India beat New Zealand by an innings and 115 runs

Hyderabad: Having raised visions of a stirring fightback, New Zealand imploded for the second time in as many days to slump to an embarrassing innings and 115-run humbling in the first Test against India.



Through Brendon McCullum, playing out of character with emphasis on occupation of the crease rather than flamboyant stroke-making, and Kane Williamson, the impressive right-hand bat who once again showed great gumption and application, New Zealand were making a brave fist of thwarting India’s charge at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.

Once the second-wicket association was terminated by Steve Davis’ finger of doom, the fight went prematurely out of New Zealand. 41 for one when the fourth day’s play began two hours behind schedule at 11.00 am due to heavy overnight and early morning rain, New Zealand were rolled over for 164 after being forced to follow on, 279 behind on the first count.

India’s bowlers had appeared a little listless and somewhat shorn of ideas when McCullum and Williamson were together. That was as much to do with the fact that the two batsmen handled the spin duo of R Ashwin, who completed his maiden ten-wicket match haul, and Pragyan Ojha with plenty of composure, as the fact that the pitch held together nicely because it had been under covers for a long time and because the effect of the roller was negating any purchase the spinners might have got.

The 90-minute session to lunch was all about McCullum and Williamson, but once Umesh Yadav, with no little help from Davis, snipped that stand in the third over on resumption, India were all over New Zealand like a bad rash.

Like in the first innings, Ashwin (6 for 54) mushroomed into a giant proposition post lunch with his great control as well as his willingness to bring his variations into play against the lower order. His second six-wicket innings haul gave him match figures of 12 for 85, thoroughly deserved, even if New Zealand didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory.

Apart from Ashwin’s incisiveness and Ojha’s relentless probing, what stood out most on Saturday was India’s excellent close-in catching. Virender Sehwag was the star with two brilliant catches at slip, the one to his right diving full length to get rid of James Franklin easily the catch of the match, while Virat Kohli wasn’t far behind.

Seldom, though, will victory come India’s way so easily again. New Zealand had promised a fight, and till McCullum and Williamson were around, it appeared as if that talk hadn’t been an empty boast. McCullum’s dismissal, adjudged leg before to Umesh Yadav when he inside-edged the ball on to his pads, sent them into an inexorable tailspin, Ross Taylor’s inexplicable shouldering of arms to a sharp Ashwin offbreak without putting up a second line of defence indicative of the turmoil and uncertainty in the New Zealand minds.

Perhaps, the New Zealand batsmen sitting in the pavilion hadn’t paid too much notice when McCullum, putting mind over matter, and Williamson were batting. The loose balls – and there weren’t many – were put away with nonchalant ease while the good ones were kept away as they both played the ball late, right under their eyes and with soft hands. After an extended stint of spin with both ends, Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned to Zaheer Khan, but well as Zaheer bowled, success wasn’t forthcoming.

Yadav wasn’t brought on until the penultimate over before lunch – the 24th of the day – and struck with his 13th delivery, ending the 72-run stand between McCullum and Williamson, even if somewhat fortuitously. The wheels then came off, the last eight wickets tumbling for just 66 in next to no time.

Taylor’s dismissal was followed by a brief period of resistance involving Williamson and Daniel Flynn. It was a phase during which Ojha was off the firing line – he didn’t bowl for nearly two hours – but when Dhoni brought his left-arm spinner back, Ojha responded immediately with an absolute beauty.

He got one to drift in towards Williamson, till then in total command, and then break away from the batsman to catch the splice and offer Sehwag at slip a very simple catch. It was a special delivery; it needed to be one to evict Williamson, given the defensive authority with which he defied India for nearly three and a half hours.

From there on, the procession continued unabated. Ashwin spun a magical web of deceit around the lower order with offbreaks, the doosra and the carrom ball all thrown in. Like in the first innings, Chris Martin was his sixth and final victim to signal victory and send upwards of 20,000 fans into delirium. 1-0 up now, with the second Test beginning in Bangalore on August 31.

ICC Under-19 World Cup 2012 Final: Unmukt slams ton, India defeat Australia by 6 wickets

Townsville (Australia): Skipper Unmukt Chand slammed an unbeaten century guiding India to their third U-19 World Cup title defeating Australia in the final on Sunday.














India chased down the target of 226 runs that the defending champions set up after being called in to bat, with six wickets remaining and 14 balls to spare. Chand played a captain’s knock he scored unbeaten 111 runs.

Batting first, Australia lost four wickets at the score of 38. It was Trevor Head and captain William Bosisto who stemmed the flow of wickets and it took a run out to break the partnership that had grown to 65.

Next to join Bosisto was Ashton Turner who scored 43 to add 93 for the sixth wicket with the Aussie skipper. Man of the series, Bosisto top scored for the hosts with 87* while for India Sandeep Singh took 4/54. Spinner Harmeet Singh kept the batsmen in check returning with figures of 1/36 in 10 overs.

Indian chase also started on a negative note as they lost the wicket of in-form Prashant Chopra (0) in the first over itself. Baba Aparajith and Unmukt Chand then steered the innings forward scoring at a brisk pace adding 73 for the second wicket before Aparajith was brilliantly caught by Turner at extra cover.

Two more quick wickets and India looked a bit shaky. The Australians had them under pressure with two consecutive maidens that eventually led to the dismissal of Vijay Zol who poked at a wide delivery edging it to the keeper. Hanuma Vihari was caught by Turner off his own bowling to leave the 2008 champions tottering.

In came Smit Patel and joined his captain to first calm things down in the middle. The run rate had climbed to over six an over.

The duo managed to keep their heads calm and cool and refrained from taking any unnecessary risk seeing the overs of seamers Joel Paris and Gurinder Sandhu who bowled with tight line and length.

Unmukt Chand was dropped by his counterpart when he was on 84 and it proved to too costly for the Australians as he went on to complete his century that turned out to be the decisive factor.

Patel, who had also reached his half-century, sealed the victory with boundary towards midwicket region as the Indian squad broke into wild celebrations.

India enter U-19 World Cup final, to face Australia next

India relied on spinners Baba Aparajith and Harmeet Singh to pull off a thrilling 9-run victory over New Zealand and cruise into the final of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup here on Thursday.
 

Defending a modest total of 209, Indian bowlers maintained their consistency throughout as they restricted New Zealand to 200 for nine in their 50 overs to set up a title clash against Australia on Sunday.
Needing 18 off last over, medium pacer Sandeep Sharma kept his cool as he gave away only nine runs as India made it to summit clash quite comfortably in the end at the Tony Ireland stadium.
Young Tamil Nadu lad Aparajith got his second successive man-of-the-match award for his all-round show as he scored 44 before taking the important wicket of Robert O'Donell.
This is India U-19 team's fourth appearance in the final of the tournament having won the 2000 and 2008 editions while they were runners-up in 2006.
A target of 210 was never a tall-order for the Black Caps colts but all-rounder Aparajith (1/29) and the young sardar from Mumbai Harmeet (2/30) stifled the set New Zealand pair of Cam Fletcher (53) and O'Donell (29) in the middle overs to set it up for the Indians.
The duo gave away only 59 runs in the 20 overs between them and also shared three wickets. The highlight certainly were the Batting Powerplay overs where two of them gave away only 14 runs in the five overs.
While New Zealand lost the first four wickets for 63 runs, Carter-O'Donell duo put on 56 runs for the fifth wicket without much fuss. It looked as if New Zealand were cruising along towards victory before Harmeet-Aparajith applied brakes on scoring. Back to-back maidens in the 34th and 35th overs suddenly increased the pressure on the Kiwis.
As the pressure mounted, O'Donell closed the face of his bat to an off-break from Aparajith to offer a simple return catch as India made decisive inroads.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/u-19-wc-india-enter-u-19-world-cup-final/1/214328.html

VVS has looked after his God-given gifts well: Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar, who was Laxman's first Test captain, talks to Sunday MiD DAY 

Sachin Tendulkar’s two captaincy stints for India are not laced with great success. But he’ll never forget VVS Laxman’s 167 at Sydney in the final innings of that ill-fated Test series which ended 3-0 in Australia’s favour.
He will also remember Laxman’s valuable half century on debut against an Allan Donald-led pace attack in Ahmedabad 1996 which in a way helped Tendulkar win his second Test as captain.

VVS Laxman plays on the leg side during Barbados Test against the West Indies in 2011 Pic/AFP

Laxman put a full stop to his international career with immediate effect on Saturday, probably leaving the selectors flushed with embarrassment since they already picked him in the squad for the August 23-27 opening Test against New Zealand in Hyderabad.
SUNDAY MiD DAY caught up with Laxman’s first Test captain to talk about the retiring hero and the grand manner in which he played the game.

Sachin Tendulkar

Excerpts:

When did you first hear about VVS Laxman?
I heard about him from Amol Muzumdar since they were teammates (at the junior level) before meeting him for the first time in 1996. We were in England when he accompanied Amol, who came to visit me during the tour.

What did you feel when you first saw him play?
I thought he was really fantastic. I remember when I was his captain on the 1996-97 tour of South Africa, he got hit and broke his finger in Johannesburg. He was crying in one corner of the dressing room. I went up to him and said, ‘don’t worry. This is just the beginning and you have a long way to go.’ Now, I am really happy with whatever he has been able to achieve and his contribution has been immense. He has inspired a lot of youngsters and he’s played some unbelievable knocks — very important ones. He has also been a terrific fielder in slips; really good catcher and yes, that has probably gone a bit unnoticed. He has been a terrific catcher, he’s got  beautiful hands.

Your best VVS Laxman moment?
It has to be the 281 (against Australia at Kolkata in 2001) although he played some unbelievable knocks around that period. But 281 has to be on top of the list.

In Sydney (2000) when things were going so bad for you, he went out and scored 167 in the Test match. How did you feel as captain?
If we have to go into statistics of that series… we played three Tests and you would expect the top seven guys to contribute in 7x 6= 42 innings. In 42 innings, Sourav Ganguly scored a fifty, Laxman got a hundred and I got two fifties and a hundred. Other than that, not one scored runs. Out of 42 innings, if you are going to have only five to six 50 plus scores, you are bound to have a disastrous tour. Laxman really played well in Sydney, hit some terrific shots and that is why I requested the BCCI and the selection committee to keep him for the one-day triangular series.

A lot of people remember Dilip Vengsarkar’s three consecutive hundreds at Lord’s. But Laxman did the same at a famous venue too — the Sydney Cricket Ground with his hundreds in 2000, 2004 and 2008… 
Absolutely awesome! It is an equally big achievement because those hundreds came against top opposition as well.

If God gave you a choice and offered you VVS Laxman’s skills, which one would you pick?
That ability to use his wrists so well while batting. Many a time… 99 per cent batters would play a ball to the covers and the same ball Laxman would end up playing an on-drive. And it’s not decided…it’s just God’s gift — his natural talent and ability to find gaps and use his wrists. I am sure he has not specially worked on it. It is a gift from God and he has looked after it pretty well.

Your view on his decision to quit?
It’s HIS decision. He knows his body and mental frame of mind. Only he can talk about his mental make-up.  You can judge physical preparation; a physio can tell you what things are not right and whether one is in good shape, but if you have to judge from the mental side, he’s the only person who can answer you.

 

Fans bid tearful goodbye to Dara Singh

Bollywood celebrities and people from all walks of society gathered to pay their last respects to legendary wrestler-actor Dara Singh, who was cremated in suburban Vile Parle this afternoon.



Members of the film fraternity and thousands of fans witnessed his final journey.

His body was taken in procession in a truck decorated with flowers, from his home 'Dara Villa' to the Pawan Hans crematorium, where the last rites were performed.

Besides family members, those present from the film industry were veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, director Sajid Khan, actor-director Parmeet Sethi, actors Dheeraj Kumar, Jaspal Bhatti, Anoop Soni and Raza Murad.

Congress leader Kripashankar Singh was also present. He told reporters that he had come to pay tributes on behalf of party president Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and the Congress party.

TV actor Feroz Khan, who was with him in serial 'Mahabharat' said, "He was like a father to me...he treated me like his son. Simplicity was another name of Dara Singh."

Abhishek Bachchan, Tabu, Bobby Deol, Manoj Kumar and others went to his residence in Juhu to pay condolences.

The last rites were performed by his three sons including TV-film actor Vindu Dara Singh.

A childhood hero to many for his wrestling prowess, 83-year-old Singh, who played Hanuman in epic teleserial 'Ramayan' and also dabbled in politics, passed away at his residence in Juhu in suburban Mumbai today.

On July 7, Dara Singh was rushed to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital by his family members following a cardiac problem. He had been in a critical condition since then. Two days later, he was put on dialysis after his kidneys stopped functioning.

Wednesday night he was shifted from the hospital to his Juhu home as it was his family's wish that he should be at home in the last stages of his life, a hospital official had told

The " Rustam-e-Hind" title holder is survived by his wife and six children - three sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Vindo Dara Singh, is a known name in showbiz.

Injured Mark Boucher retires from international cricket

London: South Africa's Mark Boucher retired from international cricket with immediate effect on Tuesday after being struck in the eye a day earlier. The prolific wicket-keeper had a surgery on his eye in England and has flown back home.



Boucher, who has played in 147 Tests and 295 ODIs, was struck by a bail during his team's tour opener against English county Somerset. "It is with sadness, and in some pain, that I make this announcement. Due to the severity of my eye injury, I will not be able to play International cricket again," a statement on his behalf said. The third Test of the series - at Lords - would have been the 150th appearance for the player who will retire with 999 international dismissals. His 555 dismissals in Tests is a record.

Team manager Mohammed Moosajee had earlier said that the extent of Boucher's injury was severe and that it was "difficult to determine the extent of the long-term damage."

The 35-year-old player has been a solid performer for the Proteas and his brilliant skills behind the stumps was matched only by his ability with the bat.

Boucher made his international Test debut against Pakistan in 1997 and has since been a permanent part of the national side.
On Tuesday, Boucher in his statement issued his thanks for the wishes. "I am deeply touched by all the well wishes. I wish the team well in the UK, as I head home and onto a road of uncertain recovery."
South African Test skipper Graeme Smith who read out Boucher's statement, expressed his sadness at the announcement and called the player 'a patriotic South African and a fighter.'
"Bouch, we have walked a long road together, and we are saddened to part under these circumstances. For the 14years of your International career, you have been a true Proteas warrior, a patriotic South African, a fighter who asks nothing and gives everything," he said in a personal message.

Sachin opts out; Sehwag, Zaheer return to squad

Opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan on Wednesday returned to a 15-member Indian cricket squad after recovering from injuries even as senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar decided to skip the limited overs tour of Sri Lanka starting July 21. Sehwag, Zaheer, along with young pacer Umesh Yadav, had sat out of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March due to fitness issues. While Sehwag was nursing back spasms and a shoulder injury, Zaheer and Umesh too had niggles.

Tendulkar, who has played only two ODI series since 2011 World Cup and is now a Rajya Sabha MP, made himself unavailable for selection for the Lanka tour which will have five ODIs and a Twenty20 International.
Young Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane has replaced Tendulkar in the side. The other change from the Asia Cup side is the inclusion of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in place of out-of-form all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
The committee, which picked the squad in a meeting here, also decided to include Umesh at the expense of Praveen Kumar.
"We have the best available team. Sachin is not available. I think it is a very good side which has very strong batting line-up and good bowlers and we are confident that it will do well in Sri Lanka," chairman of selection committee Krishnamachari Srikkanth told reporters after announcing the squad.
There was no place for feisty off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who endured indifferent form during the IPL and has now signed up with English county side Essex, as the selectors continued to ignore him while Rahul Sahrma was retained in the side. The team will thus have three spinners on low-bouncing and spinning tracks in Sri Lanka.
The team will also have seven specialist batsmen, four seamers and a wicketkeeper in captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The team has endured poor results since the second half of last year, having been whitewashed in the Test series in England and Australia before failing to make the finals of the Asia Cup.
"It is a long season ahead and I think we will come back to winning ways. Sachin wants to extend his career. He must be aiming at England and Australia (series later this year). He is spacing it out very well," said Srikkanth.
"I don't really want to dwell on whys, they are difficult. We should look at what has been selected," he said.
The rest of the squad remains the same with the selectors retaining Virat Kohli as vice-captain, a position that the Delhi youngster took from opener Gautam Gambhir during the Asia Cup.
"Virat Kohli has been appointed vice-captain, the idea is continuity. Virat got brilliant hundreds after becoming vice captain which shows that he likes responsibility," explained Srikkanth.
Aggressive but inconsistent all-rounder Yusuf Pathan was ignored after failing to make an impact in the IPL, along with his brother Irfan.
In Sri Lanka, India will play a five-match ODI series between July 21 and August 4 followed by a one-off Twenty20 International on August 7.
A little over a month separates the Sri Lanka tour and the Twenty20 World Cup, which will be played in the same country.
Team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virat Kohli (vice-capt), Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Suresh Raina, Vinay Kumar, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma.

Kolkata Knight Riders win maiden IPL title

We have a new IPL titlist. Inspired by Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis' divergent half-centuries in a cracker of a final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Kolkata Knight Riders roared to their maiden IPL trophy with a memorably tense chase of 190 against the defending champions Chennai Super Kings.

There were three charismatic innings of contrasting styles on show at Chennai's home ground and, ultimately, it was Bisla's fluency and Kallis' unflappability that helped KKR overcome the challenge set by Suresh Raina's display of bottom-handed slog-sweeping. Following the loss of Gautam Gambhir in the opening over, Bisla kick-started Kolkata's run-chase by hitting Albie Morkel for four boundaries and kept the pace going through to his highest IPL score of 87. Kallis was restrained during his half-century, brought up off 39 balls, and his 136-run stand with Bisla helped end Chennai's superb run in the 2012 playoffs in dramatic fashion and denied them a hat-trick of trophies. Chennai didn't give up and took the match into the final over, but Manoj Tiwary finished the deal with two leg-side hits with two balls remaining.

Manvinder Bisla goes on the attack

Kolkata's chase of 191 started poorly, with Gambhir bowled in the opening over by Ben Hilfenhaus. Bisla took four boundaries off the fourth over bowled by Morkel, each slapped fiercely through the offside, and Kolkata had 36 on the board. R Ashwin was then driven for consecutive sixes, down the ground and over mid-on, and the chase was on. With the 50 up in the sixth over, Bisla accelerated further in the next by driving Dwayne Bravo for six over mid-off. MS Dhoni tried the left-arm spin of Shadab Jakati after the time-out, but Kallis greeted him with an edged four. Bisla reached his half-century in 27 balls in the same over, and in Bravo's second he collected his fourth six. 

By the halfway mark, KKR were 100 for 1, meaning they needed 91 from 60 balls, and Bisla's intensity and strike-rate did not relent. In Jakati's second over, he hit two more fours, then collected a sixth six by slamming Ashwin over extra cover. 

Kallis' contribution was vital too, for his 69 off 49 balls eased the pressure on Bisla. Kallis relied mainly on dabs into the offside, but opened up once Bisla slapped a simple catch to point. Jakati was pummeled over the in-field for consecutive boundaries as Kallis reached fifty off 39 balls and then perfectly bisected two men in the deep for a boundary after Laxmi Ratan Shukla ate up six balls for three runs. Kallis was given a moment of luck, too, when Michael Hussey held a leaping catch on the boundary but fell across to concede six. 

The tension was ratcheted as Yusuf Pathan got a leading edge off Ashwin, at which point KKR needed 27 off 17. Kallis then cramped up to add to the excruciating mood, which also meant that singles and doubles were tough to handle. With 20 to defend off 12 balls, Hilfenhaus sent down two full tosses in a row – the first Kallis slapped straight to sweeper cover to be out for 69, but the next was deemed to be above Shakib Al Hasan's waist. The result? Three runs and an extra ball, which Shakib excellently scooped to fine leg for four. The error proved costly for CSK. 

Needing nine from six balls, Shakib and Tiwary exchanged singles before Tiwary swung Bravo over short fine leg for four. Tiwary finished it with another pull through the same region, and then pumped his firsts in celebration as the adrenaline flowed and his team-mates raced from the dug-out in joy.

Such a chase had been difficult to envision after Chennai surged to 190. Having been given first use of the batting deck, Hussey and Murali Vijay launched an 87-run stand in 10.2 overs. That start provided the impetus for Raina to come out blazing, and he collected his first fifty of the season to push the defending champions to a strong total. 

After two tidy overs that cost 12, Chennai took 48 off the next four. Brett Lee was taken for two boundaries in the third over, Shakib was hit for six first ball, and Lee's third over went for 19 as each opener struck a fluent six. There were plenty of shots that flew wide of fielders, but such was Chennai's attitude that they weren't going to hold back. Following Vijay's dismissal, Hussey was a bystander as Raina tore into the bowling. The left-hander employed the slog-sweep against spin and pace, staying in the crease and muscling five sixes. After heaving Kallis for a six off his fourth ball, Raina tucked into Yusuf for two fours and another six. Lee and Sunil Narine were thumped for big sixes, the massive 105-metre shot off Narine giving Raina his half-century off just 27 balls. 

Hussey was eventually bowled for 54 attempting a heave against Kallis in the 17th over; his contribution to a 73-run stand had been just 13. Narine was swung for another six by Raina, after which Shakib bowled an eight-run final over that ended with Raina slogging to Lee in the deep for a 38-ball 73. Unfortunately for Chennai, Bisla and Kallis played better innings.

IPL 2012: Kolkata Knight Riders` road to glory

Chennai: The Holy Grail finally went east as SRK’s Kolkata Knight Riders led by the ever focused Gautam Gambhir dismantled Chennai Super Kings from its perch after two years winning the IPL 2012 title is a high scoring affair.

It took Kolkata Knight Riders five attempts before they could feature in the final of the Indian Premier League. Zeenews.com sports team looks at their 18-match long journey to the ultimate of an IPL title.

Apr 5: Lost to Delhi by 8 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

Kolkata started their campaign against the same opposition but with a different result as they bowed down to the Sehwag-led side by 8 wickets in a rain-affected game shortened to 12 overs per side. Irfan Pathan shone with the bat smashing an unbeaten 42 from 20 deliveries to take Delhi home safe. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 97/9 (12/12 ov); Delhi Daredevils 100/2 (11.1/12 ov).

Apr 8: Lost to Rajasthan by 22 runs

Chasing 164, Knight Riders were dealt an early blow after losing three important wickets (of Kallis, McCullum and Gambhir) in three consecutive balls. They never recovered and were bundled out for 142, 22 short of the target. However, Manoj Tiwary came up with a face-saving innings of 49-ball 59 in the defeat. Score: Rajasthan Royals 164/5 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 142 (20/20 ov).

Apr 10: Beat Bangalore by 42 runs

With captain Gautam Gambhir in good form, Kolkata found their rhythm as they secured their first win of the season beating Royal Challengers Bangalore. After posting an imposing total of 165, Kolkata pacers spearheaded by L Balaji tied down the opposition batsmen from making any headway into their chase. Balaji’s spell of 4-18 was phenomenal in their 42-run victory. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 165/8 (20/20 ov); Royal Challengers Bangalore 123/9 (20/20 ov).

Apr 13: Beat Rajasthan by 5 wickets (with 4 balls remaining)

It was payback time at Eden Gardens after their loss in their previous encounter; this time they completed a five wicket victory against Rajasthan. Veteran Kallis top scored with 31 runs but Shakib’s match-winning spell of 3-17 made things easier for Kolkata in a low-scoring affair at a turning Eden track. By then, they sealed their second straight win after four matches in the season. Score: Rajasthan Royals 131/5 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 137/5 (19.2/20 ov).

Apr 15: Lost to Punjab by 2 runs

Sunil Narine’s dumbfounding five-for all but went in vain at Edens as Punjab snatched a thrilling 2-run win from the jaws of defeat, thanks to Chawla’s magic spell of 3-18. Kolkata were well placed in their chase at 79/3 after 12 overs but Chawla’s triple strikes turned the match in their favour. Score: Kings XI Punjab 134/9 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 132/7 (20/20 ov).

Apr 18: Beat Punjab by 8 wickets (with 21 balls remaining)


Gambhir once again led from the front to outplay Punjab in the return leg and made sure they didn’t mess up their chase this time round. With a target as low as 124, Kolkata romped home with ease in a heavily one-sided game in which Gambhir stayed unbeaten on 66. Score: Kings XI Punjab 124/7 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 127/2 (16.3/20 ov).

Apr 22: Beat Deccan Chargers by 5 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)

Chargers fought hard to defend a low total, but Kolkata held their nerves to emerge victorious in the end, their fourth win. Dhawan’s run-a-ball 50 was the only highlight in their innings where they limped to 126 for 7 after 20 overs. In return, Kolkata reached the target with six balls to spare. Score: Deccan Chargers 126/7 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 127/5 (19/20 ov).

Apr 24: Kolkata v Deccan: Match abandoned without a ball bowled

Apr 28: Beat Bangalore by 47 runs

Riding on Gambhir’s 93, Kolkata amassed a huge total at home, which their star batsman Gayle (86) couldn’t chase down even after staying on the crease until the last over. Gambhir and McCullum stitched together 95 runs for the first wicket stand, which was followed by an 80-run partnership between Gambhir and Kallis for the second wicket. Kolkatan bowlers` attempt to successfully keep Gayle out of the strike paid dividends for the hosts. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 190/4 (20/20 ov); Royal Challengers Bangalore 143/6 (20/20 ov).

Apr 30: Beat Chennai by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

In the current IPL edition, Kolkata’s success is directly proportional to Gambhir’s form. The Delhi lad continued his impressive run with the bat, so were KKR. Chennai sweat hard to reach a total of 139 for 5 on a slow track at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Main contributors were Suresh Raina (44) and captain MS Dhoni (34*). However, Gambhir showed his prowess with the bat once again to propel the team to a 5-wicket win. A small but important role from Debabrata Das (4-ball 11) in the end prompted Gauti to hand over his Man-of-the-Match award to Das. Score: Chennai Super Kings 139/5 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 140/5 (19.4/20 ov).

May 5: Beat Pune by 7 runs

At one point the hosts looked well set for a huge total after reaching 111 without loss after 12 overs. The openers’ departure affected the scoring rate. However, Warriors failed to chase down the target of 150 much to the disappointment of their captain Sourav Ganguly. A victory would have been a source of joy for the Bengal Tiger considering his troubled past with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 150/5 (20/20 ov); Pune Warriors 143/8 (20/20 ov).

May 7: Beat Delhi Daredevils by 6 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)

After choosing to bat first, Delhi set Kolkata a target of 154. In return, capitalising on the strong foundation laid by the openers, Kolkata eased to a 6-wicket victory to displace Delhi from the top of the table at Feroz Shah Kotla. Score: Delhi Daredevils 153/9 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 154/4 (18.4/20 ov).

May 12: Lost to Mumbai Indians by 27 runs


Rohit Sharma ended Kolkata’s unbeaten run of six games smashing a 60-ball 109. Herschelle Gibbs, playing for the first time this season, contributed to the 167-run partnership with a fluent 66. A total of 182 was beyond the reach of Kolkata, who had to end their chase at 155/4 after the allotted 20 overs. The consistent Knight Riders’ bowlers really took a beating and they managed only Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket throughout the innings. Score: Mumbai Indians 182/1 (20/20 ov); Kolkata Knight Riders 155/4 (20/20 ov).

May 14: Lost to Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets

Chennai Super Kings continued their unpredictable nature as they snatched a surprising 5-wicket win chasing Kolkata’s 158. Bravo’s last-ball heroics pushed Super Kings to No. 4 in the standings. Both the teams started their innings in a similar fashion. First, Gambhir and McCullum gave them a rollicking start but after losing the openers, the run rate dipped only to end the innings at 158. Similarly, Hussey and Vijay got off to a flier, but the mystery man Sunil Narine struck again and removed both. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 158/6 (20/20 ov); Chennai Super Kings 160/5 (20/20 ov).

May 16: Beat Mumbai Indians by 32 runs

Mumbai captain Harbhajan, who fielded a pace-heavy side, was clueless as to what to expect from the Wankhede pitch and decided to have a bowl. Knight Riders struggled to post 140 on board, which in turn proved to be a good total. Gambhir made the most out of his spin trio - Narine, Shakib and Abdulla – to bundle out Mumbai with 108. Mumbai batsmen, including Sachin, just couldn’t tackle the West Indian Narine who finished with figures 4-15. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 140/7 (20/20 ov); Mumbai Indians 108 (19.1/20 ov).

May 19: Beat Pune by 34 runs

Knight Riders inflicted upon Warriors their ninth consecutive defeat and set up a qualifier match against Delhi after their 34-run win against Pune in their last league game. A total of 136 runs proved to be decent enough as an all-round performance from Shakib Al Hasan caused severe damage to Pune’s chase. Shakib scored a quickfire 42 in their innings and later followed it up with a two wicket haul. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 136/4 (20/20 ov); Pune Warriors 102/8 (20/20 ov).

May 22: Qualifier: Beat Delhi Daredevils by 18 runs

When a few tactical moves made by Delhi skipper Sehwag failed, the ones made by Gambhir went in KKR’s favour and eventually booked the final berth in the IPL for the first time. Also, the match marked as the one in which Yusuf Pathan woke from his slumber finally to smash 40 off just 21 balls. He, along with Laxmi Ratan Shukla, gave the late boost to help Knight Riders go past 160. Score: Kolkata Knight Riders 162/4 (20/20 ov); Delhi Daredevils 144/8 (20/20 ov).

Apr 27: Beat Chennai Super Kings by 5wickets

Powered by Manvinder Singh Bisla`s blinder of 89 off just 48 balls and Jacques Kallis` 69 off 49 balls, Kolkata Knight Riders registered a victory ovr Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets to clinch their maiden IPl title.

BCCI suspends five cricketers over spot-fixing claims

The BCCI has suspended T.P. Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra, Shalabh Srivastava, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali after their alleged involvement in spot-fixing was exposed in a TV sting.

 

Five uncapped Indian players were today suspended with immediate effect pending completion of an inquiry as a rattled BCCI cracked the whip on tainted cricketers in the wake of a television sting operation which claimed to have exposed corruption in the cash-rich IPL.
The strong action to suspend Pune Warriors' Mohnish Mishra, Kings XI Punjab's Shalabh Srivastava and Amit Yadav, Deccan Chargers' T P Sudhindra and Abhinav Bali was taken after a lengthy tele-conference of top BCCI officials and members of the IPL's Governing Council.

Mohnish Mishra is one of the cricketers suspended by the BCCI. 

The BCCI decided to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the incident by Ravi Sawani, the former chief of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit who is now heading the BCCI's newly set-up Anti-Corruption Unit.
"The IPL Governing Council met on teleconference today at 2:30pm and they recommended to the BCCI President for strict action against those players who were found guilty and found suspicious on the television footage shown on India TV," IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla told reporters here.
"Since it also involved matter relating to other matches and previous IPL, it was referred to the President. The president after due consideration has decided to have a preliminary inquiry for which a commissioner has been appointed. Mr Ravi Sawani who was the ICC ACSU chief and now advisor will conduct the inquiry and he will submit a report to the Disciplinary Committee," he said.
"Pending inquiry the five players have been suspended from all cricket activities with immediate effect. We will await the report of the preliminary inquiry and proper action will be taken only after that," he added.
Earlier, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla had said strict action would be taken if any player is found to be involved in spot-fixing.
Top BCCI officials have already started discussing the issue among themselves amid indications that stern action could be taken against a few players who are shown in the tv sting operation.
"The IPL Governing Council will discuss the issue. We have asked for the tapes. We will study the tapes and then take a decision", a top BCCI source said.
A TV channel had yesterday claimed to have blown the lid off "murky deals" in the IPL among players, organisers, owners and big guns of Indian cricket, prompting the BCCI to warn that stringent action will be taken if the report is found to be true.
The Hindi news channel claimed it had done a sting operation in which many players confessed on hidden camera they get much more than their prescribed auction under the table.
According to the channel, its operation also revealed that spot-fixing is not only prevalent in IPL but also that first class matches are fixed and women played an important role in match-fixing.
The channel had claimed it had done a sting operation in which many players confessed on hidden camera they get much more than their prescribed auction under the table. According to the channel, its operation also revealed that spot-fixing is not only prevalent in IPL but also that first class matches are fixed and women played an important role in match-fixing.
The IPL's Governing Council had sought video footage from the TV channel and is understood to have scrutinised the tapes before taking the decision of suspending the players.
That some tough measures would be taken against the players was evident when the BCCI president N Srinivasan, who is currently at Kodaikanal, made it clear that no player would be spared if found guilty.
He said he was surprised by the sting operation and reiterated the BCCI's zero tolerance towards corruption in cricket. "We will not tolerate this nonsense. We have zero tolerance on corruption and you will not be disappointed by the action we take," he said, adding some evidence has been found against some players.

BCCI has decided to act prompty on this issue.

Hindi-language India TV showed Sudhindra, of the Deccan Chargers, allegedly agreeing to bowl pre-arranged no-balls in a domestic match, while Kings XI Punjab player Srivastava was reportedly heard boasting he could do the same in the IPL.
The channel claimed it had taped seamer Srivastava telling its reporters he could deliver a no-ball in the IPL for Rs 10 lakh (about $18,500).
Srivastava, 30, who has played two seasons of first-class cricket for the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, denied the allegation and threatened to take the TV channel to court.
"The voice which suggests that I am ready to spot-fix is not mine," he told the Indian Express newspaper. "I am ready to clarify this to the BCCI, my team owners and the IPL governing council.
"I will definitely file a case against them."
Srivastava claimed that he was innocent and would put forward his side of story before the inquiry commissioner. "I deny the charges but don't want to say anything more as of now. I will put forward my views before the inquiry commissioner. I will wait for that. I respect the BCCI," he said.

Shalabh Srivastava claims he's innocent and that the video has been doctored. Pic/AFP

Another Kings XI Punjab player, Yadav, was taped saying he had reason to believe that last season's IPL match against Delhi Daredevils was fixed, but could not substantiate his claim.
The Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of India TV, Rajat Sharma stood by the story and said they had offered money to over a dozen cricketers after which they had aired the clips of cricketers, who had offered to take money to either switch teams or for spot fixing in matches.
He denied that any of the big players had sought money from the channel's reporters who had posed as agents. "As far as I know the big players in IPL are clean. This is possible since they have already made enough money. To me it's not a system failure but seems some individual players are corrupt," he said. While conducting the sting operation, Sharma said they had come across three cricketers who had refused to take money from the reporters. The BCCI later issued a release, expressing concern at the incident.
"An emergent meeting of the IPL Governing Council took place on teleconference today. The Governing Council discussed the video footage shown on India TV since last evening of a 'Sting' operation in connection with the IPL," the release said. "The members felt that the areas covered by the footage warranted immediate action by the President BCCI under the 'Memorandum and Rules and Regulations' of the BCCI against the players alleged to be involved," it said.

Second innings: Sachin Tendulkar will be a Rajya Sabha MP

New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil has approved the Rajya Sabha nomination recommendation for cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and he will now be a Rajya Sabha MP. Sachin Tendulkar accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination proposed by the Congress and became the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. 

The Home Ministry had recommended four names including those of Tendulkar, Bollywood actress Rekha and industrialist Anu Agha for the Rajya Sabha. The President has also approved the recommendations for Rekha and Agha.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written a letter to the Home Ministry on the issue. The Congress had offered to nominate Tendulkar under the President's quota.
The cricketer who just turned 39 on April 24 is yet to retire from international cricket, and is expected to be away on cricket duty through 2013.

The 39-year-old master blaster who has brought many a laurel to the country through his exploits in the game, and Rekha, known for her brilliant and emotional portrayals in Hindi cinema in the 80s, will become members of Parliament under a provision of the Constitution that allows the President to nominate 12 members to the Upper House.

Article 80 of the Constitution provides for nomination of persons having special knowledge or practical experience in matters such as literature, science, art and social service.
57-year-old Rekha was one of the top heroines of the 80s in Hindi films and had won several national awards in her acting career.

Tendulkar's nomination to Rajya Sabha came as a surprise against the backdrop of a long-standing demand for conferring of Bharat Ratna on him for his contribution to the game. He completed the historic achievement of scoring 100 international centuries in March this year.

Tendulkar along with his wife Anjali met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in New Delhi.

Although officially the Congress said that Sonia wanted to meet Tendulkar and personally congratulate him on achieving the historic achievement of scoring 100 international centuries, but sources say the main agenda was his nomination for the Rajya Sabha.

The move to nominate Tendulkar was welcomed from every quarter of the political spectrum, from the Congress to the BJP.

Reacting to the reports of Sachin Tendulkar's proposed nomination, BJP leader Najma Heptulla said, "We are very happy that Tendulkar's name has been proposed for the Rajya Sabha."

"Tendulkar is a great player, we are proud of him. If he is being nominated, surely he would devote some time to Parliament," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

However, the proposal didn't go well with people from the cricket fraternity. Cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle said, "I don't think it is the greatest idea. He doesn't have the experience of governing or doing social work. People are trying to gain mileage out of Tendulkar."

Meanwhile, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) welcomed the government's nomination of Tendulkar as a member of the Rajya Sabha, saying that the iconic batsman deserves such an honour.

BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Prof. Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board was happy with the government's move. "We (BCCI) are happy that Tendulkar's services as a sportsperson has been recognised. He's been a true ambassador for the country and he deserves it," he said.

In the past, eminent personalities like directors Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen and playback singer Lata Mangeshkar had been the nominated members of the Rajya Sabha.

(With additional information from PTI)