Vettori firm on quitting captaincy after World Cup

Wellington, Dec 27 (IANS) New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori Monday reaffirmed that he would step down from the post after the 2011 cricket World Cup.
Vettori, who has opted out of the ongoing T20 Internationals against Pakistan for resting his back, said he would stand by his decision irrespective of the team's performance in the tournament co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

'I still stand by those words of finishing up after the World Cup,' Vettori was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.

'I understand things can change and there may be a chance for that, but at this point I will finish after the cup.'

New Zealand have been struggling for form and most recently had disastrous tours of India and Bangladesh. The slump in form also led to John Wright taking over as the coach from Mark Greatbatch last Monday.

Vettori and team mate Ross Taylor were all praise for the new coach.

'His real skills are getting around players and making them feel confident,' Vettori said.

'After that many losses (11 straight ODI defeats) guys tend to question their game, but he is a positive guy and that will rub off on the players.'

Taylor talked about Wright's ethos.

'That is the first thing he has instilled in us,' Taylor said.

'Every time he talks, it is that if we play as a collective we give ourselves the best chance. He is trying to get everyone to trust himself.'

Sehwag ruled out of ODI series in S Africa

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India opener Virender Sehwag will skip the one-day international series against South Africa because of a troublesome shoulder, his country's cricket board (BCCI) said on Thursday.
"Virender Sehwag has been advised to withdraw from the ODI series against South Africa to tend to his shoulder. Rohit Sharma will replace him in the squad," BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.
However, Sehwag is expected to play in the third and final match of the test series which is currently tied at 1-1 after India won in Durban on Wednesday.
Test opener Murali Vijay has been asked to stay on in South Africa as Sharma is a middle-order batsman and Sehwag's absence leaves India with just two specialist openers -- Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar.
Sehwag missed the Twenty20 World Cup with shoulder problems earlier this year and the cricket board's decision to rest him is perceived as a precautionary step ahead of the ODI World Cup starting on Feb. 19.
Following the final test starting in Cape Town on Sunday, India take on South Africa in the first of the five one-day internationals on Jan. 12 at Durban.

All-round Razzaq flattens New Zealand

Abdul Razzaq pummeled an 11-ball 34 to propel Pakistan to 183, before returning to flatten the New Zealand top order with the new ball, as the visitors stormed to a 103-run victory in the third Twenty20 in Christchurch. Razzaq capitalised on some inexperienced death bowling from Adam Milne to hammer 31 from the last nine deliveries of the innings, and picked up three wickets for 13 as New Zealand imploded dramatically, effectively surrendering the game within the first three overs of their chase.

The chase was derailed almost before it had begun as the top four batsmen all collected ducks. Martin Guptill began the catastrophic collapse when he edged Razzaq to point, pushing away from his body with hard hands to one that nipped away a touch. Jesse Ryder turned in his third failure of the series in the following over when he top edged a pull, and Dean Brownlie's decision to sneak a quick single to get off the mark backfired when Shahid Afridi effected a rare Pakistani direct hit. Ross Taylor was unfortunate to be adjudged lbw to one that struck him slightly above the knee roll, but didn't do himself any favours by playing all around the straight delivery. Three overs into the innings, New Zealand had lost four wickets for three runs, and when James Franklin lost his head, and his middle stump, two overs later, there was only one direction the match was heading. New Zealand had made 11 runs for the loss of five wickets from their first five overs. Pakistan were 51 for no loss at the same stage.

Styris resisted bravely, throwing his bat to collect a couple of boundaries over cover in Razzaq's last over, and even swatting a six over midwicket to give the Christchurch crowd something to cheer about, but with the required run-rate tipping 15, and wickets falling regularly at the other end, there was little he could do. Peter McGlashan dragged Abdur Rehman onto the stumps attempting to reverse sweep and Nathan McCullum didn't hang around long, succumbing to Shahid Afridi's straighter one. Styris eventually fell for 45, and Afridi wasted little time cleaning up the tail - an 134 kph arm ball to dismiss Tim Southee first ball being the highlight of his spell. Styris aside, none of the other New Zealand batsmen managed double figures. They made 28 collectively. 

Pakistan's impressive total was set up by an explosive opening partnership between Ahmad Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez, who blasted 81 in 8.4 overs to set pulses racing at the AMI stadium. Shehzad in particular, was quick to punish anything on a length, peppering the midwicket boundary repeatedly, while also driving through the covers when the ball was pitched up. Hafeez too got into the action scooping Mills over the shoulder for four, before unfurling a wristy swat that sent the ball sailing over deep square-leg a few overs later.

The introduction of slow bowling into the attack did the trick for New Zealand though, as both openers perished attempting to maintain the frenetic scoring rate, and three more wickets followed soon after. Younis Khan was run out, attempting a suicidal single, Asad Shafiq was caught on the boundary after having used up 15 deliveries for his 8 and Shahid Afridi departed for a quickfire 14.

Umar Akmal kept Pakistan ticking with some intelligent hitting, but it was Abdul Razzaq who boosted the visitors' total and swung the momentum decidedly Pakistan's way with a brutal display of power hitting. Razzaq swung in the V, launching Tim Southee twice over midwicket before taking on Milne in the last over. Razzaq smoked the short deliveries over cover, and sent the fuller ones racing along the ground to the boundary, and 19 runs came off the last five deliveries, despite Milne's best efforts to vary the pace and find the blockhole.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16 - 20 overs NB/Wides Pakistan 44 22 6 64/0 66/2 0/3 New Zealand 59 9 1 17/5 1/1 (15.1 - 15.5) 2/2

Clarke replaces Ponting as Test captain

Michael Clarke is Australia's 43rd Test captain after succeeding the injured Ricky Ponting for Monday's fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. Clarke, who has been the deputy since 2008, takes the coveted job at a time when the team is at its nadir and the 29-year-old is in a severe batting rut.

Ponting's broken left pinky not only means he may never add to his 152 Tests, but it accelerates the transition to Clarke during a summer in which his performances have indicated he is not ready for the role. He now has no choice after his appointment - and the elevation of Brad Haddin to vice-captain - was approved in a unanimous decision by Cricket Australia's board on Thursday afternoon.

"Obviously I'm honoured, it's for this Test match and hopefully we can get Punter right as soon as possible and get him back into whichever team," Clarke said at the SCG. "The sooner we can get him back into the one dayers, the better for us."

Clarke is in charge of a 12-man squad as it attempts to draw the series with England, who retained the Ashes with their innings victory in Melbourne on Wednesday. Usman Khawaja has been included to make his debut at No. 3 while Doug Bollinger was recalled to replace Ryan Harris, who suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle at the MCG.

But the major focus is on how Clarke will deal with his switch from energetic lieutenant to the man who has to juggle his own game with all the extra commitments required to run a team. He has led Australia in 18 ODIs and another 18 Twenty20s and has usually enjoyed giving the captaincy back to Ponting.

In his dream Clarke would have taken the job in peak form, but he has experienced a poor campaign against England with 148 runs at 21.14 and only one half-century. Even that came with criticism after he tweeted an apology for not walking when he was dismissed late on the penultimate day in Adelaide.

"I make no bones about it, my form has not been good enough throughout this series," he said. "I've had a couple of innings where I've felt really good but I need to get out here and make sure I get some runs on the board, and that's my focus right now. I've had the chance to captain Australia in the Twenty20 form and a handful of one-dayers as well, and I don't think it's hurt my performance. Hopefully that's the same this week."

Clarke is a modern cricketer and his metrosexual tendencies and A-list activities have created lingering questions over his suitability for the leadership. His on-field moves will now be analysed intently as he hopes for a way out of such a dire period for Australia.

Ponting's fractured finger deteriorated during the fourth Test that finished with him failing to win the Ashes for a record third time. If the urn was still up for grabs he would have pushed to play but gave into medical advice.

"I'm devastated to tell you the truth, it was the news I was dreading," Ponting said after landing in Sydney. "During the game I didn't think I'd done too much more to it." When asked if he was considering retirement he said: "I'm not thinking about it at all."

Ponting, who scored only 113 runs in the first four games, could face surgery on his finger, but is expected to be fit to guide Australia in their push to win a fourth consecutive World Cup. He had an x-ray on the final day of the Melbourne defeat and it showed the fracture had moved during the match.

"What I need right at the moment is just as much time as I possibly can to let it heal and make sure that I'm 100% right for the start of the World Cup," he said. "That's really how the decision was made, so I've just got to do everything in my power over the next little bit to look after it as well as I can."

He will see a specialist again over the next day to decide on the best way forward. "Hopefully he will commence training in the later part of the Australian summer," Alex Kountouris, the team's physiotherapist, said. "He is expected to be fully fit for the World Cup."

Ponting's Test future is less clear as Australia's next five-day engagement is currently scheduled for Sri Lanka in August, although there is a talk of a series against Bangladesh after the World Cup. He is already 36 and Australia have realised during their poor Ashes performance that they have to start rebuilding through young players.

India vs South Africa - TEST; INDIA won by 87 runs

A defiant Ashwell Prince stood in the way of India's charge for their second Test win in South Africa. In front of a disappointingly thin crowd at Kingsmead, the venue where India suffered one of their worst-ever Test defeats in 1996, their bowlers rarely bowled a bad delivery on the fourth morning, to put their side in sight of victory. A Sreesanth snorter to Jacques Kallis started South Africa's slide, before two lbws - one a marginal decision and the other a howler - that are sure to refuel the UDRS debate, hurt them further. India are firmly in charge at lunch, but teams have fought back from seemingly hopeless situations before in this Test.

If the match has to-and-fro-ed over the week, so has Sreesanth's bowling form. The wayward, antic-loving Sreesanth was missing on the fourth morning, as he sent down an accurate spell of sustained hostility. The highlight was in the seventh over of the day - an utterly unplayable bouncer which reared up sharply and jagged in to Kallis, who had no way to avoid it, arched his back in an attempt to get out of the way, but could only glove it to gully. It was the snorter that was needed to remove the kingpin of South Africa's batting.

That wicket put India slightly ahead, and there was no doubt who were front-runners after AB de Villiers decided to not offer a shot to a Harbhajan Singh delivery from round the wicket. He was struck in front of middle and looked lbw and the umpire agreed, though Hawk-Eye suggested the ball would have bounced over the stumps.

Over a decade in international cricket, Mark Boucher has built his reputation as a scrapper, and with Prince also around, it wasn't yet lights out for South Africa. Boucher, though, made only one before he was given lbw to a delivery that was angling across him and going to comfortably miss off stump.

South Africa had lost three wickets, and there was still no boundary in the morning, a testament to the scarcity of bad deliveries. When the first four did come, from Dale Steyn, it was an edge to third man. Steyn had pinged Zaheer Khan on the helmet with a quick bouncer on Tuesday, and the Indian responded with a string of short balls to the South African spearhead. After three of those, Zaheer slipped in a fuller delivery, which Steyn duly nicked to slip.

At 155 for 7, with lunch still 45 minutes away, the game looked set for a quick finish. Prince and Paul Harris, however, resisted with some dour batting, in addition to a couple of confident boundaries from Prince. They batted out the 10 overs to the break, to leave South Africa 121 adrift of an improbable win.

Laxman sets South Africa 303 to win

India have been bowled out for 228 in their second innings which means, the target for South Africa is 303 runs.VVS Laxman produced his seemingly customary second-innings gem to defy South Africa's bowlers on a Kingsmead pitch that was still spicy, and pushed India to a position of strength. On another see-saw day, India finished the morning session well on top but South Africa hit back after lunch, needing only 10 overs to nip out the final three wickets and limit the lead from ballooning too far beyond 300. Laxman had earlier strung together the two biggest partnerships of the match, first with MS Dhoni and then with Zaheer Khan, to set South Africa the stiff challenge of chasing 303.

This healthy a lead looked unlikely when a steepler from Morne Morkel had Cheteshwar Pujara playing on in the second over of the day. Both Morkel and Dale Steyn were getting late swing, and with the odd delivery rearing up, life was hard for Laxman and Dhoni. There were several air-drives and edged boundaries past and over the slips. To South Africa's dismay, the pair didn't just survive, but scored quickly as well, with a bunch of fours from Dhoni helping raise 41 in seven overs.

Steyn was seen off, the partnership grew and a classic Laxman backfoot-drive past point, off Morkel, soothed Indian nerves, but once again Lonwabo Tsotsobe produced the breakthrough. He had Dhoni poking at a delivery angling across, feathering an edge to Mark Boucher. Harbhajan Singh fell three overs later, rooted in the crease as he prodded at a Morkel delivery, and edged to the safe hands of Jacques Kallis at second slip.

The lead was 212, and South Africa sensed a quick end to the innings, but Zaheer and Laxman tilted the game towards India with a 70-run stand. A long partnership didn't look likely given the way Zaheer started his innings: looking to swipe nearly every delivery out of the ground, and rarely managing to connect. Laxman was his calm self at the other end, working the singles around and becoming the first player to make a half-century in the game.

Laxman was much more in control in the second half of the session, looking for the gaps and not worrying too much about Zaheer's impetuous strokes. With Kallis and Paul Harris bowling, the pressure was also reduced, and the runs started to flow. South Africa's frustration grew as Laxman cracked Harris past backward point for four, and another century beckoned for Laxman.

Zaheer also played his part. He had sparked India to life with the ball on Monday, and his aggression with the bat paid off today. He didn't mind the swing-and-misses, or the umpteen lbw appeals - including a dead-plumb one off Steyn that was turned down - and kept going for his shots. The session ended with India in charge, emphasised by a couple of powerful boundaries from Zaheer off the last two deliveries before the break.

South Africa will be buoyed by their performance after lunch, though, as their bowlers nipped out the remaining wickets for the addition of only 10 runs. Zaheer joined the long list of batsman that gave the slips catching practice in this Test, Ishant fended a bouncer to short leg and Laxman, looking for the big hits with the last man around, edged Steyn to Mark Boucher to fall short of what would have been a sixth second-innings hundred.

Inspired India take lead on dramatic day

An hour into the day's play at a sunny Kingsmead it seemed the series was dead and buried as India's tail wilted in the face of some relentless quick bowling, but it soon come roaring back to life as the returning Zaheer Khan inspired a barely believable turnaround. There was also a fortuitous Jacques Kallis run-out, an unplayable legcutter from Sreesanth, and some outstanding catches - including No. 200 for Rahul Dravid - all of which led to India taking a priceless 74-run first-innings lead.

On the first day, the track had plenty of juice in it, making life difficult for India's batting line-up, but with the sun shining on the second day, the batsmen were expecting an easier time - only for 14 wickets to fall for 153 runs. Most Indian fans would associate Durban with the infamous drubbing dished out in 1996, when India were bowled out for 100 and 66 in their two innings, but it hasn't been the best ground for South Africa either in recent times: they made 138 against Australia in 2008-09, and 133 against England last year, and this time fared even worse, folding for 131.

Things were going to plan for South Africa till ten minutes before lunch, by when they had moved to 67 for 2 with their middle-order bulwarks, Hashim Amla and Kallis, building a partnership. Amla punched a ball back towards Ishant Sharma, who half-fielded it and unintentionally parried it back onto the stumps at the non-striker's end, catching a diving Kallis out of his ground. Worse followed for South Africa, when de Villiers was dismissed by a ripper from a hitherto off-colour Sreesanth, bouncing sharply and cutting away to surprise the batsman, who thumbed it to the keeper.

Still, there was no need to panic as Amla continued to be in supreme form. His back-foot drives were the stand-out shots in a calming innings for the South African fans, but he missed an offbreak from Harbhajan Singh to be struck in front of middle and out lbw for 33. Like most other batsmen in the match, he too failed to convert his start; this was only the seventh time since 1935 that no batsman from either team has made a half-century in the first innings.

The last specialist batsman, Ashwell Prince, was troubled by Zaheer's movement right through his innings. He made an edge-filled 13 before finally falling to Zaheer; the ball cannoned onto the stumps as he attempted a footwork-free drive.

It continued the outstanding work Zaheer had done with the new ball, that too with little support from a wayward Sreesanth. If India were demoralised by their limp batting, Zaheer showed no signs of it. He was accurate, relentlessly attacking the stumps, extracting movement and frequently mouthing off at the batsmen. He was rewarded with the wicket of Graeme Smith - for the 10th time in Tests - as a leaden-footed prod ended in MS Dhoni's gloves. Then, a confident Alviro Petersen walked across the stumps to a Zaheer delivery, attempting to work the ball to the leg side, but had the misfortune of seeing his bails dislodged as the ball was dragged back from his pads.

A lead for India didn't look on the cards in the morning, when Steyn and Morkel ripped out the four remaining wickets in under 10 overs. Steyn completed his 15th five-wicket haul, and Morkel pitched it up to hassle the tail-enders. There was a brief counterattack from MS Dhoni, hammering Steyn over long-off for six after top-edging a four over the keeper. He soon holed out to sweeper cover before Sreesanth picked up a golden duck when an attempted mow traveled only as far as the wicketkeeper.

Bowler-friendly conditions will help India, says Dhoni

DURBAN (Reuters) - Bowler-friendly conditions in Durban will help India in the second test against South Africa starting on Sunday, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Saturday.
India are coming off an innings defeat in the first test at Centurion but Dhoni said that the cloudy, humid conditions and green wicket would help his team take the 20 wickets they need to level the three-test series.
"In the last game we were not even able to take 10 wickets, which is always a worry if you want to win a test match," Dhoni told a news conference in Durban.
"Here it looks as if the bowlers will have the upper hand, which means we will look to strike with the ball. The weather forecast suggests it will be quite cloudy during the match and the stats say that whenever it's cloudy in Durban the ball does a bit."
India have been boosted by the return to fitness of fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who has taken 261 wickets in 76 tests.
"Zaheer Khan will be back in the side, which is a big bonus for us. We know that our bowlers have the talent, they just need to execute our plans well and be patient," he added.
A loss in Durban would see South Africa win the series but Dhoni said that did not place any extra pressure on his team.
"When you are the number one side in the world every game is important, irrespective of where you stand in a series," he said.
"We don't place any extra emphasis on an individual match because if you do that you just create extra pressure for yourself."

Hand injury puts Gambhir in doubt

Gautam Gambhir is not a sure starter for the crucial Boxing Day Test in Durban. He was hit around the knuckles of his left hand in the first Test, and it has swollen a bit. He had batted in the nets all three days of India's training leading into the Test. What is a concerning bit of news for India, though, is that the swelling seems to have grown on the match eve, and Gambhir spent a long time in the nets sitting on an ice box, with an icepack on his left hand.

If Gambhir doesn't make it, M Vijay will be his natural replacement. Looking at the contingency, India chose to give Vijay a long hit in the nets on the eve of the match. Vijay has done well in the past as a back-up opener, even when he has been called up on short notice. His last effort as replacement opener was 139 against Australia in Bangalore, which contributed to India's 2-0 series win. For somebody who always gets called up on short notice, Vijay has a healthy average of 42.41 in eight Tests. If he gets picked, though, this will be Vijay's biggest Test, on a green, rock-solid pitch, with overhead conditions likely to contribute to swing and seam movement.

India trail 1-0, and South Africa are looking to close out this series before they enter the next year.

Kirsten expects bowling to bounce back

Gary Kirsten has said he trusts his bowling unit, bolstered by the return of a fit and eager Zaheer Khan, to prove the critics wrong. Responding to former South African cricketers' comments on the weak bowling unit and lack of pace, Kirsten said, "Bottom line is, we need to get 20 Test wickets. I think we have shown in the last three years that we have the ability to get 20 Test wickets in any conditions. It's up to us to prove to every one that we can do that here. It's up to us to prove to ourselves too that we can do that. Obviously nice to have Zaheer back. We look forward to whatever conditions are given to us, and we have the quality in our bowling line-up as well."

Going by the first looks, the conditions should assist the bowlers. Kirsten didn't go to the rock-hard and green Kingsmead pitch, but observed from the change room. "Looks a similar colour to the outfield," he said. "Let's see what comes up in two days' time."

If there is rain in the lead-up to the Test, as the groundstaff fear, the pitch will retain a lot of moisture, potentially creating a situation where batting first might be as difficult as it was in Centurion. Kirsten said the batsmen would need to be prepared for such a challenge, applying themselves better.

"We were well prepared for the last Test," he said. "It was a tough wicket to bat on on the first day. We probably let ourselves down a bit. We have got to assess the situation and get the best we can get out of the surface as a batting unit. I felt we were 100 runs short in the last Test, and we have got to apply ourselves. The preparation has been very good. The guys are working as hard as they have ever worked. I am happy from that point of view. At the end of the day they have to get on the field and make a play. The players are determined, they are really motivated to do well. They are going to give it their best shot, that's what we can ask of the players."

Kirsten spoke of the importance of putting up scores close to 400 in the first innings. "We know that if one of our top six is getting a decent score, a big hundred, we are going to get a score in excess of 400," he said. "The guy that's in, and it could be anyone, and can get in and bat for a decent amount of time, that will allow us to get to scores of 400. We know that in Test cricket if you are not around about that mark in the first innings, you are going to put yourself under pressure."

The Indian team returned to training on Thursday, after a two-day break following the first Test. MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina decided to stay off the optional training session at the Kingsmead. Raina is under pressure to keep his place in the side after a twin failure in the first side, but Kirsten said no decision has been made regarding the No. 6 spot.

ICC calls on supporters to vote for greatest ODI matches and players

To mark the 40th anniversary of One-Day International (ODI) cricket, the ICC's official website is asking supporters from across the globe to select their choice of the greatest ODI match and team of all-time.
Voting on www.icc-cricket.com is now open asking supporters to select a dream team from a shortlist of 48 players and pick their favourite game from a choice of 10 memorable matches.
Supporters will have until midnight Dubai time (GMT+4) on 2 January 2011 to make their selections, with the fans' choices set to be announced on 5 January 2011 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first-ever ODI match between Australia and England.
While fans have the chance to vote using the nominations suggested by the ICC on www.icc-cricket.com, the ICC is also requesting supporters to send in their dream teams and favourite matches via www.facebook/cricketicc or www.twitter.com/cricketicc.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 now less than two months away, excitement and interest in the one-day format of the game will certainly intensify. We know that fans will enjoy having the chance to remember some of the great games and great players that have played in ODI cricket during the past 40 years."
The list of players and matches that fans are being asked to vote on at www.icc-cricket.com is listed below.
Cricket Australia will also mark the 40th anniversary of ODI cricket with a number of events, including a cocktail reception with members of Australia's first ODI team at Victoria's Government House, during Melbourne's Cricket Weekend - which also includes a Twenty20 International - from 14-16 January.
The Australian ODI team from 1971 will also be presented to the crowd during the innings break of the first ODI match of the series between Australia and England at the MCG on Sunday 16 January.
Greatest ODI team of all time
Opening batsmen (2) - Saeed Anwar, Sourav Ganguly, Gordon Greenidge, Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn Turner
Middle-order batsmen (3) - Michael Bevan, Martin Crowe, Aravinda de Silva, Inzamam-ul Haq, Brian Lara, Javed Miandad, Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards
All-rounder (1) - Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Andrew Flintoff, Richard Hadlee, Jacques Kallis, Imran Khan, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock
Wicket-keeper (1) - Mark Boucher, MS Dhoni, Andy Flower Adam Gilchrist, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Moin Khan, Alec Stewart, Kumar Sangakkara
Fast bowlers (3) - Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, Waqar Younis
Spinner (1) - Shahid Afridi, Carl Hooper, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralidaran, Saqlain Mushtaq, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Warne, Daniel Vettori

Greatest ODI match of all-time

- West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs at Lord's, 21 June 1975
- India beat West Indies by 43 runs at Lord's, 25 June 1983
- Pakistan beat India won by one-wicket at Sharjah, 18 April 1986
- England won by three wickets against Australia at Sydney, 22 January 1987
- Australia won by one-wicket against West Indies at Sydney, 12 January 1996
- Australia tied with South Africa at Edgbaston, 17 June 1999
- Pakistan tied with Sri Lanka, at Sharjah, 15 October 1999
- India beat Pakistan by five runs at Karachi, 13 March 2004
- Bangladesh beat Australia by five wickets at Cardiff, 18 June 2005
- South Africa beat Australia by one-wicket at Johannesburg, 12 March 2006

England playing better than Australia: Bell

Melbourne: Australia may have momentum from their big Perth Test win but England are playing better cricket going into the fourth Ashes Test, England batsman Ian Bell said on Thursday.
Australia's stunning reversal of form to win last week's third Test by 267 runs and level the five-match series at one-all has given Ricky Ponting's men a massive confidence boost.
"Certainly, they have got some momentum going into it (the fourth Test)," Bell said on Thursday.
"They played some fantastic cricket at the WACA. (But) out of the three Test matches I'd say we've been playing the better cricket. We're going to have to start the Test match well," he said. "We don't want Australia winning the first hour or that first session. It'd be great for us to be able to come out and win that first session, whether we're batting or bowling, and try and take (back) a bit of that momentum."
Bell, 28, is second in England's batting averages for the series with 213 runs at 71.00, trailing opener Alastair Cook's tally of 495 at 123.75.
His sparkling form, including top-scoring with 53 in England's first-innings total of 187 in Perth, has prompted calls for Bell to be promoted to number five ahead of Paul Collingwood.
Collingwood is averaging 15.50 in the series and looked out of sorts in Perth, making 5 and 11. "It's always nice to get moved up the order," Bell said, but the 60-Test veteran added he has not spoken with team management about a promotion. Whether I move up the order doesn't really matter as long as we're winning the next two Test matches," he said.
"That's the most important thing to me, contributing to this team winning the Ashes. It's probably one of the most exciting Test matches we're going into. Playing in Melbourne is something you look forward to, a Boxing Day Test match is always special."
Bell, who averaged just 25.68 in 13 previous Ashes Tests before the current series, feels he has improved significantly in the past 18 months. However, a century in an Ashes Test eludes him.
"I'm desperate for an Ashes hundred, there's no doubt about that. I'm hoping with the way I'm playing there's one around the corner," he said.

Tendulkar used scruffy old bat to reach record

New Delhi: Indian cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar scored his record 50th Test century this week using a damaged and patched-up "lucky charm" bat which has now scored 14 hundreds, a report said on Thursday.
Tendulkar's favourite piece of willow showed plenty of war wounds caused by hours of hard-hitting at the crease, with tape across its toe (bottom) and shoulder.
But its effectiveness was in no doubt as he scored an unbeaten 111 against South Africa in Centurion to notch up his 50th Test century -- sparking national jubilation and a message of congratulations from the prime minister.
Somi Kohli, the owner of Beat All Sports which makes Vampire bats, said that he had insisted on repairing the bat after seeing Tendulkar trying to do the job himself earlier this year.
"Sachin's knowledge about bats is phenomenal but I told him that just like doctors are specialists, a willow also needs to be looked after by bat doctors," he said.
"Even though Sachin was reluctant, I took the bat away from him. The edges were repaired and we did a bit of grafting and protected the toe too. Sachin couldn't believe how good the bat was when I returned it to him."
Kohli said Tendulkar, the most prolific batsman in history, never uses his special bat during practice but instead saves it for matches.
"I hope he can bat with this willow till the end of the World Cup," Kohli said. "We will repair it again. But I pray he gets a big century in the final of the World Cup with this bat."
The World Cup will be hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh between February and April.

Tendulkar returns to India's One-day squad

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar was on Tuesday named in India's One-day squad for a five-match series in South Africa, ending a self-imposed 10-month lay-off from limited-overs cricket.
Tendulkar, 37, decided to rest from One-Day Internationals after smashing an unprecedented double-century against South Africa in Gwalior on February 24.
He missed 22 one-dayers this year, but a return was imminent for the away series in South Africa to prepare for the World Cup in South Asia in February-April.
Tendulkar, the world's leading run-getter, became the first batsman to score 50 Test hundreds during the opening Test at Centurion on Sunday.
The star batsman was included in a 16-man squad for the limited-overs contests which begin after the three-Test series ends on January 6.
Tendulkar is unlikely to feature in the the lone Twenty20 game in Durban on January 9 because he does not play the shortest form at the international level.
The five One-dayers will be played in Durban (Jan 12), Johannesburg (Jan 15), Cape Town (Jan 18), Port Elizabeth (Jan 21) and Centurion (Jan 23).
India's limited-overs squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

South Africa complete comprehensive victory

South Africa 620 for 4 dec (Kallis 201*, Amla 140, de Villiers 129) beat India 136 (Morkel 5-20, Steyn 3-34) and 459 (Tendulkar 111*, Dhoni 90, Gambhir 80, Steyn 4-105) by an innings and 25 runs

Once the players woke up to clear skies in Centurion, it was only a matter of time before South Africa took the final two wickets that stood between them and a 1-0 lead in the series. The other question was whether they could inflict an innings defeat on India, something they had never done at home. They did, dismissing the tailenders in less than six overs on the fifth day, while Sachin Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 111.

The length of South Africa's wait was going to be determined by Tendulkar's approach, and once he showed no intention of farming the strike, exposing Sreesanth and Jaidev Unadkat by taking singles, the home team knew Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn wouldn't make them field for too long.

Sreesanth prodded forward to a short of a length delivery outside off from Morkel, and AB de Villiers caught the thick edge comfortably at second slip. Unadkat faced 10 out of the 14 balls following Sreesanth's dismissal and the Test ended when he fended a short ball from Steyn to gully.

Indian media hails Tendulkar's 50th test century

Sachin Tendulkar's 50th test century was greeted with front-page newspaper headlines Monday heralding the landmark by the master batsman.

News channels and websites started celebrating Tendulkar's half-century of centuries on Sunday when the legendary batsman reached the three-figure mark _ 107 not out _ in the first test against South Africa at Centurion.

They continued to highlight the achievement on Monday and invited fans to send in their messages for Tendulkar.

Newspapers gave liberal column space to the star player, who is fondly called the "God of cricket" here by media and fans alike, after he became the first man to complete 50 test centuries.

"Don of a new era" said the country's largest-selling English newspaper The Times of India, which carried a photograph of Tendulkar with hands raised on reaching the mark, and also carried statistical highlights alongside its main story.

"Legend, 50 times over," said the Hindustan Times in a similar page-one article while The Indian Express carried a boxed piece on its front page with the headline "Sachin cricket enters 51st century."

Newspapers also carried pictures from the past on their sports pages, highlighting his various career achievements, milestones and memorable moments.

Former India cricketers praised Tendulkar, whose 50th ton had been anticipated in a recent three-test home series against New Zealand, but finally came in an away match that saw the famed Indian batting lineup struggle.

"Indeed, coming generations will pinch themselves in disbelief that a cricketer such as Sachin Tendulkar ever walked in flesh and blood on this earth," wrote former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri in his column in Hindustan Times.

"The master kept appointment with his 50th test century in a situation most dire for the visitors," he added.

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar called 50 test hundreds a "mind-boggling number" in his column in The Times of India.

"It's a number that will put even people who played test cricket in a bit of a daze. Imagine the effect on the poor cricket fan!" he wrote.

Tendulkar helped India reach 454-8 in its second innings Sunday when play was halted 50 minutes early because of strong winds at the SuperSport Park ground. It left the visiting team 30 runs short of South Africa's first-innings total of 620-4 declared.

India can win the ICC World Cup: Kapil

Jamshedpur: India's only World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev said with a combination of experience and youth and a little bit of luck, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men could win the 2011 quadrennial event to be hosted jointly by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
"The present Indian team has good track record. The combination of experienced and young players would help the team to win the ICC World Cup," the legendary all-rounder, who led India to its only world title way back in 1983, said during a promotional event.
When apprised that none of the World Cup organising country could win the trophy at home ground till date, Kapil said perhaps, India will break the jinx this time.
"No team can win the World Cup depending on a particular player. A total team effort is required to emerge champion," he said when asked to name one dependable player in the Indian team.
To a query whether India skipper Dhoni could repeat his 1983 feat, he said, "He could achieve much more than me."
Kapil was of the view that all the participating teams are strong contenders and whoever, performs during the mega-event would emerge as the winner.
Asked whether Test cricket would survive in the wake of Twenty20 format's popularity, Kapil said the traditional version of the game will never die.
About local lad Saurav Tiwary, who has been named in 30-men ICC World Cup probables list, he said: "If he could perform, he will get a chance and prosper like Dhoni."

Pakistan underlines its focus on arrival in New Zealand

The Pakistan cricket team arrived in New Zealand on Sunday determined to focus on the game and reluctant to talk about the corruption accusations swirling around the team.
Pakistan will play three Twenty20 matches followed by a Test and One-Day International series against New Zealand over the next seven weeks in a final build-up to the ICC Cricket World Cup starting in India on 19 February.
Team manager Intikhab Alam said the players on the New Zealand tour had been made aware of the standards expected of them.
"Everybody's been briefed, everybody's very clear in their minds what is expected from management, what is expected from the players as well. I have no doubt in my mind we cannot afford any more such unfortunate incidents," he said.
"They understand what we expect from them, what the country expects from them, what the board expects from them."
Pakistan arrived on the back of drawing two Tests and narrowly losing a one-day series 2-3 against South Africa while New Zealand are in one of their worst-ever slumps, having lost their last 11 one-day matches -- four against Bangladesh and five against India.
"South Africa's probably one of the best teams at the moment, so it was a morale booster after all that we went through," coach Waqar Younis said.
Younis said that given New Zealand's recent record, Pakistani supporters would expect his side to do well although he expected New Zealand to be much tougher at home than they were were on the sub-continent.
"It's always been a tough time for them on the subcontinent and this time they didn't really play the best of their cricket," he said.
"This is an opportunity for us also but we don't really want to forget that New Zealand in their own country, they are a very fine side. We've got to make sure we do the basics right and try to win the maximum we can."
Pakistan plays the first of the three Twenty20 matches against New Zealand in Auckland on 26 December before playing two Tests and six One-dayers.

Obanda leads Kenya XI to series win over Uganda XI

Alex Obanda stroked a 111-ball 100 to help Kenya XI register a comprehensive 94-run win over the visiting Uganda XI in the second One-dayer at Mombasa on Friday, 17 December.
With this win, Kenya XI claimed the three-match series 2-0. The last game is to be played on Sunday, 19 December. The three-match series is part of a build-up programme to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 for Kenya XI.
Batting first Kenya XI was well served by a 158-run opening stand between David Obuya (74: 97b, 10x4) and Obanda (11x4, 2x6). Later, Collins Obuya scored an unbeaten 56-ball 71 with five boundaries and three sixes. Kenya XI ended at 304 for four in its 50 overs. For Uganda XI, Charles Waiswa picked up 3-62 off eight overs.
Uganda XI's chase never really took off as it lost wickets at regular intervals. Hiren Varaiya picked up 3-41 and skipper Jimmy Kamande ended with figures of 3-31. Opener Arthur Kyobe top-scored with 57 off 51 balls. Uganda XI folded up for 210.

இந்திய முக்கிய அரசியல்வாதிகளைப் படுகொலை செய்யும் திட்டம் எம்மிடமில்லை: புலிகள் மறுப்பு

இந்தியாவின் முக்கிய அரசியல்வாதிகளை படுகொலை செய்ய விடுதலைப் புலிகள் திட்டமிட்டுள்ளதாக வெளியான செய்திகளில் எந்தவித உண்மையும் இல்லையென்று விடுதலைப் புலிகள் அமைப்பின் சார்பில் மறுப்புத் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
தமது போராட்டத்தின் நியாயத்தை மழுங்கடிக்கும் நோக்கில் மேற்கொள்ளப்படும் பொய்ப் பரப்புரையே அது என்று அவர்கள் வன்மையாகக் கண்டனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
இது தொடர்பாக விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் தலைமைச் செயலகம் விடுத்துள்ள அறிக்கை வருமாறு:
தலைமைச் செயலகம்,                                                  
தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள்,
தமிழீழம்.
18/12/2010
இந்தியப் பிரதமர் மன்மோகன் சிங் அவர்களையும், இந்திய தேசிய காங்கிரஸ் தலைவர் திருமதி சோனியா காந்தி, உள்துறை அமைச்சர் பா. சிதம்பரம், தமிழக முதலமைச்சர் மு. கருணாநிதி  ஆகியோரையும் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் கொல்லத் திட்டமிட்டுள்ளார்கள் என இந்திய புலனாய்வுத் துறையினரால் எச்சரிக்கை விடப்பட்டுள்ளதாக வரும் செய்திகளை முற்றாக மறுப்பதுடன் வன்மையாகக் கண்டிக்கின்றோம்.
சிங்களப் பேரினவாத அரசு தமிழர் மீது கட்டவிழ்த்து விட்ட காட்டுமிராண்டித்தனமான படுகொலைகளைக் கண்டித்து மனிதநேயமுள்ள நாடுகளும் அமைப்புக்களும் போர்க்குற்றம் தொடர்பான விசாரணைகளை முடுக்கிவிட்டுள்ள இக்காலப் பகுதியில் எமது போராட்டத்தின் நியாயத்தை மழுங்கடிக்கும் நோக்குடன் மேற்கொள்ளப்படும் பொய்ப் பரப்புரையின் ஒருபகுதியாகவே இச்செய்தியை நாம் பார்க்கின்றோம்.
கடந்த ஆண்டு மே மாதம் 17 ஆம் நாளன்று ஆயுதங்களை மெளனிப்பதாக நாம் வெளிப்படையாக அறிவித்திருந்தோம்.
ஜனநாயக வழியிலான மக்கள் எழுச்சியின் பலனாக எமது போராட்டத்துக்கு அனைத்துலக ரீதியில் எழுந்துவரும் ஆதரவையும் தமிழ் மக்களது அரசியல் - இராஜதந்திர நகர்வுகளையும் தகர்த்து,  தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் போராட்டம் ஆயுதவழியில் மட்டுமே நாட்டங்கொண்டது என்பதைக் காட்டுவதற்கு சிறிலங்கா அரசு பல சதி நடவடிக்கைகளில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளது என்பதை நாம் நன்கு அறிவோம். 
இத்தீய எண்ணங்கொண்ட சிங்கள அரசின் அணுகுமுறைக்குத் துணைபோகாமலும் அவர்களின் சதிவலைக்குள் வீழ்ந்துவிடாமலும் இருக்க வேண்டுமென்று இந்திய, தமிழ்நாட்டு அரசியல் தலைவர்களையும் மக்களையும் அன்போடு வேண்டி நிற்கின்றோம்.
நன்றி.

“புலிகளின் தாகம் தமிழீழத் தாயகம்”

இராமு.சுபன்,
இணைப்பாளர்,
தலைமைச் செயலகம்,
தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள்,
தமிழீழம்.

இவ்வாறு தகவல்கள் தெறியவந்துளன

India names preliminary World Cup squad

At its meeting in Mumbai, the national selection panel named three wicketkeepers as a back-up for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The squad features all the players who have been part of the ODI mix for the last couple of years.
Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara has also been named alongwith Mumbai's Ajinkya Rahane as the only two uncapped players in the squad.
The final date for submission of squad of XV for CWC 2011 is 19 January.
Squad: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Saurabh Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, Dinesh Karthik, Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Cheteshwar Pujara, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar.

இந்திய மத்திய உளவுத்துறையின் செய்தியும்! உறுத்தும் கேள்விகளும்!

இந்தியப் பிரதமர் மன்மோகன் சிங், உள்துறை அமைச்சர் ப.சிதம்பரம், தமிழக முதல்வர் கருணாநிதி ஆகிய முக்கியத் தலைவர்களை டிசம்பர் 20ம் தேதிக்குள் தீர்த்துக் கட்டும் திட்டத்துடன் விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தமிழகத்திற்குள் ஊடுருவியுள்ளார்கள்” என்று இந்திய உளவு அமைப்பு அளித்துள்ள எச்சரிக்கையின் அடிப்படையில் தமிழ்நாடு முழுவதும் பாதுகாப்பு..........

.....பலப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளதாக தமிழக காவல்துறை தெரிவித்துள்ளது.
இத்தகவலை தமிழக காவல்துறையின் தலைமை இயக்குனராக இருக்கும் லத்திகா சரண் தெரிவித்ததாக சில ஊடகங்களில் செய்தி வெளியாகியுள்ளது. பிரதமர் உட்பட தமிழ்நாட்டிற்கு வரும் முக்கியத் தலைவர்களைத் தாக்க திட்டமிடப்பட்டுள்ளதாக மத்திய உளவுத்துறை தங்களுக்கு எச்சரிக்கை செய்துள்ளதாகவும், “அந்த தகவல் உண்மையானது தானா? என்பதையறிய தமிழக காவல்துறையின் உளவு‌ப் பிரிவு முடுக்கிவிடப்பட்டுள்ளது” என்றும் லத்திகா சரண் கூறியதாக தமிழ் நாளேடுகளில் செய்திகள் வந்துள்ளன.
இப்படிப்பட்ட செய்திகளின் உண்மைத் தன்மையை எவ்வாறு அறிவது என்று தெரியவில்லை. தமிழ்நாட்டிற்கு வரும் பிரதமரையும், உள்துறை அமைச்சரையும், அவர்களோடு தமிழக முதல்வரையும் தீர்த்துக்கட்டும் திட்டத்துடன் விடுதலைப் புலிகளோ அல்லது வேறு ஏதாவது ஆயுதக் குழுக்களோ தமிழ்நாட்டிற்கு வந்துள்ளது என்றால், அதனை ஏன் வெளி்ப்படையாக அறிவிக்க வேண்டும்? அவர்கள் தமிழ்நாட்டிற்குள் நுழைந்த தகவல் வந்தவுடன், காவல் துறையை மட்டும் எச்சரிக்கை செய்து, அவர்கள் ‘ஒன்றிணைய’ திட்டமிட்டுள்ள இடத்தை சுற்றிவளைத்து அதிரடியாக கைது செய்துவிடலாம் அல்லது தமிழக காவல் துறைக்கே உரித்தான பாணியில் என்கவுண்டர் செய்துவிடலாமே? அதைச் செய்யாமல் இந்தியாவின் உளவு அமைப்பு தமிழக காவல் துறைக்கு அளித்த எச்சரிக்கையை பத்திரிக்கையாளர்களை அழைத்து, பெயரைக் குறிப்பிடாமல், செய்தி கொடுக்க வேண்டிய அவசியம் என்ன என்பது புரியவில்லை!
ஒருவேளை நாட்டின் தலைவர்களுக்கு வந்துள்ள ஆபத்தை மக்களைக் கொண்டு தடுக்க முற்படுகிறதா இந்தியாவின் உளவுத் துறையும், தமிழக காவல்துறையும்? எதற்காக இப்படி ஒரு செய்தியை வெளியிட்டு அச்ச உணர்ச்சியைத் தூண்ட வேண்டும். ஒரு வேளை இப்படி ஒரு செய்தி வெளியிடப்பட்டால், ஒரு திட்டத்துடன் வந்துள்ள அவர்கள், ‘ஓ நமது திட்டம் அரசிற்கு தெரிந்துவிட்டது’ என்று நினைத்து திரும்பிப் போய்விடுவார்களா?
இப்படி ஒரு செய்தி கொடுப்பதன் தாற்பரியம் என்னவோ?
அந்த செய்தியோடு மற்றொரு செய்தியும் வாலாக ஒட்டிக்கொடுக்கிறார்கள். அது பிரதமரின் தமிழக வருகை.
தமிழ்நாட்டின் தலைநகருக்கு அடுத்த மாதம் முதல் வாரத்தில் பிரதமர் மன்மோகன் சிங் வருகிறார் என்று தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அந்த நிகழ்ச்சி தமிழ்நாட்டில் நடப்பதால் அவருடன் உள்துறை அமைச்சராக இருக்கிற நமது சிவகங்கை நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினரான ப.சிதம்பரமும் வருவார். அந்த நிகழ்ச்சியில் தமிழ்தாட்டின் முதல்வரும் கலந்துகொள்வார் என்பதெல்லாம் குழந்தையறிந்த விடயங்கள்.
பிரதமருடைய வருகையின் போது அதிகபட்ச பாதுகாப்பு அளிக்கப்படும் என்பதெல்லாம் நாடறிந்த விவரம். பிரதமர் கலந்துகொள்ளப் போகும் நிகழ்வு நடைபெறும் இடத்தை சுற்றிலும் மட்டுமின்றி, அங்கிருக்கும் பெரும் கட்டடங்கள் எல்லாம் தேசப் பாதுகாப்பு படையினர் வசம் ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டு, அங்கெல்லாம் துப்பாக்கி ஏந்திய பாதுகாவலர்கள் நிறுத்தப்படுவார்கள். அந்தப் பகுதிக்கு பிரதமரும், உள்துறை அமைச்சரும் வந்துவிட்டுப் போகும்வரை போக்குவரத்து நிறுத்தப்படும். காக்காய் குருவிகள் கூட சிரத்தையுடன் துரத்தப்படும். அவர்கள் என்ன சாதாரண மக்களா? ஆபத்து சூழ்ந்துவிடுவதற்கு? எனவே, பிரதமரின் வருகைக்காக செய்யப்படும் ஏற்பாட்டில் மேலும் கூடுதல் கவனம் செலுத்தப்படும், இந்த எச்சரிக்கையை கருத்தில் கொண்டு பாதுகாப்பு பலப்படுத்தப்படும் என்றெல்லாம் செய்திகள் கொடுக்கிறது காவல்துறை. எதற்கு இதையெல்லாம் மக்களுக்கு இவ்வளவு சிரத்தையுடன் சொல்கிறீர்கள்? இவர்களுக்கு செய்யப்படும் பாதுகாப்பு ஏற்பாடுகள் மீது யாரும் கேள்வி எழுப்பப் போகிறார்களா என்ன?
எனவே அரசின் இப்படிப்பட்ட செய்தி பரப்பலின் பின்னணியில் ஒரு விடயம் இருப்பது உறுதியாகத் தெரிகிறது. இலங்கையில் சிங்கள பெளத்த இனவாத அரசின் ஒடுக்குமுறையில் இருந்து தமிழீழ மக்களை விடுவிக்க போராடிவரும் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகளைப் பற்றி ஏதாவது ஒரு அவதூறை அவ்வப்போது பரப்பிவரும் வேலையை இந்திய உளவு அமைப்பு தொடர்ந்து செய்து வருகிறது.
சமீபத்தில் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் இயக்கத்தின் மீதான தடையை இரண்டு ஆண்டுகள் நீ‌ட்டித்து உள்துறை அமைச்சகம் அரசிதழ் வெளியிட்டது. மத்திய அரசு பிறப்பித்த அந்த உத்தரவை உறுதி செய்வதற்காக, சட்டத்திற்குப் புறம்பான நடவடிக்கைகள் தடுப்புச் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் அமைக்கப்பட்ட நீதிபதி விக்ரம்ஜித் சென் தலைமையிலான ஒரு நபர் தீர்ப்பாயத்தில் நடந்த விசாரணையின் போதுகூட, இந்தச் செய்தியில் குறிப்பிட்டிருப்பதுபோல், “இலங்கையில் இருந்து தப்பிவரும் விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தமிழ்நாட்டில் ஒன்றிணைய முயன்று வருகிறார்கள். அது இந்தியாவின் பாதுகாப்பிற்கும், இறையாண்மைக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாகும்” என்று அரசின் சார்பாக கூறப்பட்டது. அதைக் கேட்ட நீதிபதி, அதற்கான ஆதாரங்கள் ஏதேனும் உள்ளதா என்று கேட்டார். இது உளவுத் தகவல் என்று அரசு அதிகாரி கூறினார். அதற்கு நீதிபதி, “இப்படி யார் வேண்டுமானாலும் கூறலாமே?” என்று திருப்பிக் கேட்டார்.
ஏதோ அவர்கள் அங்கிருந்து தப்பி வந்து இங்கு ஒன்றிணைவதை பக்கத்தில் இருந்து பார்த்தவர்கள் போல் கூறுவது எவ்வளவு பெரிய ஜோக் என்பது சற்று யோசித்தாலே புரியும்.
தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் மீதான தடையை எதிர்த்து மறுமலர்ச்சி திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்தின் பொதுச் செயலர் வைகோ, சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் வழக்குத் தொடர்ந்து, அது விசாரணைக்கு ஏற்றுக்கொண்ட அதே நாளில் இப்படி ஒரு செய்தி வெளியிடப்படுகிறது என்பதையும் இணைத்துப் பார்க்கத் தூண்டுகிறது.
ராஜீவ் காந்தி படுகொலைக்குப் பிறகு தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் இயக்கத்தை முதலில் பயங்கரவாத இயக்கம் என்றது இந்திய அரசு. ஆனால் அதனை உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் ஏற்க மறுத்த பிறகு, சட்டத்திற்குப் புறம்பான இயக்கம் என்று கூறியே தொடர்ந்து தடையை நீ‌ட்டித்து வருகிறது. அதற்கான காரணம் எதுவும் கிடைக்காத நிலையில்தான், இப்படி ‘தமிழ்நாட்டில் ஒன்றிணைகிறார்கள்’, ‘இந்தியாவின் பாதுகாப்பிற்கு அச்சுறுத்தல்’, ‘தலைவர்களின் உயிருக்கு ஆபத்து’ என்றெல்லாம் தொடர்ந்து கதைகட்டுகின்றனர்.
இதையெல்லாம் கேள்வி கேட்க வேண்டிய அவசியம் ஏன் வருகிறது என்றால், விடுதலைப் புலிகளை இந்தியாவின் எதிரியாகக் காட்டுவதன் மூலம் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் போராட்டத்தை நசுக்குவதற்கே. அந்த காரணத்தைக் காட்டித்தான் ராஜபக்ச அரசின் தமிழினப் படுகொலைக்கு ராடாரி்ல் இருந்து உளவு உதவி, இராணுவ உதவி என்று அனைத்தையும் செய்தது மத்திய அரசு. சொந்த நாட்டு மக்கள் மீதே தடை செய்யப்பட்ட ஆயுதங்களைப் பயன்படுத்தி பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான தமிழ் மக்களை இறுதிக்கட்டப் போரில் ராஜபக்ச இராணுவம் அழித்தொழித்தற்கு இந்தியாவின் இந்த ஆதரவே அரணாக நின்றது. ‘பயங்கரவாதத்திற்கு எதிரான போர்’ என்று கூறி, இரண்டரை ஆண்டுகளில் ஒன்றரை இலட்சம் ஈழத் தமிழர்களை ராஜபக்ச அரசும் இராணுவமும் இனப் படுகொலை செய்து முடிக்க இந்திய அரசுதான் துணை நின்றது.
ராஜபக்சவின் நடவடிக்கைகள் அனைத்திற்கும் துணை நின்ற இந்திய மத்திய அரசு, இன்றைக்கும் உலக அளவில் போர்க் குற்றம், மனித குலத்திற்கு எதிரான குற்றம் ஆகியவற்றிற்கு ஆளாகியுள்ள ராஜபக்சவை அரசு விருந்தினராக அழைத்துக் கெளரவிக்கிறது. அதுமட்டுமல்ல, ஐ.நா. மனித உரிமை மன்றத்தில் ராஜபக்ச அரசிற்கு எதிராக கொண்டுவரப்பட்ட தீர்மானத்தை சீனாவுடன் சேர்ந்து தோற்கடித்ததோடு மட்டுமின்றி, அதற்கு ஆதரவான ஒரு தீர்மானத்தையும் நிறைவேற்றிக் கொடுத்தது இந்திய அரசு.
இவை யாவும் இன்று தமிழ் நாட்டு மக்கள் அனைவருக்கும் தெரிந்த விடயங்களாகும். இதை மறைக்கவும், விடுதலைப் போராளிகளை திட்டமிட்டே பயங்கரவாதிகளாக சித்தரிக்கும் முயற்சியே இப்படிப்பட்ட செய்திகள் என்று நிச்சயமாகக் கருத இடமிருக்கிறது.
தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் எனும் ஒரு விடுதலைப் போராட்ட இயக்கத்தை தடை செய்யப்பட்ட இயக்கமாக சட்டப்படி அறிவிப்பதன் மூலம், தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் போராட்டத்தின் நியாயத்தை இந்திய அரசு மறுக்கிறது. சிறிலங்க படையினரின் மிருக வெறிக்கு ஆளாகி தங்கள் சொத்தையும். சொ‌ந்தங்களையும் இழ‌ந்து இங்கு அடைக்கலம் வந்த ஈழத் தமிழ் அகதிகளை தொடர்ந்து, ஒரு வன்மத்துடன், அவர்களுக்கு எந்த உரிமையும் அளிக்காமல் வதைத்து வருகிறது. தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகளுக்கு உதவுகிறார்கள் என்றே கூறி கடந்த 27 ஆண்டுக்காலமாக தமிழக மீனவர்களை தாக்கிவரும் சிறிலங்கா கடற்படையின் அடாத செயலை கண்டிக்காமல், உண்மைக் கூற வேண்டுமெனில், காட்டிக் கொடுத்து வருகிறது. உலகின் எந்த நாட்டு மீனவர்களாவது தமிழக மீனவர்கள் போல் அண்டை நாட்டு (அதுவும் சுண்டைக்காய் நாடு)  கடற்படையினரால் தாக்கப்படுகிறார்களா? பதில் சொல்லட்டும் இந்திய அரசு. இவை தமிழீழ மக்கள் அண்டை நாடுகளில் இருந்து இங்கே அகதிகளாய் தஞ்சமடைந்துள்ள தங்கள் சொந்தங்களை காண வந்தால், விமான நிலையத்தில் வைத்தே, ஏதோ ஒரு காரணத்தைக் கூறி திருப்பி அனுப்புகிறது.
இந்தியாவில் அடைக்கலமாகியுள்ள திபெத் அகதிகள் எவ்வாறு நடத்தப்படுகிறார்கள் என்பதை கண்டவர்களுக்குத் தெரியும், தமிழீழ அகதிகள் எப்படியெல்லாம் நடத்தப்படுகிறார்கள் என்று. எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் மேலாக, தமிழீழ விடுதலையை ஆதரிக்கும் தமிழ்நாட்டு தமிழ் மக்களின் தார்மீக உரிமையை தடுக்கிறது இந்திய அரசு.
ஆனால், உலகமே ஒத்த குரலில் போர்க் குற்றவாளி என்று குற்றஞ்சாட்டும் அரச பயங்கரவாதியை அரவணைத்து விருந்தளிக்கிறது இந்திய மத்திய அரசு.
இத்துணை அநியாயங்களையும் செய்வதற்குத்தான் அது விடுதலைப் புலிகள் இயக்கத்தை சட்டத்திற்குப் புறம்பான இயக்கம் என்று தடை விதிக்கிறது. அதனை உறுதிப்படுத்திக்கொள்ளவே இப்படி ஒரு உளவு விளையாட்டை அடிப்படையின்றி விளையாடுகிறது.
தன்னிடம் உண்மையிருந்தால், நியாயமிருந்தால் இந்திய அரசு பதிலளிக்கட்டும்.

Solid South Africa assume complete dominance 2010

India's away record may have improved dramatically over the past decade but, so far in Centurion, they have looked like the terrible travellers of the pre-Sourav Ganguly era. On a sunny second day at SuperSport Park, along with the clouds, the demons on the pitch had gone missing and South Africa were set for a massive lead after blunting India's attack in the first couple of sessions.

The openers, Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen, made half-centuries to take their side close to the lead, before two of their middle order run-machines, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, increased the advantage to 100 by tea.

India's vaunted batting order had been dismantled on the first day, and there was more punishment in store as Smith and Petersen went mostly untroubled during the course of a century partnership. Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma got the new ball to move, and though the batsmen swished and missed a few times, there were no genuine chances through most of the session.

Petersen was scratchy early on, and it was Smith who did the bulk of the scoring in a watchful start. After six overs, South Africa had moved to 9 for 0 and it was the introduction of 19-year-old rookie Jaidev Unadkat that increased the run-flow. His third delivery was a gentle half-volley that Smith drove fluently past mid-off for four. Bowling in the late-120s, his bouncers didn't trouble Smith, who pulled one of them powerfully for four.

With Petersen also finding his touch, and unleashing some lovely drives, the run-rate began to rise, and Dhoni turned to spin in the hope of a breakthrough. Harbhajan Singh didn't have the best of starts though, slapped for a couple of fours in his first over and dispatched over midwicket for six in the next. Smith used the cut effectively against Harbhajan, toying with the spinner to pick off three more boundaries. It was the cut that caused his downfall, though, three minutes before lunch, as a ball that bounced extra took the top edge to the keeper with the score on unlucky 111.

The second session began with Petersen stabbing a wide delivery past point for a boundary, and set the tone for another two hours of domination as India looked woefully short of firepower. With the aid of a bunch of lovely drives, he went on to his second 50-plus score in three innings against India.

Keeping him company was Amla, who with the confidence that comes from scoring a wagonload of runs, played an adventurous knock. He kept looking to pull the quicks from outside off, and paddled Habrhajan from outside off, in an innings that also had his trademark drives and late glides towards point.

In a rare spell where the South African batsmen were troubled, Harbhajan nearly had Amla caught at short leg after getting one delivery to turn in sharply from outside off. The response from Amla? A swipe over midwicket for six next ball. Harbhajan did break the stand, though, getting Petersen to inside-edge to short leg, the batsman walking when in sight of a century though it looked like a very fine edge.

That brought in Kallis, who was in an aggressive mood, being particularly harsh on the part-time offerings of Suresh Raina, smashing him over deep midwicket for a couple of sixes. With the frontline bowlers not making an impact, Sachin Tendulkar was called on to bowl his all-sorts, which didn't curb the runs either - 125 runs coming in 28 overs of the second session.

The batting battering continued the perfect start to day provided by Morne Morkel. He removed MS Dhoni on the third ball of the day - the Indian captain walking after being struck in front of middle stump. Morkel finished with career-best figures of 5 for 20, and India finished on their overnight score of 136, their third-lowest total in South Africa.

தேசிய கீதம் சிங்களத்தில் மட்டும்! வந்து விட்டது புதிய சட்டம்

இலங்கையின் தேசிய கீதம் சிங்கள மொழியில் மாத்திரமே இனி மேல் இருக்கும்-இசைக்கப்படும். இதற்கான தீர்மானத்தை கடந்த புதன்கிழமை அமைச்சரவை எடுத்துள்ளது.

இதன்படி தேசிய கீதம் தமிழில் இனி மேல் அரச வைபவங்கள் எவற்றிலும் இசைக்கப்பட மாட்டாது.தமிழ் பேசும் மக்கள் செறிந்து வாழும் வடக்கு, கிழக்கு மாகாணங்களில்தான் தேசிய கீதம் தமிழில் இசைக்கப்பட்டு வந்திருக்கின்றது.

பிரிட்டனுக்கு விஜயம் ஒன்றை மேற்கொண்டு இருந்த நிலையில் கடந்த வாரம் திரும்பி வந்த ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஸ இந்த யோசனையை அமைச்சரவைக்கு சமர்ப்பித்தார்.

"எந்த ஒரு நாட்டிலும் ஒன்றுக்கு மேற்பட்ட மொழிகளில் தேசிய கீதம் இல்லை. ஒரு நாட்டில் இரு மொழிகளில் தேசிய கீதம் இருக்க முடியாது. நாம் எல்லோரும் இலங்கை ஒரே ஒரு நாடுதான் என்பதை மனதில்எப்போதும் கட்டாயமாக நிறுத்தி வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும்.” இவ்வாறு ஜனாதிபதி தெரிவித்து இருக்கின்றார்.

ஜனாதிபதியின் இந்த யோசனையை வீடமைப்பு மற்றும் நிர்மாண துறை அமைச்சர் விமல் வீரவன்ஸ வெகுவாக ஆதரித்தார். ." அயல் நாடான இந்தியாவில் 300 இற்கும் அதிகமான மொழிகள் இருக்கின்றன.

ஆனால் இந்தி மொழியில்தான் தேசிய கீதம் உள்ளது. " இவ்வாறு அமைச்சர் வீரவன்ஸ தெரிவித்தார். ஆனால் தேசிய மொழிகள் மற்றும் சமூக நல்லிணக்க அமைச்சர் வாசுதேவ நாணயகார ஜனாதிபதியின் யோசனை ஏற்புடையது அல்ல என்று தெரிவித்து இருக்கின்றார்.

இதே நிலைப்பாட்டைதான் அமைச்சர் ராஜித செனவிரட்ணவும் வெளிப்படுத்தினார். எனினும் தேசிய கீதம் இனி மேல் சிங்களத்தில்தான் இனி மேல் இருக்கும்-இசைக்கப்படும் என்கிற தீர்மானத்தை அமைச்சரவை எடுத்தது.

சிங்கள மொழியில் மாத்திரம்தான் இனி மேல் தேசிய கீதம் இசைக்கப்பட வேண்டும் என்கிற இத்தீர்மானம் பொது நிவாக அமைச்சின் ஊடாக அனைத்து மாவட்டங்களிலும் உள்ள அரச அலுவலகங்கள், திணைக்களங்கள் போன்றவற்றுக்கு உத்தியோகபூர்வமாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

குறிப்பு - இலங்கையின் வீடமைப்பு மற்றும் நிர்மாண துறை அமைச்சர் விமல் வீரவன்சவின் அறிவுக் கூர்மை : இந்தியாவின் தேசிய கீதம் இந்திய மொழிகளில் ஒன்றான பெங்காலி மொழியில் தான் அமைந்துள்ளமை குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

வயர் எதுவும் இல்லாமல் கையடக்கத் தொலைபேசிகளை சார்ஜ் செய்யலாம்! அதிசயம் ஆனால் உண்மை (பட இணைப்பு)

வயர்கள் எதுவும் அற்ற முறையில் கையடக்கத் தொலைபேசிகளையும், ஏனைய உபகரணங்களையும் சார்ஜ் செய்யும் புரட்சிகரமான முறை வின்ட்ஸர் சர்வதேச விமான நிலையத்தில் அறிமுகம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இது விரைவில் உலகமயமாக்கப்படும் என்று இந்தத் தொழில்நுட்பத்தை அறிமுகம் செய்துள்ள பல்தேசியக் கம்பனியின் தலைவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

மிஸோரியை தளமாகக் கொண்டு செயற்படும் லெகட் அன்ட் பிளட் நிறுவனமே இந்தத் தொழில்நுட்பத்தை உருவாக்கியுள்ளது. Qi standard wireless station என்று இந்தப் புதிய தொழில்நுட்பம் அழைக்கப்டுகின்றது.

கையடக்கத் தொலைபேசிகளையும், பிளக்பெரி உபகரணங்களையும் வரையரையின்றி இந்தத் தொழில் நுட்பத்தைப் பயன்படுத்தி சார்ஜ் செய்துகொள்ளலாம். விமானங்களின் இருக்கைகள், சமையலறைகளின் மேல்தளம், கராஜ்ஜுகள், ரயில் மற்றும் பஸ் வண்டி நிலையங்கள் என பல இடங்களிலும் இதைப் பயன்படுத்தலாம்.

60க்கும் மேற்பட்ட கையடக்கத் தொலைபேசிச் சேவை வழங்குனர்கள் மற்றும் அது சம்பந்தமான உபகரணங்களின் விநியோகத்தர்கள் ஆகியோருடன் விரிவான முறையில் பேச்சுவார்த்தைகளை நடத்தியே இந்த தொழில்நுட்ப முறை உருவாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

preliminary World Cup squad 2011

Bangladesh names provisional squad 

Bangladesh's first match is against India on February 19.
Squad: Shakib Al Hasan, Masrafe Bin Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Imrul Kayes, Zunaed Siddique, Roqibul Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud ullah, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Abdur Razzak, Md Sohrawardi, Shahriar Nafees, Nazim Uddin, Shamsur Rahman, Jahurul Islam, Sahagir Hossain, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam, Dollar Mahmud, Md Mithun, Nasir Hossain, Shuvogoto Hom Chowdhury, Shabbir Rahman, Alok Kopali, Enamul Haque Jr.

Australia name 30-man World Cup squad

Australia Squad: Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke (vc), Doug Bollinger, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Stephen O'Keefe, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

South Africa  preliminary squad

 Preliminary squad: Graeme Smith (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Hashim Amla,AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), Alviro Petersen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Loots Bosman (Nashua Dolphins), Jacques Rudolph (Nashua Titans), Morne van Wyk (Chevrolet Knights), Jonathan Vandiar (bizhub Highveld Lions), JP Duminy (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), David Miller (Nashua Dolphins), Colin Ingram (Chevrolet Warriors), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Robin Peterson (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), Thami Tsolekile (bizhub Highveld Lions), Faf du Plessis (Nashua Titans), Dean Elgar (Chevrolet Knights), Heino Kuhn (Nashua Titans), Morne Morkel (Nashua Titans), Dale Steyn (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Wayne Parnell (Chevrolet Warriors), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Chevrolet Warriors), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors), Ryan McLaren (Chevrolet Knights), Charl Langeveldt (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Rusty Theron (Chevrolet Warriors), Ethy Mbhalati (Nashua Titans), Roelof van der Merwe (Nashua Titans), Johannes van der Wath (Chevrolet Knights). (Nashua Dolphins), Jacques Kallis(Chevrolet Warriors),

Sri Lanka name preliminary World Cup squad

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka announced a preliminary 30-man squad on Monday for the ICC Cricket World Cup in February-April:
Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Jeevan Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Malinga Bandara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Dammika Prasad, Chaminda Vaas, Chanaka Welegedara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thilan Thushara.

India vs South Africa 2010,Fiery Morne Morkel jolts India's top-order.

India vs South Africa

Bad Light

TEST at SuperSport Park, Centurion, , Thu 16 Dec 02:00 PM IST

  

South Africa won the toss & elected to field 

 

• Day 1, 1^st Innings - Session 3

• IND 136/9 in 38.1 Overs

• Current Run rate: 3.56
• Over(s) Remaining: 9.5

 

It lasted only three deliveries. After weeks of anticipation, and a four-and-a-half hour rain delay on the opening day, the hugely built-up clash between Dale Steyn and Virender Sehwag ended the moment the batsman touched the ball at SuperSport Park. Anti-climatic it may have been, but the South Africans were in rapture. With Sehwag, the shredder of attacks, gone, Steyn and Morne Morkel gave India a South African welcome - one that involved tenderizing gloves, bruising bodies and the smell of lacquer and leather - to pick up three wickets.

The first ball set the tone. Steyn hit Gautam Gambhir's back pad with one that seamed away from the left-hander and a close lbw shout was denied. The heat of this attack was several degrees more intense than India's previous test against New Zealand. Sehwag shouldered arms to his first two deliveries in Steyn's opening over, but in the bowler's second, he attempted to crash the ball through cover point. It moved away a fraction and flew off the edge to Hashim Amla at third man. Steyn 1, Sehwag 0, India 1 for 1 and stunned.

Gambhir was perhaps lucky not to be given out on 1, when a ripsnorter from Morkel rose from a length and sped towards his face. Gambhir began to sway and then fended helplessly. The ball appeared to kiss the glove and was pouched by Mark Boucher, but umpire Steve Davis ruled in favour of the batsman. Morkel had touched speeds of 150kmh during his first spell and, perhaps, was just too quick.

The reprieve cost South Africa only four runs. It was perhaps the hardest four runs Gambhir has ever made. Morkel pounded in from round the wicket, pounded the ball in short of a length, angled it into the left-hander, targeting the body, and sometimes the head. Pinned to the crease without room outside off, Gambhir ducked, swayed and fended awkwardly.

There was no respite against Steyn either. Following a brief exchange of words with Gambhir, Steyn let rip. Gambhir took his eyes off the bouncer and wore it on his back. The next ball was fuller, faster and moved away from the left-hander, beating the tentative poke outside off stump. The struggle ended soon, though, and it was the follow-up ball to the bouncer that got him. Having been pushed back into his crease by the short-pitched attack from Morkel, Gambhir drove at a fuller one with poor footwork, and edged to first slip.

Dravid had appeared the most comfortable in the testing conditions, relatively speaking, taking his bottom hand off the bat to fend two short deliveries through the slip cordon. He was careful to leave anything outside off, and compact while playing deliveries at his body. Morkel, having already scalped Gambhir in his second spell, then got one to jag sharply into Dravid from outside off. He was caught on the crease, hit on the pad and Morkel was celebrating his 100th Test wicket, having reduced India to 27 for 3 in the 15th over.

Sachin Tendulkar was given a warm reception from the smattering of spectators and he responded to the fiery challenge awaiting him by taking on the less-threatening Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Twice Tendulkar pulled him for four from outside off, and drove fluently through cover and guided to third man. For company he had Laxman, who began to play wristily against the left-arm spinner Paul Harris.

India weren't tested much by South Africa's support act, but they will have to deal with the lead actors once again after the break.

Weather key as India face S.Africa pace challenge

Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl TechnologyCENTURION: Just three days after the official start of their tour, India face what shapes as the biggest threat to their ranking as the number one team in Test cricket when they meet South Africa in the first Test at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

India go into the clash against their nearest challengers without having played a warm-up game in conditions which, in the early part of the match at least, are expected to be favourable to South Africa's formidable fast bowling pair of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

Overcast weather with a chance of rain is predicted through to Thursday although the sky is expected to clear over the weekend.

There was a good covering of grass on the pitch on Tuesday and both Morkel and South African coach Corrie van Zyl said they expected help for the bowlers.

Van Zyl cautioned, though, that his bowlers would have to perform well against a powerful Indian batting line-up.

"There has been a lot of talk about pace and bounce but it's one thing playing in those conditions, it's another thing to execute."

Nor will India's batsmen be likely to succumb as meekly to pace as some of their predecessors in a country where India have only won one Test on four previous tours.

Five of India's top seven batsmen have played in at least one Test series in South Africa and most of the rest of the touring squad have recent experience of local conditions through playing in Indian Premier League and Champions League tournaments in the country.

And, although the tour only started officially on Monday, following the conclusion of a one-day series against New Zealand last Friday, most of the players have been working with coach Gary Kirsten at his academy in Cape Town for the past week.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his players were "very calm, very relaxed, thinking about the process and not getting caught up with other things".

Although winning in South Africa is seen by many Indian critics as the final challenge to the number one team, Dhoni refused to over-hype the three-match series.

"It's not about one series," he said. "If you talk about rankings, it is the process that takes you to a place. If you talk about our ranking, we started from September 2008, and where we are right now is because of all our performances."

He acknowledged, though, that it was important for India to adapt to local conditions, which he said had been helped by the time in Cape Town.

Although the battle between Steyn and Morkel and the Indian batsmen is crucial, with India boasting an explosive opening pair in Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, followed by some of India's most successful batsmen of all time in Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, India will pose a considerable threat to the home team's similarly solid batting.

If anything, India might have the better balanced attack, with fast bowler Sree Sreesanth, who had an excellent tour four years ago, and experienced off-spinner Harbhajan Singh backing up Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.

There is some doubt, though, about the fitness of Khan with a possible hamstring injury.

South Africa's back-up bowlers may be less threatening, with the inexperienced Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Ryan McLaren vying for one seamer's place while Paul Harris, with a modest recent record, is the only spinner.

Squads:

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Ryan McLaren, Dale Steyn, Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

India: MS Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sree Sreesanth, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Jaidev Unadkat, Pragyan Ojha

Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS), Ian Gould (ENG) TV umpire: Shaun George (RSA) Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

India can face challenge on front foot

Ashes Cricket (2009) PS3

Andreas isn't happy that our car doesn't stop at his security check-point, instead driving right into the compound of the stunningly beautiful SuperSport Park in Centurion, the venue of the first Test. He looks like a security guard who has seen it all, one who's kept various kinds of people from entering his ground. It has been overcast all day, and a slight drizzle has made it cold for a summer day. Not as cold as Andreas, though.

"You didn't ask for my permission before entering, now you are not allowed to go into the stadium" he says, pointing towards where the accreditation pass would have been - had there been one. "Okay," we say, "let's step out of the compound again, and then ask for your permission." However, he can't keep the act up for long, and starts laughing. And then he says, "We are going to beat you, boss," pointing to a board featuring Dale Steyn and Ashwell Prince, saying. "Pure Protea. 100% South African."

"Pure Protea," repeats Andreas, and in the friendliest of manners, leads us on a tour of the ground. The ground itself is a pretty sight, with its grass banks, old-fashioned bars with wooden benches, the barbeques, the red benches in the press box, the old dressing room in the corner that is not used anymore, and the feel of the breeze going right across the open turf. South Africa cannot be inhospitable, else it wouldn't be hosting so many top sporting events. Even Andreas has become a friend now, and he will be bought beers if - as he says - South Africa are going to beat India, boss. Warm hosts as they might be, the South Africans will bring a cold edge when they host the No. 1 side in the world.

And India are not expecting anything less. The advertisements say the South Africans are waiting; the same can be said of the Indians. India know this tour will define how the team is seen. They know they will hang on to their No. 1 ranking even if they lose all three Tests. They also know how seriously their No. 1 ranking will be taken if they perform abysmally here. They know it has never been less about rankings.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo recently, Gary Kirsten, India's coach, said his side didn't need to justify its No. 1 position, but also that the "Test series [against South Africa] will be a defining moment" for the team. He said this team, if it won the series, could well become the greatest Test side to come out of the country. Without doubt, given Australia's current form, beating South Africa in South Africa remains the biggest challenge for this Indian team.

A measure of how big a challenge this Test series is can be made from how this is a personal challenge for almost every individual in the side, at least the batting unit. Gautam Gambhir has returned to form through the series against New Zealand, but this will be the truest test of his technique since his remarkable comeback to the Indian side. There will be seam movement, and there will be constant bouncers, the kind Morne Morkel bowled to him in Nagpur to get him out twice in one day.

Rahul Dravid knows that every failure for him is as good as three for a younger batsman. Is he still the man for the situations that call for the most determined of efforts, mentally and technically? There won't be a better time than an overcast morning and a bouncy pitch come Thursday morning to prove this.

VVS Laxman has saved and won matches he had no business winning and saving, but he knows he hasn't scored a century in South Africa and it's a record that could do with some setting straight.

The last time Suresh Raina came here for a full tour - albeit a long time ago, and he has since been part of a World Twenty20-winning side and has succeeded in the IPL here - he was sent back mid-tour, ruthlessly exposed during ODIs played on testing tracks. That drop and a subsequent injury have been the lowest points of his career. He has come back a mentally stronger cricketer and, with a few months to go for the World Cup, he will badly want to conquer the country that effectively cost him a place in the previous World Cup. 

The bowling unit, though, will be looking forward to this series. For close to two years they have been toiling in subcontinent conditions. The trio of Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth in fact are the reason why just producing green-tops is not enough to assure South Africa of victory. Over the last five years, the Indian fast bowlers, along with their Pakistani counterparts have best exploited the helpful conditions here.

The other troika, the coaching staff, will probably draw much more attention - not least because they are South Africans. Every player in the side swears by Kirsten's methods - and it has shown in the results - but the same cannot be said of the bowling coach, Eric Simons. While Paddy Upton's mental conditioning work is much more intangible, India's bowling hasn't quite gone from strength to strength under Simons. It is often said that he doesn't quite know the subcontinent conditions well enough, and that spans the sample of his work with the bowlers. In South Africa, in conditions he should know better than most, the room for benefit of doubt will be minimal.

That said, this is the most confident Indian side to have travelled to this side of the Indian Ocean. They know a lot can go wrong, but they also know a lot can go right. They are obviously feeling good as a team, and also as a unit that can do well in crisis situations. They have become better tourists over the years. South Africa is not that foreign either: they have played a World Twenty20 here since their last tour, and most of their players have played the IPL and the Champions League. And despite the individual challenges to the batsmen, they are perhaps the best Test batting unit going around right now. The bowlers cherish helpful conditions, which if delivered as promised, should be as lethal in their hands as in the South Africans'.

Given the constraints of Indian cricket, with its commercial commitments, the team has also prepared the best that it could. It will help that they have stayed unbeaten through a home season for the second time in the last three years. This is not quite the Final Frontier as the admen would have it - they still have Australia to beat in Australia - but there is a sense that all the hard work of the last two to three years could come to nought if they lose comprehensively. The Indian team, however, evident at least from what Kirsten said, is not thinking about how to not lose, but how to win. While all of that pans out - we're waiting.