Sachin unhappy with IPL move

 Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar reacted to the Indian Premier League (video)

(IPL) being shifted out of India. Tendulkar, who is also the  skipper of the Mumbai  Indians, said that the cash-rich tournament could have been played in India.

"Obviously Indian public would have liked to have IPL matches played in India but due to certain circumstances its difficult I know. I am sure the authorities must have tried but it’s not workable. You have no other choice," said Tendulkar. 

Sachin Tendulkar went on to add that the IPL organisers will not be able to duplicate the similar atmosphere that the frenzy created last year, anywhere in the world apart from India. "Yeah its obviously going to be different because in India we used to have home and away matches," added Tendulkar. 

The batting maestro went on to say that, now that there are talks of hosting the tournament in South Africa or England, all matches will be away from home. He said, "Right now looking at the itinerary whether it’s going to be in South Africa or England everything will be an away game for us. You don't know which is a home or an away game," said Tendulkar. 

However, pointing out a positive in shifting the IPL matches, Sachin said that Indian cricket fans outside the country will be in huge numbers. 

"Its always fantastic to have Indian fans away from country, we always appreciate it. Nowadays virtually wherever we go we have a lot of Indian supporters cheering us, it is a big strength and support for us," added the batting maestro.

Dhoni wants to win series for Tendulkar, Dravid

Winning the first Test is just the beginning and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni now wants to clinch the three-match series against New Zealand as a gift for senior members Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

Under Dhoni, India ended a 33-year drought on Saturday by winning their first Test here since the eight-wicket victory by the Sunil Gavaskar-led side in 1976.

Another history beckons Dhoni's team which remains on course to record India's first Test series win here since 1968 when Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and his men achieved the feat.

Dhoni said he wants to do it for Tendulkar and Dravid. "One of the first milestones we have achieved in this series is to win a game and take the lead. But now it is important to play the same kind of cricket in the second and third Tests," Dhoni said.

"If we can win the series that will be the best gift the team gives to Sachin and Rahul," said the Indian skipper.

Dwelling on Saturday's 10-wicket victory - his fifth Test win as captain in six matches - Dhoni attributed it to a great team and a set of great players who have contributed consistently with the bat and ball.

"I have got a great team, more than anything else. Each and every individual is doing his job. We enjoy each others' success. We help each other a lot when it comes to cricket, on and off the field.

"We create an environment where every individual feels comfortable. We give the best facilities so that the cricketer can perform and that is what is the asset to the side," Dhoni said at the post-match briefing.

Dhoni said the team had the perfect blend of youth and experience and if they manage to maintain the same standards, they would continue scaling new heights.

"We have played consistent cricket over a period of time and that is what is helping the side. We have a good mixture of guys who have plenty of experience, guys who are youngsters, who want to perform and who are very talented. That is what is helping the side. We take pride in whatever we do. If we continue to that, there will be plenty of good things which will happen to us," Dhoni said.

According to him, India played session by session and their 241-run first innings lead made all the difference in the match.

"It is all about winning session after session and not about winning a day's play or a few sessions. When it came to bowling or batting, we were right there on top of our game. The batsmen who got in made it a point to score runs. Sachin played a big, long innings and the rest of the batsmen played around him which helped us to get a big score and get a big lead.

"We had the opportunity to put pressure on the New Zealand batsmen. It is always difficult in Test matches if the opposition gets a 200 or 250-run lead with three days of play on. It is tough to tackle the mental aspect more than anything else," Dhoni said.

Dhoni said winning was the mantra of the team, irrespective of who was in the squad or not in it.

"You want to win, whether Sachin is a part of it or Sachin is not a part of it. Of course, it is great to play with Sachin. And if he can contribute to wins, that will be more important for us," he said.

Lavishing praise on Tendulkar, Dhoni said, "It's a pleasure to see him bat. Whenever he scores those big hundreds, you can't see anything better. The way he paced his innings, there was a phase when the New Zealand bowlers were bowling well. He didn't take too many risks at that point of time and later on he capitalised on that. Once he was over that 80-run mark, he was getting boundaries at will. I don't think there was any bad delivery that wasn't hit for a four."

But more than Tendulkar's sublime ton, Dhoni was happy with the fact that everybody contributed to the win.

"Three batsmen got fifties and lower down the order Zaheer Khan also chipped in. Harbhajan (Singh) proved a point why he is among the best and got us those important wickets at the right time," he said.

The Indian bowlers came up with a vastly superior show than their New Zealand counterparts and the Dhoni said he was not surprised.

"It was just a great effort combined with grit and determination. They bowled in the right areas and created the right opportunities. I feel if they can do it game after game, it will be very good for us," he said.

Commending Harbhajan Singh, who claimed six for 63 in the second innings, Dhoni said, "Once he starts getting wickets, he gets into the right frame. And if there is anything in the wicket, he makes it a point to grab wickets. It cannot get better than that for the team."

Sehwag in top 10 rankings of ICC ODI Rankings

India master blaster Virender Sehwag and champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar are the biggest movers in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Player Rankings after splendid performances in the recent series against New Zealand.
Sehwag, who scored 299 runs against the Black Caps, has jumped nine places to sixth position in the latest ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, which is still headed by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
It is the first time in nearly six years that the New Delhi-born batsman has occupied a place in the top 10. During this period Sehwag, whose series aggregate included a whirlwind 125 not out from just 74 balls in the fourth ODI at Hamilton, dropped as low as 30th place, a mark he stood at in June 2008.
Tendulkar has also made a movement in the right direction as his series scores of 20, 61 and 163 not out have helped him vault eight places to 13th spot. Tendulkar held the top spot in the listing as recently as March 2008.
However, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir have both headed in the wrong direction in the rankings, dropping one and four places respectively. Singh now sits in fourth place while Gambhir shares 16th spot with South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs.
In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has fallen off top spot and now sits in fifth place. Vettori managed just two wickets in the series which was dominated by India batsmen.
Vettori's drop has benefitted Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara who, for the first time in his career, has surged to the top of bowlers' rankings. Australia fast bowler Nathan Bracken is in second place while Kyle Mills of New Zealand is third.
In the ICC Player Rankings for all-rounders, India's Yuvraj Singh has entered the top five for the first time in his career. He has leapfrogged West Indies captain Chris Gayle and Jacob Oram of New Zealand to share third place with Pakistan's Shoaib Malik. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan leads the field with Andrew Flintoff in second place.
In the ICC ODI Championship, India has gained two ratings points for its 3-1 series win. It has lifted it to 122 rating points and puts it just two ratings points behind second-placed Australia and three behind leader South Africa.
In contrast, New Zealand has conceded two ratings points for the series loss and is now only one rating point ahead of Pakistan which goes head-to-head with Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi next month.

Sachin Becomes God

Many have thought it has been the case for years, but Sachin Tendulkar has been turned into a Hindu god by fans.
The Daily Express in London reports that supporters in Delhi commissioned artists to create icons of Tendulkar as the monkey god Hanuman. The works show him holding a bat instead of the more traditional mace.“He is truly a god to millions of people who worship this sport,” explained artist Gautam Bhatia.

Tendulkar to miss Hamilton ODI

Sachin Tendulkar will miss the fourth one-day international against New Zealand in Hamilton on Wednesday because of an abdomen injury. The Indian team management will monitor Tendulkar's fitness and he has not been ruled out of the final ODI on March 14 as yet.
Tendulkar sustained the injury when he was hit on the stomach by Iain O'Brien during the second match in Wellington. He played the third game but aggravated the injury during his innings of 163 off 133 balls; he had to retire hurt at the end of the 45th over. Scans have revealed that Tendulkar has suffered swelling and bruising.
The news is a blow to India since Tendulkar has been solid at the top of the order with scores of 20, 61 and 163 in the series. With him missing, Gautam Gambhir will open with Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma is likely to make a comeback.

source : cricinfo.com

India yet to win T20 Against New ZeaLand

A seven-wicket win in the opening Twenty20 cricket international against India has made a world of difference to New Zealand who go into the second match here on Friday with their tails up.
"Hopefully this is the start of something," said captain Daniel Vettori, sounding more confident than when he described India as "a huge challenge" before the start of the series.
"It was a really pleasing win, they put us under pressure and we responded well," said Vettori.
But Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not believe the result was a pointer to how the rest of the series would go, with five one-day internationals and three Tests to follow the second Twenty20.
"You can win a game by a big margin and quite convincingly but now it's a fresh start," Dhoni warned.
"We've learned a lot from our mistakes, and we learn quickly. I think the New Zealand team knows if we don't make mistakes in the next game they will have to chase a big score."
India's power hitting ability was on display from the start of the first game with Virender Sehwag belting Tim Southee for three consecutive sixes in the opening over.
But Vettori was pleased with the way his bowlers were able to recover and restrict India to 162 for eight and the New Zealand batsmen reeled in the target for the loss of only three wickets and with seven balls to spare.

Source : CNN IBN

Chopper landed in Indian Cricket Field...

Mistaking the letter ‘H’ painted in the corner of a cricket field an unlucky pilot landed a helicopter smack in the middle of a domestic cricket game in India. The players, at first looking on in bewilderment as the chopper swooped down, quickly scurried for cover.
The match was a Ranji one-day between Punjab and Services at the Indira Stadium in Una, Himachal Pradesh. According to the Hindustan Times, a fire near the ground added to the uncertainty of the pilot, who mistook it for smoke signals, and also confused the letter ‘H’ for a landing pad. The ‘H’ stood, in reality, for the name of the home team, Himachal Pradesh.
The impulsive appearance of the helicopter, owned by a private airline, halted play for 26 minutes. "It landed suddenly. No one knew what was happening," the Punjab team manager told the paper. "There was chaos. Everyone ran for cover."

Source : Cricinfo.com

Gautam Gambir the only indian batsman in top 10 ICC rankings

Static at ninth spot, opener Gautam Gambhir remains the only Indian in the top 10 list of Test batsmen in the ICC rankings issued on Friday.
Gambhir, who has been in fine form this season, was ninth with 772 rating points, while his opening partner Virender Sehwag was also static at the 11th spot.
Their India team-mate VVS Laxman lost two places each and share the 13th spot in the ICC batsmen's list still headed by West IndianShivnarine Chanderpaul.
In the bowlers' chart headed by Sri Lankan Muttiah Murlitharan, Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh occupy the ninth spot with 686 rating points and is three rungs above his India team-mate Zaheer Khan who also remained unchanged at 12th with 631 rating points.
In the Test Championships, India are in third place on 118 rating points, behind South Africa (121) and Australia (126).
Meanwhile, Pakistan returns to the Test scene after a gap of 14 months and they have the chance to leapfrog Sri Lanka and England into fourth place if they win both the home Tests against Sri Lanka starting tomorrow.
A 2-0 win will lift Pakistan to 107 ratings points and will drop Mahela Jayawardene's side to 104 points.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/gambhir-still-only-indian-in-top-10-batsmen/38462-13.html

Sarwan and Chanderpaul battling,while England sensing a series levelling win

England head into the final day of the third test against West Indies seven wickets away from a victory that would tie the five-game series at 1-1.
England captain Andrew Strauss set West Indies a mammoth target of 503 to win after declaring at 221 for eight at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Wednesday and then picked up three wickets as the hosts reached 143-3 at the close.
West Indies need a further 360 to win with Ramnaresh Sarwan 47 not out and Shivnarine Chanderpaul undefeated on 18.
Although the pitch in the hastily rearranged match has endured well, West Indies do not have a good record of batting for survival in recent years and England will be bitterly disappointed if they cannot turn their dominance throughout this test into victory.
"The way we have bowled in this series so far, sticking to our task, searching for reverse swing, and then we'll have a new ball before tea, I'm pretty confident we can do it," England fast bowler Steve Harmision told reporters.
England will, though, be hampered by a hip injury to Andrew Flintoff who was restricted to just three overs on Wednesday.
Opener Devon Smith was trapped lbw on the back foot by Harmison to break a promising first wicket stand of 59.
With huge responsibility on his shoulders, West Indies skipper Chris Gayle looked in good form as he moved to 35.
But, as in the first innings, a loose stroke cost him dear and he was rapped on the pads attempted to sweep Graeme Swann's off-spin.
DISAPPOINTING HINDS
At 81 for two, any thought of a record run chase, that would have to surpass their own world record fourth innings total of 418 at this ground six years ago against Australia, had surely been discarded by West Indies who were now in a simple survival battle.
Ryan Hinds' disappointing return to the West Indies side continued as he opted to try and drive Stuart Broad in the first over for the England seamer and managed only to give Owais Shah for a simple catch.
Sarwan was then joined by fellow Guyana batsman Chanderpaul and their solidity against some focused English bowling saw them through to the close.
Gayle, who conceded he was feeling "drained" said it was crucial that the pair make it through the morning session on Thursday.
"We know it is in England's favor at this point in time but having said that there are two experienced batsmen at the crease, the first session is very important and hopefully by the end of it those guys will still be at there," he said.
"I'm confident the guys can do it, it is going to be difficult, no one can say it will be easy but we have to have the self belief that the guys can get the job done," added the West Indies skipper.
A half-century from Alastair Cook provided the backbone of England's innings with Kevin Pietersen(32), utilising his controversial switch-hitting, and Paul Collingwood (34) chipping in with useful scores as the tourists stepped up the run-rate.

Source: rediff.com

New Indian Cricket Team Uniform

Team India has changed their uniform for the second time in two years.Nike has designed the new outfit for Team India. Players will be using this new outfit for the upcoming New Zealand tour.

T20 World Cup Schedule

Group A = India ,Bangladesh ,Ireland
Group B=Pakistan,England,Holland
Group C=Australia, Srilanka, west indies
Group D= New zealand, South Africa ,Scotland
Group E =A1, B2, C1, D2
Group F =B1, A2, C2, D1

Date Lord's Trent Bridge The Oval
Fri, 5 June Opening ceremony

England v Netherlands
1730-2030

Sat, 6 June India v Bangladesh
1730-2030 New Zealand v Scotland
1000-1300

Australia v West Indies
1330-1630
Sun, 7 June South Africa v Scotland
1330-1630

England v Pakistan
1730-2030
Mon, 8 June Ireland v Bangladesh
1330-1630

Australia v Sri Lanka
1730-2030

Tues, 9 June Pakistan v Netherlands
1330-1630

New Zealand v South Africa
1730-2030

Wed, 10 June Sri Lanka v West Indies
1330-1630

India v Ireland
1730-2030


Placement for the Super Eight stage is determined as follows:
The first two teams in each group are placed 1 or 2. They will retain this position for the Super Eight stage, irrespective of whether they finish first or second in their group, unless they are knocked out by the team 3 in their group. In this instance, team 3 replaces the position of the team they knock out.

Date Lord's Trent Bridge The Oval
Thu, 11 June D1 v A2 (1330-1630)
B2 v D2 (1730-2030)
Fri, 12 June B1 v C2 (1330-1630)
A1 v C1 (1730-2030)
Sat, 13 June C1 v D2 (1330-1630)
D1 v B1 (1730-2030)
Sun, 14 June A2 v C2 (1330-1630)
A1 v B2 (1730-2030)
Mon, 15 June B1 v A2 (1330-1630)
B2 v C1 (1730-2030)
Tues, 16 June D1 v C2 (1330-1630)
D2 v A1 (1730-2030)

The teams finishing first and second in groups E and F, based on points obtained in the Super Eight stage will compete in the semi-finals
Date Lord's Trent Bridge The Oval
Wed, 17 June REST DAY REST DAY REST DAY
Thu, 18 June Women's semi-final
A1 v B2 (1330-1630)

Men's semi-final
E1 v F2 (1830-2030)

Fri, 19 June Women's semi-final
B1 v A2 (1330-1630)

Men's semi-final
F1 v E2 (1730-2030)
Sat, 20 June REST DAY REST DAY REST DAY
Sun, 21 June Women's final
1000-1300

Men's final
1500-1800