Ind v/s SL- Proceedings end quickly.. India win the 2nd test, take 1-0 lead,,

27th nov 2009… 4th day of the Kanpur test…ended prematurely as expected…giving India its most deserved win…

2nd test,day3: India make Lanka bat again…

Day3 of the 2nd test match between India and Sri Lanka- No one would have thought at the beginning of the day that…the Lankan team would surrender so easily…without any evidence of a passionable fight out.

2nd test day 2: India make a huge total, indisciplined batting towards the end,,,

On day 2 of the Kanpur test between India and Lanka….India expectedly looked for more runs quickly…and got them too. But it was a disgusting display of ordinary cricket at the end by the Indians. Hearth made merry with a 5 wicket haul

1st test ends in a draw…amidst lots of runs and records….

The final day of the first test between India and Sri Lanka…..as expected saw a rollercoaster of runs….very few wickets….and an evident draw without results at the end of the day.

Plenty of runs on day 4…No devil in the pitch…Match heading towards a draw……..?

At last Sri Lanka made a declaration of their first innings at a mammoth 760 runs immediately after losing their 7th wicket ON DAY 4 of the Ahmedabad test match. They would have thought…and infact everybody…that a lead of 334 runs would be enough for the Indians when they

Jayawardane slams Double Ton, Frustrates India…Sri Lanka take lead on day 3…

Day 3 of the Ahmedabad test match…Sri Lanka much to the frustration to the Indian Bowling attack which looked pathetic and lack lustre…finished off the days proceedings with 591 runs on board and still in hunt of runs.

India get a tit for tat…Lankans reply strongly…take 2nd day honours of the Ahmedabad test…

Sri Lanka reply strongly to the challenge of India. At stumps on day 2 of the Ahmedabad test Sri Lankan team was breathing a sigh of relief and were comfartably placed with 275 runs on the board losing only 3 wickets in the interium. Earlier the Indian tail was denied a wag by a disciplined bowling of the Lankan bowlers to finish off the Indian innings on 426. Resuming at the overnight score of 385 for 6, India managed

The Wall…Dravid stands strong,,helps India take first day honours, against Lankans..

In the first test match against Sri Lanka…India winning the toss and electing to bat first on day 1 at Ahmedabad…India finished with 385 for the loss of 6 wickets. After the worst possible pathetic start…India survived a collapse…courtesy a magnificient 224 runs for the 6th wicket

Aus v/s Ind: 5ht ODI..Master blasts but…India slip at the verge…

In reply to the mammoth 350 runs posed by Australia…India started off brilliantly…and everything looked going as per the game plan when the openers were blazing out right from the word go.Sehwag blasted a 30 ball 38 in a style of his with 5 fours and a six. The master…Sachin was rotating the strike and didnot look aggressive. When he had made 7 runs he had achieved a milestone of becoming the first batsmen to complete 17000 runs in ODI format…and no one in by any distance nearby. Hitting an over anxious shot Sehwag gave away his wicket…first break through for Australia…shen the score was 66 in the 9th over when the run rate was good…more than required. Sachin took charge as Gambhir joined him.Gambhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni…the back bone of Indian middle order failed to give the essential support when mattered. They went without troubling the scorers…not even reaching double digits…Even in their partnerships the bulk of scoring was done by the master and he made sure that the run rate is healthy.

When Dhoni departed at 162 in the form of 4th wicket in the 24th over…Sachin found a stable partner in the form of Raina…who not only made good shots in the company of the master but also rotated the strike.Earlier Sachin had completed his 92nd 50 in the 15th over and was proving lethal for the Australians.Sachin powered 2 mighty sixes in 22nd over off Bollinger showing his persisting energy levels.The run rate was not healthy for the next few overs…as the stabilising act was on. Just befor the completion of the 27th over Sachin stole a single off Watson…The crowd sprouting in joy…Sachin had just finished his 45th century…the hundred coming off just 81 balls…the quickest one by any Indian against the Aussies…and his 9th against the team no 1.Now his duty was to convert it into a big one if he has to see India taking a lead in the series…but a long way to go.The 5th ball of the 30th over saw 200 on board for India with a healthy run rate..powered by a six off Voges coming from the masters blade.At the end of the 39th over these both had put a 100 run stand between them…which was essential in that point of the match.With a six off McKay Raina brings his 12 fifty and the 2nd against Australia in the midway of the 42nd over.

The 43rd over of the match gave the big turning point of the match…this time in favour of Australia…much to the disgust of the Indian dressing room when everything was going good for them. In the 3rd ball Watson dismissed Raina for a well made run a ball 59 with 3 hits to the fence and 3 clearing it. Harbhajan sent ahead of Jadeja was dismissed in the last ball by Watson…without troubling the scorers. Now the burden lied completely on the shoulders of Sachin to see India through when they were very close to the destiny.The score now was 300 for 5 and India just needed another 51 in 7 overs and looked quite possible when the master was joined by Jadeja.

In the first ball of the 48th over bowled by McKay halted the heartbeats of the Indians when Hauritz held a skier from Sachin. That was the end of one of the great innings from the master…and probably the dreams of Indian supporters anticipating India to clinch a thriller. The score was 332 for 6…with 4 wickets in had the target of getting another19 runs in the remaining 17 deliveries was always possible with a mind calculation…and still Jadeja left at the crease. But what happened next is history…which is not new for India.After 3 more balls in the same over…at the score 333…Jadeja trying to take strike…and running for a run which was never there run himself out suicidally…not realising the importance of his stay till end…thus exposing the tail. But Australia started sensing the victory falling in their pan. But things were expected from Praveen who was determined to see India through. But a terrible mix up when India needed just 5 from the last 4 balls…between Praveen and Munaf…trying to take a couple saw…Praveen becoming run out…Dumb silence in the stadium…India had slipped at the edge of victory…and had lost the match by a meagre 3 runs. Sachins mastered innings going in vain. Aussies rejoiced as they have to win only one of the remaining two matches to take home the series…while India has to get 2 out of 2. Aussies now feel that they can get the series psychologically… But are Indians going to turn the tables and prove Aussies wrong or…are they goin to give up…we should wait and see. But Hyderabad and the whole world had witnessed one of the great chases in the ODI history…and a class of the ageing Tendulkar.

For a gallent fight..single handledly…Sachin was declared the man of the match for his brilliant 175 off 141 balls…with19 fours and 4 sixes. The master is still there in the game. But its a rare situation that Sachin makes a big hundred and India finishes losing…and how many times we see a batsmen or a bowler from a losing side getting the man of the match? If it is to be…it has to be masters of the game like Sachin….

Well done Sachin….Bad luck and better luck next time…You are a genious and Legend by yourself….

Aus v/s Ind: Watson fires…India helpless…in the crucial 5th ODI,,,

The stage is all set for a terriffic fight between the current rivals India and Australia in the 5th ODI of the 7 match series. Being levelled at 2 match a piece this is considered as an important game for both the teams.

5th november, 2009…Australia won the toss and elected to bat first on an ideal pitch for batting without thinking twice at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium-Hyderabad. Captain Pontings decision is proved right when Watson who did not do much of a batting to his potentials all through the previous encounters…started taking the rampage act right into the opposition. Probably Watson was interested in having wickets intact for the first few overs before starting to blaze off. He along with his opening partner Marsh played with caution until 10 overs when plenty of runs were not scored. When Watson started his assault ifrom the 10th over…all the bowlers weere mercilesssly punished…the ball getting hammered to all corners off his blade.

At the midway…i.e 25th over…to the frustrations of India…Aussies were comfortably cruising along towards a mammoth total when they were 145 for no loss.Marsh reached 50 but the terminator…Watson looking for some shots to finish off his century fell 7 short when he skied one into the hands of Jadeja at the fence off Harbhajan. But he had caused sufficient damage…He made 93 off 89 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes.Marsh continues the charge as captain Ponting joins the party.Australia reach the 200 mark in 35th over without further damage…Marsh slowly heading towards what could be a responsible 100, playing in 70′s while getting a good support from his captain at the other end.In the 39th over Praveen kumar clean bowls Ponting for a well made 45 of as many balls with 3 hits to the fence and 1 clearing it…The score then was 236. Marsh looking good and rock solid in 90′s is joined by White. Just before that Harbhajan singh had finished a tidy spell giving away only 44 in his 10 overs putting some brakes on the run machine of Australia…grabbing the wicket of Watson aswell. In the 2nd ball of the 40th over Marsh grabs 2 runs to finish off with a superb century…coming off just 104 balls…could be considered as a sheet anchor play by him for the Aussies. At the end of 41st over Australia reached the 250 mark…8 wickets in hand and 9 overs to go…looked like the Aussies would start hammering at the slog.In the 5ht ball of the 43rd over Marsh skies one into the hands of Gambhir at the boundary off Nehra for a well made tailored innings of 112 off as many balls with 8 hits to the fence and 2 sixes. The score was 270 at his departure.Hussey joins the party with a well looking White.

White smashes his 4th sixer in the 5th ball of the 46th over off Praveen Kumar to bring 300 on board. As expected the 2 big guys started the fireworks one after the other…leaving the Indian fielders shocked and amazed.Pravin Kumar dismisses White in the last ball for his satisfaction. But much to the satisfaction of the Aussies bench…he had already made a well deserved fiery half century. He made a 33 ball 57 with2 fours and 5 mighty sixes.Hussey remained unbeaten on 31 made from 22 deliveries with a four and couple of sixes. Australia finished with 350 on board losing only 4 wickets in the process. Now if Indians have to win…then it should be one of their best ever run chases in the history of one day internationals…following a much superior discipline in comparison to the kangaroos. Will Dhoni’s 11 do it…is a question which only they should answer…in deeds and act 45 mts later when they face the aussie ball attack. Not many times such a mammoth score has been chased…but anything can happen in the funny game of cricket….We will have to wait and see…

C U AFTER THE BREAK…………