Royals overcome Kings' challenge

Rajasthan Royals moved a step closer to the semifinal berth after overcoming Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday.
Some poor bowling and equally bad fielding from Punjab helped Royals cause of reaching the target of 154. With this win Rajasthan also moved to third place in the points table with twelve points in eleven games and made the contest of grabbing a semifinal spot even more interesting.
For the home side, Michael Lumb played a scintillating knock of 83 runs in just 43 deliveries while Naman Ojha complimented his opening partner, with a well crafted innings of 44 off 37 balls.
All the Punjab bowlers paid a price for bowling on both sides of the wicket. Especially, S Sreesanth, who opened the bowling for Kings, looked completely out of sort. He leaked runs on every side of the ground and also bowled three no balls.
Earlier, astute captaincy by Shane Warne helped Rajasthan Royals restrict Kings XI Punjab to 153/6 in their innings.
Warne, who asked Aditya Dole to bowl the twelfth over, took crucial wickets of Yuvraj Singh (28 off 16 balls) and Mahela Jayawardene (44 from 33 balls), and put the brakes in Kings’ innings, who were at 103/2 at the end of eleven overs.
For Royals, Siddharth Trivedi was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets for 22 runs while the other medium pacer Dole also chipped in with two wickets.
None of the batsmen, except Jayawardene and Yuvraj could make a mark for the Kings. Only Irfan Pathan hit few blows at the end of their innings and took the score above 150.
In reply, Lumb looked in tremendous touch from the outset, hitting nine fours and a six in the first 22 balls he faced, hitting Juan Theron for 20 runs in his first over. Naman Ojha too bated with ease, with some beautifully timed shots off Ramesh Powar.
Lumb reached to his fifty in 28 balls with ten fours and a six and continued punishing Kings’ bowlers. He finally holed out at deep mid wicket to Piyush Chawla off Ravi Bopara, but set the perfect platform for Yousuf Pathan(21from 13 balls) to take his side home in 15 overs.

Exciting finish on the cards in IPL

The first half of the IPL was quite exciting for two reasons. The way Mumbai kept winning - Six out of seven matches they have played so far and the fight for the second, third and the fourth spot. This challenge is just going to get tougher in the second half.
Mumbai have virtually sealed their place in the semis. Delhi, five wins from eight matches, need just three more to book their spot in the last four. Now there are three teams with four win - Bangalore, Rajasthan and Kolkata, though, the last two have played a game more than Bangalore.
Life seems to be very difficult for Deccan Chargers and more so for Chennai Super Kings. With just three wins from eight games, Dhoni’s brigade has a real challenge in its hands.
They have to win at least five of their last six matches with a good run rate while Deccan can catch up with the rest of the top teams if they start winning from here on. But it seems highly improbable, especially with the bowling options they have. None of their bowlers seem to be effective. Though, Chaminda Vass bowled really well in the first few matches. The second half would be even more exciting. Let’s hope.

Highlights of the day...

• BCCI seems to be pressing the panic button after the humiliating defeat to the team in the first Test match. They have asked the Eden Gardens' pitch curator to make a spin friendly track, which was dismissed at the first place.
  The Indian Board is trying to salvage the No 1 spot, got after the consistent performance by the team. But, it was terrifying experience for the side to face Steyn and co. in Nagpur.
  If the Indian batsmen could not play Steyn in their backyard, then how would they cope up with his pace and bounce when they travel to SA at the end of this year?


• So, who could be the possible spoilsport mentioned by Pakistan skipper, Mohammad Yousuf? Even the team management was aware of this from the New Zealand tour. And that is the reason why he was dropped from some of the matches on the tour down under. Shoaib Malik, show some results in the two upcoming T-20 games against England, otherwise, find your own exit.

Nail biter finish to Ranji Season

The Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Karnataka was a real nail biter. Though, Mumbai won by six runs at last but the way Karnataka fought throughout the match was laudable.
The whole match saw loads of ups and downs over three days. Few players from both the sides chipped in with important contributions. First, R Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun were fantastic with the new ball for Karnataka. They were full of energy and the desire to do well.
Avishkar Salvi did it for Mumbai in the first innings. His five-for proved crucial in dismissing the opponents for a paltry total. Dhawal Kulkarni’s 87- run innings were important in getting the vital lead in the second innings.
But it was Manish Pandey’s breathtaking innings that gave Karnataka a real chance to win the title after a gap of nine years. He was brilliant on both sides of the wicket. His shots on the off-side on back foot as well as his pulls and hooks were just exemplary. And, who could forget the magical catch he took at long-on to send Abhishek Nayar back to pavilion?

Karantaka pace duo
Vinay, showed us once again that why he is rated so high in domestic cricket. Mithun, playing his first domestic season, bowled his heart out. He, together with his new ball partner Vinay, shared bulk of the wickets this season and played a pivotal role in almost clinching a victory for their side in the finale. One could see the dedication and efforts in their strides.

'AAD' shine for Mumbai
Ajit Agarkar’s bowling in the second innings, Avishkar Salvi’s in the first and Dhawal Kulkarni gritty innings with the bat proved crucial at the end. Ajit, though wayward initially, bowled with precision later on. His knack of getting the crucial breakthroughs when needed always kept Mumbai in the game.
Avishkar, whose career has been ravaged with injuries throughout, bowled in the right areas and was rewarded for his consistency. Though, the decision to send Dhawal Kulkarni ahead of Agarkar and Ramesh Powar was baffling, it worked for Mumbai. He played with composure and did not try anything outside his limitations.

A star in the making!
Manish Pandey, who impressed one and all in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year, was superb in the season. He scored 882 runs that include four 100s and an equal number of half centuries with an impressive average of 62 this season. His composure at the crease, balance and ability to score runs even on good balls make him a serious contender to knock on the Indian team door in the near future.

The only thing he has to watch out for is the pitfall along the way to stardom. Many have observed it before and he is too good a candidate to go on the same line.

Australia’s act is commendable

Australia declared their first innings of the first Test match against Pakistan on 454 for five on Sunday. Who could have thought that a side got a chance to make merry on a ‘batting paradise’ infront of a record home crowd at MCG would do that? When they declared, Michael Clarke was batting on 28 while Marcus North and Bradd Hadding- their two proper batsmen were still to come. They could have easily crossed 600 at the end of the day.
When the day finished, Pakistan were tottering at 109 for the loss of four wickets. They lost the priced wicket of their captain, Mohammad Yousuf, in the second last ball of the day. Australia, took the gamble and like most often, it paid. If they win this match then it would be another big step in the direction of reviving the Test cricket, which is loosing its sheen ( that is what few people think, otherwise, the last few Test matches at different parts of the World were nail-biting!) after the onslaught of Twenty20.
Aussies believe in setting trends. They did exactly the same a decade or so ago when they started scoring runs at a run rate of around three or more. Its impact was huge. It brought more results for them as well as other teams had also started replicating that. Now, most of the teams do not believe in playing the old fashioned Test cricket where a side could score only a handful of runs in the entire day of play. They try to score fast inorder to get a result.
Australia are the only side who could take such a big gamble. It is their mental strength that helps them in taking such audacious decisions. And someone has rightly said, "Fortune favours the brave". It might take Test match cricket to a new level, where it could not only survive but compete with the other formats as well.

A ‘date’ with history

The upcoming three test match series between Australia and Pakistan could be the best possible chance for the sub-continent side to beat the Aussies in their own den. Pakistan have so far struggled to adjust with the bouncing ball, just like other teams from the same region. But they also know the fact that if it is possible anytime, it is now.
Ozs headache

Australia are still trying to fill the gap left by the exit of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. The ever-increasing injury list of their players is also a worrying factor for team chief selector Andrew Hilditch.
But the best thing with Australia is their domestic cricket. It is very strong and competitive. So, any player coming in the side does not take long before going out. The reserved players also know that it could be the only chance they would get in the years to come. So they try to make full use of the opportunity presented to them.
Australian squad

The selectors have included Phillip Hughes as a cover for Ricky Ponting in the squad of thirteen for the first test match. Ponting got injured by a rising delivery from Kemar Roach during the first innings of the third test match against West Indies. Though, it looks improbable that Punter would miss the Boxing Day encounter as he would not like to give the opponents any chance to do something they haven't done till date.
Except Ponting, the rest of the batting line-up— Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin — is expected to remain same.
Peter Siddle has also returned after the injury. It seems that Australia's pace attack will be led by Doug Bollinger, who impressed one and all by his spirited show against the Caribbean side lately. Mitchell Johnson too looked sharp with his pace at times, but still he is nowhere close to his heroics of the last season when he took 60 wickets in 12 tests. Siddle may replace Clint McKay, who made his debut in the third match against West Indies. Nathan Hauritz will once again fill the spinner's gap.
Inexperience in Pak batting
Pakistan on the other hand, had a good tour of New Zealand lately. They lost the nail-biter first test match which they could have also won, came back strongly in the second with their bowling prowess and managed to draw the last match.
They also had a good tour match against Tasmania. It gave their players the only chance to acclimatize with the pace and bounce of the Australian wickets.
Their batting is mainly dependent on the shoulders of their captain Mohammad Yousuf. Though, Salman Butt has also hit a big century at Hobart and also had a ton to his name when the side toured Australia last time, his skills to play the ball outside the off stump is his weak point.
Imran Farhat does not have the concentration level to play a long inning. Shoaib Malik is still finding out what he is good at — batting or bowling — or may be none. Misbah-ul-Haq has played loads of domestic cricket and this might be the reason he does not know how to replicate that success at a bigger level.
Akmal brothers are the only glimmer of hope in the Pakistan batting line-up other than Yousuf. Umar Akamal has had a terrific time with the bat since he had made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in August. He has already scored a century and three fifties in his first three test matches. His older brother Kamran is also amongst the runs in the last few series. They, together with their skipper will share the bulk of the responsibility when it comes to taking their side to a respectable total.
Bowling in full-flow
They seem to have a good combination of fast and spin bowlers. Their pace attack has been strengthened by the return of Mohammad Asif, who was phenomenal with his line and length against the Kiwis. Mohammad Aamer was nothing short of a revelation in the last few months. He is accurate as well as fast. Umar Gul has imporved as a bowler, though, he still needs to prove his worth in the longer version of the game on a consistent basis. The surprise inclusion of Mohammad Sami is a big gamble by the team selectors. He will return after a gap of two years after delinking his ties with the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Saeed Ajmal’s form is proving decisive for the side. Most of the teams are finding it hard to cope with 'doosra' of this off spinner. He is more of the mould of champion spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.
So, things seem to look balanced for both the sides. But if Pakistan play with spirit, courage and patience, then this team would book their place in the record books.

Numero Uno At Last

It is a satisfying victory against the Sri Lankans, who were completely outplayed by the men-in-blue. By this victory team-India also secured the much awaited no. 1 spot in the ICC Test Rankings.
The numero uno position is the result of the consistent performance of the Indian team in the last few years, especially under the reigns of Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. They both gave the side the much important ‘belief’ that they could also reach at the top.
India played 49 games under the leadership of Ganguly and the win-loss ratio was 21:13. MSD’s record as a skipper has been superb till now. Out of the 10 games under his captaincy, the side has won seven.
The comeback by the Indian side after their misadventure in the first innings of the first test match against Sri Lanka was stupendous. After that, they did not give any chance to their opponents to search their luck back in the series.
The most satisfying thing in this period of wins was the ‘attitude’ of the side. They might have failed in one innings or a test, but they always returned with a bang in the next one.
Batting Brilliance
After a longtime, India have got a good opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Virendra Sehwag. The way these two Delhiites complement each other is laudable. Sehwag would always give the side a brisk start and nice platform for the batsmen to follow him. Meanwhile, Gambhir would do his job of supporting him and if given an opportunity, he would strike few from the middle of his bat.
Rahul Dravid, ‘the wall’, would face any bowling attack in all conditions with complete ease. We all know the class of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. VVS (very very special) Laxman would always silence his critics with a fine performance. He is one such batsman in the side who always found his place under the scanner, irrespective of the commitment and brilliance he always shows on the field. These three have given the much-needed support to the Indian middle order.
Though, Yuvraj Singh is still finding his feet in the Test side, he always ensured the team finishes their innings well, together with skipper MS Dhoni, who could shift his gears according to the situation of the game.
Indian tailenders have surely improved their batting skills. Habhajan Singh, along with Zaheer Khan, and others have shown the grit to stay at the wicket.

Bowling Performance
After Javagal Srinath, the Indian team has found Zaheer Khan to lead the pace attack. He has been supported well by Ajit Agarkar (till he was there in the side), Ashish Nehra, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma and others.
Zaheer’s exit from the side when Greg Chappell was at the helm of, proved decisive for this Mumbai bowler. He toiled hard in the domestic circuit and made full use of the opportunity he got in the county arena. He returned as a ‘thinking’ bowler.
Harbhajan, first with spin great Anil Kumble, till he hung his boots, and later on with Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra and now Pragyan Ojha, has led the spin department of the side. I have always felt that Harbhajan is a better Test match bowler than an ODI. He, more or less, does the job of containing the batsmen in the fifty over format. But his ability to take wickets in the longest format of the game helped the side to reach this historic landmark.
The leader
Indian team has got the real leader in the form of MSD. His ability to remain calm even in the most extreme situations and capability to lead from the front whenever the team-members find themselves in dire straits, have already made him one of the successful captains that ever led India.
The sensible coach
Gary Kirsten proved more than a help for MSD since he has taken over from Anil Kumble. He understands his role in the side well and does not interfere unnecessarily in the team’s proceedings. The South African has also maintained a fair distance from the media, which was not the case with his predecessor, Greg Chappell. He guides the side and counsels the players more than coaching them. Just what John Wright did in his term with the side.
The no. 1 position may not stay for a long time as India will play only two Test matches in the next 11 months. But by reaching the acme for the first time, the blue brigade has shown what they are capable of when they play as a unit.
I think if they replicate this performance in the other forms of the game as well till the time they get their next chance in the longest form, then they will return here sooner rather than later. Because they know what it feels like being at no. 1.