Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar added another feather to his cap when he became the first batsman to cross the 200-run mark in an one-day international at Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior on Wednesday. The double ton also helped India go past the 400 mark setting a target of 402 for the tourists. India bowled out South Africa for 248 and winning the three match series 2-0

Tendulkar achieved the unique landmark when he run a single off Langeveldt against South Africa in the second one-dayer of the ongoing three-match series. Sachin’s 200 came off 147 balls, which include 25 fours and 3 sixes. The master surpassed the previous highest individual score made by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar (194 against India in 1997) and Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe (194 not out against Bangladesh in 1999). Continue Reading

When Sunil Gavaskar read the pitch in the morning, Sangakkara took the cue and opted for batting upon winning the toss. But Gambhir (150) and Virat Kohli (107) showed grit not only to overcome the fiery bowling of rookies pace bowlers Suranga Lakmal and Perera assault that claimed both the openers Sehwag and Tendulkar but also clinched the 5-match series.

For the first time in four matches an even contest between bat and ball was on display. And even though the willow had a slight edge, especially in the second session because dew made it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball, the medium-pacers had their share of dominance early in both innings. After Sangakkara won the toss and decided to set a target, home side bowlers Nehra and Zaheer Khan started off beautifully, restraining the destructive opening duo of Dilshan and Tharanga.  In fact, Nehra started off with a maiden over — India’s first in the ongoing five-match series. Continue Reading

Team India after its series win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai

After over 77 tests and remaining minnows for several decades, India today became the number one team in Test rankings following it victory over  Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final cricket Test to clinch the three-match series by a 2-0 margin. Needing just four wickets to record an emphatic victory, the hosts took just about 40 minutes to polish off the visiting team’s tail to record their second consecutive innings victory.

Resuming at 274 for six, the Sri Lankans lost their heroic captain Kumar Sangakkara (137) in the very first over and were bundled out for 309 with Zaheer Khan being the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 5/72. The Sunday crowd at the Brabourne Stadium, hosting a Test match after a gap of 36 years, witnessed a historic moment as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men crowned themselves the number one team. Continue Reading

Sachin and Gambhir frustrated Sri Lankans to draw the first Test at Motera

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has reached another milestone in his career by completing a phenomenal 30,000 runs in international cricket during the ongoing Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka on Friday. Tendulkar, who completed 20 glorious years in cricket on Sunday (November 15), needed 35 runs to reach the landmark at the start of India’s second innings in the Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka. Next in line for the feat is is Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who had recently crossed 24,000 runs.

Tendulkar has 17,178 runs in ODI cricket, 10 runs in the only T20 International he’s played, and 12,878 Test runs after the first test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad on 19th November 2009.He holds the record for most ODI and Test runs and centuries. He also completed his 43rd test century in the just concluded test. Tendulkar is clearly widening the gap between him and his contemporaries and it is certainly going to be difficult for anybody to catch up with the great batsman. Continue Reading

Mitchell Johnson capped a tumultuous year by becoming the sixth winner of the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, after being named as the ICC World Player of the Year at cricket’s annual awards ceremony in Johannesburg. Johnson, who shot to prominence during Australia’s memorable series win in South Africa in February and March, claimed the title ahead of his fellow nominees, Gautam Gambhir, Andrew Strauss and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Johnson was a surprise choice for the title, not least because of the massive and very public crisis of confidence he suffered during Australia’s Ashes defeat in England, particularly in the pivotal second Test at Lord’s which England went on to win after Johnson’s first-day figures of 2 for 107 in 19 overs. But when he got his game right he was nigh on unplayable, as his sensational performances against South Africa demonstrated. With 80 wickets in 17 matches, he was the most prolific strike bowler of the year, and he also recorded his maiden Test century and an unbeaten 96 against South Africa.

“I’m really blown away,” said Johnson. “I am just surprised to be up here. It has been a great 12 months for our side. We have lost some wonderful players in recent years and we have been rebuilding with some young guys in the team and we have played together well.”

India’s star opener, Gambhir, was named as Test Player of the Year, after an impressive haul of 1269 runs at 84.60 in the eight Tests during the qualification period. “It’s been a dream run for me. I never thought it could be like this but life has changed for me and I am very happy,” said Gambhir. “As a unit we have played very well and I am just glad to contribute to the overall success of the team.” Continue Reading

Pak team celebrates World T20 truimph

An eight-wicket win over an off-colour Sri Lanka in the World T20 final at Lord’s provided Pakistan, the team and the country, a reason to smile. The win will also have helped erase the nightmares of the last final where they lost a tight game to India.

Unpredictability has always been one of Pakistan’s biggest banes, and not too many were convinced of their ability to repeat the cricket they played in their semifinal win over South Africa. But skipper Younis Khan had said on match eve, this tournament meant ‘everything’ to his players and everyone would be up for it.

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Saina exults after winning Indonesian Open

Ace woman shuttler Saina Nehwal on Sunday scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament after she clinched the Indonesian Open title with a stunning victory over higher ranked Chinese Lin Wang in Jakarta.  Saina clinched her maiden Super Series title beating Wang 12-21, 21-18, 21-9 in an edge-of-the-seat thriller that lasted 49 minutes.

Her triumph is the best ever performance by any Indian woman and at par with All England Championship titles won by Prakash Padukone and her current coach Pullela Gopichand. Continue Reading

A celebration short-lived

The champions bite the dust. A three-run loss at Lord’s to England on Sunday sealed India’s fate in the World T20 and made sure that there will be new T20 world champions come June 21. Chasing 154, the overconfident Indians ended their innings and defence of the title on 150/5.

Chasing on a wicket that was helping the fast bowlers, the well-documented shortcomings against the rising ball were exposed by an England attack that showed intent. The West Indies’ pacers had shown on Friday just how extra pace and bounce can trouble this much-vaunted Indian line-up, and that seemed to be the English gameplan on Sunday.

Opting for the extra pacer in Ryan Sidebottom, Paul Collinwood’s team did exceedingly well in containing, and removing the Indian batsmen. Continue Reading

Kallis take a catch to dismiss Broom. SA beat Kiwis by 1 run

T20 cricket lived up to its unpredictable character at Lords on Tuesday, as South Africa pulled off a dramatic one-run win over New Zealand. It was Roelof van der Merwe’s tight spell (2/14) that engineered a late South African comeback, as he picked up the crucial wickets of Ross Taylor (22 off 31) and Brendon McCullum (57 off 54). Needing 15 off the last over, the Kiwis could only end up with 127/5.

Until about the 15th over, the Kiwis were in cruise control. However, when Taylor was dismissed playing a rash stroke, New Zealand lost the momentum, bringing to an end a well-constructed 50-run partnership. McCullum followed Taylor back, stumped off van der Merwe. And then, things just got tougher for the Kiwis.  Needing around 10 an over from then on till the end, they felt the heat, before eventually falling short by one run. It was McCullum’s wicket that turned the match for South Africa, as the Kiwi skipper was on course to take his side home. Continue Reading

India started the World T20 with a 25-run over Bangladesh, but for a quite a long time during the Bangladesh innings, their players looked a little ill at ease. The Bangladesh pair of Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique had started the chase of 181 with real intent and purpose. The left-arm opening duo of Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan were being hit far and wide, with Siddique playing the lead. Despite losing both Iqbal (15) and skipper Ashraful (11) in the pursuit of quick runs, Bangladesh were making a real good fight of it, racing to 74 in just the ninth over. With the game poised to go either way, MS Dhoni decided to bring on Pragyan Ojha. And then, it all went right for India. The Hyderabad spinner picked up two wickets in his first over, including that of Siddique for 41 off 22 balls.

Bangladesh disintegrated from 74/2 to 77/4 within 5 balls and India were looking good for the win. Ojha ended up with figures with 4/21 in his quota of four overs and looks good for quite a few more in the tournament. Bangladesh, though, did not give up the ghost without a fight. Everyone gave the ball a real whack, with some of them clearing the fence, and the others falling short. Continue Reading