IPL starts with a big bang!

It was breathtaking and was by far the best opening ceremony any cricket tournament has had. The gymnasts hanging upside down without any safety nets, woman on stilts, fairies inside giant bubbles was all a real visual treat. If you missed any of it check out the videos at the end of this post.

When the cricket started after the wonderful opening ceremony Brendon McCullum decided to take the standards even higher. The home team bowlers simply had no answer to his awesome hitting. It was not as though he was hitting domestic bowlers, all the Banglore bowlers were of international class but none could contain the rampaging kiwi. 13 sixes and 10 fours punctuated a world record T20 score of 158* off just 73 balls. With the departure of Gilly from International cricket this guy is definitely the best wicketkeeper batsman in the world today.

Once Kolkata got 222 on the board on a wicket that had a bit in it for the fast bowlers, Banglore was out of the match. Ishant and Dinda ensured that Banglore didnt get a good start. The opening combination of the Royal Challengers seems all wrong. Dravid and Jaffer are not likely to scare any bowler in T20 and a more attacking batsman needs to be sent in to open. It would probably be a good idea to ask Praveen Kumar to go out and slog a few early on. Their next match is against the Mumbai Indians and I am sure Dravid will make the necessary changes and put up a better performance.

There are two big games tomorrow with Chennai V Punjab and Rajasthan V Delhi. The first match is a mouth watering prospect with Dhoni taking on Yuvraj. There are a lot of interesting mini battles to look forward to in this match. Brett Lee bowling to Matthew Hayden, Murali bowling to Sangakkara, Sreesanth having a go at Dhoni are some interesting battles to look forward to. The second match seems to really be an easy one for Delhi but then T20 can always throw up surprises. Lets hope for a cracker of a game tomorrow.

Opening ceremony videos:

The IPL - Fixtures

Here is the complete schedule which promises an action packed couple of months.

April 2008
Fri 18 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	1st match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Riders M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Sat 19 17:00 local, 11:30 GMT	2nd match - Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Sat 19 20:30 local, 15:00 GMT	3rd match - Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Sun 20 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	4th match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Deccan Chargers Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Sun 20 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	5th match - Mumbai Indians v Bangalore Royal Challengers Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Mon 21 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	6th match - Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Tue 22 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	7th match - Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
Wed 23 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	8th match - Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Thu 24 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	9th match - Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
Fri 25 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	10th match - Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Sat 26 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	11th match - Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Sat 26 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	12th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Sun 27 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	13th match - Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Sun 27 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	14th match - Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Mon 28 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	15th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Tue 29 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	16th match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Wed 30 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	17th match - Delhi Daredevils v Bangalore Royal Challengers Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
May 2008
Thu 1 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	18th match - Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Thu 1 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	19th match - Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
Fri 2 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	20th match - Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Sat 3 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	21st match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Sat 3 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	22nd match - Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Sun 4 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	23rd match - Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Sun 4 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	24th match - Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Mon 5 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	25th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Tue 6 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	26th match - Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Wed 7 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	27th match - Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Thu 8 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	28th match - Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Thu 8 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	29th match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Bangalore Royal Challengers Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Fri 9 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	30th match - Rajasthan Royals v Deccan Chargers Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Sat 10 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	31st match - Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Sun 11 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	32nd match - Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
Sun 11 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	33rd match - Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Mon 12 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	34th match - Kings XI Punjab v Bangalore Royal Challengers Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Tue 13 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	35th match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Wed 14 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	36th match - Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Thu 15 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	37th match - Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Fri 16 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	38th match - Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Sat 17 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	39th match - Rajasthan Royals v Bangalore Royal Challengers Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Sat 17 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	40th match - Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Sun 18 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	41st match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Sun 18 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	42nd match - Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
Mon 19 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	43rd match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Delhi Daredevils M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Tue 20 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	44th match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Wed 21 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	45th match - Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai
Wed 21 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	46th match - Chennai Super Kings v Bangalore Royal Challengers MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Thu 22 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	47th match - Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Fri 23 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	48th match - Kings XI Punjab v Deccan Chargers Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Sat 24 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	49th match - Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Sat 24 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	50th match - Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Sun 25 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	52nd match - Deccan Chargers v Bangalore Royal Challengers Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
Sun 25 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	51st match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Mon 26 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	53rd match - Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Tue 27 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	54th match - Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
Wed 28 16:00 local, 10:30 GMT	55th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Wed 28 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	56th match - Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Fri 30 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Sat 31 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
June 2008
Sun 1 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT	Final - TBC v TBC Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

The IPL - A preview

The wait is finally over. The IPL is all set to roll tomorrow with the Royal Challengers taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first game at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Banglore. There is a sense of anticipation for something special, there is a feeling that something special is going to happen to the game of cricket in India. The entertainment value is immense despite the cloud of media boycott hanging over the tournament. The opening ceremony has been planned to be worthy of a world cup and the atmosphere is set to be electric. With stilt walkers, floating damsels, cheerleaders from the US, Shankar Ehsan Loy with the music, and fireworks it is sure to be some spectacle.

A novel toss is being planned. When Ganguly and Dravid go out for the toss the whole stadium is going to be in darkness and spotlights are going to follow the two captains to the middle and the toss is said to happen under the spotlight, before the lights come on again for the opening ball. It will be quite eerie and exciting and the crowd might just go wild!!

Will the cricket match up to all the hype? That will be the question in everybody's mind. The talent is definitely there and some of the youngsters must be eager to shine in the limelight. It is their chance to become famous playing against some international stars. Crowd support will be an interesting factor, while most of the crowd will be cheering for the home team they will also be supporting their favorite cricketers playing for the opposition.

All in all a mouth watering prospect. Get set folks, it is time for India to change the face of world cricket!!

Promising Youngsters

The series between West Indies and Sri Lanka involved a lot of new faces. With the lankans going in with a very young team there were a few who made use of the opportunity. Chamara Kapugedera has shown on a few occasions that he has a good temperament with the bat and he came good in this series. Kulasekara with the new ball was impressive and picked up some good wickets. But the stand out new face was definitely Ajantha Mendis, a young spinner. You cannot term him as an off spinner or a leg spinner because he bowls the conventional off spinner, a delivery that goes away and also an Anil Kumble type of googly. The batsmen just could not pick him and he is definitely a mystery spinner. There are already comparisons with Murali but that is not fair to this youngster because there can only be one Murali. But this fellow seems to have magic in his fingers and the prospects for him look really bright and Sri Lanka might have unearthed another gem of a spinner.
Take a look:


As for the West Indies they might have finally found the answer to their search for an opening partner to Chris Gayle in Sewnarine Chattergoon. The similarities in the name to Shivnarine Chanderpaul is rather interesting. However the similarities dont end there, this fellow is also from Guyana and he is also a diminutive left hander with quite the same build. But his batting looks much neater than Chanderpaul's and it remains to be seen if it will be as effective. I was really impressed at the compsure he displayed at the crease and he looks at home at the international level with a good technique for an opening bat. He has made some neat 40s so far and West Indies will hope that he can convert them into big scores and have a long career at the highest level.

A face saving victory

India won the third match against the proteas to level the series and prevent an embarassing series defeat at home. The pitch lived up to the expectations providing turn and unpredictable bounce for both the spinners and the pacers. Excellent batting from Laxman and Ganguly and a gritty last wicket stand helped India get a lead of 60 which demoralised the proteas. On the third day the pitch got into the minds of the visitors and Harbhajan and co. made the most of it to bundle them out cheaply.

There has been a lot of debate on the pitch with people questioning whether the pitch was fit for a test match. I firmly do believe that this pitch really tested the abilities of the players and we do need to play on such pitches once in a while especially in India. India need to make spinner friendly wickets when playing at home not sporting pitches which help the opposition. This needs to be done in the first match of any home series so that the opposition is immediately put on the backfoot. India need to win at home and the best way to do that is by making turning tracks. Ofcourse that does not mean that we need to make underprepared wickets like this one. The red soil in India is conducive for spin and all that needs to be done is to use a higher proportion of this soil in the making of the pitch. With the right amount of watering these pitches with start turning from day 3 and days 4 & 5 will see the ball bouncing from a length of the spinners. And these wickets will not keep low and hence runs can also be scored. These were the type of wickets we used to see in the 90s when India hardly lost a match at home and that is how it needs to be.

Sporting pitches need to be made for domestic matches which will ensure the all round development of the youngsters so that they will ready for the challenges abroad. When youngsters play on both kinds of wickets they will be completely ready to face all conditions that they encounter. Spin is as essential a component as pace bowling is and if India does not develop that then who will?

Coming back to the test match, Ishant Sharma made a big difference to the Indian attack. Coming back from injury he initially looked rusty but quickly hit his straps. He showed a new facet to his bowling which was not seen earlier - the ability to reverse swing the ball. The abrasive nature of the pitch meant that the ball reversed quite early in the innings and Ishant's bursts with the old ball made the difference. His 5 wickets in the match eased the pressure on Harbhajan and kept the pressure on the proteas. Sreesanth also bowled well and his opening spell in the second innings when he got the initial breakthrough was superb.

Finally a word on Dhoni, there are already many people saying that he captained brilliantly but it would not be judicious to pass a judgement on his captaincy skills after just 1 test match, especially one on such a wicket. It is easy to captain on such pitches but considering that it was his first match he did do a good job. I still feel he needs to mature more as a cricketer and as long as Kumble keeps going he will have time to learn.

India managed to retain the No.2 spot in the ICC rankings at the end of the cycle. It has a been a wonderful effort from this team. The next test series for India is only in July when they visit Sri Lanka. Now it is time to relax and party with the IPL!!

India V SA - Third test - Kanpur

India go into the final match of the series in total disarray. Their batting failed miserably in the previous match, their fast bowlers are in terrible form returning from injuries, Kumble is a doubtful starter for this match, and above all the pitch at the Green Park oval seems to be an unpredictable one. All this goes in favour of the tourists who have a settled and confident look about them.

India are still not sure about their bowling attack. Ishant has been passed fit and he is certain to play. However it remains to be seen if he can get back the rhythm he had in Australia and he will be under pressure right away. There is a thought of playing three spinners but if Kumble does not play the combination of Harbhajan,Chawla,& Powar does not look too promising. Powar is not the kind of bowler who can utilise a crumbling track effectively, India will miss Murali Kartik here. It would be better to go in with Sreesanth instead of Powar. It will also be interesting to see if India persist with Pathan. He showed good application with the bat in the last match but his bowling was poor. However he would be a better option compared to Yuvraj as this wicket would not suit Yuvraj's style of batting.

It looks as though the 2-0 scoreline of the 1999 series is set to be repeated again. India have to fight against all odds and play out of their skins to win this one. The toss will play a huge role and if SA win the toss India will have little hope of levelling the series. Victory in this series would mean that South Africa have almost conquered the subcontinent with wins in Pakistan,Bangladesh, and India. For a team known to be poor players of spin, that would indeed be a significant achievement.

Good signs for West Indian cricket

West Indies have just squared the series against Sri Lanka with a well deserved 6 wicket win at the Queens park oval, T&T. The celebrations in the West Indian camp and the elation of the spectators present in the ground gives an indication of how much this victory meant to West Indian cricket. They had lost 7 consecutive test series before this and had not won a match at the Queens park oval since 2000. This was also just their 3rd win at home since the dawn of the new millennium.

'Flattering to deceive' has been the most commonly used phrase with reference to the Windies off late. This has been because of their tendency to implode from positions of strength. Winning test matches require a consistent and all round effort and the west indians had provided flashes of brilliance but had failed to stitch an overall effort to win matches.

The current West Indian team has a good look about it. Taylor,Powell, and Edwards form a potent pace attack with able support from Bravo and Gayle. On their day they can rip through any batting line up as they showed both in South Africa and again in this test match. These bowlers are gaining experience and are improved performers and this bodes well for the Windies. With Ramnaresh Sarwan back in the team the batting looks much better. When Gayle,Sarwan, and Chanderpaul are in good form they have the capability to post decent totals. What they need is for youngsters like Chattergoon who made his debut to consistenly contribute at the top of the order. They need to make better use of Bravo as a batsman and should play him at 5 or 6.

These are all good signs for West Indian cricket and it always makes me happy to see them doing well. One hopes that they will continue to build on this performance and become a decent test match team again.

A collapse of mammoth proportions

A day which India would like to forget as quickly as they can. Probably the worst batting performance at home in the last 10 years. The pitch offered some movement off the deck and it required some hard work from the batsmen to keep the bowlers out. But the Indian batters showed no application and some of dismissals were really silly. South Africa talked about peppering the Indians and it looked as though the batsmen were scared to come on to the front foot and that caused their downfall.
Was this the same team which played so well at the WACA?

A disturbing fact for me has been Anil Kumble's demeanor in the last couple of days. The usual calm and composed Anil is missing and he seems tense and not at peace with something. Even at the toss yesterday he seemed pretty grim and I wonder what is going on inside the dressing room. Whether he is contemplating retirement after this series, we have to wait and see.

Here is a look at the Indian collapse:

It is almost certain that the proteas will take this match and with it an unassailable lead in the series. India will have its work cut out at Kanpur to prevent an embarrassing series loss.

PS: We now know the reason for Kumble's grim demeanor. It has been reported that he had a fall out with the curator Dhiraj Parsanna over the pitch. The curator reportedly did not heed Kumble's requests with regards to the pitch. Reminds me of Nagpur 2004 when Ganguly skipped the test match after problems with the pitch there. The Indians capitulated on the 1st day on that occasion too and in the next match at the Wankhede were provided with a rank turner and they won the match in 3 days. Hopefully we will get a similar turner in Kanpur for the 3rd test.

One wonders why curators in India dont provide pitches to the strength of the home team, especially with our best pace bowlers out injured. Sadly that has not been happening and the curators seem to be dancing to a different tune, whether that tune is set by the BCCI, we do not know.

Ind V SA - Test 2 - Ahmedabad

In a couple of hours the second test is set to begin. After a docile pitch at Chennai resulted in a lame draw the pitch at the Motera is expected to provide a result. The proteas are going into this test as the team with the greater confidence and form. But for Virender Sehwag's blitzkrieg and Dravid's gritty effort there was nothing much to talk about for India. RP and Sreesanth were wayward and Irfan Pathan is expected to play in the second test. With Sachin out injured it remains to be seen whether India go in with the extra bowler in Piyush Chawla or go for the safety of a batsman at No.6.

India will have to lift their performance levels if they hope to take the lead in the test series. With Steyn and Morkel threatening to fire big the Indian batters will have to use all their experience to keep them out. Hashim Amla has improved leaps and bounds and has become a force to reckon with. Kallis will be eager to get among the runs after missing out in Chennai.

The curator at the Motera has said that the pitch is a sporting one likely to produce a result. It has a hint of grass on the surface which will help the pacers on the first day. However Indian pitches in the past have seen last minute changes with the grass being shaved off on the morning of the match. It will be interesting to see if that happens today.

Hoping for a more interesting test match than the previous one.

Sensational Sehwag

Use any adjective that comes to your mind such as brilliant, spectacular, audacious, stupendous, and so on. You will find that all of them are suitable to describe Sehwag's innings at Chennai. It was an innings which no cricket lover should miss. Here is a video of the innings:

Gary Kirsten feels 'Indian'

In his latest newsletter Kirsten talks about how it feels to be the coach of India.
An interesting read:

First of all, many thanks to so many of you for the words of encouragement and support I have received over the last few months. From the moment I accepted the job I have been inundated with good wishes, not to mention requests for interviews! Apologies if I have been unable to respond personally to all of you, but I'm still trying.

I was never in doubt about the enormity of the position as coach of Team India but if I had been unsure then I certainly would not be by now. I have only been in Bangalore for a few days but I'm settling in very quickly, as I knew I would. My wife, Deborah, hasn't been to India since the South African tour of 1997 and is amazed by the changes the country has undergone. Having two small children this time around will also ensure that it is a very different experience!

I am delighted to be able to confirm that Paddy Upton has agreed terms with the BCCI to join me as Mental and Fitness Coach to the national squad.

Paddy and I have a connection going all the way back to school days and, of course, he was part of the South African National Team as fitness trainer in the mid '90s while I was playing.

More recently we became business partners when we established Performance Zone 18 months ago, a business focusing on assisting people to improve both business and sports performance.

Our third partner in Performance Zone, master coach Dale Williams, will be looking after our business interests while we focus on Indian Cricket. There are some exciting new projects we are working on and we'll tell you more about them in our next newsletters.

The most obvious question I have been asked about the beginning of my two-year contract has been about the fact that we are playing against South Africa. Whilst I appreciate the fascination and irony about the scheduling, I must say that everybody else seems far more fascinated by that aspect of the contest than I do.

To be honest, having spent three highly enjoyable and productive weeks with the Indian team in Australia, and having maintained almost daily contact with Anil and Mahendra, I feel completely 'Indian' as we approach the series. I won't ever renounce my nationality, obviously, but I like to think of cricket as a completely professional game and I am a professional. But it goes beyond that. I feel passionate about the Indian team, and Indian cricket. The Indian team, given its numbers and resources, should be dominating world cricket. On the field as well as off it! I would love to be a part of that happening.

My time with Sachin, Rahul, Anil, Sourav, MS and VVS - as well as the incredibly talented youngsters in the squad, has been invigorating and inspiring. I can't wait for the real stuff to begin.

We will continue to use this newsletter to keep you up to date on what is happening within our world. With the South Africans coming out to India in the next few weeks, our first challenge is going to take them on with the best that we have.

Thank you once again for your generous support and please pass this newsletter along to anyone wanting to follow our progress in India and keep up with the latest thinking in the world of performance.

All the best

Gary

India Vs SA - A Preview

India are taking on South Africa at home for a 3 match test series kicking off on the 26th at Chennai. A series between these two teams has never generated as much excitement as a series against Australia,Pakistan, or even England. Considering the just concluded high voltage series down under the build-up to this series has been pretty meek.

South Africa have a superb record in test matches against India and they have also won a series in India under Cronje. Hence the hosts cannot take the visitors lightly and this will be a very tight series. The incentive for the team winning the series is the No.2 test spot in the ICC rankings and a chance to close the gap with the Aussies. Both teams are high on confidence and it will be the team that wins the crucial moments which will emerge victorious.

India's game plan will be to pile the runs on the board and attack the South African batsmen with the spinners. South Africa on the other hand will rely on the sheer pace of Dale Steyn to cripple the Indian batting. Paul Harris is their left-arm spinner and India have a history of trouble against left-arm spinners.

Some milestones to look forward to:

Sachin Tendulkar is 171 runs short of becoming the world's highest run scorer and though I wish he gets that in Chennai, it is more likely that he will achieve that in Ahmedabad, where a number of previous records have been broken.
However it is an interesting fact that South Africa is the only country against whom Sachin averages under 40 and I am sure he will be itching to change that.
Sachin also needs just 2 more catches to reach the landmark of 100 catches in tests.

Rahul Dravid is 80 runs short of reaching the 10000 run mark which will make him the third Indian batsman to reach the landmark. It will be a special moment in the career of a modern great and one of the most selfless cricketers India have ever produced.
Dravid is also 46 runs short of reaching a 1000 runs against the proteas. Again it is interesting to note that SA are the only country against whom he averages less than 40.

VVS Laxman needs 4 catches to reach 100 catches in test matches which will be a testament to his wonderful close catching skills.

Overall I am eagerly looking forward to watching some thrilling test-cricket and I hope the rain-gods allow us a full game at Chennai.

Ridiculous Reporting

This was an article that appeared last week on cricketnext.com, just before the selection of the Indian team for the SA series:

Gambhir, Chopra certain to earn Test recall

V Veera Kumar | Cricketnext.com

With Test opener Wasim Jaffer struggling for runs during the recent tour of Australia, in-form opening batsmen from Delhi – Gautam Gambhir and Aakash Chopra are almost certain to be picked for the home series against South Africa starting at Chennai on March 26.

Another Delhi batsman, Virender Sehwag, who give a fine display after being given a chance in the last two Test matches in Australia, is likely to be the third option for opener.

"Jaffer’s form has been dismal while Sehwag has struggled for runs during the Australian tour and with both Gambhir, who was the highest scorer during the tri-series which India won, and Chopra, who topped the domestic run-getters’ list, it is almost certain they will make it to the Test squad for the three-match Test series against the Proteas," according to a selector here on Sunday.

I was really incensed by this piece which claims Sehwag struggled for runs in Australia and that he would be the third option. These were Sehwags scores in the two tests that he played in Australia:

Perth: 29&43
Adelaide: 61&151

Do you call that struggling for runs? Such ridiculous reporting with erroneous claims are really damaging and is an attempt to twist public perception. And if a selector really said that then he does not deserve to be in that position. A cricket news website should not publish articles without verifying their facts and it is really atrocious to see such articles published.

Team for SA Test Series

The team for the first two tests against the proteas has been announced. As usual there were a few ripples caused by the selections.

Jaffer was retained despite performing poorly against Lee and the Aussies. He probably got the nod based on his fine performances at home last year. This will probably be his last chance and he will have a tough battle against Dale Steyn's fearsome pace and form. The fortunate or unfortunate thing is that India have two openers knocking on the doors. One is Gautham Gambhir who despite not having the best technique is in excellent form and his performances in the ODI series have brought him into reckoning for the tests. The other person is Akash Chopra who has had the most phenomenal year in domestic cricket notching up over 1400 runs last year and is somebody who has shown the right temperament to play at the international level and more importantly is somebody who complements Sehwag brilliantly. Opening is about partnerships and based on that Chopra is the best man to open with Sehwag. If Jaffer fails in the first two tests he should be replaced by Chopra.

Yuvraj Singh failed miserably in the test matches in Australia, is not fully fit, and will anyway not be part of the playing eleven. Why on earth the selectors want him to warm the bench is something which cannot be explained. This would have been an ideal time for Yuvraj to get back into shape and play some domestic cricket to get his form back before the next ODI series. Instead a youngster like Rohit Sharma could have been given a spot just to experience the feeling of being in the test side alongside the big players. It would be the best way to give the youngsters adequate feel for the test matches so that they will be ready when the need arises.

The fitness concerns over a number of players is indeed a worrying factor. Zaheer was ruled out, Ishant has been ruled out for the first two tests. Harbhajan and Dhoni are going to take fitness tests to determine if they are fit to play. And spare a thought for the ever-so-unlucky Murali Kartik, just when he gets another chance to wear the India cap he twists his ankle and is ruled out. Luckily RP Singh has recovered his fitness and will lead the pace attack. One hopes he will find his rhythm soon enough because it is never an easy thing to return after a break. Sreesanth will share the new ball with RP and captain Kumble will take charge of the spin duties alongside Harbhajan/Piyush. Irfan will have to sit out unless India want to play five bowlers.

It will be coach Gary Kirsten's first assignment and it will be interesting to see how he goes.

The team for the first two tests:

Squad for the first two Tests Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble (capt), Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Sreesanth, RP Singh.

Back-up: Dinesh Karthik

Schedule:

March 2008
Wed 26 - Sun 30 10:00 local, 04:30 GMT	1st Test - India v South Africa MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
April 2008
Thu 3 - Mon 7 10:00 local, 04:30 GMT	2nd Test - India v South Africa Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Fri 11 - Tue 15 10:00 local, 04:30 GMT	3rd Test - India v South Africa Green Park, Kanpur

Chak De India!!!!!!!!!!!!

What an amazing performance for Team India to beat the Aussies hands down and lift the CB Series. It was a brilliant series for the Indians and they emerged deserving victors. The Aussies claim that they dominated the group phase and lost out in the finals but that was not the case at all. All the matches between India and Aus in this series were close affairs with the Indian bowlers troubling the Aussie batsmen in all the matches. The difference in the finals was that the little master turned it on and the Aussies had no hope.

This was a young Indian team and most people (myself included) thought they were going to lose pretty badly and even doubted if they would make the final. They have proved everybody wrong and have played some unbelievable cricket. The stand out point for me has been the performance of some of the young players like Gautham Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, and Praveen Kumar. When the big players like Sachin,Sehwag,and Yuvraj were not making big runs these youngsters stood up and took the responsibility along with the captain MS Dhoni who has shown immense maturity in his batting this series. This bodes well for the future and Indian cricket and lets hope the youngsters continue to perform in the same vein.

One thing that was evident in the finals was the hunger that this Indian team showed. They wanted to win desperately and that is something we have not seen much of in the past. Some part of it might be attributed to the foolish comments made by Hayden which really worked to spur this team on. Harbhajan was targeted by the players and the crowd and not only did he show tremendous guts to handle that but also raised his level of performance in the finals. That he took the wickets of Hayden and Symonds in the finals really proves the point.

The Aussies were outplayed in totality by this Indian team and their off the field antics did not really help them score any psychological points either. With the great Gilly departing they will be further weakened and their dominance over world cricket is all set to be a thing of the past.

The winning moment:


India's find of the series:


An example of 'Aussie rules' cricket:


Gilly's last act with the gloves :)

Master at Work

Sachin Tendulkar gave a masterly performance in the first final of the CB series to give Australia a thorough bashing. His innings was filled with some delightful strokes and some wonderfully placed shots for singles and twos. It was a very important century because this was his first ODI century in Australia and that was something he definitely needed to get. It brought back memories of his knock against the Aussies in Sharjah in April 1998 which was also a chase in the final. It is hard to believe that a decade has passed since that because that innings still remains in the hearts of all Indian fans.

For those who missed the treat at the SCG here are the highlights of his innings:


I enjoyed this interview after the game:


And just to rekindle memories of his innings at Sharjah:

India U-19 Triumph

The Indian under-19 team are world champions!!!
It was a brilliant performance from the young Indians right through the 2 week tournament. That they did not lose even a single match shows how well they played. There were some outstanding individual performances and a few surely have a bright future ahead.

The captain Virat Kohli led from the front with good runs. His hundred against the Windies was the innings of the tournament. Opener Taruwar Kohli gave the team solid starts in most of the matches which laid the platform for the others to build on. He seems to have modelled his game on Rahul Dravid so let us hope India get another wall for the future. Tanmay Srivastava at number 3 is a tall upright batsman and a clean striker of the cricket ball. He played some cracking shots and was India's highest run getter of the series. Suresh Tiwary played a few responsible knocks and Manish Pandey in the few opportunities he got in the middle showed a lot of style and class and is a big hope for Karnataka and possibly India. Pradeep Sangwan led the bowling attack well and the spinners Abdullah and Jadeja took wickets in the middle overs. In the final it was Argal who bowled beautifully to achieve the victory against the proteas.

Lets celebrate the triumph and wish these youngsters a great future ahead!!!