All-round Shukla gives Bengal title

Bengal 252 for 4 (Shukla 106*, Majumdar 50*) beat Mumbai 248 (Jaffer 61, Shukla 4-38)
Scorecard

An unbeaten century and four wickets from allrounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla helped Bengal beat Mumbai at the Feroz Shah Kotla, and lift the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time since the tournament's inception. Mumbai had scored 295 at the Kotla in the semi-final, on Saturday, but could only manage 248 this time, after Shukla prevented the top-order batsmen from kicking on from starts, and repeated strikes in the middle overs prevented an acceleration.

It was still a competitive total, though, and Shukla came in after Bengal had crawled to 69 for 2 in 17.5 overs. He took control of the chase, and, after losing a couple of partners, found company in Anustup Majumdar, who scored 50 not out off 45 balls. The pair shared an unbeaten 107-run partnership to take Bengal home in 46.1 overs. Both were aggressive: Shukla hit 12 fours and two sixes in his 106 not out off 90 balls, while Majumdar struck seven boundaries in his half-century.

The partnership came after Sourav Ganguly's 38 off 53 balls and Shreevats Goswami's 42 off 73 had left Bengal behind the asking-rate. When Wriddhiman Saha was dismissed for 11 in the 33rd over, Bengal were 145 for 4 and the match was still even. Shukla and Majumdar took it away from Mumbai, whose spinners were expensive.

Mumbai chose to bat, after the strategy had worked in the semi-final, and had a bright beginning thanks to Wasim Jaffer's 61 off 48 balls, which included 10 fours and a six. They were 83 for 0 in the 13th over when Shukla bowled Jaffer. Shukla then dismissed Ajinkya Rahane and Anup Revandkar to slow the run-rate down. The dangerous Abhishek Nayar was dismissed for 11 and Bengal kept chipping away at the wickets after that. Suryakumar Yadav held one end up, and scored 50 off 68 balls, but once he was dismissed, Mumbai's lower order failed to make significant contributions, and they were bowled out in 49.2 overs, Shukla taking the final wicket. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Kulkarni blames batting for Mumbai's failure

Sulakshan Kulkarni: "Tamil Nadu were a far superior team. So you had to be mentally stronger" © Fotocorp

Sulakshan Kulkarni, Mumbai's coach, has singled out the failure of his senior batsmen and their inability to adapt to the situation in the knockouts as the main reason behind the team not reaching the Ranji final. The trio of Wasim Jaffer, the Mumbai captain, Abhishek Nayar and Suryakumar Yadav not performing in the semi-finals against Tamil Nadu proved fatal and Kulkarni, in his first season as coach, did not shy away from holding them responsible.

"As far as our batting was concerned we completely played very bad cricket," Kulkarni said, highlighting the first-innings performance in the semis as the worst. After Jaffer elected to field, Tamil Nadu recovered from a critical 139 for 6, to post a healthy 359 in their first innings. In response, Mumbai failed miserably, folding up for 157.

Jaffer was unlucky to be adjudged lbw by the umpire K Hariharan, as there was big inside edge and the gully fielder leapt forward to attempt the catch. That aside, Jaffer had been struggling throughout the season, recording an aggregate of 406 runs in nine matches across twelve innings with just one century at an average of 45.11.

Jaffer, usually one of the top run-getters in the season, had failed by his own high standards. "We lost this year and one of the biggest factors was Wasim's batting," Kulkarni said. "We needed him the most in the last two matches. It was a big loss to us."

The worst of the shot selection came from the pair of Nayar and Yadav in the semi-final. What saddened their coach was how two of his best batsmen had erred at the most important juncture in the tournament.

Against Tamil Nadu, Nayar and Yadav had started re-building the innings from 14 for 3 after the Mumbai top order collapsed. But when the partnership was worth 47, Nayar opted to play a scoop in the very first over from the left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas, offering an easy catch. Yadav, too, poked at a delivery from Yo Mahesh that moved away, to nick to the wicketkeeper. Yadav had just crossed his fifth half-century of the season, but wasted an opportunity to convert into a big score. Now he would need to be happy being the third-highest run-maker this season with 754 runs.

"Yadav should have taken the responsibility when the team needed him the most," Kulkarni said. "I was a bit disappointed with Abhishek. We were 15 for 3 and around then we had a 45-50 run partnership. That time we needed a big partnership. And being a senior player Abhishek Nayar should have taken the initiative. He had played so well in the season."

Kulkarni said the gameplan went awry once Mumbai had let Tamil Nadu out of the jail. "We thought if we could bundle them out for below 200 we had a very good chance. Also, on the first day the pitch was seaming and we had our chances when they were 139 for six," Kulkarni pointed out. "But after that we did not attack the lower order and an opportunity was missed."

The Tamil Nadu lower order, marshalled by Ramaswamy Prasanna, bounced back strongly. Prasanna went on to score a brilliant ton, his second after five years, and importantly, stitch a valuable 155-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Mahesh, who scored a steadfast half-century himself. That put the visitors back on track and they did not suffer from any further stage fright.

In contrast Mumbai registered their lowest innings total of the season. In the eight completed innings so far in the season, Mumbai had crossed the 400-run mark seven times. Even in the one match they missed out, against Saurashtra, they had managed to score 360. Kulkarni was happy with the consistency they had shown until then.

Kulkarni admitted the youngsters in the squad had suffered from nerves during the knockouts. But after Mumbai had recovered from a disastrous position against Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals, Kulkarni was confident they would regroup against Tamil Nadu.

In the quarters Mumbai were in dire straits at 70 for five, but Kaustubh Pawar remained stoic to register a big hundred and Ankit Chavan hit a resolute century. But Kulkarni said the pressure in the semis was more only because Tamil Nadu were a better team "man to man". "They were a far superior team. So you had to be mentally stronger," Kulkarni said.

Kulkarni, who was appointed Mumbai coach when Praveen Amre decided to take a break after five years, said he was happy at the end of his first Ranji season. "It was quite good looking at the larger picture. We lost very badly this game," he said. "'[But] as far as the season is concerned there have been a lot of positives which will help Mumbai cricket in the future. The main thing is success of youngsters like Surya Kumar Yadav, Kaustubh Pawar, Balwinder Sandhu, Ankit Chavan and Kshemal Waingankar. This indicates Mumbai cricket is in good health."

Immediately after taking up the job Kulkarni found himself in a spot when Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai's most experienced and successful fast bowler, decided to abruptly return home after being dropped against Orissa. Agarkar found support from his Mumbai team-mate and India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who told the media that Kulkarni and Mumbai chairman of selectors Milind Rege were pulling back Mumbai cricket.

Today, Kulkarni did not want to delve on the Agarkar incident and disagreed that the issue had any bearing on the rest of the season. "That was purely a cricketing situation," Kulkarni said. "That incident is over. Had we concentrated on that issue we wouldn't have come this far."

Pressed further if the issue had any impact on the morale of the dressing room, Kulkarni provided an example to back his thoughts. "If you look at the performance even in that match, Suryakumar Yadav scored a double-hundred. Kaustubh Pawar scored a century too."

Asked if he was bothered about his future, Kulkarni laughed at the questions. He said Mumbai being a champion team, everybody expected them to win the title. "That is not news. But if we lose it is big news."

Kulkarni was happy with the state of Mumbai's bench strength, and wanted to build on it. According to him, Mumbai's lesson from the season was to work harder and be more consistent. "A lot of the youngsters play a lot of Twenty20 and it is important that these guys adapt quickly to the four-day game and play consistently." © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Mumbai make semis on first-innings lead

Madhya Pradesh 192 (Birla 63, Kulkarni 5-74) and 474 for 3 dec (M Mishra 174*, Bundela 101*) drew with Mumbai 434 (K Pawar 161, Chavan 102*, Sudhindra 5-96) and 113 for 1 (Pawar 52*, Waghela 51*)

Mumbai eased into another Ranji Trophy semi-final on the basis of a massive first-innings lead after their quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh ended in a draw on the fourth day in Indore.

On the final day, Mohnish Mishra led a dominating batting performance from MP and, with his captain Devendra Bundela, smashed the friendly Mumbai attack for 224 runs in just over a session. MP declared on 474 for 3 but Mumbai, with the security of first-innings points, were never going to go for the target of 233 in a minimum of 49 overs. The match ended at the start of the mandatory overs, by which time Kaustubh Pawar and Praful Waghela had scored fifties to lead Mumbai to 113 for 1.

The only source of interest at the start of the final day was whether MP would go for quick runs and set a target for Mumbai. They did not disappoint. Mishra and Bundela plundered at will on the flat pitch and Wasim Jaffer had nine fielders on the boundary for the major part of the first session. The batsmen still kept hitting the odd boundary, and Mishra smashed five sixes as well. Some of them were flat and clean strikes against the medium-pacers that cleared long-on.

With Dhawal Kulkarni resting ahead of the semi-final against Tamil Nadu because of a shin niggle, the Mumbai spinners did the bulk of the bowling. Ankeet Chavan bowled 40 overs for a return of 1 for 171. Mumbai were not thinking about taking wickets; their only consideration was to bat for as few overs as possible. MP helped them by batting on for a few more overs after lunch so that Bundela could get to his century. When the declaration finally came, Mishra was unbeaten on 174.

Pawar, who had rescued Mumbai in the first innings with a defiant 161, punched powerfully off the back foot for boundaries to sign off with a half-century in the second. The pitch looked good to last another four days; it was their indecisive batting on the first morning, when the surface was at its freshest, that ended MP's tournament. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Agarkar unhappy about being dropped by Mumbai

	Ajit Agarkar was not happy about being left out of Mumbai's XI against Orissa © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai's leading fast bowler, flew back from Cuttack on the first day of Mumbai's match against Orissa because he was disappointed at being dropped from the final XI. Agarkar was part of the 15-man squad and had played in the last game against Karnataka, but following the team meeting on Monday, he was told by the trio of captain Wasim Jaffer, coach Sulakshan Kulkarni and selector Ravi Thakkar that they had decided to pick Aavishkar Salvi ahead of him.

"They did not tell me before going I am not going to be the part of the eleven. I do not expect to not play Ranji Trophy for Mumbai," Agarkar told ESPNcricinfo. Agarkar had missed Mumbai's first two games of the season with a thigh injury and went wicketless in the third-round Elite group match against Karnataka, played at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai.

"My only issue is if they had decided beforehand in Mumbai they could have easily told me and I might not have gone to Cuttack," Agarkar said. "For someone who has been around for this long, just telling him night before the match that he is not in the playing eleven is not what you accept."

Once he had decided to return to Mumbai, Agarkar followed protocol and called Nitin Dalal, the Mumbai Cricket Association secretary, requesting permission to return home. "I asked him and the team management to allow me to go. I was feeling very dejected and me sitting there in the dressing room sulking and with the young guys around would only add unnecessary pressure."

What hurt Agarkar more was that most of the selection committee, along with the pair of Jaffer and Kulkarni, had known him for a long time and he felt he deserved a call in private. "The captain knows me since last 20 years, since my school days; the selection committee chairman (Milind Rege) actually got me [a job with] Tatas; Abey Kuruvilla, another selector, has played cricket with me and Sulakshan Kulkarni has played Ranji Trophy with me. Anyone of these people could have told me before the squad left for Cuttack."

Agarkar was not worried about the potential repercussions of his decision. "I am hurt because after one match you are telling me that I have become that bad for Mumbai Ranji Trophy team then obviously there is something more to it than just cricket." According to Agarkar, he would've accepted the decision if only the selectors had called him and explained their plan in advance.

Salvi had missed out on Mumbai's last two matches - against Rajasthan as he was not well and then against Karnataka Mumbai chose to play three spinners, with Agarkar getting the nod ahead of him. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Vilasrao Deshmukh is new MCA president

Dilip Vengsarkar is an asset to the Mumbai Cricket Association, according to Vilasrao Deshmukh © AFP

Vilasrao Deshmukh, the former Maharashtra chief minister, has defeated Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India captain, in the 77th presidential elections of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), continuing the two-decade long trend of a politician heading the body. Deshmukh's margin of victory was 47 votes; he received 182 to Vengsarkar's 135.

Of the 329 members supposed to vote in the secret ballot, six did not turn up, three others did not vote and three votes were invalid. Deshmukh arrived at the Wankhede Stadium late in the evening, after the result had been announced. Vengsarkar, who had spoken at the MCA's annual general meeting ahead of the polls, was not to be seen after his defeat. The result was in contrast to the outcome of the Karnataka State Cricket Association election in 2010, when a player-dominated group led by Anil Kumbleswept the polls.

Deshmukh said later that he would use the experience of Vengsarkar, who is part of the MCA's cricket improvement committee. "We will try to use him [Vengsarkar] in the best possible manner. He is an asset to the association," he said. "He is a very senior cricketer. With his help we can develop more cricketers for Mumbai."

Both Vengsarkar and Deshmukh were MCA vice-presidents for eight years and their agendas were similar: the upgradation of maidan cricket and the development of university, college and school cricket. Deshmukh contested the presidency as an independent candidate, but received support from the formidable alliance of the Sharad Pawar and Bal Mahaddalkar group.

Pawar, who was the MCA president from 2001, had intended to run for re-election but was ineligible because his permanent address is in Baramati, a town near Pune. Clause 17 of the MCA constitution states that only a resident of Mumbai or Thane is eligible to be president. Pawar attended the annual general meeting but left mid-way because he had to attend a federal government meeting in Delhi on Saturday. Before his departure, he asked Vengsarkar, "the senior vice-president", to take charge of the rest of the AGM.

Though Pawar wasn't present during the voting, his influence was. The events at the BCCI headquarters, which is in the same complex as the MCA, resembled a political rally instead of a cricket body's elections. Even the monsoon did not dissuade the politically inclined from wearing their white, starched cotton attire.

As the evening lengthened, supporters started speaking in hushed tones about Deshmukh's lead and soon those voices grew louder. Mammoth garlands were brought out of the boots of cars in anticipation of Deshmukh's arrival.

The first cheers, however, were heard from Vijay Patil's camp. Patil, an independent candidate, had contested for one of the two vice-president's posts. He runs the DY Patil Sports Academy and Stadium, which hosted the IPL finals in 2008 and 2010.

BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty, an MCA office-bearer for 25 years and part of the Pawar panel, was elected as the second vice-president. Ravi Savant won the treasurer's post, while Nitin Dalal and PV Shetty were elected joint secretaries, replacing former India opener Lalchand Rajput, who ran for vice-president, and Hemant Waingankar.

Rajput was one of the prominent losers, having served as secretary thrice, but none of his terms were consecutive. Former India players Balwinder Singh Sandhu and Karsan Ghavri contested for posts on the managing committee as part of Vengsarkar's panel but failed to get sufficient votes.

Only three members of Vengsarkar's panel - Chandrakant Pandit (former India wicketkeeper), Nadim Memon (a prominent maidan curator, who had looked after the Wankhede for three Tests) and Mayank Khandwala - were elected to the managing committee. "It is a defeat for sportsmen," Memon said. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Astrologers predict India's win at Wankhede

After the exciting win in the World Cup semifinals, the Indian cricket team is all set for Saturday's final against Sri Lanka and astrologers say that luck favours the hosts, who will lift the trophy they first won in 1983.

"M.S. Dhoni's stars are shining bright. He is in his 30th year and is very lucky for him. Dhoni's 'lagna' (ascadent) is Virgo. Rahu, mercury are also in operation. Ketu 'dasa' entered on March 29. Ketu is yogakaraka or significator. Due to this he won against Pakistan. Same configuration will be there on April 2 too. His stars are better than Sangakara and it means India Will win. Match will be well-fought by both the teams," astrologer Ajay Bhambhi told IANS.

He added: "Sri Lanka will win the toss and will make a total of more than 300 runs, which will not be a difficult task for Indian team to chase."

Bejan Daruwalla, another renowned astrologer, said India has the capability to win the coveted trophy. "I am not god, but I feel India should win," he said.

Prem Kumar Sharma said: "We defeated Australian team, which is three time world champion. They were strong oponent as compared to Sri Lanka, so I feel India has the potential to win the world cup."

Sri Lanka and India made it to the final after beating New Zealand and Pakistan respectively in the semi-finals.

The final match will be played in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

India and Sri Lanka have met seven times in World Cups. Sri Lanka leads the win-loss record 4-2, with one no-result.

Astro-mumerologist Anupam Kapil says that in terms of performance Sri Lanka will be stronger, "but the numerology suggests that as a nation India will win the cup."

"Middle order batsmen of team India might not play very well and Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag will have to pull it off. Lasith Malinga's bowling will be a threat. It's a must for India should play all the 50 overs...," he added. —IANS

Power cut in one light tower at Wankhede

In a major embarrassment to the organizers, the power went off in one of the four floodlight towers at the Wankhede Stadium when New Zealand were chasing Sri Lanka's total of 265 for nine in the Group A World Cup match here today.


In pic: A light tower goes off at the Wankhede © Getty Images

The lights in the tower at the south eastern part of the ground suddenly blinked off soon after the Kiwis lost their seventh wicket with only 115 on the board but play went on and one whole over was completed before the fault was rectified.

Wankhede Stadium is also the venue of the April 2 summit clash of cricket's flagship event.

Over 23,000 spectators turned up for SL-NZ WC match

India may not be playing any league match at the Wankhede Stadium but that has not deterred Mumbaikars from coming out in large numbers to witness the high-profile Group A clash between Sri Lanka and New Zealand here today.

Over 23,000 spectators turned out at the 31,000 seating capacity Wankhede Stadium for the Sri Lanka- New Zealand and encounter, thereby erasing any apprehensions about low spectator turnout for non-India games. With no scope for being partisan or biased, the highly vocal crowd applauded and appreciated every aspect of the game -- batting, bowling or fielding, a boundary or a wicket. In fact, one of the biggest cheers of the day was reserved for Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga, who represents the local Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

The stadium, which was about 75 per cent filled, erupted after Malinga, who made six runs off four deliveries, whacked a Jacob Oram delivery over long-on for the maximum, which was his only scoring shot. "It does not surprise us. We are happy that people of Bombay (Mumbai) support good cricket. Even in the first match in this stadium between New Zealand and Canada the crowd was good," Mumbai Cricket Association joint secretary Lalchand Rajput told PTI.

He said about 11,500 spectators were present for Sunday's game, which was among the highest for non-India games, involving the minnows of world cricket. According to MCA officials, apart from the low prices of the tickets for the non-India games, the newly refurbished Wankhede Stadium is also one of the chief attractions for the spectators. "Though India does not have a single league match at the Wankhede, the newly built stadium in itself has been a major attraction," they said.

Sunday's match between New Zealand and Canada was the first international match hosted by the refurbished stadium, since undergoing revamp from mid-2008.

After much ado, Wankhede is finally ready to host World Cup

Twenty-two months of non-stop construction involving at least 2,500 labourers, a budget that saw several revisions thanks to inflationary pressures, countless deadline failures and numerous controversies later, the refurbished Wankhede Stadium is ready to host big-ticket cricket.

Barring three yards of the outfield, which is still devoid of grass, a few clearances from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the lengthening shadows of the West Stand that are likely to ‘darken’ the pitch, the swanky 33,000-seater venue, which is scheduled to host the World Cup final (April 2) besides two other fixtures (March 13 & 18), looks fit and fine.

International Cricket Council (ICC) president Sharad Pawar, who also heads the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), on Sunday threw open the stadium to journalists for a media tour. “This stadium was often criticised as the facilities weren’t up to the mark. We have spent Rs275 crore to renovate and redevelop it. I can proudly say that it’s a world-class venue,” the seasoned politician told mediapersons at a state-of-the-art banquet hall on the ground floor of the stadium.

A concrete jungle; the worst stadium in India; a crucible of sweaty crowds — the Wankhede has had to live with these ugly tags over the years. MCA officials believe that all those labels are a thing of the past.

The installation of bucket seats may have reduced the capacity by around 5,000, but that’s a non-issue when one looks at the larger picture. Each ticket-holding spectator will have a bucket seat to himself besides a 360-degree view thanks to the absence of those gigantic, view-blocking pillars. “This is an architectural marvel. It’s one of the best you’ll ever see,” said architect Shashi Prabhu, who, incidentally, was at the helm of affairs when the stadium was first built in a record time of 11 months way back in 1973-94.

The media box, replete with Wi-Fi and other facilities, can seat 194 journalists and is located next to the North Stand. It may be recalled that the media box and dressing room were on the same side (South Stand) earlier, due to which the venue couldn’t host Champions Trophy in 2006. As per the ICC regulations, the dressing room and media box have to located opposite each other.

The construction of the West Stand seems to be a touch faulty. As a result, the shadows couldn’t hamper proceedings in a day game and even during Test matches in future.

Former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar, who also happens to be an MCA vice-president, declared that the pitch is the best in India. “I’m not saying it’s one of the best. I’m saying it is the best. There is cross ventilation. It will be interesting to see how bowlers reverse swing in these conditions,” he said.

Meanwhile, fire department officials claim that the stadium has implemented the recommended changes. “The fire compliance report will be issued to the renovated stadium in the next visit from the officials,” confirmed a senior civic official. The department had, during an inspection held on February 16, stated that the newly-built basement in the North Stand had no ventilation points.

“We are awaiting an approval for the basement. Based on the suggestions, the water sprinklers and a duct to suck out the smoke has been stationed,” said tournament director Ratnakar Shetty.

Only 4000 tickets to be sold for World Cup final

	The Wankhede Stadium's newest avatar was inaugurated by Sharad Pawar, the president of the MCA, and the current president of the ICC © AFP

Ratnakar Shetty, the World Cup's tournament director, has said that the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will have all the necessary permissions in place before it hosts the group-stage game between New Zealand and Canada on March 13. The stadium recently failed a fire inspection, raising concerns that it may not be ready in time for the match. It is also scheduled to host the final on April 2.

"There will be no compromise of any requirements for any government body or agency," Shetty said at the unveiling of the renovated Wankhede stadium. "Every permission that is required will be obtained."

He explained that the fire department was concerned primarily with the newly built areas, specifically the basement under the north stand that will serve as the broadcaster's control room, and that the Mumbai Cricket Association was already in the process of fixing the problems. However, he refused to be drawn into the exact nature of the permissions required or whether any deadlines had been set to obtain them. ESPNcricinfo understands that the fire department is not scheduled to make a second inspection of the venue.

On the subject of tickets, Shetty said that the association is limited to offering only 4000 tickets for the final to the general public because it is contractually obligated to offer tickets to the ICC (8500), as well as its member clubs (roughly 20,000). The limited number of tickets was further exacerbated by the renovation, which reduced the capacity of the stadium from 38,000 to 33,000. One thousand tickets for the final will be available online at Kyazoonga from February 21 and the remaining 3000 tickets would be sold through the association.

When asked whether it was unfair that only 4000 tickets would be sold for a game as important as the World Cup final, Shetty said the members of the clubs are also part of the "public" and so he disagrees with that assertion, but at the same time he also pointed out that the association's hands are tied because it has to honour its contracts.

While the pitch is ready for play, Shetty was noncommittal on the subject of a practice match, saying only that there are plenty of "cricket experts on the committee" who are monitoring the pitch and that the curator has always managed to produce a good wicket. They are also monitoring the shadow created by the new roof that creeps across the pitch as the sun sets, but Shetty said it was "not an immediate problem".

Tariq Engineer is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo

Feeds: Tariq Engineer

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Can Vinod Punamiya cycle from Delhi to Mumbai in 30 hours?

It may be hard to believe, but Mumbai-based Vinod Punamiya claims he can cover the 1485-km distance from Delhi to Mumbai on his cycle in JUST 30 HOURS! Pedal-pusher: Vinod Punamiya on his bike in Mumbai last night. Pic/SAMEER MARKANDE Three years ago, at the age of 50, Punamiya, who hails from Dombivli, shocked the nation and registered his name in the Limca Book of Records when he cycled from Pune to Dombivli (distance of 140 km) in just two hours, 14 minutes, 14 seconds ” 20 minutes faster than the Deccan Queen train. "Ive been cycling for the last 30 years. It's been my passion and I've always dreamt of doing something extra-ordinary to make my country proud," said Punamiya of his next endeavour. The 53-year-old cycling enthusiast, who will begin his journey from India Gate in New Delhi on February 19 at 7 am, is confident of touching the Gateway of India in Mumbai by 1pm the next day. "Once I start my race from Delhi at 7am, I'm confident of reaching Jaipur by 11 am (distance of 272 kms), Ahmedabad by 1 am (another 753 kms) and Surat (another 260 kms) by 7am. Once, I enter Maharashtra, I will face a number of ghats, besides the traffic in Mumbai that will slow me down. But, I'm confident of achieving my target," said Punamiya. "I practice by riding daily for about 400-500 kms between Kolhapur and Satara. This has increased my stamina and confidence that I can ride 1485 kms non-stop," said Punamiya. Punamiya has previously covered the distance between Mumbai and Delhi in four days when he rode in memory of the 26/11 victims two years ago. "Back then, it was in memory of the martyrs, but this time it will be a different challenge. It will be a lot faster," assured Punamiya. A Global Positioning System (GPS) device, fitted to Punamiya's cycle, will calculate the distance and keep track of his record-breaking journey.

Elia wins stage one of Mumbai Cyclothon

Viviani E Elia of Italian team Liquigas today won the stage I of the Tour de Mumbai and also bagged both the yellow and blue Jerseys for mannaging best timing and most points respectively in Nashik. RadioShack's Robbie McEwen finished second, followed by Bonitas ride's Tyler Day.

The Elite International Men's race saw 108 top cyclists, with three other countries sending in their national cycling teams, riding across the 175.5 km route. Sabu Gangar from Karnataka won the Elite National Race category (63kms), that saw the participation by 68 cyclists handpicked by the Cycling Federation of India from across 22 states.

Sachin Kumar from Delhi was the first runner-up while Sridhar Savanur from Karnataka was the second runner-up. The second leg of the international race, offering USD 50,000 to the winner, will be held in Mumbai on February 13. The score card and the point ranking is based on UCI's international ranking system. David McQuaid, Race Director, 'Tour de Mumbai I & II' said, "It's an amazing experience to have world's best riders in India and 'Tour de Mumbai' taking another giant leap. It was exciting to see a photo finish to the stage I of the race. I am looking forward to a more competitive second leg."

"It's a proud moment for Nashik to flag off 'Tour de Mumbai I' and see such a phenomenal start towards Mumbai Cyclothon. It was overwhelming to watch participation across categories across International, national and among the cycling enthusiasts," said Maharashtra Public Works minister Chaggan Bhujbal. The two cyclothons are being held jointly by Swiss-based world cycling body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) in partnership with ID Sports -- a sports management firm. -PTI

Practice ties at Wankhede after green signal from ICC: Rajput

MUMBAI: Mumbai Cricket Association is awaiting a go-ahead from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to conduct practice matches at the refurbished Wankhede Stadium, which is to host three World Cup ties, including the final on April 2. "We are waiting for ICC's pitch consultant Andy Atkinson, who is here, to give us the go-ahead for conducting a few practice matches at the Wankhede Stadium," MCA's joint secretary Lalchand Rajput said today.

Though Rajput did not confirm, other sources said the matches would be held only after February 20. Rajput also said the MCA has already written to the municipal authorities, public works department and the fire brigade for clearance and was awaiting the replies. Wankhede Stadium's refurbishment started in mid 2008.

Meanwhile, MCA has decided to keep aside the same number of tickets to be sold to the public during the World Cup as has been the practice for international matches in the past, though the capacity of the stadium has been considerably reduced. "The capacity of the Wankhede Stadium, after its renovation and installation of bucket seats, has come down from around 38,000-40,000 to 31,000. But we have not reduced the number of tickets to be sold to the public which would be the same as before 4,500," said the cricketer-turned administrator.

Rajput explained that MCA, as per its rules, will have to part away with tickets to its affiliated clubs and gymkhanas as well as to the Garware Club House which had been part of it since the stadium was built in 1974.

"We have to provide tickets to the 350 clubs and gymkhanas affiliated to us, as well as to the Garware Club, but we have proportionately reduced the number of tickets to them as the capacity of the stadium has been reduced," said the former India and Mumbai opening batsman.

"We have also told the clubs and gymkhanas that they will have to buy tickets for all three matches being hosted by us (two league matches in March and final on April 2) or they would not get any ticket," he said.

New Zealand would take on Canada on March 13 which will be followed by the second World Cup league fixture at the Wankhede between the Kiwis and Sri Lanka on March 18 and the summit clash. For clubs and gymkhanas affiliated to MCA, the number of tickets they could buy would come down to 17 or 18 from the earlier 27 and there would be reduced number of tickets on offer to Garware club too from the earlier figure of 6,000 seats. Asked whether the clubs agreed to this, Rajput said, "They have to. There is no other choice because the capacity of the stadium has been reduced. We also have to give away 8000 tickets to the ICC," he said.

The cheapest ticket for the league ties (in the east stand) would cost around Rs 250, while the north stand tickets would cost Rs 500 and the gymkhana stand tickets would be priced at Rs 1000," said Rajput, adding that the marquee tickets for a seat in the hospitality boxes would cost a whopping Rs 37,500 each. "There would be 2000 marquee tickets on sale and the cost of the tickets includes Rs 500 as entertainment tax," he said. —PTI

After Tour de France now its Tour de Mumbai

World Cycling body chief McQuaid says it won't be long before an Indian cyclist makes it big

World Cycling Body (UCI) chief Pat McQuaid believes the sport of cycling has huge potential in India, and with a little help from the government, Indian cyclists can make it big in the sport.

"I have seen some Indian cyclists race and to be honest, cycling in India is at a very low level now as it has been for many years. That's the reason I am here to boost the cyclists. I will try and talk to some key people and ministers and get some support to raise the standard of cycling in India," McQuaid told rk-sports yesterday.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the announcement for the second edition of ID sports-organised Mumbai Cyclothon, "Tour de Mumbai" scheduled to be held in Nashik (175km) tomorrow and Mumbai (108km) on February 13.

Teams like RadioShack from USA and Liquigas from Italy are set to feature in the race, the Mumbai leg for which will begin and end at MET, Bandra with participants set to ride across the Bandra Worli sea link.

Besides the professionals, around 1000 participants are expected in the Amateur Ride (28km), Corporate Challenge Ride (15km), Green Ride (15km) and Kids Ride (3km).

"We want to develop cycling in different parts of the world. India is a huge country. Economically too, it is one of the strongest countries in the world and with such a huge population, I believe many have the potential to do well in this sport. In years to come, surely there will be many Indian cyclists taking part in major cycling tournaments like the Tour de France," said McQuaid.

Rajasthan to meet TN, Baroda vs Karnataka in Ranji semis

Giant slayers Rajasthan will meet Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semifinals at home in Jaipur while last year's runners-up Karnataka will clash with Baroda in the latter's backyard, according to the Cricket Board. Both the semi finals would be held from January 3-6, 2011.

Rajasthan, in fact, made it to the last four as one of the two qualifiers from the plate division and knocked out 39-time champions and holders Mumbai by virtue of their first innings lead in the quarter-final that ended in a draw today at Jaipur.

Tamil Nadu edged out Haryana on net-run-rate after the inconclusive weather-hit quarter-final in which even the first innings of both teams could not be completed at Rohtak.

Karnataka defeated plate division qualifiers Madhya Pradesh by five wickets at Indore while Baroda took a crucial first innings lead against Railways at home in the other two quarter-finals respectively.

The winners of the two semi finals would meet in the summit contest to be held from January 11-15. PTI

Rajasthan knock Mumbai out, to clash with TN in semis

JAIPUR: The match was all but over by the end of second day itself but Rajasthan players had to wait till Monday evening when they officially knocked out defending champions Mumbai to enter the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy. They will now meet Tamil Nadu in the semi-finals which will be played at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium from January 3-6.





Having already batted Mumbai out by the second day and further consolidating with a healthy 232 run lead by the penultimate day, it was just a case of going through the motions on the final day. Former India U-19 captain Ashok Menaria completed his maiden century. Menaria scored 121-- an innings that was studded with eight boundaries and five towering sixes. He was the last man out but only after Rajasthan has batted for another couple of hours and taken their total to a mammoth 589.

Thus Rajasthan ensured their passage in the final with a huge 337-run first innings lead. Mumbai scored 290 for one in their inconsequential second innings where Rohit Sharma (68, 72 balls, 11x4) opened with Sahil Kukreja (100 not out, 155 balls, 11x4, 1x6. But Ajinkya Rahane provided some entertainment scoring an unbeaten 102 off only 69 deliveries with 12 boundaries and three sixes. It was rather easy pickings for Mumbai batsmen as Vivek Yadav and Ashok Menaria did the bulk of the scoring.

If Rajasthan have reached where they are today, credit should go to three outstation pros Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Aakash Chopra and Rashmi Ranjan Parida who have guided a young team and instilled self belief in them that they can beat the best in the business. Not to forget the kind of defining performances they put up in crunch games. Like Chopra's triple hundred in the Plate Group semi-finals against Maharashtra or Kanitkar's timely century against Mumbai-- they have risen to the occasion. The bowlers led by Pankaj Singh also performed well within their limitations.

The emergence of a fine swing bowler in Deepak Chahar whose unbelievable debut of eight for 10 against Hyderabad will definitely be one of the highlights of this edition. If they can upset Tamil Nadu, who have had a lucky ride in the tournament so far, it will be another glorious chapter to their fairytale season.

Mumbai start as overwhelming favourites vs Rajasthan

JAIPUR: A keen tussle is on cards as an upbeat Rajasthan take on defending champions Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal, which starts at Sawai Man Singh stadium from tomorrow. For Mumbai, anything less than title will be considered as a failure and Wasim Jaffer's boys will try to ensure that there are not many hiccups on their road to triumph. On the other hand, Rajasthan who have performed well in the Plate Group will hope to carry the momentum as they face a formidable opposition in Mumbai.

It will be an onerous task for the Rajasthan bowlers as they face a batting line-up that boasts of battle hardened domestic pro like Jaffer who has been scoring tons of runs. There is talented Rohit Sharma who will be eager to remind the selectors that he is very much in contention for a World Cup berth.

Ajinkya Rahane, who has had quiet season by his standards will like to make most of this opportunity after being named in the 30-member probables for the World Cup. With hard-hitting players like Surya Kumar Yadav and Abhishek Nayar in the middle and Iqbal Abdulla and Ajit Agarkar to follow, Mumbai remain overwhelming favourites to win the match. However Mumbai will miss the services of medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni who is out with injury. For Rajasthan, a lot will depend on the three outstation pros.

Opener Aakash Chopra who has scored a triple hundred in the Plate semi-final, veteran Hrishikesh Kanitkar and former Orissa batsman Rashmi Ranjan Parida form the backbone of their batting. Also with all-rounder Robin Bisht and wicketkeeper Rohit Jhalani in the team, hosts' batting looks a decent one on paper. It will also be a test for young Deepak Chahar who came into spotlight after his sensational spell of eight for 10 during the first match of the season when Hyderabad were bowled out for 21. Chahar will share the new ball with India discard Pankaj Singh. Mumbai coach Praveen Amre feels that for Mumbai, the competition starts with the start of knock-out stages.

Skipper Jaffer however sounded cautious and said that they don't intend to take Rajasthan lightly. "They (Rajasthan) have been playing good cricket and that's why they have reached this stage. Their professionals have done well themselves and guided the youngsters too," said Jaffer who has scored 728 runs and is second in the list of highest run-getter behind Subramanium Badrinath of Tamil Nadu. "Playing Pankaj Singh and Deepak Chahar would be a good challenge," Jaffer said adding that Dhawal's absence won't make much of a difference. On the other hand, the Rajasthan captain Kanitkar feels that Mumbai will be under more pressure as they are favourites. "We have nothing to lose.

We are the underdogs. Though it is a big occasion for us as we have risen from the nadir to zenith but for us it will be another match," said Kanitkar. The hosts have opted for a seaming track keeping the rivals' experienced batting line-up.

Aapla Sachin Tendulkar, bigger than Mt Everest

India has been waiting for this moment for quite some time and it finally arrived on Sunday when the chips were down and a comeback was difficult. Sachin Tendulkar’s 50th hundred against South Africa in the first Test at Centurion has swelled every Mumbai cricketer’s chest with pride.

In pic: Sachin Tendulkar raises his bat after reaching his 50th Test century

The batting maestro’s seniors, teammates and friends, all have expressed happiness and are proud of the fact that one amongst them has achieved the greatest feat which will be difficult for anyone to achieve.

Former India skipper and Tendulkar’s senior Dilip Vengsarkar was all praise of the feat. “One of its kind,” is how the 116-Test veteran described the Mumbai champ. “He has been consistent for the past 21 years and still keeps motivating himself to do more which is just amazing. His innings not only helped him reach the milestone but also saved India the blushes. What he has achieved is difficult for anyone to achieve because of the different forms of the game being played now,” he said.

The former Mumbai stalwart also said that Tendulkar is the best role model one can ever get. “He is disciplined and focused. The credit goes to his family. He has been humble and modest despite achieving so much. I always tell that he is the best role model to have for the youngsters. It is difficult to choose his best innings. In fact, it’s like asking Amitabh Bachchan which is his favourite film and Lata Mangeshkar, her song,” he said.

His first Mumbai captain at the first-class level, Lalchand Rajput, said his character has taken him to such great heights. “Even when he made his first-class debut, he was not nervous. You could see the confidence in his eyes and the way he scored his first 100. Normally, when you see a talented youngster you tell him that he has it in him, but for Tendulkar it was different,” the former Test cricketer said.

Former teammate Abey Kuruvilla just termed it as “unbelievable”. “The feat is completely unbelievable. He has played for more than 20 years and this kind of hunger only makes it exceptional. It couldn’t have happened to a better person.”

Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer said his feat can’t be compared to anyone. “If you leave Bradman, Sachin has been simply terrific. I think every Indian and Maharashtrian will be proud of the feat. He is a great inspiration for everyone.”

His schoolmate and Mumbai teammate Amol Muzumdar was not surprised. “We are so used to his record that it doesn’t leave me amused. I have been part of it since we were in school. When Gavaskar broke Bradman’s record it was a proud moment and now when Sachin has reached this milestone, it can’t get bigger than this,” said Muzumdar.

Mumbai coach Praveen Amre, who was a senior to Sachin, said he has become bigger than “Mt Everest”. -Dna India

Ranji Trophy round-up: Mumbai crush Gujarat

Mumbai thrashed an unimpressive Gujarat by an innings and 167 runs with a complete day to spare to pocket full six points from their four-day Group A match in Valsad.

In pic: Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer

Mumbai, who dominated the proceedings from the very first ball after deciding to bat, completed a comprehensive victory with both the batting line up and bowling department sticking to its respective roles with perfection.

The hosts, resuming at overnight score of 121 for two, were eventually bundled out for a meagre 162 in reply to Mumbai's mammoth first innings total 544.

Apart from Niraj Patel (61) and skipper Parthiv Patel (33) no other Gujarat batsmen posed any resistance before the Mumbai bowlers.

Veteran Ajit Agarkar wreaked havoc as he ran though the middle-order, picking up four wickets by giving away just 35 runs from his 18 overs. Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni also chipped in with three and two wickets respectively.

As a result of this win, Mumbai now have 20 points from five matches and are looking set to top the group.

Brief scores: Mumbai (1st innings): 544 for 3 declared Gujarat: 162 & 215 (Niraj Patel 61, Sunny Patel not out 58; Iqbal Abdulla 5-58, Ajit Agarkar 4-35).

Tamil Nadu struggle against Dinda on rain-curtailed third day

Ashok Dinda made an impressive comeback after missing a couple of matches due to typhoid as hosts Tamil Nadu could manage only 126 losing four wickets in the process against Bengal at stumps on the third day of their fifth round Group A encounter being played at the Guru Nanak College ground in Chennai.

In-form Subramanium Badrinath (33 batting, 3x4) was at the crease along with K Vasudevdas (21 batting 1x4) after Dinda (three for 33) rocked the top-order accounting for opener Abhinav Mukund (41, 81 balls, 2x4) and KB Arun Karthik (10) and rival captain Dinesh Karthik (0).

After it was a complete washout for the first two days, 41 overs of play was possible on the day as Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary elected to field keeping overcast conditions in mind.

Brief Scores: Tamil Nadu 126-4 in 41 overs (S Badrinath 33 batting, K Vasudevdas 21 batting, A Dinda 3-33, R Bose 1-34) vs Bengal.

Himachal eye upset win over Karnataka

Manvinder Bisla and captain Paras Dogra shared an unbeaten 101-run stand after early hiccups as Himachal Pradesh eye an upset victory over Karnataka in their Group B match in Dharmasala.

Chasing 286 runs for victory, wicket-keeper Bisla (54 not out) and Paras Dogra (32 not out) steadied the Himachal ship with a 101-run sixth wicket stand that came of 137 balls after the home team lost half of its side for 52 runs.

At stumps on the penultimate day of the four-day affair, Himachal were 153 for five in 40 overs and still needing 133 runs for an outright win.

Right-arm pacer Abhimanyu Mithun starred with the ball for Karnataka accounting for three Himachal batsmen giving away 51 runs, while Aditya B Sagar and Sreenath Arvind scalped a wicket each.

Earlier resuming at the overnight score of 73 for four, Karnataka rode on young Manish Pandey's brilliant 112 to score 230 in their second essay before being bowled out in 71 overs.

Brief Scores: Karnataka: 254 and 230 (Manish Pandey 112; Mohinderraj Sharma 4-52, Rishi Dhawan 4-40) vs Himachal Pradesh: 199 and 153 for five in 40 overs (Manvinder Bisla 54 not out, Paras Dogra 32 not out; Abhimanyu Mithun 3-51).

Gony, Ladda dent Orissa reply

Manpreet Gony and Sarabjit Ladda shared six wickets between them as Punjab are all set to take a huge first innings lead against Orissa in their match in Bhubaneswar.

Resuming at 25 for no loss, Orissa ended the day three at 216 for seven in reply to Punjab's huge 550 for seven declared.

Gony (3-57) and Ladda (3-44) never let Orissa batsmen built a big partnership and kept taking wickets at regular intervals to leave the hosts trailing by a huge 334-run margin.

Had it nor been a 48-run stand for the seventh wicket between Subhrajit Sahoo (batting 43) and Alok Sahoo (28), Orissa would have been in deeper trouble.

Brief Scores: Punjab (1st innings): 550-7 declared vs Orissa (1st innings): 216 for seven in 97 overs (S Sahoo 43, B Samantray 33; M Goby 3-57, S Ladda 3-44).

Hat-trick by Pawan, Delhi eye outright win

Left-arm seamer Pawan Suyal's hat-trick was the highlight of the third day's play as Delhi are firmly on sight of an outright win against Assam in a Group A match at the Roshanara ground.

Replying to Delhi's commanding total of 472, Assam were all-out for 239 in their first innings trailing by 233 runs.

Following on, they fared a shade better than their first essay ending the day at 183 for three with veteran opener Dhiraj Jadhav batting on 69 in company of Gokul Sharma (25 batting).

Brief Scores: Delhi 472 vs Assam 239 and 183-3.

Joginder, Rana script Haryana's 9-wicket win over UP

Medium pacer Joginder Sharma completed a six-wicket haul as Haryana notched up a moral-boosting nine-wicket victory over table-toppers Uttar Pradesh in their Group B match in Ghaziabad.

Joginder, who took three wickets yesterday, added three more scalps to his name today to bowl out Uttar Pradesh for 174 in their second innings on the penultimate day of the four-day encounter at the Mohan Meakins Cricket Stadium.

Haryana openers Nitin Saini (22) and Rahul Dewan (34 not out) then overhauled the 70-run target in 20 overs to bag six valuable points for the visitors and zoom to the top of the table.

Resuming at 68 for three, Tanmay Srivastava (60) notched up a well-made half century enroute to a 65-run fifth wicket partnership with Parvinder Singh (58 not out) before Sachin Rana (3-27) and Joginder brought their downfall.

Chasing 70 for victory, Saini and Dewan had no problems as the duo stitched a 45-run opening partnership before the former was caught by skipper Mohammad Kaif off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 16th over.

Brief Score: Uttar Pradesh: 167 and 174 (TM Srivastava 60, Parvinder Singh 58 not out; Joginder Sharma 6-59, Sachin Rana 3-27) vs Haryana: 272 and 72 (R Dewan 34 not out; B Kumar 1-20).

Ranji: Mumbai in command against Gujarat

Valsad: (PTI) Mumbai's top-order fired in unison to steer their team to a commanding position against Gujarat at the end of the first day's play of their Ranji Trophy Group A Elite match here today. At stumps on day one, Mumbai were comfortably placed at 283 for two, with Ajinkya Rahane (54) and skipper Wasim Jaffer (47) at crease, here at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium. Electing to bat first, the visitors got off to a great start through openers Sahil Kukreja and Onkar Gurav to lay out a solid platform for Mumbai.

The duo made Gujarat bowlers toil hard as the hosts unsuccessfully tried to take wickets. Kukreja and Gurav went on to put up a 166-run stand together for the opening wicket, while completing their half-centuries each in the process, although both of them failed to reach their respective hundreds. Kukreja was the first one to depart, falling to Siddharth Trivedi after playing some fabulous shots for a well-made 81 off 150 balls, including 10 hits to the fence. Gurav also soon followed his partner into the dressing room after hitting a fine 195-ball 89 studded with nine boundaries.

However, Rahane and Jaffer did not let the advantage slip out of their hands and took over from where the openers had left, to keep Mumbai on top throughout the day. Rahane also reached his half-century today, besides sharing an unbeaten 99-run stand with Jaffer. For Gujarat, only Ishwar Choudhary and Trivedi could finish with a wicket each. Brief scores: Mumbai 1st innings: 282 for 2 in 90 overs (Sahil Kukreja 81, Onkar Gurav 89, Ajinkya Rahane batting 54; Ishwar Choudhary 1/57).