IPL 2: Shilpa Shetty : New Owner.. New Cheerleader.. New Begining

Shilpa Shetty, The hot young bollywood actress who now is a 12 percent stake holder in Rajasthan Royals, the champions of the inagural season of the IPL, will be hoping for a repeat performace form the side as the first batch of 9 players arrived in Johanesburg. This bacth includes Mohammed Kaif, Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja who expressed that sentiment before departing for South Africa for the second edition of the IPL. Both Kaif and Yusuf agreed that the pressure would obviously be there because of their fairy-tale like victory in the inaugural season last year.



Kaif said that they will have to treat the tournament as a new beginning to nullify all the pressure that is upon them as defending champions. "It will be a fresh start because last year we played in India, the conditions suited our bowlers and the batsmen and fielders supported them well," Kaif said. "But this is a new start." Adapting to foreign conditions will be another key factor to the team and kaif agreed as he indicated that the bounce and pace of wickets in South Africa are not the same as they are in India.

South Africa has always hosted good batting tracks which also has good pace and bounce for the bowlers which helps keep the match alive. SA had successfully hosted the inaugural season of the T20 world championships 2 years back and none of the matches could be called low scoring. The only thing that the teams will be missing thsi time around is the local support, but what we see from watching the current matches between SA and Australia, the crowd support is very high and there are one or two Indian flags amongst the crowd, always. If not for the players, the spectators may flood the stadiums to catch Shah Rukh Khan, Priety Zinta, Shilpa Shetty in action :P

The presence of Smith in the team will help the team in performance. Smith brings in experience playing on South African conditions and the form that he carries playing host to the Australian team now. He will also be assisting Shane Warne as the vice captain of the team and the addition of Tyron Henderson will give the additional boost. However the team will miss the services of Pakistan fast bowler Sohail Tanvir who played a major part in the win last year both with the bat and the ball. The Pakistan Player contracts were suspended after the refusal of the Pakistan cricket board to participate in the IPL following the attack in Mumbai.

"We are going to miss some key players: Tanvir did really well last season and his four overs were something special every game," Kaif said. "Kamran Akmal did his job well whenever given the chance, both behind the stumps and with the bat. We have some new players this season so I'm looking forward to meeting the entire squad."


Yusuf said Tanvir was just one of the building blocks of Rajasthan's success and this year the team would need to move ahead in his absence. "Having won the championship will help us," Kaif said. "That and the youngsters having done well last season will also help. That was the secret to our success. In this format the opposition will look for the new players they don't know about and that helped last year for us." Jadeja, who hit headlines with his power cameos last year, said the responsibility is now on players like him to remain consistent. "The key player will be that one who will start well, remain consistent and then perform well in the main games as the tournament progresses."

Addition of Shipla Shetty will add to the glamor quotient and the players will want to perform really well to receive hugs and kisses from their owner, specially after they saw Priety Zinta throw a few at her players in the last season :P Jokes apart, There will be battles fought both on and off the field as to which team has the best looking owner this season :P





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India in NewZealand: Dhoni Speaks : Team India celebrates the test series win

"Of course it is a bit disappointing not to win this Test," captain MS Dhoni said. India's disappointment was evident at not winning the Test, despite a charismatic spell of legspin bowling from Sachin Tendulkar, who combined really well with Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan, with 16 wickets, ended as the highest wicket-taker in the series. The smiles on the faces of the seniors said it all, "I have come here 3 times and I'm happy we finally won" said Rahul Dravid.

The only disappointment was when the series came to an end in a rain affected match. There was no running for the stumps for souvenirs, There was No high fives and group hugs.. There was no grabbing the Indian Flag and taking the victory lap.. History only creeped in slowly.. 2-0 or 1-0 Dhoni and his men were given the task of getting back home with series win and that is what they are coming back with.


But the obvious question was whether India brought it upon themselves by declaring too late, despite having known the forecast for rain. India were 531 ahead when they started the fourth day, but batted on for half a session. India perhaps didn't want to leave anything to chance after having come so close. "You can't really bank on the weather," Dhoni said. A lot has been said about Dhoni and his delayed declaration in media, but the only answer to silence this attack is with a smile and the trophy in the hand and that is what Dhoni did as he posed for photographs after the press conference.

"What we wanted to do in the second innings was to attack, attack and attack so that even if one ball goes in the air, you want a fielder to catch it. That's only possible when you have the extra 70-80 runs. You don't want to change your plan, whatever position you are in. With two days of play, we knew it may rain, but at that point of time, it was not certain. With the amount of wind that goes around, there was a very good chance that the clouds would have been blown away also." He added. The safety-first approach highlighted India's lack of success overseas. The value of this win was immense and its enormity is beginning to be understood. "It's a fantastic atmosphere [in the dressing room], can't get better," Dhoni said.

"We have set the benchmark," Dhoni said. "Next time when we come to New Zealand, people expect you to win. You have achieved something that's big, but the tough part is to maintain it, to sustain it. It never gets easy for a cricketer. If you have not achieved something, there's pressure on you to achieve it. Once you have achieved it, there is pressure to sustain it. Nothing comes easy, it will be tougher for the guys who come on the next tour."

Criticism: This is the worst NZ side of the past, the wickets were flat and suited the Indians. The absence of Shane Bod and other experienced players has affected the way the Kiwis perform. That probably signifies the reason for Kiwi's at no.8 in the test rankings. India on the other hand had every single person in the team in supreme form which was not when the team toured in the past. In the past the wickets were lively and Indians found it tough to stay on the wicket. It would have been bad for Indian cricket if they had not won on this easy paced tracks.


"Contributions came when they were needed," he said. "Wickets were on the flatter side, there wasn't much in it for the bowlers, so they have to keep on changing their plans and improvising at times. The same applied with the batsmen as well. Overall, the effort by the bowlers was really great, and the lower-order contribution is very important because that really takes the morale of the team up. Whenever it was really needed from them, the lower-order contributed.

"We didn't rely on one specific individual, everybody contributed. Each and every batsman scored at some point in the series and the same applies to the bowlers also. At times, there was one end, which was not favoring the seamers, maybe because of the wind or not much help from the wicket. Still, bowling your heart out from that end, you really need quite a determined body and mind to do that. Quite happy with the performance overall."

No matter what team India has achieved in terms of performance and criticism, They come back with a series win, and a tough 41 year record off their backs. This is not the first time this team has had records off their backs, here are some list of the 'First's' that India achieved in the last months (If i can recall)

1st ever CB Series win in Austrlia
1st Series win in South Africa
1st Clean sweep of 5-0 against England
Highest margin of victory of 300 + runs over Australia
Highest run chase of 342 runs in the last innings to win a test match
1st one day series win in NewZealnd soil
1st test series win in NZ after 41 years
1st one day series win in west Indies
And many other such records.

Talking about records, Rahul Dravid now holds the record of highest number of catches taken by any cricketer around the world. Every run that Sachin Tendulkar scores is a record in itself. He scored some fantastic fifties and hundreds throughout the tour. Sehwag showed his form with the bat in the one day series, Gambhir did it during the tests. Dhoni and Laxman contributed with the bat. Harbhajan took 16 wickets, highest in the series and scored a match winning 60 in the last test. Zaheer chippe in with the bat and the ball. Only disappointments for India would have been the form of Ishant Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. Third Seamer Munaf patel did well but needed t step up his game to help India dominate the matches.

with almost no test cricket for India until December 09 in Bangladesh, Team India will be hoping to find some fresh talent and more importantly a bowling all rounder to complete the test side. The players are now headed home, and after spending sometime with their families they will be off to South Africa for IPL followed by their visit to England for the world Twenty20.

All player Statements courtesy CricInfo






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India in NewZealand: 3rd Test : Review

41 years after a Indian side won a test series in New Zealand, Dhoni and his men have succesfully put records on their back and have rewritten history by winning the current series against New Zealand 1-0. It could easily have been 2-0 if the last session wouldn't have been washed out by rain. No more a few drops of rain, it's certainly become a drizzle. The umpires signalled the groundsmen to get into their job and the players start walking off. Vettori walked off the field with a sigh of relief on his face as the Indian players looked reluctantly at the sky.

15 minutes later the umpires walked on to the field, when players should not have left the field one would imagine. It was misty and overcast at that moment but it didn't rain. The umpires waited for the weather to clear, but much to the local team's happiness the rain became heavier and the umpires were forced to walk off the field again. There was a strong wind blowing across the ground, India's only hope one would say. It got heavier and heavier and the umpires were forced to call off the play. The match ended as a No result for the teams, but Indian players celebrated the 1-0 win.



New Zealand were 281 for 8 when rain stopped play. India's chances of winning the series 2-0 looked slim as James Franklin and Ross Taylor played the first session of the final day with ease. Pace bowlers Zaheer Khan and Ishant sharma bowled their heart's out, but there was no swing. Harbhajan Singh brought the first break through of the day picking Ross Taylor for 105 out bowled. It was bowled from around the wicket, Ross taylor was defeated by the drift on the full length ball which hit the middle stump to take his wicket. McCullum and Franklin continued defending the Indian bowlers as the NZ hopes of playing put til the rain intervention rised. The rain was quite evident and was forcasted for much earlier in the day.

It took 76 overs for captain MS Dhoni to hand the ball to Sachin Tendulkar who picked surprise 2 wickets just before lunch on the final day . He picked McCullum to a classical Leg spinner delivery, forcing the batsman into the bludgeoned drive which took the outside edge of the bat offering easy catch for Rahul Dravid at slip. Franklin was out LBW to a full straight delivery from Sachin. NZ left the field with 250 + for 7 at lunch. It was a 45 minuted break and the Indian players prayed and hoped the rain stayed away for that time. The rain clouds were thick and heavy as the play resumed after lunch. Harbhajan picked up Tim southee almost immediately after lunch caught behind to MS Dhoni. Daniel vettori at the other end hoping for rain and interventions. NZ batted out 5 more overs before the rain gods finally answered the NZ players wish for the rain.

Earlier in the match NZ won the toss and put India into bat on what looked like a hard and good pitch to bat on. Captain MS Dhoni joined the team after recovering from a back spasm replacing his counter part Dinesh Karthick. NZ brought back Tim Southee after his consistent performances in the domestic tournaments. Much to everyones surprise Sehwag played some defensive shots in what looked like a sensible knock from him and Gambhir. The duo put on 73 for the first wicket before Sehwag edged a good length delivery to McIntosh waiting at first slip off the bowling of Obrein. Gambhir followed soon out LBW to franklin as India were left tottering at 75 for 2. Sachin and Dravid put a good partnership, before Sachin was out caught by McCullum off the bowling of Martin.



Laxman lost his wicket playing a useless shot handing a simple catch to McIntosh at slips while Yuvraj singh continued his poor form as he lost his wicket for a score off 9 out lbw to Jesse Ryder. A lot was said and spoken about the decision and the way the umpire reacted, but neverthless replays confirmed that Yuvraj was given out lbw which was considered a valid decision. 20 runs later it was Rahul Dravid leaving India at 204/6 with NZ into the tail. Harbhajan Singh a good innings of 60 in partnership with Dhoni(52) to take India past the 275 mark. Contributions from Zaheer (33), Ishant(18), Munaf(15) took India to a respectable and match winnig total of 379.

It was early in the morning as the NZ openers walked into the middle with Zaheer with the ball in the hand and swing very much there. The Indian Pacer Zaheer Khan got his carrer's 6th five-for as the Indian seamers broke into the NZ batting dismissing the team all out for 197. Harbhajan chipped in with three wickets, but the man of the moment was Zaheer Khan. NZ avoided the follow on and India were forced to come out to bat with a lead of 182 on board and three days left to play.

India batted out the third day completely dominating the NZ bowlers who without swing looked like school boys bowling practice balls to the Indian batsman. Gambhir(167) got his second hundred of the series only this time it came at a strike rate of 65 as against 32 in his previous hundred during the second test match at napier. Rahul Dravid, laxman and Dhoni chipped in with fifties to their names as India declared the innings at 434 for 7 early in the fourth day with an overall lead of 616. A late decision as one may call it, but with two days left and the track still looking good for batting India didn't want to take chances and made sure they batted NZ completely out of the game.

A target of 617 looked a tall order for the NZ batsman and all they could do is to play out 6 sessions, just like India played out the second test match. They needed a gambhir style innings from one of their top order batsman. NZ Started off cautiously and played cautiously thro the rest of the day. NZ ended the day at 160 for 4 with a day remaining and positive chances of rain. NZ were surprisingly welcomed by bright sunshine but the chances of rain during the afternoon were quite high and so it happened. The rest is history.






India managed to put another history behind them as Dhoni and his men lifted the trophy. Dhoni has proved to be the best captain after having won both the One day and the Test series in NZ, but if you could call this luck or just plain captaincy, the Indians were treated to home like conditions on most of the pitches they played on. Dead batting tracks, with a batting order that India carries and new young bowlers on the NZ side a win was always on the cards. It was not anywhere close to what India faced 8 years back when on the same ground India lost a test match to NZ in less than 2 days when fast bowler Shane bond rattled the Indians with good swing bowling. If not for the form of Zaheer and Ishant, Indians could have received the same treatment from NZ, by giving good batting tracks NZ played the series into NZ hand's.

India will now be seen defending their world T20 title at the world championships in England starting June 5 2009. The players however will be hoping to practice hard playing the season 2 of the IPL staring April 18th in South Africa.

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PS: I personally apologize to people who have been on this blog looking for reviews on the current WI-Eng encounter and the Aus-SA encounters. I have been just too busy to post anything, or even watch the match.
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Australia in South Africa: 2nd One Day: Review

April 5, 2009 Sunday: Open-ing bowlers Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell produced devastating performances as South Africa bounced back with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the second one-day international against Australia at Centurion Park here on Sunday. Australia were bowled out for 131 after their top order batsmen were blown away by Steyn and the teenaged Parnell. South Africa needed just 26.2 overs to level the five-match series after being beaten by 141 runs in the opening clash in Durban on Friday.



Australia crashed to 19 for five before Callum Ferguson led a partial recovery, making 50. Steyn took four for 27 and the leftarmed Parnell, 19, claimed four for 25 in his second one-day international. Steyn started the slide when he bowled Brad Haddin off an inside edge with the sixth ball of the match. Australian captain Ricky Ponting hit the first ball he faced from Steyn for six but made only two more runs before edging a drive against Parnell to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.


Man-of-the-match Parnell dismissed Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey leg before wicket with full deliveries that swung late and had figures of three for three after four overs, while Steyn had David Hussey caught behind. Ferguson and Mitchell Johnson put on 63 off 107 balls for the seventh wicket in the only substantial partnership of the innings before Johnson was deceived by a doosra from off-spinner Johan Botha.

Ferguson made 50 off 83 balls before falling to a vicious lifter from Steyn in the fast bowler’s second spell, gloving a catch to backward point.





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Kunal Janu

PS: I personally apologize to people who were looking for a more detailed post. I have no time to what so ever publish my thoughts on the game. This post is courtesy Deccan Chronicle.
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F1: Race 2 : It's Button Again

April 5, 2009 Sunday: Britain’s Jenson But-ton splashed to victory in a chaotic, rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday for his second triumph in two races for the new Brawn GP team. Half points were awarded for only the fifth time in Formula One history because only 32 of the scheduled 56 laps had been completed before a torrential downpour turned the track into a lake. With thunderclaps and lightning streaking across the darkened Sepang skies, making driving conditions impossible even behind the safety car, the race was red-flagged and then abandoned. Button, who had again started from pole position after a Brawn one-two in the Australian season-opener last weekend, was leading behind the safety car when officials signalled the halt.



The Briton, who also won in Melbourne with the safety car deployed, had already made four pitstops in the changing conditions and was only third at the end of the opening lap after a slow start. “What a crazy race, it really was,” said the 29-year-old after some slippery podium celebrations. “I still haven’t seen the chequered flag (this season) without the safety car in front.

Germany’s Nick Heidfeld was second, for the eighth time in a so far winless career, for BMW-Sauber, with compatriot Timo Glock third for Toyota with the results based on the positions at the end of the 31st lap. Italian Jarno Trulli, who was third for Toyota in Melbourne, finished fourth ahead of Brawn’s Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber in sixth. McLaren’s world champion Lewis Hamilton, at the centre of a furore after he and his team were found to have deliberately misled stewards in Australia, was seventh while Germany’s Nico Rosberg collected half a point for Williams in eighth.

“All I could do was try and keep the car on the track,” said Hamilton.

Rosberg, who had warned earlier in the week that the late-starting race was likely to be halted by the weather before the scheduled twilight finish, had led the first 15 laps until he pitted. Champions Ferrari, still without a point from two races, had Brazilian Felipe Massa ninth and 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen 14th after he changed to full wet tyres too early and paid a heavy price.There was confusion after the race was abandoned, with drivers awaiting the unlikely chance of a re-start while the clock ticked towards the twohour limit and the daylight faded. With Glock ahead of Heidfeld at the red flag, there was also uncertainty about the final podium positions.

“My engineer told me: ‘You are P2 (second place)’and then I came up here and I’m P3,” said a bemused Glock. “I’m fine with second,” replied Heidfeld.

SUTIL 17TH, FISICHELLA 18TH Force India’s experiment with extreme wet tyres fell flat on their face with Adrian Sutil finishing 17th and Giancarlo Fisichella 18th in the race.



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