but that would have been a travesty of sorts for all those fans of Warne, who would have booked their prime-time slot in front of the telly to watch the legend bid adieu. Thankfully, it did not come to that and better sense prevailed.



IPL is the perfect mix of cricket and cinema

Speaking of fines, the members of Rajasthan Royals seemed to be facing the wrong end of the barrel. Ross Taylor has also had to shell out $3500 to his airline for his extra baggage and rest assured it hasn't amused the Kiwi one bit!

While the battle on the field of play was obviously heating up with the clamour for not only the top four slots but also the top two, the battle off the field seemed to be not too behind. RCA chief Sanjay Dixit was involved in a war of words with Warne, going on to the extent of calling Warne a flawed genius and likening him to a Van Gogh-like figure or "Guru Dutt of Kagaz ke Phool!" Wonder whether Warne had a private conversation with someone to understand the second bit of that comparison!

The result against the Mumbai Indians aside, it was interesting to hear Warne on the field, speaking to the commentators during the game. I don't recall Warne having been miked-up before this and it is a pity that we did not have it earlier. The way he went about describing his on-field relations with Sachin Tendulkar was worth going miles to hear!

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Team Karnataka Readying For Celebrity Cricket League

That’s been the daily call sheet for each of the Kannada film actors who will be playing for team Karnataka at the much-hyped Celebrity Cricket League which kick-starts on June 4 in Bangalore.

“An hour and a half of physical training, followed by an intense practise session on the field for another hour is rounded off with more exercise,” says actor Dharma, one of the team members.

The preparation does not end here. A healthy diet plan and a couple of mandatory rules put forth by the team’s captain, actor-director Sudeep, has resulted in a team of film actors that could actually beat a team of professional cricket players recently.

“We played against a team of players, many of whom have been part of the Under 21 and Under 19 teams for Karnataka, and were shocked when we tied with them. They had scored 192 runs and when we took to batting, we did not expect to get even half way there. While that was a good match, we are waiting to see what will unfold during the main matches in June,” says actor Mahesh.

News of these intense practise sessions have travelled to the
other participating film industries too, and a source says, “One of the actors from the Tamil film industry called to ask if Sudeep has started Karnataka’s own Chak De team. It does seem like that, for the team’s players are not allowed to partytoo late into the night. They are also off alcohol and smoking to ensure good stamina. Now, after a good month or two of daily practise, the team is looking good on the field.”

Also on call, on the field is doctor and physiotherapist Ramakanth, who has been a consultant to the Indian cricket team. During practise, a lot of the players tend to suffer minor sprains and injuries, which need immediate attention. In fact, Sudeep seems to have dislocated a small bone on his finger. “It happened last week, and the doctor says it requires a surgery. But I can’t risk a surgery just days before the matches begin. It will just have to wait. Until then, Ramakanth is helping out every morning with physiotherapy,” says Sudeep.

With so much preparation underway for the upcoming matches, the players seem to be doing their bit. The team owner, Ashok Kheny, has done his bit too — what with the number of crores he has invested on the team as well as on the film artiste’s association. Since the matches begin in Bangalore, the rest of the film industry is expected to be heading to the grounds on June 4 as well, to cheer for the Karnataka Bulldozers. Film stars playing for Hindi, Tamil and Telugu film industries are going to battle it out on the field. So the question is… are you gonna be there too?

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Fletcher To Avoid Dictatorial Approach

 The new Indian coach, has said that his coaching philosophy will not be dictatorial in approach but will be about offering advice to the players. Fletcher also pointed out that he had mentored Gary Kirsten and that was one of the main reasons that influenced Kirsten to recommend him for the post and for the BCCI to appoint him.

"It's not about dictating to the Indian players how I want them to play - sure to some degree you have to try influencing them - but it's about offering advice to the players and it's up to them to take it on board," Fletcher said in his first news conference as India's coach in Chennai. "Gary Kirsten followed my philosophy. He came and spoke to me before he took up the Indian job. I offered him advice on how to handle situations and he took that on board. And now, by Gary sort of pushing me for this job by taking my credentials to BCCI, he realised that my philosophy of coaching is right for India. Hopefully it's right."

Fletcher said that he has been observing the Indian players over the last few months during his role as batting consultant to South Africa and New Zealand and reiterated that he was not going to make any wholesale changes.

According to him, the most important thing would be to gain the respect of the players and he said that works both ways. "You have to gain their respect and they have to gain my respect. And that's what this is about. Once you have that then it makes your job easier. It's something you just have to work on as time progresses. I have worked with some big players elsewhere as well and you just got to develop this man-management process.

"During the stint with South Africa and New Zealand I watched the Indian players. Sometimes I find more interest in quietly watching these players off the field and just observe because it interests me. "

A coach's relationship with the captain is the most crucial aspect of the job and Fletcher said he wouldn't have taken up the role if he didn't respect [MS] Dhoni as a captain. "It's quite important that even before I was offered this job I had high regard for Dhoni. In fact I wrote a few articles which showed how I rated him as a very very good captain - not only on the field but how he handles the players off it."

India's bowling is considered the team's weak link and Fletcher said he has had an extensive chat with Eric Simons, the bowling coach, on May 12 about the bowlers and also met with Dhoni. "Having chatted with Eric Simons - he is a very good bowling coach and one I have lot of faith in - you must understand that I don't want to come in and make lots of changes. I have the players during India's last tour of South Africa and the series against New Zealand; so I have some idea about the bowlers but I would want to observe a little bit and then make some decisions."

Fletcher said he was very excited taking up the coaching role and said he arrived at the decision after giving it a lot of thought and speaking to the likes of Kirsten. "I asked for four-five- days time from the board. It was just to make sure you settle down as there are some areas you have to be careful about because it's a high-profile role. I made a few calls, in particular to Gary Kirsten and I then accepted it."

India are the No.1 ranked Test team and ODI world champions and Fletcher admitted that it would be a challenge to maintain that momentum. "Yes, it will be difficult and that's one of the things you consider before taking up the job. Hopefully I can add value somewhere down the line. First West Indies, then we are going to England where there will be lots of swing and seam. Then Australia where there will be bounce. Hopefully, the knowledge I pass on will be effective."

Fletcher also had a brief taste of the Indian media and the Indian's board's iron-hand approach. Suddenly, out of the blue, he was asked about his views on DRS, a system that the Indian board has steadfastly opposed. "I think it's a system that will come in place. Obviously there are imperfections but once those imperfections are sorted out, it will play a role."

N Srinivasan, the board secretary, then leaned across and muttered something to Fletcher. Srinivasan, then, addressed the journalist who asked that question and said, "That was a loaded question. Mr Fletcher doesn't know BCCI's stance on DRS. You should have prefaced your question properly."

There was another instance of Srinivasan's interjection. When Fletcher was asked about his views on rotation policy, Srinivasan chose to answer: "It's a selection matter, no? He can give advice but ultimately it will come down to selectors. But I am sure when the coach sits in those meetings; his take will be taken on board by the selectors."

There was also a delightful faux pas from Fletcher. "Hopefully, my observations on these players will prove useful when I coach the England team. I mean the Indian team."

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Gambhir To Lead, Badrinath In For WI Limited Overs Leg

Gambhir will lead a depleted Indian side to the limited-overs leg of the West Indies tour, with five first-choice players including Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni either rested or injured. As expected, the national selectors haven't given much weightage to performances in the IPL, instead rewarding results in the more traditional domestic competitions. S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma and Parthiv Patel muscled their way in helped by the weight of runs in both formats of the Ranji Trophy.

R Vinay Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra made their way back, replacing Ashish Nehra (injured), Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla (both dropped). Praveen Kumar duly took his place back, having recovered from the elbow injury that had kept him out of the World Cup. He replaces Zaheer Khan, who has been rested.

With five vacancies created - Virender Sehwag being the other - there had been some hype created around the IPL performers in the week leading to the selection meeting. The selectors seem to have learned from the debuts handed to Manpreet Gony and Ashok Dinda based on the first IPL, and also from RP Singh's comeback based on the second IPL.

 As it turned out, the likes of Ambati Rayudu and Rahul Sharma missed out this time. Badrinath and Rohit were the two top run-getters in the Ranji Trophy first-class competition while Parthiv was the second-highest in the Ranji one-dayers. The exclusion of M Vijay - who has a highest of 33 in 11 ODI innings - makes Parthiv the likeliest candidate to open the innings with the captain, Gambhir.

"I am confident that we will do well and win the series in the West Indies. The team is well balanced," said Kris Srikkanth, India's chairman of selectors. "Everything is on merit. It's a great opportunity for a lot of players.

"On tours, we always take two wicketkeepers. It's a 16-member team and in case of a wicketkeeper getting injured, you have to understand the logistics [of getting a replacement to] in the West Indies [are complicated]."

This is not Gambhir's first shot at leading India - he was the captain when India beat New Zealand 5-0 in ODIs last year. The selectors are believed to be impressed with his leadership skills, and are likely to make him full-time vice-captain ahead of the slightly reluctant Sehwag, although they haven't yet made any formal announcement to that effect.

There was a minor surprise thrown up in the bowling department with Mishra getting in ahead of Pragyan Ojha as the third spinner. In his 16 ODIs - all but three of them against Sri Lanka, who are good players of spin - Ojha has given away runs at only 4.31 an over. However, he was injured before the World Cup and missed the first-class season as well. In the domestic one-dayers, Mishra, with 18 wickets from six games, outperformed Ojha, who managed five in five.

Vinay and Ishant, who have been there or thereabouts, are the only ones to have benefited from good showings in the IPL.

It can be argued, though, that they are not unknown commodities and their performances in the IPL have been more of reassurance than first notice. India also picked wicketkeeping cover for Parthiv, making Wriddhiman Saha the 16th member of the squad.

India play one Twenty20 and five ODIs against the hosts beginning with the Twenty20 game on June 4.

Squad: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Vinay Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha (wk).

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Difficult Overseas Tours Await India

India's newly appointed cricket coach Duncan Fletcher hoped to maintain the side's winning momentum that has seen it attain the No.1 status in Tests and also winning the 2011 ICC World Cup.

Looking ahead to the three major overseas tours (West Indies, England and Australia) in the coming months, the 62-year old from Zimbabwe, who took over from Gary Kirsten of South Africa soon after India won the World Cup last month, said he would strive to maintain the progress.

They are going to be difficult tours, especially as to how well they (India) play in their home grounds. When you tour to some opposition's backyard, it is very difficult.

"From our point of view, going to England will be a hard task as they are playing some very good cricket at the moment. Going to Australia, they are slightly on a rebuilding process. They had some big retirements," Fletcher said.

"It is going to throw up big challenge. As I said, I genuinely believe that there is talent here in the Indian side and with the experience they have as well, it will hold India on high when we get there.

"It is a challenge. As I said, with the players and the captain that they have and the seniors, they can maintain their momentum. Hopefully, I can add some value somewhere along the line," he said.

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Indian Cricket Diplomacy Bowled Out

A little over a month ago, Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, made one of the warmest gestures of bonhomie towards his Pakistani counterpart in years.

He invited Yusuf Raza Gilani to India to watch their respective teams do battle in the cricket World Cup semi-finals. Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Congress party, and Pratibha Patil, president of the republic, joined them in the box.

Mr Singh’s officials were effusive afterwards. The re-engagement, a personal initiative of the premier’s, was all about “reconciliation” and “healing wounds”.

The “cricket diplomacy” raised hopes of a revival of bilateral peace talks, stalled since the devastating 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, widely blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

The killing of Osama bin Laden on the doorstep of Pakistan’s security establishment has cut short Mr Singh’s innings.

New Delhi and Islamabad are rattling sabres at one another as Indian security hawks debate unilateral strikes against militant targets within Pakistan, similar to the one undertaken by US navy Seals in Abbottabad, 50km from the capital Islamabad.

Mr Singh is expected to soldier on with a series of meetings with India’s neighbour that have been set up in the weeks ahead. This month officials will meet for talks on water issues. Later they will discuss boundaries, including the Siachen glacier which ties up troops in freezing temperatures on both sides.

But few, including those at the top of the Congress party, are hopeful of the timing. Pakistan today is deeply embarrassed, according to Pervez Musharraf, the country’s former military ruler. Indians are openly crowing.

Many of India’s former top diplomats have rubbed salt into Pakistan’s wounds. Almost unanimously they have chorused “I told you so” about the nature of Pakistan’s army and its relationship with militants.

“Singh is going to keep trying [to reach out to Pakistan], but it’s not going to get anywhere,” said a former US official. Others advise the prime minister to play safe rather than risk his legacy.

“With bin Laden’s ghost now haunting the Pakistani army, the prime minister must hitch his legacy to less risky fare than relations with Pakistan,” says K.C. Singh, a former Indian ambassador.

India and Pakistan – their relations poisoned by the legacy of the British partition of the subcontinent – have fought three wars, and come to the brink of a fourth, since their independence in 1947. New Delhi has long accused Pakistan’s military intelligence of sponsoring terrorist groups as proxies in its conflict with India.

Bin Laden’s death has triggered a public debate about whether New Delhi could carry out similar covert operations against its enemies sheltering in Pakistan, especially those suspected of masterminding the Mumbai attacks. The discussion has even drawn in Palaniappan Chidambaram, the home minister.

Gen. V.K. Singh, the Indian army chief, fanned the flames in the hours after the US assault by saying that India had the capacity to mount a similar covert operations as the US Seals’ assault on bin Laden’s hideout.

His assertion is one that most Indian analysts see as a bluff. Yet the Indian army chief’s remarks sparked a furore in Pakistan – and a sharp response. The Pakistani army, while warning the US off any repeat attacks, also found time to tell India that “any misadventure” would be responded to “very strongly”.
Some senior Indian officials have sought to bring calm, reaffirming New Delhi’s commitment to a broad dialogue that will put everything on the table rather than just narrow concerns about terrorism.

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Early Appointment Of Fletcher Will Help Us Prepare Better Says Shewag

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) India vice-captain Virender Sehwag said the early appointment of Duncan Fletcher as the India cricket coach will help the team prepare well for the forthcoming series in England.

"It's good for India. It's a good thing that the board has found a replacement in quick time. It will obviously help the players and the new coach to settle down early. He (Fletcher) will get enough time to do home work before our series against England starts," said the opening batsman.

"Now that he is in charge of the team, we will have an early camp and it will help us to prepare better," he said.

Asked if he had any interaction with the former England coach in the past, Sehwag said: "No, I don't know him."

Fletcher, a former Zimbabwe captain, who guided the England cricket team to a historic Ashes triumph in 2005, will join the team only after the tour of the West Indies due to prior commitments. Bowling coach Eric Simons will be the interim coach in the Caribbean.

Gautam Gambhir, however, declined to comment about Fletcher's appointment saying he was not even thinking about the new coach right now.

"Right now, my concentration and focus is totally on the IPL. I am not thinking about all these things. I will only think about all this once the IPL ends," he said.

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Deccan Bounce Back With Resounding Home Win

 

 Deccan Chargers revived their faltering Indian Premier League campaign with a 33-run thrashing of Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday.Pacemen Dale Steyn and Manpreet Gony grabbed three wickets each while Ishant Sharma took one to restrict Bangalore to 142-9 after Bharat Chipli struck 61 not out to take Deccan to 175-5 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

 

The win was Deccan's first at home after eight IPL losses, including two in the current edition.Sharma struck early for Deccan, having the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan caught behind in the second over for seven.The experiment to promote tailender Zaheer Khan as a pinch hitter also flopped, with Steyn uprooting his middle stump with a swinging full toss.Gony then removed opening batsman Mayank Agarwal and the in-form AB de Villiers to leave Bangalore reeling at 29-4 in the seventh over.

 

Virat Kohli waged a lone battle, making a 51-ball 71 before falling to Gony. Chipli earlier held the Deccan innings together with his quickfire 35-ball knock, containing five fours and three sixes.Zaheer had given Bangalore a key breakthrough when he removed opener Shikhar Dhawan in the third over after skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to field.Sunny Sohal (38) came to his team's rescue, putting on 50 runs with skipper Kumar Sangakkara who made a fine 36 before being caught by de Villiers off Johan van der Wath (1-30).

 

Deccan piled on 63 runs from the last five overs but Zaheer applied the brakes by removing JP Duminy (22) and Deccan's big buy Daniel Christian in the space of five balls.Zaheer finished with figures of 3-32 off his four overs.

 

Brief scores:Deccan Chargers 175-5 in 20 overs (B. Chipli 61, S. Sohal 38, K. Sangakkara 36; Zaheer Khan 3-32) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 142-9 in 20 overs (V. Kohli 71, C. Pujara 25; D. Steyn 3-24, M. Gony 3-31) by 33 runs.

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PCB Contacts BCCI For Resumption Of Bilateral Ties

Officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have contacted their Indian counterparts as they seek a resumption of cricket ties with their neighbours, reports on Saturday said.

There have been reports that both countries are set to resume bilateral ties following last month’s World Cup semi-final meeting at Mohali.

PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed revealed that the board has been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over e-mail, according cricket website Cricinfo.

“We sent them an email and they replied but as they are busy with the Indian Premier League (IPL) currently, talks will begin after the IPL is over,” Subhan was quoted as saying.

While recent reports in the Indian media suggested a bilateral series could be planned soon, the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Program (FTP) shows there is no window for either team to play a full-fledged series before early 2012.

“Both sides are very busy with FTP requirements in the near future so finding a window will be the first thing. Then we’ll talk about the matches themselves and what kind they will be, a three match ODI series or whatever.”

If such a series is planned, it will most likely be played at a neutral venue, although PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt ruled out the option, saying Pakistan wants to host India on its soil.

“The prime minister has directed us to host this series in Pakistan so we are not looking at the option of a neutral venue,” Butt told reporters.

Primer ministers of both countries met and held talks at the Mohali semi-final, showing signs of revival of ties between the arch-rivals.

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Dhoni's Among The Great Modern Captains

India's emphatic victory in the World Cup has proved beyond doubt they are currently the best all-round cricket team. In the process, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's polished performance as skipper, where he pushed, prodded and cajoled his side into peaking at the right time, has shown he's not only the best leader in the game but also one of the finest of the last 30 years. His performance ranks him with the other top-class leaders of the period: Imran Khan, Mark Taylor and Arjuna Ranatunga.

Unlike their predecessors as the No. 1-ranked team, West Indies and Australia, India do not have a dominant bowling attack. Considering bowlers win matches, this makes Dhoni's captaincy performance even more meritorious. In that regard he's emulated Ranatunga in conjuring up a World Cup victory with a moderate attack.

As there's no indication India are on the verge of unearthing a couple of world-class bowlers, and three of their best Test batsmen are closer to retirement than to the pinnacle of their careers, Dhoni has a serious challenge on his hands to keep India at the top of the rankings in the longer game. However, he can take comfort from the fact that none of the stronger teams look likely to surge past India in the race to be No. 1.

This is one of the reasons why the 2011 World Cup was such a fascinating tournament: all the teams were flawed. Consequently it was an extremely open World Cup. It's far more interesting when there are a number of good sides rather than one really strong one bullying a string of moderate teams. The previous three World Cup finals were dominated by Australia and the tournament badly needed the upsets and strong finale that 2011 provided.

In addition to having the best captain at World Cup 2011, India were also the most capable batting side against spinners. There's a worrying trend, which the World Cup exposed, of batsmen whose footwork is inadequate against spin bowling. This is even more of a concern when you consider that, of the three great spinners of recent times, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, only the Sri Lankan was in attendance, and by the end of the tournament he was virtually on one leg.

There seems to be a train of thought amongst batsmen from some countries that it's less dangerous to employ all manner of zany, premeditated shots than it is to counter spin bowling with sharp footwork. This kind of warped thinking is either a product of poor coaching or lazy batting, or more likely a combination of both. I'm referring here to coaching received at a young age, not once the player reaches international level. It's too late to drastically change a player's footwork once he's old enough to be competing at the highest level.

The only major flaw in the 2011 World Cup - apart from the constant confusion over the DRS - was the length of time it took to decide a winner.

Consequently it's welcome news that the 2015 tournament will be shorter. However, the automatic choice of all 10 Test-playing nations as the only qualifiers for 2015 is a short-sighted decision. The World Cup is a prestigious tournament and teams should only be competing on merit. Currently neither Bangladesh nor Zimbabwe deserve automatic entry, and even West Indies need to improve dramatically to escape the ignominy of slipping into that category. At least two of those teams should have to qualify by playing in a stringent promotion/demotion tournament with the stronger Associate countries.

Whilst this was a successful (and for the most part entertaining) World Cup, the ICC should always be looking for ways to improve the tournament. The introduction of a qualifying tournament, and the distribution of a paper by Indian coaches on how young batsmen can improve their footwork against spin bowling, would be a step in the right direction.

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No Quit Plans For Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar insists he has no plans to retire after finally tasting World Cup success at the sixth attempt.

There was no 100th international century for the Little Master on Saturday but he walked away with the only medal that had so far eluded him, as India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai.

With so many records to his name and his trophy collection now complete, the 37-year-old could not be blamed for calling time on his illustrious 20-year international career.

But Tendulkar told CricketWorld.com: "No. This is a moment to enjoy and celebrate. It's not about what I'm going to do in the future. This is a special moment which I really want to enjoy and live it to its fullest.

"This was the reason why I started playing cricket. I wanted to achieve something, do something for the country. The process has been a long one and I've continued to enjoy my game. I don't see any reason why I need to change anything right now."

The 37-year-old says he is still "speechless" after India's success.
"I started playing cricket dreaming of lifting the trophy one day and that is where it all started," he said.

"I am speechless to be honest, to express how I feel. This is by far the best moment. This is the moment I have been waiting for, for such a long time, 21 or 22 years. It is really worth every bit of it. It is really, really special."
The Indian team are yet to parade the World Cup in front of their legions of fans and Tendulkar admits he is looking forward to that.

"I haven't faced the general crowd outside," he said. "We've just been mingling with our family and friends. We haven't been able to experience and share our joy with the outsiders.

"That's the reaction I am really looking forward to. I can imagine what the reaction will be. All I've seen is the reaction on the news channels and it's absolutely fascinating."

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Tendulkar And Murlitharan Careers Ended In Perfect Way

Tendulkar and Murlitharan two legends in the cricket have completed their career in perfect match. Tendulkar and Murlitharan have dominated the cricket world in their careers. Tendulkar was well known for his batting records while Murlitharan the magical spinner of Sri Lanka is well known for his bowling.

Indian team wins the world cup 2011 final match and Sri Lanka was the proud runner up team. The two legends of cricket Tendulkar and Murlitharan were part of the final game and they charmed the crowed with their presence.

Sachin Tendulkar was not able to complete his 100^th century in the international cricket. He was just 1 short of his century and was not able to get it in the world cup. Sachin said that he finally become the part of world cup winning team. He was playing his 6^th world cup. He debut in 1989 and after that he was part of every world cup team.

Tendulkar And Murlitharan Records

Sachin has 99 centuries in international cricket and was looking for 100^th one. He wants to experience the world cup winning moments and he got it in his last world cup. Murlitharan has 800 test match wicket and his ODI wickets also crossed the 500 mark. Tendulkar and Murlitharan will remember the world cup final memories in the life.

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Car To Every Indian Player

India Vs Sri Lanka is the biggest game of the world cup 2011. The final match of the world cup will be India Vs Sri Lanka. There will be two Asian teams in the final match and this will happen first time in the history of world cup that two Asian team reach the final stage.

In the last three world cups there is one Asian team contest against Australia and Australia won last three world cups by defeating them. Pakistan reached final in 1999, India and Sri Lanka played their final in 2003 and 2007 respectively.

The announcement has been made and every Indian player will get brand new car after winning the world cup. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), the official Car Partner of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 has announced a car to each member of Indian team.

They said that their best wishes are with Indian team and they want Indian team to win in the final match. Indian team is favorite in the final match and there are a lot of expectations from Indians.

India Vs Sri Lanka

India Vs Sri Lanka is the match that will be all around every where. Final will be contested in Mumbai stadium. Huge turn out is expected in the India Vs Sri Lanka match.

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Dhoni And Gambhir Lead India To World Cup Glory

Twenty-eight years on from the match that transformed the history of world cricket, India recaptured the crown that Kapil Dev and his men first lifted at Lord's in 1983, and this time they did so in their very own back yard. An iron-willed 97 from Gautam Gambhir was matched for intensity by the finest captain's innings since Ricky Ponting in Johannesburg eight years ago, as MS Dhoni trumped a poetic century from Mahela Jayawardene to pull off the highest run-chase ever achieved in a World Cup final.

Against a triumphant backdrop at the Wankhede Stadium, victory was sealed by six wickets with 10 balls to spare, as Dhoni - who had promoted himself to No. 5 to heap extra lashings of responsibility onto his own shoulders - rushed through the gears as the victory target drew nearer. With 15 required from 17 balls, he flicked Sri Lanka's only true threat, Lasith Malinga, through midwicket for consecutive boundaries, before smoking Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on to finish on 91 not out from 79 balls, and spark the most delirious scenes of celebration ever seen on the subcontinent.

However, the final margin did little justice to the tussle that had preceded it. Even the toss ended up being disputed, as Kumar Sangakkara's initial call was drowned out by the crowd, but it was the ebb and flow of Zaheer Khan's day that epitomised the fluctuations of a compelling contest. Zaheer opened his account with three consecutive maidens and the scalp of Upul Tharanga in a peerless spell of 5-3-6-1, only to be clobbered for 17 and 18 runs in his ninth and tenth overs, as Sri Lanka monstered 63 runs in the batting Powerplay to post an imposing 274 for 6.

And India's day got much worse before the team's fortunes began to inch upwards. Virender Sehwag had hit a boundary from the first ball of six of India's previous eight innings in the tournament, but this time Malinga's slingers dealt him a second-ball duck, as he skidded a full delivery into his back pad. And then Sachin Tendulkar, for whom the script had seemingly been written, was drawn into a loose drive by a fast Malinga outswinger, having set the stadium on standby for instant history with 18 sumptuously accumulated runs from his first 12 deliveries.

At 31 for 2 in the seventh over, India were struggling to keep their toehold in the contest, and it was all too much for a faithless few in the crowd who turned their backs and set off for home. But Gambhir and Virat Kohli epitomise a generation that does not easily accept defeat, and their third-wicket stand of 83 laid the foundations for an epic turnaround. The prospect of a seam-friendly surface, allied to the grievous loss of Angelo Mathews to a thigh strain, had tempted Sri Lanka into four key changes to the team that had triumphed over New Zealand in Colombo, and with Muttiah Muralitharan lacking bite in the final wicketless appearance of his 19-year career, Malinga alone could not carry the day.

The hard-hitting of Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera had been instrumental in hoisting Sri Lanka's total to such heights, but in their primary role as front-line seamers they lacked menace and were all too easy to squeeze as 119 runs came from their combined allocation of 17.2 overs. The newcomer to the squad, Suraj Randiv, caused a moment of alarm with his high-kicking offspin when Gambhir, on 30, was dropped by a diving Kulasekara at long-off, but as the innings progressed, his lack of guile proved costly. The decision to omit both Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath, whose combined efforts had been so effective against England and New Zealand, is one that will haunt Sri Lanka for years to come.

But this was a victory that still had to be grasped, and India found the men who were willing to do so. The 22-year-old Kohli, who was greeted with a stern word of encouragement as he replaced the outgoing Tendulkar, showed all the mettle for the big occasion as he eased along to 35 from 49 balls before falling to an outstanding return catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan, who dived full-length across the crease to intercept a leading edge. But it was Gambhir and Dhoni to whom the ultimate duty fell. Their 109-run stand was the highest by an Indian pairing in three World Cup final appearances, and even when Gambhir gave away the chance for an unforgettable century with a tired charge and slash at Perera, the result was no longer in doubt.

Gambhir struck nine fours in a 122-ball statement of indomitability, and both he and Dhoni required treatment for stiff backs as the sapping Mumbai heat took its toll. Dhoni at one stage looked so immobile that a precautionary retirement seemed the only logical response, but after some harsh work from the physio he resumed his stance and responded with another trademark filleting of the extra cover boundary, an area in which he scored six of his eight fours - three of which helped to blunt Murali's attacking instincts.

Both teams contained numerous veterans of World Cup final defeat, with no fewer than five Indians still remaining from the team that lost to Australia back in 2003, and as a consequence this was a match thick with performances that spoke of the wisdom of experience. Though each of the previous five centurions in finals had gone on to lift the trophy, as well as seven of the nine teams that had had the chance to bat first, Jayawardene had the misfortune to become an exception to both rules. His stunning 103 not out from 88 balls was proof that finesse has as much of a place at this level as brutality, but ultimately it was not enough to deny India their destiny.

Four years ago at Sabina Park, Jayawardene produced a supreme century against New Zealand to carry his side to their second World Cup final, but this was an innings of even more exquisite application. He came to the crease with his side under the cosh at 60 for 2 in the 17th over, having been throttled by Zaheer's supreme new-ball spell. But he responded with a tempo that scarcely wavered from a run a ball, until with Kulasekera for company, he opened his shoulders to power through to his hundred from 84 balls.

For an occasion of this magnitude, cool heads were the order of the day, and though his final figures did not show it, no-one was cooler in the opening exchanges than Zaheer. On his watch, Sri Lanka were limited to 31 for 1 in their mandatory Powerplay, their lowest ten-over score of the tournament, and the hapless Tharanga was restricted to two runs from 20 balls before snicking to Sehwag at slip, whose sharp low take epitomised a fielding effort that was rarely less than totally committed. Then, when he returned in the 37th over, Zaheer deceived Chamara Kapugedera with a beautiful slower ball that was driven to short cover, on route to equalling Shahid Afridi as the tournament's leading wicket-taker, with 21.

And yet, the speed with which his figures were vandalised was astounding. Though each of Jayawardene's 13 fours was a classy stroke in its own right, none was better than the last of them, an inside-out cover-drive to one of Zaheer's trademark outswinging yorkers, as he premeditated the late movement and filleted the ring of fielders on the off-side. The outright acceleration came from the other end, however, where Kulasekera made 32 from 30 balls before his sacrificial run-out led to a pat of gratitude from Jayawardene as they parted. And then, by the time Perera, who made 22 from nine balls, had sealed his onslaught with a dismissive thump for six over midwicket, the decibel levels in the Wankhede had plummeted.

But run by run, over by over, minute by minute, India picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and turned the screw on Sri Lanka with a determination that a lesser group of men could not have begun to muster, amid the sure knowledge that several billion countrymen were investing all their hopes in their actions. And though he himself played just a walk-on part in the wider drama, it was Tendulkar who was chaired from the field as the celebrations began in earnest. "He's carried the burden of our nation for 21 years," said the youngster Kohli. "It was time to carry him on our shoulders today."

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India Well Prepared For Pressure Games Says Dhoni

One of the most important benefits from India's scrappy World Cup semi-final victory over Pakistan - apart from the sound and sight of a hundred firecrackers going out around the PCA stadium on a Mohali night and the adoration of millions - is their team's sense of being in what captain MS Dhoni equated to a good spell.

Dhoni said the format of the World Cup had helped the Indians get to a stage just before the final where off-field distractions and on-field pressures could both be handled. "The format really helped us. We have had quite a few close games where we were tested. Some of the youngsters were tested. They were at the crease at a time when a big performance was needed from them. Slowly they are getting into the groove."

Dhoni said India's performances in the knockouts had given the team a greater sense of comfort going into the final, with regard to the pressures of the event. He compared the last week of the World Cup to a bowler bowling at more than 150kph. "Once you do that you don't think whether you are bowling 155 or 160. So I think after the semis, the final won't feel much different. The feeling (of the importance of a game) has been static for a while and hopefully that will really help us."

In the semi-final, Dhoni said the Indians had read the wicket incorrectly in deciding to opt for a 3-1 attack, replacing offspinner R Ashwin with left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra. It was driven, he said, by India's part-time options as well as Pakistani batsmen generally being at ease against spin. "We can manoeuvre with the part-timers. We thought on a normal Mohali pitch, you don't see assistance to spinners. The ball doesn't turn big time. Here the ball was stopping.

	India have developed a familiarity with that winning feeling in two knockout games this World Cup © Getty Images Enlarge

"I felt it was better to go with safer option, but we went with a safe option and misread the wicket."

The Indians, Dhoni said, had paced their innings against Pakistan well, particularly when compared to how they had handled the World Cup's middle and end overs prior to this game. The track, he said, became slower at the halfway stage, and with the Pakistanis bowling tight and India losing Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh off consecutive deliveries, it had become difficult to rotate the strike. "Their spinners bowled really well, even Mohammad Hafeez was able to capitalise." The innings calculation had then been tempered down. "After losing two wickets in the middle overs it is important to bat 50 overs in big games, you shouldn't look to score 300-320. If the wicket is behaving in a different way, re-adjust your target."

Dhoni said he had thought India's total of 260 was "a good score not a safe score" and India's immediate target had been to "not give away runs with the new ball."

All that Dhoni was willing to comment on about the first-ever all-Asian World Cup final to be held on April 2 was to praise the Sri Lankans for their progress through the tournament. India he said, "have also really been tested more often than not and it will be a really good game. It's not about what your rating is but how good you are on the day. You have to be at your best."

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Mercurial Outsiders Vs Solid Favourites

Beyond the hype this contest can perhaps be best viewed through the prism of the two captains. Shahid Afridi is the passionate, exhibitionist leader who doesn't mind showing his emotions on the field. He will shout, cajole, plead, laugh, roar and feel every pulsating moment of the contest. It's exactly what this Pakistan team needs after all those controversies, someone who can remind them of the school-boyish joy that this game can provide.

MS Dhoni is the uber-cool captain and, while he can be vocal while dealing with the press, he is almost invisible on the field. Silent nods of appreciation, a quiet word in the ear, calm instructions, a shrug of the shoulder is all you will get from him. And again, it's what this star-heavy team needs. Someone who can be calm and remind them of the basics of the game.

Pakistan - who told their players they could be here in the semi-finals? - almost renews itself with each crisis. That's how it has been always: Controversies. Paralysis. Rebirth. Success. And more controversies. This was a big tournament for the survival of Misbah-ul-Haq, in the middle of a great comeback. In a sense, the spot-fixing saga and its sordid aftermath was actually a blessing in disguise since it paved the way for his return.

For Younis Khan, too, survival instinct, as a batsman facing a dip in form before the tournament, would have helped in dealing with that crisis. Playing his last tournament, Shoaib Akhtar knew this was the time to let his game do the talking. And for that man Afridi, mentally almost perennially young, this was the best chance to dazzle on the biggest stage. He has taken that chance and led the team with great passion. Kamran Akmal lives and breathes in amnesia. Bad memories don't haunt him - who else could have recovered so well after that nightmarish effort against New Zealand?

And yet nothing much has changed with the way they play cricket on the field. It's still the bowlers who win the games for them. For all that is mercurial about them, Pakistan have lost just one game in this tournament.

India have occasionally limped, at times choked, sometimes dazzled, before beating Australia to reach to the semi-finals. The progress card has the bowlers in the red, the batsmen guilty of not finishing the job, and the fielding has always been almost beyond redemption. Their mode of progress should actually have freed them up in some ways.

The batsmen must have realised that they can't try too hard to cover up for their bowlers' weakness, by trying to pile on too much, with the batting Powerplay pulling the rug from under their feet a few times. The bowlers showed they are learning from the serial hiding by putting up a pretty disciplined effort against Australia. In some ways, the pressure must be off them, as not many would be surprised if they leak 300 runs.

It's the batting India depend on. Is there any chink in it barring those Powerplay debacles? Gautam Gambhir hasn't been at his personal best - were he playing at his optimum, he would have rendered Virat Kohli superfluous at No.

 4. Yet Gambhir's slightly iffy form has made Kohli vital in that middle order. Prior to the tournament, it was felt that Kohli would be a misfit in the lower order, where Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan would be more dangerous, and that he might be wasted even further up. But Gambhir hasn't been at his fluent best and India have turned to Kohli to take them through the middle overs. Gambhir has always raised his game against Pakistan and his form will be crucial on Wednesday as it would then give the middle order the licence to attack.

Virender Sehwag In the past few games Sehwag has - curiously, for a batsman so wonderfully innovative as him - tried to hit every spinner through the off side. He would back away and try to drive, slice or cut and has fallen a few times in the process. Pakistan might well have a spinner bowling at him early and it will be fascinating to see whether Sehwag will retain that off-side bias or be more inclusive, and open, in his approach.

Umar Gul's yorkers: After Lasith Malinga, Gul has probably the best control over the yorker in world cricket today. There have of course been days when the radar has been awry but more often than not he has got them right. The Indian lower middle order will be fully tested by the yorkers, slower ones and the bouncers that he loves to bowl.

Sachin Tendulkar v Abdul Razzaq: Bowlers like Hansie Cronje and Razzaq, more than the Umar Guls and the Shoaib Akhtars, have been reasonably successful against Tendulkar. Cronje used to tease Tendulkar with deliveries shaping away from a length outside off while Razzaq specialises in the opposite: he slides the ball back in, looking for that lbw. He hasn't always had success, but it will be a mini-battle worth watching. Will Tendulkar opt for all-out attack or will he bat with relative care against Razzaq?

Zaheer Khan v Kamran Akmal: Kamran loves to square drive and Zaheer has been able to bend the ball back in to the right-hand batsmen this tournament with the new ball. This contest should be fun.

Umar Akmal v spin: India will rely a lot on the slow bowlers during the middle overs, and Umar is the middle-order batsman who loves to attack spin. He has laid into the likes of Daniel Vettori on the tour of New Zealand and is always itching to cut and slog-sweep.

The signs are that Ashish Nehra is likely to replace Munaf Patel. Even Yusuf Pathan has been sweating it out in the nets raising speculations that he might push R Ashwin hard for a spot in the team. Ashwin has been really good in the games he has played and has added some teeth to the attack while the nature of the patta track has made India think about bringing in Yusuf.

India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Suresh Raina, 8 Yusuf Pathan / R Ashwin, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra

Pakistan are thinking of playing three seamers. The choice of the third seamer is between Shoaib and Wahab Riaz. Afridi said Shoaib wasn't 100% fit today but a decision will be taken on the evening preceding the match.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Saeed Ajmal / Abdur Rehman, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Wahab Riaz / Shoaib Akhtar.

Try picking the XIs for tomorrow's game by playing Team Selector.

Pitch and conditions

It's a batting pitch but what's eating up everyone is the dew factor. Read here for a report on the pitch .

Stats and trivia

Afridi is the first bowler in World Cup history to take four wickets in a match on four different occasions in a tournament.

MS Dhoni is the only wicket-keeper captain who has played in 100 ODIs.

Zaheer Khan is the second Indian bowler after Javagal Srinath (44 wickets) to take more than 40 wickets in World Cups.

For more stats click here

Quotes

"I feel I have been batting really well. It is just that in some situation I could not bat flamboyantly. If you bat at 5, 6 or 7, and if the top order does really well, it does not give opportunity to lower-order batsmen. The last game was an ideal game where I could have got a bit more runs which were needed at that point of time. So form has been a worry it is just that sometimes there were not many opportunities and when there was an opportunity and there were times I was not able to score in a particular game".

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