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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Man held with Sachin Tendulkar's debit card



Mumbai: In what can be one of the most daring act of cloning and forgery pertaining to bank debit cards, a Mumbai youth was caught at an ATM carrying a number of fake cards, one of which included the name of national icon Sachin Tendulkar.

According to reports in a leading newspaper, the suspicious man, a resident of Mahim, was arrested from an ATM near Bharatmata Cinema. He has been identified as Shoyeb Doodhwala.

The patrolling policemen became suspicious of Shoyeb after he was seen taking unusually long time in withdrawing money from the ATM. Upon further questioning and frisking, they came across the name of Sachin Tendulkar on the card being used for withdrawal and are confirming whether the cricket legend’s card was indeed forged or stolen.

Investigations are on to know whether the accused has procured the data of the card belonging to the batting maestro to make a fake card.
The man was also lying about his true identity and carried on him, a set of fake debit cards and driving licence.

"Doodhwala said he got hold of the card from a bus stop in the central suburbs and thought to check it to withdraw money from ATM centres. But we do not believe his claim," said the investigators.

"The name on the Kotak Mahindra card showed Sachin Tendulkar," said Bhoiwada police senior inspector Vikram Patil. "We have sought the bank to provide details whether the card belongs to Sachin or whether the bank has ever issued such a card. We will get in touch with Sachin after we get the bank`s report. Meanwhile we are also getting details of whether he filed any complaint for loss of card," Patil said.
Police also found that Doodhwala had a fake driving license. "Initially Doodhwala claimed that he found the card lying at a bus stop. But later he said it is a dummy card that the bank has made and he managed to get hold of it. Probe is on whether he is part of a racket that steals data of the credit and debit cards with the help of skimming machine and uses it to make a fake card," the investigating officer said.

Sri Lanka’s Mendis working on new delivery


Kandy: He mesmerised Australia`s Twenty20 players and Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis is developing a new delivery which could emerge in the one-day series.

The unorthodox spinner claimed 6-16 - the first six-wicket haul in international T20 cricket - as Sri Lanka wrapped up a 2-0 series sweep with an eight-run win in Kandy on Monday.

Remarkably Mendis, 26, is trying to cement his spot in the Sri Lanka team after being snubbed for the recent tour of England and he`s wary of changing much for the five one-day matches against the touring Australians.
"I don`t intend to do many changes for the ODIs," Mendis told reporters.

"I just want to bowl line and length and do the various right (things). If I bowl well I know I can take wickets."

But worryingly for Australia`s batsmen, the hard-to-pick Mendis also confirmed he was in the process of adding another weapon to an arsenal which already includes his signature `carrom ball`, flippers, off-breaks, leg-breaks, top-spinners and googlies.

"I am developing a new ball," Mendis said.

"But I haven`t still tried that and hopefully it will come out soon."

Mendis said the England tour setback had probably contributed to his outstanding form.

"Missing out on England matches may have been one reason. I worked extremely hard to get back into the team."
"All the bowlers are doing well and you have to work extremely hard to get back to the side and I believe this was the effort of that hard work."

Mendis` captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan, is also keen to maintain the status quo and feels despite Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Xavier Doherty and Doug Bollinger joining the Australians for the one-dayers, that his team will still emerge victorious.

"The way we played the last two games if we continue we can win the ODI series as well," Dilshan said.
"True three senior players will be back in their side with Clarke, Ponting and Michael Hussey. But if we do the things that we do right, there`s no reason why we shouldn`t win the ODIs."

Saturday, August 6, 2011

ODI, T20 squads announced for england tour

All India Senior Selection Committee of the BCCI at its meeting held today at Chennai selected the Indian team for the T20 International and One Day Internationals to be played against England.


M S Dhoni- Captain

Virender Sehwag- Vice Captain

Gautam Gambhir

Rahul Dravid

Sachin Tendulkar

Virat Kohli

Suresh Raina

Rohit Sharma

Zaheer Khan

R Ashwin

Praveen Kumar

Munaf Patel

Ishant Sharma

Vinay Kumar

Amit Mishra

Parthiv Patel



Friday, August 5, 2011

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Broad picks up hat-trick in 2nd Test

Nottingham: Stuart Broad became the 12th England bowler to take a hat-trick in Tests when his late innings burst against India brought the hosts back into the second test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Broad took the wickets of India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and then Praveen Kumar on his home ground. India slipped from 267 for four to 288 all out in the evening session on the second day.
Dhoni was caught at second slip for five, Harbhajan was lbw first ball though his reaction suggested an incorrect decision from umpire Marais Erasmus, which was confirmed by replays that showed an inside edge on to his pad.
Broad then scattered Kumar's stumps next ball. Ryan Sidebottom was the last England bowler to claim three wickets in as many balls in a Test, against New Zealand in 2008.

Friday, July 29, 2011

2nd Test: Double blow rocks England

Nottingham: Ishant Sharma and S Sreesanth got India off to a dream start in the second Test against England here at Trent Bridge on Friday by taking one early wicket apiece to put the hosts on the backfoot.
Sharma opened the bowling with Praveen Kumar in the absence of Zaheer Khan who failed to recover from his hamstring injury for the second Test.
AP Photo
An overcautious start by the England openers led to the downfall of Alastair Cook (2) who, after surviving the first close shout against Sharma, was given out on the second one against the same bowler after India skipper MS Dhoni decided to bowl first.
Sreesanth, brought in as first change, was hit for a four by Strauss off the very first ball of his return to Test cricket. But he more than made up for it by taking out England No. 3 Jonathan Trott (4), who edged an outswinger straight to VVS Laxman in the slips, in the same over.
India made a couple of changes in their team that lost the first Test at Lord's. Other than Zaheer, Gautam Gambhir also failed to recover form his elbow injury suffered in the first Test.
Yuvraj Singh and Sreesanth replaced the injured duo. Rahul Dravid is most likely to open the innings in Gambhir's absence.
On the other hand, England made just one change from the team that won the first Test as the injured Chris Tremlett was replaced by fellow paceman Tim Bresnan.
With England already 1-0 up in the four-Test series following their convincing win at the Lord's, the pressure is on India. A two-match victory margin for England in the series will see them leapfrpog India to the No. 1 Test ranking.
Teams:
England: Andrew Strauss(c), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson
India: Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, S Sreesanth

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Drop Harbhajan, play Mishra: Akram


Drop Harbhajan, play Mishra: Akram
New Delhi: India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Wednesday came under severe criticism from Wasim Akram for his performance at Lord`s with the former Pakistan captain calling for the inclusion of leg-spinner Amit Mishra in his place.

The cricketer-turned-commentator was critical of tweaker`s effort in the series opener saying it was high time the Indian team management looked at another option.

"Harbhajan looked off-colour at Lord`s. He got very little spin, his line was also very bad. On the other hand, Graeme Swann bowled beautifully. He showed a lot of variation," Akram said.

"I do not remember one occasion when he bowled a bad ball. I think it`s about time that Mishra came in. English batsmen have traditionally been poor against leg-spinners. Besides, Mishra is a very intelligent bowler. I saw him bowling in the IPL and he impressed me a lot.”

"To cut it short, Mishra should play in the next match," the former speedster said.

Harbhajan bowled 56 overs in the match but returned with just one wicket, adding yet another poor performance to his wretched run.

The offie has been in poor form of late, underlined by just the three fifers in the last 27 outings.

The bowling great also insisted that India should not risk a half-fit Zaheer Khan for the second Test at Trentbridge starting July 29.
India`s pace spearhead could only bowl 13.3 overs in the first Test against England because of a hamstring injury, which proved to be a decisive factor in team`s massive 196-run defeat.

"I do not think Zaheer should play at Trent Bridge if he is not fully fit. India missed him dearly in the Lord`s Test. There is no point in going in with an unfit player. There is a warm-up coming up against Northants after the second Test and he should eye that.”

"If he bowls without any pain, he should return to the eleven for the third Test," Akram insisted.

Former skipper batted for Sreesnath`s inclusion in the team in place of Zaheer saying India would be better off playing the temperamental bowler instead of Munaf Patel, keeping in mind the swinging conditions at Trent Bridge.
"Both bowlers are good. Munaf gets a lot of nip and bounce because he is tall and he is also very accurate. Sreesanth, on the other hand, swings the ball a great deal but everyone knows that at times he can be wayward. But I would still go for Sreesanth because he is aggressive and can make the most of the swinging conditions," Akram said.

Zaheer still doubtful; Tendulkar, Gambhir declared fit


 

                                     The prospects of India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan playing in the second Test at Trent Bridge seems to be remote.

"He has shown a considerable improvement and we would take a call on him on the eve of the match in consultation with the team physio," stated team manager Anirudh Choudhary.

But anyone who witnessed Indian team`s training session knew that the manager statement was far from convincing.

Zaheer bowled 13-odd overs at the Lord`s before a strain in the right hamstring forced him to sit out and severely handicapped the Indian bowling attack as England thrashed India by 196 runs.

As soon as Zaheer arrived at the training session with his teammates, the prying eyes of the Indian media contingent was on the injured speedster.

Long after almost all the Indian players had their nets, Zaheer came out in company with team physio Ashish Kaushik.

He did a few rounds of lap of the ground; did some sprints under the physio`s observation and then picked up his jumper, only to disappear again inside the dressing room.

His bearing wasn`t the one of man who is looking to bowl for India in 48 hours.

Ishant Sharma didn`t bowl a delivery in anger and it was apparent he had a few other personal issues to handle like shaving off his flowing hair which have been much like his personal statement in the last four years.

His new look created a huge buzz among the electronic media.

Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir were two of the other notable cricketers who had fitness issues during the Lord`s Test.

Tendulkar, unlike his second innings appearance, was crisp and smartly shaven and was one of the first ones to walk to the nets. Gambhir too look eager to have a hit even though the bowling on offer wasn`t great shake.
Ishant didn`t bowl at all and neither did Munaf and Sreesanth, after bowling a few serious overs.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, certainly rattled by his recent batting failures, indulged himself in some furious hitting down the ground. Abhinav Mukund, the young opener, later tried to brush up his fielding. By the looks, he would be at point during the second Test and not forward short leg where he hasn`t, truth be told, distinguished himself.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Sachin Tendulkar Biography

 Sachin Tendulkar biography is so impressive that anyone can get inspired from it. When 16 years old Sachin entered the world of cricket against Pakistan, experts said a lot of things about Sachin Tendulkar height, but tallest of the bowlers have proven short in front of Sachin Tendulkar height. Although Sachin Tendulkar height is 5ft 5 inch but bowlers like Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose and Tom Moody, who are some of the tallest bowlers in Sachin’s era, have received thrashing from Sachin’s heavy bat. With time, Sachin Tendulkar height and stature in world cricket has become tallest.

Sachin Tendulkar profile : If you talk about Sachin Tendulkar profile, he has done everything to make his profile just the perfect one. If any cricketer in the world can include even 1% of ingredients of Sachin Tendulkar profile in his approach towards Cricket, he’ll be a good player, if not great. A short Sachin Tendulkar profile includes following details of Sachin Tendulkar.


    * Full name: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
    * Father’s name : Ramesh Tendulkar
    * Mother’s name : Rajni Tendulkar
    * Sachin Tendulkar birthday : April 24, 1973 , Bombay (now Mumbai)
    * Current age 36 years 150 days (as on 21 Sep 2009 )
    * Major teams: India , Asia XI, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire
    * Nickname: Tendlya, Little Master, Master Blaster
    * Batting style: Right-hand bat
    * Bowling style : Right-arm offbreak, Legbreak googly
    * Sachin Tendulkar height : 5 ft 5 in
    * Education: Sharadashram Vidyamandir School
People in India want to know complete Sachin Tendulkar biography. When anyone goes through Sachin Tendulkar profile or Sachin Tendulkar biography, he comes to know how a young boy from Mumbai rose to the height of popularity in the world of Cricket. Sachin Tendulkar height may not be that big, but his stature is the biggest in the Cricketing world. This website puts a full-stop on your search for Sachin Tendulkar biography.


A bit more on Sachin Tendulkar profile: Sachin Tendulkar is considered one of the complete batsmen ever. He has all the shots in the book. Also, he is unarguably the biggest crowd puller and icon of the game. Even, all time great Late Sir Don Bradman told his wife that Sachin reminded him of himself. Few people know that Sachin actually wanted to become a fast bowler, but legendary pacer Denis Lillee turned away Sachin from MRF Pace Academy , based in Chennai. Debuted at the age of 16, a glimpse of greatness was seen by another Indian great Kapil Dev, when he continued to bat with a blood soaked shirt, as he was hit by a Waqar Younis bouncer in his debut match. He even had 16 international Hundreds before the age of 25. In 2008, he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test runs scorer and the first bastman to score 12,000 runs. There were times in Indian households, when Sachin Tendulkar used to get out, people used to turn off their Television sets.

Sachin Tendulkar birthday is on April 24. In India , Sachin Tendulkar birthday is like a festival among cricket lovers. India is already a cricket crazy country and thus, Sachin Tendulkar birthday is celebrated like a festival. Millions of fan mails and wishes are received by Sachin Tendulkar every year on Sachin Tendulkar birthday. We even wonder, whether there would be a national holiday on Sachin Tendulkar birthday, after he retires from Cricket.

When he was 14, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar a great Indian batsman of that time, gave him a pair of his own light pads. This touching gesture greatly encouraged the budding cricketer, who 20 years later broke Gavaskar’s world record of 34 Test centuries.
In 1988, when he was just under 16, he scored 100 not out in for Bombay against Gujrat. This was on his first-class debut. He then scored a century in his first appearance in the Deodhar and Duleep Trophy. Mumbai captain Dilip Vengsarkar picked him up after seeing him batting Kapil Dev in the nets. That season he was Bombay’s highest run-getter. In the Irani Trophy final, He made an unbeaten century. He scored a century in all three of his Irani Trophy, Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy debuts, and became the first player to do so. He was selected for the tour of Pakistan next year.

At the very young age of 16, Sachin played his first Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989. In this Test, he received several blows to his body at the hands of Waqar Younis, a pace bowler. He made just 15 runs. In the last test in Sialkot, he had a bloody nose from a bouncer, but he went on playing. He scored better in the subsequent games, scoring 53 runs of 18 balls at Peshawar.

In the 1990 Test in England he scored a century at Old Trafford. The English were highly impressed by his disciplined display of immense maturity. He played many types of strokes. His off-side shots from the back foot greatly impressed the English. Though short in height, he confidently faced short deliveries from the English pace bowlers. His great performance made him look the embodiment of Gavaskar, India’s former famous opener.

During the 1991-1992 tour of Australia Tendulkar scored and unbeaten 148 in Sydney and another century on a bouncing pitch a Perth.

At the age of 19, Tendulkar was in England, playing for Yorkshire in 1992. He scored 1070 runs at an average of 45.25 while playing for the English county as the first overseas player.

SACHIN-TENDULKAR-WALLPAPERIn the 2003 Cricket World Cup, he made 873 runs in 11 matches which enabled India reach the final. Although Australia won the trophy Tendulkar was given the Man of the Tournament award.

Shortly after this Tendulkar developed a tennis elbow and he was out of cricket for a while. But by 2005, he was back in form. He played well against Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Tendulkar performed very well against Bangla Desh and he was adjudged the Man of the Series in the Future Cup against South Africa.

Today Tendulkar is a national icon to fans all over the world. He is the most worshipped cricketer in the world. Tendulkar has been granted the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Vibhushan by the Indian government.

Personal Life



In 1995, Sachin married Anjali, a doctor and the daughter of Gujarati industrialist Anand Mehta. They have two children, Sara and Arjun. Tendulkar now sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through a Mumbai-based NGO.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Arjun Tendulkar plays at Lord's with Yuvi





 

While the Indian team was practising hard at the Lord's ground for its 100th Test against England, there was another player who caught everyone's eye for obvious reasons. Arjun, Sachin Tendulkar's 11-year-old son was seen practising with Yuvraj Singh

Saturday, July 23, 2011

England boss, but India avoid follow-on



Rahul Dravid anchored India's innings with a classy century, England v India, 1st Test, Lord's, 3rd day, July 23, 2011
Atypical celebrations after a typical hundred © Getty Images
 
 
Fifteen years and 153 Tests later, Rahul Dravid returned to Lord's to make it to the honours board and help India avoid the follow-on. On a day that belonged to England, on a day when everybody willed Sachin Tendulkar to get his 100th hundred, Dravid, 38 years and 193 days old, stole the spotlight. Only Alec Stewart has scored a Test century with a longer tooth in this millennium. India were still behind by 193, looking at having to bat about four sessions to save the match. Had India followed on, though, it wouldn't have been that straightforward.

 
Thespotlight could easily have belonged to Stuart Broad alone. On notice and the subject of "enforcer" jokes, he responded with lovely, controlled outswing and should have removed all of India's top five, but watched as Dravid and VVS Laxman were dropped in the slips in the same over. Broad's figures would have read 5 for 25, and India 159 for 5, had those catches been taken. While England recovered fairly well from those lapses, Dravid added 61 to his score after he was reprieved, 23 of them with the tail.
Implored to bowl fuller in the lead-up to the match, Broad did so, bowling the best lengths of all the English quicks, three times breaking burgeoning partnerships. First he separated Abhinav Mukund and Gautam Gambhir when the new-ball bowlers looked unthreatening. Then he ended the sublime partnership between Tendulkar and Dravid when they were racing towards safety. The 35-run stand between Praveen Kumar and Dravid threatened to eat substantially into the lead but once again Broad returned to dismiss Praveen.
Chris Tremlett, not at his best against the left-hand openers, came back superbly to build up the pressure, helping Broad with the wickets. He was the one who brought the follow-in into the picture, removing MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh in the same over after Dhoni had added 57 with Dravid. India needed 34 then to avoid the follow-on, and Dravid 20 to get to the century. Praveen came out and swung merrily, and the 35-run stand helped Dravid achieve both the landmarks.
The way the first two sessions began, it didn't seem England would bowl themselves to a position of such strength. James Anderson and Tremlett failed to engage the openers, who left alone 45 of the 134 deliveries they faced. Abhinav had the odd loose moment but whipped off the hips in a manner reminiscent of India's other Tamil Nadu left-hand opener, S Ramesh.
Broad interrupted that state of affairs, getting Gambhir in his third over with a perfect outswinger. Half an hour before lunch, Abhinav's nerves consumed him when he played on on 49, but Broad contributed, too, by changing the angle and going round the stumps.
The afternoon session was worth every penny spent by the 30,000 to be at Lord's today. In the first hour of that session, Tendulkar and Dravid scored 48 of the most couth runs in seven overs, taking India to 150 for 2. Then England made a rousing comeback. Tremlett sowed uncertainty in the minds of the right-hand middle order, and Broad delivered the big blow with an outswinger that took Tendulkar's edge for 34, three short of his best at Lord's.
For a while after that England showed they were very much the gracious hosts, matching India's tally of drops in one Broad over. It was neat outswing bowling, but Andrew Strauss missed Laxman at first slip, and Graeme Swann reprieved Dravid at second. Strauss redeemed himself through superb bowling changes in the rest of the innings. Like Broad did Tendulkar, Tremlett claimed Laxman in the first over of a new spell. Swann half-made up by trapping Suresh Raina 20 minutes before tea. England had upped their game in that session of play: Broad, Tremlett and Swann probed persistently; the final 23 overs of that middle session brought 43 runs and three wickets. Not to mention the drops.
Dravid, though, remained classy. Putting behind him the drop, he covered the swing, played late, and didn't let the occasional miss affect him. The way he read the Anderson inswingers, keeping every single one of them out, summed up his watchfulness. He was equally good against the low bounce from Swann. Having scored 42 off the first 80 balls, he went through a period of 50 balls for just 17, but when the wickets fell, he was urgent in hitting three boundaries in the 80s and 90s.
With the injured Zaheer Khan for company, he clipped Tremlett past midwicket to bring up the hundred, celebrating emotionally. He raised one arm even as he scrambled back for the second, punched the air, and then let out a scream. The crowd, the balcony, and Strauss applauded generously.
Anderson showed up then, claiming Zaheer and Ishant Sharma with late swing, gently serving a reminder that England were still on the ascendent, and that India will need to defend grimly to get away with a draw. Mini reassurance for India - and they can do with some - is that only one of Dravid's 33 centuries has come in a defeat.

Talks on to sell IPL's Deccan Chargers: Sources


Talks on to sell IPL`s Deccan Chargers: Sources
 
Mumbai: Deccan Chronicle Holdings has restarted efforts to sell its Indian Premier League franchise Deccan Chargers, and is in talks with Perth businessman Vikas Rambal and Adani Group, sources with direct knowledge of the talks, have said.

Deccan Chronicle is looking for about $200 million, said the sources, who did not want to be identified, as talks were still going on. That is nearly double what it paid for getting the Hyderabad-based franchise in 2008.

One of the sources said talks were also on with Malaysian state oil firm Petronas.

Deccan Chronicle officials did not respond to phone calls and e-mails seeking comment.

Rambal, the chairman of Perdaman Industries, is a sponsor for Champions League Twenty20 side WACA Warriors in Australia. A spokeswoman for Perdaman Industries declined comment on the talks to buy the Indian IPL team.

An Adani spokesman said the group would not comment on speculation, while Petronas was not immediately available for comment.

Deccan Chronicle has been trying to sell the team since 2009, and media reports had cited Adani as a suitor in 2010 as well.
Deccan Chronicle paid $107.01 million in 2008 for the Hyderabad-based franchise for 10 years. The team finished last in the inaugural eight-team Indian Premier League (IPL) but came back strongly to win the next 2009 South African edition.

The IPL revolutionised cricket with its shortest twenty20 format, player auctions, post-game parties and heavy advertising, dazzling fans and offending purists.

Celebrity owners are part of the show and include Reliance Industries (RELI.NS) chief Mukesh Ambani, India`s richest man, as well as spirits and airline magnate Vijay Mallya and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The cost of franchises have soared. Pune Sahara Warriors and Kochi Tuskers paid $370 million and $333 million respectively for successful bids last year -- far more than the roughly $90 million average for the eight original sides.

UK-based Brand Finance placed Deccan Chargers sixth among the eight original IPL teams in terms of brand value in 2011, at $38.76 million, up from $34.44 million in 2010.

Earlier this year, Deccan Chronicle merged wholly-owned subsidiary Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures Ltd, through which it held the stake in Deccan Chargers, with itself.

Bureau Report

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Rare childhood/Teenage photos of Indian Cricketers


  1. A very young Rahul takes a bite of a banana as mother Pushpa watches


                       

2.A very young Rahul plays with his father,Sharad Dravid.

Mr.Dependable Rahul Dravid.
Rahul THE WALL
DADA.....saurav expecting call from ODI selectors as well !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Master Blaster and Sachin with childhood friend

MS Dhoni When he won his first trophy in school days
Zaheer with bat and not ball....looks like this practice made him make some runs in this srilanka series....

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

India, England fight for bragging rights

London: The bragging rights of Test cricket supremacy are at stake and where better to see this battle unfold and watch blow-by-blow action than at the birth place of the gentleman's game.
India and England will battle it out in a four-match Test series, the first of which begins at the iconic Lord's cricket ground on Thursday. It also happens to be the 100th Test between the two sides and the 2000th in the history of the game.

While India have been playing the box-office brand of cricket which has seen the BCCI's cash registers ringing like a seven-piece orchestra, England have taken up the effective way, grinding out results throughout the five days with disciplined and strict batting and tireless displays of bowling.
The hosts sent off the perfect warning signal by taking out a consistent Sri-Lankan side and in turn help Chris Tremlett and James Anderson emerge as better bowlers at the end of the series, which England won 1-0.
What has been an integral part of England's progress is the ability to pick 20 wickets in a game, something which was left wanting for a long time.
In captain Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and run-machine Alastair Cook, England have a solid,reliable top three which can be a pain in the backside for any bowling side.
As far as the Number 1 Test side in the world, India are confident, buoyant and have proved their worth by sending a second-string team to the Caribbean and winning both ODI and Test honours for the first time in their history.
Under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership, the sky is the limit for this Indian team which has infused youthfulness and enthusiasm even in seasoned veterans like VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.
And add to that the return of match-winners like Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar and its impossible to look away from the visitors' team-sheet without drooling over it.
If ever Test cricket wanted an advertisement to boost its reputation, this series would serve as the perfect pay-per view.
In the event that England beats India by a margin of two tests they will leapfrog South Africa to go top of the ICC world rankings for the first time.
What will work in the favour of Strauss' team will be the fact that they are unbeaten in their last eight series and have won the last five.

LEGENDS' QUOTES ON SACHIN TENDULKAR

Andrew Flintoff:
When you bowl at him you are not just trying to get him out, you are trying to impress him. "I want him to walk off thinking 'that Flintoff, he's all right isn't he? I feel privileged to have played against him.

Shane Warne:
"Sachin Tendulkar is, in my time, the best player without doubt - daylight second, Brian Lara third."


Viv Richards:
He is 99.5% Perfect.. I'll pay to watch him play. I think he is marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level.


Sir Don Bradman:
I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel! in reference to Sachin Tendulkar.


Barry Richards:
Consensus is that Sir Donald Bradman was the best batsman ever to play Cricket. Sir Don did not play One-Day Cricket but if he did, he could easily be Sachin Tendulkar.

Allan Donald:
"In my several years of international cricket, Tendulkar remains the best batsman I have ever bowled to. It's been a pleasure to bowl at the master batsman even though one hasn't always emerged with credit from the engagements."
"During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to Tendulkar. If you get him then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times lie ahead."


Harsha Bhogle:
In the recently concluded IPL when Sachin drove Ishant Sharma to a straight drive, he said- "Open the text book..turn to page no. 32"

Andrew Symonds:
wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin. " To Sachin, the man we all want to be "


A.R.Rhaman
Well, I’m no Sachin Tendulkar you know, whenever he takes the field, people expect him to score a century before he loses his wicket. I can only give in my best and I always strive to live up to fans expectations, but it’s not possible to get an Oscar every time.


Virendra Sehwag:
Both of us have come a long away and it is a great honour that Tendulkar thinks I come close to resembling him as a batsman. It is a great honour, like a dream come true. If I die tomorrow I'll be the happiest man because I played this game because of Tendulkar, and Tendulkar himself saying that I resemble him - there is no bigger compliment than that.


Mathew Hayden:
I have seen GOD , he bats at no.4 for india in Tests.

Ravi Shashtri:
He is someone sent from up there to play cricket and go back.

Mark Taylor:
We did not lose to a team called india...we lost to a man called Sachin.

Brain Lara:
Sachin is a genius , i am a mere mortal!

Barry Richards:
Sachin is crickets GOD

Martin Crowe:
The shot played on this ball is only possible for the GOD of cricket.

Paul Strang:
What we [zimbabwe] need is 10 tendulkars.

Steve Waugh:
There is no shame losing to such a great player(sachin).

Shane Warne:
I would go to bed having nightmares of sachin dancing down the ground and hitting me for sixes.

Mathew Hayden:
His life seems to be a stillness in a frantic world... [When he goes out to bat], it is beyond chaos - it is a frantic appeal by a nation to one man. The people see him as a God...

Dennis Lillie:
If I had to bowl to Sachin I would bowl with a halmet on. He hits the ball so hard.

Steve Waugh:
After being defeated in the Coca-Cola Cup finals in Sharjah) "It was one of the greatest innings I have ever seen. There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don''


Michael Kasprowicz:
Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours."

Shane Warne:
I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player."

Wasim Akram:
Today, he showed the world why he is considered the best batsman around. Some of the shots he played were simply amazing. Earlier, opposing teams used to feel that Sachin's dismissal meant they could win the game. Today, I feel that the Indian players, too, feel this way.
Wasim Akram, after game at Hobart, CUB series, 1999

Brett Lee:
You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind midwicket. His bat looks so heavy but he just waves it around like it's a toothpick. Brett Lee, on Sachin Tendulkar's batting, 1999

BBC Sports:
Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives.

Wasim Akram:
"I dont know what to bowl at him. i bowled an inswinger n he drove me through covers of d front foot. then i bld an outswinger n he again punched thr covers of d backfoot(for tamil fans-dai avan eppadi pottalum adikaranda). he is d toughest batsmen i 've bowled to.

He shold live long n score lots of runs, but not against pakistan(smiling) "- on 24th april 2004 on espn Sachin's 30th B day program.

Sunil Gavaskar:
India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing.

Richie Benaud:
He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling.

Geoffrey Boycott:
Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow nothing is a problem.

Eddie Barlow:
He is Sachin Tendulkar. I hope he stays Sachin Tendulkar. We need a new player, a player in his own way. He has a technique which is the hallmark of a great player. Everything indicates that he will be a great player and I am sure he will prove me right. Reminds me of Barry Richards.

Greg Chappell:
He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease.

Abdul Qadir:
I Was fielding in the covers Tendulkar came out to bat in his debut Test at Karachi. I still remember Waqar Younis was at his peak form at that time. Tendulkar tried to drive Waqar through the covers off his very first ball in Test cricket but was beaten all ends up. But I walked to captain Imran Khan and told him 'this kid looks very good' and Imran agree with me.

Sir Garfield Sobers:
I have watched a lot of Tendulkar and we have spoken to each other a lot. He has it in him to be among the very best.

Peter Roebuck:
Sometime back I had written a piece that said that Sachin's the master and Lara a genius with his head high up somewhere. That's it!

Jeff Thompson:
Sachin is an attacker. He has much more power than Sunny. He wants to be the one to set the pace. He has to be on top. That's the buzz about him.

Ian Healy:
Tendulkar is the most comouncy pitch with Hughes, McDermott and Whitney gunning for him he only had 60-odd when No 11 came in. I've seen him against Warne too.

Mike Coward:
Sachin's the best. I've had this view since I saw him score that hundred in Sydney in 1992. He's the most composed batsman I've ever seen.

Hashim Amla:
Nothing bad can happen to us if we're on a plane in India with Sachin Tendulkar on it. Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a flight.

Shahrukh Khan:
"Maybe the country doesn't pray for me like they do for Sachin Tendulkar, but I know I'm on a good wicket as well. "

Martina Navratilova:
"Sachin was so focused. He never looked like getting out. He was batting with single-minded devotion. It was truly remarkable. It was a lesson." Tennis legend joins the Sachin Tendulkar fan club after watching him bat at Sydney.

Alistair Campbell:
After loosing to India in the Coca Cola Cup final at Sharjah in November '98
"He has everything a top batsman needs. Tendulkar is a classic example of a player being so good that his age is an irrelevance"

David Boon:
"Technically he stands out as the best because of his ability to increase the pace at will"

Cricket Historian Vasant Raiji:
"I have always felt C. K. Nayadu was the best. I now think sachin has the honour of being the most outstanding batsman of all time."

Steve Waugh:
"You take Don Bradman away and he is next up I reckon."

Adam Hollioke:
"In an over I can bowl six different balls. But then Sachin looks at me with a sort of gentle arrogance down the pitch as if to say 'Can you bowl me another one?'"

Tony Greig:
He is cool, has magnificent temperament, and is so mature you tend to forget his age. I can't think of any other example of a player who has so dominated the world before the age of 25.

Allan Border: (after India won the Coca-Cola cup )
"Hell, if he stayed, even at 11 an over he would have got it."


Ajay Jadeja:
"I can't dream of an innings like that. He exists where we can't."


David Gower:
"In the last session in Nagpur, when the Indian chase was still on, Tendulkar hit a reverse sweep, an orthodox sweep and a lofted cover drive to (Ian) Blackwell. They were all exquisite cricket shots. To play those shots deliberately in such quick succession, off almost similar deliveries, was genius. That was a little jewel, just those 3-4 minutes.
"It reminds you how very few people are special. It was a case of great thinking and good technique."


Gavaskar..back in 1988 to tom alter:
I sat in the office of Sportsweek magazine with that same Sunil Gavaskar. Ayaz Memon and I were listening to Gavaskar in one of his rare, priceless moods. The ?Little Master? was delving deep into his own experience, his own genius, and bringing forth pearls of wisdom as sudden, and as effective, as his straight- drives back past the bowler. Then Gavaskar came up with the following statement (remember, this was in 1988, when Dilip Vengsarkar was about to become captain of India): "The two best batsmen in Bombay today are Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar." Full stop. End of statement. The ball crosses the boundary-line underneath the sight- screen.


Desmond Haynes:
In terms of technique and compactness, Tendulkar is the best: Desmond Haynes.


Mark Taylor:
He's a phenomenon. We have to be switched on when he plays allow him no boundries, for then he doesn't stop.

Wasim:
"Cricketers like Sachin come once in a lifetime and I am privileged he played in my time"
"Tuzhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?" Wasim Akram to Abdul Razzaq when the latter dropped Sachin's catch.

Allan Donald:
His shot selection is superb, he just lines you up and can make you look very silly. Everything is right in his technique and judgement. There isn't a fault there. He is also a lovely guy, and over the years I've enjoyed some interesting chats with him… Sachin is in a different class to Lara as a professional cricketer. He is a model cricketer, and despite the intolerable pressures he faces back home, he remains a really nice guy… Sachin is also the best batsman in the world, pulling away from Brain Lara every year.


Anil Kumble:
he's shy little gentleman.
I am very privileged to have played with him and seen most of the runs that he has scored. I am also extremely happy to have shared the same dressing room... He is a very reserved person and generally keeps to himself. He is very determined, committed and doesn't show too many emotions. He just goes about doing his job.
The thing I admire most about this man is his poise. The way he moves, elegantly without ever looking out of place in any condition or company, suggests his pedigree. I remember he had once come to New Delhi in the 1990s to collect his Arjuna Award (India's highest award to its top sportspersons) and he asked me if I would attend the function. He is a very sensitive human being….

Sometimes you feel he really hasn't felt the kind of competition in the world his talent deserves. I would have loved to see him perform against top quality cricketers of the previous generation. It would really have brought out the best in him.

Greame Pollock:
Tendulkar is the best in the world at the moment. Why I've always liked him is that batsmen tend to be negative at times and I think batting is not about not getting out - it is to play positively. I think you got to take it to the bowlers and Sachin is one such player. When you do so, you change the game, you change bowlers because they suddenly start bowling badly because they are under pressure.


Ian Chappell:
Whenever I see Sachin play I am reminded of the Graeme Pollock quote of Cricket being a 'see the ball, hit the ball game.' He hits the ball as if it's there to be hit.

Ravi Shastri:
"We always knew that Sachin Tendulkar is a great cricketer, but after the Coca-Cola Cup here, we have seen the birth of a legend. I can't think of anybody who has batted more authoritatively in one day cricket for India, or even in the world except for Vivian Richards."

Navjot Sidhu:
"His mind is like a computer. He stores data on bowlers and knows where they are going to pitch the ball."


Mark Taylor:
"We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called Sachin" - Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)

Dravid:
Playing in the same team as Sachin is a huge honour. His balance of mind, shrewd judgement, modesty and, above all, his technical brilliance make him my all-time hero... You can't get a more complete cricketer than Sachin. He has everything that a cricketer needs to have.

As a batsman, he has the technique, the hunger and the desire for runs. He always contributes with the bat as well as on the field. He also is a good fielder and bowls when needs. You really can't ask for a better cricketer than Sachin... He is a terrific person and has handled pressure brilliantly. He has handled his success very well and doesn't have any airs about him. He is a great guy and very good team man. In his heart of hearts, he is a very simple and down to earth person.


Azhar:
The more I see him, the more I want to see him.


Sunil Gavaskar:
India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing.

Harsha bhogle:
if sachin plays well... India sleeps well.

Saurav Ganguly:
The thing I like most about Sachin is his intensity. After being in the game for so long, he still has the same desire to do well for India in any international match.I tell you what, this man is a legend.


Kris Srikkanth:
"He is the only match-winning batsman we have"


Ranatunga:
"You get him out and half the battle is won"


Andy Flower:
There are 2 kind of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the others.

Martin Crowe:
A flighted full toss on Leg stump by spinner. any other will play this shot on leg side by pull shot or glance or flick. but sachin made a space and played a perfect cover drive for four runs.

Shane Warne:
You have to decide for yourself whether you're bowling well or not. He's going to hit you for fours and sixes anyway. Kasprowicz has a superior story. During the Bangalore Test, frustrated, he went to Dennis Lillee and asked, "Mate, do you see any weaknesses?" Lillee replied, "No Michael, as long as you walk off with your pride that's all you can do".


Rudy Kortzen:
"I never get tired during umpiring whenever sachin is on crease"


sunny gavaskar:
This was after a wonderful century by sachin(in england i guess in a test match..not sure)
Sunny: The other day i was just trying to think of a bowler who can go through sachin's defenses when sachin is in total defense. I am sorry but i could not think of even one name who could do that. If sachin decides he doesnt want to give away his wicket, he wont. be it any bowler in the world. Cheers to Sachin...

Ponting:
Ponting make comparisons btn sachin,Lara& jayasuriya.
Sachin is the best ever batsman in the world. He is brilliant in his technique. He is always hungry for runs.Sachin is better than Lara in his techniques & thats why he is No.1 among others.On his day,Lara wiil be more destructive. He is the only man 2 fight for west indies. Jayasuriya also played gr8 knocks 4 his team. But compared 2 them Sachin is the BEST


Pradeep Mandhani -a Photographer
:
“Barely two hours after landing in Johannesburg on the 1992-93 tour to South Africa, the team was to visit Tolstoy Farm, Mahatma Gandhi's first Satyagrahi Commune founded in 1910. It was situated 35 kms from Jo'burg and most of the Indian players showed little interest, longing to rest in the hotel after the long flight. But Tendulkar, still a teenager, looked keen and hungry to learn more about Gandhi. His volley of questions to the guide reflected his national pride.” NKP Salve, former Union Minister.


Saurav Ganguly:
SACHIN MADE 9 CENTURIES IN ONE YEAR BUT MANY CRICKETER DIDNOT MAKE 9 CENTURIES IN THEIR WHOLE CARRIER.

Ricky Ponting:
“Sachin is the most complete batsman I have seen. His technique is so good and he has played well in all conditions. To have 41 one-day international tons shows what an appetite he has for scoring runs.”

Harsha Bhogle:
There's no better sight on the cricket field than watch Tendulkar bat.

Rev David Shepherd.
"Sachin Tendulkar! If he isn't the best player in the world, I want to see the best player in the world".

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Dhoni's bat fetches 100,000 pounds





London: Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s prized bat, the one that he used in the historic World Cup 2011 final against Sri Lanka, was sold for a price of Rs. 72 lakh (100,000 punds) at an auction at Sotheby’s for a charitable cause.

The aim was to raise funds for Dhoni`s wife`s charitable organisation - Sakshi Foundation - that works for under-privileged children in India. The bat was bought by RK Global, an investment group from India.
Dhoni`s bat ensured massive interest among cricket enthusiasts for the winning runs of the title triumph came via a crunching six off it. Till he made that match-winning 91, Dhoni wasn`t in the best of nick in the World Cup, but promoted himself in the title clash and got his runs off just 79 balls.
With the bat becoming a prized possession for an avid cricket fan, the purpose of making a positive impact to a score of lives was also achieved via the charity.

Sachin Tendulkar is the best in the world: Lara




London: The Sachin Tendulkar fan club keeps getting bigger with West Indies batting legend Brian Lara describing him as the best batsman in the world right now and former England captain Alec Stewart calling him "the modern day Don Bradman".

Participating in a panel discussion at Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni`s `East Meets West` Gala Dinner at the Hilton Park Lane here last night, Lara said, "Sachin started playing (Test cricket) at the age of 16. And at 38 now, we have not seen a better player. Sachin is the best batsman in the world."

"I am going to the Lord`s to see Sachin make his 100th century," he said.

Stewart, who also participated in the discussion, described Tendulkar as "modern day Bradman".

India`s veteran batsman Rahul Dravid added to the praise, saying, "In India we have many Gods and he is one of them."
Answering questions from cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, Lara said, "While Sachin is special, Dravid is the wall."

"Dravid is always going to be there - he is a tremendous player," he said.

Stewart described Dravid as a "great player".
"Dravid is India`s most technically gifted player," he said.

About Lara, Stewart said, "he was the best player in the 90s. But in modern day, Sachin is a better player than Lara - a modern day Bradman."

Asked to forecast on the outcome of the India-England series, Stewart gave it 2-1 to England.

PTI