Friday, February 26, 2010

Better than Lara and Ponting; Gavaskar and Border; and the Don

A selection of tributes on Sachin Tendulkar's double-century

Sachin Tendulkar is congratulated by MS Dhoni after rewriting the record books, 2nd ODI, Gwalior, February 24, 2010

Aamer Sohail: "If you ask Saeed Anwar, he would say he's happy that Tendulkar broke his record"

"Better than Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, the other two great players of my era. Better than Sir Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border. And I would even say better than Sir Don Bradman himself."
Nasser Hussain runs out of comparables for Tendulkar

"Nobody else does deserve to get there. It's only Sachin who deserves to scale that peak. 200 is a big score in one-day cricket. It's not easy to get there. It took him 20 long years to get there. He has come a long way. It's Sachin's greatness. Records are meant to be broken. I heard somebody [Charles Coventry] equalled my record sometime ago. But I did not know him. It's great that my friend from Mumbai Sachin broke it. I am very happy for him."
Saeed Anwar may have been pushed down the special list, but he's full of praise for the incumbent

"He should aim for more. Maybe a Test innings of 450 or an ODI knock of 250. And then he himself wants to win next year's World Cup. There is a little boy in Tendulkar who wants to keep playing. That spirit keeps him going. It's absolutely incredible how he keeps going."
Keeping with the Mumbai ways, Sunil Gavaskar is not yet sated

"Come on Sachin my friend get your 200. World record to please! You deserve it… Nervous for my good friend Sachin everything crossed for you mate… Glad I'm not bowling to him today ha ha ha."
Tendulkar's old pal Shane Warne tweets his excitement as he nears the double-century

"I thought the way he celebrated when he reached his 200 epitomised the man's persona. There was no running laps around the field, no aggressive gestures, nothing over-the-top. He did what he always does, raised both his arms, closed his eyes for a moment and quietly acknowledged that it had been done."
Anil Kumble applauds a long-time team-mate

I was very proud to have held the record for a little while but there could be no better man in the history of the game to break through the 200 barrier. Zimbabwe versus Bangladesh.. India versus South Africa. Not quite in the same bracket, are they?"
Charles Coventry downplays his own achievement in scoring 194* against Bangladesh, and joins in the applause

"The unbeaten 200 that Sachin made at Gwalior is a benchmark for others to follow. Now, there will be lot of players who believe that they can also make 200 in an one-day international. We will wait and see."
VVS Laxman tells DNA that it was a path breaking innings

"He has always respected the game and is dedicated to it. But I think this is not enough for him. He is hungry and I am sure he will keep creating new records. He is a dedicated student of the game and is still keen to learn things."
Ramakant Achrekar, Tendulkar's childhood coach

"I think if you ask Saeed Anwar, he would say he's happy that Tendulkar broke his record. The reason for his success is that he has a great respect for the game."
Aamer Sohail, Saeed Anwar's good friend and opening partner, pays a fitting tribute to the new record-holder

"He has got so much class. His greatest strength is the longevity, to be able to be so successful at a young age and to still be doing the same thing 20 years on. We're blessed to still have such a great player playing this game."
Michael Clarke didn't watch the innings, but plans to catch the highlights

"If any person deserved to do better than me it was Tendulkar. I am happy for him, there are no real regrets."
Saeed Anwar, whose 194 was the previous highest ODI score.

"It shows his mental and physical toughness. He's a player who does not throw away his wicket once he's set. He always places a huge price on his wicket."
Dilip Vengsarkar salutes the attributes that such a knock needs

"Sachin - the greatest ever player ever - without any doubt… I salute Sachin... World's greatest sportsman. We can see him only rise. (He is an) inspiration to us all. He is the best."
IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi waxes beyond eloquent, on his twitter page

"What an innings it was. He had come close to achieving it twice. I always felt that Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya are capable of doing that."
Kumar Sangakkara has not forgotten Tendulkar's recent dazzling form

"He is my favourite player. I had said that one day he would go on to break all batting records and now you see him scoring runs and runs."
Javed Miandad kinda saw it coming

"Whatever record is seen to be impossible to achieve, he makes it possible. That's all I can say. It seems as he's getting older, he is becoming more and more mature. No wonder Sir Donald Bradman saw himself in the way Sachin bats."
King of parsimony Bapu Nadkarni is not parsimonious with his praise

Source: cricinfo.com

Saturday, February 20, 2010

ICC Cricket World Cup 2010/11 / Fixtures

Sat Feb 19 1st match - India v Bangladesh
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Sun Feb 20 3rd match - Sri Lanka v Canada
Hambantota International Cricket Stadium

Sun Feb 20 2nd match - Kenya v New Zealand
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Mon Feb 21 4th match - Australia v Zimbabwe
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Tue Feb 22 5th match - England v Netherlands
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

Wed Feb 23 6th match - Kenya v Pakistan
Hambantota International Cricket Stadium

Thu Feb 24 7th match - South Africa v West Indies
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Fri Feb 25 9th match - Bangladesh v Ireland
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Fri Feb 25 8th match - Australia v New Zealand
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

Sat Feb 26 10th match - Pakistan v Sri Lanka
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Sun Feb 27 11th match - India v England
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Mon Feb 28 12th match - Netherlands v West Indies
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Mon Feb 28 13th match - Canada v Zimbabwe
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

Tue Mar 1 14th match - Kenya v Sri Lanka
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Wed Mar 2 15th match - England v Ireland
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Thu Mar 3 17th match - Canada v Pakistan
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Thu Mar 3 16th match - Netherlands v South Africa
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

Fri Mar 4 19th match - Bangladesh v West Indies
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Fri Mar 4 18th match - New Zealand v Zimbabwe
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Sat Mar 5 20th match - Australia v Sri Lanka
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Sun Mar 6 21st match - India v Ireland
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Sun Mar 6 22nd match - England v South Africa
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Mon Mar 7 23rd match - Canada v Kenya
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Tue Mar 8 24th match - New Zealand v Pakistan
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

Wed Mar 9 25th match - India v Netherlands
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Thu Mar 10 26th match - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

Fri Mar 11 28th match - Bangladesh v England
Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong

Fri Mar 11 27th match - Ireland v West Indies
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

Sat Mar 12 29th match - India v South Africa
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

Sun Mar 13 30th match - Canada v New Zealand
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Sun Mar 13 31st match - Australia v Kenya
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Mon Mar 14 33rd match - Bangladesh v Netherlands
Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong

Mon Mar 14 32nd match - Pakistan v Zimbabwe
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

Tue Mar 15 34th match - Ireland v South Africa
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Wed Mar 16 35th match - Australia v Canada
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Thu Mar 17 36th match - England v West Indies
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Fri Mar 18 37th match - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Fri Mar 18 38th match - Ireland v Netherlands
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Sat Mar 19 40th match - Bangladesh v South Africa
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Sat Mar 19 39th match - Australia v Pakistan
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Sun Mar 20 41st match - Kenya v Zimbabwe
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Sun Mar 20 42nd match - India v West Indies
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Wed Mar 23 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Thu Mar 24 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Fri Mar 25 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Sat Mar 26 Quarter Final - TBC v TBC
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Tue Mar 29 Semi Final - TBC v TBC
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Wed Mar 30 Semi Final - TBC v TBC
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

Sat Apr 2 Final - TBC v TBC
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

source: cricinfo.com

ICC World T20I 2010: Fixures

Fri Apr 30
17:00 GMT | 13:00 local
22:30 IST 1st Match, Group B - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Fri Apr 30          
21:00 GMT | 17:00 local
02:30 IST +1d 2nd Match, Group D - West Indies v Ireland
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Sat May 1
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 3rd Match, Group C - Afghanistan v India
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sat May 1
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 4th Match, Group A - Bangladesh v Pakistan
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sun May 2
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 5th Match, Group C - India v South Africa
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sun May 2
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 6th Match, Group A - Australia v Pakistan
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Mon May 3
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 7th Match, Group B - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Mon May 3
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 8th Match, Group D - West Indies v England
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Tue May 4
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 9th Match, Group B - New Zealand v Zimbabwe
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Tue May 4
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 10th Match, Group D - England v Ireland
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Wed May 5
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 11th Match, Group A - Australia v Bangladesh
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Wed May 5
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 12th Match, Group C - Afghanistan v South Africa
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Thu May 6
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 13th Match - TBC v TBC (A1 v D2)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Thu May 6
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 14th Match - TBC v TBC (C1 v B2)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Fri May 7
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 15th Match - TBC v TBC (A2 v C2)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Fri May 7
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 16th Match - TBC v TBC (B1 v D1)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sat May 8
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 17th Match - TBC v TBC (C1 v D2)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sat May 8
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 18th Match - TBC v TBC (A1 v B2)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sun May 9
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 19th Match - TBC v TBC (C2 v D1)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sun May 9
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 20th Match - TBC v TBC (B1 v A2)
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Mon May 10
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local
19:00 IST 21st Match - TBC v TBC (B2 v D2)
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Mon May 10
17:30 GMT | 13:30 local
23:00 IST 22nd Match - TBC v TBC (A1 v C1)
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Tue May 11
17:00 GMT | 13:00 local
22:30 IST 23rd Match - TBC v TBC (B1 v C2)
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Tue May 11          
21:00 GMT | 17:00 local
02:30 IST +1d 24th Match - TBC v TBC (D1 v A2)
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Thu May 13
15:30 GMT | 11:30 local
21:00 IST 1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Fri May 14
15:30 GMT | 11:30 local
21:00 IST 2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sun May 16
15:30 GMT | 11:30 local
21:00 IST Final - TBC v TBC
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Cricket news and Wallpapers

For latest news, photos and wallpapers of cricket players one must visit http://cricketnewswallpapers.blogspot.com

in reference to: Google Images (view on Google Sidewiki)

Sri Lanka see opportunity in India's injuries


Thursday, December 24
Start time 14:30 (09:00 GMT)

The absence of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni gives the injury-hit visitors a chance to draw level in Kolkata

News : Sehwag urges youngsters to grab opportunities

Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of India

The 2-1 scoreline is not unexpected given the way India have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink in all but one game - a Twenty20 - played in the limited-overs leg of the tour. But now, with the home team missing two match-winners, a hurting Sri Lanka have a realistic chance of leveling the series.

This will be the first time since MS Dhoni's debut in 2004 that India play an ODI without him and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni has often said that missing Yuvraj is a big blow, so how India cope with the loss of their captain and best batsman in ODIs in addition to Yuvraj will be crucial.

The tour has seen so many players succumbing to injuries it's a surprise the rest have managed to get so far. Sri Lanka have lost the services of Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando and Angelo Mathews. Nuwan Kulasekara missed the Tests but returned for the shorter versions. Yuvraj had a recurrence of his finger injury and has been indefinitely ruled out. Sreesanth is yet to feature after getting the flu, while Lasith Malinga overcame it in time for the last game. Thankfully, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag overcame minor scares.

But there is always fear - especially among bowlers - of another injury around the corner. Three of them have shouldered the burden of carrying their respective attacks: for the hosts, the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh (187.2 overs bowled so far) and comeback man Zaheer Khan (131) are in need of breaks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka thrust the rookie Chanaka Welegedara (126 overs) into the forefront on his first major series and he will be longing for a breather at the business end of a testing tour. This is the start of another busy season for India and there isn't much time to think ahead. Wrapping up the series in Kolkata will allow India to rest weary players ahead of the Bangladesh tour starting January 4. Sri Lanka also feature in the tri-series that kicks off that tour but, needing to win both their remaining matches in India, cannot afford the luxury of rotation.

The pitch, one that's expected to play slow and low in the latter half, will favour India's spinners who found rhythm and confidence in Cuttack. Chilly temperatures, the dew factor and a slow-paced track mean that the bowlers will need to produce another special performance. With bitter cold and early morning fog expected to have a telling impact in Delhi, the venue for the fifth match, India will be keen to wrap up the series here.

Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)

India - WLWLL
Sri Lanka - LWLLL

Watch out for...

Tillakaratne Dilshan v Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja: Sri Lanka's strength lies, keeping with tradition, at the top of the order. In Tillakaratne Dilshan they have a batsman at the height of his powers, equally adept at firing in the first over and taking charge of the slog overs. A converted opener, Dilshan has acquitted himself superbly this year and his centuries in Rajkot and Cuttack kept India sweating all the way. His ability to play unconventional shots on either side of the stumps makes it critical for the spinners to plot their modus operandi against him with care. In the first match of the series, Dilshan collected 36 runs from 23 deliveries faced against Ravindra Jadeja but was more sedate against Harbhajan Singh, who allowed just 17 from 26 balls before he bowled Dilshan for 160. In the second ODI, Dilshan took 33 runs from 27 balls faced from Harbhajan, but just 18 from the 33 Jadeja bowled at him. Dilshan didn't last long enough to face spin in Cuttack, and if the pair comes up against him tomorrow, the margin for error will be miniscule.

Lasith Malinga v Virender Sehwag: Lasith Malinga's ability to sling out top-order batsmen hasn't been evident recently on the international stage, owing largely to the injuries that have restricted him to just 10 ODIs in 2009. In the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka's most experienced bowler has to deliver early if Sri Lanka want to keep Virender Sehwag quiet. Fast bowlers have accounted for Sehwag in his last nine innings, and getting him out early in every game was crucial to Australia's recent series win in India. On his comeback in Cuttack, Malinga's first over cost 16 with Sehwag blasting three fours. Sehwag was dismissed by Chanaka Welegedara and didn't get a chance to face Malinga further, but sparks could fly if they face off in Kolkata.

Team news

Virat Kohli will step in for Yuvraj and hope to build on his impressive 54 last week.

India: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Sri Lanka don't have any new fitness worries but they need to address their middle-order problems. Chamara Kapugedera struggled for fluency in Cuttack before a loose shot sent him back, and Sri Lanka should really reconsider Sanath Jayasuriya over Thilan Samaraweera not least because of the left-arm spinning option he creates.

Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Sanath Jayasuriya/Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Nuwan Kulasekara, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.

Pitch and conditions

Kolkata's Eden Gardens is set to host an ODI after nearly three years. It last hosted an ODI in February 2007, when Sri Lanka toured India for a short series before the World Cup. The dew factor is expected to play a large role and with a 2.30pm start, and the sun setting fairly early, the teams could have some slippery conditions while fielding under lights.

Stats and trivia

    * The highest ODI total at the Eden Gardens is Sri Lanka's 309 in 49.4 overs against Pakistan in 1997.
    * Head-to-head in Kolkata, India and Sri Lanka have each won and lost a game, with the third being ruined by February rain.
    * The largest margin of victory in an ODI at this venue is India's 102-run win over West Indies in in 1993.

Source:cricinfo.com

Friday, December 11, 2009

Sri Lanka tour of India 2009/10 / ODI Fixtures

1st ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Tue Dec 15 (09:00 local, 03:30 GMT)
Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot

2nd ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Fri Dec 18 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Andhra Cricket Association-Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium, Visakhapatnam

3rd ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Mon Dec 21 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Barabati Stadium, Cuttack

4th ODI: India v Sri Lanka
Thu Dec 24 (14:30 local, 09:00 GMT)
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

5th ODI - India v Sri Lanka
Sun Dec 27 (09:00 local | 03:30 GMT)
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

Dropped catches hurt us - MS Dhoni

India v Sri Lanka, 1st Twenty20, Nagpur


Sri Lanka 215 for 5 (Sangakkara 78*, Kapugedera 47) beat India 186 for 9 (Gambhir 55) by 29 runs


MS Dhoni has said one of the reasons for the 29-run run defeat to Sri Lanka in Nagpur was because India tended to take Twenty20 internationals as a "warm-up for the one-dayers to follow". India have now lost seven of their last ten Twenty20s and two of their three wins were against Bangladesh and Ireland.

"I don't think we were in the groove for a Twenty20 game and too often we treat it as a warm-up for the one-dayers to follow," Dhoni said. "It's probably the reason for our defeats in these games."

Another, and more significant, reason for Wednesday's defeat was India's terrible fielding. They dropped five chances - two off the Sri Lankan openers before they made a start - and frequently fumbled balls in the outfield. Yuvraj dropped Sanath Jayasuriya on 4, Ishant grassed Tillakaratne Dilshan on 13 and Kumar Sangakkara as well, Rohit Sharma let off Chamara Kapugedera on 14, and Pragyan Ojha failed to reach a tough chance given by Angelo Mathews in the final over after which the batsman hit two sixes.

"The catching is a bit of concern," Dhoni said. "We are not a brilliant fielding side, but we don't drop too many catches. That also hurt us also to some extent."

Had India taken their chances, Sri Lanka would have struggled to reach 215. In the over after he was dropped, Jayasuriya hit Ashish Nehra for five consecutive boundaries and provided the acceleration after a slow start. The opening stand of 43 set the platform for Kumar Sangakkara to score 78 off just 37 deliveries. Kapugedera provided propulsion by scoring 47 off 20 while Mathews made 15 off four balls.

"What really set us up was the two openers batting for six overs, even if they didn't get a flying start," Sangakkara said. "They really applied themselves and got those 40-odd runs and we could launch our innings from there. I've been in good form, but I've been getting out cheaply because I've never really applied myself. I thought it was about time I really did something to inspire the side."

Sangakkara also described Jayasuriya's four-over spell during India's chase as "magic". Jayasuriya came on after India had raced to 88 in seven overs and brought down the scoring-rate dramatically. He conceded only 19 off his four overs and also took the wickets of MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan. Sri Lanka's bowlers were also supported by far superior fielding effort and Sangakkara acknowledged as much.

"I thought the fielding was outstanding, we were excellent in the first 16 overs and I thought we could have been a little more ruthless in the final four overs and finished the game off," he said. "Overall, everyone played really hard and they showed a lot of hunger to win.

Source: cricinfo.com