India's Gambhir hits record $2.4 million jackpot

Bangalore: Indians struck it rich on the first day of bidding at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Saturday, with Gautam Gambhir fetching a record $2.4 million. The left-handed opener was among four Indians to join the $2 million club at the auction for the fourth edition of the scandal-plagued tournament, along with Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma.
The top seven earners on the opening day of the two-day auction were all Indians, with Irfan Pathan, brother of Yusuf, Yuvraj Singh and Saurabh Tiwary going for more than $1 million.
In contrast, at the inaugural auction in 2008 only two players - India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds - were bought for more than $1 million.
This time Symonds went to Mumbai Indians for $850,000 at the high-profile auction which saw Bollywood stars and corporate big-wigs bid for the players.
Gambhir was the first to go under the hammer in Bangalore, and was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for an amount far exceeding his base price of $200,000. He was soon joined in the exclusive bracket by all-rounder Yusuf, who was bought by the same franchise for $2.1 million. Yusuf's reserve price was $300,000.
Batsman Uthappa went to new franchise Pune Warriors for $2.1 million, while Sharma was bought by Mumbai Indians for $2 million as Indians called the shots.
The prices paid to the Indian foursome easily eclipsed the previous record of England duo Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who went for 1.55 million dollars each in 2009.
Pietersen, with a base price of $400,000, was bought by Deccan Chargers for $650,000 this time.
Among other $1 million men were New Zealander Ross Taylor, Sri Lankans Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan, South Africans AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn, and Australians Cameron White and David Hussey. Jayawardene emerged the highest-paid foreigner, snapped up by Kochi for $1.5 million.
Former captains Brian Lara of the West Indies and Sourav Ganguly of India remained unsold on the opening day, along with hard-hitting West Indies batsman Chris Gayle and England bowlers Graeme Swann and James Anderson. Lara, 41, was among 21 cricketers with the highest reserve price of $400,000 for a three-year contract.
The annual IPL tournament revolutionised cricket when it burst on to the scene in 2008 with a high-octane blend of international star players, Twenty20 matches and Bollywood glamour.
But its fortunes dipped dramatically last year after allegations of massive corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams' real owners, and even links to India's criminal underworld.

IPL founder Lalit Modi - whose brash style personified the event - was thrown out by the BCCI, the sport's governing body in India, over allegations about his conduct and organisers hope this year will provide a fresh start.
The tournament, starting on April 8, will feature 10 teams, including the two new sides - Pune Warriors and Kochi.
Twelve players have been retained by their original franchises, with Dhoni staying with the Chennai Super Kings and Shane Warne and Shane Watson sticking with the Rajasthan Royals.
Pakistan's cricketers continued to miss out on the IPL bonanza after none of them was included for the auction. Pakistan players participated in the inaugural IPL, but were forced out of the 2009 season due to security concerns following the Mumbai attacks, and were then ignored for the 2010 tournament.

Injured Kallis puts South Africa on top

Cape Town: Jacques Kallis hit his second century of the match to put South Africa on top on the fourth day of the series-deciding third and final Test against India at Newlands on Wednesday.
Kallis, in pain from a side injury which kept him from fielding, made 109 not out as South Africa recovered from a precarious 130 for six to be all out for 341 off the last ball of the day - leaving India with the near impossible task of scoring 340 to win on a wearing pitch on which uneven bounce could make batting difficult on the final day.
It was the second time Kallis, who made 161 in the first innings, had scored twin hundreds in a Test match, a feat achieved six times by South Africans, although it was the first on home soil.
The innings took Kallis into second place on the all-time list of Test centurions. It was his 40th hundred, one more than Ricky Ponting of Australia and 11 fewer than India's Sachin Tendulkar.
Kallis and fellow veteran Mark Boucher (55) rescued the South African innings with a seventh wicket stand of 103. Dale Steyn then hit a breezy 32 as he and Kallis added 54 for the eighth wicket against a tiring Indian bowling attack on a blisteringly hot day.
India's misery was compounded when Morne Morkel hit 28 in a ninth wicket stand of 46, with Kallis happy to let the tailender keep the strike, before last man Lonwabo Tsotsobe hit the first two balls he faced for four and was caught on the boundary off the next delivery.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had threatened to run through the South African batsmen when he took two wickets in his first two overs of the day to add to the two he took shortly before the close on the third day.
At that stage he had taken four for ten in five overs but he had to wait another 28 overs to complete his 25th five-wicket haul when he dismissed Steyn. He took the last two wickets to finish with seven for 120.
Kallis and Boucher came together at a time when India were hot favourites to win the match and clinch the series, which is tied at one-all. South Africa were in deep trouble after Harbhajan struck twice early in the day and seamers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma each took a wicket.
Kallis, batting in pain because of a bruised rib and a side strain suffered during his first innings, needed treatment shortly before lunch and again during the afternoon but played a chanceless innings. He batted for 380 minutes, faced 240 balls and hit eight fours.
Harbhajan, who exposed the first cracks in the South African batting order when he took two wickets shortly before the close of play on Tuesday, took just five balls to strike on Wednesday.
Alviro Petersen failed to add to his overnight score of 22 before going back on his stumps to be leg before wicket to Harbhajan. In Harbhajan's next over, Hashim Amla was bowled for two when he attempted a sweep and the ball looped off his pad and rolled into the stumps.
Kallis and AB de Villiers added 34 with cautious batting before De Villiers tried to withdraw his bat from a lifting delivery by Khan and the ball crashed into his stumps off a bottom edge.
Ashwell Prince slashed Ishant Sharma to backward point after making 22, leaving Boucher as the last recognised batsman to support Kallis. Boucher batted confidently to make 55 off 82 balls before he was trapped leg before wicket by a ball from part-timer Tendulkar which kept low.

சாதி, மத உணர்வுகளுக்கு அப்பாற்பட்ட தன்னிகரற்ற தலைவர் பிரபாகரன் - பேராசிரியர் அறிவரசன்

சாதி விவகாரங்களைப் பேசி... சர்ச்சையில் சிக்குவது அரசியல்வாதிகளுக்குப் புதிதல்ல. சமீபத்தில் தொல்.திருமாவளவன், விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தலைவர் பிரபாகரனை சாதி அடையாளம் சொல்லிப் பேசியது, தமிழ் அமைப்புகளை கொந்தளிக்க வைத்து இருக்கிறது!
கிளிநொச்சியில் இரண்டு ஆண்டுகள் தங்கி இருந்து பிரபாகரனின் மனைவி மதிவதனி மற்றும் விடுதலைப்புலிகள் இயக்கத்தினருக்கு தமிழ் கற்றுக் கொடுத்த பேராசிரியர் அறிவரசன், திருமாவளவனின் பேச்சால் அதிர்ந்து போயிருக்கிறார்.
நம்மிடம் அவர், 'பிரபாகரனை சாதி அடையாளப்படுத்தி திருமாவளவன் பேசியிருப்பது கண்டிக்கத்தக்கது.
இயக்கம் தொடங்கப்பட்ட காலத்தில் இருந்தே, பிரபாகரனுடன் நெருக்கமான தொடர்பு கொண்டிருக்கும் பழ.நெடுமாறன், வைகோ, சீமான், கொளத்தூர் மணி, கோவை ராமகிருஷ்ணன், இயக்குநர்கள் மகேந்திரன், பாரதிராஜா ஆகியோரிடம் எல்லாம் சாதி பற்றிப் பேசாத பிரபாகரன், திருமாவளவனிடம் மட்டும் பேசினாரா?
நான் கிளிநொச்சியில் இருந்த காலத்தில் அவருடன் பல மணி நேரம் பேசி இருக்கிறேன். ஆனால், ஒருபோதும் அவர் சாதி குறித்து ஒற்றை வார்த்தைகூடப் பேசியது இல்லை.
அவர் சாதி, மத உணர்வுகளுக்கு அப்பாற்பட்ட தன்னிகரற்ற தலைவர்.
புலிகள் அமைப்பில் பல்வேறு சாதி, மதங்களைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் இருந்த போதிலும், இயக்கத்துக்குள் வந்ததும் அந்த அடையாளத்தை மறைப்பதற்காக பொதுப் பெயர் கொடுக்கப்படுவது உண்டு.
இயக்கத்துக்குள் யாரும் பிறரிடம் சாதியையோ, மதத்தையோ கேட்கக்கூடாது. அப்படிக் கேட்பது கடும் குற்றம். கேட்பவர்கள் தண்டிக்கப்படுவார்கள்.
போராளிகளுக்கு இப்படியெல்லாம் கட்டுப்பாடு விதித்த பிரபாகரனே, அதை மீறி திருமாவளவனிடம் தன் சாதியைப் பற்றி ஒருபோதும் சொல்லி இருக்க மாட்டார். என்று படபடத்தவர் தொடர்ந்து,

சாதி, மத உணர்வுகளுக்கு அப்பாற்பட்ட பிரபாகரனை அவர் களங்கப்படுத்துவதை தமிழ் உணர்வாளர்கள் ஒருபோதும் ஏற்றுக் கொள்ள மாட்டார்கள்.
சாதியை மறுத்து, ஒதுக்கிய சான்றோர்களை எல்லாம் சாதியால் அடையாளப்படுத்துவது தவறானது. என்றார் சீறலுடன்.
இது குறித்து திருமாவளவனுக்கு கூட்டாகக் கடிதம் அனுப்ப தமிழ் உணர்வாளர்கள் தயாராகி வருகிறார்கள்!

England chip away on rain-hit day

  Australia 4 for 134 (Hussey 12*) v England

The hard work of Australia's top order was beginning to unravel at the SCG as both sides sparred for the ascendency on a truncated opening day of the final Ashes Test. The hosts had slipped to 4 for 134 when further rain ended play, with Usman Khawaja falling to the final ball before the weather closed in having made 37 in a promising start to his Test career.

England couldn't quite match the intensity of their opening day in Melbourne, but chipped away once the opening partnership was broken in the final over before lunch when Phil Hughes edged to third slip. Shane Watson went for another unfulfilled innings when he nicked Tim Bresnan and Michael Clarke's first innings as Australia's 43rd Test captain continued his poor run when he cut to gully.

Clarke had been greeted by a heady mixture of boos and cheers, the former in the majority, and for a short while there was a glimpse into Australia's likely future with the captain alongside the new No. 3. Khawaja began his Test career by racing to 15 off eight balls as he rode on the emotion of the occasion before reigning himself in with some solid defence. However, with another shower moments away, he top edged a sweep against Graeme Swann which looped to square leg.

It was clear from the start that Clarke was feeling the nerves of his first real day in the top job. He watched pensively from the dressing room as Australia got off the mark and he may secretly have wished not to have needed to make a decision at the toss. Batting first is usually the way forward in Sydney, but a muggy, overcast morning and a tinge of green on the pitch meant England's quicks weren't disappointed to have first crack at a top order they have largely dominated during the series.

However, whereas they regularly found the edge in Melbourne here the ball beat the bat frequently, especially in the first hour, without getting reward. Chris Tremlett caused the most problems during a probing first spell where he troubled Watson and Hughes with extra bounce.

James Anderson also found swing to have a couple of stifled lbw shouts although he was troubled by his take-off area, almost turning his ankle with his second ball, and also gained a warning for his follow through from Billy Bowden. His first spell ended with figures of 5-0-5-0 and after 12 overs Australia had 17 runs, but the value of not losing early wickets was far greater than what the scoreboard showed.

The determination started to pay off as Hughes tucked into Bresnan's second over with consecutive boundaries then cut Swann's second ball to bring up Australia's fifty. Watson gave a good lesson in leaving on length as Tremlett's deliveries kept sailing over the stumps, but Hughes wasn't equal to the challenge when he pushed outside off and offered a simple chance to third slip.

It meant Khawaja had 40 minutes to ponder his first ball in Tests, but he calmly clipped his opening delivery from Tremlett through the leg side for two then cracked away a bristling pull next ball. He was later given another gift on leg stump which was flicked away and had the skill to play with soft hands so when he twice edged the ball it fell short of second slip.

Either side of a needless stoppage for bad light - the floodlights hadn't been turned on - Khawaja appeared to have plenty of time to play his shots, guiding Tremlett down to third man, and was confident to come onto the front foot in defence. Watson, after hitting his first boundary from his 89th ball, was also starting to find rhythm.

However, with another half-century looming Watson played forward to Bresnan and the ball shaped away a touch to find the edge and was well taken at first slip. He slammed his bat in frustration before dragging himself off the pitch.

Clarke began with a sweet cover drive first ball, but rain then forced an early tea and when play resumed he tried to cut a ball that cramped him for room and gave Anderson a catch at gully. A captain's job is much tougher when he isn't making runs and it has been Clarke's poor return in this series which has clouded his future as the long-term leader.

Mike Hussey's early scoring shots were mainly down to third man as he kept the slips interested on a surface juiced up after being covered. But it wasn't seam or swing that ended Khawaja's two-hour stay when he went to sweep the final ball of Swann's first over back. However, given the problems facing Australia, the first sight of Khawaja in a baggy green was a rare piece of promising news.

Sreesanth "woken up" by clash with S.Africa captain Smith

By Ken Borland
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - India paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth said on Sunday he had been "woken up" by his confrontation with South Africa captain Graeme Smith in the second test in Durban last week.
Sreesanth and Smith exchanged angry words in South Africa's second innings in Durban, with Smith even waving his bat at the bowler.
Sreesanth was unapologetic on Sunday after finishing the first day of the third test as India's most successful bowler with two for 70 in 21 overs, listing his exchange with Smith as one of the reasons for his success.
He told a news conference: "Smith woke me up, thanks to him. I was a bit asleep in the series. He said to me that I wasn't good enough and I thought I was good enough to get him out and that's what happened in Durban."
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had admitted that "it is good for everybody - players, umpires, spectators - if we control Sreesanth" - and Smith and Dhoni met before the third test to discuss the Durban incident.
Neither South Africa nor the umpires laid a Code of Conduct complaint, but Dhoni did, according to sources, say he would try to rein his fiery bowler in.
But 27-year-old Sreesanth indicated he had brushed off both the Durban incident and his captain's guidance.
"I don't look at the past. I live for now, not for yesterday or tomorrow. The only thing on my mind was sticking to the plan and getting Smith out," he said.
Sreesanth claimed the key wickets of Hashim Amla for 59 and AB de Villiers for 26 on Sunday in the home side's first day score of 232-4 to partially silence the hostile crowd in the North Stand.
"I love Cape Town and the crowds in South Africa. Very honestly, it's about giving your best and playing with passion. I love this game and want to give my best in everything you do, even press conferences," Sreesanth said.

Afridi, Younis to appear as witnesses

Pakistan Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi and team coach Waqar Younis will appear as witnesses before an anti-corruption tribunal after a request from the International Cricket Council.
Pakistan Cricket Board said Saturday that both Afridi and Younis will appear "either in person or through teleconference depending on their convenience and subject to their professional commitments."
The tribunal will conduct the hearing of Pakistan's suspended cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir from Jan. 6-11 at Doha, Qatar.
Afridi led Pakistan in the Twenty20 series against New Zealand while Younis will be with the Pakistan team in New Zealand where the first test begins Jan. 7.
Butt, Asif and Amir were suspended in September after a British tabloid alleged that they bowled predetermined no-balls during the Lord's test against England.
"PCB is committed to root out corruption, in any form, from cricket and has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption," the cricket board said in a statement.
"PCB is also keen to assist the ICC anti-corruption tribunal in determining the truth behind the serious allegations being made against the three Pakistan players."
Local media reports earlier this week claimed that both Afridi and Younis had raised serious doubts over the role of the three players during the Lord's test. Afridi reportedly told the ICC code of commission that he thought the trio looked guilty when he met them in a hotel room in London.
The reports also claimed that Younis was surprised to watch Amir bowling a huge front foot no-ball and even told the fast bowler 'what the hell was that?' during the break.

It's a chance to create history, says Dhoni

Cape Town, Jan 1 (IANS) India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Saturday that the team is geared up for a historic series win in South Africa when they face the hosts in the third Test at the Newlands here Sunday.
During the last series in 2006-07, India were faced with a similar situation when the series was levelled at 1-1, but lost the series 1-2.

'It's a chance to create history. We did that when we won the first Test in Johannesburg in (December) 2006 when we won in South Africa for the first time. We have the talent and the temperament to achieve success in South Africa, although I always say it's not about the past, it's all about the next five days.'

Dhoni felt this time the mood in the dressing room is much better.

'The good thing with this side is that we know why we can win a series in South Africa. The dressing room is much better now,' he said.

Dhoni doesn't want to delve in the loss the team suffered here four years back and said that the present team is the best.

'It doesn't mean that it was bad four years ago, but I can say this is the best dressing room that I have felt in the last five years. Most of the guys have achieved a lot in their long Test careers. They enjoy their cricket and they enjoy each and every practice session. It feels a very complete dressing room, a very happy dressing room. A lot of credit must go to everyone, including each and every one of the support staff,' he said.

Dhoni said South Africa would be under some pressure.

'They are feeling a bit of it because we are the home team and we won the last match,' he said.