Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - IV

2003 ICC Cricket World Cup

Date: March 1
Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Margin: India won by 6 wickets

India's victory over Pakistan was the cornerstone of the side's remarkable run to the final of the competition. And at the centre of the win was India's biggest cricket star: Sachin Tendulkar. Saeed Anwar's 101 runs guided Pakistan to an imposing total of 273 runs. With the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar in the bowling ranks the challenge of overhauling the target was always going to be tough. India needed Tendulkar to fire and he did so with a mix of ferocity and grace.

The Indian batting legend went after the bowling right from the first over. And it was then that the most memorable shot of an Indo-Pak cricket match was invented. Tendulkar heaved a wide delivery from Akhtar over the third man region for a six and made his intentions crystal clear. He continued to take the game away from Pakistan churning out an array of breathtaking shots and playing as if he could do no wrong. The only discomfort Sachin got was through his own body which suffered under a bout of cramps.

Finally, a snorter from Akhtar saw Sachin going back to the pavilion on 98. Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh then combined to take India to their fourth consecutive win over Pakistan in a World Cup game.

Source: MSN-India

Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - III

1999 ICC World Cup

Date: June 8
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Margin: India won by 47 runs
The stiffest test of an India-Pakistan cricket rivalry came against the background of the Kargil battle. Both the nations were in the throes of a war being fought in the rugged environments of Dras sector and Tololing ranges. It was almost given that the battle in the high grounds would find a face in the World Cup encounter between the two sides. The atmosphere was charged up and there were massive security arrangements to ward off any untoward incidents.
In such emotionally charged conditions India chose to bat first. Tendulkar's 45, Azhar's 59 and Dravid's 61 helped India set a target of 228 runs in front of Pakistan. Pakistan's reply was littered with wickets at regular intervals, five of which were bagged by Venkatesh Prasad.
When Wasim Akram's attempted hoick over midwicket landed into the hands of Kumble, India registered perhaps their most satisfying win over Pakistan in cricket. Unlike the first two India-Pak World Cup encounters the Manchester game did not see much friction between the players of the two teams. Perhaps any offense from their side would have sparked a major row in the stands. The match though was not without some blemish. Wisden Almanack reports 'three arrests, nine ejections, and one Indian flag burned during some scuffling at the close.'

Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - II

1996 Wills World Cup
Date: March 9
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Margin: India won by 39 runs

India and Pakistan met each other in a pulsating quarterfinal encounter. On the knock-out stage the stakes were high and so were the passion of the fans. Wasim Akram's pull-out just minutes before the match was greeted harshly as fans across Pakistan smelt a conspiracy in the move. The captain's effigies were burnt in the streets of Karachi and Lahore.
India won the toss and in front of a packed Chinnaswamy started to build a mountain of runs for Pakistan. Navjot Singh Sidhu finished 7 runs short of a century after Sachin went for an uncharacteristic 59-ball-31. India ended with massive 287 runs. The big score largely achieved thanks to some belligerent hitting from Ajay Jadeja, who took Waqar Younis apart in the final overs of the match. Jadeja smashed 45 in 25 balls, which included a 22-run feast off one Younis over. India racked 57 runs in the last four.
Chasing the huge target Pakistani openers Saeed Anwar and stand-in-captain Aamir Sohail launched a solid reply. It seemed as if 287 runs would be overhauled in no time. The breakthrough arrived when Anil Kumble had Anwar caught for 48 by Srinath in the deep. Indians heaved a sigh of relief but the misery did not end there. At the other end Sohail was going all out; with the bat and his tongue.
After smacking Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary he pointed the bat toward the direction of the four to rub in the assault. Prasad though made sure that his reply would be more than just words. And it came in just the next ball. Sohail tried to hit another Prasad-delivery to the fence but only managed to clean bowl himself. The crowd roared as a charged Prasad dished out the four-letter word to Sohail. The opener's wicket was the turning point as the Pakistan line-up crumbled under the pressure of a high run chase.

Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - I

When an Indian or a Pakistani cricket fan scans through a World Cup schedule they search for one game: India v Pakistan. The dates are earmarked months before the start of the event. If the match is happening somewhere near, a run to the stadium is made in search of tickets. Bunking school or office on the D-day is not ruled out of question. In small towns across India streets turn empty. In big cities the pubs are jam-packed.

Each and every India-Pakistan game is a nerve jangling affair for the players and the fans. And when the scene shifts to the World Cup cauldron, the intensity often overpowers the quest for the championship win. The World Cup can be conceded, but a loss against Pakistan on cricket's biggest stage is devastating.

Both the teams have clashed four times on the World Cup stage with India having an upperhand. But India-Pakistan encounter goes a step beyond the win-loss and the stats column. All the four matches have a story to tell, a squabble to report or a run-in to write about. MSN India rewinds to those games and relives all the tension and the drama.

1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup

Date: March 4
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Margin: India won by 43 runs

Years down the line, India's 43-run win in Sydney became inconsequential in front of the drama which happened in the match. Pakistan's Javed Miandad, who wouldn't take a step back in any contest and Indian wicket-keeper Kiran More, who just couldn't resist needling the Pakistan batsman, served up a moment which the purists would disapprove of, but the fans from both the countries would relish and recall generations ahead.

A flustered Miandad stopped Sachin Tendulkar in his run-up and turned around to tackle the chatterbox More. Miandad turned towards umpire David Shepherd and lodged his complaint with More vociferously pleading his case from behind. What followed this ruckus was to be etched in the history of India-Pakistan cricket. Miandad performed a vigorous frog-leap which would have put the croaking contingent to shame.

India though had the last laugh in the match as Pakistan folded 173 runs in reply to India's 216, which was mostly because of Sachin's attacking 54 and an even more aggressive 26-ball-34 from Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev. The Indian bowling attack led by three pacers, Kapil, Manoj Prabhakar and Javagal Srinath rallied to hold Pakistan much before the finishing line.

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ICC alters 2.5 metre rule for greater consistency

Dubai: The ICC today issued fresh guidelines to umpires for greater consistency in the 2.5 metre rule, the most controversial aspect of the Decision Review System (DRS) in the ongoing cricket World Cup in the sub-continent.

The directive stated that even though there may be a distance between the stumps and the point of impact of 2.5 metre or greater, the on-field umpire can reverse the decision even if the ball is hitting any part of the middle stump.
According to the previous rule, the leg-before could be reversed by the on-field umpire only if the ball was hitting the centre of the middle stump.
If both the 40cm and 2.5m graphics appear for the same delivery, the batsman will definitely remain not out, it said.
It further said that if the "more than 2.5m" graphic appears without the 40cm, the third umpire will be informed by Hawk-Eye of the exact distance of impact from the stumps.
If this distance is greater than 3.5m, the batsman will remain not out.
Meanwhile the ICC revealed that correct decisions in the tournament have risen from an 90.18 per cent to 97.82 due to the use of the DRS.
"It is a fact that the number of decisions in this event is way above the normal average for ODIs. This is because of the type of wickets that prevail in the sub-continent where the bounce is often lower and where there is a greater amount of turn.
"What it is demonstrating clearly is that the DRS is helping umpires who are maintaining consistently high levels of performance," said David Richardson, ICC general manager, cricket.

Source: PTI

Ten best moments in ten Doeschate's cricketing career

1. 259 against Canada in the Intercontinental Cup 2006. That was a new tournament record
2. 119 against England in World Cup 2011, which is the highest for a player of an associate member against a test-playing team
3. Major role with the bat and the ball in the 2009 T20 World Cup shock win over England and that too at Lord's. Ten Doeschate took 2 wickets and made 22 with the bat as Netherlands stunned England
4. First Dutch player to be signed up for IPL. Kolkata Knight Riders bought ten Doeschate for $ 1,50,000 to play in the IPL-4 edition
5. ICC Associate Player of the Year award in 2010. Ten Doeschate came to Bangalore to receive the award. Did we hear about him at that time?

                       

 

6. 57 against South Africa in the 2007 World Cup. He had faced the likes of Shaun Pollock and Andre Nel in that match and scored eight 4s and one 6
7. Five wickets in the warm-up game against India before the 2007 world cup. He ended with figures of 5 for 57 and picked up the wickets of Sehwag, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Ganguly and Harbhajan. He also scored 31 off 39 balls with the bat.
8. 6 for 20 against Canada in the Intercontinental Cup in 2006
9. Tasmaniasigning in a Dutch player for the first time for the highly competitive Big Bash tournament
10. Played an integral part in the resounding success of Essex in English domestic cricket in 2008 when they won the Provident Trophy and Pro40 division II

Matches to watch out for in group stages - 1

India versus Bangladesh

Venue/date/time: Mirpur/ Feb 19/ 1400 IST
Key players: Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Virender Sehwag and Yusuf Pathan
Player battles: Tamim versus Zaheer
What to watch out for: Bangladesh had created a sensation in the 2007 World Cup when they shocked India and eventually knocked them out of the World Cup. That win had propelled Bangladesh to new heights in cricket. They recently demolished New Zealand 4-0 in a home series and also had given England a run for their money last year. India, on the other hand took the 2007 shocker to rebuild and from then went on to become T20 World Champions, World Number one test team and a formidable force in the limited over format. But, even then the defeat of 2007 will be fresh in the minds of Indian players and that could create a few stutters at least early on in the match

South Africa versus West Indies

Venue/date/time: Delhi/ Feb 24/ 1430 IST
Key players: Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle
Player battles: Steyn versus Pollard
What to watch out for: West Indies may be down and out in cricket but they have a team full of explosive talents. From Chris Gayle to Pollard to Bravos, this team is capable of beating anybody of their day. South Africa is easily one of the favourites to win the World Cup. Yet, the WI-SA clash should throw up an exciting fare going by the record of clashes between the sides over the years in World Cup matches. What will happen if Chris Gayle hits Steyn out of the attack. Should be a pulsating affair

India versus England

 

Venue/date/time: Bangalore/ Feb 27/ 1430 IST
Key players: Kevin Pieterson, Graeme Swann, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag
Player battles: Pieterson versus Harbhajan, Swann versus Pathan
What to watch out for: This is a new-look England side compared to the ones that has played World Cup events over the years. This team has just won the Ashes and is considered very strong on paper. But, with little to show in the limited overs format, England will have to play really well to upstage India at home. We saw Chinnaswamy virtually turning square during the warm-up matches. While this would excite someone like Swann, it would also unnerve the English batsmen, who do not like excessive turn. All eyes will be on Pieterson. If he can weave his magic, anything can happen 

 

 

 

 

 

Line cleared for Sourav, to play for Kochi?

No franchise had showed interest in purchasing Ganguly at his base price of $400,000 during the auction on January 8 and 9.

The likes of Jaffer and VRV Singh were also among those who were shunned by the franchises.

"A governing council meeting called on February 4 would discuss the issue of unsold players like Ganguly. Kochi has expressed interest to purchase him outside the auction and the IPL has asked the franchises about their views on the issue," reliable sources said.

The IPL, in a letter to all the franchises, has said that a request has been received from franchises that subject to them having sufficient balance on the salary cap to pay at least the reserve price of the relevant player, they should have the opportunity to sign unsold Indian players from the auction.

The letter from IPL CEO Sundar Raman further said "the auction regulations were clear that players not taken in the auction could only play in IPL 2011 as replacement players. Before the Governing Council deliberates on this issue, I wanted to get your view on this issue and if your franchise is agreeable to: a) Permit franchise to buy any unsold Indian players from the auction b) The player can be bought only at his reserve price".

Raman has said franchisees should send their views a day before the GC meeting. 

Source: PTI

Indian dream team announced

The Indian team has been announced today on Jan 17 for the World Cup 2011. The selection panel, with Krishnamachari Srikkanth at the helm, has declared the Indian squad which will play in the upcoming World Cup starting from Feb 19 in Dhaka.

MS Dhoni will remain the skipper. There are 8 batsmen, 4 pacers and 3 spinners in the team. Yusuf Pathan cemented his place in the team by knocking unbeaten 123-runs against New Zealand. He will be utilized as a bowler too. BCCI selectors chose him over Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. The other bone of contention had been the second specialist spinner’s slot, and the selectors have picked both offspinner R Ashwin and legspinner Piyush Chawla, ahead of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.


Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, Piyush Chawla

Big surprise that no one picked Ganguly: Akram

The snub to Sourav Ganguly in the IPL players auction shocked his former Kolkata IPL team bowling coach Wasim Akram, who said he expected any of the other franchise to pick the ex-India captain for his "experience and leadership qualities".

In a major embarrasment for Ganguly, he was not picked by his home team Kolkata Knight Riders or any of the other franchises after two rounds of bidding last week.

Sourav Ganguly.

"Ganguly is a dear friend of mine. I thought he would be picked up by some franchise for his experience and leadership qualities. But it was a big surprise when he was totally ignored," Akram said from Karachi, hinting that the IPL Kolkata team never had plans to hire the Prince of Kolkata.

If the snub to Ganguly shocked Akram, the former Pakistan skipper was more surprised when there were no takers for dashing West Indian batsman Chris Gayle.

"I just can't believe it. Gayle is a game-changer but probably never fit the scheme of things for many teams. Maybe, teams think that Gayle does not help youngsters in the side," said Akram.

Akram believes IPL Kolkata have made a gamble by buying injury-plagued Australian tearaway pacer Brett Lee in the IPL auction last weekend.

"Lee is part of Australia's World Cup plans. He is playing Twenty20 in the KFC Big Bash. But there is certainly a risk involved with him or any other fast bowler for that matter. He might have been out of action for a year and a half but he is now fit and hungry. He is surely a threat to any opposition and he is a kind of gamble that any franchise would love to take," he said.

Akram said it was bull's eye for KKR when Yusuf Pathan was bagged for USD 2.1 million.

"KKR definitely had a plan to catch top marquee Indian players. But I think they had planned for one and got two.

Both (Gautam) Gambhir and Yusuf are match-winners. Gambhir is a good mix of calmness and aggression. Yusuf, on the other hand, is a useful bowler and a very good fielder," Akram said.

- With PTI inputs

No IPL team possible in Kolkata without Sourav Ganguly: Shah Rukh

DURBAN: Kolkata Knight Riders' owner and Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan on Monday said he would try and find a role for Sourav Ganguly in his IPL team after the former India skipper remained unsold.

Ganguly, who led KKR in the last edition, was left red-faced as none of the 10 franchisees showed interest in buying him at the two-day auction in Bangalore.

"I would love it, I would love Sourav to be an integral part. You don't have a team in Kolkata without him. So, I will speak to Dada when I get back," Shah Rukh said.

The fans of Ganguly on Sunday burnt Khan's effigies in Kolkata protesting his exclusion from the team.

Shah Rukh refused to speak on why other teams ignored the former India captain.

"I don't think I should be commenting on the nine other people. There are 350 to 400 players. There are 10 teams with think-tanks varying in hundred of numbers, the permutations and combinations. I don't think any of us can comment really on who should pick who? I don't think we have the right to do that.

"Auction is actually a chance like. It is very difficult to be completely confirmed on what you do in the auction. So things go wrong, kind of money you have, which players come first, so lots of decisions have to be made," he said.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Venues

ICC Cricket World Cup Venue Guide will be placed here. The ICC World Cup cricket 2011 will be played across 13 venues from the 19th of February to the 2nd of April. These 13 venues are divided into the three co-hosts, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Pakistan was to host the World Cup as well, but security concerns in the country meant that the tournament was awarded only to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This also meant that each of the countries have more games to host.

8 of the games will be hosted by Bangladesh, 12 by Sri Lanka and the remaining 29 matches will see India as the host.

The 13 venues in question are Kolkata, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore (all from India), Hambantota, Colombo and Kandy (all from Sri Lanka) and Chittagong and Dhaka (Bangladesh).

The highest capacity of any venue is that of the Eden Gardens in Kolkata where 75k spectators can sit and watch the game, while the planned capacity of the revamped Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is 45000. Feroz Shah Kotla is at 48000, Motera in Ahmedabad at 54k and Nagpur at 45k. The Wankhede in Mumbai will host four games, including the finals of the tournament. 

Chittagong Divisional Cricket Stadium Chittagong, Bangladesh

Speaking of venues of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, a number of matches are scheduled to take place in Bangladesh. Therefore try and make it to the Chittagong Divisional Stadium if you want to enjoy world class cricket in the lap of luxury. The seating arrangements, all modern day amenities, sufficient parking space makes this ground a favorite amongst foreign visitors. Moreover the location of the stadium makes it all the more accessible to cricket lovers coming from all parts of the world.

Start packing and book a seat for yourself if you want to be part of all the live action during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Wankhede Stadium Cricket Stadium Mumbai, India

All new renovated Wankhede Stadium promises to be one of the best venues in the country. Newly installed seats, clean washrooms, parking area have become the major highlights of this world class cricket stadium. In fact the capacity of the stadium has increased greatly after rebuilding the north and southern stands.

Travelling to and from the stadium won’t take too long as there are a number of quality hotels around the stadium. Once the match is over you can head out for a little shopping or you may soak in the happening night life of this metro city.

So book your tickets in advance so as to make sure you get the best seats in the stadium.

Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium Nagpur, India

This edition of the World Cup promises to be extra special since the tournament is making a comeback to the Subcontinent after twelve long years. BCCI and respective organizers have ensures all the venues are in top shape. The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is one of the best examples in this respect.

Often termed as the new VCA stadium, this particular venue is located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Once you are there just look around and you will come across a number of cheap and luxurious hotels. The stadium on the other hand offers some unique amenities like wi-fi environment, parking space apart from a range of other requests. All these factors makes this stadium a must visit for everyone.

Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Dhaka, Bangladesh

Most cricket lovers are willing to go to the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Bangladesh to catch their favorite cricket stars in action. One good thing about this is you may actually save a lot of money considering the transportation and accommodation cost in Dhaka, Bangladesh is quite low. In fact you can find a number of accommodation options near the stadium if you want to cut down on the transportation time. Coming back to the stadium itself it has probably the best drainage system amongst all stadiums in the sub continent. Apart from this other facilities like parking space, favorable seating layouts all make this stadium perfect for hosting a World Cup Match.

Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium Ahmedabad, India

To begin with you can start your journey with the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera, Gujarat.  The favorable location of the stadium lets you move on to other venues with the utmost of ease once the match ends.  Coming back to the stadium, the Sardar Patel Stadium has become a regular venue for ODIs and Test Matches since it assures some of the best amenities. Enough parking space, comfortable seats and friendly people around will ensure you have a wonderful time while witnessing the action on the field. The hotels located nearby may also act as a huge advantage in your favor.

R Premadasa Cricket Stadium Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sleepless nights of hard work on part of the organizers gives you the opportunity of enjoying an exciting tournament in the best way possible. The venues hosting the matches are exquisite and have some of the best facilities around. The R. Premadasa Stadium is one of the main forerunners in this respect. No wonder people from all over the world love to visit this stadium.

The R. Premadasa stadium resembles a concrete bowl and is the biggest stadium in Sri Lanka. Located in Colombo, you can reach the stadium with ease even before the first ball is bowled. So grab a ticket and fly down to the beautiful isle of Sri Lanka and be part of this celebration of cricket.

Punjab Cricket Association Cricket Stadium Mohali, India

If the idea of visiting all venues seems to impractical then try and visit the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. Located in Mohali, just outside Chandigarh this stadium is a favorite amongst international cricket lovers owing to its proximity to the airport. You can also find out ample lodging options near the stadium.

The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium is marked unique because of its low light pillars. The lush green outfield and a lively pitch create quite a spectacle for the crowd. Excellent facilities offered by the stadium are only an added reason for watching matches at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.